Chapter 207
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The yback of memories hade to aplete end.
The Heros vision flickered slowly before brightening again.
Thements that had been surfacing in session also fell silent.
.
The Hero repeated the pattern of taking short breaths and exhaling.
It was the longest segment of memories he had experienced so far.
Countless emotions that Zero had felt swirled in his mind.
Yet amidst the confusion, only one clear fact was firmly embedded in his mind.
The clues the Hero had been gathering all this time.
And this memory.
They had alle together to finally unveil one secret.
He was a Homunculus made of Doppelganger.
.
While the Hero collected his thoughts, Rosalyn simply looked at him with eyes that had grown quiet.
She didnt ask if he had enjoyed reminiscing as usual.
The emotions reflected in her eyes seemed to be a mixture of pity and admiration.
The Hero raised his bowed head.
After their gazes met, it was Rosalyn who spoke first.
I thought you would be more surprised or distressed.
The Hero let out a brief sigh.
It was something I somewhat anticipated. Though I had hoped otherwise.
Have all the doubts you held onto been resolved?
Most of them.
A few still lingered.
And these doubts were of a kind that could not be brushed aside lightly.
In some ways, they were even more important than his identity.
Fortunately, Rosalyn was looking at him with a considerably cooperative gaze, unlike before.
The Hero hesitated before speaking.
ording to my knowledge, homunculi live and perish ording to the purpose imnted during their cultivation by their master.
Thats correct.
Just as you waited for the savior while guarding this library. Just as the Demonic Church Leader was fueled with hatred towards humans and led the Demonic Church. Am I right?
Yes.
Rosalyn did not deny it.
The Heros expression twisted with anguish.
It was a expression he had never shown since he had lived as Ted.
But I have never felt bound by such constraints.
You
To me, consciousness of purpose was merely the salvation of humanity I gained from experiencing humans from living with Ted. If that is also
The muscles in the Heros face began to tense as he interrupted himself.
His expression vanished, his breathing irregr.
He barely managed to speak.
Is even this my delusion? Is my desire to love humans to save them all just something Zero designed?
A conversation he had had with theDemonic Church Leader in the north came to mind.
Whether Im a homunculus or a human or an extraterrestrial monster. None of that matters to me now.
I have a goal.
I will uproot the decay that gues this world like a tumor and save humanity.
There was not an ounce of falsehood in his words.
The Hero had vowed to dedicate all his strength and life willingly to the salvation of humanity.
But if the reasons he could harbor such feelings were
If it wasnt because of the life I lived and the rtionships I made in it, but because of something that was injected into me?
The things that had constituted and supported him would lose their meaning.
The moment waiting for Rosalyns reply felt eternal to the Hero.
Rosalyn met the Heros earnest gaze, then slowly, but decisively, shook her head.
No.
Yet the Hero couldnt find sce.
How can you be so sure?
As if expecting such a question, Rosalyn spoke without hesitation.
If things had gone ording to my masters n, you would have lived a life like that scarecrow of your concerns.
The Heros expression subtly changed.
But the transntations continued to fail. Hundreds of experiments conducted by my master, and over a hundred more by his disciple, Depikio.
Experiments failed?
In an instant, a series of images shed rapidly through the Heros mind.
An oldboratory within a damp forest.
A secret ce connected through a portal within.
A broken bio-reactor and a piece of paperbeled as a failed transntation experiment.
Even thement that led him to theboratory.
Dig out the roots.
With that, spection turned into certainty.
Although there were no memories of it at the time, it was certain.
What had been in Depikio Lugosboratory.
The Hero covered his face with trembling hands.
It was me.
Rosalyn gazed at him as if seeing through him.
Yes, I assure you, the transntations failed.
Breathing deeply as if about to say something very important, she continued calmly.
Because the being serving as your model was an existence that could not be exined by thews of this world. An unknown life form with no origins or background known. Its not surprising that the homunculus creation process was iplete. Even the transntation of the ability of Polymorph was a miracle in itself.
The Hero interjected with a realization.
Does that mean?
Yes.
Rosalyns expression gradually changed.
The Hero never imagined she could make such an expression, always so dry.
It was like the face of a believer confirming the existence of God with their own eyes, as if witnessing a miracle.
Pure and brilliant emotion enveloped her.
The emotions you have towards humans belong solely to you.
And this was nothing short of salvation for the Hero as well.
They are entirely mine.
Yes, you became a being who affirms it by experiencing humans from a nk state. This is something not even your master no, no one could have anticipated.
At the same time, it was also proof of the goodness of humans that Zero had believed in so fervently, but Doppelgnger had vehemently denied.
I see. Thats how it was.
It was true that Zeros embraces had pushed and supported him.
But embarking on the path of salvation was his own decision, no one elses.
His fiercely lived life had not been in vain.
It had not lost its meaning.
Yeah.
The Hero chuckled lightly.
That settled it.
.
.
.
Before leaving, the Hero asked a few more questions to clear up the remaining doubts.
By the way, why was it Depikio Lugosboratory?
Hmm?
I mean, it was Zero who took him, so why was I in Depikiosb?
Rosalyn hesitated for a moment before answering.
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As you know, the lifespan of a Grand Sorcerer is very short. Currently, Grand Sorcerer Ludwig Boseman is still alive and kicking after consuming nearly a hundred and fifty years. However, my master, quickly exhausted his lifespan by gaining and manifesting powers that would be difficult for a human body to withstand.
Rosalyn said that Zeros death urred two centuries ago when he disappeared.
So, my master divided tasks between the two homunculi and his disciple, Depikio Lugo.
The Hero tilted his head.
Two homunculi? One is you whos the other? It cant be me.
Thats right, theres one more besides me. You might have seen him in past memories.
Another homunculus?
Seen in memories?
The Hero briefly reconsidered upon hearing that.
The memories he had reviewed in the library were all memories of Zero and the Hero.
There had been an asion where a doppelganger appeared in the memories.
Ah, no way.
The memories of the first time he reviewed them.
The mercenary group Ted belonged to was wiped out by a surprise attack from demons.
Someone subdued Ted, who was fighting.
The image of him, born with magic resistance, being subdued in an instant remained vivid in his memory.
Rosalyn nodded.
Yes, thats correct. He is my brother and was created as an offspring of my master.
Zero was his model?
Yes. Hes a very powerfulbatant, unlike me.
Rosalyn chuckled yfully and finished speaking.
We might meet him soon. His mission is almostplete.
The Hero pondered for a moment on how to respond, then smiled faintly.
Another homunculus indeed.
It was almost weing now.
* * *
The new semester had begun.
Well, not entirely.
The first week of sses was traditionally known as O.T. Week, a time for students to adjust to new courses.
Rather than full-fledged lectures, it was mainly a period for sharing the semesters ns and getting to know each other.
Anyway, the highlight of O.T. Week was undoubtedly the drop.
Rosenstark University provided a drop period of a whole month to boost students academic motivation and prevent professors from overloading.
Students would eagerly shuffle their schedules to find more enriching or rxed sses.
Among them, there was one ss everyone was aiming for this semester
Extreme.
Of course, transferring to Extreme was not amon urrence.
All professors had to agree, and there needed to be vacancies in the ss.
The conditions were quiteplex.
But now, after half a semester had passed.
Coincidentally, Extreme had two vacancies.
-Theres one more spot empty in Extreme, right?
Who dropped out? Cant believe someone did.
Well, its because they took a leave of absence for personal reasons.
Why are you so slow with the news? Its the one who took a leave of absence. That one.
Who?
The new chief of the northern tribe.
-Shouldnt we fill the vacancy in Extreme then? Two people dropped out!
Ah, please! Ill fill the vacancy!
Its time to show off the skills honed over the semester.
No, think twice before applying. The curriculum for Extreme looks too tough, doesnt it?
(Completing the application)
Everyones excited. The announcement hasnt evene out yet.
-If youre a proud student of Rosenstark, you must uphold your integrity.
Sorry, Professor~
Yeah, Im going to Extreme.
Those bastards,,
In the midst of all this.
-The announcement for Extreme is out, read it carefully.
The fervent Connector anonymous bulletin board suddenly fell silent.
Instead, the views on the Extreme announcement began to skyrocket.
Hello, Im Pia Joyce, the assistant of Extreme.
After lengthy discussions, Extreme is considering new talented individuals
In summary, the announcement was something like this.
The issue of replenishing new members in Extreme is being very positively considered.
If it proceeds, the target will be freshmen.
The Hero hasnt provided specific guidelines on how to select yet, but it seems like it will involvepetition with existing students to assess the abilities of applicants.
If all applicants fall below the standard, none will be selected.
Good luck, and best wishes.
Since that announcement.
The gazes of ssmates towards the students of Extreme started to be very envious.
Originally, the students of Extreme didnt pay much attention to other Unir students.
This was because they were busy digesting the training curriculum presented by the Hero.
However, the opposite was entirely different.
Most of the iing freshmen in this term had aimed for the Heros disciples from the beginning.
Watching the students of Extreme grow day by day, they felt a pang of jealousy.
Some admired them.
Some resented them.
And others took them as goals to catch up with and dedicated themselves to training.
Reactions varied.
But they all shared one thought in their minds.
It could have been me!
Amidst this, an opportunity opened up.
Details werent clear, but in the form ofpetition with existing students.
Starting from the night the notice was posted, the students of Extreme began to receive challenges one by one.
Hey Would you like to have a duel when you have time?
Yeah, lets have a match.
Since the top students of Extreme hadnt arrived from the North yet, bolder challenges were possible.
First-year students continued to apply for duels with those who seemed the most approachable in Extreme.
It was inevitable that the target would be a modestly dressed, petite girl.
Hey.
Nyhills shoulders trembled as she contemted the special mission bestowed upon her by Mother Ghost the day before her mission return.
Me?
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