The Lowest-Ranked Hero Has Returned

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 163: Witch of the Night (4)

That’s how our mentoring class party came together.

Our destination was a demonic beast-prone area far south of Valhalla City.

For a hero, the direction “south” has many negative connotations.

In the south lies Gehenna City, the city of demons.

It’s also where the most notoriously dangerous ruins are clustered, and where humanity's last frontier teems with all kinds of demonic beasts.

The reason demons and demonic beasts gathered in the south was simple.

In the west lies the Empire, in the east the Republic, in the north the Holy Kingdom, and in the center, the Hero Academy and Valhalla City.

After the Demon God was sealed, the demons—whose forces had weakened—had no choice but to settle in the south, a place filled with harsh terrain and ruins.

Naturally, the southern region became a dreaded wasteland for humanity.

And now, we were heading toward that southern wasteland.

“Hey, Aaron, are you sure this is okay?”

Laios, who was following behind, spoke up, looking nervous.

“The place we’re heading to... it’s ranked as an A-rank danger zone by the Tri-Nation Hero Alliance, isn’t it?”

An A-rank danger zone was highly perilous, the kind of place even skilled hero parties would hesitate to approach.

To explore an A-rank danger zone, you’d need at least a high-ranking hero, one with notable abilities.

“Haha, no need to worry. Our party should be able to handle it.”

Aaron gave a cool smile and shrugged.

He wasn’t being foolishly overconfident in a cliched way.

Aaron indeed possessed skills comparable to a top-tier hero.

And with Bella and Laios added in, our party was objectively capable enough to explore an A-rank zone.

Of course, that’s in a “normal” situation.

“But...”

Laios glanced toward me and Lanez, who were following at the party's rear.

His face twisted in frustration.

“Did we really have to bring along those dead weights?”

“Dead weights? Watch your words, Laios. They’re party members too,”

Aaron said, frowning in irritation.

Laios flinched at Aaron’s gaze.

Aaron sighed and continued speaking.

“If worst comes to worst, I can use my ‘blessing,’ so there’s no need to worry.”

“Mmm... okay.”

Laios, who still looked worried, nodded as soon as he heard the word “blessing.”

But Bella Leonhart, who was next to him, reacted instead.

“Aaron! Didn’t you promise to save your blessing for me?”

“I told you, I’d only use it in the worst-case scenario. I don’t plan on using it lightly,”

Aaron said, smiling and shrugging.

Bella scolded him for always choosing the riskiest options, but ultimately, she couldn’t change his mind.

“Anyway, the path ahead is rough, so everyone, try to keep up. Let me know if you need a break.”

With that, Aaron took the lead and quickened his pace.

Squish, squish.

Just as Aaron had said, the road was not easy.

The dense jungle forced us to use light magic even in the daytime to see our way, and the marshlands that swallowed our ankles drained our energy with each step.

Although Aaron, Bella, and Laios, who were naturally skilled, managed reasonably well in these conditions, Lanez, already struggling with her lack of strength and the heavy load on her back, looked like she could collapse at any moment.

Even while gasping for breath, Lanez didn’t say a word about resting and desperately kept up with the party from the rear.

“Lanez.”

Unable to watch any longer, I approached her.

“H-huh?”

“I’ll carry it.”

“N-no!”

Lanez shook her head, clutching the backpack like it was a treasure chest.

“This is all I can contribute to the party… I have to carry it.”

Lanez’s face held a look of desperation.

“...”

Watching her, I turned to Aaron, who was at the front.

“Aaron.”

“Hm?”

“It feels like I’m about to die. Can we take a break?”

“Oh, sorry. I forgot we had newcomers with us.”

Scratching his head, Aaron gave an embarrassed smile.

“Alright. Let’s rest around here.”

Aaron drew his spear from his back and swung it lightly.

The blue aura emanating from the spear cut down several trees.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

In an instant, several trees fell, creating makeshift seats.

“How does it feel to be outside of school for the first time? Nervous?”

Aaron asked, sitting down on one of the tree stumps.

I nodded and sat down with him.

“Yes, it’s a bit nerve-wracking.”

“Haha. I was the same way when I went on my first demonic beast hunt outside school.”

Encouraged by my response, Aaron, beaming, started sharing a “back in my day” story.

“All those lessons we thought we’d mastered just vanished from my mind, and I felt like my brain had gone blank.”

“…”

“But don’t worry. It’s always like that the first time. Once you get used to it…”

“Aaron!”

Smack!

Bella, who was sitting next to Aaron, frowned and slapped his back.

“Argh!”

“Why can’t you stop yourself from going on about the old days?”

“What? I’m just trying to help the rookie adapt…”

“Going on and on about how things were ‘back in your day’ while they’re just trying to catch their breath isn’t helping. Let them rest properly when they need to rest.”

“Ugh.”

Aaron shrank under Bella’s scolding, while Laios watched with a jealous look.

“What a lively party.”

I sighed and turned to look at Lanez.

“Huff, huff… whew.”

Finally, looking like she could breathe, Lanez sat on a stump and caught her breath.

“…”

I watched her with a complicated expression.

Thud, thud!

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the jungle.

And it wasn't just one set of footsteps, but several.

“Prepare for battle.”

Aaron quickly stood up and gripped his spear.

He pointed it toward the direction of the approaching sounds, sharply surveying the surroundings.

“Grrr.”

“Hiss!”

Emerging from the jungle was a demonic creature with the head of a snake and the head of a human, a demonic lizard.

It looked like a smaller version of the crocodile demonic beast they had encountered during the mid-term evaluation.

“…A Seven-Eyed Level demonic beast.”

Aaron quickly counted the number of eyes on the lizard demonic beast and turned his head.

Five Seven-Eyed Level demonic beasts were surrounding them.

As expected of an A-rank danger zone, the demonic beasts appearing here were formidable.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

“I’ll take the lead. Everyone else, back me up.”

After giving instructions to Bella and Laios, Aaron charged forward.

“Ha!”

Aaron’s blue aura flared as he shot forward like a comet.

Crunch!

“Screeech!”

The blue streak pierced through the tough scales of the lizard demonic beast.

The lizard demonic beast writhed and shrieked in pain.

Though it was a severe wound, large enough to pierce its body, it wasn’t enough to kill the Seven-Eyed demonic beast.

“Grr!”

The lizard demonic beast exhaled harsh breaths, coiling its long tail around Aaron's spear.

Just as it was about to wrest the spear from Aaron's hands with a flick of its tail.

“Vanish.”

Swoosh.

Aaron's body melted into thin air, only to reappear behind the lizard demonic beast.

It wasn’t a warp across space.

He simply moved behind it so quickly that he became invisible for an instant.

Crunch!

The tip of his spear pierced through the demonic beast’s head.

“Screeeech!”

One of the lizard demonic beasts encircling them lunged at Aaron.

“Not so fast!”

Bella dashed forward, blocking its path.

A red glow flashed in her eyes.

“Take this!”

Shick-shick-shick-shick-shick-shick-shick!

With a short shout, she unleashed a terrifyingly fast flurry of slashes.

The lizard demonic beast's body was torn to shreds in an instant.

“Grr!”

“Hisss!”

The remaining three demonic beasts exchanged glances and then charged at the rear of the party.

But waiting for them was—

“You wretched lizard bastards…!”

Laios blocked their path.

“Thunder, come forth!”

Boom!

With a deafening roar, a wall of lightning formed around Laios’ body.

“Shrieeeek!”

One of the charging lizard demonic beasts couldn't control its speed and crashed into the wall of lightning, shrieking in agony.

‘Wow.’

In line with the mentoring lesson, as I observed the senior students’ battle, I couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh of admiration.

‘Impressive.’

Aaron, Bella, and Laios were undeniably skilled, enough to make one agree with the rumors calling them the “strongest batch.”

‘Especially Aaron Baek.’

His explosive speed was awe-inspiring.

Indeed.

While I was secretly admiring him, considering that in his past life he’d been a hero known as the “Rival of Yuren”—

Crunch!

Having taken down another lizard demonic beast, Aaron turned toward me.

“What do you think?”

He pointed his spear at the last remaining lizard demonic beast and asked.

“How about you take on this last one, junior?”

“……”

His gaze evaluated me, like he was appraising whether I was an uncut gemstone or just a common pebble.

Only then did I realize why Aaron had brought me to this place, despite the risks.

‘Ah, so that’s what this is….’

It’s not unusual in mentoring lessons to give juniors a chance to participate in real combat.

But bringing a low-ranking cadet to an A-rank danger zone and pitting them against a Seven-Eyed demonic beast?

There’s no way that’s just a simple gesture of “giving the junior a chance.”

The reason Aaron was looking at me with those shining eyes was clear.

‘He wants to test me?’

It seems he wants to see with his own eyes whether the rumors about my skills are true.

“What do you say? Oh, it’s not a command. You can refuse if you’re scared.”

Aaron looked at me with a faint smile, a challenge gleaming in his eyes.

I let out a faint laugh, easily reading his provocation.

‘So, this was his plan from the start?’

I chuckled as I stood up.

Gripping my sword hilt, I leisurely walked toward the demonic beast.

A test.

A test, huh.

‘What a silly move.’

You arrogant brat.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]