The Extra Can't be A Hero

Chapter 294: Training from Hell (2)

The Solaris Founder and the Solaris Saint.

Two of the most celebrated humans in all of history.

One had forged the mighty House of Solaris with his own hands. Idrytis Solaris was the spearhead of humanity's first true victory against the Dragons—the man who shattered the dominion of the ancient lizards and brought their age to an end. Because of him, humanity rose to roam the world as its dominant species.

He was broad and powerfully built, his muscles swollen with inhuman vitality. His eyes gleamed with draconic gold, for he was the first human to inherit the bloodline of the Golden Dragon Sovereign. His presence alone was overwhelming; beneath his jovial demeanor lay a crushing pressure that radiated from his very existence, something Amon could feel weighing upon his soul.

The other was the Solaris Saint, revered as the most holy, most overwhelming, and most powerful human to ever walk the earth. When the Demon Invasion threatened to drown the world in ruin, she descended like a living inferno, tearing through the battlefields as an unstoppable valkyrie.

Agios's monstrous strength was rivalled only by her blinding speed and flawless mastery of combat. She was a honed blade given human form—poised, lethal, and decisive—and once she moved, there was little anyone could do to stop her.

Two of the greatest Solaris to have ever lived now stood before Amon.

Yet he felt no fear.

Instead… his heart stirred with genuine excitement.

[To think that someone like you would have been born in the Solaris House… You're basically covered in Lunar Mana!]

[I don't judge on mana. Your strength is all that matters.]

The Solaris Founder and Saint smiled, each with their own reaction.

[Child, tell me honestly. Are you a reincarnated person? But reincarnation shouldn't be possible. But, how else could you possess lunar mana of this calibre despite being a Solaris?]

The Solaris Founder, the one most obsessed with keeping the bloodline, pondered deeply. Amon was an anomaly; he knew that. But the fact that he could possess Lunar Mana that surpassed even his own Solar Mana… that was beyond all comprehension.

[Young Amon, I don't care where you're from. But I have one request. Let's cross swords!]

On the other hand, the Solaris Saint couldn't care less about Amon's origins. She was purely infatuated with the young man's absurd power and wished to exchange moves with him.

Even in her prime, Agios was a battle maniac. A genius on the battlefield, there were few who could match her. The most dominant of Knights were nothing more than training dolls, while the most powerful Greater Demons would be sliced like sashimi.

At the end of her life, she was living every day bored, as there wasn't anyone worthy of challenging her.

"I will answer your questions… and request, at another time. Now, we don't have much time."

Naturally, Amon wasn't going to reveal his entire life story or that he knew the Goddess was targeting them. Especially since Leon was currently in possession of the Holy Sword, an artefact linked to the Goddess.

Although he wasn't sure, Amon had a feeling that Hyades was listening to this very conversation and based on what Amon said or didn't say… the Goddess would decide how to retaliate.

"The Titans and the Demon Empire… We'll need to become strong enough to defeat them."

[Yeah, we've been listening inside Ascalon… Things seem to be quite dire, huh?]

The Solaris Founder immediately tuned down his playful mood and fell deep into thought. As the man who fought against the Dragons, he was well aware of how dangerous and powerful they were. And yet, those very Dragons were merely mounts of the Titans.

Although the Titans were nowhere near their peak, just their existence alone could rival that of the Dragon Sovereigns themselves.

[What is Hyades doing? To let those Demon spawn back into our dimension?]

The Solaris Saint, on the other hand, was more threatened by the Demons. After all, she was the one who hunted the most Demons in history. She knew them far better than anyone alive would.

But in her fit of rage, she had inadvertently revealed a piece of pivotal information.

"Lord Agios… Are you not in contact with the Goddess?"

[Hmmm? No? What made you say that?]

"No… It's well known that the Solaris Saint had ascended into heaven and claimed her place on the right hand of the Goddess. Not only is this well-known in the Solaris House, but even the Holy Church preaches this."

Amon explained, and Leon nodded.

[Huh? What kind of nonsense is that? I didn't have a path to godhood.]

The revelation would overturn centuries of doctrines that billions of faithful had followed. Thus, Amon and Leon listened carefully, ready to digest every single word the Solaris Saint said.

[Ah, perhaps it was because I didn't pass on in a traditional sense. My body couldn't decay due to the vast amount of Holy Power it absorbed. So instead of being buried and potentially used as a sacrament, I allowed my body to be used as nourishment to strengthen Ascalon after my passing. My soul passed on normally, but a portion of it remained with Ascalon. That's how I'm able to talk to you now.]

If the Solaris Saint had her body fade away instead of returning to the ground through decomposition, it could paint a picture of Agios ascending to reach the right hand of the Goddess.

No, perhaps Hyades even planned it this way.

The more she could tie the Solaris House to the Holy Church, the more she could control it.

Humanity's greatest weapon against her.

"But why did you need to nourish Ascalon with Holy Power? Wasn't it already the most sacred object on the planet?"

[Oh, has this fact been distorted as well?]

This time, both the Solaris Founder and Saint sighed as they realised how much history had been lost.

"I'm sorry, what do you mean by distorted?"

[Well… Ascalon wasn't created by the Goddess.]

"... what?"

If anyone else heard that, it was akin to blasphemy. But it came directly from the first owner of Ascalon, the Solaris Founder.

[Ascalon was forged by melting a fallen star. My brother, the Golden Dragon Sovereign of the time, used his breath to painstakingly forge it. We used materials from all over the planet to make it and bathed it in Dragon's blood. In the end, it became a Heroic-grade weapon on its own.]

For a weapon to grow in strength, it needed to collect fables. And what better fables were there than the Solaris Founder who used that sword to become a Dragon Slayer?

[As for when it started being called the Holy Sword… That was when I wielded it.]

The Solaris Saint jumped in with her own explanations.

[I empowered it with Hyades's essence and used her Holy Power to enchant more fables onto Ascalon. Before me, Ascalon didn't have a trace of Holy Power. Of course, now it is drenched in it.]

Agios looked down at Ascalon with beaming pride. She was, after all, the most trusted servant of the Goddess. Despite being part of the Solaris House and its head, Agios possessed more faith than any other priest, bishop, or even the Pope.

Why?

For the simple reason that Hyades contacted her multiple times before.

When she was on the brink of death while fighting thousands of Demons, when she needed guidance, when her life was at its lowest point, and when she desired salvation…

Hyades was there.

That's why Agios willingly doused Ascalon, the Solaris House's most precious artefact, with Holy Power. And due to how the Solaris Saint always proclaimed to fight for the Goddess, Ascalon slowly morphed into the Holy Sword, the weapon that slays the Goddess's enemies.

"Lord Idrytis… Are you fine with that?"

Amon asked cautiously as he didn't want to raise any suspicion. But fortunately, the Solaris Founder didn't seem to notice and said:

[The Goddess has aided the Solaris House during our darkest hours. Even when fighting against the Dragons, the Goddess has helped us in various ways. And besides, if Ascalon grows stronger, so will the Solaris House. I see it as a win-win.]

The Solaris Founder's theory was correct… that was… if the Goddess was humanity's protector.

He didn't know that Hyades had gone rogue and invited the Demons to invade the realm. If he did, the Solaris Founder would have ripped the dastardly Holy Power wreathed all around his family's heirloom.

"I see… So, both of you are perfect to mentor Leon with his training."

Amon quickly diverted the topic away from the Goddess and onto the main reason why they were gathered here.

"Lord Idrytis, you can teach Leon how to use Ascalon as a Solaris Knight. While Lord Agios, you can teach him how to use Ascalon as a Holy Knight. Both of your experiences would be pivotal for Leon to reach the next level."

[That's true… But what are you going to teach him?]

The three generations who wielded Ascalon stared uniformly at Amon, who broke into a confident smile.

"Of course… I'm going to make him complete his Eighty-One Suns Heart Mantra."