Rather than being a hero who sacrifices himself and then lies sadly in a grave, it's better to be a contemptible opportunist who seeks fame and reaps great renown.
A hero who cannot resolve a crisis, in people's eyes, cannot be counted as a hero; he is merely acting like one.
Only the one who ultimately plucks the fruit will be remembered, heralded, and praised.
Intervening at the right moment can garner people's favor.
Eugene's original plan was to be the one to pluck the fruit.
He let the situation develop, watched Lefiya fall into danger, sent Ais away, and dispersed the Ganesha Familia.
All for the sake of showing off. That's right, in this era, the way to gain fame is to show off.
Originally, according to Eugene's idea, he would step in as a substitute, single-handedly defeat his opponent, and win easily.
A decisive victory would bring him enormous popularity.
If he could win several matches in a row like this, regardless of whether he could save the public, he would steer public opinion in his favor.
As for the outcome, he had his own arrangements. The worst-case scenario was a complete wipeout, after all.
But who knew that Vito had such a petty mind and couldn't be provoked? He only sent a Dragonfly Captain—was that worth being so deeply resentful?
"Sigh… Since there's no chance for a performance, I'll just sweep through in one go."
If the opponent wouldn't cooperate, he couldn't waste any more time.
His body transformed into a furnace, and fierce flames rapidly converged.
Merely the Magic Power fluctuations leaking from his body made the surrounding air subtly boil.
"Come over here."
He issued his final warning to the girls.
"Otherwise, you will surely die."
Lefiya goes without saying; even two Level 5s might not be able to withstand his attack.
Among many spells, fire magic deals the highest damage to living organisms. Moreover, Eugene's breath was no longer as simple as intense burning.
He lifted his jaw, and a red glow pulsed in his neck, like a searing hot iron brand. The ferocious Magic Power that could burn even himself was like magma about to erupt from a volcano!
"You are the Flame Breath!?"
Lefiya's face lost all color. The powerful enemy who attacked Ais was actually him?
She was still tightly gripping his arm.
Not only that, but she had passionately kissed him earlier, and right in front of Ais!
Waaah!
Lefiya was so embarrassed she nearly cried; she had completely defected to the enemy!
She couldn't imagine what Ais would think when she saw her again.
The Elf girl tearfully wanted to leave Eugene's side, but his arm wrapped firmly around her.
"Don't go~!" Eugene's voice was serious; he couldn't speak much at the moment.
But this commanding, domineering-CEO-style order made Lefiya's heart tremble.
Their culture was, after all, a thousand years ahead.
In this other world, forget about CEO narratives, even corny pick-up lines could be overwhelmingly effective.
Eugene stretched out his hand towards the wary Amazon sisters, signaling them to move closer as well.
But when they shook their heads in refusal, he didn't insist.
He wasn't going to baby these two girls. Against Amazons, you had to be dominant!
(As a side note, the reason Tione fell for Finn was because he was the first high-value man who defeated her!)
The bearded Dwarf Gareth also defeated Tiona, but she showed no reaction. In short, if you don't show off your strength, they won't remember you.
Alright then, just watch!
Eugene increased the strength of the arm holding Lefiya, displaying a protective posture.
In reality, he was afraid she might get scared and run away. He extended a finger and placed it in front of his mouth.
Immediately, a dazzling firelight lit up in his throat!
Whoosh!
A fist-sized fireball, pulsating like a living thing, hovered steadily at his fingertip. It didn't look extraordinary.
But the gaze Lefiya fixed upon it was filled with shock and dread!
How is that possible!?
Her mind was reeling. How could such a small flame contain such a massive amount of Magic Power?
It felt as unreal as stuffing a lake into a water bottle!
Terrifying fluctuations ripped waves around the flame, and the aura of destruction was hidden beneath the warm glow.
The Flame Breather's flame was said to be capable of obliterating a Level 4 adventurer's body.
Now, it seemed that assessment was too low!
Lefiya felt that even her own supremely powerful "Fire Bolt Array" might not compare.
In terms of sheer Magic Power infusion, she would need to replicate Riveria's strongest fire magic, "High—Victory Sword," just to equal it.
More importantly.
Eugene did not chant.
To unleash such dangerous magic without chanting was why he was able to push Ais to the brink!
The long wind-up and cool-down of a spellcaster were weaknesses they couldn't avoid.
Magic without chanting dramatically increases its overall value!
The difference between charging for three minutes on the spot and instantly casting is self-evident.
"No wonder he said I wouldn't be useful…"
Lefiya stared blankly at the fiery glow. She felt frustrated, a comprehensive defeat.
This flame was the unbridgeable gap between her and him.
"Don't make that face."
After spitting out the flame, the wound in Eugene's throat healed rapidly.
He returned to his smiling face and moved his finger closer to the girl beside him.
"Do you like fireworks?"
Lefiya didn't understand what he meant, but she still nodded.
"Blow on it."
"I will give you a fireworks show."
Eugene's tone was relaxed. Even surrounded, as long as he had this flame, he had nothing to worry about. In other words, everything was already over.
Lefiya's eyes reflected the bright light, and she swallowed hard. She parted her lips and gave a gentle blow…
Whoosh!
The flame disappeared. All that remained on Eugene's fingertip was a wisp of smoke.
"Eh!?"
Something unexpected happened. Tiona, who was staring intently at Eugene, let out a long, questioning sound.
She had no innate magic and had low sensitivity to Magic Power.
Seeing the fireball vanish, she thought something had gone wrong.
At the same time, Tione and Lefiya looked up at the sky.
The sky was now orange-red. Countless expanding sparks merged into a giant crimson curtain, enveloping all the Man-Eating Plants!
"This, this is!!"
In front of Vito, all other sights instantly disappeared, leaving only the sky constructed of flames!
"That's! Magic?"
The Ganesha Familia, led by Shakti, had never witnessed such a spectacular and magnificent sight.
Unexpectedly, even the restless crowd was deeply mesmerized by the firelight and fell silent!
The gods present—Ganesha and Ishtar. The powerful figures who had held back—Aisha and Phryne.
Whether strong or weak, noble or humble. Tens of thousands of eyes present were all captivated by this fire that scorched the sky.
"He… has gotten stronger."
Ais, floating semi-airborne by controlling the wind vortex, had a complex look in her eyes.
Not only had she grown stronger in the few days since they last met, but this man, who could grant her opportunities to break her limits, was naturally repeating the process himself.
Who exactly is he? How many secrets does he know?
How much stronger can he make me?
Countless thoughts intertwined in the girl's heart, making it impossible for her to ever forget Eugene's figure in this life.
Looking up and admiring his creation, Eugene smiled.
The flame will ultimately pierce the darkness. With his own strength, he will turn the tables. Isn't that the meaning of a "hero"?
He reached out a hand and waved it, as if stirring water.
The next second.
A destructive tide of flames swept through the arena.
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