《Is this Hero for Real?》 Chapter 1 - Welcome to the [Prologue]! Chapter 1 Welcome to the [Prologue]! ¡°Oh, chosen heroes! I welcome you all to the world of Fantasia!¡± This unforeseen event occurred when the homeroom teacher briefly left the classroom during the end-of-day meeting. ¡°Gasp! What a beautiful woman¡­¡± ¡°Is this a prank?¡± ¡°Amazing! Could this be¡­?¡± ¡°Where is this place?¡± Every student in the classroom, including me, was engulfed in confusion. The smartphone in my pocket became nothing but a brick, and the usual concrete buildings in the area couldn¡¯t be seen at all. There was nothing but clear, blue skies. And below my feet¡­ ¡°¡­Oh my god.¡± I was standing on a cloud while ignoring the laws of physics and gravity. The beautiful woman who called us ¡®heroes¡¯ introduced herself with an elegant voice. ¡°Please relax. I am a goddess who summoned you all here for you to save this world of Fantasia from the great demon king¡¯s ambitions.¡± A goddess. It was an introduction too absurd for an atheist like myself to comprehend. However, I lacked the evidence to reject her claims. ¡°We were transferred to another world¡­¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a joke, right?¡± ¡°Look under you. You think this is a joke?¡± ¡°Is this development for real¡­?¡± A goddess of perfect features, and the sky, a surreal location. I could tell from just these two things that this was neither a prank nor a hologram. Though I didn¡¯t want to admit it, we were summoned from Earth to another world. ¡°Fantasies really did exist¡­¡± ¡°Is this a parallel world?¡± ¡°A real goddess¡­¡± ¡°Ouch! It¡¯s not a dream.¡± I wonder if it¡¯s because this situation far exceeded common sense? Even the people who had never touched fantasy novels or manhwas were observing the situation rather than rejecting reality. The goddess, after judging that we calmed down enough, gave us a radiant smile. ¡°You will all be transported to a temple in the continent of Fantasia. A saintess who has received my oracle is waiting for you all there, and will give you all her full support in adapting to the world of Fantasia.¡± ¡°Goddess! May I ask you a question?!¡± A male student who never stood out aside from group projects raised his hand high and walked to the front. His name is probably¡­ Oh Hanwoo. I remembered after seeing his school uniform name tag. I think this is the first time I¡¯ve seen Oh Hanwoo this assertive. ¡°Yes, you may ask me anything you¡¯d like.¡± The goddess kindly allowed him to ask a question. ¡°Do levels, skills, status windows, and monsters exist in this world like in a game?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Alright¡­!¡± Oh Hanwoo, after hearing the goddess¡¯s short answer, cheered while clenching his fist. ¡­What a strange guy. I¡¯m glad I was never close to him. ¡°I also have a question!¡± Following Oh Hanwoo, a flashy female student with hair dyed blonde that stood out butted in. ¡°If this is a fantasy world, it¡¯s set in the medieval era like in novels, right? Are there princes and knights as well?¡± ¡°There are.¡± ¡°Wow! Then this might be fun¡­¡± The one who asked such a pointless question with a voice as cheerful as a young songbird was Jang Miyeon. She is a beautiful female student aiming to become a singer, and skips school as frequently as she eats. She does whatever she likes without a care for academic grades, but the number of times she has caused trouble in school is very low since she rarely attends. Though I think you¡¯re far from normal if you cause trouble even once in school. ¡°Oh noble goddess, I also have a question.¡± The male student radiating beauty and exceptional atmosphere far beyond the normal Oh Hanwoo raised his hand. ¡°Please speak.¡± I am probably not the only one who felt the goddess¡¯s voice become smoother after discovering an attractive man, compared to when she was talking to Oh Hanwoo. ¡°Is the most outstanding one among us chosen as the hero?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying all of us are heroes, regardless of our abilities.¡± ¡°Yes. However, that doesn¡¯t mean all of you are granted the same powers. Only after you¡¯re acknowledged by the various gods of Fantasia and received their blessings will you be reborn as a true hero.¡± ¡°A god¡¯s acknowledgement and blessing. Thank you for your reply.¡± ¡°¡±Fufu! Can you tell me your name, confident hero?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Choi Gangmin.¡± ¡°Hero Choi Gangmin. I will look forward to your great performance.¡± Choi Gangmin. He¡¯s an all-rounder who truly shows that life is unfair. He¡¯s objectively handsome, good at studying, sports, and games, has a good reputation¡­ Though he sometimes acts high and mighty, even that sole flaw is overwritten by his warm-heartedness. Though he¡¯s my friend, I rarely have a chance to talk to him since he¡¯s always surrounded by female students. ¡­Is he my friend? I at least know he¡¯s not an enemy. ¡°Oh goddess, may I also ask a question?¡± A stiff, feminine voice. I knew who it was instantly from that tone. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Thank you for giving me your precious time. I am the class president, Yu Bora.¡± Class President Yu Bora. Though she was nominated by the homeroom teacher based on her grades instead of a vote, she is a model student that everyone acknowledges. Whenever Jang Miyeon, as flashy as a golden calf, is absent, all the male students¡¯ gazes go to her. Though the person in question isn¡¯t aware of it. ¡°What is your question, Hero Yu Bora?¡± ¡°I understand that this world is in danger, and it is in desperate need of our help. But I¡¯m sure our family and teachers are worried about us because we were summoned without notice. Can we contact them?¡± ¡°That will be difficult.¡± ¡°Then when can we return?¡± ¡°When you defeat the great demon king, the gods who gave you your blessings will directly grant your wishes.¡± Class President Yu Bora tried to open her mouth again, but she was pushed aside due to her surroundings becoming loud. ¡°Me too¡­!¡± ¡°Goddess, me too¡­!¡± ¡°I also have a question¡­!¡± The rest of the students, while riding the momentum, started to ply the goddess with questions. I would have cut their questions off midway if I was in her place, but the goddess answered all our questions with sincerity. Though her answers did become more brief as time passed. ¡°Are there any more questions?¡± The goddess who had become exhausted after the long Q&A session looked around us to confirm. Snap! I, who had only been listening until now, raised my hand. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°This is not a question, but a request. Please send me back to Earth.¡± ¡°I believe I explained earlier? Your wish will be granted after defeating the great demon king.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hoping to return to Earth because I don¡¯t want to be a hero.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The goddess, who had not lost her smile up until this point, slightly knit her brows. I asked to confirm. ¡°Could it be that it¡¯s impossible to send me back?¡± ¡°¡­Of course, it¡¯s possible. But before that, may I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What is your reason for wanting to return to a normal life, after averting your eyes from a world on the verge of collapse?¡± ¡°How can someone who worries his family save the world? That¡¯s what I think.¡± ¡°¡­What is your name?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Kang Hansoo.¡± Kang Hansoo. It is a name that my parents gave me after careful consideration. My friends seem like they can¡¯t wait to save a world that they know nothing about, but I can¡¯t afford to worry about others. How can someone like me who¡¯s scared of a neighborhood thug save the world? It¡¯s not even funny. ¡°If there is anyone like him who doesn¡¯t want to become a hero, please tell me now. I will not force you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Huh? Really? Just me? I was a bit shocked to see that there was no-one else who wanted to return to their family on Earth. And not only that? There were a few who looked at me with pitying eyes. ¡°Is this for real¡­?¡± The goddess¡¯s smile, which was briefly disturbed due to me, had recovered. ¡°Kang Hansoo-ssi? I will ask you, who does not fit in this place meant for heroes, to leave.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± I was shocked, but I had no complaints. My friends who would become heroes said their farewells to me. ¡°Please let my parents know!¡± ¡°Mine too¡­!¡± ¡°Hansoo! Mine as well!¡± ¡°Please tell Younghee that I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon!¡± Flash-! I, who was wrapped in a mysterious light, left that place while waving my hands at the unfilial children. From the fantasy world to my home star, Earth! * * * ¡­I wonder how much time has passed since that happened? I returned to the beautiful Earth, so breathtaking that it¡¯s actually the pollution that¡¯s suffocating. No, I was supposed to return. ¡°That damn scamming bitch¡­!¡± I¡¯ll kill her! I¡¯ll definitely kill her! If I survive this place, I¡¯ll spare no efforts to beat the shit out of that goddess! ¡°Tasty meat!¡± ¡°Human meat!¡± ¡°Stop, meat!¡± I was abandoned in a world overflowing with cannibalistic monsters. ____ Chapter 2 Chapter 2 [Act 1] Prologue(?) The world of Fantasia was made up of a single continent that looked like a hot dog, Pangaea. A beautiful port city that people referred to as a sanctuary was located on the western edge of that continent. The City of Beginning, Prologina! The pure-white temple erected in its center was noisy after such a long time. ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Amazing¡­¡± ¡°Oh my god!¡± ¡°So cool¡­¡± The students who were summoned to the middle of the temple repeatedly let out exclamations while looking around. Is it because they asked the goddess all sorts of questions before they were sent here? Rather than being confused, they were busy looking around as if they were foreign tourists, until they heard the voice of a proud woman. ¡°I sincerely welcome the heroes to the Fantasia dimension.¡± ¡°Another beauty¡­¡± ¡°A goddess?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t she be the saintess?¡± ¡°She¡¯s so pretty¡­¡± The male students¡¯ reactions were honest. However, the female students weren¡¯t in the position to criticize them either. ¡°Look back there.¡± ¡°What? Gasp?! Whoa!¡± ¡°He¡¯s so handsome¡­¡± ¡°I wonder if he¡¯s a prince?¡± The students were completely head over heels for the saintess who welcomed them and the attractive boy waiting in the back. Whatever the reason, the saintess, after confirming that all the heroes¡¯ eyes were pointed at her, opened her mouth again. ¡°I am the saintess who has been waiting for you here in the temple after receiving the goddess¡¯s oracle.¡± The woman who roughly introduced herself as the saintess without revealing her name took a step to the side. The boy who was receiving the female students¡¯ attention then politely bowed and introduced himself. ¡°I am deeply honored to meet the legendary heroes. I am the first prince of the Swordmaster Kingdom that rules the territory north of this temple, Alsus Swordmaster.¡± ¡°Kyak!¡± ¡°A real prince!¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a dream, right?¡± Prince Alsus made a dashing smile at the enthusiastic female students. However, that enthusiasm was instantly shattered by a sudden noise. Bang-! A girl slammed open the great doors of the temple that was supposed to be quiet, and yelled with her large eyes full of tears. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! I overslept because I had a hangover¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Princess Ethena, your honesty is your strength as well as your weakness. There was no need for you to say that last sentence.¡± ¡°Pardon?! Did I make another mista- kyah?!¡± Crash! The girl, who was running over while adorably tilting her head, slipped after stepping on her own skirt. ¡°Is she alright?¡± But as if betraying everyone¡¯s concerns, the girl got back up as if nothing had happened and got busy making excuses. ¡°The temple¡¯s floors are so slippery! I¡¯m sure of it, since I didn¡¯t trip once until I got here!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± As no one was responding to her, the girl¡¯s face turned as red as a beet. However, that was only for a moment; the male students started to get intensely fired up. ¡°She¡¯s cute!¡± ¡°She¡¯s so cute!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so cute, princess!¡± ¡°All hail fantasy!¡± The surrounding knights and priests frowned at the heroes¡¯ lack of manners. ¡°Hmph¡­¡± ¡°Just¡­¡± However, they did not act any further because the chief executives, the saintess and the prince, were doing nothing. Even the girl was flustered by experiencing what she suspected was impertinence for the first time in her life. ¡°Uh¡­ hm. Thank you?¡± ¡°Whoo!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Her innocent response made the male students even more agitated. Did the saintess judge that things will not progress no matter how long she waited at this rate? The saintess¡¯s patience was not as bottomless as the goddess. ¡°She is the princess of the Archmazing Kingdom that rules the land south of the temple, Ethena Archmazing. She will support you all on your adventure along with Prince Alsus. ¡°Whoa!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Cheers of joy could be heard from here and there. Would this be what it feels like to go on a field trip with your favorite idols? But not everyone went along with the atmosphere. [Name] Oh Hanwoo [Level] 1 [Blessing] Hero F [Curse] ¨C [Dividend] 0.64 ¡°What¡¯s a curse¡­?¡± Hero Oh Hanwoo was confident in his knowledge of fantasy novels, manhwas, and games. He wanted to be ahead of anyone else, just like a fantasy ¡®protagonist¡¯. That¡¯s why he was diligently browsing through the ¡®status window¡¯ that he managed to open on his own without anyone¡¯s explanation. Princes? Princesses? I can meet people like them anytime once I increase my level and skills. It¡¯s a waste of time to be trying to curry favor with the prince and princess like those morons! Oh Hanwoo confirmed everything in his status window one by one by pressing it with the tip of his finger. ¡°First¡­ let¡¯s check the Hero blessing.¡± [Hero] -> Automatically translates the languages of races amicable towards the hero. -> Dramatically increases the experience points gained through hunting and achievements! Dramatically increases experience points? He wasn¡¯t sure how effective that ¡®dramatic¡¯ increase was, but if there was no level cap, then it was truly a broken effect. The automatic translation function would also be very useful. If there was one thing on his mind, it was that there were ¡®competitors¡¯ all around him with the same Hero blessing. There were several people who he especially paid attention to among them. ¡°Saintess. The goddess told us to receive the gods¡¯ blessing, but how do we go about doing that?¡± Choi Gangmin. Though this handsome boy did not show it externally, he was very happy about the current situation. In his home, school, academy, and even in the neighborhood¡­ Everyone praised his looks and talent, but he was never satisfied! He had enough of getting along with his inferior peers and the society that treated everyone equally. But what about this world? It is an unequal society that discriminates against people based on their class and abilities. Though it¡¯s a world that¡¯s just as unkind and difficult to the weak, Choi Gangmin did not pay it any mind. Because he was a ¡®hero¡¯ chosen by the goddess! Therefore, he was sure that the world of Fantasia was a stage prepared only for him. ¡°A good question, hero. To receive the gods¡¯ blessings, you must earn their favor.¡± ¡°How¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s different for every god, but I am certain that the gods are looking for talents who can defeat the great demon king. Did that answer your question?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s more than enough.¡± Choi Gangmin was satisfied. Objectively speaking, he was the most suitable to be the hero that will defeat the great demon king. Though Class President Yu Bora bothered him a little, she was a woman in the end. No matter how smart she was, she couldn¡¯t fight properly with her weak body. If the gods were in their right minds, there would be no way that they would choose a woman¡­ [A certain male god stares at you with a smile.] [A certain impatient demon god stares at you with a smile.] [A certain evil god stares at you with a smile.] [A certain innocent goddess asks someone what they are staring at.] [A certain water god advises his friend, saying it¡¯s none of their business.] [A certain god¡­] A feast of messages appeared without warning! Before the flustered Choi Gangmin had a chance to ask the saintess, the surroundings became noisy. ¡°What¡¯s this message?¡± ¡°What god? A god¡­?¡± ¡°Is it really a god? This?¡± All the students, who were heroes, were looking at the same scene. The saintess put up her hands and spoke, as if she was praying or singing. ¡°Though you cannot see them, the gods are watching all of you heroes. They send you their intentions through oracles just as you saw right now.¡± ¡°Gods? Really?¡± ¡°These are gods?¡± ¡°However, please keep in mind that their interest in you is not eternal. I will pray that all of you receive a god¡¯s blessing. ¡°Excuse me! What do we do if we don¡¯t receive a god¡¯s blessing?¡± One of the students asked a question in a very annoyed tone. The saintess then replied to him while making a splendid smile with her eyes. ¡°Do I need to go as far as to care about trash?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± This marked the start of the adventure full of hopes and dreams in a fantasy world! * * * Shit! If I knew this was going to happen, I would have exercised! I was running through a pitch-black forest. ¡°Huff, huff!¡± I was out of breath, but I could not stop my legs even for an instant, because I knew that a gruesome end would be waiting for me if I did. ¡°Meat! Human meat!¡± ¡°My lunch!¡± ¡°Meat! Stop!¡± Bipedal hyenas were chasing right behind me with crude weapons in their hands. Hyenas that, like humans, can use tools, run on two legs, and even talk? They were beings that did not exist on Earth. It was solid proof that I did not return to Earth. Tap, tap, tap. If I hadn¡¯t protected my head with my bag, I would already have suffered a concussion from their stone-throwing. Dangerous! This is too dangerous! I¡¯m not a marathon runner. It was clear that I would collapse from fatigue if this went on. ¡°Think¡­ think, Kang Hansoo¡­!¡± If I didn¡¯t want to end up in those hyenas¡¯ stomachs, I had to use some sort of miracle, like magic. Magic. It would be an absurd thought if this was Earth, but I was still in the fantasy world because of that wicked goddess¡¯s trick. Anything is fine, so please¡­! [Name] Kang Hansoo [Level] 1 [Blessing] ¨C [Curse] Hero E [Dividend] 2.56 Huh? It really appeared? Personal information was displayed in front of my eyes like a translucent hologram. It was undoubtedly the status window that the wicked goddess explained to us. Please let there be a way to break through this situation here. ¡°¡­Or not?¡± After checking the details of ¡®Hero¡¯ in the curse list, all that came out of my mouth was a dejected laugh. [Hero] -> Automatically translates the languages of races hostile toward the hero. -> Dramatically decreases the experience points gained through hunting and achievements! It was a curse full of malicious intent to bury me in this fantasy world! In a game system, the importance of ¡®levels¡¯ is equal to your life. But there¡¯s a permanent penalty on the experience points, the requirement to increase your level? It¡¯s no different from telling me to give up on the status window, the cornerstone of a fantasy world. ¡°The language function is also¡­¡± This effect may be good, considering it¡¯s a curse, but that wasn¡¯t the case after experiencing it first-hand. ¡®Give me your heart!¡± ¡°Meat! Human meat!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s chew on his bones!¡± I was watching a live broadcast on how the fantasy hyenas will cook me. Throb, throb! Just listening to them was putting stress on my heart. As someone who was born and raised in a peaceful country on Earth, where it was safe as long as you watched out for cars, these translations were unwelcome. ¡°Hello, my meat-loving friends! Let¡¯s talk it out¡­!¡± ¡°The lunch spoke?!¡± ¡°Meat! Talking meat!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk after we eat!¡± Conversation was possible thanks to the curse, but whether I got through to them was a different story. ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± As I started to struggle for air, the world turned yellow. It was a hopeless warning that my stamina was reaching its limit. Will my bones be buried in this fantasy world like this? Mother, father, please forgive this unfilial child who¡¯s leaving before you. This is all because of that damn wicked goddess¡­ ¡°#$^$%^%$^%$#^¡± ¡°#$%^$%^#%^#$%^$%#^#$¡± ¡°$#%^%$^¡± Just then, multiple cries could be heard from the pitch-black forest. What are they saying? Whizz-plunge! ¡°Agh?!¡± After tripping due to the strong pain in my leg, I screamed while rolling on the dirt. An arrow?! It hurts so much!! I could see an arrow stuck in my right thigh. But fortunately, amidst all the misfortune¡­ ¡°Elf! Elf meat!¡± ¡°Atop the tree! Cowardly elf!¡± ¡°An arrow! New lunch!¡± The fantasy hyenas left me, who was incapacitated, and charged toward their new prey. ¡°$#%#$%#$%¡± ¡°Meat! Elf meat!¡± ¡°%^$%^%$¡± ¡°My elf! Meat~!¡± Amidst the chaos, there was a word that I heard the second-most after ¡®meat¡¯. Elf. A fantasy race that always regularly appeared in fantasy worlds. No, I don¡¯t care about that. ¡°Keuk! Damn savages!¡± To think they would attack a normal person being chased by man-eating monsters! Even if my words don¡¯t get through to them, there¡¯s no way civilized people who are capable of regular thoughts would do something like this. I used the chance of the elves and hyenas fighting to escape behind a large tree. I knew that this place wasn¡¯t safe at all. But there was nothing else that I could do in this desperate situation where I was exhausted and even my leg was injured. Should I try praying to God? ¡°No.¡± Who the hell am I supposed to pray to, when the reason why I¡¯m in this situation is because of a goddess? I, Kang Hansoo, the human, would rather choose death than pray to a god. [A certain god peeks at you.] ¡­What¡¯s this? My head reacted before my body. ¡°Please save me!¡± I, Kang Hansoo, the human, will do anything to be a good son to my parents! ____ Chapter 3 Chapter 3 [A certain god asks why you are alone.] The reason why I¡¯m alone. It is because of a damn goddess who kidnapped someone who was living well on Earth. However, I can¡¯t just tell the whole truth, since this being may be a friend of the wicked goddess who also speaks in the third person. ¡°For now, please save me!¡± The large amount of blood flowing out from the arrow wound on my thigh was dyeing my uniform red. And it hurts so much! That is the most important thing. [A certain god is conflicted.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± It doesn¡¯t seem to be a nice god who helps anyone in danger. Are there any other gods¡­? They may not even know of my existence, since I¡¯ve crash-landed in a place different from the temple, where the saintess who will be helping the heroes is waiting. In any case, this god seemed to be alone. ¡°An outsider?¡± [A certain god wonders what an outsider is.] Oh shit! I misspoke. ¡®Outsider¡¯ is a term used to describe someone who excludes themselves from social circles. Will I receive divine punishment due to blasphemy if I explain what an outsider is? I pondered about what to say to safely get through this situation. Oh! I know. ¡°An outsider means a lone wolf running through the wilderness.¡± A lone wolf! It has a very good nuance to it. [A certain god likes the meaning of ¡®outsider¡¯ very much] Alright. It went over well. [A certain god is convinced that they are an outsider] Uh¡­ will this be alright? I feel like I¡¯ve made the mistake of a lifetime, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just my imagination. ¡°Please save me.¡± [A certain god asks whether you are also an outsider] No way! I¡¯m not an outsider, I¡¯m an ¡®insider¡¯. It is the opposite of an outsider. I became an outsider because all of my peers were unfilial, but I¡¯m most definitely an insider. However¡­ ¡°I¡¯m also an outsider. That¡¯s why my companions were summoned to the temple, and only I ended up here.¡± ¡­To live, and to take revenge, I abandoned my pride and identity, and chose to lie. [A certain god wonders whether to help the pitiful outsider or not.] [A certain god is conflicted while reminiscing about their lonely past.] [A certain god hesitates while looking around.] [A certain god¡­] ¡°¡­¡­¡± A problem of this extent would be solved with just a flick of a god¡¯s finger, so what¡¯s with the pickiness? This won¡¯t do. Once the fantasy hyenas chase away the savages, I¡¯ll be next. My leg that the elf¡¯s arrow pierced was also eating away at my life. In other words, I had no time. Therefore, let¡¯s try my luck. ¡°It¡¯s natural for outsiders to help each other. But I guess that¡¯s not the case for gods.¡± [A certain god says that there are no distinctions between outsiders.] ¡°Y-Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± Though being an outsider isn¡¯t praiseworthy, it makes no difference at this moment! [A certain god makes a decision.] [A certain god decides to help the pitiful outsider.] How? Before I even managed to ask, there was a change in my body. Swirl. ¡°Wow! You really are a god!¡± Words that may strongly disappoint the god who helped me naturally slipped out of my mouth. But what could I do? I witnessed a ¡®miracle¡¯ of the wound on my leg and the pain disappearing right before my eyes. This was a supernatural phenomenon that would not be explained by the laws of physics nor science. It was truly a god¡¯s miracle. [A certain god is happy to see that the outsider is healthy] ¡°Thank you for saving¡­ huh? My fatigue is gone as well?¡± Though the location is different, it felt like I returned to the point in time where I crash-landed in this forest and started to be chased by the hyenas. And I naturally came to understand my newly-acquired ¡®power¡¯. [Name] Kang Hansoo [Level] 1 [Blessing] Outsider F [Curse] Hero E [Dividend] 2.98 ¡°An outsider blessing¡­?¡± The name screamed of something that the god who saved me just came up with on the spot. The detailed explanation of the blessing was, as expected¡­ [Outsider] -> Resets all statuses of the outsider except for death. -> Something scary will happen if the lone wolf is freed from the wilderness! The god must really like the image of a lone wolf running through the wilderness. The explanation of the blessing also became weird because I said something strange, but it wasn¡¯t to the extent that it was incomprehensible. All statuses reset. It represents the miracle that returned my near-dead body to completely normal. As for the second sentence, it should mean that if I stop being an ¡®outsider¡¯, it will be considered betrayal and I will receive divine punishment. ¡°This is too much.¡± I felt it from the contemplation whether to help me or not, but this god was extremely selfish. [A certain god declares that they only help outsiders.] ¡°Oh, okay.¡± I had no complaints. I did forcibly become an outsider because of that condition, but it¡¯s not like I can communicate with the natives of this fantasy world. Except for those monsters. I guess I won¡¯t be getting along with people. ¡°For now, let¡¯s go.¡± Tap. I, who got up by pushing off the ground with my palms, started to run full-speed in the opposite direction, without caring about pacing myself at all. [Outsider] Contrary to the name which could be considered my karma, its performance was certain. Whenever my stamina fell, it ¡®reset¡¯ and was quickly recovered. ¡°Lunch! Running away!¡± ¡°Human meat! Let¡¯s talk!¡± ¡°Meat! Fast meat!¡± The hyenas, who were fighting against the group of elves, started to chase me with glinting eyes as soon as they discovered me. However! ¡°Gasp, gasp¡­¡± ¡°Gasp¡­ Gasp¡­¡± These bastards, tired from fighting the elves, could not catch up to my speed. Not only that! ¡°Die¡­!¡± ¡°Meat- Kwek?!¡± I kicked a fantasy hyena that, like me, was retreating after getting hit by an arrow, with all my strength. You say that it¡¯s injured? That it¡¯s cowardly? I have no mercy to spare for sons of bitches who tried to eat me¡­ Thwack! A rock that flew at me from my blind spot slammed against my defenseless head. It was a weak point that formed by losing the school backpack that was protecting my head. ¡°Keuk?!¡± All the strength in my body left me as my mind felt dazed due to a concussion. However, that was only for a moment. [Outsider] The god¡¯s blessing was almighty. With the concussion disappearing and me returning back to normal, I started to run again as if nothing had happened. [A certain god watches restlessly.] ¡°This is amazing!¡± This wasn¡¯t lip service. This blessing wasn¡¯t something that only healed physical injuries and fatigue. All statuses. It felt as if it even suppressed emotions such as fear of death. Technically speaking, I am being returned back to a ¡®normal state¡¯ before I¡¯m even swallowed up by fear. To summarize this outsider blessing¡­ Infinite vitality! Abnormal status immunity! Infinite energy! I feel like I¡¯ll find more if I try, but it was amazing even right now. Are all gods¡¯ blessings like this? It¡¯s completely broken. ¡°The meat is weird!¡± ¡°Lunch! My lunch!¡± ¡°Not dying! Lunch!¡± The bastards who were careless since they thought they could capture me easily started to chase me all at once. Did I make an enemy of them or something?! ¡°#$%#@%$! @#%$#%$#%¡­!¡± ¡°@#%$#$%¡­ @#%$#$%¡­¡± Countless fantasy hyenas died from the elves¡¯ arrows, but it¡¯s not like the elves had no casualties either. A few elves were being dragged away after they were hit by the hyenas¡¯ stone throws and fell off the tree. ¡°#$%@$ @#%$$##$%#$% #$%$@#$%#$%#$%#$%!¡± ¡°$#%^#$^#$%^! %^&#%$ @#$^&*^#$%#$!¡± The elves did not just stand idly by as their own people were about to become the man-eating monsters¡¯ food. Whoosh~ Whoosh~ As if they were monkeys swiftly swinging across the trees, the elves chased after the fantasy hyenas who were chasing me. Chasing the chasers! I was able to maintain my composure thanks to my blessing, but I got goosebumps from the thought of what would happen to me if I got caught. ¡°Just give up already, damn bastards!¡± ¡°Talking meat!¡± ¡°Meat! Weird meat!¡± The fantasy hyenas that were drooling while staring at me were hell-bent on chasing me to the ends of hell. I even heard threats that they¡¯ll kill me painfully if I didn¡¯t stop. ¡°Hm. Should I just bite off my tongue?¡± Wouldn¡¯t it be better if I just committed suicide rather than have terrible things happen to me after being captured alive by those man-eating monsters? Though I¡¯m a coward who can¡¯t even injure himself, I feel like right now with fear suppressed, I could do it. [A certain god advises that you won¡¯t die with just that.] ¡°Thank you for the bleak advice!¡± All statuses except for death. It seems like as long as it isn¡¯t instant death, even a fatal wound will be reset. Then what should I do? ¡°This cliff is making me dizzy.¡± As I was running without a clear plan, I ended up on a very steep cliff. I had nowhere else to run. ¡°Will I live?¡± [A certain god congratulates you that it will be certain death at this height.] What a cold-hearted god! While hoping to be given angel wings, I peeked down the cliff. Swoosh~ ¡°¡­¡­¡± There would be a chance to live if there was a river deep enough below, but it was just solid ground without any kind of cushioning. This was 100% certain death! While I was contemplating in front of the cliff, the fantasy hyenas surrounded me. A cliff in front of me. Monsters behind me. There were two choices. Either jump off the cliff before I¡¯m captured, or endure by defeating them all. Okay. I¡¯ve decided. [Hero] ¡°Here! Pay attention! I¡¯ll give my tastiest portion to the one who catches me first!¡± ¡°Talking meat!¡± ¡°The tastiest human?!¡± ¡°My meat! Tastiest portion!¡± ¡°Meat! Mine!¡± The fantasy hyenas, who could understand me thanks to the Hero curse, rushed toward me all at once. Simple-minded bastards. Grasp! Grasp! Grasp! Grasp¡­! They started to pull my body toward them with both arms covered in grey fur. Lick~! There was even a pervert who licked my cheek and neck with its long tongue. ¡°Hahah!¡± I could not help but laugh. What is happening to my life after being kidnapped into a fantasy world? I felt like I was quickly going insane. ¡°Meat~¡± ¡°Meat¡­!¡± The bastards love my meat. I do not hate their clinging either. Tap! That¡¯s why I decided to be together with them until the end with a group hug, ¡°Meat! Crazy?!¡± ¡°The meat is falling?!¡± ¡°Crazy meat!¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± All of us, united through love and friendship, became one big bundle and fell to the bottom of the cliff. * * * To tell you the outcome first, I survived. Though I felt my entire body squashed flat through a strong impact, it may have been my imagination. [Outsider] I got up as if nothing had happened and checked the conditions of my friends that fell with me. ¡°C-Crazy¡­ meat¡­¡± ¡°Meat¡­ My lunch¡­¡± The vitality of these man-eating monsters that kept saying ¡®meat¡¯ was incredible. I was only able to avoid death after using their bodies as a cushion, but they did not die even after being slammed flat into the hard dirt bare-bodied. They truly are monsters. Though it¡¯s not like their bodies were completely fine, it¡¯s surprising that they¡¯re even alive after falling from that height. [A certain god is admiring your survivability.] ¡°It¡¯s nothing much.¡± If it wasn¡¯t for the outsider blessing, I would be a living corpse, just like them. ¡°Meat! Energetic!¡± ¡°Human meat! Fresh meat!¡± ¡°I¡¯m jumping off too!¡± The ones who confirmed my survival from atop the cliff tried to fall down by themselves. Thump! Thump! But the result was a complete failure! The fantasy hyenas who confirmed their race¡¯s futile deaths stopped the reckless act. ¡°Weird meat¡­!¡± ¡°Elf meat! Coming!¡± ¡°Vexed! Meat!¡± The bastards who were glaring at me with sorrowful faces gave up and left the cliff one by one. Now, then¡­ ¡°Whoa! This looks nice.¡± Grab. I, who was covered in the man-eating monsters¡¯ blood, started picking up sharp rocks that I just found. It¡¯s time for a review. This is a fantasy world full of hopes and dreams. Anyone can raise their level and become the strongest, and the best, regardless of talent or identity. If they¡¯re extremely lucky, that is! ¡°Meat¡­¡± ¡°Weak meat¡­¡± ¡°My lunch¡­¡± In that aspect, I¡¯m on the lucky side, since I survived against the strong. The status windows of the bastards that I couldn¡¯t pay attention to because I was so busy running for my life came into my view. [Name] Blue Moon¡¯s Meat Butcher [Level] 3 [Blessing] ¨C [Curse] ¨C Level 3. The level of the man-eating monster that wielded daggers, ¡®Blue Moon¡¯s Meat Butcher¡¯, was higher than mine. The other two that were still alive were the same. ¡°Aren¡¯t your names quite romantic?¡± But the day that they butcher meat under the blue moon will never come. Raise. I raised the rock. I had no reason to hesitate. According to the goddess¡¯s explanation, you can raise your level with the experience you gain from hunting like in RPGs. PR/N: RPG means role-playing game, not rocket-propelled grenade. It¡¯s time to get stronger. ¡°Thank you. I survived because of you all, so goodbye.¡± ¡°Th-the meat¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m the meat?¡± Wham-! A blow with hopes and dreams poured into it! It¡¯s time to raise my shit level. ____ Chapter 4 Chapter 4 [Act 2] Blessing & Curse Just when the tear-jerkingly filial son Kang Hansoo jumped off the cliff! The unfilial children who deemed the fantasy world to be more important than their family were listening to the saintess¡¯s explanations while sitting in a floating garden with countless statues of gods in it. ¡°There are two main ways for you all to become stronger ¨C your level and your blessing. You can raise your level by killing beings that possess status windows, and you can receive the blessing of a god.¡± However, not all the heroes were listening carefully. ¡°This is a waste of time¡­¡± The hero Oh Hanwoo was acting arrogant, as if he already knew everything, like a student who had learned everything in advance at an academy. ¡°Oh, God. Please grant me a blessing¡­¡± The hero Choi Gangmin was trying to get closer with the gods by talking to them ceaselessly to be given a blessing. And aside from them¡­ ¡°I¡¯m getting tired.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the washroom?¡± ¡°When are we gonna get some food~¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand a thing¡­¡± There were many heroes who could not focus due to various reasons. But the saintess did not pay any attention to their distracted attitude and continued her explanation, as if she didn¡¯t care whether they ended up dead or not. ¡°Please keep this in mind. Just because you received a blessing does not mean that is the end of it. The gods are always watching you, after all.¡± ¡°Saintess! I have a question.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Are you saying the gods are watching us 24/7?¡± The hero who asked a question while the saintess was reciting her explanation like a machine was the class president, Yu Bora. The class president. Though it¡¯s a meaningless title now that she¡¯s entered the world of Fantasia, it¡¯s not like the reason why she became the class president disappeared along with it. She is a diligent honor student. She was even taking notes so that she wouldn¡¯t miss a single word of the saintess¡¯s explanation. But as soon as she had a question, she asked immediately, as she always did in school. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I said.¡± The saintess replied composedly without a change in her expression, even after she was interrupted. ¡°Even when we¡¯re doing our business or washing ourselves?¡± ¡°There are no exceptions.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡°Miss Hero, they are not humans. Please do not judge the gods with the vulgar standards of humans. ¡°Even if you say that¡­¡± [A certain male god says not to mind them.] [A certain god pretends to be uninterested in vulgarities.] [A certain wind god claims that they¡¯re no different from the air.] ¡­Will it really be alright? The hero of flashy looks, Jang Miyeon, crossed her legs as if she was mocking Yu Bora¡¯s worries. ¡°Class prez, it¡¯s not like they¡¯re gonna wear down if you show them, right? Though of course, they¡¯re gonna have to pay an admission fee with a blessing.¡± She has confidence worthy of having looks and charm on par with a real princess of a fantasy world. [A certain evil god raises their thumb to praise you.] [A certain god is content.] [A certain wind god highly appraises the clear decision.] The reactions of the gods who heard what Jang Miyeon said were not bad. Though it wasn¡¯t good either. [A certain earth god stares with eyes as dry as a desert.] [A certain god is uncomfortable.] [A certain water god stares with unwelcoming eyes.] Though the reactions were polarizing, it was certain that Jang Miyeon managed to take a step ahead of the other heroes. Her status window was proof of that. [Name] Jang Miyeon [Level] 1 [Blessing] Hero F, Charm F [Curse] ¨C [Dividend] 1.03 ¡°Yahoo! A blessing!¡± Jang Miyeon raised her arms and yelled for all to hear. ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°Dammit!¡± The two power-hungry boys, Oh Hanwoo and Choi Gangmin, showed an expression of losers who had the lead taken from them. Right after that, Flutter~ ¡°Sniff, sniff.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this scent?¡± ¡°A flower? Sniff, sniff.¡± ¡°It¡¯s such a nice scent.¡± The heroes looked around to search for the source of the sudden mystical scent. ¡°What is this¡­¡± ¡°What a strange scent¡­¡± Even the knights and priests who were looking at the heroes with disapproving eyes were also enchanted by the scent. ¡°Fufu!¡± Jang Miyeon smiled deeply as she was watching them. It was because she was the one who had spread the mystical scent. [Charm] -> A charming scent is emitted from your body at all times. -> Dramatically increases the chance of captivating and dominating the hearts of the opposite sex! It was useless in combat, but for Jang Miyeon, who had hoped for a ¡®romance fantasy¡¯ from the moment she was summoned, it was the greatest blessing. It suited her tastes perfectly! [A certain god entreats you to keep your promise.] ¡°Of course.¡± She, who received an admission fee from the god, showed off an enchanting pose that she learned in acting school. ¡°Whoa¡­¡± ¡°Amazing¡­¡± Half of the heroes could not come back to their senses and started to act like fools. The saintess, who witnessed this scene, spoke in a tone full of praise. ¡°It seems that hero Jang Miyeon already understands. Marvelous.¡± ¡°Hoho! Thank you for the compliment.¡± The saintess, after keeping the name of the hero who first received a blessing in mind, warned her in a serious tone. ¡°Hero Jang Miyeon, it¡¯s time to stop your Charm blessing.¡± ¡°Oh my! How do I make this stop~?¡± Jang Miyeon responded slyly. [A certain innocent goddess does not like impure relations.] ¡°Oh no¡­ It¡¯s too late.¡± ¡°What is? The men who are head over heels for me?¡± ¡°Please take a look at your status window again.¡± ¡°What about my status window¡­ huh?! What the hell is this?!¡± Jang Miyeon, who had a full smile until now, let out a painful scream. Even the heroes who were captivated by the Charm blessing were startled and peeked at her status window. [Name] Jang Miyeon [Level] 1 [Blessing] Hero F, Charm F [Curse] Punishment [Dividend] 1.83 A curse was newly added in the previously empty space. ¡°A punishment curse?¡± ¡°A curse?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we heroes?¡± ¡°Why a curse¡­?¡± The heroes who were only thinking about blessings until now received a huge shock. Did a demon show up or something? The saintess spoke as if to chastise the confused Jang Miyeon. ¡°The gods do not only grant you blessings. They also curse the heroes that they don¡¯t like.¡± ¡°You never said anything about that!¡± The girl who was still not out of her state of confusion protested. ¡°Of course, since I was just about to explain it.¡± ¡°This doesn¡¯t count! I didn¡¯t know, so please get rid of it!¡± Jang Miyeon pleaded with the god while looking straight up into the sky, but the curse did not disappear. [Punishment] -> Dramatically increases all damage and notoriety you receive. -> You will receive a fierce punishment whenever you attempt any impure relations! The curse¡¯s effect was no different from a bane to Jang Miyeon¡¯s dream of a . [Punishment] ¡°Kyak~?!¡± Jang Miyeon let out a short scream and rubbed her butt, even though no one hit her. It hurts! It hurts! It hurts so much! Her eyes were full of tears before she knew it. [Charm] Flutter~ She immediately deactivated her blessing, because it hurt to the point that she wouldn¡¯t ever dare to use it again! [A certain innocent goddess stares intently.] [A certain god plays dead.] [A certain wind god whistles.] [A certain male god feigns ignorance.] The saintess told the girl a terrifying truth as she looked down at her, writhing in pain. ¡°A blessing and a curse that you receive does not disappear, even if you die.¡± ¡°No way¡­¡± The hero Jang Miyeon was devastated. Living with such a painful curse for the rest of her life? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to just die right now? Whether she despaired or not, the saintess was faithful in her duty. ¡°The effects of blessings and curses increase as they rise in rank, and the ranks never fall.¡± ¡°W-Wait! Please wait! It already hurts this much as an F-rank curse, but it¡¯ll hurt even more as the rank increases?!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡± Aah! It¡¯s over¡­ My life is completely over¡­!¡± Jang Miyeon lost her mind after experiencing both heaven and hell one after the other in such a short time. Did she feel sorry for her pitiful state? Princess Ethena, who was quiet until now, butted in. ¡°Miss hero! Please don¡¯t give up! A curse can be offset by a blessing. When you raise your level, your sense of pain will also be dulled because your body and mind will become stronger.¡± ¡°I-Is that true?!¡± ¡°It is! So please do not give up so easily!¡± ¡°Wh-What a relief¡­¡± ¡°Pretty hero! Do your best!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pray for you every morning!¡± ¡°Huh? Okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll always cheer you on by your side¡­!¡± ¡°Okay! Okay! I got it, so you can stop.¡± ¡°Ah?! Did I speak too much? I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no need to be sorry¡­¡± As Jang Miyeon calmed down, the saintess¡¯s explanation progressed faster. No, it¡¯s more accurate to say that after Jang Miyeon¡¯s sacrifice, detailed explanations became unnecessary. After finishing what she had to do, the saintess turned around and said her farewell. ¡°I have other things to attend to, so I will excuse myself. Prince Alsus will guide you all from here on out.¡± ¡°Thank you for entrusting this honorable duty to me, saintess.¡± ¡°May the blessing of the gods be with you.¡± The saintess left the floating garden while showing off her refined back. Prince Alsus, who sent her off, smiled warmly toward the heroes and exclaimed. ¡°Good work, everyone! We¡¯ve prepared a welcoming feast for you all, so please enjoy it to your heart¡¯s content!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Finally!¡± The hungry heroes all cheered. Prince Alsus guided them all to the kitchen and calmly explained their schedule. ¡°Training will begin full-scale tomorrow. I will be teaching swordsmanship, and Princess Ethena will be teaching magic. You all are free to choose which you¡¯d like to learn.¡± ¡°Can we learn both?¡± The hero Choi Gangmin asked with a confident tone. ¡°Of course. You are also free to give up if it gets too hard midway.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°I will trust you.¡± Prince Alsus responded to the enthusiastic hero with a smile. Immediately after, ¡°Can we skip both?¡± The arrogant hero Oh Hanwoo asked as if putting a damper in the atmosphere. Prince Alsus replied with a face unable to comprehend the question. ¡°If you do not need the greatest swordsmanship and magic of the continent of Fantasia, then that¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Oh! Then is it okay to go outside the temple during the free training time?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Oh Hanwoo, the self-proclaimed fantasy professor, had a plan of his own. Training? That¡¯s something that extras who don¡¯t have broken cheat abilities do. He, the main character of this fantasy world, plans to gather cute and loving comrades and explore ruins and labyrinths. ¡°Hero Oh Hanwoo, do you have any other questions?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. Hehe.¡± [A certain childish dice god shows deep interest.] * * * The adaptability of humans is amazing! The human Kang Hansoo was too afraid to catch a cockroach on Earth. But now, he substituted fantasy hyenas for experience points without hesitation. Though, his status window was still the same. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± He¡¯s still level 1! His level hasn¡¯t changed. It¡¯s either because of his Hero curse, or leveling up is supposed to be this hard, or both! Whatever the reason, it was certainly bad news. ¡°Lone wolf god, do you have any useful information for me?¡± [A certain god requests to be called an outsider.] ¡°¡­Outsider god, do you have any useful information for me?¡± [A certain god firmly says that they cannot tell you anything.] ¡°Oh, okay.¡± This god is completely useless for anything other than the blessing. But since that one merit is so good, I¡¯ll endure it. [A certain god is bored because you¡¯ve been doing nothing but running.] ¡°Me too.¡± [A certain god suggests you do something else.] ¡°After I find a person.¡± It¡¯s not like my problems would be solved after getting away from the fantasy animals. [Outsider] I don¡¯t need any food nor breaks thanks to this broken trait, but this place is still dangerous. That¡¯s why I¡¯m trying to find a friendly human village. [A certain god yawns.] ¡°This is bad¡­¡± This is a savage fantasy world. There are definitely powerful monsters that can kill humans in one blow. If it doesn¡¯t give me any chance to recover, then this broken blessing is useless. ¡°God.¡± [A certain god firmly says that they won¡¯t help.] ¡°Oh, okay.¡± That¡¯s why, regardless of food, clothing, and shelter, there is a need to make a safe human place to live in as a base. I¡¯m not hoping for a map, I¡¯d at least like to know in what direction I have to go¡­ Unexpectedly, the solution was close. ¡°Human meat!¡± ¡°Meat! Human meat!¡± ¡°Hungry! Meat!¡± The fantasy hyenas were attracted by the nasty smell of blood of their own dead. I hid in the bushes and waited for them to pass by. [A certain god prays for the powerless outsider to rest in peace.] To think I¡¯m receiving a prayer from a god! What an extremely absurd honor! If they were next to me, I would¡¯ve given them an uppercut. ¡°Outsider god, I¡¯ve also become a little stronger while fighting.¡± Slip- I fiddled with the spoils that the fantasy hyena, ¡®Blue Moon¡¯s Meat Butcher¡¯, was holding in its hand. A stiletto. A dagger designed for stabbing. However, it was a specially made item with an uncommon blade, befitting of the ugly name ¡®Butcher¡¯ that its previous wielder gave it. ¡°My life is full of misfortune.¡± Just a few hours ago, I was nothing more than High Schooler A who was busy prepping to get into university, but now I¡¯d ended up having to fight against fantasy hyenas from who knows where with my life on the line. A human habitat. These guys who search around for meat all day must know. [A certain god prays for your happiness in the next life.] ¡°I said I¡¯m not gonna die.¡± I haven¡¯t been caught yet, but the distance between me and the ones rummaging around the bushes is decreasing. It¡¯s only a matter of time until I¡¯m caught. That¡¯s why I¡¯m planning on ambushing them before I get caught, but it¡¯s too foolish to charge in while only believing in the outsider blessing. I¡¯m a cultured citizen of Earth who received a high school-level education. I¡¯m planning on using that knowledge. Thump, thump- I cut a vine near me into a sizable length with the dagger. I then picked up a hard rock the size of a baseball. [A certain god opens their two eyes tiresomely.] ¡°Do you know what centripetal force is?¡± There¡¯s no rule that you can only use fantasy in a fantasy world, is there? I¡¯ll show these savage fantasy monsters the power of physics. ____ Chapter 5 Is this Hero for Real? Chapter 5 Whoosh~ I swung around the vine with the rock tied on its end. ¡°Ugh?!¡± Isn¡¯t this harder than I expected?! It was hard enough just to keep my balance because my body kept swaying toward the heavy rock. [Outsider] Thankfully, my shaking legs quickly stabilized due to the blessing. However, it was only for a moment. Comfortable, uncomfortable, comfortable, uncomfortable¡­ The cycle of fatigue and recovery kept repeating. ¡°Hm¡­¡± I guess I could say I more or less understand how to use the Outsider blessing now? I just need to fight to the point that I¡¯m certain I won¡¯t die. ¡°Meat!¡± ¡°It¡¯s meat!¡± Whoosh~ The rock splitting the air as it was being swung around made a sound, and the hyenas that heard it started to gather. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s give it a shot.¡± I had no fear. Though my mind was telling me to run, my body was the epitome of serenity. ¡°Meat! Mea- geh?!¡± I whipped the head of the one who blindly ran in with the rock. Smash! The fantasy hyena that received a severe blow loaded with centripetal force could not get back up. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Danger! Hurts!¡± ¡°Get tired soon! Meat!¡± ¡°Rocks! Throw rocks!¡± The hyenas of this fantasy world were extremely nasty and annoying! They changed plans as soon as they saw one of them getting beaten. After they retreated to a safe distance, they picked up rocks on the ground and threw them at me like a fastball. Smack! Smack! Smack! ¡°Argh?! Damn cowards!¡± Though it hurt like hell every time I was hit, I endured it. Aren¡¯t these bastards way too sneaky for their numbers?! I pretended to be tired and defenseless after getting hit. ¡°Human meat!¡± ¡°My dinner¡­!¡± ¡°Me first!¡± Though they were intelligent, their impatience made them drop the rocks and run straight at me as soon as I showed them an opening. They were true to their instincts. I stopped the act and once again started to swing the rock. ¡°Meat! Meat- geh?!¡± ¡°Chew on your bones- gah?!¡± I would have probably been in danger if they charged at me all together from the start. Though their plan wasn¡¯t bad, the ones who were tired from the stone throwing were no match for me. Time was on my side! It was also a bad move to talk about your plan in front of me. I can understand you, you know? ¡°Meat! Scary meat!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere!¡± ¡°Talking meat?!¡± Thwack! The rock hit the last one trying to run away straight to the back of the head. With this, the situation was over. Though there were a few who died in one blow due to a concussion, most of them were either unconscious or were completely out of it. ¡°Phew¡­¡± In any case, I survived. Though I couldn¡¯t return to my home star Earth that was so breathtakingly beautiful from the pollution, what¡¯s most important right now is that I¡¯m alive. [A certain god slightly raises their assessment of you.] ¡°You¡¯re so cheap!¡± Though I survived thanks to the god¡¯s broken blessing, isn¡¯t their assessment of me way too cheap? Slip- I immediately took out the dagger and started to collect experience points. ¡°Save- grrk?!¡± Stab! In this savage world where the loser gets eaten, I will not allow any seeds of evil to be sewn. ¡°Meat? Why¡­?¡± But I left the most uninjured one alive to gather information. After I distanced myself to prepare for retaliation, I took a stance to be able to throw a rock at his head any time I wanted. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t move.¡± ¡°Talking meat?!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to get hurt, tell me where the humans live.¡± It may be a pointless question,since there¡¯s no guarantee that the bastard won¡¯t lie out of spite. But it¡¯s alright. I can just capture more hyenas in the future to increase the accuracy of the information. This was just the beginning. [A certain god states that you¡¯ve become a very arrogant outsider.] ¡°¡­That¡¯s just how men are.¡± It¡¯s the male instinct to exult over the smallest victory. ¡°Men? Male?¡± ¡°Just answer my question. Where do humans live?¡± ¡°Over there.¡± The fantasy hyena pointed in the direction the sun was setting. Is that west? Since I don¡¯t know the natural laws of the dimension Fantasia, it could be east. Regardless, it didn¡¯t change the fact that it was the direction that I had to head towards. Next question. ¡°What race are you?¡± ¡°Meat, stupid?¡± ¡°Just answer the question if you don¡¯t want your head to be split open.¡± ¡°Gnoll.¡± ¡°Gnoll, huh¡­¡± I think I¡¯ve seen polygons that look similar to these guys in the game that I used to enjoy playing for a bit. ¡°Meat! Spare me!¡± ¡°Anyway, thanks for teaching me. Goodbye.¡± Thwack- It¡¯s no problem, since I never said I¡¯d spare it if it answered my questions truthfully! [A certain god tells the doubtful outsider that they are gnolls.] ¡°I found out already, okay?¡± Gnoll. According to my fantasy knowledge, gnolls are bipedal monsters that resemble hyenas. The reason why I couldn¡¯t tell immediately was because of the difference between 3D and 2D, the visual difference between reality and a virtual game. Gnolls in the game that was made commercially available for all ages were as cute as puppies, after all. On the other hand, the real gnolls that chased me while screaming ¡®meat¡¯ were just furry serial killers! They truly looked like a native creature of a beautiful fantasy world. [A certain god states that infant gnolls are adorable.] ¡°Wow! Thank you for the useless information!¡± I diligently ran in the direction that the gnoll showed me. My level¡­ Was unchanged. * * * Fantasy creators set their works to be in the Middle Ages, before the Industrial Revolution. PR/N: The Middle Ages are from the 5th century to the late 15th century, and the Industrial Revolution began in the late 18th century; the period between the two is Early Modern. The reason? Mankind sees that era as the most romantic. It would be weird if my prince on a white horse ridiculously died to my loathsome fianc¨¦¡¯s gun, wouldn¡¯t it? The story wouldn¡¯t progress if a power-gaming protagonist got nuked while in a mill. Here¡¯s a problem. How civilized would a true fantasy world where magic exists be? ¡°A chamber pot¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no shampoo or conditioner.¡± ¡°I liked it.¡± ¡°You too? It was the best!¡± The evaluations of the heroes who spent a night in the fantasy world after an extravagant feast were divided. ¡°She was so pretty.¡± ¡°I wish someone would do it for me again¡­¡± ¡°It was like a dream¡­¡± The minors who experienced bathing servants for the first time in their lives had an attitude of ¡®nothing else matters!¡¯. They seemed akin to wise philosophers. ¡°My body feels icky.¡± ¡°No toilet bowls¡­¡± ¡°It feels like I haven¡¯t bathed.¡± However, the squeamish heroes had bad looks on their faces after doing their business. ¡°What? There are some good points too, aren¡¯t there?¡± ¡°You should put up with it a little.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Middle Ages, after all.¡± Some of the heroes who recalled the beautiful boys and girls giving them a massage in the morning defended the fantasy world. In conclusion, there are pros and cons! For now, they were evaluating their first day in the fantasy world. Complaining about it doesn¡¯t mean they get to return, after all. ¡°Did you all have a good rest, heroes?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°It was the best!¡± ¡°It was great!¡± Prince Alsus, who greeted the heroes as they gathered after a light breakfast in their own rooms, described their schedule for the day. ¡°The heroes who¡¯d like to pursue the path of a swordsman can follow me. You are free to change anytime if you feel that it doesn¡¯t suit you, so please do not worry too much.¡± ¡°Prince, what about magic?¡± ¡°Where do we go to learn magic?¡± The prince who received their questions made a bitter smile. ¡°It seems Princess Ethena drank too much last night. Since she¡¯s an earnest person, she¡¯ll be here soon.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The heroes followed Prince Alsus, with the other heroes who wanted to learn magic staying behind. And one other person. There was a boy, unaffiliated with anyone, who was running in a bizarre direction excitedly. ¡°Hehe! I knew this would happen!¡± The steps of the hero Oh Hanwoo, who was heading outside the temple, were light. It was because he received a ¡®special blessing¡¯ befitting a fantasy protagonist. [Name] Oh Hanwoo [Level] 1 [Blessing] Hero F, Special F [Curse] ¨C [Dividend] 1.17 The gods of the Fantasia dimension must also know. Though there are many heroes summoned to save the world, there is only one true hero who can defeat the great and powerful demon king. And this was the proof of that. [Special] -> You are the most special fated protagonist in this world! -> Only you can see and feel this special blessing. The most special fated protagonist! That¡¯s enough of an answer! ¡°Choi Gangmin must be thinking that he¡¯s the most special, mustn¡¯t he? Do your best. You might at least be able to take the position of the protagonist¡¯s Rival A. Hahaha!¡± The ¡®protagonist¡¯ Oh Hanwoo who left the temple enthusiastically entered a building that tough men endlessly entered and exited. Thump! ¡°Welcome. On what business have you visited the Mercenary Guild?¡± A cute receptionist welcomed the boy she met for the first time with a business smile. Oh Hanwoo suppressed his beating heart and answered energetically. ¡°I¡¯ve come to register as a mercenary!¡± Mercenary! It is a standard route that countless fantasy protagonists select. You could call it a necessary occupation if you don¡¯t want to be affiliated anywhere. At that moment, a cheerful woman¡¯s voice called him. [Special] ¡°Hey, this isn¡¯t a place that a fledgling like you should enter. Do you want to die early?¡± As he turned around, a beautiful girl with a sword on her waist was there. ¡°Ah! This development¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Stop talking nonsense, and go back to your hometown. I¡¯ve seen countless boys like you who become mercenaries due to bravado.¡± Alright! Oh Hanwoo was certain that the effect of his blessing was properly activated. This nosy, beautiful mercenary girl was sure to be some kingdom¡¯s princess or young lady who¡¯s hiding her identity. There was only one thing that the protagonist would say to the beautiful girl. ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to?¡± ¡°Really¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re so worried, then how about you try accompanying me? It¡¯s bad to judge a book by its cover, don¡¯t you think? You must have had plenty of experience with that¡­¡± Oh Hanwoo had a hard time speaking with female students on Earth. [Special] However, this special blessing made him brim with confidence. ¡°¡­You got me. Alright.¡± I knew it! The fearless hero Oh Hanwoo smiled in satisfaction. [A childish dice god laughs his ass off.] * * * ¡°Talking meat!¡± ¡°Meat! Strong!¡± There¡¯s a saying that a good beginning is half the battle. Though I won against the gnolls through desperate battle at first, the hunting became easier after the number of victories increased. That¡¯s it. It was simply a hunt. I, who was easy prey in the beginning, became a skilled hunter overnight. Do I have some hidden talent¡­? There¡¯s no way. [Outsider] If it wasn¡¯t for this blessing, I would never have developed to this extent and instead died already. How many fatal injuries did I suffer again? My victory was already decided since I could infinitely recover, but I repeated countless failures to get to that point. And as I regretted and reflected on everything during that process, I learned how to ¡®fight¡¯. ¡°Meat! Me- geh?!¡± ¡°These guys are unexpectedly honest.¡± Or is it because their thought process is simple? Every one of them that I met didn¡¯t lie. Even if they did, it was very bad. ¡°They don¡¯t live in the west! Meat!¡± ¡° Meat village! Not there!¡± ¡°Village! Far over there!¡± The human village is to the west. There¡¯s no doubt, since I¡¯ve asked countless gnolls. Though I didn¡¯t know how much farther I had to go, I was certain that I was heading towards a human village. [A certain god grumbles that it is quite a shame.] ¡°Do you want me to die?¡± [A certain god states that they couldn¡¯t care less.] So harsh! But the god was much better to talk to than the gnolls that only search for meat. ¡°Meat!¡± ¡°Human meat!¡± I found this out while I was fighting them all night, but it seems it¡¯s impossible to completely evade them due to their highly-developed sense of smell. My body was covered in gnoll blood. They¡¯ll keep gathering endlessly until I wash it off me completely. ¡°Sigh¡­ No matter how many I kill, they just keep coming.¡± The smell of gnoll blood stuck to my body kept attracting new gnolls. The fortune out of all this misfortune? My body never tires. As long as I¡¯m not surrounded, I¡¯m confident that I¡¯ll come out victorious. Stab! Sink! I sank the ¡®Blue Butcher¡¯ into the heads of the gnolls that continuously considered me their prey. Blue Butcher. It¡¯s the name that I gave to this dagger to honor its previous owner, the ¡®Blue Moon¡¯s Meat Butcher¡¯. ¡°Kugh?!¡± ¡°Kek?!¡± ¡°Strange. How did you guys raise your levels?¡± [Name] Kang Hansoo [Level] 1 [Blessing] Outsider F [Curse] Hero E [Dividend] 3.15 No matter how many Gnolls I killed, my level did not rise. Just what is the problem? [A certain god is anxious.] ¡°Hm?¡± A strange message popped up from the god with a bad personality out of the blue. Just when I was about to ask the reason, I heard an incomprehensible conversation from afar. ¡°#$%^ #$%^#$%^ #$%^?¡± ¡°#$%^¡­ #$%^#$%^#$%^ #$%^#$%^.¡± ¡°#$%^#$%^ #$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^.¡± ¡­Elves again? I sneakily approached the source of the voice while being wary of the elves¡¯ arrows. ¡°¡­Ah!¡± People! It was a three-person mercenary party made up of two burly male swordsmen and one slender female archer. They were the fantasy natives that I¡¯d been searching for all night. ¡°#$%^#$%^#$%^?!¡± ¡°#$%^#$%^ #$%^ #$%^#$%^!¡± ¡°#$%^ #$%^#$%^#$%^?¡± The mercenaries who found me a beat later pulled out their weapons. ¡°Please wait! I¡¯m looking for a village¡­ ah! They can¡¯t understand me.¡± Then it¡¯s all or nothing! Slip- I put the Blue Butcher back into my pocket and put both my hands up in the air. Surrender! Objection to violence! This alien won¡¯t bite people! ¡°#$%^#$%^#$%^¡­?¡± ¡°#$%^ #$%^#$%^ #$%^?¡± ¡°#$%^#$%^.¡± The mercenaries started to lower their weapons slowly. Alright! Once I gained more confidence, I yelled as I pointed toward my chest. ¡°Kang! Han! Soo!¡± Let¡¯s hope that my body language will get through to these fantasy savages. [A certain god praises you for being a little funny.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± This god truly has a bad personality. ____ ____ Chapter 6 Is this Hero for Real? Chapter 6 ¡°Kang Hansoo. ^%$#^%$# ^%$#.¡± ¡°^%$# Kang Hansoo ^%$#^%$# ^%$#^%$#^%$# ^%$#?¡± ¡°^%$#^%$# ^%$# ^%$#^%$#¡±. ¡°¡­I¡¯m a science nerd.¡± A second language was my weakest subject that destroyed my average grade. I¡¯d be more confident if I were told to learn calculus or chemical formulas of this fantasy world. [A certain god firmly states that you¡¯re not acting like an outsider.] ¡°Okay, okay.¡± [A certain god grumbles at you not to answer half-heartedly.] ¡°God, you¡¯re bound to speak lightly to someone you¡¯ve gotten close to.¡± [A certain god firmly states not to act close.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± Though I¡¯ve finally met people, this god was the only person that I could properly converse with. How sad. But I was relieved that I met friendly humans. I couldn¡¯t view their status windows, but there was no way these well-equipped mercenaries would be weaker than a level 1 like me. Gary, Cole, Misa. Those were the names of the mercenaries that I was accompanying. ¡°^%$#^%$#.¡± ¡°^%$# ^%$#^%$#^%$#!¡± ¡°^%$# ^%$#¡± The hairy man walking up front was Gary. He was the leader of this party. From how he was carrying a huge sword on his back without any sign of fatigue, he seemed to be very strong. ¡°He can probably cut down even an elephant.¡± His weapon was similar to a broadsword, a double-edged weapon specialized for slashing, but its thickness and length was completely different. So this is what fantasies are like! It should at least be that big to hunt giant monsters. ¡°I wonder how strong Gary is¡­¡± [A certain god firmly states that he¡¯s very weak.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± The young mercenary, full of smiles, who was slightly smaller than the burly Gary was Cole. He had normal-sized swords on each side of his leather belt. They were bastard swords which had the benefits of both a light one-handed sword and a heavy two-handed sword. Was he a dual-wielder, one of the ideals of fantasy? I¡¯d have to wait and see. Knock, knock. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°^%$# ^%$#^%$#.¡± The young woman who called me as she touched my shoulder with her fingertips was Misa. She had quills attached to her outer thighs and slung a large crossbow on her back. She was the sole long-range damage dealer of this party. I could tell from the crossbow¡¯s size that it wasn¡¯t meant for fighting people. ¡°Misa, I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re¡­ ah!¡± As I turned my head in the direction that she was pointing, I let out a cry of relief. Smoke! If it wasn¡¯t a wildfire, then it was coming out from a house¡¯s chimney. It meant that a place where humans lived was around that area. [A certain god points out that you¡¯re not acting like an outsider.] [A certain god is anxious.] ¡°I¡¯m just pretending to be nice to them to get out of this forest.¡± [A certain god is very anxious.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± Rustle! At that moment, just as I was overjoyed by the fact that I was going to a human village, dozens of gnolls ambushed us from the bushes. ¡°Meat¡­!¡± ¡°Hand over your bones!¡± ¡°My meat!¡± It was the first time so many of them attacked at once since losing them at the cliff. ¡°^%$#! Kang Hansoo ^%$#^%$# ^%$#^%$#!¡± ¡°Gary! ^%$# ^%$# ^%$#^%$#^%$#!¡± ¡°^%$#^%$#^%$#! ^%$#^%$# ^%$#^%$#^%$#^%$#!¡± ¡°Misa. Cole! ^%$#^%$# ^%$# ^%$#!¡± The mercenaries who thought up a strategy in a language that I couldn¡¯t understand started to face the gnolls. Fling~ Pierce! Slice! Gary broke the gnolls¡¯ formation as he swung his broadsword, and Cole killed the ones who were separated from the pack one by one with his longswords. ¡°^%$#^%$#!¡± While the two swordsmen faced the gnolls in front, the archer Misa shot her crossbow from slightly farther back. Swish-! Though bows are often used in fantasy manhwas and movies since drawing the bowstring looks cool, you can tell how practical and brutal crossbows are just from going through some history books. Its power is on a whole other level. Smack! A gnoll collapsed without being able to do a thing. ¡°Meat?! What¡¯s wrong?!¡± ¡°Female meat! Fast weapon!¡± ¡°Weird bow! Strong!¡± Though bows that require you to draw with your own strength require training, all there is to crossbows is to wind the pulley at the end of the arm and pull the trigger. The crossbow bolts that can be considered miniature ballista bolts penetrated all kinds of knights¡¯ armor that was considered iconic of the Middle Ages. That¡¯s why there was a time when crossbows were called the weapon of demons, or the power of heretics without honor¡­ In other words, ¡°I want a crossbow too¡­¡± I never learned martial arts or archery on Earth, after all. Therefore, I was charmed by the crossbow, which didn¡¯t require as much skill to use. In any case, I got in the way of the gnolls trying to get close to Misa, who was reloading her powerful crossbow. ¡°Meat!¡± ¡°Male meat!¡± ¡°Out of the way!¡± In exchange for having enough power to penetrate knights¡¯ armor, crossbows had the flaw of a long reloading time. That¡¯s why I planned on protecting her as she reloaded her crossbow. Stab- I stabbed and slashed the gnoll¡¯s neck with the Blue Butcher that I had in my pocket. ¡°Kekek?!¡± Though we were neither comrades nor friends, I needed their cooperation to join the fantasy residents¡¯ village due to the language barrier. I wanted to earn some trust by fighting alongside them. ¡°Gimme meat~!¡± ¡°Meat? Meat!¡± ¡°Strong meat!¡± Even while excluding such a calculating reason, there were too many to face on my own. Of course, if I were alone, the careless gnolls wouldn¡¯t perform a pincer attack like this. [A certain god is anxious.] The god must really not like me helping people. ¡°Outsider god. Please allow this much. Humans are social animals that can¡¯t live alone.¡± [A certain god firmly states that they don¡¯t care.] ¡°Well¡­ I suppose not.¡± There are many occurrences in fantasy works where monsters recklessly ambush without fear. But this is reality. Because they have homes to get back to and families that love them, like humans they value their own lives. Therefore, they do not ambush until victory is certain. Just like this situation. The gnolls waited until a sufficient number had gathered, and then ambushed us. ¡°^%$# ^%$#^%$#¡­!¡± ¡°Cole! ^%$# ^%$#^%$#^%$#!¡± ¡° ^%$# ^%$#^%$#?!¡± Because of that, the battle that I thought would be over quickly was very fierce. There isn¡¯t any purpose to hunting prey if the sacrifice is too big, is there? Because of that, the gnolls that ambushed us were well-prepared. However¡­ ¡°Weak meat!¡± Strong!¡± ¡°Scary meat!¡± ¡°Is this meat a monster?!¡± Underestimating me was their mistake. As a level 1, I was the weakest one here. However, thanks to my broken trait, I was stronger than a mere level 1. The gnolls that didn¡¯t take that into consideration were caught off guard by major losses, and decided to quickly retreat. ¡°Give up! Meat!¡± ¡°Give up on meat!¡± ¡°Bad meat!¡± I let out a deep sigh as I watched the gnoll pack retreat like an ebbing tide. ¡°Phew¡­¡± It would¡¯ve been bad if I were the only one left alive. Thankfully the gnolls retreated before the mercenaries died. ¡°^%$#^%$# ^%$# ^%$#.¡± ¡°^%$# ^%$#. ^%$#^%$#^%$#.¡± Gary and Cole seemed to be alright. It was because the gnolls¡¯ shabby weapons and claws couldn¡¯t penetrate their armor. However, they were full of injuries large and small, and were on the verge of exhaustion. And Misa, who I had been protecting¡­ ¡°^%$#^%$#?¡± ¡­was aiming her crossbow at me. ¡°Why¡­?¡± Fling- The bolt that flung at me in close range stuck itself into my chest. * * * The mercenary Gary who almost died from the gnolls¡¯ ambush smiled as he looked at the stranger on the ground. ¡°There was a slight deviation in our plan because of the gnolls, but you handled it well, Misa.¡± ¡°I agree. I thought he¡¯d be weak since his body was all bones, but he fought better than I expected.¡± Cole agreed as he held the canteen from his belt in his mouth. Misa jokingly replied as she lowered her crossbow, ¡°Him talking to himself in an unknown language was disgusting.¡± Gary licked his lips. ¡°I told you to endure it until we sold him as a slave.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right. The priests love to frame people like this as the demons¡¯ pawns and burn them to death, though he¡¯s dead now.¡± Cole grumbled with an unfortunate expression. ¡°Hmph!¡± Misa sneered at the two¡¯s light criticism. Their original plan was to dispose of ¡®Kang Hansoo¡¯ after accompanying him to the village. Him following them obediently while trying to become their friend without knowing that fact was hilarious. Gary took stock of the situation. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate that we couldn¡¯t sell him as a slave, but it¡¯s true that he was stronger than we expected. Your decision wasn¡¯t bad, Misa.¡± ¡°Hey, Misa. Weren¡¯t you happy that he protected you like a black knight in a fairy tale?¡± ¡°Oh my! How did you know? I was smitten by him as he protected me without sparing himself, you know?¡± ¡°I see, so that¡¯s why you killed him before he became a slave! I¡¯m getting jealous!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sulk. We can go all night tonight.¡± ¡°Really?! You promise?¡± ¡°But wash up first. I¡¯ll kill you too if you don¡¯t.¡± Misa and Cole, who were in a relationship, joked around. Though they had almost died earlier, they accepted the situation calmly since that¡¯s how the life of a mercenary was. Including the fact that they betrayed a stranger that they fought together with. ¡°Cole, take Kang Hansoo¡¯s dagger.¡± ¡°You said it was expensive, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure. The engraving that looks like blue deer antlers aren¡¯t antlers, but a miniaturized family tree of a heroic clan. It is the crest of a royal family that only royal elves can use.¡± ¡°In other words, it¡¯s an elven artifact?¡± ¡°No way. It¡¯s not that rare, but it¡¯ll sell for a lot.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Hurry. More of the bastards might gather from the smell of blood.¡± Cole, who was ordered by Gary, approached Kang Hansoo. ¡°It should be around¡­ huh?¡± As he was looking around for the dagger, he cried words of admiration as he looked at the stranger¡¯s right hand. ¡°Wow! This guy didn¡¯t let go of his weapon until the very end! Isn¡¯t that amazing?¡± ¡°Cole, don¡¯t let your guard down. Though my bolt directly pierced his chest, it didn¡¯t pierce his heart. He might still be alive.¡± Cole nodded as he listened to Misa¡¯s warning. ¡°There¡¯s no problem if I do this then, right?¡± Stab! Stab! Cole stabbed Kang Hansoo¡¯s blood-covered back twice. Even if he miraculously survived until now, he would definitely be dead from that attack. ¡°Now then, let¡¯s¡­ huh?!¡± Cole, who bent forward to pick up the dagger, widened his eyes. It was because he saw something that he shouldn¡¯t have. [Name] Kang Hansoo [Level] 1 [Blessing] Outsider F [Curse] Hero E There are two main conditions in which you can see someone¡¯s status window. Either they made it public for someone to see, or you can peek with a special blessing. And the prerequisite of both these conditions is that the subject is ¡®alive¡¯. In other words, ¡°This bastard is still ali¡­!¡± Slash- The cry of the distraught Cole did not finish. The body of the young man, whose neck was sliced open while in a defenseless state with his upper body bent forward, fell forward in failure. ¡°How?!¡± ¡°Cole~?!¡± Even after losing their comrade so suddenly, the two mercenaries¡¯ responses were swift. However¡­ ¡°Sh-shit!¡± The movements of Gary, who was tired after just fighting the gnolls, were sluggish. On the other hand, the stranger Kang Hansoo was unbelievably in tip-top shape, as if he didn¡¯t just have a fierce battle. Stab! A dagger pierced Gary¡¯s neck, which was unguarded because he had taken off his helmet for a break. ¡°Kugh¡­!¡± ¡°If only I wasn¡¯t so tired¡­!¡±, thought the extremely vexed mercenary Gary, who couldn¡¯t close his eyes, even in death. ¡°^%$# ^%$#^%$#, Misa.¡± The stranger who removed the dagger from Gary¡¯s neck turned around. ¡°S-stay back!¡± The fear-stricken Misa warned Kang Hansoo with her crossbow aimed at him. ¡°I¡¯m sure I killed him!¡±, she thought. But she could not believe that the stranger was completely fine, and that Cole and Gary were killed instead. It felt like she was having a nightmare. Fling- Misa shot her crossbow at Kang Hansoo, who ignored her warning. As he was protecting his head and heart, she shot his leg to take away his mobility. Pierce-! Kang Hansoo, who could not avoid the bolt, swayed and collapsed. ¡°The next one is the end for you!¡± ¡°^%$#^%$#?¡± However, he got back up as if nothing had happened. ¡°H-he recovered¡­? No way! A healing blessing?!¡± Turn! Misa chose to abandon her heavy crossbow and run. Her choice wasn¡¯t bad. However¡­ Grasp! ¡°Kyak?!¡± As she was just as tired as the two other mercenaries who passed away before her, she was caught soon enough. ¡°Misa. ^%$#^%$#^%$# ^%$#.¡± The stranger who grabbed her by the hair showed a smile filled with lunacy. ¡°F-forgive me!¡± ¡°Misa. ^%$# ^%$#^%$#?¡± ¡°I was wrong! I¡¯ll do anything you want, so please spare me! Please! Please¡­!¡± ¡°^%$#^%$#^%$#. ^%$#^%$# ^%$#.¡± At this moment, the two broke the language barrier and communicated with each other. ____ ____ Chapter 7 Is this Hero for Real? Chapter 7 [Act 3] Village ____ WARNING: This chapter contains depictions of sexual assault that may not be suitable for some readers. Reader discretion is advised. ____ Misa taught me a few useful sentences that would be useful for daily life through body language. I¡¯m sorry, be gentle, stop, it hurts, forgive me, spare me¡­ Though I learned three or four other cuss words that I didn¡¯t know the meaning of, there would be no opportunity for a good-natured civilian of Earth like myself to ever use them. [Name] Misa [Level] 6 [Blessing] Bullseye F [Curse] ¨C I could see Misa¡¯s status window once she had completely submitted to me. Are the gods¡¯ blessings common? She nonchalantly had an F-rank blessing. [Bullseye] -> Drastically increases the chance to hit the target regardless of method! -> The chance goes down the more the target moves in any way. ¡°So there are blessings like this as well.¡± I thought she was some genius marksman, but it was thanks to her blessing? It didn¡¯t seem like Misa used a crossbow for no reason. At that moment, ¡°$%^ $%^$%^¡­ $%^¡­¡± ¡°What? Huh?¡± Her status window that I could see until now went up in smoke. ¡°Thank you, Misa.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Though I never found out why she attacked me, she gave me her crossbow and clothes as an apology. ¡°Hm¡­ It¡¯s a bit hard to move around in since it¡¯s female clothing.¡± [A certain god respects the outsider¡¯s tastes.] ¡°That¡¯s not it!!¡± It was because Gary and Cole¡¯s masculine armor was much too large and heavy for me. On the other hand, I could somewhat fit into Misa¡¯s slender armor, though it was a little tight in some areas. ¡° But still¡­ it¡¯s a bit uncomfortable.¡± I stuffed my school uniform from Earth that pretty much announced that I was an alien into Gary¡¯s adventurer bag. Then I wore Misa¡¯s leather clothes over my underwear. I wonder how I looked in a fantasy resident¡¯s clothing? It¡¯s too bad there was no mirror. [A certain god laughs their ass off.] ¡°¡­Do I look that ridiculous?¡± I could imagine. Nothing sticks out like a sore thumb more than a newbie wearing flashy clothing. Jingle! I couldn¡¯t help but feel rich whenever I looked at the money pouch that the three mercenaries saved up. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go to the village~¡± I was no longer anxious about the language barrier. Money is more common than any kind of body language, after all. * * * Princess Ethena was late to her very first lesson due to overdrinking. Though she continued to appear shameful in all kinds of ways, she was an outstanding mage to the point that the Archmazing kingdom could refuse political marriages. In short, she was a genius. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry! I¡¯ll work extra hard to make up for lost time! Uh¡­ then first, how about I explain what magic is? They say that long, long ago, magic didn¡¯t exist in the continent of Fantasia.¡± Magic! A supernatural power considered iconic of fantasy. Though Princess Ethena excitedly explained while displaying simple magic, the heroes couldn¡¯t care less about theories like the history of magic. All they cared about was practical experience and use! And a few heroes chatted amongst each other at the back, as if they already knew everything. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it in a novel. If you apply calculus to magic, you can instantly become an archmage.¡± ¡°Hehe, I¡¯ve protected my chastity just for this moment.¡± PR/N: E.g.. ¡°How pathetic. Magic is all about chemistry. I¡¯ll show you the fantasy world¡¯s first atomic bomb magic.¡± PR/N: See ¡°The Roaring Trumpet¡± by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt, May 1940, for a classic example of magic through math. See the myths of Athena/Minerva, Artemis/Diana, Hestia/Vesta, and Lancelot for magic through celibacy. See ¡°A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur¡¯s Court¡± by Mark Twain, 1889, for magic through chemistry. The heroes started to brag about and assert their fantasy knowledge. ¡° Be quiet. You¡¯re bothering the people paying attention to the lesson.¡± The class president Yu Bora told them off, but it only backfired. ¡°Tsk, tsk. You¡¯re too much of an honor student to get fantasy, class prez.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like knowing the history of magic lets you become an archmage.¡± ¡°Magic is about talent. They need to have an affinity with mana.¡± The heroes only became more high-spirited from the class president¡¯s meddling. Though the class president Yu Bora was a near-perfect honor student back on Earth, the other heroes were confident that they excelled more in the fantasy world. It was at that moment, Clap, clap! Princess Ethena, who stopped her theory explanation, drew attention to herself by clapping. ¡°I don¡¯t like unnecessary theoretics either. Talent is best! That¡¯s why I at least explained about the founder of magic, even if it was boring.¡± ¡°Founder of magic¡­?¡± ¡°Did she talk about something like that?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t hear it either¡­¡± Princess Ethena, like the heroes¡¯ arguments, emphasized talent. She stated once again, ¡°Magic is a field that greatly depends on talent. This talent is decided by innate blood ties and acquired academic ties.¡± ¡°Talent?¡± ¡°What about chastity?¡± ¡°Blood ties¡­?¡± The heroes, who felt that something was a little different from their fantasy knowledge, rolled their eyes. ¡°Aren¡¯t we the chosen heroes? Aren¡¯t we people overflowing with talent?¡± Princess Ethena stated to the confused heroes, ¡°I am Ethena Archmazing, the direct descendant of the founder¡¯s twelfth pupil as well as her third husband, Zion Archmazing. I possess both blood and academic ties.¡± ¡°Whoa!¡± ¡°Aha!¡± ¡°What about us?¡± Princess Ethena, who had the attention of all the heroes with their eyes full of questions, replied. ¡°Those of you who don¡¯t have blood ties will make academic ties with me. Acquired talent is decided by the mentor¡¯s abilities, so you heroes will obtain high innate talent since you will become my pupils. It¡¯s easy, right?¡± ¡°Damn¡­¡± ¡°Amazing¡­¡± A mage¡¯s abilities were dependent on blood and academic ties. Wasn¡¯t this too unreasonable? Class president Yu Bora had some opposition to this characteristic of magic. ¡°Princess Ethena, I apologize for interrupting your explanation, but I have a question.¡± ¡°Yes! Go ahead.¡± ¡°Is someone who has neither blood nor academic ties unable to become a mage?¡± Everyone was curious about it. However, because the heroes were already guaranteed an ¡®excellent academic tie¡¯, they didn¡¯t have to bother with that issue. Princess Ethena made a slightly surprised expression with her eyes wide open. ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°How¡­?¡± ¡°I was planning on explaining this later, but I will show you first. Hero Yu Bora?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I will now form a mentor-pupil relationship with you.¡± Whirr- A geometric magic circle appeared beneath the princess¡¯s feet. Whirr- A similar magic circle also appeared beneath Yu Bora¡¯s feet. ¡°I acknowledge you as Ethena Archmazing¡¯s first pupil. Hero Yu Bora, swear upon your magic.¡± ¡°¡­I swear? Ah!¡± The magic circle was absorbed by Yu Bora¡¯s shadow and disappeared. Clap, clap, clap! Princess Ethena clapped with a bright smile. ¡°Congratulations, Hero Yu Bora! From today onward, you are a full-fledged mage. Oh, right! I forgot to tell you this beforehand. The earlier in the order that you all become my pupils, the more talents you will receive.¡± ¡°How can I check those talents?¡± ¡°Try opening your status window.¡± ¡°¡­Ah!¡± [Name] Yu Bora [Level] 1 [Blessing] Hero F, Magic C [Curse] ¨C [Dividend] 1.65 A ¡°Magic¡± blessing! By the talent that Princess Ethena was explaining until now, did she mean the rank of the blessing? For the one reason that she became an outstanding mage¡¯s pupil, she received a C-rank ¡°Magic¡± blessing. ¡°Hero Yu Bora, do you understand the reason why talent is important now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As Yu Bora read the detailed description of the blessing, she realized. [Magic] -> I present to you, the most precious person in the world, hopes and dreams! -> You can pass on your hopes and dreams to your descendants and pupils. If you didn¡¯t have a parent or mentor who had a ¡°Magic¡± blessing, you could never become a mage, no matter how hard you worked. Flicker! Princess Ethena spoke as she created a small fire atop her right hand. ¡°The founder, who has become the god of magic, left us the ¡°Magic¡± blessing to make it easier for her descendants and future scholars to learn magic. That is the magic that ordinary mages use, white magic. And¡­¡± Flicker. She made the same fire atop her left hand as she slurred the end of her sentence. However, its size was much smaller than the fire on her right hand, and¡­ ¡°The princess¡¯s hand?!¡± ¡°Gasp! What¡¯s that?!¡± All the heroes who were watching freaked out. It was because Princess Ethena¡¯s fair hands, which were fine until just a moment ago, started to turn black and rot. Drip, drip. Even her fingernails were falling off. However, the girl continued her lesson while enduring the pain. ¡°Ugh! White magic on my right hand, and black magic on my left¡­ ouch?!¡± ¡°Princess! Have you already forgotten His Majesty¡¯s order to never use black magic?!¡± The princess¡¯s old servant lady furiously scolded her. ¡°It was just a little to help with the heroes¡¯ understanding¡­¡± ¡°Oh, yes, I see. I will have to tell the queen the truth¡­¡± ¡°I was wrong, so please don¡¯t tell Mother!¡± The princess, who was serious until this moment, begged as she rubbed her flank that was pinched by the maid. [Heal] [Holy Arts] A priest who was on standby near the area quickly healed her left hand, which had become hideous. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± Yu Bora judged that the situation had gotten out of hand because of her and bowed her head to apologize. Princess Ethena waved her hand while making a bright smile. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m satisfied enough knowing that all of you learned the danger of black magic.¡± ¡°What is black magic¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s absolutely not that black magic is bad! Don¡¯t you need dry firewood to make a fire? My left hand just acted as that firewood.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Natural magic is the true nature of black magic.¡± * * * The burly swordsman Gary, the less burly swordsman Cole, and the generous archer Misa! After shedding some blood with the three individualistic mercenaries, I set off to find the human village. I wondered if it was because of the frequent invasions of the gnolls? The village, surrounded by a tall wooden fence, was like a robust fortress, and the inspection at the only way in and out was thorough. ¡°Even so, there¡¯s nothing money can¡¯t solve.¡± With money, I skipped the inspection, accumulated trust, communicated, borrowed inn rooms, and even made friends! Wasn¡¯t it amazing? [A certain god is uncomfortable.] ¡°¡­I¡¯m also uncomfortable, since I¡¯m washing myself. What¡¯s your gender, outsider god? Male? Female? Neither? Both?¡± [A certain god is even more uncomfortable.] ¡°I¡¯ll consider you to be male to protect my dignity.¡± Wipe, wipe. I, who was hoping for a steamy bath, was washing myself with a cloth drenched in water. I felt like I was rubbing dirt off of dry skin. This was how a fantasy commoner bathed. Though there wasn¡¯t a bathtub like I had hoped for, I was not in a situation to complain. It was because I could not stay in the village if I didn¡¯t clean all this gnoll blood off my body. ¡°What should I do from now on¡­?¡± I achieved my original goal of finding a human settlement as I was being chased by gnolls. Of course, the answer was obvious. Kill the goddess. I felt sorry for my parents who must have been searching for me, but it seemed like it was going to take a lot of time to take revenge against the goddess and return to Earth. But how was I supposed to take revenge? I had to become stronger to defeat a transcendental being, but I did not seem to be getting any stronger. ¡°I¡¯m still level 1¡­¡± At this rate, forget taking revenge against the wicked goddess, I couldn¡¯t even freely roam around this fantasy world. Was I being too impatient? Was I underestimating this world as some game that you could quickly raise your level in? [A certain god is anxious.] ¡°What are you anxious about?¡± [A certain god firmly states that it¡¯s a secret.] ¡°Stop firmly stating¡­ hm?¡± I could hear a voice from outside the door. That may seem obvious since this was an inn with many lodgers, but the problem was that I could clearly understand it. Like the gnoll language. ¡°Is this the room?¡± ¡°$%^$%^$%^ $%^$%^ $%^.¡± ¡°Thank you. Go about your business now. I, the village chief, will take care of things here from now on.¡± ¡°$%^. $%^$%^.¡± Knock, knock. I heard a knock on the door as soon as the footsteps of the owner of the inn faded away. I spoke from across the locked door as a test. ¡°I¡¯m washing myself, so please wait a moment.¡± ¡°Hm? I thought you couldn¡¯t talk¡­ ahem. Alright.¡± I knew it! I put on Misa¡¯s leather clothes and clenched Blue Butcher. Combat preparations complete! The reason was very simple. [Hero] -> Automatically translates the languages of races hostile toward the hero. -> Dramatically decreases the experience points gained through hunting and achievements! It was because the guest on the other side of the door was a member of a ¡®hostile race¡¯. ____ ____ Chapter 8 Is this Hero for Real? Chapter 8 There was something that shouldn¡¯t be overlooked here. I couldn¡¯t understand the languages of the fairies and mercenaries, who were each a ¡®hostile race¡¯ to me. PR/N: The creatures previously referred to as ¡°elves¡± will be ¡°fairies¡± from here on out, in order to obey the raw Korean. Please continue to picture elves in your head as you read. That is, the conditions of the curse were based on the average of the entire race, not a given individual! Just because they were hostile species did not guarantee that all of them had to be hostile to ¡®me¡¯ unconditionally. Furthermore, this was a village of humans. I should stop being hastily biased and instead be cautious. Slide, So I hid Blue Butcher under the pillow on my bed. That way I could use it in case of emergency. [A certain god has their eyes fixed on you.] Click. I unlocked the room of the inn and opened the door. ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°Excuse me.¡± The visitor was a man in his thirties whose silver hair complemented him. From his appearance, he was an average human. If it wasn¡¯t for the conditions of the curse, I would never have noticed the fact that he wasn¡¯t human. ¡°How can I help you?¡± ¡°Do not be so on-guard. As the chief of this village, I got a report that there was a traveler who couldn¡¯t speak the language and came to check in.¡± ¡°I see.¡± It was a little suspicious that he was managing the village while pretending to be human, but I let it slide because I didn¡¯t have enough information. It could just be how the Fantasia dimension worked. Maybe the angel-like species worshiping the evil goddess was ruling over the ignorant humans on earth. ¡°Kang Hansoo? What a strange name.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± I considered giving myself a nickname fitting for this barbarous fantasy world, but I didn¡¯t want to hide the name my parents gave me. Aside from that, I was extremely uncomfortable that my personal information I hadn¡¯t revealed had been exposed to a complete stranger. Could he see my status window? ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter for people like me who have the Observation blessing, but you should hide your status window.¡± Seriously? ¡°How do you hide it?¡± ¡°¡­Looks like you really don¡¯t know anything.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Sorry, it¡¯s my second day in a barbaric fantasy world. ¡°Hm. I thought an out-of-touch stupid fairy was hiding when they said you didn¡¯t understand the language. Are you merely a country fellow from a faraway land¡­?¡± ¡°You seem disappointed.¡± ¡°Is it obvious?¡± ¡°A little¡­¡± It was not a little. It was written on his face that he was frustrated his assumptions were in vain. ¡°The gnolls who lost their habitat to the fairies¡¯ greed found their way here. This is the village formed by those who lost their families back then and sought revenge.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why there are so many mercenaries.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an old story. There aren¡¯t many people left who remember the rancor besides me and a few others. Now, most of them are rookie mercenaries from the city who came to build experience.¡± ¡°Heh~¡± It sure is nice to communicate in the same language! I didn¡¯t care about how this village was formed, but I was touched to be able to converse like an actual person. It would be nicer if he could teach me how to hide my status window as well¡­ [A certain god looks at you in frustration.] Um? Why? I wanted to ask why, but I couldn¡¯t because the chief was in front of me. He continued to speak as he stroked his chin with his right hand. ¡°Before I leave, can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Anything unless it¡¯s political or religious! He took an empty glass bottle out of his pocket as he asked, ¡°How are you unaffected by my paralysis potion?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± I couldn¡¯t understand what he was talking about for a moment, but my body responded first to the chief¡¯s attack. Hwp! I went for the chief¡¯s neck with the Blue Butcher I¡¯d hidden under the pillow. However, ¡°Impressive.¡± Snap. Right before the blade cut his throat, something transparent restrained me and I couldn¡¯t move an inch. ¡°What¡­?¡± I rolled my eyes, unable to achieve my goal by a razor-thin margin, and stared at the chief. He walked in circles around me, and spoke as if to tease me, ¡°Despicable fairies are innately resistant to potions, which is why I created this magic spell.¡± ¡°Urgh¡­!¡± ¡°Give up. I tied up your entire body with an invisible magic rope. You¡¯ll never get out of it as long as you have a high resistance like the fairies do.¡± ¡°How come?¡± I couldn¡¯t get to the bottom of why I got attacked by the chief. I didn¡¯t think I did anything to cross him. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. You were just unfortunate.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. It would be faster to show you than explain.¡± [Name] Crimson [Level] 16 [Blessing] Lunacy E [Curse] Fairy C There was a curse on the chief¡¯s status window like I had. ¡°Did the goddess do this?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still speaking nonsense, I see you haven¡¯t understood. This curse is the result of all the rancor of the fairies that were murdered by me. It¡¯s like a scar of honor! ¡°Aha!¡± It wasn¡¯t just the goddess that could give a curse. Let¡¯s call it conditional. [Fairy] > The fairies have targeted you as an enemy. Your lifespan and youth are decreased! > All damage and notoriety gained from fairies increases significantly. I thought it was a tremendous curse because of the part about decreasing lifespan and youth, but it didn¡¯t seem that bad from the chief¡¯s appearance. ¡°The humans were enraged at the gnolls who killed their families and took their homes. But I thought differently. The gnolls were also victims like them. Our real enemies are the fairies who stole the gnolls¡¯ habitat and instigated conflict¡­!¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not a fairy that you so despise. I don¡¯t think this is something you say to an innocent person you just attacked.¡± It looked like I was about to die in vain from getting caught up in someone¡¯s rancor. ¡­I was really about to die! Even though I was acting calm, my situation where I couldn¡¯t lift a finger was clearly a crisis. I would die on the spot if the chief got angry. My heart raced. ¡°To be honest, I wasn¡¯t planning to talk so much. But I changed my mind after seeing your dagger. Where did you get this?¡± He asked as he pointed to Blue Butcher. ¡°This?¡± ¡°I stole it after killing a fairy that randomly shot an arrow at me.¡± There¡¯s something called ¡®reading the room¡¯. Although I got Blue Butcher from killing a gnoll called ¡®Blue Moon¡¯s Meat Butcher¡¯, I had to pretend to be an enemy of the fairies to survive. ¡°You managed to kill a royal fairy with those skills?¡± ¡°They were a royal¡­?¡± I always thought it was a good dagger with a sharp edge, but I never guessed it was from a royal fairy. ¡°Haha! What a sight! You killed them without even knowing they were royal! It¡¯s getting harder and harder for me to kill you.¡± ¡°Then let me live!¡± ¡°My condolences. As you can tell from my status window, I¡¯m a mage without the magic blessing. Are you serious? Do you really not know what that means?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m an outsider.¡± There were no humans (or gods) around to teach me. ¡°Outsider?¡± ¡°It means ¡®lone wolf dashing through the wilderness¡¯.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a great word. Too bad you will never be able to dash through the wild again.¡± [A certain god prays for the outsider¡¯s soul.] Grab. As the Chief took the blue dagger out of my hands, he continued, ¡°I¡¯m a dark mage. You must be sacrificed for my dark magic to increase my lifespan.¡± Princess Ethena Archmazing. As someone who¡¯s called a ¡®magic genius¡¯ in the Archmazing Magic Kingdom, she grew up admiring those who ¡®work hard¡¯. Her status as a princess who had to care about her reputation and appearance took away from her time to study, and her incredible talent made it unnecessary for her to make an effort. A privileged complaint, isn¡¯t it? The princess was aware of it as well. But it¡¯s not her fault for yearning for something that was impossible for her. Maybe that was the reason. ¡°Princess. You said magic could be created solely through imagination. Are there any conditions or formulae that could increase its efficiency?¡± Yoo Bora, the hero that keeps trying even after being told magic can only be decided through family and academic connections. Princess Ethena took a liking to her ¡®first apprentice¡¯. Which is why she took her in as her apprentice in the first place. Roar! A lively flame arose on the palm of hero Yoo Bora¡¯s hand. Talent and effort. It was a beautiful magic created by the combination of the two. ¡°Good question, hero Yoo Bora. All you have to do to strengthen your magic is to imitate the god who gave you a blessing or your parents¡¯ magic.¡± ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°Of course there¡¯s more.¡± Crackle! Princess Ethena created a block of cold ice countering the blazing flames on the palm of her hand. In the shape of a cute rabbit! It was strangely fitting for its creator. She showed her magic with pride as she spoke. ¡°Flame magic, also known as the war flower, is a professional field of magic passed on by generations of the Archmazing Kingdom¡¯s royal family. It¡¯s thanks to my blessing that gave me part of my ancestors¡¯ talents that I could do this. However, this ice rabbit is my very own unique magic! Will you try it?¡± ¡°Hm.. it¡¯s not working.¡± There was nothing on the palm of Yoo Bora¡¯s hand. Princess Ethena, blushing shyly, confessed. ¡°It¡¯s because I am still lacking as a master. You¡¯ll also be able to make it easily once I become more proficient. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you for the kind explanation.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± It was then that a voice broke the warm atmosphere of the room. ¡°Princess. What should someone who doesn¡¯t have a blessing, like me, do?¡± Jang Miyeon, the hero that chose to be a mage instead of a knight despite the obviously difficult path ahead of her. She had a lot to complain about because she wasn¡¯t Princess Ethena¡¯s apprentice, nor could she use magic. It wasn¡¯t only her either. ¡°I really need a blessing!¡± ¡°Princess! I want to use magic! ¡°Please give me a magic blessing¡­!¡± The other heroes who didn¡¯t like the teaching method, which was no different than Yoo Bora¡¯s personal tutoring session, also spoke up. And it grew more and more intense. ¡°This is unfair!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good to have favorites!¡± ¡°We want the same treatment!¡± ¡°This is extremely unfair!¡± The heroes started to clamor. Crack, crack. Biting down on the ice rabbit she created while sporting an innocent face, Princess Ethena asked, ¡°Then which hero shall be my second apprentice?¡± ¡°Me! Me!¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cut in front of me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m first!¡± With a single sentence the heroes, who all came together to implore Princess Ethena, broke apart and got busy bringing each other down. Second, third, fourth¡­ No one tried to yield their place in line because the later they became an apprentice, the less talented they would be. ¡°I¡¯m better than you¡­!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not even smart¡­!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not one to talk¡­!¡± It was a pathetic sight that made it impossible to believe these were the heroes that would save the world. But it looked like Princess Ethena had no intention of stopping them. ¡°Let me know when you have come to a decision!¡± ¡°¡­Princess Ethena. Did you do that on purpose?¡± ¡°What? What are you talking about?¡± The princess sweetly tilted her head at Yoo Bora¡¯s question. ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Alright! Then shall we continue with our lesson¡­ Oh! Where did I leave off?¡± ¡°The ice rabbit.¡± ¡°Ah! Thank you! Special magic can only be acquired by significant trial and error and endless practice.¡± ¡°Like black magic?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Princess?¡± For a moment Princess Ethena went rigid, but relaxed as she replied, ¡°Black magic is different from white magic. It¡¯s impossible to continuously practice by yourself.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Because you need a sacrifice whenever you use magic.¡± *** The law of equivalent exchange. It is an economic theory that goods of equal value can be exchanged. But why is this applied in the magic of this fantasy world? Anyways, I was in danger because of this good-for-nothing law. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I loosened the magic rope a bit. Now you should be able to speak.¡± ¡°¡­You have a really cool basement!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The chief, who introduced himself as a dark mage, carried me on his back to his house in the name of treating a ¡®traveler who was unconscious in an inn¡¯. Maybe the owner of the inn was in cahoots with him, letting such a bad lie slide. I¡¯ll think about that if I come out alive¡­ ¡°Chief. Am I going to die in pain like the others here?¡± There were a lot of visitors already in the basement. ¡°^%$#,^%$#, ow¡­¡± ¡°Kirk! ^%$#^%$#, kirk¡­¡± ¡°^%$#, ahh¡­!¡± Bloody bruises, burns, and whip marks covered their bodies, which were hanging from the ceiling like meat in a butcher shop. And without exception, all of them had had both ears cut off. ¡°¡­You¡¯re stronger than you look. Usually they¡¯re busy crying and begging for me to save their lives.¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± [Outsider] Maybe I would have acted ¡®normally¡¯ if I didn¡¯t have this blessing. And my state? I felt like I was watching a horror movie I¡¯d already watched about three times and was tired of, even though this was about me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t force my hobbies on travelers who aren¡¯t fairies.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s nice to hear.¡± It looked like he immediately killed the humans he kidnapped, and tortured fairies for a very long time before killing them. The chief spoke graciously. ¡°I¡¯ll end you without pain, since you killed a royal family member.¡± ¡°Wow! Thank you so much, I hate being in pain.¡± ¡°Hahaha! What a jolly fellow! It¡¯s a shame you can¡¯t stay around longer.¡± ¡°I feel the same way.¡± It seemed like the chief really took a liking to me, even though he was still going to kill me anyway. What do I do now? [A certain god packs their bags.] [A certain god sends their thoughts and prayers for the outsider.] ¡°¡­Rude.¡± Even though I got thrown out like an old shoe by some ill-mannered god, this wasn¡¯t the worst case scenario. Since my mouth was still as lively as ever! ¡°Chief.¡± ¡°What is it? Give it up if you¡¯re going to beg for your life.¡± ¡°I would never. This is about something else.¡± I put on the grin of a virtuous earthling and opened the conversation window. ____ ____ Chapter 9 Is this Hero for Real? Chapter 9 ¡°Tell me, then. It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t listen to a dying man¡¯s last words¡­ hold on. The bugs are a bit loud.¡± ¡°Kyak?! ^%$#, ^%$# ^%$#¡­¡± ¡°Kirk! ^%$# ^%$#¡­ kirk?!¡± ¡°^%$# ^%$# ^%$#, hak!¡± The chief mercilessly whipped the fairies. Crack! Crack! Crack¡­! His innocent face resembled that of a mischievous child enjoying plucking the legs and wings off an insect. No matter how you looked at it, it wasn¡¯t normal. ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Finally, they¡¯re quiet. You may speak now.¡± He sounded like he was proud after a workout as he put down the weapon covered with the flesh and blood of the fairies. Was he showing this to me on purpose? I¡¯m no psychologist or therapist, but he may have wanted a third party to acknowledge an act that he firmly believed was ¡°justice.¡± If so, I knew what to say next. ¡°It must have been hard, stoically walking a path no one understands.¡± ¡°¡­Are you empathizing with me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m an outsider.¡± ¡°An outsider¡­ a lone wolf dashing through the wild, did you say? I see. Was I also an outsider¡­?¡± [A certain god confirms that¡¯s not it.] I didn¡¯t think so either! But did my plan of building rapport work? The chief, feeling a sense of kinship with me, moved me to the side, away from the magic circle drawn in blood. Oh! I might have a chance of surviving! The Chief immediately proved what I was hoping for wrong. ¡°I really like you! But I am an outsider. I can¡¯t stop being lonely.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± What kind of logic is that¡­? At first he was going to kill me for a great cause, now it¡¯s to stay an outsider. [A certain god is looking for his missing belly button.] *TN: ¡°laughing one¡¯s belly button off¡± is a Korean idiom for laughing very hard. ¡°This isn¡¯t a laughing matter¡­¡± ¡°Today¡¯s a merry day! I finally found a sympathizer who understands my sublime intentions! My dear comrade, Kang Hansoo! Watch over me from the other side!¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Everything turned into a mess as soon as the chief declared he was an outsider as well. I don¡¯t know anymore. ¡°Hm.. I¡¯ll go with this fellow who¡¯s been unsatisfactory lately.¡± A scrawny male fairy was chosen. ¡°^%$# ^%$#, ^%$#¡­!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that. Your female has to live to give me more pleasure.¡± ¡°^%$#! ^%$# ^%$#! ^%$# ^%$#^%$#?!¡± ¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s right! Swear at me more! It¡¯s no different than praise to me!¡± ¡°^%$#^%$# ^%$#! ^%$#^%$#~!¡± The fairies stared at the chosen fairy with envy. Death. The desire of all the fairies trapped in this hell filled with the smell of blood. The ruler of this hell announced, ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡± The chief laid the fairy down on the magic circle I was just on and started to piously recite his spell. It was a prayer. ¡°Mother of life! Master of fate! Grant me the rest of this fairy¡¯s days!¡± Whirrr- The magic circle drawn in dark red blood started to glow faintly. ¡°Interesting.¡± If prayer alone could cause such a phenomenon, countless religious people on Earth would have entered the world as mages. Then did those geometric patterns on the magic circle have some special meaning? While I was caught up in a thought not fit for this urgent crisis, the chief demanded of the fairy, ¡°Declare that you will give your lifespan to me.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°If you do, I promise I will send your female to your side immediately. You¡¯ve seen what happens if you refuse my mercy, right?¡± ¡°¡­^%$# ^%$#¡± ¡°The contract has been concluded.¡± Poof! Lights exploded from the magic circle. What was left was the corpse of a fairy, dried out like a mummy. The end of someone who had their lifespan stolen. What about the chief who threatened the male fairy to steal his lifespan? Would he be that much younger? ¡°¡­A failure?¡± He hadn¡¯t changed one bit. He was still a human male in his thirties. He replied as he dragged the fairy out of the magic circle. ¡°Dear comrade Kang Hansoo. My black magic was a success.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re not any younger? ¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s because I¡¯m not human.¡± ¡°Aha!¡± I knew he wasn¡¯t human from the beginning. I just didn¡¯t know what species he was. The chief pompously confessed as if he was letting me in on a tremendous secret. ¡°I didn¡¯t use the fairy as a sacrifice to extend my lifespan!¡± ¡°Then what was it for?¡± ¡°Do you know how many fairies¡¯ and travelers¡¯ lifespans I stole while living in this village? The fairy curse is just ridiculous!¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡± This wasn¡¯t adulation, I meant it. Although his methods were unforgivable, the way he didn¡¯t surrender to the curse and found a solution was deserving of a compliment. ¡°Haha! I felt like you would say that!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°When I used to be human, I became old and sick as soon as I got the fairy curse. It was a dead end for me until a wandering mage who was staying in the village offered me an experiment.¡± Rip-! The chief suddenly tore open the top he was wearing with both hands. It looked cool, but I opened my eyes wide thinking about the waste of a good shirt. ¡°A gnoll¡­?¡± On the center of his bare chest, there was the face of a hyena-like gnoll engraved on his flesh. ¡°I am a gnoll.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I wouldn¡¯t be taken aback by most things thanks to the blessing, but it was impossible to not be shocked this time. What in the world was this hybrid? The chief cried out as he exposed his chest to me. ¡°Isn¡¯t it truly amazing?! The combination of the two species with the rancor of the fairies! With the intelligence of a human and the body of a gnoll, my revenge is not far off!¡± ¡°All by yourself?¡± Wouldn¡¯t two be better than one? ¡°It¡¯s enough! My black magic is the strongest after taking in countless lifespans of fairies! I¡¯m hunting the fairies with the power of fairies! Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s the best revenge?!¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not a fairy?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not sweat the small stuff.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± The chief smiled as he put his bloody hand on my shoulder. ¡°Thank you so much, comrade Kang Hansoo.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°I mean this. Thanks to you teaching me what an outsider is, I could find out my identity. I am the true outsider. The lone gnoll dashing through the wild¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Outsider isn¡¯t a species? ¡°I¡¯ll never be able to forget you for listening to me until the end. As a thank you, I will use your life wisely.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re still killing me?¡± ¡°Of course. Since I¡¯m an outsider.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± I learned that a serious outsider is truly dangerous. *** There was a childish fight among the heroes over being Princess Ethena¡¯s pupil, but the situation was quickly settled as excellent mages appeared to greet her as teachers. A hero¡¯s master! There were as many mages in the continent of Fantasia who wanted such an honorable title as there were grains of sand. As a result, class continued with all of the heroes being given a ¡®magic blessing¡¯. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°Magic is crystallized hopes and dreams. So it will fail if you can¡¯t envision it in your head! Focus and willpower is extremely importan-¡± ¡°Princess!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°How do I apply a mathematical formula to it?¡± A certain hero who got a surge of determination thanks to the blessing asked the question. Princess Ethena, tilting her head, asked in return, ¡°A mathematical formula to magic?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you talking about the field primarily merchants study?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The hero who asked grinned in satisfaction. As he predicted, magic in the fantasy world was lagging. Its principles were far too ancient! Princess Ethena thought intently and answered with a solution of her own. ¡°Urm¡­ in magic, two is stronger than one. But the efficiency of it drops significantly.¡± ¡°I asked about the math formula needed for the revelation of magic. I wanted to apply calculus to simplify¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such thing.¡± ¡°What?¡± The hero who acted smart had a dumb expression on his face. ¡°Anyone can use magic if they have the talent. You make it more powerful through hopes and dreams, and more efficient through repetition and experience.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need a math equation?!¡± ¡°Did you use addition or subtraction while creating that flame?¡± ¡°Th-this is just simple magic¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s thanks to you having an outstanding master who is outstanding at making flames.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°There is no such thing as difficult magic in this world. Only magic you aren¡¯t used to.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡± The heroes had had high hopes that they could ¡®simply¡¯ become wizards in the fantasy world and were frustrated. It was then that one of the mages who took in the heroes as an apprentice got involved. ¡°Princess Ethena. There is something you didn¡¯t explain correctly to the heroes.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes. Math formulae can be applied to magic.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± With a single word from the mage, the heroes¡¯ hopes were rekindled. On the other hand, Princess Ethena was flustered and blushing. ¡°Please teach us.¡± ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯ll keep using your flame example to explain. The angle is very important when trying to shoot the flame at a long distance. The direction and force of the wind must also be taken into consideration.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Also, it is necessary in war to know how to control the force of your magic according to the numbers and skills of your enemies in order to avoid unnecessary waste of mental energy.¡± ¡°War¡­¡± ¡°It is likely the princess may not have known because she only learned about the theories of magic in the palace, but we have been applying mathematics to make magic more efficient. That is what this clever hero was asking. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± Although he was completely wrong, the hero didn¡¯t have the guts to embarrass his master like that. [A certain god of wind considers math disgraceful.] [A certain god changes the direction of the wind.] [A certain immature god of dice snickers as they grab their missing belly button.] [A certain water god is rooting for someone who is downspirited.] [A certain god¡­] ¡°Princess Ethena. Will you allow this old man to assist your lesson? Practical magic in the battlefield will be useful to study for you as well.¡± ¡°Yes, please..¡± Princess Ethena, realizing her mistake, stepped back with a gloomy expression. On the other side, the masters of the heroes had wide grins on their faces. ¡°Practical magic is¡­¡± ¡°Superior magic is¡­¡± ¡°In practice, ¡­¡± The heroes improved with immense speed with the great masters¡¯ guidance! [A certain god of law contentedly watches over the future scholars.] [A certain impatient demon god peeks at some underwear.] [A certain god of law gets angry and goes after them.] Crack! Bang! Zap¡­! It looks like the entire continent of Fantasia will be full of thunder, lightning, and storms today. *** Finally, the moment of fate! Whir- I was on top of the bloody magic circle that was no different than the gallows. The chief, having recited the spells of the magic circle, repeated the same demands he had made of the male fairy, minus the threats. ¡°Declare that you will give me your lifespan.¡± ¡°It appears black magic requires the sacrifice¡¯s consent?¡± ¡°I can physically bind the body, but that doesn¡¯t mean I own it, you see. Now! Hurry up and declare¡­¡± ¡°Before that, I have a request.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ what is it?¡± The chief looked irritated, but thanks to the favorability I built up with him he didn¡¯t go mad with rage. ¡°Before I die with honor, I want to see Misa one more time.¡± ¡°Misa? Do you mean the mercenary who carries around a giant crossbow? ¡°Yes. You know who I mean.¡± ¡°How come you¡¯re looking for that girl?¡± ¡°She¡¯s my lover.¡± ¡°Nonsense! I am the chief. I know everything that happens here. Did you think I wouldn¡¯t know that Misa¡¯s lover is Cole? Don¡¯t use my goodwill to play foolish games.¡± I was a little impressed. I thought he was out of his mind, but he really was doing his job as the chief well! But that made things easier. ¡°Cole is her ex-boyfriend. It changed recently.¡± ¡°¡­Is it you now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Your proof?¡± ¡°Smell me. Since you are a gnoll with an advanced sense of smell, you will know right away.¡± The chief sniffed with the face of the gnoll on his chest. ¡°¡­There¡¯s no doubt about it. This is what I remember Misa¡¯s body odor was. There¡¯s no way your entire body would smell like her if she wasn¡¯t your lover.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Of course there¡¯s no way, I¡¯m wearing her clothes. Embarrassed, the chief cleared his throat. ¡°Ahem! I¡¯m sincerely sorry for doubting you.¡± ¡°Then can I see Misa¡­¡± ¡°Sorry about that, too. If Misa goes missing, Gary and Cole will grow suspicious. Things would get too complicated.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± The chief would kill Misa just for meeting me. Amazing, really. ¡°Wish for something else instead. I¡¯ll try to grant almost anything.¡± A wish! I had been waiting for him to say this. Mentioning Misa, who should be the turd of a gnoll by now, and appealing emotionally was all for this moment. I wish for¡­ ¡°If I survive this, please let me go free until I meet Misa.¡± ¡°A life that¡¯s lost its lifespan doesn¡¯t survive.¡± ¡°Still. It¡¯s because I can¡¯t think of anything else.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ I promise.¡± ¡°Then I swear.¡± ¡°The contract has been concluded!¡± Beam-! An even brighter light than when the male fairy was sacrificed shot out of the magic circle. And immediately after, ¡°Aaagh?!¡± Pain that went well past my expectations surged through me. Bastard chief! You said it wouldn¡¯t hurt! It hurt so much, I wanted to die. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°Farewell. I¡¯ll tell Misa you¡¯ve gone somewhere far away.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s going to be difficult. Misa went somewhere far away first, you see.¡± ¡°What the- kirk?!¡± Pow-! With full force, my fist struck the defenseless chief¡¯s face. Chapter 10 Is this Hero for Real? Chapter 10 The magic binds that had been tying me up loosened. It was circumstantial evidence that my plan to use the snippets of fantasy world information I had picked up from the chief had worked. In truth, it was a gamble. But it was also the truth that I didn¡¯t really have another choice. ¡°Bastard! You tricked me¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I should be saying!¡± The pain I felt was powerful enough to turn lifelong friends into sworn enemies. I had almost gone insane from trusting the chief when he told me it would be painless and had let my guard down. [A certain god says it is the outsider¡¯s fault for getting fooled.] ¡®Thanks a lot for the candor!¡¯ ¡°Y-you bastard¡­!¡± The chief stepped back as soon as he got hit in the face and was trembling. My fist hadn¡¯t dealt enough damage. Was it because the chief¡¯s level was too high? Was it because he wasn¡¯t human? Whatever the reason was, I decided to focus on escaping as long as I couldn¡¯t take down the chief. ¡°That magic doesn¡¯t work anymore!¡± Since the promise we had made with black magic to trade lifespans had ended. ¡°Ha! How dare a mere rookie that barely survived¡ª!¡± ¡°Chief. Don¡¯t forget your promise.¡± ¡°Kirk!¡± I retrieved the blue dagger that was displayed next to various other weapons since I wasn¡¯t a match for the chief with my bare hands. Next¡­ ¡°That one.¡± I looked around and found the most petite fairy. Cut- I cut the ties of a female fairy with long, straight, emerald-colored hair. ¡°$^*&[email protected]&#$¡­?¡± ¡°Witness acquired.¡± I needed a fairy that was trapped in the basement to be a witness in order to explain myself to the villagers because I didn¡¯t know the language. Wobble~ flop. However, the fairy, who had been abused for a long time, couldn¡¯t walk by herself. ¡°$!$#%, %)(@#$ @*$&¡­¡± ¡°Guess there¡¯s no other choice.¡± I expected that much trouble anyways. It was why I chose the lightest-looking fairy in the first place. Plop! I carried the female fairy on my left shoulder like a bag and ran for the exit of the basement. ¡°No¡­!¡± The chief wasn¡¯t someone who would just let that slide. It would be over for him if I revealed everything about the basement to the villagers. ¡°Haha! Hey Chief! You didn¡¯t forget about the promise, did you?¡± The contract was absolute The Chief could only sit back and watch until I saw ¡®Misa¡¯. Of course, there was no way I could see her when she was just a gnoll turd somewhere. ¡°Promise? Hmph! All I have to do is surrender the lifespan I got from you and breach it!¡± ¡°Oh?! That¡¯s how it works?!¡± It turned out there was quite a loophole in the contract that I thought was absolute. Was he bluffing? I didn¡¯t think so. Snap. I was once again caught by the chief¡¯s magic as I was reaching the basement exit, and I couldn¡¯t move an inch. ¡°Hahaha! Comrade Kang Hansoo. I¡¯m very disappointed in you, so give up thinking about dying peacefully.¡± ¡°¡­I think it¡¯s a little too early to give up.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still speaking nonsense¡­ cough! W-what is this?!¡± Plop! The chief threw up blood and kneeled powerlessly. I could assume why. It was because as soon as he repressed my freedom, something in his body flowed out at a rapid rate. ¡°Chief. What¡¯s this feeling?¡± It was as mystical as an aurora from the polar regions. ¡°N-no! My powers¡­!¡± ¡°Was it your power?¡± I had opened my eyes to a new sensory organ that wasn¡¯t there before after going through a terrible black magic spell. I simply knew¡­ It was unexplainable. What a fantasy-esque unfolding. ¡°I-I can¡¯t believe this! Just what are you?!¡± ¡°Human.¡± ¡°Impossible! A human can¡¯t be normal after having so much power taken away! Are you the Demon King or something?!¡± ¡°I am¡­¡± [A certain god scolds you to not set the mood.] ¡®What a rude god!¡¯ I came to a decision. ¡°I am an apostle of an outsider!¡± [A certain god cringes in embarrassment.] ¡®I¡¯m happy you¡¯re happy!¡¯ *** Prince Alsus led the heroes aspiring to become shining knights to the banquet hall. Tada! Twinkle twinkle! There were exquisite refreshments on every table. ¡°Wh-what is this¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the snacks and tea?¡± ¡°A break as soon as we start?¡± The heroes, who had thought they¡¯d be hitting a scarecrow with a wooden practice sword in a dirty training field, were taken aback. But that only lasted a moment. ¡°Over here.¡± ¡°Please have a seat here.¡± ¡°Over there for this hero.¡± The knights who accompanied them quickly settled down the fuss as they guided the heroes to their seats. Prince Alsus raised his glass at the head of the table, shouting, ¡°Cheers to the heroes who chose the path of a knight!¡± ¡°Cheers!¡± ¡°Cheers!¡± The knights, who sat on the outskirts of the banquet hall, cheered vigorously. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Prince Alsus continued with an explanation to the heroes, who couldn¡¯t speak a word due to being overpowered by the heat of the moment. ¡°I was shocked when I unintentionally overheard your conversations. The unruly training you all are imagining is not real swordsmanship, you see.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The heroes could only look at each other in confusion. Seeing that, Prince Alsus stood up from his seat with a smile. ¡°I will show you a simple demonstration to help you all understand. Commander of the knights?¡± ¡°Yessir!¡± ¡°Spar with me.¡± ¡°It would be my honor!¡± A young man who resembled a black bear stalked up to the podium. ¡°First, I¡¯ll show everyone the swordsmanship you were imagining. Commander, seal your swordsmanship.¡± ¡°Yessir.¡± The prince and commander of the knights clashed swords like theater actors.¡± Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! They blocked, dropped, dodged, cut-off¡­ The battle between the two swordsmen continued frantically without a single moment for breath. The heroes all thought one thing: ¡®That¡¯s clearly swordsmanship¡­?¡¯ Ping- The victor of the heated match was the Commander of the knights, who was overwhelmingly bigger. ¡°It was a stellar sword dance, Commander.¡± ¡°I¡¯m flattered.¡± Prince Alsus, who had dropped his sword from his hand being cut, complimented the Commander. By himself¡­ The prince, who quickly healed his hand with the help of a waiting priest, grabbed the sword again. ¡°Heroes. Watch closely. This is the swordsmanship you are going to learn. Commander. This time with your full strength, please.¡± ¡°It would be my honor!¡± The Commander, who had easily overpowered the Prince through size alone, dashed towards him. But was it any different than before? Woosh! Hwip! Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks White whirlwinds wrapped around the two peoples¡¯ swords. The blades collided head-on¡ª Clank- ¡ªand broke. There was no second collision. The Commander, who had lost his weapon, spoke while holding only the remaining handle of his sword. ¡°I lost.¡± ¡°Commander, your swordsmanship improved quite a bit.¡± ¡°Hahaha! And yet I can¡¯t come close to you, your highness.¡± ¡°Please refrain from the flattery, it makes me blush.¡± ¡°It is not flattery but the truth. Prince Alsus Swordmastar is the pride of the Knight Kingdom!¡± ¡°Oh, you¡­¡± The second match was underwhelming. The heroes, expecting a grandiose battle, looked dumbfounded. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°What just happened?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± * * * * * * The heroes were slow at processing what had happened because it had been over in an instant. Prince Alsus explained, ¡°The power to cut out every means of the opponent in one blow! This is swordsmanship. You couldn¡¯t even beat the ironclad cavalry that your country boasts, let alone the Demon King, with seemingly good knife-wielding.¡± ¡°Aha!¡± ¡°I-I see!¡± The cultured heroes from Earth were quick to understand. In fantasy novels and cartoons, they had always heard stories with prolonged fights that ended with one fatal blow. But reality was different. ¡ªEfficiency over idealism. Prince Alsus raised his teacup once more and spoke. ¡°It seems like you have all understood. Now I will teach you swordsmanship. Please drink, each and every one of you.¡± ¡°Blech?!¡± ¡°W-what is this?!¡± ¡°Tat tat tat!¡± The heroes who drank the tea after the prince were all freaked out. ¡®What in the world is this flavor?!¡¯ It was like drinking fecal water. ¡°The Warrior¡¯s Blessing is crucial to acquire swordsmanship. This potion is the fastest, safest way to expedite acquiring the blessing.¡± [Warrior] > you are more than deserving of power after overcoming countless life or death crises. > Defeat all the enemies that cross your path with the power of love and justice! ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Blech¡­!¡± The heroes understood. There was no doubt that the taste that was killing their souls, not to mention their tongues, was the ¡®brink of death¡¯. They would¡¯ve rather drunk poison. ¡°I understand how all of you feel, but do not drool or spit it out. You must get used to this taste to learn swordsmanship in the future.¡± ¡°Dear lord¡­¡± ¡°Mother¡­¡± [A certain innocent goddess is curious how it tastes.] [A certain water god stops their curious friend.] [A certain god of death watches over in pity.] Right when everyone became one as they groaned in agony, a boy with a washed-out face cried out, ¡°Another cup¡­!¡± Empty! His eyes were half drooping as his cup was completely empty. His handsome face was contorted and it looked like he had aged at least 10 years. ¡®Is he okay?¡¯ As everyone looked at him in concern, Prince Alsus spoke in a slightly admiring tone. ¡°It will make it a little better if you partake of the sweets in front of you.¡± ¡°Oh! Okay!¡± ¡°Commander, pour him another glass with respect.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± The swordsmanship training from hell had officially started. *** ¡°Chief, if you don¡¯t hold onto me, I¡¯m just going to escape, okay?¡± Case closed. There was no need to call for the villagers and pledge the miserable female fairy as a witness. ¡°Cough! Kirk¡­¡± It was because the chief, on the ground as he threw up blood, was in such a bad condition. ¡®Wouldn¡¯t it be better to cut his level 13 throat and get the exp instead of escaping?¡¯ ¡­Not exactly. I had those bold thoughts for an instant, but I let go of my greed and chose to safely escape the basement. ¡°I¡¯ll catch you later then.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll never forgive you¡­!¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± The nearly dying chief shot up and sprinted towards me at an unbelievable speed. ¡°Meat! I¡¯ll kill you, you ruined my dreams! I¡¯m turning you into diced meat, no matter what! Meat! Meat¡­!¡± The Chief wasn¡¯t speaking from his human head. Spark! The gnoll¡¯s head attached to his chest was crying out violently, glaring at me with his now-red eyes. ¡°Holy shit¡­!¡± I abandoned the fairy on my shoulder and rolled onto the floor. Slash- His hands swept through my chest, tearing Massa¡¯s leather suit, leaving me with a big scar on my abdomen. ¡®What¡¯s all this now?¡¯ There was a red jelly clustered on both of the chief¡¯s hands like boxing gloves. He looked down at me when I was on the ground and spoke with a smug tone. ¡°Are you surprised? Of course you are! This is swordsmanship that only a gnoll can do! I was saving it to hunt the fairies, but thanks to you¡ª!¡± ¡°My bad.¡± ¡°H-how?! I could¡¯ve sworn it was a critical hit¡­!¡± The chief was astonished when I got up as if nothing happened. The wound was already gone. [Outsider] ¡°For sure. It was really dangerous.¡± I would have died in an instant if it wasn¡¯t for the blessing. Although the chief had exerted an astounding amount of power by using what was left of his life, it was apparent that he hadn¡¯t thought of what to do next. ¡°Kirk! You won¡¯t get away with this!¡± Having used up all of his power from his last attack, he chose to run away. However¡­ ¡°$*(@#, $&*([email protected]# $&*(@&¡­!¡± He failed to do so when the female fairy I hadn¡¯t paid attention to grabbed his ankles. ¡°Y-you pesty bitch¡­!?¡± Slash-! I used that moment to cut straight through the chief¡¯s neck with the blue dagger. Stab-! I pierced the forehead of the gnoll, whose eyes were still red, and dragged the dagger down perpendicularly. ¡°Good riddance.¡± ¡°Outrageous¡­ Mage¡­ your power¡­ magic¡­ my daughter¡­ your father will¡­the enemies¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I love y¡­¡± The decapitated chief slowly closed his eyes. [A certain god says it¡¯s quite a shame.] ¡°I know, right?¡± It looked like it was quite a shame that I survived when they even sent their prayers for me. Now, then¡­ ¡°How do I clean this up?¡± ¡°&%#[email protected], %&^(*$ $&@#¡± ¡°$*&^#$. $*(#)&@$ %*(&$¡­¡± ¡°$)([email protected]#? $)(*# $*&#$¡± The fairies took turns speaking after watching the fight without a blink. ¡®Thank you, thank you very much, who are you, let me go already, give me back my money¡­¡¯ I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s what they were saying. I stoically took off their binds and called the villagers. Resident A, horrified by what they saw in the basement, called resident B, who was also horrified and called resident C, who also called resident D¡­ Finally, the neighborhood watchers all crowded in to take care of the situation. And it seemed like everything was going back to normal. Until¡­ ¡°$&*(@!!¡± ¡°#*^[email protected]%!¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°I¡¯ll kill you, bastard fairies¡­!¡± Dash! Once again, I jumped off a cliff after escaping the village. ____ ____ Chapter 11 Is this Hero for Real? Chapter 11 [Act 4] Karma Essopresso. The fairy lady with the name meaning ¡®lovely spring showers¡¯ in the ancient language of fairies was going through primitive treatment. ¡°Ow.¡± ¡°I¡¯m almost done putting on the ointment. Please bear with me a little longer.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The ointment the doctor was putting on was only relieving the pain of her current wounds. The scars that covered her body couldn¡¯t be erased with magic, nor could the dignity that had been cut off with her ears be healed¡­ ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Do I look okay?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Only the miracle of the Saintess that could revive the dead could return her body back to normal. But that was just false hope. There was no chance a noble Saintess, with only two existing in the world, would grant a miracle to a mere fairy who wasn¡¯t even part of the Royal Family. ¡°Rest. We will capture that human at all costs, so do not worry.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Essopresso did not thank the doctor silently leaving the room. Although the culprit who had made her body into ruins was the chief of the village, the villagers who only sat back and watched were no different. They might even be considered accomplices. Maybe they had all shut their mouths and pretended they didn¡¯t know anything as things took a turn¡­ Knock knock. ¡°¡­Who is it?¡± Essopresso flinched, trembling at the knocking that broke her train of thought. It was because she could still see the chief walking through the door of the basement whenever she closed her eyes. ¡°Essopresso, it¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Come in.¡± Essopresso let her companion in to visit. They didn¡¯t meet in their hometowns. It was only the sense of companionship that resulted from sharing pain together inside that wretched basement. There were many other fairies besides that one that she could call a companion; there used to be even more, but they all left her side one by one as they were cajoled like toys by the chief. ¡°It seems the village mercenaries lost him.¡± ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s the one who saved us¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s the humans¡¯ problem. There¡¯s no need for us to care.¡± ¡°But he saved us from the chief¡¯s evil hands¡­¡± Essopresso shot back at her companion¡¯s timid argument. ¡°Then what about the Princess¡¯s dagger that human was holding?¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­¡± She cried out with confidence to her wavering companion. ¡°Do you want to be fooled again?! Humans are beasts who shouldn¡¯t be trusted¡­!¡± ¡°But Essopresso, he saved us¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m keeping my mouth shut, can¡¯t you see? Did we tell them to kill him? It¡¯s the beasts fighting amongst each other.¡± ¡°You¡¯re calling them beasts¡­¡± Although she had lost her beloved husband in front of her eyes, she didn¡¯t detest all humans like Essopresso. But like Essopresso, every single fairy turned their backs to their hero. For one reason¡­ ¡°Essopresso, was that dagger really the Princess¡¯s?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m certain of it. I may look like this now, but in the past, I was chosen from my looks alone to work in the Palace. Thanks to that, I had a lot of chances to see the Princess, so just trust me.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± ¡°Are you still in doubt? Then think about the conversation the chief had with him.¡± ¡°He said he murdered the Princess and stole the dagger¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Essopresso was finally satisfied after seeing her companion agree. Just then¡ª Bang! ¡ªthe door burst open as a scrawny elf walked into the room. There was no doubt Essopresso was not in good shape, but it was incomparable to the fairy that just entered. ¡°Essopresso! Just what are you doing!¡± ¡°Councilwoman Celebless, how are you feeling?¡± ¡°Just answer my questio-kirk..!¡± The fairy, having moved too much, barely held on to the wall just before she collapsed. Celebless¡­ A fairy from the Royal Family with her name meaning ¡®Sacred Sun¡¯ in the ancient fairy language. She was chief Crimson¡¯s favorite toy, as she was immortal, despite being a collateral line of the Royal Family. Because of that, she was also confined there the longest. ¡°Calm down, Councilwoman.¡± ¡°Calm down?! How dare you speak of calming down in this situatio-kirk¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re safe now. It will be all over once our motherland knows of this.¡± The humans in this town were also suspicious. The first thing Essopresso planned to do when she returned to her motherland was report the village. ¡ªFor the true end of things. ¡°Just what are you saying is over?! Nothing is over! Nothing¡­!¡± ¡°Calm yourself.¡± ¡°¡­He let me free even though he could¡¯ve escaped by himself.¡± ¡°He was going for your immortal lifespan. Subdue your anger and look at this situation with a cool mind.¡± ¡°Ha¡­!¡± Celebless leaned on the cold wall and recalled the incident with closed eyes. Kang Hansoo, at his wit¡¯s end from chief Crimson¡¯s black magic, had used ¡®breach of contract¡¯. Black magic contracts¡­ A violation of one resulted in one losing as much as they gained. It may seem like nothing, but the greater the cost, the greater the risk. Like how chief Crimson lost ¡®immortal lifespan¡¯ from breaching his contract. ¡°Councilwoman?¡± ¡°Are you aware our savior used the black magic contract?¡± ¡°Yes. They say that a mercenary named Misa he had wagered for the contract is missing and hasn¡¯t come back. Isn¡¯t that suspicious?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Celebless didn¡¯t know what to say. Chief Crimson ruined himself when he was lured to breach the contract because he underestimated Kang Hansoo¡¯s lifespan. Is what she wanted to say¡­ ¡°Councilwoman Celebless. Have you calmed down?¡± ¡°¡­Poor Essopresso.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I still remember when you were a naive, beautiful maid running around the Palace¡­ It saddens me to think they¡¯re just remnants of the past now. ¡°You.. don¡¯t understand how I feel. The despair and humiliation I felt¡­!¡± ¡°Of course I don¡¯t. How could I when I am not you?¡± Celebless slowly reopened her eyes and sighed deeply. ¡°Who could¡¯ve known things would turn out like this while I was asleep for a bit¡­¡± ¡°Go back to sleep, Councilwoman. It will all be over when you wake up.¡± ¡°Sure. Sure it will. If only I could rest in peace. I¡¯m going to go find him.¡± ¡°C-councilwoman¡­?!¡± To the fairies, ¡®Council Women¡¯ were adults that demanded respect. Their intelligence, no different from living history books, let them lead their people with ease. Of course, some councilwomen were ¡®stuck-up old elders¡¯, but Celebless was not one of them. And if she died astray somewhere while wandering with her weakened body? No one but the stuck-up elders would welcome the news. ¡°Don¡¯t refer to me as a Councilwoman if we meet again. A short-tempered elder doesn¡¯t deserve such merits.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Celebless turned her backs to them and limped out of the room. [A certain god slowly leaves the scene.] * * * * * * [A certain god asks the outsider if he¡¯s alive.] ¡°Can¡¯t you tell?¡± There weren¡¯t any gnolls to take the fall that time, but instead, there was a dense forest under the cliff. One could call it a stroke of good luck. Good thing I had memorized the overall geography while looking for a human village. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°*$&^@*&( #&*@? ¡°#*@#& ##@? #(@.¡± ¡°#(@&. @*(#^.¡± They were mercenaries that persistently tracked me down since the village inn. I had no idea what they said, but they quickly retreated after they failed to find me hiding in the dense forest. ¡°¡­That was dangerous.¡± Dealing with humans was much more different than gnolls with simple strategies. If a guard friend I bought with money hadn¡¯t opened the village entrance for me, I would have been caught immediately. [A certain god advises you to watch your ass.] ¡°¡­my ass? Oh!¡± I thought I¡¯d landed safely, but stuck on my butt was a thick, sturdy stick. Did I almost die? One wrong move and I would have met a humiliating end. [A certain god looks at you pathetically.] ¡°Stop looking at me! This goes down to the grave¡­¡± ¡°Meat! It¡¯s meat!¡± ¡°Meat on tree! Meat!¡± ¡°Meat! Come down!¡± The gnolls welcomed me with an endearing greeting as soon as I left the village. Ironic how they were more trustworthy than the humans and fairies who attacked me out of the blue. ¡°¡­Oh! Right.¡± ¡®Come to think of it, there was something I wanted to ask these guys.¡¯ Although I only had my tattered leather suit and blue dagger with me, I could handle a couple of gnolls. I¡¯ve become quite arrogant, haven¡¯t I? I¡¯m still a level one rookie in a fantasy world. ¡°Meat! Me-blech?!¡± I jumped off the tree without warning and kneed the top of a gnoll¡¯s head. It wasn¡¯t over just yet. ¡°M-kek?!¡± After stepping on the fallen gnoll to regain my footing, I flung my left elbow at the fellow next to it¡­ ¡°Human me-aagh?!¡± And at the same time with my right hand holding the blue dagger, I lightly cut the throat of another fellow. Drop! Drop! Drop! Cased closed without another chance for them to say ¡°Meat!¡±. Three were easy enough. [A certain god blearily looks at the outsider.] ¡°I know, right? I feel a lot more agile than before.¡± Even though my belly rolls since studying hard in middle school were still the same. Could it be that I leveled up while I wasn¡¯t looking? [name] Kang Hansoo [level] 1 [blessing] outsider F [curse] hero E [dividend] 3.43 To my dismay, nothing had changed. Well, except for one thing. ¡°Outsider God, what¡¯s ¡®dividend¡¯ on my status window? The number keeps getting higher, little by little.¡± [A certain god makes fun of you for not knowing what a dividend is.] ¡°I mean, I know what it means.¡± The ¡®dividend¡¯ I knew of? They were expected earnings you could get from betting money on stocks, matches, and horse racing. [A certain god specially advises you that the higher it is, the better.] ¡°Thanks, I¡¯m tearing up from gratitude.¡± It wasn¡¯t sarcasm, I meant it. That was the first time the outsider god had given me any information about this fantasy. Anyways¡­ ¡°M-meat?¡± A gnoll looked around in bewilderment that it was still alive. Of course it would. Those guys had no concept of what being captured alive was like. Not me, though. ¡°There¡¯s something I want to ask you.¡± ¡°Talking meat?!¡± ¡°I really want you to answer it. You see, I¡¯m really pissed off because of the fairies.¡± ¡°Fairy meat?¡± ¡°Yeah. Fairy meat.¡± My current state was much too weak. I didn¡¯t think I could get my revenge even if I gathered exp to level 2. So I thought about a probable solution. ¡°Will you give¡­ Fairy meat?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Wow! Talking meat! Question! Question! Ask! Fairy meat! Hurry!¡± The gnoll started to get excited at the promise of fairy meat. ¡°Calm down.¡± I slammed down on its head with full force to help it calm down. Bam! ¡°I-it hurts! Bad meat!¡± I ignored the whining gnoll holding its head and started my questioning. ¡°How do you use the gnolls¡¯ swordsmanship that makes your hands red?¡± The solution I thought of¡­ I wanted to learn how to use the powerful attack the chief had used at his final moment. It¡¯s the ¡®swordsmanship of the gnolls¡¯ that only gnolls could use, so I was fine with just imitating it. At least I¡¯d be stronger. ¡°Red meat?¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fresh! I like it!¡± It seemed like it didn¡¯t know. I was disappointed at the gnoll¡¯s random answer, but I didn¡¯t think the chief would have lied to me at that moment. Swordsmanship of the gnolls¡­ I was lacking too much information. I mentioned its other traits as I recalled the incident. ¡°The thing where your eyes turn red.¡± ¡°I know! I know!¡± I should have used that from the start! The word ¡®swordsmanship¡¯ the chief used could have been from the point of view of humans. ¡°What do you call it?¡± ¡°Power of Meat!¡± ¡°I¡­ I see.¡± What an unexpected name. I was ashamed of myself of going back to my edgy phase to imagine a cool name. ¡°No fairy meat if you¡¯re lying.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true! Fairy meat! Now!¡± Gnolls were bad at lying, so it had to be true. If the ¡®Swordsmanship of the Gnolls¡¯ the Chief used at his dying moment was real, then the rest was simple. ¡°How do you use the power of meat?¡± ¡°A lot of meat!¡± ¡°A lot?¡± ¡°You just have to be full!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡®Humans¡¯ eyes don¡¯t turn red because they¡¯re full.¡¯ Was that why it was called Swordsmanship of the Gnolls? But the chief used the ¡®Power of Meat¡¯ even when he hadn¡¯t eaten anything. He did burn out from using all of his power immediately after, though. ¡°Meat! Fairy! Now!¡± ¡°¡­you seem hungry.¡± ¡°Meat! Promise! Meat! I did promise the gnoll fairy meat, but I wasn¡¯t done with my questions. So it was invalid¡­ [A certain god emphasizes that promises are sacred.] ¡°Ahem! I want to see the power of meat, what do you guys usually eat?¡± ¡°Meat!¡± ¡°Sorry, that was a stupid question.¡± Swordsmanship of the Gnolls.. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Power of Meat¡­ I still didn¡¯t have enough information. Let¡¯s look into the gnoll¡¯s ecosystem for a smooth revenge. ____ ____ Chapter 12 Is this Hero for Real? Chapter 12 [Act 4] Karma ¡°Meat! Meat!¡± ¡°You guys just like any protein, huh?¡± I made myself busy hunting with the gnoll to observe the ¡®Power of Meat¡¯. Of course, ¡°B-blech?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t crawl up on me.¡± The guy kept trying to hunt me whenever it got the chance, but it never came close to succeeding. It was far too weak. I couldn¡¯t figure out why, even after looking at its status window. [name] Fang Broken by Arrow [level] 6 [blessing] ¨C [curse] ¨C Apparently, the dude had survived a fairy¡¯s arrow because it coincidentally bounced off its fangs. And it got the name ¡®Fang Broken by Arrow¡¯ since then¡­ Its fangs really were broken. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re level 6?¡± ¡°Yes! Proof!¡± It showed off locks of brown and green hair wrapped around its wrist like a bracelet. Let¡¯s call it a gnoll¡¯s badge of honor. It was said that the gnoll who did the most work in a hunt got the head of the fairy and that they just keep the locks of hair once it rots. ¡°Fairy meat! Fairy meat!¡± ¡°Calm down.¡± ¡°Promise! Fairy meat!¡± ¡°Just answer my question. How are you so weak when you¡¯ve hunted two fairies?¡± ¡°This is unfair! Talking meat! I¡¯m strong! Weird meat!¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± The gnoll ¡®Fang Broken by Arrow¡¯ was strong enough to hunt fairies down twice. It even boasted that it could be the 13th husband of the young and beautiful patriarch. ¡­for real? The patriarch of the gnolls was living in a romance fantasy for a female audience. The bad girls in our grade would have been thrilled to be reincarnated as a gnoll! ¡°Talking meat! Weak meat! But you¡¯re strong!¡± ¡°You can see my level?¡± ¡°No! But I know! Level 1 meat! Easy meat!¡± ¡°Looks like you just know instinctively¡­¡± I could gather various info besides the gnoll¡¯s characteristics. For example¡­ ¡°Over there! Over there!¡± ¡°What¡¯s over there?¡± ¡°Fairy meat! Lots of it!¡± ¡°Oh yeah?¡± I could find the village of the fairies who raided me on my first day. Furthermore¡­ ¡°I was robbed by meat!¡± ¡°By the fairy?¡± ¡°Fairy meat! Bad!¡± I also found out the past that the chief explained weren¡¯t the words of a lunatic being delusional but the truth. Although the food chain in a damn fantasy world wasn¡¯t any of my business. ¡°Meat-blech?!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get tired of it, do you?¡± ¡®Round of applause to my patience for not killing this bastard who keeps coming at me with every chance!¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s almost finished.¡± I could clearly see the changes in its body. Rabbits, deer, insects, eggs, pheasants¡­ Every time it ate something, the gnoll¡¯s stomach gradually filled with energy. It was much easier and simpler than the chief¡¯s method of stealing others¡¯ lifespans with black magic, though it was less efficient. ¡°Meat! I like! Rabbit meat!¡± The gnoll¡¯s belly jiggled after swallowing a freshly caught live rabbit in one bite. The gnoll, swollen like a balloon, looked quite silly after binging in such a short period of time thanks to my help. ¡°Are you full now?¡± Instead of an answer, its hairs stood on end and it began to tremble. And it roared. ¡°I¡¯m full! I feel great! I hate being hungry! I like it now! Meat! I need more meat! More meat¡­!¡± Flash! The gnoll¡¯s eyes started to shine red like a traffic light. The change didn¡¯t stop there. Bulk, bulk! Its fat, balloon-shaped body instantly shrunk and turned into bulky muscle. ¡°Cool.¡± ¡°Talking meat! My meat!¡± Fwt! The gnoll¡¯s attacks turned faster as it changed. I wasn¡¯t surprised because it¡¯s what it always did when it saw the chance. However¡­ ¡°Thanks so much.¡± I learned why gnolls called it the ¡®Power of Meat¡¯ thanks to it. ¡°M-meat?!¡± Without dodging, I closed the distance between us by one step and stabbed its abdomen with my right hand raised like a blade. Psh! The gnoll¡¯s thick skin ripped and its waist split in two. Splat, drip¡­ Squashed intestines and broken spinal pieces flew all over the place, and a large amount of blood from the cut stained its flesh red. ¡°T-talking meat. Strong?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°How¡­?¡± ¡°It was a short but useful company. It¡¯s all thanks to you, Fang Broken by Arrow. Psh¡­ The gnoll, back to its original state as soon as it lost the bottom half of its body and power, blinked continuously. It looked like it couldn¡¯t believe what it saw. Squeezing out its last breath, it asked me, ¡°Meat also gnoll¡­?¡±¡°Nope. I¡¯m human.¡± My eyes were gleaming red like the gnoll¡¯s as I spoke. * * * * * * The majority of the heroes who couldn¡¯t empty the tea cup gave up being knights and left for magic class. However, Prince Alsus was not dispirited and continued with his lesson. ¡°Magic requires talent, but anyone can learn swordsmanship as long as they have the time and money.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The heroes, drowsy after eating so many sweets to relieve their tongues, were falling asleep. Even so, Prince Alsus¡¯s smile did not falter. ¡°O-one more cup¡­!¡± If there were people getting eliminated, there would always be someone who gets ahead. And if those who got ahead survived and didn¡¯t give up until the very end, they¡¯d become a matchless ¡®warrior¡¯, and go even further to become a ¡®knight¡¯. ¡°Haha! Hero Choi Gangmin, you don¡¯t need to drink any more for today. It loses efficiency if you drink too much at once.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Hero Choi Gangmin was disappointed after enduring tears and snot to drink the potion. He had to become stronger by the day! He wanted to get rid of the ¡®uncomfortable situation¡¯ other heroes experienced. Prince Alsus, offering a normal cup of honey tea, spoke. ¡°Consistent, long-term intake is what¡¯s important. One cup a day. If you want to take it further, up to two cups is okay.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°Two cups a day. I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°Hero Choi Gangmin, the Knight¡¯s Blessing does not come to you any faster from rushing, just as a child cannot become an adult from eating well.¡± ¡°Then how much¡­?¡± ¡°It heavily depends on the individual, but if you keep it up, you should earn it within a year.¡± ¡°A whole year¡­ oh?¡± Hero Choi Gangmin felt a strange sensation while speaking with Prince Alsus and hurriedly checked his status window. [name] Choi Gangmin [level] 1 [blessing] Hero F Grit F [curse] ¨C [dividend] 1.11 It¡¯s a blessing! Although he felt like running around and shouting with joy, he acted calm on the outside. He¡¯d seen what became of Jang Miyeon after boasting about her blessing, hadn¡¯t he? After taking a deep breath, he inspected his blessing like he was reading his lottery ticket. [Grit] >The longer the fight, the stronger you become! >effect resets once you lose your will or fail. ¡°Incredible¡­¡± Although he tried to act calm, he ended up muttering out loud without thinking as soon as he read the details of his blessing. [A certain god boasts that it is indeed incredible.] [A certain martial god scoffs.] ¡°Congratulations, hero Choi Gangmin. The Grit blessing, I see! I expect a lot from you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m flattered.¡± Choi Gangmin humbly answered as he secretly clenched his fists. ¡®That¡¯s right! This is what I wanted!¡¯ He could feel sparks inside his entire body every time a classmate looked at him in envy. ¡°Dear hero, you should grow a habit of hiding your status window from now on. It¡¯s better for you to hide your blessings.¡± ¡°How do I¡ª¡± ¡°All you have to do is think that you don¡¯t want to show this to a trusted god or family. You can¡¯t stop looking at the effects of the blessing, but you should be able to hide your status window in most situations. ¡°Ah!¡± Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof¡­! Immediately after, the heroes¡¯ status windows disappeared. They were skilled at picking out all of the useful information while having a dead look in their eyes for the rest of the class. Prince Alsus looked at them with contentment and stood up from his seat. ¡°Now we¡¯ll move on to the meditation room. It may not be easy because you don¡¯t have your blessings, but this is so you can use it in practice as soon as you do¡­¡± ¡°Prince! When do we start wielding swords? My body is itching from sitting around all day!¡± A sporty hero with the body of an athlete expressed disgust at the mention of meditation and hurriedly asked. To that, the Prince responded slightly obstinately. ¡°Hm. We don¡¯t separately teach you how to swing a sword with flare¡­ but we can arrange it so you can learn it in your free time.¡± ¡°Not like that¡­¡± The athletic hero quietly backed off with an even more disgusted face. Extracurricular classes in his precious free time? There was no way. ¡°If there are no more questions, we¡¯ll quickly move along. We¡¯ve prepared fancy tea to ease your body and soul, so feel free to look forward to that.¡±¡± ¡°Oh..¡± ¡°Sure¡­¡± ¡®This isn¡¯t the swordsmanship lesson I was thinking of¡­¡¯ ¡ªWas what every hero was thinking. [A certain sword god is visibly disappointed.] [A certain water god pats their friend on the back.] *** My pupils were gleaming red in the reflection of the dead gnoll¡¯s eyes. ¡°Interesting.¡± I couldn¡¯t distinguish the exact principles of it despite using it. The gnoll¡¯s yearning to continue feeling satiated¡­ The intense feeling swept over the body of the gnoll and created a chemical reaction(?). ¡°Feelings, huh¡­¡± I gave up logical thinking. It was already wrong to take a scientific approach when it was a fantasy that used and traded lifespans. The important thing at the moment¡­? Peww-! I could feel my energy bustling like I had put coal in a steam engine. [outsider] The shrunken energy reset thanks to the blessing right before it depleted. And it shrunk again. Infinite cycle! [A certain god is flustered at the outsider¡¯s change.] [A certain god emphasizes it¡¯s the Power of Meat.] ¡°Not everyone can use this, can they?¡± I would have dried up my life span as soon as I used the Power of Meat and died if it weren¡¯t for my covinous blessing. Fantasies happen in a fantasy world. It¡¯d be a loss to approach it seriously. ¡°Hm. pretty cool.¡± Flash! I felt my hidden edgy phase coming back every time I saw my gleaming red eyes. I thought I¡¯d grown out of the phase of being excited about that kind of stuff¡­ [A certain god scolds you for being childish.] ¡°Ahem. moving along.¡± Sprint. With the ¡®Power of Meat¡¯ activated, I dashed to the west where there was the human village. I didn¡¯t have much time. Before the fairies who backstabbed me all scattered, I had to hurry in order to take care of them. [outsider] Thankfully, I didn¡¯t tire out. No need for sleep or rest! Although I used quite a bit of time studying the gnoll¡¯s ecosystem, it didn¡¯t seem like the injured fairies had left the village. Plus, it was the middle of the night. It wasn¡¯t a good time to cross the forest when carnivorous monsters swarmed in it. Me, on the other hand? ¡°Jeez¡­¡± Flash! My shining red eyes lit up my surroundings like a flashlight. I basically found a good use for what I thought was my flashy, edgy phase decoration! The night before, I had spent the night using my phone flashlight, although it had turned into scrap metal in half a day as the screen broke and my battery died. ¡°I¡¯m lucky.¡± I had originally been intending to go at dawn while laying low at a nearby village, but there was no need to anymore. ¡°M-meat?¡± ¡°Meat? Where?¡± I came across some gnolls in my path while crossing the forest. ¡°Move.¡± Bam! Bam! Without stopping, I simply killed the two with one blow of my elbow and fist. [A certain god is very taken aback.] ¡°I know, right?¡± I¡¯d become too strong. Yet I wasn¡¯t the least bit happy. I wouldn¡¯t have even needed that power if I was on Earth in the first place. At that hour? I would be finished with my homework and on my phone comfortably in bed. Fwt- I wouldn¡¯t be wandering through a carnivorous beast-infested forest with a disturbing dagger like that. [A certain god points to the left.] ¡°Oh! Thanks.¡± I could see a faint light between the dense trees. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only It was a sign that I hadn¡¯t gotten lost in the forest and had found the village. ¡°Now then¡­¡± Let¡¯s go punish the barbarians with the power of fantasy! ____ ____ Chapter 13 Is this Hero for Real? Chapter 13 [Act 4] Karma ¡°#&[email protected]^?¡± ¡°&#, )!(@&*.¡± As much as I wanted to infiltrate through the main entrance with confidence, dealing with all of the village mercenaries by myself was realistically impossible. So my plan was to dig a doghole, but there were guards in groups of twos patrolling the wooden fence with torches. ¡°Hm.¡± Maybe it was because the village had been built in the middle of a danger zone full of cannibalistic animals, but the security was thorough. The good news was that I was familiar with the overall geography thanks to touring the village before getting kidnapped by the Chief. [A certain god urges that this is the moment.] ¡°Woah¡­¡± The god that was uncooperative and perverse was actively helping me. ¡®What¡¯s gotten into them?¡¯ I wanted to ask but that was not the time. Fwt. I went straight for the wooden fence. Destroying the fence was impractical as long as I knew the guards were on night patrol. It would be no different from telling them someone had infiltrated the village at night. ¡°Will this work?¡± I thought about building a snare to climb up the wooden fence, but my instincts were telling me my next opportunity would be much later if it wasn¡¯t ¡®now¡¯, like the outsider god had said. I jumped straight up the walls built with lined-up logs. Stab-! Nailing the blue dagger into the middle of the wooden fence and bringing my arm in, I leaped again. Land! ¡°Whew~¡± Infiltrating the village without getting caught by the guards: success! There was a watchtower looking over the entire village, but it was completely empty. Maybe the guards had all gone to the bathroom. How fortunate. [A certain god pompously tells you to be grateful.] ¡°Yeah. Big thank you.¡± ¡®The god that was suddenly cooperative is extremely suspicious, but let¡¯s just use them gratefully for now.¡¯ Next was¡­ Stab! I sneaked behind a mercenary heading towards the public back alley and pierced and twisted his throat. If I had studied correctly, then it was where the medulla was. ¡°$#¡­!¡± The medulla manages reflex centers such as the heart, blood vessels, and breathing. And if something goes wrong in the medulla? It would result in instant death, even if the person was a fictional savage with a higher level than me. ¡°Fellow mercenary, you should have made sure there was nothing at the bottom of the cliff before leaving.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Flop The mercenary that had let his guard down while thinking the village was safe died helplessly. He was one of the mercenaries who tried to kill me just from the fairies¡¯ words alone that morning. I remembered all of those mercenaries¡¯ faces. They were just lied to by the fairies, you say? There wouldn¡¯t be a single bad person in the world if you believed every single excuse like that. ¡°¡­this stings a little.¡± I killed a human, yet it didn¡¯t feel much different than when I had slaughtered a gnoll. I hated myself for that. Gary, Cole, Misa¡­ At least when I had killed those three, it was an urgent ¡°kill or be killed¡± situation. But what about right then? It wouldn¡¯t have been any different if I let my rancor go and left for a different area. We would never see each other again in that vast land, and there had to be family and friends of the mercenary somewhere who would grieve if he died. Yet I still came back for revenge. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re not the only human being.¡± Drag¡­ I spoke as I moved the mercenary¡¯s corpse into a dark alley. I, too, had beloved family, friends, and relationships that I valued, but those fictional savages had almost prevented me from ever seeing them again. How could I forgive them for that! [A certain god look at you subtly.] ¡°¡­was that cool?¡± [A certain god scolds you to finish what you started.] ¡°Don¡¯t doubt that I will.¡± The night wasn¡¯t over yet. *** The heroes met for their third day in the fantasy world. Although it was closer to a training camp than an expedition, nobody had any complaints because of the exquisite services they were getting. But that would end that day. ¡°A blessing to a mage is like a must-have item of clothing, so their skill capacity increases as they level up.¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t much to teach until you all acquire your blessings, so starting today, we will level up by hunting after meditating.¡± Gathering everyone two days after classes started, Princess Athena and Prince Alsus each said a word. ¡°Level!¡± ¡°Hunting!¡± ¡°Woah¡­¡± Although the information wasn¡¯t new, the heroes who hadn¡¯t heard of it before got excited. Was it only the boys who liked action? Not exactly. ¡°Finally¡­¡± ¡°Am I really going to get pretty?¡± ¡°Haha, hahaha!¡± The girls who learned ¡®definite information¡¯ from the maids that they would get clearer skin and a better body through leveling up were all smiles as well. How many girls in the world would hate to be pretty? There were none among the heroes, at least. ¡°It¡¯s slime!¡± ¡°My exp!¡± ¡°Nice! Now me!¡± Some heroes bravely went for the round, jelly-shaped organisms as soon as they were found. In their hands were wooden swords, and they weren¡¯t those cheap ¡®battered wooden swords¡¯ like in the role-playing games for beginners. The best quality, with enhanced cutting power from magic coating! It was ¡®light weapon¡¯ designed for the level 1 heroes with low base stamina, for metal swords would be too heavy for them. Jiggle?! Jigglee?! The prey, shocked at the tremendous vigor from the heroes holding wooden swords, jiggled. ¡°Stop!¡± ¡°Please stop!¡± The prince and princess, taken aback at the barbaric scene, quickly dissuaded the heroes. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Is it dangerous?¡± ¡°My exp¡­¡± The prince spoke to the heroes who had utter confusion written on their faces. ¡°As you all guessed, this organism¡¯s name is Slime. They¡¯re beneficial organisms that don¡¯t harm humans.¡± ¡°The slimes¡­?¡± ¡°Beneficial..?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. The entire city would be covered in sewage and trash if it weren¡¯t for these slimes. Not only that, but slimes also eat pests and corpses, so cities and towns with a lot of slimes are less likely to have epidemics.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The heroes were at a loss for words. Was it really the slime that was used as experience points in fantasy games, novels, and comics? J-jiggle¡­ Princess Athena held the slimes that were jiggling in fear as she spoke. ¡°You must never attack the slimes! I¡¯m sure there are many households who also raise them as pets! Please have caution, as hunting these slimes can label you as a savage, even if you all are legendary heroes!¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am¡­¡± ¡°We will be careful¡­¡± The heroes, reflecting upon the harsh admonition, were curious. What did they expect them to hunt if it wasn¡¯t the easy slimes? Prince Alsus, noticing this, pointed towards the forest and explained in earnest. ¡°Level 2 goblins are usually the most adequate, but there are no goblins around this area because the ancient heroes hunted them all. Therefore, our target will be the level 4 gnolls.¡± ¡°Level 4?!¡± ¡°But we¡¯re level 1!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that dangerous?¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know about gnolls¡­¡± Princess Athena, listened to the heroes¡¯ voices of concern and spoke, ¡°Do not worry! We have the Saintess who can revive you even if you die.¡± ¡°Die?¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°We¡¯re dying?!¡± Instead of calming down, the heroes were thrown into an even bigger panic at her words. Prince Alsus took a deep breath and hurriedly calmed them down. ¡°You all have the power of numbers. With a group like this, you can even take down a level 6 gnoll. The chances of dying¡­ are highly unlikely, unless you are extremely unfortunate.¡± It wasn¡¯t just luck. They would die if they were extremely unskilled, but Prince Alsus spared his words. Rustle. ¡°#@!? @$#!¡± ¡°*&# @#$!¡± Just in time, two gnolls jumped out from the forest. The gnolls seized in fear at the sight of the overwhelming number of humans. The prince cried out as he blocked the gnolls from running away. ¡°Attack! They¡¯re the gnolls that the knights who entered the forest before us chased! Do not hesitate, as you get more exp the more you accomplish! This is a competition from this point!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± ¡°I go first!¡± ¡°No, I go first!¡± Competition! The heroes, coming to the conclusion that they would be robbed of exp if they hesitated, courageously rushed at the gnolls. ¡°#(&@!¡± ¡°@&# $*&#!¡± The gnolls decided to fight back after they realized they couldn¡¯t escape thanks to someone terrifying blocking their escape route. * * * * * * Jump- A gnoll quickly dodged the wooden swords and scratched a human¡¯s face with its sharpened nails. ¡°Aargh! My¡­ my eyes~!¡± Clank. The gnoll picked up the wooden sword the screaming hero had dropped. The other gnoll seemed to be in a similar situation, as it was holding another wooden sword it had taken from a hero. ¡°$# *&@#?¡± ¡°@$# @$#?¡± The gnolls looked at each other in confusion and started to swing the wooden swords they had taken. ¡°Eek?!¡± ¡°My arm! My arm¡­?!¡± ¡°H-help!¡± The two gnolls ravaged the heroes, of which there were at least 10 times more of. They swung the wooden swords and cut the throats of the heroes who were pissing and shitting themselves running away. Magic? There weren¡¯t many heroes who could ignite a flame with ease in an urgent situation like that. Poof. ¡°¡­#*&@?¡± ¡°H-how¡­ eek?!¡± ¡°#$#@!¡± Even when they barely succeeded in doing so, the flames were so weak they couldn¡¯t even burn the gray hairs of the gnolls. ¡°¡­That¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°#$#?!¡± ¡°[email protected]$ @#@?!¡± Prince Alsus, who was watching the entire time so as to not take the heroes¡¯ accomplishments, quickly took care of the situation. Cut- In one blow, the gnolls who were making fools of the heroes were decapitated. ¡°Sob, sob¡­¡± ¡°Mom¡­ mommy¡­¡± ¡°My legs! They¡¯re-?!¡± ¡°It hurts! It hurts¡­!¡± The scene the gnolls had left behind was terrible. If they had gone any further, there would be a much bigger pile of the injured and dead. ¡°How can this be¡­¡± The unexpected situation threw Prince Alsus into a state of confusion. Just then, a savior arrived. ¡°Good work for guiding the heroes, Prince Alsus.¡± ¡°Saintess!¡± The saintess, who had been watching the hunt(?) from afar, approached without a guard. The prince hung his head. ¡°I apologize. I have nothing to say. I didn¡¯t think the legendary heroes were so¡­ I mean¡­¡± ¡°Awkward, right?¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± Prince Alsus couldn¡¯t bring himself to call them incompetent, so he agreed with how the Saintess put it. Shine! The Saintess spoke calmly as white light covered her right hand. ¡°There must be a reason our god chose them to be heroes and sent them here.¡± [A certain male god asks if there was a reason.] [A certain god sends a question mark.] [A certain innocent goddess is confused.] [A certain evil god shrugs their shoulders.] Jerk! Jerk! One by one, the heroes revived from the healing light the Saintess created. ¡°Ow¡­¡± ¡°Sob, sob¡­¡± ¡°Waah!¡± But their mental scars and trauma couldn¡¯t be helped. Looking over the heroes, the Saintess declared. ¡°Great heroes. Please fight with all your strength. I will revive you every time you die.¡± ¡°Eek?!¡± ¡°Oh no!¡± The heroes¡¯ real expedition, more tenacious than cockroaches, had begun! *** There was a time when I, too, yearned for an adventure in a fantasy world while playing games, reading books, or watching comics. But in none of them had I seen something like that. Grab! ¡°@#¡­?!¡± The mercenary I was choking was trying to tell me something. ¡°¡­¡± Crack. He fell down without a single cry when he had just been heading to the alley while scratching his buttocks. I stacked the mercenary that died an instant death from his broken neck on top of the pile of the other mercenaries who came before. ¡°¡­it¡¯s too quiet.¡± The village was as quiet as a dead mouse even, though it was understandable to be suspicious by the time that many mercenaries had died. How come I was only going for the mercenaries? That was my fault. Everything went well up to the point I infiltrated the village, but I was stuck on how I would find the fairies from there. I didn¡¯t know any techniques about sneaking out after killing just the target without getting caught. After all, I was no professionally trained killer or assassin. ¡°What do I do?¡± As I was hesitating on what to do, I found myself taking care of all the mercenaries going towards the back entrance. [A certain god looks at you extremely pathetically.] ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± I look pathetic to myself, too. I was only killing mercenaries when I really wanted revenge on the fairie¡­ hm? ¡°Why aren¡¯t there any fairies?¡± Men and women of all ages had come to the back alley, but I hadn¡¯t seen a single ¡®fairy¡¯. Was a fairy¡¯s bladder bigger than that of a human¡¯s? [A certain god laughs that you just noticed.] ¡°Rude.¡± What was the reason I wasn¡¯t coming across a single fairy? It would be a serious problem if they had already left the village¡­ While I was deep into my thoughts about that¡­ ¡°#*(&@¡± ¡°$#. $(*#@.¡± ¡°$## %$#¡± Innocent villagers that weren¡¯t mercenaries were slowly walking at night without torches. I wouldn¡¯t have cared if that was all there was, but¡­ ¡°$#@!¡± ¡°%$,$#!¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only The villagers were taking the fairies to the chief¡¯s house by force with a sack over their heads. ¡°¡­things are getting interesting.¡± I didn¡¯t know what was going on, but I figured I¡¯d ask if they would let me in. ____ ____ Chapter 14 Is this Hero for Real? Chapter 14 [Act 5] Believe What You Want to Believe Creak- Essopresso tried to scream at the sound of someone approaching in her sleep. ¡°E-eep?!¡± But she couldn¡¯t when a sturdy hand shoved a piece of cloth in her mouth. She tried to at least look at the face of the culprit, but even her vision was blocked when a sack was put over her head. ¡®How could this be?!¡¯ She thought everything would be over in the morning, but it felt like the world was crumbling around her. The culprit threatened her in an eerie tone. ¡°Move quietly. You won¡¯t see a pretty sight if you do anything stupid.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Stupefied, Essopresso followed the orders without resistance. Before long, a man¡¯s voice, who seemed to be an accomplice, was heard. ¡°Everything good there?¡± ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s that cut on your hand?¡± ¡°¡­I got bit while covering its mouth.¡± ¡°I see, let¡¯s go.¡± From what the culprits were saying, it didn¡¯t seem like she was the only fairy captured alive. Step, step, step¡­ ¡°Eek?! Oomf?!¡± Although she couldn¡¯t see anything, she instinctively realized something the moment she stepped onto the first staircase going down. ¡®This is the chief¡¯s house!¡¯ Furthermore, she was heading towards the very basement she never wanted to be in again. ¡°Stay still.¡± ¡°Eek?!¡± As she was getting dragged, Essopresso could hear the voice of the healer who treated her in the morning. ¡°¡­Crimson thought none of us knew. I guess there was no helping him from thinking that since we deliberately disregarded it after finding a new family and place to call home.¡± The person who kidnapped her received a monologue from the healer. ¡°This is our karma for leaving a friend who cultivated our new hometown to fend for himself. We have no right to feel resentment towards him.¡± Essopresso also heard the voice of the woman who had made her soup. ¡°I heard it in the restaurant this morning. These fairies detest humans. They¡¯ll try to rob us from our families and steal our homes again if we leave them alive.¡± This was followed by a report from the head guard of the village. ¡°I told the villagers to not go out outside during patrol hours due to the disorder in our village and persuaded the mercenaries to stay put as well.¡± The villagers, all having said a word, had no conversation for a while. The healer started to speak with a determined voice. ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± ¡°Prayers to Crimson.¡± ¡°For our friend.¡± Stab-! The village head guard pierced a sword into Essopresso¡¯s heart without warning. ¡°Kirk-?!¡± She died in vain, as she was already quite weak before being brought back to the basement. Stab! Stab! Stab! The rest of the fairies that were dragged into the basement with Essopresso met her fate one by one. ¡°Now then¡­¡± ¡°One more left.¡± ¡°What do we do?¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± The four people gave each other a look and turned to the tied-up female fairy. Unlike the other fairies, she didn¡¯t have a sack over her head or a bit in her mouth. It was courteous treatment comparable to that of a noble captured as a war prisoner. The fairy spoke for the first time. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you have to kill me in order to fulfill your purpose?¡± The fairy sounded composed, despite having seen her people slaughtered in front of her very eyes. ¡°The thing is¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°How difficult.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± She was the fairy who insisted on recovering the body of her savior who jumped off a cliff. Of course, she was kidnapped and captured in the basement as soon as she left and was neglected that whole time. The reason being that she was the biggest of the big shots and couldn¡¯t be killed in vain! ¡°I understand your motives. However, I am outraged that you would take the life of a savior for the sake of imposing silence.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°We apologize.¡± Despite having that fairy¡¯s life in their hands, the four people cowered. Councilwoman Celebless¡­ Normally, they wouldn¡¯t even have a chance to be face to face with her because of her highly noble status. Let alone a kidnapping! It wouldn¡¯t just end in them getting massacred by the villagers the day they¡¯d get caught. ¡°What are you hesitating for? You don¡¯t have any other choice, do you?¡± ¡°Councilwoman.¡± ¡°No.¡± Celebless turned them down without even listening. ¡°¡­we will set you free as soon as you swear to not divulge this incident.¡± Swearing¡­ It was worth more than a fairy¡¯s life, who lived thousands of years. Celebless gave a cold response. ¡°You think a swear made through threats has any effect?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡°Do you want to see for yourself if you can trust me?¡± ¡°Councilwoman Celebless. Why is it you are telling us this? If you had concealed the truth, we would have been relieved and let you go.¡± The healer, who was the smartest in the village, questioned her. Celebless laughed. ¡°Take this opportunity to learn: Fairies do not lie to merely spare their lives.¡± But even as she spoke with confidence, she knew fully well that there were plenty of fairies who would lie to live. There were also fairies who lied to redeem themselves with death like herself. ¡°¡­Then it looks like we don¡¯t have a choice. Councilwoman Celebless, we will make it as painless as possible.¡± Sling- The head guard drew his sword, stained with blood from the fairies. ¡°¡­¡± Celebless closed her eyes peacefully and waited for her end. ¡°Behind you¡­!¡± ¡°Careful!¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± ¡°What the?!¡± Just then, the astonished and fearful screams of the four men sounded simultaneously. Celebless watched as she slowly reopened her eyes. Slash! The sight of the decapitated head guard flying in the air¡­ Of course, that wasn¡¯t the reason she was shocked. ¡°How¡­?¡± ¡°$#@ %@?¡± The savior who had jumped off a cliff and allegedly died had returned. * * * * * * ¡°$#@%¡­?¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± I didn¡¯t know what the wide-eyed female fairy was going on about, but I decided to think about that later. First, I needed to clean up¡­ Stab! Slash! I got rid of the villagers who had dragged the fairies to the basement. Revenge on the fairies? It was just the right time to create such a misunderstanding when I intruded, but I was planning to kill all of them the moment I followed. The fairies who backstabbed me, the chief, and the villagers who were all on his side¡­ ¡°%#@ spare me!¡± ¡°Oh! Something I understand!¡± It was welcoming to hear what mercenary Misa had taught me, but it wasn¡¯t enough reason to spare them. Slash! ¡°Aaah?!¡± I had to get rid of the muscular man who looked like he was the strongest of the four by ambushing him while he let his guard down to kill the female fairy. The other three were easy. If the fairies weren¡¯t weakened, it wouldn¡¯t have been easy to kidnap them like that in the first place. ¡°%# spare m- kirk?!¡± Stab! The situation died down as I pierced the blue dagger into the medulla of the middle-aged woman running for the exit. The only survivor remaining was the fairy tied to the chair. ¡°$#@? %@# @$#.¡± ¡°We meet again.¡± It was the female fairy I had tried to use as a witness. She was still as thin as a mummy, but she was a little more like a ¡®beauty¡¯ after being washed and having covered her injuries with clean clothes. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks I could also see her status window that I couldn¡¯t see before. [Name] Celebless [level] 12 [blessing] Tamer A Life C Pure Heritage B [curse] Noble B ¡°Ha¡­¡± A bitter laugh escaped my lips as I read her blessings. I was boastful with my single F rank blessing, but that fairy had three blessings with extremely high ranks. However¡­ [tamer] }All the abilities of the creatures you tame will slightly improve. }chances of taming a creature with a high guard rises significantly! Let¡¯s call her a professional tamer, shall we? It wasn¡¯t an effect that made the individual stronger, so it was a little ambiguous, even if it was a high rank. A useless blessing if you didn¡¯t have a pet with you. Besides that¡­ [life] [pure heritage] [noble] From the looks of it, there wasn¡¯t much to the other blessings and curses either. Anyways, I could see why the fairy tied to the chair was showing me her status window. ¡°Celebless?¡± ¡°$#. @#$ Celebless.¡± The fairy, Celebless, smiled at me without a trace of fear. ¡°¡­¡± [outsider] Although there was no change in my emotions thanks to being protected by the blessing, it was somehow a reassuring smile. [A certain god is extremely uncomfortable.] [A certain god emphasizes the outsider part.] ¡°Yeah, I get it.¡± ¡®Always be an outsider.¡¯ ¡®You will get divine punishment if you stop living the life of a lone wolf.¡¯ ¡°@$#?¡± I cut the ropes that bound the fairy who was giving me an odd look as I talked to myself. Dust, dust. ¡°What a lucky fairy.¡± I had originally been going to kill everyone to prevent further trouble. But I gave that up when she taught me her name through her status window. I had a similar experience as well. Gary, Cole, Misa¡­ I had tried my best to earn the favorability of the fantasy natives I first encountered by teaching them my name. ¡ªDespite it being in vain. I wouldn¡¯t be any different from them if I killed that fairy there. ¡°Take care of the rest.¡± I didn¡¯t feel the need to stay in that bloody basement dotted with betrayal any longer. It was right then, as I was turning around to leave¡­ ¡°$#@¡­!¡± Wobble~ grab. I quickly caught the fairy, who was about to trip and fall as soon as she got up from the chair. ¡°You¡¯re bothering me!¡± ¡°[email protected]# @# [email protected]#Kang Hansoo @#%.¡± ¡°You know my name, huh?¡± ¡°Kang Hansoo [email protected]#. #@#.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± I left the chief¡¯s house after wrapping the scrawny fairy¡¯s waist with my left arm and carrying her at my side. It was as quiet as ever outside. ¡®How interesting.¡¯ In the middle of the night, fairies were kidnapped, numerous mercenaries were killed, and four villagers went missing. It only made sense for there to be chaos. ¡°Dear respected outsider god, why is that so?¡± [A certain god says they¡¯re not in the mood to tell you.] ¡°Oh, alright.¡± It looked like I had to get rid of that fairy for the god to reign in their anger. But I couldn¡¯t trust the villagers, and there were fairy-meat-loving gnolls infesting the forest. What was I supposed to do? I decided to think about that after getting out of the village first. Step step step. I lightly jumped over the fence as I stepped on the ladder placed within the walls of the wooden fence. I don¡¯t know how much more I ran after that. Pull, pull. ¡°Kang Hansoo, #. #@$.¡± The fairy caught my attention by pulling on my shirt and pointed at the sky. ¡°What is it?¡± Flame~ A burst of hot air swept over my head. Looking up, I witness a surreal fantasy creature. ¡°Phoenix¡­?¡± A peacock with red flames for feathers was coming after us over our heads. What a bolt out of the blue! Flame~ A wall of flames surrounded me with the flap of the phoenix¡¯s wings. [outsider] ¡°¡­this is gonna be difficult.¡± I would be alright with my overpowered blessing, but the fairy with only weak blessings would get cooked to the bone. ¡°[email protected]#.¡± ¡°You want me to let you down?¡± ¡°#@.¡± There was such a thing as reading the room even if you couldn¡¯t speak the language. She must have been telling me to leave her useless body and run away! I didn¡¯t refuse and gently let the fairy onto the ground. Flame¡­ Then, the wall of flames gradually disappeared, and the phoenix circling us landed next to her. ¡°$. $#@.¡± Flame! ¡°%@# #.¡± Flame? It looked like the fairy and phoenix were talking in a language that transcended species. After seeing such an affectionate sight, I understood the situation. [taming] They must be the tamer and their pet bird(?)! ¡°Kang Hansoo, [email protected]¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°$%#@. $# @# # Celebless $# [email protected]# #@ %#@ Kang Hansoo # %#@$ #@$ ^$# (*$.¡± ¡°What are you talking ab¡ª oomf?!¡± [A certain god is in horror at the unexpected turn of events.] Flame-! The phoenix, which was the size of an ostrich, was engulfed in flames and morphed into the size of a light airplane. ¡°Kang Hansoo %#$. %# #$.¡± Flutter! Celebless got on top of the giant bird¡¯s neck and flew high into the sky. And she left into the wind. ¡°¡­¡± [A certain god nails it in that the outsider¡¯s crime is clear.] [A certain god is about to adjudicate the criminal.] ¡°No, hold on! That¡¯s what I should be saying!¡± I wiped my lips that were sexually harrassed by the female fairy and swallowed my rage. ¡°My first¡­!¡± How dare she repay my favor with sexual assault! ¡®I¡¯m never going near a fairy agai¡­ oh!¡¯ [name] Kang Hansoo [Level] 1 [blessings] outsider F fairy C [curse] Hero E [dividend] 4.85 ¡®It¡¯s a new blessing!¡¯ ¡®And its rank is high, too!¡¯ My heart which was uncomfortable from getting kissed by the fairy was put at ease. [A certain god glares at you with bleary eyes.] [A certain god is uncomfortable.] ¡°¡­There are times when you must endure embarrassment while going through life.¡± [A certain god is very uncomfortable.] Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°Ahem, ahem!¡± ¡®They sure have a lot to be uncomfortable about!¡¯ ¡®I might as well check out my hot new blessing while waiting for the god¡¯s anger to cool down.¡¯ ____ ____ Chapter 15 Is this Hero for Real? Chapter 15 [Act 5] Believe What You Want to Believe [Fairy] > As one who has been designated as a friend of the fairies, your lifespan and youth have increased! > All effects and favorable comments you receive from the fairies are dramatically amplified. ¡°¡­pretty sweet.¡± Everything about the blessing was great. Although the effect of increasing my lifespan and youth may seem useless because my lifespan reset anyway, that wasn¡¯t the case at all. That was because lifespans were deeply connected to ¡®power¡¯. [Outsider] [Gairy] If I used those two together¡­ The amount that I could burn with the ¡®power of meat¡¯ increased. In other words, the edgy red-eye effect was upgraded. ¡°The second effect is¡­ Hm¡­¡± My popularity and effects on the fantasy savages who threaten my life every time we met increased significantly? Whatever. [A certain god grumbles you¡¯re being too excited.] ¡°Well¡­¡± [A certain god puffs out their cheeks.] ¡°I¡¯m excited to finally break up with that fairy.¡± [A certain god relaxes.] ¡°¡­¡± I decided to move a bit far away. It was a shame to leave my uniform and crossbow in the village, but it was better than people finding out that I escaped and survived the mercenaries¡¯ pursuits. My next destination was¡­ ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°It¡¯s meat! Meat!¡± ¡°Show me around your homes.¡± ¡°Talking meat?!¡± I decided to leave that to the first gnoll that I came across in my path. *** It took half a day for the warriors, who were ridiculed by two gnolls, to come to their senses. Their arms and legs were cut off, necks bitten off, bones popped out, they¡¯d pissed and shit themselves, had their eyeballs plucked off, noses broken, hearts stopped¡­ After going through pain that they could never have imagined back on Earth, they had gotten a lot of shock and sequela. And it varied by the individual. ¡°Urgh¡­¡± ¡°Momm¡­¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Most of the heroes couldn¡¯t deal with their trauma. It was decided that it was too difficult to accompany the heroes, who were petrified at the sight of gnolls, and they were evacuated to the city temple. Of course¡­ ¡°Taha¡± ¡°&$% %?!¡± There were those who quickly overcame the ordeal and took a step forward. [Grit] Hero Choi Gangmin actively used his blessing that made him stronger as the fight went on and accomplished the great achievement of defeating a level 3 gnoll. As he was holding it together with a defense team of heroes he incited¡­ [Grit] ¡®Here I go¡­!¡± ¡°_?!¡± Once he felt strong enough, he went forth and carried out a war strategy to kill the gnoll. [A certain god praises someone that they¡¯re clever.] [A certain martial god criticizes it¡¯s too sneaky.] [A certain immature god of dice complains they¡¯re too trivial.] [A certain god¡­] Besides a few gods who had unique preferences, Choi Gangmin was highly regarded for his remarkable performance. Although it was all because of his Grit blessing, the gods didn¡¯t seem to mind, as it was also an accomplishment to receive a blessing from god. And soon after¡­ ¡°I¡¯m level 2!¡± He achieved the feat of reaching level 2 the fastest among the heroes. [Name] Choi Gangmin [Level] 2 [Blessings] Hero E, Grit F, Magic D, Acceleration F, Command F [Curses] ¨C [Dividend] 3.22 There was a significant change in hero Choi Gangmin¡¯s blessings list as well. He had more blessings and his hero¡¯s blessing was a rank higher. He revealed his hidden status window to everyone to show proof, but he also wanted to show off. [Acceleration] > You can move incredibly fast in a crucial moment! > The longer the effect lasts, the longer the wait time. Choi Gangmin¡¯s confidence skyrocketed after receiving this blessing. [Acceleration] [Grit] It was thanks to his hunting speed getting faster from the synergy of the two blessings that strengthened his body. Another blessing added bonus points to his exp. [Command] > The skills of every group member under your leadership increases slightly! > The more reckless and bold your command, the stronger the effect becomes. Exp would be shared as accomplishments were dispersed when they fought together. [Command] Choi Gangmin would get more exp through his blessing for the accomplishment of ¡®assisting the other heroes.¡¯ There was another hero who acquired exp in a similar fashion. ¡°In the name of Jang Miyeon!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s protect our goddess!¡± ¡°We¡¯re not scared of some gnolls!¡± ¡°Wooo!¡± Athletic heroes with a strong build, though not comparable to the knights whose bodies were weapons, fought bravely to protect one girl. [Seduction] It was thanks to their dazed instincts overcoming their fear from hero Jang Miyeon¡¯s blessing! That, too, was an achievement. She was given quite a bit of exp for giving the heroes bravery. As a result, hero Jang Miyeon was the second hero to reach level 2 after Choi Gangmin. ¡°Thank you all¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± There were many heroes(female) who glared at Jang Miyeon for gaining exp comfortably under the protection of the boys, but she didn¡¯t care. She thought appearances were a skillset too. It would be stupid to fight with the same method as the males, who had a biological advantage when it came to savage violence. ¡­was the philosophy Jang Miyeon believed in, which made her stand her ground. [A certain innocent goddess stares.] ¡°G-goddess! This is no impure interaction!¡± But even a hero such as her turned into an innocent sheep in front of the goddess¡¯s punishment. Pain is the worst, after all! However, the gods did not let her turn passive. [A certain bold god of beauty smiles with their eyes.] ¡°Oh, my!¡± [Color of beauty] >Beauty is relative and subjective, but you are an exception. >you will be freed from any physiological phenomena and body management that is not graceful. Jang Miyeon was in awe at the effects of the perfect blessing. She wasn¡¯t sure about what the extent of the physiological phenomena would be, but she was happy with the fact she wouldn¡¯t need to take care of her body¡¯s shape. ¡°I¡¯ll protect you, too!¡± ¡°¡­Maybe I¡¯ll join as well. Ahem.¡± ¡°This is a man¡¯s job.¡± The heroes(male) who were indifferent towards Jang Miyeon until then lined up as ¡®chasers¡¯. Let¡¯s say they were true to their instincts. Though they weren¡¯t pretty boys, Jang Miyeon felt like the main character of a romance fantasy being protected by numerous men. She replied with a bright smile. ¡°I believe in you~¡± Her words were powerful! ¡°Woah!¡± ¡°Hang in there!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± The heroes(male) who turned into dark knights who didn¡¯t fear death or pain got rid of the gnolls with great speed. * * * Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks * * * ¡°#%$?!¡± ¡°#$ %?!¡± Was it because the heroes got stronger? It was not. The fight that could not possibly be lost because their strategy was finally just getting back on track. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Gangmin!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you later!¡± ¡°We¡¯re friends, right?¡± Rumble The male companions cooperating with hero Choi Gangmin moved to Jang Miyeon¡¯s group one by one. This influence slowed Choi Gangmin¡¯s dominance because he needed the ¡®meat shields¡¯ to buy him time while his grit blessing showed its true powers. ¡°¡­Impressive, Jang Miyeon.¡± Choi Gangmin felt the tables would be turned if he didn¡¯t do anything, so he gathered the heroes(female) who were watching in the back. He may not have had a blessing like Jang Miyeon¡¯s that attracted the opposite gender, but his natural looks and built-up reputation would be more than enough! ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Okay, Gangmin.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you!¡± And thus the two groups started to competitively hunt down the gnolls. As the hunting ground became more lively, there were more messages from the gods. [A certain god shares popcorn.] [A certain innocent goddess enjoys her popcorn.] [A certain battle god works himself up telling them to kill them all.] [A certain god is rooting for everyone.] [A certain bold god of beauty watches in a voluptuous position.] [A certain god¡­] They were still luring and killing just one or two at a time, but it was a tremendous improvement compared to the beginning where all of them were ridiculously killed. Of course, there were still heroes that were stuck in the same place. ¡°Kirk!¡± ¡°%#@!¡± Hero Yoo Bora, who used to be class president, rolled on the dirt ground, barely avoiding the gnoll¡¯s attacks. ¡°Ha, ha¡­¡± She was so exhausted she could fall asleep on the spot if she lay down. ¡°#¡­#¡­¡± The good news was that the gnoll fighting her was also very exhausted. Why was Yoo Bora fighting alone? It was because she was too outstanding. [A certain god looks down in pity.] [A certain god offers popcorn.] [A certain god says they¡¯re not in the mood to eat.] [A certain god is disappointed.] [A certain martial god watches as they eat popcorn.] She couldn¡¯t be a part of either group under Choi Gangmin and Jang Miyeon¡¯s blatant rivalry. Was it only their fault? Not exactly. Those who wanted to be second and third in command in their groups shunned Yoo Bora as well. And that was the result. Yoo Bora, shunned by everyone, had been fighting one gnoll through the mud for almost an hour straight. If it weren¡¯t for the magic she learned from Princess Athena, she wouldn¡¯t have lasted that long with her weak female body. Poof- ¡°$#¡­?!¡± The gnoll let out a cry of death and fell after getting hit by a flame Yoo Bora made with the last of her mental strength. Psh¡­ The gnoll, who was already covered in burns, was almost unrecognizable. ¡°Hak, hak¡­¡± Yoo Bora sat on the dirt ground as her legs gave out and she breathed heavily. And she experienced something surprising. [Name] Yoo Bora] [Level] 2 [Blessings] Hero F, Magic C, Weapon F [Curses] ¨C [Dividend] 2.04 Getting all the exp from hunting a level 2 gnoll by herself, her level rose at once. Of course, it wasn¡¯t an optimistic situation. If it weren¡¯t for the heroes who gave up the hunt completely and retreated to the temple, her level was last place. [A certain water god feels at ease.] [A certain martial god says to keep it up and sends their support.] ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± She sent her gratitude to the gods she couldn¡¯t see. [Weapon] > Your body becomes a weapon under all circumstances! > Every weapon you hold can be handled as if it were a part of your body. It was fascinating. The wooden sword that was difficult to hold for a long time, even if it was lighter than iron, felt light. [Weapon] Feeling the effects of her new blessing effect, Yoo Bora ran into the hunting grounds. Pwt! She wasn¡¯t wrong when she thought she¡¯d gotten faster as well. ¡°Hyap!¡± ¡°$¡­?¡± Slash- Blood spurted from the shoulder of the gnoll who was too late to dodge the wooden sword. The gnoll, furious from pain, clawed Yoo Bora¡¯s face. ¡°Irk!¡± Screek- But there was very minuscule damage¡ªthere was only a small wound following what sounded like scratching a helmet. ¡°#?¡± The gnoll was taken aback by the strange phenomenon. Flame! And a flame that appeared out of nowhere burned the gray hairs that were protecting its face. ¡°$ #$~?¡± It was Yoo Bora¡¯s way of revenge for the wound on her cheeks. ¡°Die¡­!¡± She threw her magic with her left hand and cut the throat of the gnoll with the wooden sword in her right hand. Slash- Killing two more gnolls in that way, Yoo Bora reached level 3. ¡°Dang it.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Choi Gangmin and Jang Miyeon, feeling the gap getting smaller, put more pressure on their groups¡¯ heroes to not let others catch up. ¡°Let¡¯s get more!¡± ¡°Keep it up!¡± Were the three heroes¡¯s competitive strategies a catalyst? [A certain god watches intently.] [A certain wind god sends his support with a cool gust of wind.] [A certain impatient demon god spreads a mat.] [A certain male god watches in content.] [A certain god¡­] There were a number of heroes who had received a blessing from the gods. ¡°You too?¡± ¡°Me too!¡± And thus¡­ Despite the messy beginning, the end of the heroes¡¯ first hunt was promising. *** How many had I killed? I hunted gnolls until the sun rose and fell back down the horizon without a break. I hunted the scared gnolls¡¯ siblings, their friends after they died, and then their parents, then their neighbors, the chief, their alliances, and then¡­ There wasn¡¯t room to walk in the area from all the gnoll corpses. [A certain god asks if you want to know how many you killed.] ¡°No.¡± It was enough knowing I killed more than one gnoll could hunt for a lifetime. ¡°I know for sure now.¡± I looked at my status window I¡¯d seen hundreds of times as I fought. [Name] Kang Hansoo [Level] 1 [Blessing] Outsider F, Fairy C [Curse] Hero E, Slaughter E [Dividend] 5.46 Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only There was another curse while I was hunting, but it was a small issue compared to the evil goddess¡¯s tyranny. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m living as a level 1.¡± I couldn¡¯t level up. ____ ____ Chapter 16 Is this Hero for Real? Chapter 16 [A certain god is anxious.] ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine.¡± I knew it would be difficult to grow because of the evil goddess with the mask of a hypocrite from the beginning. [Hero] > Experience that you gain from hunting and achievements is greatly diminished! It was just that the ¡®significantly¡¯ was a lot more than I thought. I didn¡¯t imagine I wouldn¡¯t level up at all. ¡°She¡¯s set on killing me¡­¡± She wasn¡¯t satisfied from putting me in a forest full of cannibals and putting a horrible curse on me. How can you not level up in a world that functions through levels? It was no different from a death sentence. [A certain god looks into the far galaxies.] [A certain god says the galaxies are full of stars as always.] ¡°What¡¯s up with you all of a sudden?¡± I thought they would be glad and send prayers for the outsider¡¯s soul. I took whatever looked valuable from the gnolls¡¯ corpses. Rings, necklaces, bracelets, jewels¡­ The craftsmanship was much too detailed to be done by a gnoll. It must have been stolen from the humans and fairies. Why did I come to that decision? ¡ªThere were the heads of humans and fairies on stakes decorating the gnolls¡¯ caves. ¡°I was going to just take a moderate amount, but¡­¡± As long as I knew I couldn¡¯t level up, I had no choice but to change my plans. What did I have to do to get stronger? Money! Money! Money! As a cultured civilian who was drenched in capitalism, I knew the importance of money. The card is mightier than the sword! Getting physically stronger through the ¡®good weapons¡¯ I got with a large amount of money was also a strategy to become stronger. ¡°Scary meat!¡± ¡°Meat isn¡¯t weak!¡± ¡°I will kill the meat!¡± ¡°Human meat! Revenge!¡± ¡®Oh! Were there still gnolls left?¡¯ Gigantic gnolls crowded out from the dark caves. Looking like vengeful warriors who¡¯d been through all sorts of things, every single one of their bellies were round, and they were fully loaded with armor and weapons stolen from humans and fairies. [Name] Hook that Makes Fairies Cry [Level] 9 [Blessing] Warrior F [Curse] Fairy F So there was a reason I couldn¡¯t see it. Those bastards took their time to get ready because they knew they couldn¡¯t win with numbers. Gleam! Gleam! Gleam! One by one, the fulfilled gnolls used their ¡®Power of Meat¡¯. There were about a hundred of them. I wasn¡¯t scared, though. [Outsider] It wasn¡¯t just because I couldn¡¯t feel emotions from my blessing. I got better at using the ¡®Power of Meat¡¯ every time I used it, and I had strengthened it with endless improvements and experiments. And I had just learned something new again. ¡°Strong meat! My meat!¡± ¡°Male meat! I hate it!¡± ¡°Eyeball! Give me eyeball!¡± As different as their eating habits were, the gnolls¡¯ ¡®Power of Meat¡¯ was slightly different as well. Although its objective of becoming stronger was the same, the slight difference in power management changed its efficiency. ¡°I¡¯m rather thankful.¡± As I watched how they managed their powers, I dropped the useless parts and applied the useful aspects to my powers. The result? Spark-! I couldn¡¯t imagine losing at all. I put my strength into the blue dagger since I didn¡¯t have big, strong nails like the gnolls. [Outsider] [Fairy] Blood-red jelly covered my blue dagger. ¡°M-meat?!¡± ¡°What is this?!¡± ¡°Dangerous meat!¡± ¡°Strong nails!¡± I didn¡¯t feel a need for it before, but I needed to strengthen my weapons if I was going to rip through the gnolls¡¯ armor in one blow. My preparation was finished. I jumped right into it. Fwt. ¡°M-meat-?!¡± The gnoll¡¯s body was cut vertically. The thick, hard force wrapped around my right hand, and the blue dagger tore the iron armor apart like a sheet of paper. Kendo? Martial arts? Technique? I¡¯d never learned it before and I didn¡¯t need to. The sheer destructive power alone was a perfect attack in itself. ¡°D-danger!¡± ¡°Too strong!¡± ¡°Dangerous meat!¡± ¡°Escape¡­!¡± My absolute advantage did not change, even if they had strengthened and armed themselves with the ¡®Power of Meat¡¯. [Slaughter] ¡°I get that you guys worked really hard to prepare for this, but it¡¯s nowhere near enough.¡± ¡®None of you are ready yet.¡¯ * * * * * * The second day of group hunting to level up the heroes¡­ Although they were stronger from experience, the total number of heroes had slightly lessened. The Saintess did not hide her discomfort as she explained the reason. ¡°We removed those who got scared and went against their duties. We are going to reduce the budget allocated to them and invest more in you, so do not worry.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Good!¡± ¡°Nice!¡± The heroes lightened up at the news of getting better service. Fellow schoolmates who were too scared? Most of the heroes wished there would have been more of them. That way, the gear and treatment would be even better for them. Prince Alsus reported, ¡°The speed you all are leveling up is extraordinary. Even with the help of the knights and high-quality gear taken into consideration, three levels in just a day is an amazing result. It is not an overstatement to call you the hope of humanity.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± ¡°Hoho!¡± Although it was because the blessings were extraordinary rather than the heroes, Prince Alsus shook off the negative thoughts. That was ¡®forbidden¡¯. As the heroes had the hero¡¯s blessing, mages depended on the magic blessing. It was the same with the high-ranking hierarchs and knights. He had to be wary of his words if he wanted to stay on good terms with all of them and keep his right to the throne. ¡°Prince.¡± A knight who hurried over on his horse reported the situation of the hunting grounds. Prince Alsus, judging that the matter was too big to handle himself, asked for the Saintess¡¯s opinion. ¡°Saintess. They say there is a gnoll who is binging.¡± ¡°What level are they?¡± ¡°Five.¡± ¡°Hm. Hero Choi Gangmin, Jang Miyeon, and Yoo Bora are also level 5s. Go ahead with it, as it is not a common opportunity.¡± ¡°Yes, maam.¡± And so the heroes moved hunting grounds for the first time. Until then, they had hunted in the same location where Prince Alsus and his knights gathered the gnolls to them, but they couldn¡¯t do it like that this time. Rustle. Prince Alsus, hiding behind the leaves, pointed towards the waddling gnoll. ¡°This gnoll is a special individual. Please be careful, as it is in an aggressive state where it will attack even those who are strong.¡± Princess Athena, who had been quiet thanks to the elderly mages meddling, cried out for the first time. ¡°Full gnolls can use powerful black magic! Be especially careful when their eyes glow red!¡± ¡°$?¡± $#%?¡±¡°Oh! I-I¡¯m sorry. You all got caught because of me¡­¡± ¡°$#! #$ $! #$! $ #$! $ #$! $ #! #$ #$! #$¡­!¡± Snap! Turning its head at the sound of a female human¡¯s voice, the gnoll¡¯s eyes started glowing red. Woosh- Its plump body started deflating like a balloon and turned heinously muscular. ¡ªAnd it attacked head-first. ¡°Best of luck.¡± ¡°Good luck!¡± Prince Alsus and Princess Athena stood far back so as to not take away their accomplishments. And only the heroes were left. ¡°It¡¯s coming!¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s fast¡­!¡± ¡°Eek?!¡± Although it looked strong like the prince and princess advised, they weren¡¯t the ragtags from the previous day, either. Level 3s on average¡­ Their overall strength had improved enough to defend themselves, even when numerous gnolls attacked at once. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be scared!¡± [Command] Hero Choi Gangmin blocked the gnoll and reassured the heroes. There was a positive winning strategy for him now. [Grit] Since the fight just started, he needed to buy enough time for this blessing to show its true effects. [Acceleration] After quickly dodging the gnoll¡¯s attacks and blocking its blows¡ª Pow! ¡°Eeek?!¡± ¡°Gangmin?¡± Choi Gangmin¡¯s head flew through the air after getting slapped by the gnoll. Losing the head that sent out commands, his body collapsed. ¡°$#¡­!¡± The gnoll didn¡¯t stop there and continued to attack, colliding head-first with a group of heroes cluttered together! ¡°Eeek~?!¡± ¡°Kirk?!¡± ¡°Aak?!¡± The heroes, armed with fairly heavy suits of armor, flew in all directions like bowling pins. The gnoll also faltered from the impact of the collision. ¡°Hyap!¡± ¡°-?¡± Poow-! Hero Yoo Bora had been waiting for this moment, and her magic exploded in the gnoll¡¯s face. That wasn¡¯t all¡­ [Weapon] She¡¯d become stronger from her blessing. Her now iron sword stabbed the gnoll¡¯s side. Stab-! But an immediate aftershock swept over Yoo Bora. ¡°Eek¡­?!¡± Her torso folded like a shrimp from the gnoll kneeing her. ¡°#@ $?¡± The gnoll came to a very fast conclusion after seeing the female human who strangely didn¡¯t die in one blow. Grab. Snatching Yoo Bora¡¯s neck, which was exposed from getting bent, the gnoll swung her like a club. ¡°Eek?!¡± ¡°Kirk?!¡± ¡°Kiirk?!¡± [Weapon] Thanks to her blessing, Yoo Bora could use her entire body as a weapon. Sturdy, durable, flexible¡­ And now, she had become the gnoll¡¯s weapon in attacking the heroes. [Weapon] Pow! Pow! Pow! The gnoll ripped the fallen heroes with its teeth and devoured their flesh and blood. It didn¡¯t want to be hungry. It continued its hunt, maintaining the ¡®Power of Meat¡¯. ¡°Some¡­ somebody, please¡­!¡± Hero Jang Miyeon froze in horror as she was exposed to the danger from her defense line falling apart. [Charm] [Color of Beauty] She activated her blessing as much as she could, but no one moved¡ªall of her followers had fallen. ¡°%$ #¡­?¡± ¡°Eek?!¡± Jang Miyeon¡¯s legs gave out when she met eyes with the gnoll¡¯s. ¡°#? $# $!¡± Fwp~ Yoo Bora, the battered weapon that knocked down countless heroes, was tossed to the side like trash by the gnoll as it slowly approached Jang Miyeon. ¡°S-save me¡­ eek?!¡± The gnoll licked her cheek with its tongue, stained with the flesh and blood of the heroes. ¡°¡­¡± Jang Miyeon¡¯s train of thought came to a complete stop the moment the gnoll¡¯s mouth went down as it shoved its nose between her legs and sniffed. There was only one reason: [Charm] [Color of beauty] There were no species restrictions on Jang Miyeon¡¯s blessing. [A certain innocent goddess shudders at someone¡¯s taste.] [A certain male god shouts that it is only just to respect peoples¡¯ tastes.] [A certain bold god of beauty gets excited from anticipation.] [A certain god¡­] It was right when the aroused gnoll was about to move on to the next act¡­ ¡°#$ $¡± Snap! Prince Alsus snuck behind and beheaded it. ¡°Hero Jang Miyeon. Are you alright?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Face pale, Jang Miyeon barely gave a nod. [A certain god groans.] [A certain god is disappointed.] [A certain water god splashes cold water.] [A certain male god freezes.] [A certain evil god freezes.] ¡°Urrhh..¡± ¡°Hurry, we must treat them¡­!¡± ¡°S-Save¡­¡± The knights and hierarchs cleaned everything up in perfect order. They were neither disappointed nor surprised after seeing a similar event happen the day before. Just one gnoll¡­ They decided not to think about it. The Saintess¡¯s attitude was especially honorable. ¡°May god be with the heroes who fought against a powerful opponent.¡± *** I took a bunch of jewels and gold from the gnolls¡¯ cave. I¡¯d hunted so many of the gnolls, who didn¡¯t get along with me since the first day I was kidnapped to the fantasy world, but I didn¡¯t feel anything. [Outsider] The fates of the gnolls who couldn¡¯t capture or kill me in one blow had been sealed from the start. And more importantly¡­ [Slaughter] > Friendly races will slightly fear you and find you appalling. > The chances of them opposing your cruel actions increases a lot. ¡°This curse¡­ is just pushing me further to be an outsider.¡± [A certain god is gleeful.] ¡°I wish I could join you.¡± [A certain god twirls.] ¡°¡­¡± As provoking as the joyful god was, what else could I, a level 1 piece of low-level trash, do but be patient with them? Clink! My trophy-filled bag made me feel a little better. My real problem was language. If I couldn¡¯t sell those at a justifiable price, they were nothing more than mere rocks. ¡°Welp.¡± How nice it would be if I could befriend a gnoll with the intelligence of a human! ¡®I can trust(?) the gnolls, they¡¯re bad at li¡ª¡¯ ¡°Level 1 human over there. Where did the one who slaughtered all these gnolls go?¡± ¡°It¡¯s real!¡± I found a smart, male gnoll who looked like a handsome human. He had horns on his head and didn¡¯t cry out for meat, but that was a small issue compared to the flawed language barrier. ¡°¡­Can you not hear me? I spoke in human language- kirk?!¡± ¡°Got you!¡± ¡°Kirk! I can¡¯t b-breathe¡­!¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I didn¡¯t know what kind of gnoll it was, but I was sure we could become good friends. ____ ____ Chapter 17 Is this Hero for Real? Chapter 17 [Act 5] Believe What You Want to Believe A fantasy is a fantasy! As expected, there were various ¡®human types¡¯. A fantasy native would feel the same thing if they saw a ¡®hyena walking on all fours¡¯, wouldn¡¯t they? Anyways, my new friend turned out to be a ¡®demon¡¯. ¡°That¡¯s a demon¡­?¡± ¡°What? You look like you can¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°The demon I imagined was supposed to be an extremely powerful anthropoid.¡± The goddess who kidnapped us to the Fantasia dimension had told us the goal of the heroes was taking down the Great Demon King. There was no way the demons couldn¡¯t be strong if it was bad enough for the gods to seek help from aliens. But what was up with that dude? ¡°Bastard! How could you slap someone you call a friend?! It¡¯s a prejudice that all demons are strong!¡± ¡°Sorry about that, but you¡¯re way too weak.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t cry. I don¡¯t wanna look like the bad guy.¡± I had thought demons were cold-hearted creatures, but it turned out that they had extremely fragile hearts. The demon scolded me with tears in his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re just abnormally strong! What are you?! That amount of strength in a level 1 is unbelievable¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s thanks to my blessing.¡± I wasn¡¯t strong. ¡°Impudent bastard! You think I¡¯m dumb?! You tell all these lies when you have more curses than blessings. ¡°Oh? You can see them?¡± ¡°Obviously, since I have the Observation blessing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious?¡± ¡°There are more blessings than Observation that let me peep at status windows. You didn¡¯t even know that?¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± The evil goddess hadn¡¯t taught us that important information. ¡°¡­By the way, are you going to keep choking me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a misunderstanding. This is just a sign of friendship that friends do with each other.¡± ¡°Is that not the same thing as saying you will strangle me as soon as you decide we¡¯re not friends?!¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯re pretty smart!¡± It looked like I¡¯d found the perfect demon. ¡°I¡¯m a Dark Mage. You can¡¯t learn black magic if you¡¯re stupid. I left my terrible hometown to undergo discipline for marriage.¡± ¡°Marriage? Already?¡± He looked like he was around my age, but marriage? It seemed you were called old if you were older than 20 in this fantasy world. ¡°Don¡¯t think of me as an inferior human. I was at an age for marriage way before you were born.¡± ¡°Huh~¡± [A certain God pesters you to ask more about him.] This god was ordering me to dig into my friend¡¯s mental wounds from marriage! Because I would be dead without my blessing, I decided I had to ask him. ¡°¡­Are you a demon pretending to be human? How can you be so natural at such an evil face¡­?¡± ¡°My friend. How come you couldn¡¯t marry anyone for all this time?¡± ¡°Just die!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, just tell me. I could be of help.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be a shame if you died without even marrying?¡± After a moment of consideration, the demon answered, on edge. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll tell you since it¡¯s not a big deal. Demons can have more spouses the stronger they are. Being weak, I ran away because I didn¡¯t want to be the 243rd husband of an old demon.¡± ¡°I¡­ I see.¡± Although I didn¡¯t know skat about marriage, I thought it was a depressing reason as a fellow male. Cheer up, demon friend! ¡°¡­by the way, how are you able to move?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± What was he saying? He might as well have asked why a living creature was alive. ¡°I doused you with enough paralysis potion to make even a naturally resistant fairy not able to lift a finger. How come you, a level 1 human, are so nonchalant?¡± ¡°¡­you did that?¡± I didn¡¯t know he was plotting such an evil plan. But that sequence of events¡­ could it be? I felt an invisible rope wrap around me. Snip, snap¡­ Although it was immediately cut. ¡°Y-You monster! You broke binding magic that easily? That¡¯s impossible for a mere level 1¡­ what are you?¡± ¡°What¡¯s your relationship with the chief?¡± ¡°What a stupid question. Do you know how many chiefs I¡¯ve come across throughout my travels?¡± ¡°The chief with a gnoll¡¯s head stuck to his chest.¡± ¡°¡­Oh! I remember him. He was a dying human with a story you couldn¡¯t listen to without being brought to tears, so I saved him from the Fairy curse- kirk?!¡± ¡°It was you!¡± The Mage who¡¯d helped the chief who was dying from the Fairy¡¯s curse¡­ I¡¯d found the culprit! * * * * * * Rejecting the goodwill and help from the temple, hero Oh Hanwoo was struggling from feeling the difference between books and reality. ¡ªEspecially bodily functions. The bathrooms citizens in the fantasy world usually went to were hell to him. ¡°No one mentions this shit in novels or comics¡­¡± If it was mentioned, they used individual bathrooms with a bathtub or sauna. He still couldn¡¯t forget how the inn owner looked at him like he was insane when he requested those things at the inn. ¡°You are the most incompetent hick I¡¯ve ever seen. Did you learn about the world through a fairytale?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s his first time.¡± Even the acute judgment from the beautiful girl walking past him¡­ all Oh Hanwoo could do was endure it. She had paid everything for him for the past two days, after all. That wasn¡¯t all, either. She had even gotten him armor and weapons, although it was cheap. ¡°You, walk next to me. It gets on my nerves when you stare at my butt from behind.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not what you think.¡± He was looking at her from head to toe, not just her butt. ¡°I got it, now walk next to me.¡± ¡°I feel more comfortable behind you.¡± A seemingly unique girl helping a boy(main character) she¡¯d never met before with no connections¡­ Excessive goodwill¡­ He never thought much of it when he saw it in novels or comics, but it was extremely unrealistic after experiencing it first hand. Oh Hanwoo knew the reason he was experiencing it¡­ [Special] It was the effect his blessing had! It was a main character buff. ¡°Do you know how shocked I was when you tried to attack the slime?¡± ¡°That was¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t come up with an excuse. The slimes Oh Hanwoo learned about from fantasy novels and books were just easy exp globs. He didn¡¯t know they were protected for being a helpful creature to humans. ¡°I understand how you feel.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t any requests a total beginner mercenary can take. At most, it¡¯s running errands to the city.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather die than do that!¡± This wasn¡¯t an RPG game with generous exp and rewards. He¡¯d never seen the main character grow stronger through mere errands in novels or comics. And above all, he¡¯d get laughed at by the other heroes if they saw him. ¡°But there are no goblins that are fit for you to hunt who live nearby. Most of them are gnolls, and if you go past the forest of the gnolls, it¡¯s the orcs¡¯ habitat. Don¡¯t even dream of it, orcs are much more dangerous than gnolls.¡± ¡°I get it.¡± ¡°¡­are you sure you get it? Your reply is too absentminded.¡± ¡°I got it, really.¡± Oh Hanwoo answered again with confidence. Although he was staring at a pretty girl¡¯s butt at the moment, he would surely get over it, as the main character does! [A certain immature God of Dice waves and calls out to a friend.] [A certain god of wind asks if it¡¯s okay to anticipate.] [A certain immature god of dice urges someone to just sit.] [A certain evil god passes around hot popcorn.] ¡°Hahaha.¡± There were more gods watching. While the other heroes were growing slowly like a greenhouse flower, he was going to monopolize the gods¡¯ blessings by actively engaging in the real game! *TN: ¡®greenhouse flower¡¯ is a korean idiom meaning a sheltered life. His plan was perfect. ¡°Stop that dark laugh, and get ready to take your sword out at any moment. From here on out, it¡¯s the gnolls¡¯ territory. It¡¯s too much for a slime-level mercenary.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll follow right behind you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my least favorite part.¡± Slime-level mercenary¡­ It was the lowest level given to every newcomer. Oh Hanwoo had gotten two things after enrolling as a mercenary in his guild: One was a mercenary ID with a round slime drawn on it¡­ And the other was¡­ [Name] Oh Hanwoo [Level] 1 [Blessings] Hero F, Special F, Mercenary F [Curses] ¨C [Dividend] 1.95 It was a Mercenary blessing. He was rank F in the ¡®slime ranking¡¯ As easy as it was to acquire, the effects weren¡¯t that extraordinary, but it was still much more valuable than a simple mercenary ID that only proved his skills and identity. [Mercenary] > You get extra exp if you successfully complete a request. > You lose a significant amount of exp if you give up or fail a request! An effect that gave you exp as a reward like in RPGs. Even though there was a restriction that he couldn¡¯t mindlessly accept or throw out requests, it wouldn¡¯t apply to ¡®main character¡¯ Oh Hanwoo, who was only going to go up from there. ¡°I don¡¯t see any gnolls.¡± ¡°¡­How strange. We¡¯re quite deep into the forest, yet we didn¡¯t come across a single one. Something must have happened in the forest.¡± ¡°Of course it did.¡± ¡°What do you mean, ¡®of course¡¯?¡± ¡°Since I came here.. Ahem. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Of course, something would happen wherever the main character went! ¡­Knowing he¡¯d be seen as mentally ill if he explained that, Oh Hanwoo saved his breath. ¡°This is bad. I thought we could complete the request to bring five gnoll ears quickly¡­¡± It would be detrimental to give up an easy request like this. Aside from the cancellation charge, it would leave and be a loss of all of that precious exp. ¡°We¡¯ll just go further in.¡± The girl knit her pretty brows into a frown and dissuaded hero Oh Hanwoo¡¯s simple solution. ¡°¡­No. We will go back to the mercenary guild and come back after checking for new information.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just trust me.¡± It was a fantasy rule for the main character to enter a difficult situation like that and solve everything! Oh Hanwoo took the lead after staring at a pretty girl¡¯s butt the whole time. ¡°Where did you get all that confidence¡­ oh?! Be careful!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°#$%!¡± ¡°#$ $%!¡± ¡°#% $%!¡± Gnolls with iron armor barged their way through the dense forest. Flash! Flash! Their red, glowing eyes were drenched with fear, and there were all sorts of wounds on their bodies. ¡°Oh Hanwoo! Leave me and run!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do tha¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time for nonsen¡ª¡± ¡°$# %^!¡± ¡°# _^%!¡± The hungry gnolls all charged at the strong female who guarded the weak human male. Pow! ¡°Kirk?!¡± Oh Hanwoo passed out from a randomly flying rock. [A certain god of wind is busy rolling on the floor laughing.] [A certain god looks for their missing belly button.] [A certain immature god of dice enjoys their popcorn.] [A certain god¡­] The festive gods cried for an encore. *** [A certain god is bothered by the noise.] ¡°Oh! Was I too loud?¡± I let go of the demon¡¯s ankles that I was using as a gold club. Flop. ¡°Urrhh¡­¡± The demon went silent after screaming every time I swung him into rocks lying on the ground. ¡®Be thankful the outsider god has sensitive hearing, alright?¡¯ Otherwise, I would have swung him until his skull cracked. ¡°My friend¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Shall we do this again, demon? I almost died in a ditch because of the chief you helped out of sensibility.¡± ¡°T-talk.¡± Droop. The demon¡¯s face, which looked like a mashed-up steam bun covered in ketchup, returned back to its handsome state in an instant. Did the demons usually have such incidental traits? I wanted to experiment with it more, but I decided to give up for the day. The sensitive god was complaining about the noise. ¡°My friend!¡± ¡°How stubborn¡­¡± ¡°Take me to the closest city.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Do you want to die?¡± ¡°I still can¡¯t. Prologia, the City of Beginnings, is guarded by a terrifying saintess. I can¡¯t die until I get married.¡± ¡°That damn marriage¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s more important than my life! If you¡¯re not in a hurry, what about the second closest city from here? I can take you there peacefully.¡± ¡°It¡¯s decided.¡± I didn¡¯t tell the demon, but the city guarded by the Saintess was a no from me at all costs. The Saintess was a pawn of the goddess. If she noticed I was alive, it was obvious she¡¯d try to kill me. ¡°Oh! I almost forgot.¡± The demon leading the way stopped in his tracks and changed direction. ¡°What?¡± ¡°The knights from the Knight Kingdom blocked the forests two days ago, so we have to take a long detour. The most that happens to you if we get caught is an identity check, but it¡¯s risky for a demon like me.¡± ¡°¡­Too bad, then.¡± I wasn¡¯t a demon, but it would still be risky to get an identity check because of the language barrier. ¡®Damn that Goddess!¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll make her regret making me an outsider someday.¡¯ [A certain god is joyful.] ¡°Oh! And¡­¡± ¡°What is it this time?¡± I answered, on edge. My mood went down when I saw that the god was happy. The demon shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem, you slaughtered all those gnolls, after all. Don¡¯t worry about i¡ª kirk?!¡± ¡°Say it now.¡± Hey, everyone! Twist the leg of that suspicious demon!¡± TN: ¡°leg twisting¡± was a common torture method in the past dynasties of Korea. ____ ____ Chapter 18 - [Act 6] The Green Pig Chapter 18 [Act 6] The Green Pig ¡°So what was your name again?¡± ¡°Kogmos.¡± We ended the conversation, retracing our friendship transcending species, and set out again. This demon¡¯s name was Kogmos. He was my fantasy translator. ¡°Nickname?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my real name. My family tree is rather impressive, but¡­ I¡¯m the 23rd child of the 14th Demon King¡¯s 348th wife, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°Wow! You were a prince?¡± ¡°Humans put great value in a royal status, but to us, those in power monopolize their spouses. Royals and nobles are quite common.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying you¡¯re a demon without even a decent facade.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Stop crying.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all your fault!¡± He made things quite difficult by dripping tears whenever I said something. Were all demons in the fantasy world like Kogmos? ¡°Is your pet name Kogmo?¡± ¡°Mos. It¡¯s a name the now 425th wife of the 7th Demon King¡­ an old friend, gave to me. There wasn¡¯t even a single word of congratulations to her breast-feeding her first child¡­¡± ¡°Uh.. um¡­ hang in there.¡± Who didn¡¯t have their own stories to tell in this world? The demon¡¯s circumstances of his pent-up issues with marriage was pitiful, but it wasn¡¯t as unfortunate as me getting kidnapped into a fantasy world. That was my fifth day missing. I had been torn away from my family. My chest tightened thinking about how worried my parents on Earth would be. [A certain god yawns loudly.] [A certain god rolls around, enjoying the sunbath.] The god was extremely uncomfortable whenever I got along with fairies or humans, but right then, they were ever so calm. Just what was their standard? ¡°By the way, when are you using the bathroom? It didn¡¯t look like you ate anything for the past two days.¡± ¡°Oh! It¡¯s already been two days, I see. Time goes by so fast.¡± It also meant that the demon and I had spent two days in the forest together. Is that how we bonded? Not at all! Species, cultures, hobbies, age¡­ There couldn¡¯t be a normal conversation between two males without anything in common or a connection. ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t eat or shit anything either.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a demon. Don¡¯t think of me as those inferior humans.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Stop crying.¡± As we were talking about useless things, the infernal forest ended, and we could see a sky blue plain. The demon, with his eyes dried out, coldly explained. ¡°Once the forest ends, it¡¯s the swordmasters¡¯ Knight Kingdom. It¡¯s also the orcs¡¯ territory, like I said before.¡± ¡°Orcs, you say¡­¡± They weren¡¯t an unfamiliar species. They were in charge of raising the characters¡¯ exp in fantasy novels, cartoons, and movies. But I couldn¡¯t let my guard down. There were quite a few works with a strange set-up like ¡®orcs are actually nice¡¯ for a unique twist. So I couldn¡¯t be sure until I saw an orc in person. ¡°Oh! There¡¯s one over there.¡± While the gnolls¡¯ habitat was a dense forest, orcs lived a small, nomadic lifestyle in a vast plain. I saw green pigs guiding cows and pigs. ¡°Sniff sniff. Smells like a human.¡± ¡°Give it up. They¡¯re all males.¡± ¡°But we can still fill our stomachs.¡± A biped pig following a biped hyena! But the only pig-like thing was the head and fat belly. Its arms and legs were like muscular logs, with solid pecs on its chest. It was one of the versions of an orc I¡¯d known on Earth. ¡°Oh, no¡­ It¡¯s all your fault.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°Your eyes, they glow like a gnoll¡¯s. Are you not aware how annoying that is on a night like this?¡± ¡°Aha!¡± I had gotten too used to the power and forgot. I thought I was unlucky because I ran into a group of orcs as soon as I entered their habitat, but it was really just the edgy effects. ¡°Do something about it¡­ you bastard! Why didn¡¯t you hide it if you already knew how to!¡± ¡°It looked cool.¡± ¡ªAnd I could see better in the dark. Flash! Reactivating the edgy effect, I looked straight at the group of orcs coming towards us. One, two, three, four¡­ Ten green biped pigs pointed their weapons towards us. ¡°I see they¡¯re relaxed.¡± Gnolls would have screamed ¡°meat¡± as they ran at us at full speed. It didn¡¯t seem like they were going to fight right away, but their stance wasn¡¯t all that gentlemanly either. It was like they were looking down on us. ¡°Well, look at yourself.¡± ¡°What about me?¡± ¡°You look like a small-time mercenary exhausted from fighting all those gnolls. And yet, you got a lot of riches with you.¡± Demon Kogmos scolded me, pointing to my bag of trophies. ¡°Hm. Should I talk to them?¡± ¡°Do whatever you want.¡± I wanted to beat up the demon¡¯s face for looking ready to laugh at me, but I held it in and took a step forward. After all, I was a good, cultured citizen of the smoke-fill Earth¡ªI loved peaceful solutions. ¡°Orc¡­¡± ¡°Skinny pig! Hand over everything you have!¡± ¡°¡­¡± I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be called a pig by a green pig. ¡°Skinny pig. Do you not know the pig language?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a human, not a pig.¡± ¡°A pig speaks the orc¡¯s tongue?¡± [Hero] It was thanks to the evil goddess¡¯s curse, but was a human speaking an orc language that big of a deal? The orcs, taken aback, talked amongst themselves and cried in unison. ¡°Boar! Give us everything you have!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll die if you don¡¯t!¡± ¡°Present us the female hog, too!¡± It was a much better vocabulary than those gnolls who only cried, ¡°meat¡±! But the contents of what they were saying weren¡¯t all that different. ¡°¡­Guess I don¡¯t have another choice.¡± Demon Kogmos told me orcs were much stronger than gnolls. And from the looks of it, they were used to working as a group for attacks or sieges. Could I beat them? I¡¯d simply die if I couldn¡¯t, but I wouldn¡¯t die easily. And above all¡­ [Outsider] [Fairy] ¡°Hey, you green pigs! Hand over everything you got!¡± ¡°We are orcs! Not pi¡ª oink?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I should be telling you!¡± ¡®We¡¯ll settle who the actual pigs are!¡¯ * * * Translator ¨C plvto Join our discord for updates on releases!! * * * After passing out from a concussion in the forest, Oh Hanwoo sprang up as soon as he gained consciousness. ¡°What about the gnolls?!¡± ¡°¡­I took care of all of them.¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s a relief¡­ Huh?¡± He relaxed after listening to the beautiful voice nearby, but his train of thought completely stopped for a moment. The girl was still beautiful. But she wasn¡¯t the same as before. ¡°What happened to your hand?!¡± Her left hand was gone. Her pretty, fair hand that was nothing like a mercenary¡¯s was gone and was tightly bandaged to stop the bleeding. She hid her left arm to the side and said, ¡°I made a mistake.¡± ¡°Because of me¡­?¡± ¡°No. I lost it because I let my guard down and looked elsewhere, so there¡¯s no need to blame yourself.¡± ¡°¡­¡± That couldn¡¯t be. Even Oh Hanwoo knew how to read the room. She must have lost it while trying to protect him and fight at the same time. [Special] He wasn¡¯t like the main character at all. It was pretty common for the main character to get help from a beautiful girl at the beginning when he was weak, but at most, the damage would be her clothes ripping. And even then, he would cover where her clothes ripped and ask, ¡°did you see that?¡± and move on. But this¡­ ¡°It¡¯s common. Countless mercenaries retire like this. I¡¯m just retiring a little early because I was unlucky.¡± ¡°What?! This doesn¡¯t make sense! I¡¯m the main character?!¡± ¡°Sir Oh Hanwoo¡­?¡± ¡°W-wait a minute. There must be a way to treat your hand! Using my blessing¡­ damn it! I¡¯ll acquire a blessing to solve this soon. This doesn¡¯t make any sense otherwise!¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m happy enough with you being sad for me.¡± ¡°Happy?! How can you be so¡­!¡± ¡°It was my mistake, so please don¡¯t blame yourself.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®She¡¯s not holding the boy who ruined her life responsible?¡¯ [Special] The blessing¡¯s effect didn¡¯t make him happy. Calling the girl strong would be an understatement, and Oh Hanwoo felt like he¡¯d go crazy listening to her. [A certain god of wind falls off their cloud from laughing.] [A certain immature god of dice asks how you¡¯re feeling.] [A certain god gives a thumbs up.] The gods were gleeful, even in a serious situation like that. ¡°Stop laughing! Is this funny to you?¡± [A certain god is displeased by you lashing out.] [A certain god decides to teach you a quick lesson.] ¡°What?! Wait! Just wait¡­!¡± Oh Hanwoo tried to clear the air after yelling at the Gods in a spurt of anger, but it was too late. [Name] Oh Hanwoo [Level] 1 [Blessings] Hero F, Special F, Mercenary F [Curses] See Through F [Dividend] 2.55 Without a moment for him to beg for forgiveness, there was a curse added to his status window. It was an effect that would have been incredible in all sorts of ways if it was a blessing. [See Through] > You are unable to take a peek, even if there are no physical barriers! > The chances of your weaknesses or secrets getting revealed increases significantly. It was from then on¡­ Oh Hanwoo saw the beautiful girl¡¯s breasts and bottom through a slightly foggy cloud as if it was censored. ¡®¡­Did my eyesight get worse?¡¯ Is what he thought for a moment, but her bittersweet face and surroundings all looked clear. ¡°O-oh my god¡­¡± This curse was too cruel for a vigorous young boy! But he couldn¡¯t complain. If he did, there would only be another curse. Holding down his anger, hero Oh Hanwoo remembered a more important problem. ¡®There must be a way¡­ oh!¡¯ ¡°Sir Oh Hanwoo. Now that you¡¯re awake, go back to a safe city for now. If the gnolls come back, I can¡¯t promise you¡¯ll live through it next time.¡± ¡°Okay, and it¡¯s not too late to lose hope.¡± ¡°Of course, since I¡¯m still alive¡­¡± ¡°No! I didn¡¯t mean it in such a depressing way! If you go to the city temple and ask the Saintess, she can restore your lost hand!¡± The solution Oh Hanwoo thought of was using the Saintess who could revive the dead. But the girl¡¯s face didn¡¯t light up at all. ¡°That will be difficult. The Saintess doesn¡¯t do anyone favors.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood for jokes¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m also serious. This is a matter of your life, after all.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Oh Hanwoo was sure he could change this crisis into an opportunity. ¡°I sincerely apologize for hiding my true identity this whole time.¡± ¡°Your true identity?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a legendary hero. And you are the hero¡¯s comrade. The Saintess will treat you at all costs!¡± *** The orcs¡¯ armor was quite sturdy compared to the gnolls. It looked silly, like an adult in children¡¯s clothing, but they could pass off as a human if it wasn¡¯t for their face and skin. And¡­ of course¡­ ¡°What the hell is this pig?!¡± ¡°Block him if you have the time to ask!¡± ¡°What? You try blocking him!¡± The way I saw it, orcs and gnolls weren¡¯t very different in terms of force required. It took around the same amount of time for the strong force of the blue dagger to cut open their stomachs. The demon had lied to me. ¡°Do you not have any respect for the dead?! Orcs are stronger than gnolls. Don¡¯t treat them the same!¡± ¡°Respect, my ass.¡± Unlike the gnolls who took a while to give up, I could get rid of every single orc thanks to them abandoning their companions and running away as soon as they knew they had the shorter end of the stick. They were more annoying than the gnolls, for sure. Stab- ¡°Oiiink~?!¡± I wiped off the blood on the blue dagger from the last orc that went down while screaming its pig throat out. I turned around and looked at demon Kogmos, who only sat back and watched that whole time. ¡°Hey. If you¡¯re accompanying me, shouldn¡¯t you at least help¡­ huh?¡± Flare flare~ The demon¡¯s bottom half was engulfed in white flames, quickly burning like a dry firewood. ¡®Isn¡¯t that dangerous?¡¯ Demon Kogmos spoke in a low voice with all the blood washed out from his face. ¡°L-look up at the sky.¡± ¡°The sky? Woah¡­¡± At first, I thought it was an airplane, but that couldn¡¯t be, this was a fantasy world. It was a white dragon. It was a fantasy creature with the body of a lizard and three pairs of wings. ¡°The Saintess is on there.¡± ¡°The Saintess?¡± ¡°As expected from humanity¡¯s greatest weapon. I can¡¯t believe she saw me from up there and hit me perfectly¡­ kirk! I was lucky. No, since I saw one of the two Saintesses in the entire world, does that make me unlucky¡­?¡± ¡°Ha~¡± The white dragon carrying the evil goddess¡¯s pawn disappeared into the air. ¡®Where did she go?¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s the direction of the fairy kingdom. If it¡¯s bad enough for the Saintess to take action, it can¡¯t be a small problem¡­¡± ¡°How about you worry about yourself first?¡± If he was a human, he¡¯d be dead by the time his bottom half was burnt and gone. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Talk. Are you dead?¡± ¡°Carry me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that! I don¡¯t want to be carried by an inferior human either, but I can¡¯t heal a wound from a holy flame quickly.¡± ¡°Goddamnit¡­¡± ¡®I¡¯ll pay back the Saintess for this shame and humiliation someday.¡¯ Chapter 19 Is this Hero for Real? Chapter 19 [Act 6] The Green Pig I never even carried my beloved parents before. Yet there I was, carrying a male demon on my back through a grass plain. Of course, I felt like¡­ ¡°The worst¡­¡± [A certain god suggests just killing yourself.] [A certain god suggests throwing him to the orcs as orc food.] The god was favorable in their own way to the demon after listening to his sad story. But they switched attitudes after I carried him on my back. I almost thought about it, thanks to the encouragement from the ill-mannered god, but I held back. All that time I spent with the demon would be wasted. Kogmos complained. ¡°I also feel like the worst.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°If word gets out I got help from a low-rank human, I¡¯ll never be able to marry until I die¡­ ¡± ¡°Aha! I¡¯ll spread rumors everywhere if you run away later.¡± ¡°Are you really human?! How dare you threaten a demon?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m a human that almost became a hero.¡± ¡®I wonder how the undutiful children who fell into the goddess¡¯s temptation are all doing.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t my place to worry about them, but I grew sympathy that wasn¡¯t there before after going to the outskirts of the human village. I couldn¡¯t believe there were no flushing toilets¡­ [Outsider] I never needed to use the toilet thanks to being freed from my bodily functions, but it was gruesome to even think about. ¡°You were almost a hero?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you tell from my status window?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking because I saw your status window. Demons are usually the ones who get the Hero Curse.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Those who run away after losing against a hero get the Hero¡¯s Curse. Realistically, revenge is impossible because it¡¯s hard to level up. That¡¯s why we think of demons with the Hero Curse as dead.¡± ¡°How dreadful.¡± The ¡°You won¡¯t get away with this!¡± villain line I saw in fantasy novels and comics full of dreams and hopes had been ultimately blocked out. On my back, Kogmos tried to act smart. ¡°It¡¯s the reason I decided to help a low human like you. There¡¯s a saying that your enemy¡¯s enemy is a comra¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s just because you were weak.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I don¡¯t want to wet my shoulders with male tears.¡± I thought my mood was already at rock bottom, but there was something even worse. The tearful demon spoke. ¡°You¡¯re the strange one! How did a low-rank human get this much power from a mere fairy Blessing!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± This guy has some guts. How could he ignore the Outsider¡¯s Blessing in front of god? He¡¯s definitely getting divine punishment. [A certain god is uncomfortable.] [A certain god looks back at the past.] [A certain god sighs.] Huh? Hey god? I thought they would order me to punish this arrogant demon, but he was surprisingly quiet. The clueless demon kept babbling. ¡°Or is there something I don¡¯t know about the Outsider Blessing?¡± ¡°Believe whatever you want.¡± I didn¡¯t realize how uncomfortable it was that my status window was exposed to strangers. I felt naked. I had looked past it when the main character in a fantasy genre could see everyone¡¯s status windows. But when I was on the receiving end, I realized the main character was a real asshole! The demon kept digging his own grave, unaware of my mood. ¡°I gathered all sorts of information while wandering the world to grow stronger.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of the Outsider¡¯s Blessing. Maybe if it was a Curse¡­¡± ¡°Oh, really.¡± Of course he¡¯d never heard of it. I was the first person to introduce Earth¡¯s advanced culture, ¡®Outsider¡¯, to this savage fantasy world. This god was just moved by that and named a Blessing after it. There was no way it was there before. ¡°Resets all states¡­ Returns you to the beginning¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Am I misunderstanding this?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I didn¡¯t feel the need to respond, so I just kept walking. And yet, Kogmos the demon didn¡¯t give up and babbled on and on. ¡°You probably don¡¯t eat or shit thanks to this Outsider¡¯s Blessing. It can¡¯t be possible if you¡¯re an average human.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And you don¡¯t even get tired. Your wounds from the orcs heal immediately, too.¡± ¡°¡­shut up, will you?¡± I was feeling worse and worse. My displeasure even went beyond the time my lips were sexually harassed by the female fairy. And yet, the demon on my back carried on. ¡°There¡¯s no doubt it¡¯s a conniving Blessing up to this point.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± I felt a little better after that compliment. Was that the carrot and stick method? The demon got to the point. ¡°But you can never grow if all stats reset.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Come to think of it, he was right! ¡°Then how do you keep getting stronger?¡± ¡°I am?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Don¡¯t look at me like that. I really don¡¯t know.¡¯ * * * * * * The heroes were dispirited after getting utterly defeated by a single level 5 gnoll. Prince Alsus gathered the hope of humanity, who were wallowing in self-hate, to reassure them. ¡°Do not worry about it too much. A gnoll¡¯s strength multiplies when it is full. You will be able to defeat it with ease when you reach a higher level.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± ¡°Okayy¡­¡± Although they resembled a bunch of defeated troops, the heroes¡¯ improvement was glaring. Level 4 average. They were strong enough to kill an average gnoll through a pincer attack with ease. It was fine up to this point¡­ The commander of the knights gave Prince Alsus a report with a grim face. ¡°Prince. We couldn¡¯t find a trace of the mercenary who wiped out the gnolls¡¯ habitat.¡± The heroes had suddenly run out of gnolls to hunt. The knights, trying to figure out what happened, found the gnolls¡¯ habitats empty. They had been occupying themselves over the issue for the past two days. ¡ªWith very little progress. ¡°Commander, what have you found out so far?¡± ¡°We assumed it was the act of an infamous mercenary this whole time.¡± ¡°Right.¡± It was because there were too many gnolls for it to be done by a few skilled men. ¡°But the experts seemed certain that it was the act of the knights.¡± ¡°The knights¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. They said the swordsmanship left on the gnolls¡¯ armor were all the same.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s odd.¡± The forest entrance was strictly regulated so that the heroes could hunt comfortably. But an anonymous knight had intruded and destroyed the gnolls¡¯ habitat in a single night? That seemed realistically impossible. ¡°It could be a solo culprit¡­ hm¡­¡± Prince Alsus took back what he said. Everyone had a limit to their stamina. It would be impossible for even Prince Alsus himself, who was called the swordmaster Knight Kingdom¡¯s prodigy. If it was the legendary hero with countless Blessings, on the other hand¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Those heroes were in shock after all dying to a single gnoll. ¡°¡­Commander. It¡¯s a bit early, but please hurry the preparation so that the heroes can hunt orcs.¡± ¡°But the investigation¡­¡± ¡°Entrust it to the information guild. I can¡¯t afford to disperse talent as our plans move ahead.¡± ¡°Yessir.¡± Relaxing his stern face after ordering the Commander of the Knights, Prince Alsus turned back to the heroes. ¡°We are going to go a bit deeper for the hunt today. As long as you¡¯ve leveled up, it should be like last time¡­¡± Bang! An unwelcome guest came into the holy place where the heroes were gathered. Opening the door with force, he strode forward with a beautiful girl by his side. Normally, he was supposed to be removed and punished by then, but the knights and hierarchs did not move. The unwelcome guest was a Hero. ¡°I came after hearing the Saintess had come back to the Temple!¡± ¡°¡­Hero Oh Hanwoo. Please keep your manners.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Prince Alsus! But this girl¡¯s life is on the line!¡± Hero Oh Hanwoo. .. The boy who declared he would move independently came back in two days, and he was making a fuss to let him meet the Saintess. Princess Ethena, who was staying silent, jumped in surprise at the sight of the beautiful ¡®girl¡¯. ¡°Oh my! You¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°Princess. I am a mercenary now. Although I¡¯m planning to go back to the territory after retiring.¡± ¡°The territory? Why so suddenl¡­ oh?!¡± ¡°Things happened¡­¡± The girl put on a bittersweet expression as she hid her left arm behind her. Oh Hanwoo got louder because of that. ¡°Hurry, the Saintess¡­!¡± ¡°How noisy.¡± Through the small back door, the Saintess arrived with hierarchs at her side. ¡°Saintess! I have a request¡ªkirk!¡± Clang! Clang! She silently observed Oh Hanwoo, who was stopped by her entourage. [Name] Oh Hanwoo [Level] 1 [Blessings] Hero F, Mercenary F [Curses] See Through F ¡°¡­Shocking indeed. Still at level 1 with a Curse as well?¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­ I recruited an excellent companion instead!¡± Listening to his excuse, the Saintess turned to the so-called excellent companion. [Name] Ara [Level] 12 [Blessings] Royal B, Charm E, Warrior D, Mercenary C [Curses] Student F [Dividend] ¨C ¡°A B rank noble Blessing. If she herself isn¡¯t a marquis, she must be the daughter of a duke. However, I don¡¯t know if that alone makes her superior¡­¡± ¡°She risked her life to save me!¡± Hero Oh Hanwoo, thought ¡°I knew it!¡± to himself after hearing she was the daughter of a noble family. The Saintess looked back at him with an empty face. ¡°Is the reason you think of her as excellent because of her looks?¡± ¡°N-no!¡± Oh Hanwoo was taken aback by the blunt question. ¡°Then what about her is so excellent?¡± ¡°Her noble heart¡­¡± ¡°Look around you. You are with at least level 30 knights and hierarchs who would gladly give their lives for humanity¡¯s victory.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I ask again, what is so excellent about her?¡± Oh Hanwoo, defeated by the logic, squeezed out an excuse. ¡°Her potential!¡± ¡°I see. She would be a beautiful woman in a few years.¡± ¡°Exactl¡­ No, I¡¯m talking about her talents!¡± ¡°There are many with that kind of talent around you. During the five days you wandered as a level 1, your friends grew to be level 6. That is talent you couldn¡¯t imagine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Oh Hanwoo looked around him. Choi Gangmin, Jang Miyeon, Yoo Bora¡­ They were all laughing at the ¡®level 1 Hero¡¯. Such tremendous humiliation! The Saintess asked, looking down at him like a rock on the ground. ¡°Do you still have something to say?¡± ¡°Saintess! Aria is my valuable comrade. Please treat her hand!¡± Oh Hanwoo spoke his truth with a red face. This humiliation was nothing as long as he could treat the beautiful girl¡¯s hand¡­! ¡°I refuse.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Before you make a request, prove to me your worth.¡± [Special] Hero Oh Hanwoo¡¯s main character buff did not work on the Saintess. *** The orcs lived a simple life in groups. They usually wandered aimlessly, raising cows and sheep, but turned into bandits once they saw a human. But I was the same way. Usually, I was a good, cultured citizen, but once I saw an orc¡­ ¡°Run! Ru¡ªoink?!¡± ¡°What is this pig¡ªoiiink?!¡± ¡°Pig! Let¡¯s talk things ou¡ªoink?!¡± Slash! Slash! Orcs didn¡¯t call for their friends or neighbors like gnolls did, but they obviously stood out as they ran through an empty plain with nothing to hide themselves. They¡¯d slaughter humans like wild pigs if they saw them.. So¡­ ¡°Oooiiink~!¡± I slaughtered them neatly. As that went on for a few days, I unintentionally ended up gathering a bunch of trophies¡­ ¡°Neigh~¡± ¡°Moo~¡± ¡°Baah~¡± I got a couple of cows, horses, sheep, pigs, and goats the orcs had raised and loaded them with our things. Including a male demon! My strides were full of life after getting a load off my body and mind! [A certain god is at ease.] Even god! I could finally breathe now that they weren¡¯t pestering me to kill the male demon. ¡°By the way, I don¡¯t see any female orcs. Do the chiefs monopolize them?¡± ¡°Are you stupid?¡± ¡°huhh?¡± Demon Kogmos, tied to a black cow¡¯s back, picked a fight with me. ¡°You¡¯re putting the wives in cruel, hard labor after killing the orcs.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not nonsense¡­ oh! It¡¯s giving birth right on time. Look over there.¡± ¡°Look at what¡­ hup!¡± The horse I took because of how plump its belly was suddenly turned flat. ¡ªAnd a green baby pig came out between its legs. Plop. ¡°Waah~!¡± ¡°There are no female orcs. Instead, they don¡¯t distinguish female species.¡± ¡°Oh, shit¡­¡± Fantasy pigs were incredible omnivores beyond my imagination. ____ ____ Chapter 20 Is this Hero for Real? Chapter 20 [Act 6] The Green Pig ¡°Interesting~¡± I used to wonder¡­ How come monsters in fantasy worlds never went extinct? I could think of it simply, like mosquitoes and other bugs, but then there was the question of how and where they got their food and reproduced. The solution was unexpectedly simple¡­ No thinking needed! ¡ªThe author created and killed them off whenever they were needed. Simply give up on making the difficult food chain or reproduction. After all, it¡¯s boring~ Stab! ¡°Hey, baby pig. Be a human in your next life.¡± That¡¯s right. That stuff was boring. There was something I regretted deeply a few days prior when I was running away after being betrayed by the fairies. Don¡¯t leave room for any future troubles! I had to eliminate any possible threats in that fantasy world full of ungrateful savages. ¡°Cruel bastard. How could you do that to a newborn orc¡­¡± ¡°Hey, demon. Are you gonna raise it and send it off to marriage?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If not, shut up.¡± I hated the kind that imposed idealism others showed while not acting on it themselves the most. Who would take responsibility if the orc grew up and put innocent humans in distress? They¡¯d complain about it regardless of what I did. It wasn¡¯t even funny, really. ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°Young orcs are sold at a high price. They castrate it early to kill off its wild nature and use them as livestock.¡± ¡°Livestock, you say¡­ good thing I killed it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re happy you just threw away a pile of money? I can¡¯t understand how you think at all.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t.¡± There was no way a demon that recovered even after getting the bottom half of their body burnt off could understand how a eunuch felt! Of course, that didn¡¯t mean I was a eunuch at all¡ª ¡°Wait.¡± I didn¡¯t have room to pay attention because of all those life-threatening ordeals, but¡­ ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°We¡¯re doomed.¡± ¡°Because you killed a young orc?¡± ¡°You think I¡¯d be sorry over one pig after killing a bunch of other baby gnolls?¡± ¡°Then what is it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even try to figure it out. If you figure it out this time, I¡¯ll actually kill you.¡± [Outsider] ¡®I can¡¯t get agitated, no matter what.¡¯ *** The Hero requested to treat the hand of a girl that saved him. The Saintess questioned him with a confused face. ¡°Why must I pay your debts, Hero Oh Hanwoo?¡± ¡°That¡­ that¡¯s¡­ well¡­¡± Hero Oh Hanwoo, who wasn¡¯t expecting to get denied in the first place, could not give a solid answer. ¡°It seems you are taking the miracle of the Saintess lightly.¡± ¡°I am not!¡± He couldn¡¯t possibly disregard the Saintess¡¯ power that could even revive the dead! ¡°You¡¯re not? I think you¡¯re greatly mistaken.¡± After a look from the Saintess, her entourage opened a fancy scroll and started to read it out loud. ¡°Our nation would like to express gratitude to the Saintess for healing the great Council-woman, Celebless, by gifting the following: 200 ancient moonlight tree bows, 15 spirit swords that hold the essence of the forest, 600 tamed unicorns, 15 feathers of a phoenix, 3 earth dragon scales, 1 bottle of the tears of the Fairy King, 3 blessed shadow cloaks¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t just the physical gifts¡­ The Fairy Kingdom either conceded or turned a blind eye when it came to political or military issues between the humans, whether it was big or small. That was a Hero. He knew the quality of the formalities was good, but not that there would be that much special treatment. The Saintess gave a short explanation. ¡°Make a request after you¡¯ve proven yourself to be this valuable.¡± Oh Hanwoo, thinking it would be the end if he didn¡¯t answer on the spot, stood firm and insisted. ¡°Think of it as an investment¡­! It may not be right now, but I¡¯ll quickly become stronger¡­!¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll talk after you¡¯ve become stronger, like your friends.¡± ¡°¡­¡± His friends were busy laughing at him. ¡°Look at you now, after acting high and mighty and running off?¡± ¡°Was he hoping for a harem?¡± ¡°An outsider doing outsider things.¡± And some Heroes looked at him like he was a piece of trash, a pest. ¡°Perverted bastard.¡± ¡°Disgusting.¡± As the Saintess had pointed out, it was because he didn¡¯t look like a comrade who got involved for ¡®sublime intentions¡¯. ¡°N-no I¡¯m not!¡± [A certain male god scolds that lying is bad.] [A certain immature god of dice is disappointed you¡¯re not standing proud.] [A certain evil god snickers.] The gods looked down happily at the troubled Oh Hanwoo. Then¡­ ¡°Saintess. This may be a presumptuous request, but may I take in that swordswoman as my apprentice?¡± Hero Yoo Bora butted in. Her tidy, model student impression was the same as always, but the emotion in her voice and facial expression was completely gone. The Saintess¡¯ sharp eyes from looking at Oh Hanwoo turned soft. [Name] Yoo Bora [Level] 6 [Blessings] Hero E, Magic B, Weapon E, Fortitude F [Curses] ¨C [Dividend] 3.84 Because Yoo Bora was a Hero with excellent grades. Although Jang Miyeon was solo leading from obsessively taking care of herself after almost becoming a gnoll¡¯s victim, Yoo Bora and Choi Gangmin tied first in the comprehensive evaluation for the Blessings and individual talents. She couldn¡¯t be disliked. ¡°If that is what Hero Yoo Bora wishes, then I will grant it.¡± Comrade? It would be a relief if she didn¡¯t hold back the Heroes. But wouldn¡¯t she be useful being Hero Yoo Bora¡¯s companion, who was having a hard time from being an outcast? ¡ªIs what the Saintess thought. She didn¡¯t ask for the opinion of the one getting treated. ¡°Your hand, Aria.¡± ¡°¡­huh? Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± It was a determined tone as if to say, ¡®I¡¯m not wasting any more time on you.¡¯ Under pressure, the girl held back from asking if she could tell her family about it and hurriedly ran to her savior. The Saintess turned around and spoke. ¡°Prince Alsus, too much time has been delayed from a useless disturbance. Please hurry along your with your plans.¡± ¡°Yes, Saintess.¡± The Heroes blatantly laughed at Oh Hanwoo as they walked past him. ¡°Damnit, damnit, damnit¡­!¡± Oh Hanwoo was looked down on by everyone and even got his beautiful comrade taken from him. While he was about to go crazy, a ray of light shined upon him. ¡°Keep your head up, Hero!¡± ¡°¡­Princess?¡± Princess Ethena had stayed behind, watching him with warm eyes that weren¡¯t full of disgust. ¡°You may not have gotten acknowledgment, but you didn¡¯t do anything wrong. It ended up looking like Hero Yoo Bora saved her, but you¡¯re the one who carried her to the Aria temple. Thank you so much for saving my childhood friend!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± * * * * * * ¡°This is my gift to you in return. Please be my second apprentice.¡± ¡°Oh? Okay.¡± Oh Hanwoo had never gotten a magic lesson, but he still answered on impulse. ¡®Your second apprentice?¡¯ As he was about to question her, he jumped in surprise at the change in his body. [Magic] Oh Hanwoo lacked the basic information to know this, but he had earned a Blessing necessary for mages. ¡°I wish you the best of luck.¡± Princess Ethena gracefully bowed, holding her dress in both hands, and joined the group that was getting farther away. Oh Hanwoo snapped out of his trance and muttered to himself, ¡°I can¡¯t believe Princess Ethena liked me¡­¡± [A certain bold god of beauty drops their jaw.] [A certain male god applauds you for your own interpretation.] [A certain immature god of dice gives you a ten out of ten.] [A certain god¡­] Hero Oh Hanwoo¡¯s adventure wasn¡¯t over yet. *** ¡°You should smile. Even I¡¯m getting anxious because of the moody vibe you¡¯ve been giving off.¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡®No one must know I¡¯m a eunuch.¡¯ [A certain god is curious.] ¡°You might be happy about it, outsider god¡­¡± Since I¡¯d probably never stop being an Outsider. [A certain god pesters you that they¡¯re extremely curious.] ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± [A certain god is complaining.] [A certain god is complaining.] [A certain god is complaining.] [A certain god¡­] After staying quiet for a while, the god was back to spamming me again! But I wasn¡¯t going to tell him, no matter what. ¡°Hey you¡­ are you really talking with god? You weren¡¯t insane?¡± ¡°It¡¯s common.¡± I answered nonchalantly to the shocked demon. That was nothing in a fantasy world where giant lizards flew in the air instead of airplanes. ¡°¡­Are you the Demon King?¡± ¡°Are you insane? Where in the world is there a level 1 demon king?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not insane! I asked because the only ones who can hear an oracle themselves are Demon Kings and Heroes. But there¡¯s no way a Hero can get a Hero¡¯s Curse.¡± ¡°Just shrug it off.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a strange one, really.¡± Having recovered his bottom half from the Saintess¡¯s attack, demon Kogmos hid his horns that symbolized demons right away with magic. They weren¡¯t actually gone, he told me it was a superficial illusion. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you do that from the start?¡± ¡°Then my recovery would be slower. Plus, isn¡¯t it impossible for a human to stay alive without half their body? It would be useless for me to hide my horns, anyways.¡± ¡°You¡¯re actually pretty clever.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, I am.¡± I underestimated it because it was the second-closest city, but it took an extremely long time even though we were moving without a break. Was it because we didn¡¯t have too far left to go? ¡°$#@ $#@ $!¡± ¡°Pigs! Hand over everything you got!¡± ¡°%# #$! #@$%!¡± ¡°Hahaha! How ridiculous for a mere pig!¡± ¡°$#! %$! @%#!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s kill these pigs first before robbing them!¡± We came across fantasy natives who were traveling in the same direction as us. Being escorted with several carriages, they collided head-on with the orcs on their cows and horses! Bam! Bang! ¡°[email protected]#~?!¡± ¡°Oink~?!¡± The humans and orcs screamed in unison as they got tangled up together. But not too much time passed before the scene turned into the orc¡¯s one-sided slaughter. It was inevitable. Like gnolls, orcs only go for prey that looks weaker than them¡ªthey only attacked if they were sure of their victory. ¡°Are you not gonna help them out as a fellow human?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t marry an old demon king, either.¡± ¡°Fair enough. My bad.¡± ¡°¡­But I can get revenge for them.¡± ¡°Heartless bastard.¡± Condemned by the sensitive demon, I watched the scene unfold from afar. The humans, who seemed to be mercenaries, had their backs to the extravagant carriage and were building their last line of defense. ¡°I smell a female pig.¡± ¡°We¡¯re done! Load all the food!¡± ¡°Ignore them, hurry up and get away!¡± The orcs didn¡¯t go out of their way to attack the humans with their full guard up and tried to leave as quickly as possible with the stolen carriage. Just as it looked like the orcs¡¯ victory¡­ Clunk. Lady A and Lady B walked out as the fancy door opened. ¡°%#!¡± Flames erupted like grenades every time Lady A, wearing an elegant black dress, opened her palms. Bang! Poof! Poof¡­! ¡°What are those female pigs?!¡± ¡°I think they¡¯ll give birth to strong kids.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re gonna die before that!¡± The orcs burned like dry straws or passed out one by one. They couldn¡¯t escape because the cows and horses were frozen by the flame magic. It would only be a matter of time for the green pigs to get exterminated. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t like this.¡± ¡°Are you mad your innocent species are alive?¡± ¡°What do you mean, mad?! Don¡¯t say stuff like that! I meant that I was disappointed because I couldn¡¯t avenge them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same thing.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± Lady A and Lady B from the extravagant carriage looked like upper-class humans in the fantasy world. I had to befriend people like them in power in order to not be distressed by those fantasy savages. Why so? The answer was simple¡ª ¡°Fuup!¡± Taking a deep breath, I shouted loud enough for my echoes to be heard all across the plain. ¡°There¡¯s a super pretty female pig here!¡± I wasn¡¯t lying. I didn¡¯t know about the orcs¡¯ eye for beauty, but the two ladies who went back inside the fancy carriage looked extraordinary. Never mind if they¡¯re not. ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Rounding up pigs.¡± ¡ªCreate your own problems! I¡¯d be fair and square and befriend them through fraud. ____ ____ Chapter 21 Is this Hero for Real? Chapter 21 [Act 6] The Green Pig It all started with the evil goddess¡¯s involvement. [Hero] Fantasy humans couldn¡¯t understand my yelling, but the fantasy pigs could understand me word for word. I was pretty loud, so the orcs around that area must have heard everything. The demon was flabbergasted. ¡°You think that will summon the orcs?¡± ¡°It¡¯s worth a try.¡± ¡°Who would believe your words?¡±¡°What would an orc believe if not the orcs¡¯ language?¡± ¡°You really think orcs¡­¡± Demon Kogmos slurred his words while trying to stubbornly disagree. I grinned. ¡°The gnolls are bad liars. What about the orcs?¡± I looked around me. ¡ªAn empty plain without a single obstacle to block my field of vision. According to my observations from hunting the orcs, they didn¡¯t lie about what they found. They¡¯d get caught red-handed right away. They couldn¡¯t get away with it like the ¡®boy who cried wolf¡¯ on beautiful Earth. So my conclusion? ¡°The beautiful female pig is mine!¡± ¡°Are you kidding? She¡¯s mine!¡± ¡°Move! Move over, weak orcs!¡± Thud thud thud thud. Orcs riding cows and horses came from all directions. They saw us on the way, but was it because they thought of matchmaking as more important? ¡°Male pig! Wait right there!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be back soon! Skinny pig!¡± They whizzed past. Demon Kogmos muttered with a flabbergasted expression. ¡°You¡¯re using your Curse as a Blessing¡­¡± ¡°Now then! Let¡¯s hurry.¡± ¡°Hm? Wasn¡¯t the plan to save the female human right when all the mercenaries are down?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± I wasn¡¯t obligated to bring danger upon myself just to help fantasy natives. But that time, I was responsible for cornering them in such a situation. That was all. [A certain god suggests leaving them to die.] ¡°Dear outsider god, we gotta help those in need~¡± ¡°In need? You¡¯re one to talk!¡± ¡°Shut up, weak demon.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The fantasy natives, taken aback by the orcs¡¯ charging, rebuilt a line of defense around the carriage. Ladies A and B got up from their seats as soon as they sat down and fought vigorously like before. ¡°$ @#$! @#!¡± ¡°%#, $#!¡± But their expressions and moods were not as composed as before. It was obvious from how visibly slower Lady A¡¯s magic and Lady B¡¯s swordsmanship had gotten. ¡°The female pigs are worn out!¡± ¡°For our strong offspring!¡± ¡°Ahahaha! Go harder!¡± The orcs, certain of their victory, didn¡¯t even fear death. They acted completely different from when they were going after the humans¡¯ carriage and belongings. Their obsession was shocking. ¡°#¡­?!¡± It would have been better if I walked in like the main character right before Ladies A or B were defeated, but I rushed into it for the sake of the innocent fantasy savages. That was my undoing, after all. I¡¯d feel uneasy if someone died because of that. [Outsider] [Fairy] With those two blessings and the ¡®Power of Meat¡¯, I swung at an orc¡¯s spine. Crack. ¡°Oooiink?!¡± The orc burst into desperate cries right before it was about to stomp on a fallen mercenary¡¯s head. ¡°Let me borrow that for a bit.¡± I pulled the orc¡¯s spinal joint from its back and threw it full force. Pow-! ¡°Oiink?!¡± ¡ªIt put a hole right through a nearby orc¡¯s flat nose. Plop. That was all in one breath. That came to me as naturally as breathing after slaughtering countless orcs who called a cultured Earthling a pig. ¡°The strong pig is back!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a male pig. We lose even if we win.¡± ¡°Get rid of him quickly, and get the female pig¡­!¡± The orcs were unfazed by the sudden death of their comrade. They were quick to surround me and attack from every direction. ¡°Geez.¡± ¡®They¡¯re looking down at me a bit too much because I¡¯m level 1.¡¯ I wouldn¡¯t have caused any of that trouble if I thought it would be dangerous. Neigh! Using much of my force, I swung the blue dagger sideways. ¡°Oink¡­?¡± ¡°Ooiink¡­?¡± The orcs, who were making a pretty good attempt to put me down, all collapsed as they got cut in half. They didn¡¯t seem to understand how they died. No need to be embarrassed. They all died like that. ¡°@#!¡± ¡°$ @!¡± ¡°@ $!¡± The people talked all at once towards me. Who are you? Thanks! Thank you! What a relief! Help us! Hand over your bag! What are you?! ¡ªI guessed it would be something like that. ¡°Kogmo. What are those people say¡ª¡± ¡°Watch out!¡± Pow! I collided headfirst with an orc charging like a bull. * * * * * * The legendary Hero chosen by the gods was the hope for humanity. But what would happen if said Hero showed a disappointing act to the fantasy natives? The groups in power that sponsored or supported the Hero would get politically attacked. To prevent that? ¡°Hero Oh Hanwoo, you have three choices.¡± Hero Oh Hanwoo, who took care of food and housing with a meddlesome young girl¡¯s money, didn¡¯t have anywhere to go. So, on his way to ¡®his room¡¯¡­ Clang! Clang! He was stopped by the guards at the Temple¡¯s lavish dorm entrance. ¡°What is this?! I¡¯m a Hero!¡± ¡°But you are a failed Hero.¡± ¡°What-?!¡± Oh Hanwoo was at a loss for words from the cynical words of the hierarch standing behind the guards. ¡°Let me explain again. You have three options now that you are no longer sponsored. First, accept your independent fund and give up. In this case, you cannot call yourself a Hero in informal settings. If you get caught doing so, that is an immediate death sentence.¡± ¡°D-death sentence?!¡± ¡°Second, go back to your training, but you will not get any sponsorships until you give knight-like results.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the third?¡± The second one wasn¡¯t even worth thinking about. He¡¯d rather die than train while getting laughed at by the other Heroes. ¡°Third, entrust yourself to the Temple. We will be responsible and take care of you for the rest of your life. Marriage and old age included, but you cannot step foot outside the temple until the day you die.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± The third was the worst too. Forever stuck in a Temple without an adventure, the whole point of a fantasy world? It was no different from a death sentence. ¡°We cannot give you time to think for too long.¡± ¡°Am I the first?¡± ¡°No.¡± At least that was a relief. But Oh Hanwoo, angry at himself for getting relieved at not being last place, answered promptly. ¡°I¡¯ll go with the first option.¡± ¡°Alright. Then please sign here.¡± ¡°This is¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a contract. It would be troublesome if the reputation of the other Heroes got tainted because of your impudent judgements, you see. This is a safety measure.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hero Oh Hanwoo carefully read the contract the Hierarch gave him. He was going to pick on anything that sounded unreasonable, but everything was logical and fair. ¡°Please tell us if you think anything is unfair.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s alright.¡± It might have been different if an expert looked at it, but what reason was there to go through all that trouble to scam a level 1 Hero? It would be better to just assassinate him. Oh Hanwoo, coming to that conclusion, didn¡¯t hesitate to sign the paper. ¡°We will provide you with an I.D. shortly. It has much more credibility than your current slime rank mercenary ID, so it will be helpful when you cross national borders and settle down.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so different¡­¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Oh! Don¡¯t mind me, I was just talking to myself. It was much too different. In the fantasy genres, the temple or kingdom that throws out the main character were supposed to be hypocritical, evil forces. They were the ones the main character was supposed to yell, ¡°I¡¯ll make you regret all of this!¡± at. But this was¡­ ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have any problems until retirement with this amount. That is if you don¡¯t live largely or get scammed.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°There are many noble families who want a Hero¡¯s bloodline. We can arrange it for you if you plan on getting married.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m good.¡± He was tempted for a moment, but Hero Oh Hanwoo had a clear goal in mind. A harem! He wanted to live happily with pretty girls who liked him. Oh Hanwoo and the Hierarch chatted as they quickly arrived at the temple gates. Clink. ¡°Here are your promised independence funds and ID.¡± ¡°Can I use these however I want?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Nice, hehehe.¡± ¡°¡­we will not help you if you get scammed.¡± ¡°Yeah yeah, of course.¡± Former Hero Oh Hanwoo headed towards the slave market on the outskirts of the city with his heavy pouch. Towards his big win! [A certain immature god of dice follows with popcorn in their hands.] *** ¡°What do I have to be careful about?¡± ¡°That red orc¡­ never mind, don¡¯t worry about it¡­¡± There was a massive hole in the stomach of the orc who ran into me. After its green skin turned red like a maple leaf, it got faster than the others. ¡ªA similar ability to the gnolls¡¯ after their eyes turned red. I would have subdued him for observation if I¡¯d known anything beforehand, but I killed him in shock. It was clearly a mistake of my half. ¡®Should I investigate the orcs¡¯ lifestyle this time?¡¯ ¡°[email protected]# # %¡­?¡± ¡°$ ^%. I thought ^$ die.¡± ¡°@^$ for saving us.¡± I was proud I could understand some of it. My studying paid off! [A certain god is displeased.] [A certain god suggests killing them all to be fair.] ¡°¡­¡± ¡®This god gets displeased as soon as I get a little closer with my species.¡¯ What was I supposed to say? Before that, I decided to take care of the chaos around me. ¡°What the hell is that male pig?!¡± ¡°Just go for the female pig!¡± ¡°How dare a mere pig¡­!¡± ¡®A fantasy pig calling me a pig, I feel like a damn pig!¡¯ I wouldn¡¯t be human if I didn¡¯t wipe all of them out. ¡°Hey, turn red.¡± ¡°How does a skinny pig know the orc¡¯s lang¡ª oink?!¡± ¡°Never mind if you can¡¯t.¡± The orcs attacked endlessly hoping I¡¯d tire out. [Outsider] The gnolls got completely destroyed because they couldn¡¯t let go of that hope, but the orcs were quick to give up. They let go of the instinct to leave behind strong offspring and started to run away chaotically. ¡°You won¡¯t get away with this, male pig!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll take your female pigs from you next time! Beware!¡± ¡°Skinny pig! Next time¡ª oink?1¡± You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. I slaughtered every single one of the orcs that wanted to see another day. ¡°¡­Are you okay?¡± Demon Kogmos asked. I was covered in orc blood. ¡°I¡¯m totally fine.¡± ¡°Not you.¡± The people, still surrounding the fancy carriage, were struck in horror watching me, not the orcs. Why? ¡­Ah! I¡¯d unintentionally hid the edgy effect while I was hunting the orcs. It was too late, but it was better than leaving it as it was. ¡°Kogmo. You explain.¡± ¡°You cause all of th¡­ ahem! Excuse me. I am Kogmos the Mage. This is knight Kang Hansoo. You may have already guessed from the unique name, but our friend here doesn¡¯t know the Western language.¡± ¡®Woah! Not bad.¡¯ I guess he wasn¡¯t lying when he talked about his long travels to find a partner¡ªthat¡¯s how incredible demon Kogmos¡¯ quick wit was. He used an odd, ancient language with me to hide the fact he was a ¡®demon¡¯. If he hadn¡¯t¡­ ¡°@$# Kang Hansoo #$ ^$#. %$ ^$% &^$.¡± ¡°As Miss Lasha pointed out, he does have the Hero¡¯s Curse, but he¡¯s not a bad person at all. Look at his Fairy¡¯s Blessing.¡± ¡°$#@ % $%? $ %#$ @# ^$#¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re correct. A C rank, in fact. Keeping in mind that a human married to a fairy is an E rank, it is an unparalleled level of faith.¡± Oh? It was? It looked like the sexual assaulter who kissed me had at least some conscience. [Fairy] [Hero] It counterbalanced my Curse that was no different than a criminal¡¯s mark. ¡°Damn goddess¡­¡± She really went all out to bury me, a good cultured Earthling, alive in this fantasy society. ¡°Kang Hansoo #.¡± Lady A, who was suspicious because of my Hero¡¯s Curse, approached me. ¡°$#@ # %#.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°She says she¡¯s really sorry for doubting a savior.¡± ¡°Aha!¡± So¡­ Kang Hansoo, a good Earthling, could finally gain the trust of the fantasy savages! [A certain god is displeased.] [A certain god despises how things are going.] [A certain god drills that betrayal means death.] ¡°¡­what a difficult life.¡± Guess I didn¡¯t have a choice. I made a major decision to calm the wrath of god. ____ ____ Chapter 22 Is this Hero for Real? Chapter 22 [Act 7] And Your Reputation? [A certain god is humming.] [A certain god says there¡¯s nothing wrong with being a eunuch.] [A certain god is very pleased.] ¡°¡­¡± [Outsider] There was a critical con to that covinous blessing. The god seemed happy with the secret I had to carry to my grave. Your misfortune is my happiness! Weren¡¯t they supposed to at least pretend to make me feel better? Clueless to all of that, Kogmos spoke to me, ¡°Look nicer. It¡¯s awkward enough with you not being able to talk. You¡¯re making it even harder to talk to with that face.¡± ¡°¡­Fine.¡± I sacrificed my dignity to calm the wrath of god. ¡­Although he went beyond calming down and was downright festive. Anyways, I couldn¡¯t throw away the opportunity to befriend a fantasy native. And to do that¡­ ¡°Skinny pigs! Hand over everything you ha¡ªoink?!¡± ¡°Let me talk! You pigs!¡± There was no way the orcs would allow a group of humans that resembled fallen soldiers to pass by in peace. By getting rid of every orc that came at us like a swarm of moths, I obtained camaraderie with the people! ¡°$# %#¡­¡± ¡°@%$¡­¡± ¡°What are they saying? Thanks for helping?¡± ¡°Kill in moderation.¡± ¡°Aha!¡± They were saying I was doing more harm than good, weren¡¯t they? I generously gave in to their stubborn request to share the exp! After building my reputation like that little by little, I put the cherry on top by volunteering to keep night watch. ¡°¡­iI¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve done nothing.¡± Flicker, flicker¡­ Sitting in front of a campfire surrounded by sleeping bags, I looked up at the fantasy night sky. Blue moon, red moon, white moon¡­ There were three moons. The blue moon looked like its main component would be copper sulfate, and iron oxide for the red moon. Would the white moon be made of silicate like it was on Earth? While I was passing the time with those useless thoughts¡­ ¡°Kang Hansoo, #%$.¡± Lady B silently got out of the fancy carriage and came towards me. According to the demon¡¯s translations, she claimed to be a noble attending a famous fantasy academy. Let¡¯s call it a military academy. It was the place where love and friendships bloomed in fantasy genres, but the subjects taught there weren¡¯t romantic at all. Swordsmanship, magic, healing, murder¡­ They taught things extremely useful for war. ¡°What a sticky situation.¡± Demon Kogmos was deep in his sleep. His nerve to sleep peacefully among humans as a weak demon was bold, that¡¯s for sure. ¡°#$ #.¡± Lady B sat at a slight distance from me as she said things I couldn¡¯t understand. Maybe she didn¡¯t have any business with me and just wanted to stay warm by the fire. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Kang Hansoo $#.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Lady B pulled out a dagger she was wearing on her waist. I could tell by her slow movements that she had no intention of attacking me, but I couldn¡¯t understand why she took her dagger out. ¡°# %#.¡± Flame~ A blue flame engulfed the dagger lady B was holding. It wasn¡¯t as hot as it looked, but it would destroy anything it touched nonetheless. ¡°Kang Hansoo #. % $#.¡± ¡°¡­Ah! You want me to show you?¡± Fwp. I could have taken out my blue dagger in my pocket, but I felt lazy and opened up my right thumb. And concentrated. A thick, hard red pillar of light rose from my fingertips. ¡°$#¡­?¡± ¡°Are you happy?¡± ¡°@%$#?! Kang Hansoo ^! @#$ *$ #?! @%$ #$. @%$ ^# @^? $ &% *^.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°$¡­ @%.¡± Lady B was apologizing with her head down after getting herself all worked up. But why? ¡°¡­Ah! Is that it?¡± I took out my blue dagger from my pocket and concentrated again. Fluff fluff. Maybe she was mad I insincerely showed her just my finger? She was apologizing after getting mad at me because of that. I made a thicker, harder force and showed lady B. ¡°Are you happy now?¡± ¡°$ @¡­ $%.¡± Lady B gave a sour smile and turned back to the carriage. ¡°¡­was that not it? Women confuse me.¡± [A certain god ensures a eunuch doesn¡¯t need to know.] ¡°¡­¡± It was a sad night. * * * * * * There was no doubt the Heroes summoned to the continent of Fantasia by the gods were special, but they were still regular students in high school, not a military academy. Preparation for death? That was impossible. They weren¡¯t selected from a military or warfare enthusiast club, it was an entire classroom¡­ There was no way everyone would be fit for it. ¡°Saintess. Hero Oh Hanwoo has quit the job.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The Saintess took in the hierarch¡¯s report like the weather news. Plenty of Heroes before him had quit for various reasons. There would be more like him in the future. It would be troublesome if they didn¡¯t. That¡¯s because¡­ ¡°Guard the right! Oh?! Watch out!¡± ¡°Aak?! You bastard gnoll-?!¡± ¡°Bear with it, even if it hurts! We have the Saintess with us!¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m okay. Kirk!¡± Because there were only two Saintesses in the entire continent of Fantasia. It was fine for now because the Heroes were low levels and obedient, but once the real fight started, it would be difficult for her to handle on her ¡®own¡¯. It was inevitable. She had to prepare beforehand. ¡°The number of gnolls have decreased quite a bit while I was visiting the Fairy Kingdom.¡± ¡°I apologize. The report was pushed back due to Oh Hanwoo¡¯s disturbance. I was told an unidentified group of knights exterminated the forest of gnolls.¡± ¡°Knights? Are you certain?¡± ¡°We assume it was the work of an elite group with the same swordsmanship.¡± ¡°A realistic approach, I see.¡± Gnolls were stubborn. It¡¯s obvious from the way they relentlessly pursued their prey. They were especially relentless when their family or clan was in danger. On and on until their prey fell, exhausted¡­ ¡°You all underestimate gnolls. There is power in numbers. Some fairy tribes make it their lifelong mission to get rid of the gnolls in the forest.¡± ¡°I¡¯m well aware.¡± ¡°No. Not even the knights could have done this.¡± ¡°Then the Demon King¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡­ I apologize. I¡¯ve made a mistake¡­¡± ¡°It is dangerous to make hasty judgements, but no doubt this comes close to the Demon King invading.¡± That was because the Heroes would level up slower as the number of gnolls went down. This wasn¡¯t good. ¡°I will look into it further.¡± ¡°No. We mustn¡¯t waste our time and manpower on this crisis. Just make sure to check if the Demon King really is involved.¡± The Heroes were summoned in the western outskirts of the continent Fantasia. On the other end, the Great Demon King and Demon King were spread widely across the eastern continent. It was much too far away. A few hostile Demon Kings were active in central Fantasia, but they were too busy rampaging on the front lines to care about the superficial things going on behind the scenes. ¡­Or were they? The Saintess wanted to look into it herself, but her plans got ruined as the gnolls¡¯ habitat got destroyed. It pained her. ¡°Saintess.¡± ¡°What is it this time?¡± Another hierarch called her through a crystal ball. ¡°Now that it¡¯s a break, the Academy wanted to invite the Heroes as special guests¡­¡± ¡°Where did the information leak?¡¯ ¡°I believe a student snooping around the mercenary guild saw Hero Oh Hanwoo¡¯s status window.¡± ¡°¡­It was a mistake to allow him independence. I thought he wouldn¡¯t last long by himself and would come back sooner.¡± Hero Oh Hanwoo¡­ He was no longer a ¡®Bero¡¯, but it seemed he wouldn¡¯t be remembered well for a long time. It was a good thing to spread word of the Heroes, who were humanity¡¯s hope to put an end to this long war. But it was too early. An unprepared Hero would only give disappointment, not hope. ¡°¡­Tell the principal we will think about it positively.¡± ¡°Yes. I will let them know right away.¡± It was still too early, but there might be a student or teacher who could be a useful companion to the Heroes. It would be good in the long run if the Heroes befriended those in the Academy. ¡°Saintess!¡± That time, a knight hurriedly called for her. Without going through Prince Alsus? It meant the problem was more important than the Heroes¡¯ training. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did they all die to a full gnoll again?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not!¡± ¡°Then what is it?¡± ¡°We found a backpack assumed to be a Hero¡¯s personal item!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Saintess froze in her tracks. *** I tried to befriend many mercenaries in the morning. ¡°Kang Hansoo, #. $# @ %#$ &$% % &^ #^?¡± ¡°He asks how you can be so strong even though you¡¯re level 1.¡± ¡°I struggled to learn the swordsmanship of the gnolls while fighting them.¡± ¡°He says he learned the swordsmanship of the gnolls through his hunts.¡± ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t sneak important information into the translations.¡± ¡°Well, you should use your brain for once. You have to give the greedy humans this kind of info to get them off your back. Is that really how you learned it, by the way?¡± ¡°This little shit¡­?¡± He was mistranslating on purpose while getting information off of me. ¡°$#? %# # ^$¡­ *% #^$ $# *$&?¡± ¡°He asks if it¡¯s possible to hunt a gnoll at level 1 and how many you have to hunt to learn it.¡± ¡°I can read through these guys¡¯ questions like a book¡­¡± ¡°Should I tell them their dirty greed is making you uncomfortable?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± What was he thinking, making everyone else uncomfortable, too? It was truly a demonic thought process. ¡°No need to try so hard. It¡¯s extremely rude to ask a stranger how they train. The mercenaries are just stubborn about it because their bodies are their fortune.¡± ¡°Mercenaries, you say¡­¡± I wanted to be stronger as well. As long as I could get strong and kill the evil goddess, I could handle all the fairys¡¯ sexual harassment and the discomfort from the god. ¡°What are you thinking this time?¡± ¡°Kogmo¡­ You say it¡¯s okay for a mercenary to be stubborn?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t jump to conclusions. How could being a mercenary give them indulgence? There¡¯re quite a few cases where they died from petty fights.¡± ¡°Then why be a mercenary?¡± I was genuinely curious. I knew they were paid if they finished a task. But this was a fantasy world, not Earth. There are monsters outside cities and villages, and they were all money if you hunted them. Did they really need instructions where to mine when a perfectly good mine was right next to them? I didn¡¯t get it. ¡°You probably wouldn¡¯t know because you don¡¯t have the Mercenary¡¯s Blessing. You get exp if you complete a task.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± A Mercenary Blessing? According to Kogmo, anyone who aspired to be a ¡®Mercenary¡¯ could get the Blessing easily. ¡­Wait. I took another look at the evil goddess¡¯s curse. [Hero] > Experience that you gain from hunting and achievements is greatly diminished! ¡°It¡¯s not here¡­¡± The only things stopping me from gaining exp were hunting and achievements. Anything else didn¡¯t matter. ¡°What¡¯s not here?¡± ¡°Kogmo, what do I have to do to be a mercenary?¡± I had found a way to become stronger. ____ ____ Chapter 23 Is this Hero for Real? Chapter 23 [Act 7] And Your Reputation? Male Earthling Kang Hansoo, age 17. Day 10 of getting drafted in a fantasy! I¡¯d finally, finally arrived in a civilized city after suffering from monsters and savages. ¡°Nice.¡± It wasn¡¯t picture-perfect like the scenery in fantasy genres, but it went beyond my expectations. ¡°You don¡¯t look nice at all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of the stench.¡± ¡°That¡¯s from the humans all living near the city gates. Besides, we¡¯re no different. Think about how long it¡¯s been since you bathed.¡± ¡°Aha!¡± ¡°You especially stink, you took a bath in orc¡¯s blood every chance you got. I¡¯m saying the language barrier wasn¡¯t the only reason people avoided you.¡± ¡°You really know how to hurt someone with words, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Not as much as you!¡± It would have been nice if I could wash up as soon as we reached the city, but I had a lot of livestock from the orcs. ¡°Mooo~¡± ¡°Baaah~¡± There were merchants waiting to buy those trophies at the city gates. ¡®Maybe I should also get rid of the stuff I hoarded from the gnolls.¡¯ ¡°Leave the gold. This is where you get rid of the things you can¡¯t bring to the center of the city.¡± ¡°I can tell.¡± There were humans selling a living, green pig. And there were humans who were willing to buy it? I thought things would get taken care of quickly thanks to those merchants, but the mercenaries I thought I befriended were already leaving. ¡®How rude!¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t be too disappointed. The mercenaries go where they are assigned, so you will meet again soon. In guilds, bars, inns, stables, workshops, mills¡­¡± ¡°Why mills?¡± ¡°¡­Nevermind.¡± [A certain god says eunuchs don¡¯t need to know.] ¡®The gods and demons are coming together to make me stupid!¡¯ I wanted to say something, but that feeling went away as soon as I saw the heavy pouch of money and street food. [Outsider] I didn¡¯t need to eat thanks to my Blessing, but I still had cravings for good food. The smell of savory bread and cooking meat, the sound of oil popping, the array of fresh fruit¡­ Even the foreign fantasy language I didn¡¯t understand! ¡°$ %$ #$~!¡± ¡°@$~! ^$~!¡± ¡°$, %@# $~!¡± I felt like a foreign tourist. I was getting excited, but the demon poured cold water over my mood. ¡°Wash up first. Even the most ill-mannered and uneducated mercenaries follow that etiquette. ¡°Did I say I wasn¡¯t going to?¡± Demon Kogmos had been holding his head high ever since we entered the crowded city. His nerve! It wouldn¡¯t be pretty for him if word got out that he was a demon, but he was natural at pretending to be human. That wasn¡¯t all, either. ¡°We¡¯re going to the tailor after we get a room and wash up. I need a spare set of clothes because of the Saintess, and I¡¯m not even gonna get started on you. You looked homeless from the beginning.¡± ¡°You made a plan and everything.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even know what a mill is, don¡¯t think of me the same as you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I made a blatantly uncomfortable face, but the demon kept going. ¡°But before that, we should listen to what business the ladies have with us. They¡¯ve been waiting for us this whole time.¡± ¡°They have.¡± I could see Ladies A and B approaching us after paying for the luxurious carriage like a taxi. ¡°Kang Hansoo, $, Kogmo, $. @% ^% *%, (#& $# $?¡± ¡°Hm. May I first ask my buddy here?¡± ¡°$#.¡± ¡®Ask me what?¡¯ ¡°They say they want to pay you back for saving them. For now, they asked if they could get the same inn as us.¡± ¡°All the better for me.¡± [A certain god complains it¡¯s not better at all.] It looked like god was displeased again, but they¡¯d loosened up quite a bit after learning I was a eunuch. It was a relief, but upsetting. [Outsider] I was falling into depression, but it was even more upsetting because I felt completely fine. With my head, not my heart. ¡°Then it¡¯s decided.¡± ¡°What about the mercenary guild, then?¡± ¡°Do as I say if you don¡¯t want to get kicked out as soon as you step foot in the guild. Bathing and clothes come first.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± And so we headed to the most expensive inn in the city. * * * * * * Slave¡­ It was the most degrading status to an Earthling, where even criminals had human rights. It was obvious from how many works of literature criticized slavery in fantasy genres. Then what about in real life? ¡°Woah¡­¡± Oh Hanwoo couldn¡¯t keep his mouth closed at the slave market in the middle of the city. It resembled a superstore. As big as it was, there were various ways in which slaves were displayed. ¡°It¡¯s so big¡­¡± ¡°Oh! It got bigger!¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± A young, muscular, dark-skinned man looked far in the distance. Besides his handcuffs and collar, he didn¡¯t have a single thread of clothing on him. On his neck were a price tag and a few lines of background¡­ But the female customers only seemed to care about his bottom half. ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°Say something, anything.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A gorgeously dressed beauty was sitting as still as a mannequin. If it weren¡¯t for the shackles slightly showing under her dress, she would have passed as a resting noble lady. Next to her was a warning sign that read ¡°you will be fined for touching!¡± ¡°Hurry up and get in.¡± ¡°Do you want another beating?¡± The slaves with a good commercial value were generally treated well. The more rebellious or lethargic they were, the more miserable they became. ¡°Get out, kids!¡± ¡°How dare a beggar¡­!¡± ¡°Hey, you, stay still!¡±There were jacked guards and merchants bustling around everywhere. And no minors allowed! Fortunately, in this fantasy world, Oh Hanwoo was an adult who didn¡¯t have any trouble getting in. ¡°Oh yeah! I don¡¯t have a lot of time.¡± It didn¡¯t seem like he would get tired even if he looked around all day, but he had a clear goal of building a ¡®harem¡¯. He had no determination or ideology to liberate the poor slaves. He only thought to buy pretty slaves. [Special] He didn¡¯t have the eye for people or expertise in this area, but Oh Hanwoo didn¡¯t have a care in the world. As the main character in this world, he was sure of himself as long as he could find a diamond in the rough. [A certain god of wind watches intently.] [A certain evil god suggests a simple bet.] [A certain immature god of dice agrees on the bet.] [A certain god¡­] Did the gods care at all that he gave up being a ¡®Hero¡¯? Amidst all the divinities watching him, Oh Hanwoo busied himself looking at the slaves. Nothing to see for the handsome boys¡­ Obviously nothing for the handsome men as well¡­ But it wasn¡¯t easy for him to find a female slave that fit his standards and preference. ¡°Oh? Look, it¡¯s Oh Hanwoo.¡± ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡± Two boys walked straight towards Oh Hanwoo as soon as they found him. ¡°Are you here to buy a slave, too?¡± One boy amiably asked. ¡°Yeah¡­ pretty much.¡± ¡°Haha! We thought the same. You left with money because you didn¡¯t like the training, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± It seemed the boy didn¡¯t know that he didn¡¯t get trained at all since his first day. The boy was acting friendly for the moment, but that meant he didn¡¯t care about him. That¡¯s why Oh Hanwoo gave a sharp answer. ¡°Relax. We¡¯re in the same situation, we gotta stick together. Oh! I¡¯ll give you some useful information.¡± ¡°Useful information?¡± ¡°That old guy over there is the man in charge. If he finds out you¡¯re a Hero, he¡¯ll show you all the high-end slaves that aren¡¯t on display.¡± ¡°Do you have a death wish?¡± There was a warning on the contract that calling yourself a Hero meant a death sentence. The boy waved dismissively. ¡°Of course not. But there¡¯s nothing you can do if others peep at your status window, right?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Your Hero¡¯s Blessing will be exposed on its own, do you really need to call yourself one? It¡¯s a contract loophole.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Just realizing you could peep at others¡¯ status windows, Oh Hanwoo pretended to be calm. ¡°What slave are you going to get?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret?¡± ¡°Oh really? I have a rough guess¡­¡± ¡°Is the man behind you yours? What a unique preference.¡± The man looked like a bandit leader. His aura was overwhelmingly intimidating, but it had to be all fake. This was a fantasy world. The status window was the only truth. ¡°¡­Haha! Let¡¯s see who you get.¡± ¡°Sure. Watch me.¡± ¡®I¡¯ll make you crazy jealous!¡¯ ¡°Come to the inn closest to the city East Gate if you wanna show off your slave. We¡¯ll be waiting there.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Oh Hanwoo ran straight to the man in charge of the slave market the boy told him about. *** The luxurious inn was more state of the art than most hotels on Earth. A slime living in a big cauldron in the corner of the room was cleaning and doing the laundry on its own! And it cleaned my body, too. I didn¡¯t need to bathe. All I had to do was lay down near the cauldron and the slime would come and eat up all the dirt and grime. ¡®This slime¡­ I want it.¡¯ ¡°¡­don¡¯t even think about stealing it. Slime as well trained and smart as this one are extremely expensive.¡± ¡°How expensive?¡± ¡°Worth their weight in gold.¡± ¡°Damn.¡± I poked the trained slime with my fingertips. Jiggle jiggle? It jiggled side to side as if to ask me what was up. ¡°Heh~¡± Maybe it was just in my head, but was the texture on the slime a bit different than normal¡­? Knock knock. ¡°The clothes you ordered are here.¡± The demon slightly opened the door as soon as he heard the soft knocking and gave the worker a small tip for the pile of clothes. Why would he do that? ¡°Kogmo. Didn¡¯t you say we were going to go to a store in person later?¡± ¡°Change of plans. It¡¯s rude to make them wait when you¡¯re staying in this inn for free.¡± ¡°You mean the ladies?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t even memorize the ladies¡¯ names.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ no.¡± ¡°You¡¯re ruder than a demon! At least memorize the names of the ladies who paid for your expensive room.¡± ¡°You¡¯re rude!¡± How could he call me ruder than a demon?! It was true I approached them for that intent, but I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d stay together for that long after being stuck in that carriage all day. Instead, the mercenaries that I had actually tried bonding with were gone¡­ How upsetting. ¡°Just hurry up and change. Gentlemen must wait before their ladies are finished getting ready.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how you¡¯re still not married.¡± ¡°Are you enjoying making fun of me?! Do you really not know?¡± I knew he couldn¡¯t get married because he was too weak, he told me himself. That¡¯s not what I was asking. ¡°Why don¡¯t you marry a human?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the worst! How far are you going with this?! Do you seriously marry your pet animal?¡± ¡°Of course I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then shut up. If I was going to marry a human, I wouldn¡¯t have risked my life to leave my hometown.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± After getting changed, we waited for Ladies A and B to come to the inn lobby. ¡­They were taking forever. Demon Kogmos was lightening up the mood, surrounded by ladies who worked at the inn. ¡°Hoho!¡± ¡°Oh my!¡± And he still thinks of humans as pet animals? I wished him divine punishment. [A certain god looks displeased at the full wolf.] ¡°I completely agree with you, god¡­ oh, they¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Woow¡­¡± Ladies A and B walked down the stairs, waving towards us with the eyes of every man in the lobby facing them. ¡°%#$.¡± ¡°% #$?¡± Demon Kogmos, who came back next to me, greeted them respectfully with a bow. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us. We just arrived as well.¡± ¡®Wrong, you demon!¡¯ We had waited forever. ¡°Tell them we want to eat first.¡± ¡°¡­We haven¡¯t had a proper meal yet due to our long travels, would you like to dine first? I know a place you ladies would like.¡± ¡°$#. %$, Kang Hansoo #$ %.¡± ¡°$. @#$ $#, Kang Hansoo $ %$ #@.¡± The ladies each said something while mentioning my name. ¡®What about me?¡¯ The demon was giving me a weird look. ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­They said they¡¯d like to dine, but they want to go to where you wanna go first.¡± ¡°Ooh!¡± Leave the judgment to the demon who sees human ladies as pet animals! ¡°Humans or demons all go for the powerful¡­ damn this world!¡± ¡°Kogmo! Let¡¯s eat first!¡± I was starting to like this fantasy world a little more. ____ ____ Chapter 24 Is this Hero for Real? Chapter 24 [Act 7] And Your Reputation? The evil goddess¡¯s curse made it hard to level up. The only way I could be strong was to learn martial arts. Taekwondo, judo, kendo, muay thai¡­ However, as ¡®gunpowder¡¯ was the downfall of martial arts on Earth, so was ¡®magic¡¯ in the fantasy world. One strong blow! There were results before one could get a chance to show their honed techniques. The Blessings were also a problem. ¡°The Culinary Blessing¡­? Cooks that made the same effort as everyone else won¡¯t even have a chance.¡± Human effort was nothing in front of the gods¡¯ Blessings. ¡°Are you still complaining after a good meal?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not much of a complaint.¡± The restaurant Kogmos strongly recommended was the most famous in the city. The restaurant advertised everywhere that their cook had a Culinary Blessing, and a D rank at that. As expected, everything was good. ¡°You have some pretty obscure Blessings, by the way.¡± ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°Stubborn bastard! Do you know how much the bill was because you ate so much?¡± ¡°It happens.¡± [Outsider] I couldn¡¯t feel full no matter how much I had, and I ended up overeating. But I didn¡¯t feel like it was a waste of money. Wasn¡¯t that enough? I¡¯m sure god would think the same¡­ [A certain god is hurt by the obscure comment.] [A certain god mumbles ¡®obscure lone wolf in the wild¡¯] ¡­hello? Was it okay for the almighty god to break so easily? I didn¡¯t understand how this fantasy world hadn¡¯t already collapsed. ¡°Kang Hansoo, $.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lady A, who received attention everywhere she went for her beauty and fashion, called me from behind. She was an apprentice of a famous mage and went to the same academy as her friend, Lady B. Was she about to keep following me? ¡°$# # [email protected]#% $# [email protected] # % [email protected]¡± ¡°She asks if you¡¯ve ever been to the mercenary guild.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°He says he¡¯s a country bumpkin who¡¯s never been.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®That damn demon keeps translating like shit.¡¯ ¡°$ @# %#$. %$ @%$ $ ^% $ ^#$%.¡± ¡°¡­Lucky bastard. This world is unfair!¡± ¡°You¡¯re spewing nonsense, not translating.¡± ¡°Hmph! You¡¯ll know when we get there.¡± *** Oh Hanwoo was extremely optimistic. After all, in fantasy genres, there were plenty of main characters who were thrown out with contempt because they were weak in the beginning. The only thing left for him was to rebound. ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°Sir, I¡¯m busy at the moment¡­ oh! A legendary Hero! Welcome!¡± The manager of the slave market switched attitudes as soon as he saw Oh Hanwoo¡¯s status window. [Hero] That¡¯s because it was a special Blessing that couldn¡¯t be obtained unless they were a ¡®Hero¡¯ chosen by the gods. That wasn¡¯t all. He¡¯d heard the Heroes that left the Temple were ¡®rich¡¯. ¡°I¡¯m here to buy a slave.¡± ¡°What kind of slave would you like? A warrior for a comrade, like the other Heroes from before?¡± ¡°A strong female warrior.¡± ¡°A strong female, you say¡­ it¡¯s hard to find, but we do have them.¡± ¡°Ooh!¡± Oh Hanwoo smiled with contentment. Opportunities are in critical moments! He would get a cute, lovely comrade from the slave market. [Special] The manager honorably led him to the restricted area. Wipe wipe. Slaves were washing and getting dressed outdoors without partitions to cover them, and they waited to be displayed. The manager pointed at a woman, asking him, ¡°Hero. How do you like this slave?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± For a moment, Oh Hanwoo didn¡¯t know who he was pointing to. ¡°The warrior looking down in front of you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s a heroine who would boldly rob in the northern part of the Knight Kingdom. She was betrayed by her subordinates and captured as a slave.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°She has the inhuman strength to single-handedly swing an axe even a full-grown man can barely swing with both hands. Hey, Merasi. Show the customer your status window.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Level 1 Oh Hanwoo looked at the slave¡¯s status window. [name] Merasi [Level] 17 [Blessings] Mercenary B, Warrior E, Equestrianism E, Mettle F [Curses] Slave F Level 17¡­ It looked like she was quite an exceptional mercenary before becoming a thief. But what about now? [Slave] > You, having handed over all your rights, are property. > You will feel pain every time you disobey your owner¡¯s orders! It would be no use for the slave to get free from their shackles and escape¡ªtheir Curse would stay branded on them. It was a foolproof way of imprisonment. The manager explained with confidence. ¡°Those who swear to the gods to give up all their rights get the Slave¡¯s Curse. As long as you give the right orders, she won¡¯t be able to betray you.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the price. I do not wish to make an unfair profit from a Hero on holy grounds. I will sell it to you close to the flat cost.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­¡± ¡°Please, feel free to tell me anything.¡± ¡°I want a strong and dainty woman¡­¡± The slave the manager had confidently recommended was built like a bodybuilder. Her iron fists and thick limbs were weapons on their own! Even her pectorals looked sturdy. In other words, everything about her except her sex was different from what Oh Hanwoo wanted. ¡°Hm.¡± The manager, who had come across customers with various preferences, was lost in thought. For once, he was at a loss for answers. ¡°Are you not a mage with the Magic Blessing?¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± He¡¯d never used magic before, but he did have the Magic Blessing. ¡°Then won¡¯t you need a strong shield to protect you until you activate your magic?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± * * * * * * Like the pretty girl Yoo Bora stole from him, he needed a beautiful slave who would protect him at all costs. The manager barely controlled his face as he explained further. ¡°Dear Hero. Are you saying you are going to use a dainty woman who hasn¡¯t trained to be strong, as a shield?¡± ¡°I¡­ um¡­¡± Beautiful, dainty companions were in every fantasy genre. But he sounded like a total douche after listening to the manager! But Oh Hanwoo didn¡¯t give up or compromise. [Special] After all, he was the main character. He was a special entity where common sense nor logic applied to him. He gave up getting a recommendation from the manager. ¡°May I choose for myself?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± The manager gladly agreed, thinking that would be better for both of them. How could a mere merchant understand the Hero¡¯s deeper intentions? Oh Hanwoo was surprisingly quick to choose after looking through all the slaves. ¡°I¡¯ve decided!¡± ¡°Hm.¡± He had chosen a total of three slaves. The manager looked at the status window of the strongest slave he chose. [Name] Lusa [Level] 6 [Blessings] Charm F [Curses] Slave F ¡°¡­Hahaha! I was wrong. They really are dainty girls who are stronger than you.¡± The manager accepted his mistakes and laughed. Strength is relative, isn¡¯t it? There was no doubt they were the ¡®strong and dainty females¡¯ the Hero wanted. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Is there anything more you would like?¡± ¡°No. Nevermind.¡± The prices of all the slaves Oh Hanwoo picked himself combined were cheaper than the slave the manager had recommended. Was it because of her high level? He didn¡¯t think too much about it and paid for the women. Clink! His thick pouch was thinner than before, but he didn¡¯t think it was too expensive or a waste. The manager spoke gravely to the girls. ¡°Sera, Kana, Lusa. I renounce all the orders I have given to you. From now on, Hero Oh Hanwoo is your new master.¡± ¡°¡­Oh? Is that it?¡± ¡°Yes, since I¡¯ve declared everything needed as their owner. A word of advice, slaves can do whatever they want if you don¡¯t give the correct order¡­ Even murdering their master or escaping.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± But Oh Hanwoo didn¡¯t keep the manager¡¯s advice in mind. Betrayal didn¡¯t apply to the main character, who would take care of the girls with love. ¡°Follow me, Sera, Kana, Lusa!¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Yes. master.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Oh Hanwoo heartwarmingly watched the girls obediently following him. He headed to the blacksmith¡¯s workshop to arm the girls. [A certain male god is anticipating.] [A certain immature god of dice snickers.] [A certain evil god looks for their popcorn.] [A certain god¡­] *** I thought all I had to do was register as a mercenary, but there was a serious problem. ¡°I have to learn how to read¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t write anything on the registration form the mercenary guild clerk gave me. I had to read to write anything! They told me ghostwriting made it invalid, so I started by practicing how to write my own name. ¡°Don¡¯t be embarrassed. There are plenty of mercenaries who can¡¯t write their own name.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± As a cultured Earthling, the humiliation of being illiterate was unbearable. ¡°Copy this.¡± ¡°You say it like it¡¯s easy.¡± ¡°Stop complaining. It¡¯s getting annoying taking care of a toddler.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I found out later, but I was registered as ¡°Kkang Hansue¡± because I wrote too crookedly. It was a tragedy caused by a demon who was too lazy to point it out. Anyways, [Name] Kang Hansoo [Level] 1 [Blessings] Outsider F, Fairy C, Mercenary D [Curses] Hero E, Slaughter E [Dividend] 5.78 I acquired the Mercenary blessing from a few simple registration procedures. Normally, the newbies would start by getting an F rank ¡®slime level¡¯, but I got a D rank ¡®gnoll level¡¯. Thanks to my greatness. ¡°Thank the two ladies. They swore on the mercenary rank to vouch for your skills.¡± ¡°Yeah. Tell them I said thanks.¡± ¡°Tell them yourself if you mean it. Stubborn bastard!¡± ¡°I gotta know the language first.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll drop by the bookstore later and buy you a picture book. Read and learn.¡± ¡°You¡¯re treating me like a total child.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just the right level for someone who doesn¡¯t even know what a mill is.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I needed to have a serious talk with him with my fist once we were alone. ¡°Kogmo, $. Kang Hansoo, # $#@ $% #?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t say anything important, my friend here just wants to learn the language soon.¡± ¡°$#! %$ &$^. % Kang Hansoo # $# ^#%.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll ask him.¡± The demon turned to me after a cordial conversation with lady A. He looked extremely uncomfortable. ¡°What?¡± ¡°She says she has experience teaching her little sibling the language. It¡¯ll be a lot of help for someone like you, who knows nothing but violence.¡± ¡°That means she has to come with us.¡± ¡°And? Be grateful and accept it, unless you¡¯re a eunuc¡ª kekkek?!¡± ¡°You really do have a death wish, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°H-help me- gurgle?!¡± I left the mercenary guild WHILE shaking the neck of the demon who HAD crossed the line. Of course, since I went all the way there, I was assigned a simple task. Orc subjugation¡­ The task was to periodically decrease the number of orcs to suppress their reproduction. As simple as the task was, the reward was small, so it was a task mercenaries avoided. But I was different. ¡°I like it.¡± Unlimited exp for each orc head I brought? There wasn¡¯t even a frequency limit. [Outsider] Was it not the perfect task for someone like me, who didn¡¯t get tired from hunting all day? I even had excellent bait to lure in the orcs. ¡°$ #$¡± ¡°#$ @#¡± Ladies A and B returned my gaze with a smile. And I started to get ready. ¡°Wow¡­¡± The ladies, who would play a key role for the task, relentlessly swept all the camping and hunting supplies from various stores. They bought it all if it looked even a little useful! Just how much money did they have? [A certain god asks if you¡¯re going on another killing spree.] ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡± I was going to exterminate them. ____ ____ Chapter 25 Is this Hero for Real? Chapter 25 [Act 8] Second Language As the daughter of a Count, she had many opportunities to meet all kinds of people. Kings, merchants, knights, fairies, the strong¡­ But she had never met anyone as odd as Kang Hansoo, who was single-handedly butchering orcs in front of her. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Even then, she was silently ¡®observing¡¯ him. [Observation] > When given the chance, you can look into other peoples¡¯ status windows. > The higher the person¡¯s level is compared to yours, the higher the chance for failure. It was a necessary blessing for a noble involved in high societies and politics, who found a hidden treasure. If she could peep at that boy¡¯s status window with the Blessing¡­ [Name] Kang Hansoo [Level] 1 [Blessings] Outsider F, Fairy C, Mercenary B [Curses] Hero E, Slaughter E His blessing, ¡®Hero¡¯s Curse¡¯, was perfect for making him look like a villain. But he also had the ¡®Fairy¡¯s Blessing¡¯, which was basically an approved ID that only a noble fairy could give. And a C rank, on top of that. Considering that a human who built up trust and married a fairy noble would be an E rank, it was clear how much trust the fairies had for that boy. ¡°#$ %#$ @%#~?!¡± ¡°Handsome male pig! Let¡¯s talk this out!¡± ¡°%#$, $ @#~?!¡± Slash-! At every swing of his red swordsmanship, the orcs were unrequitedly cut open. How many had he killed? She could find out if she counted the number of orc heads, but it was meaningless when there were more orc heads getting added to the pile as she counted. ¡°Let¡¯s take a short break!¡± ¡°#% #?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± She had never had a problem with language barriers in her life. Right then, however, she felt extreme discomfort not being able to speak with that boy who did nothing but hunt all day without a break. ¡°I¡¯ll let that bastar¡­ my friend know we want a break.¡± ¡°Thank you, Kogmos.¡± She couldn¡¯t keep up with the boy that didn¡¯t eat, sleep, or use the bathroom at all. ¡°Laysha, what a surprise! I didn¡¯t know you would ask for a break~¡± ¡°What, I can¡¯t rest? Besides, you¡¯re not one to talk. I can see your legs shaking.¡± ¡°That¡¯s mean!¡± ¡°Hehe! Then why don¡¯t you wear a skirt, too?¡± ¡°Say something that makes sense for a knight¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± After getting a blow in against her friend, Laysha the beautiful mage sat on a mat on the grass. Plop. Her legs hurt from all the walking and running, but the biggest problem was her fading mentality every time she used magic. She just wanted a long nap¡­ ¡°Moooo~¡± ¡°Mooooo~¡± She couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry looking at the boy taking care of the aftermath of beheading all the orcs. Should she at least help him out? ¡°¡­Eek?!¡± ¡°Staring at a boy, how devious of you Laysha.¡± ¡°Y-you surprised me, Julia!¡± ¡°Hehe! There wasn¡¯t an answer when I asked if I could sit here~¡± ¡°I¡¯m just tired.¡± That wasn¡¯t an excuse, she meant it. ¡°I¡¯m sure you are~¡± Plop. Her friend, Julia, sat next to her, giving off a sexual ambiance with her hair and clothes wet with sweat. ¡°Truly incredible.¡± She didn¡¯t say who or what, but it was obvious who she was talking about. She could only mean one boy¡­ Kang Hansoo. ¡°Yeah. He says it¡¯s because of his blessings.¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about his talent.¡± ¡°Talent?¡± ¡°You probably can¡¯t see it because you¡¯re a mage, but his swordsmanship is insane.¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how else to put it¡­ He¡¯s been using swordsmanship that can easily fall apart with one small mistake all day.¡± ¡°Is that even possible?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I grew up as a prodigy, but he¡¯s on a different level. It¡¯s simply insane.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Finished with the aftermath of the hunt, Kang Hansoo brushed the blood off his face and hands and started reading the picture book. ¡°Humen, demmon, wuman, bouy¡­¡± His pronunciation was worse than an orc¡¯s because he was just starting off, but it would get better with time. There were some things he could say fluently. ¡°$! #@ %! Spare me, I¡¯m sorry, forgive me, kill me, I was wrong, it hurts, go easy, stop it¡­¡± His vocabulary seemed a little too concentrated in one area, but she brushed that thought off. Anyways, he sure was a busy boy. ¡°Laysha, what level are you?¡± ¡°I know you know¡­ oh? Wait, are you¡­? ¡°It¡¯s just what you¡¯re thinking. I leveled up to 15 ~¡± ¡°No way¡­¡± Despite being in different fields, Laysha was a little upset that her good rival and friend was slightly ahead of her. She looked at her status window that stayed as still as a boulder. [Name] Laysha [Level] 14 [Blessings] Noble D, Magic B, Student C, Charm E, Observation E, Mercenary C [Curses] ¨C [Dividend] ¨C She had quite a bit of high-ranking Blessings relative to her level thanks to her social status and rising effort effects. But she¡¯d surely fall behind if she didn¡¯t spend her break wisely. That was because¡­ [Student] > you get an appropriate amount of exp at the end of each semester! > All students are ranked in a fair, relative grading system. ¡ªThe relative grading system. It made it incredibly difficult to catch up if you fell behind the rankings even once. The higher your rank, the easier it was to level up. The higher your level, the easier it was to get better grades. Having enjoyed the benefits for a long time, Laysha knew better about it than anyone else. ¡ªAnd so did her friend. ¡°Laysha. I¡¯m going to aim for a B rank this time.¡± ¡°A B rank¡­?¡± ¡°Yep. I know I barely moved up to a C rank, but I changed my mind after seeing Kang Hansoo¡¯s hunting.¡± ¡°Overachieving isn¡¯t good for you. We only have one body.¡± She wasn¡¯t just talking about their lives. Their careers would get muddied if they got crippled. If their valuable faces got injured or one of their limbs detached, they wouldn¡¯t be able to dream of a social life and would get married off to a worthless man. No matter how good her grades were, she didn¡¯t want that kind of future. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just too complacent.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. That boy may look like he¡¯s putting his full attention on orc hunting, but he¡¯s actually paying attention to our safety almost excessively.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really. I¡¯m not calling him insane for nothing. That means he¡¯s looking around his surroundings while he¡¯s fighting.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It just seems like my friend that was never into boys is observing a certain boy a little too much.¡± ¡°N-no I¡¯m not! It¡¯s a swordsman¡¯s duty to observe movement!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. Let¡¯s leave it at that. Hehehe.¡± ¡°Jeez!¡± ¡°Eek?! That tickles~!¡± Kang Hansoo saw the two ladies joking around on the mat. Coming to the conclusion they had enough rest to recover, he closed the picture book and yelled. Thump! ¡°Wumen! Less go~!¡± ¡°Already?!¡± ¡°A little more¡­!¡± ¡°Wumen! Less go, you¡¯re alive~!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The two ladies pledged to teach the boy the language fast. * * * * * * The orc hunt went smoothly. My status window wasn¡¯t budging from level 1, but the orc heads were piling up one by one. Those would all be exp. It looked horrendous, but it was much more valuable than gold for me. I desperately needed the exp. ¡°Damn my life¡­¡± My body didn¡¯t need sleep, but I couldn¡¯t leave ladies A and B sound asleep by themselves to go hunting. I had no choice but to have a late-night study session. I hated studying when everyone else was asleep back in school¡­ [A certain god looks at the cute pictures.] ¡°Looks like you like the picture book.¡± [A certain god agrees he likes it quite a lot.] They really liked a children¡¯s picture book¡­ I was growing suspicious of the outsider god¡¯s mental age, but I brushed the thought away before my devotion to god was at stake. ¡°Where are all the other gods?¡± [A certain god drills that they don¡¯t know.] ¡°Hm¡­¡± I figured out the outsider god¡¯s personality over our conversations. A typical outsider! I didn¡¯t get dropped out alone because I wanted to, but I wasn¡¯t complaining, either. I was alive because god was an outsider. ¡°Dear outsider god. To avoid them, you must know where they are.¡± [A certain god is in deep thought.] [A certain god shouts there are a bunch over to the right.] And they said they didn¡¯t know¡­ In the direction where the god pointed were the sleeping bags of the demon and two ladies, all huddled together. Was it roughly southwest? ¡°Slightly west of the forest is¡­¡± It looked like my classmates and the gods were still nearby the Temple. That meant the evil goddess and saintess must¡¯ve been nearby as well. I couldn¡¯t relax. ¡°We gotta hurry.¡± I was going to run away northeast after exterminating the orcs as soon as possible, opposite the southwest. I had to avoid them until I felt I was strong enough. ¡­Would that day come? It was a hopeless situation, but I still had to give it everything I had. [Outsider] Thanks to my covinous Blessing, I could make unlimited attempts and experiments. Observing Lady A¡¯s magic and Lady B¡¯s swordsmanship while hunting orcs made for excellent learning resources. And the fruit of my efforts? [A certain god suggests reading another picture book.] ¡°After I learn this one.¡± Only my fantasy vocabulary was slightly better. [A certain god presses you read another picture book.] [A certain god presses you read another picture book.] [A certain god presses you read another picture book.] [A certain god¡­] ¡°Alright, stop pressing!¡± ¡®So self-centered!¡¯ I just had to bear with it because I was powerless. While I was having a bland time reading picture books, my heightened instincts sensed some things that weren¡¯t orcs. ¡°We¡¯re surrounded.¡± [A certain god is displeased that the reading was interrupted.] ¡°What bastards, they deserve divine punishment.¡± ¡®How dare they displease the outsider god? They deserved to die.¡¯ The problem was the numbers. It would be hard to protect the demon and two ladies safely while fighting. So¡­ Tap tap. I nonchalantly kicked the demon¡¯s sleeping bag to wake him up. ¡°¡­What is it? It¡¯s late.¡± ¡°Wake up. Quietly. We¡¯re surrounded by humans that are on the same level as these ladies.¡± ¡°You know their levels from that distance..?¡± ¡°Is there a reason for me to not? Even gnolls can do it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The demon scrunched his face at my flawless logic. We also woke up the two ladies. ¡°Wumen. Do you want to die?¡± ¡°#?!¡± ¡°$#?!¡± ¡°You madman! Anyone will take it the wrong way if you say it like that!¡± ¡°I tried my best.¡± ¡®What do you want me to do? I didn¡¯t know a lot of conversation topics.¡¯ Ladies A and B, wide awake, got into their fighting stances. All they had to do was put on their shoes and get their weapons, but that alone would prevent them from dying or getting captured in vain. ¡°They¡¯re coming.¡± It was right after I spoke those words¡­ Flare~! Flare, flare~! At once, torches from all directions lit up the dark grass field. Most of them were mercenaries with crossbows. They were aiming at us from a safe distance. A man who looked like the head chief came forward and shouted. ¡°#$ orc%! #$ #$ $%# @ %#$ ^$#!¡± ¡°They¡¯re babbling about how they really want the orcs¡¯ trophies you monopolized.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°#@ $ the men will die. #$ the women will %@ @# $ ^ @$ *%& ^ %.¡± ¡°You and I will die for sure, and they¡¯ll let go of the noble ladies after a few days if they surrender.¡± ¡°Foul savages! How dare they discriminate against someone¡¯s birth status like that!¡± I was educated no differently than a prince on Earth, getting discriminated against for my social status! It didn¡¯t sit well with me at all. And ladies A and B, who got special treatment from the thieves pretending to be mercenaries? ¡°#! % kill them!¡± ¡°*$ $gonna die!¡± It looked like they wanted to die to save their noble dignities. ¡®This is gonna be difficult.¡¯ I didn¡¯t know if I could kill them all while guarding the ladies perfectly. ¡®Guess I don¡¯t have a choice.¡¯ I took in a deep breath and yelled with all my might. ¡°There is a strong female here¡­!¡± My voice rang across the plain without a single obstacle. Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! The mercenaries, sensing something was off, shot their crossbows. ¡°Too slow.¡± I wanted to ignore the flying bolts and charge at them, but then the two ladies wouldn¡¯t be safe. Toss, toss, toss. I swatted all the bolts away like they were mosquitoes and flies. ¡°$?!¡± ¡°#%?!¡± The mercenaries, taken aback by my petty tricks, started reloading. Surely they didn¡¯t have the time to be doing that? ¡°Hand over the female pig!¡± ¡°Kill all the male pigs!¡± ¡°Haha! There¡¯re pigs everywhere!¡± ¡°Those females are mine!¡± Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! My green reinforcements heard my cries for help and came from every direction. How reliable! The orcs raided the mercenaries surrounding us. ¡°# orc &$ @&?!¡± ¡°Orcs?! $ *# *$^¡­!¡± ¡°#*$! Kill the orcs!¡± Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! The mercenaries threw their crossbows to the ground and fought back with their swords. ¡°Moooo~¡± ¡°Neigh~¡± My hard-earned livestock ran away, and the screams of humans and orcs rang everywhere. ¡ªChaos of the wilderness. ¡°Be honored you¡¯re dying to the outsider¡¯s apostle!¡± [A certain god is too embarrassed to keep their head up.] Glare! ¡®I¡¯ll show these fantasy savages what equality is!¡¯ ____ ____ Chapter 26 Chapter 26 [Act 8] Second Language ¡°$, %$?1¡± ¡°Oink?!¡± I cut every single one in sight. The red surge of power burst from the blue dagger¡¯s blade like a horse-slayer sword. A head was decapitated every time I swung it. [Outsider] [Fairy] Thanks to the fairy¡¯s blessing, I had more gross power, but it was mostly the result of continuous improvement from cutting green pigs. Efficiency¡­ It was where I had to focus my technique since I always had the same amount of gross power. ¡°$#! Spare me~!¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to die! #¡­!¡± On top of that, my Curse helped me out too. [Slaughter] } Friendly races will slightly fear you and find you appalling. } The chances of them opposing your cruel actions increases a lot. It didn¡¯t work at all on the hostile green pigs, but there was quite an effect on the humans. Without exception, every single human I made eye contact with became disoriented and trembled in fear. ¡°^#% spare me!¡± ¡°#& forgiveness &@^!¡± ¡°& die #& $~!¡± The Curse didn¡¯t have much of an effect when they thought they had the upper hand, but after getting raided by the orcs, they were much more expressive. Stab! Fear spread like a contagious disease every time I killed off one of their comrades. Of course, there was some backlash. ¡°^#! I¡¯ll kill you!¡± I could see the man that seemed to be the head mercenary leading his gang in a single row, charging towards me. Slash! Stab! Cut! A blue surge of power was wrapped around their swords like Lady B¡¯s. It was such a strong force that even the orcs, who showed a bold front through a successful raid and overwhelming numbers, took a step back. But alas¡­ #^%di-¡± Slice! While cutting the orcs, I vertically sliced the mercenaries running at me from head to groin. They were undoubtedly strong, but I was stronger. That was all. ¡°#$ &#! Kill him!¡± Kill him! #&^!¡± The mercenaries were unfazed by their comrades¡¯ deaths and swung their swords. They were attacking through time lags. It wasn¡¯t a bad decision, but it only felt ridiculous to me after getting chewed by countless gnolls. [Outsider] I drew power into my empty left hand and put up my nails. Then¡­ stab! I stabbed the mercenary before his blade could touch my body. ¡°#¡­?!¡± The mercenary was disarmed, hips collapsing from his penetrated spine. Before I could make sure my target was dead, I had to face the next enemy. And the third, fourth, fifth, sixth¡­ They came at me with coordinated attacks, which was quite a bother. And the head mercenary¡¯s attacks towards my back were undoubtedly menacing. Of course¡­ Pow! ¡°$, #¡­?¡± That didn¡¯t make a difference. We all may have had a fair shot at each other, but that didn¡¯t mean our Blessings were fair, too. ¡°Sorry I disappointed you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The dying head mercenary¡¯s smile of victory after slashing my back turned into a look of terror. Droop. He must have seen my back, unscathed, through my ripped clothes. On the other hand, the head of the mercenaries, who didn¡¯t expect I would use my toenails as well, lost the lower half of his body and fell next to his subordinates. Plop. ¡°What a shame. I bought these shoes yesterday¡­¡± I liked those shoes because they was waterproof and comfortable, but there was a hole in them near the toes. And the others? Poof! Pooof! Lady A, the mage, was burning the entire field of humans and orcs with her flame shots. It was too chaotic to see what Lady B was doing, but I was sure she was okay because the demon who thought of humans as pet animals was with her. ¡°It¡¯s pretty busy.¡± [A certain god complains you talk to yourself too much.] ¡°¡­For the outsider god!¡± [A certain god compliments you for talking to yourself too much.] ¡°God, aren¡¯t you happy it¡¯s not boring?¡± [A certain god says to hurry up so they can look at the picture books.] ¡°Ah, yeah. I¡¯ll try.¡± There were still plenty of fantasy savages and pigs to kill. * * * Translator ¨C plvto Proofreader ¨C ilafy Join our discord for updates on releases!! * * * As the gods¡¯ closest aid, the Saintess could not falter. The perfect human being! It was extremely rare for a Saintess to show her emotions and stay serious for long periods of time. ¡°This is the backpack in question, correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It was dirty from the gnoll blood and dirt and grime, but it was obvious it wasn¡¯t a backpack that could be made with Fantasia¡¯s tailoring technology. So were its contents. There were books full of realistic drawings that were identical to the actual objects. It was almost suspicious if the gods made it themselves. ¡ªThe printing technology from the world the Heroes were born and raised in. ¡°Isn¡¯t it truly incredible?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oh! I¡¯ve made a mistake. It¡¯s strictly forbidden for a knight to compliment a foreign country. Even though the Heroes¡¯ home country doesn¡¯t exist in Fantasia.¡± ¡°¡­¡± But from how nonchalant the Heroes were about the world with this much technology, maybe it wasn¡¯t that incredible¡­ ¡°How many people besides you know of this backpack?¡± The Saintess asked the knight after carefully looking through the books. ¡°Besides the hierarchs that were aiding you, the only people who know about it are me and the commander of the knights.¡± ¡°Any chance the commander reported it to Prince Alsus?¡± ¡°None. I ran straight to you under his command.¡± ¡°It was a wise decision.¡± All of the Heroes¡¯ personal items were stored in the Temple, including those who declared they were giving up being a Hero and were independent. ¡®Then what could this be?¡¯ The answer was simple. ¡°This is strictly a personal question, but what do you think of this? You found it.¡± ¡°¡­I think there was a hero who wasn¡¯t summoned to the Temple.¡± As she thought¡­ Anyone would assume that if they saw that backpack. A Hero that wasn¡¯t summoned to the Temple¡­ It may not sound like much, but it couldn¡¯t be taken lightly. ¡°Do you have any family?¡± ¡°My siblings all left home, and my parents manage a small orchard in my hometown.¡± ¡°Seems like you aren¡¯t married yet.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for you to work at the Temple forever. Unless you would like to die with honor?¡± ¡°¡­I will work.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t contact anyone, and stay secluded for the time being.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± The knight answered calmly. He saw that coming the moment he thoughtlessly picked up an odd bag. He was lucky to not get silenced through death. ¡°You may leave now. I will send someone to your home.¡± ¡°Thank you for your consideration. For the prosperity of humanity!¡± Salute. The knight breathed again and left the Temple with orderly movements. The Saintess watched him until he disappeared and looked at the name written on the back of the book. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Obviously, she couldn¡¯t read it. But she had to. It would be simple if she asked any of the Heroes, but then there would be no point in keeping it a secret. Scribble scribble. She wrote the name herself on a piece of paper. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sure you heard everything?¡± ¡°Yes, Saintess.¡± ¡°Learn the language from a naive Hero and figure out how to pronounce this name. They must not know of your intentions at all costs.¡± ¡°I will keep it in mind.¡± Her subordinate that was always in her shadows respectfully took the paper and answered. ¡°And this backpack¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Nevermind.¡± The Saintess hid the backpack under her coat. God¡¯s mistake. It could not, and should not have happened. Her god was an absolute, perfect entity. But the ¡®suspicious phenomenon¡¯ had occurred in real life. It was easy to get rid of the evidence, but would that be enough? She couldn¡¯t come to an easy conclusion. ¡°Saintess. I sincerely apologize, for you must be uneasy, but I have a report.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°There was a big-scale massacre in the forest of the Hunter¡¯s Village.¡± ¡°Do you mean the village councilwoman, Celebless, and the fairies were kidnapped? Didn¡¯t we decide under the councilwoman¡¯s request to keep it buried?¡± Why would they bring up something that was over? The attendant denied it. ¡°Besides the fairies and culprits, numerous mercenaries were also murdered. According to the villagers¡¯ testimonies, they said it was revenge from a vindictive soul¡­¡± ¡°Soul?¡± ¡°They say the mercenaries killed a stranger that saved the fairies before the stranger¡¯s soul came for revenge.¡± ¡°A stranger, you say¡­¡± Usually, it would be ¡®traveler¡¯. The word ¡®stranger¡¯ was rarely ever used unless their attire or impressions were truly alien. Almost like the Heroes¡­ ¡°Did you report this because you thought it was related to this backpack?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I apologize. I asked a spiteful question.¡± She didn¡¯t mean to get worked up. It meant that¡¯s how much the backpack shook her composure. The Saintess calmly spoke. ¡°A spirit, on holy grounds? That is ridiculous. The realistic approach would be that they didn¡¯t die and got their revenge on the mercenaries. Investigate what the said spirit was wearing.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­And if any heroes die during hunting, leave them in the morgue. I would like to rest today.¡± ¡°I will let them know.¡± Clench. The Saintess hugged the backpack tightly and left with grace. *** It was a new morning! There was the smell of blood amongst the fresh morning dew, but it was fine as long as I didn¡¯t have trouble breathing. Jiggle! Jiggle! The slimes were earlier than the birds and busied themselves cleaning the area. Jiggle~ Jiggle~ Rapidly growing larger from eating the corpses of humans and orcs scattered across the field, the slime split in two. The increased slimes would get eaten by orcs once again as beings at the bottom of the food chain. This was the circle of life¡­ ¡°Are slimes interesting to you? I¡¯m telling you to listen to what I¡¯m saying!¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± ¡°There¡¯s too much luggage.¡± Demon Kogmos was distracting my appreciation towards the fantasy world¡¯s life cyle. For such a mundane reason¡­ ¡°There¡¯s livestock to carry luggage all around you.¡± ¡°Mooo~¡± ¡°Neigh~¡± A lot of livestock ran away overnight, but it wasn¡¯t a problem because we had found the mercenaries¡¯ horses. The demon, frowning at my counterargument, gave another reason. ¡°There¡¯s going to be more wild dogs if we have all these trophies.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± That really was a problem. I may have been stronger that time, but there was no promise that next time would be the same. If I had more things than I did right then, stronger mercenaries would come for it! ¡°And these two ladies are exhausted. They¡¯re past the point of being able to recover through rest.¡± ¡°Hm!¡± Amputated fingers, scars on their face¡­ None of those injuries had occurred, thankfully, but they were sprawled on the horse saddles, exhausted. No doubt that was dangerous. It would be foolish to fight the green pigs in that state. ¡°Do you get it now?¡± ¡°Fine!¡± For these inconveniences, we headed back to the city. But we couldn¡¯t rest right away. Horses, cows, pigs, sheep, goats, armor, crossbows, swords, food¡­ We had too many trophies. Kaching! ¡°I hear music from my money pouch.¡± [A certain god scolds you for being a greedy outsider.] ¡°I should be able to buy lots of picture books with this money.¡± [A certain god highly praises you for being a faithful outsider.] It was thanks to selling enough livestock for the merchant to grumble that ¡®the price of meat is going to drop even for the nearby cities for a while. Next was the mercenary guild. ¡°#$!¡± ¡°# % #$?!¡± ¡°@# %!¡± The mercenaries were shocked at the mounds of orc heads. ¡°Holy shit! Am I dreaming? Are they all real? You gathered a bunch! How can a level 1 do that?¡± ¡°Is this mound for real?¡± ¡ªIs what I assumed they were saying! ¡°Kang Hansoo#. Thank you.¡± ¡°Thank you. Kang Hansoo $#.¡± The two ladies, leveling up as soon as I completed the task, smiled gleefully. Lady B even went as far as to show me her status window that she had kept hidden the whole time. [Name] Julia [Level] 16 [Blessings] Noble D, Warrior D, Charm F, Student C, Mercenary B, Socialite D [Curses] ¨C Level 16! She had told me she was a level 14 knight when she first met me. Even she didn¡¯t seem to believe it. It wasn¡¯t just her¡­ ¡°¡­I leveled up, too. I¡¯ll give you a little thanks. Ahem!¡± Demon Kogmos. Even he had leveled up, despite being a higher level than the two ladies. I looked at the demon¡¯s status window that only I could see¡­ ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± [Name] Kogmos [Level] 20 [Blessings] Charm B, Secret D, Magic D, Warrior E, Disposition C, Trap F, Observation D [Curses] Noble A It was a compilation of various Blessings, like a written record of his experiences throughout a long life. I could feel his tenacity to get strong and marry, but there wasn¡¯t anything I could call covinous. But even a demon like that was level 20. It was better off than me. [Name] Kang Hansoo [Level] 1 [Blessings] Outsider F, Fairy C, Mercenary B [Curses] Hero E, Slaughter E [Dividend] 6.60 ¡°This is driving me nuts! I was still level 1! That was odd. The Hero¡¯s curses couldn¡¯t affect the exp from mercenary tasks, right? [A certain god looks at the faraway galaxies.] [A certain god says there are a lot of stars like always.] [A certain god drills in that they will turn down any kind of suspicion.] ¡°¡­Could it be?¡± It looked like I had found the reason. Chapter 27 Chapter 27 [Bonus] Lone Wolf The world was full of emptiness. Stars formed in a world of nothing, and it took a very long time until organisms were born on them. And an even longer time for organisms with intellect to become aware of me¡­ ¡°For God!¡± ¡°Ohh! Dear god!¡± ¡°I believe in God!¡± I became ¡®God¡¯ after simply existing all that time. They wanted my help, and by giving them help, I felt the reason for my existence was worthwhile. Later, there were more gods. [A certain goddess hugs her pillow and says hello.] [A certain demon god hurriedly shakes his stolen underwear.] [A certain water god is shocked at the familiar underwear.] [A certain god¡­] We each helped the living in our own separate ways, and the living progressed to various things after receiving help. Humans, fairies, demons, angels¡­ And they fought. Countless lives were lost in vain because they couldn¡¯t accept each other. ¡°To the almighty God!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to die yet!¡± ¡°God! Save me!¡± We did not turn our backs on those who asked for our help. I wasn¡¯t an exception, either¡­ ¡°Cough cough!¡± [A certain god finds a dying young life.] ¡°Oh! Dear God!¡± [A certain god gravely asks if you want to live.] ¡°Of course I do! I want to live! I can¡¯t die like this!¡± A man covered from head to toe in injuries cried out as he threw up blood. There were no healers nearby, and he would surely die if time passed. I granted his wish. Poof! ¡°Waaah?1¡± As he wished, the man earned a new life as a healthy infant. That wasn¡¯t all, however. I did all the finishing touches¡­ [A certain god hurries you to go to the west cave.] ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°From God?!¡± An elderly couple who got my prophecy picked up the baby and raised it with love. And after time passed, I gave them a visit to see how he was doing. He was then a dignified young man. [A certain god delightfully asks how you¡¯re doing.] ¡°God? Are you the god from back then?¡± [A certain god says yes.] ¡°¡­¡± [A certain god asks what else you need help with.] ¡°I curse you! The woman I love was taken from me because you made me into a baby!¡± [A certain god is taken aback] [A certain god argues you never asked for a woman.] ¡°Of course not! It would only have meaning if I interrupted the wedding and saved her myself!¡± [A certain god is deep in thought.] [A certain god apologizes.] ¡°Is that all? Take responsibility! My childhood was worse than death! I grew up getting beat up by the child of the woman I love!¡± [A certain god leaves.] ¡°Come back¡­!¡± The curse of the boy who blamed me gradually faded away. Had I done something wrong? I didn¡¯t know, but I was sure I¡¯d do better next time. My friends were¡­ ¡°Thank you! Nightfall used to be miserable, but now I look forward to it!¡± [A certain god is proud.] ¡°This is my tribute! Please let us have a safe voyage!¡± [A certain wind god is flattered.] ¡°Ahahaha! The god of war is on our side! Charge!¡± [A certain war god cheers on.] The other gods were spending fruitful days getting worshiped by the weak lives in need. I¡¯d try harder, too. ¡°God! Dear god!¡± A woman with an unsightly scar across her face was looking for a god. ¡®It must be because of that scar.¡¯ I knew at first sight, but I made a careful approach so as to not repeat the same mistake. [A certain god says hello.] ¡°Oh! Dear god!¡± [A certain god asks what happened.] ¡°Please get rid of the scar on my face. I¡¯m certain some bitch who was jealous of my beauty sent an assailant!¡± I asked what happened, but she went straight to her demands. I understood she was extremely resentful and desperate, but I wanted her to keep her manners and proper procedure. I didn¡¯t want to make another mistake. [A certain god asks what happened.] ¡°What happened? That¡¯s¡­¡± [A certain god draws the line that they won¡¯t help them if they don¡¯t know what happened.] ¡°I guess I don¡¯t have any choice. A prince who begged me for my hand in marriage broke off the engagement as soon as he saw my scar.¡± [A certain god advises you to break the engagement and find a better man.] After listening to what happened, it didn¡¯t seem like she needed my help. The woman disagreed right away. ¡°No! There¡¯s no one better to marry than this prince! And there isn¡¯t a man who wants to marry me now that I¡¯m ugly.¡± [A certain god says they¡¯re sure there is.] There had to be. I was sure of it, I¡¯d watched humans ever since they were created on the stars. There would surely be a man who wanted to marry her somewhere¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t want to! I don¡¯t want an ugly or incompetent man, no matter what!¡± [A certain god understands right away.] ¡°Are you going to help me?¡± [A certain god says they always keep their promises.] That time, I didn¡¯t lose control of my powers and make the mistake of turning her into a baby. Poof! The woman¡¯s face recovered. She became a bit younger, as I¡¯d put her back to before she got the scar, but it wasn¡¯t too young to get married or give birth. After feeling the smooth skin on her face, she rushed to take out her compact mirror, and she cried. ¡°Thank you! Thank you! You have no idea how miserable I was getting stepped on by ugly bitches!¡± [A certain god wishes you happiness.] ¡°Yes! Ahaha!¡± The woman, back to being beautiful, rearranged the engagement and married the prince. And time passed. I got the chance to see her again while I was in a rivalry with a god that only healed people. On a guillotine. ¡°Off with the head of the dogs that were seduced by the villainess,¡± An old man wearing a crown commanded. Snap! Snap! Snap! The heads of handsome young boys dropped to the ground one by one. The woman, who was branded as a villainess, cried out with a pale face. ¡°Your majesty! Please spare me! It¡¯s my fault! I will never look the other way again!¡± Thanks to her time stopping from my help, she was still as young and as beautiful as ever. But the old man that looked to be her husband did not budge. ¡°Be thankful I¡¯m letting you die painlessly because of the good times we had.¡± The woman, realizing she had no hope of living, showed her true colors. ¡°None of this would have happened if you satisfied me! It¡¯s your fault for being old and diseased!¡± ¡°¡­Carry out the execution.¡± ¡°This is unacceptable! You abandoned me when I was ugly, too¡­!¡± Snap! The queen¡¯s head, who used to be called the kingdom¡¯s gem, fell onto the dirt floor. And so did my heart. [A certain god is depressed.] * * * Translator ¨C plvto Proofreader ¨C ilafy Join our discord for updates on releases!! * * * The world changed. So much had changed over the course of one life on this star that it was overwhelming for me to keep up. Heroes, Demon Kings, levels, Blessings, Curses¡­ We made rules. Why? ¡°Dear god! Help me!¡± ¡°Please give me the power of victory!¡± ¡°I want to win easily!¡± There were too many humans who thought of us as war tools. [A certain impatient demon god puts down their durian.] [A certain sword god plants carrots on the field.] [A certain innocent goddess hugs her pillow.] [A certain god¡­] We adjusted ourselves to the new order of things after putting a stop to the meaningless rivalries. Except for me. ¡°Bring the Saintess right now!¡± ¡°Give up. Another Hero took her while you were fighting.] ¡°Kirk! The heal Blessing, at least¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m working on it!¡± A Hero that had killed a high-rank demon was dying slowly. Having several Blessings from the gods, the Hero was undoubtedly strong, but the cost of putting too much trust in the Saintess and fighting relentlessly was too high. Let¡¯s call it the price of carelessness. [Name] Cain [Level] 38 [Blessings] Hero A, Warrior B, Invincibility E, Weapon D, Mercenary S, Fairy D, Grit A, Reflection B, Mermaid B, Vitality A, Blessing B¡­ [Curses] Hunt E, Nature F, Demon E [Dividend] 31.51 It didn¡¯t matter if one had the power to single-handedly change the flow of a war, the end would always come without warning¡­ [A certain god asks if you want to live.] ¡°Of course!¡± [A certain god warns you will lose everything you have.] ¡°It¡¯s better than dying in vain like this!¡± [A certain god smiles.] Those moments were my favorite. I could ruminate on the reason and meaning of my existence in a world that was once empty. I was needed in this world. Poof! ¡°I¡¯m alive!¡± The hero¡¯s body, which was ruined beyond repair, recovered. Technically speaking, I only reverted everything back to its original state, but it gave the same results. ¡°Now let¡¯s take back the Sainte¡­ huh?! What is this?! What happened to my level?!¡± [Name] Cain [Level] 1 [Blessings] Hero A, Warrior B, Invincibility E, Weapon D, Mercenary S, Fairy D, Grit A, Reflection B, Mermaid B, Vitality A, Blessing B¡­ [Curses] Hunt E, Nature F, Demon E [Dividend] 31.51 His level was reset. It was inevitable. [A certain god drills you to remember your warning.] I wasn¡¯t the same as before. I was sick of apologizing and regretting. ¡°Be prepared to lose everything I have¡­¡± The Hero recovered incredibly quickly after his mental shock. That was also my Blessing¡¯s effect. He would never falter from his emotions for the rest of his life. ¡°What¡¯s important is that I¡¯m alive. I¡¯ll start again from level 1.¡± [A certain god is at ease.] The hero stopped his adventures and returned to west Fantasia. He hunted every single goblin in the forest he liked to use when he was a beginner. ¡°$# %~?!¡± ¡°@%#~?!¡± Thanks to having a lot of useful blessings, he showed very fast progress. But his Hero comrades didn¡¯t wait for him. ¡°Cain. I have something to tell you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Forget a woman like me.¡± ¡°Hero. I¡¯m sincerely sorry.¡± Thinking he was hopeless, they all left his side using all kinds of excuses. ¡°Damnit¡­!¡± [A certain god is watching.] ¡°How is this a Blessing?! It¡¯s the worst Curse there is!¡± [A certain god is displeased.] ¡°¡­Since you did save my life, I will stop the resentment and complaints.¡± [A certain god is at ease.] ¡°But let me give you a word of advice, god.¡± Advice, to me? [A certain god says to speak since they are curious.] ¡°Don¡¯t give anyone a Blessing ever again. This is a Curse that takes away things more valuable than life.¡± [A certain god goes quiet.] ¡°I wouldn¡¯t take a Blessing that takes me back to level 1 every time I use it, even in death.¡± [A certain god leaves.] I had no more business with a Hero who denied my existence. ¡®Let¡¯s find another Hero.¡¯ But the same thing happened, no matter how many times I tried. ¡°How can I be level 1!¡± ¡°This is a horrendous Curse!¡± ¡°Please tell me this is a dream!¡± Every Hero that got my help was in denial and resented their outcomes. I couldn¡¯t stay stubborn anymore. He was right. [A certain god silently leaves.] I wasn¡¯t needed in this world. *** It was truly an uncoincidental coincidence that I came across that Hero. I was lingering around the Temple because I still had unresolved feelings and found him passed out from a fairy¡¯s arrow. [A certain god peeps.] ¡°Save me!¡± [A certain god asks why you¡¯re alone.] ¡°Save me first!¡± This human was more stubborn than the woman I¡¯d saved before. It was only right to ignore him, but¡­ [Name] Kang Hansoo [Level] 1 [Blessings] ¨C [Curses] Hero E [Dividend] 2.56 He had the Hero¡¯s curse. He wouldn¡¯t stop leveling up completely, but without any Blessings, he wouldn¡¯t survive long, either. If he was going to die anyways¡­ [A certain god ponders.] ¡°Are you an outsider?¡± An outsider? I¡¯d never heard of such a thing. [A certain god wants to know what an outsider is.] ¡°An outsider is a lone wolf dashing through the wilderness.¡± A lone wolf! I liked the sound of that. [A certain god likes the meaning of ¡®an outsider¡¯.] It fit perfectly with my unneeded, desolate position in this world. [A certain god is certain they¡¯re an outsider.] ¡°Please save me.¡± [A certain god asks if you¡¯re also an outsider.] ¡°I¡¯m an outsider, too. That¡¯s why I was dropped here instead of getting summoned to the Temple like my friends.¡± I had known as soon as I saw his odd attire, and as expected, he was a Hero. [Hero] It was odd he had the Hero¡¯s Curse instead of a Blessing, but it didn¡¯t go against the rules if I gave him a Blessing. But then again¡­ [A certain god ponders if they should help the poor outsider.] [A certain god looks around and hesitates.] [A certain god¡­] It felt like he would die, even if I saved him with my Blessing. If he was going to die as a level 1 anyways, wouldn¡¯t it be okay to just give him the Blessing? [Outsider] I changed the name of my Blessing. That way, I would never get caught. ¡­There was a time when I believed that. [A certain god looks into the far galaxies.] [A certain god says there are a lot of stars in the sky as always.] [A certain god pretends to be asleep.] [A certain god drills in that they will turn down any kind of suspicion.] ¡°¡­Could it be?¡± It looked like I was caught after all. [A certain god says the outsider is stupid for getting fooled.] ¡°Yeah. I know.¡± [A certain god flinches] ¡®Why were you agreeing?¡¯ That Hero had very little mood swings, thanks to my Blessing. But it was still normal to get mad¡­? He groaned. ¡°I really am stupid! Levels reset too¡­ It¡¯s obvious if you think about it just a little! I just wasted my time exterminating orcs.¡± [A certain god is quizzical.] That was it? I didn¡¯t know why. ¡°Outsider god, stop making fun of me. Let¡¯s go pick out some picture books.¡± He thought of me as a child! But I didn¡¯t hate it. [A certain god desperately prays.] ¡°For my dying soul?¡± [A certain god says absolutely not.] ¡°Then what did you pray?¡± [A certain god says it¡¯s a secret.] ¡°Yeah, fine.¡± ¡®I wish you would stay by my side.¡¯ ¡®Forever.¡¯ Chapter 28 Chapter 28 [Act 9] Easy Orc [A certain god says the outsider is stupid for getting fooled.] ¡°Yeah. I know.¡± [A certain god flinches] Even most of the villagers, who were clearly not fighters, were at least level 2. [Hero] I should have reached level 2 already, even with a curse. I¡¯d hunted down all those gnolls in the forest. The orcs were nothing to laugh at, either. The number of green pigs I lured in using ladies A and B was tremendous, enough for everyone except me to have leveled up. ¡°I really am stupid! It¡¯s obvious if you think about! I just wasted my time exterminating orcs.¡± If I¡¯d known of it sooner, I would have done it in moderation! I wouldn¡¯t have gone that far to hunt orcs in an area with poor supplies. [A certain god is quizzical.] Was he expecting me to be angrier for getting fooled? What a rude god. ¡°Outsider god, stop making fun of me. Let¡¯s go pick out some picture books.¡± [A certain god desperately prays.] ¡°For my dying soul?¡± [A certain god says absolutely not.] ¡°Then what did you pray?¡± [A certain god says it¡¯s a secret.] ¡°Yeah, fine.¡± They sure had a lot of secrets! The outsider god must¡¯ve been scheming to drill another big nail into a young outsider¡¯s heart. ¡®Damn my life¡­¡¯ ¡°Kang Hansoo $. % thank you. #$ ^$ #$%.¡± ¡°Thank you. %¡­ # ^$. %#$ @# ^$%$ ^$.¡± Was leveling up such a big deal? Ladies A and B finally calmed down and each said a word to me with a smile. Of course, I didn¡¯t understand them. ¡®Hey, translator.¡¯ ¡°¡­They say they feel bad they got more help while trying to help you and that it will be hard for them to accompany you further because while your hunting method is efficient, it¡¯s too dangerous.¡± ¡°Well, true.¡± This may be a fantasy world where pigs call humans a pig, but it wasn¡¯t a game you could restart if you died. People in fantasy genres always acted like they took their lives for granted. Me? I was an exception. [Outsider] Thanks to that blessing, I only had a very faint fear of death. It wasn¡¯t that I was clueless. My first day surviving in a fantasy almost getting killed by carnivorous monsters(gnolls) and savages(fairies) still felt like yesterday. But getting my emotions reset in real-time and the thought that all I had to do was avoid instant death made me complacent. I had to be more careful from then on¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t even have basic manners. Don¡¯t you know you have to respond right away when a lady says thank you?¡± ¡°Tell them it¡¯s all good.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°What about it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you still don¡¯t know these ladies¡¯ names.¡± ¡°I do know!¡± ¡°Say them.¡± ¡°You crude, suspicious demon! Don¡¯t test a good human!¡± ¡°They¡¯re ladies Laysha and Julia.¡± ¡°I said. ¡°I know¡±.¡± I realized something new thanks to ladies Laysha and Julia. ¡ªThere were no fantasy natives that hunted monsters for every meal to level up! They only had one life, after all. They were cautious with hunts that were even a little dangerous. [A certain god scolds you to not take your life for granted.] ¡°Hmph. Let¡¯s go buy picture books.¡± Knowledge is power! To become strong, I had to perfect the language of the fantasy world since I couldn¡¯t level up. That way, it would be easy to gather information. I couldn¡¯t keep relying on the demon. He could backstab me any moment. ¡°Hey, you, are you talking to the demon god again? You keep talking to yourself with a dingy face.¡± ¡°I told you it wasn¡¯t the demon god.¡± This god was a little more fundamentally immature and evil. Don¡¯t you think? [A certain god says absolutely not.] [A certain god praises themselves to be the most incredible in the world.] ¡°¡­Really incredible.¡± I was starting to admire that stubbornness. * * * Translator ¨C plvto Proofreader ¨C ilafy * * * Though Oh Hanwoo couldn¡¯t call himself a Hero anymore, that wasn¡¯t a big problem for him. [Special] If everyone was a Hero, wouldn¡¯t it be more special to not be one? A main character stronger than the Hero¡­ That wasn¡¯t a bad plot, Oh Hanwoo optimistically thought. Clink! He invested the large amount of money that was for his independence and not calling himself a Hero and bought slaves. As a result, his pockets became quite thin, but he didn¡¯t regret it. ¡°Ehehe.¡± Oh Hanwoo couldn¡¯t help but grin with contentment every time he looked at the pretty girls he had chosen at the slave market himself. He really did make the right choice. ¡°Sera.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± A girl with long blonde hair resembling luxurious gold silk stared at her master. Sera was the daughter of a fallen noble family, and she had volunteered to become a slave to pay off her family¡¯s debts. ¡°Kana.¡± ¡°Yeah? Did you call for me?¡± A tall, skinny girl with slightly curly silver hair was staring blankly at the sky and answered in surprise. ¡°Lusa.¡± ¡°¡­What is it?¡± The charming girl with stubborn eyes and ardent red hair answered his calls with disdain. She wasn¡¯t a noble, but the daughter of quite a wealthy merchant. She¡¯d become a slave after losing the race to become heir. ¡°Just checking if you¡¯re following well.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Aha¡­¡± ¡°¡­is that so?¡± They were currently Slave status, but growing up sheltered by respectable families, the girls¡¯ skin looked different from the skin of a commoner. There was an underlying elegance in every little move they made. And so, after hiding their status and getting dressed well, they caught attention everywhere they went. Beauties, slaves, nobles, unfortunate souls, broken families¡­ I just knew¡­ The girls saved by the main character(me) would make excellent comrades! ¡°Ahahaha.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The girls glanced at each other as if to say ¡®this time, it¡¯s your turn.¡¯ Kana, thinking her turn came much too quick, made herself smile. She asked her master, ¡°¡­Master. Did something good happen?¡± To that, Oh Hanwoo answered with a meaningful smile. ¡°Starting today, I¡¯m going hunting!¡± ¡°Hunting¡­?¡± ¡°Yep. Hunting.¡± It wasn¡¯t bad living like newlyweds as they were, but it would fall apart if they didn¡¯t have a source of income. Mirrors, underwear, daily attire, fighting attire, makeup, daily necessities, swords, crossbows, shields, backpacks, household medicine, water bottles, field rations¡­ He didn¡¯t have a problem because his ¡®ex comrade¡¯ Aria took care of it for him, but his slaves didn¡¯t have any of it. And that wasn¡¯t the end of it! With the addition of the cheap pride of a man trying to look good in front of a pretty woman, he even showed the generosity of lavish spending. ¡°Master. It will be dangerous without the proper preparation.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, just trust me. I didn¡¯t just do nothing all this time.¡± Flare~! Oh Hanwoo formed quite a rather big flame on his palm. [Magic] Princess Ethena may have given him the Magic Blessing, but besides that, he¡¯d learned everything from A to Z by himself. And yet it was quite significant. If the Mages knew of this, they would have been astonished by his talents, that he was a prodigy surpassing Princess Ethena¡­ ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Get it now? There¡¯s absolutely no need to worry.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Ehehehe!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Oh Hanwoo appeared to be confident in front of the ladies, but the state of his pockets was the exact opposite of that. He¡¯d looked down on it for being a beginner¡¯s territory for Heroes, but there was a clear difference between games and real life. If you look at the reasons one by one¡­ First of all, there was a Great Temple no different than the most excellent hospital in the world right in the middle of the city. Secondly, it was a critical location for traffic, as it was a hub connecting the Knight Kingdom and Magic Kingdom with a harbor to add to that. Third, it was the world¡¯s safest residential area where the Saintess, also called humanity¡¯s greatest weapon, lived. Etcetera etcetera. There was no way living could be cheap in a city as perfect as that. It boasted a brutal living price as expensive as the land was. ¡°Mister Oh Hanwoo, please stop. This is a restricted area.¡± ¡°What the¡­¡± Oh Hanwoo, who¡¯d led the slaves to the forest to earn money, was stopped by the guards. He could pass by just fine before. The knight cut him off in a flat voice. ¡°Only Heroes can come in here.¡± ¡°Then so can I-oh!¡± ¡°Please go somewhere else if you¡¯ve understood.¡± ¡°Damnit!¡± A hunting ground monopoly! It infuriated him, but there was nothing Oh Hanwoo could do when he was no longer a Hero. He went outside his original plans and headed deeper into a dark, empty area. Rustle. ¡°#$? %#!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a gnoll! Sera, Kana, Lusa. Focus on your guards and kill time!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Yessir.¡± ¡°Fine¡­¡± Gnolls were level 4, on average. On the other hand, there was one level 6, two level 5s, and 1 level 1. Levels weren¡¯t everything, but they were set to win as long as they didn¡¯t freeze in fear or lower their guards. ¡°Oof!¡± ¡°Urk!¡± ¡°Urm..¡± [Slave] Despite being scared and not being able to run away because of their master¡¯s orders, the girls fought surprisingly well. They weren¡¯t level 1, after all. It was evident they had quite some experience leveling up through killing. They weren¡¯t civilians who didn¡¯t know how to fight at all. Pow-! ¡°#$?!¡± The magic flame Oh Hanwoo made hit the gnoll. ¡°Now! Attack!¡± Stab! Stab! Stab! With their master¡¯s command, the girls stabbed the gnoll in unison without missing a beat. ¡°# #@¡­¡± Flop. Just like that, the gnoll collapsed after letting in all the attacks. ¡°Alright! Now keep it up¡ª¡± ¡°Wow! That was pretty neat. I was going to give you a hand if it got dangerous.¡± Clap Clap! There was a boy approaching Oh Hanwoo tauntingly. ¡ªIt was his classmate that had taught him various things at the slave market. Behind them was a muscular slave standing on guard. Oh Hanwoo scrunched his brows. ¡°If you¡¯re going to hunt, do it over there. I came here first.¡± ¡°And if I don¡¯t want to?¡± ¡°¡­¡± He was like that in school back on Earth as well. He¡¯d always go around in groups and cut in line in the cafeteria and school store. But this was a fantasy world where there was magic and levels. And that bastard was alone, just like him. No, Oh Hanwoo was no longer alone. Sera, Kana, Lusa¡­ He had beautiful comrades to share his mind and body with. And so the boy didn¡¯t get scared and loudly shouted. ¡°You piece of shit! Take it if you can!¡± ¡°Yeah yeah, I was going to.¡± [Slave] [Slave] The Heroes, who weren¡¯t on good terms even back in their motherland, ordered their slaves. And fought¡­ [A certain evil god looks over with excitement.] [A certain immature god of dice looks for their popcorn.] [A certain god¡­] *** A normal approach wouldn¡¯t work for me to take down the evil goddess when I couldn¡¯t level up. ¡ªA weapon that could cut gods! Wouldn¡¯t I need at least that much in order to cut the head off of the goddess who looked down on me from the heavens? So I asked for help. ¡°#¡­ #[email protected]# $ %#.¡± ¡°^$ # $. %#$ $.¡± ¡°The two ladies say they don¡¯t know. It looks like you¡¯ve got some hot air in you from reading all those children¡¯s picture books, but the nation already confiscated such incredible weapons.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± There were a lot of relics that no one had been to in fantasy creations, but how cruel real life was! Land relics had been excavated thanks to state investments a while ago, and there was only a small chance if I looked at treasure islands in the owner-less ocean¡­ ¡°Oh! I was wrong. There are some left.¡± ¡°Oh?! Really?¡± Was there really a relic that hadn¡¯t been excavated yet?! The demon told me with a sneer. ¡°But it¡¯s better to give up. There are only relics that haven¡¯t been investigated yet for special reasons or because it was too dangerous.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I can tell what you¡¯re thinking from your face, but leave me out of it. The entrances of those relics are guarded by the nation¡¯s knights. ¡°How strong are the knights?¡± ¡°I can assure you that they¡¯re stronger than you. It¡¯s even said that national power is determined by the number of knights, not soldiers.¡± ¡°Hm¡­.¡± Was it really impossible as a level 1? Knights were just empty tin cans with nothing but glory and bluffing in the fantasy creations I knew of. It was extremely disappointing. ¡°This is depressing.¡± I went out to the vast meadow alone to soothe this melancholiness. [A certain god tells you to cheer up.] [A certain god twirls in their place.] [A certain god shakes their buttocks side to side and dances.] ¡®They¡¯re ecstatic that I¡¯m upset, aren¡¯t they!¡¯ Woosh~ Still, I felt better feeling the cool night air on my face in an open area¡­ ¡°Skinny male pig! Hand over everything you got!¡± ¡° Green pig. I¡¯m feeling really depressed right now, alright? Don¡¯t pick a fight. Move along.¡± ¡°A pig speaking orc tongue?! Am I dreaming?!¡± ¡°Just go.¡± ¡°Smart male pig! Don¡¯t look down on orcs just because you¡¯re a little fluent. Hand over everything you g-kirk?!¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t listen, do you!¡± I hurled down punches on the head of the fantasy pig that picked a fight with a peace-loving Earthling. ¡°Oiiink?!¡± ¡°Do you know how I feel? Fantasy world full of exciting adventures, my ass! Do you know how miserable I feel knowing it was all bait from the authors?¡± A new dungeon has been found! ¡­Was just something to add content in fantasy genres. This place was already done with excavations like on Earth. ¡°S-stop- oink?!¡± Pow! Pow! Pow! I let out my anger- ahem! I threw punches of justice until the green pig¡¯s skin turned blue. ¡°How can there be no relics to excavate! What am I supposed to do in a fantasy world with no hopes and dreams!¡± ¡°Th-there is!¡± ¡°There can¡¯t b¡ª what?¡± ¡°Relics! They¡¯re there, now stop hitting me, smart pig!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. You¡¯re racking your brain to run off.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know the Orc¡¯s Secret! Don¡¯t bluff just because you know the language!¡± ¡°¡­¡± That was a knockdown. The fact that there were no undiscovered relics was just the human and devil¡¯s point of view. ¡°Urk! My handsome face¡­ kirk?! I¡­ I can¡¯t breathe¡­.!¡± ¡°My friend! Can you tell me more?¡± I had to listen to the orcs, too. ____ Chapter 29 [Act 9] Easy Orc [Hero] } Languages of races that are hostile towards the hero will be automatically translated. } Experience that you gain from hunting and achievements is greatly diminished! How nice it would¡¯ve been if the language of friendly species were translated automatically! It wasn¡¯t because of a one-dimensional reason like I didn¡¯t want to study, but because I didn¡¯t want to stay in a fantasy world for a long time. ¡°Friend!¡± ¡°Human! I am not your friend!¡± ¡°The enemy of an enemy is a friend!¡± ¡°What nonsense! The orcs¡¯ enemy is a skinny pig! And you are a pig!¡± ¡°Haha! Let¡¯s look past those minor issues.¡± The language contains the culture of the country and its people. ¡­I wasn¡¯t saying that because I learned it in my Korean class. Like there are different dialects in different parts of a country, Western Fantasia uses unique adjectives. {Slime rank: } {Goblin rank: lacking, negative.} {Gnoll rank: average, normal, medium.} {Orc rank: positive enough.} {Troll rank: } {Auger rank: incredible. } {Dragon rank: impossible, miracle.} Power levels were compared to monsters in that way. A weak monster meant one was weak. A strong monster meant one was strong. So what was I trying to say? ¡°Friend!¡± It means that orcs are friendly species to the fantasy native and they absolutely cannot be left out. ¡°Stop! It¡¯s time to stop!¡± ¡°You should know how lucky you are. Where else can you find a human friend that can communicate with you this well?¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid?! Friends don¡¯t use violence!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get past the minor arguments we had before we became friends. Fights create bonds, you know?¡± ¡°Argument?! You weren¡¯t a smart pig, but a stubborn one!¡± ¡°Haha! Let¡¯s hurry.¡± [A certain god asks why you have your spirits back again.] ¡®Why, you ask?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s because I saw a ray of light in a fantasy world I thought had no hopes and dreams!¡¯ ¡®The name of the light is ¡®orc¡¯.¡¯ ¡®May the indigenous fantasy pig lead me to the light.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll show you the way, but strong pigs like you can¡¯t enter.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It has been like that ever since I was born.¡± ¡°How much further do we have to go?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in front of you.¡± ¡°Um?¡± No matter how hard I looked, I couldn¡¯t find any ruins, let alone relics. ¡®Did this orc just scam me?¡¯ I thought so as I walked when I felt a strange sensation of my body getting sucked into a vacuum. ¡®Just what is this¡­ Oh!¡¯ ¡°Oh? It¡¯s a skinny male pig!¡± ¡°The pig is back in the city.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a male. Let¡¯s eat it.¡± ¡°Haha! Hey, pig! Were you surprised?¡± A city of orcs appeared in what was an empty meadow. It looked almost like a refugee camp. There were several poorly constructed buildings around a giant dolmen relic resembling a Stone Age dolmen. ¡°¡­Fascinating.¡± ¡®How did I not see a city this big?¡¯ Transportation? A mirage? Hallucination? Time travel? Postmonition? Hypnosis? Magic? A fantastical fantasy just happened in a fantasy world. ¡°Whatever.¡± It would be stupid for the human to try to analyze it scientifically. What was important was that I¡¯d found the City of Orcs and the relic. ¡°S-smart male pig?! How come you¡¯re still here?!¡± My orc friend who¡¯d led me there was appalled. ¡°What? Am I not allowed to?¡± ¡°This is an orc sanctuary that only level 9 and unders can enter! But why are you¡­¡± ¡°Well, of course¡­ That¡¯s because I¡¯m level 1.¡± ¡°Liar¡­!¡± I could see why that orc friend had obediently led me there. ¡°This will be your grave, skinny pig!¡± ¡°Male pig! Blame yourself for coming to an orc sanctuary. Haha!¡± ¡°Oh! It¡¯s a pig! Today¡¯s gonna be fun. Hehehe.¡± Looking down on me for being less than a level 9 human, countless orcs surrounded me. What a bunch of bullies! My orc friend cried out. ¡°N, no! Comrades! Be careful! This pig is diff¡ª oink?!¡± ¡°Hahaha! Alright, everyone. Let me pass.¡± ¡®Feel free to block me. I¡¯ll step over you myself.¡¯ [A certain god prays for the souls of countless pigs.] *** The bastard who acted like a bully in school was no different in the fantasy world. ¡®I¡¯ll set you straight!¡¯ Flare! Oh Hanwoo opened his eyes wide with the fireball magic he prepared while the trustworthy beauties stood on guard. ¡°Oomph-?!¡± ¡°Eek?!¡± ¡°Eeek!¡± It was entirely different than going against the gnoll they took down earlier. Pow, pow, pow. One for each blow. The muscular slave guarding the piece of trash took down the girls with his bare fists like he was sweeping them with a broomstick. They weren¡¯t a match at all. ¡°Sera! Kana! Lusa! I¡¯ll save you!¡± [Special] Oh Hanwoo completed his magic in the short time the ladies bought him. Shoot-! A fireball the size of a watermelon hit the slave square in the face. ¡°Alright¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Pretty sharp for a level 1 mage. Is this the talent of a Hero?¡± ¡°What?!¡± Not even a single strand of hair was burnt from the magic as the muscular slave pulled a sword from his waistbelt. Sling- ¡°Th-that can¡¯t be¡­!¡± Oh Hanwoo subconsciously took a step back, surprised at the dangerous blade. ¡®But I¡¯m the main character¡­!¡¯ He was supposed to knock down that savage with nothing but brawn and save the beauties in danger with grandiose. The boy who had been watching laughed his head off. ¡°Ahahaha! Looks like you can¡¯t believe what¡¯s happening, Oh Hanwoo, but this is a natural outcome, you know.¡± ¡°You piece of shit! What tricks did you pull out of your sleeve?!¡± ¡°Tricks? There¡¯s no such thing. It¡¯s simple, my slave¡¯s level was just overwhelming higher.¡± ¡°Levels are nothing but numbers.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s when it¡¯s only a small difference. But when it gets bigger than 10 levels, you¡¯re not a match.¡± Right after the boy acted arrogant¡­ ¡°Ahhh!¡± ¡°Aargh~?!¡± ¡°S-stoop-¡± In unison, Oh Hanwoo¡¯s slaves started to struggle in pain. [Slave] [Slave] [Slave] It was because their curses got activated. The boy spoke on behalf of their master, who was still at a loss for what was going on. ¡°What are you gonna do, Oh Hanwoo? Looks like your lovely slaves don¡¯t want to die. They went against their master¡¯s orders and gave up fighting.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°They just might go mad from the pain if you leave them like this.¡± ¡°Sera! Kana! Lusa! You don¡¯t have to fight!¡± The girls¡¯ cries quieted down. And another wave of cries followed after them. ¡°Kirrk-?!¡± Oh Hanwoo rolled over on the dirt ground from getting kicked in the guts by the muscular slave. ¡°Stop. Let me talk to my friend,¡± the boy commanded. ¡°Yes.¡± The slave, putting down his sword, obediently backed away. ¡°Looks like that hurt a lot.¡± ¡°Y-you bastard..¡± Oh Hanwoo clutched his stomach in pain with both hands. The boy from his homeland laughed at him as he spoke. ¡°Oh Hanwoo. I also really enjoy fantasy genres. I just didn¡¯t show it at school.¡± ¡°Kirk¡­¡± ¡°But after getting killed by a gnoll three times, I realized¡­ Real fantasy worlds aren¡¯t easy.¡± ¡°Ahahaha! That¡¯s because you¡¯re not the main character¡ª argh?!¡± Pow! The boy kicked his laughing friend¡¯s mouth like it was a soccer ball. Oh Hanwoo¡¯s front teeth broke and his face was covered with blood. ¡°Was it fun? Spending all day with pretty girls that you¡¯d never be able to talk to on Earth?¡± ¡°Eaagh?!¡± ¡°Oh! Don¡¯t take it the wrong way. I wasn¡¯t planning to do this since the beginning. I felt a sense of kinship when I ran into you at the slave market. I mean it.¡± Clink. * * * Translator ¨C plvto Proofreader ¨C ilafy Join our discord for updates on releases!! * * * The boy, taking Oh Hanwoo¡¯s pouch of money and seeing what was inside, looked bewildered. ¡°I thought you¡¯d have a lot of money since you only bought cheap, low-level slaves, but you used almost all of it in a few days. Just how prodigally have you been living?¡± ¡°I used it for them! I don¡¯t like men like you do!¡± ¡°¡­You really are dumb, aren¡¯t you? I can¡¯t believe, after all that, you still don¡¯t get it. Hey, Oh Hanwoo. Why do you think your lovely slaves are so cheap when they¡¯re that pretty?¡± ¡°Guess they¡¯re out of their minds.¡± ¡°Ahahaha! You¡¯re a real piece of work!¡± Laughing hard enough to lean back, the boy kindly explained. ¡°Low-level slaves are cheap. Their worth goes up a little if their looks and upbringing are extraordinary, but that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°What the¡­¡± ¡°At the same price, you can buy strong slaves to steal the weak ones. Like I¡¯m doing right now.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°Oh Hanwoo. Declare you will hand over your slaves to me. You don¡¯t have to if you want. Slaves without an owner are first come, first serve.¡± ¡°You piece of shit..! That¡¯s ridiculous, how could you¡­!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been talking out of your ass for a while now. Do you really want to die that badly? Or do you want me to cut some of your fingers off? This isn¡¯t a planet that protects outsiders like you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Oh Hanwoo lost everything that day. ¡­And gained a Blessing. [Revenge] *** ¡°Kirk?!¡± ¡°Oiink?!¡± [A certain god dances with their shoulders to the sound of the orcs¡¯ cries.] I can¡¯t believe they¡¯re dancing in this chaos! How insensitive of you, god! The number of orcs coming to kill me didn¡¯t seem to end. So I killed them harder. ¡°Jeez! Is this male pig a demon with a pig¡¯s mask?!¡± ¡°Demon, my ass. Have you seen yourselves?¡± Slash. I always thought it was odd. The mercenary guild in the city always requested for orc hunts. No matter how prolific the orcs were, it could only make sense for the number to decrease when they didn¡¯t have females or a habitat, but the number of orcs didn¡¯t lessen at all. The reason for that was there. ¡°Moo~¡± ¡°Neigh~¡± Who would have guessed the meadow-wandering orcs would have set up a decent farm in the city! Cows, horses, pigs, sheep, oxen¡­ Most of them were females raised to birth orcs. And there were humans, too. ¡°Eek?! #$ #¡­!¡± ¡°Male pig! I¡¯ll kill this female pig if you don¡¯t stop¡ª¡± Stab! I completely ignored the green pig¡¯s shallow hostage play. ¡°Do whatever you want.¡± [Hero] I wasn¡¯t a Hero that had to save all of the fantasy natives. I was an alien tricked by an evil goddess, let alone a Hero. I wasn¡¯t in the place to worry about others. ¡°¡­But still.¡± At least I could avenge the fantasy natives who lived in agony or died on this land. Stab! Pow! Stab! I didn¡¯t hesitate to get rid of every single green pig I could see. ¡°Kill that male pig¡­!¡± ¡°How is he still so active?!¡± ¡°When is he going to tire out?!¡± ¡°Attack! Don¡¯t give him a break!¡± Sitting on the hopes and dreams that I would tire out, the fantasy pigs came at me without stopping for a breath. [Outsider] [Fairy] They were close to extinction by the time they decided to leave their homes and run. ¡°You all look down at me too much for being level 1.¡± It looked like fantasy monsters had a bad habit of looking down on people with low levels, just like how the gnolls did. My Curse probably played a role, too. [Slaughter] }Friendly races will slightly fear you and find you appalling. }The chances of them opposing your cruel actions increases a lot. Thanks to the backlash, the city was nice and clean. And as if to prove my efforts, my status window changed. [Name] Kang Hansoo [Level] 1 [Blessings] Outsider F, Fairy C, Mercenary B [Curses] Hero E, Slaughter C, Massacre D [Dividend] 8.83 My Curse got stronger, and another Curse was added. ¡°God. don¡¯t you think this is too much?¡± [A certain god throws a fit that they didn¡¯t do anything.] ¡°Not you, the Curse.¡± [A certain god tilts their head.] ¡°How can there be a Curse for saving humans that were being bred by pigs? This is way too irrational.¡± [A certain god says you should look at it from the orcs¡¯ side.] ¡°Aha!¡± I do deserve the Curse! Even the effect was extraordinary. [Massacre] }Chances of a dead soul you murdered appearing in your dreams increases greatly! }The nightmares will continue until the dead souls enter nirvana or surrender. Even the orcs I killed would enter my dreams and haunt me! It didn¡¯t matter because I never slept, but it was truly a horrific Curse for most humans, who couldn¡¯t control their fatigue. Anyways, everything would be over once I exterminated all the orcs in the city. ¡°%#$ #!¡± ¡°%@! @#!¡± ¡°# % $!¡± There were quite a few people gathered in the chaotic plaza, and they tried to talk as soon as they found me. ¡°¡­¡± But what were they saying? Couldn¡¯t they talk slower? The fantasy natives I rescued had no consideration for aliens. So I decided to ignore everything they were saying. ¡°#! ^$?¡± ¡°^$! #$?¡± According to my orc friend that introduced me to his hometown, that city had a different entrance and exit. ¡ªThe only exit being the dolmen-like relic. There was no doubt about it since that¡¯s where all of the orcs that ran away from me had gone. Stop. I could sense something strong. ¡°¡­Is that really an orc?¡± All of the orcs in the city were level 9 or below because of the relic¡¯s fantasy effect. That¡¯s why it was nothing but a big ragtag. ¡­Except for that dude blocking the exit. ¡°Are you the human who destroyed our base?¡± ¡°Oh! You¡¯re not calling me a pig?¡± ¡°Answer my question! Human!¡± ¡°They wouldn¡¯t move over.¡± The fear of death I¡¯d forgotten after destroying the gnoll¡¯s habitat slowly crept back in. That orc was stronger than me¡ªI could sense it. ¡°Is that the only reason you massacred three hundred thousand orcs?!¡± ¡°So it was three hundred thousand¡­¡± No wonder it took so long. [A certain god talks knowingly that it was about that much.] ¡°I am the Great Orc Guardian. I will not let out a single human who knows of this place!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a guardian?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Nice! I¡¯m starting to see hopes and dreams!¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± It was great news. If the guardian protecting the relic was alive and well, that meant the tomb raiders with a hero¡¯s mask hadn¡¯t made a visit yet. The remaining problem? Woosh- My power, imbued into the blue cutter, drew into a spiral and swirled. ¡°Move.¡± Dear god! Please let me be a righteous tomb raider! Chapter 30 Is this Hero for Real? [Translator ¨C Woni ] [Proofreader ¨C ilafy ] Chapter 30 [Act 9] Easy Orc Pooow-! Slash-! We didn¡¯t battle all over the place the way the strong did in fantasy series. Rather, it was closer to a gunfight from a western movie. One blow. .. The win would be decided by an undodgeable, strong, single blow. And the winner? ¡°Kirk¡­!¡± The radiant green light from the guardian¡¯s blade swallowed mine. Burn! My right shoulder was futilely ripped apart for the cost of losing. Was that it? No, it wasn¡¯t. The remnants of the force spread like plasma and mercilessly scratched my skin. ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± The orc guardian declared immediately after that. ¡°¡­¡± I was hoping I¡¯d been wrong, but he was indeed strong. [Outsider] My Blessing was the only reason I could keep my composure when my life was at stake. Fwp. I completely admitted to my defeat and backed far away. I knew my severed right arm would recover quickly, but I¡¯d given up fighting a while before. ¡°Hmph! You can¡¯t run away in that state!¡± ¡°Yeah, I probably can¡¯t.¡± I hadn¡¯t even been hit with a full blow. A critical injury, even though I narrowly escaped it, just like a master of martial arts! I would have been done for if it weren¡¯t for the covinous effects of the Blessing. ¡°You went too far. Don¡¯t even think about dying in peace.¡± ¡°What an amazing judge.¡± Drip. I couldn¡¯t open my right eye because of the blood. The right side of my face and sides were ragged from slightly brushing against the guardian¡¯s power. I was lucky. It may have been a critical injury, but I hadn¡¯t died. ¡°Huh?!¡± ¡°My bad. I have a special body.¡± My torn right ear and cheek recovered, and new skin sprouted from my exposed rib bones. Poof! ¡ªAnd a complete recovery from my severed right arm! I¡¯d lost my blue dagger, but I didn¡¯t hesitate to retreat once my damaged body reset itself. ¡°Coward! You dare run away?!¡± ¡°Then come with me.¡± ¡°Stop! Running away will only prolong your despair!¡± ¡°Would you stop if you were me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The guardian, who was violently running after me, abruptly stopped. As I¡¯d expected. The guardian with overflowing love for his species didn¡¯t come to their rescue until I¡¯d massacred them. Because he didn¡¯t notice? No way. ¡°Looks like the guardian can¡¯t leave the relic area, can he?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Come out if you¡¯re pressed-hup?!¡± Pew¡ªstab! The orc guardian threw the blue dagger, piercing my chest. [A certain god scolds you¡¯re being a baby.] No I¡¯m not, that really hurt! I minimized the damage by instantaneously focusing my power on my chest, but I would have died if I was a little slower. That orc was actually dangerous! He wasn¡¯t a guardian with cool duties. ¡°¡­Are you invincible, human?¡± ¡°So what if I am?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll trap you in this city until you die of old age. Whether it takes a century or a millennium¡­¡± ¡°You have an incredible notion of time!¡± ¡°Next time I catch you, I¡¯ll cut off your limbs and hang them on a skewer!¡± ¡°Next time, you say¡­¡± ¡®But there won¡¯t be a next time?¡¯ [Outsider] ¡®Let¡¯s practice the orc¡¯s ¡®swordsmanship¡¯ until I get good at it.¡¯ *** ¡°Hero Yoo Bora is truly amazing. Already a level 7 in a short time of fewer than ten days¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s thanks to my Blessing.¡± ¡°Hm. As my mother would say, Blessings are a part of you, not a facade.¡± ¡°You have an honorable mother.¡± ¡°Though she is scary. Haha¡­¡± Yoo Bora was in the middle of conversing with her only teammate who was living with her. Her name was Aria. As the lady of the only Duke family in Archmazing Kingdom, she said she became a mercenary to learn about the world¡­ In other words, she was a runaway. ¡°But I didn¡¯t get the Hero¡¯s Blessing because I tried.¡± ¡°I have had the Noble Blessing since I was born, too. Oh! Do you know the effects of the Noble Blessing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then let me show you.¡± Aria¡¯s status window appeared in front of Yoo Bora. [Name] Aria [Level] 13 [Blessings] Noble B, Charm D, Warrior D, Mercenary C, Holy F [Curses] Student F She was stronger than when she¡¯d met Hero Oh Hanwoo. [Holy] After getting a sacred blessing from the Saintess, she¡¯d leveled up in just a few days. ¡°Rank B noble¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s proof that I am the child of a duke, an A-rank noble.¡± It was apparent that the direct descendants of nobles got the Blessing one rank lower. The Noble Blessing¡¯s effects were quite surprising. [Noble] } As someone with noble blood, you must protect your dependents. }Your dependents will present to you a portion of the exp they acquire. They collected other people¡¯s valuable exp like taxes! They could basically just level up safely based on the fact that they were a noble. ¡°That¡¯s incredible.¡± Quickly calculating everything in her head, Yoo Bora got chills all over her body. Wasn¡¯t the Noble Blessing far more incredible than the Hero Blessing? She didn¡¯t know how much exp they collected, but it felt like they could level up daily if it was even just 1%. Assuming there were ten thousand residents in their territory, which were their dependents, and they collected even 1%¡­ Goodness! ¡°It¡¯s amazing, isn¡¯t it? Although I¡¯m an unsubstantial noble because I don¡¯t have any dependents.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Still, I was once harshly scolded by my mother because I thought I wasn¡¯t deserving of the Blessing.¡± ¡°Why did you get scolded?¡± ¡°She told me there were countless people who sacrificed everything just to acquire this Blessing. Their families, love, friendship, assets, honor¡­ she fiercely dared me to repeat what I said to their faces.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you. This was a truly good learning experience.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Oomph!¡± Giving her a big smile, Aria dived into the snug bed. ¡°You should wash up first.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m too lazy¡­¡± ¡°The people who wash our bedsheets will have more work to do if the blankets get dirty.¡± ¡°Urrh.. okay.¡± After spending a few years as a mercenary, she just looked like an average girl her age. Sitting on the edge of the bed looking outside the dark window, Aria spoke. ¡°Do you think Hero Oh Hanwoo will be alright?¡± ¡°Are you worried about him?¡± ¡°Um¡­ yeah.¡± ¡°Do you like him?¡± ¡°Pff hahaha! Ah, excuse me. There¡¯s no way! I¡¯m only concerned because he tends to have more confidence than he should. He¡¯s a perfect victim for a scam, so to speak.¡± As the class president, Yoo Bora had observed all of the students in her class. Their hobbies, personalities, talents, grades¡­ Her homeroom teacher didn¡¯t make her do it, but she wanted to be seen as important and tried her best. ¡°Oh Hanwoo¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t an exception. His hobby was biased reading. * * * Translator ¨C plvto Proofreader ¨C ilafy Join our discord for updates on releases!! * * * He always had fantasy genre books in his backpack, and he would often laugh to himself, reading them whenever he got the chance. He had a selfish personality. He would never do things he didn¡¯t want to¡ªit made him extremely uncooperative during group projects, field days, festivals, and all other group activities. He had a talent for computer games. She didn¡¯t find it out directly, but he would firmly insist. His grades were¡­ ¡°Are you worried about him too?¡± ¡°No. Hanwoo is much more of an expert in fantasy¡­ this world than I am. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll do fine on his own, wherever he goes.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He felt more like a rookie who learned about the world through picture books rather than an expert, but Aria didn¡¯t think too deeply into it. Her biggest concern? It was on how to send Yoo Bora, who was as strict as her mother, off to dreamland. Knock knock. ¡°Hero Yoo Bora, the Saintess is here to see you.¡± ¡°Th-the Saintesss?!¡± Arya, suddenly wide awake, straightened her disorganized posture and sat dead-set. She couldn¡¯t erase the way the Saintess had looked at her, calculating her worth as she fixed her left hand, from her mind. The Saintess¡­ The legendary Heroes chosen by god thought of her as a healer a little more exceptional than normal, but it was completely different to others, including nobles. God¡¯s spokesperson¡­ A living legend¡­ Their existence was more honorable than a nation¡¯s king. It was unfathomable that the Saintess would pay a friendly visit. At least, that¡¯s what she knew¡­ ¡°Yes. We are ready.¡± When a Saintess pays a visit, preparations were done at least five days in advance, no matter what kingdom it was. But for Heroes it only took a few seconds. Aria could only see how incredible her Hero was. Click. As the bedroom door gently opened, the Saintess walked in without guards. ¡°Hero Yoo Bora. Thank you for your time during the middle of the night.¡± ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m always grateful for you, Saintess. Even today, you treated me and Aria¡­¡± ¡°It is the duty of a Saintess to aid the Heroes so that they can overthrow the Demon King. I only did what I had to do. There is no reason to thank me.¡± ¡°Then I am personally grateful to you.¡± ¡°¡­I guess there¡¯s no stopping you. Which is the reason that I chose you.¡± ¡°Choose me?¡± ¡°It means you have my trust.¡± ¡°Thank you for your trust. But, Saintess, what business do you have with me today?¡± The Heroes would get up while sleeping if the Saintess called. For the Saintess to visit her room herself could only mean the business was a personal matter. The Saintess answered nonchalantly. ¡°It isn¡¯t just you, Hero Yoo Bora. Since yesterday, I have been going around chatting with the Heroes.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Compared to a school setting, maybe it was something like career counseling or a student talk. Yoo Bora vaguely understood it that way. ¡°Dear Hero, are you having any trouble living here?¡± ¡°Just when I use the bathroom¡­¡± Yoo Bora answered, slightly blushing as she looked away. To that, the Saintess laughed faintly. ¡°Haha. I see even Hero Yoo Bora has a weak point, despite never having complained about the excessive competition.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yoo Bora hung her head like a criminal, unable to answer. ¡°Oh! I wasn¡¯t blaming you. That¡¯s the most common complaint I have received from the Heroes. ¡°I see.¡± The girl was slightly relieved she wasn¡¯t the only one. ¡°It will be improved soon. Have you heard of a slime toilet?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Yoo Bora said as she looked back at Aria, hidden in the corner of the room. She was told it was a luxury chamber pot favored by nobles and wealthy merchants. ¡°Then you will understand quickly. Slimes are beneficial creatures to humans, but the temple strictly restricts slimes from entering, but we have decided to be more flexible for the Heroes as an exception.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± It wasn¡¯t the flush toilet she¡¯d dreamt of, but it still took a weight off Yoo Bora¡¯s shoulders to know it was getting improved. The Saintess glanced over at Aria, standing like a statue, and asked. ¡°How do you like your companion?¡± ¡°I like her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. I encourage competition among the Heroes, but I do not want a future where humans destroy themselves from excessive jealousy.¡± ¡°I apologize.¡± ¡°It is not a matter you should apologize for, Hero Yoo Bora. I meant you can feel free to talk to me anytime if it gets too hard for you. There is no greater disaster than a fallen Hero.¡± ¡°A fallen Hero¡­?¡± ¡°It is a matter for the far future. The Heroes corrupted with Blessings and seductions will probably appear when all of you are fighting beings much stronger than the gnolls.¡± ¡°¡­What happens to them?¡± She already knew the answer, but Yoo Bora still asked with an ounce of hope. They were the friends she¡¯d laughed and studied with in the same classroom. But everything became strange after coming to the fantasy world. ¡°We do not kill them.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± What a relief! ¡°A fallen Hero is still a Hero. We put a Slave¡¯s Curse on them so they may atone for their sins, forever.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°After all, corruption is the betrayal of mankind and god¡¯s trust. It means the expectations and investments we are bestowing upon you are not a small amount.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Yoo Bora¡¯s shoulders felt heavy. The pressure from her parents to get into an elite university was much lighter. Humanity¡¯s hope, terrifying fights, being the object of envy, excessive luxuries¡­ She felt like she couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°I¡¯m not that great¡­ oh!¡± ¡°What is it, dear Hero?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just thought of something a friend told me¡­¡± Kang Hansoo, the only one among them who¡¯d wanted to go back to Earth, had told the Saintess: ¡®How can someone who worries for their family save the world?¡¯ Did he know things would turn out like that? She was a little curious as to what the boy would be doing back on Earth. ¡°Hero Yoo Bora.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you know Kang Hansoo, by any chance? It was a name that came up while talking to the other Heroes.¡± Was there a classmate who¡¯d talked about their ¡®pathetic friend¡¯ that went back to his home planet? She wanted to give that ¡®other Hero¡¯ deduction points to their personality if she could know who they were. Kang Hansoo. He wasn¡¯t a grave secret, so she answered right away. ¡°I do.¡± To that, the Saintess continued her questions, smiling playfully. ¡°Is he your friend?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Boyfriend?¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s just¡­ I know just a little because I¡¯m the class president.¡± ¡°A little? I¡¯m curious about that ¡®little¡¯. Please, tell me everything, as an older sister. I will decide if he really isn¡¯t your boyfriend.¡± [A certain innocent goddess desperately wants to tune in.] [A certain earth god says dating is always the right thing to do.] [A certain bold god of beauty asks how far you guys went.] [A certain god¡­] The gods, who had been silently watching, joined the bandwagon and pushed her to answer. ¡°Kang Hansoo is¡­¡± ¡°You boyfriend is¡­?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lead my answer! I was choosing my words wisely so there wouldn¡¯t be any misunderstandings.¡± ¡°That makes it hard to know how you really feel. Now, hurry and tell me~¡± ¡°Ah, jeez¡­!¡± Yoo Bora was teased all night by the Saintess, who was suddenly a teenage girl. Chapter 31 Is this Hero for Real? [Translator ¨C Woni ] [Proofreader ¨C ilafy ] Chapter 31 [Act 9] Easy Orc Jiggle? Jiggle! Slimes were superior. They ate all of the orc corpses piled in the city in one night, as well as the blood stains. Just what exactly were those competent organisms¡­? How I wished to adopt just one when I went back to Earth. ¡°$# %#.¡± ¡°% @$ %#.¡± ¡°^$ #$%.¡± The fantasy natives I got Cursed while saving quickly adapted to their new environment. Teachers, farmers, blacksmiths, seamstresses, bakers, pharmacists, architects, carpenters¡­ As people from various occupations worked together, it didn¡¯t look like there would be an immediate problem with their lives. ¡°^ #$! Hello!¡± ¡°Who?¡± A man suddenly bowed down to greet me as I was training to take down the guardian. Flop, flop. The man, whose empty right sleeve was swaying, showed me his status window instead of introducing himself. [Name] Bruce [Level] 9 [Blessings] Investigation F, Mercenary C [Curses] ¨C ¡°Bruce?¡± ¡°Yes. #$ Bruce.¡± I remembered¡­ He was the one who¡¯d led the people for me because I couldn¡¯t communicate. ¡°So what?¡± ¡°$# %$.¡± At my question, he moved aside and pointed to another person. A woman stood, cleaned, and changed into nice clothes. Was he trying to introduce me to his wife?¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°^ # #$%.¡± Bruce shook his hips back and forth as he gave me a meaningful grin. ¡°¡­Do you want to die?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! #%! #%^ # spare me!¡± He ran away, pale, having provoked a eunuch. The woman was left alone. She had an ambiguous expression as she gently sat on a nearby pile of stones. ¡°You¡¯re not leaving?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m #$ %¡­¡± She silently watched me train with a water bottle and towel in her hand.¡± But because I never got tired, I never used them. Finally, the woman, sitting still and watching, got tired. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. #$ will sleep. If you ever need me, %$ %#$ whenever. I am your #$.¡± ¡°Good night.¡± I couldn¡¯t tell what she was saying exactly, but I think she was telling me she was tired and going to sleep, [A certain god drills that it¡¯s not important.] ¡°I know.¡± The important thing was taking down the guardian protecting the relic. I¡¯d found the lead. [Outsider] [Fairy] While I was getting beat by the guardian, I could get a glimpse of the orc¡¯s ¡®swordsmanship¡¯. Pull a fantastical fantasy inside a fantasy, that¡¯s all! If I emptied my head and didn¡¯t think too deeply into it, everything else was simple. Flash! [A certain god is bewildered.] [A certain god widens their eyes in surprise.] ¡°How¡¯s this, god? Is this similar to that orc?¡± [A certain god asks if you¡¯re being for real.] ¡°Of course I am. I practiced all day since yesterday.¡± I gave up counting after practicing exactly 10,000 times. [A certain god drills you¡¯re a pervert.] *t/n: ¡®pervert¡¯ is often used in Korea to describe someone abnormally good at something ¡°How rude!¡± ¡®I¡¯ll take that as a compliment.¡¯ *** Where was the safest place in the continent of Fantasia? Nine out of ten random people would answer: The Saintess¡¯s bedroom. The story of a legendary thief who could break into anywhere getting caught trying to steal the Saintess¡¯s underwear was a favorite among minstrels. Currently, the owner of that bedroom was staring at the alien backpack and books in front of her for hours on end. ¡°Kang Hansoo¡­¡± The name of a person she¡¯d never even met was completely engraved in her mind. Taking the time out of her day to speak with all of the Heroes was worth it. Thanks to that, she could safely gather information. ¡°¡®Know him a little¡¯. Yeah, right.¡± She¡¯d only asked if he was her boyfriend to bait the teenage girl, but Hero Yoo Bora knew about Kang Hansoo a lot more than just friends would. Hobbies, personality, talents, grades, looks¡­ Yoo Bora denied it to the very last moment, but the Saintess did not believe the premature girl¡¯s poor excuses. Anyways¡­ ¡°Kang Hansoo¡­¡± Not even she knew how many times she¡¯d muttered that name. But what else could she do? Even the Saintess, who had been through all sorts of turmoil, had never experienced ¡®god¡¯s lies¡¯ before. Imposing silence after breaking a promise to send him back to his home? That was something a demon would do. No, not even a demon would do such a thing. Demons thought very highly of contracts; they only tried to trick people with clever word plays. That was how shocking ¡®god¡¯s lies¡¯ were. If word of that spread out? The Heroes who had been compliant that whole time would start to become suspicious and deny god. That would be the end of the world. ¡°Kang Hansoo¡­¡± It wouldn¡¯t be a problem if he was already dead. The evidence had already been collected, and the commander and knight who were the first ones to discover it could be trusted. And none of the Heroes¡ªincluding Yoo Bora, who had given her his information¡ªhad noticed. But what if he was alive? ¡°Kang Hansoo¡­¡± Find him and kill him! Make him disappear from this world without a single trace of his bones! If she could know where he was, it would be as easy as flipping over her hand as the Saintess, who was called humanity¡¯s greatest weapon. But was that enough? ¡°¡­¡± [A certain arrogant god of benevolence asks what¡¯s wrong.] The oracle she¡¯d been waiting for broke the long silence. ¡°¡­Dear god. what did you do to the owner of these?¡± [A certain arrogant god of benevolence glances at the objects.] [A certain arrogant god of benevolence frowns.] ¡°Did you kill him?¡± [A certain arrogant god of benevolence is extremely uncomfortable.] [A certain arrogant god of benevolence says it was a small mistake.] A mistake? The Saintess knew very well that not all gods were good. Worshipped by demons, the demon god was the representative of evil, and there was the whimsical god of wind, who was unpredictable. But they did not mistakenly trick people. ¡°So did you kill him?¡± [A certain arrogant god of benevolence absolutely denies it.] [A certain arrogant god of benevolence says he is still alive.] She couldn¡¯t tell if that was good news or bad news. Even though she easily took care of nasty political scenes as the Saintess, this time she couldn¡¯t make a judgment. It would be a problem if he was alive. It would be a problem if he was dead. * * * Translator ¨C plvto Proofreader ¨C ilafy Join our discord for updates on releases!! * * * In fact, the fact he was still in the world of Fantasia when he was supposed to be back on his home planet was the problem in the first place. ¡°Where is he now?¡± [A certain arrogant god of benevolence screams for you to kill him fast.] ¡°Where is he?¡± [A certain arrogant god of benevolence screams for you to kill him fast.] ¡°Where is he?¡± [A certain arrogant god of benevolence abruptly leaves.] ¡°¡­so you don¡¯t know.¡± If the ¡®god of the Heroes¡¯, who knew the location of almost all of the Heroes with their Blessing, could not find him, that meant there was ¡®another god¡¯ who was stopping them from tracking Kang Hansoo. Things just got more complicated. (Saintess.) ¡°¡­¡± The voice of an attendant rang from the crystal ball used for external communications. (I apologize for interrupting your rest, but there is something you must know immediately.) ¡°¡­What is it?¡± Although the Saintess felt like her head was going to explode from a human she¡¯d never even met before, she still kept her composure. The attendant replied in a very troubled tone. (Hero Oh Hanwoo was beaten by another Hero.) ¡°He is no longer a Hero.¡± (That¡¯s true, but¡­) ¡°We cannot afford to take care of a scoundrel¡¯s retirement that abandoned his obligations as a Hero.¡± Oh Hanwoo¡­ Finally, she wouldn¡¯t hear that incompetent Hero¡¯s name again! The Saintess felt a weight come off her shoulders. (I apologize. I¡¯ve troubled you for a minor issue.) ¡°It is okay. That issue made me feel better. Thank you.¡± (I¡¯m sorry?) ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± (Yes, ma¡¯am. Enjoy your rest.) Beep- The attendant hurriedly hung up the call so as to not take more of her precious rest time. But she could not rest. ¡°Kang Hansoo¡­¡± Would she ever be able to completely rest until she found that human? First, the most urgent business to take care of was launching a search network without letting anyone know. Fwpfwp. The Saintess started to write a letter to send secretly. Those who were in debt to her would be happy to help her. Her plan was perfect! [A certain god peeps at the plan.] [A certain god quietly gets out of the bedroom.] *** I wanted to train safely until I was certain I would defeat the guardian of the relic. But I was forced to have a change of plans because of an ¡®attack from the goddess¡¯ that came out of nowhere. [Name] Kang Hansoo [Level] 1 [Blessings] Outsider E, Fairy C, Mercenary B [Curses] Hero C, Slaughter D, Massacre D [Dividend] 14.01 ¡°That¡¯s just too far.¡± [Hero] I¡¯d stayed at rank E ever since my first day landing in this fantasy world, but I suddenly jumped to rank C. What did I do? I didn¡¯t know, but one thing was for certain¡­ ¡°Damned goddess!¡± There was no doubt the evil goddess noticed I¡¯d been alive that entire time instead of having been eaten by a gnoll. That meant staying in one spot for too long was dangerous. The good thing amidst all the bad news? [Outsider] For some reason, my outsider Blessing ranked up one rank as well. ¡°Respect, outsider god.¡± [A certain god acts smug.] The Blessing effect¡¯s activation period was shorter than when it was F rank. In other words, my cockroach-like longevity was even more long-lasting than before! The rhythm of being an F rank went something like this: Peeew, peeew, peeew¡­ But as I became an E rank, it got a little faster: Peew, peew, peew, peew¡­ I almost died about thirty times from missing this beat while adjusting to it, but that was a minor issue. ¡°Alright! Shall we get going?¡± [A certain god says to teach that bad pig a lesson.] ¡°Aren¡¯t you excited?¡± [A certain god prays for the bad pig¡¯s soul.] ¡°¡­You¡¯re very excited.¡± Bad pig¡­ That was from a human¡¯s perspective. After all, orcs used humans as actual farm animals. But was it okay for god, who was supposed to love all creations, to have such a biased thought process¡­? Ah, whatever. The guardian had not moved an inch, protecting the relic. But that orc wasn¡¯t attacking me, even though I¡¯d come within his range. His intentions were obvious. ¡°I¡¯m not running away this time.¡± ¡°Hmph! You think I¡¯m going to believe a cunning human¡¯s words?¡± ¡°So what if you don¡¯t?¡± ¡°Come in closer. I¡¯ll show you the relic.¡± ¡°Heh~¡± It was an unexpected offer. But I could still see his intentions. Since the guardian couldn¡¯t leave his relic, he was trying to pull me deep into the relic¡¯s territory to get rid of me. That pig really used his brain, I see. ¡°Human. Are you coming? Or are you scared of leaving your hiding spot behind?¡± The guardian watched me, using petty provocative comments. ¡°I¡¯m not saying no.¡± ¡°Hmph! You¡¯ll come to regret this.¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not trying to drag me into your relic trap because you¡¯re scared?¡± ¡°Ha! Do you really think a great warrior like me would rely on mere traps?!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± The guardian, who¡¯d promised to show me the relic, stopped in his tracks. The giant dolmen¡­ Its impression wasn¡¯t much different than when I saw it from far away, but it was purely a simple relic with no basements or secret tunnels. The orc guardian stopped near the city exit. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Would you come with me if there was more?¡± ¡°No.¡± I didn¡¯t want to follow him any further, even if there was more to it. He could make a basement or building collapse and bury me. The fantasy natives watching from afar with worry were also bothering me. The guardian explained: ¡°In ancient times, this was the training grounds to safely train Heroes.¡± ¡°Orc Heroes?¡± ¡°Our species does not have Heroes, we were not chosen by god.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± ¡°Humans were arrogant. We took that as a chance to murder the Heroes and their affiliates and destroyed the training grounds, leaving only this relic.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°To use it to restrict the strong from entering.¡± The rest of the story was simple. The orcs, after taking over the relic, used the ¡®off limits to level 10 and above¡¯ restriction to build their very own paradise. Danger? There were absolutely none. The entrance of the city wasn¡¯t big enough for an army to charge inside, and a small troop wouldn¡¯t be able to handle a city swarming with orcs. What if they were elite? The strong ones over level 10 that orcs looked out for so much could not enter. It was truly an impenetrable fortress! Until I¡¯d entered, that is. ¡°Sorry about that!¡± ¡°As long as you¡¯re alive, it will be impossible to recover our city, so it appears you will have to die for us here.¡± ¡°Before we start, I have a question.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Are there any treasures here? Like a powerful weapon.¡± That was an extremely important issue. It would be meaningless if I killed the guardian and there was nothing. ¡°There are.¡± ¡°Ah! Some good news!¡± ¡°Weapons given to rookie graduate Heroes are deep inside.¡± ¡°¡­Well I¡¯ll be damned.¡± It looked like they gave out beginner weapons as graduation gifts. Would I be able to cut the dimension-traveling evil goddess with a tool like that? Tears of disappointment blurred my eyes. ¡°Human! This is where I avenge the three hundred thousand brothers you¡ªoiiiink?!¡± Bam! The guardian¡¯s brawny body flew to the exit with my kick. Pew! ¡ªAnd he vanished. ¡°What was that? You can leave the relic site just fine.¡± [A certain god is dumbfounded.] ¡°Why? It¡¯s all the better if we can solve this peacefully without a fight~¡± [Outsider] I was stuck as a level 1 because of my Blessing, what would I get for putting in all that work to beat up the guardian? All I had to do was get the treasures! Grinning ear to ear, I entered the relic. Chapter 32 Is this Hero for Real? [Translator ¨C Woni ] [Proofreader ¨C ilafy ] Chapter 32 [Act 9] Easy Orc The city exit was two-dimensional like those Stargates in science fiction genres. Meaning that if you went around the exit, you¡¯d be back inside the relic without leaving the city. ¡°This is it.¡± I found the relic¡¯s treasure right away. Behind the giant dolmen, there were countless swords sprawled out across the dirt ground. ¡°The treatment of these treasures is a little too depressing.¡± My expectations were crushed. [A certain god pretends to be knowledgeable, saying that¡¯s a beginner¡¯s holy sword.] ¡°Oh! What¡¯s gotten into you?¡± ¡®Did they just give me information before I begged for it?¡¯ I didn¡¯t know why, but it looked like god was in a good mood that day. It was a plain sword made purely of metal, but I guessed they were saying it was a special sword with divine energy. Even though it was still for beginners¡­ [A certain god says it can only be lifted by Heroes.] ¡°Aha! No wonder it was abandoned like this. Oomph¡­! I¡¯d even lifted a fairy and a demon with ease, yet that sword was extremely heavy. It wasn¡¯t impossible to hold, but I couldn¡¯t use it as a weapon like that. I could tell it was rejecting me. [Hero] ¡®There isn¡¯t a single likable thing about this damned goddess!¡¯ My jaw clenched. [A certain god says you could still hold it because you¡¯re a Hero.] ¡°¡­No. I¡¯m not going to use a weapon that refuses me. Surely it¡¯s going to stab me in the back in the future.¡± Snap- So I broke it. [A certain god is bewildered.] [A certain god asks what you¡¯re doing.] ¡°This should be a fair game. I¡¯m not letting the other Heroes use it either.¡± [A certain god is amazed by your fairness.] ¡°Thanks.¡± Snap, snap, snap- I broke the beginner¡¯s swords one by one. I think I was about halfway done when I found a holy sword that barely weighed anything. Swing, swing, swing. I swung it around to test it, but it wasn¡¯t heavy at all. ¡°This one¡¯s light?¡± [A certain god diagnoses it as a defective product.] ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± I had my hopes up that it would be a special holy sword, but they were saying it was only a defect. Of course, I wouldn¡¯t have the good luck of the main character in a fantasy. ¡°Well¡­ Maybe it¡¯s special in its own way?¡± It was a stupid holy sword that¡¯d accepted my cursed self as a Hero. [A certain god asks if you¡¯re done breaking them since it¡¯s not unfair anymore.] ¡°Ah! Nope.¡± Snap, snap, snap- I made all of the unforgiving, smart holy swords into scrap metal. Then, the only beginner¡¯s holy sword was mine, a defect. ¡°How¡¯s that, god? It¡¯s not a defect anymore.¡± There wasn¡¯t anything normal to prove that my holy sword was a defect. [A certain god is impressed by the outsider¡¯s logic.] ¡°Thanks again.¡± Right when I was about to leave with my newly acquired holy sword¡­ [Holy Sword] There was already a new curse. What was more surprising was how indifferent I felt about it. *** The plot development of the main character, a nobody in real life, becoming a distinguished figure in the fantasy world was something Hero Choi Gangmin hated the most. ¡°It¡¯s all just a gimmick.¡± He was the most popular guy in school, and he¡¯d gained instant popularity in even the fantasy world. Not only were the female Heroes dependent on him, but the maids and hierarchs who worked at the temple also showed a great liking to him. ¡°Hey, Kangmin. Are you free?¡± ¡°Dear Hero, do you have time tonight¡­¡± One difference was that because there were no minor protection laws in the fantasy world, dating was quite liberal. On top of that, Choi Gangmin was 17. In a fantasy world where early marriage was commonsense as well as the norm, he was considered a full-grown adult. ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± [A certain male god voices that you should still do what you should even if you¡¯re tired.] [A certain carefree god of heaven tells you it¡¯s okay to take it slow.] [A certain god suggests cold water and some rest.] [A certain god¡­] The gods seemed unaware that he wasn¡¯t just tired because of his popularity with women. It was them, too! It was not easy to please the gods with different tastes and tendencies. ¡°Hahaha!¡± And still, Choi Gangmin was able to bear through it with a genuine laugh. Because¡­ [Name] Choi Gangmin [Level] 7 [Blessings] Hero E, Grit E, Magic D, Acceleration E, Bulletproof F, Immunity F, Invincibility F [Curses] ¨C [Dividend] 5.15 ¡ªEffort didn¡¯t betray him. Aside from his Magic Blessing, the rest were all powerful Blessings given by the gods. ¡ªSeven of them, at that! Among the Heroes, Choi Gangmin held the most Blessings. This wasn¡¯t an assumption. ¡°Oh, my! Dear Hero, is there anything good going on?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stop smiling when I¡¯m talking to someone so beautiful.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t able to take a peek into the other Heroes¡¯ status windows, but he did have beautiful hierarchs secretly feeding him information. The women usually came in during the dead of night and left at dawn. That is reality. Every Hero started out fairly, but the differences got bigger according to their talent and effort. Of course¡­ ¡°Dear hierarch. Is Jang Miyeon still at level 7?¡± ¡°Yes, so do not be so anxious. You will be able to catch up in no time.¡± ¡°¡­For sure.¡± ¡°Hero, how about we stop talking about boring work talk? It¡¯s getting cold.¡± ¡°Oh! My apologies.¡± Hero Jang Miyeon¡­ Having formed a huge faction, she was the biggest obstacle to Choi Kangmin. Having most of the Heroes(male) under her command, Jang Miyeon stayed in the back, gathering exp. It was an extremely efficient hunting method. No¡­ could one even call that a hunt? * * * Translator ¨C plvto Proofreader ¨C ilafy Join our discord for updates on releases!! * * * ¡°Hero Choi Gangmin. Don¡¯t worry too much. Heroes who solely rely on others like them reach their limits quickly. There is proof in history.¡± ¡°History¡­ you said there were other summoned Heroes in ancient times, right?¡± ¡°Yes. It is said the ancient Heroes trained at a special location until they reached level 10.¡± ¡°A special location?¡± ¡°Yes. Training grounds just for the Heroes, but nobody knows where that is. Maybe it¡¯s a myth created by the minstrels.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Training grounds just for the Heroes¡­ If he could get in by himself and train, wouldn¡¯t he be able to surpass Jang Miyeon and Yoo Bora, getting first place all for himself? He was disappointed. Even if the legendary training grounds really did exist, the Saintess would give all of the Heroes a fair chance. He couldn¡¯t have it all for himself. ¡°Please, bear through this. You will get the special treatment you wish for soon.¡± ¡°¡­Can¡¯t I know in advance?¡± ¡°Only if you keep it a secret, as well as the next promise.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The overpowering resources Jang Miyeon or Yoo Bora couldn¡¯t copy was the driving force that helped hero Choi Gangmin aim to be first place. ¡°There will be a tournament soon.¡± ¡°I see, a ranking competition.¡± It was the very event Choi Gangmin had been looking forward to. ¡°That¡¯s not all. The all-around victor will be rewarded with a holy sword that¡¯s being kept by the Temple.¡± ¡°A holy sword¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a holy sword that was made in the training grounds I mentioned before. There¡¯s only one sword, so if you¡¯re aiming for first place, you must acquire it.¡± ¡°Thank you so much.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± The beautiful hierarch quietly left his bedroom like a shadow. After escorting her, Choi Gangmin turned around and pumped the air with his fists. ¡°The holy sword of legends!¡± ¡®You¡¯re mine!¡¯ With his determination stronger, Hero Choi Gangmin started to prepare for the tournament. *** ¡°Ptooey! Nasty holy sword.¡± I couldn¡¯t believe I got a red card just for breaking some beginner¡¯s holy swords that were laying in the dirt! What an irrational world. [Holy Sword] } The blood and tears of the creator strengthen all of the holy swords in your vicinity! } It will be more difficult for you to destroy or seal an innocent holy sword. ¡°¡­is this really a curse?¡± I could see the intention behind the curse. It strengthened holy sword¡¯s so I wouldn¡¯t steal them and raised their durability so I wouldn¡¯t destroy them. But¡­ ¡°What do they mean when they include my sword in there too?¡± Vrrr- The super-cursed holy sword was shining brightly. I didn¡¯t test it out, but it looked like its blade was much sturdier than before. Basically, it was a Blessing. [A certain god expresses their sorrow to the creator.] ¡°I know, right? This Curse didn¡¯t even consider the chance of a Hero breaking the holy swords.¡± That curse was way too poorly made. [A certain god points out most people just steal them.] ¡°Aha! There were so many holy swords, I didn¡¯t even think about that.¡± Weren¡¯t they mass produced? Anyways, I turned to the city exit without any regrets after acquiring a stupid holy sword and Blessing(?). ¡°Human¡­!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Pushing himself through the exit, I saw the guardian running in a straight line from the entrance. ¡ªBut he didn¡¯t look normal. The green pig¡¯s toned muscular flesh had turned all saggy and wrinkly! The guardian was aging rapidly from getting away from his relic. ¡°$#@!¡± ¡°%#?!¡± ¡°% [email protected]!¡± The fantasy natives, who¡¯d been hanging around to see the aftermath, scurried away in fright. ¡°Move¡­!¡± With the guardian¡¯s skills, he could probably kill a couple of people just by walking past them. But he didn¡¯t touch anyone, he was trying to get to the relic as soon as possible. ¡°You look constipated.¡± ¡®Then I¡¯m not gonna sit around, either!¡¯ I blocked the path so the guardian wouldn¡¯t reach the relic. The snarky smirk was an additional service. ¡°Human¡­!¡± ¡°How stupid.¡± He would have arrived easily if he¡¯d kept his mouth shut and ran. [Holy Sword] ¡®Time to test out my stupid, cursed holy sword!¡¯ Bang-! We took each other on outside of the relic. And the victor was¡­ Slash! Losing his right arm in a single blow, the green pig rolled on the dirt with blood spewing. ¡°Kirk¡­!¡± But he didn¡¯t slow down at all. Keeping his attack stance the same, he dived into the relic! ¡°Human! The cost of extorting my youth is very expensive!¡± Woosh. The guardian¡¯s body quickly recovered after returning to the relic. His severed right arm recovered, his wrinkly muscles became toned again, and his back that I¡¯d kicked straightened¡­ But there were fine wrinkles I hadn¡¯t seen before. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve aged.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all your fault! My youth that I neglected the death of 300,000 of my people for¡­ all because of your despicable attack¡­!¡± He cried out. ¡°Well, you sure are disqualified as a guardian.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± The guardian scoffed and drew his sword with determination. Zing! There was a rough gust of green light from the blade. ¡°How do you never learn?¡± An entire day had passed, but the guardian wasn¡¯t a bit stronger than before. In fact, it seemed he¡¯d gotten weaker from age. [Holy Sword] I didn¡¯t even need to put in full force. The super-cursed holy sword blocked his attack with ease. ¡°What-?1¡± Slash! The bewildered head of the green pig flew into the air. ¡°Are you stupid?¡± If I was weaker than the guardian, it would have been impossible for the guardian to even try such an obvious attack. So the result was inevitable. [A certain god advises you it¡¯s not over.] rrrrr. The guardian¡¯s head slowly started to revive. ¡°¡­how persistent.¡± Slash! So I really went to work on him. If a butcher had seen me, he would have been amazed at my work of art. Rrrr. But the Guardian kept reviving. ¡°What the hell, you pigroach.¡± He wasn¡¯t dying from fatal injuries that even I wouldn¡¯t survive. Then there was only one tactic: I had to take him out of the relic¡­ Clang. ¡°Human! I lost! I¡¯ll do anything, please don¡¯t throw me out of the relic!¡± The guardian threw down his weapon and begged for his life. ¡°Anything?¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± ¡°What can you do?¡± ¡°¡­I can temporarily move the city¡¯s entrance and exit.¡± ¡°Wherever?¡± ¡°Only if it¡¯s near the holy swords that were made in this relic, but there¡¯s a restriction that only Geroes can hold it¡­¡± ¡°You mean this?¡± I let go of the defective holy sword. Float. The holy sword stayed in the air, ignoring gravity. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This is it, right?¡± ¡°Human- ahem! Were you a Hero, sir?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the sudden formalities?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a guardian¡¯s instinct that I can¡¯t go against.¡± ¡°You¡¯re an easy orc, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It looked like we could become good friends. Chapter 33 Chapter 33 [Act 10] Holy Sword for Beginners Heroes, demon kings, knights, kings, princes, princesses, ladies, villainesses, tyrantsa?| Theya??re a staple of romance fantasy genres. Maybe not Heroes and demon kings, but sometimes ita??s fun to see the cold demon king get tamed! *t/n: referring to the female protagonist a??taminga?? a cold-hearted tyrant trope in romance fantasies. But there was something that was unacceptable. a??Why do I have to fight!?a?? a??This is the worst!a?? Hero Jang Miyeon was genuinely furious. She welcomed it when pretty boys fought for their lives for her! But fighting a??for herselfa?? was much too scary and dangerous. From that day she was traumatized from almost getting assaulted by a gnolla?| a??Calm down.a?? a??I wasna??t talking to you.a?? a??S-sorry.a?? The boy, summoned in the middle of the night for a meeting to discuss fighting strategies, bowed to apologize. Code name: Shield A. He was someone she hadna??t even looked at in school, but arriving in that world, shea??d been looking after him little by little. a??Because he fought well. Usually, he was a speck of dust that didna??t stand out, but the minute he went to a hunting ground, he turned into a dependable shield. Although that annoyed her even morea?| a??Dona??t be sorrye?? I came off as a bit harsh, right? Ia??m sorry, forgive me~a?? Clasp! The girl, even prettier after multiple Blessings, gave an adorable apology as she put her hand on his. Shield A waved his hands in denial. a??No! Ia??m okay! Everythinga??s fine!a?? Yeah, right! Shield Aa??s face was as sullen as a wet dog. If she left him like that, he would probably be sullen all day. a??Aha?|a?? Jang Miyeon let out a deep sigh and piteously deplored her own fate. Shea??d gotten off on the wrong foot from the start. She should have been reincarnated as a princess or noble lady, already making her beau monde debut! She was even okay with going to an academy. She would hate the homework and tests, but shea??d be able to meet all kinds of handsome men like Prince Alsus. Anything would be better than her current state. a??Stop sighing. Is it that time of the month?a?? a??a?|Thanks for worrying about me, but that doesna??t bother me thanks to my Blessinge?? a?? She wanted to kick the bastard spewing random crap out of his mouth. That little shit was Shield B. He was an animal who had nothing but dirty thoughts in his mind, but she still had to keep that son of a bitch with her because he was a good fighter. a??Why did you call us over at this time of night anyways? I was getting all excited.a?? Shield B complained with a very disappointed face. What the hell was he getting excited for?! Shea??d invited three of the best Heroes(male) on her team to her room. Wasna??t it obvious it was going to be for an operation meeting? Things would have gone really wrong if shea??d called him alone. Jang Miyeon smiled with transcendent patience. a??Sorry I got your hopes upe?? I called just you three over because I have something important to tell you.a?? a??Youa??re pregnant?a?? a??a?|Ia??m going to kick you out if you make another lame joke.a?? a??Oops! Ia??ll shut up now.a?? Shield B pretended to zip his mouth with a smile. a??Thankse?? a?? He couldna??t have been that horrible in school. After a big breath, Jang Miyeon went to the point. a??This is closed information, but theya??re going to choose Heroes to send to the Academy soon!a?? Hero Jang Miyeona??s eyes started to gleam as she explained. The Academy! It was the main scene in romance fantasy genres that shea??d been dreaming of. In that inferno that forced a lovely girl into savagery, it was her only escape. a??Academya?|?a?? a??Ia??m gonna puke.a?? Shields A and B looked extremely displeased the second they heard the word a??Academya??. Of course they would! a??The Academy is going to be full of fine gentlemen who cana??t even be compared with these extras.a?? And so Jang Miyeon couldna??t let it go. a??Ia??m going to go to the Academy.a?? [A certain bold god of Beauty strongly supports you.] [A certain sea god is interested.] [A certain innocent goddess looks at you suspiciously. [A certain goda?|] The gods showed a variety of reactions to Jang Miyeona??s bombshell. Most were positive. It looked like the gods wouldna??t stop being interested in her, even if she went to the Academy. a??My queen.a?? a??Go on.a?? a??May I ask you a question?a?? a??Ia??ll allow it.a?? Jang Miyeon naturally played along with the odd boy who called his own classmate a??my queena??. That loyal subject was Shield C. He was one of her fans whoa??d followed her around at school, and hea??d gotten even more extreme after coming to the fantasy world. But he wasna??t a bad guy. a?|Right? a??Can all applicants be admitted?a?? a??No. they said theya??re giving preference to Heroes with a higher overall score, and four people total will be chosen.a?? a??Then you must be all set.a?? a??Thata??s right!a?? Jang Miyeon looked like she was on cloud nine as she replied to Shield C. Escaping that prison was a done deal for her! If she just bore through a few more days, shea??d move on to the romance fantasy express train of her dreams. a??And I guess our team will be disbanded as well.a?? a??Probably.a?? It could be seen as betrayal, but she didna??t have any regrets. Most of the boys were as dirty-minded as Shield B, anyways. a??Why are you telling us this?a?? a??I want to enroll with you<3a?? a??Youa??re kidding, right?a?? a??a??No, Ia??m serious.a?? a??I dona??t want to look after you when youa??re dating some prince on a white horse. For free, at that.a?? a??This little shit hit the nail on the head!a?? But Jang Miyeon wasna??t going to back down so easily. a??I promise I wona??t<3 If I break my promise, Ia??ll do something you want. How about it?a?? a??Really?!a?? a??The gods are listening. Does it still sound like a joke to you?a?? a??a?|no.a?? Shield B, who she guessed would be the hardest nut to crack, was persuaded. Did she truly want to get enrolled with those guys? Of course not. a??Ia??ll go with you. Ia??ll go anywhere as long as youa??re happya?|a?? a??My queen! Use me however you like!a?? a??Dangit! No matter how I think about it, I feel trickeda?| but alright.a?? All of the Shields accepted. a??Thank you guys<3a?? Hero Jang Miyeon gave them a hearty smile, thanking them from the bottom of her heart. Shield Aa??s overall grades were ranked 4th, Shield B 5th, and Shield C was 7th place. Everyone but her was male! In order for her to stand out as a (female)Hero, she needed to have extra (male) Hero sidekicks. One female main character in a romantic fantasy is enough, after all. Her plan was perfect. a??Please do your best for me at the Academy, too<3a?? Hero Jang Miyeon anticipated the day to come soon. According to the guardian, there were beginnera??s holy swords buried in certain parts of the plains. Apparently, the level 10 Heroes dropped them right after graduating from their traininga?| a??Why?a?? a??It would be hard to understand for someone who easily slaughtered 300,000 orcs like you, Hero. a??Wait! Dona??t talk about me as some ignorant human. You said they graduated. Shouldna??t they be strong if they could defeat you? That orc was exceptionally strong. His secret was on his status window that I got to look at because wea??d become friends. [Name] Green Guardian [Level] 8 [Blessings] Warrior A, Surveillance B, Mettle A, Will B, Dignity B [Curses] Hero A, Relic D, Human C He had the Heroesa?? Curse, the one you get if you run away after losing to a Hero! It was an A rank, too. I couldna??t even imagine how many Heroes hea??d lost to. I may have struggled with him, but maybe he was weaker than I thought. The orc argued. a??Defeating the orc wasna??t the only way they could graduate. They naturally got exiled once they reached level 10.a?? a??Aha!a?? a??And killing a Hero is another way to get the Heroesa?? Curse.a?? a??I see!a?? That meant killing a holy sword-wielding Hero in self-defense would ruin your life! I felt bad for the villains. But that guardian was an exception. [Relic] You have been bound to the ruins for the sake of the relic! Acts against the intended use of the relic are strictly prohibited. a??I am the last strong opponent to test new Heroes.a?? a??Thata??s your purpose?a?? a??Yes.a?? So he was the tutorial boss in a role-playing game? a??So youa??re not actually a guardian.a?? a??I never said I was a guardian of the humans. I am the guardian of the orcs; I protect their homes.a?? a??Aha!a?? The orc, captured and bound to the ruins by humans, was given the power fit to be a a??strong opponenta??. An immortal body, an eternal lifelinea?| Apparently, he wasna??t that strong at first, but got more skilled as time went ona?| a??But you still lost.a?? a??a?|a?? a??A certain demon I know is pretty weepy, but youa??re pretty sentimental, too.a?? I didna??t want his ugly face to be on the brink of tears. It was really hard to watch. a??Hero.a?? a??What?a?? a??Are you not going to leave?a?? a??Thata??s different from what you said earlier. You struggled to keep me in.a?? a??The mind of an orc changes frequently. Right now, I wish for you, Hero, to leave.a?? a??Thata??s harsh.a?? I wanted to leave, too. There was one problem: It was hard to trust that orc when he could move around the entrance and exit of the relic at his will. I would be in big trouble if he sent me to a holy sword that was in the ocean! So I decided to test him. a??Dance.a?? a??a?|I may be bound to the relic, but I am not a Heroa??s toy. We have a partnership of mutual respecta?|a?? a??Dance.a?? a??Are you listening to me at all?a?? a??I am. Ia??m going to abolish this? inefficient partnership and establish a master-servant relationship.a?? a??Thata??s nonsensea?|!a?? a??I like your vigor. Ia??ll give you the right to die with honor.a?? a??Thata??s too extreme! Give me some time to think.a?? a??I see youa??re playing hard to get.a?? As if he wasna??t a guardian that prioritized his own life before hundreds of thousands of his peoplea?| That easy orc already knew his answer. a??Alrighta??, Ia??ll do it.a?? a??Good call.a?? a??I absolutely did not give in because Ia??m scared of death. I only accepted because my purpose doesna??t change.a?? a??Whata??s your purpose?a?? a??I am a gatekeeper.a?? a??A gatekeeper?a?? a??I cannot refuse a Hero with a holy sword if they ask me to open the gates of the relic.a?? a??No matter what?a?? a??Yes. No matter what.a?? The easy orc coulda??ve been lying to me. But as long as the evil goddess noticed I was alive, staying in that city was dangerous. No matter what, there would be danger. Then I had no choice but to give him a chance. Buta?| a??Let these people go, too.a?? a??a?|Alright. I dona??t want this city to be known by humans outside, but since I dona??t have the power to stop you, even if I refusea?|a?? a??So youa??re well aware.a?? Although everyone would die if the guardian of the relic chose the exit as a holy sword in the middle of the ocean! I would never get out of that place if I did nothing but doubt him. [A certain god complains this is too boring.] Oh! There was a solution all along! a??Dear outsider god I respecta?|a?? [A certain god pompously tells you to respect them more.] a??Dear outsider god I respect a little more. Can you look at where all the holy swords this orc put as an exit?a?? I had an eco-friendly radar that came close to being a satellite! [A certain god drills that that is very tiresome.] Although it is slightly flawed. a??Please show some mercya?|!a?? [A certain god says they will make an exception and allow it just this time and sticks their nose in the air.] [A certain god looks around.] [A certain god drills it is very safe.] At least that god was much more cooperative than when wea??d first met. a??Thanks a ton!a?? I told the humans waiting outside the relic it was time to go back to the home they missed. Buta?| a??I am %# $##. Ia??m already @#$ by the orcs.a?? a??I am also #$%. My home is %#$. Ita??s =%$ $# %# of the orcs.a?? a??I will go. There is a == woman back home. I will *#& %$ #*$ with her.a?? a??$#. Ia??ma?|a?? I couldna??t understand more than half of what they were saying, but there were quite a few people who wanted to stay in the city. a??Mooo~a?? a??Moooo~a?? There were a bunch of livestock the orcs had been raising, so they wouldna??t starve to death if they made good use of them. a??Only who wants to leave!a?? I had no intention of forcing someone out into the world when they said they didna??t want to. a??% #$.a?? a??#*$!a?? And so, only three people wanted to go with me. Why were they trying to stay in that hell with only bad memories? I couldna??t understand them. a??By the way, green friend. What do I have to do to get back in here?a?? a??I can hear you if you talk to the holy sword.a?? a??Aha!a?? a??As expected, this fantasy could do all sorts of fantastical things!a?? I led the people to the giant Dolem. a??Hma?|a?? Enveloped in a black whirlpool, I couldn¡¯t see the other side of the exit. [A certain god drills again that it is safe.] a??Okay, Ia??ll trust you.a?? To ensure the other side of the exit was safe, I went through it first. Pet- I was engulfed in a warm lighta?| And in an instant, I was in a new place. Turn turn! I quickly scanned my surroundings. It was a a??ladya??s bedrooma?? that was decorated with exquisite furniture. How was I so sure it was a ladya??s? I was certain from the white underwear thrown on the side of the bed. Anywaysa?| a??Where the hell am I?a?? Ia??d just crash-landed somewhere unfamiliar again. Chapter 34 [Translator ¨C Woni ] [Proofreader ¨C ilafy ] Chapter 34 [Act 10] Holy Sword for Beginners ¡°% #$?¡± ¡°#$?!¡± ¡°# %¡­¡± The three people that followed me out of the city were also confused. ¡°Shush!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°$¡­¡± I put my finger on my lips to tell them to be quiet. I was relieved I wasn¡¯t deep inside the ocean, but that was nothing to be happy about. ¡®Where did that green pig just send us?¡¯ ¡°Oi. Open the entrance right now.¡± There was no answer. But was it because I had my holy sword with me? Poof! A transparent entrance I hadn¡¯t seen the last time I¡¯d entered the City of Orcs appeared out of the blue. ¡°Get back inside.¡± ¡°@? $.¡± ¡°$%?¡± I led the people, who couldn¡¯t see the entrance like I couldn¡¯t before, back to the city. I didn¡¯t know where I was. I would have gone straight ahead if it was a plain, but a noble¡¯s wife or lady¡¯s bedroom was dangerous. In fact, maybe it was worse than that. ¡°A noble lady with a holy sword hung in her room as a decoration¡­?¡± That couldn¡¯t be normal. It was safe to assume she was from some great royal family. [A certain god peeps their head inside.] ¡°Outsider god, is this place really safe?¡± [A certain god drills that it is safe for now.] ¡°For now? That means it¡¯s going to be dangerous later?¡± [A certain god affirms it will be very dangerous.] ¡°¡­¡± I should have been suspicious the minute that god was being way too cooperative! I blamed indolent judgment and decided to look around the bedroom that was safe ¡®for now¡¯ before I left. Honestly, it was fascinating. The inn provided by Ladies A and B was also luxurious, but that bedroom was on a completely different level. The bed, closet, bookshelf, vanity table, bathroom, chamber pot, desk, chair¡­ Everything was an art piece. ¡°How much money does the owner of this room have¡­ huh?¡± While I was looking around in awe, I found something familiar. ¡°Why is this here¡­?¡± My backpack that I¡¯d lost in the forest was hidden underneath the desk. *** The Heroes, who were used to hunting comfortably in the temple, toured the lives of commoners in a village in the forest. It would be a good lesson! ¡°This isn¡¯t the fantasy village I was expecting¡­¡± ¡°Welch! Is this hell? The sanitation of this place¡­¡± ¡°How can people live somewhere like this¡­?¡± The Heroes were in awe, but it was in a different way. It wasn¡¯t too dirty thanks to the slimes cleaning the village, but all of the installations were poorly kept. It wasn¡¯t just the installations. They were expecting a girl resembling a wildflower, a simple but handsome young man, innocent children, generous married couples, a benign chief¡­ But it was so different in reality that they were at a loss for words. A girl aged from hard work, a dirty, boorish young man, miserly couples, and children who knew too much about the world. In fact, it was said that the chief who¡¯d recently died was a villian who¡¯d kidnapped and tortured humans and fairies. ¡°Heroes!¡± Princess Ethena had woken up early that day and cheerly exclaimed. Where was Prince Alsus? In charge of the Heroes¡¯ hunting grounds, he was away after getting urgent news that there was a problem with the next hunting ground. And so, that day, the princess was the guide for the field trip. ¡°The village is said to be in a mess because it recently experienced various mishaps! So please be careful not to surprise the residents!¡± ¡°Haha, Princess Ethena. It is an honor that the Heroes came by, there is no need for a warning.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re already grateful the Heroes visited somewhere this remote. Haha.¡± ¡°That¡¯s also why exceptional mages like us also visited. The Heroes are taking important steps forward.¡± As soon as Princess Ethena said a word, everyone else quipped in. The faces of the mages that were dispatched from the Archmazing Kingdom all seemed to say, ¡®what are we doing all the way here?¡¯ Normally Princess Ethena would have faltered, but that day was different. ¡°Also, please be careful not to disturb the Saintess¡¯s business!¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± The mages backed away as soon as the Saintess was mentioned. She was the sky above the heavens. There were plenty of elite ¡®mages¡¯ in the continent of Fantasia, but there were only two ¡®Saintesses¡¯. That was fewer than the number of legendary Heroes. The pinnacle of nobility! Why did such a Saintess go all the way to that ragged place? After looking around the chief¡¯s house, she made a brief comment. ¡°I see the site has already been cleaned up.¡± ¡°W-we¡¯re sorry!¡± The man in charge as the temporary chief bowed like he¡¯d committed a sin. ¡°There is no need to be so fearful. I am not blaming you for this. After all, you can¡¯t just let a corpse rot.¡± ¡°Y-yes maam!¡± No matter what the Saintess said, the temporary Chief couldn¡¯t relax. The Saintess¡¯s beauty, emanating sweetness and light, was enough to make people stay up at night from one glance. There wasn¡¯t anything scary about her. But what was important was that it could all switch at any time. ¡°I came by out of my personal curiosity after hearing there was a mysterious massacre nearby. It is irrelevant to humanity¡¯s peace.¡± ¡°Y-yes, ma¡¯am!¡± Humanity¡¯s peace¡­ It was obvious what would happen if it was decided that it was disturbed. It would be nice to believe that was absolutely not going to happen, but the residents couldn¡¯t be sure when what their chief did was so shocking. Looking at the roughly organized torture devices, the Saintess asked, ¡°Councilwoman Celebless was captured here, right? As well as the other fairies.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°This question is a bit open, but do you know how important Councilwoman Celebless is?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I apologize. I was a bit insistent. After all, this would be a problem whether or not you knew.¡± Flame Guardian Celebless¡­ Her combat skills were meager, but the beasts she looked after were strong. Especially the phoenix that gave Celebless the title of ¡®Flame Guardian¡¯. It was on another level. It was the guardian of the Fairy Kingdom. ¡°Although disturbing the harmony between humans and fairies as well as inducing a civil war is unforgivable¡­¡± ¡°Eek?!¡± ¡°I will not press further since the victim has forgiven everything.¡± ¡°Thank you! Thank you so much¡­¡± If the Saintess who stood above the law said so, that¡¯s how it was. The temporary chief¡¯s gloomy face lightened up a little bit. ¡°What did the stranger who saved the Councilwoman and fairies look like? I want to reward him as a representative of the people.¡± ¡°He¡­ he¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°I asked about his appearance.¡± ¡°Yes? Yes! He had short black hair¡­and foreign features¡­but he looked like the Heroes that visite¡­a-actually he didn¡¯t!¡± Did they murder a Hero?! The temporary Chief¡¯s face turned pale again after thinking of a terrifying possibility. With an unchanging expression and voice, the Saintess asked, ¡°What was his name?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Is there a resident who does?¡± ¡°The owner of the inn he stayed in would know, but he was also found dead in this basement¡­¡± She¡¯d heard about it. The Chief, innkeeper, pharmacist, head police, and restaurant owner. What they had in common was that they were middle-aged men who¡¯d helped build the village, and each held an important role. ¡°Do you really not know who he was murdered by?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Translator ¨C plvto His words faded towards the end as he was unable to tell the Saintess, the most authorized figure in exorcism repelling wicked energy, that ¡®the culprit¡¯ was a phantom! ¡°Hm.¡± The Saintess thought over the circumstances. Councilwoman Celebless had come back safely after leaving to find the body of her savior. The rest of the fairies were kidnapped once more by the masterminds controlling the chief in the middle of the night and had died in the basement. And immediately after, the masterminds and mercenaries were murdered by the ¡®phantom¡¯¡­ It was unrealistic. ¡°¡­Go, show the Heroes around the village.¡± ¡°Y-yes maam!¡± The temporary chief practically ran out of the horrid basement. The attendant, who had been silent the whole time, carefully spoke up. ¡°It seems the phantom was¡­¡± ¡°Yes. No doubt it¡¯s him. Although it¡¯s a mystery how he survived without our help when the forest was infested with gnolls.¡± ¡°He had a Blessing with him.¡± ¡°The Blessing isn¡¯t so all-powerful. No matter how incredible the Blessing is, you can¡¯t beat a gnoll at level 1. You¡¯ve seen our Heroes, don¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°Certainly¡­¡± The attendant immediately agreed. Even with the best equipment, the Heroes had been annihilated by just two gnolls. But alone? She was starting to get genuinely curious about just how he¡¯d survived. ¡°And who gave him the Blessing? All of the gods were in the temple with us.¡± ¡°I see. Even the demon god was there to watch¡­¡± The absolute god worshiped by demons¡­ The demon god! It was odd they could freely move in and out of the Temple when it was basically their enemy camp, but calling it snooping should justify it. ¡­It will only get worse if you think about it further. One simply couldn¡¯t put the criterion of a human on god¡¯s judgments, all they could do was move on. ¡°What¡¯s important is that he¡¯s alive somewhere in Fantasia.¡± ¡°Um¡­Saintess.¡± ¡°Is there anything that bothers you?¡± ¡°Yes. If that really is him, isn¡¯t it dangerous to bring the Heroes to this village? If things go wrong¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± The Saintess thought it would be better if things were exposed sooner than later. When the Heroes got stronger and harder to control, it would be harder to fix things if they turned their backs on them. Of course, there was someone who didn¡¯t want to get exposed. [A certain arrogant god of benevolence anxiously watches over.] [A certain arrogant god of benevolence asks what exactly are you doing.] [A certain arrogant god of benevolence is extremely displeased.] ¡°¡­They won¡¯t notice right away, so please don¡¯t worry. Those who know his name are dead, and the most crucial evidence is with me.¡± She¡¯d stored it in the safest place in Fantasia. They could rest assured of that. ¡°Saintess. It¡¯s another issue, but it seems information was leaked.¡± ¡°The tournament?¡± ¡°Oh dear! Pardon me. I see you¡¯re already aware.¡± ¡°I am, I¡¯m just pretending I¡¯m not. They were intentionally managed a bit poorly. A warrior shouldn¡¯t just fight well. Getting misled by false information brings nothing but disaster.¡± That¡¯s how it was with the previous generation of Heroes. The Saintess held back her words and turned to leave the basement with a smile. ¡°It all depends on how they use the information. Haven¡¯t you noticed Hero Jang Miyeon has been very engaged recently?¡± ¡°Could it be¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why she wants to go to that awful Academy, but she will stay that way until the tournament opens.¡± She¡¯d said it would open soon, but not a single thing about the date was mentioned. Was it tomorrow, next month, next year, or would it be canceled¡­? The actually important information was omitted completely. But they couldn¡¯t ask the date directly or they¡¯d be exposed. Everyone was in the palm of her hand. ¡°I feel a bit sorry.¡± Unaware of their heated competition that included her, Yoo Bora would only go through more hardships. The Saintess left the chief¡¯s house and looked around her surroundings. ¡°The food is really bad.¡± ¡°They said the restaurant owner changed.¡± ¡°He looks like that at 17? Bring me back my fantasies¡­¡± ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t turn your back to reality!¡± ¡°I wonder if there will be hot mercenaries in the big cities¡­¡± ¡°Pff! Wake up! The only novel-like feature is the Prince.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sad there¡¯s no Prince Alsus.¡± ¡­The Heroes were let loose around the village and were loudly getting along. There were no signs of them noticing anything. It was the right call to not give pretext for any suspicions by unnecessarily restricting the gates to the village. ¡°Princess Ethena.¡± ¡°Oh? You¡¯re out earlier than I expected, Saintess. Did everything go well?¡± ¡°In one way or another, yes. By the way, what are you holding in your hands?¡± ¡°Alcohol!¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking because I don¡¯t know¡­¡± The Saintess felt another headache on its way because of Princess Ethena answering cheerily, grinning ear to ear. Princess Ethena responded, ¡°I was also studying the lives of the people.¡± ¡°With alcohol¡­?¡± ¡°Alcohol is the best when it comes to making friends, and everyone is honest when they¡¯re drunk. I just heard a proper answer about what they think about my father, the King.¡± ¡°What did they say?¡± ¡°They said he¡¯s bad at magic and politics.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± She wanted to investigate who taught that princess how to drink. ¡ªSo she could drown them in alcohol. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt the princess¡¯s leisure, but it¡¯s time to leave.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± A drunk Princess Ethena wobbled unsteadily to call over the Heroes. ¡°¡­Something about this is disappointing.¡± Was she secretly hoping the Heroes would notice? She couldn¡¯t tell. [A certain arrogant god of benevolence is greatly relieved.] [A certain arrogant god of benevolence cries out to kill him quickly.] ¡°Saintess?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s go home early today and rest.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She wasn¡¯t speaking to just the Heroes who couldn¡¯t enjoy the village field trip as Princess Ethena did. She, too, wanted to go home early and rest. How would the Hero that was betrayed after saving the fantasy natives feel¡­? There were even more things to worry about. ¡°Kang Hansoo¡­¡± Maybe looking at his backpack would help put her at ease. The Saintess headed toward the safest bedroom in the world. ¡ªTo her bedroom with the legendary holy sword. Chapter 35 [Translator ¨C Woni ] [Proofreader ¨C ilafy ] Chapter 35 [Act 10] Holy Sword for Beginners ¡°This is quite the honor.¡± It may have been a common mass-produced item back in my breath-taking, smoke-polluted, beautiful home planet Earth, but in this fantasy world, it looked like it was regarded as a rare collection. ¡­How embarrassing. After quickly looking around my surroundings, I grabbed the backpack like a thief and threw it at the translucent glass. Poof! [A certain god encourages you to take everything you want.] ¡°Wait, outsider god. I took that because it¡¯s my backpack. Just what are you thinking of me¡­?¡± [A certain god calls you a cold-blooded outsider.] ¡°How so?¡± [A certain god points out that you slaughtered adorable baby orcs.] ¡°I really do sound like an evil outsider if you put it like that, but you see, those green baby pigs were going to turn into adults that grow humans as livestock.¡± I finished looking around while I went back and forth with the outsider god. ¡®Hm? There were quite a few weapons here.¡¯ Swords, axes, arrows, armor, shields, blunt weapons, crossbows, staves¡­ Even from a glance, there were more weapons than feminine jewels or clothes. It seemed apparent what the owner of the room preferred. While checking out each one, I found a book hidden under the pillow of the bed. I felt a little nostalgic. ¡°I also liked to read on my bed¡­¡± Although I usually prefer my digital smartphone. I wanted to go back to that peaceful life soon. It was a strange book without a title on the cover. Flip. As I thoughtlessly opened the book¡­ ¡°Oh, damn.¡± [A certain god opens their eyes wide.] ¡°It¡¯s a comic book.¡± I thought children¡¯s books were well drawn, but the artist¡¯s passion and thoughts were thoroughly expressed in the one for adults. I saw they highly valued the harmony between shadow and light as well as the basics of art. But still¡­ [A certain god advises it¡¯s not a necessary book for an outsider.] ¡°Thank you so much for the nerve-wracking advice.¡± After thoroughly reading the comic book to the last page, I put it back under the pillow. ¡°I should get going.¡± Feeling a sense of guilt that I looked through a stranger¡¯s secret, I decided to sneak out. Still, I didn¡¯t take anything other than my backpack. The only other thing I¡¯d put my hands on was the comic book, and I¡¯d put that back in its place. [A certain god complains you¡¯re being too hasty.] ¡°That¡¯s a good thing.¡± Barely escaping at the last minute as they did in movies was too dangerous. It was the main character¡¯s special privilege to gamble with their only life in a fantasy! I didn¡¯t want to be like them. [A certain god hopes that you look at the book in your backpack.] ¡°I¡¯ll show you later.¡± I escaped to the translucent entrance the relic Guardian had opened up. Poof. And I shut it right away so that the owner of the room wouldn¡¯t follow. *** He¡¯d lost everything. Money, weapons, slaves, food, potions¡­ After getting robbed of everything except for the clothes on his back, Oh Hanwoo realized¡­ ¡°I let my guard down.¡± Nothing else besides that came to mind. The betrayal of a bully who envied his talent and girls¡­ He was a stereotypical villain. He should have been wary of that as the main character, but he was too naive in trusting strangers. ¡°But next time¡­¡± From then on, he would never let his guard down or trust anybody! He didn¡¯t give up, either. [Vengeance] >The stronger your target of vengeance is, the stronger you become as well. >The more people seek vengeance against you, the stronger you become! He acquired a Blessing after losing everything. Oh Hanwoo looked full of hopes and dreams. ¡°It¡¯s a Blessing I can only get after losing everything. So it¡¯s a power that¡¯s only given to a main character that was betrayed by his colleagues.¡± He may have looked like a lunatic talking to himself in an empty forest, but that was absolutely not the case. [A certain Immature god of dice is impressed by your mental strength.] [A certain evil god is certain you are his perfect suitor.] [A certain male god cackles.] [A certain god¡­] There were quite a few gods watching over Oh Hanwoo. There were enough gods to make Hero Choi Kangmin, obsessed with their attention, pass out if he saw those messages. ¡°If this wasn¡¯t the beginning of the story, this would be hard to acquire even if you knew how to get it¡­¡± It didn¡¯t affect him much for the moment because he didn¡¯t have anything. Sera, Luca, Kana¡­ It hurt him that he was robbed of the girl slaves he felt shared both his body and soul with, but it wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d lost the female main character, like the Saintess or Princess. And so Oh Hanwoo stayed positive. ¡°Someone I want to take vengeance on¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t the piece of garbage that jeered while staying behind the muscular savage slave. The Demon King! He was going to target the boss with a super high level. [A certain evil god looks at you extremely bewildered.] [A certain evil god advises you to not pull petty tricks from your sleeve.] ¡°Is that how it is?¡± It seemed he couldn¡¯t seek vengeance on the Demon King when he¡¯d never met him before. Then what about Prince Alsus? He¡¯d met the Prince with a Blessed life before. ¡°¡­That¡¯s a reach.¡± But he couldn¡¯t find the heart for vengeance that time, either. That¡¯s because there was no ¡®genuity¡¯, for he knew what would happen to him if he harmed a prince of a nation. [Vengeance] Was there any way to get stronger by choosing a temporary target of vengeance? Since he couldn¡¯t control the way someone felt about him¡­ ¡°Oh!¡± He automatically thought of a target. Choi Kangmin. As soon as he thought of the boy who was pretending to be the main character ¡®again¡¯ like he did in school, Oh Hanwoo felt his heart beat harder. This was a fantasy world. It was a ¡®fair¡¯ society where people¡¯s values depended on levels instead of a handsome face that was given to you since birth. Choi Kangmin¡¯s face was the only reason he could be a main character on Earth! ¡®The main character of this world is me!¡¯ It was closer to jealousy than vengeance, but that was a minor issue for Oh Hanwoo. He believed Choi Kangmin was the reason he couldn¡¯t succeed. Flare! ¡°¡­Looks like this dude¡¯s level is pretty high.¡± Oh Hanwoo felt his vengeance grow as he felt the vigor flow all over his body. [A certain evil god is very pleased watching over you.] [A certain immature god of dice asks where you¡¯re going.] ¡°The forest.¡± He¡¯d be nothing but a laughing stock if he went back to the city like that. Getting past level 1 was his most urgent task. Jiggle~ He saw a slime peacefully going around the forest. Even though it saw him, it didn¡¯t look at all scared or ready to attack. It just felt like a beginner¡¯s exp blob. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m gonna need to sacrifice you for world peace.¡± Jiggle¡­? Woosh! Oh Hanwoo¡¯s flame burned the slime in an instant. [Vengeance] [Magic] Strengthened by his Blessings, the flame was stronger than ever. And¡­ level up! ¡°This is easy.¡± It seemed the exp from hunting the gnoll had been pretty significant. Compared to the gnoll, slimes were easy prey. He didn¡¯t know why people didn¡¯t hunt them. ¡°It¡¯s illegal to hunt slimes that are useful to humanity, but I don¡¯t have another choice until I¡¯m able to take down a gnoll by myself.¡± It¡¯s the pieces of garbage that stole his colleagues away and Yoo Bora¡¯s fault! ¡ªWas how Oh Hanwoo made himself feel better as he went on slime hunting after checking there were no witnesses. Jiggle?! Jiggle~?! And so Oh Hanwoo reached level 3 in less than a day. Unable to find any gnolls thanks to the Heroes taking all of the good hunting grounds, he kept hunting slimes. ¡­Until he got Cursed. [Name] Oh Hanwoo [Level] 3 [Blessings] Hero F, Special F, Mercenary F, Magic C, Vengeance F [Curses] See-through F, Hunting F [Dividend] 4.63 Translator ¨C plvto There was no reason for the mercenaries, who wanted to be stronger, to leave the slimes alone just because they were beneficial, right? Well, there was indeed a reason if it was still well-abided by them. [Hunting] >As a frequent poacher, all of the prey you hunt gets stronger! >The chances of the traps made by you failing greatly increase. That was just the beginning. The innocent slimes started to get their vengeance against Oh Hanwoo. Jiggle! Jiggle! ¡°Kirk-?!¡± The retired Hero fell backwards at the round slime¡¯s body slam. [Hunt] Regular slimes were weak, but slimes strengthened by the Curse were strong. It showed off an especially high endurance against Oh Hanwoo. Pow! Jiggle? Jiggle! The slimes that¡¯d easily died in one flame before he was Cursed began to endure it and counterattack. ¡°Kirrk?!¡± [A certain evil god looks for his missing belly button.] *t/n: korean idiom that if you laugh too hard your belly button falls off. [A certain immature god of dice rolls on the floor.] [A certain god of wind breaks out into laughter.] [A certain god¡­] A mere level 1 slime was making a fool of the level 3 human. J-jiggle¡­ ¡°Huff, puff¡­!¡± He still managed to hunt them, but he had no choice but to run away if more than two of them attacked at the same time. It almost felt like gnolls were easier! Because of how awful the power of the Curse was, Oh Hanwoo gave up the slime hunt. [hunt] ¡°Damnit! All this trouble because of Aria! She should have told me in advance there was such a Curse!¡± The boy, blaming his ex-colleague who¡¯d told him slime hunting was illegal, luckily found a gnoll. [Magic] ¡°# $#?¡± Flare! Stronger through practice on the slimes, Oh Hanwoo¡¯s flame hit bulls-eye on the gnoll. Bzz¡­ The grey gnoll burned down before it even had a chance to attack and became the ex-Hero¡¯s grand exp. ¡°Nice!¡± [Hunt] Because it had a higher level than Oh Hanwoo, the gnoll wasn¡¯t a ¡®prey¡¯ and was much easier than the strengthened slime. Oh Hanwoo switched his target from slimes to gnolls and bravely went deep into the depths of the forest to find them. Naturally, he got lost. The good news? [A certain god of wind shows you the right path with a strong wind.] [A certain evil god lets you know there is a village nearby.] [A certain immature god of dice orders popcorn.] [A certain god¡­] ¡°Thank you!¡± Oh Hanwoo found the village with active help from the gods. But he could only stop at the entrance of the village. ¡°Why are those guys¡­?¡± The faces he wanted to reunite with were leaving the village with Princess Ethena. And especially among them¡­ ¡°Choi Kangmin?¡± ¡°Oh Hanwoo?¡± Like fate(?), the two boys that were each claiming themselves to be the main character ran into each other. [A certain evil god is relieved you weren¡¯t too late.] [A certain Immature god of dice shares their popcorn.] *** ¡°Hey, you stupid pig! What the hell did you send me there for?!¡± ¡°Kekek?! C-calm down first¡­!¡± ¡°You were trying to get me hung for contempt of a noble, weren¡¯t you? I¡¯ll kill you only 10 times if you answer honestly!¡± ¡°10 times?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to revive, anyways.¡± Back in the city, the first thing I did was run to the exit and choke the guardian, who was calmly waving his hands. ¡°It¡­ it was a misunderstanding!¡± ¡°What misunderstanding?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the second training ground the humans made after this place was taken by us. I decided it was the most fitting for you, a Her¡ª kirk?!¡± ¡°That was really dangerous, then!¡± That must have been why my backpack was next to the beginner¡¯s holy sword. The savage fairies must have picked up my backpack in the forest and sold it to the noble lady. What if I¡¯d run into the Evil goddess¡¯s pawn, the Saintess? Chills ran down my back. ¡°Hm¡­ but I found something I¡¯d lost thanks to you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± ¡°So I¡¯ll only kill you five times.¡± ¡°Is there an option to not kill me at all?!¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡®From now on, I think I should be careful of the outsider god¡¯s help, too.¡¯ They¡¯d said the exit was safe! That would have been true if I was an ordinary Hero, but I was getting chased by the evil goddess after almost getting murdered. I¡¯d teleported to an incredibly dangerous spot, not a safe one. I was truly lucky that time. Now, then¡­ ¡°Oiiink?!¡± ¡°One.¡± ¡®Time for a new beginning after I cut the throat of this pig that almost killed me!¡¯ Poof! The second entrance, the guardian, who quickly revived five times, was strictly normal. Had it been about five days? I didn¡¯t have time perception because I didn¡¯t need sleep, but it felt like it would take about that long to hunt alone in the plains, visit the City of Orcs, annihilate 300,000 pigs, and come back. The remaining problem was¡­ ¡°$#@ thank you. #$ $.¡± ¡°&$^ thank you. @#$ %$ $%#.¡± ¡°This $ help will &%^ *&¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know what they were saying, but it was better to part ways fast before those people that followed me sneakily tried to get help for the rest of their lives. What about money? I had brought quite some gold and gems, so I wasn¡¯t worried about that. ¡°Have a good save!¡± *t/n: mc meant to say have a good life As soon as I arrived at a safe city, I waved goodbye to the people I¡¯d rescued. ¡°Huh? okay! I¡¯ll be good! =!¡± ¡°I will live #[email protected], Hero!¡± ¡°Hoho! $#! I¡¯ll live no matter what!¡± Nice! That time, I was able to communicate smoothly. I was a bit sad to feel that I was becoming more and more like a fantasy native, but it was better than at the beginning when I couldn¡¯t talk at all. Was the demon still in the inn? ¡°You¡¯re finally here.¡± ¡°Oh! You didn¡¯t run off?¡± Demon Kogmos had shut himself inside the luxurious inn. ¡°I was going to leave yesterday because you were so late.¡± ¡°And then?¡± ¡°I missed my chance because a human I can¡¯t run into no matter what entered the city.¡± ¡°Who is it? The Saintess?¡± ¡°Nevermind my hiding spot, if that horrific female visited the city, I¡¯d already be dead.¡¯ It sounded like the Saintess had an outstanding demon radar. ¡°Then who is it?¡± ¡°The first heir to the country we¡¯re in right now, Prince Alsus of the Swordmastar Knight Kingdom.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I didn¡¯t know what he was saying! ¡°Oh! And I don¡¯t know the exact reason, but the ladies told me the Prince was looking for you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Guess he¡¯s going to give you a medal for hunting all those orcs.¡± ¡°Really?¡± A medal for killing some pigs? What a leisurely prince. ¡°Are you going to see him? For your information, don¡¯t mention anything about me. I¡¯d get exposed as a demon immediately.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Prince Alsus is a holy knight who received a Blessing from the Saintess.¡± ¡°I see!¡± I had another person to avoid at all costs. Chapter 36 [Translator ¨C Woni ] [Proofreader ¨C ilafy ] Chapter 36 [Act 11] The Prince Back on Earth, I¡¯d been a model student who was too busy studying to know how many kids the President had, let alone their names¡­ Princes and Princesses¡­ They are like idols representing the kingdom in a fantasy world where networking doesn¡¯t go smoothly. Their looks, age, personality, hobbies, talents¡­ Everyone knew everything, thanks to it all getting advertised nation-wide. That even included demons. ¡°Prince Alsus is the third-strongest knight in the Swordmastar Knight Kingdom¡ªhe¡¯s a swordsmanship prodigy. He is a second generation monster, resembling the queen in her younger days when she was called the King of Knights.¡± However, the demons¡¯ way of seeing it was completely opposite from the humans¡¯. That¡¯s right. It was only natural that humanity¡¯s hero was the demon¡¯s monster. ¡°So basically, he¡¯s a human that has nothing to do with me.¡± He was like a star up in the heavens. Far, far away from someone like me, who was just some student A on my home planet of Earth. As I said that, the demon put on an extremely displeased expression. ¡°Nothing to do with you?! Did you not listen to what I was saying? The prince said he was looking for you.¡± ¡°But we can¡¯t even talk with each other.¡± ¡°Why are you worrying about that? That¡¯s something the Prince should take care of.¡± ¡°Take care of? There¡¯s magic that helps with translations?¡± ¡°Magic isn¡¯t an all-powerful tool like you imagine it would be. If there was a language blessing like the scholars who make a living off of their brains¡­ wh-what¡¯s your problem?¡± ¡°You should have told me if there was a blessing as neat as that!¡± ¡°Hmph! Even if you did know, you wouldn¡¯t be able to acquire it anyways. So give it up. Do you think anyone can be a scholar? To get a language blessing, one must either master three languages or learn five languages up to a certain level.¡± ¡°Those are the worst conditions!¡± As someone who didn¡¯t get great foreign language grades, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to try it. Knock knock! ¡°Kang Hansoo @! %$*?¡± ¡°%$ $! Kang Hansoo $!¡± Ladies A and B knocked on the door, calling my name. ¡®Interesting. How did they know I was back?¡¯ The male demon, reading my expression, explained it to me with an incredibly displeased face. ¡°The two ladies asked the worker here to let them know as soon as possible when you came back. I see your strength has made you popular with women.¡± ¡°I wonder if they¡¯re trying to ask for help leveling up again.¡± ¡°You have a habit of interpreting people¡¯s good will as materialistic. You¡¯re never getting married like that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not something an old demon bachelor should be saying.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± The two ladies that¡¯d come into the room were wearing very luxurious attire. Lady A looked a little more extravagant, but Lady B, the swordsman, had a completely different aura after changing from pants to a dress. ¡°Kang Hansoo, $. #%$ #$? &% #% & thanks $& *^ to you¡­ this favor #$ &% #% .¡± ¡°Huh?! #$ curse?! $# %?! Even an orc &%#. Orcs &%# in the city #$ &.¡± ¡®¡­Yeah. I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re saying.¡¯ ¡®It looks like I¡¯m gonna have to buy more diverse picture books and study harder.¡¯ Demon Kogmos translated for me. ¡°Miss Laysha says she was a bit disappointed because she thought you left when she hadn¡¯t even repaid your favor. Miss Julia is asking how you got the Massacre Curse.¡± ¡°Aha!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t agree with Miss Laysha, but I am also curious about what Miss Julia asked. The Massacre Curse¡­. Just where did you go and what did you do?¡± ¡°Hunting¡­¡± All I did was get invited to the City of Orcs and massacre the orcs. ¡°I knew this since the first day, but you really are out of your mind. You can¡¯t even enter the city with the Hero¡¯s Curse, but a Massacre Curse on top of that? And your Hero¡¯s Curse ranked up, I see. Are you back from killing a Hero?¡± ¡°I¡¯m being falsely accused here.¡± I didn¡¯t have any excuses for the massacre curse, but not the Hero¡¯s Curse. The Evil Goddess had raised the ranks just because I was breathing in the world of Fantasia. The demon spoke with a disgusted face. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m going to part ways with you in this city. No doubt I¡¯m going to die before marriage if I spend any more time with you.¡± ¡°What about the translations?¡± ¡°Now that you¡¯re bringing it up, I have something in mind. There is a slave market in the city. Just find a slave with the Language Blessing there.¡± ¡°But you said those Blessings were rare.¡± ¡°You can find a slave who was former princess of a nation as long as you have money, and you sure have a lot of that since you slaughtered all those orcs.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I didn¡¯t know I had a lot of money. ¡®Then what do I do now?¡¯ My bag was packed with treasures I¡¯d taken as souvenirs from the City of Orcs! I decided to push back telling him the news. After all, there was no reason for me to tell a demon was parting ways with about my assets. ¡°$# % $?¡± ¡°Kang Hansoo &?¡± The two ladies were uncomfortable because I¡¯d talked to the demon for too long! But I didn¡¯t have anything to talk about. What was I supposed to do? The demon gave me a pathetic glance. ¡°You sure can¡¯t read the room. Why do you think a woman would dress up so much to see a man?¡± ¡°¡­To date?¡± ¡°You went too far this time. They¡¯re probably trying to see if you¡¯re a decent male while going around downtown. Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± ¡°Aha!¡± There was no use believing a demon that couldn¡¯t even get married, but it was obvious they wanted to go out of the inn. ¡°Have fun.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°The monster prince is in this city. I¡¯m done for if he sees me. And I don¡¯t care what you do with your fellow human females.¡± ¡°How heartless.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who can¡¯t read the room! I¡¯d only be in the way if I went with you.¡± ¡°Is that how it is? ¡°That¡¯s how it is. Don¡¯t make me speak twice, I¡¯m really uncomfortable.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± I went downtown with the ladies I couldn¡¯t even talk with. *** Hero Choi Kangmin broke out in laughter at the boy he met at the village entrance. ¡°You look like a mess, Oh Hanwoo.¡± ¡°It¡¯s what¡¯s on the inside that matters.¡± Choi Kangmin wasn¡¯t just talking about his clothes that¡¯d gotten dirty from scavenging the forest. After getting kicked around like a soccer ball, Oh Hanwoo looked gruesome! However, not wanting to lose to the superior, handsome, young boy in front of him, he refuted, unabashed. ¡°The inside? Pff! What a ridiculous excuse.¡± ¡°Fight me if you can¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°¡­Hey, are you serious right now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Oh Hanwoo was aware. ¡­Choi Kangmin¡¯s level was much higher than his. [Revenge] But the blessing was drastically narrowing the gap¡ªit was well worth trying. [Special] After all, he was the main character. He could overcome it with grit! Just then, a girl went between the two boys and cried out, ¡°w-wait! Hero Choi Kangmin! I¡¯m really sorry to interrupt, but still, I have to ask you to please wait¡­ wait just a second!¡± Aria, hero Yoo Bora¡¯s partner, begged. She couldn¡¯t help but choke up at the sight of her former partner¡¯s horribly beat-up face. To that, Choi Kangmin spoke with a gentle expression. ¡°Miss Aria. what is it you must ask? I¡¯ll try my best to listen.¡± Translator ¨C plvto ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare stop you two from dueling, but Oh Hanwoo is badly injured.¡± ¡°Ah! I see. There has to be a fair battle if I don¡¯t want it to bite me later. Thank you for your input, Miss Aria.¡± ¡°N-not at all.¡± Rather than getting angry, the girl¡¯s face flushed as the hero in grand armor praised her. Seeing her act shy, Oh Hanwoo¡¯s frown deepened. On the other hand, Choi Kangmin, getting the reaction he wanted, grinned further. The Saintess stopped in her tracks and narrowed her eyes as she came across the group of Heroes. ¡°Mister Oh Hanwoo. I see you¡¯re still causing trouble even after leaving. Time is being wasted here. Hero Choi Kangmin, please wrap this up quickly.¡± Fwp. The Saintess lightly waved her hands. It was a miracle! Oh Hanwoo¡¯s sunken nose and broken teeth, as well as other injuries, went back to normal. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re expressing gratitude, Hero Yoo Bora¡¯s partner.¡± ¡°I-I apologize¡­¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t forget who you are partnered with.¡± ¡°Yes, I promise!¡± Though it was pitiful to see the girl freeze like a statue at the Saintess¡¯s criticism, no one paid any attention to her. The destined duel between the two boys who didn¡¯t accept each other had begun. ¡°Oh Hanwoo, let¡¯s see those substantial skills of yours!¡± Sling- Flare! A sword in his right hand, and magic on the left. Hero Choi Kangmin was the very definition of the all-rounder main character in fantasy genres. On the contrary¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Flare~ Having lost all of his gear and relying only on magic, Oh Hanwoo was unstable. But the flame he produced was bigger than Choi Kangmin¡¯s. ¡°¡­You¡¯ve improved quite a bit over these last couple days.¡±Noticing he was overpowered when it came to magic, the young boy¡¯s face hardened slightly. Choi Kangmin was a mage swordsman. It was inevitable that he lacked practice compared to a traditional mage. But even with that in consideration, he could tell Oh Hanwoo had an abnormal amount of talent. How? Choi Kangmin had heard from the master he¡¯d acquired the Magic Blessing from that mages, who distort reality, are ¡®dreamers¡¯. In other words, they must be skilled with delusions. Because of that, Choi Kangmin lacked magical talent. ¡°Choi Kangmin. Did my magic scare you?¡± ¡°¡­Let me wake you up to reality.¡± Choi Kangmin made up his mind to kill Oh Hanwoo on the spot. Not in the sense that he would actually take his life when there were so many eyes on them¡­ Magical talent¡­ A mage that opened their eyes to reality stopped progressing¡ªthat was basically equal to death for a mage. [See Through] With his entire body exposed from the curse, Oh Hanwoo was completely unarmed. There was no such thing as a hidden weapon. Although Choi Kangmin wasn¡¯t sure why he would see through Oh Hanwoo¡¯s underwear to the parts he really didn¡¯t wish to see, he made a swift decision. Leap! He closed the distance with a leap. If his opponent had been a gnoll, he would have gone into the fight preparing his next ball of flame after throwing the first one. ¡ªBut he was going against a mage. It would be reckless of him to have a magic duel against an opponent with clearly stronger magic skills. ¡°Hyap!¡± A giant fireball from Oh Hanwoo quickly flew in his direction. [Acceleration] But Choi Kangmin easily dodged it thanks to his Blessing. ¡°This is nothing¡­ ah!¡± With a content smile, the young boy drew in hot air. A fireball of the same size was flying towards him again right after he¡¯d dodged the first one. Just how fast was his magic¡­? It wasn¡¯t comparable to his magic master, but it was still abnormally fast compared to the Heroes¡¯ standard. ¡°Try and block it!¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re funny.¡± If he had dueled only with magic, he most likely would have lost. But Choi Kangmin¡¯s main talent was swordsmanship, not magic, and he had a hard-earned collection of Blessings. Pow! ¡°Alrigh- what?!¡± Oh Hanwoo couldn¡¯t understand. Despite not getting any stronger from the Hunting Curse like the slimes, Choi Kangmin was still fine even after getting hit by the flames. He tried to shoot more magic, but¡­ Poww! ¡°Is magic the only thing you¡¯ve got?¡± ¡°Y-you¡­¡± The results were the same. The young boy was as calm as ever. Level three magic was laughable to hero Choi Kangmin when he had multiple Blessings from countless gods. The only reason he¡¯d dodged Oh Hanwoo¡¯s magic at first was that his pride didn¡¯t want to show him getting hit. ¡°This is it, then.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be!¡± ¡°Wake up to reality.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡± Pow! Pow! Pow! Pow! Oh Hanwoo kept shooting magic in an act of desperation, and Choi Kangmin, ignoring all of that, peacefully went up to his face and lifted his sword high up in the air. ¡°Goodbye.¡± ¡°Eek?!¡± Oh Hanwoo, who had been in high spirits up until then, felt fear as he was beneath Choi Kangmin¡¯s sword. Just then,.. [Special] Zzzap! In an instant, the magic in Oh Hanwoo¡¯s right hand ran out of his control and a black ball of fire bursted out. ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Poooow~! A gigantic explosion that was bigger than ever before engulfed the two boys. ¡°Kurgh?!¡± ¡°Aack?!¡± And the result? The duel between Choi Kangmin and Oh Hanwoo ended in a draw! [A certain Immature God of Dice is extremely happy with the results.] [A certain Battle God is extremely uncomfortable.] [A certain Evil God grabs onto their belly and cackles.] ***¡°Kang Hansoo #! That¡¯s % @%! %$#? #$ $ &%$. But this is also #$ %$ &^!¡± ¡°#@? I think it¡¯s %$ %#$. Kang Hansoo ^% this $% $. Or is this # &$?¡± ¡°¡­¡± What about taking around an alien who they couldn¡¯t communicate with made those ladies so happy? Like demon Kogmos pointed out, it was far from a date. Restaurants, pharmacies, apparel stores, miscellaneous stores, blacksmith workshops, barbershops, and horse stables¡­ I learned the table manners of a noble at an extremely luxurious restaurant. Isn¡¯t one spoon, chopsticks, and plate enough? Those people were making so many dishes to clean with all sorts of weird rules. ¡°[email protected] ready.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go #.¡± Manner lessons were just the beginning. After dressing me up from head to toe, ladies A and B led me to the center of the city. I knew they told me they were going to take me somewhere, but I was just blindly following along because I didn¡¯t know where that ¡®somewhere¡¯ was. ¡®At the very least, it couldn¡¯t be hell, right?¡¯ ¡®¡­Right?¡¯ [a certain God shrugs.] ¡°It looks like the house of a noble¡­¡± The place the ladies had led me to was the most extravagant house in the city. ¡°#@!¡± Salute! As soon as the serious gatekeepers saw the two dressed-up ladies, they respectfully bowed and cleared the way. Thanks to that, I could also enter the city without identifying myself. Was I going to meet the mayor or something? The place felt overwhelming for a simple Earthling like me. [Outsider] If I wasn¡¯t protected by the Blessing, my heart would have already shriveled up. ¡°#. &$¡± A cute maid led us into a fancy room. Creak- A young boy around my age was looking out the window with a gloomy face. ¡®¡­What a cool aura.¡¯ He turned around to speak. ¡°Nice to meet you. I was looking forward to seeing you. These two ladies who hold eminent names at the Academy spoke very highly of you.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡®He can communicate with me?¡¯ ¡°It is the language Blessing. A prince must be able to communicate with all nations and species. It¡¯s nothing special.¡± ¡°A prince¡­¡± It looked like I¡¯d just met the very Prince A that the demon was so vigilant about. Chapter 37 [Translator ¨C Woni] Chapter 37 ¡°You may have already heard about this, but I am Alsus Swordmastar of the Swordmastar Knight Kingdom. Though I am a prince, it is my parents who are great, not me. So please don¡¯t feel too overwhelmed.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll try.¡± It was normal to feel overwhelmed, but I was as calm as ever thanks to my Blessing. ¡°Mister Gang Hansue.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡®My name is ¡®Kang Hansoo¡¯?¡¯ If he had seen my status window, he would properly know my name. How come he was calling me like that? ¡°Don¡¯t be shocked. I simply did a bit of research before.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± I wanted to correct the cherished name my parents gave me, but I let it go since I figured we¡¯d never meet again. On top of that, he was a prince. He was a man of power who could send me to prison for nothing. There was no harm in staying low. ¡°First of all, thank you for getting rid of the orcs. They were a headache for the country. And thank you for rescuing the nation¡¯s treasures, miss Laysha and miss Julia. It would have been terrible if anything had happened to them.¡± ¡°It was just my duty as a resident of Fantasia.¡± I felt guilty knowing that I was the cause of the incident, but no one would know as long as the demon kept his mouth shut. ¡°By the way, how did you get the Hero¡¯s Curse?¡± ¡®His first question, as expected!¡¯ I felt like I was in a university interview with horrible grades. But it¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t have a plan in mind. I had prepared an explanation for passing the border checkpoints in the future. ¡°You might not believe me, but I chastised a Hero who was sexually harrassing an innocent fairy. I¡¯ve had this Curse ever since then.¡± ¡°Indeed¡­¡± I realized it when ladies A and B let me off the hook, but the fairy¡¯s Blessing was an incredible token of credibility. The prince nodded his head. He looked convinced. ¡°I understand why Mister Gang Hansue got the fairy¡¯s Blessing. My deepest condolences.¡± ¡°Not at all. Thank you for taking my word.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean to sound suspicious, but do you remember what the Hero was wearing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I hit the Hero¡¯s face first thing¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. We will be able to find out right away once we investigate a Hero who injured their face to the point it became unrecognizable.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I felt my blood curdle for a moment. I didn¡¯t know you could see the truth like that if you were the prince of a nation! I wasn¡¯t sure if there would be a next time, but I realized I needed to be careful of my every word if I were to talk to someone in power again. ¡°I¡¯d like to converse with you more, but it would be rude to make these ladies wait for too long. Dinner should be almost ready, shall we continue talking after?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡®Of course I should follow your word, you¡¯re the prince of this country.¡¯ I hated everything about the world of Fantasia, but the food the royal family ate was better than my mom¡¯s. Sorry, mom! *** Freeze. The Saintess stopped in front of the door of her room, the safest room in all of Fantasia. ¡°¡­Was there someone who came into my room without permission today?¡± ¡°There was no one besides the usual surveillant and maid. Is there a problem¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m certain there was an intruder. Look at the floor.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± The room wasn¡¯t messed up as if it had been robbed, but there was mud on the Saintess¡¯ bedroom floor, which was always kept clean enough to eat off of. That was unacceptable. There was too much mud for it to be blamed on lazy cleaning. ¡°¡­everybody, get out.¡± ¡°Saintess! It¡¯s dangerous! An assassin could be hiding¡­¡± ¡°Are you saying there is an assassin that would let me know of their presence by scattering dirt on the floor?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ hm¡­¡± ¡°Nobody comes in until I call for them.¡± ¡°Yes, Saintess.¡± Rustle- The Saintess¡¯s shadow-like attendants left like a receding wave. Thud. Only after checking the door was closed did the Saintess run to her desk. She let out a scream. ¡°I-it¡¯s not there?!¡± She rubbed her eyes and looked under her desk once again. ¡°Of all things¡­!¡± It didn¡¯t matter if anything else was stolen¡ªall she had to do was replace it. But it was the one thing that couldn¡¯t be replaced. ¡ªKang Hansoo¡¯s backpack. The one piece of undeniable evidence that her god had lied had completely vanished. ¡°Anything else?¡± The next most important object in the room, the holy sword, was still hanging on the wall. All of the weapons that were to be given out to the winning heroes of the tournament were safely in place¡­ The Saintess¡¯ legs gave out and she dropped onto her soft bed. ¡°How could this¡­¡± That room was designed to prevent intrusion from even the Demon King. Did it realistically make sense that no one would have noticed an intruder? Possibly, if it was a forced breakthrough¡­ but it was impossible for even the Saintess, who knew the structure of the Temple and her room very well, to sneak in. [A certain arrogant god of benevolence asks what you¡¯re fussing so much about.] ¡°¡­I was robbed.¡± [A certain arrogant god of benevolence is at a loss for words.] ¡°Somebody trespassed into my room and took Kang Hansoo¡¯s backpack. It¡¯s a secret nobody knows. They didn¡¯t make the room a mess and left with only that one thing.¡± The thief trespassed while knowing the backpack was in there¡­ Otherwise, she couldn¡¯t explain why they wouldn¡¯t litter the room or lay a hand on any of the other treasures. [A certain arrogant god of benevolence scolds you, saying you should have destroyed it sooner.] ¡°Dear god, please don¡¯t test my faith.¡± [A certain arrogant god of benevolence is extremely uncomfortable.] [A certain arrogant god of benevolence asks what you¡¯re going to do now.] ¡°All I can do now is leave it to fate.¡± She¡¯d try her best to keep it a secret. And if that didn¡¯t work? She¡¯d halfway given up on herself, having made up her mind that it was only rational to let it go if it could not be held in by force. [A certain arrogant god of benevolence cries out to find him immediately.] ¡°There isn¡¯t even a way to find¡­ oh?¡± While dealing with the provider of her headache, the Saintess¡¯s eyes widened. She¡¯d noticed the pillows on her bed were ever-so-slightly rumpled, she thought nothing had been touched besides Kang Hansoo¡¯s backpack. ¡®¡­could it be?¡¯ The Saintess realized the refined book hidden under her pillow had completely changed directions. It was horizontal, not vertical. ¡ªIt wasn¡¯t how she¡¯d normally hide it. ¡°N-no¡­!¡± Translator ¨C Woni Red-faced, the Saintess gave up trying to conform to fate. She had to find the thief who¡¯d stolen Kang Hansoo¡¯s backpack by any means necessary! She had to capture that bastard and completely get rid of him before the world knew of her desires! [A certain arrogant god of benevolence asks if you have a way to find him.] ¡°Instead of just asking, why don¡¯t you go look for yourself?¡± [A certain arrogant god of benevolence is extremely uncomfortable.] [A certain arrogant god of benevolence leaves with an irritated face.] ¡°¡­A way. There¡¯s a way if you look for it.¡± Just as the Saintess holds the miracle of reviving the dead back to life, there were various miracles in the world of Fantasia. Usually, she preferred to make others indebted to her¡­ But that time, she had no choice to be indebted. ¡°Kang Hansoo is already a headache by himself, just who is it now¡­?¡± What went through the thief¡¯s mind when they noticed the Saintess¡ªwho they thought was perfect¡ªhad such inclinations? The mere thought of it scared her. Tidying up her disheveled clothes, the Saintess called over her attendant using a crystal ball for external communications. (It is a relief you are safe! May we come in now?) ¡°Yes. Also, send a message to the Fairy Kingdom. I must meet with Councilwoman Celebless. I need her friend¡¯s help.¡± *** I¡¯m not sure if it was the facade of a hypocrite, but I found Prince Alsus to be a rather pleasant person to talk to. ¡ªIt wasn¡¯t just because we spoke the same language. I couldn¡¯t have a conversation with demon Kogmos because he would cry or get angry whenever I said something. ¡°That is truly a fascinating Blessing. You don¡¯t feel full no matter how much you eat? I am a bit envious.¡± [A certain god is gleeful about the genuine compliment.] [A certain god scolds you to be more like the prince.] ¡°¡­I feel like I ate too much, my apologies.¡± ¡°Haha! Not at all. It¡¯s much better than having leftovers. The Swordmastar Knight Kingdom is not an impoverished nation with food shortages. In fact, food is quite abundant.¡± ¡°What a nice country for a guy like me.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°No, thank you¡­¡± The food was extremely satisfactory, and I had an even better time because ladies A and B didn¡¯t disturb me thanks to the handsome prince! It would have been perfect if it weren¡¯t for the troublesome table manners. Anyways, I was happy with it. ¡°The reason I called you, Gang Hansue, is because you recently hunted the greatest number of orcs.¡± ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡¯ ¡°Hm¡­ Not exactly. You got rid of a nuisance in the nation, how could that be something wrong? Please just think of it as a light-hearted investigation of the cause.¡± ¡°The cause¡­?¡± ¡°All those orcs that were in the plains disappeared like magic. There have been occasional orc sightings, but they¡¯re basically extinct.¡± ¡°I¡­ I see.¡± No matter how I looked at it, it looked like the cause was ¡®me¡¯! ¡°Do you know anything about this, by any chance?¡± ¡°It seems I hunted too many orcs.¡± ¡°Haha! If it was possible for an individual to get rid of those orcs, the commander of the knig¡ªI mean, I would have done it already.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Prince Alsus was undoubtedly right. There was no way someone like me could make the fantasy pigs go extinct¡ªexcept for the fact that I had. ¡®Ah, how embarrassing!¡¯ ¡®I really have to fix this way of thinking like a moody teenager.¡¯ ¡°Enough talking about something so boring. This next question is out of my personal curiosity.¡± ¡°Curiosity toward me?¡± ¡°Yes. I would like to see your swordsmanship that Miss Julia, with extraordinary talent as a knight, spoke so highly of.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ alright.¡± I never learned proper swordsmanship? But since I was fed a meal, I¡¯d do whatever Prince Alsus told me to. An alien with no support had no other choice. We left the house and stood facing each other in a vacant lot in the garden. ¡°I was originally going to wrap it up with a tribute of grace for you rescuing Miss Laysha and Miss Julia, but after seeing for myself that you are indeed level 1, I changed my mind.¡± ¡°Kang Hansoo #! $# ^#!¡± ¡°$ #! Prince Alsus!¡± ¡®So those ladies are the cause of this bothersome situation, huh?¡¯ They looked excited for me to get beaten up by that handsome prince. Those wicked women with the masks of innocent angels¡­! ¡°Please just watch.¡± I didn¡¯t take out the beginner¡¯s holy sword. It would be awkward if the Prince said he wanted to collect it like the holy sword that was in the noble lady¡¯s bedroom, wouldn¡¯t it? So I took out the blue dagger from the inner pocket of my overcoat. ¡°The sword of the fairies¡­¡± ¡®Huh? Was this the wrong move, too?¡¯ Prince Alsus held his breath while looking at the blue dagger. It was a wonder that my blade worked fine even after slashing tens of thousands of gnolls and orcs, but it must have been the finest blade a fairy could make. ¡®Then this one¡¯s out, too.¡¯ I put it away quickly before the Prince could ask me to sell it. ¡°Ahem! I was only going to show you, but I think a weapon is doing too much. So¡­¡± Flare~! I created a bright red blade from the edge of my right hand. It was a fiery force. I¡¯d neatly chopped up the Orc Guardian with it. ¡°With that much ease, barehanded¡­ It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t believe Miss Julia, but it truly is shocking.¡± Zzing-! The prince created a blue dagger from his bare hands while praising me. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Reminiscent of a lightning bolt, I was in pure awe of Prince Alsus¡¯s power. One could say there was a certain depth to it. It was like a fantasy completed after studying fantasies using fantasy during a fantasy-like time. Hearing my exclamation, Prince Alsus smiled with pride. ¡°It¡¯s an incredibly dangerous technique. I injured my right hand alone countless times to master it. Once, I almost lost my entire arm and was scolded all day by my mother, the Queen.¡± ¡°I also almost died numerous times to master it.¡± [A certain god scolds that lying is bad.]¡®Sh! Be quiet. This is called having social skills.¡¯ Zzz¡­ Retracting the blade on his hand, Prince Alsus handed me the sword that was at his side. ¡°This is a spare sword I always carry around in case mine breaks. I¡¯ll give this to you as a gift.¡± ¡°Oh! Thank you.¡± ¡®I don¡¯t say no to free things.¡¯ ¡°Instead, will you engage in a duel of swords with me? It would be a shame to just let you go when you have such skills despite being at level 1.¡± ¡°Oh, alright.¡± So it wasn¡¯t free! Sling- ¡°Come,¡± the prince told me as he drew a sword identical to mine. ¡°Then I won¡¯t decline¡­¡± The young man in front of me was the prince¡ªthe third-strongest in the nation. He was a strong opponent I wouldn¡¯t be able to win against no matter what. ¡ªMeaning he was an extremely sturdy sandbag. ¡®There wouldn¡¯t be any problem even if I gave it my all, right?¡¯ [Outsider] [Fairy] My lethal move that I¡¯d been honing while vowing to someday split open the skull of the evil goddess. Wooosh~ I gathered the rage of an honorable, cultured civilian to the blade that I held high in a defenseless position. ¡°¡­Urm? Gang Hansue, what is tha¡ª¡± ¡°Here I go!¡± Thinking of the mighty prince as the goddess, I went down relentlessly. Flash- Baaam! On that day, I escaped the city without looking back once. Chapter 38 [Translator ¨C Woni ] [Proofreader ¨C ilafy ] Chapter 38 [Act 12] Remodeling ¡°What a ludicrous fellow¡­¡± Laying in the ruined garden fountain, Prince Alsus recollected the events from just moments before. Just one blow¡­ It was an incredible duel that showed just how concise a swordsmanship battle could be! The man¡¯s stance was worse than that of an uneducated mercenary, and his honest facial expressions made it obvious when he was going to attack. And yet, he couldn¡¯t be stopped. ¡°Prince Alsus! Are you alright?!¡± ¡°Prince! Are you hurt at all?¡± The two ladies who had been watching hurriedly ran over to support him. Prince Alsus stood up, shaking off the dirt on his clothes. ¡°I¡¯m alright. In fact, I feel refreshed. Like my mother, her Highness said: The world really is a big place.¡± That¡¯s right. The boy Gang Hansue had shown him just how strong a person could become if they refined their swordsmanship with their life on the line. But Alsus was next in line for the throne of the nation. He couldn¡¯t risk dying or becoming disabled by training too dangerously. ¡°It looked like he was in shock, too.¡± ¡°He ran away immediately.¡± Prince Alsus let out a hearty laugh after listening to the two ladies. ¡°Things could have gotten bad because I¡¯m weak. That was foolish of me.¡± Attempted murder of a royal family member¡­ Without doubt, that was an outrageous crime. But in that case, the prince had suggested the duel first, and two honorable noble ladies had watched the whole thing. Even if things had gone wrong, at the very least, the boy would escape a death sentence. Only a death sentence¡­ ¡°I thought my heart was going to stop beating while I watched.¡± ¡°I sincerely apologize. Did you get hurt at all?¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright, really. This was my fault, Miss Laysha, Miss Julia.¡± Prince Alsus had thought he would obviously win. In fact, he would have won if he hadn¡¯t given the boy the first move. But what did that result in? Excuses don¡¯t work in a battlefield where one risks their life. He¡¯d made a disgrace of himself, falling behind a level 1 mercenary¡¯s swordsmanship. ¡°The party¡¯s become a mess¡­¡± ¡°Shall we bring him in again?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you ladies. I want to properly apologize to Mister Gang Hansue.¡± ¡ªAnd he had a lot of questions for him. He almost wanted to hit himself for not taking the two ladies seriously before when they¡¯d introduced the boy to him. It was light, pure light! He¡¯d risk his life to see it again¡ªGang Hansue¡¯s swordsmanship was that valuable. ¡°Yes, Prince Alsus.¡± ¡°Please wait for us.¡± ¡°Miss Laysha, Miss Julia. Please, you have my trust.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he went to the inn.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be right back.¡± Prince Alsus escorted the two rushing ladies and put his hand on his left chest. Thump, thump. ¡°Well, well. This is as exciting as the first time I learned swordsmanship from my mother, her Highness.¡± ¡°Prince Alsus!¡± Just then, a maid came running from the house. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The Saintess wishes to see you!¡± Face flushed, the maid was clearly excited. The Saintess¡­ She was the most perfect human female on the continent of Fantasia. Every girl¡¯s ideal dream! Even the beautiful queen and princess, praised to be the nation¡¯s treasures, looked dim next to the Saintess. The maid¡¯s reaction was only natural. ¡°I forgot my duties. Please take care of the destroyed fountain.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Back in his house, Prince Alsus sat in front of the communication crystal ball. ¡°Did you wish to see me, Saintess?¡± (Yes. There is business I have to take care of with the Fairy Kingdom, so I reached out to you in hopes I could get an earlier report.) ¡°It will be difficult to carry out the plans for the Heroes to hunt the orcs in the plains. At the moment, there is no sign that the sudden decrease in the number of orcs will go back up again.¡± (Did you figure out why?) ¡°After capturing a wandering orc alive and asking with the Langauge Blessing, it seems like a demon stole their habitat. But none of the information has been confirmed.¡± The City of Orcs¡­ It was a legend passed on between bards and troupes since a long, long time ago. Prince Alsus had gone to the place the captured orc had spoken of, but it was as he thought. There wasn¡¯t even a trace of anything, let alone a city (Good work.) ¡°And Saintess, I have a suggestion.¡± (Let¡¯s hear it first.) ¡°Thank you. There was recently an incident of a Hero who harassed a fairy.¡± (¡­Go on.) ¡°An honorable civilian who tried to stop him ended up getting the Hero¡¯s Curse.¡± (It looks like a Hero who was kicked out caused some trouble.) ¡°It appears so¡­¡± Having spent almost every day with the Heroes ever since they were summoned, Prince Alsus was feeling a deep sense of responsibility. Mercenary Gang Hansue¡­ It wasn¡¯t just for him. How could one get cursed for doing the right thing all because they were going against a ¡®Hero¡¯? It was absolutely reprehensible (Who was the Hero?) ¡°We do not know his name or appearance, only that his face was injured beyond recognition.¡± (His face¡­ I do have someone in mind. Oh Hanwoo. It¡¯s not easy to be this much of a nuisance.) ¡°Was it him? I would like to track them with a surveillant so the kicked-out Heroes don¡¯t cause further trouble.¡± (I give my permission. And please compensate the cursed civilian generously. Thank you.) ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a request from the Saintess.¡± (No. A Hero¡¯s faults are the Saintess¡¯ responsibilities. I should have been the one to compensate them myself, but that¡¯s going to be difficult¡ªI have to go to the fairy kingdom urgently.) ¡°I understand. I will make sure to not disappoint with my compensation.¡± (You have my trust.) Beep- The connection with the Saintess ended. Looking at the crystal ball that was no longer on, Prince Alsus smiled with much satisfaction. ¡°Compensation, huh¡­¡± He looked to his sword that only had the handle left after getting destroyed. Despite being a ceremonial sword with fancy accessories decorating it, it was still one of the finest swords made by an exceptional blacksmith in the kingdom. And yet, it couldn¡¯t handle Gang Hansue¡¯s attacks and was destroyed. The fate of the spare sword he¡¯d gifted Hansue had been the same¡ªThe blade had broken, not able to bear its handler. ¡°¡­This won¡¯t be enough to make him my knight.¡± Translator ¨C Woni Knight Gang Hansue¡­ He was quite an enticing prodigy. Happily dreaming of an imaginary world, Prince Alsus waited for him to return. *** The holy sword for beginners was an exceptional escape route. Not too far from the house that was in the center of the city, I was back at the luxury inn and shaking the demon¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Kogmo! Hurry up and pack your bags!¡± ¡°Wh-what is it?!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be arrested for attempted murder of the Prince if I get caught! We have to run away, now!¡± ¡°You did it, you crazy bastard¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s easy for me to escape.¡± ¡°Who ever worried about you?! I¡¯m worried about myself for getting caught up with you!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯re the one who needs to be good at escaping. I¡¯ll get out by my own way.¡± ¡°Damnit!¡± Poof! Demon Kogmos couldn¡¯t use the holy sword¡¯s entrance because he was over level 10. But that didn¡¯t apply to me. With my things that didn¡¯t fit into my bags because I didn¡¯t pack properly¡­ ¡°Orc! Open the gates!¡± Poof! As soon as I spoke, a semi-transparent opening was formed. The demon was appalled as he watched me throw all of my belongings inside. ¡°What the hell is that?! Four-dimensional spatial magic?! I thought you couldn¡¯t use magic!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time to explain. I can¡¯t wait for you too long.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± I made sure to double check that I didn¡¯t leave anything behind and finally jumped into the opening. Poof! ¡°You¡¯re back, $#!¡± ¡°%#. Welcome.¡± ¡°% # again? &$ @#.¡± Without exception, all of the humans who¡¯d settled in the City of Orcs ran to welcome me. Maybe their lives had become a lot more stable. The clothes they were wearing had improved, so they looked like actual civilians, and their expressions had brightened significantly. ¡ªAnd they were walking on eggshells around me with an extremely docile attitude. ¡°Hm~¡± It was understandable. They were basically trapped in a deserted island, and I¡ªable to walk in and out as I pleased¡ªwas clearly the stronger person. And so, at least in that place, my words would be the absolute law. Almost like a king¡­ It may be baffling that an average student like me could be above someone, but that was the reality. ¡°#$?¡± ¡°I need a person.¡± ¡°A person? $#%. Do you need a #@ $% *&$ person?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± It was hard to explain because I still had a very limited vocabulary. But after trying my best and mixing body language into the explanation, I found the person I wanted.¡± ¡°Hehe. *%. #$ $%.¡± ¡°It¡¯s you again.¡± It was the man who¡¯d offered me the dolled-up woman. His name was¡­ ¡°Bruce, sir! %$!¡± ¡°Hm. Bruce.¡± Was it okay to trust him? It didn¡¯t matter¡ªI¡¯d just swap him if it wasn¡¯t. ¡°What is this, Gero?¡± The green guardian looked blatantly uncomfortable to see me again. After moving all of my belongings to the relic, I introduced him to Bruce. ¡°From now on, this human will move my things from the entrance to the exit, so don¡¯t kill him.¡± ¡°¡­this isn¡¯t your personal warehouse, sir.¡± ¡°All you need to do is pass the things I ordered to the exit with my holy sword.¡± ¡°Are you listening to me, sir?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking to you, sir.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Communication with the fantasy pig was much better than with a human. After negotiating a bit, I had a four-dimensional warehouse that I could store and find my things from whenever I wanted. ¡°Excellent.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Its advantage was that it was very convenient to carry as well as its infinite capacity. On top of that, I could store any creature under level 10 there. ¡°I look forward to working with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been through all kinds of humiliation, but I¡¯ve never felt so resentful of the fact that I¡¯m weaker than you, Hero.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment!¡± Poof! I left the ¡®warehouse¡¯ that was once the City of Orcs right away. Demon Kogmos was probably waiting near the north gates of the city. Why the north gate? That¡¯s because it was where the people who¡¯d wished to go back home and I had come out last time. There wasn¡¯t another option¡ªthere wasn¡¯t a holy sword anywhere else nearby. Poof! ¡°Kogmo.¡± ¡°Holy! Where did you come running from all of a sudden?!¡± The male demon had been watching the city exit while waiting for me. He was shocked senseless when I called him from behind. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry and run.¡± ¡°How did you do that? You vanished without a trace back at the inn, too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the power of extraordinary magic!¡± ¡°¡­At least I know you don¡¯t want to give a proper explanation.¡± ¡°Where should we go now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know your objective, why are you asking me?¡± My objective! He was definitely right. As Kogmos pointed out, I would never be able to return back to Earth by blindly wandering around a fantasy world. And it would be troublesome if that demon led me somewhere weird. ¡°For now, we run somewhere as far from the Saintess as possible. ¡° ¡°Does that have something to do with you getting your Hero¡¯s Curse?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to have to go further north as soon as possible to get away from someone who has a grudge with the Saintess.¡± ¡°What¡¯s up north?¡± ¡°The biggest slave market in the western continent. I¡¯ll find you a slave with the Language Blessing there.¡± ¡°heh~¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s with that sour face?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fascinating how you didn¡¯t run away.¡± After all, the demon didn¡¯t have the loyalty to keep following me, soon to be the most wanted criminal for attempted murder of a royal family member. Or maybe that demon was as loyal as he was tearful¡­ ¡°You stubborn bastard! Are you asking because you really don¡¯t know?!¡± ¡°What?¡± Contorting his handsome face, demon Kogmos cried out, ¡°I couldn¡¯t leave because you took all of my stuff with you, too!¡± ¡°Aha!¡± Our relationship was much tighter than unreliable loyalty. ¡°We have to hurry. There is no way to lose the horse-riding knights in the plains, where there¡¯s nowhere to hide.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll just run really fast.¡± ¡°Wait. I don¡¯t have infinite stamina like you. We¡¯ll get a horse from the stables outside the cit¡­¡± ¡°Neigh~!¡± I summoned a decent horse that I¡¯d ordered from my storage unit. ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°¡­Just what kind of magic did you get your hands on?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a business secret?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act cute. I¡¯m going to throw up my breakfast.¡± [A certain god strongly agrees.] [A certain god drills to never do that again.] ¡°Jeez, I¡¯m sorry!¡± We ran north. If the horse got exhausted, it would take turns with another horse, and so on¡­ What about food? Poof! ¡°Here, eat this.¡± ¡°¡­Where did you get proper food like this? Are you going to call this magic, too?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± A lot of people who knew how to cook lived in my warehouse. ¡®I should gift them with cooking utensils once I get the chance. That way there will be better quality meals.¡¯ Poof! The emptied plates were returned to the warehouse entrance. Looking closely at it, the demon furrowed his brows. ¡°¡­No matter how I see this, it doesn¡¯t make sense. I¡¯ve never heard of magic that cooks and does the dishes for you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just you.¡± ¡°Annoying bastard¡­!¡± As a result, we reached our destination in two days. ¡ªThe biggest slave market in the western continent. It deserved its reputation¡ªI couldn¡¯t help but let out an exclamation as soon as I saw it. ¡°This is awesome.¡± It looked like I would be able to add more function(person)s to my warehouse. Chapter 39 [Translator ¨C Woni ] [Proofreader ¨C ilafy ] Chapter 39 [Act 12] Remodeling ¡°Hey, $% pass by. @$ people waiting % #$?¡± ¡°We¡¯re sorry!¡± As a criminal for the attempted murder of a royal, I was a bit worried about how I would pass the city checkpoint. But the security guards only watched out for any carriages or people blocking the road. The security guards weren¡¯t guarding? ¡°It¡¯s nothing strange. If a city with a large floating population like this was thoroughly inspected, the economy would collapse.¡± ¡°Aha!¡± For someone who¡¯d lived in a metropolis with a population of 10 million like me, it just looked rural, but it was a relatively big population considering this medieval planet. That was the power of magic! Various kinds of magic that permeated into the Fantasia natives¡¯ lives greatly advanced their living standards. Let¡¯s just say magic replaced science! Furthermore¡­ Jiggle~ Jiggle jiggle~ That included the hard work of the slimes that kept the city clean and beautiful! Magic and slimes. ¡ªThe existence of those two factors made the fantasy world fantasy-like. ¡°You may have done something as crazy as attempted murder of a royal family member, but you should be safe this far away. Even if you do get caught, the borders are nearby for us to cross.¡± ¡°So you did think everything out, huh?¡± ¡°¡­If i went around without a plan like you did, I¡¯d be dead before marriage.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still not married, get over yourself.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± I may¡¯ve been getting hunted, but I didn¡¯t let myself down and boldly got a two-person room at the finest inn. ¡°You spend relentlessly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡®You¡¯re telling me this inn that wealthy merchants and nobles usually stay in costs as much as an average peasant¡¯s monthly earnings?¡¯ It was insane, but alright. Clang! ¡°¡­You may have earned a lot of money from the orc slaughtering, but you¡¯re going to run out of it fast if you keep spending like that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll slaughter again.¡± ¡°Your attitude of passing on the problem to your future self sure is reckless¡ªlike a mercenary.¡± ¡°But I am a mercenary?¡± ¡°Nonsense, you¡¯re a criminal.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®This demon is hitting too close to home for a law-abiding alien!¡¯ Wanting to escape the awful reality, I lay back on the soft bed. [A certain god anticipates a bounty.] [A certain god is delighted with the journey of a true outsider.] ¡°That¡¯s harsh.¡± It would be hard to go in and out of the city like that if I became a runaway with a bounty. I¡¯d become a legitimate outsider! It was a little upsetting. [A certain god twirls in their place and dances.] [A certain god shakes their shoulders and hums a song.] The god looked extremely happy that I was then an outsider by law. Besides that¡­ ¡°It really was amazing.¡± While I was recollecting Prince Alsus¡¯s swordsmanship, the male demon put his hand out. ¡°I won¡¯t run away for now, so give me my stuff back,¡± he said. ¡°Until you get me a slave with the Language Blessing?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± There were slaves back on Earth, too. Capitalism slaves! But in the fantasy world, the slaves were actual slaves who worked for others without any reward, like livestock. What a pity! Let¡¯s save them! ¡­instead of feeling that way, I was accepting that it was simply how this world was. ¡°Send me an old brown bag.¡± Poof- As soon as I ordered the guardian through the holy sword, the demon¡¯s bag popped out. Did I bother him a bit too much? The bag came out flying angrily like it was hurled. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s channeled through that sword.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you would have learned magic yourself, is that a magic sword?¡± ¡°You could say that!¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± A look of temptation swept over demon Kogmos face. ¡°Wanna take a look?¡± ¡°¡­You can show off your treasures to another, but passing it over is an extremely careless act. Don¡¯t ever do that next time.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡®No offense, but is it okay for a demon to be this kind?¡¯ Of course, I¡¯d only allowed it because I was certain it wouldn¡¯t get stolen. I¡¯m not that shabby of a human, you know, ¡°Hm. It looks like an average metal sword from the looks of it- kaagh?1¡± Zzap-! Touching the faulty sword that accepted me as a Hero, the demon rolled on the floor as he cried out. ¡°Oh! I didn¡¯t know it was equipped with anti-theft features.¡± The holy swords that didn¡¯t accept me were just heavy, but that didn¡¯t seem to be all there was to them after seeing the demon convulse like that. ¡°That was a holy sword¡­?!¡± Kogmos, recovered, shouted with a disgusted face. ¡°Yep.¡± I simply agreed. It may¡¯ve been a beginner¡¯s sword that lacked the power to overthrow the evil goddess, but a holy sword is a holy sword! Not to mention it was a gate to my warehouse as well. ¡°You lunatic! How could you tell a demon to touch a holy sword! Damn it! It¡¯s my mistake. I should have noticed when you were acting careless!¡± ¡°What happens if you touch it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not too dangerous if I¡¯m only touching it, but a weak demon like me could die from even the smallest cut.¡± ¡°Becuase you¡¯re a demon?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. So be careful with me around me from now o¡­ wait, how can you hold a holy sword?1¡± ¡°Well, this is a defective one.¡± ¡°Is it a holy sword that mixed up the Hero¡¯s Curse as a Blessing? What a big world we live in. I can¡¯t believe a holy sword can be defective¡­¡± ¡°I was lucky.¡± Translator ¨C Woni Kogmos still didn¡¯t seem to think I was a Hero even though he recognized the holy sword right away. [Hero] Was it that odd for a Hero to get the ¡®Hero¡¯s Curse¡¯? On edge about the beginner¡¯s holy sword, the male demon spoke. ¡°Another reason to get away from you as soon as possible. Don¡¯t sprawl yourself on the bed. Follow me. We¡¯re going to buy a slave right away. ¡°Is that okay? You look tired.¡± [Outsider] I was fine because I had a Blessing that was specialized for ¡®living alone¡¯, but that demon had ridden a horse for two days straight without rest. He looked way too tired! I managed to show concern, but that demon decided to be mad instead. ¡°This is all your fault! Do you think a demon will be able to rest in front of a holy sword?!¡± ¡°Is there a reason you can¡¯t rest? There wasn¡¯t a problem on the whole way here.¡± ¡°As long as I know your weapon is a holy sword, even being near it is bad for my mental health.¡± ¡°Aha!¡± ¡°Laugh if you will. That¡¯s how I, a weak demon, can survive in Fantasia¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. what a life.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± After talking a bit, we headed to the biggest slave market on the western continent of Fantasia! *** ¡°This is a big deal. I can¡¯t believe the orcs of the plains were annihilated.¡± The Saintess let out a big sigh after getting Prince Alsus¡¯s report. It wasn¡¯t bad news. If the seemingly unending number of orcs disappeared, that meant the large, neglected plains could be utilized. Pasturing, farming, new towns, training¡­ But that was good news only to the Swordmastar Knight Kingdom. In consideration of the rest of humanity, the news was frustrating. It meant Heroes, humanity¡¯s hope, had less means of gaining experience points. Her plan had gone completely wrong. ¡°Last time, there was a sudden decrease in forest gnolls¡ªnow orcs? This could mean a new predator in the food chain. Saintess. Is this why you have come to see me?¡± ¡°Ah! Councilwoman Celebless. Not exactly. I would ask for advice if I could establish a cause, but¡­ I wanted to ask if you could help me find my stolen things and the culprit.¡± Walking next to the fairy, the Saintess smiled. After recovering her tortured body, Councilwoman Celebless had regained her beauty. Some parts of her were still withered, but that was because of her species. ¡°Hm. I won¡¯t be looking for it, but I will ask a friend to cooperate as much as possible.¡± wigglewiggle~ The slime that was in the Councilwoman¡¯s arms happily jiggled. Unable to erase her doubts, the Saintess asked, ¡°¡­excuse my very rude question, but does that friend really have the ability?¡± She was talking about the slime! She had heard plenty about its excellence, but at the time, she didn¡¯t think more of it other than ¡®what an interesting slime.¡¯ Because she was directly asking for help, it was a fact that it was odd. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Mollang is a special slime. Would you like to touch it? This fellow isn¡¯t jiggly like other slimes, it wiggles.¡± Wigglewiggle! The rainbow slime wiggled as if to agree. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying at all.¡± ¡°Haha! I understand. Everyone has trouble seeing Mollang¡¯s true value at first. But soon you¡¯ll be surprised, too, Saintess.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± The Saintess desperately prayed to be surprised like the councilwoman boasted. Not to the unhelpful god, but to her own pure luck. She¡¯d hurriedly gone to the Fairy Kingdom for the matter. It took two days, even though she rushed. The two days were devastating at such a crucial time. Thanks to her absence, the Heroes who died dumbfounding deaths from hunting gnolls had been neglected in the base floors for two days. Besides that, there were a mountain of things that had been pushed back. ¡°How exciting. Maybe it¡¯s because my cousin lamented that he couldn¡¯t enter your room¡­¡± ¡°If you mean the Fairy King, then that is very clear. He is a man. Men are prohibited from the sacred ground that is the pure Saintess¡¯s bedroom.¡± ¡°Is that really all?¡± ¡°¡­Of course, there is the more common reason that I don¡¯t want strangers in my personal space with a lot of secrets.¡± ¡°How nice it is to be young.¡± With the face of a youthful girl, Councilwoman Celebless wasn¡¯t like an adult at all. ¡°I see you know how to make mischievous jokes.¡± The Saintess was secretly wondering something. She looked nothing like a fairy who had gone through something awful so recently. Was that the maturity of someone who had lived throughout an eternity? The councilwoman shook her head. ¡°I may have lived longer than others, but I am an ordinary fairy. A weakling with a lower level than the average soldier.¡± ¡°That is why you are so respected, Councilwoman Celebless.¡± She was a level 12 despite having lived for thousands of years. Normally, she would have been called unskilled or lazy, but that fairy was different. ¡ªShe was an unwavering believer of nonviolence. In a cold world where people¡¯s worth was decided by levels, giving up hunting when you had the skills to do so was extremely hard to do. ¡°It is shameful. I reflected and learned a lot through the incident. I am going to be diligent with leveling up from now on.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t imagine you, someone who loves life, murdering anything.¡± ¡°Hunting is still too much for me. I am planning to go to an academy as a professor of a new subject.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± You didn¡¯t need to hunt to earn experience points at an academy. It was less efficient than hunting, but nobles who prioritized safety preferred academies, whether they were students or professors. If only they could survive in their own competitive world, there was no better ¡®hunting ground¡¯. ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°Excuse me.¡± It was a flawless room, well-fitting for the Saintess, ¡®the perfect woman¡¯. If it wasn¡¯t for its reputation as the safest room in the world, it could be believable as the King¡¯s office. The only flaw¡­ ¡°I see there are no windows.¡± ¡°Yes. that way, intruders can only enter through the door. We even warped the grid so they go straight to prison if they try teleportation.¡± ¡°This place also looks like a prison in my eyes. I feel like it would be incredibly suffocating.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a place fitting for my current self.¡± ¡°Oh dear! I¡¯ve misspoken.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. Can you and the¡­¡± ¡°Mollang.¡± ¡°Yes. Master Mollang. Please come over here. This is where the stolen objects were.¡± Wiggle~ There is no such thing as a miracle. Things are only categorized as ¡®miracles¡¯ because even the person directly involved doesn¡¯t know the method or principles of it. Wiggle? Wiggle! ¡°This slime¡­ Master Mollang. What is it saying?¡± [Language] The slimes had a special language that even a Blessing from a god couldn¡¯t translate. But the owner of the slime understood with ease. ¡°According to Mollang¡¯s explanation, it says the thief ran away through the holy sword on the wall.¡± ¡°The holy sword¡­? Ah!¡± the Saintess exclaimed as she noticed something. ¡°It looks like you have already figured out who the culprit is, Saintess.¡± ¡°It¡¯s something like that.¡± The culprit was in there! And it was a ¡®Hero¡¯. ¡®¡­This is the worst-case scenario!¡¯ The Saintess decided to advance the tournament dates to track the culprit. Chapter 40 [Translator ¨C Woni ] [Proofreader ¨C ilafy ] Chapter 40 [Act 12] Remodeling(?) ¡°Young and #$% slaves for sale! Try $ #%$ ^$ it out!¡± ¡°Look at this brawny #$. It will be your #% @%$!¡± ¡°For only one day, in anniversary of my #@%! Can¡¯t $# six¡­!¡± The slave market bustled with noise. But it wasn¡¯t the unethical scenery I was expecting. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The displayed slaves were as still as mannequins, and the merchants didn¡¯t harass their valuable items. After all, they¡¯d put quite the efforts into the slaves¡¯ health, attire, etc to sell them at a higher price. I went in expecting a grim black market, but it felt like a department store. ¡°Well, that wakes me up.¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°I was imagining an alien with a strong sense of justice buying a slave if a merchant harshly mistreated a beautiful slave.¡± ¡°Sure. Are you done with your bullshit?¡± ¡°That¡¯s harsh!¡± The plot where a young man from Earth who had never spoken to a woman, let alone held a woman¡¯s hand, bought a slave and lived happily ever after. Isn¡¯t it a common prompt? The demon was looking at me pathetically. ¡°A merchant who lessens the worth of their products on purpose? I don¡¯t expect much from someone who almost murdered the prince, but can¡¯t you think of anything normal?¡¯ ¡°Hm¡­ what about that?¡± I saw a scene very similar to what I had imagined. A mean-looking old man was holding a pretty girl by her hair and throwing a fit. ¡°#$ follow me!¡± ¡°Ow! $%,%$&!¡± ¡°#! Did you just $# %& # to me, your master? #$ %#$ again?¡± ¡°Eek?! I¡¯m $% sorry! Just please don¡¯t @ %$!¡± While the people around them had frowns on their faces, one boy bravely got in front of the old man. ¡°Wait! Even if it¡¯s a slave, she¡¯s a #$% girl, don¡¯t you think #% too much?¡± ¡°This === == again? I do what I #&$ ^$ with my things, *$ in my business.¡± ¡°#$ her to me.¡± ¡°%$ level may be low, but #%$ expensive. Not #%$ like you¡­¡± ¡°I #%$ price.¡± ¡°Ha! Fine. I¡¯ll sell it to you #%# if you have %# money.¡± And so¡­ The poor slave girl was rescued by the righteous boy. ¡®Good! That¡¯s good!¡¯ The demon scoffed next to me. ¡°He fell for it.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a classic trick that elicits shallow sympathy. That man just sold a level 2 slave to that young one at a very high price. He could have bought a level 8 slave with that money.¡± ¡°What the¡­?¡± ¡°Think of their conversation they just had if you can¡¯t believe me. Don¡¯t you think her skin was too fair to be a slave that¡¯s constantly abused by her owner?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Although he had grabbed the slave by her hair, he hadn¡¯t hurt her to the point she was injured. ¡°And there¡¯s no reason to abuse a slave in front of people who came to buy them.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right about that, too!¡± ¡°Consider yourself lucky. You won¡¯t ever be done up like a kipper because I¡¯m with you.¡± ¡°Woo!¡± That demon crybaby actually looked cool for once! There were four main categories of slaves sold in the market. ¡ªHumans, fairies, dwarves, and mermaids. I knew the pointy-ear fairies from seeing plenty of them in the forest, and the dwarves were just as I¡¯d imagined them. ¡ªShort, stump limbs, relatively big heads, and bushy beards¡­ ¡°There¡¯s only dudes.¡± ¡°You really are a hillbilly. There are only male dwarves. Those guys reproduce by winning the love of human women by using their natural dexterity to create things.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s the opposite for the mermaids who live in the oceans and lakes¡ªthere¡¯s only females.¡± The mermaids weren¡¯t much different from what I¡¯d seen in picture books or movies. Smooth skin, slim waists, enticing features¡­ They were beauties who would look great in bikinis. Apparently their legs turned to tails as soon as they entered the water. ¡°Wow! It must be a lot easier for mermaids to get married!¡± They were pretty, after all. The fact that their ears were fins was a small problem. I could tell just from the onlookers(male) crowding the mermaids. The demon scoffed. ¡°Mermaids don¡¯t marry¡ªthey kidnap a human male they like.¡± ¡°I-I see!¡± What a dangerous species! I could hear my childhood dying in the distance. ¡°I¡¯m really tired right now. So do the sightseeing later when you¡¯re alone.¡± ¡°Huh? We had somewhere in mind?¡± ¡°I know a few places that only specialize in selling high-end slaves who are too good to go to waste as regular slaves.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°I can see how you¡¯re looking at me. Listen to me. Save for my power, I am number one husband material.¡± ¡°I see!¡± ¡°¡­I get a bad feeling when you agree so wholeheartedly like that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just you!¡± The shop that demon Kogmos told me about looked fancy just from the outside. We went past the security guards standing outside the shop gates like the four Devas. ¡°Welcome! Have you come $#% slaves as guards? Or %# slaves #%$?¡± The salesperson, seeing new customers, welcomed us with a business-only smile. She was a fairy woman dressed in luxurious clothes and accessories with a completely different aura than the violent savages I¡¯d run into in the forest. ¡°The slave I¡¯m looking for is¡­ um.¡± Tap tap. Still going through language barrier issues, I made the demon step in front. ¡°#$ Blessing. Do you have any #$ %#$ or the slaves¡¯ levels?¡± ¡°Yes. The rest doesn¡¯t matter as long as there is the Blessing.¡± ¡®You demon! Why doesn¡¯t that matter!¡® It would be troublesome if I ended up with an old scholar with their head in the skies. I probed the demon¡¯s sides and butted in. ¡°Kogmos. It has to be a slave that can come with me in my travels.¡± ¡°Are you serious right now?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°They have to bear with your insane schedule? What a ludicrous demand.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care how much money it takes.¡± ¡°You talk like an arrogant noble. I don¡¯t even know if the slave you¡¯re looking for even exists, but I¡¯ll ask.¡± ¡°Okay!: I waited for the answer as I looked around the shop. Translator ¨C Woni Despite the limited hunting grounds, the Heroes¡¯ growth was awe-inspiring. By just how much? Those who devoted their entire lives until retirement as a mercenary as soon as they became an adult(age 15) were level 15 on average. But at the moment, Hero Yoo Bora was level 7, despite not even a month having passed. It was truly an insane ¡®Blessing¡¯. ¡°I¡¯m very happy to see your fast progress. But I cannot invest in each and every one of you equally. There is only one holy sword.¡± ¡°Holy sword?¡± ¡°Is it finally the time?!¡± ¡°Ooh! Holy sword!¡± The heroes reacted in various ways at the Saintess¡¯s explanation. Even Yoo Bora wasn¡¯t an exception¡ªto be exact, her companion was being restless. ¡°Hero! It¡¯s the holy sword! The holy sword! The legendary holy sword! The holy sword that makes demons tremble from a glance!¡± ¡°Okay, Aria. I got i¡ª¡± ¡°You have to get it! I know you¡¯re outstanding, but you need the holy sword to be even more outstanding! That is, if the legend is true!¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Was it really that great? It wasn¡¯t sinking in for Yoo Bora, who was uninterested in the field before getting summoned to this fantasy world. Float~ The holy sword was hovering midair without falling¡ªit defied gravity. Was it because of the material? Or was it magic? It surely wasn¡¯t magic¡­ While Yoo Bora was firing up her askew academic zeal, the Saintess revealed the reason why she¡¯d shown the ¡®one and only holy sword¡¯. ¡°¡­and so we will be hosting the tournament. The winner will become the owner of this holy sword.¡± ¡°Ooh!¡± ¡°Oooooh!¡± A fanatical atmosphere swept over as the Saintess had intended, but some one the Heroes(male) who chose the magic path were displeased. ¡°It¡¯s stupid.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not even all that.¡± ¡°What about mages?¡± A holy sword was just a sword, after all. It was unnecessary for mages who attacked from afar when swords required direct combat. But the Saintess¡¯ next words sprouted interest in them. ¡°And those who do well in the tournament are eligible to study abroad at the prestigious Academy.¡± ¡°Academy¡­!¡± ¡°A fantasy academy?!¡±¡°I gotta go!¡± It was the moment when the first-class information that only Jang Miyeon knew was released to all of the Heroes(female). There were quite a few male heroes who were looking forward to the Academy as well. ¡°The Academy¡­?¡± ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± The Saintess then broke the bad news to the Heroes as they were engulfed in various joyful imaginations. ¡°Only four Heroes, not including the winner, are eligible to study abroad. It will be passed onto the next Hero if they give up. ¡°Only four?!¡± ¡°No way!¡± There were a series of protests from the Heroes at the capacity limit, but the Saintess did not bat an eye. Even Hero Yoo Bora was more interested in the ¡®Academy¡¯ than the ¡®holy sword¡¯. Though she had a different reason for it. ¡°Aria. what do they teach at the Academy?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Aria?¡± ¡°Oh! I¡¯m sorry. I just thought of the past. There are a diverse range of subjects taught at the Academy, but the main ones are magic and swordsmanship. The rest are pretty minor.¡± ¡°What are the rest?¡± ¡°Politics, economics, history, art, music, social studies, horseback riding¡­ there are as many professors as there are students, so it¡¯s very diverse.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Yoo Bora was a bit disappointed. She had to become strong in order to survive in that world, but the Academy didn¡¯t teach other methods besides swordsmanship and magic. Was that really the case? It wouldn¡¯t be too late for her to decide after she gets into the Academy, she assured herself. It didn¡¯t seem like compulsory education, so she¡¯d just quit if she didn¡¯t like it. ¡°I recommend you don¡¯t go.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later when we¡¯re alone. It¡¯s a subjective reason with a lot of my embarrassing moments¡­¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Yoo bora didn¡¯t rush. After all, she wasn¡¯t sure if she could attend the Academy before the tournament¡¯s procedure was announced. So far her ¡®fantasy grades¡¯ were good, but there would always be an unexpected shift. Of course, unlike her humble attitude, she had never not been at the top. ¡°We are hosting the tournament.¡± ¡°Wooo!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s gooooo!¡± Yoo Bora didn¡¯t worry too much about the excessively unfair team battle. She wasn¡¯t alone. [A certain martial god is certain of your victory.] [A certain carefree god of heaven orders a bunch of popcorn.] [A certain water god tells you not to worry too much. [A certain god¡­] ¡°¡­of course.¡± Yoo bora was the worst at one thing: betraying the expectations of others, including her parents. ¡ªAnd nothing else. *** Actively regarding my demands, demon Kogmos plowed up the ridiculous prerequisites. I mean, isn¡¯t it common sense that there can¡¯t be a slave who can withstand half their body getting burnt? Come to think of it, he was going on about himself. ¡°There isn¡¯t a slave like that, right?¡± ¡°There is.¡± ¡°Of course, I knew there wouldn¡¯t be¡­ there is?!¡± ¡°There¡¯s % #$.¡± The demon looked perplexed at the fairy clerk¡¯s certain answer. ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t that a good thing? Isn¡¯t that what you wanted?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m already feeling pity for the slave who would get tortured following you.¡± ¡°A demon worrying for others, huh?¡± ¡°Just how are you thinking of demons? Demons are simply superior to humans in every aspect.¡± ¡°Sure. Except you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I went inside the store next to the trembling demon as the fairy clerk led the way. Beautiful men and women, young boys and girls¡­ It felt like I was on the set of a massive hit fantasy movie with every famous actor. They were all slaves, but they weren¡¯t encaged in a small space. ¡°They won¡¯t run away?¡± ¡°High-end slaves, without exception, have the slave curse. There¡¯s a slave over there with their status window showing. Go take a look at it.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± I quickly looked over the slave¡¯s status window that Kogmos pointed out. Roughly going past the level and Blessings, I only thoroughly read the ¡®Slave¡¯s Curse¡¯. [Slave] >You have given up all your rights, making you a possession. >Every time you disobey an owner¡¯s order, you suffer a corresponding amount of pain! ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡®They won¡¯t be able to run even if I don¡¯t put a constraint on them.¡¯ Let¡¯s call it a slave report engraved to the bone. Just then, the fairy pointed to a girl crouched in a dark corner. ¡°This is the slave. Very $%# %$ $? So it costs #$. %# blessing #@ %#$ too.¡± ¡°Demon?¡± ¡°Yes. it¡¯s a demon. # #$%?¡± ¡°No. I was just caught off guard because it¡¯s very rare to see a demon choose to be a human¡¯s slave. Since demons¡­ have a very strong sense of pride.¡± Finding his species at the slave market, demon Kogmos had an unreadable expression on his face. I barely held in my laugh as I scolded the guy. ¡°I knew it.¡± ¡°Knew what?¡± ¡°You ordered someone just like you, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Tch.¡± Of course we¡¯d end up with a demon¡ªhe¡¯d asked for a slave with the same abilities as him. Ignoring my provocation, Kogmos randomly declared. ¡°I¡¯m buying it.¡± ¡°Oh? Is it sympathy?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± To cut to the chase¡­ The broke demon got crushed and I bought the slave. Hehe! Chapter 41 [Translator ¨C Woni ] [Proofreader ¨C ilafy ] Chapter 41 [Act 13] Demons I couldn¡¯t get myself to understand it, but apparently there were slaves who voluntarily gave themselves up in this world. Did they prefer to be a dragon¡¯s turd than a snake? That demon was odd as well. ¡°I loved a man so much that I could give everything up for him, but he doubted my love for him, and I became his slave to prove it.¡± ¡°Then what happened?¡± ¡°¡­must I explain more? I want to die from embarrassment.¡± The beautiful female demon resembling a night hag frowned. I calmed her down so she could be more comfortable opening up. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m an inferior human, right? Just think of it as talking to air.¡± ¡°Then can you at least get rid of that pest that tried to buy me with money? I want to yank those eyes that looked at me with pity from their sockets.¡± Murder could be heard in the woman¡¯s voice as she glared at Kogmos with chilling eyes. Kogmos immediately tucked his tail between his legs. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! It wasn¡¯t my intent to make you feel bad¡­¡± ¡°Whatever, can you get out of my face? Now, while I¡¯m talking nicely.¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll get out right away!¡± Woosh~ Demon Kogmos disappeared from the undressing room we were in. Why were we in an undressing room, you ask? It was a confined room for people to inspect the bodies of the slaves they purchased in case they saw a flaw. There couldn¡¯t be an overlooked scar or handicap that was hidden by clothes. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you cold to your own species.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because they are my species.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s continue the conversation we were having earlier, shall we?¡± ¡°Is that important? I¡¯m your slave. I don¡¯t think my past should matter much at all. It would be more productive for you to order me to take off my clothes.¡± ¡°Talk.¡± ¡°Yessir.¡± The tale of the demon¡¯s journey to becoming a slave to prove her love was extremely trivial. Could it be called cliche? She was used by the man she loved and thrown away. ¡°I see.¡± [a certain god complains this story is extremely boring. [a certain god reminds you that you are a eunuch.] ¡®Hey, I didn¡¯t need to hear that depressing reminder.¡¯ Tears clouded my vision. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t something I should be saying, but aren¡¯t you going to check my body? You spent a lot of money buying me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, I saw your status window.¡± Status windows weren¡¯t everything, but she was undoubtedly stronger than the male demon overall. [Name] Diaroka [Level] 27 [Blessings] Demonism B, Warrior B, Elegance C, Language E, Observation D, Slave D Resistance D [Curses] Noble C, Hunting B, Massacre F Her level and Blessings were overpowered! But her Curses were holding her back with a tight grip. ¡°The man who wanted to destroy me ordered me to massacre slimes. This is the horrific Curse that I got from that time.¡± ¡°The Hunting Curse?¡± ¡°Yes, if it wasn¡¯t for this curse I would have been sold at a much more expensive price as a useful hunting dog.¡± ¡°Thanks for the kind explanation, but why are you so on edge? You¡¯ve been like that for a while now.¡± ¡°¡­please don¡¯t think anything weird. It¡¯s because of the Slave Blessing.¡±¡°Aha!¡± [Slave] ? Having forfeited all your rights, you take on the attribute of property. ? Every time you follow your owner¡¯s order, you will feel a corresponding amount of pleasure! It was the complete opposite from the ¡®Slave¡¯s Curse¡¯, which made you feel pain whenever you didn¡¯t follow your owner¡¯s order. Was it like a drug addiction? It was an eerie effect, like a student desperately anticipating their teacher to give them a bunch of homework. ¡°Order me to translate by your side.¡± ¡°Do I have to say it?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m being obedient to an inferior human like you for commands.¡± ¡°How honest.¡± ¡°Think of it as the endgame of a demon who¡¯s let go of shame and embarrassment for the ecstasy of my Blessing.¡± Bang! Just then, demon Kogmos barged into the undressing room with a red-hot face. ¡°You bastard! Get your hands off of Miss Diaroka right now!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Uh¡­ did I come in too quickly?¡± Awkwardly glaring Kogmos, the demon woman gave a cold reply, ¡°It looks like you¡¯re the one who wants to see my body. Master Kang Hansoo? Please command me to kill this piece of garbage painfully.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry!¡± Leaving the noisy dressing room, I ordered some extra slaves. ¡°More slaves!¡± There were still a lot of slaves I wanted to get. *** On his second day of resting in the hunter¡¯s village, Oh Hanwoo was in an extremely good mood. ¡°Choi Kangmin! I¡¯ll beat you next time!¡± [A certain god of wind praises that you were truly amazing.] [A certain evil god gives you two thumbs up.] [A certain immature god of dice judges you were very cool.] [A certain god¡­] Translator ¨C Woni Looking through the gods¡¯ appraisals with a smug face, he took out the money he¡¯d earned from orc hunting. Ka-ching! He couldn¡¯t bring himself to skin the grey gnolls ¨C it was too gross. But what a beginner adventurer like him could do was sell their gear and belongings to the village merchants. ¡°Here are the items for Hero Oh Hanwoo.¡±¡°Oh? There¡¯s more than I thought.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a small courtesy for someone who is going to save the world. I can always give you more clothes, goods, weapons, and medication whenever you like.¡± ¡°Hahaha! It¡¯s alright.¡± The villagers were incredibly kind to him. In particular, he could purchase things like armor and weaponry for extremely cheap, although they were secondhand goods. All they were doing was disposing of the ominous items of the mercenaries that were killed recently by a spirit, but Oh Hanwoo was blissfully unaware and satisfied. ¡°Is there anything else you need?¡± Oh Hanwoo got lost in thought from the young village chief¡¯s question. Something he needed¡­ There sure was. ¡°Is there a dungeon nearby? Somewhere no one has conquered.¡± Without an ounce of consideration, the chief replied immediately. Oh Hanwoo was slightly disappointed, but he didn¡¯t take everything the chief¡ªwho wasn¡¯t interested in dungeons¡ªsaid at face value. ¡®He probably hasn¡¯t found it yet!¡¯ It was nonsense for a fantasy world with plenty of unknown adventures to not have a dungeon. Clang! ¡°Chief! There¡¯s big trouble!¡± The security guard, who was as young as the chief, cried out as he barged into the room. ¡°What is it? Did a monster intrude?¡± ¡°The fairy is back! Councilwoman Celebless¡­!¡± ¡°Could it be¡­?!¡± The chief didn¡¯t even excuse himself to the Hero and ran out with the blood drained from his face. But Oh Hanwoo wasn¡¯t a bit displeased. Why? ¡°A fairy, huh¡­? I hope it¡¯s a girl.¡±He¡¯d seen fairies at the slave market before, but there¡¯d been none that caught his eyes right away. What about this time? Celebless. He couldn¡¯t tell the gender from their name alone, but there was a 50/50 chance. Oh Hanwoo followed the chief out the door with anticipation. ¡°Hup¡­!¡± And started to have difficulty breathing. ¡°My deepest condolences. I wasn¡¯t trying to disturb your peaceful lives. I¡¯m only visiting while on my way to the temple for some business, so there is no need to be so afraid.¡± Flare~ Jiggle jiggle~ She was a fairy woman with a tiny phoenix on her head and a rainbow slime on her chest. Her appearance looked like a human in their 20s, but Oh Hanwoo was engulfed with an emotion he¡¯d never felt before, not even when he¡¯d met the goddess and Saintess. ¡°Ah¡­ aah¡­¡± She was beautiful. She didn¡¯t have the chest to softly embrace a hurt younger brother, but she had the aura of an older sister. Flare? Jiggle? ¡°¡­¡± The phoenix and slime accompanying her were dirtying her aura in an odd way, but that wasn¡¯t bad. She came off as an animal lover. ¡°Are you the new chief?¡± ¡°Yes I am, Councilwoman!¡± ¡°I came because I missed this place a bit, but you can always decline if you do not want me here.¡± ¡°Not at all! Please come in!¡± ¡°Thank you very much. Then if you¡¯ll excuse me for a bit. Is the place still there?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Good thing I wasn¡¯t too late. There is a memory I want to retrace.¡± ¡°I will lead you right away!¡± The beautiful fairy did not look at Oh Hanwoo even once as she passed by. ¡°Hey¡­!¡± Oh Hanwoo spontaneously called her as she was leaving. ¡°Did you call me?¡± ¡°Um¡­ is there anything you have to tell me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to ask. I don¡¯t have anything you say to you. Now then¡­¡± Oh Hanwoo was taken aback. Wasn¡¯t it normal to notice his unconventionality and offer to go with him or ask for help? [Special] But thAT was nothing like the story development for a main character. ¡°¡­maybe she¡¯s shy.¡± [A certain male god slaps his knees in admiration.] [A certain immature god of dice lets out consecutive exclamations.] [A certain evil god continuously presses the relatable button.] [A certain water god is speechless at your shocking deduction skills.] [A certain god¡­] And Oh Hanwoo¡¯s misinterpretation led to¡­ ¡°L-let go!¡± ¡°There will be issues if you bother Miss Celebless, mister Oh Hanwoo.¡± ¡°Who are you guys?!¡± ¡°Surveillants. We take care of Heroes who put dirt on the Heroes¡¯ names. What are you going to do?¡± ¡°¡­¡± He didn¡¯t stop until he was stopped by the surveillants, who had seen enough. [A certain god of wind expressed his condolences] [A certain immature god of dice advises you to never lose your hope.] [A certain water god sighs.] ***There were as many types of slaves as there were reasons for them becoming slaves. Indeptors, gamblers, farmers, fishers, blacksmiths, hunters, princes, princesses, criminals, seamstresses, adventurers, runaway soldiers, architects, merchants, chefs¡­ I only chose those who only worked with production. ¡°They¡¯re really cheap.¡± It was because human worth was decided by their levels, not intelligence. For example, a level 1 slave with almost nothing to offer was basically free. On top of that, there was even additional service given to us. Thanks to that, I was able to realize just how expensive the female demon was. A whopping level 27! Apparently, if it wasn¡¯t for her Hunting Curse, she would have been sold for ten times the price. I was speechless from bewilderment. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you bought me for my Language Blessing.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. That guy chose you.¡± ¡°As expected from garbage. I¡¯m sure it was to sucker you. A vulgar act that isn¡¯t demon-like at all. I don¡¯t know why he even exists in this world.¡± ¡°Urhh..¡± He always yelled at me, but demon Kogmos had been looking strained for a while. ¡®What¡¯s up with him?¡¯ I didn¡¯t mind him and kept buying professional slaves. Chefs, blacksmiths, farmers, seamstresses, carpenters, artists, architects¡­ ¡°Master. The food, clothing, and shelter will be troublesome if you buy all of these slaves and myself at once.¡± Poof! Poof! Poof! I sent all of them, excluding the female demon who had long passed level 9, to the warehouse. ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°¡­¡± After buying countless slaves in that way, rumors spread through the slave market that I was a ¡®big player¡¯ in just one day. That was not good. I didn¡¯t reveal my name anywhere, but I was being pursued by the country¡¯s prince, after all. There was still a lot of money in the warehouse, but there was going to be big trouble if I didn¡¯t get out right away. So I lessened my spendings and went on to the next step. ¡°Tell them to get me everything from here to there.¡± ¡°Yes. Dear merchant? We want to buy everything from here to there.¡± ¡°#$?! Thank you #$, sir!¡± I went around the common market and swept away the daily necessities. Clothes, spices, medicine, household goods¡­ As the population in the warehouse grew, it would get harder for them to be self-sufficient. If I didn¡¯t make up for it like that, there just might¡¯ve been a big storm in the future. ¡°Money.¡± Poof! Ca-ching! ¡®If only I could use that much money on earth, too¡­¡¯ ¡®No, that doesn¡¯t matter. I just want to go back home fast.¡¯ ¡°Next is¡­¡± ¡°Wait! Are you only thinking about yourself?! Rest a little along the way!¡± ¡°Huh? Kogmos, weren¡¯t we going to part ways here?¡± ¡°¡­I changed my mind.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask why. Anyways, I don¡¯t think anyone noticed your identity, so take it easy. I¡¯ll take responsibility if there¡¯s any trouble.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want to?¡± I had a new translator, so there was no reason for me to keep a complaining male demon by my side anymore. Wasn¡¯t that what he wanted as well? ¡°You bastard! So now you¡¯re showing your true colors! What were you going to do with Miss Diaroka when there is no one aroun¡ª¡± Shoot! Demon Kogmos was taken out as an arrow pierced the back of his head. ¡°Hm¡­¡± I looked back at the female demon. She stepped on her fallen specimen¡¯s head repeatedly. ¡°Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t me. Although I wish it was.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Pew- Following that, an arrow came flying towards me. Toss. I easily deflected it with the back of my hand and smirked. ¡°What a great world this is.¡± Chapter 42 [Translator ¨C Woni ] [Proofreader ¨C ilafy ] Chapter 42 [Act 13] Demons It¡¯d been about a month since I¡¯d been thrown into this savage world, and I was letting the reality sink in that the fantasy status windows were above law and ethics. [Slave Blessing] [Slave Curse] And so those with that Blessing or Curse were treated no differently than objects¡ªnot for political means, but as physical property. For example, long-abandoned slaves or slaves with dead owners were free for the first person to take. It was said there were occupations even centered around that¡­ ¡°They¡¯re slave stealers.¡± ¡°You¡¯re biased! It¡¯s not like I¡¯m the only one who buys slaves!¡± ¡°No need to get mad. After all, it¡¯s rare to see a level 1 customer buying a lot of slaves.¡± ¡°I see.¡± It seemed I looked the most vulnerable for having a low level, but I didn¡¯t think they would try to assassinate me in the middle of the day. ¡®What if the wrong person comes to steal the slaves!¡¯ If I was a slave stealer¡­ ¡°Ack?!¡± A man screeched after getting his eyes poked out by the demon woman. That¡¯s right. I would be waiting near the slave like that guy over here. ¡°Eek?!¡± ¡°M-murder!¡± ¡°Aaack?!¡± Slowly realizing what was going on, the people around us fell into a state of confusion. ¡®Well, this is troublesome.¡¯ Demons don¡¯t die from just a hole in their skulls. As proof, the ¡®horn hiding magic¡¯ that Kogmos had put on himself was still active. What would happen if he got up like a zombie? He would get exposed for disguising himself as a human right away! And if he got caught, it¡¯d get dangerous for me as well. ¡°Ah¡­ guess I have no choice.¡± I wanted to slaughter the scattering slave stealers as they realized their plan had failed, but I couldn¡¯t leave Kogmos like that. ¡°Be thankful, Kogmos.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I sped through the crowd of people with the body of the bleeding Kogmos over my shoulders. ¡°Master, you¡¯re strong for being level 1.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to my awesome Blessing, not me.¡± [A certain god sticks out their chest and acts pompous.] [A certain god tells you to praise them more.] ¡°¡­¡± ¡®I see they¡¯re walking on air from just a little praise!¡¯ ¡°ABblessing, huh~¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to run all the way out of the city like I¡¯m still getting chased by the assassins.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± One good thing? At least Kogmos wasn¡¯t dead from an arrow to the head. If he¡¯d died and his spell got uncast, countless people would have found out he was a demon. Then I would have also been¡­ I felt disturbed from just thinking about it. ¡°We should part ways soon.¡± ¡°Ur, urgh¡­ don¡¯t talk as if I¡¯m a nuisance. I just let my guard down because I¡¯ve never been targeted before.¡± The demon man justified himself after we got out of the city. ¡®Does he know it¡¯s pointless when he says that on an inferior human¡¯s shoulders?¡¯ It looked like the demon woman agreed as well. ¡°Hey, are you proud of yourself for living so recklessly this entire time? Why are you even breathing?¡± ¡°Urgh¡­¡± ¡°And I hope you realize how weak you really are. You have a filthy way of thinking, buying an enslaved woman with money.¡± ¡°Uurghh¡­¡± The demon man deteriorated without defending himself even once to the woman. And that was the guy who was as smooth as ever with ladies A and B¡­ ¡°My clothes are a mess.¡± Dirtied with the demon¡¯s blood, my clothes felt extremely uncomfortable. ¡®Should I just change right now?¡¯ It was right when I put Kogmos down and went to take my clothes off¡­ Fwp- The demon woman¡¯s right hand swiftly reached out for my neck. It was unmistakably animosity. Smack. I hit her hand to the side and ordered, ¡°stop.¡± ¡°¡­¡± But she didn¡¯t stop moving. In fact, she was coming for me even more vehemently! [Outsider] I sucked in my chubby stomach and activated ¡®The Power of Meat¡¯. Pow- As our two hands clashed, the air rippled around us from the shockwaves. ¡®Why? What did I do?¡¯ ¡°Talk.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Jeez.¡± With that, I was certain. ¡ªIt wasn¡¯t just the slave stealers that had been underestimating me. *** Closest to the Great Plains where I¡¯d hunted an infinite number of orcs was Aldriol, or The Plain City. Back at the temple after wrapping up his investigation there, Prince Alsus gathered the Heroes and taught them the ways of a knight. ¡°Have you all been well?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The handsome man looked contently at the Heroes as they gave confident answers and explained. ¡°The most important aspect of swordsmanship is your attitude.¡± [Warrior] ?You who have survived countless life-or-death crises have sufficient qualifications to become stronger. ?Defeat all of the enemies that cross your path with the power of love and justice! Prince Alsus showed the Heroes the Blessing they haven¡¯t yet acquired. He continued, ¡°You may be asking, ¡®wouldn¡¯t it be better if we could efficiently fight the enemy by dodging their attacks?¡¯¡± ¡°Yes! ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± The Heroes agreed. Among them was Choi Kangmin, who had become very uncomfortable ever since the draw with Oh Hanwoo. Love! Justice! It was something Prince Alsus had emphasized again and again day by day. But it was a futile lesson for the Heroes, who didn¡¯t have the ¡®Warrior¡¯s Blessing¡¯. It was only natural for him to be frustrated. ¡°Even if you pierce a demon with a sword after avoiding all of their attacks, they won¡¯t even get a scratch.¡± ¡°But with a better sword¡­¡± ¡°Obviously, the sword ki¡­¡± The prince cut off the Heroes¡¯ unsurprising refutes. ¡°The top predators, including dragons, are generally large in size. You¡¯ll hit the mark no matter how you hit it.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°In other words, it means you won¡¯t be able to escape if those top predators charge at you with their enormous bodies or weapons. How can you dodge a fist that¡¯s bigger than your body?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Translator ¨C Woni The Heroes fell silent. ¡®Would I be able to barely dodge a dump truck charging at me?¡¯ They would have to throw their entire bodies and roll on the floor to avoid a collision. ¡°Also, demons and dragons have wings that let them fly. Are you going to just watch them from the ground until a mage or archer drops them?¡± ¡°Wings¡­¡± ¡°Oh my¡­¡± The Heroes were unable to argue. That was the reality of fantasy. It was different from the medieval ages back on Earth, where wars were fought sword vs sword and human vs human. ¡°There is only one solution: swordsmanship that overpowers the enemy.¡± ¡°Woah¡­¡± ¡°Woaah¡­¡± Overwhelmed by Prince Alsus¡¯s spirit, consecutive exclamations could be heard from the Heroes. ¡°Flying monsters can be dropped from the sky by targeting them with swordsmanship, and the monsters¡¯ massive attacks can be pierced with swordsmanship¡­¡± ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Aah!¡± Prince Alsus remembered ¡®Gang Hansue¡¯, the mercenary he¡¯d met in Aldrior. The brilliantly red pillar¡­ if Hansue¡¯s ¡®swordsmanship¡¯ was even a little bit more powerful, Alsus wouldn¡¯t even be alive. There was no need for muddled tricks. Just one single blow! ¡°Keep that in mind: the instant your swordsmanship fails to penetrate the defense of the enemy, there is no hope.:¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± And that is why love and justice was important! ¡­is how Prince Alsus wrapped up his lesson. *** [A certain god spins around in place.] [A certain god hurries you to kill off the demon.] [A certain god¡­] Dear god! Aren¡¯t you excited! ¡®I can understand where you¡¯re coming from, but it¡¯s getting hard for me to fight with all of your messages blocking my vision.¡¯ [A certain god is extremely displeased.] [A certain god is extremely displeased.] [A certain god is extremely displeased.] [A certain god¡­] ¡®I¡¯m sorry. Do what you want.¡¯ The Slave Blessing may¡¯ve bound the female demon¡¯s free will, but it had a loophole because, after all, it wasn¡¯t a curse. [Slave] ? Having forfeited all your rights, you take on the attribute of property. ? Every time you follow your owner¡¯s order, you will feel a corresponding amount of pleasure! There was no rule that stated she had to follow her owner¡¯s orders at all costs. Like she was doing right then. ¡°Stop.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± She received no repercussions, even if she ignored her owner¡¯s commands with a scoff. It was truly a Blessing. She was a half-slave who could obey her master¡¯s orders selectively. ¡®If that¡¯s the case¡­¡¯ ¡°Come at me.¡± ¡°Urk?!¡± All I had to do was give an order she had no choice but to obey. Furrowing her brows, anxiety clouded the female demon¡¯s gaze. [Slave] Just as one¡¯s stomach hurts from laughing too much¡­ It would have been hard for her to hold back from the pleasure from the Slave Blessing that obeying commands gave her. Which meant that time was on my side. Surely the demon woman, engulfed in pleasure, would know. As I expected, she decided a long fight would be too difficult, as she created a black blade on her right hand, inch by inch. ¡ªAnd she swung. ¡°You¡¯re soft.¡± Perhaps it was because Kogmos, who she treated like garbage, would naturally become her owner if I died. ¡ªShe was only going for the nonfatal arms and legs. [Fairy] [Outsider] To retaliate, I also focused my power into my right hand. After drawing out my long red claws with my powers, I lashed at the demon¡¯s black blade. Slash-! The result was crystal clear. Her right arm was completely ripped from her body, and the demon took a big step back. Without a single glance to her missing right shoulder, she spoke. ¡°You¡­ are you really level 1?¡± ¡°You let your guard down like they did, huh?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Inch by inch! The demon, provoked by my inquisitive reply, drew strength into her right hand. More! More! More! More! Her completed blade revealed her determination that she did not intend on caring about her owner¡¯s life or her future. ¡°You¡¯re still a¡­ huh?¡± I thought nothing would change. But instead of fighting back with force, she chose to give up her body to attack my weak spot. Rip! Rrip! Twisting her flexible hips, countless cuts were made on her curvy body. It was a critical injury that would have been nearly fatal if she was human! But demons were different. Even though her entire body was lacerated, she had a smile on her face. ¡°You let your guard down, huh?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®This is going to hurt a lot.¡¯ Slash-! The female demon¡¯s blade cut through my right shoulder to my left rib cage diagonally. ¡ªBut she did not attack further. Instead¡­ ¡°Demons don¡¯t get weak with wounds like these,¡± she kindly advised. ¡°I can tell.¡± ¡°Now, Master? Command my freedom. Then I¡¯ll treat you right away.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°And my name is Diaroka.¡± ¡°Did I ask? Diaroka.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± To the girl wishing to be freed from a slave status, I commanded, ¡°Stay still.¡± ¡°Urgh?!¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be able to stay still if I command you like this, huh?¡± ¡°¡­Are you really human?¡± The demon¡¯s eyes widened as she saw me get up just fine. [Outsider] ¡°Your owner won¡¯t get weak from wounds like these.¡± ¡°¡­you let your guard down again, didn¡¯t ya??¡± Woosh. Diaroka¡¯s body was engulfed in a black aura as she quickly recovered. Woosh! The time it took for her severed right shoulder to spring out a new right arm¡­ It was a shocking recovery rate that I had not seen in Kogmos. ¡°It¡¯s only natural that demons look down on humans.¡± ¡°If you get it, why don¡¯t you give up ownership? All it takes is two words: You¡¯re free.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± I was absolutely loathsome of betrayal after having gotten backstabbed by the evil goddess. [Outsider] It didn¡¯t show thanks to my emotions getting reset infinitely, but I despised traitors with my mind, not my heart. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you stubborn.¡± ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you a nagging slave.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re going to regret this.¡± Maybe things would have been different if that demon had gotten on her knees and begged me to set her free. After all, it would only be tiring to carry around a slave that didn¡¯t want to be there. And so¡­ ¡°Kill me, Diaroka.¡± I wagged my fingers at the demon who couldn¡¯t forgive me. ¡°Are you insane?¡± ¡°I have been for a while!¡± Ever since I¡¯d been abandoned in the gnoll-infested forest from the evil goddess¡¯s betrayal¡­ I hadn¡¯t had even a moment of sanity. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Listen to me. One of us dies here, no matter what.¡± [A certain god is uncomfortable.] [A certain god drills in that the outsider will not die.] ¡­God? ¡®I¡¯m just saying. I don¡¯t intend on dying either¡­¡¯ [A certain god is extremely uncomfortable.] [A certain god is so uncomfortable they cannot breathe.] [A certain god passes out.] ¡°¡­¡± ¡®It is this adolescent Outsider¡¯s fault. I¡¯m sorry, please breathe!¡¯ Chapter 43 [Translator ¨C Woni ] [Proofreader ¨C ilafy ] Chapter 43 [Act 13] Demons The tournament that would decide which Hero would become the owner of the one and only holy sword¡­ Most Heroes were more interested in the academy admission that was given as an additional prize, but the important part was that, for whatever reason it may be, everyone wanted something from the tournament. Prince Alsus was explaining it to them back at the temple. ¡°Your mission is to subjugate the Demon King. how you will subjugate him is not important. The same goes for this tournament.¡± He pointed to a map on the wall as he began to speak. ¡°We have released a number of orcs in the vast territory marked in red.¡± ¡°Orcs?!¡± ¡°The hell is an orc?¡± ¡°An orc?¡± Only having dealt with gnolls until thay point, ¡®orcs¡¯ were an unknown enemy to the Heroes¡ªjust like the Great Demon King they would someday overthrow. Prince Alsus continued after the Heroes calmed down from their chaos and concern. ¡°We¡¯ve engraved an identification tag on the soles of their feet. All you have to do is either record or memorize the orcs you hunt and report it to the temple.¡± ¡°Do we hunt them ourselves?¡± Prince Alsus answered politely, ¡°The method is not important. You just have to gather the strong orcs¡¯ identification tags. However, we do not accept repeated identification tags.¡± ¡°That¡¯s simple.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel good about this¡­¡± Regardless of how the Heroes felt, the tournament was announced to start in five days. After listening to Prince Alsus¡¯s explanation, Yoo Bora turned to her only companion and asked, ¡°Aria. have you ever been to that marked area on the map?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a vast plain notorious for having a lot of orcs. I¡¯ll explain more when we¡¯re alone,¡± the swordsgirl answered as if she was wary of the competitors around her. Yoo Bora looked quite surprised. ¡°It¡¯s a tournament for the Heroes, but you¡¯re incredibly ambitious.¡± ¡°Of course I am! I wish for your victory! Although I wouldn¡¯t want you to go to the Academy.¡± ¡°It will be hard to win.¡± Yoo Bora looked over at the two major leagues with a bitter smile on her face Choi Kangmin, Jang Miyeon¡­ Each representing the male and female Heroes, the two were already working on their operations in detail. ¡°Follow me if you¡¯re going to give up the identification tags.¡± ¡°Then I guess this is it for me. Thanks for the good time.¡± ¡°Me too. I really want to go to the fantasy academy.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not steal each others¡¯ identification tags.¡± As the competition went into full swing, the leagues disbanded instantly. They still made unspoken rules amongst themselves so that they wouldn¡¯t steal each others¡¯ tags or disrupt each others¡¯ hunting. Meaning that Yoo Bora, in neither league, was still at a disadvantage. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Is there a reason it¡¯s okay?¡± ¡°Orcs live a nomadic life and avoid fights they think they¡¯ll lose. If they stick with each other all day like that, it will be hard to spot an orc. After all, it¡¯s a plain that doesn¡¯t have a hiding spot.¡± ¡°I understand now.¡± ¡°And¡­ yeah¡­¡± ¡°Is there something bothering you?¡± ¡°Yes. The orcs will target you specifically.¡± ¡°Is there a reason for that?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s because you¡¯re strong.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the orcs don¡¯t attack the strong?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Aria?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ Urm¡­ they want to leave strong offspring¡­¡± ¡°So you are saying I am an attractive female to the orcs.¡± ¡°Y-yes. That¡¯s right, but the way you worded it is um¡­ Anyways, you have to be careful because of that. Don¡¯t get caught by them at all costs!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Right when the two girls were in the middle of constructing their own detailed plans like everyone else was doing¡­ Bang! The tightly shut temple doors opened, and a familiar boy walked in. ¡°He¡¯s¡­?¡± ¡°Huh? That¡¯s Oh Hanwoo!¡± ¡°Why is he here?¡± There were barely any looks of belittlement or laughter toward Oh Hanwoo anymore. What was he now? The new powerhouse that had fought the strongest hero in terms of pure combat, Choi Kangmin, to a draw! The Heroes who trained and hunted with Choi Kangmin knew how unrivaled and strong he was. The only one they could call his rival was Yoo Bora at best. And so they could no longer ignore Oh Hanwoo when he reached the same level as Choi Kangmin. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, guys. Oh! Has it only been a few days since we met at the village? I progress so fast that I don¡¯t have a perception of time. Haha!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± [A certain male god greets everyone that it¡¯s been a while.] [A certain innocent goddess waves her hands in a big hello.] [A certain immature god of dice magnanimously puts his arms over their shoulders.] [A certain god of war looks extremely uncomfortable.] [A certain god¡­] While the gods were greeting each other and checking in with their friendships, Prince Alsus¡¯s expression was stiff as he looked at the boy. ¡°Hierarch, why did you allow that rascal who¡¯s no longer a Hero to break in?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± The Hierarch, who had led the boy in, turned around. Oh Hanwoo, getting a look that told him to explain, answered with confidence. ¡°I will also participate in the tournament!¡± It was no request, but a declaration! It was the vigor of the main character, the center of a fantasy world. A contest without the main character? No one cared about that, nor would that mean anything. ¡°You are not a Hero.¡± ¡°I¡¯m deciding to return to being one. I have the ability, don¡¯t I?¡± Translator ¨C Woni ¡°Ha!¡± Hearing Oh Hanwoo¡¯s claim, Choi Kang-min turned as if to hold back his anger. Prince Alsus respond in a cold voice, ¡°There is no doubt that you are capable, as you came to a draw with Hero Choi Kang-min, but it¡¯s impossible to forgive your character. Don¡¯t you remember the ordeal with the fairy? ¡°Oh! How did you know?!¡± Oh Hanwoo was astonished that Prince Alsus knew about his relationship with Celebless. The prince let out an ¡®I knew it!¡¯ in his head as he continued to speak. ¡°Your reckless behavior has deteriorated the connection between humans and fairies and furthermore made a scratch on the Heroes¡¯ honor.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding! All I did was talk to her when she was shy! I swear I didn¡¯t have any bad intentions!¡± ¡°Well, well, well¡­¡± The prince could only laugh at Oh Hanwoo¡¯s excuse. It was a typical excuse young noblemen used when they made advances on pretty commoner girls they met on the streets. It was a disappointing look for a Hero. ¡°I heard you got your face severely beaten¡­¡± ¡°Ah! If you know that as well, then I¡¯m sure you¡¯d understand. It¡¯s that bastard of a bully¡¯s character that¡¯s the problem, not mine.¡± Oh Hanwoo ground his teeth as he remebered that day. The humiliation and despair of getting his face kicked around and having Sera, Luca, and Kana taken from him by a bastard bully¡­ Although he wanted to get his revenge and take back his slaves, that savage next to him was the problem. But someday¡­ ¡°From what I saw, there was no problem with his character.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all a facade! He¡¯s someone who only acts nice in front of powerful people like school teachers or you, Prince Alsus!¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Gang Hansue didn¡¯t have any problems with his character from what Prince Alsus had seen. He was truly an average civilian, not very different from the palace servants who were frightened out of their wits after crossing a royal family member. The two ladies accompanying him also spoke very positively. But¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll take responsibility for those matters!¡± There was plenty of confidence in Oh Hanwoo¡¯s expression as he cursed Gang Hansue. After his persistent pursuit, he was told the beautiful fairy Celebless would be heading to the Academy. His plan was to reunite with her at the Academy and get his revenge against the bully after getting a little stronger. The first step was the ¡®Academy Admission¡¯ that was rewarded if he won the tournament. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Prince Alsus looked over at the Saintess, who was watching the Heroes train from afar. ¡°¡­¡± But she was turned to the window, lost in thought. It meant she was leaving the matter in his hands. She didn¡¯t seem to care whether or not Oh Hanwoo came back. ¡°Did you return the money you got?¡± ¡°I spent it all on training.¡± ¡°It does not matter where you spent it. That money was given to you under the condition that you gave up your position as a Hero. It is not free. If you want to come back, return the money first.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll get strong fast and pay you back as soon as possible.¡± Prince Althus stopped himself from making a bitter remark at how the boy spoke of such a large sum of money as no big deal. Instead, he stroked his recently broken sword and declared, ¡°Hero Oh Hanwoo. I will approve your comeback on condition.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Hero Oh Hanwoo smiled with contentment. He¡¯d come back strong after getting looked down on by others. It was truly an arc for the main character! Now he could reach his goal once he got into the Academy and surprised the beautiful fairy Celebless. ¡°It¡¯s a bit early to celebrate. Listen to the conditions first.¡± ¡°Spar with me.¡± ¡°Okay! What?¡± ¡°I want to see how determined you are to come back as a hero.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± [A certain evil god wishes you a good fight.] [A certain immature god of dice heats up their popcorn.] [A certain god of wind cackles.] [A certain god¡­] Anyways, with the addition of Hero Oh Hanwoo, the tournament was even more competitive! *** The demon that Kogmos had spitefully spewed the prerequisites for at the slave market was considerably strong. Maybe that was why¡­ As strong as she was, so was her pride¡ªDiaroka was refusing to be my slave. ¡°Isn¡¯t one party dying a bit too extreme?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a peaceful method where you just let me go. I swear on my honor I¡¯ll pay you back the price for my body.¡± ¡°Is there any honor to a slave who attacked their owner?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll admit I looked down on you for being a level 1 human, but it¡¯s different now that I¡¯m fighting you myself.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t compromise.¡± Death to a traitor! [Outsider] Betrayal may be nothing but a soft gust of wind for someone who couldn¡¯t feel anything, but my opinions didn¡¯t change. ¡°That¡¯s a shame.¡± The female demon gave up without looking back and got into a fighting stance with a determined face. Just then¡­ ¡°Miss Diaroka! I will help you! I will take him down and set you free!¡± Drop! The demon man vigorously declared betrayal as he stood next to the female. What happened to your conscience or loyalty, you little shit? ¡°You?¡± Diaroka replied back in a cold tone. ¡°I know that I am weak, but as someone who knows his fighting tactics well, I can support you with magi¡ª¡± Stab! The traitor flopped backward as I threw my blue dagger into his neck. Plop. ¡°You said you know me well. Looks like you didn¡¯t see that one coming, though,¡± I snickered. Diaroka agreed as she turned away from me to press on Kogmos¡¯s head with her feet. ¡°Isn¡¯t this guy incredible? In a bad way. It¡¯s hard to be this hateable.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hate him too much. He betrayed me for you.¡± ¡°Hmph! Men who betray trust are my most hated type.¡± How fitting for a female that got betrayed by the man she¡¯d loved. ¡°Didn¡¯t you betray me as well?¡± ¡°That¡¯s different. There¡¯s no doubt I¡¯m a slave, but I never swore to be your slave.¡± ¡°That logic totally works.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m being sarcastic.¡± Fwp! There was no telling who was first. We simultaneously charged with full force. Bang-! Red and black auras violently clashed together. The only thing that was different than before was that we didn¡¯t mishandle how much strength we put in since we knew each other¡¯s capabilities. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± With extreme focus, I frequently checked Diaroka¡¯s location and movement, not letting my guard down once. Woooosh! A sharp gust of wind from the force of our collision swept over us in all directions. And then something ruptured. rip-! ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°Haha!¡± As my red devoured the demon¡¯s black aura, we were divided between sorrow and joy. The difference between Diaroka and me: She had already used up quite some energy recovering herself after a previous round with me. Me, on the other hand? [Outsider] Thanks to my Blessing, I was as lively as ever. I could stay in top condition without tiring out, even if we fought many more times after that, as long as I didn¡¯t die. ¡°Agh¡­!¡± Concluding she was falling behind, Diaroka acted quickly. She straightened her slim waist like an arrow and barely avoided getting cut in two. Her dodges were a beat faster that time because she didn¡¯t look down on me as a level 1 human anymore. Rip, riiip- But my attacks were also a level stronger because I didn¡¯t let my guard down. After all, I wasn¡¯t confident that I could hit the mark on that demon when she was as flexible and fast as a gymnast. That was why I pushed forward with brute force from the start¡ªand I ended up getting the results I wanted. Or that¡¯s what I had thought, anyway¡­ ¡°Ha!¡± I scoffed. It seemed I¡¯d excessively underestimated the vitality of a demon. She looked awful, with white bones and pink tendons laid bare between her gashed flesh. Her beauty that could turn heads was no longer anywhere to be found. ¡°¡­¡± And yet, one move as light as a feather got her in front of me. Then, flash! Pitch-black wings sprung from her back. It was entirely unexpected. A gust of wind powerful enough to make it difficult to keep my eyes open buffeted me, and the demon¡¯s feet started to distance themselves from the ground, ignoring the laws of gravity. ¡°¡­Wings?¡± I was a little taken aback, but it wasn¡¯t great enough to turn the tables around. [Outsider] [Fairy] While she was flapping her wings, I focused all of my recharged strength on my right hand. ¡®This all ends in one blow.¡¯ Of course, the demon wasn¡¯t going to just let that pass. ¡°Hiyap!¡± With a motivated cry, Diaroka raised her long legs over her head like a crane. Her next move was easily predictable. Alias: the downward blow. However, her weakened attacks were very slow. I could easily dodge something like tha¡­ ¡°Huh?¡± ¡®How white.¡¯ Bam-! Diaroka¡¯s heel slammed into my head. Chapter 44 [Translator ¨C Woni ] Chapter 44 [Act 13] Demons One cannot simply go up a mountain infinitely. Mountains eventually reach their peak and have downward slopes. By the laws of nature, people win at times and lose in others during their lives. [A certain god grumbles about how baffled they are.] [A certain god wants the outsider¡¯s brains to get washed.] [A certain god asks if you think this loss makes sense to you.] ¡°This was beyond my control¡­¡± [A certain god drills in that excuses are a sin.] ¡°Okay.¡± I had been distracted mid-fight? Even I thought that was crazy. Of course, that wasn¡¯t my fault, either. I¡¯d seen for the first time what I¡¯d only seen displayed on mannequins! It was extremely white, too. ¡®¡­I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be okay next time since I¡¯ve experienced it now.¡¯ ¡°Master, give me new clothes,¡± Diaroka demanded with her left arm covering her chest. Her healing was significantly slower than before. ¡°Why should I?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the duty of a slave owner to provide food, shelter, and clothing for their slave.¡± ¡°How stubborn.¡± Poof! I took out a woman¡¯s dress from the warehouse and threw it at her. Fwp~ The female demon snatched it and swiftly changed. ¡°I lost from the moment I wasn¡¯t winning by a landslide. After all, I don¡¯t know what will happen to me if I get controlled by that piece of garbage.¡± ¡°Aha!¡± ¡®She thought that far ahead, I see!¡¯ It would be meaningless if she just became Kogmos¡¯s slave if she killed me. Rather, it looked like she hated that more. ¡°Furthermore¡­ it felt like you lost on purpose in the end.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why you did, but it felt extremely uncomfortable.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ um¡­¡± I decided to beat around the bush before I dug my own grave. It looked like that demon wasn¡¯t considering me as a male at all, in fact, it felt like I was a pet to her. It was similar to how Kogmo saw human women. ¡°By the way, Diaroka¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to say to me?¡± ¡°I already accepted you, an inferior creature, as my owner. Did you think that was easy to do? It¡¯s a humiliation and an embarrassment that I¡¯ll be eternally mocked for, so just consider it as a test.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your side of the story.¡± The demon looked extremely displeased. ¡°You¡¯re too greedy. I became your slave as an apology. What more do you want from me?¡± She¡¯d been my slave from the beginning, but it seemed she didn¡¯t think so. No wonder she stabbed my back the minute we left the city of humans. ¡°What I want¡­¡± The extreme whiteness I saw lingered in my mind. ¡°You bastard! I won¡¯t forgive you if you demand anything ridiculous from Miss Diaroka!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not dead, Kogmos?¡± The vitality of the demon species really went beyond my imagination. ¡°What are you going to do if you don¡¯t forgive him?¡± The demon woman asked the man in an incredibly displeased tone. ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­ Well¡­¡± ¡°Can you beat my owner in a fight? I want to hear in detail what sort of ridiculous demand it could be.¡° ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Aaah¡­¡± The demon had a buttered tongue in front of the human ladies but turned timid in front of his own species. [A certain god drills in that he¡¯s a pathetic demon.] [A certain god drills in that you¡¯re a pathetic outsider.] Anyways, Diaroka reached her hand out to me after coldly silencing Kogmos. Pwt! I swatted it away with the back of my hand. ¡°What are you trying to do now?¡± ¡°Stay still. I¡¯m trying to compensate you properly, as you requested.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s anything weird¡­¡± ¡°It is not.¡± The female demon put both her hands on my shoulders. ¡®Is she trying to strangle me¡­?¡¯ I thought that until she shifted her weight forward, leaning her body onto my chest with an awfully gentle expression. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my reward. I¡¯m tired because of you, master. I¡¯ll leave the rest to you.¡± ¡°The rest? Hey!¡± ¡°¡­¡± And just like that, Diaroka passed out. I wanted to throw that stubborn slave into the barren wasteland that was the aftermath of our fight, but my arms were already holding her up from falling. ¡°This is baffling.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the baffling one! Get your filthy hands off of Miss Diaroka¡¯s buttocks right now!¡± ¡°¡­Kogmos.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject, and get your hands off first!¡± ¡°What are you gonna do now?¡± I had a competent, new translator. The male demon was a relic of the past that I didn¡¯t need anymore, and he wanted to leave, too. ¡°Hands first!¡± ¡°Hey. are her buttocks really important right now?¡± ¡°Really?! It¡¯s extremely important!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t play with me. I¡¯m serious right now¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious, too!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was a minor issue between human and demon viewpoints, but it ultimately ended with the human¡¯s victory. That¡¯s because¡­ ¡°Then do you want to hold her, Kogmos?¡± ¡°What?! I¡­ I can¡¯t. Miss Diaroka wouldn¡¯t want that at all¡­¡± ¡°Then what do you want me to do? Abandon her?¡± ¡°Kurgh!¡± Not able to come up with a fitting solution, the male demon turned his back to me. ¡°Are you leaving?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Goodbye.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you angry?¡± ¡°Why should I be?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t respect me in the slightest, but let me tell you this: I¡¯m really sorry I betrayed you. I wasn¡¯t in the right state of mind after meeting such an attractive woman so suddenly¡­¡± [A certain god forgives the pathetic outsider.] ¡°God says they forgive you.¡± ¡®How forgiving this outsider god is to eunuchs.¡¯ ¡°I¡­ I see. Make sure you tell them I said thank you.¡± [A certain god acts pompous.] ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°To the gnoll¡¯s forest. My laboratory is there.¡± ¡°Aha!¡± Kogmos headed south with just a lightweight bag on him and said something straight out of a movie. ¡°Tell Miss Diaroka I¡¯ll return as a strong man fit for her.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± ¡°¡­Never mind. Don¡¯t tell her that.¡± Translator ¨C Woni ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to let her know!¡± ¡°Are you a demon¡­?¡± The demon man who called a human a demon finally left. ¡®Well. that was kinda bittersweet!¡¯ [A certain god waves to the pathetic outsider.] ¡°Did he leave okay?¡± [A certain god informs you he is crying.] ¡°I-I see.¡± I felt like I learned something I shouldn¡¯t have. Anyways! ¡°It¡¯s about time to go back.¡± There were still things I had to take care of. [Massacre] *** The Hero Tournament¡­ At first, everyone talked about it like they were going for first place, but they all backed out after hearing the knights wouldn¡¯t be protecting them. After all, that meant they had no insurance. Until that point, the knights would go to their rescue if any of them died or got injured. And after that, they were able to recover through the miracle of the Saintess, whether it was a severe injury or death¡­ ¡°It¡¯s over if we die¡­?¡± ¡°They¡¯re going too far.¡± ¡°This is no joke anymore.¡± But they were no longer insured in the tournament. Their lives would end along with their fascinating fantasy adventure if they lost to the orcs! And the jiggly slimes wouldn¡¯t even let them have a burial after cleaning them all up. ¡°Venturing the unknown, my ass.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t just a game.¡± Mercenaries and adventurers went without practically a single day of rest from exciting travels in fantasy genres. But that was all just an empty plot for rated E fantasies full of hopes and dreams! In reality, it was only natural for them to know to protect their own lives. ¡°There are currently too few tournament applicants. For those hesitant on participating, please let me know now¡ªdon¡¯t regret it later.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Heroes remained dead silent despite Prince Alsus¡¯s pressure. ¡°Are there really no more willing participants?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± It didn¡¯t matter if they were called pathetic cowards. To them, a fantasy world was a cool playground for them to have fun in, just like the main character! And it was a playground they didn¡¯t want to die in. No, they¡¯d already died plenty of times before. Their failures were covered thanks to the Saintess wielding the miracle of resurrection like some RPG. Without the Saintess¡­? They wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to give up the tempting services from the Temple to run off. ¡°We can¡¯t.¡± ¡°This is a bit much¡­¡± Of course, there was a chance they could be able to have a safe, successful hunt because the orcs, supposedly stronger than the gnolls, may not be as strong as they thought. But how could they be sure? Most people don¡¯t gamble with their only life. Furthermore, the Heroes, having grown up in a peaceful land far away from death threats, were all the more repulsed by it. ¡°Is there really no one?¡± ¡°Prince Alsus¡­¡± The Saintess, who had only been looking out the window as if lost in thought the entire time, interrupted. ¡°That¡¯s enough. You did your best in persuading the Heroes.¡± ¡°Not at all¡­¡± ¡°Now it is time to respect their choices.¡± Prince Alsus nodded to the top executive of the matter and proceeded to inform the Heroes. ¡°Heroes who are not participating in the tournament, please go back to your quarters and pack your bags.¡± ¡°Our bags?¡± ¡°Why so suddenly?¡± The Saintess explained it to the confused Heroes, ¡°The tournament has already begun. We intend to specifically support those with the courage and will to take down the Demon King. This was part of the test.¡± ¡°How could this be¡­?!¡± ¡°No way!¡± The Heroes tried to refute that it was unfair for them to get kicked out just for not participating in the tournament, but they were unsuccessful in changing the Saintess¡¯s mind. ¡°We¡¯ll participate!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it too!¡± The Heroes wished to participate a step too late. They weren¡¯t going to give it their all in a dangerous tournament where one death meant the end of everything. They¡¯d just sit back and watch from afar until the end! But their gimmick wasn¡¯t accepted. The reason being,.. ¡°True Heroes must save people even if they don¡¯t get anything in return. If Heroes quibble over profit, how different are they from mercenaries?¡± ¡°But the winning nominees are already decided!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s why we gave up so fast!¡± Countless excuses rang from the room. The Saintess silenced them all with a gentle smile. ¡°So you already know who should get more support, then?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Oh?!¡± Unable to argue back, the Heroes trudged away to pack their things. Only a very small number of Heroes were left. With the exception of Oh Hanwoo, who wasn¡¯t even in the rankings, everyone else was all at the top. Choi Kangmin, Jang Miyeon, Yoo Bora¡­ The Saintess congratulated them all with a bewitching smile. ¡°Congratulations. May God¡¯s blessing be with the Heroes who passed the tournament¡¯s first round.¡± The tournament had already begun. *** Whoosh~ A barren plain without a single leaf in sight. Even though half of that catastrophe was the female demon¡¯s doing, I still couldn¡¯t believe an environmental activist Earthling like me was also responsible. Jiggle¡­ Jigglejiggle¡­ The slimes nearby seemed to be scolding me. ¡°You guys are everywhere, huh?¡± Jigglejiggle~ Jiggle~ Not only did the slimes clean the environment, but they also contributed to land development as well! Aside from that¡­ [A certain god drills you for not acting like an outsider.] [A certain god suggests throwing the demon out.] ¡°Chill.¡± [A certain god stamps their feet in discomfort.] ¡°Jeez¡­¡± I returned to the city as I calmed down the raging god. ¡°$ horn #^?¡± ¡°A demon? $¡­?¡± A lot of people were staring at me for holding a female demon. So what if she was a demon? Not only was I the leader of two demons as of then, but I had also been sexually assaulted by a female fairy before, too. I wasn¡¯t odd enough to be a spectacle. Above all¡­ [A certain god is uncomfortable.] [A certain god is uncomfortable.] [A certain god is¡­] ¡®I think the odd one is this god getting uncomfortable over an outsider hugging a demon.¡¯ [A certain god is uncomfortable.] [A certain god is uncomfortable.] [A certain god runs away.] ¡°Huh? They ran away?¡± ¡®What the hell is going on?¡¯ Chapter 45 [Translator ¨C Woni ] Chapter 45 [Act 13] Demons ¡°God? Hey, god? Outsider god? You there?¡± I couldn¡¯t see them with my inferior human eyes, but they would always make their presence known through messages. But there weren¡¯t any messages anymore. It was the first time that had ever happened, I was almost feeling awkward about it. ¡°Are you for real¡­?¡± Apparently, in fantasies, gods can run away if they¡¯re uncomfortable. I didn¡¯t worry about it too much, though. It was just a little baffling. [Outsider] After all, my Blessing wouldn¡¯t be safe and sound like that if the outsider god had really left completely. There was a chance they kept it there as a parting gift, but that wasn¡¯t possible because of the second effect of the Blessing. [Outsider] ? The outsider will be reset from all statuses except for death. ? A scary thing will happen if the lone wolf leaves the wilderness! The main reason god ran away was because I went astray from the path of a lone wolf. Yet they still left me with the Blessing? Their actions weren¡¯t adding up, so it could only be seen as them going out for a bit, not an escape. I was sure they¡¯d come crawling back as if nothing happened once they got some fresh air and felt better. But.. ¡°It feels empty all of sudden¡­¡± Maybe the silence was intimidating me. As expected of a lively city with the biggest slave market in western Fantasia, it was bustling, but I couldn¡¯t hear anything. ¡°#@! Thank you! %#!¡± ¡°%^? $#@ please.¡± ¡°Sir! You can¡¯t %# $.¡± Even as an alien who wasn¡¯t fluent with the language, I could start to pick up some of the fantasy natives¡¯ conversations. Although they were all just meaningless noises if I didn¡¯t concentrate too much. The only one I could have a normal conversation with¡­ ¡°Still in deep slumber.¡± Wasn¡¯t budging after passing out. I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d notice even if someone snatched her away! [Outsider] [Fairy] I didn¡¯t have too hard of a time thanks to the powers I¡¯d acquired from the Blessings. If it weren¡¯t for them, I would have thrown that stubborn demon to the streets already. ¡°Move! $# move!¡± ¡°Passing by! #$ #!¡± ¡°#$! #%$ way!¡± Rumble. Clank clank. Soldiers in full metal body armor made their way through the busy streets towards the city exit. What was happening? My past self would have ignored that, but I couldn¡¯t after I¡¯d almost murdered the prince of the nation. It was possible those soldiers were dispatched because of me. ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°Hm? What ##?¡± So I decided to ask a passing resident! Although my linguistics were improving by the day, I couldn¡¯t form sentences that were too complex. I kept it as short and concise as possible¡­ ¡°What those soldiers?¡± ¡°Ah! Are you % #$? There were #[email protected] outside of the city not too long ago. They¡¯re trying to #$ that.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± So, in short, it looked like they were going to #$ for #$%. ¡®¡­What the hell is that supposed to mean?¡¯ Instead of telling resident A to cut it out with the proper nouns, I asked resident B. ¡°Excuse me. What those soldiers?¡± ¡°Hm? #$% accent. The soldiers are going to hunt the #$% monsters outside the city.¡± ¡°Aha! Thank you.¡± After that, I asked residents C and D to fill in the information that I¡¯d missed. It felt like putting together a jigsaw puzzle! There had apparently been a loud noise outside of the city, and the soldiers were ordered to hunt down the monsters who¡¯d made the noise. ¡°Outsider god, how¡¯s that for my perfect deduction skills¡­? oh! You ran away¡­¡± It felt awfully empty. I was always annoyed because the god would talk to me non-stop, but it seemed I¡¯ve already become familiar with that fantasy lifestyle. ¡®I wonder when they¡¯re coming back. One week? One month? One year? A decade¡­?¡¯ ¡°Welp.¡± It wasn¡¯t something a mere human could do anything about even if they tried. It¡¯s not like I could ask a mercenary guild to find a lost god. All I could do was do what I could and wait for them to come back. ¡°Zzz zzz.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± First things first, I had to drop my things off at an inn so I could move freely. *** The Saintess declared the first round of the tournament had ended; the Heroes who refused to participate in the tournament were to pack their belongings. ¡°Round one¡­? Ah!¡± ¡°Oh my! Could it be?¡± The Heroes who wanted to participate quickly processed the situation: This tournament wasn¡¯t a ¡®choice¡¯ but a ¡®duty¡¯ from the beginning. Just as a student was required to take tests at school, Heroes couldn¡¯t ignore a Heroes¡¯s responsibilities. If they did, they were no longer Heroes. ¡°Saintess?¡± She may not have been the class president representing her class anymore, yet Yoo Bora cautiously raised her hand with her leaving classmates in her thoughts. A small smile was drawn onto the Saintess¡¯ lips as she watched the girl. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°What will become of the Heroes who are no longer here?¡± ¡°Not much will change, they will simply have less support than before. The extra funds will be reinvested in one of you.¡± ¡°The victor, right?¡± ¡°That is correct.¡± ¡°Thank you for the kind response.¡± ¡°It was a good question, Hero Yoo Bora.¡± Translator ¨C Woni Just then, one boy¡¯s voice broke the sibling-like, friendly atmosphere between the two. ¡°Saintess, you said a holy sword was the winning prize, but doesn¡¯t the holy sword choose its own owner?¡± It was ¡®ex Hero¡¯ Oh Hanwoo, who¡¯d barged in to declare his participation in the tournament. The Saintess¡¯s smile was wiped off her face as she responded in a curt manner. ¡°You can see for yourself after you win.¡± ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is¡­ maybe there isn¡¯t a need for the tournament if the holy sword chooses its own owner. Oh! Of course, I¡¯m going to stay in the tournament even after I become the holder of the holy sword.¡± He sounded certain the holy sword was going to choose him. Choi Kangmin finally exploded at that arrogant attitude. ¡°Oh Hanwoo! Don¡¯t act like you¡¯ve already won!¡± It was the arrogant, impudent attitude of an ¡®outsider¡¯ who wouldn¡¯t even have held his head up in school back on Earth. Choi Kangmin, knowing full well that he provided grounds for his confidence, felt like he was going mad. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have let my guard down!¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that he let his guard down in particular, but he regretted not crushing him with more caution. That baffling situation wouldn¡¯t have started in the first place if he had. ¡°Oh! Sorry if you feel uncomfortable. I was only telling the truth.¡± ¡°You bastard..!¡± Just before things took a turn for the worse, Prince Alsus got involved. ¡°Hero Oh Hanwoo. You are not yet fit for this position.¡± ¡°What? What are you saying¡­?¡± ¡°Before you talk about being the holder of the holy sword, you must be a Hero first. Did you already forget about our agreement?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Follow me. If you are truly the owner of the holy sword, you would have the power to guard it as well. I¡¯ll look forward to it.¡± ¡°W-wait!¡± ¡°Follow me. Are you not going to participate?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m participating! But isn¡¯t it too early to spar?! There still isn¡¯t enough time or the budget¡­!¡± Oh Hanwoo was no fool. In fact, he thought himself to be well-informed regarding fantasy worlds. Even if he was the overpowered main character, he was still in the developing phase. He didn¡¯t have the skills to defeat one of the absolute rulers, the representative of a nation. ¡°Follow me.¡± ¡°Prince Alsus, can¡¯t we push back the sparring by one year? It¡¯s hard for me to defeat you right now.¡± ¡°Were you trying to win? Don¡¯t worry about that. Defeating me isn¡¯t part of the agreement.¡± ¡°Then why¡­?¡± ¡°You gave up your Hero status with ease. Someone like that would give up easily again even if they return.¡± ¡°I will not!¡± As long as Celebless the fairy wanted a ¡®Hero¡¯, he didn¡¯t plan to give it up anytime soon. ¡°Is there any way you can prove yourself?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m the main charac¡­ Ahem! Anyways, just trust me!¡± Oh Hanwoo cried out, full of the ¡®groundless confidence¡¯ that countless protagonists in fantasy genres showed. [Special] ¡°Prove it right now.¡± Yet Prince Alsus didn¡¯t bat an eye. [Resistance] [Politics] [Courage] It wasn¡¯t as much as the Heroes who were chosen by the gods themselves, but Prince Alsus was a nation¡¯s heir trained since birth to acquire various Blessings. His level, Blessings, achievements, abilities¡­ Although the Heroes would one day surpass him, it was not yet that day. ¡°Follow me.¡± ¡°Agh¡­¡± Instinctively knowing what he wouldn¡¯t be able to get out of it no matter how hard he tried, Oh Hanwoo¡¯s expression turned grim. Wouldn¡¯t the plot be too infuriating if the main character was in a losing, one-sided fight? It would be nice if there was a twist where he could get a blow in like he did with Choi Kangmin, but the problem was that there didn¡¯t seem to be any hope with Prince Alsus. He couldn¡¯t imagine himself winning. ¡°Are you giving up?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then try and get a blow in against me. Even the level 1 boy who crushed your face was able to do so.¡± ¡°Really¡­?¡± Oh Hanwoo thought of the bastard bully¡¯s mean face. It couldn¡¯t be! That loud coward hiding behind a muscular slave was able to strike the prince? He couldn¡¯t believe it, but it was undeniable when the Prince, whose reputation was highly regarded, said it himself. ¡°Enough with all the preface. If you don¡¯t follow me, I¡¯ll take it as you giving up your Hero status and the tournament.¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± If a mere extra could do it, so could he! ¡ªWas what Oh Hanwoo thought. Pow! Pow! Pow! That was before he was beaten until his bones rattled. [A certain evil god complains there isn¡¯t enough popcorn. [A certain battle god watches harmoniously.] [A certain impatient demon god urges you to hit harder.] [A certain god¡­] Having quite a bit of resentment towards Oh Hanwoo, Prince Alsus did not go easy. It didn¡¯t matter if he died because the Saintess was nearby. As a result, ¡®Hero¡¯ Oh Hanwoo acquired a new Blessing! [Survival] > The chances of you not dying in every instance greatly increases! > The only answer you¡¯ll get if you wonder how you survived will be a headache. ¡°A-as I thought, the main character has to fall to get back up stronger¡­¡± Plop! Oh Hanwoo, a tattered mess covered from head to toe and covered in dirt, jabbered to himself as he passed out. In the meantime¡­ [A certain god takes a close look at the schedule.] [A certain god takes a detour around the tattered mess as they sneak out.] *** [A certain god sneaks back in.] [A certain god peeks.] ¡°Hm? Oh! You¡¯re back earlier than I thought.¡± I figured the god with a very loose concept of time wouldn¡¯t be back for a ¡®brief¡¯ couple of years. But already? It was like a kindergartener coming back after hiding in the neighborhood playground! I wasn¡¯t even sure if they¡¯d really run off. [A certain god praises themself for the lonely adventure.] [A certain god urges you to compliment them.] ¡°Yeah, yeah. Good work.¡± I didn¡¯t know where they had run off to, but it was a relief to see they were feeling better about the ordeal with the female demon. And with good timing, too. ¡°Whew.¡± I¡¯d just arrived at the inn I¡¯d reserved before running away from the city. I¡¯d wandered around for a while because the rude navigator Kogmos wasn¡¯t there anymore, but it was fine. I came back safely, after all. Toss~ I carelessly threw Diaroka onto the bed. [A certain god is now comfortable.] [A certain god compliments the outsider.] ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s really something to get praise for, but thanks anyways.¡± Maybe the beds were extra soft because the inn was luxurious. ¡°Zzz zzz.¡± The female demon didn¡¯t wake up even though I threw her with personal force. It must¡¯ve meant that was how bad the aftereffects of our fight were. Unless she was pretending to be asleep to look for a chance to run away. ¡°Hm¡­¡± She was just like a golden calf. I was starting to get an extremely bad feeling about leaving that slave who¡¯d tried to run away before alone at the inn¡­ But I had no choice but to get going. It would feel worse if I let even one of those slave stealers that tried to kill me go. [Massacre] [Slaughter] I felt the curses spurring my soul every time my murderous intent grew. It felt electric¡ªa sensation I couldn¡¯t possibly describe, but it was as if I was secretly drinking a carbonized drink that wasn¡¯t good for my bones. In other words, it felt awesome. [A certain god asks if you are finally leaving that demon.] ¡°Nope. I¡¯m just her in the inn for a bit.¡± [A certain god expresses regret.] [A certain god asks where you are going.] ¡°Thief hunting.¡± [A certain god asks where you¡¯re headed after that.] ¡®After that?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I didn¡¯t think that far ahe¡ª¡± [A certain god nags you to go to the Academy.] ¡°The Academy¡­?] [A certain god drills you into going to the Academy.] ¡°¡­.¡± It looked like god got hooked onto the Academy after going out(running away) for a bit.