《Is this Hero for Real?》 Chapter 1: Welcome to the [Prologue]! Chapter 1: Wee to the [Prologue]! Wee to the [Prologue]! Oh, chosen heroes! I wee you all to the world of Fantasia! This unforeseen event urred when the homeroom teacher briefly left the ssroom during the end-of-day meeting. Gasp! What a beautiful woman Is this a prank? Amazing! Could this be? Where is this ce? Every student in the ssroom, including me, was engulfed in confusion. The smartphone in my pocket became nothing but a brick, and the usual concrete buildings in the area couldnt 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 thews of physics and gravity. The beautiful woman who called us heroes introduced herself with an elegant voice. Please rx. I am a goddess who summoned you all here for you to save this world of Fantasia from the great demon kings ambitions. A goddess. It was an introduction too absurd for an atheist like myself toprehend. However, Icked the evidence to reject her ims. We were transferred to another world This isnt 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 didnt 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! Its not a dream. I wonder if its because this situation far exceededmon 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 Ive seen Oh Hanwoo this assertive. Yes, you may ask me anything youd 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 goddesss short answer, cheered while clenching his fist. What a strange guy. Im d I was never close to him. I also have a question! Following Oh Hanwoo, a shy female student with hair dyed blonde that stood out butted in. If this is a fantasy world, its 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 be 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 youre 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 goddesss voice be smoother after discovering an attractive man,pared to when she was talking to Oh Hanwoo. Is the most outstanding one among us chosen as the hero? No. So youre saying all of us are heroes, regardless of our abilities. Yes. However, that doesnt mean all of you are granted the same powers. Only after youre acknowledged by the various gods of Fantasia and received their blessings will you be reborn as a true hero. A gods acknowledgement and blessing. Thank you for your reply. Fufu! Can you tell me your name, confident hero? Its Choi Gangmin. Hero Choi Gangmin. I will look forward to your great performance. Choi Gangmin. Hes an all-rounder who truly shows that life is unfair. Hes objectively handsome, good at studying, sports, and games, has a good reputation Though he sometimes acts high and mighty, even that sole w is overwritten by his warm-heartedness. Though hes my friend, I rarely have a chance to talk to him since hes always surrounded by female students. Is he my friend? I at least know hes 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 ss president, Yu Bora. ss 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 shy as a golden calf, is absent, all the male students gazes go to her. Though the person in question isnt 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 Im 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. ss President Yu Bora tried to open her mouth again, but she was pushed aside due to her surroundings bing 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 ce, but the goddess answered all our questions with sincerity. Though her answers did be more brief as time passed. Are there any more questions? The goddess who had be 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 exined earlier? Your wish will be granted after defeating the great demon king. Im hoping to return to Earth because I dont 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 its impossible to send me back? Of course, its 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 copse? How can someone who worries his family save the world? Thats what I think. What is your name? Its Kang Hansoo. Kang Hansoo. It is a name that my parents gave me after careful consideration. My friends seem like they cant wait to save a world that they know nothing about, but I cant afford to worry about others. How can someone like me whos scared of a neighborhood thug save the world? Its not even funny. If there is anyone like him who doesn''t want to be 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 goddesss smile, which was briefly disturbed due to me, had recovered. Kang Hansoo-ssi? I will ask you, who does not fit in this ce meant for heroes, to leave. Oh, okay. I was shocked, but I had noints. My friends who would be heroes said their farewells to me. Please let my parents know! Mine too! Hansoo! Mine as well! Please tell Younghee that Im sorry! Ill be back soon! sh-! I, who was wrapped in a mysterious light, left that ce 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 its actually the pollution thats suffocating. No, I was supposed to return. That damn scamming bitch! Ill kill her! Ill definitely kill her! If I survive this ce, Ill 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 man-eating monsters. Chapter 2: [Act 1] Prologue (?) Chapter 2: [Act 1] Prologue (?) [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 exmations 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 wee the heroes to the Fantasia dimension. Another beauty A goddess? Wouldnt she be the saintess? Shes so pretty The male students reactions were honest. However, the female students werent in the position to criticize them either. Look back there. What? Gasp?! Whoa! Hes so handsome I wonder if hes a prince? The students werepletely head over heels for the saintess who weed 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 goddesss 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 isnt 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 mmed open the great doors of the temple that was supposed to be quiet, and yelled with herrge eyes full of tears. Im 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 thatst 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 everyones concerns, the girl got back up as if nothing had happened and got busy making excuses. The temples floors are so slippery! Im sure of it, since I didnt trip once until I got here! As no one was responding to her, the girls face turned as red as a beet. However, that was only for a moment; the male students started to get intensely fired up. Shes cute! Shes so cute! Youre so cute, princess! All hail fantasy! The surrounding knights and priests frowned at the heroesck 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 saintesss patience was not as bottomless as the goddess. She is the princess of the Archmazing Kingdom that rules thend 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] [Dividend] 0.64 Whats 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. Thats why he was diligently browsing through the status window that he managed to open on his own without anyones exnation. Princes? Princesses? I can meet people like them anytime once I increase my level and skills. Its 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 lets check the Hero blessing." [Hero] -> Automatically trantes thenguages of races amicable towards the hero. -> Dramatically increases the experience points gained through hunting and achievements! Dramatically increases experience points? He wasnt sure how effective that dramatic increase was, but if there was no level cap, then it was truly a broken effect. The automatic trantion function would also be very useful. If there was one thing on his mind, it was that there werepetitors 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 ss and abilities. Though its a world thats 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 Its 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, thats 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 ss 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 its 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. Whats 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 gods blessing. Excuse me! What do we do if we dont receive a gods 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-ck 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 hadnt protected my head with my bag, I would already have suffered a concussion from their stone-throwing. Dangerous! This is too dangerous! Im not a marathon runner. It was clear that I would copse 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 goddesss trick. Anything is fine, so please! [Name] Kang Hansoo [Level] 1 [Blessing] [Curse] Hero E [Dividend] 2.56 Huh? It really appeared? Personal information was disyed in front of my eyes like a translucent hologram. It was undoubtedly the status window that the wicked goddess exined 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 dejectedugh. [Hero] -> Automatically trantes thenguages 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 theres a permanent penalty on the experience points, the requirement to increase your level? Its no different from telling me to give up on the status window, the cornerstone of a fantasy world. Thenguage function is also This effect may be good, considering its a curse, but that wasnt the case after experiencing it first-hand. Give me your heart! Meat! Human meat! Lets 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 trantions were unwee. Hello, my meat-loving friends! Lets talk it out! The lunch spoke?! Meat! Talking meat! Lets 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 whos leaving before you. This is all because of that damn wicked goddess #$^$%^%$^%$#^ #$%^$%^#%^#$%^$%#^#$ $#%^%$^ Just then, multiple cries could be heard from the pitch-ck 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 regrly appeared in fantasy worlds. No, I dont care about that. Keuk! Damn savages! To think they would attack a normal person being chased by man-eating monsters! Even if my words dont get through to them, theres no way civilized people who are capable of regr thoughts would do something like this. I used the chance of the elves and hyenas fighting to escape behind arge tree. I knew that this ce wasnt 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 Im 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.] Whats 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 REAPER SCANS Chapter 3 [A certain god asks why you are alone.] The reason why Im alone. It is because of a damn goddess who kidnapped someone who was living well on Earth. However, I cant 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! Therge 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 doesnt 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 Ive crashnded in a ce 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 sphemy if I exin 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 Ive made the mistake of a lifetime, but Im sure its just my imagination. Please save me. [A certain god asks whether you are also an outsider] No way! Im not an outsider, Im an insider. It is the opposite of an outsider. I became an outsider because all of my peers were unfilial, but Im most definitely an insider. However Im also an outsider. Thats why mypanions 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 gods finger, so whats with the pickiness? This wont do. Once the fantasy hyenas chase away the savages, Ill be next. My leg that the elfs arrow pierced was also eating away at my life. In other words, I had no time. Therefore, lets try my luck. Its natural for outsiders to help each other. But I guess thats not the case for gods. [A certain god says that there are no distinctions between outsiders.] Y-Yes, youre right. Though being an outsider isnt 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 exined by thews of physics nor science. It was truly a gods 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 crashnded 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 exnation 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 exnation of the blessing also became weird because I said something strange, but it wasnt to the extent that it was iprehensible. All statuses reset. It represents the miracle that returned my near-dead body topletely 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 contemtion whether to help me or not, but this god was extremely selfish. [A certain god deres that they only help outsiders.] Oh, okay. I had noints. I did forcibly be an outsider because of that condition, but its not like I canmunicate with the natives of this fantasy world. Except for those monsters. I guess I wont be getting along with people. For now, lets 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! Lets 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 its injured? That its 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 mmed 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 gods 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 wasnt lip service. This blessing wasnt 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 Im even swallowed up by fear. To summarize this Outsider blessing Infinite vitality! Abnormal status immunity! Infinite energy! I feel like Ill find more if I try, but it was amazing even right now. Are all gods blessings like this? Itspletely 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 its 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. #$%@$ @#%$$##$%#$% #$%[emailprotected]#$%#$%#$%#$%! $#%^#$^#$%^! %^&#%$ @#$^&*^#$%#$! The elves did not just stand idly by as their own people were about to be 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 myposure 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 theyll kill me painfully if I didnt stop. Hm. Should I just bite off my tongue? Wouldnt it be better if I justmitted suicide rather than have terrible things happen to me after being captured alive by those man-eating monsters? Though Im a coward who cant even injure himself, I feel like right now with fear suppressed, I could do it. [A certain god advises that you wont die with just that.] Thank you for the bleak advice! All statuses except for death. It seems like as long as it isnt 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 n, I ended up on a very steep cliff. I had nowhere else to run. Will I live? [A certain god congrattes 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 contemting 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 Im captured, or endure by defeating them all. Okay. Ive decided. [Hero] Here! Pay attention! Ill 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 butugh. 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! Thats 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 oue first, I survived. Though I felt my entire body squashed t 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 mmed t into the hard dirt bare-bodied. They truly are monsters. Though its not like their bodies werepletely fine, its surprising that theyre even alive after falling from that height. [A certain god is admiring your survivability.] Its nothing much. If it wasnt for the Outsider blessing, I would be a living corpse, just like them. Meat! Energetic! Human meat! Fresh meat! Im 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 aplete failure! The fantasy hyenas who confirmed their races futile deaths stopped the reckless act. Weird meat! Elf meat! Coming! Vexed! Meat! The bastards who were ring 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. Its time for a review. This is a fantasy world full of hopes and dreams. Anyone can raise their level and be the strongest, and the best, regardless of talent or identity. If theyre extremely lucky, that is! Meat Weak meat My lunch In that aspect, Im on the lucky side, since I survived against the strong. The status windows of the bastards that I couldnt pay attention to because I was so busy running for my life came into my view. [Name] Blue Moons Meat Butcher [Level] 3 [Blessing] [Curse] Level 3. The level of the man-eating monster that wielded daggers, Blue Moons Meat Butcher, was higher than mine. The other two that were still alive were the same. Arent your names quite romantic? But the day that they butcher meat under the blue moon will nevere. Raise. I raised the rock. I had no reason to hesitate. ording to the goddesss exnation, you can raise your level with the experience you gain from hunting like in RPGs. PR/N: RPG means role-ying game, not rocket-propelled grenade. Its time to get stronger. Thank you. I survived because of you all, so goodbye. Th-the meat Im the meat? Wham-! A blow with hopes and dreams poured into it! Its time to raise my shit level. Chapter 4: [Act 2] Blessing & Curse Chapter 4: [Act 2] Blessing & Curse REAPER SCANS 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 saintesss exnations while sitting in a floating garden with countless statues of gods in it. There are two main ways for you all to be stronger 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 Im getting tired. Wheres the washroom? When are we gonna get some food~ I dont 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 exnation, as if she didnt 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 exnation like a machine was the ss president, Yu Bora. The ss president. Though its a meaningless title now that shes entered the world of Fantasia, its not like the reason why she became the ss president disappeared along with it. She is a diligent honor student. She was even taking notes so that she wouldnt miss a single word of the saintesss exnation. But as soon as she had a question, she asked immediately, as she always did in school. Yes, thats what I said. The saintess repliedposedly without a change in her expression, even after she was interrupted. Even when were doing our business or washing ourselves? There are no exceptions. Thats! 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 ims that theyre no different from the air.] Will it really be alright? The hero of shy looks, Jang Miyeon, crossed her legs as if she was mocking Yu Boras worries. ss prez, its not like theyre gonna wear down if you show them, right? Though of course, theyre 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 wasnt good either. [A certain earth god stares with eyes as dry as a desert.] [A certain god is ufortable.] [A certain water god stares with unweing eyes.] Though the reactions were prizing, 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] [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. Whats this scent? A flower? Sniff, sniff. Its 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 inbat, 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 note 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 thepliment. 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, its 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 rtions.] Oh no Its toote. 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? Arent 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 dont 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 exin it. This doesnt count! I didnt 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 rtions! The curses effect was no different from a bane to Jang Miyeons dream of a fantasy romance. [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 wouldnt ever dare to use it again! [A certain innocent goddess stares intently.] [A certain god ys 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? Wouldnt 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 itll hurt even more as the rank increases?! Yes. Aah! Its over My life ispletely 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 dont 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 be 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. Ill pray for you every morning! Huh? Okay. Ill always cheer you on by your side! Okay! Okay! I got it, so you can stop. Ah?! Did I speak too much? Im sorry! No, theres no need to be sorry As Jang Miyeon calmed down, the saintesss exnation progressed faster. No, its more urate to say that after Jang Miyeons sacrifice, detailed exnations 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 eximed. Good work, everyone! Weve prepared a weing feast for you all, so please enjoy it to your hearts content! Wow! Finally! The hungry heroes all cheered. Prince Alsus guided them all to the kitchen and calmly exined 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 youd 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 wont 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 toprehend the question. If you do not need the greatest swordsmanship and magic of the continent of Fantasia, then thats fine. Oh! Then is it okay to go outside the temple during the free training time? Of course. Yes! Oh Hanwoo, the self-proimed fantasy professor, had a n of his own. Training? Thats something that extras who dont have broken cheat abilities do. He, the main character of this fantasy world, ns to gather cute and lovingrades and explore ruins andbyrinths. Hero Oh Hanwoo, do you have any other questions? I dont. 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. Whats the problem? Hes still level 1! His level hasnt changed. Its 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 ispletely useless for anything other than the blessing. But since that one merit is so good, Ill endure it. [A certain god is bored because youve been doing nothing but running.] Me too. [A certain god suggests you do something else.] After I find a person. Its not like my problems would be solved after getting away from the fantasy animals. [Outsider] I dont need any food nor breaks thanks to this broken trait, but this ce is still dangerous. Thats why Im trying to find a friendly human vige. [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 doesnt give me any chance to recover, then this broken blessing is useless. God. [A certain god firmly says that they wont help.] Oh, okay. Thats why, regardless of food, clothing, and shelter, there is a need to make a safe human ce to live in as a base. Im not hoping for a map, Id 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 Im receiving a prayer from a god! What an extremely absurd honor! If they were next to me, I wouldve given them an uppercut. Outsider god, Ive also be a little stronger while fighting. Slip- I fiddled with the spoils that the fantasy hyena, Blue Moons Meat Butcher, was holding in its hand. A stiletto. A dagger designed for stabbing. However, it was a specially made item with an umon de, 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 Id 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 Im not gonna die. I havent been caught yet, but the distance between me and the ones rummaging around the bushes is decreasing. Its only a matter of time until Im caught. Thats why Im nning on ambushing them before I get caught, but its too foolish to charge in while only believing in the Outsider blessing. Im a cultured citizen of Earth who received a high school-level education. Im nning 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? Theres no rule that you can only use fantasy in a fantasy world, is there? Ill show these savage fantasy monsters the power of physics. Chapter 5: [Act 2] Blessing & Curse Chapter 5: [Act 2] Blessing & Curse REAPER SCANS Chapter 5 Whoosh~ I swung around the vine with the rock tied on its end. Ugh?! Isnt this harder than I expected?! It was hard enough just to keep my bnce 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, ufortable,fortable, ufortable 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 Im certain I wont die. Meat! Its 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. Lets 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 ns 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. Arent 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 n wasnt 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 n in front of me. I can understand you, you know? Meat! Scary meat! Youre not going anywhere! Talking meat?! Thwack! The rock hit thest 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 werepletely out of it. Phew In any case, I survived. Though I couldnt return to my home star Earth that was so breathtakingly beautiful from the pollution, whats most important right now is that Im alive. [A certain god slightly raises their assessment of you.] Youre so cheap! Though I survived thanks to the gods 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, dont move. Talking meat?! If you dont want to get hurt, tell me where the humans live. It may be a pointless question,since theres no guarantee that the bastard wont lie out of spite. But its alright. I can just capture more hyenas in the future to increase the uracy of the information. This was just the beginning. [A certain god states that youve be a very arrogant outsider.] Thats just how men are. Its 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 dont know the naturalws of the dimension Fantasia, it could be east. Regardless, it didnt 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 dont want your head to be split open. Gnoll. Gnoll, huh I think Ive seen polygons that look simr to these guys in the game that I used to enjoy ying for a bit. Is that why the Hero curse tranted the word as gnoll? Or is their races name actually gnoll? Meat! Spare me! Anyway, thanks for teaching me. Goodbye. Thwack- Its no problem, since I never said Id 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. ording to my fantasy knowledge, gnolls are bipedal monsters that resemble hyenas. The reason why I couldnt 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 mademercially avable 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 thete 15th century, and the Industrial Revolution began in thete 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 fiancs gun, wouldnt it? The story wouldnt progress if a power-gaming protagonist got nuked while in a mill. Heres a problem. How civilized would a true fantasy world where magic exists be? A chamber pot Theres 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 havent bathed. However, the squeamish heroes had bad looks on their faces after doing their business. What? There are some good points too, arent there? You should put up with it a little. Its 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. Comining about it doesnt 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 whod like to pursue the path of a swordsman can follow me. You are free to change anytime if you feel that it doesnt 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 muchst night. Since shes an earnest person, shell 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] [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 hes the most special, mustnt he? Do your best. You might at least be able to take the position of the protagonists Rival A. Hahaha! The protagonist Oh Hanwoo who left the temple enthusiastically entered a building that tough men endlessly entered and exited. Thump! Wee. On what business have you visited the Mercenary Guild? A cute receptionist weed the boy she met for the first time with a business smile. Oh Hanwoo suppressed his beating heart and answered energetically. Ivee to register as a mercenary! Mercenary! It is a standard route that countless fantasy protagonists select. You could call it a necessary upation if you dont want to be affiliated anywhere. At that moment, a cheerful womans voice called him. [Special] Hey, this isnt a ce 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. Ive seen countless boys like you who be 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 kingdoms princess or youngdy whos hiding her identity. There was only one thing that the protagonist would say to the beautiful girl. What if I dont want to? Really If youre so worried, then how about you try apanying me? Its bad to judge a book by its cover, dont 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 godughs his ass off.] * * * Talking meat! Meat! Strong! Theres 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. Thats 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? Theres no way. [Outsider] If it wasnt 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 didnt lie. Even if they did, it was very bad. They dont live in the west! Meat! Meat vige! Not there! Vige! Far over there! The human vige is to the west. Theres no doubt, since Ive asked countless gnolls. Though I didnt know how much farther I had to go, I was certain that I was heading towards a human vige. [A certain god grumbles that it is quite a shame.] Do you want me to die? [A certain god states that they couldnt 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 its impossible topletely evade them due to their highly-developed sense of smell. My body was covered in gnoll blood. Theyll keep gathering endlessly until I wash it off mepletely. Sigh No matter how many I kill, they just keeping. 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 Im not surrounded, Im confident that Ille out victorious. Stab! Sink! I sank the Blue Butcher into the heads of the gnolls that continuously considered me their prey. Blue Butcher. Its the name that I gave to this dagger to honor its previous owner, the Blue Moons 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 iprehensible conversation from afar. #$%^ #$%^#$%^ #$%^? #$%^ #$%^#$%^#$%^ #$%^#$%^. #$%^#$%^ #$%^#$%^#$%^#$%^. Elves again? I sneakily approached the source of the voice while being wary of the elves arrows. Ah! People! It was a three-person mercenary party made up of two burly male swordsmen and one slender female archer. They were the fantasy natives that Id been searching for all night. #$%^#$%^#$%^?! #$%^#$%^ #$%^ #$%^#$%^! #$%^ #$%^#$%^#$%^? The mercenaries who found me a beatter pulled out their weapons. Please wait! Im looking for a vige ah! They cant understand me. Then its all or nothing! Slip- I put the Blue Butcher back into my pocket and put both my hands up in the air. Surrender! Objection to violence! This alien wont bite people! #$%^#$%^#$%^? #$%^ #$%^#$%^ #$%^? #$%^#$%^. 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! Lets hope that my bodynguage 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 Chapter 6 Kang Hansoo. ^%$#^%$# ^%$#. ^%$# Kang Hansoo ^%$#^%$# ^%$#^%$#^%$# ^%$#? ^%$#^%$# ^%$# ^%$#^%$#. Im a science nerd. A secondnguage was my weakest subject that destroyed my average grade. Id be more confident if I were told to learn calculus or chemical forms of this fantasy world. [A certain god firmly states that youre not acting like an outsider.] Okay, okay. [A certain god grumbles at you not to answer half-heartedly.] God, youre bound to speak lightly to someone youve gotten close to. [A certain god firmly states not to act close.] Though Ive finally met people, this god was the only person that I could properly converse with. How sad. But I was relieved that I met friendly humans. I couldnt view their status windows, but there was no way these well-equipped mercenaries would be weaker than a level 1 like me. Gary, Cole, Misa. Those were the names of the mercenaries that I was apanying. ^%$#^%$#. ^%$# ^%$#^%$#^%$#! ^%$# ^%$# The hairy man walking up front was Gary. He was the leader of this party. From how he was carrying a huge sword on his back without any sign of fatigue, he seemed to be very strong. He can probably cut down even an elephant. His weapon was simr to a broadsword, a double-edged weapon specialized for shing, but its thickness and length waspletely different. So this is what fantasies are like! It should at least be that big to hunt giant monsters. I wonder how strong Gary is [A certain god firmly states that hes very weak.] The young mercenary, full of smiles, who was slightly smaller than the burly Gary was Cole. He had normal-sized swords on each side of his leather belt. They were bastard swords which had the benefits of both a light one-handed sword and a heavy two-handed sword. Was he a dual-wielder, one of the ideals of fantasy? Id have to wait and see. Knock, knock. Yes? ^%$# ^%$#^%$#. 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 arge crossbow on her back. She was the sole long-range damage dealer of this party. I could tell from the crossbows size that it wasnt meant for fighting people. Misa, I dont understand what youre 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 wasing out from a houses chimney. It meant that a ce where humans lived was around that area. [A certain god points out that youre not acting like an outsider.] [A certain god is anxious.] Im 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 vige, 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. ^%$#! Kang Hansoo ^%$#^%$# ^%$#^%$#! Gary! ^%$# ^%$# ^%$#^%$#^%$#! ^%$#^%$#^%$#! ^%$#^%$# ^%$#^%$#^%$#^%$#! Misa. Cole! ^%$#^%$# ^%$# ^%$#! The mercenaries who thought up a strategy in anguage that I couldnt understand started to face the gnolls. Fling~ Pierce! Slice! Gary broke the gnolls formation as he swung his broadsword, and Cole killed the ones who were separated from the pack one by one with his longswords. ^%$#^%$#! 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 copsed without being able to do a thing. Meat?! Whats 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 prated all kinds of knights armor that was considered iconic of the Middle Ages. Thats 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 didnt 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 prate knights armor, crossbows had the w of a long reloading time. Thats why I nned on protecting her as she reloaded her crossbow. Stab- I stabbed and shed the gnolls neck with the Blue Butcher that I had in my pocket. Kekek?! Though we were neitherrades nor friends, I needed their cooperation to join the fantasy residents vige due to thenguage barrier. I wanted to earn some trust by fighting alongside them. Gimme meat~! Meat? Meat! Strong meat! Even while excluding such a calcting reason, there were too many to face on my own. Of course, if I were alone, the careless gnolls wouldnt 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 cant live alone. [A certain god firmly states that they dont care.] Well I suppose not. There are many urrences 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! ^%$# ^%$#^%$#^%$#! ^%$# ^%$#^%$#?! Because of that, the battle that I thought would be over quickly was very fierce. There isnt any purpose to hunting prey if the sacrifice is too big, is there? Because of that, the gnolls that ambushed us were well-prepared. However Weak meat! Strong! Scary meat! Is this meat a monster?! Underestimating me was their mistake. As a level 1, I was the weakest one here. However, thanks to my broken trait, I was stronger than a mere level 1. The gnolls that didnt take that into consideration were caught off guard by major losses, and decided to quickly retreat. Give up! Meat! Give up on meat! Bad meat! I let out a deep sigh as I watched the gnoll pack retreat like an ebbing tide. Phew It wouldve been bad if I were the only one left alive. Thankfully the gnolls retreated before the mercenaries died. ^%$#^%$# ^%$# ^%$#. ^%$# ^%$#. ^%$#^%$#^%$#. Gary and Cole seemed to be alright. It was because the gnolls shabby weapons and ws couldnt prate their armor. However, they were full of injuriesrge 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 n because of the gnolls, but you handled it well, Misa. I agree. I thought hed 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 unknownnguage was disgusting. Gary licked his lips. I told you to endure it until we sold him as a ve. Hes right. The priests love to frame people like this as the demons pawns and burn them to death, though hes dead now. Cole grumbled with an unfortunate expression. Hmph! Misa sneered at the twos light criticism. Their original n was to dispose of Kang Hansoo after apanying him to the vige. Him following them obediently while trying to be their friend without knowing that fact was hrious. Gary took stock of the situation. Its unfortunate that we couldnt sell him as a ve, but its true that he was stronger than we expected. Your decision wasnt bad, Misa. Hey, Misa. Werent you happy that he protected you like a ck 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 thats why you killed him before he became a ve! Im getting jealous! Dont sulk. We can go all night tonight. Really?! You promise? But wash up first. Ill kill you too if you dont. Misa and Cole, who were in a rtionship, joked around. Though they had almost died earlier, they epted 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 Hansoos dagger. You said it was expensive, right? Im sure. The engraving that looks like blue deer antlers arent antlers, but a miniaturized family tree of a heroic n. It is the crest of a royal family that only royal elves can use. In other words, its an elven artifact? No way. Its not that rare, but itll 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 strangers right hand. Wow! This guy didnt let go of his weapon until the very end! Isnt that amazing? Cole, dont let your guard down. Though my bolt directly pierced his chest, it didnt pierce his heart. He might still be alive. Cole nodded as he listened to Misas warning. Theres no problem if I do this then, right? Stab! Stab! Cole stabbed Kang Hansoos blood-covered back twice. Even if he miraculously survived until now, he would definitely be dead from that attack. Now then, lets huh?! Cole, who bent forward to pick up the dagger, widened his eyes. It was because he saw something that he shouldnt have. [Name] Kang Hansoo [Level] 1 [Blessing] Outsider F [Curse] Hero E There are two main conditions in which you can see someones 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! sh- 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 theirrade 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 didnt just have a fierce battle. Stab! A dagger pierced Garys neck, which was unguarded because he had taken off his helmet for a break. Kugh! If only I wasnt so tired!, thought the extremely vexed mercenary Gary, who couldnt close his eyes, even in death. ^%$# ^%$#^%$#, Misa. The stranger who removed the dagger from Garys neck turned around. S-stay back! The fear-stricken Misa warned Kang Hansoo with her crossbow aimed at him. Im sure I killed him!, she thought. But she could not believe that the stranger waspletely fine, and that Cole and Gary were killed instead. It felt like she was having a nightmare. Fling- Misa shot her crossbow at Kang Hansoo, who ignored her warning. As he was protecting his head and heart, she shot his leg to take away his mobility. Pierce-! Kang Hansoo, who could not avoid the bolt, swayed and copsed. The next one is the end for you! ^%$#^%$#? However, he got back up as if nothing had happened. H-he recovered? No way! A healing blessing?! Turn! Misa chose to abandon her heavy crossbow and run. Her choice wasnt bad. However Grasp! Kyak?! As she was just as tired as the two other mercenaries who passed away before her, she was caught soon enough. Misa. ^%$#^%$#^%$# ^%$#. The stranger who grabbed her by the hair showed a smile filled with lunacy. F-forgive me! Misa. ^%$# ^%$#^%$#? I was wrong! Ill do anything you want, so please spare me! Please! Please! ^%$#^%$#^%$#. ^%$#^%$# ^%$#. At this moment, the two broke thenguage barrier andmunicated with each other. Chapter 7: [Act 3] Village Chapter 7: [Act 3] VigeWARNING: This chapter contains depictions of sexual assault that may not be suitable for some readers. Reader discretion is advised. [Act 3] Vige 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 bodynguage. Im sorry, be gentle, stop, it hurts, forgive me, spare me Though I learned three or four other cuss words that I didnt 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] I could see Misas status window once she hadpletely submitted to me. Are the gods blessingsmon? She nonchntly 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 didnt 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 Its a bit hard to move around in since its female clothing. [A certain god respects the outsiders tastes.] Thats not it!! It was because Gary and Coles masculine armor was much toorge and heavy for me. On the other hand, I could somewhat fit into Misas slender armor, though it was a little tight in some areas. But still its a bit ufortable. I stuffed my school uniform from Earth that pretty much announced that I was an alien into Garys adventurer bag. Then I wore Misas leather clothes over my underwear. I wonder how I looked in a fantasy residents clothing? Its too bad there was no mirror. [A certain godughs their ass off.] Do I look that ridiculous? I could imagine. Nothing sticks out like a sore thumb more than a newbie wearing shy clothing. Jingle! I couldnt help but feel rich whenever I looked at the money pouch that the three mercenaries saved up. Now, lets go to the vige~ I was no longer anxious about thenguage barrier. Money is moremon than any kind of bodynguage, after all. * * * Princess Ethena waste 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. Im really sorry! Ill work extra hard to make up for lost time! Uh then first, how about I exin what magic is? They say that long, long ago, magic didnt exist in the continent of Fantasia. Magic! A supernatural power considered iconic of fantasy. Though Princess Ethena excitedly exined while disying simple magic, the heroes couldnt 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. Ive seen it in a novel. If you apply calculus to magic, you can instantly be an archmage. Hehe, Ive protected my chastity just for this moment. PR/N: E.g.. How pathetic. Magic is all about chemistry. Ill show you the fantasy worlds first atomic bomb magic. PR/N: See The Roaring Trumpet by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt, May 1940, for a ssic 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 Arthurs Court by Mark Twain, 1889, for magic through chemistry. The heroes started to brag about and assert their fantasy knowledge. Be quiet. Youre bothering the people paying attention to the lesson. The ss president Yu Bora told them off, but it only backfired. Tsk, tsk. Youre too much of an honor student to get fantasy, ss prez. Its not like knowing the history of magic lets you be an archmage. Magic is about talent. They need to have an affinity with mana. The heroes only became more high-spirited from the ss presidents meddling. Though the ss 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, p, p! Princess Ethena, who stopped her theory exnation, drew attention to herself by pping. I dont like unnecessary theoretics either. Talent is best! Thats why I at least exined about the founder of magic, even if it was boring. Founder of magic? Did she talk about something like that? I didnt 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. Arent we the chosen heroes? Arent we people overflowing with talent? Princess Ethena stated to the confused heroes, I am Ethena Archmazing, the direct descendant of the founders 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 dont have blood ties will make academic ties with me. Acquired talent is decided by the mentors abilities, so you heroes will obtain high innate talent since you will be my pupils. Its easy, right? Damn Amazing A mages abilities were dependent on blood and academic ties. Wasnt this too unreasonable? ss president Yu Bora had some opposition to this characteristic of magic. Princess Ethena, I apologize for interrupting your exnation, but I have a question. Yes! Go ahead. Is someone who has neither blood nor academic ties unable to be a mage? Everyone was curious about it. However, because the heroes were already guaranteed an excellent academic tie, they didnt have to bother with that issue. Princess Ethena made a slightly surprised expression with her eyes wide open. Its possible. How? I was nning on exining thister, but I will show you first. Hero Yu Bora? Yes. I will now form a mentor-pupil rtionship with you. Whirr- A geometric magic circle appeared beneath the princesss feet. Whirr- A simr magic circle also appeared beneath Yu Boras feet. I acknowledge you as Ethena Archmazings first pupil. Hero Yu Bora, swear upon your magic. I swear? Ah! The magic circle was absorbed by Yu Boras shadow and disappeared. p, p, p! Princess Ethena pped with a bright smile. Congrattions, 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 be 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] [Dividend] 1.65 A Magic blessing! By the talent that Princess Ethena was exining until now, did she mean the rank of the blessing? For the one reason that she became an outstanding mages 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 didnt have a parent or mentor who had a Magic blessing, you could never be 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 be the god of magic, left us the Magic blessing to make it easier for her descendants and future schrs 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! Whats that?! All the heroes who were watching freaked out. It was because Princess Ethenas fair hands, which were fine until just a moment ago, started to turn ck 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 ck magic on my left ouch?! Princess! Have you already forgotten His Majestys order to never use ck magic?! The princesss old servantdy 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 dont tell Mother! The princess, who was serious until this moment, begged as she rubbed her nk 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 be hideous. I-Im 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. Its alright. Im satisfied enough knowing that all of you learned the danger of ck magic. What is ck magic? Its absolutely not that ck magic is bad! Dont you need dry firewood to make a fire? My left hand just acted as that firewood. Ah Natural magic is the true nature of ck 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 vige. I wondered if it was because of the frequent invasions of the gnolls? The vige, 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, theres nothing money cant solve. With money, I skipped the inspection, umted trust,municated, borrowed inn rooms, and even made friends! Wasnt it amazing? [A certain god is ufortable.] Im also ufortable, since Im washing myself. Whats your gender, outsider god? Male? Female? Neither? Both? [A certain god is even more ufortable.] Ill 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 fantasymoner bathed. Though there wasnt a bathtub like I had hoped for, I was not in a situation toin. It was because I could not stay in the vige if I didnt 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 be stronger to defeat a transcendental being, but I did not seem to be getting any stronger. Im still level 1 At this rate, forget taking revenge against the wicked goddess, I couldnt 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 its 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 gnollnguage. Is this the room? $%^$%^$%^ $%^$%^ $%^. Thank you. Go about your business now. I, the vige 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. Im washing myself, so please wait a moment. Hm? I thought you couldnt talk ahem. Alright. I knew it! I put on Misas leather clothes and clenched Blue Butcher. Combat preparationsplete! The reason was very simple. [Hero] -> Automatically trantes thenguages 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 Chapter 8 REAPER SCANS Chapter 8 There was something that shouldnt be overlooked here. I couldnt understand thenguages 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 vige 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 hairplemented him. From his appearance, he was an average human. If it wasnt for the conditions of the curse, I would never have noticed the fact that he wasnt human. How can I help you? Do not be so on-guard. As the chief of this vige, I got a report that there was a traveler who couldnt speak thenguage and came to check in. I see. It was a little suspicious that he was managing the vige while pretending to be human, but I let it slide because I didnt 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 didnt want to hide the name my parents gave me. Aside from that, I was extremely ufortable that my personal information I hadnt revealed had been exposed to aplete stranger. Could he see my status window? It doesnt 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 dont know anything. Yeah. Sorry, its my second day in a barbaric fantasy world. Hm. I thought an out-of-touch stupid fairy was hiding when they said you didnt understand thenguage. Are you merely a country fellow from a farawaynd? 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 vige formed by those who lost their families back then and sought revenge. So thats why there are so many mercenaries. Its an old story. There arent 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 tomunicate in the samenguage! I didnt care about how this vige 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 couldnt 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 its political or religious! He took an empty ss bottle out of his pocket as he asked, How are you unaffected by my paralysis potion? What? I couldnt understand what he was talking about for a moment, but my body responded first to the chiefs attack. Hwp! I went for the chiefs neck with the Blue Butcher Id hidden under the pillow. However, Impressive. Snap. Right before the de cut his throat, something transparent restrained me and I couldnt 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. Youll never get out of it as long as you have a high resistance like the fairies do. Howe? I couldnt get to the bottom of why I got attacked by the chief. I didnt think I did anything to cross him. You didnt do anything wrong. You were just unfortunate. . Its simple. It would be faster to show you than exin. [Name] Crimson [Level] 16 [Blessing] Lunacy E [Curse] Fairy C There was a curse on the chiefs status window like I had. Did the goddess do this? Youre still speaking nonsense, I see you havent understood. This curse is the result of all the rancor of the fairies that were murdered by me. Its like a scar of honor! Aha! It wasnt just the goddess that could give a curse. Lets 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 didnt seem that bad from the chiefs 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 Im not a fairy that you so despise. I dont 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 someones 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 wasnt nning 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. Theres something called reading the room. Although I got Blue Butcher from killing a gnoll called Blue Moons 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! Its getting harder and harder for me to kill you. Then let me live! My condolences. As you can tell from my status window, Im a mage without the magic blessing. Are you serious? Do you really not know what that means? Its because Im an outsider. There were no humans (or gods) around to teach me. Outsider? It means lone wolf dashing through the wilderness. Thats a great word. Too bad you will never be able to dash through the wild again. [A certain god prays for the outsiders soul.] Grab. As the Chief took the blue dagger out of my hands, he continued, Im a dark mage. You must be sacrificed for my dark magic to increase my lifespan. Princess Ethena Archmazing. As someone whos 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 privilegedint, isnt it? The princess was aware of it as well. But its 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 forme 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 ce. Roar! A lively me arose on the palm of hero Yoo Boras hand. Talent and effort. It was a beautiful magic created by thebination 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 theres more. Crackle! Princess Ethena created a block of cold ice countering the zing mes 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. me magic, also known as the war flower, is a professional field of magic passed on by generations of the Archmazing Kingdoms royal family. Its 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.. its not working. There was nothing on the palm of Yoo Boras hand. Princess Ethena, blushing shyly, confessed. Its because I am stillcking as a master. Youll also be able to make it easily once I be more proficient. Do you understand? Yes. Thank you for the kind exnation. Dont mention it. It was then that a voice broke the warm atmosphere of the room. Princess. What should someone who doesnt 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 toin about because she wasnt Princess Ethenas apprentice, nor could she use magic. It wasnt only her either. I really need a blessing! Princess! I want to use magic! Please give me a magic blessing! The other heroes who didnt like the teaching method, which was no different than Yoo Boras personal tutoring session, also spoke up. And it grew more and more intense. This is unfair! Its not good to have favorites! We want the same treatment! This is extremely unfair! The heroes started to mor. 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 its me! Dont cut in front of me! Im 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 ce in line because theter they became an apprentice, the less talented they would be. Im better than you! Youre not even smart! Youre 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 havee 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 Boras question. Its 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 ck magic? . Princess? For a moment Princess Ethena went rigid, but rxed as she replied, ck magic is different from white magic. Its impossible to continuously practice by yourself. How so? Because you need a sacrifice whenever you use magic. *** Thew 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-nothingw. 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. Ill think about that if Ie 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 ^%$#, ahh! Bloody bruises, burns, and whip marks covered their bodies, which were hanging from the ceiling like meat in a butcher shop. And without exception, all of them had had both ears cut off. Youre stronger than you look. Usually theyre busy crying and begging for me to save their lives. I guess so. [Outsider] Maybe I would have acted normally if I didnt have this blessing. And my state? I felt like I was watching a horror movie Id already watched about three times and was tired of, even though this was about me. Dont worry. I dont force my hobbies on travelers who arent fairies. Well, thats nice to hear. It looked like he immediately killed the humans he kidnapped, and tortured fairies for a very long time before killing them. The chief spoke graciously. Ill end you without pain, since you killed a royal family member. Wow! Thank you so much, I hate being in pain. Hahaha! What a jolly fellow! Its a shame you cant stay around longer. I feel the same way. It seemed like the chief really took a liking to me, even though he was still going to kill me anyway. What do I do now? [A certain god packs their bags.] [A certain god sends their thoughts and prayers for the outsider.] Rude. Even though I got thrown out like an old shoe by some ill-mannered god, this wasnt the worst case scenario. Since my mouth was still as lively as ever! Chief. What is it? Give it up if youre going to beg for your life. I would never. This is about something else. I put on the grin of a virtuous earthling and opened the conversation window. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Tell me, then. Its not like I cant listen to a dying mansst words hold on. The bugs are a bit loud. Kyak?! ^%$#, ^%$# ^%$# Kirk! ^%$# ^%$# kirk?! ^%$# ^%$# ^%$#, hak! The chief mercilessly whipped the fairies. Crack! Crack! Crack! His innocent face resembled that of a mischievous child enjoying plucking the legs and wings off an insect. No matter how you looked at it, it wasnt normal. .. .. .. Finally, theyre quiet. You may speak now. He sounded like he was proud after a workout as he put down the weapon covered with the flesh and blood of the fairies. Was he showing this to me on purpose? Im no psychologist or therapist, but he may have wanted a third party to acknowledge an act that he firmly believed was "justice." If so, I knew what to say next. It must have been hard, stoically walking a path no one understands. Are you empathizing with me? Its because Im an outsider. An outsider a lone wolf dashing through the wild, did you say? I see. Was I also an outsider? [A certain god confirms thats not it.] I didnt think so either! But did my n of building rapport work? The chief, feeling a sense of kinship with me, moved me to the side, away from the magic circle drawn in blood. Oh! I might have a chance of surviving! The Chief immediately proved what I was hoping for wrong. I really like you! But I am an outsider. I cant stop being lonely. . What kind of logic is that? At first he was going to kill me for a great cause, now its to stay an outsider. [A certain god is looking for his missing belly button.] *TN:ughing ones belly button off is a Korean idiom forughing very hard. This isnt aughing matter Todays a merry day! I finally found a sympathizer who understands my sublime intentions! My dearrade, Kang Hansoo! Watch over me from the other side! Oh, okay. Everything turned into a mess as soon as the chief dered he was an outsider as well. I dont know anymore. Hm.. Ill go with this fellow whos been unsatisfactorytely. A scrawny male fairy was chosen. ^%$# ^%$#, ^%$#! I cant do that. Your female has to live to give me more pleasure. ^%$#! ^%$# ^%$#! ^%$# ^%$#^%$#?! Hahaha! Thats right! Swear at me more! Its no different than praise to me! ^%$#^%$# ^%$#! ^%$#^%$#~! The fairies stared at the chosen fairy with envy. Death. The desire of all the fairies trapped in this hell filled with the smell of blood. The ruler of this hell announced, Lets begin. The chiefid the fairy down on the magic circle I was just on and started to piously recite his spell. It was a prayer. Mother of life! Master of fate! Grant me the rest of this fairys days! Whirrr- The magic circle drawn in dark red blood started to glow faintly. Interesting. If prayer alone could cause such a phenomenon, countless religious people on Earth would have entered the world as mages. Then did those geometric patterns on the magic circle have some special meaning? While I was caught up in a thought not fit for this urgent crisis, the chief demanded of the fairy, Dere that you will give your lifespan to me. . If you do, I promise I will send your female to your side immediately. You''ve seen what happens if you refuse my mercy, right? ^%$# ^%$# 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 hadnt changed one bit. He was still a human male in his thirties. He replied as he dragged the fairy out of the magic circle. Dearrade Kang Hansoo. My ck magic was a sess. But youre not any younger? Hahaha! Thats because Im not human. Aha! I knew he wasnt human from the beginning. I just didnt know what species he was. The chief pompously confessed as if he was letting me in on a tremendous secret. I didnt 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 vige? The fairy curse is just ridiculous! Thats amazing. This wasnt adtion, I meant it. Although his methods were unforgivable, the way he didnt surrender to the curse and found a solution was deserving of apliment. 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 vige 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 wouldnt 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. Isnt it truly amazing?! Thebination 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? Wouldnt two be better than one? Its enough! My ck magic is the strongest after taking in countless lifespans of fairies! Im hunting the fairies with the power of fairies! Dont you think thats the best revenge?! But Im not a fairy? Lets not sweat the small stuff. . The chief smiled as he put his bloody hand on my shoulder. Thank you so much,rade 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 Thats Outsider isnt a species? Ill never be able to forget you for listening to me until the end. As a thank you, I will use your life wisely. And youre still killing me? Of course. Since Im an outsider. .. I learned that a serious outsider is truly dangerous. *** There was a childish fight among the heroes over being Princess Ethenas pupil, but the situation was quickly settled as excellent mages appeared to greet her as teachers. A heros 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, ss continued with all of the heroes being given a magic blessing. Magic is crystallized hopes and dreams. So it will fail if you cant envision it in your head! Focus and willpower is extremely importan- Princess! Yes? How do I apply a mathematical form 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 form 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 wasgging. 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 form needed for the revtion of magic. I wanted to apply calculus to simplify Theres 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 dont need a math equation?! Did you use addition or subtraction while creating that me? Th-this is just simple magic Its thanks to you having an outstanding master who is outstanding at making mes. . There is no such thing as difficult magic in this world. Only magic you arent used to. I cant believe it The heroes had had high hopes that they could simply'' be 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 didnt exin correctly to the heroes. Me? Yes. Math forme 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! Ill keep using your me example to exin. The angle is very important when trying to shoot the me 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 ording 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 pce, but we have been applying mathematics to make magic more efficient. That is what this clever hero was asking. Isnt that right? Y-yes! Although he waspletely wrong, the hero didnt 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 ofw contentedly watches over the future schrs.] [A certain impatient demon god peeks at some underwear.] [A certain god ofw 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. Dere that you will give me your lifespan. It appears ck magic requires the sacrifices consent? I can physically bind the body, but that doesnt mean I own it, you see. Now! Hurry up and dere 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 didnt 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. Howe youre looking for that girl? Shes my lover. Nonsense! I am the chief. I know everything that happens here. Did you think I wouldnt know that Misas lover is Cole? Dont use my goodwill to y 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. Theres no doubt about it. This is what I remember Misas body odor was. Theres no way your entire body would smell like her if she wasnt your lover. Of course. Of course theres no way, Im wearing her clothes. Embarrassed, the chief cleared his throat. Ahem! Im 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 tooplicated. Alright The chief would kill Misa just for meeting me. Amazing, really. Wish for something else instead. Ill 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. Its because I cant 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 wouldnt hurt! It hurt so much, I wanted to die. Farewell. Ill tell Misa youve gone somewhere far away. Thats going to be difficult. Misa went somewhere far away first, you see. What the- kirk?! Pow-! With full force, my fist struck the defenseless chiefs face. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 The magic binds that had been tying me up loosened. It was circumstantial evidence that my n 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 didnt really have another choice. Bastard! You tricked me! Thats 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 outsiders 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 hadnt dealt enough damage. Was it because the chiefs level was too high? Was it because he wasnt human? Whatever the reason was, I decided to focus on escaping as long as I couldnt take down the chief. That magic doesnt work anymore! Since the promise we had made with ck magic to trade lifespans had ended. Ha! How dare a mere rookie that barely survived! Chief. Dont forget your promise. Kirk! I retrieved the blue dagger that was disyed next to various other weapons since I wasnt 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. $^*&[emailprotected]&#$? Witness acquired. I needed a fairy that was trapped in the basement to be a witness in order to exin myself to the vigers because I didnt know thenguage. Wobble~ flop. However, the fairy, who had been abused for a long time, couldnt walk by herself. $!$#%, %)(@#$ @*$& Guess theres no other choice. I expected that much trouble anyways. It was why I chose the lightest-looking fairy in the first ce. Plop! I carried the female fairy on my left shoulder like a bag and ran for the exit of the basement. No! The chief wasnt someone who would just let that slide. It would be over for him if I revealed everything about the basement to the vigers. Haha! Hey Chief! You didnt 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?! Thats how it works?! It turned out there was quite a loophole in the contract that I thought was absolute. Was he bluffing? I didnt think so. Snap. I was once again caught by the chiefs magic as I was reaching the basement exit, and I couldnt move an inch. Hahaha! Comrade Kang Hansoo. Im very disappointed in you, so give up thinking about dying peacefully. I think its a little too early to give up. Youre 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. Whats this feeling? It was as mystical as an aurora from the pr regions. N-no! My powers! Was it your power? I had opened my eyes to a new sensory organ that wasnt there before after going through a terrible ck magic spell. I simply knew It was unexinable. What a fantasy-esque unfolding. I-I cant believe this! Just what are you?! Human. Impossible! A human cant 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.] Im happy youre happy! *** Prince Alsus led the heroes aspiring to be shining knights to the banquet hall. Tada! Twinkle twinkle! There were exquisite refreshments on every table. Wh-what is this Whats with the snacks and tea? A break as soon as we start? The heroes, who had thought theyd be hitting a scarecrow with a wooden practice sword in a dirty training field, were taken aback. But that onlysted a moment. Over here. Please have a seat here. Over there for this hero. The knights who apanied them quickly settled down the fuss as they guided the heroes to their seats. Prince Alsus raised his ss 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 exnation to the heroes, who couldnt 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 ck bear stalked up to the podium. First, Ill show everyone the swordsmanship you were imagining. Commander, seal your swordsmanship. Yessir. The prince andmander of the knights shed swords like theater actors. ng! ng! ng! ng! 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: Thats clearly swordsmanship? Ping- The victor of the heated match was the Commander of the knights, who was overwhelmingly bigger. It was a ster sword dance, Commander. Im ttered. Prince Alsus, who had dropped his sword from his hand being cut,plimented 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! White whirlwinds wrapped around the two peoples swords. The des collided head-on nk- and 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 cante close to you, your highness. Please refrain from the ttery, it makes me blush. It is not ttery 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? Thats it? * * * * * * The heroes were slow at processing what had happened because it had been over in an instant. Prince Alsus exined, The power to cut out every means of the opponent in one blow! This is swordsmanship. You couldnt even beat the irond 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. Efficiency 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 vor?! It was like drinking fecal water. The Warriors 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 oveing 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 wouldve 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 waspletely 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 ss with respect. Of course! The swordsmanship training from hell had officially started. *** Chief, if you dont hold onto me, Im just going to escape, okay? Case closed. There was no need to call for the vigers 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. Wouldnt 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. Ill catch youter then. Ill never forgive you! Huh?! The nearly dying chief shot up and sprinted towards me at an unbelievable speed. Meat! Ill kill you, you ruined my dreams! Im turning you into diced meat, no matter what! Meat! Meat! The Chief wasnt speaking from his human head. Spark! The gnolls head attached to his chest was crying out violently, ring at me with his now-red eyes. Holy shit! I abandoned the fairy on my shoulder and rolled onto the floor. sh- His hands swept through my chest, tearing Massa''s leather suit, leaving me with a big scar on my abdomen. Whats all this now? There was a red jelly clustered on both of the chiefs 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! My bad. H-how?! I couldve 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 wasnt 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 hadnt thought of what to do next. Kirk! You wont get away with this! Having used up all of his power from hisst attack, he chose to run away. However $*(@#, $&*([emailprotected]# $&*(@&! He failed to do so when the female fairy I hadnt paid attention to grabbed his ankles. Y-you pesty bitch!? sh-! I used that moment to cut straight through the chiefs neck with the blue dagger. Stab-! I pierced the forehead of the gnoll, whose eyes were still red, and dragged the dagger down perpendicrly. Good riddance. Outrageous Mage your power magic my daughter your father willthe enemies Im sorry I love y The decapitated chief slowly closed his eyes. [A certain god says its quite a shame.] I know, right? It looked like it was quite a shame that I survived when they even sent their prayers for me. Now, then How do I clean this up? &%#[emailprotected], %&^(*$ $&@# $*&^#$. $*(#)&@$ %*(&$ $)([emailprotected]#? $)(*# $*&#$ 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 Im guessing thats what they were saying. I stoically took off their binds and called the vigers. 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 $&*(@!! #*^[emailprotected]%! Ill kill you, bastard fairies! Dash! Once again, I jumped off a cliff after escaping the vige. Chapter 11: [Act 4] Karma Chapter 11: [Act 4] Karma [Act 4] Karma Essopresso. The fairydy with the name meaning lovely spring showers in the ancientnguage of fairies was going through primitive treatment. Ow. Im 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 couldnt 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-Im 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 wasnt 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 vige, the vigers who only sat back and watched were no different. They might even be considered aplices. Maybe they had all shut their mouths and pretended they didnt 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, its me. Come in. Essopresso let herpanion in to visit. They didnt meet in their hometowns. It was only the sense ofpanionship that resulted from sharing pain together inside that wretched basement. There were many other fairies besides that one that she could call apanion; 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 vige mercenaries lost him. Why are you telling me this? Because hes the one who saved us Its the humans problem. Theres no need for us to care. But he saved us from the chiefs evil hands Essopresso shot back at herpanions timid argument. Then what about the Princesss dagger that human was holding? Th-thats She cried out with confidence to her waveringpanion. Do you want to be fooled again?! Humans are beasts who shouldnt be trusted! But Essopresso, he saved us Thats why Im keeping my mouth shut, cant you see? Did we tell them to kill him? Its the beasts fighting amongst each other. Youre calling them beasts Although she had lost her beloved husband in front of her eyes, she didnt 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 Princesss? Yes. Im certain of it. I may look like this now, but in the past, I was chosen from my looks alone to work in the Pce. 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 Thats right. Essopresso was finally satisfied after seeing herpanion agree. Just then Bang! the door burst open as a scrawny elf walked into the room. There was no doubt Essopresso was not in good shape, but it was iparable 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 copsed. Celebless A fairy from the Royal Family with her name meaning Sacred Sun in the ancient fairynguage. She was chief Crimsons favorite toy, as she was immortal, despite being a coteral 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 Were safe now. It will be all over once our mothend knows of this. The humans in this town were also suspicious. The first thing Essopresso nned to do when she returned to her mothend was report the vige. For 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 couldve 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 wits end from chief Crimsons ck magic, had used breach of contract. ck magic contracts A vition 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 ck magic contract? Yes. They say that a mercenary named Misa he had wagered for the contract is missing and hasnte back. Isnt that suspicious? Celebless didnt know what to say. Chief Crimson ruined himself when he was lured to breach the contract because he underestimated Kang Hansoos 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 Pce It saddens me to think theyre just remnants of the past now. You.. dont understand how I feel. The despair and humiliation I felt! Of course I dont. How could I when I am not you? Celebless slowly reopened her eyes and sighed deeply. Who couldve 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. Im 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 wee the news. Dont refer to me as a Councilwoman if we meet again. A short-tempered elder doesnt 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 hes alive.] Cant you tell? There werent 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 vige. *$&^@*&( #&*@? #*@#& ##@? #(@. #(@&. @*(#^. They were mercenaries that persistently tracked me down since the vige 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 hadnt opened the vige entrance for me, I would have been caught immediately. [A certain god advises you to watch your ass.] my ass? Oh! I thought Idnded 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! Its meat! Meat on tree! Meat! Meat! Come down! The gnolls weed me with an endearing greeting as soon as I left the vige. 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. Ive be quite arrogant, havent I? Im 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 gnolls head. It wasnt 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 wasnt 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, whats 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, Im tearing up from gratitude. It wasnt 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. Theres something I want to ask you. Talking meat?! I really want you to answer it. You see, Im really pissed off because of the fairies. Fairy meat? Yeah. Fairy meat. My current state was much too weak. I didnt 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? Thats 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 mmed 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. Its the swordsmanship of the gnolls that only gnolls could use, so I was fine with just imitating it. At least Id be stronger. Red meat? Hm Its fresh! I like it! It seemed like it didnt know. I was disappointed at the gnolls random answer, but I didnt think the chief would have lied to me at that moment. Swordsmanship of the gnolls I wascking 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 youre lying. Its 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 dont turn red because theyre full. Was that why it was called Swordsmanship of the Gnolls? But the chief used the Power of Meat even when he hadnt 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 wasnt 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.. Power of Meat I still didnt have enough information. Lets look into the gnolls ecosystem for a smooth revenge. Chapter 12 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?! Dont crawl up on me. The guy kept trying to hunt me whenever it got the chance, but it never came close to seeding. It was far too weak. I couldnt figure out why, even after looking at its status window. [name] Fang Broken by Arrow [level] 6 [blessing] [curse] Apparently, the dude had survived a fairys 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 youre level 6? Yes! Proof! It showed off locks of brown and green hair wrapped around its wrist like a bracelet. Lets call it a gnolls 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 youve hunted two fairies? This is unfair! Talking meat! Im 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 youre 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 gnolls characteristics. For example Over there! Over there! Whats over there? Fairy meat! Lots of it! Oh yeah? I could find the vige 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 exined werent the words of a lunatic being delusional but the truth. Although the food chain in a damn fantasy world wasnt any of my business. Meat-blech?! You dont get tired of it, do you? Round of apuse to my patience for not killing this bastard who keepsing at me with every chance! Its almost finished. I could clearly see the changes in its body. Rabbits, deer, insects, eggs, pheasants Every time it ate something, the gnolls stomach gradually filled with energy. It was much easier and simpler than the chiefs method of stealing others lifespans with ck magic, though it was less efficient. Meat! I like! Rabbit meat! The gnolls 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. Im full! I feel great! I hate being hungry! I like it now! Meat! I need more meat! More meat! sh! The gnolls eyes started to shine red like a traffic light. The change didnt stop there. Bulk, bulk! Its fat, balloon-shaped body instantly shrunk and turned into bulky muscle. Cool. Talking meat! My meat! Fwt! The gnolls attacks turned faster as it changed. I wasnt surprised because its 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 de. Psh! The gnolls thick skin ripped and its waist split in two. St, drip Squashed intestines and broken spinal pieces flew all over the ce, and arge amount of blood from the cut stained its flesh red. T-talking meat. Strong? Of course. How? It was a short but usefulpany. Its 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 couldnt believe what it saw. Squeezing out itsst breath, it asked me, Meat also gnoll? Nope. Im human. My eyes were gleaming red like the gnolls as I spoke. * * * * * * The majority of the heroes who couldn''t empty the tea cup gave up being knights and left for magic ss. 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 Alsuss 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 didnt give up until the very end, theyd be a matchless warrior, and go even further to be a knight. Haha! Hero Choi Gangmin, you dont 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 be stronger by the day! He wanted to get rid of the ufortable situation other heroes experienced. Prince Alsus, offering a normal cup of honey tea, spoke. Consistent, long-term intake is whats important. One cup a day. If you want to take it further, up to two cups is okay. Two cups a day. Ill do it. Hero Choi Gangmin, the Knights Blessing does note to you any faster from rushing, just as a child cannot be 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] [dividend] 1.11 Its a blessing! Although he felt like running around and shouting with joy, he acted calm on the outside. Hed seen what became of Jang Miyeon after boasting about her blessing, hadnt 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 be! >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.] Congrattions, hero Choi Gangmin. The Grit blessing, I see! I expect a lot from you. Im ttered. Choi Gangmin humbly answered as he secretly clenched his fists. Thats right! This is what I wanted! He could feel sparks inside his entire body every time a ssmate looked at him in envy. Dear hero, you should grow a habit of hiding your status window from now on. Its better for you to hide your blessings. How do I All you have to do is think that you dont want to show this to a trusted god or family. You cant 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 ss. Prince Alsus looked at them with contentment and stood up from his seat. Now well move on to the meditation room. It may not be easy because you dont 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 dont separately teach you how to swing a sword with re 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. Extracurricr sses in his precious free time? There was no way. If there are no more questions, well quickly move along. Weve prepared fancy tea to ease your body and soul, so feel free to look forward to that. Oh.. Sure This isnt the swordsmanship lesson I was thinking of Was 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 gnolls eyes. Interesting. I couldnt distinguish the exact principles of it despite using it. The gnolls 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 outsiders change.] [A certain god emphasizes its 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 werent for my covinous blessing. Fantasies happen in a fantasy world. Itd be a loss to approach it seriously. Hm. pretty cool. sh! I felt my hidden edgy phaseing back every time I saw my gleaming red eyes. I thought Id 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 vige. I didnt 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 didnt tire out. No need for sleep or rest! Although I used quite a bit of time studying the gnolls ecosystem, it didnt seem like the injured fairies had left the vige. Plus, it was the middle of the night. It wasnt a good time to cross the forest when carnivorous monsters swarmed in it. Me, on the other hand? Jeez sh! My shining red eyes lit up my surroundings like a shlight. I basically found a good use for what I thought was my shy, edgy phase decoration! The night before, I had spent the night using my phone shlight, although it had turned into scrap metal in half a day as the screen broke and my battery died. Im lucky. I had originally been intending to go at dawn whileying low at a nearby vige, 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? Id be too strong. Yet I wasnt the least bit happy. I wouldnt have even needed that power if I was on Earth in the first ce. At that hour? I would be finished with my homework and on my phonefortably in bed. Fwt- I wouldnt 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. It was a sign that I hadnt gotten lost in the forest and had found the vige. Now then Let''s go punish the barbarians with the power of fantasy! Chapter 13 Chapter 13 [Act 4] Karma #&[emailprotected]^? &#, )!(@&*. As much as I wanted to infiltrate through the main entrance with confidence, dealing with all of the vige mercenaries by myself was realistically impossible. So my n 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 vige 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 vige 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. Whats 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 vige 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 muchter if it wasnt 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 vige without getting caught by the guards: sess! There was a watchtower looking over the entire vige, but it waspletely 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 lets 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 medu was. $#! The medu manages reflex centers such as the heart, blood vessels, and breathing. And if something goes wrong in the medu? 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 vige 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 wouldnt 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 didnt feel much different than when I had ughtered 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 wouldnt 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 vastnd, 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, youre not the only human being. Drag I spoke as I moved the mercenarys corpse into a dark alley. I, too, had beloved family, friends, and rtionships 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.] Dont doubt that I will. The night wasnt 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 anyints 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 isnt 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 sses started, Princess Athena and Prince Alsus each said a word. Level! Hunting! Woah Although the information wasnt new, the heroes who hadnt 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. Its 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 werent those cheap battered wooden swords like in the role-ying 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 organisms name is Slime. Theyre beneficial organisms that dont harm humans. The slimes? Beneficial..? Thats correct. The entire city would be covered in sewage and trash if it werent 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, andics? J-jiggle Princess Athena held the slimes that were jiggling in fear as she spoke. You must never attack the slimes! Im sure there are many households who also raise them as pets! Please have caution, as hunting these slimes canbel 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 wasnt the easy slimes? Prince Alsus, noticing this, pointed towards the forest and exined 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 were level 1! Isnt that dangerous? Yeah, I dont 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? Were 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 wasnt 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! Theyre the gnolls that the knights who entered the forest before us chased! Do not hesitate, as you get more exp the more you aplish! This is apetition from this point! Alright! I go first! No, I go first! Competition! The heroes,ing 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 couldnt escape thanks to someone terrifying blocking their escape route. * * * * * * Jump- A gnoll quickly dodged the wooden swords and scratched a humans face with its sharpened nails. Aargh! My my eyes~! nk. The gnoll picked up the wooden sword the screaming hero had dropped. The other gnoll seemed to be in a simr situation, as it was holding another wooden sword it had taken from a hero. $# *&@#? @$# @$#? The gnolls looked at each other in confusion and started to swing the wooden swords they had taken. Eek?! My arm! My arm?! H-help! The two gnolls ravaged the heroes, of which there were at least 10 times more of. They swung the wooden swords and cut the throats of the heroes who were pissing and shitting themselves running away. Magic? There werent many heroes who could ignite a me with ease in an urgent situation like that. Poof. #*&@? H-how eek?! #$#@! Even when they barely seeded in doing so, the mes were so weak they couldnt even burn the gray hairs of the gnolls. Thats enough. #$#?! [emailprotected]$ @#@?! Prince Alsus, who was watching the entire time so as to not take the heroes aplishments, 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! Theyre-?! 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 didnt think the legendary heroes were so I mean Awkward, right? Y-yes! Prince Alsus couldnt bring himself to call them ipetent, 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 couldnt be helped. Looking over the heroes, the Saintess dered. 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 ying games, reading books, or watchingics. 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. its too quiet. The vige was as quiet as a dead mouse even, though it was understandable to be suspicious by the time that many mercenaries had died. Howe I was only going for the mercenaries? That was my fault. Everything went well up to the point I infiltrated the vige, but I was stuck on how I would find the fairies from there. I didnt 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 arent there any fairies? Men and women of all ages hade to the back alley, but I hadnt seen a single fairy. Was a fairys dder bigger than that of a humans? [A certain godughs that you just noticed.] Rude. What was the reason I wasnting across a single fairy? It would be a serious problem if they had already left the vige While I was deep into my thoughts about that #*(&@ $#. $(*#@. $## %$# Innocent vigers that werent mercenaries were slowly walking at night without torches. I wouldnt have cared if that was all there was, but $#@! %$,$#! The vigers were taking the fairies to the chiefs house by force with a sack over their heads. things are getting interesting. I didnt know what was going on, but I figured Id ask if they would let me in. Chapter 14: [Act 5] Believe What You Want to Believe Chapter 14: [Act 5] Believe What You Want to Believe [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 couldnt 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 wont see a pretty sight if you do anything stupid. Stupefied, Essopresso followed the orders without resistance. Before long, a mans voice, who seemed to be an aplice, was heard. Everything good there? Yeah, what''s that cut on your hand? I got bit while covering its mouth. I see, lets go. From what the culprits were saying, it didnt seem like she was the only fairy captured alive. Step, step, step Eek?! Oomf?! Although she couldnt see anything, she instinctively realized something the moment she stepped onto the first staircase going down. This is the chiefs 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 ce 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. Theyll 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 vige. I told the vigers to not go out outside during patrol hours due to the disorder in our vige and persuaded the mercenaries to stay put as well. The vigers, all having said a word, had no conversation for a while. The healer started to speak with a determined voice. Lets begin. Alright. Prayers to Crimson. For our friend. Stab-! The vige head guard pierced a sword into Essopressos 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 didnt have a sack over her head or a bit in her mouth. It was courteous treatmentparable to that of a noble captured as a war prisoner. The fairy spoke for the first time. Dont you have to kill me in order to fulfill your purpose? The fairy soundedposed, despite having seen her people ughtered 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 couldnt 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 fairys life in their hands, the four people cowered. Councilwoman Celebless Normally, they wouldnt even have a chance to be face to face with her because of her highly noble status. Let alone a kidnapping! It wouldnt just end in them getting massacred by the vigers the day theyd get caught. What are you hesitating for? You dont 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 fairys life, who lived thousands of years. Celebless gave a cold response. You think a swear made through threats has any effect? Thats! 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 vige, questioned her. Celeblessughed. 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 dont 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. sh! The sight of the decapitated head guard flying in the air Of course, that wasnt the reason she was shocked. How? $#@ %@? The savior who had jumped off a cliff and allegedly died had returned. * * * * * * $#@%? What are you saying? I didnt know what the wide-eyed female fairy was going on about, but I decided to think about thatter. First, I needed to clean up Stab! sh! I got rid of the vigers 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 nning to kill all of them the moment I followed. The fairies who backstabbed me, the chief, and the vigers who were all on his side %#@ spare me! Oh! Something I understand! It was weing to hear what mercenary Misa had taught me, but it wasnt enough reason to spare them. sh! Aaah?! I had to get rid of the muscr 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 werent weakened, it wouldnt have been easy to kidnap them like that in the first ce. %# spare m- kirk?! Stab! The situation died down as I pierced the blue dagger into the medu 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. I could also see her status window that I couldnt see before. [Name] Celebless [level] 12 [blessing] Tamer A Life C Pure Heritage B [curse] Noble B Ha A bitterugh 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! Lets call her a professional tamer, shall we? It wasnt 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 didnt have a pet with you. Besides that [life] [pure heritage] [noble] From the looks of it, there wasnt 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 ufortable.] [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 simr 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. Despite it being in vain. I wouldnt be any different from them if I killed that fairy there. Take care of the rest. I didnt 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 $#@! Wobble~ grab. I quickly caught the fairy, who was about to trip and fall as soon as she got up from the chair. Youre bothering me! [emailprotected]# @# [emailprotected]#Kang Hansoo @#%. You know my name, huh? Kang Hansoo [emailprotected]#. #@#. Hmph. I left the chiefs house after wrapping the scrawny fairys waist with my left arm and carrying her at my side. It was as quiet as ever outside. How interesting. In the middle of the night, fairies were kidnapped, numerous mercenaries were killed, and four vigers went missing. It only made sense for there to be chaos. Dear respected outsider god, why is that so? [A certain god says theyre not in the mood to tell you.] Oh, alright. It looked like I had to get rid of that fairy for the god to reign in their anger. But I couldnt trust the vigers, and there were fairy-meat-loving gnolls infesting the forest. What was I supposed to do? I decided to think about that after getting out of the vige first. Step step step. I lightly jumped over the fence as I stepped on thedder ced within the walls of the wooden fence. I dont know how much more I ran after that. Pull, pull. Kang Hansoo, #. #@$. The fairy caught my attention by pulling on my shirt and pointed at the sky. What is it? me~ A burst of hot air swept over my head. Looking up, I witness a surreal fantasy creature. Phoenix? A peacock with red mes for feathers wasing after us over our heads. What a bolt out of the blue! me~ A wall of mes surrounded me with the p of the phoenixs 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. [emailprotected]#. You want me to let you down? #@. There was such a thing as reading the room even if you couldnt speak thenguage. She must have been telling me to leave her useless body and run away! I didnt refuse and gently let the fairy onto the ground. me Then, the wall of mes gradually disappeared, and the phoenix circling usnded next to her. $. $#@. me! %@# #. me? It looked like the fairy and phoenix were talking in anguage 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, [emailprotected] Huh? $%#@. $# @# # Celebless $# [emailprotected]# #@ %#@ Kang Hansoo # %#@$ #@$ ^$# (*$. What are you talking ab oomf?! [A certain god is in horror at the unexpected turn of events.] me-! The phoenix, which was the size of an ostrich, was engulfed in mes and morphed into the size of a light airne. Kang Hansoo %#$. %# #$. Flutter! Celebless got on top of the giant birds neck and flew high into the sky. And she left into the wind. [A certain god nails it in that the outsiders crime is clear.] [A certain god is about to adjudicate the criminal.] No, hold on! Thats 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! Im never going near a fairy agai oh! [name] Kang Hansoo [Level] 1 [blessings] outsider F fairy C [curse] Hero E [dividend] 4.85 Its a new blessing! And its rank is high, too! My heart which was ufortable from getting kissed by the fairy was put at ease. [A certain god res at you with bleary eyes.] [A certain god is ufortable.] There are times when you must endure embarrassment while going through life. [A certain god is very ufortable.] Ahem, ahem! They sure have a lot to be ufortable about! I might as well check out my hot new blessing while waiting for the gods anger to cool down. Chapter 15 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 favorablements 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 wasnt 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 poprity and effects on the fantasy savages who threaten my life every time we met increased significantly? Whatever. [A certain god grumbles youre being too excited.] Well [A certain god puffs out their cheeks.] Im excited to finally break up with that fairy. [A certain god rxes.] I decided to move a bit far away. It was a shame to leave my uniform and crossbow in the vige, but it was better than people finding out that I escaped and survived the mercenaries pursuits. My next destination was Whats up? Its 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, toe to their senses. Their arms and legs were cut off, necks bitten off, bones popped out, theyd 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 sequ. And it varied by the individual. Urgh Momm No Most of the heroes couldnt deal with their trauma. It was decided that it was too difficult to apany 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 aplished 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 theyre clever.] [A certain martial god criticizes its too sneaky.] [A certain immature god of diceins theyre 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 didnt seem to mind, as it was also an aplishment to receive a blessing from god. And soon after Im 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, eleration F, Command F [Curses] [Dividend] 3.22 There was a significant change in hero Choi Gangmins 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. [eleration] > You can move incredibly fast in a crucial moment! > The longer the effectsts, the longer the wait time. Choi Gangmins confidence skyrocketed after receiving this blessing. [eleration] [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 yourmand, the stronger the effect bes. Exp would be shared as aplishments were dispersed when they fought together. [Command] Choi Gangmin would get more exp through his blessing for the aplishment of assisting the other heroes. There was another hero who acquired exp in a simr fashion. In the name of Jang Miyeon! Lets protect our goddess! Were not scared of some gnolls! Wooo! Athletic heroes with a strong build, though notparable to the knights whose bodies were weapons, fought bravely to protect one girl. [Seduction] It was thanks to their dazed instincts oveing their fear from hero Jang Miyeons 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 red at Jang Miyeon for gaining expfortably under the protection of the boys, but she didnt 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 goddesss 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 rtive 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 wasnt sure about what the extent of the physiological phenomena would be, but she was happy with the fact she wouldnt need to take care of her bodys shape. Ill protect you, too! Maybe Ill join as well. Ahem. This is a mans job. The heroes(male) who were indifferent towards Jang Miyeon until then lined up as chasers. Lets say they were true to their instincts. Though they werent 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 didnt fear death or pain got rid of the gnolls with great speed. * * * * * * #%$?! #$ %?! 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. Im sorry, Gangmin! Ill help youter! Were friends, right? Rumble The malepanions cooperating with hero Choi Gangmin moved to Jang Miyeons group one by one. This influence slowed Choi Gangmins 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 didnt do anything, so he gathered the heroes(female) who were watching in the back. He may not have had a blessing like Jang Miyeons that attracted the opposite gender, but his natural looks and built-up reputation would be more than enough! Alright. Okay, Gangmin. Ill help you! And thus the two groups started topetitively 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 improvementpared to the beginning where all of them were ridiculously killed. Of course, there were still heroes that were stuck in the same ce. Kirk! %#@! Hero Yoo Bora, who used to be ss president, rolled on the dirt ground, barely avoiding the gnolls attacks. Ha, ha She was so exhausted she could fall asleep on the spot if shey 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 theyre not in the mood to eat.] [A certain god is disappointed.] [A certain martial god watches as they eat popcorn.] She couldnt be a part of either group under Choi Gangmin and Jang Miyeons tant rivalry. Was it only their fault? Not exactly. Those who wanted to be second and third inmand 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 werent for the magic she learned from Princess Athena, she wouldnt havested that long with her weak female body. Poof- $#?! The gnoll let out a cry of death and fell after getting hit by a me Yoo Bora made with thest 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] [Dividend] 2.04 Getting all the exp from hunting a level 2 gnoll by herself, her level rose at once. Of course, it wasnt an optimistic situation. If it werent for the heroes who gave up the huntpletely and retreated to the temple, her level wasst ce. [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 couldnt see. [Weapon] > Your body bes 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 wasnt wrong when she thought shed gotten faster as well. Hyap! $? sh- Blood spurted from the shoulder of the gnoll who was toote to dodge the wooden sword. The gnoll, furious from pain, wed Yoo Boras face. Irk! Screek- But there was very minuscule damagethere was only a small wound following what sounded like scratching a helmet. #? The gnoll was taken aback by the strange phenomenon. me! And a me that appeared out of nowhere burned the gray hairs that were protecting its face. $ #$~? It was Yoo Boras 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. sh- 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. Lets get more! Keep it up! Were the three heroesspetitive 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 wasnt 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 Id seen hundreds of times as I fought. [Name] Kang Hansoo [Level] 1 [Blessing] Outsider F, Fairy C [Curse] Hero E, ughter E [Dividend] 5.46 There was another curse while I was hunting, but it was a small issuepared to the evil goddesss tyranny. I cant believe Im living as a level 1. I couldnt level up. https://dsc.gg/reapeics Chapter 16 Chapter 16 [A certain god is anxious.] Its fine. I knew it would be difficult to grow because of the evil goddess with the mask of a hypocrite from the beginning. [Hero] > Languages of races that are hostile towards the hero will be automatically tranted. > 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 didnt imagine I wouldnt level up at all. Shes set on killing me She wasnt 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 gxies.] [A certain god says the gxies are full of stars as always.] Whats up with you all of a sudden? I thought they would be d and send prayers for the outsiders soul. I took whatever looked valuable from the gnolls corpses. Rings, nes, 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 Ie to that decision? There 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 couldnt level up, I had no choice but to change my ns. 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 arge amount of money was also a strategy to be stronger. Scary meat! Meat isnt 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 whod 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 couldnt see it. Those bastards took their time to get ready because they knew they couldnt 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 wasnt scared, though. [Outsider] It wasnt just because I couldnt 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 bing stronger was the same, the slight difference in power management changed its efficiency. Im 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 couldnt imagine losing at all. I put my strength into the blue dagger since I didnt 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 didnt 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 gnolls 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? Id never learned it before and I didnt 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. [ughter] I get that you guys worked really hard to prepare for this, but its 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 difort as she exined 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 heros 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 Saintesss 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 amon 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 couldnt 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 ck magic! Be especially careful when their eyes glow red! $? $#%? Oh! I-Im sorry. You all got caught because of me $#! #$ $! #$! $ #$! $ #$! $ #! #$ #$! #$! Snap! Turning its head at the sound of a female humans voice, the gnolls eyes started glowing red. Woosh- Its plump body started deting like a balloon and turned heinously muscr. And it attacked head-first. Best of luck. Good luck! Prince Alsus and Princess Athena stood far back so as to not take away their aplishments. And only the heroes were left. Itsing! Its its fast! Eek?! Although it looked strong like the prince and princess advised, they werent 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. Theres 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. [eleration] After quickly dodging the gnolls attacks and blocking its blows Pow! Eeek?! Gangmin? Choi Gangmins head flew through the air after getting pped by the gnoll. Losing the head that sent outmands, his body copsed. $#! The gnoll didnt 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 gnolls face. That wasnt all [Weapon] Shed be stronger from her blessing. Her now iron sword stabbed the gnolls side. Stab-! But an immediate aftershock swept over Yoo Bora. Eek?! Her torso folded like a shrimp from the gnoll kneeing her. #@ $? The gnoll came to a very fast conclusion after seeing the female human who strangely didnt die in one blow. Grab. Snatching Yoo Boras neck, which was exposed from getting bent, the gnoll swung her like a club. Eek?! Kirk?! Kiirk?! [Weapon] Thanks to her blessing, Yoo Bora could use her entire body as a weapon. Sturdy, durable, flexible And now, she had be the gnolls weapon in attacking the heroes. [Weapon] Pow! Pow! Pow! The gnoll ripped the fallen heroes with its teeth and devoured their flesh and blood. It didnt want to be hungry. It continued its hunt, maintaining the Power of Meat. Some somebody, please! Hero Jang Miyeon froze in horror as she was exposed to the danger from her defense line falling apart. [Charm] [Color of Beauty] She activated her blessing as much as she could, but no one movedall of her followers had fallen. %$ #? Eek?! Jang Miyeons legs gave out when she met eyes with the gnolls. #? $# $! Fwp~ Yoo Bora, the battered weapon that knocked down countless heroes, was tossed to the side like trash by the gnoll as it slowly approached Jang Miyeon. S-save me eek?! The gnoll licked her cheek with its tongue, stained with the flesh and blood of the heroes. Jang Miyeons train of thought came to aplete stop the moment the gnolls mouth went down as it shoved its nose between her legs and sniffed. There was only one reason: [Charm] [Color of beauty] There were no species restrictions on Jang Miyeons blessing. [A certain innocent goddess shudders at someones taste.] [A certain male god shouts that it is only just to respect peoples tastes.] [A certain bold god of beauty gets excited from anticipation.] [A certain god] It was right when the aroused gnoll was about to move on to the next act #$ $ 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 sshes 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 simr event happen the day before. Just one gnoll They decided not to think about it. The Saintesss 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. Id hunted so many of the gnolls, who didnt get along with me since the first day I was kidnapped to the fantasy world, but I didnt feel anything. [Outsider] The fates of the gnolls who couldnt capture or kill me in one blow had been sealed from the start. And more importantly [ughter] > 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 wasnguage. If I couldnt sell those at a justifiable price, they were nothing more than mere rocks. In other words, I needed a trantor I could trust. Welp. How nice it would be if I could befriend a gnoll with the intelligence of a human! I can trust(?) the gnolls, theyre bad at li Level 1 human over there. Where did the one who ughtered all these gnolls go? Its real! I found a smart, male gnoll who looked like a handsome human. He had horns on his head and didnt cry out for meat, but that was a small issuepared to the wednguage barrier. Can you not hear me? I spoke in humannguage- kirk?! Got you! Kirk! I cant b-breathe! Whats your name? I didnt know what kind of gnoll it was, but I was sure we could be good friends. Chapter 17 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, wouldnt they? Anyways, my new friend turned out to be a demon. Thats a demon? What? You look like you cant 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 couldnt 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 p someone you call a friend?! Its a prejudice that all demons are strong! Sorry about that, but youre way too weak. Hey, dont cry. I dont 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. Youre just abnormally strong! What are you?! That amount of strength in a level 1 is unbelievable! Its thanks to my blessing. I wasnt strong. Impudent bastard! You think Im 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. Its obvious? There are more blessings than Observation that let me peep at status windows. You didnt even know that? I see The evil goddess hadnt taught us that important information. By the way, are you going to keep choking me? Thats 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 were not friends?! Hey, youre pretty smart! It looked like Id found the perfect demon. Im a Dark Mage. You cant learn ck magic if youre 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. Dont 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 friends 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. Howe you couldnt marry anyone for all this time? Just die! Dont be like that, just tell me. I could be of help. Hm Wouldnt it be a shame if you died without even marrying? After a moment of consideration, the demon answered, on edge. Ill tell you since its not a big deal. Demons can have more spouses the stronger they are. Being weak, I ran away because I didnt want to be the 243rd husband of an old demon. I I see. Although I didnt 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. Howe you, a level 1 human, are so nonchnt? you did that? I didnt know he was plotting such an evil n. 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? Thats impossible for a mere level 1 what are you? Whats your rtionship with the chief? What a stupid question. Do you know how many chiefs Ivee across throughout my travels? The chief with a gnolls head stuck to his chest. Oh! I remember him. He was a dying human with a story you couldnt listen to without being brought to tears, so I saved him from the Fairy curse- kirk?! It was you! The Mage whod helped the chief who was dying from the Fairys curse Id found the culprit! * * * * * * Rejecting the goodwill and help from the temple, hero Oh Hanwoo was struggling from feeling the difference between books and reality. Especially bodily functions. The bathrooms citizens in the fantasy world usually went to were hell to him. No one mentions this shit in novels orics If it was mentioned, they used individual bathrooms with a bathtub or sauna. He still couldnt forget how the inn owner looked at him like he was insane when he requested those things at the inn. You are the most ipetent hick Ive ever seen. Did you learn about the world through a fairytale? Its because its 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 wasnt 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. Its 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 morefortable behind you. A seemingly unique girl helping a boy(main character) shed never met before with no connections Excessive goodwill He never thought much of it when he saw it in novels orics, 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 couldnte up with an excuse. The slimes Oh Hanwoo learned about from fantasy novels and books were just easy exp globs. He didnt know they were protected for being a helpful creature to humans. I understand how you feel. What? There arent any requests a total beginner mercenary can take. At most, its running errands to the city. Id rather die than do that! This wasnt an RPG game with generous exp and rewards. Hed never seen the main character grow stronger through mere errands in novels orics. And above all, hed getughed 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, its the orcs habitat. Dont 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 girls 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 its 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 n was perfect. Stop that darkugh, and get ready to take your sword out at any moment. From here on out, its the gnolls territory. Its too much for a slime-level mercenary. Okay, Ill follow right behind you. Thats my least favorite part. Slime-level mercenary It was the lowest level given to every neer. 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] [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 werent 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 sessfullyplete 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 couldnt mindlessly ept or throw out requests, it wouldnt apply to main character Oh Hanwoo, who was only going to go up from there. I dont see any gnolls. How strange. Were quite deep into the forest, yet we didnte 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. Its nothing. Of course, something would happen wherever the main character went! Knowing hed be seen as mentally ill if he exined that, Oh Hanwoo saved his breath. This is bad. I thought we couldplete the request to bring five gnoll ears quickly It would be detrimental to give up an easy request like this. Aside from the cancetion charge, it would leave and be a loss of all of that precious exp. Well just go further in. The girl knit her pretty brows into a frown and dissuaded hero Oh Hanwoos simple solution. No. We will go back to the mercenary guild ande back after checking for new information. Its 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. sh! sh! 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 cant do tha Theres no time for nonsen $# %^! # _^%! 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 floorughing.] [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 demons 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 demons 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 wasining about the noise. My friend! How stubborn Take me to the closest city. I cant. Do you want to die? I still cant. Prologia, the City of Beginnings, is guarded by a terrifying saintess. I cant die until I get married. That damn marriage Its more important than my life! If youre not in a hurry, what about the second closest city from here? I can take you there peacefully. Its decided. I didnt 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 shed 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 its risky for a demon like me. Too bad, then. I wasnt a demon, but it would still be risky to get an identity check because of thenguage barrier. Damn that Goddess! Ill 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. Its nothing. It shouldnt be a problem, you ughtered all those gnolls, after all. Dont worry about i kirk?! Say it now. Hey, everyone! Twist the leg of that suspicious demon! TN: leg twisting was amon torture method in the past dynasties of Korea. Chapter 18: [Act 6] The Green Pig Chapter 18: [Act 6] The Green Pig [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 demons name was Kogmos. He was my fantasy trantor. Nickname? Its my real name. My family tree is rather impressive, but Im the 23rd child of the 14th Demon Kings 348th wife, so theres 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 quitemon. So youre saying youre a demon without even a decent facade. Stop crying. Its 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. Its a name the now 425th wife of the 7th Demon King an old friend, gave to me. There wasnt even a single word of congrattions to her breast-feeding her first child Uh.. um hang in there. Who didnt have their own stories to tell in this world? The demons circumstances of his pent-up issues with marriage was pitiful, but it wasnt 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 ufortable 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 didnt look like you ate anything for the past two days. Oh! Its 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 couldnt be a normal conversation between two males without anything in Dont change the subject. You didnt eat or shit anything either. Im a demon. Dont 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 in. The demon, with his eyes dried out, coldly exined. Once the forest ends, its the swordmasters Knight Kingdom. Its also the orcs territory, like I said before. Orcs, you say They werent an unfamiliar species. They were in charge of raising the characters exp in fantasy novels, cartoons, and movies. But I couldnt 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 couldnt be sure until I saw an orc in person. Oh! Theres one over there. While the gnolls habitat was a dense forest, orcs lived a small, nomadic lifestyle in a vast in. I saw green pigs guiding cows and pigs. Sniff sniff. Smells like a human. Give it up. Theyre 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 muscr logs, with solid pecs on its chest. It was one of the versions of an orc Id known on Earth. Oh, no Its all your fault. What is? Your eyes, they glow like a gnolls. 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 didnt you hide it if you already knew how to! It looked cool. And I could see better in the dark. sh! Reactivating the edgy effect, I looked straight at the group of orcsing towards us. One, two, three, four Ten green biped pigs pointed their weapons towards us. I see theyre rxed. Gnolls would have screamed meat as they ran at us at full speed. It didnt seem like they were going to fight right away, but their stance wasnt 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 demons face for looking ready tough at me, but I held it in and took a step forward. After all, I was a good, cultured citizen of the smoke-fill EarthI loved peaceful solutions. Orc Skinny pig! Hand over everything you have! I didnt think Id be called a pig by a green pig. Skinny pig. Do you not know the pignguage? Im a human, not a pig. A pig speaks the orcs tongue? [Hero] It was thanks to the evil goddesss curse, but was a human speaking an oguage that big of a deal? The orcs, taken aback, talked amongst themselves and cried in unison. Boar! Give us everything you have! Youll die if you dont! Present us the female hog, too! It was a much better vocabry than those gnolls who only cried, meat! But the contents of what they were saying werent all that different. Guess I dont 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? Id simply die if I couldnt, but I wouldnt die easily. And above all [Outsider] [Fairy] Hey, you green pigs! Hand over everything you got! We are orcs! Not pi oink?! Thats what I should be telling you! Well settle who the actual pigs are! * * * * * * 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-thats a relief Huh? He rxed after listening to the beautiful voice nearby, but his train of thoughtpletely stopped for a moment. The girl was still beautiful. But she wasnt the same as before. What happened to your hand?! Her left hand was gone. Her pretty, fair hand that was nothing like a mercenarys 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 theres no need to me yourself. That couldnt 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 wasnt like the main character at all. It was prettymon 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 Itsmon. Countless mercenaries retire like this. Im just retiring a little early because I was unlucky. What?! This doesnt make sense! Im the main character?! Sir Oh Hanwoo? W-wait a minute. There must be a way to treat your hand! Using my blessing damn it! Ill acquire a blessing to solve this soon. This doesnt make any sense otherwise! Im happy enough with you being sad for me. Happy?! How can you be so! It was my mistake, so please dont me yourself. Shes not holding the boy who ruined her life responsible? [Special] The blessings effect didnt make him happy. Calling the girl strong would be an understatement, and Oh Hanwoo felt like hed go crazy listening to her. [A certain god of wind falls off their cloud fromughing.] [A certain immature god of dice asks how youre feeling.] [A certain god gives a thumbs up.] The gods were gleeful, even in a serious situation like that. Stopughing! Is this funny to you? [A certain god is displeased by youshing 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 toote. [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 girls 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 couldntin. 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 youre awake, go back to a safe city for now. If the gnolls Okay, and its not toote to lose hope. Of course, since Im still alive No! I didnt 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 girls face didnt light up at all. That will be difficult. The Saintess doesnt do anyone favors. Dont worry about that. Im not in the mood for jokes Im 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? Im a legendary hero. And you are the herosrade. The Saintess will treat you at all costs! *** The orcs armor was quite sturdypared to the gnolls. It looked silly, like an adult in childrens clothing, but they could pass off as a human if it wasnt 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 werent 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. Dont 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 theirpanions 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 thest 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 youre apanying me, shouldnt you at least help huh? re re~ The demons bottom half was engulfed in white mes, quickly burning like a dry firewood. Isnt 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 airne, but that couldnt 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 humanitys greatest weapon. I cant 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 goddesss pawn disappeared into the air. Where did she go? Its the direction of the fairy kingdom. If its bad enough for the Saintess to take action, it cant be a small problem How about you worry about yourself first? If he was a human, hed be dead by the time his bottom half was burnt and gone. Talk. Are you dead? Carry me. Dont look at me like that! I dont want to be carried by an inferior human either, but I cant heal a wound from a holy me quickly. Goddamnit Ill pay back the Saintess for this shame and humiliation someday. Chapter 19 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 in. 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. Kogmosined. I also feel like the worst. Why? If word gets out I got help from a low-rank human, Ill never be able to marry until I die Aha! Ill spread rumors everywhere if you run awayter. Are you really human?! How dare you threaten a demon?! Im a human that almost became a hero. I wonder how the undutiful children who fell into the goddesss temptation are all doing. It wasnt my ce to worry about them, but I grew sympathy that wasnt there before after going to the outskirts of the human vige. I couldnt 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? Cant you tell from my status window? Im 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 Heros Curse. Realistically, revenge is impossible because its hard to level up. Thats why we think of demons with the Hero Curse as dead. How dreadful. The You wont get away with this! viin line I saw in fantasy novels andics full of dreams and hopes had been ultimately blocked out. On my back, Kogmos tried to act smart. Its the reason I decided to help a low human like you. Theres a saying that your enemys enemy is ara Thats just because you were weak. Dont cry. I dont 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. Youre 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 Outsiders Blessing in front of god? Hes definitely getting divine punishment. [A certain god is ufortable.] [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 dont know about the Outsider Blessing? Believe whatever you want. I didnt realize how ufortable 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? Ive never heard of the Outsiders Blessing. Maybe if it was a Curse Oh, really. Of course hed never heard of it. I was the first person to introduce Earths 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 didnt feel the need to respond, so I just kept walking. And yet, Kogmos the demon didnt give up and babbled on and on. You probably dont eat or shit thanks to this Outsiders Blessing. It cant be possible if youre an average human. And you dont 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. Theres no doubt its a conniving Blessing up to this point. Hm I felt a little better after thatpliment. 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? Dont look at me like that. I really dont 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 gnolls 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 ring. 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 Themander of the knights gave Prince Alsus a report with a grim face. Prince. We couldnt 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 upying themselves over the issue for the past two days. With 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. Thats odd. The forest entrance was strictly regted so that the heroes could huntfortably. 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 Kingdoms 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. Its 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 ns move ahead. Yessir. Rxing 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 youve leveled up, it should be likest time Bang! An unwee guest came into the holy ce 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 unwee guest was a Hero. I came after hearing the Saintess hade back to the Temple! Hero Oh Hanwoo. Please keep your manners. Im sorry, Prince Alsus! But this girls life is on the line! Hero Oh Hanwoo. .. The boy who dered 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! Youre Princess. I am a mercenary now. Although Im nning 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 requestkirk! ng! ng! 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-thats I recruited an excellentpanion instead! Listening to his excuse, the Saintess turned to the so-called excellentpanion. [Name] Ara [Level] 12 [Blessings] Royal B, Charm E, Warrior D, Mercenary C [Curses] Student F [Dividend] A B rank noble Blessing. If she herself isnt a marquis, she must be the daughter of a duke. However, I dont 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 dly give their lives for humanitys 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, Im 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 couldnt imagine. Oh Hanwoo looked around him. Choi Gangmin, Jang Miyeon, Yoo Bora They were allughing 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 valuablerade. 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 girls hand! I refuse. What? Before you make a request, prove to me your worth. [Special] Hero Oh Hanwoos 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! Ruoink?! What is this pigoiiink?! Pig! Lets talk things ouoink?! sh! sh! Orcs didnt call for their friends or neighbors like gnolls did, but they obviously stood out as they ran through an empty in with nothing to hide themselves. Theyd ughter humans like wild pigs if they saw them.. So Oooiiink~! I ughtered 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 werent pestering me to kill the male demon. By the way, I dont see any female orcs. Do the chiefs monopolize them? Are you stupid? huhh? Demon Kogmos, tied to a ck cows back, picked a fight with me. Youre putting the wives in cruel, hardbor after killing the orcs. What nonsense are you talking about? Its not nonsense oh! Its 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 t. And a green baby pig came out between its legs. Plop. Waah~! There are no female orcs. Instead, they dont distinguish female species. Oh, shit Fantasy pigs were incredible omnivores beyond my imagination. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 [Act 6] The Green Pig Interesting~ I used to wonder Howe 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! The author created and killed them off whenever they were needed. Simply give up on making the difficult food chain or reproduction. After all, its boring~ Stab! Hey, baby pig. Be a human in your next life. Thats 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. Dont 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? Theydin about it regardless of what I did. It wasnt even funny, really. Its 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. Youre happy you just threw away a pile of money? I cant understand how you think at all. Then dont. 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 didnt mean I was a eunuch at all Wait. I didnt have room to pay attention because of all those life-threatening ordeals, but What is it? Were doomed. Because you killed a young orc? You think Id be sorry over one pig after killing a bunch of other baby gnolls? Then what is it? Dont even try to figure it out. If you figure it out this time, Ill actually kill you. [Outsider] I cant 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 thats well Hero Oh Hanwoo, who wasnt expecting to get denied in the first ce, could not give a solid answer. It seems you are taking the miracle of the Saintess lightly. I am not! He couldnt possibly disregard the Saintess'' power that could even revive the dead! Youre not? I think youre 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 wasnt 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 exnation. Make a request after youve proven yourself to be this valuable. Oh Hanwoo, thinking it would be the end if he didnt answer on the spot, stood firm and insisted. Think of it as an investment! It may not be right now, but Ill quickly be stronger! Then well talk after youve be stronger, like your friends. His friends were busyughing 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 didnt look like arade who got involved for sublime intentions. N-no Im not! [A certain male god scolds that lying is bad.] [A certain immature god of dice is disappointed youre 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 waspletely 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] [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 bing a gnolls victim, Yoo Bora and Choi Gangmin tied first in theprehensive evaluation for the Blessings and individual talents. She couldnt be disliked. If that is what Hero Yoo Bora wishes, then I will grant it. Comrade? It would be a relief if she didnt hold back the Heroes. But wouldnt she be useful being Hero Yoo Boraspanion, who was having a hard time from being an outcast? Is what the Saintess thought. She didnt ask for the opinion of the one getting treated. Your hand, Aria. huh? Yes, maam! Yes! It was a determined tone as if to say, Im 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 dyed from a useless disturbance. Please hurry along your with your ns. Yes, Saintess. The Heroes tantlyughed at Oh Hanwoo as they walked past him. Damnit, damnit, damnit! Oh Hanwoo was looked down on by everyone and even got his beautifulrade 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 werent full of disgust. You may not have gotten acknowledgment, but you didnt do anything wrong. It ended up looking like Hero Yoo Bora saved her, but youre 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 Hanwoocked 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 cant believe Princess Ethena liked me [A certain bold god of beauty drops their jaw.] [A certain male god apuds you for your own interpretation.] [A certain immature god of dice gives you a ten out of ten.] [A certain god] Hero Oh Hanwoos adventure wasnt over yet. *** You should smile. Even Im getting anxious because of the moody vibe youve been giving off. Its none of your business. No one must know Im a eunuch. [A certain god is curious.] You might be happy about it, outsider god Since Id probably never stop being an Outsider. [A certain god pesters you that theyre extremely curious.] Its a secret. [A certain god isining.] [A certain god isining.] [A certain god isining.] [A certain god] After staying quiet for a while, the god was back to spamming me again! But I wasnt going to tell him, no matter what. Hey you are you really talking with god? You werent insane? Itsmon. I answered nonchntly to the shocked demon. That was nothing in a fantasy world where giant lizards flew in the air instead of airnes. Are you the Demon King? Are you insane? Where in the world is there a level 1 demon king? Im not insane! I asked because the only ones who can hear an oracle themselves are Demon Kings and Heroes. But theres no way a Hero can get a Heros Curse. Just shrug it off. Youre a strange one, really. Having recovered his bottom half from the Saintesss attack, demon Kogmos hid his horns that symbolized demons right away with magic. They werent actually gone, he told me it was a superficial illusion. Why couldnt you do that from the start? Then my recovery would be slower. Plus, isnt it impossible for a human to stay alive without half their body? It would be useless for me to hide my horns, anyways. Youre actually pretty clever. Youre 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 didnt have too far left to go? $#@ $#@ $! Pigs! Hand over everything you got! %# #$! #@$%! Hahaha! How ridiculous for a mere pig! $#! %$! @%#! Lets 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! [emailprotected]#~?! 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 orcs one-sided ughter. It was inevitable. Like gnolls, orcs only go for prey that looks weaker than themthey only attacked if they were sure of their victory. Are you not gonna help them out as a fellow human? You didnt 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 theirst line of defense. I smell a female pig. Were done! Load all the food! Ignore them, hurry up and get away! The orcs didnt 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. %#! mes erupted like grenades every time Lady A, wearing an elegant ck dress, opened her palms. Bang! Poof! Poof! What are those female pigs?! I think theyll give birth to strong kids. I think youre gonna die before that! The orcs burned like dry straws or passed out one by one. They couldnt escape because the cows and horses were frozen by the me magic. It would only be a matter of time for the green pigs to get exterminated. I dont like this. Are you mad your innocent species are alive? What do you mean, mad?! Dont say stuff like that! I meant that I was disappointed because I couldnt avenge them. Its the same thing. No, its not. Lady A and Lady B from the extravagant carriage looked like upper-ss 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 Fuup! Taking a deep breath, I shouted loud enough for my echoes to be heard all across the in. Theres a super pretty female pig here! I wasnt lying. I didnt know about the orcs eye for beauty, but the twodies who went back inside the fancy carriage looked extraordinary. Never mind if theyre not. Hey, what are you doing? Rounding up pigs. Create your own problems! Id be fair and square and befriend them through fraud. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 [Act 6] The Green Pig It all started with the evil goddesss involvement. [Hero] Fantasy humans couldnt 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 bbergasted. You think that will summon the orcs? Its worth a try. Who would believe your words? What would an orc believe if not the orcsnguage? 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. An empty in without a single obstacle to block my field of vision. ording to my observations from hunting the orcs, they didnt lie about what they found. Theyd get caught red-handed right away. They couldnt 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! Well be back soon! Skinny pig! They whizzed past. Demon Kogmos muttered with a bbergasted expression. Youre using your Curse as a Blessing Now then! Lets hurry. Hm? Wasnt the n to save the female human right when all the mercenaries are down? Of course not. I wasnt 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? Youre 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 asposed as before. It was obvious from how visibly slower Lady As magic and Lady Bs swordsmanship had gotten. The female pigs are worn out! For our strong offspring! Ahahaha! Go harder! The orcs, certain of their victory, didnt even fear death. They actedpletely 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. Id feel uneasy if someone died because of that. [Outsider] [Fairy] With those two blessings and the Power of Meat, I swung at an orcs spine. Crack. Oooiink?! The orc burst into desperate cries right before it was about to stomp on a fallen mercenarys head. Let me borrow that for a bit. I pulled the orcs spinal joint from its back and threw it full force. Pow-! Oiink?! It put a hole right through a nearby orcs t nose. Plop. That was all in one breath. That came to me as naturally as breathing after ughtering countless orcs who called a cultured Earthling a pig. The strong pig is back! Its 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 theirrade. They were quick to surround me and attack from every direction. Geez. Theyre looking down at me a bit too much because Im level 1. I wouldnt 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 copsed as they got cut in half. They didnt 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?! I guessed it would be something like that. I turned out to bepletely wrong with the fairy ordeal, but there was no need to worry. That time, I had a trantor with me to check right away. Kogmo. What are those people say 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 girls money, didnt have anywhere to go. So, on his way to his room ng! ng! He was stopped by the guards at the Templesvish dorm entrance. What is this?! Im 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 exin again. You have three options now that you are no longer sponsored. First, ept 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. Whats the third? The second one wasnt even worth thinking about. Hed rather die than train while gettingughed 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 beingst ce, answered promptly. Ill go with the first option. Alright. Then please sign here. This is? Its 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. Its 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,ing to that conclusion, didnt 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. Thats so different Excuse me? Oh! Dont 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, Ill make you regret all of this! at. But this was You shouldnt have any problems until retirement with this amount. That is if you dont livergely or get scammed. Okay. There are many noble families who want a Heros bloodline. We can arrange it for you if you n on getting married. Uh Im 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 ve 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, dont 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. A simr ability to the gnolls after their eyes turned red. I would have subdued him for observation if Id 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? [emailprotected]# # %? $ ^%. 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 wouldnt be human if I didnt wipe all of them out. Hey, turn red. How does a skinny pig know the orcsng oink?! Never mind if you cant. The orcs attacked endlessly hoping Id tire out. [Outsider] The gnolls gotpletely destroyed because they couldnt 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 wont get away with this, male pig! Well take your female pigs from you next time! Beware! Skinny pig! Next time oink?1 Youve got to be kidding me. I ughtered every single one of the orcs that wanted to see another day. Are you okay? Demon Kogmos asked. I was covered in orc blood. Im totally fine. Not you. The people, still surrounding the fancy carriage, were struck in horror watching me, not the orcs. Why? Ah! Id unintentionally hid the edgy effect while I was hunting the orcs. It was toote, but it was better than leaving it as it was. Kogmo. You exin. 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 doesnt know the Westernnguage. Woah! Not bad. I guess he wasnt lying when he talked about his long travels to find a partnerthats how incredible demon Kogmos quick wit was. He used an odd, ancientnguage with me to hide the fact he was a demon. If he hadnt @$# Kang Hansoo #$ ^$#. %$ ^$% &^$. As Miss Lasha pointed out, he does have the Heros Curse, but hes not a bad person at all. Look at his Fairys Blessing. $#@ % $%? $ %#$ @# ^$# Youre 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 counterbnced my Curse that was no different than a criminals 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 Heros Curse, approached me. $#@ # %#. She says shes really sorry for doubting a savior. Aha! It was a good move to get a fantasy trantor. 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 didnt have a choice. I made a major decision to calm the wrath of god. Chapter 22: [Act 7] And Your Reputation? Chapter 22: [Act 7] And Your Reputation? [Act 7] And Your Reputation? [A certain god is humming.] [A certain god says theres 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. Werent they supposed to at least pretend to make me feel better? Clueless to all of that, Kogmos spoke to me, Look nicer. Its awkward enough with you not being able to talk. Youre 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 couldnt throw away the opportunity to befriend a fantasy native. And to do that Skinny pigs! Hand over everything you haoink?! 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, werent 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. iIs been a while since Ive 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 mainponent 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, #%$. Lady B silently got out of the fancy carriage and came towards me. ording to the demons trantions, she imed to be a noble attending a famous fantasy academy. Lets call it a military academy. It was the ce where love and friendships bloomed in fantasy genres, but the subjects taught there werent romantic at all. Swordsmanship, magic, healing, murder They taught things extremely useful for war. What a sticky situation. Demon Kogmos was deep in his sleep. His nerve to sleep peacefully among humans as a weak demon was bold, thats for sure. #$ #. Lady B sat at a slight distance from me as she said things I couldnt understand. Maybe she didnt 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 couldnt understand why she took her dagger out. # %#. me~ A blue me engulfed the daggerdy B was holding. It wasnt as hot as it looked, but it would destroy anything it touched nheless. Kang Hansoo #. % $#. Ah! You want me to show you? Fwp. I could have taken out my blue dagger in my pocket, but I feltzy and opened up my right thumb. And concentrated. A thick, hard red pir 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 showeddy 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 doesnt 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 regr students in high school, not a military academy. Preparation for death? That was impossible. They werent selected from a military or warfare enthusiast club, it was an entire ssroom 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 hierarchs 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 didnt. Thats 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. Im 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 Hanwoos 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. Its obvious from the way they relentlessly pursued their prey. They were especially relentless when their family or n 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. Im well aware. No. Not even the knights could have done this. Then the Demon King I I apologize. Ive made a mistake It is dangerous to make hasty judgements, but no doubt thises close to the Demon King invading. That was because the Heroes would level up slower as the number of gnolls went down. This wasnt good. I will look into it further. No. We mustnt 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 ns 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 its 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 Hanwoos status window. It was a mistake to allow him independence. I thought he wouldntst long by himself and woulde back sooner. Hero Oh Hanwoo He was no longer a Bero, but it seemed he wouldnt be remembered well for a long time. It was a good thing to spread word of the Heroes, who were humanitys 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 usefulpanion 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. Whats wrong? Did they all die to a full gnoll again? No, its not! Then what is it? We found a backpack assumed to be a Heros personal item! The Saintess froze in her tracks. *** I felt it deeply while staying up the previous night, but awkwardness really was inevitable if you couldnt speak thenguagethats why a trantor was needed. I tried to befriend many mercenaries in the morning. Kang Hansoo, #. $# @ %#$ &$% % &^ #^? He asks how you can be so strong even though youre 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! Dont sneak important information into the trantions. 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 mistranting on purpose while getting information off of me. The trantor needed some desperate re-training, but unfortunately, there were too many eyes on us. $#? %# # ^$ *% #^$ $# *$&? He asks if its 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 ufortable? Dont! What was he thinking, making everyone else ufortable, too? It was truly a demonic thought process. No need to try so hard. Its 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 difort from the god. What are you thinking this time? Kogmo You say its okay for a mercenary to be stubborn? Dont jump to conclusions. How could being a mercenary give them indulgence? Therere 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 viges, 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 didnt get it. You probably wouldnt know because you dont have the Mercenarys Blessing. You get exp if youplete a task. Oh? A Mercenary Blessing? ording to Kogmo, anyone who aspired to be a Mercenary could get the Blessing easily. Wait. I took another look at the evil goddesss curse. [Hero] > Languages of races that are hostile towards the Hero will be automatically tranted. > Experience that you gain from hunting and achievements is greatly diminished! Its not here The only things stopping me from gaining exp were hunting and achievements. Anything else didnt matter. Whats not here? Kogmo, what do I have to do to be a mercenary? I had found a way to be stronger. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 [Act 7] And Your Reputation? Male Earthling Kang Hansoo, age 17. Day 10 of getting drafted in a fantasy! Id finally, finally arrived in a civilized city after suffering from monsters and savages. Nice. It wasnt picture-perfect like the scenery in fantasy genres, but it went beyond my expectations. You dont look nice at all. Its because of the stench. Thats from the humans all living near the city gates. Besides, were no different. Think about how long its been since you bathed. Aha! You especially stink, you took a bath in orcs blood every chance you got. Im saying thenguage barrier wasnt the only reason people avoided you. You really know how to hurt someone with words, dont 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 cant 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! Dont 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 dont need to know.] The gods and demons areing 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 didnt 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 fantasynguage I didnt 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 wasnt going to? Demon Kogmos had been holding his head high ever since we entered the crowded city. His nerve! It wouldnt be pretty for him if word got out that he was a demon, but he was natural at pretending to be human. That wasnt all, either. Were going to the tailor after we get a room and wash up. I need a spare set of clothes because of the Saintess, and Im not even gonna get started on you. You looked homeless from the beginning. You made a n and everything. You didnt even know what a mill is, dont think of me the same as you. I made a tantly ufortable face, but the demon kept going. But before that, we should listen to what business thedies have with us. Theyve 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 godins its not better at all.] It looked like god was displeased again, but theyd 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 feltpletely fine. With my head, not my heart. Then its decided. What about the mercenary guild, then? Do as I say if you dont want to get kicked out as soon as you step foot in the guild. Bathing and clothese first. Hmph. And so we headed to the most expensive inn in the city. * * * * * * ve 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 very in fantasy genres. Then what about in real life? Woah Oh Hanwoo couldnt keep his mouth closed at the ve market in the middle of the city. It resembled a superstore. As big as it was, there were various ways in which ves were disyed. Its so big Oh! It got bigger! Ahem! A young, muscr, dark-skinned man looked far in the distance. Besides his handcuffs and cor, he didnt 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 werent for the shackles slightly showing under her dress, she would have passed as a resting nobledy. 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 ves with a goodmercial 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 didnt have any trouble getting in. Oh yeah! I dont have a lot of time. It didnt 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 ves. He only thought to buy pretty ves. [Special] He didnt have the eye for people or expertise in this area, but Oh Hanwoo didnt 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 ves. Nothing to see for the handsome boys Obviously nothing for the handsome men as well But it wasnt easy for him to find a female ve that fit his standards and preference. Oh? Look, its Oh Hanwoo. Youre Two boys walked straight towards Oh Hanwoo as soon as they found him. Are you here to buy a ve, too? One boy amiably asked. Yeah pretty much. Haha! We thought the same. You left with money because you didnt like the training, right? Its a secret. It seemed the boy didnt know that he didnt get trained at all since his first day. The boy was acting friendly for the moment, but that meant he didnt care about him. Thats why Oh Hanwoo gave a sharp answer. Rx. Were in the same situation, we gotta stick together. Oh! Ill give you some useful information. Useful information? That old guy over there is the man in charge. If he finds out youre a Hero, hell show you all the high-end ves that arent on disy. 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 theres nothing you can do if others peep at your status window, right? Huh? Your Heros Blessing will be exposed on its own, do you really need to call yourself one? Its a contract loophole. I see. Just realizing you could peep at others status windows, Oh Hanwoo pretended to be calm. What ve are you going to get? Its 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! Lets see who you get. Sure. Watch me. Ill make you crazy jealous! Come to the inn closest to the city East Gate if you wanna show off your ve. Well be waiting there. Alright. Oh Hanwoo ran straight to the man in charge of the ve 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 theundry on its own! And it cleaned my body, too. I didnt need to bathe. All I had to do wasy down near the cauldron and the slime woulde and eat up all the dirt and grime. This slime I want it. dont 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. Didnt you say we were going to go to a store in personter? Change of ns. Its rude to make them wait when youre staying in this inn for free. You mean thedies? Dont tell me you didnt even memorize thedies names. Uh no. Youre ruder than a demon! At least memorize the names of thedies who paid for your expensive room. Youre rude! How could he call me ruder than a demon?! It was true I approached them for that intent, but I didnt think wed 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 theirdies are finished getting ready. What? I dont know how youre still not married. Are you enjoying making fun of me?! Do you really not know? I knew he couldnt get married because he was too weak, he told me himself. Thats not what I was asking. Why dont you marry a human? Dont cry. Thats the worst! How far are you going with this?! Do you seriously marry your pet animal? Of course I dont. Then shut up. If I was going to marry a human, I wouldnt have risked my life to leave my hometown. Alright. After getting changed, we waited for Ladies A and B toe to the inn lobby. They were taking forever. Demon Kogmos was lightening up the mood, surrounded bydies 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.] Ipletely agree with you, god oh, theyre 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. Dont worry about us. We just arrived as well. Wrong, you demon! We had waited forever. Tell them we want to eat first. We havent had a proper meal yet due to our long travels, would you like to dine first? I know a ce youdies would like. $#. %$, Kang Hansoo #$ %. $. @#$ $#, Kang Hansoo $ %$ #@. Thedies each said something while mentioning my name. What about me? The demon was giving me a weird look. What? They said theyd like to dine, but they want to go to where you wanna go first. Ooh! Leave the judgment to the demon who sees humandies as pet animals! Humans or demons all go for the powerful damn this world! Kogmo! Lets eat first! I was starting to like this fantasy world a little more. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 [Act 7] And Your Reputation? The evil goddesss 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 wont even have a chance. Human effort was nothing in front of the gods Blessings. Are you stillining after a good meal? Its not much of aint. The restaurant Kogmos strongly rmended 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 couldnt feel full no matter how much I had, and I ended up overeating. But I didnt feel like it was a waste of money. Wasnt that enough? Im sure god would think the same [A certain god is hurt by the obscurement.] [A certain god mumbles obscure lone wolf in the wild] hello? Was it okay for the almighty god to break so easily? I didnt understand how this fantasy world hadn''t already copsed. 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? $# # [emailprotected]#% $# [emailprotected] # % [emailprotected] She asks if youve ever been to the mercenary guild. I havent. He says hes a country bumpkin whos never been. That damn demon keeps tranting like shit. $ @# %#$. %$ @%$ $ ^% $ ^#$%. Lucky bastard. This world is unfair! Youre spewing nonsense, not tranting. Hmph! Youll 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, Im busy at the moment oh! A legendary Hero! Wee! The manager of the ve market switched attitudes as soon as he saw Oh Hanwoos status window. [Hero] Thats because it was a special Blessing that couldnt be obtained unless they were a Hero chosen by the gods. That wasnt all. Hed heard the Heroes that left the Temple were rich. Im here to buy a ve. What kind of ve would you like? A warrior for arade, like the other Heroes from before? A strong female warrior. A strong female, you say its hard to find, but we do have them. Ooh! Oh Hanwoo smiled with contentment. Opportunities are in critical moments! He would get a cute, lovelyrade from the ve market. [Special] The manager honorably led him to the restricted area. Wipe wipe. ves were washing and getting dressed outdoors without partitions to cover them, and they waited to be disyed. The manager pointed at a woman, asking him, Hero. How do you like this ve? What? For a moment, Oh Hanwoo didnt know who he was pointing to. The warrior looking down in front of you. Shes a heroine who would boldly rob in the northern part of the Knight Kingdom. She was betrayed by her subordinates and captured as a ve. 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 ves status window. [name] Merasi [Level] 17 [Blessings] Mercenary B, Warrior E, Equestrianism E, Mettle F [Curses] ve F Level 17 It looked like she was quite an exceptional mercenary before bing a thief. But what about now? [ve] > You, having handed over all your rights, are property. > You will feel pain every time you disobey your owners orders! It would be no use for the ve to get free from their shackles and escapetheir Curse would stay branded on them. It was a foolproof way of imprisonment. The manager exined with confidence. Those who swear to the gods to give up all their rights get the ves Curse. As long as you give the right orders, she wont be able to betray you. Um Dont 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 t cost. Its not that Please, feel free to tell me anything. I want a strong and dainty woman The ve the manager had confidently rmended 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 hade 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. Hed never used magic before, but he did have the Magic Blessing. Then wont you need a strong shield to protect you until you activate your magic? Youre right. * * * * * * Like the pretty girl Yoo Bora stole from him, he needed a beautiful ve who would protect him at all costs. The manager barely controlled his face as he exined further. Dear Hero. Are you saying you are going to use a dainty woman who hasnt trained to be strong, as a shield? I um Beautiful, daintypanions were in every fantasy genre. But he sounded like a total douche after listening to the manager! But Oh Hanwoo didnt give up orpromise. [Special] After all, he was the main character. He was a special entity wheremon sense nor logic applied to him. He gave up getting a rmendation from the manager. May I choose for myself? Go ahead. The manager dly agreed, thinking that would be better for both of them. How could a mere merchant understand the Heros deeper intentions? Oh Hanwoo was surprisingly quick to choose after looking through all the ves. Ive decided! Hm. He had chosen a total of three ves. The manager looked at the status window of the strongest ve he chose. [Name] Lusa [Level] 6 [Blessings] Charm F [Curses] ve F Hahaha! I was wrong. They really are dainty girls who are stronger than you. The manager epted his mistakes andughed. Strength is rtive, isnt 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 ves Oh Hanwoo picked himselfbined were cheaper than the ve the manager had rmended. Was it because of her high level? He didnt think too much about it and paid for the women. Clink! His thick pouch was thinner than before, but he didnt 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 Ive dered everything needed as their owner. A word of advice, ves can do whatever they want if you dont give the correct order Even murdering their master or escaping. I''ll keep that in mind. But Oh Hanwoo didnt keep the managers advice in mind. Betrayal didnt 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 cksmiths 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 couldnt 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. Dont be embarrassed. There are plenty of mercenaries who cant write their own name. Shut up. As a cultured Earthling, the humiliation of being illiterate was unbearable. Copy this. You say it like its easy. Stopining. Its getting annoying taking care of a toddler. I found outter, but I was registered as Kkang Hansue because I wrote too crookedly. It was a tragedy caused by a demon who was toozy to point it out. Anyways, [Name] Kang Hansoo [Level] 1 [Blessings] Outsider F, Fairy C, Mercenary D [Curses] Hero E, ughter 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 twodies. 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 thenguage first. Ill drop by the bookstoreter and buy you a picture book. Read and learn. Youre treating me like a total child. Its just the right level for someone who doesnt 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 didnt say anything important, my friend here just wants to learn thenguage soon. $#! %$ &$^. % Kang Hansoo # $# ^#%. Ill ask him. The demon turned to me after a cordial conversation withdy A. He looked extremely ufortable. What? She says she has experience teaching her little sibling thenguage. Itll be a lot of help for someone like you, who knows nothing but violence. That means she has toe with us. And? Be grateful and ept it, unless youre a eunuc kekkek?! You really do have a death wish, dont 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 wasnt even a frequency limit. [Outsider] Was it not the perfect task for someone like me, who didnt 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 Thedies, who would y 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 youre going on another killing spree.] Dont be ridiculous. I was going to exterminate them. Chapter 25: [Act 8] Second Language Chapter 25: [Act 8] Second Language [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 persons level ispared 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 boys status window with the Blessing [Name] Kang Hansoo [Level] 1 [Blessings] Outsider F, Fairy C, Mercenary B [Curses] Hero E, ughter E His blessing, Heros Curse, was perfect for making him look like a viin. But he also had the Fairys 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! Lets talk this out! %#$, $ @#~?! sh-! 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. Lets take a short break! #% #? Uh She had never had a problem withnguage barriers in her life. Right then, however, she felt extreme difort not being able to speak with that boy who did nothing but hunt all day without a break. Ill let that bastar my friend know we want a break. Thank you, Kogmos. She couldnt keep up with the boy that didnt eat, sleep, or use the bathroom at all. Laysha, what a surprise! I didnt know you would ask for a break~ What, I cant rest? Besides, youre not one to talk. I can see your legs shaking. Thats mean! Hehe! Then why dont 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 couldnt 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 wasnt an answer when I asked if I could sit here~ Im just tired. That wasnt an excuse, she meant it. Im 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 didnt say who or what, but it was obvious who she was talking about. She could only mean one boy Kang Hansoo. Yeah. He says its because of his blessings. Im talking about his talent. Talent? You probably cant see it because youre a mage, but his swordsmanship is insane. What are you saying? I dont know how else to put it Hes been using swordsmanship that can easily fall apart with one small mistake all day. Is that even possible? Im not sure. I grew up as a prodigy, but hes on a different level. Its 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 orcs because he was just starting off, but it would get better with time. There were some things he could say fluently. $! #@ %! Spare me, Im sorry, forgive me, kill me, I was wrong, it hurts, go easy, stop it His vocabry 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? Its just what youre 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] [Dividend] She had quite a bit of high-ranking Blessings rtive to her level thanks to her social status and rising effort effects. But shed surely fall behind if she didnt 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, rtive grading system. The rtive 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. And so did her friend. Laysha. Im 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 Hansoos hunting. Overachieving isnt good for you. We only have one body. She wasnt 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 wouldnt 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 didnt want that kind of future. Dont worry too much about it. Youre just toocent. No, Im not. That boy may look like hes putting his full attention on orc hunting, but hes actually paying attention to our safety almost excessively. Really? Really. Im not calling him insane for nothing. That means hes looking around his surroundings while hes fighting. What? It just seems like my friend that was never into boys is observing a certain boy a little too much. N-no Im not! Its a swordsmans duty to observe movement! Yeah, yeah. Lets leave it at that. Hehehe. Jeez! Eek?! That tickles~! Kang Hansoo saw the twodies 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, youre alive~! The twodies pledged to teach the boy thenguage fast. * * * * * * The orc hunt went smoothly. My status window wasnt 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 didnt need sleep, but I couldnt leavedies A and B sound asleep by themselves to go hunting. I had no choice but to have ate-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 gods 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 dont know.] Hm I figured out the outsider gods personality over our conversations. A typical outsider! I didnt get dropped out alone because I wanted to, but I wasntining, 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 didnt know In the direction where the god pointed were the sleeping bags of the demon and twodies, all huddled together. Was it roughly southwest? Slightly west of the forest is It looked like my ssmates and the gods were still nearby the Temple. That meant the evil goddess and saintess mustve been nearby as well. I couldnt rx. 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 daye? 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 As magic and Lady Bs 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 vocabry 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 nd time reading picture books, my heightened instincts sensed some things that weren''t orcs. Were 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 twodies safely while fighting. So Tap tap. I nonchntly kicked the demons sleeping bag to wake him up. What is it? Itste. Wake up. Quietly. Were surrounded by humans that are on the same level as thesedies. 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 wless logic. We also woke up the twodies. Wumen. Do you want to die? #?! $#?! You madman! Anyone will take it the wrong way if you say it like that! I tried my best. What do you want me to do? I didnt know a lot of conversation topics. Ladies A and B, wide awake, got into their fighting stances. All they had to do was put on their shoes and get their weapons, but that alone would prevent them from dying or getting captured in vain. Theyreing. It was right after I spoke those words re~! re, re~! At once, torches from all directions lit up the dark grass field. Most of them were mercenaries with crossbows. They were aiming at us from a safe distance. A man who looked like the head chief came forward and shouted. #$ orc%! #$ #$ $%# @ %#$ ^$#! Theyre 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 theyll let go of the nobledies after a few days if they surrender. Foul savages! How dare they discriminate against someones birth status like that! I was educated no differently than a prince on Earth, getting discriminated against for my social status! It didnt sit well with me at all. Anddies 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 didnt know if I could kill them all while guarding thedies perfectly. Guess I dont 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 in 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 twodies wouldnt be safe. Toss, toss, toss. I swatted all the bolts away like they were mosquitoes and flies. $?! #%?! The mercenaries, taken aback by my petty tricks, started reloading. Surely they didnt have the time to be doing that? Hand over the female pig! Kill all the male pigs! Haha! Therere pigs everywhere! Those females are mine! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! My green reinforcements heard my cries for help and came from every direction. How reliable! The orcs raided the mercenaries surrounding us. # orc &$ @&?! Orcs?! $ *# *$^! #*$! Kill the orcs! ng! ng! ng! ng! 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. Chaos of the wilderness. Be honored youre dying to the outsiders apostle! [A certain god is too embarrassed to keep their head up.] re! Ill 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 daggers de like a horse-yer sword. A head was decapitated every time I swung it. [Outsider] [Fairy] Thanks to the fairys 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 dont want to die! #! On top of that, my Curse helped me out too. [ughter] > Friendly races will slightly fear you and find you appalling. > The chances of them opposing your cruel actions increases a lot. It didnt 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 #& $~! The Curse didnt have much of an effect when they thought they had the upper hand, but after getting raided by the orcs, they were much more expressive. Stab! Fear spread like a contagious disease every time I killed off one of theirrades. Of course, there was some bacsh. ^#! Ill kill you! I could see the man that seemed to be the head mercenary leading his gang in a single row, charging towards me. sh! Stab! Cut! A blue surge of power was wrapped around their swords like Lady Bs. It was such a strong force that even the orcs, who showed a bold front through a sessful raid and overwhelming numbers, took a step back. But s #^%di- Slice! While cutting the orcs, I vertically sliced the mercenaries running at me from head to groin. They were undoubtedly strong, but I was stronger. That was all. #$ &#! Kill him! Kill him! #&^! The mercenaries were unfazed by theirrades'' deaths and swung their swords. They were attacking through timegs. It wasnt 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 de could touch my body. #?! The mercenary was disarmed, hips copsing from his prated 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 mercenarys attacks towards my back were undoubtedly menacing. Of course Pow! $, #? That didnt make a difference. We all may have had a fair shot at each other, but that didnt mean our Blessings were fair, too. Sorry I disappointed you. The dying head mercenarys smile of victory after shing 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 didnt 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 andfortable, 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 me 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. Its pretty busy. [A certain godins you talk to yourself too much.] For the outsider god! [A certain godpliments you for talking to yourself too much.] God, arent you happy its not boring? [A certain god says to hurry up so they can look at the picture books.] Ah, yeah. Ill try. There were still plenty of fantasy savages and pigs to kill. * * * * * * 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 wasnt a backpack that could be made with Fantasias 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. The printing technology from the world the Heroes were born and raised in. Isnt it truly incredible? Oh! Ive made a mistake. Its strictly forbidden for a knight topliment a foreign country. Even though the Heroes home country doesnt exist in Fantasia. But from how nonchnt the Heroes were about the world with this much technology, maybe it wasnt 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 themander of the knights. Any chance themander reported it to Prince Alsus? None. I ran straight to you under hismand. It was a wise decision. All of the Heroes personal items were stored in the Temple, including those who dered 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 wasnt summoned to the Temple. As she thought Anyone would assume that if they saw that backpack. A Hero that wasnt summoned to the Temple It may not sound like much, but it couldnt 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 arent married yet. Yes. Ill arrange for you to work at the Temple forever. Unless you would like to die with honor? I will work. Dont contact anyone, and stay secluded for the time being. Okay, The knight answered calmly. He saw thating 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 couldnt 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. Im sure you heard everything? Yes, Saintess. Learn thenguage 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. Gods mistake. It could not, and should not have happened. Her god was an absolute, perfect entity. But the suspicious phenomenon had urred in real life. It was easy to get rid of the evidence, but would that be enough? She couldnte 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 Hunters Vige. Do you mean the vige councilwoman, Celebless, and the fairies were kidnapped? Didnt we decide under the councilwomans 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. ording to the vigers testimonies, they said it was revenge from a vindictive soul Soul? They say the mercenaries killed a stranger that saved the fairies before the strangers 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 rted to this backpack? I apologize. I asked a spiteful question. She didnt mean to get worked up. It meant thats how much the backpack shook herposure. The Saintess calmly spoke. A spirit, on holy grounds? That is ridiculous. The realistic approach would be that they didnt 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 didnt have trouble breathing. Jiggle! Jiggle! The slimes were earlier than the birds and busied themselves cleaning the area. Jiggle~ Jiggle~ Rapidly growingrger 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? Im telling you to listen to what Im saying! what? Theres too much luggage. Demon Kogmos was distracting my appreciation towards the fantasy worlds life cyle. For such a mundane reason Theres livestock to carry luggage all around you. Mooo~ Neigh~ A lot of livestock ran away overnight, but it wasnt a problem because we had found the mercenaries horses. The demon, frowning at my counterargument, gave another reason. Theres 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 woulde for it! And these twodies are exhausted. Theyre past the point of being able to recover through rest. Hm! Amputated fingers, scars on their face None of those injuries had urred, 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 couldnt 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? Is what I assumed they were saying! Kang Hansoo#. Thank you. Thank you. Kang Hansoo $#. The twodies, leveling up as soon as Ipleted 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] Level 16! She had told me she was a level 14 knight when she first met me. Even she didnt seem to believe it. It wasnt just her I leveled up, too. Ill give you a little thanks. Ahem! Demon Kogmos. Even he had leveled up, despite being a higher level than the twodies. I looked at the demons status window that only I could see Youre 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 aption 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 wasnt 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, ughter E [Dividend] 6.60 This is driving me nuts! I was still level 1! That was odd. The Heros curses couldnt affect the exp from mercenary tasks, right? [A certain god looks at the faraway gxies.] [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: [Bonus] Lone Wolf Chapter 27: [Bonus] Lone Wolf [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 couldnt ept each other. To the almighty God! I dont want to die yet! God! Save me! We did not turn our backs on those who asked for our help. I wasnt 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 cant 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 wasnt 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 youre 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 med me gradually faded away. Had I done something wrong? I didnt know, but I was sure Id 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 ttered.] 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. Id 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. Im certain some bitch who was jealous of my beauty sent an assant! 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 didnt want to make another mistake. [A certain god asks what happened.] What happened? Thats [A certain god draws the line that they wont help them if they dont know what happened.] I guess I dont 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 didnt seem like she needed my help. The woman disagreed right away. No! Theres no one better to marry than this prince! And there isnt a man who wants to marry me now that Im ugly. [A certain god says theyre sure there is.] There had to be. I was sure of it, Id watched humans ever since they were created on the stars. There would surely be a man who wanted to marry her somewhere I dont want to! I dont want an ugly or ipetent 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 didnt lose control of my powers and make the mistake of turning her into a baby. Poof! The womans face recovered. She became a bit younger, as Id put her back to before she got the scar, but it wasnt too young to get married or give birth. After feeling the smooth skin on her face, she rushed to take out herpact 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 viiness, An old man wearing a crown Snap! Snap! Snap! The heads of handsome young boys dropped to the ground one by one. The woman, who was branded as a viiness, 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 Im 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! Its your fault for being old and diseased! Carry out the execution. This is uneptable! You abandoned me when I was ugly, too! Snap! The queens head, who used to be called the kingdoms gem, fell onto the dirt floor. And so did my heart. [A certain god is depressed.] * * * * * * 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 nts 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! Im 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. Lets 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 didnt matter if one had the power to single-handedly change the flow of a war, the end would alwayse without warning [A certain god asks if you want to live.] Of course! [A certain god warns you will lose everything you have.] Its 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! Im alive! The heros 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 lets 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 wasnt 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 Blessings effect. He would never falter from his emotions for the rest of his life. Whats important is that Im alive. Ill 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 Herorades didnt wait for him. Cain. I have something to tell you Im sorry. Forget a woman like me. Hero. Im 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?! Its the worst Curse there is! [A certain god is displeased.] Since you did save my life, I will stop the resentment andints. [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.] Dont give anyone a Blessing ever again. This is a Curse that takes away things more valuable than life. [A certain god goes quiet.] I wouldnt 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. Lets 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 oues. I couldn''t stay stubborn anymore. He was right. [A certain god silently leaves.] I wasnt 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 fairys arrow. [A certain god peeps.] Save me! [A certain god asks why youre alone.] Save me first! This human was more stubborn than the woman Id saved before. It was only right to ignore him, but [Name] Kang Hansoo [Level] 1 [Blessings] [Curses] Hero E [Dividend] 2.56 He had the Heros curse. He wouldnt stop leveling uppletely, but without any Blessings, he wouldnt survive long, either. If he was going to die anyways [A certain god ponders.] Are you an outsider? An outsider? Id 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, deste position in this world. [A certain god is certain theyre an outsider.] Please save me. [A certain god asks if youre also an outsider.] Im an outsider, too. Thats 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 Heros Curse instead of a Blessing, but it didnt 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, wouldnt 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 gxies.] [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 Its 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 didnt know why. Outsider god, stop making fun of me. Lets go pick out some picture books. He thought of me as a child! But I didnt 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 its a secret.] Yeah, fine. I wish you would stay by my side. Forever. Chapter 28: [Act 9] Easy Orc Chapter 28: [Act 9] Easy Orc [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 vigers, who were clearly not fighters, were at least level 2. [Hero] I should have reached level 2 already, even with a curse. Id hunted down all those gnolls in the forest. The orcs were nothing tough at, either. The number of green pigs I lured in usingdies A and B was tremendous, enough for everyone except me to have leveled up. I really am stupid! Its obvious if you think about! I just wasted my time exterminating orcs. If Id known of it sooner, I would have done it in moderation! I wouldnt 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. Lets 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 its a secret.] Yeah, fine. They sure had a lot of secrets! The outsider god mustve been scheming to drill another big nail into a young outsiders 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 didnt understand them. Hey, trantor. They say they feel bad they got more help while trying to help you and that it will be hard for them to apany you further because while your hunting method is efficient, its too dangerous. Well, true. This may be a fantasy world where pigs call humans a pig, but it wasnt 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 wasnt 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 mecent. I had to be more careful from then on You dont even have basic manners. Dont you know you have to respond right away when ady says thank you? Tell them its all good. Thats it? What about it? Dont tell me you still dont know thesedies names. I do know! Say them. You crude, suspicious demon! Dont test a good human! Theyredies Laysha and Julia. I said. I know. I realized something new thanks todies Laysha and Julia. There 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. Lets go buy picture books. Knowledge is power! To be strong, I had to perfect thenguage of the fantasy world since I couldnt level up. That way, it would be easy to gather information. I couldnt 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 wasnt the demon god. This god was a little more fundamentally immature and evil. Dont 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. * * * * * * Though Oh Hanwoo couldnt call himself a Hero anymore, that wasnt a big problem for him. [Special] If everyone was a Hero, wouldnt it be more special to not be one? A main character stronger than the Hero That wasnt a bad plot, Oh Hanwoo optimistically thought. Clink! He invested therge amount of money that was for his independence and not calling himself a Hero and bought ves. As a result, his pockets became quite thin, but he didnt regret it. Ehehe. Oh Hanwoo couldnt help but grin with contentment every time he looked at the pretty girls he had chosen at the ve 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 be a ve to pay off her familys debts. Kana. Yeah? Did you call for me? A tall, skinny girl with slightly curly silver hair was staring nkly 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 wasnt a noble, but the daughter of quite a wealthy merchant. Shed be a ve after losing the race to be heir. Just checking if youre following well. Okay. Aha is that so? They were currently ve status, but growing up sheltered by respectable families, the girls skin looked different from the skin of amoner. 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, ves, nobles, unfortunate souls, broken families I just knew The girls saved by the main character(me) would make excellentrades! Ahahaha. The girls nced at each other as if to say this time, its 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, Im going hunting! Hunting? Yep. Hunting. It wasnt bad living like newlyweds as they were, but it would fall apart if they didnt have a source of ie. Mirrors, underwear, daily attire, fighting attire, makeup, daily necessities, swords, crossbows, shields, backpacks, household medicine, water bottles, field rations He didnt have a problem because his exrade Aria took care of it for him, but his ves didnt have any of it. And that wasnt 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 ofvish spending. Master. It will be dangerous without the proper preparation. Its okay, just trust me. I didnt just do nothing all this time. re~! Oh Hanwoo formed quite a rather big me on his palm. [Magic] Princess Ethena may have given him the Magic Blessing, but besides that, hed 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? Theres absolutely no need to worry. Okay. Ehehehe! . Oh Hanwoo appeared to be confident in front of thedies, but the state of his pockets was the exact opposite of that. Hed looked down on it for being a beginners 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 worlds safest residential area where the Saintess, also called humanitys 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 thend was. Mister Oh Hanwoo, please stop. This is a restricted area. What the Oh Hanwoo, whod led the ves 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 t voice. Only Heroes cane in here. Then so can I-oh! Please go somewhere else if youve 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 ns and headed deeper into a dark, empty area. Rustle. #$? %#! Its 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 werent everything, but they were set to win as long as they didnt freeze in fear or lower their guards. Oof! Urk! Urm.. [ve] Despite being scared and not being able to run away because of their masters orders, the girls fought surprisingly well. They werent level 1, after all. It was evident they had quite some experience leveling up through killing. They werent civilians who didnt know how to fight at all. Pow-! #$?! The magic me Oh Hanwoo made hit the gnoll. Now! Attack! Stab! Stab! Stab! With their mastersmand, the girls stabbed the gnoll in unison without missing a beat. # #@ Flop. Just like that, the gnoll copsed after letting in all the attacks. Alright! Now keep it up Wow! That was pretty neat. I was going to give you a hand if it got dangerous. p p! There was a boy approaching Oh Hanwoo tauntingly. It was his ssmate that had taught him various things at the ve market. Behind them was a muscr ve standing on guard. Oh Hanwoo scrunched his brows. If youre going to hunt, do it over there. I came here first. And if I dont want to? He was like that in school back on Earth as well. Hed 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 beautifulrades to share his mind and body with. And so the boy didnt get scared and loudly shouted. You piece of shit! Take it if you can! Yeah yeah, I was going to. [ve] [ve] The Heroes, who werent on good terms even back in their mothend, ordered their ves. 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 wouldnt work for me to take down the evil goddess when I couldnt level up. A weapon that could cut gods! Wouldnt 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. # #[emailprotected]# $ %#. ^$ # $. %#$ $. The twodies say they dont know. It looks like youve got some hot air in you from reading all those childrens 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 inds in the owner-less ocean Oh! I was wrong. There are some left. Oh?! Really? Was there really a relic that hadnt been excavated yet?! The demon told me with a sneer. But its 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 youre thinking from your face, but leave me out of it. The entrances of those relics are guarded by the nations knights. How strong are the knights? I can assure you that theyre stronger than you. Its 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 mncholiness. [A certain god tells you to cheer up.] [A certain god twirls in their ce.] [A certain god shakes their buttocks side to side and dances.] Theyre ecstatic that Im upset, arent 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. Im feeling really depressed right now, alright? Dont pick a fight. Move along. A pig speaking orc tongue?! Am I dreaming?! Just go. Smart male pig! Dont look down on orcs just because youre a little fluent. Hand over everything you g-kirk?! You really dont 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 ce 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 pigs 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 cant b what? Relics! Theyre there, now stop hitting me, smart pig! Dont lie to me. Youre racking your brain to run off. You dont know the Orcs Secret! Dont bluff just because you know thenguage! That was a knockdown. The fact that there were no undiscovered relics was just the human and devils point of view. Urk! My handsome face kirk?! I I cant breathe.! My friend! Can you tell me more? I had to listen to the orcs, too. Chapter 29 Chapter 29 [Act 9] Easy Orc [Hero] > Languages of races that are hostile towards the hero will be automatically tranted. > Experience that you gain from hunting and achievements is greatly diminished! How nice it wouldve been if thenguage of friendly species were tranted automatically! It wasnt because of a one-dimensional reason like I didnt want to study, but because I didnt 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! Lets look past those minor issues. Thenguage contains the culture of the country and its people. I wasnt saying that because I learned it in my Korean ss. Like there are different dialects in different parts of a country, Western Fantasia uses unique adjectives. Power levels werepared 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! Its time to stop! You should know how lucky you are. Where else can you find a human friend that canmunicate with you this well? Do you think Im stupid?! Friends dont use violence! Lets get past the minor arguments we had before we became friends. Fights create bonds, you know? Argument?! You werent a smart pig, but a stubborn one! Haha! Lets hurry. [A certain god asks why you have your spirits back again.] Why, you ask? Its 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. Ill show you the way, but strong pigs like you cant enter. Why not? I dont know. It has been like that ever since I was born. How much further do we have to go? Its in front of you. Um? No matter how hard I looked, I couldnt 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? Its a skinny male pig! The pig is back in the city. Its a male. Lets 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 Id found the City of Orcs and the relic. S-smart male pig?! Howe youre still here?! My orc friend whod 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 Thats because Im level 1. Liar! I could see why that orc friend had obediently led me there. This will be your grave, skinny pig! Male pig! me yourself foring to an orc sanctuary. Haha! Oh! Its a pig! Todays 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 oink?! Hahaha! Alright, everyone. Let me pass. Feel free to block me. Ill 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. Ill set you straight! re! 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 muscr ve guarding the piece of trash took down the girls with his bare fists like he was sweeping them with a broomstick. They werent a match at all. Sera! Kana! Lusa! Ill save you! [Special] Oh Hanwoopleted his magic in the short time thedies bought him. Shoot-! A fireball the size of a watermelon hit the ve 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 muscr ve pulled a sword from his waistbelt. Sling- Th-that cant be! Oh Hanwoo subconsciously took a step back, surprised at the dangerous de. But Im 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 watchingughed his head off. Ahahaha! Looks like you cant believe whats happening, Oh Hanwoo, but this is a natural oue, you know. You piece of shit! What tricks did you pull out of your sleeve?! Tricks? Theres no such thing. Its simple, my ves level was just overwhelming higher. Levels are nothing but numbers. Yeah, thats when its only a small difference. But when it gets bigger than 10 levels, youre not a match. Right after the boy acted arrogant Ahhh! Aargh~?! S-stoop- In unison, Oh Hanwoos ves started to struggle in pain. [ve] [ve] [ve] 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 ves dont want to die. They went against their masters orders and gave up fighting. Thats They just might go mad from the pain if you leave them like this. Sera! Kana! Lusa! You dont 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 muscr ve. Stop. Let me talk to my friend, the boymanded. Yes. The ve, 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 homndughed at him as he spoke. Oh Hanwoo. I also really enjoy fantasy genres. I just didnt show it at school. Kirk But after getting killed by a gnoll three times, I realized Real fantasy worlds arent easy. Ahahaha! Thats because youre not the main character argh?! Pow! The boy kicked hisughing friends mouth like it was a ser ball. Oh Hanwoos front teeth broke and his face was covered with blood. Was it fun? Spending all day with pretty girls that youd never be able to talk to on Earth? Eaagh?! Oh! Dont take it the wrong way. I wasnt nning to do this since the beginning. I felt a sense of kinship when I ran into you at the ve market. I mean it. Clink. * * * * * * The boy, taking Oh Hanwoos pouch of money and seeing what was inside, looked bewildered. I thought youd have a lot of money since you only bought cheap, low-level ves, but you used almost all of it in a few days. Just how prodigally have you been living? I used it for them! I dont like men like you do! You really are dumb, arent you? I cant believe, after all that, you still dont get it. Hey, Oh Hanwoo. Why do you think your lovely ves are so cheap when theyre that pretty? Guess theyre out of their minds. Ahahaha! Youre a real piece of work! Laughing hard enough to lean back, the boy kindly exined. Low-level ves are cheap. Their worth goes up a little if their looks and upbringing are extraordinary, but thats it. What the At the same price, you can buy strong ves to steal the weak ones. Like Im doing right now. What? Oh Hanwoo. Dere you will hand over your ves to me. You dont have to if you want. ves without an owner are firste, first serve. You piece of shit..! Thats ridiculous, how could you! Youve 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 isnt a 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 cant believe theyre dancing in this chaos! How insensitive of you, god! The number of orcsing to kill me didnt seem to end. So I killed them harder. Jeez! Is this male pig a demon with a pigs mask?! Demon, my ass. Have you seen yourselves? sh. 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 didnt have females or a habitat, but the number of orcs didnt 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! Ill kill this female pig if you dont stop Stab! Ipletely ignored the green pigs shallow hostage y. Do whatever you want. [Hero] I wasnt 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 wasnt in the ce to worry about others. But still. At least I could avenge the fantasy natives who lived in agony or died on thisnd. Stab! Pow! Stab! I didnt 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! Dont 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 yed a role, too. [ughter] >Friendly races will slightly fear you and find you appalling. >The chances of them opposing your cruel actions increases a lot. Thanks to the bacsh, 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, ughter C, Massacre D [Dividend] 8.83 My Curse got stronger, and another Curse was added. God. dont you think this is too much? [A certain god throws a fit that they didnt 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 didnt matter because I never slept, but it was truly a horrific Curse for most humans, who couldnt control their fatigue. Anyways, everything would be over once I exterminated all the orcs in the city. %#$ #! %@! @#! # % $! There were quite a few people gathered in the chaotic za, and they tried to talk as soon as they found me. But what were they saying? Couldnt they talk slower? The fantasy natives I rescued had no consideration for aliens. So I decided to ignore everything they were saying. #! ^$? ^$! #$? ording to my orc friend that introduced me to his hometown, that city had a different entrance and exit. The only exit being the dolmen-like relic. There was no doubt about it since thats 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 relics fantasy effect. Thats why it was nothing but a big ragtag. Except for that dude blocking the exit. Are you the human who destroyed our base? Oh! Youre not calling me a pig? Answer my question! Human! They wouldnt move over. The fear of death Id forgotten after destroying the gnolls habitat slowly crept back in. That orc was stronger than meI 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 ce! Youre a guardian? Thats right! Nice! Im 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 heros mask hadnt 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 Chapter 30 [Act 9] Easy Orc Pooow-! sh-! We didnt battle all over the ce 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 guardians de swallowed mine. Burn! My right shoulder was futilely ripped apart for the cost of losing. Was that it? No, it wasnt. The remnants of the force spread like sma and mercilessly scratched my skin. Its over, The orc guardian dered immediately after that. I was hoping Id been wrong, but he was indeed strong. [Outsider] My Blessing was the only reason I could keep myposure when my life was at stake. Fwp. Ipletely admitted to my defeat and backed far away. I knew my severed right arm would recover quickly, but Id given up fighting a while before. Hmph! You cant run away in that state! Yeah, I probably cant. I hadnt 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 werent for the covinous effects of the Blessing. You went too far. Dont even think about dying in peace. What an amazing judge. Drip. I couldnt open my right eye because of the blood. The right side of my face and sides were ragged from slightly brushing against the guardians power. I was lucky. It may have been a critical injury, but I hadnt 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! And aplete recovery from my severed right arm! Id lost my blue dagger, but I didnt hesitate to retreat once my damaged body reset itself. Coward! You dare run away?! Thene 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 Id expected. The guardian with overflowing love for his species didnte to their rescue until Id massacred them. Because he didnt notice? No way. Looks like the guardian cant leave the relic area, can he? Come out if youre pressed-hup?! Pewstab! The orc guardian threw the blue dagger, piercing my chest. [A certain god scolds youre being a baby.] No Im 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 wasnt a guardian with cool duties. Are you invincible, human? So what if I am? It doesnt matter. Ill 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 wont be a next time? [Outsider] Lets practice the orcs 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 Its 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 thedy 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 didnt get the Heros 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 dont. Then let me show you. Arias 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 shed met Hero Oh Hanwoo. [Holy] After getting a sacred blessing from the Saintess, shed leveled up in just a few days. Rank B noble Its 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 Blessings 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 peoples valuable exp like taxes! They could basically just level up safely based on the fact that they were a noble. Thats incredible. Quickly calcting everything in her head, Yoo Bora got chills all over her body. Wasnt the Noble Blessing far more incredible than the Hero Blessing? She didnt 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! Its amazing, isnt it? Although Im an unsubstantial noble because I dont have any dependents. I see. Still, I was once harshly scolded by my mother because I thought I wasnt 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. Its nothing. Oomph! Giving her a big smile, Aria dived into the snug bed. You should wash up first. But Im toozy The people who wash our bedsheets will have more work to do if the nkets 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. Theres no way! Im only concerned because he tends to have more confidence than he should. Hes a perfect victim for a scam, so to speak. As the ss president, Yoo Bora had observed all of the students in her ss. Their hobbies, personalities, talents, grades Her homeroom teacher didnt make her do it, but she wanted to be seen as important and tried her best. Oh Hanwoo He wasnt an exception. His hobby was biased reading. * * * * * * He always had fantasy genre books in his backpack, and he would oftenugh to himself, reading them whenever he got the chance. He had a selfish personality. He would never do things he didnt want toit made him extremely uncooperative during group projects, field days, festivals, and all other group activities. He had a talent forputer games. She didnt 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. Im sure hell 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 didnt 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 dreand. 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 couldnt erase the way the Saintess had looked at her, calcting 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 waspletely different to others, including nobles. Gods spokesperson A living legend Their existence was more honorable than a nations king. It was unfathomable that the Saintess would pay a friendly visit. At least, thats 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. Im 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 theres 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 nonchntly. It isnt 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 Saintessughed faintly. Haha. I see even Hero Yoo Bora has a weak point, despite never havingined about the excessivepetition. Yoo Bora hung her head like a criminal, unable to answer. Oh! I wasnt ming you. Thats the mostmonint I have received from the Heroes. I see. The girl was slightly relieved she wasnt 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 wasnt the flush toilet shed dreamt of, but it still took a weight off Yoo Boras shoulders to know it was getting improved. The Saintess nced over at Aria, standing like a statue, and asked. How do you like yourpanion? I like her. Thats good. I encouragepetition 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 shedughed and studied with in the same ssroom. But everything became strange aftering to the fantasy world. We do not kill them. Oh! What a relief! A fallen Hero is still a Hero. We put a ves Curse on them so they may atone for their sins, forever. After all, corruption is the betrayal of mankind and gods trust. It means the expectations and investments we are bestowing upon you are not a small amount. Okay. Yoo Boras shoulders felt heavy. The pressure from her parents to get into an elite university was much lighter. Humanitys hope, terrifying fights, being the object of envy, excessive luxuries She felt like she couldnt breathe. Im not that great oh! What is it, dear Hero? Its nothing. I just thought of something a friend told me Kang Hansoo, the only one among them whod 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 ssmate whod talked about their pathetic friend that went back to his home? She wanted to give that other Hero deduction points to their personality if she could know who they were. Kang Hansoo. He wasnt a grave secret, so she answered right away. I do. To that, the Saintess continued her questions, smiling yfully. Is he your friend? Yes. Boyfriend? No! Its just I know just a little because Im the ss president. A little? Im curious about that little. Please, tell me everything, as an older sister. I will decide if he really isnt 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? Dont lead my answer! I was choosing my words wisely so there wouldnt 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 Chapter 31 I know. The important thing was taking down the guardian protecting the relic. Id found the lead. [Outsider] [Fairy] While I was getting beat by the guardian, I could get a glimpse of the orcs swordsmanship. Pull a fantastical fantasy inside a fantasy, thats all! If I emptied my head and didnt think too deeply into it, everything else was simple. sh! [A certain god is bewildered.] [A certain god widens their eyes in surprise.] Hows this, god? Is this simr to that orc? [A certain god asks if youre 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 youre a pervert.] *t/n: pervert is often used in Korea to describe someone abnormally good at something How rude! Ill take that as apliment. *** Where was the safest ce in the continent of Fantasia? Nine out of ten random people would answer: The Saintesss bedroom. The story of a legendary thief who could break into anywhere getting caught trying to steal the Saintesss 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 shed never even met waspletely 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. Shed 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 veryst moment, but the Saintess did not believe the premature girls poor excuses. Anyways Kang Hansoo Not even she knew how many times shed muttered that name. But what else could she do? Even the Saintess, who had been through all sorts of turmoil, had never experienced gods 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 ys. That was how shocking gods lies were. If word of that spread out? The Heroes who had beenpliant that whole time would start to be suspicious and deny god. That would be the end of the world. Kang Hansoo It wouldnt be a problem if he was already dead. The evidence had already been collected, and themander and knight who were the first ones to discover it could be trusted. And none of the Heroesincluding Yoo Bora, who had given her his informationhad 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 humanitys greatest weapon. But was that enough? [A certain arrogant god of benevolence asks whats wrong.] The oracle shed been waiting for broke the long silence. Dear god. what did you do to the owner of these? [A certain arrogant god of benevolence nces at the objects.] [A certain arrogant god of benevolence frowns.] Did you kill him? [A certain arrogant god of benevolence is extremely ufortable.] [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 couldnt 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 couldnt make a judgment. It would be a problem if he was alive. It would be a problem if he was dead. * * * * * * In fact, the fact he was still in the world of Fantasia when he was supposed to be back on his home was the problem in the first ce. 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 dont 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 moreplicated. (Saintess.) The voice of an attendant rang from the crystal ball used for externalmunications. (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 shed never even met before, she still kept herposure. The attendant replied in a very troubled tone. (Hero Oh Hanwoo was beaten by another Hero.) He is no longer a Hero. (Thats true, but) We cannot afford to take care of a scoundrels retirement that abandoned his obligations as a Hero. Oh Hanwoo Finally, she wouldnt hear that ipetent Heros name again! The Saintess felt a weighte off her shoulders. (I apologize. Ive troubled you for a minor issue.) It is okay. That issue made me feel better. Thank you. (Im sorry?) Its 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 topletely rest until she found that human? First, the most urgent business to take care of wasunching a searchwork 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 n was perfect! [A certain god peeps at the n.] [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 ns 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, ughter D, Massacre D [Dividend] 14.01 Thats just too far. [Hero] Id stayed at rank E ever since my first daynding in this fantasy world, but I suddenly jumped to rank C. What did I do? I didnt know, but one thing was for certain Damned goddess! There was no doubt the evil goddess noticed Id 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 effects activation period was shorter than when it was F rank. In other words, my cockroach-like longevity was even more longsting 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.] Arent you excited? [A certain god prays for the bad pigs soul.] Youre very excited. Bad pig That was from a humans 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 wasnt attacking me, even though Ide within his range. His intentions were obvious. Im not running away this time. Hmph! You think Im going to believe a cunning humans words? So what if you dont? Come in closer. Ill show you the relic. Heh~ It was an unexpected offer. But I could still see his intentions. Since the guardian couldnt leave his relic, he was trying to pull me deep into the relics territory to get rid of me. That pig really used his brain, I see. Human. Are youing? Or are you scared of leaving your hiding spot behind? The guardian watched me, using petty provocativements. Im not saying no. Hmph! Youlle to regret this. Are you sure youre not trying to drag me into your relic trap because youre scared? Ha! Do you really think a great warrior like me would rely on mere traps?! Well see about that. The guardian, whod promised to show me the relic, stopped in his tracks. The giant dolmen Its impression wasnt 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. Its here. Thats it? Would youe with me if there was more? No. I didnt want to follow him any further, even if there was more to it. He could make a basement or building copse and bury me. The fantasy natives watching from afar with worry were also bothering me. The guardian exined: 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 wasnt big enough for an army to charge inside, and a small troop wouldnt 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 imprable fortress! Until Id entered, that is. Sorry about that! As long as youre 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 Ill 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 youoiiiink?! Bam! The guardians brawny body flew to the exit with my kick. Pew! And he vanished. What was that? You can leave the relic site just fine. [A certain god is dumbfounded.] Why? Its 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 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, youd be back inside the relic without leaving the city. This is it. I found the relics 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 thats a beginners holy sword.] Oh! Whats gotten into you? Did they just give me information before I begged for it? I didnt know why, but it looked like god was in a good mood that day. It was a in 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! Id even lifted a fairy and a demon with ease, yet that sword was extremely heavy. It wasnt impossible to hold, but I couldnt use it as a weapon like that. I could tell it was rejecting me. [Hero] There isnt a single likable thing about this damned goddess! My jaw clenched. [A certain god says you could still hold it because youre a Hero.] No. Im not going to use a weapon that refuses me. Surely its 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 youre doing.] This should be a fair game. Im not letting the other Heroes use it either. [A certain god is amazed by your fairness.] Thanks. Snap, snap, snap- I broke the beginners 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 wasnt heavy at all. This ones 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 wouldnt have the good luck of the main character in a fantasy. Well Maybe its special in its own way? It was a stupid holy sword thatd epted my cursed self as a Hero. [A certain god asks if youre done breaking them since its not unfair anymore.] Ah! Nope. Snap, snap, snap- I made all of the unforgiving, smart holy swords into scrap metal. Then, the only beginners holy sword was mine, a defect. Hows that, god? Its 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 outsiders 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, bing a distinguished figure in the fantasy world was something Hero Choi Gangmin hated the most. Its all just a gimmick. He was the most popr guy in school, and hed gained instant poprity 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 protectionws in the fantasy world, dating was quite liberal. On top of that, Choi Gangmin was 17. In a fantasy world where early marriage wasmonsense as well as the norm, he was considered a full-grown adult. Im tired. [A certain male god voices that you should still do what you should even if youre tired.] [A certain carefree god of heaven tells you its okay to take it slow.] [A certain god suggests cold water and some rest.] [A certain god] The gods seemed unaware that he wasnt just tired because of his poprity 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 genuineugh. Because [Name] Choi Gangmin [Level] 7 [Blessings] Hero E, Grit E, Magic D, eleration E, Bulletproof F, Immunity F, Invincibility F [Curses] - [Dividend] 5.15 Effort didnt betray him. Aside from his Magic Blessing, the rest were all powerful Blessings given by the gods. Seven of them, at that! Among the Heroes, Choi Gangmin held the most Blessings. This wasnt an assumption. Oh, my! Dear Hero, is there anything good going on? I cant stop smiling when Im talking to someone so beautiful. Oh, you He wasnt 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 ording 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? Its 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 hermand, Jang Miyeon stayed in the back, gathering exp. It was an extremely efficient hunting method. No could one even call that a hunt? * * * * * * Hero Choi Gangmin. Dont 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, wouldnt he be able to surpass Jang Miyeon and Yoo Bora, getting first ce 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 couldnt have it all for himself. Please, bear through this. You will get the special treatment you wish for soon. Cant 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 couldnt copy was the driving force that helped hero Choi Gangmin aim to be first ce. There will be a tournament soon. I see, a rankingpetition. It was the very event Choi Gangmin had been looking forward to. Thats not all. The all-around victor will be rewarded with a holy sword thats being kept by the Temple. A holy sword! Its a holy sword that was made in the training grounds I mentioned before. Theres only one sword, so if youre aiming for first ce, you must acquire it. Thank you so much. Its 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! Youre mine! With his determination stronger, Hero Choi Gangmin started to prepare for the tournament. *** Ptooey! Nasty holy sword. I couldnt believe I got a red card just for breaking some beginners holy swords that wereying 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 swords so I wouldnt steal them and raised their durability so I wouldnt 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 didnt test it out, but it looked like its de was much sturdier than before. Basically, it was a Blessing. [A certain god expresses their sorrow to the creator.] I know, right? This Curse didnt 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 didnt even think about that. Werent 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. But he didnt look normal. The green pigs toned muscr flesh had turned all saggy and wrinkly! The guardian was aging rapidly from getting away from his relic. $#@! %#?! % [emailprotected]! The fantasy natives, whod been hanging around to see the aftermath, scurried away in fright. Move! With the guardians skills, he could probably kill a couple of people just by walking past them. But he didnt touch anyone, he was trying to get to the relic as soon as possible. You look constipated. Then Im not gonna sit around, either! I blocked the path so the guardian wouldnt reach the relic. The snarky smirk was an additional service. Human! How stupid. He would have arrived easily if hed 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 sh! Losing his right arm in a single blow, the green pig rolled on the dirt with blood spewing. Kirk! But he didnt 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 guardians body quickly recovered after returning to the relic. His severed right arm recovered, his wrinkly muscles became toned again, and his back that Id kicked straightened But there were fine wrinkles I hadnt seen before. Looks like youve aged. Its 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 de. How do you never learn? An entire day had passed, but the guardian wasnt a bit stronger than before. In fact, it seemed hed gotten weaker from age. [Holy Sword] I didnt even need to put in full force. The super-cursed holy sword blocked his attack with ease. What-?1 sh! 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 its not over.] rrrrr. The guardians head slowly started to revive. how persistent. sh! 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 wasnt dying from fatal injuries that even I wouldnt survive. Then there was only one tactic: I had to take him out of the relic ng. Human! I lost! Ill do anything, please dont 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 citys entrance and exit. Wherever? Only if its near the holy swords that were made in this relic, but theres 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? Whats with the sudden formalities? Its a guardians instinct that I cant go against. Youre an easy orc, arent you? It looked like we could be good friends. Chapter 33 Chapter 33 [Act 10] Holy Sword for Beginners Heroes, demon kings, knights, kings, princes, princesses,dies, viinesses, tyrants Theyre a staple of romance fantasy genres. Maybe not Heroes and demon kings, but sometimes its fun to see the cold demon king get tamed! *t/n: referring to the female protagonist taming a cold-hearted tyrant trope in romance fantasies. But there was something that was uneptable. Why do I have to fight!? This is the worst! Hero Jang Miyeon was genuinely furious. She weed it when pretty boys fought for their lives for her! But fighting for herself was much too scary and dangerous. From that day she was traumatized from almost getting assaulted by a gnoll Calm down. I wasnt talking to you. S-sorry. 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 hadnt even looked at in school, but arriving in that world, shed been looking after him little by little. Because he fought well. Usually, he was a speck of dust that didnt stand out, but the minute he went to a hunting ground, he turned into a dependable shield. Although that annoyed her even more Dont be sorry I came off as a bit harsh, right? Im sorry, forgive me~ sp! 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. No! Im okay! Everythings fine! Yeah, right! Shield As face was as sullen as a wet dog. If she left him like that, he would probably be sullen all day. Ah Jang Miyeon let out a deep sigh and piteously deplored her own fate. Shed gotten off on the wrong foot from the start. She should have been reincarnated as a princess or nobledy, already making her beau monde debut! She was even okay with going to an academy. She would hate the homework and tests, but shed be able to meet all kinds of handsome men like Prince Alsus. Anything would be better than her current state. Stop sighing. Is it that time of the month? Thanks for worrying about me, but that doesnt bother me thanks to my Blessing 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. Why did you call us over at this time of night anyways? I was getting all excited. Shield Bined with a very disappointed face. What the hell was he getting excited for?! Shed invited three of the best Heroes(male) on her team to her room. Wasnt it obvious it was going to be for an operation meeting? Things would have gone really wrong if shed called him alone. Jang Miyeon smiled with transcendent patience. Sorry I got your hopes up I called just you three over because I have something important to tell you. Youre pregnant? Im going to kick you out if you make anotherme joke. Oops! Ill shut up now. Shield B pretended to zip his mouth with a smile. Thanks He couldnt have been that horrible in school. After a big breath, Jang Miyeon went to the point. This is closed information, but theyre going to choose Heroes to send to the Academy soon! Hero Jang Miyeons eyes started to gleam as she exined. The Academy! It was the main scene in romance fantasy genres that shed been dreaming of. In that inferno that forced a lovely girl into savagery, it was her only escape. Academy? Im gonna puke. Shields A and B looked extremely displeased the second they heard the word Academy. Of course they would! The Academy is going to be full of fine gentlemen who cant even bepared with these extras. And so Jang Miyeon couldnt let it go. Im going to go to the Academy. [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 god] The gods showed a variety of reactions to Jang Miyeons bombshell. Most were positive. It looked like the gods wouldnt stop being interested in her, even if she went to the Academy. My queen. Go on. May I ask you a question? Ill allow it. Jang Miyeon naturally yed along with the odd boy who called his own ssmate my queen. That loyal subject was Shield C. He was one of her fans whod followed her around at school, and hed gotten even more extreme aftering to the fantasy world. But he wasnt a bad guy. Right? Can all applicants be admitted? No. they said theyre giving preference to Heroes with a higher overall score, and four people total will be chosen. Then you must be all set. Thats right! 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, shed move on to the romance fantasy express train of her dreams. And I guess our team will be disbanded as well. Probably. It could be seen as betrayal, but she didnt have any regrets. Most of the boys were as dirty-minded as Shield B, anyways. Why are you telling us this? I want to enroll with you<3 Youre kidding, right? No, Im serious. I dont want to look after you when youre dating some prince on a white horse. For free, at that. This little shit hit the nail on the head! But Jang Miyeon wasnt going to back down so easily. I promise I wont<3 If I break my promise, Ill do something you want. How about it? Really?! The gods are listening. Does it still sound like a joke to you? no. 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. Ill go with you. Ill go anywhere as long as youre happy My queen! Use me however you like! Dangit! No matter how I think about it, I feel tricked but alright. All of the Shields epted. Thank you guys<3 Hero Jang Miyeon gave them a hearty smile, thanking them from the bottom of her heart. Shield As overall grades were ranked 4th, Shield B 5th, and Shield C was 7th ce. 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 n was perfect. Please do your best for me at the Academy, too<3 Hero Jang Miyeon anticipated the day toe soon. * * * * * * ording to the guardian, there were beginners holy swords buried in certain parts of the ins. Apparently, the level 10 Heroes dropped them right after graduating from their training Why? It would be hard to understand for someone who easily ughtered 300,000 orcs like you, Hero. Wait! Dont talk about me as some ignorant human. You said they graduated. Shouldnt 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 wed be friends. [Name] Green Guardian [Level] 8 [Blessings] Warrior A, Surveince B, Mettle A, Will B, Dignity B [Curses] Hero A, Relic D, Human C He had the Heroes Curse, the one you get if you run away after losing to a Hero! It was an A rank, too. I couldnt even imagine how many Heroes hed lost to. I may have struggled with him, but maybe he was weaker than I thought. The orc argued. Defeating the orc wasnt the only way they could graduate. They naturally got exiled once they reached level 10. Aha! And killing a Hero is another way to get the Heroes Curse. I see! That meant killing a holy sword-wielding Hero in self-defense would ruin your life! I felt bad for the viins. 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. I am thest strong opponent to test new Heroes. Thats your purpose? Yes. So he was the tutorial boss in a role-ying game? So youre not actually a guardian. I never said I was a guardian of the humans. I am the guardian of the orcs; I protect their homes. Aha! The orc, captured and bound to the ruins by humans, was given the power fit to be a strong opponent. An immortal body, an eternal lifeline Apparently, he wasnt that strong at first, but got more skilled as time went on But you still lost. A certain demon I know is pretty weepy, but youre pretty sentimental, too. I didnt want his ugly face to be on the brink of tears. It was really hard to watch. Hero. What? Are you not going to leave? Thats different from what you said earlier. You struggled to keep me in. The mind of an orc changes frequently. Right now, I wish for you, Hero, to leave. Thats harsh. 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. Dance. I may be bound to the relic, but I am not a Heros toy. We have a partnership of mutual respect Dance. Are you listening to me at all? I am. Im going to abolish this inefficient partnership and establish a master-servant rtionship. Thats nonsense! I like your vigor. Ill give you the right to die with honor. Thats too extreme! Give me some time to think. I see youre ying hard to get. As if he wasnt a guardian that prioritized his own life before hundreds of thousands of his people That easy orc already knew his answer. Alright, Ill do it. Good call. I absolutely did not give in because Im scared of death. I only epted because my purpose doesnt change. Whats your purpose? I am a gatekeeper. A gatekeeper? I cannot refuse a Hero with a holy sword if they ask me to open the gates of the relic. No matter what? Yes. No matter what. The easy orc couldve 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. But Let these people go, too. Alright. I dont want this city to be known by humans outside, but since I dont have the power to stop you, even if I refuse So youre well aware. 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 ce if I did nothing but doubt him. [A certain godins this is too boring.] Oh! There was a solution all along! Dear outsider god I respect [A certain god pompously tells you to respect them more.] Dear outsider god I respect a little more. Can you look at where all the holy swords this orc put as an exit? 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 wed. Please show some mercy! [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 wed first met. Thanks a ton! I told the humans waiting outside the relic it was time to go back to the home they missed. But I am %# $##. Im already @#$ by the orcs. I am also #$%. My home is %#$. Its =%$ $# %# of the orcs. I will go. There is a == woman back home. I will *#& %$ #*$ with her. $#. Im I couldnt understand more than half of what they were saying, but there were quite a few people who wanted to stay in the city. Mooo~ Moooo~ There were a bunch of livestock the orcs had been raising, so they wouldnt starve to death if they made good use of them. Only who wants to leave! I had no intention of forcing someone out into the world when they said they didnt want to. % #$. #*$! And so, only three people wanted to go with me. Why were they trying to stay in that hell with only bad memories? I couldnt understand them. By the way, green friend. What do I have to do to get back in here? I can hear you if you talk to the holy sword. Aha! As expected, this fantasy could do all sorts of fantastical things! I led the people to the giant Dolem. Hm Enveloped in a ck whirlpool, I couldn''t see the other side of the exit. [A certain god drills again that it is safe.] Okay, Ill trust you. To ensure the other side of the exit was safe, I went through it first. Pet- I was engulfed in a warm light And in an instant, I was in a new ce. Turn turn! I quickly scanned my surroundings. It was adys bedroom that was decorated with exquisite furniture. How was I so sure it was adys? I was certain from the white underwear thrown on the side of the bed. Anyways Where the hell am I? Id just crashnded somewhere unfamiliar again. Chapter 34 Chapter 34 [Act 10] Holy Sword for Beginners % #$? #$?! # % 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 wasnt 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 hadnt seen thest time Id entered the City of Orcs appeared out of the blue. Get back inside. @? $. $%? I led the people, who couldnt see the entrance like I couldnt before, back to the city. I didnt know where I was. I would have gone straight ahead if it was a in, but a nobles wife ordys bedroom was dangerous. In fact, maybe it was worse than that. A nobledy with a holy sword hung in her room as a decoration? That couldnt 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 ce really safe? [A certain god drills that it is safe for now.] For now? That means its going to be dangerouster? [A certain god affirms it will be very dangerous.] I should have been suspicious the minute that god was being way too cooperative! I med 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 apletely 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 Id lost in the forest was hidden underneath the desk. *** The Heroes, who were used to huntingfortably in the temple, toured the lives ofmoners in a vige in the forest. It would be a good lesson! This isnt the fantasy vige I was expecting Welch! Is this hell? The sanitation of this ce How can people live somewhere like this? The Heroes were in awe, but it was in a different way. It wasnt too dirty thanks to the slimes cleaning the vige, but all of the instations were poorly kept. It wasnt just the instations. 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 whod recently died was a villian whod kidnapped and tortured humans and fairies. Heroes! Princess Ethena had woken up early that day and cheerly eximed. 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 vige 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. Thats right. Were already grateful the Heroes visited somewhere this remote. Haha. Thats 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 Saintesss 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 ce? After looking around the chiefs house, she made a briefment. I see the site has already been cleaned up. W-were sorry! The man in charge as the temporary chief bowed like hedmitted a sin. There is no need to be so fearful. I am not ming you for this. After all, you cant just let a corpse rot. Y-yes maam! No matter what the Saintess said, the temporary Chief couldnt rx. The Saintesss beauty, emanating sweetness and light, was enough to make people stay up at night from one nce. There wasnt 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 humanitys peace. Y-yes, ma''am! Humanitys 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 couldnt 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. me Guardian Celebless Herbat skills were meager, but the beasts she looked after were strong. Especially the phoenix that gave Celebless the title of me 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 thew said so, thats how it was. The temporary chiefs 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 hes dead. I asked about his appearance. Yes? Yes! He had short ck hairand foreign featuresbut he looked like the Heroes that visitea-actually he didnt! Did they murder a Hero?! The temporary Chiefs face turned pale again after thinking of a terrifying possibility. With an unchanging expression and voice, the Saintess asked, What was his name? I dont 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 Shed heard about it. The Chief, innkeeper, pharmacist, head police, and restaurant owner. What they had inmon was that they were middle-aged men whod helped build the vige, and each held an important role. Do you really not know who he was murdered by? No * * * * * * 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 hade 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 vige. 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 its him. Although its a mystery how he survived without our help when the forest was infested with gnolls. He had a Blessing with him. The Blessing isnt so all-powerful. No matter how incredible the Blessing is, you cant beat a gnoll at level 1. Youve seen our Heroes, dont you know? Certainly The attendant immediately agreed. Even with the best equipment, the Heroes had been annihted by just two gnolls. But alone? She was starting to get genuinely curious about just how hed 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 couldnt put the criterion of a human on gods judgments, all they could do was move on. Whats important is that hes alive somewhere in Fantasia. UmSaintess. Is there anything that bothers you? Yes. If that really is him, isnt it dangerous to bring the Heroes to this vige? If things go wrong Thats fine. The Saintess thought it would be better if things were exposed sooner thanter. 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 didnt 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 wont notice right away, so please dont worry. Those who know his name are dead, and the most crucial evidence is with me. Shed stored it in the safest ce in Fantasia. They could rest assured of that. Saintess. Its another issue, but it seems information was leaked. The tournament? Oh dear! Pardon me. I see youre already aware. I am, Im just pretending Im not. They were intentionally managed a bit poorly. A warrior shouldn''t just fight well. Getting misled by false information brings nothing but disaster. Thats 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. Havent you noticed Hero Jang Miyeon has been very engaged recently? Could it be I dont know why she wants to go to that awful Academy, but she will stay that way until the tournament opens. Shed 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 omittedpletely. But they couldnt ask the date directly or theyd be exposed. Everyone was in the palm of her hand. I feel a bit sorry. Unaware of their heatedpetition that included her, Yoo Bora would only go through more hardships. The Saintess left the chiefs 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! Dont 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, Im sad theres no Prince Alsus. The Heroes were let loose around the vige 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 vige. Princess Ethena. Oh? Youre 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 wasnt asking because I dont 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 ites to making friends, and everyone is honest when theyre drunk. I just heard a proper answer about what they think about my father, the King. What did they say? They said hes bad at magic and politics. I see. She wanted to investigate who taught that princess how to drink. So she could drown them in alcohol. Im sorry to interrupt the princesss leisure, but its 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 couldnt tell. [A certain arrogant god of benevolence is greatly relieved.] [A certain arrogant god of benevolence cries out to kill him quickly.] Saintess? Its nothing. Let''s go home early today and rest. Okay. She wasnt speaking to just the Heroes who couldnt enjoy the vige 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. To her bedroom with the legendary holy sword. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 [Act 10] Holy Sword for Beginners This is quite the honor. It may have been amon mass-produced item back in my breath-taking, smoke-polluted, beautiful home 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 ss. Poof! [A certain god encourages you to take everything you want.] Wait, outsider god. I took that because its 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 ughtered 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 nce, 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.] Its aic book. I thought childrens books were well drawn, but the artists 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 its not a necessary book for an outsider.] Thank you so much for the nerve-wracking advice. After thoroughly reading theic book to thest page, I put it back under the pillow. I should get going. Feeling a sense of guilt that I looked through a strangers secret, I decided to sneak out. Still, I didnt take anything other than my backpack. The only other thing Id put my hands on was theic book, and Id put that back in its ce. [A certain godins youre being too hasty.] Thats a good thing. Barely escaping at thest minute as they did in movies was too dangerous. It was the main characters special privilege to gamble with their only life in a fantasy! I didnt want to be like them. [A certain god hopes that you look at the book in your backpack.] Ill show youter. 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 wouldnt follow. *** Hed lost everything. Money, weapons, ves, 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 viin. 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 didnt give up, either. [Vengeance] >The stronger your target of vengeance is, the stronger you be as well. >The more people seek vengeance against you, the stronger you be! He acquired a Blessing after losing everything. Oh Hanwoo looked full of hopes and dreams. Its a Blessing I can only get after losing everything. So its a power thats 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 wasnt the beginning of the story, this would be hard to acquire even if you knew how to get it It didnt affect him much for the moment because he didnt have anything. Sera, Luca, Kana It hurt him that he was robbed of the girl ves he felt shared both his body and soul with, but it wasnt like hed lost the female main character, like the Saintess or Princess. And so Oh Hanwoo stayed positive. Someone I want to take vengeance on It wasnt the piece of garbage that jeered while staying behind the muscr savage ve. 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 couldnt seek vengeance on the Demon King when hed never met him before. Then what about Prince Alsus? Hed met the Prince with a Blessed life before. Thats a reach. But he couldnt find the heart for vengeance that time, either. Thats 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 couldnt 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 peoples values depended on levels instead of a handsome face that was given to you since birth. Choi Kangmins 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 couldnt seed. re! Looks like this dudes 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 youre going.] The forest. Hed be nothing but aughing 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 didnt look at all scared or ready to attack. It just felt like a beginners exp blob. Sorry, but Im gonna need to sacrifice you for world peace. Jiggle? Woosh! Oh Hanwoos me burned the slime in an instant. [Vengeance] [Magic] Strengthened by his Blessings, the me 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 didnt know why people didnt hunt them. Its illegal to hunt slimes that are useful to humanity, but I dont have another choice until Im able to take down a gnoll by myself. Its the pieces of garbage that stole his colleagues away and Yoo Boras fault! Was 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 * * * * * * 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 slimes body m. [Hunt] Regr 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 thatd easily died in one me 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 youugh too hard your belly button falls off. [A certain immature god of dice rolls on the floor.] [A certain god of wind breaks out intoughter.] [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, ming his ex-colleague whod told him slime hunting was illegal, luckily found a gnoll. [Magic] # $#? re! Stronger through practice on the slimes, Oh Hanwoos me hit bulls-eye on the gnoll. Bzz The grey gnoll burned down before it even had a chance to attack and became the ex-Heros grand exp. Nice! [Hunt] Because it had a higher level than Oh Hanwoo, the gnoll wasnt 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 vige nearby.] [A certain immature god of dice orders popcorn.] [A certain god] Thank you! Oh Hanwoo found the vige with active help from the gods. But he could only stop at the entrance of the vige. Why are those guys? The faces he wanted to reunite with were leaving the vige with Princess Ethena. And especially among them Choi Kangmin? Oh Hanwoo? Like fate(?), the two boys that were each iming themselves to be the main character ran into each other. [A certain evil god is relieved you werent toote.] [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, werent you? Ill kill you only 10 times if you answer honestly! 10 times?! Youre 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? Thats the second training ground the humans made after this ce was taken by us. I decided it was the most fitting for you, a Her kirk?! That was really dangerous, then! That must have been why my backpack was next to the beginners holy sword. The savage fairies must have picked up my backpack in the forest and sold it to the nobledy. What if Id run into the Evil goddesss pawn, the Saintess? Chills ran down my back. Hm but I found something Id lost thanks to you. Thats good to hear. So Ill 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 gods help, too. Theyd 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. Id 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 didnt have time perception because I didnt need sleep, but it felt like it would take about that long to hunt alone in the ins, visit the City of Orcs, annihte 300,000 pigs, ande back. The remaining problem was $#@ thank you. #$ $. &$^ thank you. @#$ %$ $%#. This $ help will &%^ *&... I didnt 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 wasnt 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 Id rescued. Huh? okay! Ill be good! =! I will live #[emailprotected], Hero! Hoho! $#! Ill live no matter what! Nice! That time, I was able tomunicate smoothly. I was a bit sad to feel that I was bing 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? Youre finally here. Oh! You didnt run off? Demon Kogmos had shut himself inside the luxurious inn. I was going to leave yesterday because you were sote. And then? I missed my chance because a human I cant run into no matter what entered the city. Who is it? The Saintess? Nevermind my hiding spot, if that horrific female visited the city, Id already be dead. It sounded like the Saintess had an outstanding demon radar. Then who is it? The first heir to the country were in right now, Prince Alsus of the Swordmastar Knight Kingdom. I see. I didnt know what he was saying! Oh! And I dont know the exact reason, but thedies told me the Prince was looking for you. Me? Guess hes 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, dont mention anything about me. Id 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 Chapter 36 [Act 11] The Prince Back on Earth, Id 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 whereworking doesnt 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 Kingdomhes 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 waspletely opposite from the humans. Thats right. It was only natural that humanitys hero was the demons monster. So basically, hes 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 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 cant even talk with each other. Why are you worrying about that? Thats something the Prince should take care of. Take care of? Theres magic that helps with trantions? Magic isnt an all-powerful tool like you imagine it would be. If there was anguage blessing like the schrs who make a living off of their brains wh-whats your problem? You should have told me if there was a blessing as neat as that! Hmph! Even if you did know, you wouldnt be able to acquire it anyways. So give it up. Do you think anyone can be a schr? To get anguage blessing, one must either master threenguages or learn fivenguages up to a certain level. Those are the worst conditions! As someone who didnt get great foreignnguage grades, I couldnt 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, exined it to me with an incredibly displeased face. The twodies asked the worker here to let them know as soon as possible when you came back. I see your strength has made you popr with women. I wonder if theyre trying to ask for help leveling up again. You have a habit of interpreting peoples good will as materialistic. Youre never getting married like that. Thats not something an old demon bachelor should be saying. .... Dont cry. The twodies thatde into the room were wearing very luxurious attire. Lady A looked a little more extravagant, but Lady B, the swordsman, had apletely 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 dont know what theyre saying. It looks like Im gonna have to buy more diverse picture books and study harder. Demon Kogmos tranted for me. Miss Laysha says she was a bit disappointed because she thought you left when she hadnt even repaid your favor. Miss Julia is asking how you got the Massacre Curse. Aha! I dont 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 cant even enter the city with the Heros Curse, but a Massacre Curse on top of that? And your Heros Curse ranked up, I see. Are you back from killing a Hero? Im being falsely used here. I didnt have any excuses for the massacre curse, but not the Heros 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, Im going to part ways with you in this city. No doubt Im going to die before marriage if I spend any more time with you. What about the trantions? Now that youre bringing it up, I have something in mind. There is a ve market in the city. Just find a ve with the Language Blessing there. But you said those Blessings were rare. You can find a ve who was former princess of a nation as long as you have money, and you sure have a lot of that since you ughtered all those orcs. I see. I didnt know I had a lot of money. Then what do I do now? My bag was packed with treasures Id 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 twodies were ufortable because Id talked to the demon for too long! But I didnt have anything to talk about. What was I supposed to do? The demon gave me a pathetic nce. You sure cant 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. Theyre probably trying to see if youre a decent male while going around downtown. Isnt it obvious? Aha! There was no use believing a demon that couldnt 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. Im done for if he sees me. And I dont care what you do with your fellow human females. How heartless. Youre the one who cant read the room! Id only be in the way if I went with you. Is that how it is? Thats how it is. Dont make me speak twice, Im really ufortable. Okay! I went downtown with thedies I couldnt even talk with. *** Hero Choi Kangmin broke out inughter at the boy he met at the vige entrance. You look like a mess, Oh Hanwoo. Its whats on the inside that matters. Choi Kangmin wasnt just talking about his clothes thatd gotten dirty from scavenging the forest. After getting kicked around like a ser 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 cant believe it. Hey, are you serious right now? Thats right. Oh Hanwoo was aware. Choi Kangmins level was much higher than his. [Revenge] But the blessing was drastically narrowing the gapit was well worth trying. [Special] After all, he was the main character. He could ovee it with grit! Just then, a girl went between the two boys and cried out, w-wait! Hero Choi Kangmin! Im really sorry to interrupt, but still, I have to ask you to please wait wait just a second! Aria, hero Yoo Boras partner, begged. She couldnt help but choke up at the sight of her former partners horribly beat-up face. To that, Choi Kangmin spoke with a gentle expression. Miss Aria. what is it you must ask? Ill try my best to listen. * * * * * * I wouldnt dare stop you two from dueling, but Oh Hanwoo is badly injured. Ah! I see. There has to be a fair battle if I dont want it to bite meter. Thank you for your input, Miss Aria. N-not at all. Rather than getting angry, the girls face flushed as the hero in grand armor praised her. Seeing her act shy, Oh Hanwoos 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 youre 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 Hanwoos sunken nose and broken teeth, as well as other injuries, went back to normal. Thank you! I dont know why youre expressing gratitude, Hero Yoo Boras partner. I-I apologize Please dont forget who you are partnered with. Yes, I promise! Though it was pitiful to see the girl freeze like a statue at the Saintesss criticism, no one paid any attention to her. The destined duel between the two boys who didnt ept each other had begun. Oh Hanwoo, lets see those substantial skills of yours! Sling- re! 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 re~ Having lost all of his gear and relying only on magic, Oh Hanwoo was unstable. But the me he produced was bigger than Choi Kangmins. Youve improved quite a bit over thesest couple days. Noticing he was overpowered when it came to magic, the young boys face hardened slightly. Choi Kangmin was a mage swordsman. It was inevitable that hecked practicepared 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 hed 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 Kangmincked 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 progressingthat was basically equal to death for a mage. [See Through] With his entire body exposed from the curse, Oh Hanwoo waspletely unarmed. There was no such thing as a hidden weapon. Although Choi Kangmin wasnt sure why he would see through Oh Hanwoos underwear to the parts he really didnt 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 me after throwing the first one. But 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. [eleration] 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 hed dodged the first one. Just how fast was his magic? It wasntparable to his magic master, but it was still abnormally fastpared to the Heroes standard. Try and block it! Youre funny. If he had dueled only with magic, he most likely would have lost. But Choi Kangmins main talent was swordsmanship, not magic, and he had a hard-earned collection of Blessings. Pow! Alrigh- what?! Oh Hanwoo couldnt understand. Despite not getting any stronger from the Hunting Curse like the slimes, Choi Kangmin was still fine even after getting hit by the mes. He tried to shoot more magic, but Poww! Is magic the only thing youve got? Y-you The results were the same. The young boy was as calm as ever. Level three magic wasughable to hero Choi Kangmin when he had multiple Blessings from countless gods. The only reason hed dodged Oh Hanwoos magic at first was that his pride didnt want to show him getting hit. This is it, then. It cant be! Wake up to reality. Dont 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 Kangmins sword. Just then,.. [Special] Zzzap! In an instant, the magic in Oh Hanwoos right hand ran out of his control and a ck 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 ufortable.] [A certain Evil God grabs onto their belly and cackles.] *** Kang Hansoo #! Thats % @%! %$#? #$ $ &%$. But this is also #$ %$ &^! #@? I think its %$ %#$. Kang Hansoo ^% this $% $. Or is this # &$? What about taking around an alien who they couldntmunicate with made thosedies so happy? Like demon Kogmos pointed out, it was far from a date. Restaurants, pharmacies, apparel stores, misceneous stores, cksmith workshops, barbershops, and horse stables I learned the table manners of a noble at an extremely luxurious restaurant. Isnt one spoon, chopsticks, and te enough? Those people were making so many dishes to clean with all sorts of weird rules. [emailprotected] ready. Lets go #. Manner lessons were just the beginning. After dressing me up from head to toe,dies 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 didnt know where that somewhere was. At the very least, it couldnt be hell, right? Right? [a certain God shrugs.] It looks like the house of a noble The ce thedies had led me to was the most extravagant house in the city. #@! Salute! As soon as the serious gatekeepers saw the two dressed-updies, 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 ce felt overwhelming for a simple Earthling like me. [Outsider] If I wasnt 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 twodies who hold eminent names at the Academy spoke very highly of you. Oh? He canmunicate with me? It is thenguage Blessing. A prince must be able tomunicate with all nations and species. Its nothing special. A prince It looked like Id just met the very Prince A that the demon was so vignt about. Chapter 37 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 dont feel too overwhelmed. Okay. Ill 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. Howe he was calling me like that? Dont 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 wed 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 nations 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 Heros Curse? His first question, as expected! I felt like I was in a university interview with horrible grades. But its not like I didnt have a n in mind. I had prepared an exnation 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 whendies A and B let me off the hook, but the fairys Blessing was an incredible token of credibility. The prince nodded his head. He looked convinced. I understand why Mister Gang Hansue got the fairys Blessing. My deepest condolences. Not at all. Thank you for taking my word. I dont mean to sound suspicious, but do you remember what the Hero was wearing? Im sorry. I hit the Heros face first thing Its 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 didnt know you could see the truth like that if you were the prince of a nation! I wasnt 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. Id like to converse with you more, but it would be rude to make thesedies wait for too long. Dinner should be almost ready, shall we continue talking after? Alright. Of course I should follow your word, youre the prince of this country. I hated everything about the world of Fantasia, but the food the royal family ate was better than my moms. 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 surveint and maid. Is there a problem? Im certain there was an intruder. Look at the floor. Oh! The room wasnt 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 uneptable. There was too much mud for it to be med onzy cleaning. everybody, get out. Saintess! Its 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? Thats hm Nobodyes in until I call for them. Yes, Saintess. Rustle- The Saintesss 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-its not there?! She rubbed her eyes and looked under her desk once again. Of all things! It didnt matter if anything else was stolenall she had to do was rece it. But it was the one thing that couldnt be reced. Kang Hansoos backpack. The one piece of undeniable evidence that her god had lied hadpletely 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 ce 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 youre 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 Hansoos backpack. Its a secret nobody knows. They didnt make the room a mess and left with only that one thing. The thief trespassed while knowing the backpack was in there Otherwise, she couldnt exin why they wouldnt litter the room ory 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 dont test my faith. [A certain arrogant god of benevolence is extremely ufortable.] [A certain arrogant god of benevolence asks what youre going to do now.] All I can do now is leave it to fate. Shed try her best to keep it a secret. And if that didnt work? Shed 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 isnt even a way to find oh? While dealing with the provider of her headache, the Saintesss eyes widened. Shed noticed the pillows on her bed were ever-so-slightly rumpled, she thought nothing had been touched besides Kang Hansoos backpack. could it be? The Saintess realized the refined book hidden under her pillow hadpletely changed directions. It was horizontal, not vertical. It wasnt how shed normally hide it. N-no! * * * * * * Red-faced, the Saintess gave up trying to conform to fate. She had to find the thief whod stolen Kang Hansoos backpack by any means necessary! She had to capture that bastard andpletely 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 dont you go look for yourself? [A certain arrogant god of benevolence is extremely ufortable.] [A certain arrogant god of benevolence leaves with an irritated face.] A way. Theres 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 thiefs mind when they noticed the Saintesswho they thought was perfecthad 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 externalmunications. (It is a relief you are safe! May wee in now?) Yes. Also, send a message to the Fairy Kingdom. I must meet with Councilwoman Celebless. I need her friends help. *** Im not sure if it was the facade of a hypocrite, but I found Prince Alsus to be a rather pleasant person to talk to. It wasnt just because we spoke the samenguage. I couldnt have a conversation with demon Kogmos because he would cry or get angry whenever I said something. That is truly a fascinating Blessing. You dont feel full no matter how much you eat? I am a bit envious. [A certain god is gleeful about the genuinepliment.] [A certain god scolds you to be more like the prince.] I feel like I ate too much, my apologies. Haha! Not at all. Its 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 becausedies A and B didn''t disturb me thanks to the handsome prince! It would have been perfect if it werent 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 ins disappeared like magic. There have been asional orc sightings, but theyre 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, themander of the knigI 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 extinctexcept 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, Id 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 thosedies 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 didnt take out the beginners holy sword. It would be awkward if the Prince said he wanted to collect it like the holy sword that was in the nobledys bedroom, wouldnt 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 de worked fine even after shing tens of thousands of gnolls and orcs, but it must have been the finest de a fairy could make. Then this ones 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 re~! I created a bright red de from the edge of my right hand. It was a fiery force. Id neatly chopped up the Orc Guardian with it. With that much ease, barehanded Its not that I didnt 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 Alsuss power. One could say there was a certain depth to it. It was like a fantasypleted after studying fantasies using fantasy during a fantasy-like time. Hearing my exmation, Prince Alsus smiled with pride. Its 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 de 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. Ill give this to you as a gift. Oh! Thank you. I dont 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 wasnt free! Sling- Come, the prince told me as he drew a sword identical to mine. Then I wont decline The young man in front of me was the princethe third-strongest in the nation. He was a strong opponent I wouldnt be able to win against no matter what. Meaning he was an extremely sturdy sandbag. There wouldnt be any problem even if I gave it my all, right? [Outsider] [Fairy] My lethal move that Id 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 de that I held high in a defenseless position. ...Urm? Gang Hansue, what is tha Here I go! Thinking of the mighty prince as the goddess, I went down relentlessly. sh- Baaam! On that day, I escaped the city without looking back once. Chapter 38 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 mans 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 couldnt be stopped. Prince Alsus! Are you alright?! Prince! Are you hurt at all? The twodies who had been watching hurriedly ran over to support him. Prince Alsus stood up, shaking off the dirt on his clothes. Im alright. In fact, I feel refreshed. Like my mother, her Highness said: The world really is a big ce. Thats right. The boy Gang Hansue had shown him just how strong a person could be if they refined their swordsmanship with their life on the line. But Alsus was next in line for the throne of the nation. He couldnt risk dying or bing disabled by training too dangerously. It looked like he was in shock, too. He ran away immediately. Prince Alsus let out a heartyugh after listening to the twodies. Things could have gotten bad because Im 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 nobledies 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? Im 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 hadnt given the boy the first move. But what did that result in? Excuses dont work in a battlefield where one risks their life. Hed made a disgrace of himself, falling behind a level 1 mercenarys swordsmanship. The partys be a mess Shall we bring him in again? Ill leave it to youdies. I want to properly apologize to Mister Gang Hansue. And he had a lot of questions for him. He almost wanted to hit himself for not taking the twodies seriously before when theyd introduced the boy to him. It was light, pure light! Hed risk his life to see it againGang Hansues swordsmanship was that valuable. Yes, Prince Alsus. Please wait for us. Miss Laysha, Miss Julia. Please, you have my trust. Im sure he went to the inn. Well be right back. Prince Alsus escorted the two rushingdies 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 girls ideal dream! Even the beautiful queen and princess, praised to be the nations treasures, looked dim next to the Saintess. The maids 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 themunication 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 ns for the Heroes to hunt the orcs in the ins. 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 ce the captured orc had spoken of, but it was as he thought. There wasnt even a trace of anything, let alone a city (Good work.) And Saintess, I have a suggestion. (Lets 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 Heros 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 wasnt 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. Its not easy to be this much of a nuisance.) Was it him? I would like to track them with a surveint so the kicked-out Heroes dont cause further trouble. (I give my permission. And pleasepensate the cursed civilian generously. Thank you.) Of course, its a request from the Saintess. (No. A Heros faults are the Saintess responsibilities. I should have been the one topensate them myself, but thats going to be difficultI have to go to the fairy kingdom urgently.) I understand. I will make sure to not disappoint with mypensation. (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 essories decorating it, it was still one of the finest swords made by an exceptional cksmith in the kingdom. And yet, it couldnt handle Gang Hansues attacks and was destroyed. The fate of the spare sword hed gifted Hansue had been the sameThe de had broken, not able to bear its handler. This wont be enough to make him my knight. * * * * * * 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 demons shoulders. Kogmo! Hurry up and pack your bags! Wh-what is it?! Ill be arrested for attempted murder of the Prince if I get caught! We have to run away, now! You did it, you crazy bastard! Dont worry. Its easy for me to escape. Who ever worried about you?! Im worried about myself for getting caught up with you! Youre right. Youre the one who needs to be good at escaping. Ill get out by my own way. Damnit! Poof! Demon Kogmos couldnt use the holy swords entrance because he was over level 10. But that didnt apply to me. With my things that didnt fit into my bags because I didnt 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 couldnt use magic! Theres no time to exin. I cant wait for you too long. What? I made sure to double check that I didnt leave anything behind and finally jumped into the opening. Poof! Youre back, $#! %#. Wee. % # again? &$ @#. Without exception, all of the humans whod settled in the City of Orcs ran to wee me. Maybe their lives had be a lot more stable. The clothes they were wearing had improved, so they looked like actual civilians, and their expressions had brightened significantly. And they were walking on eggshells around me with an extremely docile attitude. Hm~ It was understandable. They were basically trapped in a deserted ind, and Iable to walk in and out as I pleasedwas clearly the stronger person. And so, at least in that ce, my words would be the absolutew. 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? Thats It was hard to exin because I still had a very limited vocabry. But after trying my best and mixing bodynguage into the exnation, I found the person I wanted. Hehe. *%. #$ $%. Its you again. It was the man whod offered me the dolled-up woman. His name was Bruce, sir! %$! Hm. Bruce. Was it okay to trust him? It didnt matterId just swap him if it wasnt. What is this, Gero? The green guardian looked tantly ufortable 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 dont kill him. this isnt 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? Im 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. Ill take that as apliment! 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? Thats because it was where the people whod wished to go back home and I hade outst time. There wasnt another optionthere wasnt a holy sword anywhere else nearby. Poof! Kogmo. Holy! Where did youe 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. Lets hurry and run. How did you do that? You vanished without a trace back at the inn, too. Its the power of extraordinary magic! At least I know you dont want to give a proper exnation. Where should we go now? I dont 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 Heros Curse? Yep. Im going to have to go further north as soon as possible to get away from someone who has a grudge with the Saintess. Whats up north? The biggest ve market in the western continent. Ill find you a ve with the Language Blessing there. heh~ Whats with that sour face? Its fascinating how you didnt run away. After all, the demon didnt 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 dont know?! What? Contorting his handsome face, demon Kogmos cried out, I couldnt leave because you took all of my stuff with you, too! Aha! Our rtionship was much tighter than unreliable loyalty. We have to hurry. There is no way to lose the horse-riding knights in the ins, where theres nowhere to hide. Then well just run really fast. Wait. I dont have infinite stamina like you. Well get a horse from the stables outside the cit Neigh~! I summoned a decent horse that Id ordered from my storage unit. Is that all? Just what kind of magic did you get your hands on? Its a business secret Dont act cute. Im going to throw up my breakfast. [A certain god strongly agrees.] [A certain god drills to never do that again.] Jeez, Im 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 tes were returned to the warehouse entrance. Looking closely at it, the demon furrowed his brows. No matter how I see this, it doesnt make sense. Ive never heard of magic that cooks and does the dishes for you. Thats just you. Annoying bastard! As a result, we reached our destination in two days. The biggest ve market in the western continent. It deserved its reputationI couldnt help but let out an exmation 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 Chapter 39 [Act 12] Remodeling Hey, $% pass by. @$ people waiting % #$? Were 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 werent guarding? Its nothing strange. If a city with arge floating poption like this was thoroughly inspected, the economy would copse. Aha! For someone whod lived in a metropolis with a poption of 10 million like me, it just looked rural, but it was a rtively big poption considering this medieval. That was the power of magic! Various kinds of magic that permeated into the Fantasia natives lives greatly advanced their living standards. Lets just say magic reced science! Furthermore Jiggle~ Jiggle jiggle~ That included the hard work of the slimes that kept the city clean and beautiful! Magic and slimes. The 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 n like you did, Id be dead before marriage. Youre still not married, get over yourself. Dont cry. I mayve been getting hunted, but I didnt let myself down and boldly got a two-person room at the finest inn. You spend relentlessly. Its fine. Youre telling me this inn that wealthy merchants and nobles usually stay in costs as much as an average peasants monthly earnings? It was insane, but alright. ng! You may have earned a lot of money from the orc ughtering, but youre going to run out of it fast if you keep spending like that. Thats okay. Ill ughter again. Your attitude of passing on the problem to your future self sure is recklesslike a mercenary. But I am a mercenary? Nonsense, youre a criminal. This demon is hitting too close to home for aw-abiding alien! Wanting to escape the awful reality, Iy back on the soft bed. [A certain god anticipates a bounty.] [A certain god is delighted with the journey of a true outsider.] Thats harsh. It would be hard to go in and out of the city like that if I became a runaway with a bounty. Id be a legitimate outsider! It was a little upsetting. [A certain god twirls in their ce and dances.] [A certain god shakes their shoulders and hums a song.] The god looked extremely happy that I was then an outsider byw. Besides that It really was amazing. While I was recollecting Prince Alsuss swordsmanship, the male demon put his hand out. I wont run away for now, so give me my stuff back, he said. Until you get me a ve with the Language Blessing? Thats right. There were ves back on Earth, too. Capitalism ves! But in the fantasy world, the ves were actual ves who worked for others without any reward, like livestock. What a pity! Lets save them! instead of feeling that way, I was epting 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 demons bag popped out. Did I bother him a bit too much? The bag came out flying angrily like it was hurled. Looks like its channeled through that sword. Yep. I dont 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. Dont ever do that next time. Sure. No offense, but is it okay for a demon to be this kind? Of course, Id only allowed it because I was certain it wouldnt get stolen. Im 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 epted 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 didnt ept me were just heavy, but that didnt 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 mayve been a beginners sword thatcked 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! Its my mistake. I should have noticed when you were acting careless! What happens if you touch it? Its not too dangerous if Im only touching it, but a weak demon like me could die from even the smallest cut. Becuase youre a demon? Thats 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 Heros Curse as a Blessing? What a big world we live in. I cant believe a holy sword can be defective I was lucky. * * * * * * Kogmos still didnt 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 Heros Curse? On edge about the beginners holy sword, the male demon spoke. Another reason to get away from you as soon as possible. Dont sprawl yourself on the bed. Follow me. Were going to buy a ve 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 cant rest? There wasnt 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. Thats how I, a weak demon, can survive in Fantasia Yeah. what a life. Dont cry. After talking a bit, we headed to the biggest ve market on the western continent of Fantasia! *** This is a big deal. I cant believe the orcs of the ins were annihted. The Saintess let out a big sigh after getting Prince Alsuss report. It wasnt bad news. If the seemingly unending number of orcs disappeared, that meant therge, neglected ins 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, humanitys hope, had less means of gaining experience points. Her n had gonepletely wrong. Last time, there was a sudden decrease in forest gnollsnow orcs? This could mean a new predator in the food chain. Saintess. Is this why you havee 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 wont be looking for it, but I will ask a friend to cooperate as much as possible. wigglewiggle~ The slime that was in the Councilwomans 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 didnt 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. Dont worry. Mong is a special slime. Would you like to touch it? This fellow isnt jiggly like other slimes, it wiggles. Wigglewiggle! The rainbow slime wiggled as if to agree. Im sorry. I cant understand what youre saying at all. Haha! I understand. Everyone has trouble seeing Mongs true value at first. But soon youll 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. Shed 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 its because my cousinmented that he couldnt 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 Saintesss bedroom. Is that really all? Of course, there is the moremon reason that I dont 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 wasnt 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 orzy, but that fairy was different. She was an unwavering believer of nonviolence. In a cold world where peoples 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 cant imagine you, someone who loves life, murdering anything. Hunting is still too much for me. I am nning to go to an academy as a professor of a new subject. Ah! You didnt 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 ownpetitive world, there was no better hunting ground. Come in. Excuse me. It was a wless room, well-fitting for the Saintess, the perfect woman. If it wasnt for its reputation as the safest room in the world, it could be believable as the Kings office. The only w 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 ce also looks like a prison in my eyes. I feel like it would be incredibly suffocating. Its a ce fitting for my current self. Oh dear! Ive misspoken. No, its alright. Can you and the Mong. Yes. Master Mong. Pleasee 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 doesnt know the method or principles of it. Wiggle? Wiggle! This slime Master Mong. What is it saying? [Language] The slimes had a specialnguage that even a Blessing from a god couldnt trante. But the owner of the slime understood with ease. ording to Mongs exnation, it says the thief ran away through the holy sword on the wall. The holy sword? Ah! the Saintess eximed as she noticed something. It looks like you have already figured out who the culprit is, Saintess. Its 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. https://dsc.gg/reapeics Chapter 40 Chapter 40 [Act 12] Remodeling(?) Young and #$% ves for sale! Try $ #%$ ^$ it out! Look at this brawny #$. It will be your #% @%$! For only one day, in anniversary of my #@%! Cant $# six! The ve market bustled with noise. But it wasnt the hical scenery I was expecting. The disyed ves were as still as mannequins, and the merchants didnt harass their valuable items. After all, theyd put quite the efforts into the ves health, attire, etc to sell them at a higher price. I went in expecting a grim ck market, but it felt like a department store. Well, that wakes me up. What are you saying? I was imagining an alien with a strong sense of justice buying a ve if a merchant harshly mistreated a beautiful ve. Sure. Are you done with your bullshit? Thats harsh! The plot where a young man from Earth who had never spoken to a woman, let alone held a womans hand, bought a ve and lived happily ever after. Isnt it amon prompt? The demon was looking at me pathetically. A merchant who lessens the worth of their products on purpose? I dont expect much from someone who almost murdered the prince, but cant you think of anything normal? Hm what about that? I saw a scene very simr to what I had imagined. A mean-looking old man was holding a pretty girl by her hair and throwing a fit. #$ follow me! Ow! $%,%$&! #! Did you just $# %& # to me, your master? #$ %#$ again? Eek?! Im $% sorry! Just please dont @ %$! While the people around them had frowns on their faces, one boy bravely got in front of the old man. Wait! Even if its a ve, shes a #$% girl, dont you think #% too much? This === == again? I do what I #&$ ^$ with my things, *$ in my business. #$ her to me. %$ level may be low, but #%$ expensive. Not #%$ like you I #%$ price. Ha! Fine. Ill sell it to you #%# if you have %# money. And so The poor ve girl was rescued by the righteous boy. Good! Thats good! The demon scoffed next to me. He fell for it. For what? It''s a ssic trick that elicits shallow sympathy. That man just sold a level 2 ve to that young one at a very high price. He could have bought a level 8 ve with that money. What the? Think of their conversation they just had if you cant believe me. Dont you think her skin was too fair to be a ve thats constantly abused by her owner? Youre right. Although he had grabbed the ve by her hair, he hadnt hurt her to the point she was injured. And theres no reason to abuse a ve in front of people who came to buy them. Youre right about that, too! Consider yourself lucky. You wont ever be done up like a kipper because Im with you. Woo! That demon crybaby actually looked cool for once! There were four main categories of ves sold in the market. Humans, fairies, dwarves, and mermaids. I knew the pointy-ear fairies from seeing plenty of them in the forest, and the dwarves were just as Id imagined them. Short, stump limbs, rtively big heads, and bushy beards Theres 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 Its the opposite for the mermaids who live in the oceans andkestheres only females. The mermaids werent much different from what Id 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 dont marrythey kidnap a human male they like. I-I see! What a dangerous species! I could hear my childhood dying in the distance. Im really tired right now. So do the sightseeingter when youre alone. Huh? We had somewhere in mind? I know a few ces that only specialize in selling high-end ves who are too good to go to waste as regr ves. Oh I can see how youre 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. Thats 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. Wee! Have youe $#% ves as guards? Or %# ves #%$? The salesperson, seeing new customers, weed us with a business-only smile. She was a fairy woman dressed in luxurious clothes and essories with apletely different aura than the violent savages Id run into in the forest. The ve Im looking for is um. Tap tap. Still going throughnguage barrier issues, I made the demon step in front. #$ Blessing. Do you have any #$ %#$ or the ves levels? Yes. The rest doesnt matter as long as there is the Blessing. You demon! Why doesnt that matter! It would be troublesome if I ended up with an old schr with their head in the skies. I probed the demons sides and butted in. Kogmos. It has to be a ve that cane with me in my travels. Are you serious right now? Yes? They have to bear with your insane schedule? What a ludicrous demand. I dont care how much money it takes. You talk like an arrogant noble. I dont even know if the ve youre looking for even exists, but Ill ask. Okay!: I waited for the answer as I looked around the shop. * * * * * * 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. Im 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 Saintesss exnation. Even Yoo Bora wasnt an exceptionto be exact, herpanion was being restless. Hero! Its the holy sword! The holy sword! The legendary holy sword! The holy sword that makes demons tremble from a nce! Okay, Aria. I got i You have to get it! I know youre 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 wasnt 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 fallingit defied gravity. Was it because of the material? Or was it magic? It surely wasnt magic While Yoo Bora was firing up her askew academic zeal, the Saintess revealed the reason why shed shown the one and only holy sword. and so we will be hosting the tournament. The winner will be 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. Its stupid. Its 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 directbat. 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-ss 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! Im 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 its very diverse. Is that so Yoo Bora was a bit disappointed. She had to be strong in order to survive in that world, but the Academy didnt teach other methods besides swordsmanship and magic. Was that really the case? It wouldnt be toote for her to decide after she gets into the Academy, she assured herself. It didnt seem likepulsory education, so shed just quit if she didnt like it. I rmend you dont go. Why is that? Ill tell youter when were alone. Its a subjective reason with a lot of my embarrassing moments I understand. Yoo bora didnt rush. After all, she wasnt sure if she could attend the Academy before the tournaments 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! Lets gooooo! Yoo Bora didnt worry too much about the excessively unfair team battle. She wasnt 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. And nothing else. *** Actively regarding my demands, demon Kogmos plowed up the ridiculous prerequisites. I mean, isnt itmon sense that there cant be a ve who can withstand half their body getting burnt? Come to think of it, he was going on about himself. There isnt a ve like that, right? There is. Of course, I knew there wouldnt be there is?! Theres % #$. The demon looked perplexed at the fairy clerks certain answer. Why? Isnt that a good thing? Isnt that what you wanted? Yeah, but Im already feeling pity for the ve 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 ves, but they werent encaged in a small space. They wont run away? High-end ves, without exception, have the ve curse. Theres a ve over there with their status window showing. Go take a look at it. Lets see I quickly looked over the ves status window that Kogmos pointed out. Roughly going past the level and Blessings, I only thoroughly read the ves Curse. [ve] >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 wont be able to run even if I dont put a constraint on them. Lets call it a ve report engraved to the bone. Just then, the fairy pointed to a girl crouched in a dark corner. This is the ve. Very $%# %$ $? So it costs #$. %# blessing #@ %#$ too. Demon? Yes. its a demon. # #$%? No. I was just caught off guard because its very rare to see a demon choose to be a humans ve. Since demons have a very strong sense of pride. Finding his species at the ve market, demon Kogmos had an unreadable expression on his face. I barely held in myugh as I scolded the guy. I knew it. Knew what? You ordered someone just like you, didnt you? Tch. Of course wed end up with a demonhed asked for a ve with the same abilities as him. Ignoring my provocation, Kogmos randomly dered. Im buying it. Oh? Is it sympathy? Shut up! To cut to the chase The broke demon got crushed and I bought the ve. Hehe! Chapter 41 Chapter 41 [Act 13] Demons I couldnt get myself to understand it, but apparently there were ves who voluntarily gave themselves up in this world. Did they prefer to be a dragons 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 ve to prove it. Then what happened? must I exin more? I want to die from embarrassment. The beautiful female demon resembling a night hag frowned. I calmed her down so she could be morefortable opening up. Its okay. Im 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 womans voice as she red at Kogmos with chilling eyes. Kogmos immediately tucked his tail between his legs. Im sorry! It wasnt my intent to make you feel bad Whatever, can you get out of my face? Now, while Im talking nicely. Yes! Ill 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 ves they purchased in case they saw a w. There couldnt be an overlooked scar or handicap that was hidden by clothes. Well, arent you cold to your own species. Its because they are my species. Then lets continue the conversation we were having earlier, shall we? Is that important? Im your ve. I dont 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 demons journey to bing a ve 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 godins 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. Lets get out of here. This isnt something I should be saying, but arent you going to check my body? You spent a lot of money buying me. Its fine, I saw your status window. Status windows werent 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, ve 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 wasnt for this curse I would have been sold at a much more expensive price as a useful hunting dog. Thanks for the kind exnation, but why are you so on edge? Youve been like that for a while now. please dont think anything weird. Its because of the ve Blessing. Aha! [ve] 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 theplete opposite from the ves Curse, which made you feel pain whenever you didnt follow your owners 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 trante by your side. Do I have to say it? Yes. Im being obedient to an inferior human like you formands. How honest. Think of it as the endgame of a demon whos 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 Ie in too quickly? Awkwardly ring Kogmos, the demon woman gave a cold reply, It looks like youre the one who wants to see my body. Master Kang Hansoo? Pleasemand me to kill this piece of garbage painfully. I-Im sorry! Leaving the noisy dressing room, I ordered some extra ves. More ves! There were still a lot of ves I wanted to get. *** On his second day of resting in the hunters vige, Oh Hanwoo was in an extremely good mood. Choi Kangmin! Ill 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] * * * * * * Looking through the gods appraisals with a smug face, he took out the money hed earned from orc hunting. Ka-ching! He couldnt bring himself to skin the grey gnolls - it was too gross. But what a beginner adventurer like him could do was sell their gear and belongings to the vige merchants. Here are the items for Hero Oh Hanwoo. Oh? Theres more than I thought. Its 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! Its alright. The vigers were incredibly kind to him. In particr, 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 vige chiefs 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 didnt take everything the chiefwho wasnt interested in dungeonssaid at face value. He probably hasnt found it yet! It was nonsense for a fantasy world with plenty of unknown adventures to not have a dungeon. ng! Chief! Theres 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 didnt even excuse himself to the Hero and ran out with the blood drained from his face. But Oh Hanwoo wasnt a bit displeased. Why? A fairy, huh? I hope its a girl. Hed seen fairies at the ve market before, but thered been none that caught his eyes right away. What about this time? Celebless. He couldnt 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 wasnt trying to disturb your peaceful lives. Im only visiting while on my way to the temple for some business, so there is no need to be so afraid. re~ 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 hed never felt before, not even when hed met the goddess and Saintess. Ah aah She was beautiful. She didnt have the chest to softly embrace a hurt younger brother, but she had the aura of an older sister. re? Jiggle? The phoenix and slime apanying her were dirtying her aura in an odd way, but that wasnt bad. She came off as an animal lover. Are you the new chief? Yes I am, Councilwoman! I came because I missed this ce a bit, but you can always decline if you do not want me here. Not at all! Pleasee in! Thank you very much. Then if youll excuse me for a bit. Is the ce still there? Yes! Good thing I wasnt toote. 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 dont understand what youre trying to ask. I dont have anything you say to you. Now then Oh Hanwoo was taken aback. Wasnt 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 shes shy. [A certain male god ps his knees in admiration.] [A certain immature god of dice lets out consecutive exmations.] [A certain evil god continuously presses the rtable button.] [A certain water god is speechless at your shocking deduction skills.] [A certain god] And Oh Hanwoos misinterpretation led to L-let go! There will be issues if you bother Miss Celebless, mister Oh Hanwoo. Who are you guys?! Surveints. We take care of Heroes who put dirt on the Heroes names. What are you going to do? He didnt stop until he was stopped by the surveints, 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 ves as there were reasons for them bing ves. Indeptors, gamblers, farmers, fishers, cksmiths, hunters, princes, princesses, criminals, seamstresses, adventurers, runaway soldiers, architects, merchants, chefs I only chose those who only worked with production. Theyre really cheap. It was because human worth was decided by their levels, not intelligence. For example, a level 1 ve 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 wasnt for her Hunting Curse, she would have been sold for ten times the price. I was speechless from bewilderment. I dont understand why you bought me for my Language Blessing. Dont ask me. That guy chose you. As expected from garbage. Im sure it was to sucker you. A vulgar act that isnt demon-like at all. I dont know why he even exists in this world. Urhh.. He always yelled at me, but demon Kogmos had been looking strained for a while. Whats up with him? I didnt mind him and kept buying professional ves. Chefs, cksmiths, farmers, seamstresses, carpenters, artists, architects Master. The food, clothing, and shelter will be troublesome if you buy all of these ves 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 ves in that way, rumors spread through the ve market that I was a big yer in just one day. That was not good. I didnt reveal my name anywhere, but I was being pursued by the countrys prince, after all. There was still a lot of money in the warehouse, but there was going to be big trouble if I didnt 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 themon market and swept away the daily necessities. Clothes, spices, medicine, household goods As the poption in the warehouse grew, it would get harder for them to be self-sufficient. If I didnt make up for it like that, there just mightve been a big storm in the future. Money. Poof! Ca-ching! If only I could use that much money on earth, too No, that doesnt 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, werent we going to part ways here? I changed my mind. Why? Dont ask why. Anyways, I dont think anyone noticed your identity, so take it easy. Ill take responsibility if theres any trouble. But I dont want to? I had a new trantor, so there was no reason for me to keep aining male demon by my side anymore. Wasnt that what he wanted as well? You bastard! So now youre showing your true colors! What were you going to do with Miss Diaroka when there is no one aroun 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 specimens head repeatedly. Unfortunately, that wasnt 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 Chapter 42 [Act 13] Demons Itd been about a month since Id been thrown into this savage world, and I was letting the reality sink in that the fantasy status windows were abovew and ethics. [ve Blessing] [ve Curse] And so those with that Blessing or Curse were treated no differently than objectsnot for political means, but as physical property. For example, long-abandoned ves or ves with dead owners were free for the first person to take. It was said there were upations even centered around that Theyre ve stealers. Youre biased! Its not like Im the only one who buys ves! No need to get mad. After all, its rare to see a level 1 customer buying a lot of ves. I see. It seemed I looked the most vulnerable for having a low level, but I didnt think they would try to assassinate me in the middle of the day. What if the wrong persones to steal the ves! If I was a ve stealer Ack?! A man screeched after getting his eyes poked out by the demon woman. Thats right. I would be waiting near the ve 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 dont 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, itd get dangerous for me as well. Ah guess I have no choice. I wanted to ughter the scattering ve stealers as they realized their n had failed, but I couldnt 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, youre strong for being level 1. Its 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 theyre walking on air from just a little praise! ABblessing, huh~ Im going to run all the way out of the city like Im still getting chased by the assassins. Okay. One good thing? At least Kogmos wasnt dead from an arrow to the head. If hed 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 dont talk as if Im a nuisance. I just let my guard down because Ive never been targeted before. The demon man justified himself after we got out of the city. Does he know its pointless when he says that on an inferior humans 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 enved 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 withdies A and B My clothes are a mess. Dirtied with the demons blood, my clothes felt extremely ufortable. Should I just change right now? It was right when I put Kogmos down and went to take my clothes off Fwp- The demon womans 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 didnt stop moving. In fact, she wasing for me even more vehemently! [Outsider] I sucked in my chubby stomach and activated The Power of Meat. Pow- As our two hands shed, the air rippled around us from the shockwaves. Why? What did I do? Talk. Jeez. With that, I was certain. It wasnt just the ve stealers that had been underestimating me. *** Closest to the Great ins where Id hunted an infinite number of orcs was Aldriol, or The in 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 exined. The most important aspect of swordsmanship is your attitude. [Warrior] You who have survived countless life-or-death crises have sufficient qualifications to be 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 havent yet acquired. He continued, You may be asking, wouldnt it be better if we could efficiently fight the enemy by dodging their attacks? Yes! Thats right! The Heroes agreed. Among them was Choi Kangmin, who had be very ufortable 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 didnt have the Warriors 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 wont 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 generallyrge in size. Youll 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 thats bigger than your body? * * * * * * 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 Alsuss spirit, consecutive exmations 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 hed met in Aldrior. The brilliantly red pir if Hansues swordsmanship was even a little bit more powerful, Alsus wouldnt even be alive. There was no need for muddled tricks. Just one single blow! Keep that in mind: the instant your swordsmanship fails to prate 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 ce.] [A certain god hurries you to kill off the demon.] [A certain god] Dear god! Arent you excited! I can understand where youreing from, but its 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] Im sorry. Do what you want. The ve Blessing mayve bound the female demons free will, but it had a loophole because, after all, it wasnt a curse. [ve] 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 owners orders at all costs. Like she was doing right then. Stop. Hmph! She received no repercussions, even if she ignored her ownersmands with a scoff. It was truly a Blessing. She was a half-ve who could obey her masters orders selectively. If thats 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 demons gaze. [ve] Just as ones stomach hurts fromughing too much It would have been hard for her to hold back from the pleasure from the ve Blessing that obeyingmands 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 ck de on her right hand, inch by inch. And she swung. Youre soft. Perhaps it was because Kogmos, who she treated like garbage, would naturally be her owner if I died. She 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 ws with my powers, Ished at the demons ck de. sh-! The result was crystal clear. Her right arm waspletely ripped from her body, and the demon took a big step back. Without a single nce 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! Herpleted de revealed her determination that she did not intend on caring about her owners life or her future. Youre 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 wascerated, she had a smile on her face. You let your guard down, huh? This is going to hurt a lot. sh-! The female demons de cut through my right shoulder to my left rib cage diagonally. But she did not attack further. Instead Demons dont get weak with wounds like these, she kindly advised. I can tell. Now, Master? Command my freedom. Then Ill treat you right away. Hm And my name is Diaroka. Did I ask? Diaroka. Yes. To the girl wishing to be freed from a ve status, Imanded, Stay still. Urgh?! You wont be able to stay still if Imand you like this, huh? Are you really human? The demons eyes widened as she saw me get up just fine. [Outsider] Your owner wont get weak from wounds like these. you let your guard down again, didnt ya? Woosh. Diarokas body was engulfed in a ck 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. Its only natural that demons look down on humans. If you get it, why dont you give up ownership? All it takes is two words: Youre free. I dont want to. I was absolutely loathsome of betrayal after having gotten backstabbed by the evil goddess. [Outsider] It didnt show thanks to my emotions getting reset infinitely, but I despised traitors with my mind, not my heart. Well, arent you stubborn. Well, arent you a nagging ve. Youre 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 ve that didnt want to be there. And so Kill me, Diaroka. I wagged my fingers at the demon who couldnt forgive me. Are you insane? I have been for a while! Ever since Id been abandoned in the gnoll-infested forest from the evil goddesss betrayal I hadnt had even a moment of sanity. Listen to me. One of us dies here, no matter what. [A certain god is ufortable.] [A certain god drills in that the outsider will not die.] God? Im just saying. I dont intend on dying either [A certain god is extremely ufortable.] [A certain god is so ufortable they cannot breathe.] [A certain god passes out.] It is this adolescent Outsiders fault. Im sorry, please breathe! Chapter 43 Chapter 43 [Act 13] Demons The tournament that would decide which Hero would be 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 exining 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 Heroesjust like the Great Demon King they would someday overthrow. Prince Alsus continued after the Heroes calmed down from their chaos and concern. Weve 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 ept repeated identification tags. Thats simple. I dont feel good about this Regardless of how the Heroes felt, the tournament was announced to start in five days. After listening to Prince Alsuss exnation, Yoo Bora turned to her onlypanion and asked, Aria. have you ever been to that marked area on the map? Yes. It''s a vast in notorious for having a lot of orcs. Ill exin more when were alone, the swordsgirl answered as if she was wary of thepetitors around her. Yoo Bora looked quite surprised. Its a tournament for the Heroes, but youre incredibly ambitious. Of course I am! I wish for your victory! Although I wouldnt 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 youre 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. Lets not steal each others identification tags. As thepetition went into full swing, the leagues disbanded instantly. They still made unspoken rules amongst themselves so that they wouldnt steal each others tags or disrupt each others hunting. Meaning that Yoo Bora, in neither league, was still at a disadvantage. Its okay. Is there a reason its okay? Orcs live a nomadic life and avoid fights they think theyll lose. If they stick with each other all day like that, it will be hard to spot an orc. After all, its a in that doesnt 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. Its because youre strong. Didnt you say the orcs dont attack the strong? Aria? Its just Urm they want to leave strong offspring So you are saying I am an attractive female to the orcs. Y-yes. Thats right, but the way you worded it is um... Anyways, you have to be careful because of that. Dont get caught by them at all costs! Ill be careful. Right when the two girls were in the middle of constructing their own detailed ns like everyone else was doing Bang! The tightly shut temple doors opened, and a familiar boy walked in. Hes? Huh? Thats Oh Hanwoo! Why is he here? There were barely any looks of belittlement orughter toward Oh Hanwoo anymore. What was he now? The new powerhouse that had fought the strongest hero in terms of purebat, 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. Its been a while, guys. Oh! Has it only been a few days since we met at the vige? I progress so fast that I dont have a perception of time. Haha! [A certain male god greets everyone that its 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 ufortable.] [A certain god] While the gods were greeting each other and checking in with their friendships, Prince Alsuss expression was stiff as he looked at the boy. Hierarch, why did you allow that rascal whos no longer a Hero to break in? Thats The Hierarch, who had led the boy in, turned around. Oh Hanwoo, getting a look that told him to exin, answered with confidence. I will also participate in the tournament! It was no request, but a deration! 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. Im deciding to return to being one. I have the ability, dont I? * * * * * * Ha! Hearing Oh Hanwoos im, 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 its impossible to forgive your character. Dont you remember the ordeal with the fairy? Oh! How did you know?! Oh Hanwoo was astonished that Prince Alsus knew about his rtionship 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. Its a misunderstanding! All I did was talk to her when she was shy! I swear I didnt have any bad intentions! Well, well, well The prince could onlyugh at Oh Hanwoos excuse. It was a typical excuse young noblemen used when they made advances on prettymoner 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 Im sure youd understand. Its that bastard of a bullys character thats 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 ves, that savage next to him was the problem. But someday From what I saw, there was no problem with his character. Thats all a facade! Hes someone who only acts nice in front of powerful people like school teachers or you, Prince Alsus! Is that so? Gang Hansue didnt have any problems with his character from what Prince Alsus had seen. He was truly an average civilian, not very different from the pce servants who were frightened out of their wits after crossing a royal family member. The twodies apanying him also spoke very positively. But I''ll take responsibility for those matters! There was plenty of confidence in Oh Hanwoos expression as he cursed Gang Hansue. After his persistent pursuit, he was told the beautiful fairy Celebless would be heading to the Academy. His n 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 didnt 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 toe back, return the money first. Then Ill 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 arge sum of money as no big deal. Instead, he stroked his recently broken sword and dered, Hero Oh Hanwoo. I will approve youreback on condition. Thank you. Hero Oh Hanwoo smiled with contentment. Hede 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. Its a bit early to celebrate. Listen to the conditions first. Spar with me. Okay! What? I want to see how determined you are toe back as a hero. Thats! [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 morepetitive! *** The demon that Kogmos had spitefully spewed the prerequisites for at the ve market was considerably strong. Maybe that was why As strong as she was, so was her prideDiaroka was refusing to be my ve. Isnt one party dying a bit too extreme? Why not? Theres a peaceful method where you just let me go. I swear on my honor Ill pay you back the price for my body. Is there any honor to a ve who attacked their owner? Ill admit I looked down on you for being a level 1 human, but its different now that Im fighting you myself. I dontpromise. Death to a traitor! [Outsider] Betrayal may be nothing but a soft gust of wind for someone who couldnt feel anything, but my opinions didnt change. Thats 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 dered 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 Stab! The traitor flopped backward as I threw my blue dagger into his neck. Plop. You said you know me well. Looks like you didnt see that oneing, though, I snickered. Diaroka agreed as she turned away from me to press on Kogmoss head with her feet. Isnt this guy incredible? In a bad way. Its hard to be this hateable. Dont 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 shed loved. Didnt you betray me as well? Thats different. Theres no doubt Im a ve, but I never swore to be your ve. That logic totally works. Right? Im being sarcastic. Fwp! There was no telling who was first. We simultaneously charged with full force. Bang-! Red and ck auras violently shed together. The only thing that was different than before was that we didnt mishandle how much strength we put in since we knew each others capabilities. With extreme focus, I frequently checked Diarokas 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 demons ck 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 didnt 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 didnt look down on me as a level 1 human anymore. Rip, riiip- But my attacks were also a level stronger because I didnt let my guard down. After all, I wasnt 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 startand I ended up getting the results I wanted. Or thats what I had thought, anyway Ha! I scoffed. It seemed Id excessively underestimated the vitality of a demon. She looked awful, with white bones and pink tendonsid 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, sh! Pitch-ck 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 demons feet started to distance themselves from the ground, ignoring thews of gravity. Wings? I was a little taken aback, but it wasnt great enough to turn the tables around. [Outsider] [Fairy] While she was pping her wings, I focused all of my recharged strength on my right hand. This all ends in one blow. Of course, the demon wasnt 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-! Diarokas heel mmed into my head. Chapter 44 Chapter 44 REAPER SCANS Is this Hero for Real? [Act 13] Demons One cannot simply go up a mountain infinitely. Mountains eventually reach their peak and have downward slopes. By thews 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 outsiders 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 wasnt my fault, either. Id seen for the first time what Id only seen disyed on mannequins! It was extremely white, too. Im sure itll be okay next time since Ive 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? Its the duty of a ve owner to provide food, shelter, and clothing for their ve. How stubborn. Poof! I took out a womans dress from the warehouse and threw it at her. Fwp~ The female demon snatched it and swiftly changed. I lost from the moment I wasnt winning by andslide. After all, I dont 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 Kogmoss ve 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 dont know why you did, but it felt extremely ufortable. Thats um I decided to beat around the bush before I dug my own grave. It looked like that demon wasnt considering me as a male at all, in fact, it felt like I was a pet to her. It was simr to how Kogmo saw human women. By the way, Diaroka Yes. Dont you have anything to say to me? I already epted you, an inferior creature, as my owner. Did you think that was easy to do? Its a humiliation and an embarrassment that Ill be eternally mocked for, so just consider it as a test. Thats your side of the story. The demon looked extremely displeased. Youre too greedy. I became your ve as an apology. What more do you want from me? Shed been my ve from the beginning, but it seemed she didnt 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 wont forgive you if you demand anything ridiculous from Miss Diaroka! Youre not dead, Kogmos? The vitality of the demon species really went beyond my imagination. What are you going to do if you dont forgive him? The demon woman asked the man in an incredibly displeased tone. Th-thats Well Can you beat my owner in a fight? I want to hear in detail what sort of ridiculous demand it could be. Thats Aaah The demon had a buttered tongue in front of the humandies but turned timid in front of his own species. [A certain god drills in that hes a pathetic demon.] [A certain god drills in that youre 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. Im trying topensate you properly, as you requested. If its 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? Its my reward. Im tired because of you, master. Ill leave the rest to you. The rest? Hey! And just like that, Diaroka passed out. I wanted to throw that stubborn ve into the barren wastnd that was the aftermath of our fight, but my arms were already holding her up from falling. This is baffling. Youre the baffling one! Get your filthy hands off of Miss Diarokas buttocks right now! Kogmos. Dont change the subject, and get your hands off first! What are you gonna do now? I had apetent, new trantor. The male demon was a relic of the past that I didnt need anymore, and he wanted to leave, too. Hands first! Hey. are her buttocks really important right now? Really?! Its extremely important! Dont y with me. Im serious right now Im serious, too! There was a minor issue between human and demon viewpoints, but it ultimately ended with the humans victory. Thats because Then do you want to hold her, Kogmos? What?! I I cant. Miss Diaroka wouldnt want that at all Then what do you want me to do? Abandon her? Kurgh! Not able toe up with a fitting solution, the male demon turned his back to me. Are you leaving? Yes. Goodbye. Arent you angry? Why should I be? Why? I know you dont respect me in the slightest, but let me tell you this: Im really sorry I betrayed you. I wasnt 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 gnolls forest. Myboratory is there. Aha! Kogmos headed south with just a lightweight bag on him and said something straight out of a movie. Tell Miss Diaroka Ill return as a strong man fit for her. Sure! Never mind. Dont tell her that. * * * * * * Ill 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 shouldnt have. Anyways! Its 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 ce, but they all backed out after hearing the knights wouldnt 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 Its over if we die? Theyre 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 wouldnt even let them have a burial after cleaning them all up. Venturing the unknown, my ass. This isnt 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 nowdont regret itter. The Heroes remained dead silent despite Prince Alsuss pressure. Are there really no more willing participants? It didnt matter if they were called pathetic cowards. To them, a fantasy world was a cool yground for them to have fun in, just like the main character! And it was a yground they didnt want to die in. No, theyd 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 wouldnt have hesitated to give up the tempting services from the Temple to run off. We cant. This is a bit much Of course, there was a chance they could be able to have a safe, sessful 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 dont gamble with their only life. Furthermore, the Heroes, having grown up in a peacefulnd 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. Thats 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 exined 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 unsessful in changing the Saintesss mind. Well participate! Ill do it too! The Heroes wished to participate a step toote. They werent going to give it their all in a dangerous tournament where one death meant the end of everything. Theyd just sit back and watch from afar until the end! But their gimmick wasnt epted. The reason being,.. True Heroes must save people even if they dont get anything in return. If Heroes quibble over profit, how different are they from mercenaries? But the winning nominees are already decided! Thats right! Thats 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 wasnt even in the rankings, everyone else was all at the top. Choi Kangmin, Jang Miyeon, Yoo Bora The Saintess congratted them all with a bewitching smile. Congrattions. May Gods blessing be with the Heroes who passed the tournament''s first round. The tournament had already begun. *** Whoosh~ A barren in without a single leaf in sight. Even though half of that catastrophe was the female demons doing, I still couldnt 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 tond 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 difort.] 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 wasnt odd enough to be a spectacle. Above all [A certain god is ufortable.] [A certain god is ufortable.] [A certain god is] I think the odd one is this god getting ufortable over an outsider hugging a demon. [A certain god is ufortable.] [A certain god is ufortable.] [A certain god runs away.] Huh? They ran away? What the hell is going on? Chapter 45 Chapter 45 [Act 13] Demons God? Hey, god? Outsider god? You there? I couldnt see them with my inferior human eyes, but they would always make their presence known through messages. But there werent 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 theyre ufortable. I didnt worry about it too much, though. It was just a little baffling. [Outsider] After all, my Blessing wouldnt be safe and sound like that if the outsider god had really leftpletely. There was a chance they kept it there as a parting gift, but that wasnt 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 werent adding up, so it could only be seen as them going out for a bit, not an escape. I was sure theyde 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 ve market in western Fantasia, it was bustling, but I couldnt hear anything. #@! Thank you! %#! %^? $#@ please. Sir! You cant %# $. Even as an alien who wasnt fluent with thenguage, I could start to pick up some of the fantasy natives conversations. Although they were all just meaningless noises if I didnt concentrate too much. The only one I could have a normal conversation with Still in deep slumber. Wasnt budging after passing out. I didnt think shed notice even if someone snatched her away! [Outsider] [Fairy] I didnt have too hard of a time thanks to the powers Id acquired from the Blessings. If it werent for them, I would have thrown that stubborn demon to the streets already. Move! $# move! Passing by! #$ #! #$! #%$ way! Rumble. nk nk. 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 couldnt after Id 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 couldnt form sentences that were tooplex. I kept it as short and concise as possible What those soldiers? Ah! Are you % #$? There were #[emailprotected] outside of the city not too long ago. Theyre trying to #$ that. Thank you. So, in short, it looked like they were going to #$ for #$%. What the hell is that supposed to mean? Instead of telling resident A to cut it out with the proper nouns, I asked resident B. Excuse me. What those soldiers? Hm? #$% ent. 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 Id 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 whod made the noise. Outsider god, hows 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 Ive already be familiar with that fantasy lifestyle. I wonder when theyreing back. One week? One month? One year? A decade? Welp. It wasnt something a mere human could do anything about even if they tried. Its 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 toe back. Zzz zzz. .... First things first, I had to drop my things off at an inn so I could move freely. *** The Saintess dered 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 wasnt a choice but a duty from the beginning. Just as a student was required to take tests at school, Heroes couldnt ignore a Heroess responsibilities. If they did, they were no longer Heroes. Saintess? She may not have been the ss president representing her ss anymore, yet Yoo Bora cautiously raised her hand with her leaving ssmates in her thoughts. A small smile was drawn onto the Saintess lips as she watched the girl. Go on. What will be 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. * * * * * * Just then, one boys voice broke the sibling-like, friendly atmosphere between the two. Saintess, you said a holy sword was the winning prize, but doesnt the holy sword choose its own owner? It was ex Hero Oh Hanwoo, whod barged in to dere his participation in the tournament. The Saintesss smile was wiped off her face as she responded in a curt manner. You can see for yourself after you win. What Im trying to say is maybe there isnt a need for the tournament if the holy sword chooses its own owner. Oh! Of course, Im going to stay in the tournament even after I be 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! Dont act like youve already won! It was the arrogant, impudent attitude of an outsider who wouldnt 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 shouldnt have let my guard down! It wasnt that he let his guard down in particr, but he regretted not crushing him with more caution. That baffling situation wouldnt have started in the first ce if he had. Oh! Sorry if you feel ufortable. 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. Ill look forward to it. W-wait! Follow me. Are you not going to participate? Of course Im participating! But isnt it too early to spar?! There still isnt 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 didnt have the skills to defeat one of the absolute rulers, the representative of a nation. Follow me. Prince Alsus, cant we push back the sparring by one year? Its hard for me to defeat you right now. Were you trying to win? Dont worry about that. Defeating me isnt 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 didnt n to give it up anytime soon. Is there any way you can prove yourself? Thats because Im 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 didnt bat an eye. [Resistance] [Politics] [Courage] It wasnt as much as the Heroes who were chosen by the gods themselves, but Prince Alsus was a nations 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 wouldnt be able to get out of it no matter how hard he tried, Oh Hanwoos expression turned grim. Wouldnt 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 didnt seem to be any hope with Prince Alsus. He couldnt 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 bullys mean face. It couldnt be! That loud coward hiding behind a muscr ve was able to strike the prince? He couldnt believe it, but it was undeniable when the Prince, whose reputation was highly regarded, said it himself. Enough with all the preface. If you dont follow me, Ill take it as you giving up your Hero status and the tournament. Iming! If a mere extra could do it, so could he! Was what Oh Hanwoo thought. Pow! Pow! Pow! That was before he was beaten until his bones rattled. [A certain evil godins there isnt 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 didnt 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 youll 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! Youre back earlier than I thought. I figured the god with a very loose concept of time wouldnt be back for a brief couple of years. But already? It was like a kindergartenering back after hiding in the neighborhood yground! I wasnt even sure if theyd really run off. [A certain god praises themself for the lonely adventure.] [A certain god urges you topliment them.] Yeah, yeah. Good work. I didnt 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. Id just arrived at the inn Id reserved before running away from the city. Id wandered around for a while because the rude navigator Kogmos wasnt there anymore, but it was fine. I came back safely, after all. Toss~ I carelessly threw Diaroka onto the bed. [A certain god is nowfortable.] [A certain godpliments the outsider.] I dont know if thats 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 didnt wake up even though I threw her with personal force. It mustve 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 ve whod 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 ve stealers that tried to kill me go. [Massacre] [ughter] I felt the curses spurring my soul every time my murderous intent grew. It felt electrica sensation I couldnt possibly describe, but it was as if I was secretly drinking a carbonized drink that wasnt good for my bones. In other words, it felt awesome. [A certain god asks if you are finally leaving that demon.] Nope. Im 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 youre headed after that.] After that? Im not sure. I didnt think that far ahe [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. Chapter [NaN] Chapter [NaN] Yes this is intentional, no don''t go asking when it''s back on Discord. ¡ª The Team The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!