Is this Hero for Real? - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

[A certain god asks why you are alone.]

The reason why I’m alone.

It is because of a damn goddess who kidnapped someone who was living well on Earth.

However, I can’t just tell the whole truth, since this being may be a friend of the wicked goddess who also speaks in the third person.

“For now, please save me!”

The large amount of blood flowing out from the arrow wound on my thigh was dyeing my uniform red.

And it hurts so much! That is the most important thing.

[A certain god is conflicted.]

“……”

It doesn’t seem to be a nice god who helps anyone in danger.

Are there any other gods…?

They may not even know of my existence, since I’ve crash-landed in a place different from the temple, where the saintess who will be helping the heroes is waiting.

In any case, this god seemed to be alone.

“An outsider?”

[A certain god wonders what an outsider is.]

Oh shit! I misspoke.

‘Outsider’ is a term used to describe someone who excludes themselves from social circles.

Will I receive divine punishment due to blasphemy if I explain what an outsider is?

I pondered about what to say to safely get through this situation.

Oh! I know.

“An outsider means a lone wolf running through the wilderness.”

A lone wolf!

It has a very good nuance to it.

[A certain god likes the meaning of ‘outsider’ very much]

Alright. It went over well.

[A certain god is convinced that they are an outsider]

Uh… will this be alright?

I feel like I’ve made the mistake of a lifetime, but I’m sure it’s just my imagination.

“Please save me.”

[A certain god asks whether you are also an outsider]

No way!

I’m not an outsider, I’m an ‘insider’.

It is the opposite of an outsider.

I became an outsider because all of my peers were unfilial, but I’m most definitely an insider.

However…

“I’m also an outsider. That’s why my companions were summoned to the temple, and only I ended up here.”

…To live, and to take revenge, I abandoned my pride and identity, and chose to lie.

[A certain god wonders whether to help the pitiful outsider or not.]

[A certain god is conflicted while reminiscing about their lonely past.]

[A certain god hesitates while looking around.]

[A certain god…]

“……”

A problem of this extent would be solved with just a flick of a god’s finger, so what’s with the pickiness?

This won’t do.

Once the fantasy hyenas chase away the savages, I’ll be next.

My leg that the elf’s arrow pierced was also eating away at my life.

In other words, I had no time. Therefore, let’s try my luck.

“It’s natural for outsiders to help each other. But I guess that’s not the case for gods.”

[A certain god says that there are no distinctions between outsiders.]

“Y-Yes, you’re right.”

Though being an outsider isn’t praiseworthy, it makes no difference at this moment!

[A certain god makes a decision.]

[A certain god decides to help the pitiful outsider.]

How?

Before I even managed to ask, there was a change in my body.

Swirl.

“Wow! You really are a god!”

Words that may strongly disappoint the god who helped me naturally slipped out of my mouth.

But what could I do?

I witnessed a ‘miracle’ of the wound on my leg and the pain disappearing right before my eyes.

This was a supernatural phenomenon that would not be explained by the laws of physics nor science.

It was truly a god’s miracle.

[A certain god is happy to see that the outsider is healthy]

“Thank you for saving… huh? My fatigue is gone as well?”

Though the location is different, it felt like I returned to the point in time where I crash-landed in this forest and started to be chased by the hyenas.

And I naturally came to understand my newly-acquired ‘power’.

[Name] Kang Hansoo

[Level] 1

[Blessing] Outsider F

[Curse] Hero E

[Dividend] 2.98

“An outsider blessing…?”

The name screamed of something that the god who saved me just came up with on the spot.

The detailed explanation of the blessing was, as expected…

[Outsider]

-> Resets all statuses of the outsider except for death.

-> Something scary will happen if the lone wolf is freed from the wilderness!

The god must really like the image of a lone wolf running through the wilderness.

The explanation of the blessing also became weird because I said something strange, but it wasn’t to the extent that it was incomprehensible.

All statuses reset.

It represents the miracle that returned my near-dead body to completely normal.

As for the second sentence, it should mean that if I stop being an ‘outsider’, it will be considered betrayal and I will receive divine punishment.

“This is too much.”

I felt it from the contemplation whether to help me or not, but this god was extremely selfish.

[A certain god declares that they only help outsiders.]

“Oh, okay.”

I had no complaints.

I did forcibly become an outsider because of that condition, but it’s not like I can communicate with the natives of this fantasy world.

Except for those monsters.

I guess I won’t be getting along with people.

“For now, let’s go.”

Tap.

I, who got up by pushing off the ground with my palms, started to run full-speed in the opposite direction, without caring about pacing myself at all.

[Outsider]

Contrary to the name which could be considered my karma, its performance was certain.

Whenever my stamina fell, it ‘reset’ and was quickly recovered.

“Lunch! Running away!”

“Human meat! Let’s talk!”

“Meat! Fast meat!”

The hyenas, who were fighting against the group of elves, started to chase me with glinting eyes as soon as they discovered me.

However!

“Gasp, gasp…”

“Gasp… Gasp…”

These bastards, tired from fighting the elves, could not catch up to my speed.

Not only that!

“Die…!”

“Meat- Kwek?!”

I kicked a fantasy hyena that, like me, was retreating after getting hit by an arrow, with all my strength.

You say that it’s injured? That it’s cowardly?

I have no mercy to spare for sons of bitches who tried to eat me…

Thwack!

A rock that flew at me from my blind spot slammed against my defenseless head.

It was a weak point that formed by losing the school backpack that was protecting my head.

“Keuk?!”

All the strength in my body left me as my mind felt dazed due to a concussion.

However, that was only for a moment.

[Outsider]

The god’s blessing was almighty.

With the concussion disappearing and me returning back to normal, I started to run again as if nothing had happened.

[A certain god watches restlessly.]

“This is amazing!”

This wasn’t lip service.

This blessing wasn’t something that only healed physical injuries and fatigue.

All statuses.

It felt as if it even suppressed emotions such as fear of death.

Technically speaking, I am being returned back to a ‘normal state’ before I’m even swallowed up by fear.

To summarize this outsider blessing…

Infinite vitality!

Abnormal status immunity!

Infinite energy!

I feel like I’ll find more if I try, but it was amazing even right now.

Are all gods’ blessings like this?

It’s completely broken.

“The meat is weird!”

“Lunch! My lunch!”

“Not dying! Lunch!”

The bastards who were careless since they thought they could capture me easily started to chase me all at once.

Did I make an enemy of them or something?!

“#$%#@%$! @#%$#%$#%…!”

“@#%$#$%… @#%$#$%…”

Countless fantasy hyenas died from the elves’ arrows, but it’s not like the elves had no casualties either.

A few elves were being dragged away after they were hit by the hyenas’ stone throws and fell off the tree.

“#$%@$ @#%$$##$%#$% #$%$@#$%#$%#$%#$%!”

“$#%^#$^#$%^! %^&#%$ @#$^&*^#$%#$!”

The elves did not just stand idly by as their own people were about to become the man-eating monsters’ food.

Whoosh~ Whoosh~

As if they were monkeys swiftly swinging across the trees, the elves chased after the fantasy hyenas who were chasing me.

Chasing the chasers!

I was able to maintain my composure thanks to my blessing, but I got goosebumps from the thought of what would happen to me if I got caught.

“Just give up already, damn bastards!”

“Talking meat!”

“Meat! Weird meat!”

The fantasy hyenas that were drooling while staring at me were hell-bent on chasing me to the ends of hell.

I even heard threats that they’ll kill me painfully if I didn’t stop.

“Hm. Should I just bite off my tongue?”

Wouldn’t it be better if I just committed suicide rather than have terrible things happen to me after being captured alive by those man-eating monsters?

Though I’m a coward who can’t even injure himself, I feel like right now with fear suppressed, I could do it.

[A certain god advises that you won’t die with just that.]

“Thank you for the bleak advice!”

All statuses except for death.

It seems like as long as it isn’t instant death, even a fatal wound will be reset.

Then what should I do?

“This cliff is making me dizzy.”

As I was running without a clear plan, I ended up on a very steep cliff.

I had nowhere else to run.

“Will I live?”

[A certain god congratulates you that it will be certain death at this height.]

What a cold-hearted god!

While hoping to be given angel wings, I peeked down the cliff.

Swoosh~

“……”

There would be a chance to live if there was a river deep enough below, but it was just solid ground without any kind of cushioning.

This was 100% certain death!

While I was contemplating in front of the cliff, the fantasy hyenas surrounded me.

A cliff in front of me.

Monsters behind me.

There were two choices.

Either jump off the cliff before I’m captured, or endure by defeating them all.

Okay. I’ve decided.

[Hero]

“Here! Pay attention! I’ll give my tastiest portion to the one who catches me first!”

“Talking meat!”

“The tastiest human?!”

“My meat! Tastiest portion!”

“Meat! Mine!”

The fantasy hyenas, who could understand me thanks to the Hero curse, rushed toward me all at once.

Simple-minded bastards.

Grasp! Grasp! Grasp! Grasp…!

They started to pull my body toward them with both arms covered in grey fur.

Lick~!

There was even a pervert who licked my cheek and neck with its long tongue.

“Hahah!”

I could not help but laugh.

What is happening to my life after being kidnapped into a fantasy world? I felt like I was quickly going insane.

“Meat~”

“Meat…!”

The bastards love my meat.

I do not hate their clinging either.

Tap!

That’s why I decided to be together with them until the end with a group hug,

“Meat! Crazy?!”

“The meat is falling?!”

“Crazy meat!”

“Hahaha!”

All of us, united through love and friendship, became one big bundle and fell to the bottom of the cliff.

* * *

To tell you the outcome first, I survived.

Though I felt my entire body squashed flat through a strong impact, it may have been my imagination.

[Outsider]

I got up as if nothing had happened and checked the conditions of my friends that fell with me.

“C-Crazy… meat…”

“Meat… My lunch…”

The vitality of these man-eating monsters that kept saying ‘meat’ was incredible.

I was only able to avoid death after using their bodies as a cushion, but they did not die even after being slammed flat into the hard dirt bare-bodied.

They truly are monsters.

Though it’s not like their bodies were completely fine, it’s surprising that they’re even alive after falling from that height.

[A certain god is admiring your survivability.]

“It’s nothing much.”

If it wasn’t for the outsider blessing, I would be a living corpse, just like them.

“Meat! Energetic!”

“Human meat! Fresh meat!”

“I’m jumping off too!”

The ones who confirmed my survival from atop the cliff tried to fall down by themselves.

Thump!

Thump!

But the result was a complete failure!

The fantasy hyenas who confirmed their race’s futile deaths stopped the reckless act.

“Weird meat…!”

“Elf meat! Coming!”

“Vexed! Meat!”

The bastards who were glaring at me with sorrowful faces gave up and left the cliff one by one.

Now, then…

“Whoa! This looks nice.”

Grab.

I, who was covered in the man-eating monsters’ blood, started picking up sharp rocks that I just found.

It’s time for a review.

This is a fantasy world full of hopes and dreams.

Anyone can raise their level and become the strongest, and the best, regardless of talent or identity.

If they’re extremely lucky, that is!

“Meat…”

“Weak meat…”

“My lunch…”

In that aspect, I’m on the lucky side, since I survived against the strong.

The status windows of the bastards that I couldn’t pay attention to because I was so busy running for my life came into my view.

[Name] Blue Moon’s Meat Butcher

[Level] 3

[Blessing] –

[Curse] –

Level 3.

The level of the man-eating monster that wielded daggers, ‘Blue Moon’s Meat Butcher’, was higher than mine. The other two that were still alive were the same.

“Aren’t your names quite romantic?”

But the day that they butcher meat under the blue moon will never come.

Raise.

I raised the rock.

I had no reason to hesitate.

According to the goddess’s explanation, you can raise your level with the experience you gain from hunting like in RPGs.

PR/N: RPG means role-playing game, not rocket-propelled grenade.

It’s time to get stronger.

“Thank you. I survived because of you all, so goodbye.”

“Th-the meat…”

“I’m the meat?”

Wham-!

A blow with hopes and dreams poured into it! It’s time to raise my shit level.

____