Not All Heroes From Earth Are Bad - Chapter 16

Three weeks have passed since the first hunt.

In that time, Choi Hyun-seok hunted with the cooks without a day off.

Choi Hyun-seok, who gained 22 levels on the first day alone, has continued to grow ever since.

“Haa…it was really hard.”

Of course, hunting wasn’t easy.

Dozens of times he had to overcome life or death situations.

It was literally hell.

Choi Hyun-seok endured the past weeks with only the thought of surviving.

As a result,

“I’m finally level 100.”

In the end, Choi Hyun-seok was able to reach level 100.

He opened his status window with teary eyes.

Name: Choi Hyun-seok
Title: Hero Candidate
Level: 100
Strength: 54
Agility: 51
Stamina: 53
Mana: 50
Charisma: 26
Bonus Point: 0
Hero Point: 200
Ability: Pickaxe (C), Leadership (E), Cooking (F)
Skill: –

Overall, his stats have increased significantly.

“It took longer than I thought…”

Choi Hyun-seok shook his head.

To be honest, he didn’t expect it to take three weeks to reach the 100 level.

He got more than 20 levels just by fighting for a while on the first day.

By simple calculation, he should have reached level 100 after five days.

However, reality wasn’t that easy.

As his level rose, the amount of experience required increased exponentially.

Recently, it has become hard to even raise his level in a day.

“Haa, is there any other hero who has to work as hard as I did to level up?”

“What are you talking about? You’re a total cheat for a hero.”

“What…?”

Choi Hyun-seok’s eyes were full of life.

“A cheat!?”

Today alone, he was a hair breath away from the claws of a demon beast the size of an elephant.

If he was a little late to dodge it, the claw would have gone through his head.

“The cooks would have been dancing and boiling pork on my corpse! But I’m a cheat? Eh!? What bullshit are you saying!?”

“Hmm! Well, maybe cheat isn’t the right word…But isn’t it true that you’re growing fast?”

Choi Hyun-seok had a sour look when she said he was growing fast.

“Is that so?”

“Of course! You’re already level 100 after three weeks of hunting. That is a crazy speed.”

His leveling speed was so fast that it defied common sense.

However, it was clear that Choi Hyun-seok’s growth rate was out of common sense.

“

“The average hero would have to hunt hard for at least half a year to reach level 100.”

“That’s comforting.”

It takes half a year to reach level 100.

Although he started leveling up late, Choi Hyun-seok has only been here for about two months.

So, as a result, it could be said to be a very fast speed.

“Rachel. Can I win the duel at this level?”

“Well…I don’t know. In the first place, only heroes have levels. It’s difficult to use it as an absolute measurement of strength.”

“Really? What’s the level of the strongest hero?”

“Level of the strongest hero?”

“Yeah. I thought I’d have a little sense of how strong I have become if I knew that.”

“Hmm…”

Rachel, who was thinking for a moment, answered.

“As far as I can remember, the last hero who challenged the Demon King was about 2,000.”

“2000!?”

Choi Hyun-seok was surprised at the higher than expected level.

“It was the result of more than a decade of hard work by a hero of outstanding talent.”

“Haa…there’s still a long way to go.”

“Don’t feel too pressured. You’re just starting.”

As Rachel comforted Choi Hyun-seok.

Suddenly, the door burst open and someone came in.

“Pet keeper Choi Hyun-seok.”

A demon suddenly calls for Choi Hyun-seok.

Choi Hyun-seok, lying on Bobo’s back, leapt to his feet and waited for the next word.

It was the captain’s summon.

* * *

Captain Hemi of the 3rd Legion.

A high ranking demon known as the mouth monster by Choi Hyun-seok.

“Captain. Choi Hyun-seok is here.”

“Come in.”

Still, if there was one thing, it’s that her voice was really beautiful.

Choi Hyun-seok, who entered Hemi’ office with the demon, gulped down his saliva.

‘Why did she call me all of a sudden?’

Her office, which he hadn’t visited in a long time, was no different from before.

Office desks and chairs lying around in a large space.

Hemi, who sat seductively at the desk like the first day they met, opened her mouth.

“Welcome. Choi Hyun-seok. You look much better than before. Have you gotten used to the work?”

“It’s all thanks to the grace of the captain!”

“Oho!”

Choi Hyun-seok flattered her out of habit and Hemi chuckled.

“Right. You’ve been hunting with the cooks every day lately, haven’t you?”

“Yes! I’ve been putting in effort to deliver fresh meat to Bobo everyday!”

“Because of him? You’re quite stronger than when we first met. I believe your mana has more than doubled.”

Hemi immediately saw through Choi Hyun-seok’s growth at once.

Choi Hyun-seok, calming his heart, nodded.

“Yes. There has been some achievement after hunting the demon beasts.”

“I see. But I think you’re growing too fast. It’s all thanks to leveling up as a hero?”

“Yes! Because of leveling up… ”

Choi Hyun-seok suddenly widened his eyes.

What did she just say?

Hero. Level up.

It was clear what it meant to Choi Hyun-seok.

However, it wasn’t something that should come out of Hemi’s mouth.

“Ohoho! Don’t look so surprised. I’m not here to harm you. I knew from the beginning that you were a hero.”

“How?”

Without realizing it, Choi Hyun-seok asked in surprise.

She had known he was a hero from the beginning.

“How long do you think I’ve been fighting humans? This is nothing.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Ohoho! You don’t have to be sorry.”

Hemi, who had a pleasant smile, suddenly looked serious and muttered, ‘I actually found out because of her.’

At that moment, Choi Hyun-seok wondered.

‘Who is ‘her’…?’

It seems as if the mere thought of that person had Hemi agitated.

He was curious, but he had no choice but to erase it from his mind.

“So. Why do you think I called you today?”

“That’s…”

Choi Hyun-seok, who desperately used his head, carefully opened his mouth.

“Is it because of Bobo’s training?”

Hemi shook her head.

“Then, is it because of my duel…?”

“Correct! You didn’t forget our deal, did you?”

There’s no way he would forget.

Hemi grants Choi Hyun-seok protection.

In return, Choi Hyun-seok has to fight against Hemi’s designated opponent every month.

If he loses a duel…

He doesn’t even want to imagine what would happen.

[Oh, if you lose a duel, don’t think about dying comfortably. I’m sure you’ll find out what it’ll feel like to truly die.]

Perhaps he will experience what Hemi said before.

“Of course I remember.”

“Right. There’s about a week left? You have to fight the orc Kurken then and win.”

“Yes.”

“By the way…”

At the moment, Hemi’s tongue swept across her red lips.

“Aren’t you being too complacent?”

“What…?”

“I don’t think you’re taking this seriously enough.”

Choi Hyun-seok felt his lips become dry.

“Forgive my ignorance, but I don’t understand.”

“I told you, didn’t I? I knew you were a hero from the beginning. Shouldn’t I also know the extraordinary growth of a hero?”

“…”

Choi Hyun-seok bit his lips.

“Choi Hyun-seok. I like you. You survived in extraordinary ways that I didn’t expect, and you’re growing strong fast. It’s entertaining me in many ways. But you know…”

Hemi stood up from her desk.

Slowly approaching him, her face pressed closer.

Her breath was close enough to reach Choi Hyun-seok’s ears.

“I’ll be disappointed if this was all you were…because you’re gonna die.”

“

Hemi whispered.

At the same time, a subtle power leaked out of her body.

“Struggle a little more. For your sake. Okay?”

Choi Hyun-seok broke out into a cold sweat.

His whole body was soaking wet as if he had been caught in the rain.

“Keep that in mind…”

Choi Hyun-seok calmed down his trembling body as much as possible and opened his mouth.

“I’ll keep that in mind. Captain.”

* * *

After the meeting with Hemi.

Choi Hyun-seok, who returned to Bobo’s home, sighed.

“Huu…”

The conversation with Hemi quickly crossed his mind.

“Hemi knows I’m a hero. And she knows how fast a hero can grow.”

“Right.”

“But she gave me a month to prepare for the duels. Why?”

“Isn’t it because she wants you to be strong and win?”

Choi Hyun-seok nodded at Rachel’s words.

“That’s not completely wrong either. I’m an interesting toy to Hemi for the time being. She’ll want me to survive longer.”

“That’s a relief!”

“No. It’s not a relief at all. It’s rather dangerous.”

“Why?”

“You know what’s the most interesting situation in sports?”

Rachel tilted her head at Choi Hyun-seok’s sudden question.

“What’s the most interesting situation?”

“Uh. There are many, but personally, I enjoy it the most when there’s a twist.”

Choi Hyun-seok was a professional martial arts fighter.

However, he was a big martial arts fan first and foremost.

“If I watch a match every day, I get tired of it at some point. It’s the same for any sport.”

“Why?”

“It’s obvious. The one who wins will win anyway. Of course, it’s fun to watch the rise of a star, but…There’s something more interesting than that.”

“You mean the twist?”

“Yeah. Unexpected development, underdog. The birth of a new star.”

“Ah! I see what you mean.”

Rachel nodded her head and asked.

“So twists are more fun than predictable, right?”

“

“In short, yes.”

“But what does that have to do with the current situation?”

“I told you earlier. I’m an interesting toy to Hemi.”

“Right.”

“What do you think is the most interesting outcome for Hemi?”

“That’s…”

Rachel had a knowing look on her face.

Choi Hyun-seok nodded.

“I’m going to win the duels that nobody expects me to win. In other words…”

“The hero that was bound to lose.”

“Right. In the first place, Hemi is forcing me to fight unwinnable duels.”

Choi Hyun-seok was sure.

Hemi said it herself.

[I told you, didn’t I? I knew you were a hero from the beginning. Shouldn’t I also know the extraordinary growth of a hero?]

Hemi gave him a month, even though she knew how fast a hero grows.

Why?

The answer is rather simple.

It’s because he had no hope of winning even after a month of training against the opponent she chooses.

And yet, contradicting itself, Hemi hopes Choi Hyun-seok will win.

Solely for her enjoyment.

The scene where Choi Hyun-seok wins against all odds will give Hemi the most joy.

“It all makes sense if you look at it like this.”

It feels like the questions that have been implicitly brought so far were solved.

Why would she accept a human into the demon army so easily?

Why would she assign him to be Bobo’s keeper, a death sentence if he accepted it at all?

Why would she be so interested in his actions as a mere human?

He had found the answer to all these questions.

“She just wanted a new toy.”

A toy that she doesn’t care if it breaks.

That was Choi Hyun-seok’s current position.

Choi Hyun-seok gritted his teeth.

“That’s the situation.”

“So what do we do now?”

“First of all, I have to keep hunting and growing. But before that, there’s work to be done.”

“What is it?”

“Collecting Information.”

Choi Hyun-seok opened the hero store.

“It’s not just about raising my level. I don’t know what Kurken is like. How strong he is. I need to know what kind of skills he has.”

Choi Hyun-seok continued with a serious expression.

“The most important thing to do before a match is to analyze the opponent. Isn’t there a saying that if you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles?”

“Hero. No wonder you look a little better today.”

“Really?”

“Yes! For the first time, I feel like hero is a smart man!”

“You didn’t have to put it that way…”

“So, hero! How do you intend to gather information?”

“I have something in mind.”

Choi Hyun-seok looked at the hero store.

Then he went into the ‘item’ section and bought something.

“This is it.”

“What’s this…?”

Rachel squinted when she saw the item Choi Hyun-seok had bought.

“Combat Power Meter.”

“What…? Combat Power Meter…?”

Choi Hyun-seok nodded with a confident look.

“We gather information with this.”