Not All Heroes From Earth Are Bad - Chapter 3

“The hell. I’m busy to death. Why am I being called all of a sudden?”

Rachel’s expression was very wrinkled today.

She had received a call from her superior.

“I need to achieve the best performance this month!”

People are so slow these days that it’s not easy to transfer them on their way to be heroes.

Although Rachel has topped the list in transferring heroes in recent months, she has been struggling to keep the position.

“Heum, heum…!”

While thinking about her performance she arrived at her destination before she knew it.

A hallway covered with white marble.

Standing near the door at the end of the hallway, Rachel tidied her clothes.

Rachel opened the door with as sweet of a smile on her face as she could muster.

“Did you call?”

“Yes.”

A man coldly greeted Rachel.

It was Rachel’s superior, Frischela.

“Rachel. A man named Choi Hyun-seok. Do you still remember?”

Out of the blue Frischela brought up the name Choi Hyun-seok.

Rachel panicked for a moment but quickly regained her composure.

“Of course. He is an important hero candidate with SSS-grade potential.”

The only man on Earth with SSS-grade potential.

Thanks to transferring him on his way to be a hero she had received a special bonus, so she couldn’t have forgotten.

“You told me Choi Hyun-seok had been transferred without any problems.”

“I did!”

Rachel wondered.

Why is her boss Frischela suddenly bringing this up?

She didn’t know why, but an ominous premonition began to creep up.

“Where did you transfer Choi Hyun-seok?”

“I sent him to Domis kingdom’s capital like the other heroes. It’s against regulations to give special treatment even if Choi Hyun-seok has SSS-grade potential.”

“Okay…So. You sent him to Domis kingdom’s capital?”

“Yes!”

“By the way…”

Frischela bit his molars as if to hold back his anger.

“Since when did Domis kingdom’s capital turned into the demon army’s fortress?”

“Huh?”

“Did the kingdom of Domis fall without my knowledge?”

“What do you…”

Rachel couldn’t quite understand what her boss was talking about.

“Choi Hyun-seok is a very, very important candidate. So I specifically checked to see if he was transferred properly. Even if it was against our job’s regulations, it was that important.”

Frischela approached Rachel and pressed his face against hers.

“And I couldn’t believe my eyes.”

“…”

“Why the hell! Why! Why is Choi Hyun-seok being held at the demon army’s fortress!?”

“What do you mean demon army’s fortress?”

“That’s not all. There are 93 other hero candidates being held there.”

“What!?”

“I looked up the records and they were all under Rachel. They’re all the heroes you transferred. All in the last three months.”

Frischella narrowed his eyes intently.

“Without checking the qualities of the heroes, you recklessly sent them to raise your performance. What’s worse, without any perks. And not only that…!”

His voice gradually grew louder.

“You sent all the heroes to the demon army’s fortress?! Even Choi Hyun-seok, who has SSS-grade potential!? Have you lost your mind!?”

“T-that can’t be right…”

“I just checked your transportation equipment and found that the transfer coordinates are wrong.”

“Coordinates…?”

At that moment, she thought.

Suddenly a scene passed through Rachel’s mind.

[Om, macarons are the best.]

A month ago.

The day she was enjoying macarons with coffee like usual.

[Shreup…ah! Hot!]

She had spilled coffee on her typewriter.

And then she wiped the typewriter with a cloth.

‘Don’t tell me…that time…’

Rachel had a look on her face like a person who has lost their mind.

Frischela grinned and placed his hand on Rachel’s shoulder.

“Do you get the picture now?”

“T-that’s…”

“Rachel. Are you ready?”

* * *

3rd Legion of the demon army, 2nd Slave Division.

Thousands of human slaves were being mobilized here to expand the fortress.

“We’re…the great…demons…”

Choi Hyun-seok swung a pickaxe while singing the song of the 3rd Legion.

“Defeat the humans. Eat the humans…”

With listless eyes he continued swinging the pickaxe.

“That’s it for today’s work. Everybody go back!”

Shouted the goblin named Jacques who was in charge of Choi Hyun-seok’s group.

“I’m telling you to go back! You worthless humans!”

Jacques violently kicked the slaves in the rear.

‘This bastard…’

Goblins are hideous monsters with green skin and are small

As such, it is possible for a decent adult male to suppress them.

But people didn’t dare think of coming at Jacques.

It was because of his cruel personality.

Jacques, who wields a sword that was 1 meter long, was the equivalent of fear itself to the slaves here.

“Human! What are you waiting for!?”

Choi Hyun-seok gritted his teeth.

Jacques, who had approached him, smacked him in the back of the head with his palm.

“Eh!? What are you doing moving slow! You’re walking like a snail!”

Jacques was short and couldn’t reach the back of Choi Hyun-seok who was 198 centimeters tall.

So he had to jump to hit the back of his head, which made him even angrier.

‘You fucking goblin…!”

At the moment, Choi Hyun-seok’s eyes were ablaze, but he desperately controlled his emotions.

“I-I’m going. Haha!”

Choi Hyun-seok bowed his head with a pretentious smile.

“Hurry up and go! Stupid human!”

“Yes…yes!”

Choi Hyun-seok hurried back to his cell.

‘I’m not going to give him an easy death…’

One day he will avenge himself.

He was going to slap that ugly goblin in the back of his head about 500 times and have him beg a quick death.

Like that, he imagined the different ways of revenge.

Before he knew it all the slaves were back.

Jacques locked the prison door and left.

“Hu…it’s finally quiet.”

Choi Hyun-seok sighed.

Prison is rather more comfortable now.

At least he wasn’t laboring for the demons or being bullied by one.

‘Shall I check the fruits of today’s labor?’

There was something Choi Hyun-seok was into these days.

To be exact, it’s the only hope.

And that was the status window!

A status window is something similar to an interface used in games.

He had found out thanks to the people here.

[It’s a special ability that only heroes have!]

The status window that Park Tae-soo, who was knowledgeable in various things, had told him about has a very familiar user interface.

Name: Choi Hyun-seok
Title: Hero Candidate
Level: 1
Strength: 28
Agility: 29
Stamina: 31
Mana: 10
Bonus Point: 0
Hero Point: 0
Ability: Pickaxe (D)
Skills: –

“Oh, I’ve gained 1 stamina.”

Choi Hyun-seok’s eyes, which were like a dead fish, became a little lively.

He was told that working diligently will increase one’s stats.

But after a week of no progress and him having given up somewhat, his stat had finally gone up.

“Did your stat go up?”

Asked Park Tae-soo, the slave in the adjacent room.

He thought he had heard Choi Hyun-seok muttering.

“Yes, I’ve gained 1 stamina.”

“That’s great. As expected, are world champions different? Haha!”

“What’s the use of being world champion? I’m a slave.”

Choi Hyun-seok smiled bitterly.

“No. I’m sure you’ll be able to escape this place and become a true hero.”

Park Tae-soo was sincere.

How surprised he was when he first found out who Choi Hyun-seok was.

The famous martial arts world champion was right here.

Moreover, his level of ability was extraordinary.

The average stats of heroes who usually come here was between 10 and 15.

The very promising ones were in the late 10s, but Choi Hyun-seok stats were in the 30s right from the start.

“Although it’s just a rumor I heard, there’s a saying that starting stats affects growth potential.”

Not long ago, it was said by a hero who was captured and killed here.

If the statement is true, Choi Hyun-seok will become a hero with greater potential than anyone else.

The thought became clearer after seeing Choi Hyun-seok’s growth rate.

“Did you say your pickaxe was grade D?”

“Yes.”

“As expected, you’re really different!”

The ability pickaxe is common to all heroes here.

However, considering that Choi Hyun-seok has only been at the fortress for a week, it was a big deal.

Usually it takes time to obtain the pickaxe ability.

But Choi Hyun-seok has not only obtained the ability, it has also risen two grades.

‘Not fake heroes like us, but a real hero!’

Even though it was just a measly pickaxe ability, Park Tae-soo truly believed it.

One day, Choi Hyun-seok will get out of this hell and become a real hero.

‘I can see it before my eyes!’

There are two ways to survive in the rugged wild.

You’re either strong yourself.

Or you seize the lifeline thrown to you.

Park Tae-soo, who has been strengthened by 30 years of company life, had a strong feeling.

Choi Hyun-seok is the best lifeline.

* * *

That night.

Even though it was late, Choi Hyun-seok was unable to sleep.

“Huu…”

He could feel the cold floor beneath his back.

There was a bed made of straws in the cell, but he didn’t want to even look at it because it smelled bad.

‘With the way things are, I’m not sure when I’ll be able to get out of here…’

Recently, this ability was Choi Hyun-seok’s only hope.

‘Will I be strong if I achieve an average of 100?’

His average stats excluding his current mana is about 30.

If so, he will have to gain a total of 210 points since they each have to rise by 70 points.

‘Since I gained 1 in a week, 210 is about 1470 days. 4 years…’

What a useless calculation.

There’s no guarantee that he’ll be able to improve every week.

“

Choi Hyun-seok is also aware of that fact.

He just felt like he could survive this hell if he did this.

‘This is all Rachel’s doing. You’re telling me it’s all because of that bitch, right?’

Even in his sleep he gritted his teeth when he thought of Rachel.

‘With such a pretty face, how could she do this!?’

He couldn’t believe it.

He even wanted to convert to Christianity because of Rachel.

And to think he was going to do such a ridiculous thing!

[A hero! You’ll be a hero! Awakened by the rural village chief~! He will be so glad that he’ll rush to serve you food…]

Chief of a rural village?

What actually appeared was an ox-head muscle monster that emits flames from its horns.

[What do you think happens after the mission is complete? No way, is that the chief’s daughter who is an innocent beauty in her 20s!?]

There was no beauty.

There is only a stumpy goblin that was just disgusting to look at.

Unless you count the bloodstained sword being swung around as a beauty.

Choi Hyun-seok gritted his teeth.

‘I can’t die like this! I’ll survive somehow.’

Hero? He doesn’t care anymore.

He’s not even a bit interested.

Choi Hyun-seok’s goal is to survive.

And it’s about revenge.

Ugly goblin guard Jacques.

Ox-head Reidrun.

And finally, Rachel, a devil disguised as an angel.

“Until I have the strength…Until then, I have to keep my head down.’

He has to grow stronger somehow.

Apparently, in this world, one can gain superhuman power through mana.

Mana: 10

It’s only 10 now, but there will be a way to raise it somehow.

This isn’t his only hope.

‘What’s the use of Hero Point? It should be very important…’

Choi Hyun-seok paid attention to the words ‘Hero Point’ at the bottom of his status window.

Hero Point: 0

Unfortunately, no one knew about this.

They had all said some nonsensical things.

[I heard you can buy legendary weapons if you collect enough of those points!]

[I heard you can go back to Earth?]

[I heard it gives you so much strength that you can even break a rock with a single punch.]

There was no particularly helpful information.

What would the fake heroes here know anyway.

As soon as they started they fell into this fortress and lived as a slave.

It’s just that they came a little earlier than Choi Hyun-seok and picked up more information.

“Hero Point. I think I need to know what this is.”

As Choi Hyun-seok continued to think.

A familiar voice came from behind.

“Do you want me to tell you?”

Choi Hyun-seok’s eyes widened when he heard the voice.

‘Don’t tell me…this voice…’

“

His head slowly turned.

Choi Hyun-seok knew who the owner of the voice was.

How could he forget this voice?

Although it was a brief encounter, he would never forget it.

“Y-you…!?”

“Long time no see. Hero.”

Greeted Rachel as she smiled bashfully.