41

Turning around towards the entrance from where I heard the grief-filled voice of the lady assumed to be the boss’ daughter, I kicked off into a dash. We needed no conversation, and neither did I have the intention to make excuses—I was the sworn enemy who had murdered her own father! I didn’t hope for understanding and forgiveness.

A righteous war? War is the trash that destroys the family and peace of others, and the Hero is the waste matter that beautifies it.

I didn’t let go of the boss’ daughter’s distracted opening created by the shock of her family member’s death; I took this chance to swing Holy Sword 2.

Shwing-!

But cut only air.

“Wha-?”

The Elf evaded my surprise attack with a movement like that of an invertebrate; her slender arms and legs swayed about in a refined manner. Her wasp waist, questionable as to whether it even had space to hold her internal organs, bent over like a marionette doll.

Negative pole against negative pole, positive pole against positive pole, like two same sides of a magnet, Holy Sword 2’s blade and the Elf’s skin didn’t make contact and ever continued to brush past one another. We weren’t shooting some action movie, but it was merely that my attack was failing to deal an effective blow to her; that’s how swift, flexible and slender the boss’ daughter was. And she would even counter-attack at times!

Clang! Clang!

The weapon being used by the boss’ daughter was a rapier, one of the choice weapons favored by the delicate Elves due its light blade; however, it was my first time coming across an Elf who could maximize that characteristic like now.

One blow! Even though a single hit would decide it! It was so difficult to land that one strike.

“This… is strange…?”

Feeling a chill along my spine, I immediately viewed her Status.

▷Race: Chaos Elf
▷Level: 999+
▷Job: Knight(Loyalty→Fortitude↑)
▷Skills: Agility(SSS) Five Senses(SS) Charm(SS) Fortitude(SS) Swordsmanship(SS)…
▷Condition: Seal, Horror

A dry laugh escaped my lips the moment I saw it. Her Agility was SSS-rank? Could this woman have lived 24 hours, 365 days doing nothing but yoga? While it was called Agility, it didn’t simply make your body faster; it also made your joints flexible.

Furthermore, the Elves who were born with stick-like figures were on the significantly flexible side even without Skills. Though it was a flaw that there were no place to grab onto either!

The boss’ daughter took her racial characteristic to the utmost limit.

“Are you really a Hero?”

While I was taking a rough look at the rest of her Skills, she abruptly opened her mouth to ask me this. Not losing, I returned tit for tat.

“And what about you being like a jellyfish?”

Perhaps it was because she hadn’t seen the sun for a long time, but this Elf’s hair was white with a touch of silver, and her skin went beyond milky-white and was opalescent. And added to that the way her body swayed about… truthfully speaking, it was somewhat gross.

“Why is a Hero being hostile towards us?”

“Because I’m weaker?”

A conversation would only be established when either sides were equal, or when I was stronger. That was my survival strategy, and would remain so for the future to come as well.

“What nonsensical logic…”

“I don’t hope to be understood.”

Our battle dragged on long enough for us to be able to exchange words in-between. While the Elf’s evasion technique was indeed first-rate, the biggest reason for this stalemate was that all my attacks against her were shallow. This was because I couldn’t kill the boss’ daughter.

Needless to say, I had killed the boss. The only ‘event character’ that could tell me of the world’s truth was the Elf in front of my eyes—I couldn’t let my efforts end in vain after coming this far.

Overpowering her, however, was extremely hard. I wanted to sever the Elf’s four limbs and render her powerless, yet her movements akin to an invertebrate didn’t allow my Holy Sword 2’s sharp blade to make contact. As for her torso which was the largest target? I couldn’t even muster the thought to cut and stab there, as I felt she would die from a fatal wound if I were to even slightly touch her. That being the case…

Purk-

I intentionally let myself be stabbed by the Elf’s rapier. Although its thin blade became stuck in my body, my luck activated and it avoided all my important organs and muscles. In short, the damage was trifling.

In that state I gave a hard squeeze of my muscles. The density of my muscular fibre reinforced by the power of biology was on the extremely high side; I could hold even the sharpest of the finest swords, if only for a moment.

“Damn…!”

Having noticed my intent, the boss’ daughter let go of the rapier’s hilt. She rapidly retreated backwards, and stretched out her hand towards another sword nearby which was decorating the wall of the room on a hanger. I had predicted that much, however; if using chopsticks was difficult, then you only had to eat using your hand.

Grab!

If it wasn’t possible to cut the Elf with a blade due to her swiftness and flexibility, then I just had to roughly grab hold and restrain her to prevent escape.

“I finally caught you, wench!”

“Kyagh?!”

With both arms spread wide, I dragged the Elf’s slim body into my embrace, and even locked the fingers of my hands so as to allow no chance of escape.

We tumbled across the ground, our flesh entangled.

But even in the midst of this the Elf’s Agility(SSS) activated; her body, which I was certain to have captured, began to slip out of my grasp like a snake. Wasn’t this a cheat at this point? It felt like trying to bare-handedly hold onto a loach smeared in sesame oil. I hurriedly moved my limbs and prevented her escape. But of course…

Smack-!

“Kuagh-?!”

The boss’ daughter didn’t simply take things lying down; she tightly clenched her child-like hand in an adorable manner and thrashed my face, and so hard did she strike that my nose started bleeding in one go—a strength unbecoming of that thin body of hers! This Elf’s Level was even more monstrous than her Skills.

But I was no pushover in that regard either, on the side of Skills instead of Level!

I immediately took revenge.

Whump.

I rammed my knee into her lower belly.

“Urgh!”

The mouth of the boss’ daughter opened, letting loose a short scream, but that wasn’t enough to stop the movements of the ‘Knight’, whose body was overwhelmingly sturdier than that of the ‘Deposed King’ who was a spellcaster-type. The more I fought back, her resistance only grew more violent rather than weak. This being the case, I decided to conquer the most sensitive part of an Elf.

Tup, tup.

I grabbed hold of her pointy ears with both hands.

“Aueng~?!”

A bewitching moan came from the boss’ daughter. To a human it would have been at the level of a finger-flick punishment, but to Elves their ears were tremendously meaningful and important sensory organs, to the extent that they would utterly lose their mind if exposed to stimulation. That’s why this point was often made use of when torturing Elves.

“Surrender.”

“Wuh, auh…”

“Huhu. I wonder how long you can last?”

I seated my behind on top of the collapsed Elf’s narrow waist. No matter how strong she was, she was as good as finished as long as her ears were caught.

‘Now! Go on and surrender already!’

“Euh, auh—Yah!”

It was in the midst of my swaggering that I received an unexpected blow.

“Kuagh?!”

‘It’s a bit strong this time?!’

Smack! Smack!

The Elf’s dainty fists struck my face and underbelly. While I felt no pain thanks to endorphins, a terrifying impact hit my Treasure 1. To think this kind of weakness appeared due to closing the distance…!

At A Loss: This is the scene of a crime no matter how anyone sees it? And of course the assailant is Student Kang Han Soo.

‘Miss Trainee Teacher! How can there be something like that in a fight!’

Now I was mad too.

I suddenly shifted my hands from the Elf’s ears to her cheeks, and after gripping her face in place so that she couldn’t turn her head, butted her cool forehead.

Wham-!

A beautiful bone-echoing sound followed, and the limbs of the Elf that were struggling hard fell powerlessly limp.

Subjugation complete.

“Uhuhuhu!”

Laughter burst out of me.

Should I ask about the secret of the world? Or about Holy Sword 2 first? I felt it wouldn’t be bad to proceed with that after finishing conversing with our bodies. I fell into happy ponderings.

“Hiik?! Y-you can’t!”

The boss’ daughter, who had recovered from the concussion in no time due to her high Level and Skills’ recovery ability, trembled hard as she expressed her unwillingness. But she didn’t resist as violent as she did before. Was it due to having touched her sensitive ears so much? Her face was deep red.

“Lady, what thought did you have in mind? Could it be…?”

“Th-that’s not it!”

“Hehe. You’re quite open unlike an Elf!”

“I, I only read about it in a boo… Uurh…”

The atmosphere surrounding us suddenly changed from one of killing to romance. Was this woman feeling attracted to the man who had murdered her own father? It was possible this was a high-level honey trap.

But it was right at that moment…

“Ahem!”

Something like an exaggerated dry cough of a man sounded from behind us. The voice was, for some reason, familiar to me. I furtively turned only my head to check the man’s voice—and was stunned.

“Impossible! You clearly should have died…!”

The boss was standing behind me with an extremely troubled face. It was my first time experiencing a bizarre turn of events where a boss, whom I killed for certain and even gained EXP from, came back to life, and that was because EXP equaled power—you would only die again if you revived in a weakened state—yet this boss had come back. The traces of the cuts and stabs I inflicted on him remained here and there on his clothes like scars, but the flesh underneath was intact. Then how about his Status?

▷Race: Grand Elf
▷Level: 999+
▷Job: Shaman(Blessing=Elementalism↑)
▷Skills: Elementalist(SSS) Archery(SS) Oblivion(SS) Blessing(SS) Perseverance(SS)…
▷Condition: Seal

Madness!

The boss had grown stronger as his Job changed. He had also recovered from the wrecked state he was put in by my surprise attack, and that his race had changed from ‘Chaos’ to ‘Grand’ was another large surprise.

The boss began to speak first, wearing an all-knowing expression.

“O Hero, no one will die within this underground prison. One will come to life automatically as time passes.”

“This is an underground prison?”

“Indeed. Here is a hell of uninterrupted suffering where rest is not permitted. The ancestors of my kin living above this place imprisoned my daughter and I here. While we may be father and daughter, it has truly been a difficult period of endurance. If I did not prefer big ones… Ahem! Anyhow, O Hero! Will you not agree to talk now?”

The boss’ unchanging attitude moved my heart. I couldn’t confirm right away whether it was all deception, but the revived boss hadn’t targeted my back even while his own daughter was under attack. This at least was a certain truth. He was different from my 1st Playthrough companions.

“… Well, fine.”

I happened to have many questions in mind as it was. In particular, I wanted to know about Black-Box.

▷Type: Skill
▷Name: ■■(+)
▷Rank: D(+)
▷C: □□□ □□□□□
▷D: Will never become confused. (+)
▷E: Cannot ever be destroyed. (+)
▷F: Will never forget. (+)

It was dangerous to put your entire wealth into an uncertain investment, and the same went for this Black-Box. Although it was in the middle of developing well on its own, I was curious whether it could be used as a lethal knife against the teaching staff and grader.

I slowly drew away from the boss’ daughter, whom I had barely overpowered. I had gone around in a very large circle indeed, and it was all because of this darned Elf father and daughter.

Ludicrous: Student Kang Han Soo. If you think about it, whose fault was it all? Things would have turned out well and good had you entered from the front door normally I tell you…

I casually turned a deaf ear to the lecturing of Miss Trainee Teacher, puffed up triumphantly, and dragged over a chair that was nearby to sit on.

“Boss. Sum up only the key points so as to be easily understood, please.”

I was ready to listen to the truth.

“O Hero, my name is…”

“Boss K. We’re both busy people, you and I, so let’s cut the self-introduction, quickly exchange only the beneficial information and part ways.”

Boss K heaved a sigh before replying.

“I have lived a time of eternity as the 3rd Elf King, but it is truly my first time seeing a Hero so impatient as you are.”

“And you got a problem with that?”

“If it is a problem…”

Rumble—

The entire palace began to shake.

Boss K looked up at the ceiling as he continued in a murmuring voice.

“… None, O Hero of this generation. Consideration and patience was only natural in our time, but it appears the times have changed.”

I could also feel the vibrations coming from above, a sudden event breaking out that would delay smooth progressing. My brows knitted into a frown despite myself.

“Boss K, has an intruder come?”

“Indeed, O Hero. They have noticed that the seal upon this underground prison keeping my daughter and I locked up has become undone.”

“Don’t use pronouns.”

These barbarians didn’t know the basics of explaining.

“Pro-… what?”

“I’m saying properly tell me who they are.”

Having finally understood, Boss K replied in a voice of resentment.

“O Hero of this generation, I do not know how they are called in this era. But this is what we called them…”

He uttered their name with contempt injected into his tone.

“Angels.”

What was mentioned was the name of the obscure race, which I did not manage to run into even in the adventures during my 1st Playthrough which had lasted the longest.

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Rumble—

The shaking of the palace further intensified due to an external impact. This wasn’t the time to be leisurely talking with Boss K. Whether the other side came over, or vice versa, we would end up meeting very soon.

I once again summoned forth Holy Sword 2, and surrounded my entire body with the powers of SSS-rank Dark Energy and Battle Spirit.

“Well then, shall we have a look at this angel’s face?”

“We’ll also…”

“It’s fine. Just don’t end up dying.”

I rejected the Elf father and daughter’s intention to work together, as I didn’t completely trust in them. Too many times, to a sickening extent, had I made the mistake of making early judgements after only listening to one side of a story in the 1st Playthrough. To put it bluntly, this parent and child duo could be heinous criminals. What if they had received the verdict of a life sentence because they committed too big a wrong? Then the conclusion would be that the ones breaking in right now would be in the right.

“Ow Ow~!”

“Ow Ow ooo~”

The ogres that discovered me came over attacking in a group. I had no time to play with this lot, however; I simply ignored and passed them by as even the time spent cutting them down would be a waste.

Crash-!

But the intruders didn’t seem to have the same thought.

“Ow Ow oo~?!”

“Ow Ow~?!”

The ogres, pierced through by a sort of light, were killed in swathes.

Pssss…

Contrary to Boss K’s explanation of how you would never die within this underground prison, the corpses of the ogres done in by that light disappeared without a trace.

I gazed towards the direction from where that problematic light had shot over from. Before all else, however, I had to confirm something.

‘Miss Trainee Teacher, do you know about the nature of the angels?’

Answer: Of course I do! They are beings of a contrasting attribute to demons. This is between you and me, but if the graduate who defeats the Demon King wishes to remain in Fantasia’s continents, they will naturally go over to a higher education process. The main enemies they’ll face at that time are the angels.

So the elementary education was demons? Having listened to Miss Trainee Teacher’s words, it turned out that the situation was a highly dangerous one—it was akin to a high schooler being given a university-level problem to solve.

‘Angel, huh…?’

The number of times that even I, as someone with 11 years of Hero-ing experience, had seen an angel was so few as to be counted on a hand, and those angels I saw were mostly exiled criminals. The individuals in subject had said, “I was an angel in the past. Surprised, right?” but truthfully at the time I wasn’t particularly interested; I didn’t take seriously the words of those scammers claiming to have only lost the power of an angel due to being exiled. And I still felt the same way about them.

Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!

Dozens of beams of light came shooting at me.

“Even though we could solve things with a constructive conversation without fighting.”

They were committing a mistake, like assassins attacking the carriage of an imperial princess who harmed the welfare of her nation. That’s why folk like them always bought misunderstanding and met unfair endings.

“It’ll be like that this time too.”

I wasn’t so kind as to overlook getting hit by others. My Skill Fortune consistently activated at this time as well.

Swish, swish, swish.

All the beams of light shot by the angels unbelievably brushed past my body. Not a single one managed to make contact.

It was a situation that made me laugh in spite of myself. My heart began to grow ever so overwhelmingly inclined towards the Job of Thief rather than Hero.

Slowly, the profiles of the intruders came into my sight.

▷Race: Angel
▷Level: 999+
▷Job: Watchman(Defense→Five Senses↑)
▷Skills: Divinity(S) Divine Protection(S) Glory(S) Order(S) Judgement(A)…
▷Condition: Perplexion

It really was an angel. Their race alone was already revealing “I’m an angel!”, but the two pairs of pure-white wings on their backs was similar to the image of an angel in my imaginations. And they all appeared to be virtuous.

“So it was the Hero’s doing after all.”

“You will be stabbed to death for the crime of releasing the sinners.”

“Abandon the thought of an easy death.”

They spoke harsh words with faces that looked as if incapable of harming a fly. Starting off by killing the moment we met?

In the 1st Playthrough, the majority of those scammers claiming to be a former angel were at least consistent in looks and behaviour; good-natured, abiding by rules, and conscientious. Yet what exactly were this lot?

“Ahh, eyes that say they themselves are absolute justice, I see.”

That was exactly how my 1st Playthrough companions were like; they didn’t hold a whit of doubt in their own actions. To save one young girl who called for help, they would slaughter hundreds of people who might have a daughter of the same age.

The attitudes being shown by these angels was also the same.

I hadn’t done anything. All that had happened was that the event location above was burned out of existence by a meteor coincidentally dropping from the sky, and thus appeared the underground tunnel. I had only entered out of curiosity and yet, these angels were suddenly trying to kill me right off the bat.

“Well, fine.”

I also liked this sort of development, as things went quick, better than mouthing off endlessly.

Flap-flap.

The angels moved by flying at a low altitude despite being inside the narrow-spaced palace. Their intact legs were apparently just decorations.

I made my approach at an angle, kicking off the walls and pillars of the palace. The flight ability of the winged angels weren’t a big advantage here, a space that was enclosed in all directions; their wings only served to be cumbersome in this place.

“How is he not being hi—Kugh?!”

I stretched out a hand towards the grumbling male angel’s face and thrust my fingers into his two eye sockets, taking a grip like I would a bowling ball. Then I bowled him.

“Kyagh?!”

The female angel, who collided with her comrade who came flying over in a bloody mess, let out a cute scream as she tumbled over along with the male.

I kicked off the palace ceiling and leaped towards their side in an instant.

Purk-purk.

I impaled the two on Holy Sword 2 like a skewer.

“Two for starters.”

I mustered the entirety of my Dark Energy’s power as it would be bothersome should they happen to revive. While I had no previous experience in this, they were unlikely to remain fine if they clashed with a conflicting power.

A pitch-black aura coiled around Holy Sword 2, the bodies of the two angels exposed to this began to convulse. And then they let out lovely shrieks.

“Aaargh~!”

“Kyaargh!”

Their singing didn’t go on for long, however—the two angels whose skins had been youthful and plump turned middle-aged, then elderly in no time, then became like mummified corpses. And that was it.

There were no signs of them reviving.

“To think a Hero possesses Dark Energy!”

“This Dark Energy is Demon King-level!”

“O god of heaven, how could this…”

The group of angels that had been heading towards the Elf father and daughter located at the palace’s heart changed direction in unison, then came charging towards me. Had they judged me to be the largest threat? Or was it out of camaraderie? Whatever the case, it made things easier for me as it saved the work of pursuing them.

Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!

A banquet of beams of light shooting over like rain, yet not one of these beams managed to touch my body. Shouldn’t they be taking out some other means of attack at this point? That is of course, if they had one.

“Kuugh-?!”

I grasped the neck of an angel.

Had this angel been a warrior like the boss’ daughter, he would have immediately resisted by kicking at my Treasure 1 or flinging his fists. This one wasn’t able to do so, however; he was merely frightened out of his wits, meaninglessly flailing his limbs about. It was just like… facing a child.

“How worthless.”

Crack.

Finding it too bothersome to even continue dealing with him, I broke his cervical vertebrae between the 6th and 7th point. I used Dark Energy as the finisher this time as well; starting from the center of the angel’s neck, his entire body began to melt like ice cream in the middle of summer.

“Run away! All units retreat!”

“Hurry and make a report to the higher ups…!”

“Just what on earth is this Hero!?”

The angels, judging that they couldn’t go on like this any further, turned around. They took flight the moment they realized their light beams, which were their sole method of attack, had no effect and that they were utterly no match for the opponent.

Wearing a fishy smile, I swung down Holy Sword 2.

‘You should take responsibility for picking a fight, yeah? My appearance-fee is expensive.’

Slash, slash-

Rumble—!

The Skill Massacre wasn’t restricted to lifeforms—the cut I made at mid-air grazed the wings and bodies of the angels, and collapsed the pillars and ceiling of the palace before them.

I had sealed their escape route.

“O Hero! Why do you take the side of those followers of evil?!”

One of the trembling angels gathered his courage to shout this question at me.

“Who are these ‘followers’?”

“The companions of the fallen Hero! Evils that encouraged the Hero, who forgot his duty to slay the Demon King, onto the wrong path instead of persuading him!”

I got to listen to an interesting story, so I decided to repay the angel for his courage and sincerity.

Purk-

I stabbed him with Holy Sword 2 and…

Tsss…!

Reduced him to dust using Dark Energy(SSS).

“Hiik?!”

“Gasp!”

“Oh my god…”

It was a one-sided fight from that point onwards; in a refreshed manner I went around to them one by one, feeling as if I was playing tag with chickens trapped in a coop, and wrung their necks. Of course, I didn’t kill them right away.

“Miss angel with the black underwear.”

“Pl-please spare me-!”

“Try guessing my question if you want to die gently.”

“Wha-?!”

I didn’t specify the questions I tossed at the angels I captured, but gave them a free essay-type question, and the result would sometimes be information outside my expectations…

“Light and darkness, Divinity and Dark Energy. The followers of chaos who belong to neither are the evil eating away at the world! O Hero! Open your eyes! Half-hearted chaos maintaining the middle ground will call on even greater disaster!”

“Tell me more.”

“That is al—Kugh?!”

… such as this. It seemed they were hating on me for being an opportunistic neutral power.

“Oh Hero! Come to your senses and see the truth! That sword is the 5th Holy Sword used by the Hero of chaos who raised arms against God! It will eat away at your soul and gradually destroy it the more you use it! Kyauh?!”

And there was this kind of information too!

My heart fluttered at hearing there were at least five more Holy Swords. If I were to gather them all, would it be possible to obliterate this fantasy world with the flick of a finger?

I interrogated the angels one by one before killing them. No exceptions were made.

“O wonderful Hero, I will become the slave that you hope for. My body will only be yours from this—Kyauh?!”

Regardless of whether they surrendered or swore loyalty, I killed them all.

“Who the hell is this hussy kidding? Pah!”

The weak would be dominated by the strong—this was a logic that was only too natural in this barbaric world—and yet this weakling was spouting presumptuous nonsense like “I’ll be your slave. Be grateful for it.”. A bitch that was like Sylvia! The kind that I abhorred the most.

“O Hero! We are angels! Apostles of God! It makes no sense for the Hero chosen by God to be oppos—Kuogh?!”

“You lot should go extinct for that reason alone!”

The angel called me a pawn of the Fantasy God who kidnapped me to this awful world.

I found a new goal to pursue from today onwards: to erase every angel I came across regardless of any reason. Until I caught the Fantasy God by the back of his neck!

Startled: Student Kang Han Soo. Isn’t your goal too similar to the angel-hating Demon King’s dream?!

‘I’m fine, Miss Trainee Teacher.’

Shrug: Yes, I’m sure there won’t be a big problem. The development where one encounters angels takes place in the higher education curriculum. It’s an enrichment process wherein one contemplates on what is truly good. When Student Kang Han Soo returns to Fantasia at the end of the Hero Festival, there’ll be absolutely no chance of you encountering angels. Although this time’s case was a bit unforeseen, it’s a peculiarity only possible because this is the Festival.

Peculiarity? Then it seemed I had to drag out the festival for as long as possible while enjoying it.

The reason for this thought was the Skill I had obtained after killing the angels this time around.

Divinity(F)→Divinity(E)→Divinity(D)

Divinity, a Skill which only those with the highest religious-type Jobs such as Saintess or Pope could obtain. While some monsters did possess it as well, D-rank was on the extremely high side by human standards.

Sparkle-sparkle.

The power of Divinity(D) shined brilliantly above my palm.

“Ho-how do you possess Dark Energy and Divinity at the same time…?”

The last of the angels, who was stabbed through by Holy Sword 2 and on the verge of death, muttered this to himself with a stupefied face. It was apparently his first time seeing such an excellent Hero.

As I dealt the finishing blow using Dark Energy(SSS), I replied, “Is it really necessary to know, I wonder?”

The important thing was that I could use it right now.

I turned around towards the inner region of the palace where the Elf father and daughter were at.

* \*
\*

This underground prison, which had been buried somewhere on the continent where the Hero Festival was taking place, was sealed for a very long period of time. Pressed beneath the giant Zelkova tree inhabited by Elves, its prisoners had spent their time only endlessly waiting for the destruction of the prison that would happen in the far distant future. No one came. Nothing changed.

That’s how it definitely was until just a while ago.

“How mortifying…”

“Disappear along with the secret, Third Elf King.”

I had thought I had wiped all of them out, but it seemed one angel had slipped out of the ranks. Truthfully, it didn’t matter up to that point. The problem, however, was that the boss who had made me nervous had been helpless against merely one angel and fallen into a dead-end crisis. Where had the daughter gone to?

“Get away from my father the King!”

I had barely thought of the question when the boss’ daughter, whose clothing had been reduced to rags, stabbed at the angel’s back with her rapier.

Flash!

Following which there was an explosion of pure-white light. The moment the rapier’s tip touched the angel, the power of Divinity(SS) exploded at the point of contact.

“Kyagh?!”

And the boss’ daughter was blasted away in vain.

Clang.

Her hand injured by the explosion, the rapier also slipped from her grip and fell to the ground.

“Wait, as I’ll kill you soon as well, wench. Of course, I shall make it so that you will repent and regret your sin amidst humiliation and shame—personally. Heheh.”

The angel, who was fine despite being stabbed by a blade, spoke as such while wearing a villainous smile. To make that sort of expression with a virtuous-looking face…

“A bastard that’s like Sieg, I see.”

That’s why I could no longer stand by watching.

Holy Sword 2, which slipped from my hand, flew forwards in a straight line.

Purk-

‘Sir Hero! Nice shot!’

“Kuogh?! How was my Divinity pierc—this, this is Dark Energy…?!”

Flop.

With Holy Sword 2 stuck between his 4th and 5th lumbar vertebrae, the angel babbled to himself before collapsing on his face in an unsightly manner.

“This punk… wasn’t he too weak?”

The way he spoke and his combat ability were inversely proportional.

Come to think of it, it seemed like all the angels were weak.

Explanation: Powerful Divinity deflects everything, except for Divinity and Holy Swords which are of the same element, and Dark Energy which is of the opposite element.

‘Oh! Miss Trainee Teacher, thanks for the break down.’

Worry: But anyway, it’s so regrettable. The Elf gentleman who knows an important secret will end up dead soon.

Oh my!

I had forgotten about Boss K for a moment. After being one-sidedly done in by the angel who was protected by the cheat-like Divinity, he was currently in the middle of working hard to leave his last words.

“O, O Hero… I entrust my daughter to you… Her chest may be small, but she is a kind child with a generous heart…”

“My father the King! Making jokes even in this situation…!”

Judging by the atmosphere of the two, it seemed that resurrection wasn’t possible if killed by an angel.

I drew near Boss K who was entrusting his daughter to me.

And then I grabbed and shook him by the collar.

“Kegh-kegh!”

“You irresponsible punk! Don’t pass your daughter over as you please without even respecting my preferences and will! It’s a real nuisance!”

I activated the Skill I had freshly obtained this time, and stuck the power of Divinity(D) into Boss K’s body like a straw.

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Tslurrp-!

The Divinity(SS) that was planted like venom in Boss K by the angel slowly was slowly guided up through the straw(Divinity(D)) towards my body. At first it hadn’t budged like a haughty beauty, but the moment it detected the Dark Energy(SSS) surging on the other side, made a beeline straight for it at once.

Wuoong!

The Divinity(SS) began to kick a fuss just like it had attacked Boss K. In the end, however, it failed to ‘destroy’ me, and accepted a new owner.

Divinity(D)→Divinity(C)

Obtaining a new skill within a short period and raising it to C-rank in one go!

It wasn’t at all bad a harvest.

Perplexed: There is no higher education curriculum in the Hero Festival, yet Student Kang Han Soo is progressing too quickly. A festival is there for taking a break! How about preparing for the exam after the festival ends? They say resting is also studying, right~

‘This girl’s just asking for a slap from all the mothers in Korea. Studying in advance is common sense back at home.’

Tremble: Is, is that so. A scary place I see…

I scanned Boss K up and down; his dying appearance as he was being corroded by Divinity(SS) had all but gone, and he had quickly recovered his health. Perhaps there was a slight lingering effect, however, as he gave off the feeling of having aged somewhere overall. Well, that wasn’t of my concern.

“Boss K. I want to talk if you’ve gotten back on your feet.”

It was time to get to the subject we didn’t even begin due to the angels’ interference.

“My name is-… it is nothing. O Savior, ask whatever you will. If you so wish, I shall tell you everything about my daughter starting from her weight to the date of her birth.”

“My father the King?!”

“Haha! My lovely daughter. I am no longer a king from today on, so call me casually.”

Boss K spoke in a father’s tone and not that of an austere king; although, it did seem that he had strayed from the right path, to an excessive extent, to fall under the category of a normal father. I could glimpse his intention to shift his daughter over to me no matter what.

“Father the King.”

“Come now!”

“… Father. I am not yet ready…”

“Have you not already shared skinship with Sir Hero?”

“Th-that is…!”

I quietly watched the Elf father and daughter playing out their skit of jumping the gun. Wasn’t it said that people are free to imagine? But I decided to interfere, unable to stand looking on further, upon seeing that Boss K was going so far as to steer the talk into detailed plans for having children.

In a disinterested, cool voice I asked, “Spill what you know, starting with what that angel was trying to keep silent.”

* \*
\*

People would often run into ridiculous matters in life. For instance, even if they heard of a major thing such as the truth of the world, they might feel not much interest as they already knew about it long ago. Was this called drawing the losing lot?

“I already know as much that I’m a fish in a farm.”

I had realized it after meeting Professor Morals in the 2nd Playthrough.

“Is, is that so…”

Boss K smiled awkwardly. He looked extremely surprised because while the man himself apparently thought he had said something immensely important, the great Hero had already known all about it. Teaching staff, report card, regression, examination ground, graduation, parallel world… It was all what I knew from having experienced it myself.

In days long past, Boss K was said to be also a companion of a Hero. The source of the boss’ information was a Hero on his 3rd Playthrough. Boss K said he was greatly shocked at the truth that they themselves were replicas or perhaps consumables meant to raise a Hero.

“I understand. I also felt shock and fear, you see.”

I had thought I would return to Earth upon defeating Demon King Pedonar, yet what suddenly awaited me was a report card and regression. It was from the 2nd Playthrough onwards that I realized the existence of the teaching staff, and I was majorly stressed out at that time.

Damned Professor Morals. It was enough that I was burning with anger, yet he went on to fan those flames. It seemed he was replaced this time around, and I hoped he would be transferred to some dimension of a primitive Earth to teach a grunting caveman Hero.

“Sir Hero, are you not curious about my dear daughter?”

Boss K quietly asked me this with a sly look in his eyes which only men knew. He still hadn’t given up, apparently.

My answer was decided from the start.

“Elf K isn’t my type. Maybe if we’re only going to enjoy each other’s company, but I’m going to spend about 30 years in this continent before leaving, you see.”

“30 years, you say?”

“At most 30 years.”

My leaving could even be tomorrow.

“I shan’t dissuade you from leaving, but please leave me a granddaughter fully matured in body and mind before going.”

Even as Boss K said this, he stared so very regretfully at a certain part of Elf K who was walking beside him, his gaze containing mixed feelings of love and hatred.

“This guy… completely hopeless as a parent.”

“Haha! The Elves have this sort of saying: a child before 1000 years, afterwards a friend. A neighbor from 2000 years on.”

This was a concept only possible because they were long-lived Elves. Furthermore, Boss K and Elf K had spent an eternity of time alone together in this underground prison. It was almost amazing that no intermarriage had taken place during that time. At present, they looked more like siblings rather than a father and his daughter.

In any case…

“How long are you guys going to chase after me?”

Boss K and Elf K had followed me like chicks behind a hen up to the surface, and continued to accompany me afterwards as well. Half a day seemed to have passed.

“The angels who noticed that my daughter and I are alive will soon sent pursuers. Until I find a way to oppose their Divinity like in my past prime, the plan is to sponge off you, Sir Hero.”

“Brazen though it may be, I also ask you of this.”

The K pair earnestly pleaded me this. They were no doubt greatly urgent as this was an issue which concern their lives and freedom. I had been about to promptly refuse, but changed my mind.

“Boss K, how are you sure that the angels will send pursuers?”

At present, my Skill Divinity was at C-rank. While this alone was enough to threaten the seats of Fantasia’s Pope and Cardinal, I didn’t consider anything below S-rank as a Skill.

Ah! Except for Fortune(A), that is.

▷Type: Skill
▷Name: Fortune(++)
▷Rank: A(++)
▷S: Luck will not run dry.
▷A: The energy of the universe will help often. (++)
▷B: Always ignore traps. (++)
▷C: Luck increases tremendously. (++)
▷D: Safe from falls. (++)
▷E: Dodge all unseen arrows. (++)
▷F: Luck improves.

While my heart was inclined towards keeping ‘Thief’ as my Job all the way, but it would change to something strange in no time if I didn’t go around stealing. Before that happened, I wanted to raise Fortune to S-rank—if my luck didn’t run dry like the effect description said, then the proficiency level would gradually go up afterwards even if I didn’t really put in the effort to do so. This was one of the highest priority tasks.

Boss K replied to my question.

“It is because angels beware beings of chaos.”

“That did seem like the case.”

I had one-sidedly slaughtered the angels from before with the combination of Dark Energy(SSS) and Holy Sword 2. Rather than me being strong, they had been much too weak, rookies in combat who only had high Levels and Skill ranks. Everything had a reason to it.

“As you have witnessed, Sir Hero, high-rank Divinity has the effect of deflecting all attacks except for that of the opposite element ‘Dark Energy’ or same element ‘Divinity’. That is why angels rarely find their match, aside from demons and chaotic beings.”

The angels had awfully poor combat experience, and that was because they had zero need for skills and techniques such as evading or defending since they fought using a cheat key that prevented their HP from dropping. They also had no opportunities to build proficiency in Skills like Endurance, which was why they were vulnerable against demons and attacks of chaos.

Only, here was the variable factor; demons were by nature extremely weak against angels. While they did possess ‘Dark Energy’ which could smash apart an angel’s god-mode cheat, there was the fatal issue of the race of demons being innately even more vulnerable against an angel’s ‘Divinity’. As such, demons were out of the competition.

Ultimately, only beings of chaos could stand superior to angels without weaknesses.

“Targeting you because you’re natural enemies? But you guys were too weak despite that, though?”

The struggling sight of Boss K and Elf K, having such a hard time helpless against a single angel, was so pitiful it couldn’t be seen without shedding tears.

“Hm-hm. It is because my personal weapon which contains the divine element was seized, and my Skill Dark Energy was sealed.”

“Me too!”

The K father and daughter pair claimed their defeat was due to having the means to break an angel’s god-mode taken from them.

“Anyhow, you’re saying that angels will continue to target you guys, right?”

“Indeed.”

“Yes.”

And thus, I agreed to the K pair accompanying me—as the sole bait to lure in angels. I didn’t make this judgement on an impulse; it was a conclusion I came to after organizing the information I gained through the previous group of angels and the K pair’s claims.

‘Miss Trainee Teacher, let me ask just one thing.’

Chill: What’s the reason? My shoulders feel cold all of a sudden. If it’s a sensible question, I’ll give my everything to answer!

‘Where do angels live? They should also have something like a home where they eat and shit.’

Frightened: Do you intend on raiding them?!

‘Why? I think it a highly reasonable judgement. This way is more efficient than setting bait.’

Warning: I admit that Student Kang Han Soo is strong; however, the angels in charge of the higher education curriculum are far stronger. And this is a secret that isn’t a secret, but angels don’t live in Fantasia’s dimension to begin with, like how primary schools and high schools don’t share the same building.

Miss Trainee Teacher claimed there was no shortcut or convenient way.

I leisurely shrugged my shoulders, however, because I had something to count on.

“I don’t know if it’s some high school or primary school, but I’m sure the energy of the universe will help out if I earnestly wish for it.”

Luck amplification!

Thief was the strongest Job in Fantasia. Only, it was necessary to steal in order to maintain the Job without change. While I wanted to live a straight life, it was my destiny to inevitably commit thievery in order to survive in this unfeeling world.

… Shouldn’t it be fine since I wasn’t even a Hero at present? Just like Miss Trainee Teacher said, a festival was there to be enjoyed. Here, there was no need to become stressed out by character and reputation grades.

This 5th Playthrough had no concept of a report card and graduation. There was no Demon King to slay to start off with, no? I would be going over to my 6th Playthrough when the Hero Festival ended, and Lanuvel would make my insides churn again with her wannabe cute greeting of “Welcome, Sir Hero!”—even merely imagining it made my stress begin to build. I needed rest before I collapsed from pent-up rage.

‘Let’s enjoy the festival like a festival should be!’

“I guess a big city is best to go thieving after all?”

Bewildered: You can’t be…?

‘Miss Trainee Teacher, navigation please. Come on~’

* \*
\*

The K pair and I moved towards ‘Start City’, which was the biggest city located in the very heart of the festival continent. Although I had heard the city’s rather impressive original name, which twisted the tongue like something in Spanish, from Passerby 3, I gave up on using it as it was hard to pronounce and wasn’t endearing.

Had it taken almost about five days to make it to Start City? Even here, I could feel the severe difference in treatment.

“Even though I started in a cave!”

All of the graduates excluding me had started in this city. While they did start off with the same underwear-less, droopy outfit as I did, the lovely Saintess whom they would see first thing upon opening their eyes would provide the festival-goers with a rather nice set of clothes, basic equipment and initial funds, free of charge.

It was discrimination in everything and anything!

I couldn’t not express deep dissatisfaction at this unfair treatment.

“Wow! It feels good to see the sun after so long! And the air is fresh too.”

Elf K spread wide her flat chest as she so exclaimed.

“It’s a wonder you didn’t go insane for so long, huh?”

I had felt on the brink of going nuts with just being imprisoned on Fantasia’s continents, yet this Elf had spent the same everyday life in that small palace, along with her sexually harassing father and hideous ogres—for a very, very long time. How had she managed to endure the tedium?

“I’m not sure. Because I’m an Elf?”

All my doubts became trivial at that one line, which even sounded refreshing, from Elf K who said she felt good from seeing the sun. It was no different to asking how a Ginkgo tree could manage to live 3000 years in the same spot.

In any case…

“I, I’ll give it to you!”

“Please don’t hurt us!”

We received a hat as a gift from Passerby 14 and Passerby 15, whom I assumed to be couples. I had complimented them on the hat with a smiling face while Holy Sword 2, which was practically the symbol of a righteous Hero, was slung on my shoulder, and they had meekly handed it over.

“Here, cover your ears with this.”

The Elves wouldn’t go unnoticed just by covering up their ears with a hat, the reason being that the others graduates could also view the Status of others as they pleased like I could; it was a matter of time before the K pair’s race became noticed. I judged it better than doing nothing at all, however, because…

“Ooh! A city of humans! Ahh! How could those fruits swaying everywhere be so tempting! Truly I am clueless as to where I should put these two eyes of mine. Humans are the best! Elves are trash!”

At the east entrance of Start City, Boss K began to blatantly yell out his loathing for his kin upon seeing some human ladies passing by.

That guy… wasn’t he supposed to be the Third Elf King? I got the feeling that he deserved to suffer a rebellion.

“Sir Hero, I am truly sorry that my father is like that…”

Elf K bowed in apology to me, her ears reddened to their tips.

“No, I understand.”

Because the Elf King I knew was also a sorry character. It seemed to be an issue of genetics.

But it was right then that…

“Huh?! You, you’re Kang Han Soo, aren’t you? Isn’t that right?”

Someone who wasn’t Sieg called out my name clearly. Upon turning towards the source of the voice, I frowned.

“Who are you again?”

There, I saw a delinquent whose hair was dyed yellow.

“It’s me, me I tell you! The guy who said he was going to set off on a thrilling adventure, together with beauties of various races in a fantasy worl…”

“Aha! It’s you!”

“Kang Han Soo, you finally remember?”

“Yeah, you!”

“You haven’t remembered at all! You damned asshole!”

‘What am I supposed to do when 11 years have already passed since then?’

I ran into High School Classmate A.

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

▷Race: Arch-Human
▷Level: 586
▷Job: Swordsman(Stamina=Swordsmanship↑)
▷Skills: Interpretation(A) Vigor(B) Stamina(B) Charm(C) Swordsmanship(D)…
▷Condition: Good

Classmate A’s Status.

Compared to the Status of countless graduates I came across in the festival, Classmate A was rather on the excellent side. Wasn’t his Swordsmanship, the most important thing to a Swordsman, too low? But this sort of worry was truthfully meaningless, as the number of Heroes whose highest Skill rank was only D wasn’t few. Taking that into consideration, Classmate A’s Status could be counted among the upper rank.

“Let’s take this someplace else first.”

“Right.”

We(Classmate A included) practically dragged along Boss K, who was busily sightseeing those temptful ‘fruits’, and moved towards the market in the city’s inner area.

It was a bustle of activity wherever we went.

Start City was different from the cities of Fantasia’s continents, giving off an atmosphere like that of a European tourist city which combined the modern and medieval. While the city appeared somewhat worn on the outside, it was well-equipped with convenience facilities and had the latest products of culture. Perhaps this was giving consideration to the graduates who had become used to modern society.

This was prepared by the teaching staff?

Puffed Up: Yes! Those rather large buildings are a given, as well as the flowers on the streets and dark, shady alleyways, even the sewers that are out of sight—there isn’t a place that careful thought wasn’t put into! Anyone would feel disappointed if the first place they were shown was shabby, after all.

Miss Trainee Teacher explained with elation, and information that was as much useful as she was proud continued to flow out of her. I made up my mind to make use of this for sure.

Tinkle-tinkle~𝅘𝅥𝅮

We moved to a tasteful-looking cafe that had a bell hung by its door. Originally, we were supposed to be heading to a pub…

“Hansoo. We’re minors, aren’t we?”

… but the idea was rejected due to Classmate A spouting this nonsense in a natural manner. Although I wanted to argue why coffee, and not alcohol, was the trend in a fantasy world, I gave up by the point I sighted the air conditioner installed on the wall of the cafe.

Here was Earth wearing the guise of a fantasy world.

“The surface has really changed much.”

“Indeed. But there are also things that haven’t changed… Huhu!”

The K father and daughter pair, who had long remained imprisoned in the underground prison, wore speechless faces at the sight of the advanced products of society displayed across the city.

‘I can’t bear going around with these bumpkin Elves.’

“Sir Hero, what’s chamomile tea?”

“What’s the difference between espresso and americano?”

The bumpkin father and daughter asked thus after staring blankly up at the cafe menu board. Chamo-… what?

“Ask a staff member.”

So I said while pointing at a mermaid employee, who was busy with delayed orders.

But it was then that Classmate A abruptly poked his nose in.

“Chamomile is a white flower giving off an apple fragrance that has the meaning of ‘apple growing from the ground’. It helps in hydrating skin, relaxing and sleeping well for beautiful ladies such as the Elf miss over there. Chamomile tea is a tea brewed from that flower.”

And he further continued…

“Espresso is a strong coffee made by passing finely ground and compressed coffee through hot water under high pressure. On the other hand, americano originates from the light coffee enjoyed by the people of a country named America back in my home planet. I recommend a light americano if it’s your first time having coffee.”

Classmate A also smoothly explained the difference between the two types of coffee in a refreshing manner. It would believe it if he was called a loca-… he was indeed a local.

A strange sense of defeat took me by surprise.

Pat: Student Kang Han Soo, cheer up. 11 years is enough time to fall behind the times and become countrified. Do you still remember black coffee?

Kugh-!

Miss Trainee Teacher’s words lodged themselves into my chest like a knife.

‘No way! Me, a bumpkin?!’

After respectively ordering our desired drinks, we sat in a circle around a round table.

I began talking to Classmate A first.

“How long did you stay in that fantasy world?”

I had well understood that the graduates who lost the Job of Hero were ridiculously weak; however, I didn’t know exactly how long they spent adventuring in the fantasy world before they defeated Demon King Pedonar and graduated. Perhaps I should have investigated beforehand? But it was still wasn’t too late.

“3 years.”

Classmate A replied as if it was a trifling matter.

“… Really? Only 3 years?”

“Yeah. What a shock it was back then! I intended on leisurely completing a harem after beating Demon King Pedonar, who kept being annoying on and off with his demon minions, you know? But I ended up returning to Earth straight after killing the Demon King.”

Classmate A began to recite the tale of his adventure. It was, in many ways, similar to my experience in the 1st Playthrough.

He coincidentally went to watch an auction, bought Elf Princess Sylvia who was reduced to a slave and recruited her as a companion, and not long after that the mermaid princess and Saintess A joined Classmate A’s party as a set.

Roughly 1 year later, Classmate A and muppets moved from the middle continent to the northern continent. There, he challenged the Sword Princess, who had refused a political marriage by hanging in there saying “I want to marry a man who has defeated me!”, and was defeated for the first time!

“She was really strong.”

“That crazy bitch is a bit strong, yeah.”

I knew well as someone who had also experienced it. I, however, didn’t challenge the Sword Princess with the goal of marrying her—that nutjob was the one who picked a fight with me first.

“Hehe. Her bod was crazy too.”

Classmate A crinkled his eyes as he laughed lewdly.

“It’s a wonder that it seems there was no bloodshed.”

I had almost ended up murdered after inadvertently seeing her in the nude.

“Mm? She was nice, though?”

“… Mm?”

Classmate A had carefully thought on the method to make the Sword Princess yield, and the solution he arrived at was the story of the legendary Holy Sword slumbering in the northern continent he came to hear about.

So and so happened, and thus he obtained Holy Sword 1!

Re-challenging the Sword Princess, Classmate A was able to easily grasp victory by using Holy Sword 1’s auto-combat function; however, she didn’t accept her defeat and challenged him 3 more times—but she couldn’t win against the cheat-like automatic function. In the end, she became the Hero’s woman as promised.

“We did hold a wedding ceremony, but we were both minors under 19 so…”

“Oi?”

Was this cherry boy for real?

‘I should call him Virgin A instead of Classmate A from now on.’

“Hansoo, don’t be surprised at hearing this: I even succeeded in making that ‘Ice Princess’, notoriously famous in the northern continent, part of my harem! I gave her the Sage’s staff and helped control her power gone out of control, and she followed me saying thanks.”

So that kind of conquest method existed, huh? I cut her down in my case, though. Although my companions had tried holding me back then, taking pity on her, I couldn’t afford to ignore the woman who caused hundreds of people to become frozen solid due to her berserk power.

“Then, what happened to the Sage?”

“He’s a man, isn’t he?”

“Hm. I see.”

He had apparently killed him and stolen his staff. As I continued to listen, I realized that there wasn’t a single male companion in Virgin A’s adventure.

“At any rate, it’s amazing.”

Was my compliment to his liking? Virgin A restlessly shifted his buttocks as he continued speaking.

“It’s in this manner that 18 beauties joined my harem party over 3 years. Maybe the Demon King became envious though, because he then started hindering my romancing, you know? And if that wasn’t enough, he even tried killing my women!”

“And so you broke into the Demon King’s castle?”

“Naturally!”

I wanted to tell Virgin A that he was a nutcase. While it wasn’t my place to say that, as someone who went charging in within a day, the path up to the Demon King’s castle was a formidable one for a 1st Playthrough Hero.

And yet Virgin A had made it.

“How?”

“My women were outstanding, you see.”

The power of love! Before Holy Sword 1’s ultimate move that grew the more powerful in proportion to the number of companions and lovers, even the strongest of demons could only put up a futile resistance. And his companions themselves had been strong.

“The Demon King?”

“He was the weakest among the demon with renown, you know? My wives easily took him down without even having to take action myself.”

“… I see.”

The Demon King’s penalty… it seemed that the effect also extended to the ‘Hero’s companions’. In the case of this being true, then the conclusion would be that the Demon King could be made simple work of if the Hero’s Level was lower than his companions’.

‘Miss Trainee Teacher, am I correct in my guess?’

Affirmative: It’s the reason why importance is placed on love and friendship—it’s like having revealed the answer from the start. Yet in spite of this, there are too many students who fail to come before the Demon King and die, then take a re-rest.

So she said.

“Kang Han Soo, what about you?”

Classmate A, who had been recounting his adventure to his heart’s content, asked about me in turn.

‘I wonder what answer would be good?’

“One day.”

I couldn’t bring myself to say 11 years, even if I were to die.

“One, one day? Your joke’s too much, haha!”

Virgin A laughed while holding his belly. Even I thought that one day was a bit far-fetched despite holding onto my high pride, since it was impossible to reach the Demon King’s castle alone as a Level 1.

“My luck was good.”

“Pft! It’s fine. Don’t say it if you don’t want to. It’s an unwritten rule among Heroes not to pry into one another’s adventure, after all.”

With that said, Virgin A began to show curiosity in the K father and daughter pair. Perhaps he had also seen many Elves though, as he very soon lost interest. Afterwards, the main subject revolved around the real world: music, games, comics, novels, exercise… Nouns that sounded to me like relics of ancient times came pouring out like a waterfall.

“… I don’t know well because I’m sick of playing around.”

“Haha! I also agree on that. The entertainments on Earth are a bit dull compared to a fantasy adventure together with beauties.”

Virgin A thought the exact opposite way I did. Or else, was it that I had glorified my memories of Earth due to my homesickness intensifying?

It didn’t matter whichever the case it was—I was going to return to Earth no matter the cost. Before that, however, there was something I had to ask Virgin A.

“Are my parents doing well?”

Virgin A tilted his head at my question as he returned one of his own.

“You’re also a Hero who returned to Earth, so why ask me regarding your parents?”

“…”

That was true!

I had been impatient. An excuse to cover up my mistake didn’t come to mind at all.

“Ah! Maybe? Kang Han Soo, are you also one of those folks they call spirited nowadays?”

“Those folks?”

“Earth misfits. People who seek after a life similar to a fantasy adventure, endlessly roaming places instead of returning to where they used to live in.”

“Uh… Mhm. That’s right.”

Just what was happening on Earth…?

* \*
\*

I wasn’t able to hear news of my parents from Virgin A, but in exchange, he promised to relay to them that their son was doing fine in my place when the festival ended and he returned to Earth.

“Kang Han Soo! Let’s meet at Seoul next time!”

“Yeah. You take care too.”

We parted ways, waving hands at each other.

And then I heard the voice of a young girl.

“Big Bro~𝅘𝅥𝅮”

A girl around high schooler age went over to stick right by and link arms with Virgin A, who had left the cafe, and walked away side by side. Judging by her sophisticated style of outfit, that girl was also a Hero.

Virgin A’s figure grew distant like that.

I swallowed a dry laugh.

“Minor my ass.”

3 years spent in a fantasy world meant he was already mentally an adult, and his matured body was in good condition for coupling.

Damn! A girlfriend from Earth!

‘You lose if you’re envious.’

“Sir Hero, what will you do now?”

Made In Fantasy Elf K thus asked.

She was probably not asking for my plan out of true ignorance. It seemed this city was quite to her liking, and I got the feeling she didn’t want the place turned into a scene of pandemonium by thievery.

“The water of the city is really good. Ah! I mean the americano. Hm-hm!”

Boss K, his eyes moving left and right without rest like a print scanner, appeared to be of similar thought. Truthfully, even if this father and daughter, who had been long confined in the underground prison, were brought to some desert with nothing but sand, they would have enjoyed the experience saying it was novel.

In any case…

Halting the plan was out of the question. Thieving was necessary if only to maintain the Thief Job.

My goal was decided from the start.

The great temple located by the side of Start City’s central great plaza was where the graduates would be summoned to in succession; however, that wasn’t the only purpose of the great temple—it also held the role of this big event’s reward storehouse.

“We’re going to conquer the great temple from now on.”

According to Passerby 23’s information, the great temple boasted an iron-tight defense that didn’t allow even a needle through. Perhaps this was only natural, since the teaching staff had poured their heart and soul into the building?

Warning: Student Kang Han Soo, give up. Your decision this time is really suicidal.

‘It’s fine, Miss Trainee Teacher. It’ll only lead to the 6th Playthrough even if I die, no?’

Besides, as I would never be caught by traps thanks to Fortune’s B-rank effect, I was fully capable of sneaking in. And the energy of the universe was also helping me as well.

“You two, K father and daughter, stay outside and make some noise.”

“I see you are really going to do it…”

“Well… I shall follow your will, Savior.”

The plan was to sneak into the great temple while the K pair gathered attention. Since Miss Trainee Teacher said she also didn’t know of the internal structure of the great temple, this time I would have to purely rely on my intuition and luc-… Mm?

Thief→Saint(Divinity=Fabrication↑)

Was it because my Divinity rank had risen? My Job had changed from Thief to ‘one who is holy’.

Saint. The power of its perk was between a Saintess’ and a Pope’s, and it was called the 2nd highest religion-related Job; however, I couldn’t bring myself to laugh in the least.

After hurriedly summoning forth Holy Sword 2, I checked the effects of Fortune.

▷Type: Skill
▷Name: Fortune(+)
▷Rank: A(+)
▷S: Luck will not run dry.
▷A: Energy of the universe will help occasionally. (+)
▷B: Ignore traps occasionally. (+)
▷C: Luck increases considerably. (+)
▷D: Incur slight injury from falls. (+)
▷E: Dodge unseen arrows occasionally. (+)
▷F: Luck improves.

I was completely ruined!

The Skill’s effects had become ambiguous even with Holy Sword 2’s amplification. It was much too precarious to charge in with blind faith.

“Hah! I’m really gonna lose it! What am I supposed to do with an auxiliary Job like Saint…”

I felt a sudden burst of stress, causing the back of my neck to ache.

But it was then that…

“A Saint has descended!”

“Ooh! A Saint has come to this land…!”

“Venerable Saint! Please cure my son!”

The foolish natives who saw me began to kick up a commotion, and that disturbance spread across the entire city in mere moments like an epidemic.

“Wow! Unbelievable! Wasn’t Saint an unimplemented Job?”

“It’s my first time seeing a graduate who’s become a Saint.”

The reaction of the graduates weren’t much different. While they did treat me like a natural monument rather than feel admiration, I could feel them gazing at me with eyes of envy and jealousy.

Just why?

“My Venerable Saint, if it is not rude, may I guide you to the great temple?”

The lovely Saintess who came from the great temple’s entrance asked to escort me.

I let loose a loud, hearty laugh.

‘I did indeed pray hard to get inside the great temple, but…’

The energy of the universe was apparently too powerful.

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

“Venerable Saint, it’s this way.”

The Saintess, constantly maintaining a faint smile on her face, erotically swayed her celestial peach-shaped buttocks left and right as she took the lead. It seemed that she was made to match the tastes of Earthlings: a nun’s garb that combined the immoral and pure which all men would favor, a hairstyle that would have taken at least 3 hours at a beauty salon, clean makeup, fine skin… It was the perfect harmony of clothing and wearer.

Her Status was also insane.

▷Race: Grand Human
▷Level: 999+
▷Job: Saintess(Faith→Resurrection↑)
▷Skills: Immortal(SSS) Faith(SS) Divinity(SS) Glamor(S) Virtue(S)…
▷Condition: Good

Hahah! Immortal at SSS-rank?

She appeared to be a delicate woman on the outside, but the Saintess’ Level and Skill set made her no different from a living fortress. To what extent? Even if this Saintess was thrown nude into the very heart of a fierce battlefield, she would be just fine without a single scratch.

Swaying~

“Hm…”

Of course, while the men on that battlefield, who would no doubt be stirred up into fiery passions, wouldn’t leave her buttocks be, there would absolutely be no physical harm. What would be a good way to call her? Ah!

I observed the surroundings as I followed behind Saintess H, as if the situation called for the need to escape, then I needed to input the environment, defenses and such into my mind.

But perhaps she had noticed my line of sight?

“Venerable Saint, a truly beautiful garden, isn’t it? It helps in settling down the weariness and confusion of the mind and body. I wish to open it to the public, but I only feel regret as entry is strictly prohibited.”

Saintess H slowed her pace as she talked.

I played along to her tune.

“Yes, a wonderful farm as you say.”

Nothing needed be said further from the moment I saw the mermaids lounging in the pond here. There would be no garden more tempting than this one in all of Fantasia and Earth; however, I couldn’t afford to do nothing but laugh to myself, and that was because of the stone statues placed in various spots of the garden.

▷Race: Golem
▷Level: 999+
▷Job: Watchman(Defense→Five Senses↑)
▷Skills: Detect Foe(SSS) Five Senses(SS) Pursuit(SS) Close Quarters Combat(SS) Cooperation(S)…
▷Condition: Standby

Nude statues of men with bulging muscles like that of bodybuilders were placed throughout the garden like boulders. They followed my movements with only their eyes rolling about in their sockets.

Golems, soulless masses of magical earth. The way to subjugate them depended on the way they were created, but in general, destroying their core which was the equivalent of a living creature’s heart would stop their movements. Put differently, this meant they would revive over and over so long as their core remained intact. Each golem possessed infinitely varied levels of intelligence and performance.

These entities could be easily encountered as watchmen in the temples, sanctuaries, ruins and such that were scattered across Fantasia’s continents. The use of a golem wasn’t limited to combat, however; construction, cleaning, labor, experiments, escort… they were used in myriad ways depending on their size and form.

Perplexed: No graduates can re-enter the great temple once they leave, to begin with. And yet Student Kang Han Soo succeeded amazingly enough…

‘Miss Trainee Teacher, listen well. Common sense exists to be broken. (Grin).’

At any rate… I would have really ended up dead had I snuck in while only believing in my luck as a Thief. It was the golems’ Skill, Detect Foe(SSS)—the ability to search out enemies. No matter how outrageous the effects of Fortune was, amplified by the Job Thief and Holy Sword 2, it was only A-rank; it was only inevitable to end up noticed if the opponent had an SSS-rank Skill. That being the case, would I be able to win against them in a fight?

“Venerable Saint, are the golems to your liking?”

Saintess H, who possessed an unusual sensitivity, asked me this as she approached my side in a friendly manner.

“It’s my first time seeing such powerful golems.”

“Huhu! No doubt about that. These golems are dolls made by the very god who built this great temple, after all. A total of 3,141 golems are keeping up perfect defenses of the great temple’s interiors.”

“Truly… extraordinary.”

Mhm. Nope. Definitely nope.

I wouldn’t be able to even cross the threshold of the great temple’s treasure storehouse’s doors at this rate. I had to find another way through that didn’t involve force, and for that the most urgent business was to find out the reason for my being invited to this great temple, as well as to determine the limits of my capability.

▷Race: Chaos Human
▷Level: 999+
▷Job: Saint(Divinity=Fabrication↑)
▷Skills: Battle Spirit(SSS) Dark Energy(SSS) Massacre(SS) Chaos(SS) Destruction(SS) Tolerance(SS) Deadly Venom(SS) Physical Strength(SS) Endurance(SS) Agility(SS) Fighting Skill(SS) Five Senses(SS) Swordsmanship(SS) Majesty(SS) Oblivion(SS) Governance(SS) Swimming(SS) Boxing(SS) Sword Ki(SS) Slaughter(SS) Immortal(S) Close Quarters Combat(S) Body Technique(S) Fortitude(S) Breakthrough(S) Stamina(S) Detect Foe(S) Judgement(S) Breath(S) Recovery(S) Perseverance(S) Vitality(S) Tenacity(S) Incitement(S) Resistance(S) Fabrication(S) Regeneration(S) Immunity(S) Composure(S) Iron Wall(S) Indestructible Body(S) Spear Throwing(S) Roar(S) Taunt(S) Berserk(S) Pursuit(S) Vigor(S)…
▷Condition: Holy Sword, Divine

A beautiful set of Skills specialized for combat!

And that was the problem, because when confronted with a situation that couldn’t be solved with force like now, the number of things I could do would drastically be reduced. The utility of my non-combat Skills was extremely low. A non-violent way of doing things like that of supreme leader, Gandhi, wasn’t suitable for me. Then what was I to do?

“I have something I must urgently tell you, Venerable Saint.”

The event content was finally going to be revealed.

Truthfully, this was the biggest question. Saintess H’s Status was very much on the excellent side, amazing to the point of being able to heal all the patients of a city by herself. I didn’t think that an individual such as Saintess H would have something to request of a greenhorn who’d just opened his eyes to ‘healing magic’.

But of course…

“I’m all ears, Venerable Saintess.”

It was possible in a role-playing game. Some Knight Captain Q who had four intact limbs, and ability to boot, might entrust an important secret to or ask help of a fledgling player. Well, it wasn’t like I couldn’t understand at all; if there had to be a rather acceptable reason for every mission, then game developers would find themselves collapsing with a cramp in their heads.

Here was reality, however. While it was excessively fantastical to be called reality, at least the people of this world wouldn’t deliberately entrust contrived missions like in a game. This being the case, what was it that Saintess H wasn’t capable of doing?

I decided to hear about it from now.

Saintess H began to speak her part in a lamenting manner.

“We have imprisoned a large number of demon worshipers within the great temple; however, we are placed in a helpless situation as those individuals are heroes, the loss of whom would be too great to simply execute. Great Venerable Saint, I ask that you persuade those heroes to once again take the side of humanity. Please.”

“Hooh…?”

A very interesting mission was offered my way.

Demon worshipers—weren’t they right up my alley? Like eating a dragon lying down.

Chill: Student Kang Han Soo? I’ve been continuing to feel nothing but ill omens for a while now, but that must just be my imagination, right?

‘Of course it is, Miss Trainee Teacher. I’m extremely confident, you see! Just trust in me!’

Correction: I was worrying for the great temple’s safety…

* \*
\*

I was greatly satisfied with the Hero Festival system. As the festival was focused around the graduates who lacked for nothing, the concept of free service didn’t work like it did in Fantasia’s continents.

Give and take—an absolute reward would be given upon completing the event. And so…

Having passed by the garden and entered the inner area of the great temple, we entered earnest negotiations. From here on it would business talks of a labor relations through and through.

“The demon worshipers number 514 in total.”

Saintess H spoke while pointing to the single cells lined up like a maze on the other side.

“Over 500? There’s more than I thought.”

“Indeed. It’s because a Saint has never appeared even a single time over a long time, while only the demon worshipers continued to increase. That’s why, Venerable Saint, please reform as many of the demon worshipers as you can.”

As Saintess H earnestly requested this of me, she also mentioned ‘points’.

1 point per demon worshiper. It was a reward system of diligently gathering points and exchanging them for a desired treasure. I thought that it was highly reasonable.

Of course, it was no easy event.

“Hey! Hero-exclusive hole, why don’t you sing a little song for me.”

“I’ll tear your crotch first thing after getting released, bitch!”

“Little Saintess, c’mere. This big brother over here’ll open you a new one. Kikik!”

“Reform me? Pft! I think you getting pregnant will be faster?”

All sorts of obscene harassment and profanities spat by the imprisoned demon worshipers came pouring down over Saintess H.

Although she was a Saintess, a peerless Job in terms of healing and resurrection, she was very poor when it came to persuading others; Saintess H’s face turned pale-white, unable to bear the onslaught of abusive and foul words from all directions.

A great temple overflowing with malice… perhaps this was the true Demon King’s castle?

“I, I entrust this to you! Venerable Saint!”

Saintess H broke down in tears in the end as she pleaded me.

“Before that, Venerable Saintess, may I see the list of treasures that can be exchanged for with points? I feel that only after doing so will I become motivated to work.”

“Ah! Of course. Come this way!”

We entered further deeper into the great temple.

Coming across golems at every turn of a path was a given. The Demon King’s castle was a playground for kids compared to here. I wondered: what nerve did I have to try and break through all this? The saying, the ignorant are brave, automatically popped into my mind.

Clank-clank, creaak-

The locks on the huge sliding door at the end of the corridor were opened in succession, and two golems pushed opened those thick doors from both sides.

Thump, thump.

Her complexion having recovered its color, Saintess H said, “It’s here. Almost all of the large event rewards of the Hero Festival are stored in this place.”

“Even the reward of the main event?”

‘The exciting event where I kill all the Heroes aside from me, that is. Just the mere thought of it is thrilling!’

Close to Tears: Student Kang Han Soo! Three are supposed to remain, not one! And that doesn’t mean it’s an event where you kill everyone while leaving only two alive! The entire meaning of the event is the collaboration of love and friendship! Just what on earth do you think the festival is for?!

‘Miss Trainee Teacher’s asking a deep question, huh. A festival’s just a festival, isn’t it?’

“Unfortunately, the main event reward is stored in another location. Be that as it may, the rewards piled up in this treasure storehouse can be considered outstanding as well, and since the better a reward the more points it requires, it does not matter much. Venerable Saint, will you take a look at this sword?”

Saintess H pointed towards a certain sword on display.

“Holy Demon Sword, Swordmaster…?”

“Yes, you saw correctly. It’s the replica of a sword that was favored by the man called Sword God. While its power amounts to half of the original, that alone makes it adequately valuable. Please look at the price tag hung on its hilt.”

[Demon Sword of a certain Sword God: 15 points]

“15 points?”

“yes. If Venerable Saint succeeds in reforming 15 demon worshipers in the great temple, you will be able to possess this sword.”

I understood the principle.

I swiftly scanned through the rewards inside the treasure storehouse. I was seeing the majority of these items for the first time, but there were also some I found familiar, having seen them somewhere, scattered about here and there.

[A certain mermaid’s broomstick: 12 points]
[A certain queen’s necklace: 3 points]
[A certain Elf King’s bow: 15 points]
[A certain imperial princess’ garter belt: 34 points]
[A certain archaeologist’s telescope: 7 points]
[A certain Sage’s staff: 17 points]
…

After circling the inside of the treasure storehouse 3 times, I licked my lips.

“There’s nothing to my liking.”

Apart from the consumable potions that raised Skill proficiency, nothing caught my fancy. The equipments were all replicas, and there was no weapon comparable with Holy Sword 2. But if there was something that relatively stood a chance?

[A certain Hero’s sword: 100 points]

It was the replica of Holy Sword 1. However, as I had passed the period of playing with a beginner-use automatic training tool, it was no more than an utterly useless hunk of metal to me.

Saintess H made a troubled face at my discontent.

“I’m sorry, Venerable Saint. Even if there’s nothing you are drawn to, please make a choice among the treasures currently in this storehouse.”

My interest was piqued by her words—choose among the treasures currently in this storehouse?

If so…

“How much are you, Venerable Saintess?”

“What? Huhu! You sure know how to joke. I’m not a reward.”

“But you’re currently inside the treasure storehouse, aren’t you?”

I decided to force reason all the way.

“Th-that’s…”

“Even though you hope for the demon worshipers to be reformed, you actually leave yourself out of it? Don’t you disqualify as a Saintess who must devote herself for the peace of humanity?”

“Mm…”

“Are my words wrong?”

“No. What you have pointed out is correct, Venerable Saint.”

Saintess H became enlightened.

Horror: Just what is going on?! How was the Saintess persuaded by Student Kang Han Soo’s illogical fabrications… It can’t be?!

‘Miss Trainee Teacher, don’t get agitated. I’ll fight fair and square as a Saint.’

“So how much are you, Venerable Saintess?”

“I am…”

From this day onwards, Saintess H went around hanging a price tag by her neck.

[A certain Saintess’ everything: 500 points]

And as for me?

“You’re S-rank? I’m SSS-rank.”

“Gasp?!”

This was the difference in Dark Energy between the demon worshipers and me.

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

▷Race: Dark Human
▷Level: 999+
▷Job: Hero(EXP 200%)
▷Skills: Magic(SS) Sorcery(SS) Fighting Spirit(S) Dark Energy(S) Tolerance(S)…
▷Condition: Captured, Sealed, Astonished, Overwhelmed

The demon worshipers imprisoned in the great temple were strong. Each and every one of them came close to or exceeded the power of a top-class demon, and their Race, Job and Skills varied as well; this was enough to know why the Saintess hadn’t disposed of these individuals, a fighting force too regretful to simply kill. It was only natural to want to recycle them whatever the means.

I was of the same thought.

“Kneel.”

“I heed, O King of Evil!”

The demon worshiper had behaved frivolously untoward like a ruffian when I came to his cell alone; however, the moment he saw the Dark Energy emanating from my body, he hastily knocked his forehead against the ground as he fell prostrate.

My Dark Energy was SSS-rank, the same level as Demon King Pedonar. In demon society, the one with greater Dark Energy was unconditionally the superior and senior, and this pecking order applied as is to demon worshipers as well. There was no need for the likes of feeble preaching or persuasion.

Swaaa-

When I showed a glimpse of my Dark Energy like it was an ID card, even those demon worshipers with the worst of attitudes would turn into meek sheep.

It was so easy that I was even on the verge of yawning.

Perplexed: I don’t think this was supposed to be the purpose behind the Saint event…

‘Hey now! Miss Trainee Teacher. It’s fine as long as the end result is the same!’

This was a method would be directly made use of in role-playing games as well. By first becoming familiar with the contents of a mission through a game walkthrough site, you would bring whatever Knight Captain Q needed to him—be it the subordinate he wanted you to find, the items and spoils and so on—all at once to receive the rewards in succession.

I didn’t rush, however, as this was no game but reality. If the speed at which I reformed the demon worshipers was too fast, then I would inevitably draw Saintess H’s suspicion. That wouldn’t be a favorable direction of events.

In addition…

“Number 3.”

“Please speak, O master of mine.”

“Pass over the unnecessary power in your body.”

“I hear and obey.”

I was in the middle of earning some profit on the side as well.

Some among the demon worshipers possessed ‘Divinity’ in their body. Despite losing themselves in the allure of Dark Energy and falling to corruption, they had been holding on to this thread of hope.

▷Race: Human
▷Level: 999+
▷Job: Monk(Faith→Divinity↑)
▷Skills: Close Quarters Combat(SS) Endurance(S) Faith(S) Divinity(S) Dark Energy(A)…
▷Condition: Captured, Sealed, Anguish, Worship

I decided to grant salvation to these creatures who were suffering from their wavering and worldly desires.

I drew near the demon worshiper Monk, who wasn’t able to move freely even inside the cell, and stuck in a straw made of Divinity(C).

Swuurlp-

▷Race: Dark Human
▷Level: 999+
▷Job: Fanatic(Faith→Madness↑)
▷Skills: Close Quarters Combat(SS) Dark Energy(SS) Endurance(S) Faith(S) Madness(S)…
▷Condition: Captured, Sealed, Tranquil, Worship

The conflict disappeared from the demon worshiper’s previously indecisive expression, and the combat potential of his formerly ambiguous hybrid set of Skills drastically rose as it became specialized in the element of Dark Energy.

I had also experienced growth as well.

Divinity(C)→Divinity(B)

Although the efficiency of my proficiency level increasing was hopeless, as I currently didn’t have the Job Hero, there were many in this great temple who were suffering due to being unable to put down their Divinity.

I was going to save them all!

And for free at that too.

‘What a hopeless busybody I am…!’

“Oh my! Three people in a single day…!”

Saintess H was astonished at seeing the ‘result’ of three demon worshipers having become well-behaved.

“It wasn’t easy as they were vicious savages.”

I had broken some hard sweat absorbing their high-rank Divinity, which had acted up awfully.

“You’ve worked very hard indeed. I can tell how difficult it must have been even without having been there, Venerable Saint. I’m a crybaby who couldn’t even dare to reform these people, after all. I give you my sincere thanks.”

Saintess H courteously bowed towards me.

I lightly waved a hand as I responded in humble fashion.

“It’s only the beginning. Ah! And I have a small request to make.”

“Please speak.”

“There are muppe-… trusted companions of mine outside the great temple. I would like for you to make it so they can stay in the great temple.”

“It’s only a given that I do that much.”

Saintess H smiled warmly as she replied in a refreshing manner.

And thus the K father and daughter also entered the great temple. These two were the precious bait to entice the angels. It would be troublesome if they ended up dying at the hands of angels out of my sight.

However…

“You are…!”

Boss K was frightened out of his wits upon sighting Saintess H who had permitted their entry.

“Have we… met somewhere before?”

Saintess H so asked with a tilted head.

“… How could that be. Haha! I was merely marveling at how divine you are, Venerable Saintess, easily deserving of being appointed as a natural treasure. Hahaha!”

“Huhu! You overpraise me.”

Having finished her business, Saintess H gave a gentle smile before turning around to leave.

While gazing at the rhythmic movements of Saintess H’s divine buttocks, the comparison of which with that of a skinny Elf itself would be blasphemy, Boss K whispered to me under his breath, “Sir Hero. Please be wary of that Saintess.”

He warned me with an utterly serious face.

That being the case, it was necessary for me to also respond with equal gravity.

“Top or bottom?”

“Both are fatally dangerou-… Hm-hm! I am not talking about the Saintess’ body. She is very closely related to the teaching staff.”

“I know that much as well.”

“Eh? How did you…?”

Boss K asked with a disbelieving look on his face.

“Simple. Because all the graduates summoned to the Hero Festival, without exception, start off by meeting Saintess H.”

There was no way for the one leading the prologue to be an ordinary native, and that was why I was trying to obtain her.

Having secured the safety of the K father and daughter, I directed my focus onto the Saint event.

* \*
\*

The Saint event. It definitely began with ‘reforming the demon worshipers’. A selection reward event that granted 1 point each time the Saint persuaded a demon worshiper into becoming an ally.

Like how all business were like, however, additional expenses occurring due to unforeseen circumstances or variables couldn’t be helped.

The Saint event was like that as well.

“I can’t trust anybody aside from the Venerable Saint!”

“Don’t ask me, but ask the Venerable Saint.”

“As only the Venerable Saint is my truth and belief…”

The reformed demon worshipers didn’t follow the orders of Saintess H and the members of the great temple, because their becoming well-behaved wasn’t out of love for mankind.

It was out of absolute loyalty towards me!

They could be called true demon worshipers.

Saintess H spoke to me with a worried face.

“It’s terrible—I’m failing to obtain the trust of the heroes. There is no meaning to their reforming like this…”

I replied in a natural manner.

“This can’t be helped. Even if reformed, it isn’t as if the fact they were imprisoned in the great temple for long will disappear; the feelings that have built up over that time won’t be easily resolved. However, this might also be solved if I persuade them, but…”

I formed a circle with my thumb and forefinger.

Quick to catch on, Saintess H understood its meaning immediately.

“Great Venerable Saint, if you aid me in gaining the trust of the heroes, I will award you an extra 1 point for each person.”

“I will lend my help with my everything.”

And thus it became 2 points for each person!

Since there were 514 demon worshipers, I would be able to obtain 1028 points at the maximum. With that, I would likely be able to procure nearly all of the decent rewards in the treasure storehouse.

Impressed: Student Kang Han Soo, you’re good at scamming.

‘It ain’t scamming, but doing business, Miss Trainee Teacher.’

I had accumulated 4 points so far since two days had passed from the event’s beginning. I had controlled my speed in order to avoid suspicious and throw Saintess H into suspense; however, I planned on gradually raising the pace from now on.

For now, I would start with the fourth reformed demon worshiper.

“Hear me, Numbers 1 to 4.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Give the command, O King.”

“Curry favor with Saintess H and act as she desires you to. That is the way to drawing closer to our dearest wish.”

“Ooh!”

“I hear and obey!”

The demon worshipers who received my order amicably approached Saintess H. They obediently responded to her conversations, and followed her directions well as well. Although they still wore cuffs and fetters, as the great temple couldn’t completely lower their guards yet, they became able to go outside of their stifling cells.

It was simple work for me, having already experienced handling demon worshipers back at the Dumpling Kingdom. The demon worshipers hid their boiling aggression and animosity, and slowly melded into life at the great temple with smiling faces.

Thanks to that, my point accumulation was going smoothly as well.

4 points→8 points

The system of 2 points per reformed person was complete.

I also raised my speed of work from this point on.

“Hah! After that indecent-looking Saintess, now it’s a fledgeling Saint? You damned tool of god, bundled in hypocrisy, listen well! I am never going to cooperate with you lot here who make light of humanity’s hope!”

Not all of those imprisoned were demon worshipers; some were branded by a Hero as hostile demon worshipers under the pretext of not cooperating with the Hero’s party.

I didn’t listen to their aggrieved stories—my only interest was in their Status.

▷Race: Human
▷Level: 999+
▷Job: Cardinal(Religious Influence→Divinity↑)
▷Skills: Divinity(SS) Sorcery(S) Magic Power(S) Stamina(A) Mind(A)…
▷Condition: Captured, Sealed, Indomitable

So he was a former cardinal?

This middle-aged man, whose honest-looking blue eyes made an impression, possessed Divinity(SS), a truly delicious-looking mass of power.

He began to recount his story of his own accord.

Back when he was still a cardinal, he witnessed a Hero—an individual similar to that Sieg who raised his reputation despicably—in the act of committing an atrocity. Afterwards, he revolted against the Fantasy God that summoned this sex-loving, hypocritical so-called hero in disappointment and rage, but the result that followed was miserable as evident.

This was why a person needed to stand in line well.

I approached the righteous former cardinal who couldn’t budge a single inch, and stuck a straw made of Divinity(B) in him.

“Bastard! What are you trying to do to m-… Eugyagyah?!”

“Bear with it just a little, my friend.”

‘Because you’ll become comfortable soon.’

▷Race: Dark Human
▷Level: 999+
▷Job: Archpriest(Religious Influence→Glamor↑)
▷Skills: Sorcery(S) Dark Energy(S) Magic Power(S) Glamor(A) Stamina(A)…
▷Condition: Captured, Sealed, Exulting

Having received plenty of my Dark Energy, the former cardinal’s expression turned incomparably serene—perhaps a face high on drugs would appear as such. His past anguish was nowhere to be found, and while it did seem like his eyes, which had been as clear as the finest pure water, had turned as murky as the deep ocean, that was all just a trick of the mind.

The now become Archpriest shed tears as he spoke.

“Ohh! Only now have I realized that you are my hope! How could have my life been so foolish until now?! I will offer my life to you, the true seeker of truth.”

And then he kissed the back of my foot.

‘A damn man acting so filthy…’

“Number 9, I shall be looking forward to your performance.”

“Please leave it to me!”

In this manner, the reformed demon worshipers increased one after another. Their main duty was to hang about Saintess H, who doubled as the event supervisor on top of her own occupation, and claim, “We’ve been reformed!”

“Ahh! I love humanity.”

“Make the world as beautiful as Venerable Saintess!”

“Venerable Saintess, I apologize for speaking so rudely until now.”

“Please forgive my disrespect, Venerable Saintess.”

The innocent Saintess H in turn responded to their words and apologies with a joyful heart. She was also proactive for the sake of strengthening their trust.

“It’s alright! Everyone!”

Acting with sincerity! Kindness! Beauty!

But this was no easy thing to do either.

16 points→314 points

It was fine when the number of demon worshipers were few. When their numbers passed 100, however, it reached a point where it was difficult for Saintess H to handle them by herself—a single day would pass even if she talked 10 minutes with each person. Nevertheless, Saintess H couldn’t rest.

I made it so that she couldn’t.

Tears: The Saintess is too pitiful! Why doesn’t the Labor Standards Act apply to her?

‘Miss Trainee Teacher, that’s just how life is, isn’t it?’

This was nothing more than a warm-up to lay the ground bait.

The demon worshipers, who had judged the time was ripe, discreetly proceeded to talk about me to Saintess H who was weary from mental fatigue. Their idolatry was already beginning.

For instance…

“Venerable Saintess. Over there, do you see?”

“I see the Venerable Saint resting by the pond.”

“Indeed. Don’t you think the Venerable Saint looks so wonderful, licking his lips while watching the mermaids?”

“That’s a bit… Ah, yes. He really does look great.”

And to give another example…

“For an amazing person such as the Venerable Saint to have remained single until now, this is a tragedy of humanity. Venerable Saintess also thinks so, right?”

“Yes, I agree.”

“Then I will believe in only you, Venerable Saintess.”

“Yes, just leave it to… What?!”

In the case of a fellow woman…

“Venerable Saintess, have you seen it by chance?”

“Seen what?”

“Venerable Saint in the nude. I’ve seen it secretly. Ahh! I’d have no regrets dying if I got to be held in his wide embrace and taken hard!”

“Ah, uh. Was it that amazing…?”

The demon worshipers stirred up Saintess H all day long. It didn’t have much of an effect at first, but from the point the number of reformed demon worshipers passed 200, she ended up being swayed about one-sidedly.

And at last…

“Venerable Saint, there’s something I must tell you.”

Saintess H came talking to me, squirming shyly.

“Please go on.”

“That… could we talk in the garden? There are too many eyes here, so… there’s a quiet spot that no one goes to.”

“Then let’s go.”

I followed Saintess H and entered deep into the garden.

Very deep.

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

“Huh! That, isn’t that the Saintess?”

“Is the man beside her that rumored Saint?”

“Where are the two going?”

I saw several of the graduates wandering about the great temple. Although entry here was strictly prohibited, it was opened to the public to a limited extent as the temple became linked with the various events of Start City. The number of graduates who had visited the great temple through numerous routes weren’t few, but they didn’t stand out in the least due to the scale of the garden being so overwhelming.

Upon sighting us in the midst of looking at the temple’s beautiful garden in fascination, they broke into whispers among their own company before furtively moving to chase after us, unable to bear their curiosity.

“Eh? Where did they disappear to?”

“Strange. This is a single path, though?”

They lost us in no time, however, and lost their way too—that’s how complex and dimly-lit the path we were taking was.

Saintess H began to speak.

“Venerable Saint, please hold my hand. I, I have no ulterior motive! But that doesn’t mean I don’t have any at all, so please don’t misunderstand!”

“This is… perception interference magic?”

“It’s similar. It’s an enchantment based on primitive geomancy and Dragon Veins, put in place by arranging the garden trees and rocks in a consistent pattern.”

‘… Is she talking about earth science? Not my specialty, so may as well just leave it at that.’

For how long had we been heading in further deep, I wondered to myself, but it was then that Saintess H’s footsteps, that had seemed as if they would never stop, gradually slowed before she finally stopped in place.

“Venerable Saintess, have we arrived?”

“Yes, it’s here.”

It was an extremely dark spot despite the broad daylight outside. There was a small pavilion with hexagonal pillars made of snow white marble, and surrounding it like a wall was a dense cluster of trees and shade plants. It was indeed a quiet place as Saintess H had said.

Peek-peek.

Except for one thing—one of the golems which guarded the great temple was here as well.

“About what you wanted to tell me…?”

“Here, no one can know, no one can see, and no one can listen in. I’m very sorry, Venerable Saint! I spoke a lie! I can’t hide this desire and these feelings anymore!”

After yelling those words out with intensity, Saintess H came charging over at me, and I motionlessly took her on despite being able to dodge.

Jiggle~

Saintess H buried her face in my shoulder, and pressed her cushiony chest right against mine. But perhaps she hadn’t thought of what would come next? She merely stood there, body trembling fiercely. Or if not that…

“Haah…!”

Perhaps she was fully satisfied with just this lukewarm contact.

Saintess H breathed heavily in gasps, so hot and rough as to be heard by my ears, and she continued to make physical contact like a child demanding for something. But this didn’t go on forever either.

Flinch.

Having noticed something by instinct, Saintess H attempted to tentatively withdraw herself; however, a man who would obediently allow this wasn’t a man.

Grasp.

“Venerable Saintess, you didn’t lie.”

With my right arm I hugged in close the slender small of her back, grabbing her to prevent escape, while with my left hand I caressed her from the ear and down, fingers barely touching.

“Hmmh! B-but I…”

“We’ve already begun to talk.”

With our bodies.

The outrageous nun’s garb of Saintess H, who was handpicked by the teaching staff, was designed to slip off with a flutter by untying a single knot.

Fwip, Sss…

The moment the ribbon behind her neck was undone, the nun’s garb slipped off like a banana peel.

“Euh…!”

The surprised Saintess H shut both her eyes tightly; it was only natural for the real experience to feel different despite having anticipated it quite a bit. She plaintively reached out her hands to grab her dropping clothes, but ultimately let them be.

Tug.

Instead, it was her gravity defying chest which caught her falling clothes.

I burst out in laughter despite myself, and lightly removed that final resistance with the flick of a finger.

Swww…

The nun’s garb fell onto the grass below us like a waterfall, and thus Saintess H’s naked body was revealed.

“It really is a fantasy…”

I subconsciously spoke aloud my own thoughts.

In this Hero Festival that the teaching staff had worked hard to prepare, it would be terrible if the flagship signboard, who was to welcome the guests invited to this festival, were to have shabby looks, no? And that was why Saintess H was thoroughly catered to the masses, possessing an appearance that could only be acknowledged as “beautiful!” by anybody regardless of age or gender. For this, the teaching staff had ignored realism and the human anatomy like they were trifles.

“Wuuh…”

Saintess H curled her shoulders and pressed into my embrace more proactively. Her tense body seemed piteous, and the space between her tightly shut thighs was being protected by a flimsy piece of cloth.

I didn’t hurry; I was cast in a different mold compared to those fantasy world savages that would lose their wits and rush in upon seeing a naked beauty. In a manner befitting that of a gentlemanly Earthling, I took a slow approach starting from the outside.

I first began with her upper lip.

“Hm…”

“Mmm…”

I carried forth with my plan to hold my stance like this until the impregnable fortress called Saintess H raised the white flag first and lowered the drawbridge—until she pleaded to be conquered, exhausted. I was already starting to look forward to that mome-…

Peek: Even I’m getting all in a flutter for no reason…

‘Mm? Why is Miss Trainee Teacher here? Get out already before I report you!’

“You too!”

I tore away Saintess H’s drenched ‘castle gates’ and hurled it towards a certain direction.

“Aagh?! V-Venerable Saint! That’s…!”

Splat!

The triangle-shaped piece of cloth I threw covered the face of the golem which had been continuing to get on my nerves from a while ago; its adhesive strength was very much excellent due to being wet. With this, its sight was completed blocked out. The golem’s body made of rock trembled hard as if feeling deep regret, but it didn’t move due to its mission of being a watchman.

“Venerable Saintess, don’t mind it.”

“How can I no-… Hauh…!?”

It was adult time from here on out.

* \*

Several days had passed after that happening, and Saintess H—who was conquered even as far as her ‘inner ward’, which had not once permitted external invasion in her lifetime—welcomed the visit of her vanquisher today as well. Without reserve, I stuck a ‘straw’ in her.

Swuurl-

And sucked in.

Once, twice, five times, ten times…

▷Race: Grand Human
▷Level: 999+
▷Job: Saintess(Faith→Resurrection↑)
▷Skills: Immortal(SSS) Faith(SS) Divinity(SS) Glamor(S) Virtue(S)…
▷Condition: Excited, Delighted, Happy

As I had guessed, Saintess H was special; her Divinity(SS) never ran dry no matter how much I sucked on it. There were some among the demon worshipers who also had SS-rank Divinity, but their power had ended up drained in no time when I stuck in a straw and absorbed it. Saintess H’s Divinity, however, was infinite, evidence of an external influence which wasn’t being shown in her Status.

Tsss…

The Dark Energy that I injected into Saintess H was all extinguished. I speculated that this also was due to an external influence outside of her Status.

Explanation: You’re right. The festival can’t proceed if the Saintess who is supposed to receive the guests either dies or becomes corrupt, after all. That’s also why the security system of the great temple is abnormally high.

Miss Trainee Teacher affirmed my guess.

It was nothing bad for me, however.

Divinity(A)→Divinity(SS)

Previously having merely reached A-rank in the Skill even after absorbing all the Divinity possessed by the 514 demon worshipers in the great temple, I was able to raise it further until achieving SS-rank—all thanks to Saintess H who had infinite Divinity! But I wasn’t able to reach SSS-rank in the end, as my proficiency level had stopped at 99.99%.

I didn’t worry, however; I already knew the method to solve this problem.

“The time’s come to use those points.”

I had at last finished reforming all of the demon worshipers. While I could have made them all submit within a single day had I so wished, I had intentionally controlled the timing.

Saintess H wasn’t the only one within the great temple: mermaids, gardeners, cleaners, cooks… I had needed to fool all of them.

Of course, there was no need to be concerned with Saintess H now, as her mind and spirit had turned pitch-black after having spent days listening to over 500 demon worshipers sing my praises on and on. Her body and heart was within my grasp as well. As for what was left now?

“I don’t know if she can be systematically subordinated.”

I couldn’t tell this until I tried.

As of now I had 1028 points, and the price I’d forced on Saintess H through fabrications was 500 points. I had gathered enough points to have plenty leftover even after purchasing her; however, whether this would be allowed by the system was a separate issue that remained to be seen.

First…

[Low-grade Divinity Increase Potion: 3 points]
[Middle-grade Divinity Increase Potion: 7 points]
[High-grade Divinity Increase Potion: 13 points]
[Top-grade Divinity Increase Potion: 20 points]
…

After buying all the potions that raised the Skill proficiency of Divinity, I continued chugging them down until my rank rose.

And at last…

Divinity(SS)→Divinity(SSS)

My proficiency level broke through 99.99% and my rank reached SSS-rank. Perhaps this was exactly how a Murim martial expert felt when they crossed over a wall!

“… It’s amazing?”

I could utter nothing else after confirming the effect had by this advancement.

As for the leftover dregs of potions, I evenly shared them between the K father and daughter as if showing generosity. With this, the two now had a way to break through the angels’ god-mode cheat.
“Ooh! Thank you so much!”

“For Sir Hero to give us these precious potions…”

‘There’s nothing to be grateful about. I’m only giving you these so as to avoid dying a dog’s death by the angels’ hands, after all.’

In addition to those potions, I purchased weapons imbued with the element of ‘Dark Energy’. These were also for the K pair.

If they still died with all this, then that couldn’t be helped.

“Venerable Saint, you have 896 points remaining,” Saintess H said, having accompanied me to the treasure storehouse as the supervisor. She was fidgeting with the price tag hung by her neck even as she spoke.

[A Certain Saintess’ Everything: 500 points]

I fell into thought while stroking my chin. Since I had raised Divinity to SSS-rank, I had no further business with Saintess H; I didn’t really feel the need to invest 500 points in her. While that was indeed the case…

“I’m curious is what I’m saying.”

What would happen if the guide(Saintess H) didn’t appear in the prologue?

If I could witness the panicking sight of the graduates who had just entered the Hero Festival, 500 points wouldn’t be wasted!

In addition, this was certain to cause neck-aching stress to the teaching staff who had prepared the festival. When taking all that into consideration, it was absolutely a hot deal.

Dismay: Student Kang Han Soo, are you really going to do it?

‘Miss Trainee Teacher, are you really asking that?’

But I wouldn’t do so immediately; I began to quickly use up the remaining points I had.

[Low-grade Summon Increase Potion: 2 points]
[Middle-grade Summon Increase Potion: 5 points]
[High-grade Summon Increase Potion: 9 points]
[Top-grade Summon Increase Potion: 14 points]
…

Skill: Summon. A Skill that I didn’t have. I intended on trying it out as Holy Sword 2 had remained even after regressing thanks to Black-Box’s effect—would a being summoned by myself also be kept? To confirm this, I forcibly raised the proficiency of the Skill, ‘Summon’, by the power of potions without training or study!

Summon(F)→Summon(E)→Summon(D)

I had barely achieved D-rank even after gulping down all those potions. It felt a bone-deep pain at not having a Hero’s perk of EXP 500%; however, I didn’t become disappointed, as this was only a Skill meant for an experiment.

Afterwards, I stretched out my hand towards the potion which I had my eye on from the first day here.

[Low-grade Storage Expansion Potion: 5 points]
[Middle-grade Storage Expansion Potion: 10 points]
[High-grade Storage Expansion Potion: 15 points]
[Top-grade Storage Expansion Potion: 20 points]
…

Skill: Storage. A Skill that I had never seen even once before in Fantasia’s continents.

‘Miss Trainee Teacher? Explanation please!’

Troubled: It’s as you guessed, Student Kang Han Soo. The mobile four-dimensional storage is a prohibited Skill that isn’t released in Fantasia’s continents. You can’t build up a team spirit if the need to divide heavy burdens with your companions disappears, right? There was also the intention to raise the festival participation rate of the graduates with this Skill as bait.

I deeply agreed with that reasoning, as I had also recruited ‘Porter’ back in the 2nd Playthrough. There was nothing to contemplate about purchasing this.

I cleanly bought up all of the Storage Expansion Potions in the treasure storehouse and used them.

Storage(F)→Storage(E)→Storage(D)

I thought of confirming later on as to how much could be stored with the Skill at D-rank.

Now, for the remaining points?

“Venerable Saint, you have 535 points remaining,” Saintess H informed me in an anxious tone. Her eyes had also turned extremely desperate, unlike how they were relaxed in the beginning.

535 points.

I thought on with while rubbing my chin—and then made a decision.

[Low-grade Energy Increase Potion: 1 point]
[A Certain Imperial Princess’ Garter Belt: 34 points]
[A Certain Saintess’ Everything: 500 points]

Light enveloped Saintess H and the garter belt, signifying that they had become bound to me. I had been feeling uncertain as to whether it would succeed, but it really had. As for the insignificant dosage of Energy Potion, I chugged it down immediately!

With this, I had used up all the points I had.

Resigned: Who will carry on the event if the festival-exclusive Saintess becomes bound to a single individual? I don’t know anymore either…

‘Haha! Miss Trainee Teacher, think easy thoughts. The festival won’t fall apart just because of one Saintess being take-… Mm?’

Creak!

Drrrk!

The two golems, that had been standing guard by the treasure storehouse’s entrance like a pair of ministers, turned to look at me, and rushed over without even an advance warning.

“Now this I didn’t expect!”

Was it because a problem had occurred to the core of the great temple, Saintess H? Still, facing two golems was within my capability.

Swiftly summoning forth Holy Sword 2 and amplifying my Skills, I proceeded to engage the golems, charging over like bulls, in close combat.

And then there was a flash of light!

Crash-!

Slam-!

The two golems that had collapsed backward tumbled about the treasure storehouse. Cracks appeared in the walls and floor, and many of the rewards were destroyed or were sent flying everywhere. The golems’ sturdy bodies weren’t unscathed either.

“Hahah!”

I let loose a burst of laughter at the sight.

The golems guarding the great temple were definitely strong; however, as someone under the divine protection of Divinity(SSS), they weren’t my opponents. Perhaps it should be said it was a bad matchup for them.

Creak!

Creaak!

The other golems scattered across the great temple noticed the unusual disturbance and activated in unison.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

3,139 giants began to swarm towards the treasure storehouse.

“Venerable Saint…!”

“Sir Hero…!”

Saintess H and Elf K turned to look at me with anxious faces.

As for Boss K?

He was in the middle of going around the treasure storehouse amidst this emergency situation, diligently scarfing down various Skill increasing potions.

His eyes happening to meet mine, he yelled, “Gulp! I shall become strong and help you! Sir Hero!”

‘You sure talk well while focusing on chugging down Energy Increase Potions!’

“It’s fine. There are plenty of guys who’ll help other than you.”

I activated Dark Energy(SSS) in tandem with Divinity(SSS).

Swaaaa-

Mourning: Seniors…

There wasn’t only a horde of golems inside the great temple—the 514 demon worshipers following me were on standby throughout the place, having waited for the day of vengeance against the great temple that imprisoned them.

And that moment had finally arrived.

“Wipe them all out.”

‘Annihilate not only the great temple’s golems, but even Start City!’

The Saint event itself had ended.

Starting now was the exciting massacre event.

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