Chapter 125 of 140

Chapter 125

Chapter 125. Can I Become Like That Too?

“Hey! Mr. Ultimate Strongest Fighter!”

“Ah, yes!”

This place wasn’t a world inside a game.

I was sure of that.

[Name: Ultimate Strongest Fighter. Level: 15. Gender: Male. Race: Human.]

Main Class – Pure Hero Aspirant
Sub Class 1 – Street Fighter

Strength: 53
Stamina: 50
Agility: 38
Wisdom: 20

Total Defense: 82

Acquired Title – One Who Tries to Protect

I mostly fought with my bare body.

Then one day, I died while fighting to protect a child I happened to meet on the street, and somehow gained the class Hero Aspirant.

For a system to provide results that matched a user's actions and playstyle this perfectly, it would have to prepare answers for every possible choice and personality beforehand.

The Chairman's company was certainly big enough to attempt something like that.

But even then, this wasn't something they could have prepared in the short time since he arrived in Korea.

“What is it?”

“This fellow twisted his ankle. Could you take him to the healer, Mr. Ultimate Strongest Fighter?”

“Yes, of course.”

When I saw people casually accept a strange and ridiculous name like Ultimate Strongest Fighter, I sometimes wondered if this really was a game after all.

But then I looked at the man who had twisted his ankle while carrying heavy luggage.

The pain on his face looked completely real.

That only strengthened my belief that this wasn't a game world.

I'm sure of it. The Chairman connected this place to another world and disguised it as a game.

If that was true, was the Chairman's goal to use the players to destroy or ruin this connected world?

As expected of the Chairman.

His tastes were disgusting.

“Over there. Let's take me to Miss Lucy over there.”

“Ah... Lucy?”

Lucy Lowell was a player just like me, someone who didn't originally belong to this world.

She was the leader of the Rear Support Unit.

But she had such a calm and seasoned atmosphere around her that it was hard to believe she was simply someone playing a game.

She reminded me of the comrades outside who had already been through countless hardships.

And from what I had heard, she also seemed to have some connection with that man.

More importantly... I think she hates me.

This was the first time I'd ever been hated this much by an ally when I hadn't even done anything wrong.

Did she hear something about me from that man?

But I looked completely different here compared to reality.

And I'd only met that man once.

“Aren't you tired from constantly going back and forth between the Vanguard and the Rear Support Unit?”

“Shut up.”

On the first day of departure, she had served as the raid party's guide and had practically taken charge of leading the whole group.

I had only asked if she was tired.

Yet her reply couldn't have been sharper.

If I could just talk to Lucy, I might be able to learn something about that man as well.

But I had been blocked right from the start.

Did I approach her with too obvious an ulterior motive? Did she notice?

After that, whenever I tried talking to her, I didn't even get a short answer.

At most, she would click her tongue in irritation.

Usually, when someone pushed people away like this, there was some sad story behind it.

But with her, I couldn't sense anything like that.

It honestly seemed like she simply hated me.

“You probably want to stay with your companions if possible. It must be really hard for you.”

“...You piece of trash. This is all because of you... Get lost.”

Some people might enjoy that kind of sharp attitude.

But for me, it only reminded me of that child who had now gone somewhere far beyond my reach.

It made my chest ache.

And strangely enough, it made me want to talk to Lucy even more.

By then, I had become more curious about Lucy herself than about that man.

“Um! If there's anything I can help you with, just tell me! I'll do my best! If there's anything difficult you're dealing with—!”

“If you don't shut your mouth, I'll sew it closed.”

That probably wasn't the best choice.

Anyway, we didn't have much time left before entering the Demonic Realm.

It wouldn't be good to leave an injured person untreated.

I should take him over and have him treated quickly.

“A-Ahem! Um, Lucy? I've brought an injured patient!”

“Put him down and get lost.”

Lucy had been constantly moving around from morning until night.

Even at a glance, she looked exhausted.

I understood that she was probably the only person among the Vanguard capable of acting as raid leader, but making her handle both the raid leader's job and the guide's job seemed too much.

“Are you okay? You look really tired.”

“...You're awfully interested in me, aren't you?”

Lucy gave me a faint smile as she spoke.

The man who had come with me started rambling excitedly about how it was his first time seeing her smile.

But my entire body froze.

...No matter how I looked at it, that was not an innocent smile.

It was the kind of smile someone made just before causing trouble.

The calm before the storm.

At times like this, retreating was the right choice.

If I carelessly said another few words, she might kick me out of the raid entirely.

“...Strange. Why does she hate me so much?”

I hadn't done anything particularly wrong to Lucy.

Today was only the second day since the raid party departed.

Even if I wanted to cause trouble, there hadn't been enough time to do anything.

And I had definitely been working hard.

“Hey, Mr. Ultimate.”

“Yes?”

One of the blacksmiths from the Alliance quietly came over to me.

He glanced between Lucy and me before carefully opening his mouth.

Wait.

Was there anyone in the Rear Support Unit who didn't know my name?

Maybe everyone remembered it because it was so unusual.

“You're trying awfully hard, aren't you?”

“Uh... trying hard at what?”

“Why do you keep flirting with a woman who's already taken?!”

“What?! M-Me?! When did I ever do that?!”

That was something I had never expected to hear.

When had I ever flirted with anyone?!

Wait.

Was he talking about Lucy?

B-But I hadn't exactly been flirting with Lucy.

Usually, I said one sentence, got showered with insults, and ran away.

“What exactly did I even do?!”

“Just looking at how you've been acting, even a three-year-old could tell you're interested in Captain Lucy.”

“What are you talking about?! That's not it! I just thought she seemed like someone who always worked hard and that she seemed like a good person, so I tried talking to her!”

But wait.

Lucy was already taken?

What did that mean?

Had something happened somewhere without me noticing?

Hold on.

Then from their point of view, didn't I look like some shameless bastard trying to steal another man's woman?!

“You seriously don't know? The raid leader and Captain Lucy over there have that kind of relationship!”

“...Really?”

If that was true...

Just how charming was that man?!

My first impression of him had been of a man who looked exhausted, acted like everything in the world was annoying, and casually threw around harsh words.

Even in a life-or-death battle, he had maintained that carefree, almost frivolous attitude.

It was completely different from Lucy, who seemed elegant and even graceful.

That child also became softer after meeting that man... and Lucy is also with him...!

A strange feeling slowly rose inside me.

This was something beyond jealousy.

It was almost closer to awe.

I was envious of him.

And at the same time, I wanted to become like him.

How should I even describe a feeling like this?

Wasn't he exactly the kind of person I had always dreamed of becoming?

A hero who was strong...

And loved by people.

Could I become like that too?

“That's amazing...!”

“You think just anyone can become a hero?”

A hero...

Even in reality, that man had dealt a huge blow to the Chairman and was considered a hero by some people.

And even here...

He was incredible.

“Anyway, Mr. Ultimate. There are plenty of other women in the world, so don't go after someone else's woman.”

“I told you, I'm not doing that!”

I continued bickering with the older men as we walked.

Then suddenly, an endless wall of thick fog appeared before us.

It was exactly as I had heard.

You couldn't see anything inside.

Everything horrible happening beyond that fog was completely hidden.

The Demonic Realm.

At least I was glad nothing like this existed in reality.

“So this is the Demonic Realm...!”

“Start getting ready. We arrived in only two days, so we really did make good time.”

The other members of the raid started putting the supplied accessories around their necks.

Now it truly felt like things were beginning.

The fact that we needed a special item just to enter made this place feel very game-like.

[You have equipped a special accessory! Thanks to the class trait of Pure Hero Aspirant, the accessory's negative effects have been blocked!]

[This accessory blocks the harmful energy mixed into the fog! But that's not all! There are also traces left behind from the modification process!]

“Negative effects? Modification? Uh... I don't really understand, but if the bad effect disappeared, that's good, right?”

[I'm not really sure about that either... Hehe...]

Wasn't it bad if even the system didn't know...?

Why didn't it know?

Did that mean the man had created an item that existed outside the system?

As expected...

Had he been fighting the Chairman somewhere we knew nothing about...?

Then was I supposed to keep living without knowing anything, just as I always had?

“Hey, Mr. Ultimate. I'm telling you one last time!”

“Come on! I already told you, it's not like that!”

“...Right. You shouldn't interfere with pure love... Any bastard who steals someone else's partner deserves to have his skull split in two!”

“T-That's going a little far...! I mean, yes, it's wrong, but still!”

The older man's words sounded strangely full of personal resentment.

I burned them into my memory as we all entered the Demonic Realm.

And the moment we stepped inside—

THUD! THUD!

“...What is that...?”

Something was charging toward us from far away, splitting through the fog.

It made huge booming sounds as if it intended to turn the entire world upside down.

It was...

A castle wall.

With legs.

“Why is it this close to the entrance...?! Tanks, get to the front! Anyone with movement-related debuff skills, use them immediately! Damage dealers with powerful burst skills, attack the legs first!”

The man—the hero of reality known as the Indomitable Hero—was startled for only a moment.

Then he immediately regained his calm and began giving orders one after another.

The players were shaken by the unexpected situation, but they clicked their tongues as if they were already used to this sort of thing and quickly followed his commands.

I had heard this game had a lot of sudden events.

But were these people so used to them that something like this barely surprised them anymore?

“I'll take the front! If you move ahead of me and die, that's your own responsibility!”

There was a strange hint of madness in the man's back.

Yet for some reason, I saw something shining there.

Before I realized it, I was staring at his back as if completely captivated by it.

“The Vanguard will cut off the two left rear legs! Raid Teams 1 and 2, take the left front leg! Teams 3 and 4, take the frontmost leg on the right! Pair up two teams at a time for the remaining legs and cut them off in order! If you can't understand instructions this simple, you're out of the next raid, so get your heads straight!!! I gave everyone the strategy guide, didn't I?!”

[A powerful pseudo-death... Lion's Roar is echoing across the battlefield and raising everyone's morale!]

[The orders of a calm commander who did not panic have temporarily increased everyone's stats!]

[A temporary Toughness stat has been created!]

The selected players followed the man's instructions and began destroying the castle's legs one after another.

It didn't seem to deal much damage to the castle's actual health.

However, the horrific cries coming from the castle proved that their attacks were doing something.

CLANG!

CRACK!

On top of that, the man and a knight wearing blue armor rushed forward and sliced through two of the castle's legs in an instant.

The raid party's morale shot through the roof.

“Rear Support Unit! What are you doing?! Start providing covering fire!”

Lucy's shout thundered across the battlefield.

The support unit members, who had been staring blankly, quickly snapped out of it and started firing.

I didn't have any means of attacking from a distance.

So I ran toward the people bringing out the cannons and helped carry cannonballs instead.

If this were reality, I could have done something myself...!

I needed to get stronger quickly!

[The enemy has begun its invasion! Requesting support! Requesting support!!!]

[‘We Are an Army!’ has requested support!]

[From this point onward, monsters of the Demonic Realm will target you! Run away!]

“Run away?! Everyone else is fighting! I can't be the only one who gets scared and runs!”

That man must have felt the same way I did now when he fought against the Chairman's forces!

But he never gave up.

That was why he had managed to accomplish such incredible things!

I can do it too!

[Unwavering determination and courage!]

[Your firm resolve to never retreat even a single step on the battlefield has caused a tiny sprout to emerge within your heart!]

“I don't know what you're talking about, but I've always done my best!”

“Mr. Ultimate! Stop talking nonsense and carry the cannonballs! Everyone's going to die!!!”

“Yes! I'm carrying them right now!”

“Hey, you idiot! One at a time! Carry them one at a time!!”

Strange-looking soldiers poured out from beyond the castle gates.

At the same time, horrible monsters emerged through the thick fog of the Demonic Realm.

The raid party fought against them while slowly pushing forward.

I had grown completely sick of fighting.

But this kind of battle made my heart burn hot.

“Aaaagh! B-Behind us! Monsters are coming from behind!”

“Damn it! We don't have enough people in the support unit! This run is finished! We're done for!”

“...No!”

I threw myself in front of a gigantic monster.

Maybe I could understand doing this in reality.

But this was a game.

Stats had an absolute influence here.

I had no idea what I was thinking when I jumped forward.

“As long as we don't give up, it isn't over! Hope grows by feeding on the heart that refuses to surrender!”

I searched through my memories and repeated something Teacher Jin had once told me.

I had always kept those words close to my heart because I thought they were wonderful.

Unlike Teacher Doridoradorphin, who usually taught that things would simply flow wherever they were meant to go, Teacher Jin often taught us to fight and overcome hardships.

Because of that, there were many things he said that were worth remembering.

[The tiny sprout blooming within your heart is happily stretching toward the sky!]

[A tiny hope!]

[The small hope planted by a hero has created a new hope within your heart!]

[From this moment onward, you are a Practitioner of Hope!]

[May the blessing of that great hero, who never knew surrender until the very end of the world, be with you!]

I had no idea what it was talking about.

But now was the time to fight!

Just like I had always been taught!

Stand firm!

BOOM!

BOOM! BOOM!