Not All Heroes From Earth Are Bad [EN]: Chapter 50

The Next Saintess, Abelson Marriott, was deep in thought, her expression serious.

‘At this rate, he won’t last long.’

Choi Hyun-seok’s condition was critical.

“Ugh…”

He groaned, black sweat pouring from his body. It wouldn’t be surprising if he died at any moment.

‘What should I do…?’

When Raidrun urgently came to find her, she wondered what could have caused such a fuss.

However, Choi Hyun-seok’s actual condition was far more serious than she had imagined.

‘His body is being invaded by demonic energy. Or, would assimilation be a more accurate term?’

Demonic energy invading the body.

Come to think of it, something similar happened before.

It was when Raidrun injected demonic energy into Choi Hyun-seok, claiming it would heal him.

‘Since then, demonic energy has remained in Choi Hyun-seok’s body.’

Looking back, that day was the beginning of everything.

After that day, demonic energy lingered within Choi Hyun-seok.

Demonic energy is like poison to humans.

Fortunately, the demonic energy inside Choi Hyun-seok wasn’t actively moving.

So, she was somewhat relieved, but eventually, things went wrong.

‘I thought something would eventually happen, but I didn’t expect it to turn out like this.’

Abelson glared at Raidrun.

‘Teaching a human a demonic exclusive martial art…’

Thanks to using the demonic exclusive martial art, the demonic energy inside Choi Hyun-seok went wild.

‘No matter how I think about it, it’s insane.’

Even if Choi Hyun-seok wasn’t normal to begin with, what was Raidrun thinking?

That elite demon was very smart and strong, but strangely foolish at times.

‘It seems like it only happens when he’s involved with Choi Hyun-seok…’

As if reading Abelson’s thoughts, Raidrun spoke to her.

“How is Choi Hyun-seok’s condition?”

“It’s dangerous. He won’t last long at this rate.”

“Does that… mean he’s going to die?”

Abelson nodded silently.

The probability of Choi Hyun-seok surviving if left alone was less than 1%.

Raidrun’s expression darkened rapidly.

“Is there no way…”

“There is one way.”

“There’s a way!?”

“Yes. I don’t know if it’s possible, but it’s the only method worth trying.”

“What is it!”

Raidrun approached closely.

He looked like he would grab her by the collar if she didn’t speak immediately.

“It’s to make the demonic energy inside Choi Hyun-seok completely fuse with his body.”

“I find it hard to understand. Is such a thing possible for a human?”

Demonic energy fusing with a human body.

This was a completely different issue from the demonic energy simply lingering as before.

The very foundation of the human species was changing.

It was something that couldn’t happen according to common sense.

“I can’t understand it either. But it’s already happening before my eyes.”

Abelson began to explain what she had grasped.

Currently, the demonic energy inside Choi Hyun-seok was invading his body.

Naturally, the body invaded by demonic energy would rot and decay.

This was why demonic energy was called poison to humans.

“But Choi Hyun-seok is being invaded by demonic energy and simultaneously fusing with it.”

“Does that mean Choi Hyun-seok’s body is changing to accept the demonic energy?”

“Yes.”

However, Choi Hyun-seok’s case was slightly different.

His body was being invaded by demonic energy and simultaneously fusing with it.

However, the rate of fusion was not keeping up with the rate of invasion.

“So, if we slow down the rate of demonic energy invasion and finish the fusion first, Choi Hyun-seok will be able to live. This is just my opinion, though.”

“How can we slow down the rate of invasion?”

“I can block the invasion with my divine power.”

“Then start immediately.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Why?”

Raidrun’s expression twisted.

If there was a way to save Choi Hyun-seok, why wasn’t she moving immediately?

Of course, there was a problem.

“Because it’s too dangerous. With demonic energy already spread throughout his body, I don’t know what will happen if divine power enters.”

“Are you saying we have to gamble…”

“Yes. It’s a gamble with his life on the line.”

By trying to slow down the rate of demonic energy invasion with divine power, the situation could worsen.

Raidrun pondered for a moment before speaking.

“Let’s ask Choi Hyun-seok.”

“Ask Choi Hyun-seok?”

“Yes. Since it concerns his own life, we have no choice but to let him choose…”

“I see…”

Abelson also agreed with that statement.

It was right for him to decide on matters concerning his own life.

Abelson gently stroked Choi Hyun-seok’s cheek.

“Choi Hyun-seok.”

“Ugh…”

“Are you conscious?”

“Ah, Abelson…”

Choi Hyun-seok trembled and struggled to lift his eyelids.

“I’ll explain the situation to you.”

Abelson briefly explained the situation Choi Hyun-seok was in.

Whether to pray to survive as he was, or to take a risk and gamble to survive.

“…That’s all. Do you understand?”

Abelson asked after finishing the explanation.

Choi Hyun-seok gave a faint smile.

“I’ll trust Abelson…”

“You might die in even more pain than you are now. Would you still do it?”

“Yes… Please.”

Since it was virtually certain that he would die if he stayed like this.

Then he had to try every possible way to live, whether it was a gamble or not.

“Then, prepare yourself.”

“Yes… Give me a signal, ugh!”

The divine power emanating from Abelson began to permeate Choi Hyun-seok.

***

The Divine Empire of Gatrein.

There, a pack of hounds exists to handle secret missions. [Hounds are elite agents or operatives.]

One of those hounds, Oseld Gefen, was moving his newly created left hand.

“Hmm… I don’t like it.”

His left arm was cut off by Hemis in a previous mission.

Gatrein had concentrated all magical technologies to create the best prosthetic arm, but it was still inferior to his original hand.

In the first place, Oseld’s body was so strong that it was called heroic, so it couldn’t be helped.

“Lord Oseld. Is the preparation complete?”

Oseld turned around at the voice heard from behind.

What he saw were three men.

Like him, they were hounds in charge of Gatrein’s secret missions.

The three of them were helping to ensure the success of this mission.

Not as heroic as Oseld, but with skills comparable to him.

‘In the first place, a Black Star without a Glutton is enough for me alone…’

The Pope forced them to take on the mission as if he had to succeed this time.

“The preparation is complete.”

“Then let’s depart immediately.”

Oseld and the three men departed for the mission.

***

Slurp! Slurp!

“Ugh…”

Choi Hyun-seok groaned and opened his eyes.

Slurp!

What he saw was a huge tongue.

It was Bobo.

Slurp!

“S, stop…”

Bobo’s tongue was rough.

He was doing it to help Choi Hyun-seok in his own way, but.

From the receiving end, it felt like being tortured by having his face peeled off.

“Stop it! You stupid mutt!”

Then Rachel punched Bobo’s snout.

“The Hero is in pain!”

“Woof!”

Bobo also barked back as if he was wronged.

“Stop it!”

“Woof! Woof!”

“How dare you talk back!?”

“Wooooof!”

“Kyaaa! A dog is chasing me! Save me, fairy!”

Bobo and Rachel ran around.

“Plea, please… Qui, quiet…”

Choi Hyun-seok mumbled as if he was talking in his sleep.

His head was already aching like crazy.

To make a comparison, it was like having an extreme hangover that made him feel like he was going to die.

It was about 10 times worse than that.

With the two of them making noise at a time like this, his head was ringing so much that it felt like it was going to break.

“Shh! Be quiet.”

Fortunately, Rachel and Bobo became quiet, perhaps because they heard Choi Hyun-seok’s groan.

“Umm…”

Rachel stared intently at Choi Hyun-seok.

“Hero. Are you okay…?”

“Yeah…”

“Are you really okay?”

“Yeah…”

Choi Hyun-seok answered in a dying voice.

“Hero. What are your symptoms? Tell me. Maybe there’s something I can do to help!”

“Yeah…”

Whether he didn’t understand the words properly or couldn’t answer.

Choi Hyun-seok only repeated the word ‘yeah.’

Suddenly, Rachel’s eyes sparkled.

“Hero. Does your body hurt a lot?”

“Yeah…”

“Does your head ring a lot? And you don’t have any strength?”

“Yeah…”

“Then is Rachel the prettiest in the world?”

“Ugh…?”

Choi Hyun-seok squinted at the absurd nonsense.

Rachel continued to chatter, unaware that he had opened his eyes.

“That silver-haired Saintess! You don’t really like her, do you? Rachel is a hundred times prettier than her, right? Right?”

“No. That’s definitely not true.”

Choi Hyun-seok answered clearly and distinctly.

“Oh? Hero. You’re awake?”

Rachel’s eyes widened.

“Oh… I’m really going to die…”

“I’m glad you’re conscious!”

“It’s thanks to you…”

Thanks to Rachel’s ridiculous nonsense, he fortunately regained consciousness.

Choi Hyun-seok grabbed his head and frowned.

“What the hell happened…”

“Hero. You’ve been unconscious for almost 3 days!”

“3 days?”

“Yes! Aren’t you hungry?”

“I’m okay with being hungry…”

He had been unconscious for 3 days, which he had not expected at all.

‘Why did I faint?’

Choi Hyun-seok retraced his memories.

‘I was learning how to use martial arts…’

Raidrun kindly explained how to use Flomot.

‘I followed that and moved my magic power. And then…’

Extreme pain came.

Choi Hyun-seok, who had become immune to most pain, couldn’t bear it.

It was such a sharp pain that he wondered if this was what it felt like to have his soul gnawed at.

“What the hell happened to make it like that…”

Choi Hyun-seok quietly looked at his body.

Fortunately, there were no external wounds, and all his limbs were intact.

“There’s nothing particularly strange…”

Suddenly, something flashed through Choi Hyun-seok’s mind.

He urgently opened his status window.

▫Name: Choi Hyun-seok

▫Title: Aspiring Hero

▫Level: 420

·Strength: 136

·Agility: 134

·Stamina: 138

·Magic Power: 141

·Demonic Energy: ??

·Charisma: 56

·Bonus Points: –

▫Hero Points: 450

▫Abilities: Pickaxe Digging(C), Leadership(D), Cooking(D), Magic Power Manipulation(D)

▫Skills: Raidrun-style Fighting, Flomot

Choi Hyun-seok sighed after checking the status window.

‘I knew it…’

The thing he had been dreading had happened.

The square (□) that suddenly appeared in the status window a while ago.

It had changed to Demonic Energy.

“I think something’s really screwed up…”

“Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“Rachel. Can a Hero have demonic energy?”

Rachel waved her hand with a smile.

“Oh, Hero! You’re already joking! You must be really better now.”

“No, that’s…”

“Anyway, I’m glad! I was really worried, you know. I was so worried about what would happen if the Hero died like this that I couldn’t even sleep.”

It wasn’t a lie.

Even now, there were dark circles under her eyes.

“But seeing you joking like this, I can rest assured.”

“That’s not it! It’s real.”

“Yes?”

“Demonic energy has appeared in the status window.”

“Yes?”

“I said demonic energy has appeared.”

Rachel silently approached Choi Hyun-seok.

She turned Choi Hyun-seok’s eyelids over and checked his eyeballs.

“Hmm, did you have a problem with your eyesight because you were sick?”

“I’m telling you it’s real!”

Choi Hyun-seok threw Rachel away irritably.

“Then, Hero. How many fingers do you see?”

Rachel spread her fingers.

“Two.”

“Heok! Can you really see? You didn’t guess!?”

“I’ve told you so many times it’s real!”

“This can’t be…”

Rachel fell to her knees.

She looked like she had given up on everything.

Choi Hyun-seok looked at Rachel with a bewildered expression.

“Wh, what is it? Is having demonic energy that serious…?”

“No. I don’t know either.”

“Then why are you overreacting!”

Rachel’s reaction made it seem like he had a terminal illness.

“I wanted to express how surprised I was with my whole body.”

“Haa… Never mind.”

Choi Hyun-seok sighed.

Anyway, he could rest assured that there was no problem with having demonic energy right now.

“By the way, it’s about time for that Saintess to come.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

If it was a Saintess, she must be referring to Abelson.

“Actually, that woman has been coming and nursing you every day…”

Rachel muttered with a resentful expression.

She seemed angry at the reality that she couldn’t do anything and had to leave everything to Abelson.

“But now that the Hero has woken up like this, I have to admit it a little bit!”

“So that’s what happened…”

After hearing that, he vaguely remembered having a conversation with Abelson.

‘What she said back then must have succeeded.’

In the end, it seemed that Abelson had succeeded in healing him.

She was practically a lifesaver.

He thought he should thank Abelson when he saw her.

At that moment.

“You’re awake.”

The door opened, and Abelson entered with a haggard face.