Not All Heroes From Earth Are Bad [EN]: Chapter 77

Taylor crashed to the ground with a deafening boom.

A perfectly executed throw.

The force was so immense that Choi Hyun-seok was lifted off his feet by the impact.

“Now’s our chance!”

Roiger, who had been biding his time, jumped into the fight.

You can’t let up after landing a hit.

You have to press the attack relentlessly to secure victory.

‘If we play this right, we can end it all here.’

Taylor retreated, focusing solely on defense.

Perhaps they could end it right here, right now.

Then, Taylor suddenly charged forward.

‘This is dangerous…!’

As if by unspoken agreement, Choi Hyun-seok and Roiger retreated simultaneously.

A sharp wave of sword aura grazed the space where they had been standing.

Had they lingered, they would have lost a limb or two.

‘This guy is a real monster.’

Choi Hyun-seok glared at Taylor with disgust.

Choi Hyun-seok and Roiger.

Even with both of them using Flomot [a technique that temporarily boosts physical abilities] and fighting together, Taylor had held his ground.

At first glance, it seemed like they were pushing him back, but that wasn’t the whole story.

He was like a wild beast, crouching low, waiting for the opportune moment.

He never allowed a fatal blow and constantly sought a chance to counterattack.

The moment they made the slightest mistake, Choi Hyun-seok and Roiger would be the ones to pay the price.

‘I don’t have time. I have to kill him before Flomot wears off.’

Choi Hyun-seok grew impatient.

Time was on Taylor’s side.

If they couldn’t secure a victory quickly, the effects of Flomot would wear off, and…

At that point, Choi Hyun-seok would be at a severe disadvantage.

But Taylor wasn’t an easy opponent.

‘It’ll be even harder if the guys in the back join in.’

Moreover, there were still over 20 warriors remaining behind Taylor.

Each of them possessed martial prowess equal to or greater than a battalion commander.

In terms of raw physical stats, they weren’t much different from Choi Hyun-seok when using Flomot.

If they joined the fray, it would be difficult to maintain their current pressure on Taylor.

Tatt! Tat!

As the saying goes, bad predictions always come true.

No sooner had he thought it than the other waiting warriors joined the battle.

‘Speak of the devil!’

Choi Hyun-seok quickly retreated.

He couldn’t face Taylor and the warriors all at once.

The warriors pursued him as he moved away.

Whoosh!

A warrior swung his sword.

His eyes were devoid of focus.

The sword strike contained no trace of emotion.

It was as if he were a machine carrying out orders.

Choi Hyun-seok dodged the attack more easily than expected.

Whoosh! Swish!

Several more sword strikes followed, but the warrior’s sword never touched Choi Hyun-seok.

Choi Hyun-seok’s eyes narrowed as he carefully observed the enemy’s movements.

‘There’s something strange about these guys…?’

Clearly, the warriors were fast and strong.

Their physical stats were so outstanding that they could compare to Choi Hyun-seok when using Flomot.

As Roiger had said, they seemed to be at least battalion commander level.

But that was it.

Their attacks were only fast and strong.

They lacked finesse.

‘It’s all flash and no substance.’

The enemy’s movements were clearly telegraphed.

How they swung their swords.

How they dodged and moved.

It was too obvious what they would do next.

‘They’re too predictable.’

It was as if they were machines performing combat according to a pre-set program.

Their attacks lacked psychological warfare or any cleverness to exploit the opponent’s weaknesses.

‘If I play this right, I might be able to get through this easily…’

Choi Hyun-seok decided to test his theory.

He pretended to retreat but instead exploited an opening and attacked.

It was a very simple feint.

“…!”

The warrior chasing Choi Hyun-seok stumbled and faltered.

It was a basic mistake, hard to imagine from such a physically imposing opponent.

Choi Hyun-seok didn’t miss the opportunity and threw a punch.

Pow!

The punch landed squarely in the abdomen.

The warrior coughed up blood.

Choi Hyun-seok seized the momentum and continued his offensive.

Crack! Pow! Thud!

The warrior was helpless.

He managed to counterattack while being hit, but even that counterattack was too predictable.

Choi Hyun-seok easily dodged and pushed the warrior back.

Finally, he delivered the final blow.

Bang!

The warrior’s head slammed into a rock.

He trembled and then stopped moving.

[Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!]

Level-up notifications rang out in his head.

“Huh…?”

Choi Hyun-seok was startled.

He could level up even by killing these warriors?

Moreover, it wasn’t just a little bit; he had leveled up by a whopping 8 levels.

Suddenly, the earlier situation flashed through his mind.

‘Come to think of it, I leveled up a lot back then too.’

When he stole the last hit on Flokrade, the level-up notifications had gone crazy.

He hadn’t been able to check properly because it was so urgent, but he probably leveled up more than 20 levels.

▫Name: Choi Hyun-seok

▫Title: Trainee Warrior

▫Level: 502

·Strength: 170

·Agility: 166

·Stamina: 170

·Mana: 170

·Magic Power: 135

·Charisma: 74

·Bonus Points: 34

Choi Hyun-seok’s eyes widened as he checked his status window.

‘34 bonus points means I leveled up 34 levels?’

Flokrade from earlier.

And the warrior just now.

He had leveled up a whopping 34 levels by hunting those two.

Choi Hyun-seok raised his head and looked at the remaining warriors.

‘There are 20 left. Even if I only level up 4 per person, that’s 80 levels.’

If he gained 80 levels now, Choi Hyun-seok would instantly approach level 600.

Adding the 34 levels he had just gained, he would gain over 100 stat points in an instant.

Choi Hyun-seok’s mind began to race.

‘If I take them all out and raise my stats, I might be able to beat Taylor. The key is whether my body can handle it…’

The problem was time.

Could his body endure taking out 20 warriors and then killing Taylor?

Choi Hyun-seok grinned.

‘I have no choice.’

It was all or nothing.

Either way, it was a matter of life or death.

If he didn’t do it, he would die.

Even if he failed, he would die.

So he had to succeed.

“Battalion Commander! Just hold on a little longer!”

Choi Hyun-seok shouted at Roiger.

Then, he immediately charged towards the warriors.

From now on, it was a race against time.

***

Sword clashed against sword.

A back-and-forth exchange so fast it was hard to follow with the eye.

It might seem fierce at first glance, but the reality was different.

‘Damn it… Am I still getting pushed back even with Flomot?’

Against Taylor, Roiger could only retreat repeatedly.

With Choi Hyun-seok, who had been fighting alongside him, gone, all he could do was hold on like this.

On top of that, the other warriors kept attacking whenever they had the chance.

Their attacks weren’t particularly threatening because they were so simple, but their raw power was significant.

If he were hit by a stray attack, this precarious balance would collapse in an instant.

That’s why Roiger couldn’t afford to let his guard down for even a moment.

‘Choi Hyun-seok. What on earth are you thinking…!’

Roiger glanced in the direction of Choi Hyun-seok.

Choi Hyun-seok was engaged in close combat with the warriors.

He could guess why he was doing that.

He was probably planning to take out all the other warriors, who were a nuisance, before fighting Taylor.

But was that really the right way to go about it?

Roiger couldn’t help but wonder.

Time was working against them.

The longer the battle dragged on, the more vulnerable Choi Hyun-seok and Roiger, who were using Flomot, would become.

In this situation, was it wise to leave the most threatening opponent, Taylor, alone and deal with the small fry?

‘I believe you have a plan.’

There were many things he wanted to ask, but right now, he had no choice but to trust Choi Hyun-seok’s judgment.

Swish!

Dodging the flying sword aura, Roiger retreated again.

“You’re like a rat. Didn’t you demons consider it shameful to run away?”

Taylor’s tone dripped with mockery.

He was criticizing Roiger’s constant retreat and stalling tactics.

Any other demon would have flared up, but Roiger was different.

His specialties were stealth and mobility.

Roiger, who came from a prestigious family and possessed a sharp intellect, hated being lumped in with other demons.

“I’d appreciate it if you called it strategy, not running away.”

“Haa, you guys are really annoying.”

Taylor roughly swept back his hair.

He looked relaxed, but he was just as impatient.

There were only about ten warriors left now.

Considering that there were over 50 warriors when he first arrived, it was a significant loss.

“The Pope will probably start ranting about repentance and atonement again.”

“What?”

“It’s nothing.”

Taylor lowered his stance and glared with a chilling gaze.

“I’ll tell you in advance, you two. Don’t even think about dying peacefully.”

“Oh, I’m so scared I’m going to piss myself.”

The fierce battle began again.

Multiple sword strikes flew at each other in the blink of an eye.

As time passed, Roiger’s body became soaked with sweat and as heavy as a waterlogged cotton ball.

In contrast, Taylor maintained a pace similar to the beginning.

His breathing had also become rough, but it was still better than Roiger’s.

“Kuh…!”

Gradually, the number of wounds on Roiger’s body increased.

As he was using Flomot, which forcibly drew on his stamina, it was only natural that he would become more disadvantaged in a prolonged battle.

Roiger urgently looked in the direction of Choi Hyun-seok.

‘Choi Hyun-seok. How much longer do I have to wait….’

Suddenly, Roiger’s eyes widened.

Crack!

Choi Hyun-seok was smashing a warrior’s head with his fist.

That was the end of it.

There were no more enemies left there.

They were all dead.

‘When did he…?’

It hadn’t been that long.

In the time it took to exchange blows with Taylor, Choi Hyun-seok had taken out all the warriors, who numbered over 20.

Considering that all the warriors were at least battalion commander level, it was an unbelievable feat.

Some of them were even regimental commander level.

No matter how much he used Flomot, Choi Hyun-seok’s abilities wouldn’t have allowed him to easily defeat such enemies.

“Hoo…”

Choi Hyun-seok, now alone, took a deep breath.

Due to the aftereffects of Flomot Stage 2, his body was as red as blood, and thick steam rose from him.

Moreover, he had large horns on his head.

Despite being human, Choi Hyun-seok had an appearance more like a demon than anyone else.

He made eye contact with Roiger and nodded.

“Let’s finish this right away.”

Finally, the preparations to hunt the last boss were complete.

***

Before this match began, Choi Hyun-seok’s level was 466.

And now, after taking out Flokrade and the soulless warrior puppets, his level was 578.

Choi Hyun-seok, who had leveled up a whopping 112 levels, displayed movements that were on a different level from before.

Thwoom!

The moment Choi Hyun-seok thought he had kicked off the ground, he had already reached Taylor.

“This guy…!”

Taylor hurriedly swung his sword, but it only cut through the air.

Choi Hyun-seok skillfully dodged the sword and landed a punch.

“Cough!”

Until just now, Taylor had been faster than Choi Hyun-seok when using Flomot.

But now that Choi Hyun-seok’s level had increased.

The speed of the two had reached almost the same level.

“You know what.”

“Kuh…!”

Taylor couldn’t answer.

He could only glare at Choi Hyun-seok as he struggled to block the attacks.

Choi Hyun-seok continued without caring.

“I’ve only ever killed guys stronger than me.”

That’s always been the case.

Choi Hyun-seok had fought against enemies who were overwhelmingly stronger than him.

And he had won.

To put it another way, it goes like this.

Assuming similar physical stats, Choi Hyun-seok had never lost before.

Crack, Bang! Swish!

Fists and feet flew like crazy.

Taylor fought back without retreating or giving an inch.

Roiger watched the two’s battle with a blank stare.

‘When did he grow so much…?’

Although his physical abilities had increased dramatically due to Flomot, Choi Hyun-seok had been nothing more than an average human until recently.

He was even said to have been a slave before coming to the Black Star [a place or organization, context needed for full understanding].

And now, Choi Hyun-seok was fighting evenly with an enemy approaching the level of a division commander.

It was a reality he couldn’t believe even with his own eyes.

‘Oh, this isn’t the time for this!’

Realizing his mistake, Roiger immediately joined the battle.

This wasn’t the time to be so relaxed.

“Keep pushing! It’s almost over!”

With Roiger’s joining, the tide of the battle completely turned.

The number of wounds on Taylor’s body gradually increased.

Blood began to flow from various places.

“Haa, haa…!”

Taylor panted and glared at the two.

‘Why isn’t Flomot wearing off on these guys!?’

Both Roiger and Choi Hyun-seok looked exhausted.

The problem was that Taylor’s own stamina was also at its limit.

The only hope was for those two’s Flomot to wear off.

To do that, he needed to stall for time.

“What… what are you? Human or demon?”

There’s nothing better than talking to stall for time.

However, Choi Hyun-seok wasn’t so easily fooled.

Instead of the answer he expected, he got a fist.

“Shut up, I’m busy!”

Crack!

Taylor staggered as a fist slammed into his face.

Choi Hyun-seok grabbed his arm.

He was also beginning to sense that his body was reaching its limit.

He forcibly held onto his fading consciousness and prepared for the end.

“Don’t even think about running away.”

He twisted Taylor’s arm.

At the same time, Roiger’s sword pierced Taylor’s chest.

Taylor’s pupils widened.

“Cough! I, I can’t go like this…”

“Just go already.”

He tripped Taylor.

At the same time, he kicked the head of the falling man with all his might.

Bang!

Even with the full-force soccer kick, Taylor didn’t die.

Choi Hyun-seok repeatedly kicked Taylor’s head.

Bang! Bang! Crash!

Finally, Taylor’s eyes glazed over, and the magic power protecting his body dissipated.

“I’ll make good use of the experience.”

He raised his fist and slammed it down on the man’s head for the last time.

Crack!

Taylor, his head half-destroyed, collapsed.

Choi Hyun-seok also collapsed to the ground as if he were crumbling.

“Haa… tough bastard…”

He didn’t know if the opponent he fought was a person or a monster.

Honestly, he still doubted whether he was really dead.

He was such a tenacious enemy.

[Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!] [Level Up!]….

The notifications he heard told him that Choi Hyun-seok had won.

Taylor was completely dead.

Soon after, he heard a notification that the quest was complete.

[You have completed the Warrior Quest]

[You have acquired 1,000 Warrior Points]

[You have perfectly achieved the additional goal of eliminating the Warrior Group]

[As a reward, the hidden stat Willpower is unlocked]

The countless notifications rang out.

Enjoying them, Choi Hyun-seok lay down on the floor.