Not All Heroes From Earth Are Bad [EN]: Chapter 80

Ozgeus fixed Hemis with a stern gaze.

“If you don’t cease this, I’ll have no choice but to intervene.”

Hemis was acting like a tyrant within the Black Fortress.

Upon receiving the report, the Demon King immediately issued an order.

The only beings capable of stopping Hemis were either a fellow commander or the Demon King himself.

He chose to dispatch Ozgeus, the 5th Corps Commander.

“How did you know and arrive so quickly?”

Hemis tilted her head, a flicker of curiosity in her eyes.

“You arrived the instant I started causing trouble. How did you know and travel all this way?”

The timing suggested the Demon King had sent Ozgeus the moment the incident began in the Black Fortress.

This would be impossible without some form of surveillance within the Black Fortress.

“I’m disappointed you’re spying on me.”

Hemis’s tongue flicked across her massive lips, a predatory glint in her eyes.

“It makes me feel like a traitor. But I’m not the one fraternizing with humans, am I? Wasn’t that someone within the Demon King’s castle?”

“…Lady Hemis, I believe you’re overstepping your bounds.”

Ozgeus’s face hardened, his expression turning severe.

Regardless of Hemis’s status, he couldn’t tolerate her criticizing the Demon King.

“I’m overstepping…?”

Hemis casually tossed Park Hyun-ah aside, whom she had been holding like a doll.

As if she had lost all interest in Park Hyun-ah, she advanced towards Ozgeus.

“Yes, I went too far. Even though I’ve been confined to this fortress for a century on the Demon King’s orders, I presumptuously spoke out of turn, forgetting my place. Is that it?”

“…”

“It’s all my fault. Don’t you agree, Ozgeus?”

The demonic energy radiating from Hemis began to constrict Ozgeus, a palpable pressure in the air.

A bead of cold sweat trickled down Ozgeus’s back.

‘Lady Hemis hasn’t changed…’

A hundred years had passed since he last saw Hemis in battle.

But Ozgeus still vividly remembered that time.

The overwhelming force that had single-handedly decimated the human army.

The ancient monster, who had lived longer than the Demon King, remained powerful even after a century.

No, she seemed even stronger than before.

‘I have no choice. I’ll have to buy time.’

Originally, he had intended to resolve the situation through dialogue, but if a conflict was unavoidable, there was only one option.

To buy as much time as possible.

Even among the commanders, Hemis was on a completely different level.

A monster possessing power nearing that of the Demon King himself.

Against such a monster, Ozgeus’s best course of action was to buy time for Park Hyun-ah to escape.

Even if Park Hyun-ah was a human, she was still a commander in the Demon King’s army.

She couldn’t be allowed to die in vain in a place like this.

“Haa, hoo…”

Ozgeus composed himself, focusing his energy.

He would exploit Hemis’s potential carelessness.

From her perspective, having lived for so long, Ozgeus was likely seen as a mere young demon.

Therefore, he had to stake everything on a single, powerful first strike.

“Ozgeus…”

Finally, Hemis, who had been slowly approaching, placed her hand on Ozgeus’s shoulder.

At that precise moment, as demonic energy was about to erupt from Ozgeus’s body…

“That’s enough. Let’s stop here.”

Hemis brushed past Ozgeus, seemingly dismissing him.

“The Demon King will be summoning me soon. I’m already dreading his inevitable nagging.”

“…”

“The Demon King seems to be getting old, his nagging is becoming more frequent, don’t you think? Ohohoho!”

Watching Hemis saunter away with a carefree laugh, Ozgeus released a shaky breath.

“I survived…”

It was pure instinct.

The reason he had hesitated for a split second instead of attacking immediately when Hemis placed her hand on his shoulder.

He didn’t know why, but the overwhelming feeling that he shouldn’t attack Hemis at that moment consumed him.

If he hadn’t hesitated and attacked right away, what would have happened?

He was certain of one thing, at least.

‘I would have died…’

Everyone in the Black Fortress would have perished.

The thought was terrifying enough to be certain of it.

The demonic energy that had flowed into his shoulder through Hemis’s hand…

‘No, I doubt that’s even what you could call demonic energy.’

Ozgeus shook his head, dismissing the thought, and left the area.

***

Several days had passed since the hero’s attack.

The tournament had concluded with Choi Hyun-seok’s victory, and he was promoted to battalion commander.

However, his official appointment was still pending.

The Black Fortress was currently undergoing expansion, and the atmosphere was chaotic due to the loss of many commanding officers during the attack.

Choi Hyun-seok anticipated that it would take about a month for the official appointment to be issued.

“Therefore, until then, it’s freedom!”

Choi Hyun-seok shouted, clenching his fist in the air.

The shout echoed emptily within the temporary tent.

He was currently living in a temporary tent because his room had been destroyed during the attack.

Bobo, who was dozing off on one side of the tent, glanced at him briefly before closing his eyes again.

“Hero! Freedom, you say!?”

Rahel climbed onto Bobo’s back and began jumping up and down excitedly.

“The lip monster [referring to Hemis] said it herself. Just get promoted to battalion commander, and you’ll be free.”

“Umm, did she say that?”

“She did! Now that I’m practically a battalion commander, I’m completely free!”

Choi Hyun-seok declared in a very excited voice.

Rahel squinted, studying him intently.

“Hero, you haven’t forgotten what true freedom is because you’ve only ever lived as a slave, have you?”

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

“Your freedom is escaping this Demon King’s army!”

“Ah… is that so?”

“Is that so? It is! Hero, let’s run away this time!”

Rahel perched on Choi Hyun-seok’s shoulder.

She glanced around cautiously and whispered in a hushed tone.

“The atmosphere is chaotic right now because of the fortress repairs, so they won’t even notice if we run away…!”

As Rahel pointed out, the Black Fortress was currently a scene of bustling activity.

A large engineering unit had been dispatched to expand the fortress.

Numerous soldiers were living in temporary tents, creating a general state of disarray.

If they were to escape during this period of confusion, they might succeed.

However, Choi Hyun-seok’s expression remained troubled.

“Let’s say we succeed in escaping. Where would we even go?”

“Where else would we go! We have to go where people live!”

“You said it yourself, right? The largest and most powerful country on this continent is the Holy Empire of Gatrein.”

“Yes.”

“How many times have I fought against the Holy Empire so far?”

“Umm… two or three times?”

“Where do all the heroes I killed in the tournament belong?”

“The Holy Empire, right?”

“Now, a question.”

Choi Hyun-seok grabbed Rahel by the scruff of her neck and held her in front of his face.

Hanging in the air, Rahel stared blankly at Choi Hyun-seok.

“If I leave the Black Fortress, no, the Demon King’s army, what do you think those Holy Empire guys will do?”

“I don’t know…?”

“They’ll come to kill me, of course!”

“Hmm, maybe not.”

“Maybe they will. Look at the situation. I’ve somehow completely sided with the Demon King’s army. Now this place has practically become my protected territory.”

As Choi Hyun-seok said, it was true.

Unintentionally, he had managed to antagonize the strongest nation of humanity.

For some reason, the Holy Empire had branded Choi Hyun-seok as a traitor hero.

Conversely, his position within the Demon King’s army was steadily rising.

He had been promoted to battalion commander as promised with Hemis, paving the way for a smoother future.

“And look at my body. I use demonic energy, and horns sprout from my head. Do you think they’ll accept me over there?”

“It might be a little difficult…”

“It’s not just difficult, I don’t think they’ll treat me like a human at all.”

“…”

“Do you understand now? There’s no reason for me to abandon the Demon King’s army and return to the human side now.”

With this realization, Choi Hyun-seok made up his mind.

He would remain in the Demon King’s army for the time being.

He was still lacking in power.

To live independently without belonging to any faction, he needed more strength.

He needed greater power.

“I need to become a regimental commander… no, a division commander. If I reach that level, I can go anywhere without being ignored and do whatever I want.”

Division commander.

He had heard that there were approximately 50 individuals in the Demon King’s army who held the rank of division commander or possessed similar power.

In human terms, they were comparable to heroes.

Considering that most countries only had two or three heroes, they were incredibly powerful.

“Until then, I’ll gather strength within the Demon King’s army. Now that things have come to this, I’m going to thoroughly exploit the Demon King’s army for my own benefit.”

“Oho, Hero, I see you in a new light!”

Rahel clapped her hands, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

Embarrassed by the praise, Choi Hyun-seok coughed and scratched the back of his head.

“Ahem, this much is basic!”

“As expected, no one can beat the Hero when it comes to devious schemes!”

“…Is that a compliment?”

“Of course!”

Rahel’s expression was utterly serious.

Choi Hyun-seok felt a slight unease but decided to move on.

“Okay, it seems like my plan for the future is somewhat settled.”

Choi Hyun-seok rose from his seat.

He frowned, as if experiencing discomfort, and shuddered slightly.

“Ugh, I thought I was getting better, but I feel like I’m going to die…”

“Are you still in pain?”

“Yeah, I need to rest more.”

In fact, Choi Hyun-seok had been mostly bedridden for the past few days.

Except for the times he received treatment from Abelson or ate, he spent most of his time sleeping.

Today, he barely had the energy to talk for an extended period, and he was already feeling exhausted.

“But before I lie down again, there’s one thing I need to check.”

“What is it?”

“What else could it be? Combat power.”

Choi Hyun-seok grinned.

“I wonder if it’s increased significantly?”

His level had risen considerably during the last battle.

Choi Hyun-seok’s current level was 592.

The detailed stats were as follows:

▫Level: 592

·Strength: 204

·Agility: 201

·Stamina: 203

·Magic Power: 208

·Demonic Energy: 141

·Charisma: 79

·Fighting Spirit: 10

All four basic stats exceeded 200.

And ‘Demonic Energy,’ which had previously been marked with a question mark (?), was now displayed as a proper value.

A new hidden stat called ‘Fighting Spirit’ had also been unlocked.

After a moment of contemplation, Choi Hyun-seok first examined the effect of Fighting Spirit.

□ Fighting Spirit

‧ Effect:

– Increases resistance to mental debuffs.

– Increases concentration during battle.

“Good, it’s simple and only has what’s needed.”

“If the stats increase further, other effects may be unlocked.”

“Oh, good?”

Choi Hyun-seok’s face brightened.

In the first place, the Fighting Spirit stat was a new addition that hadn’t existed before.

In other words, it was an additional bonus, so he was already satisfied.

But if it continued to grow, other effects might emerge, which could only be a good thing.

“It’s a shame that you can’t raise hidden stats with bonus points.”

“Focus on the main ones. You’re already busy raising Strength, Agility, Stamina, and Magic Power.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

After understanding Fighting Spirit, Choi Hyun-seok looked up and checked Demonic Energy.

His eyes were fixed on the Demonic Energy value, displayed as ‘141’.

“It’s very high…”

Considering that he had never invested in it separately, it was a surprisingly high value.

Choi Hyun-seok scratched his head with a subtle expression, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

“Okay! It’s good to get stronger.”

He couldn’t eliminate the Demonic Energy that had already manifested.

Choi Hyun-seok decided to think positively about the increase in Demonic Energy.

“Now, then, is it time for the long-awaited combat power measurement?”

“How much will it be?”

“Well…”

Choi Hyun-seok was aware that combat power wasn’t an absolute indicator.

Strength, Stamina, Agility, Magic Power, Demonic Energy, etc.

It was merely a quantification of stats that directly influenced combat.

In addition to stats, numerous factors such as abilities, skills, and personal experience played a role in combat.

Stats were only one piece of the puzzle.

But that didn’t mean they could be completely disregarded.

“Anyway, you need basic specs to do anything.”

“That’s right.”

“When I measured it last time, it was roughly in the mid-20,000s?”

“Yes, it would have been.”

Before the start of the battalion commander tournament, Choi Hyun-seok’s combat power was around 25,000.

He was eager to see the results, as his stats had increased significantly since then.

“Okay, to the right… Yes, stop!”

Rahel, who had placed the combat power measuring device on the table, positioned Choi Hyun-seok like a photographer.

“Stay there.”

Rahel peered at Choi Hyun-seok through the lens.

Beep beep beep…

The value on the lens began to rise with a cheerful sound.

Beep!

Finally, the measurement was complete.

Rahel involuntarily exclaimed.

“Oh…!”

“What? How much is it?”

“It’s over 50,000!”

“What!?”

Choi Hyun-seok was startled by the result.

50,000.

Compared to the previous value, it was more than twice as strong.

[Combat Power: 52,908]

“To be exact, it’s 52,908. Hero, you’ve become incredibly strong.”

“At this point, you can consider me fully qualified as a battalion commander.”

Generally, the combat power of a battalion commander was around the early 50,000s.

Choi Hyun-seok had been fighting strong opponents even when he was much weaker than that.

But now his stats were comparable to theirs.

He was confident that he wouldn’t lose even if he fought a battalion commander now.

“Come to think of it, Bobo’s combat power wasn’t less than 50,000 before?”

“That’s right! It would have been around 47,000?”

Rahel remembered it quite accurately.

The shock had been significant.

“At that time, the Hero’s combat power was 1,500, but Bobo’s was almost 50,000, so I was very surprised.”

“That’s right, that’s what happened.”

Choi Hyun-seok grinned.

“But now I’m stronger?”

His combat power was now higher than Bobo’s.

In other words, there was no reason to hold back against Bobo anymore.

A smile bloomed on Rahel’s face.

“Hero, shall we give that mutt a good lesson today?”

“Hehe, that’s a great idea. When I think about everything I’ve endured!”

Choi Hyun-seok clenched his fist, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

He would slap Bobo’s big butt while he was sleeping.

“Hero, don’t stop even if he screams in pain!”

“Of course! But before that, wait a minute.”

Choi Hyun-seok suddenly paused.

“Why? It was just about to get interesting!”

“You never know. We need to check Bobo’s combat power too.”

Choi Hyun-seok was meticulous in this regard.

In order to properly practice being strong against the weak, you must know yourself and know your enemy.

“I’m noticing it again, but Bobo’s size is unusual. It seems to have doubled since then.”

“Is that so? He looks the same to me.”

“Wait a minute.”

Choi Hyun-seok aimed the combat power measuring device at Bobo.

Beep!

Soon, the measurement was complete.

The value that appeared was completely unexpected.

Rahel leaned her face towards Choi Hyun-seok, her curiosity piqued.

“Hero! How much is it?”

“One hundred thirty-seven thousand.”

“Yes?”

[Combat Power: 137,520]

Choi Hyun-seok, who was staring blankly at the value, turned around, went to his bed, and lay down.

“Ah… I guess I’m still not feeling well, so I’m dizzy. I should lie down for a while.”

“Okay, let’s take a break!”

It seemed like it was still a hundred years too early to give Bobo a good lesson.