Not All Heroes From Earth Are Bad [EN]: Chapter 90

There was a reason Choi Hyun-seok committed the insane act of drinking the Magi Ampoule.

It was to utilize the only weapon he possessed.

That weapon was his own life.

Rotark wanted to experiment on Choi Hyun-seok, and to make matters worse, he was bound by the Covenant of Mana.

In other words, it meant that no matter what Choi Hyun-seok did, he couldn’t be killed right now.

In this situation, Choi Hyun-seok and Rachel made a choice.

“Let’s strike first before we get hit.”

Swallow the Magi Ampoule, a key ingredient needed for Rotark’s research.

This would not only disrupt the research but also increase the value of his own life even further.

Rotark wouldn’t kill Choi Hyun-seok, who had digested the precious ampoule, unless he was completely insane.

Furthermore, there was also the calculation that ‘he might become much stronger than he is now’ – if things went well.

Of course, there was one prerequisite for this.

Could he survive after drinking the Magi Ampoule?

If he died, everything would be in vain.

He trusted his experiences and abilities, as well as Rotark’s surgical skills, but he couldn’t be completely sure.

It was half a gamble.

“I don’t know! We just have to succeed, right!?”

Choi Hyun-seok shouted confidently and started the operation.

And at this very moment.

Choi Hyun-seok regretted that choice a little.

“Keuh, keuheoeok…!”

His whole body twisted.

It felt like his bones were being shattered into pieces, joint by joint.

His skin was being butchered, and his organs were burning from the inside out.

Would this be the feeling if someone opened his head and rummaged through his brain?

Choi Hyun-seok, who wouldn’t even utter a word at ordinary pain, was experiencing something on a different level.

A level of excruciating pain far beyond anything he had ever experienced.

‘If I lose consciousness, it’s over. I have to control the mana somehow…!’

Even in this situation, Choi Hyun-seok desperately tried.

He suppressed the rampaging mana with all his might.

Mana control that he had learned so far.

In addition to that, the method of fusing and controlling mana and magic.

Anything was fine.

He did everything he could.

Even as his mind faded, he moved instinctively to survive.

‘Is it getting better…?’

Then, at some point, his body suddenly began to feel comfortable.

The long, agonizing pain was over.

How much time had passed?

It felt like minutes, or perhaps hours.

Choi Hyun-seok carefully opened his eyes.

“Where is this…”

A cracked and hoarse voice leaked out.

His throat was completely parched.

‘It’s a place I’ve never seen before.’

Everything he saw was unfamiliar.

His body was covered with unknown devices.

And a strange magic circle was glowing on the floor.

“Hero…!”

A familiar voice was heard from the side.

He turned his head and saw Rachel.

“Rachel?”

“Shhh…!”

Rachel brought her finger to her lips.

She whispered softly.

“Rats are wandering outside the door… I don’t think they know you’ve woken up yet.”

“Ah…”

There were many things he wanted to ask.

Where was this place.

How much time had passed.

Was his body okay.

As if she knew Choi Hyun-seok’s mind, Rachel explained before he could even ask.

“This is a special treatment room in the upper part of the Magic Tower. I heard it’s a place only provided to very high-ranking executives.”

“Oh… I’ve made it…”

“Indeed. You’ve been lying in this precious place for a full three days.”

“Three days…?”

Choi Hyun-seok’s eyebrows twitched.

More time had passed than he thought.

Three days had passed.

He thought he was holding on without losing his mind, but that wasn’t the case.

“They say you kept controlling mana even while you were unconscious. The guys here were amazed and kept talking among themselves.”

“Ah…”

“The lab rat who got angry and rampaged when he saw that was laughing too. He said he was looking forward to the future.”

‘Lab rat’ was what Rachel called Rotark.

She said that he was so pale that he looked like a lab rat.

Anyway, it was good news that Rotark, who had been angry and rampaging, had calmed down.

It meant that the plan was almost successful.

“By the way, Hero. How’s your body? Are you okay?”

“So-so. Bearable.”

“That’s a relief.”

“If it’s this much, can we say the operation was somewhat successful…?”

“Shh!”

Suddenly, Rachel covered Choi Hyun-seok’s mouth.

“Someone’s coming. This is…”

She looked at the entrance and suddenly disappeared.

Choi Hyun-seok was making a puzzled expression when.

The door opened and someone came in.

“Hmm, Commander?”

It was the 2nd Corps Commander, Rotark, who appeared.

And following behind him was…

“Commander!?”

It was the 3rd Corps Commander, Hemis.

***

“Long time no see~ Choi Hyun-seok. You look radiant?”

“Thank you…”

Hemis approached and said.

Choi Hyun-seok nodded awkwardly.

He couldn’t figure out how the situation was unfolding.

‘Why is the lip monster here…’

What reason would Hemis have to come here?

Could it be that she was worried about him?

No, in the first place, Hemis doesn’t know what’s going on in the Magic Tower.

It was highly likely that she didn’t even know that Choi Hyun-seok had collapsed.

‘Unless I’m dead, there’s no reason to go to Hemis to tell her.’

Rotark wouldn’t have reported everything about Choi Hyun-seok, unless he was an idiot.

He would have tried to hide it.

So why is Hemis here?

‘Am I dreaming?’

Doubt after doubt continued.

But he couldn’t continue thinking.

“What were you thinking when you did this?”

Hemis smiled slyly.

She seemed angry and amused at the same time.

“That’s…”

Choi Hyun-seok trailed off.

He didn’t know how to explain it.

Rotark was standing behind Hemis right now.

His expression was terrible, and it seemed like something bad would happen if he said something wrong.

‘Rotark probably hasn’t taken direct action yet.’

It’s not good to talk about Rotark’s plan to hit Hemis here.

He couldn’t just blurt it out without any evidence.

In any case, the opponent is a Corps Commander.

Choi Hyun-seok, who is Hemis’s toy, and Rotark, the Corps Commander of the Demon King’s army.

It was foolish to even ask whose side she would take.

So how should he answer?

Choi Hyun-seok just went ahead with a reckless charge operation.

“I thought I could get stronger!”

“Get stronger?”

“Yes! Anyway, Commander Rotark will heal me no matter what happens while I’m bound by the Covenant of Mana… I thought I’d take this opportunity to get the most out of it!”

Choi Hyun-seok swallowed hard.

He just did it as he went, but what kind of reaction would he get?

Fortunately, it was a pass.

“Ohohoho!”

Hemis laughed in a high tone.

Rotark’s expression behind her was even more distorted.

‘His expression is really fierce…’

It felt like lasers would come out of Rotark’s bloodshot eyes.

If he could kill people with his eyes, Choi Hyun-seok would have died dozens of times already.

“What are you going to do about the aftermath after the covenant ends?”

“Well… I don’t know what will happen today or tomorrow, so I haven’t thought that far ahead!”

“I see. That’s what you mean.”

Hemis nodded.

Her lips stretched out.

The stretched lips almost reached her ears.

“It’s definitely interesting.”

Hemis tapped Choi Hyun-seok on the shoulder.

Then, a huge blade-like thing sprouted from the part where Hemis’s hand touched.

“Ugh…!?”

Choi Hyun-seok was startled to see the blade sprouting in front of his eyes.

“I guess you don’t realize what your condition is yet?”

“…”

“Heuhng~ I guess I’ll have to let you know little by little in the future.”

Hemis tapped her hand again.

Then, the blade disappeared as if it had never sprouted.

‘What happened…’

Something like an iron lump grew out of his body and disappeared.

This was a completely different dimension of the problem from the physical changes he had experienced before.

Choi Hyun-seok was confused, but there was no time to think.

“Shall we go back now?”

“Yes?”

“We have to go to the Black Star [likely a base or headquarters]. Are you going to stay here?”

“Commander. My treatment is still…”

“Don’t worry about that. It seems like the position has been roughly established.”

Hemis said as if there was nothing to worry about.

Jjeo-eok!

Her lips parted and she raised her hand and put it in her mouth.

“Here.”

What came out of her mouth was the Covenant of Mana.

She threw the covenant to Rotark.

Rotark received the covenant with a sullen face.

“You take care of this.”

“Yes…”

“Then I’ll go.”

That was the end of it.

Hemis left the treatment room without looking back, and Choi Hyun-seok followed her.

“…”

Rotark, who was left alone, stood blankly for a while.

He picked up the covenant and stared at it intently.

At that moment, a bloodshot glow spewed out of his eyes.

Buu-uk! Buu-uk! Chwa-jwa-jwa-jwa!

The covenant was torn to shreds.

The covenant, torn into dozens and hundreds of pieces, fluttered in the air.

Rotark let out a monstrous scream like a demon.

“Kkeuaaaa! Hemis!!!”

He was upset.

He was so upset.

He had taken care of him, fed him precious materials, and saved him from the brink of death with all his might!

And then she comes and takes Choi Hyun-seok away.

As if she had been waiting for it.

“There’s a bat inside [a spy].”

It was clear that he had planted a spy.

Otherwise, there was no reason for Hemis to suddenly come to the Magic Tower.

Rotark kicked the door open irritably.

“It doesn’t matter. Everything will come back to my hands anyway…”

It’s impossible to find the spy now.

It will take time, and he has no idea who the spy is.

In this situation, there is only one thing he can do.

“Wait. I’ll tear those lips apart.”

He’ll kill Hemis.

He doesn’t need the Demon King’s permission.

Rather, the information might leak out the moment he contacts the Demon King.

So he’ll just do it.

He decided to think about the aftermath then.

“I’ll weave your bodies together and make the best chimera!”

No more reason could be found in Rotark’s red eyes.

***

Choi Hyun-seok followed Hemis.

It didn’t take long to return to the Black Star.

Since the space warp gate had been restored, Choi Hyun-seok was able to stand in the Black Star Plaza in less than 30 minutes.

“Then go. You’ll need some rest for now.”

Hemis waved her hand.

She seemed to be going straight back to her office.

Choi Hyun-seok hesitated for a moment and opened his mouth.

“Um… Hemis. I have something to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“Isn’t there Commander Rotark?”

When the name ‘Rotark’ came out of Choi Hyun-seok’s mouth, Hemis smiled slyly.

“What about Rotark?”

“I think you should be careful.”

“Oho~ Did you notice?”

“Yes?”

“That’s impressive. I don’t know how you knew.”

Hemis’s reaction seemed like someone who knew what Rotark was going to do.

She stopped and looked up at the sky.

“…”

After standing like that for a while, she finally opened her mouth.

“Time is so cruel. Don’t you think so? Everyone gets older and only gets smarter, so they make choices they regret.”

“…”

“You don’t have to worry about Rotark. I already know. Rather, I’m looking forward to seeing what he’ll do.”

Hemis was sincerely curious.

And it was fun.

“So many interesting things have been happening lately! It’s all thanks to you. Choi Hyun-seok.”

“Hahaha… Is that so?”

“Of course. So please continue to do well.”

Hemis held out her hand.

She asked for a handshake.

Choi Hyun-seok looked at her hand.

White and long fingers.

Looking at her hand alone, it was no different from that of a peerless beauty.

Choi Hyun-seok carefully shook her hand.

‘It feels like I’ve made a deal with the devil…’

It’s too far to go back now.