Not All Heroes From Earth Are Bad [EN]: Chapter 158

The hunting dog, Kieran, cheered.

How long he had waited for this day.

Choi Hyun-seok and Abelson stood before him.

Kieran had truly suffered to capture those two.

“Choi Hyun-seok. You, in particular, were annoying.”

Kieran spat out the words as if chewing them.

Choi Hyun-seok shrugged and joked,

“The life of a popular star is tiring. Even insignificant guys keep following me around.”

“You still seem to have plenty of余裕 [yoyu – composure, leeway]. Do you think there’s hope for you?”

At the word ‘hope,’ Choi Hyun-seok gave a bitter smile.

Hope.

To be honest, there was none.

He was acting calm, but it was just that, ‘acting.’

Choi Hyun-seok was more desperate than ever.

‘There’s no solution.’

He was trapped in an impenetrable barrier.

At least five hundred black-masked figures surrounded them.

Checking with the combat power meter, their average combat power seemed to be around 70,000 to 80,000.

‘Damn… You gotta know when to stop. This is too much!’

Combat power of 70,000 wasn’t that common.

Anywhere he went, he could be treated like a distinguished knight and live comfortably.

To think that such strong individuals were as common as factory-made products.

It was almost awe-inspiring.

Just what kind of group was the Holy Empire to possess such power?

And why would they invest that much power just to capture him and Abelson?

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t understand.

“Hero… what should we do…”

Rachel, who had been hiding in Choi Hyun-seok’s arms, peeked out.

“Should we surrender?”

“Do you think they’ll spare us if we surrender?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t you ask them?”

As the debate continued, Kieran stepped forward.

“I’d like to tear you apart right now, but I’ll show you one last act of mercy.”

“Mercy?”

“Surrender. If you surrender, I’ll spare your lives.”

Choi Hyun-seok raised both hands.

“Surrender!”

“…”

“I surrender! Just spare my life!”

Choi Hyun-seok’s voice echoed loudly across the plain.

“Are you serious?”

Abelson turned to look at him.

“Hero. I didn’t expect much in the first place, but, well… never mind. I’ll save my words.”

Rachel clicked her tongue.

“Woof!”

Bobo also barked at Choi Hyun-seok.

“Ahem! To surrender so easily. It’s a bit unexpected.”

Kieran also cleared his throat, unable to hide his embarrassment.

“I have one question!”

“What is it?”

“What happens if we surrender?”

“You’ll go to the Empire’s capital, Gratiam.”

“And then?”

“And then…”

Kieran hesitated for a moment.

‘It’s much more beneficial to safely capture and use them than to suffer losses from their resistance.’

After contemplating, he decided to be honest.

He needed to give them confidence that they could save their lives if they surrendered.

Sometimes, conveying the truth as it is can be more effective than trying to deceive them with sweet talk.

“Abelson Mariotte will live with a special device attached to him for the rest of his life. It’s equipment that extracts divine power. It’s inconvenient, but not particularly painful.”

“What about me?”

“You will undergo brainwashing magic over a long period.”

“Brainwashing, as in…”

“Becoming a hero who truly serves the Empire.”

Kieran said, looking at the masked figures stationed around them.

“It’s nearly impossible to train soldiers of this level on a large scale, but the Empire has done it. These guys are just a small fraction. A much larger number of soldiers are waiting for orders inside the Empire. How do you think this is possible?”

“Hero…”

“That’s right. They are all heroes.”

Kieran placed his hand on the shoulder of one of the masked figures.

“Once, they also had impious thoughts like you. But now, they have all become citizens of the Empire through the grace of God.”

“…”

“You too can receive the grace of God. It may take several years, but once the brainwashing is complete, you can move freely.”

Kieran spread his arms wide.

“What great grace this is! To spare the lives of you traitors and even guarantee your freedom!”

“…”

“Salvation is open to everyone. Do you want to live? Then kneel down and pray. Beg for salvation!”

Choi Hyun-seok looked at Abelson.

Abelson also looked at Choi Hyun-seok.

“…”

The two stared at each other without a word.

After exchanging a silent conversation, they both nodded.

Thud-

Choi Hyun-seok knelt first, followed by Abelson.

Kieran burst into laughter as he watched them kneel.

“Hahaha! Good! Finally, the Pope will acknowledge my abilities!”

How much had he been anxious these past few days?

Kieran had been tossing and turning at night, fearing he might be cast aside at any moment.

Now, if he captured Choi Hyun-seok and Abelson alive, the Pope’s attitude would change by 180 degrees.

Not only would his past mistakes be covered up, but he might even receive a great reward.

“Bind them.”

At Kieran’s command, several masked figures approached.

They held magical tools to suppress magical power.

“…”

Choi Hyun-seok closed his eyes while kneeling.

He slowly regulated his breathing and focused his consciousness.

Whoosh-!

The wind brushing against his skin was clearly felt.

Rustle, rustle-!

The sound of the enemy approaching and stepping on the grass was as loud as thunder.

“Eeeing…!”

He could feel the presence of Rachel trembling in his arms, making strange noises, as if he were seeing her.

In addition, Abelson’s breathing.

The sound of Bobo’s saliva dripping.

Even Kieran’s gaze watching him from afar.

Everything in the battlefield entered his senses.

“Hoo…”

He exhaled and sharpened his consciousness even more.

Even without looking, he could tell that the masked figures were right in front of him.

“Now…”

Choi Hyun-seok muttered quietly.

And a pure white light burst forth in the air.

Whirr-!

It was a light so bright that it momentarily blinded everyone.

Choi Hyun-seok, who had closed his eyes in advance, quickly rose from his spot.

“Let’s go-!”

He pushed aside the masked figure blocking his path and ran.

At the same time, Abelson and Bobo jumped out.

Thwack-!

The mace was embedded in the head of the staggering enemy.

“Roar!”

The one who fell to the ground went straight into Bobo’s mouth.

Choi Hyun-seok kept running without looking back.

“You fools! You’re just hastening your deaths!”

Kieran shouted, struggling to open his eyes.

Hundreds of masked figures reacted to his words and rushed out.

Choi Hyun-seok also ran forward without backing down.

His gaze was fixed solely on Kieran.

‘The only hope is to take out the commander.’

This wasn’t the first time Choi Hyun-seok had faced masked figures, specifically brainwashed heroes.

He had fought them in the Land of Demonic Beasts, Inemosit, in the past.

‘They were like machines. Doing only what they were ordered without emotion.’

Choi Hyun-seok thought.

If they were really like machines.

And if they only carried out the orders they received.

Wouldn’t killing the one giving the orders solve the problem?

Wouldn’t they all stop functioning if there was no one to give commands?

Of course, this was just Choi Hyun-seok’s idea.

Kieran might have nothing to do with them.

They might continue fighting even if Kieran died.

Nevertheless, he had to try.

‘There’s no such thing as one hundred percent in this world. You never know until you try.’

Choi Hyun-seok decided to trust his judgment and bet on this.

Nobilis

First Form – King’s Stride

A purple afterimage appeared, and his speed increased.

The masked figures didn’t miss his movements and swung their weapons.

‘Only one chance! Focus!’

Choi Hyun-seok’s eyes flashed.

Now, when the enemy was flustered and their vision hadn’t fully returned.

This moment was the first and last chance.

Whoosh-!

He dodged a sword swung by someone and leaped into the empty space.

Then, he deflected a spear thrust at him and gently turned his body, using the enemy as a shield.

‘The most optimal path…!’

Attacks flew from all directions every moment.

Each one contained such strong power that it couldn’t be ignored.

In this worst-case scenario, Choi Hyun-seok had to find the best.

The best option that would allow him to move forward without being stopped even for a moment.

Swish-!

Choi Hyun-seok’s body moved like the wind.

He slipped through the masked figures like a loach and charged forward in an instant.

Finally, he began to see the flustered Kieran in his eyes.

“Kuh…!”

Choi Hyun-seok clenched his teeth.

Perhaps it was because he had overexerted himself to break through the enemy quickly.

He could feel his joints creaking.

‘Not yet!’

He gathered as much magical power and demonic energy as possible.

This wasn’t the time to leisurely divide and use them.

He had to do it, whether it worked or not.

Considering the burden on his body that would occur later was a luxury.

Just a single strike.

He poured everything into one strike.

Crackle-!

Purple sparks flew as magical power and demonic energy forcibly fused.

‘For the best single blow!’

Half of his magical power and demonic energy disappeared in a lump.

Choi Hyun-seok barely managed to open his mouth.

“Raidran-style combat…”

The first form of the Raidran-style combat he had used countless times.

“Annihilation.”

A purple storm raged from the end of his outstretched fist.

Kwarooooo-!

The bodies of the masked figures blocking his path were torn apart.

The masked figures threw themselves forward to block the storm, but it was not enough.

They were simply torn apart meaninglessly.

Seeing the approaching storm, Kieran sensed it.

‘I can’t block it.’

Even though he was at the level of a hero, he could be sure.

He would die if he tried to block that.

However, the range of the storm was too wide to escape.

“Damn it…!”

Either way, he had to run to survive.

Kieran raised his magical power and moved his feet.

Gatrein Holy Swordsmanship

Fourth Form – Holy Step

‘Holy Step’ was the fastest movement among the martial arts he could use.

Kieran desperately ran to escape the range of the storm.

At the same time,

Kwarooooo-!

Purple death covered everything.

***

Kieran swallowed a groan.

“Kuh…!”

He really ran with all his might.

He threw himself at the last moment, but he couldn’t completely escape the range of the storm.

“That son of a bitch!”

His legs were gone.

To be exact, both legs were blown off up to the knees.

“Aaaaaah!”

Kieran screamed in anger.

The severed legs had completely disappeared, so he couldn’t even heal them.

He could attach prosthetic legs through magical engineering, but they were still far from being as good as real limbs.

‘Just how does such a powerful martial art come about!’

Even in the midst of his anger, Kieran was questioning.

What was this absurd power?

Looking at the power alone, he could believe it was a martial art used by a legend.

Even if it was a one-time thing, it was a power that defied common sense.

“Woof!”

“Mr. Choi Hyun-seok! Are you okay!?”

He saw Abelson and Bobo fighting in his eyes.

They were fighting to protect the exhausted Choi Hyun-seok.

“Kill them! I said kill them!”

Kieran shouted with a venomous voice.

“To think I have to suffer such humiliation from that bastard!”

Kieran gritted his teeth as he cast recovery magic on his legs.

No matter how much he thought about it, it was unfair.

Being bitten by a mouse he had cornered and losing both legs was too high a price to pay.

If he had died, a major disaster could have occurred due to the uncontrolled heroes.

“Hoo… Just keep that Choi Hyun-seok alive no matter what. Even if you cut off his limbs, just keep him breathing.”

Just killing him wouldn’t do.

He would make him pay the price for daring to blow off his legs.

“It’ll be over soon.”

After a while.

Kieran, who had calmed down his excitement, watched the battle situation.

The enemy was no match because the number of allies was so overwhelming.

Choi Hyun-seok couldn’t even support his body after the attack just now.

Abelson was unexpectedly putting up a good fight, but even so, it was difficult to handle this many people.

‘There was no information about that monster… Those intelligence guys never do anything right anyway.’

The only thing he was worried about was the giant monster.

Already more than twenty of his subordinates had fallen to the monster, but he didn’t feel a sense of crisis.

The monster was also accumulating injuries, so it would collapse soon.

“By the way, why is it so hot?”

Kieran frowned.

Strangely, the surrounding temperature felt like it had risen.

At first, he thought it was because of the heat of the battle, but the temperature had risen too much for that.

Kieran suddenly raised his head and was startled.

“Two suns…?”

Two suns were floating in the sky.

Kieran looked at it closely and shook his head.

“No. That’s not the sun. That’s…”

Magic.

Magic like the sun was falling from the sky.