Not All Heroes From Earth Are Bad [EN]: Chapter 67

Choi Hyun-seok hurriedly hid behind a tree.

He regulated his breathing, suppressing his magical power and demonic energy.

‘Calm down. I need to conceal my magic power and demonic energy.’

He didn’t recognize the black armor.

However, his instincts screamed a warning.

He must not be discovered by that thing.

‘That guy must be the one who’s messing with the leaderboard.’

The black armor had dozens of flags stuck in its waist.

A quick glance suggested there were over 30 or 40.

‘An external enemy, not a participant in the game. If a guy like that takes the flags, the rankings are bound to be a disaster.’

He understood why the rankings were so skewed.

However, one question lingered.

Regardless of the reason, how did the black armor manage to steal flags from other teams?

‘Is that armor strong enough to wipe out entire teams alone? Or does it have hidden allies?’

This place is crawling with powerful demons aiming for battalion and regimental commander positions.

The average combat power is over 40,000, with occasional outliers exceeding 60,000 or 70,000.

How did that black armor steal flags from them?

Choi Hyun-seok activated his combat power measuring device and aimed it at the figure.

[ Combat Power: 198532 ]

“Huh?”

The exclamation slipped out before he could stop it.

198,000?

Could the device be malfunctioning?

Choi Hyun-seok removed the combat power measuring device, rubbed his eyes, and tried again.

[ Combat Power: 198532 ]

It was the same.

Even after a second look, the combat power reading was nearly 200,000.

Choi Hyun-seok took off the measuring device and nodded.

‘Okay! Time to run.’

Combat power of 200,000.

That was a completely different ballgame.

It meant he couldn’t even dream of competing, let alone winning.

‘The last time I checked, Raidrun’s combat power was 150,000, and this is even higher.’

Except for out-of-spec monsters like Hemiss, Raidrun was the strongest person Choi Hyun-seok knew.

Raidrun, the “Red Nightmare,” barely topped 150,000.

The black armor was far stronger.

‘Where on earth did such a monster come from…’

Why were the other teams so easily robbed of their flags?

The answer was clear.

The enemy was overwhelmingly powerful.

Combat power wasn’t a simple matter of addition and subtraction.

It didn’t mean that four people with a combat power of 50,000 could beat someone with 200,000.

Even if ten demons with a combat power of 50,000 teamed up, victory against 200,000 would be impossible.

‘Let’s retreat as quietly as possible. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem to have noticed us…’

Just as Choi Hyun-seok was carefully backing away, Holgoth appeared with his team members.

“Human! What are you doing!”

Choi Hyun-seok was horrified and quickly put his index finger to his lips.

“Shh…! Shhh…!”

“What’s wrong all of a sudden?” “Shhh…! Please shut up…!” “Is this human finally lost his mind? What are you doing….”

At that moment, Holgoth’s pupils dilated.

He spotted the black armor.

“Flags!”

“Huh?”

“That guy has a ton of flags! This is our chance to jump to first place instantly!”

Choi Hyun-seok shook his head frantically.

“No, no, no, no!”

‘Seriously? Can’t you sense the black armor’s power?’

He was suppressing his demonic energy, sure.

But didn’t the situation seem strange to anyone?

To be wandering around with that many flags alone.

Even a child would find it suspicious.

“If you have a brain, think for a second!” “Shut up! I don’t need your opinions. Pedissen! Go get that guy’s flag!”

“Ah… I’m screwed.”

Choi Hyun-seok gave up.

The black armor was already looking their way.

It was too late to run.

He had no choice but to fight.

Sarrrrr!

Pedissen scuttled across the ground at an incredible speed.

A centipede demon with a combat power of 63,000.

Other demons couldn’t withstand Pedissen’s bizarre movements and overwhelming strength and were easily defeated.

The black armor stared silently as Pedissen approached.

Sarrrrr!

Pedissen closed the distance at a terrifying pace.

The moment he arrived in front of the black armor.

The black armor slammed its fist down.

Kwajik-!

Pedissen’s head was crushed.

The black armor picked up Pedissen’s limp body and hurled it.

Shuuuuung-! Kwaaaang!

Pedissen, flying at an unbelievable speed, whizzed past Choi Hyun-seok and slammed into a rock behind him.

“…”

A short silence.

Pedissen, deeply embedded in the rock, looked like an ancient fossil.

The green liquid dripping from his head suggested Pedissen was anything but a fossil.

Choi Hyun-seok clenched his teeth and spat out, “Goat [slang for idiot]. Let’s scatter.”

“…”

“Goat. Why aren’t you talking?”

Choi Hyun-seok turned his head.

The guy who should have been there was gone.

“Huh?”

Looking around frantically, he saw Holgoth already running away.

“I’ll leave the rest to you!”

“You son of a bitch-!”

Holgoth was sprinting away with all the flags.

He was so fast he already looked like a small dot in the distance.

Choi Hyun-seok sighed deeply and turned to the side.

“Haa, what am I supposed to do now?”

Ikigli, who resembled a noble eagle, remained expressionless with his arms crossed.

“Aren’t you running away?”

“…”

“Hey. Why don’t you answer?”

Choi Hyun-seok shook Ikigli.

Thud.

Ikigli collapsed as if crumbling.

“I, I’ve lost strength in my legs.” “Shibal… [Korean slang, similar to ‘damn it’] This is going to be a long day.”

Choi Hyun-seok rubbed his forehead.

This wouldn’t work.

How could he overcome this situation?

‘Let’s run for now. I don’t know what that armor’s purpose is, but it’s definitely collecting flags. Then…’

At that moment, the black armor began to move.

It moved with incredible speed, almost impossible to follow with the naked eye.

Choi Hyun-seok braced himself, preparing for the worst.

‘Pass by… please!’

Hooong!

The black armor sped past Choi Hyun-seok.

‘That’s right!’

Choi Hyun-seok cheered inwardly.

As expected, its goal was the flags.

That meant it would chase Holgoth, who ran away with all of them.

“Eummeeo!?”

The black armor, running like a madman, caught up with Holgoth.

Confusion flickered in Holgoth’s eyes.

Then, a black fist slammed into his face.

Kwaddeuk!

With a sickening sound, Holgoth’s head twisted at an unnatural angle.

“Keuk…”

Holgoth collapsed to the floor, his eyes rolled back in his head.

The black armor silently retrieved the dropped flags.

It stuck the flags in its waist and turned to Choi Hyun-seok.

“…”

Their eyes met for a moment.

Clang! Clang!

The black armor started moving again.

Perhaps it was searching for other teams with flags.

“I survived… for now.”

Choi Hyun-seok and Ikigle survived.

It seemed necessary to check if Holgoth and Pedissen were still alive.

“Anyway, all the flags are gone now.”

Choi Hyun-seok looked up at the sky.

The situation board, broadcasted magically, showed the flags disappearing in real-time.

‘That black armor. I don’t know what it is, but it’s definitely related to the Lip Monster.’

Legion Commander Hemis.

Whether she directly released the black armor or not, he didn’t know.

What was certain was that she was tolerating the current situation.

If so, it was safe to assume that this situation was intended by her.

Only then could Choi Hyun-seok realize the essence of the game.

‘Right. From the start, this wasn’t a game of taking flags, but a game of defending them.’

It was a game that didn’t suit the Demon King’s army, but that made it all the more likely.

Hemis had always complained about the Demon King’s army’s system.

‘What I have to do from now on is…’

Choi Hyun-seok’s mind began to spin furiously for survival.

***

Hemis and Park Hyun-ah were watching the game in the office.

“Hmm, it could turn out like this. I expected it, though.”

Hemis’s lips twisted.

“Seeing it in person, I feel a bit strange, you know?”

The reason Hemis was in a bad mood was simple.

The black armor, Motem, had collected all 100 flags before 48 hours had passed.

“Even though Motem did it enthusiastically, don’t you think this is too much?”

“It’s a natural result. What did you expect from those stupid bastards?”

Park Hyun-ah said indifferently.

Hemis unusually agreed with her words.

“Yeah. I think I made a slight mistake this time.”

The Demon King’s army soldiers were more stupid than she thought.

Still, they were somewhat capable, and since they passed the first game, she had some expectations.

But as expected, these guys were stupid.

“So, what are you going to do now? It doesn’t seem like we can proceed with the game anymore.”

“We’ll have to wait and see since there’s still time left.”

“It’s meaningless. Those bastards will never get the flags back anyway.”

To take the flags back from Motem.

It wasn’t entirely impossible with the participants’ skills.

After all, they were all strong individuals aiming to become battalion commanders.

If they all united and worked together, there was a possibility.

Motem was fighting while holding back his strength.

They might be able to take back a few flags.

Even so, Park Hyun-ah stated that it was impossible.

The reason she viewed the situation so negatively was clear.

“Those guys won’t join forces. They’ll probably attack separately and be defeated individually.”

“That’s highly likely at the moment.”

Hemis got up from her seat.

Thick magical energy began to flow from her body.

“But, what if I give them some motivation?”

Hemis smiled, stretching her lips wide horizontally.

Her magical energy headed towards the sky.

Darkness descended upon the area.

***

Among the dense trees of the forest.

Choi Hyun-seok and his team members sat around a small clearing covered with cozy grass.

“…”

Their depressed appearance was reminiscent of a group of defeated soldiers.

Holgoth sat awkwardly with his neck half-twisted.

Pedissen was applying clumps of dirt to the hole in his head to stop the bleeding.

Ikigle sat crouched, hugging her knees like a dejected girl.

“How long are you going to stay like this?”

Choi Hyun-seok said.

The team members turned to Choi Hyun-seok.

“Have you already given up?”

“If we don’t give up, is there another way?”

Holgoth continued in a gloomy voice.

“Didn’t you see it? That armor is a completely different being from us. We can never win.”

“Then are we just going to sit around pathetically and waste time?”

“Look at the sky.”

Holgoth pointed to the sky with his finger.

Looking at the situation board drawn with magic, he said.

“Either way, the black armor has taken all the flags. As it is, no team will be able to pass the game.”

“So?”

“Perhaps the game will be restarted in a different way. We just have to wait until then.”

Holgoth’s words were reasonable.

Currently, the black armor, Motem, had taken all 100 flags.

If the game ended like this, no team would pass.

Then there was a high probability that the game would be restarted in a different way.

Choi Hyun-seok crossed his arms and pondered.

‘The goat’s [derogatory term for Holgoth] words aren’t wrong, but it’s too naive of a thought.’

Will the game really end like this?

What if other teams join forces and take the flags from Motem?

Even if only four teams passed, there would be no problem in selecting battalion commanders.

‘Even if that’s not the case, it’s still a problem.’

It’s a problem even if the game ends without any team having flags.

Would Hemis kindly restart the game in a different way?

Choi Hyun-seok thought it was unlikely.

Hemis’s personality, as he had observed so far, was not very flexible.

‘It’s more realistic to think that she’ll just eliminate all these idiots, saying they’re not needed.’

If everyone is eliminated, Choi Hyun-seok will not be able to be in the top 10 as a result.

Then he’ll be sent to the laboratory without exception.

‘That must never happen!’

Choi Hyun-seok steeled his resolve.

‘There are still about 12 hours left until the game ends. I’ll get the flags by any means possible until then.’

He didn’t need many.

If he could get even just one flag, he could advance to the next game.

‘If I can somehow get a flag in my hands right before the game ends…’

As Choi Hyun-seok’s worries deepened.

Suddenly, the area was enveloped in darkness.

An incredibly dense magical energy began to flow down from the sky.

Choi Hyun-seok and his team members looked up at the sky in confusion.

“Wh, what is it!?”

Holgoth shouted, forcibly raising his unmoving head.

Crack!

At that moment, the black sky split open.

“Lips… ?”

What appeared from the roughly torn sky was a giant lip.

[Ah, ah, can everyone hear me?]

It was a familiar voice.

Choi Hyun-seok frowned.

‘It’s the Lip Monster [referring to Hemis].’

Hemis was transmitting her voice with magic.

Watching that, Ikigle shook his head.

“It’s absurd. To use such large-scale magic just to convey words…”

Ikigle, who had always kept his mouth shut, delivered a lengthy line for the first time.

The situation unfolding now was that bizarre.

“At least three large-scale magic spells are overlapping. If it were used as attack magic, nothing would be left in the area.”

Ikigle seemed to be surprisingly knowledgeable about magic.

Choi Hyun-seok ignored his words and waited for Hemis’s next words.

[The Legion Commander is disappointed in you]

Somehow familiar lines.

Words he had heard endlessly in the military.

He could have chuckled, but Choi Hyun-seok’s hardened face did not ease.

The magical energy conveyed along with Hemis’s voice was constricting everything in the area.

[I’m going to change the rules from now on]

[For the next hour]

[Teams that fail to obtain a flag from Motem within that time will receive the Endurance Punishment]

[I will be executing the punishment myself, so you all better work hard]

Hemis finished speaking.

The torn sky closed.

The darkness in the area receded, and the sun rose again.

Only then did Choi Hyun-seok and his team members release their held breaths and look at each other.

“Th, the Endurance Punishment… This is a big problem.”

Holgoth said in a trembling voice.

“Endurance Punishment? What is that?”

Choi Hyun-seok asked.

Holgoth replied with a fearful face.

“The Endurance Punishment is a punishment that completely extracts the magical energy from the body.”

“Extract magical energy?”

“Originally, it inflicts pain by extracting magical energy until just before death, but death is also frequent.”

“…”

“If the Legion Commander executes the Endurance Punishment herself…”

Holgoth swallowed hard.

“You’ll be begging to die instead.”

Choi Hyun-seok and his team members jumped up.

“Shibal… Get all the tools [Korean slang for ‘damn it’].”

Motivation complete.

Team members, whose motivation was instantly charged to 200%, shone their eyes.