49-55

After the Skill, now even my Job had become mosaicked—just what sort of brutal or obscene R19+ Job could it be to deserve this?

Fortunately though, I was able to tell the Job’s perk right away.

Chaos=↑

… And so?

While I didn’t sense a clear clear change in myself despite my Job having changed to a mosaic, there was something that I could tell immediately.

“Chaooo.”

Booom-!

The Oblivion Dragon King, which had been gazing at Holy Sword 2, landed on the ground.

“Uah?!”

“Auh?!”

The angels pulled on its reins, trying to get it under control somehow, but the gigantic dragon took no notice of them as it moved forwards, eventually stopping before me. The Oblivion Dragon King lowered its head to the ground with the gaggle of bewildered angels still clinging to its back, and drew its head as close as possible to Holy Sword 2, opening staring.

Even I felt slight tension at this moment; the one before me was the ultimate lifeform, a dragon, after all. Although I was overwhelmingly superior in terms of Skills, the advantage granted by the race ‘Dragon’ was so outrageous as to easily scoff at this sort of disadvantage.

Perplexed: I wonder what’s about to happen?

‘I don’t know either, Miss Trainee Teacher.’

But the moment I saw Oblivion Dragon King Noebius’ murky eyes, I vaguely understood what it was I had to do. Perhaps it was because I had previously eaten the dragon king’s heart? I didn’t know the clear reason or cause. In addition…

“Chaooo.”

“Yeah.”

I couldn’t understand the language of dragons as usual. I could clearly perceive what it was trying to say, however, and I moved into action in acknowledgement.

“Why is the sealed Holy Sword here?!”

“S-stop him!”

“Kill that man right this instant…!”

The angels attempted to attack me, but as they already had their hands full with just holding onto the dragon king’s reins, there was nothing they could do.

There was only one hindrance that came my way.

▷Race: Archangel ▷Level: 999+ ▷Job: Tamer(Taming→EXP↑) ▷Skills: Divinity(SSS) Taming(SS) Animal Training(SS) Empathy(SS) Whip(SS)… ▷Condition: Enraged, Nervous, Disconcerted, Astonished

The haughty angel who had been giving orders to the dragon king stood in my way, a woman whose sensual body was wrapped around with a rope the width of a pinky like a bandage. It was an unconventional fashion style that begged the question upon being sighted: … Can a person still manage their daily life like that?

“I don’t know how you got your hands on that key, but I won’t leave you run amok as you please any—Kyagh?!”

I closed the distance with a pounce forward and landed a punch in the abdomen of the defenseless bandaged angel, following which my fist felt slightly numb—I could tell that the rope wrapped around her body wasn’t ordinary, at least.

But that was all.

“You yap too much.”

The angel seemed intent on releasing the black rope wrapped around her arm to use as a whip, but undoing a rope tightly wound like a compress took work as well; the time needed to prepare was too long, and this was an evidence of inadequate combat experience. All angels were like this, but it seemed it grew worse the higher ranked their cheat-like Skill, Divinity, was.

“Haargh…!”

The angel’s face was twisted in pain, her two eyes that had thick eyelashes and her full, light-pink lips both wide open, while a string of saliva dripped from the end of her tongue which inelegantly hung out of her mouth.

‘Tsk-tsk. What a messy look.’

After tightly grasping hold the slender neck of the angel who had been bent over and setting her upright, I sucked on her hanging tongue like it was a straw.

“Tssurb!”

“Mmb…?!”

Thump-thump!

The surprised angel struck my back with her fists in protest, but that wasn’t enough to fend off or make a dent in my powerful body.

Swuurlp-!

I sucked out the entirety of her Divinity(SSS). The initial violent resistance of the angel quickly died down, until at last she settled down as if in resignation.

“D-Dame Archangel?!”

“Bastard! To do that to her lips…!”

“Oh! My god! How awful!”

Some of the angels who had been holding on to the Oblivion Dragon King’s reins turned outraged and came rushing at me as one, to save the sole woman among their company who was becoming like a dried squid.

But that was a mistake.

As the empathic connection with its tamers was cut, a gleam of clarity flashed in Oblivion Dragon King Noebius’ eyes that had been murky. Even its bridle had become loose due to a number of the angels breaking away from it.

“Chaooo-!”

Not letting go of this opportunity, the dragon king shook off the control of the angels and began to act as it pleased.

The first thing it did…

Fwoosh-!

Was to swing its gigantic, jet-black forelimb.

The angels who were still holding on to its leash defended themselves with their Divinity, which emitted flashes of light upon making contact with the forelimb, but the Oblivion Dragon King broke through their barriers with brute force despite not possessing Divinity or Dark Energy.

“Uaargh?!”

“Kyagh?!”

“Kuugh…?!”

The dragon’s claws that were much too bulky to be considered sharp raked itself across the group of angels.

Once, twice, thrice. Even with the Oblivion Dragon King’s playful swipes, dozens of angels became a mess of blood and dropped down.

“R-run away!”

“We have to retreat!”

“Hiik?! I don’t want to die!”

The angels who were still holding onto the dragon king’s leash, or had escaped the range of the claws by luck, lost the will to fight and turned their backs to flee, one after another.

The Oblivion Dragon King didn’t allow this to happen, however.

Thwack!

It used its long tail to thrash down the body of an angel about to fly away in escape—the angel was flattened like a fly smacked by a fly swatter.

It was naturally an instant death.

“S-save m-…!”

“Chaooo…!”

The body of the pretty angel, who was attempting to flee to the skies while in tears, disappeared whole into the Oblivion Dragon King’s wide open maw.

Crunch, Munch!

The arms of that angel which stuck out from between the dragon’s teeth were severed at once and dropped to the ground.

Thud, Thud.

“Hiik?!”

“N-no!”

Falling even deeper into fear, the angels ran about in confusion, yet the woman who was supposed to be leading them had forgotten her duty and was in the middle of a date with a cool guy.

“No more?”

“Auh…”

Our hot kiss had finally come to an end.

I admired the appearance of the angel that had turned haggard; hollow eyes, trembling limbs, body soaked in sweat. This pitiable look strangely provoked my instincts and desire to do battle as a man, but I decided to leave it at this for today.

Crack.

I broke the neck of the angel I was holding, and cleanly took her EXP as well.

“Thanks for pouring everything out for me, Miss Angel. We’ll be together forever from now on.”

Taking eternal responsibility after 30 seconds of dating!

I felt like I only suffered losses, each and every time.

Rejection: Student Kang Han Soo! We should be friends only!

‘Miss Trainee Teacher, you took the words out of my mouth.’

“Chaoooo!”

The Oblivion Dragon King, having massacred all of the angels without exception, let loose a mighty roar up towards the sky.

I tossed the corpse of the tamer angel towards that jet-black dragon.

Snap!

The Oblivion Dragon King caught the corpse as if receiving feed, swallowing it in one go, and then came to lightly land before me.

Thump.

“Well then, shall we finish where we left off?”

“Chaooo.”

I slowly walked beneath the dragon king’s neck. The silver leash and long bridle on its neck was a restraining device that hadn’t been on the old Oblivion Dragon King of Fantasia’s continents.

To start of with, I tried slashing at it using Holy Sword 2.

Ting-!

Holy Sword 2, which had never failed to cut something until now, failed to slice apart the leash and bridle and was deflected. Even I found this result extremely surprising; however, I had vaguely expected this coming too.

“I knew it. This must be the way to use it.”

I inserted the point of Holy Sword 2 like a key into the lock which connected the bridle and leash.

Click.

The lock was easily opened, meaning that Holy Sword was the key to this restraint from the start.

Ssss-

The size of the leash and bridle, which had fallen from Noebius’ thick neck, quickly shrank—to the size of an average dog collar.

Pop!

I put that collar away into the ‘storage’ which I had exchanged for using points from the event.

It was a restraining device that couldn’t be cut even with my Holy Sword 2 that was empowered with SS-rank Skills. It wouldn’t do to leave it carelessly lying around.

“It’s important to manage such a goo-… dangerous item!”

I was going to use it for a good cause someday.

Troubled: It’s said that a rat never bets its fate on a single hole, but why is it that I feel Student Kang Han Soo has blocked all those available holes? I also feel like an important individual that mustn’t be killed disappeared as a dragon’s snack…

‘Miss Trainee Teacher, it’s all in your head!’

The teaching staff would get things under control even if matters went awry.

“Noebius. You’re super thankful to me, right?”

“Chaooo.”

A majestic air surrounded the Oblivion Dragon King, Noebius, who had recovered its freedom, and its two eyes were burning with the light of vengeance.

This dragon’s Job was Supreme Ruler. It was a king who had walked the path of the mighty until the very last moment of its life. It wasn’t a creature to be dominated by some trifling tamer.

“Then let’s see through things to the end!”

I leaped up and got on the Oblivion Dragon King’s head.

‘Now! Let’s go flying with spirit, shall we!’

“Chaooo!”

At that moment, the K father and daughter and Saintess H, who had all been watching the scene of the many angels being trampled under the dragon king’s fury, came over in all a fluster, shouting.

“Gasp! Are you going somewhere?”

“Sir Hero! We’ll follow you as well!”

“Master! Please take me as well…!”

Dear me! Carried away in the fun, I had briefly forgotten about the muppets.

Judging by their words, they seemed intent on following me to the end. I did find these muppets’ will to repay my kindness commendable; however, I had no mind to allow him to accompany me.

To Boss K, I said, “I’ll come again 40 years later when the next festival begins. Build up a huge force until then and receive me upon my return. And you! Straighten out your parenting. Your descendants are all nothing but retards full of loathing for humans.”

He was the Third Elf King, making him a very remote ancestor of Sylvia.

Boss K was astonished upon hearing me speak of the future.

“Loathing for humans?! You’re saying the likes of skinny Elves loathe the fruitful humans? I can’t believe it—to think that such awful descendants are of my lineage!”

Following that, I gave Elf K some well-wishing words as well.

“Drink your milk diligently. No matter how barren your genes, you’ll have become a lady I’d have the hots for if you develop for about ten thousand years like a sedimentary layer.”

“Th-that’s going too far…”

I wouldn’t take no for an answer, even if she complained. I was a decisive man, after all!

And finally, I turned to look at Saintess H.

“Hm. Your Immortal Skill is SSS-ranked, so you probably won’t die even if you came along. Assist me and the Oblivion Dragon King, while hanging onto life like a sticky rice cake.”

“Yes, Master!”

“And…”

Click.

I didn’t expect to have used this item so quickly.

“Uh, Master? This is…?”

After putting the collar, which I took out from the storage Skill, around Saintess H’s neck, I tied the leash around the horn protruding from the Oblivion Dragon King’s head.

“Don’t fall off.”

I predicted that fierce battles awaited us. The chances of Saintess H, who had poor physical abilities, falling off from the dragon king’s head was extremely high. Of course, while she wouldn’t die from falling thanks to Immortal(SSS), but I had no time to waste in searching for her if that happened.

“My… being held in Master’s embrace…”

“Don’t bother me and hug the horn instead.”

And thus, a party of two people and one dragon was formed.

“Chaoooo~!”

Noebius spread wide its three pairs of jet-black wings and took to the sky.

All the creatures below on the ground trembled hard at the sight upon seeing the dragon. The graduates who had been enjoying the festival dazedly admired the majestic appearance of the ‘Last Five Disaster’, which they had thought only existed as a legend.

“H-heavens…”

“Oblivion Dragon King Noebius…?”

“What kind of Status…”

The great majority of graduates hadn’t actually seen ‘Oblivion Dragon King Noebius’ before, as the jet-black dragon that was nearing the end of its life would pass away before the Hero even properly began adventuring. I too had only known information about the dragon.

“Huhu! Good info should be shared. Isn’t that right?”

“Chaoo?”

“Noebius, burn your fearsomeness into the heads of those Heroes. They’ll realize it soon enough if you shower down a bit of venom.”

“Chaooooo~!”

It seemed that my dear companion had accurately understood the meaning of my words—it sprayed out a breath of venom on top of the humans.

Chwaaa-!

The dragon king’s breath, unhindered by eyes gone with age, boasted an accuracy of 99.9%. The insignificant bunch below that hadn’t even managed to achieve Level 999 had no hope of surviving.

“Now this is what you call friendship!”

I didn’t feel regret for the 514 demon worshipers who were wiped out.

I would carry out the massacre event with this wonderful companion of mine!

Resigned: I suppose this can indeed also be called friendship, but…

I had no thoughts of idling roaming about the festival continent. While I would be able to poison all the graduates to death within a fortnight with my dear companion by my side, that would be troublesome and annoying, which was why I decided to take a shortcut this time as well.

Saintess H explained, “Angels are guarding the Hero Festival’s main event rewards; however, as even the location of the palace where the angels live in is uncertain, robbing the rewards is a very distant prospect.”

So she said.

But my lips turned up into a grin at that.

“Noebius. You heard that, right? Let’s go take revenge on the angels starting now.”

“Chaooo!”

Oblivion Dragon King Noebius had been held captive by the angels; it would naturally know the location of where the angels lived. It was as I had guessed.

Beyond the cotton-shaped clouds covering the sky like a labyrinth…

“It’s a dragon! A dragon is invading!”

“Gasp! The Oblivion Dragon King?!”

“Where is its bridle and Dame Archangel…!”

… a world teeming with angels, who were harder to find than a movie actor back in Fantasia’s continents, came into view. It felt as if I had come to Hollywood.

After suffusing Holy Sword 2 with Dark Energy(SSS), I coated it over with Divinity(SSS), but these two energies that were polar opposites remained separate and achieved a balance.

Whoosh-!

A black and white whirlwind began to blow around the blade of the sword.

“Noebius. You’re ready, right?”

“Chaooooo~!”

‘Let’s show the true power of friendship to these white fools!’







____________________________________________________________________________









Fwwwr-!

Pitch-black venom fell on top of the angels’ palace; a white building with a unique design that was devoid of stairs, becoming of a structure made for angels who moved like birds with the wings on their back.

Sssrr…

That palace began to turn black and melt down starting from its roof which resembled a soft ice-cream.

“It’s a dragon’s breath!”

“D-dodge!”

“Hiik?! What is that?!”

Countless frightened angels dashed out from the palace they resided in.

Chiii…

Chii-…

But the number of angels that survived was truly very few—the Oblivion Dragon King, who had made an appearance without advance warning and abruptly began spouting its 100% lethality rate breath, was a natural disaster itself. The vast majority of the angels, who had either failed to realize the situation, or didn’t have enough time to escape even if they did, shared the fate of the palace.

The scale of damage or casualties weren’t calculated, as this was no different to a bolt out of the blues to the angels, who had distanced themselves with the matters of the festival aside from safekeeping the rewards of the massacre event.

“Chaooo~!”

The young Oblivion Dragon King admired its own handiwork and let loose a roar of delight. The race and age of those of other races were unimportant to a dragon. Woman, child, elderly, infant… no exception was made. Had it intended on making a differentiation, then it wouldn’t have spat out a venomous breath capable of large-scale killing from the start.

“Stop! You demon!”

A mob of angels came rushing over, all of them possessing a Level over 999, and their Skills were also all a set of SS-rank and S-rank Skills—Statuses that couldn’t even be imagined on the ground world, where even a single A-rank Skill would inspire trembling awe.

Explanation: That’s because they’re part of the higher education curriculum, after all!

Miss Trainee Teacher so answered in a refreshing manner. When looking at it in terms of maths, it was only natural to know how to do calculus and statistics.

“That so? The higher curriculum sure is easy.”

I swung sideways Holy Sword 2 which was enveloped in a whirlwind of black and white.

Boom! Crack! Slash! Crash!

An area the size of a skiing grounds was obliterated, and the angels who were within range were reduced to fistfuls of dust. It was a miraculous harmony of Dark Energy and Divinity which penetrated their divine protection. Before this, angels were no different to humans.

If the higher education curriculum was about wiping out the angels, then I would have already come close to graduating.

Troubled: The higher education curriculum isn’t a schooling program that’s about killing everyone. It’s a deep study on clearly understanding and judging the concept of good and evil…

It was a difficult subject to understand for me—the angels were first in attacking me. Was there any room for ‘good’ in this? Even if 99 of them were said to be kind, I would merely retaliate against those who attacked me, regardless of whomever they were.

“Kuugh!”

“Aarggh?!”

The angels were vulnerable to the whirlwind I had formed. Their limbs would be severed upon making even the slightest of contact with it, and they would drop out of the sky screaming in pain. The likes of this rabble of angels, who had always depended on their god-mode cheat, were no match for me, someone who had grown stronger while firmly enduring the tyranny of his 1st Playthrough companions.

It was far smoother than the time with the great temple.

Now this was the power of friendship!

No one could stop the combination of the Oblivion Dragon King and me, both having become empowered after receiving Saintess H’s blessing.

“Stop! You bastards!”

“Unirrrrrr~!”

The shout of an angel along with the neighing of a horse sounded out; a youth riding a ‘winged white horse’ called a unicorn caught up to our flying speed, and stabbed at the dragon king’s scales with his sharp spear. (TL/N: Pretty sure this is supposed to be Pegasus, but author apparently doesn’t know so)

Puk!

“Chaooo-?!”

Crimson blood flowed out between the scales of the Oblivion Dragon King, who hadn’t received any damage that could be called damage until now.

Even I couldn’t help being surprised at that moment.

▷Race: Grand Angel ▷Level: 999+ ▷Job: Knight(Loyalty→Fortitude↑) ▷Skills: Divinity(SSS) Spearmanship(SSS) Fortitude(SSS) Piercing(SS) Horsemanship(SS)… ▷Condition: Wary, Combative Spirit

Just where had a delectable SSS-rank angel like this been and what had he been doing to have only made a leisurely appearance now?

“Unirrrr!”

The unicorn the youth was riding was also like him. This horse which had a horn on its forehead and a pair of wings on its back was extremely famous as a holy creature, and a rather strong power was contained in its horn. Letting only heroes and beauties ride itself, its flight ability was also first rate.

Fwip-fwip!

The Oblivion Dragon King brandished its tail about to strike down the unicorn that was flying around it like a mosquito, but it was with ease that the unicorn dodged those attacks which would spell danger even a single landed. And not only that…

Pzzt-pzzt-!

A line of light similar to lightning, shot out from the unicorn’s horn, grazed past the scales of the dragon king—the sturdy jet-black scales were destroyed row after row and the flesh underneath was mercilessly torn out. This was equivalent to a scratch compared to the size of the Oblivion Dragon King, but even this level of injury couldn’t be ignored if it continued to pile bit by bit.

“Fighting like a weak insect.”

Riding atop the dragon king’s head, I let out a snort.

‘Let’s show an example to that angel and unicorn who fight in a despicable manner, underhandedly hitting and running persistently.’

Oblivion Dragon King Noebius wasn’t alone, and I was going to teach these bugs properly what a complementary relation and what ‘the right man for the right job’ was.

I gave an order to Saintess H with a motion of my chin.

“Yes, Master. Ahh~𝅘𝅥𝅮”

Saintess H, who had been holding onto the dragon king’s horn so as to now fall off, began to sing a song with a beautiful melody.

Sss…

The Oblivion Dragon King’s injuries were healed within an instant. The stabbing wound made by the SSS-rank angel’s spear, the scratch inflicted by the unicorn’s lightning, and the various minor injuries made by the numerous other angels cleanly disappeared.

It wasn’t like there was no loss at all, just that…

Oblivion Dragon King: Level 9000→Level 8999 Saintess H: Level 2000→Level 2001

… the damage was insignificant like this. And even this didn’t feel like a loss, since each time Oblivion Dragon King Noebius lost a Level from being healed, Saintess H’s Level would rise from doing the healing. It was just like a Hero party that never became weak.

“Chaoooo!”

Under Saintess H’s support, the dragon king didn’t retreat nor become tired. Even the meagre loss in Level was being recovered by slaughtering the angels, and the bugs had also noticed this fact—that things looked hopeless at this rate.

“Bastards-!”

“Unirrrrrr~!”

Having given up making small and persistent attacks, the SSS-rank angel and unicorn overtook us in flight, and then aimed to attack the Oblivion Dragon King’s head; their first target was the eyes. It was obvious how they intended to steal the dragon king’s vision, and furthermore pierce through the eye sockets to deal a direct blow to the brain.

It was my turn to act from here on.

“By the power of friendship.”

I didn’t pursue after the angel and unicorn who fought in a cowardly manner using guerilla tactics, as I knew they would come over on their own at some point. In addition, as much as I had been waiting, the attack I had prepared for them was just as solid.

Paang-!

Having waited for the right moment while massacring the angels who flitted about like insects, I leaped forward in a straight line.

“What…?!”

“Unirr~?!”

The SSS-rank angel and unicorn were frightened out of their wits; it seemed they had believed I would continue to fight standing on top of the Oblivion Dragon King’s head like a general; however, my specialty wasn’t carrying out lukewarm ranged attacks—it was fighting a bloody battle from close up in person! And my hobby was to gift herniated disks of the neck and waist.

I first began with the unicorn.

Thwack.

“Unirrr~?!”

I launched a kick with all my might at the joint of the unicorn’s wings. It was a pity I didn’t know about its body structure, as it was a horse and not human. Had I known, I would have let it lived the life of a horse that was eternally incapable of straightening its back.

“Bastard! Attacking a holy creature…!”

The SSS-rank angel stabbed his spear towards me as he became enraged. I was unable to dodge his swift attack, as I had paused for a moment in midair due to kicking the unicorn.

Puk!

Just as planned.

The moment the spear stabbed my side, I grasped hold the grip of the SSS-rank angel’s splendid-looking spear with my left hand.

“It hurt a little?”

I flashed a grin towards the SSS-rank angel.

“Thi-this guy…?”

Cutting skull in return for a rib!

One for you! And one for me!

This was the tactic I most preferred when facing opponents who fought despicably with their thin bodies.

Puk!

I stabbed Holy Sword 2 into the SSS-rank angel’s shoulder.

“Kuh-!”

“Oh?”

But I couldn’t help but to wear a pleased smile, as the body part I had been aiming for wasn’t his shoulder; it was his nice-looking head. The SSS-rank angel’s judgement was swift, however; after kicking off and leaping up from the saddle of the unicorn, which would find it difficult to continue flying due to the damage done to its wing joint, he even boldly gave up the spear caught in my hand and flew into the air.

“Chaooo-!”

“Unirr~?!”

Snap!

The unicorn, abandoned by its master, was strenuously trying to run away before ending up disappearing into Oblivion Dragon King Noebius’ maw.

“How could you have done something so horrible…!”

“It makes me sad if you talk like that after having picked a fight first.”

The brief conversation of distinguishing right and wrong came to an end with that.

Specks of light began to gather in the empty hands of the SSS-rank angel who had retreated in flight, forming a bow in his left and an arrow in his right.

Kiii—

The SSS-rank angel immediately pulled on the bowstring, his target of course me.

“Oops!”

But my attack was faster.

Holy Sword 2, which was sent shooting over as my hand slipped, flew in a straight line under the added momentum of the whirlwind of Dark Energy and Divinity that suffused it.

Puk!

And cleanly made its mark in the lower belly of the SSS-rank angel.

“Kauugh?!”

The eyes of the SSS-rank angel, who had been pulling on the bowstring in a graceful manner, turned wide, and belatedly lowered his head to look at Holy Sword 2.

Pzzt-!

Our powers of Divinity(SSS) were neutralized immediately after colliding, but the power of my Dark Energy(SSS) rapidly destroyed the angel’s body as it invaded.

I didn’t go as far as confirming the angel’s death—it was fine as long as the EXP came in.

“You have worked hard, Master.”

Saintess H welcomed me with a bright smile as I dropped down and returned to Noebius’ head.

“The situation?”

It seemed there wasn’t a need to even check. The white palace which the angels resided in had already been turned a deep black from the Oblivion Dragon King’s fury, and the situation around the palace wasn’t much different either. Even so, however, I asked Saintess H this question.

“986 angels remain alive.”

Saintess H reported an accurate number without hesitation. Like how a Hero could see the Status of others, a Saintess who possessed the special power called resurrection could perceive the number of those deceased and those who survived in the area. She was like a life detector, perhaps.

“Hah! There are still 986 angels alive amid this poison-filled ruins?”

“That is indeed so.”

“Keep checking. Until their number turns zero.”

“Yes, Master.”

A Saintess’ special ability… it was optimized as a detector for not leaving behind future troubles.

Perplexed: Student Kang Han Soo? A Saintess’ special ability is meant to find survivors without losing hope, and to perceive the number of deceased that can be resurrected. It’s not an ability that was given to wipe out others without exception!

‘Tsk-tsk. Miss Trainee Teacher doesn’t know well I see. You can’t make progress if you remain trapped by bias and not develop the various possibilities of an ability.’

Ears Perked: This is also self-development, is that what you’re saying? Mm…

Leaving Miss Trainee Teacher who had fallen into contemplation to her own devices, I took a look around the area of the angels’ home.

“The main event reward wouldn’t have melted as well, would it…?”

I had no plan to massacre the angels, to begin with.

“Chaoooo!”

That was merely the wish of my dear companion. My goal had always been to monopolize the ‘Hero Festival’s top reward’ without sharing it with another two.

“If it’s the reward you’re looking for, then it’s over there, Master.”

Saintess H pointed in a direction with a finger.

I focused my gaze to where she was pointing at with bleary eyes.

“Sure enough…”

Near the heart of the once-white palace that was melted down by the dragon king’s venom, there was something buried in the ruins which hadn’t been destroyed like it was a bomb shelter.

“Chaooo.”

Flap.

The Oblivion Dragon King, which had been admiring its own horrifying work in satisfaction, discovered it immediately after hearing Saintess H’s and my conversation, that something which jutted out like a sprouting plant from the middle of the city filled with venom and poisonous gas.

Thump-!

Noebius landed before that object. It looked like a rectangular vault, and as it was big enough to allow the entry of thousands of people, it was confusing as to whether it was a treasure storehouse or a bomb shelter.

Perhaps it was both?

Creaak—

Creak—

After taking hold of the object with both forelimbs, the Oblivion Dragon King began to break it. The scene was just like a Komodo dragon cracking a walnut. It had seemed as if it would be crushed easily at first, but a repelling force was being exerted outwards from inside the object at some point.

Creak, Creaak-

A repetition of compression and expansion. It seemed there was clearly something special inside.

“Chaooo~”

The dragon king seemed to be enjoying this situation. Even though the object would be simply destroyed if it pressed down on it using its entire body or bit with its maw, it was slowly pressing it using its forelimbs only.

Kugugugu.

And now the dragon king had outright dug the object out of the ruins and was rolling it about left and right.

As I quietly watched this scene with crossed arms, Saintess H whispered to me by the side.

“Master. The life responses of the 986 survivors are concentrated inside that thing.”

“That so? Noebius.”

The Oblivion Dragon King ceased played around roughly at once.

Unless he was an idiot, the person in charge inside the object would have immediately realized the meaning of us stopping our attack.

Thunk.

A moment later, a group of angels hesitantly walked out in series from the rectangular box that had countless scratches and distortions from the dragon’s claws.

I asked a question to the man at their lead first.

“You’re the angels’ representative?”

Although my interest had already fallen by half its original level from the moment a fair-complexioned man appeared like he was the leader, but it wasn’t to the extent of not leaving leeway for talk.

The angel replied calmly.

“Indeed I am, Hero of chaos. My name is…”

“Rep A. Speak of the main subject only.”

I was disinclined to listen to a pathetic talk of begging for mercy.

I was the victim, the other side the perpetrator. I was going to make this clear first.

“I’m the victim. Got that?”

“What unreasonabl-… I, I understand!”

I was very much surprised at being attacked by violent angels. Even now, my heart began to pound at recalling that moment.

I was justly demanding compensation for emotional distress!

Doubt: Student Kang Han Soo being hurt…?

‘Why? Am I not allowed to be hurt?’







____________________________________________________________________________









“Since we have clashed with chaos, this must also be inevitable fate. We will give all we have to the victor. So please, at least spare the women and children behind me. They truly do not know anything.”

Rep A pleaded on his knees, and I replied along with a shrug of my shoulders.

“Me, well, I’m a sucker of a Hero with a damn serious tendency to care for the business of others, so I am inclined to forgive so long as the reward is enough! Only, because my companion is of an entirely different race, I don’t think it’ll let them off for being women and children…”

“Chaoooooo…”

Noebius looked down at the angels with fear-inspiring eyes, and Rep A hastened to speak while trembling all over.

“G-give me just a moment! Time to convince…!”

“Alright. Go on then.”

“The residential areas of the angels are decided by their roles. Among those, we were entrusted with the safekeeping of treasures. That is why we have various other treasures aside from the last reward of the festival.

The angels took out all sorts of things from inside the bomb shelter; weapons, shields, potions, clothing, tools, books, accessories… the type and uses were of great diversity, and their quality weren’t any inferior either. Even the final equipment I had created by gathering materials and making requests of those fellows called legendary blacksmiths and tailors weren’t as splendid as these.

However, I could only be unenthusiastic as I was right now—my own body that was covered all over with good Skills was far sturdier than what was presented.

While my defensive ability would rise slightly if I were to wear armor on top of my Skills, these things were no different than one-use items to me as I pursued the combat style of equally exchanging blows with the opponent. In short, they lacked in quality.

For armors or shields to be worthy of me, they had to be of far better quality than what were brought before me; at the very least, they had to be on the standard of Holy Sword 2. As such, my interest quickly switched over to the massacre event.

“What about the main event reward?”

“This is it.”

Rep A held out three antique-looking boxes the size of baseballs to me. There were nameplates generously placed on the boxes.

[Top-grade Summoning Ring Type A: Devious Angel] [Top-grade Summoning Ring Type B: Adorable Angel] [Top-grade Summoning Ring Type C: Cheerful Angel]

I could feel my eyes fall in disappointment the moment I saw them.

What exactly had I been expecting…?

“These are the rewards given to the final remaining three of the festival. Sealed in each of the rings are troublemaking children who are awaiting punishment. They will doubtless have no complaints, as they are children who admired the life on earth. You can be assured of their capability.”

Rep A proudly explained about the rings, and the other angels nearby nodded in agreement as well.

Affirmation: Student Kang Han Soo! Isn’t it truly amazing? Omnipotent angels who can help out with everything, from combat to housework! And this is a trade secret, but… it’s possible to use a powerful fusion technique when these three angels who were always on good terms with each other assemble!

Miss Trainee Teacher helped promote the rings as if in support.

“Omnipotent, huh…”

I quietly put on the Type A ring and tried summoning the angel.

Light enveloped the ring and—

Flash!

“Master’s devious guardian angel, Sexy Riel, taking the stage~☆”

Along with a flashy performance showing off a rainbow-colored power of Divinity, a pretty angel looking to be in her early twenties appeared.

Shake, Shake, Shake, Swaying~

She even shook her limbs, waist and hips to go with it. I could tell at a glance that this was a choreography prepared for a long time with her heart and soul.

She was outfitted in a crudely made iron plate armor that barely covered her important parts. As for her neck, shoulders, waist, buttocks, thighs, chest… her bare skin was completely out in the open making for easy targets to cut or stab at. If the spear held in her right hand wasn’t an ornament, then that would mean she was a combat type, but I felt she needed protection instead of her protecting her master.

▷Race: Angel ▷Level: 800 ▷Job: Lancer(Horsemanship=Spearmanship↑) ▷Skills: Spearmanship(S) Divinity(S) Horsemanship(A) Interpretation(B) Chores(B)… ▷Condition: Anticipant, Excited

Setting aside her attire and mental state, her Status as an angel itself was on the excellent side. Of course, this appraisal was based on the graduates and not me. To them, who had miserable Statuses, the addition of this angel would definitely be encouraging.

I gave my overall rating.

“Have I ever seen such trash…!”

Was I to view it as all three of the summoning rings being like this?

I had just thought up to that point when I felt Holy Sword 2 shaking—it had reacted to the disappointing main event reward.

And the vibrations coming from Holy Sword 2 reached the three rings.

Crack, Crack, Crack.

It seemed like the rings had been about to fracture, but they ended up being directly destroyed.

“Wh-what the heck?!”

The Devious Angel who was summoned from the Type A ring let out an adorable scream. Without even a chance to do anything, she disappeared into specks of light like the destroyed rings and vanished into thin air.

Psss…

Pzz…

Although they hadn’t gotten the chance to even make their appearances, the fates of the angels sealed inside the Type B and Type C rings were likely no different.

The main event rewards disappeared in a ridiculous manner; however, it didn’t simply end at the rings being destroyed.

Whooosh~

The black and white whirlwind enveloping Holy Sword 2 greedily absorbed the broken remains of the three destroyed rings, as well as the specks of light that were formerly the Type A angel.

Summon(D)→Summon(B)→Summon(A)→Summon(S)

The summoning capabilities that had been contained inside the rings were wholly passed over to me. Thanks to that, my Skill ‘Summon’ suddenly rose up to S-rank in one go!

But the chance didn’t end at that.

“Uh, uhh-?! Master?!”

Saintess H, who was still wearing the collar as ever, called out to me as if screaming.

Chwrrr-!

The silver leash of the collar stuck tightly to the hilt of Holy Sword 2—then began to pull at Saintess H like she was a bluefin tuna caught on a fishhook.

Pop! Pop!

Saintess H disappeared like she was sucked into a vacuum cleaner, along with her collar and leash.

“… Just what is all this?”

It had truly happened in the blink of an eye. In all my 11 years spent in this fantasy world, it was my first time experiencing such a bewildering development.

However, this was but the beginning.

Sss…

The form of Holy Sword 2 changed: a snow-white pair of wings was added to its crimson heart-shaped hilt. I couldn’t suppress a shudder upon seeing this.

“A feminine touch on top of being boorish…?”

Just what on earth was being done to a man’s claymore! It was a preposterous design, which almost suggested that being stabbed with the sword would turn you into a slave of hot love instead of a cold corpse, like being shot by the arrow of a cupid.

Startled: Student Kang Han Soo! Look up! Up! Up!

Miss Trainee Teacher began to make a fuss all of a sudden. Could there be something even more surprising than Holy Sword 2’s changed design?

I took a furtive look above me and…

▷Race: Chaos Angel ▷Level: 1 ▷Job: Saintess(Faith→Resurrection↑) ▷Skills: Interpretation(S) Festival(F) Infinite(F) ▷Condition: Summon

An angel who looked exactly the same as Saintess H was floating in mid air. On her back were three pairs of snowy-white wings, and for some reason she was wearing the garter belt which I had exchanged for using points. And a collar. A collar that was connected to Holy Sword 2 by a half-transparent chain. Putting aside this immoral style of hers, she boasted a figure that could very well be likened to the advent of a goddess.

“Rice Cake?”

While ignoring Miss Trainee Teacher’s nagging of telling me not to call the festival mascot in that manner, I examined Saintess H’s reaction.

“Yes, Master.”

Judging by her tone and the way she smartly addressed me, it seemed her mind and memories remained as they were despite the change in her race. That being the case…

“Go in.”

“Yes…?”

The gracefully flying Saintess H disappeared like a mirage.

I took a glance at my Status.

▷Race: Chaos Human ▷Level: 999+ ▷Job: (Chaos=↑) ▷Skills: Battle Spirit(SSS) Divinity(SSS) Dark Energy(SSS) Massacre(SS) Fabrication(SS) Chaos(SS) Destruction(SS) Tolerance(SS) Deadly Venom(SS) Physical Strength(SS) Endurance(SS) Agility(SS) Fighting Skill(SS) Five Senses(SS) Swordsmanship(SS) Majesty(SS) Oblivion(SS) Governance(SS) Swimming(SS) Boxing(SS) Sword Ki (SS) Slaughter(SS) Judgement(SS) Summon(S)… Festival(F) Infinite(F) ▷Condition: Holy Sword, Saintess

There was a change to my Skills: two skills that weren’t there until just now had been added.

Festival(F) Infinite(F)

The Skills possessed by the angel version Saintess H. They were treated as separate while she was summoned, but it seemed I would completely inherit her Skills when we became as one like EXP. To start off with, I decided to examine them one by one.

▷Type: Skill ▷Name: Festival ▷Rank: F ▷E: Move an event forward. ▷F: Be acknowledged as an official of the festival.

It was obvious with one look that this Skill was exclusive to the Hero Festival. The Skill had apparently been hidden from the time I first met Saintess H back at the great temple until its appearance now. Perhaps its rank had been higher while it was hidden? Its usage was unclear as of the present. However…

▷Type: Skill ▷Name: Infinite ▷Rank: F ▷E: Level will not decrease. ▷F: Rank will not fall.

… this one was different.

“Awesome…!”

I was in an overall difficult situation from having lost the Job ‘Hero’. Although it wasn’t noticeable yet as I hadn’t been participating in the Hero Festival for long, my B-rank and below Skills which I didn’t use much normally were falling in rank, one after another.

But there was no longer the need to worry any further.

The Skill Infinite(F) would protect them!

Shudder: A whole two Administrator Skills on an outsider…?

Miss Trainee Teacher, who had been quietly watching on, couldn’t continue her words. Skills for administrators, she said. Surely it meant it was that good?

“Why is nothing happening…?”

“How has the festival…?”

The angels including Rep A were all currently stunned.

Why?

Explanation: You should know as you’ve experienced it back at the great temple, but a anti-crime system is placed on event rewards. This time, however, the system didn’t activate. Maybe my seniors let it slip from their minds? I don’t know the clear reason either.

There had been another ulterior motive behind the angels obediently handing over the main event rewards—to awaken the powerful watchmen deployed throughout the skies, like the 3,141 golems that guarded the great temple.

However, the watchmen didn’t move.

“I knew it was too easy.”

It was thanks to the anti-crime system set up by the teaching staff dysfunctioning. The exact cause for this was unclear.

“Is the main event finished with this?”

It wouldn’t be strange if the Hero Festival came to an end any time from now on, which was why I needed to hurry a little.

Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop.

I put away a part of the angels’ treasures into my ‘Storage’. Given my way I would have taken them all, but the space was far too lacking with the Skill at D-rank.

“Chaooo.”

My business was finished with this, but the young Oblivion Dragon King licked its lips while looking down at the angels.

“Hiik?!”

“At least the women and children!”

“Gasp! Please spare just my life…!”

I prayed that the angels could do well in appeasing the humiliation and shame felt by Noebius who had been domesticated until recently. I was a third-party from here on.

But at that moment…

▷Sir Hero, was the festival enjoyable?

It was neither Miss Trainee Teacher or Professor Morals.

It was a disgusting copy and paste-er.

▷The path of a true hero is truly difficult. But you who did not lose your hopes and dreams formed countless bonds with people which encouraged you on. From them you learned friendship and love, and after maturing together with them you became the final victor at last. Congratulations truly!

‘Final victor my ass!’

There were still crowds of graduates below on the ground, but it seemed the festival was forcibly proceeding with the closing ceremony due to me monopolizing the main even rewards.

▷Shall we take a look at your grading now?

‘My! And they said it was a festival? These people ran a scam again!’

Defending: Student Kang Han Soo, I told you from the start, that the Hero Festival also has the purpose of making it so the graduates didn’t forget their lessons. But since there’s no special benefit or the like from getting a good grade, I think you can just have a look with an easy heart.

‘Oh! That’s how it is, is it?’

▷Please check your report card carefully! ▷Name: Kang Han Soo ▷Combat Power: SSS ▷Achievements: SS ▷Reputation: FF ▷Character: FFF ▷Note: The festival that was prepared with difficulty became like this…

Truly a beautiful report card it was. While I simply couldn’t be convinced by my character grade being lower than my reputation, it seemed my combat ability and achievement were evaluated objectively.

▷The festival has ended.

The phenomenon which always occurred upon receiving a report card took place—light began to envelop my body.

Flash!

* *  *

And I furtively opened my eyes. Mm?

“Where’s this?”

Lanuvel and the palace knights weren’t in sight. I wasn’t even inside the palace.

Was this place… a colosseum?

▷The path of a true hero is truly difficult. You will now be presented with two paths. The final three of the festival have gathered here. You may kill the other survivors and steal the reward; however, a large amount of EXP will be granted should you choose unity and coexistence. The time limit to decide is 10 minutes.

It was difficult to understand even after listening to the explanation. A large amount of EXP?

“Where the hell is this?”

“The festival ended already?”

“Kyah! Don’t look!”

The colosseum was crowded with graduates who were summoned like I was. A guy who was summoned while he was battling a monster, a hussy who was summoned in the middle of her showering, a couple summoned while they were tumbling about in bed… all sorts of people were all gathered here.

It seemed like the final 3 were a bit too many?

Troubled: I think the internal system has gotten messed up with the festival coming to a forced end due to unintended circumstances…

‘Miss Trainee Teacher, don’t you worry too much on that. This great Hero here, yours truly, is gonna lend a hand for free!’

“I just gotta kill ‘em all except for just two within 10 minutes, yeah?”

I swung Holy Sword 2.







____________________________________________________________________________









Hundreds of graduates were summoned into the small colosseum. Having heard “You are the final remaining three” after coming to face this unexpected event, they were still in the midst of confusion—how is this three people? I don’t remember receiving a reward?

But they had no need to try hard to think on solving these question. After all, I was going to help them quickly leave starting now!

“Kugh?!”

“Kyah?!”

The power of Massacre(SS) which contained the Sword Ki of Holy Sword 2, enveloped in a black and white whirlwind, swept through rows of the graduates.

As timing would have it, my Job changed at the same time.

→Slaughterer(Slaughter=Massacre↑)

My Slaughter was at SS-rank, thanks to which the effect of Massacre(SS) greatly increased. Approximately 15% of my relatively overwhelming attack struck the graduates in an entire area. Only a small minority of the graduates were capable of withstanding this attack with pure defensive ability, while the rest managed to live because of special effects such as ‘area damage reduction’. Whatever the case, there weren’t many who survived.

Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!

The formerly great number of graduates had become reduced in mere moments, and the colosseum which had felt as crowded as the heart of a marketplace became quiet.

“I, I give!”

“I give up!”

Pop! Pop! Pop!

The survivors who hadn’t been taken care of with Massacre(SS) shouted “I give up!” one after another as they made their exit from the festival’s closing ceremony colosseum. Theirs was a correct decision befitting of scum.

“Let’s see…”

I took a sweeping glance around myself. One, two, three, four… only seven remained including myself in the rather empty colosseum.

“Haargh!”

Correction: only six remained now.

Slash-!

I cut down the fellow who had come attacking my back in a nice vertical line. He seemed to have been quite confident, seeing how his Job was Assassin, but even Job perks were meaningless when the disparity in Status was this great.

“Really! At least keep your trap shut if you’re gonna make a surprise attack.”

Did he think everything would work out with spirit and tenacity?

“Taagh!”

“Yah!”

The next opponents to come at me was a beautiful couple. Their attires were a neat match too. Although they didn’t seem to have a fusion technique wrought by the harmony of Yin and Yang, their hot gazes towards each other were out of the ordinary.

It was the power of love which couldn’t be fully described with words!

“Use that on the bed, will you.”

Since the crime of being detestable didn’t apply, I was going to stomp on them easily. A couple was a combination that had far more flaws than synergy.

For example, even the individual skills of this couple weren’t similar; the man was far stronger. That being the case, I aimed for the woman.

Ting-!

The man blocked Holy Sword 2 which was launched thrusting forward in a straight line.

Stagger~

But the balance of his body was broken due to pushing himself over the limit to protect his beloved woman.

“The power of love. It’s good.”

For tightening the noose around your own neck, that is.

I had known from the beginning that things would turn out like this, which was why I followed up with another move as naturally as flowing water.

Smack!

I landed a punch on the man’s lower jaw.

“Uugh…!”

But his head stopped in the midst of bending backwards.

“Oh?”

The man whom I had expected to fall flat on his back held on with persistence.

Fwip!

He even retaliated while his mind was still in a dazed state, swinging his sword which almost slipped from his hand.

He fought under pressure because he knew the woman behind him would be next if he was defeated. His mentality was truly easy to understand, and as such, I once again aimed for the woman using Holy Sword 2.

“How cowardly…!”

Crying out in outrage, the man grit his teeth as he blocked the blow, while I twisted the trajectory of Holy Sword 2 and directly slashed at him from shoulder to neck.

Splurt-!

Crimson blood sprayed out from the cut, but it all disappeared before long.

Pop.

“Hahah. It’s a complete game.”

This meant that it was a festival in the end, a fun celebration. You would revive on Earth with your Level slightly decreased upon death. It was in no way different from the restarting of a role-playing game. This being the case, I didn’t feel much interest—I had done nothing more than humor some graduates who didn’t have a single bit of seriousness in them.

“I, I give!”

The woman, who had turned deathly pale the moment the man died, immediately fled.

Pop.

“Is there now… four left?”

I only had to deal with one more.

The remaining time was 8 minutes. That was plenty. But who to take care of so that I would be known as just and upright…

There was no need to ponder over who to pick.

“Hah! What a truly bad fellow you are! Going for a frail woman first? Can you still call yourself a heroic man like that?! I’ll carve into your unscrupulous bones what a true man is about!”

There was a man who approached me while taunting in this manner. His bold strides and eyes burning with fiery zeal were filled with the confidence that he would win.

Truthfully, I couldn’t at all understand his behaviour. Just what was it that made him so puffed up?

Answer: Maybe he’s like that from comparing your Statuses?

Miss Trainee Teacher, who had been remaining silent so as to not become a hindrance, abruptly stepped in to answer.

Compared our Statuses?

First, I examined the man.

▷Race: Arch-Human ▷Level: 999+ ▷Job: Pugilist(Tenacity=Boxing↑) ▷Skills: Boxing(SS) Endurance(S) Tenacity(S) Agility(S) Indestructible Body(S)… ▷Condition: Elated

He was on the level of soybean flour that might barely be a match for one or two of the demon worshipers back at the great temple. He apparently came at me believing in this degree of ability.

‘Miss Trainee Teacher, how does my Status look like?’

Race: Arch-Human Level: 999+ Job: Slaughterer(Slaughter=Massacre↑) Skills: Divinity(SSS) Fabrication(SS) Swimming(SS) Summon(S) Interpretation(A)… Condition: Saintess

Miss Trainee Teacher was doing work!

It was my first time seeing my secret friend exerting herself.

Pout: I helped you throughout the festival though!

In any case, my Status that was visible to others was extremely ambiguous. If you only looked at the Job ‘Slaughterer’, then I would seem like quite the fighter, but my Skill set was the example of a scammer who went around beaches and island villages, taking advantage of innocent fishermen and female divers.

Apparently, only the Skills I had learned during the Hero Festival were shown. It was understandable for that self-styled ‘real man’ to be so puffed up. However…

Smack!

Wham!

It wasn’t like my capability decreased just because it couldn’t be seen.

You take one! I’ll take one too!

I rotated my body while pretending to swing Holy Sword 2 sideways with my right hand, and launched a right roundhouse kick which carried that centrifugal force. We both attacked the other’s face, and the fight was settled right away.

“Kugh?!”

“Didn’t you say you were a real man?”

My kick had landed exactly on the lower jaw of the self-styled ‘real man’, the result of him being careless from having dodged Holy Sword 2.

The awkward fist of the ‘real man’ failed to reach my face and landed on my shoulder, which only ended up breaking his wrist. Whether it be ability or guts, he wasn’t my match.

“I giii-…”

Smack-!

I didn’t give him the chance to say “I give up”. He would recover completely after returning to Earth, in any case. The key was to give him a blow that would carve into his soul an experience that couldn’t be forgotten even after going back.

I punched my fist deeply inside the fellow who had sung about being a real man, and activated Dark Energy(SSS).

Whooosh~

I delightfully churned up the inside of his head, praying that he would suffer from nightmares every single night.

Pop!

“This makes three.”

While listening to the various bullshit spouted by the graduates had taken up more time than the actual fighting, there still seemed to be about 6 minutes remaining. I only needed to wait from here on.

The people who had survived excluding myself were both women. It looked like with the men expressing to their heart’s content the combat instinct of a male, only the females had remained as a natural result. Feeling it too boring to simply do nothing, I decided to examine the Statuses of the two survivors.

▷Race: Arch-Human ▷Level: 999+ ▷Job: Sorcerer(Vigor=Sorcery↑) ▷Skills: Vigor(SS) Sorcery(SS) Swordsmanship(S) Immunity(S) Interpretation(A)… ▷Condition: Nervous

This was an extremely rare Job—Sorcerer. If magic belonged to the realm of geniuses who had it easy with 99% talent, then sorcery was a pursuit of knowledge where one made progress through 49% effort, 49% funds and 1% inspiration. The specialty of a Sorcerer was magic branding. Normally, Magicians also dabbled in sorcery like it was a cultural study.

There were, however, occasionally pure Sorcerers like this woman. Their Skills and attire would be completely different from Magicians; dagger, hot pants, cape, long boots, suspender… the outfit of a traveller easy to move in. But hung like tools on her belt that was worn around her hips in a bewitching fashion were rows of various scrolls. Bottles of medicine were attached in clusters to her suspender and long boots as well. They must have all been self-created with sorcery.

“Don’t be so tense. I won’t eat you.”

I gave that Sorcerer woman a reassuring smile, though she grew the more nervous for some reason.

“Did you hide your Status using sorcery?”

The Sorcerer who asked me this was completely ready for battle. In her right hand she held a magic branded dagger, in her left a magic containing scroll, while small medicine bottles were inserted between each space of her fingers. These weapons were of the disposable-type like grenades that were prepared in advance, but in return, the combat power wrought by them would easily overwhelm a Magician of equal Level and Skills.

“Lady. Your question is much too stupid.”

Perhaps she hadn’t been taught the lesson not to overly believe in another’s Status in the fantasy world. Statuses couldn’t be seen from Level 999 and above. As long as you paid attention to this, you could develop the ability to roughly measure an opponent’s capability.

“The festival this time around. You did something, didn’t you?”

The Sorcerer woman who had her eyes narrowed like a sly snake tried giving me a leading question; however, having already lost interest in her, I didn’t answer. The woman took no notice of this and continued to talk.

“The message about being granted a large amount of EXP if three people unite and cooperate. Although you did slaughter hundreds by yourself, the system will probably find no problem with that. Did you spare the two of us aiming for this reward?”

The woman beside the Sorcerer was nothing much to speak of.

▷Race: Arch-Human ▷Level: 999+ ▷Job: Swordsman(Stamina=Swordsmanship↑) ▷Skills: Swordsmanship(S) Stamina(S) Agility(A) Sword Ki(A) Interpretation(A)… ▷Condition: Nervous

When only looking at her Status, she was the inferior version of Sword King Alex. But seeing how this level of capability seemed to amount to the top 1% on Earth in spite of this, I was truly at a loss for words.

Now not even a minute of the time limit remained.

The Sorcerer woman I was ignoring was still talking.

“You might have not heard of my real name, but you must have heard of Yōma… Ugh! Ignoring me till the end, is it. Fine! My memory is on the extremely excellent side. I’ll clearly remember your face. I’ll use all the means at my disposal and find you for sure, so let’s meet again on Earth and talk.”

… Was she a stalker?

She did have a wonderfully good figure, though. It was enough for me to be willing to spare at least a night for her after the festival ended, unfortunate though it was, I wouldn’t be on Earth.

Damned teaching staff! Hope you all get cursed!

▷10 minutes have passed. The final remaining three gathered in the festival chose unity and cooperation. A large amount of EXP will be granted to you all who have made a difficult decision. Congratulations, truly!

EXP hadn’t meant that only our Level would increase—the proficiency of all my Skills rose evenly.

“Hah! Now this I didn’t know.”

I let out a wry laugh after checking my Status, because even the Skills which I had no way of improving had risen in proficiency as well.

Infinite(F)→Infinite(E) Festival(F)→Festival(E)

And this wasn’t all. Divinity, which could be said to be the greatest fruit of my labor in this festival… I had been continuously regretting how I couldn’t make it go over SSS-rank despite receiving the cooperation of the angels, yet the closing ceremony put a stop to that.

Divinity(SSS)→Divinity(MAX)

MAX-rank. This was my first time witnessing a MAX-rank even in all my 11 years spent in the fantasy world.

‘Let’s take a close look at the Skil-…’

▷The awards ceremony has ended.

‘My! How hasty.’

I decided to check the effect of Divinity(MAX) back at the continents of Fantasia.

“Good going, everyone.”

“You, I’ll make sure to find you!”

Pop! Pop!

The two women disappeared first.

In response to the Sorcerer woman sending me a wink right before returning to Earth, I had given her the middle finger. Thinking back to her expression at that moment truly… made me grin.

▷Beginning re-test.

That repulsive light swiftly enveloped my body.

Resisting… was unfortunately beyond me.

▷The teaching staff are holding a meeting on what to do with you. ▷A specialist instructor will be dispatched. ▷A specialist instructor will be dispatched. ▷A specialist instructor will be dispatched. ▷There is no specialist instructor to be dispatched.

* *  *

I aroused myself from a slightly fuzzy state of mind. It was about time to have become gradually used to it, this being my 6th time, but it seemed I was suffering a great backlash due to my increased number of Skills, like when Demon King Pedonar suffered from the reduction in Level. Now this was a problem I had to contemplate a bit seriously.

“Brother! Eat your meal!”

The wannabe cute voice of Lanuvel didn’t fail to sound by my ears. Calling our Sir Hero over and ove-… Mm?

“Brother?”

“Mhm, Brother Jobless. Get up quickly~ Come on~”

I wasn’t lying on a highest quality bed of the royal palace, made with feather and cotton fillings. Lanuvel shook me awake as I lay on a bed for commoners which comprised of sheepskin roughly stretched over a wooden board…

“Lanuvel?”

“Mhm! I’m your adorable little sister, Lanuvel, who doesn’t resemble you in the slightest, Brother!”

“… That’s the sort of setting it is, huh.”

And it seemed the tutorial explanation that went “Save this world from the resurrected Demon King!” was outright skipped.

“Setting?”

I marveled for 10 seconds at my patience and self-restraint in not breaking Lanuvel’s neck as she tilted her head to the side in feigned cuteness.

I stood up from the creaky bed, and took in my surroundings.

A shabby-looking house interior. A shabby smell. A shabby little sister.

Even the stabling of the Dumpling Kingdom’s palace would be more magnificent than this place.

I opened wide the only window in the house.

And as expected…

“Hahahah! Right. There’s no rule saying that you have to import a Hero.”

I had ended up being treated as a native of this world.







____________________________________________________________________________









Still in disbelief even after seeing the changed scenery, I thrust my head out the window and swiftly scanned the area. Forest, field, wooden buildings, dirt road, people, livestock… this was a classic fantasy village.

The worst of residential areas with the lowest sanitation, even in this fantasy world that was without flush toilets. An Earthling like me could only think “How do they live unconcernedly in this kind of living hell?” towards the fantasy world natives’ idea of cleanliness; it was literally like living due to not being able to die.

“Brother, quickly get changed and eat.”

Despite being treated like one of the natives, my outfit remained as a uniform of Earth. I found it extremely suspicious how Lanuvel disregarded this point as if it were nothing important, so I decided to test her.

“Lanuvel.”

“Mm?”

“What’s my name?”

She had been awfully grating on my nerves from a while ago, calling me “Brother”; it felt like her wannabe cute act was upgraded by a stage. But this whole situation was a sloppy mess after all; throwing me into a total stranger’s home and tying us up as family? It was far too unreasonable. This sort of casual scissors-and-paste job done by the teaching staff-…

“What moronic nonsense is this, all of a sudden? Brother is Brother. How should I know of a name that Brother hasn’t told me?”

“…”

I received a rebuke of nonsensical logic from Lanuvel.

My fist cried out for justice, but I held it back with transcendental patience—I couldn’t have my character called into question due to ‘domestic violence against little sister’.

Afterwards…

“The clothes are really… truly plebeian.”

I went through all the clothes inside the shabby closet. The first thing that caught my eyes were the shirt and trousers that were sewed with space to spare so anyone could easily wear them. Clothes that fitted the body just right like on Earth were a luxury to the commoners of this fantasy world. Here, it was common sense to hold on for 3 years at a time wearing the clothes gifted on your birthday.

This was why commoners were clothes hangers that fitted the clothes. Men were bottles, women were cola bottles. This standard of body figure was actively recommended so that the clothes could be handed down to neighbors or relatives when you outgrew them. Perhaps this was why there were many ladies with nice figures?

“Brother! What are you doing where your little sister can see!”

Lanuvel, this wretched girl, had been watching on with glassy eyes before uttering a protest with a slightly reddened face, when she should have been aware that I was about to change.

Whump!

I tossed my uniform at Lanuvel’s face in response.

Had my character truly been the lowest of the low like the Fantasy God narrow-mindedly claimed, then I would have thrown my 0.3mm mechanical pencil instead of the uniform.

“Lanuvel. Shut your trap before I strip you.”

“Aww…”

After changing into shabby casual wear, I moved from the bedroom to the living room with Lanuvel in tow.

There was nothing in the living room.

“Brother, what is it?”

“… Nothing.”

Fortunately, it seemed there was no story setting that went along the lines of “I am your father”. I would have genuinely flipped out if the teaching staff had gone so far as to insert that in a contrived manner and force it on me.

The dishes that Lanuvel had prepared in advanced on the dining table were quite excellent. Hot mushroom soup, soft rye bread, smoked mutton, fresh salad, cool horse milk, dessert fruit… Truthfully, this was far too lavish a feast to be called a single meal of a commoner household.

‘Lanuvel cooked all this?’

According to all my experiences in the 1st Playthrough, Lanuvel’s cooking skill was far from being bad, but was rather outstanding instead. Her ability to whip up meals edible for people regardless of poor environment, food materials and tools was really amazing. Of course, the fantasy element had to be included.

Clack.

Swaa.

After eating, Lanuvel cleaned the dishes using livelihood magic. The hot soup, cold horse milk and so on were all products of her temperature controlling auxiliary magic. If I were to request it, then it should even be possible for her to make fruit with shaved ice as dessert; however, whatever the case, it was a bit too much for a single meal.

“It feels like it was a final feast…?”

I was confident to not be surprised even if Demon King Pedonar were to pop out of the blues. It would be the Demon King’s deathday and not mine, though.

“You’re too much, even though you ate well!”

Lanuvel thus fretfully exclaimed after immediately freezing the leftover food and storing them all away in a four-dimensional space.

I was slightly surprised at seeing her four-dimensional space magic, as that was a top-class auxiliary magic which Lanuvel could only learn much later in the 1st Playthrough. Could it be that… even her Status had changed along with the story setting?

▷Race: Human ▷Level: 200 ▷Job: Scholar(Knowledge=Sorcery↑) ▷Skills: Magic(A) Sorcery(A) Charm(B) Cooking(B) Eternal Youth(C)… ▷Condition: Pleased

That wasn’t the case. She had the exact same Status as the Lanuvel in my memories, who would shout “Welcome Sir Hero”, initially had.

But I focused my attention on her Job, ‘Scholar’.

Scholar, a Job that increased the rank of Sorcery in proportion to accumulated knowledge. It made for a contrast with the Job, ‘Sorcerer’, whose Sorcery would improve along with higher ranks of ‘Vigor’, a Skill which evenly trained the body and mind. This being the case, things became simple.

‘Does this mean she was infused with a whole load of knowledge by the Fantasy God…?’

The story setting of her being my little sister had to be linked to that as well. While I didn’t know what kind of knowledge was added to Lanuvel’s head along with the change in education curriculum, it was definitely a sinister plot to try and control me.

It was necessary to be wary of the self-styled little sister, and as such…

I took a stroll around ‘Start Village’ by myself. After shaking Lanuvel off my tail who had tried to inconspicuously follow after me, I took the time to organize the situation.

For starters, my Status.

▷Race: Arch-Human ▷Level: 1 ▷Job: Hero(EXP 500%) ▷Skills: Interpretation(A) D ▷Condition: Good

It was so cute and modest that I was on the verge of tears.

I immediately activated Black-Box.

▷Race: Chaos Human ▷Level: 1 ▷Job: Hero(EXP 500%) ▷Skills: Divinity(MAX) Battle Spirit(SSS) Dark Energy(SSS) Massacre(SSS) Fabrication(SS) Chaos(SS) Destruction(SS) Tolerance(SS) Deadly Venom(SS) Physical Strength(SS) Endurance(SS) Agility(SS) Fighting Skill(SS) Five Senses(SS) Swordsmanship(SS) Majesty(SS) Oblivion(SS) Governance(SS) Swimming(SS) Boxing(SS) Sword Ki(SS) Slaughter(SS) Judgement(SS) Immortal(SS) Madness(SS) Summon(S) Empathy(S) Close Quarters Combat(S) Body Technique(S) Edification(S) Fortitude(S) Breakthrough(S) Stamina(S) Negotiation(S) Detect Foe(S) Breath(S) Recovery(S) Trade(S) Perseverance(S) Vitality(S) Tenacity(S) Incitement(S) Resistance(S) Vigor(S) Regeneration(S) Immunity(S) Composure(S) Iron Wall(S) Indestructible Body(S) Animal Training(S) Spear Throwing(S) Roar(S) Taunt(S) Threaten(S) Taboo(S) Pursuit(S) Mental Capacity(S) Murder(S) Coercion(S) Rage(S) Pillage(S) Cajole(S) Taming(S) Accuracy(S) Evasion(S) Sprint(S) Command(S) Search(S) Blessing(S) Fortune(A)… ▷Condition: Holy Sword, Saintess

A beautiful banquet of Skills!

My Level, however, hadn’t been recovered and was reset, the reason being that Black-Box was deactivated during the regression process. This meant that Infinity(E), the ‘Administrator Skill’ I had obtained through the subordinated Saintess H, would be of no use before regression. But that wasn’t to say that this Skill was useless.

▷Type: Skill ▷Name: Infinite ▷Rank: E ▷D: Racial discrimination disappears. ▷E: Level will not decrease. ▷F: Rank will not fall.

Because it meant I would suffer no loss in Level or EXP even if I were to receive healing or blessings from a cleric. As for the eye-catching D-rank effect, however, I felt it was somewhat odd.

“Racial discrimination disappears?”

Perhaps it was something similar to President Lincoln’s emancipation of slaves. As no answer would come out even if I were to muse upon this for the time being, I moved on to a realistic issue.

I activated the ‘examine in detail’ function for Divinity(MAX), which had been put on hold as I passed over to the 6th Playthrough without even the chance to confirm it.

▷Type: Skill ▷Name: Divinity ▷Rank: MAX Z: Simply divine. ▷SSS: Receive worship. ▷SS: Employ divine reflection. ▷S: Ignore regular attacks. ▷A: Praise the heavens. ▷B: Purify Dark Energy. ▷C: Employ divine defense. ▷D: Grant blessing. ▷E: Withstand Dark Energy. ▷F: Employ divine attack.

Until now, I had thought that MAX-rank which meant ‘SSS-rank proficiency at 100%’ was as far as it could go, yet it turned out this was nothing more than a gateway to a new beginning.

The following was also information I found out through the ‘examine in detail’ function.

▷MAX: You have reached the growth limit of the ordinary domain. You must use another Skill as offering in order to break through the limit. The greater the offering’s rank, the greater the gain. Proficiency levels of the ordinary domain is no longer needed starting from the transcendental domain, Z-rank.

“Offering, is it…”

It was one hurdle after another; however, I was a prepared man—I had an abundance of Skills piled up over the repeated Playthroughs.

I used all the Skills I had below B-rank, which I either didn’t use much or didn’t need, and used them as offerings in order to reach Z-rank in Divinity.

▷Type: Skill ▷Name: Divinity ▷Rank: MAX Z: Simply divine. (6%)

However, it was ridiculously lacking.

‘A mere 6%…?’

Peek: Student Kang Han Soo, hello again? I’ve been put in charge of you again due to my seniors’ strong recommendation. Are you adjusting well to the new curriculum? Though it doesn’t seem that way, judging by that serious expression.

‘Ah! Miss Trainee Teacher. Listen, will you. This so-called limit breakthrough, isn’t it completely nuts?’

Agreement: Ah! I also think it’s nuts. The difficulty is so awful that even the higher education examinees would give up. Which is why, please make a careful choice! It’ll be like throwing water on thirsty soil until the limit breakthrough is complete.

Or so she said.

I didn’t feel reluctant to part with my Skills, however.

I put in all of my A-rank and S-rank Skills as offerings.

▷Type: Skill ▷Name: Divinity ▷Rank: MAX Z: Simply divine. (28%)

Yet it was still lacking. But it seemed the explanation regarding how the gain would be greater according to the rank of the Skill being offered up was certain.

Worry: How about leaving it at that?

I turned a deaf ear to Miss Trainee Teacher’s dissuasion. While it might seem like a great waste from her perspective, to me it was like opening a mere year’s saving of a piggy bank.

There was something else that was truly precious.

“Goddamned regression.”

My fantasy adventures in the 1st Playthrough went on for a whole 10 years. Regardless of the process and outcome being good or bad, it was the life I had walked, and yet my 10 years were denied in a single regression. Compared to the sense of loss I had felt at that time, a year was really nothing.

Thus, I did away with my SS-rank Skills without regret as well. Aside from several Skills that I judged as important or necessary for the time being, I put them all up as offerings.

▷Type: Skill ▷Name: Divinity ▷Rank: MAX Z: Simply divine. (75%)

But it was, still, lacking. I was ultimately forced to sacrifice even my SSS-rank Skills. Miss Trainee Teacher began to feel distressed in my place, but I even felt lighthearted as if I were clearing away burdens that had accumulated over a year.

I used two SSS-rank Skills which I judged to be easy to rank up later on as offerings. As it wasn’t enough even with that, I had to additionally give up some among the SS-rank and S-rank Skills which I had held onto dearly. At this time, even I felt my stomach burn slightly.

And thus, it was completed.

Divinity(MAX)→Divinity(Z)

If I were to calculate the time I had taken to use the Skills accumulated over a year as offerings to break through the rank limit, it wouldn’t have even taken 10 seconds. It felt like I had dumped cash into a premium game for adults.

Shiver: Limit breakthroughs are supposed to be reserved for people born with golden spoons in their mouths… I didn’t think Student Kang Han Soo came under that category.

‘Oh! Miss Trainee Teacher’s got quite the discerning eye. I was indeed born with Skills in my mouth. And this is the result.’

▷Race: Chaos Human ▷Level: 1 ▷Job: Hero(EXP 500%) ▷Skills: Divinity(Z) Dark Energy(SSS) Fabrication(SS) Summon(S) Fortune(A) Interpretation(A) Storage(C) (D) Festival(E) Infinite(E) ▷Condition: Holy Sword, Saintess

A wry laugh escaped my lips at seeing my Status suddenly empty—it was like having become the emperor with no clothes.

However…

Whoong—

If I were asked whether I had become weak, then I would reply in the negative. I could understand why it was called the transcendental domain starting from Z-rank.

The effect of Divinity(Z) manifested itself naturally.

“Ohh! This holiness…!”

“Wh-who exactly is that person…!”

“Heavens! Oh Lord above…!”

The villagers nearby, who had been treating me as Jobless A until just a moment ago, fell to their knees and began to shed tears of deep emotion. There was no such thing as a clear reason for this.

It was because… I was simply divine.

“Hear me, you humble villagers! You will become happy if you look into my eyes!”

“Ahh!”

“Ohh!”

My words, behaviour, life situation, hobby, condition… everything had become holy.

But it was at that moment that…

“Brother! You’ll face divine punishment if you leave your little sister behind! I’ll introduce the neighbors to you starting now! They’re all good peop-… Uh?!”

… I heard Lanuvel’s wannabe cute voice coming from behind.

I completely agreed with her words.

“You’re right. They’re a rather fine bunch.”

They were easier to handle than demon worshipers.







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Confused: It’s said that someone with good neighbors will wake up to a good morning. But I don’t have the confidence to say whether this situation is good… Would it be better to seek advice from my seniors?

‘Miss Trainee Teacher! Have confidence!’

I grew quickly intimate with the villagers. Being the kind folk they were, they provided plenty of food and a rather nice place to sleep in for free, and each village maiden I came across would tacitly ask whether I needed a soft hot pack to warm a chilly night. I was on the verge of feeling sorry for not being able to receive all their generosity.

And thus a fornite passed.

“My jobless brother…”

Lanuvel played cute, pouting with a cross look on her face. Although I used to leave her behind before moving about, she was useful for fending off the ladies who came flirting at every moment. But of course, this shabby little sister was quite annoying as well.

“What’s your problem?”

“Uum… just because?”

It had now become clear that this self-styled little sister was under the influence of the teaching staff—my Divinity(Z) didn’t have much of an effect on Lanuvel. Or was it that all the Hero’s companions were like this? I thought it best to make a confirmation when the opportunity arose.

“These are the grapes we’ve harvested today. Please receive them.”

“I can’t fall asleep every night, Lord Saint. Ahh! Lord Saint!”

“I had a sad experience, but things became better thanks to Lord Saint!”

“Lord Saint, this is apple jam we made at our home”

My popularity in Start Village as ‘Lord Saint’ was through the roof. It was troubling as at times, the villagers would try to take more care of me than their own children and elderly parents. In particular, the married women—the way they eyed me wasn’t normal. And their husbands, who were understanding towards their other halves saying “That person is holy so it can’t be helped”, didn’t appear in their right minds to me either. Apparently, everything was forgiven because I was divine.

Even the merchants who periodically visited the village were unstinting in their generosity towards me; they would just hand over to me special or valuable goods that couldn’t be procured in the village for free. They were merchants who came to earn money, yet left money before going instead. This was also because I was divine.

Assessment: Since the villagers are voluntarily showing good will towards Student Kang Han Soo, there should be no problem regarding your reputation or character grades. Probably? I did try to check with my seniors whether that’s correct, but they all didn’t give me the time of day saying they were busy…

‘Miss Trainee Teacher, it’s fine. I’m getting a real good feeling this time, you see? I think I’ll be able to easily graduate.

I didn’t hurry, as I had confirmed in the 4th Playthrough that I couldn’t graduate by defeating Demon King Pedonar in a single day. This time, I was truly making progress step by step.

▷Race: Chaos Human ▷Level: 13 ▷Job: Hero(EXP 500%) ▷Skills: Divinity(Z) Dark Energy(SSS) Fabrication(SS) Endurance(S) Stamina(S)… ▷Condition: Holy Sword, Saintess

I had been quickly recovering my basic abilities during the past fortnight. Physical Strength, Agility, Stamina, Endurance, Tolerance, Vigor, Five Senses… Master Mollang’s teachings had shown me the essence of ‘copy & pasting’; I reproduced my once completed physique just as it was before. Only, achieving SS-rank in the Skills wasn’t easy. I was at the point of needing to go adventuring.

Respect: The technique that Student Kang Han Soo has said to have learnt from a great slime… I’m in disbelief even after seeing it. To think you could easily raise the ranks of some Skills to S-rank! If the others students were to know, nearly all of them would clutch at the back of their necks in stress.

As such, I had thought of a convenient means; a plan full of ambition to ceaselessly raise all the Skills I could easily rank up to S-rank in a parallel method, then use them all as offerings for my Z-rank Skill. This little trick of an idea was scrapped in just 3 seconds, however.

I had tried to offer up Stamina(F) right after having used Stamina(SS) as sacrifice, but Divinity(Z)’s limit breakthrough hadn’t progressed in the least. The same Skill didn’t have an effect, and only the one with higher rank would count as progress.

Explanation: It’s the transcendental domain, after all. It goes by the same principle as a living organism being unable to develop with unequally distributed nutrients. In order to transcend the ordinary domain, you need to use various Skills of good quality as nutrition.

Above was Miss Trainee Teacher’s explanation. This being the case, in this 6th Playthrough, I intended on aiming to develop a variety of Skills in advance, so that I would be able to break through Dark Energy(SSS)’s limit at any time.

Couldn’t they open up that festival right away again? The large increase in EXP for my entire Status was truly a sweet experience.

“Brother! Brother! Listen to your little sister speaking, will you!”

“I’m good.”

“Don’t be like that and listen! There’s a legend passed down in our village. A beautiful mermaid is said to live in a huge pond in the forest north of the village, and that if the chosen Hero visits, she’ll retrieve the mightiest Holy Sword which lies at the bottom of the pond for him.”

Lanuvel babbled on by herself in excitement. It sounded like a story of a humble and boorish youth drawing the Holy Sword to become Hero, even though my Job was already just that. Although it did seem like the story’s plot progression was reversed, the setting being sloppy couldn’t be helped as if it was cooked up by negligent teaching staff—it was better I magnanimously overlooked this.

“Mightiest…?”

I looked up towards the northern sky, and there I saw a majestic dormant volcano whose peak was sunken in an ‘M’ shape. The mountain was covered in perpetual snow from middle to top. Because of its appearance, the name I gave for it was also Snowy Mountain M.

Snowy Mountain M was a sight spot located literally in the center of Fantasia’s middle continent, and happened to be clear proof that this was the northern continent.

If I didn’t know wrong, then the one and only Holy Sword which could be acquired within Fantasia’s continents was Holy Sword 1 with its plethora of automatic features, and it was hidden in the ‘previous hero’s grave’ on Snowy Mountain M.

It was in no way related to the blatant bait that Lanuvel was setting, the ‘pond in the forest’. Was it perhaps a defective item like my Holy Sword 2? I did hear from the angels the other day about there being numerous Holy Swords…

Badump: Student Kang Han Soo, don’t you just feel all fluttery inside?

‘Not at all.’

Bewildered: Wh-why? She says it’s the mightiest.

I was currently already in possession of Holy Sword 2. Like how only one sword could be sheathed in a scabbard, a Hero and Holy Sword had a one-to-one relationship of partners. In short, I couldn’t use other Holy Swords. And I had the confidence to beat down the Demon King without a Holy Sword too.

Instructive: There’s a jinx where students who look back after laying a hand on a Holy Sword won’t be able to graduate. Aren’t you curious whether it really is the mightiest Holy Sword? Why don’t you take a chance and go take a look~

‘… Miss Trainee Teacher, speak truthfully. You’re being curious yourself, aren’t you?’

Staring Into the Distance: Wow! The weather today is really good!

But Miss Trainee Teacher’s words did have a point; my goal wasn’t to experience a fantasy adventure. How many times had I slain Demon King Pedonar alone? I was going to escape from this tiresome fantasy word and return to Earth, and to do that it was necessary to faithfully carry out the education curriculum—volunteer work included of course.

“Lord Saint, I’m worried that my daughter is sick.”

Villager K, whom I had coincidentally come across, said this to me out of the blues. Children would often fall sick when their growth spurts started, but why was this person telling me about this?

At that time, Lanuvel suddenly interrupted.

“Uncle Groom, where does your daughter hurt?”

“She has a serious fever. In order to make fever-reducing medicine, I will need refreshing windflower that only grows beneath the blue rocks in the northern forest, as well as the clean pondwater blessed by the mermaid living in the pond of legend. Although I want to go into the forest and procure them myself, I don’t dare because of monsters appearing frequently as of late.”

It was unnecessarily detailed like a script prepared beforehand. Besides, shouldn’t he not mention it in the first place if it was dangerous due to monsters? What Villager K, concerned for his daughter, was saying was basically “It’s dangerous but you gather those things”. Was he and his daughter the only people worth caring about? What a rotten personality. And it wasn’t just Villager K who was like this, but all the natives of this world in general.

But I upturned my lips into a smile.

“What will you give me?”

There was nothing I couldn’t help out with so long as the price was right.

“I will give you the fresh horse milk I drew this morning. It’s from a young and healthy mare, so the taste and nutrients are plentifu-…”

“That’s ridiculously lacking. Your daughter’s life is worth mere horse milk? Raise the price while thinking about your daughter struggling with high fever even at this very moment.”

“Th-that’s…”

Villager K, who had tried to work me hard for nothing, became bewildered. If it were in the past then I would have been a target of criticism, questioned as to how I could think money regarding an issue that concerned someone’s life. But I had wanted to throw such words right back those accusatory people and companions—you’re shifting the dangerous work to another, yet it’s okay for you to get off with lip service?

In any case, I was divine.

“Since it is the words of the holy one…”

“My dear groom, I’m so disappointed!”

“You, do you really love your daughter?”

“You are much too divine today as well.”

The other villagers who had been listening in took my side, and together they criticized Villager K who had compared the life of his daughter with horse milk that would be finished with a single slurp. Having realized his own fault, Villager K knelt down and repented.

“Sob-sob! I was foolish!”

And so we began the negotiations anew. As a result, it was decided I would be given a foal recently birthed by a young and healthy mare. Naturally, the horse milk initially promised to me was included.

Blackmail(F)→Blackmail(E) Incitement(F)→Incitement(E) Trade(E)→Trade(D)

The Skill proficiency was a bonus.

Afterwards, Lanuvel and I moved toward the shabby stabling for the sake of curing Villager K’s ill daughter.

* *  *

Villager K’s daughter, who was lying down on a cheap bed made of horsehide, was in a perilous condition, seeming as if she might die at any moment now. This showed clearly in her Status as well.

▷Race: Human ▷Level: 1 ▷Job: Villager(Village→Health↑) ▷Skills: Horsemanship(F) ▷Condition: High Fever, Nightmare, Near Death

With the exception of truly peculiar cases, having ‘Near Death’ in your Condition meant you were on the brink of breathing your last; you would at most last a day. What had Villager K been doing up to this point? But I put aside all the blame in my heart and questions in my head, as I knew well from experience that it would only grow more wearisome the more deeply you thought about it.

Lanuvel, who had tagged along, said, “Greedy Brother! Refreshing windflower that only grows beneath blue rocks and clean pondwater blessed by the mermaid who lives in the pond of legend. If we hurry now, we can procure both within half a day!”

The self-styled little sister was more full of motivation than I was, making me recall my companions in the 1st Playthrough who would act as they pleased.

“Lanuvel.”

“Mhm!”

“I can’t think straight so pipe down a bit.”

“You’re being too much just because I don’t look like you!”

Ignoring the whining Lanuvel, I approached the sick girl and placed my right hand on her forehead that was flushed red with heat.

And that was it.

“Auuh… Ahh…”

The face of the girl, who had seemed like she would pass away at any moment, grew peaceful. Perhaps the terrible nightmare she was seeing had disappeared as well, as a smile even hung by her lips.

There was no need for something like medicine—my holy hand was just that.

“H-how can this be…”

“Oh my!”

Villager K and his wife were astonished, but soon after they got on their knees and praised me while tears ran down their eyes. They took out and treated me to the horse meat they had been saving. In particular, the cheese made of horse milk was superb; this alone was better than what the royal palace chef of the kingdom could make.

‘Should I ask for some more when I leave?’

“Sniff-sniff! Mom, I’m hungry too…!”

Greatly hungry due to having struggled against her fever until now, the girl shot out of bed upon smelling the savory fragrance of food. Was my treatment excessive? The girl was simply bursting with life, to the extent of momentarily overwhelming Lanuvel who perpetually played cute.

I didn’t hurry, spending time in the stabling. It was obvious the villagers would ask something of me again even if I were to go out early, after all.

“O Holy One! Thank you.”

“Thank you for saving my treasure.”

“Thanks for curing me, Brother.”

We left their home right before night fell. I decided to leave the foal at the stabling for the time being, as I couldn’t be bothered to raise it myself. It couldn’t be helped if I ended up leaving while having forgotten about it.

With this, the problem was settled.

“Brother, you’re really too much.”

Lanuvel grumbled at me, pouting her lips.

“You’re discontent even when a problem’s well solved? What would you have done if the girl died while we were off procuring materials for the fever-reducer?”

“Th-that’s! Aww…”

Lanuvel’s nature hadn’t changed even if her setting had become that of a little sister; she wanted to go about problems and situations the hard way when they could be easily solved or simply ignored. And that went for her playing cute too.

She needed a proper education of the mind.

Couldn’t it have lead to the development of obtaining the Holy Sword in a natural manner while gathering the medicine materials…?

‘Miss Trainee Teacher, don’t worry. I’ll make sure to take a look at that Holy Sword later.’

For this 6th Playthrough, I decided to move in the direction the teaching staff wanted me to in. I treated Lanuvel, who would cause my fist to itch, as my little sister, and gave good counsel and sent back the villagers who would come bother me with their requests.

Up to this point, there had been no abnormalities.

“Kyah?!”

… Or so I had wanted to think, but alas.

Village Maiden B, who had been walking along the streets, suddenly let out a scream. I quietly turned to see what was going on, and saw that her wrists were caught by some men armed with blades and leather garments. They were nothing like village thugs.

“Oh! Ain’t she quite fetching for a bumpkin wench?”

“Damned girl, don’t make a fuss and come into my embrace.”

Similar events were playing out simultaneously throughout the village. It seemed that while I was being treated to a meal in the stabling, mercenaries had come in from the outside. Numbering around a hundred, they weren’t few, and the mercenaries weren’t only pestering the women.

“We’ll be taking the fruits here. Money? Is this old fart mad?! Open your ears wide. Our mercenary company should normally have received money instead for protecting this village for a day, so be grateful. Haha!”

They soon discovered Lanuvel and me. Was it because they were healthy males? They gulped down their saliva while looking at my shabby little sister’s body. When the mercenaries turned to look at me, however, they lowered their fifth limb and inched away in retreat.

“… These scum are making me mad.”

Lanuvel and I weren’t something like a couple, yet weren’t these contemptible vagabonds in front making a misunderstanding on their own? If I were to spare this bunch, there would bound to be rumors that went along the lines of “Neh~ Neh-Neh-Neh~ Neh~! Those two are going out, apparently!”.

I flicked a finger.

Tap-!

Paah!

A holy wave of force originating from me blanketed the shabby village, and with that, the situation came to a close.

Massacre(F)→Massacre(E)

Resigned: I think that was supposed to be the Hero’s debut fight after he returned from obtaining the Holy Sword from the pond of legend…

‘… That so?’

I summoned forth Holy Sword 2, and then let loose a shout.

“I am none other than the Hero!”

There wouldn’t be any rumors due to the mercenaries being cleanly wiped out, but plot-wise, there was no problem at all.







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Mercenaries. Outlaws who worked for money. It was like an occupation which included all the people in this fantasy world; young boys adoring the Hero of legend, men dreaming of a rise in status, maidens who refused to be a weak woman, princesses who ran from home because they didn’t want a political marriage, Elves branded with the mark of a slave, heroes hiding their identities… It was a gathering of all kinds of people.

The ones who suffered at the barbaric behaviour of mercenaries, who followed the law of the jungle as well as capitalism, were always powerless villagers. Penniless mercenaries were bold and shameless robbers, while mercenaries with power were mobile time bombs—they were viler and greater in number than nobles with filthy personalities.

Just why were these kind of pests being left alone?

Troubled: That’s a prejudice. There are good mercenaries too.

‘Good mercenaries? Pft! Miss Trainee Teacher, make sure to introduce one to me if you find one.’

The corpses of the hundred or so mercenaries, who had failed to withstand my holiness and died, were disposed of by the villagers; after stripping them bare of their rather valuable pieces of clothing, armor and such, they were piled up on the village outskirts and roughly cremated. Nobody lamented the deaths of these people. They only dealt with the aftermath.

“Sir Hero, this is compensation that the villagers voluntarily gathered up. Please accept it.

Clink.

The village chief held out a heavy money bag. Although the sound of copper and silver coins weren’t as nice as that of gold coins, which I could listen to the entire day without getting tired, I didn’t dislike it either. For starters, the weighty sensation pleased my heart.

“Chief. If anyone asks, tell them the Hero did it. And I’ll be taking the lead in disposing of the mercenaries’ items when the next merchant caravan visits this village, so keep them safely gathered in one place.”

While the possibility was slim, there was no guarantee that there was no group cooperating with, or mastermind behind, the mercenary company I had put an end to. If they were to take revenge, then this village would be swept away, and this was also why I was going to sell the articles left by the mercenaries myself; the villagers could be pinned as accomplices if they had a hand in it.

This wasn’t simply an unfounded fear.

My 1st Playthrough experience spoke for itself. Because my companions then hadn’t properly dealt with the aftermath after acting as they pleased, the number of people, villages, cities and countries that had fallen into misfortune weren’t few. Each and every time that had happened, I felt deep in my bones the importance of responsibility.

In any case…

“Thank you!”

The aged chief made an expression as if he had let go of a worry, a face that had understood my intention.

In the 1st Playthrough, my companions had taken the items of the mercenaries they had killed and naively passed them over to the villagers they had saved saying “Everyone! Use these to recover for the losses!”, and those innocent and ignorant villagers thanked them for it.

About a year later, that village had been reduced to a heap of ashes—far from recovering their losses, they had been outright erased from the world.

Depressed: What a sad incident.

‘Miss Trainee Teacher, don’t be too sad. I took clean revenge for them, you see.’

The ever continuing series of adventures that followed me afterwards had even resulted in replacing the master of a country.

* *  *

After clearing out the items left by the mercenaries through the merchant caravan that periodically visited the village, I secretly handed half of the money made from selling them to the village chief. I didn’t do something like evenly sharing the profit to all the villagers, as that would render my act of laundering money meaningless.

I wouldn’t be able to know if the chief monopolized that money; however, he wouldn’t be so thoughtlessly greedy so long as he wasn’t foolish—the sum was much too great for someone in a shabby village to handle.

I had done all that I could.

“I’ve seen you in a new light, Brother!”

Having tagged along to the outside of the village as if it were only natural to do so, Lanuvel praised me with a broad smile. As for me, I couldn’t help but let out a snort at that.

“Enough with the cheeky nonsense, and lead the way to the pond already instead.”

“Mhm!”

Although the order of events was somewhat reversed, I would have followed the education curriculum by having seen the ‘mightiest Holy Sword’ at the pond of legend. With this, even the grader wouldn’t be able to say anything later.

Lanuvel briskly proceeded through the forest path. I had been intent on giving her behind a hard kick if she said we went the wrong way in the middle, but something like that didn’t happen.

We smoothly arrived at the pond of legend.

“Hm. It’s nicely decorated to make it seem like there’s something more.”

Various flowers were in full bloom nearby the pond, and the surface of the pond receiving warm sunlight sparkled like a gem.

Shiing-

I slowly advanced with Holy Sword 2 grasped in my right hand, taking a fully ready stance so as to be able to turn the mermaid said to live in  the pond into sashimi should she come attacking.

“Brother, aren’t you being too wary?”

Having arrived by the pondside first, Lanuve said this to me in a scolding manner.

“You may say that, yet you’re standing at a good angle for the mermaid to twist or bite your neck from behind.”

“Hiik?!”

Surprised by my words, Lanuvel retreated a step away from the pond.

But it happened immediately afterwards.

Bubble-Bubble—Splash!

Bubbles began to rose from the middle of the pond, and then a mermaid really popped out. She had appeared barely a moment after Lanuvel moved.

“Look, Lanuvel. Didn’t you almost die?”

“I won’t kill her! What do you think a mermaid is?!”

The mermaid thus shrieked.

“What a mermaid is, you ask? A wicked race that hits on innocent men who haven’t held hands with any woman aside from their own mother and wrings them dry. I’ve also seen many lewd mermaids who couldn’t stop control themselves whenever they came across a strong male.”

“Your phrasing is excessively negative?!”

“But I haven’t said anything wrong, no?”

The mermaids’ way of love was disaster to a human. Just imagine: a mermaid, who had been whispering love to you until just a moment ago, switching attitudes like the flip of a tail upon seeing a ‘higher Level male’. That was the limit of a fish-brain.

“Urgh… I did hear several rumors of there being humans that treated mermaids poorly, but it’s shocking to see it in reality.”

“Enough with the idle talk. Bring out the Holy Sword instead, will you.”

I needed to quickly see it and then set off on a journey. I wasn’t so free as to be held back by a dumb fish.

“The Holy Sword can only be possessed by a Hero. I will test whether you are worthy of being one. If you go east from here, you will find a mutant salamander living in that area. If you slay it and cut off its horn to bring it-…”

“Look. It’s a Holy Sword.”

I showed the mermaid Holy Sword 2. The likes of a fish testing me when ‘Hero’ was clearly written as my Job on my Status, to begin with? How truly presumptuous. Moreover, the test itself had no relation to a Hero either. Going up against a mutant salamander and not a demon or angel? It was a worthless mission that could even be given to some Hunter A that was passing by.

“… How did you become a Hero?”

Her eyes wide open like a young goldfish that had witnessed a miracle, the mermaid asked me this in a serious tone. It was a deep question coming from the likes of a fish.

“Whatever the case, I’m a Hero.”

“I-I see. Please wait a moment.”

Splash!

I had been thinking of killing the mermaid and taking the sword myself if she still refused to give it up, but she immediately dived into the pond.

Lanuvel, who had been quietly watching by the side, played cute by tugging at my sleeve with her fingertips.

“What’s up with you now?”

“I wanted to tell you that the Holy Sword can be changed to another one if the Hero earnestly wishes for it. And Brother, you should respond with a wide smile when your cute little sister calls! You can’t gaze at her like some awfully disgusting food! You’ll receive heavenly punish-… Hey, Brother? Are you listening?”

Splash.

The mermaid climbed onto the pondside again, and this time she wasn’t just empty-handed and naked; she was carefully hugging onto a sword that made a set with an antique-looking scabbard made of a sea dragon’s blue leather. It was plain to see that much thought had gone into the sword’s design as well.

It was none other than…

“The mightiest Holy Sword!”

The mermaid introduced the Holy Sword in a manner befitting a dumb fish, omitting any kind of explanation—what was the point of just thoughtlessly calling it the mightiest?

“And on what basis is it the mightiest?”

“A very good question! Residing within this Holy Sword is the soul of a beautiful and noble ancient Hero! She sealed her dying self into the Holy Sword for the sake of the next generation of Heroes to come. You can hear her advice and knowledge at any time, and her voice is so sweet that it will melt the hearts of gentlemen, too. Isn’t it really amazing?”

Ego Sword, a sword that contained a soul. I had thought the ‘automatic’ Holy Sword 1 had been moved over here from Snowy Mountain M, but this one seemed to be an altogether new version. The teaching staff had put some thought into it, apparently.

“So what else has it got apart from having a soul?”

“Does it need anything else?”

The mermaid thus answered with a question of her own, creasing her fair forehead.

“Some other function, I mean.”

“You can receive a one-on-one lesson from a senior Hero who was beautiful and noble. It’s a shortcut to becoming the strongest. Wouldn’t it be greedy to ask for something more than this?”

A beautiful female voice feature. This Holy Sword seemed to be meant for ostracized kids with no sociability.

I decided to show clearly what a true Hero’s Holy Sword was to the mermaid, who was acting conceitedly with her ample chest puffed up with confidence.

“Silly fish, look closely.”

I summoned the soul that resided within Holy Sword 2.

Pop!

“Uuh… Master, where is this?”

Saintess H, who had been hibernating all this time after the Hero Festival, asked me this while rubbing at her eyes.

I wordlessly drew her close with an arm around her slender waist, and she responded by leaning into me as if it were a conditioned reflex.

“My Holy Sword comes equipped with the special ability to resurrect and a soft hot pack, aside from its combat capability. Don’t compare it with the likes of a voice feature of a pathetic Hero who croaked without even being able to defeat the Demon King.”

“Ah…”

The mermaid, who had been acting puffed up until just now, could only move her lips soundlessly, unable to retort.

“If you’ve understood, then put that hunk of metal back where it came from.”

I spoke thus while releasing Saintess H’s summon.

While I did act greatly pretentious in front of the mermaid, this wonderful hot pack feature had to be regarded as non-existent; the effects of Infinite(E) would be undone upon summoning Saintess H. It was, however, enough to beat down the mermaid’s confidence.

“I’m really sorry. What was I saying, calling it the mightiest…”

The mermaid, who had turned glum, tossed the Holy Sword she had been carefully hugging onto until just now into the pond like it was a piece of stone.

Splash!

The abandoned Holy Sword sunk into the waters.

Anguish: Student Kang Han Soo, will this be alright…?

‘Miss Trainee Teacher, there’s no problem at all.’

The capability of my Holy Sword was overwhelmingly better. Whether it be sports or study, it was a natural to get better results in a better environment.

But anyhow…

“The main story progression got cut off.”

As expected, was the problem in the reversed order of events?

I had become accustomed to the changed education curriculum. I had even reached the point of giving up on myself and accepting the shocking set-up circumstance of that bothersome Lanuvel being my little sister.

Perhaps it would be better to defeat the Demon King and start anew, even after coming this far, or so I thought. Although, making my way to the middle continent where the Demon King’s castle lay would be work in itself as well.

Suggestion: Don’t you think the Holy Sword’s soul holds a clue?

‘Oh! Miss Trainee Teacher, aren’t you a genius?’

“Mermaid, bring that Holy Sword back up again, will you.”

“What do you want with that old relic?”

The mermaid’s change in attitude was so fast as to cause goosebumps, asking this with a coy face. This was just how the race called mermaids acted, however; when they saw a man who was more to their liking, they would cast aside the previous man like a pair of worn-out shoes. As for the passionate love and memories they shared together? What would you expect from the cousin of a goldfish that forgot everything in 3 seconds?

“I have something to ask it.”

“My, oh my! You’re going to listen to the last words of a spinster who ended up thoughtlessly dying after putting on airs just because she was a little pretty, I see? You’re so compassionate, becoming of a holy Hero. Please wait a moment~𝅘𝅥𝅮”

Splash!

Having come to a mistaken conclusion of her own accord, the mermaid brought out the Holy Sword in no time.

“Brother! Hurry and draw the sword! Hurry~”

“Stop rushing me, before I dump that noisy mouth of yours into the pond.”

“You’re too much!”

Ignoring the complaining Lanuvel, I grasped hold the hilt of Holy Sword 3, the Ego Sword that had appeared in the new education curriculum.

Immediately afterwards, I heard the voice of a female.

(Pleased to meet you, Hero of the present age. My name is-…)

‘Spare me the self-introduction. You’re Holy Sword 3 from now on, got that?’

I had no interest in something like the personal information of a woman I couldn’t touch. It wasn’t like her voice guaranteed she was a woman either. Even on Earth, the number of males that posed as females using their mother’s resident registration number and a stolen picture. Everyone was genderless on the Internet, and this Holy Sword was no exception to that.

(Uh, you are the Hero, yes…?)

‘Holy Sword 3. Stop with the sleep talk and reply to what I ask instead. Tell me all about the missions and achievements I need to take in the upcoming future.’

(Ah, yes. Then we will begin training from now on. In order to efficiently handle this Holy Sword, it is extremely important to have basic physical strength and advanced swordsmanship. Perform 500 vertical and horizontal swings of the sword each every day. I will be counting the number. It may be unfamiliar and difficult at first, but don’t be impatient as a Hero will grow quickly. First, aim to become able to cut a  wooden post in one strik-…)

Ker-chunk-chunk!

My divine strike cleaved apart the forest.

(Eh? Huh…?)

‘What’s next on the menu? Just spit it all out.’