Chapter 3

There Are No Bad Heroes in the World - Chapter 3 (3/273)

"Damn, why are you making such a fuss when I'm so busy?"

Today, Rahel's expression was particularly grim.

It was because she had been summoned by her superior.

"I need to achieve the best performance this month and get the bonus!"

These days, people are so listless that it's not easy to send them as heroes.

Despite this, Rahel had been the top performer in hero transportation for the past few months and was now struggling to maintain that position.

"Hmm, hmm...!"

While thinking about her performance, she had already arrived at her destination.

A corridor paved with white marble.

Rahel, standing in front of the door at the end, straightened her clothes.

Rahel opened the door with a bright smile.

"Did you need me?"

"Yes."

The person who greeted Rahel was a man with a stern expression.

Her superior, named 'Frezella.'

"Rahel. Do you remember a man named Choi Hyunseok?"

Frezella immediately brought up the name Choi Hyunseok.

Rahel was momentarily taken aback but quickly regained her composure.

"Of course. He was an important hero candidate with SSS-level potential."

The only man with SSS-level potential from Earth.

She couldn't possibly forget him, considering she received a special bonus for sending him as a hero.

"You said you successfully transported Choi Hyunseok without any issues, right?"

"That's right!"

Rahel was puzzled.

Why was her superior, Frezella, asking such a question?

Though she didn't know the reason, a sense of foreboding began to rise.

"Where did you transport Choi Hyunseok?"

"To the capital of the Domes Kingdom, along with other heroes. Since Choi Hyunseok had SSS-level potential, giving him special treatment from the start would have violated the rules."

"I see... You did that, huh. You sent him to the capital of the Domes Kingdom?"

"Yes!"

"But... "

Frezella clenched her teeth as if trying to suppress her anger.

"When did the capital of the Domes Kingdom turn into a stronghold of the Demon Army?"

"What?"

"Did the Domes Kingdom fall without my knowledge?"

"What do you mean...?"

Rahel couldn't understand what her superior was talking about.

"Choi Hyunseok is a very, very important potential hero. That's why I checked to see if he was properly transported. Even though it violated the rules, it was that important."

Frezella approached and leaned in close.

"And I doubted my own eyes."

"..."

"Just what! Why! Is Choi Hyunseok being held in the Demon Army's stronghold!?"

"The Demon Army's stronghold...?"

"Not only that, but 93 other potential heroes are also being held there."

"What!?"

"Checking the records, all of them were sent by you, Rahel. And all within the last three months."

Frezella's eyes narrowed fiercely.

"You were so focused on improving your performance that you sent heroes without checking their qualifications, and without any special benefits. And not only that...!"

Frezella's voice grew louder as she spoke.

"Sending all the heroes to the Demon Army's stronghold!? Including Choi Hyunseok with SSS-level potential!? You must be insane!"

"That's impossible..."

"I just checked your transportation equipment. The coordinates were incorrectly written."

"Coordinates...?"

At that moment, for some reason,

a scene flashed through Rahel's mind.

"Mmm, as expected, macarons are the best."

A month ago.

On a day like any other, she was enjoying coffee and macarons.

"Phew... Ah! Hot!"

She spilled coffee on the typewriter and wiped it with a cloth.

'Could it have been then...?'

Rahel's face turned pale.

Frezella smiled and placed her hand on Rahel's shoulder.

"Do you understand the situation now?"

"That... That's..."

"Rahel. Are you prepared?"

***

Under the Demon Army's 3rd Legion, 2nd Slave Battalion.

Here, thousands of human slaves were being mobilized to expand the stronghold.

"We are... the great... Demon Army..."

Choi Hyunseok swung his pickaxe while singing the anthem of the Demon Army's 3rd Legion.

"Crush the humans. Devour the humans..."

How long had he been swinging the pickaxe, his eyes glazed over?

"Today's work is done. Everyone, go inside!"

Jaq, the goblin leading Choi Hyunseok's slave team, shouted.

"Go inside! You useless humans!"

Jaq kicked the slaves' buttocks.

'That bastard...'

'Just a short, green-skinned monster!'

The goblin, with his small stature, could be easily overpowered by an average adult male.

However, no one dared to challenge Jaq.

It was because of his cruel nature.

Jaq, wielding a sword over a meter long, was a symbol of terror to the slaves here.

"Human! What are you dawdling for!?"

The anger was directed at Choi Hyunseok.

Jaq approached and slapped the back of his head.

"Hey!? Why aren't you moving, you slug!"

Jaq, being short, couldn't reach Choi Hyunseok's head, so he jumped to hit it, which only made him angrier.

'This goblin brat...!'

For a moment, flames of anger flickered in Choi Hyunseok's eyes, but he desperately controlled himself.

"I'm going. Ha ha!"

Choi Hyunseok forced a smile and bowed.

"Move faster! Stupid human!"

"Yes... Yes!"

Choi Hyunseok hurried back to his cell.

'I'll make sure you die a miserable death...'

One day, he would take his revenge.

He would beat the back of that annoying goblin's head 500 times and make him beg for death.

How long did he sharpen the blade of his revenge?

By the time he was done, all the slaves had returned.

Jaq locked the prison door and left.

"Phew... Finally, it's quiet."

Choi Hyunseok sighed.

Now, the prison was more comfortable.

At least there were no more labor or torment from the Demon Army here.

'Shall I check today's progress?'

Recently, Choi Hyunseok had become obsessed with something.

It could be called his only hope.

It was the status window!

The status window was similar to the interface used in games.

He learned about it from the people here.

"A special ability only heroes possess!"

The status window, explained by the well-informed fellow slave, Park Tae-sung, was very familiar to use.

▫ Name: Choi Hyunseok

▫ Title: Potential Hero

▫ Level: 1

· Strength: 28

· Agility: 29

· Vitality: 31

· Magic: 10

· Bonus Points: 0

▫ Hero Points: 0

▫ Abilities: Mining (D)

▫ Skills: –

"Oh, my Vitality increased by 1."

Choi Hyunseok's eyes, which had been lifeless, regained a bit of their sparkle.

He had heard that working hard would increase his stats.

However, after a week with no response, he had almost given up, but finally, his stats increased.

"Your stats increased already?"

The slave in the next cell, Park Tae-sung, spoke to him.

He seemed to have heard Choi Hyunseok muttering to himself.

"Yes, my Vitality increased by 1."

"Amazing. You really are different, aren't you? Ha ha!"

"What's the point of being a world champion when I'm a slave?"

Choi Hyunseok laughed bitterly.

"No, you can definitely escape this place and become a true hero."

Park Tae-sung was sincere.

When he first learned about Choi Hyunseok's identity, he was shocked.

The famous world champion in martial arts was right here.

Moreover, his stats were extraordinary.

The average stats of heroes arriving here were 10-15.

Even the highest was around 15, but Choi Hyunseok had stats of 30 from the start.

"I've heard that starting stats affect growth potential."

This was said by a hero who was captured and died here recently.

If true, Choi Hyunseok would have outstanding potential.

This belief was reinforced by observing Choi Hyunseok's rapid growth.

"Your Mining ability is at D, right?"

"Yes."

"Indeed, you are exceptional!"

Mining was a common ability among all hero slaves here.

However, considering Choi Hyunseok had only been in the stronghold for a week, it was remarkable.

Most people would just be starting to develop this ability.

Choi Hyunseok not only developed it but also improved it by two levels.

'You're not a fake hero like us, but a true hero in the making!'

Some might think it's a big deal over just mining, but Park Tae-sung truly believed it.

He believed Choi Hyunseok would escape this hell and become a true hero.

'But I need to show my worth first!'

There are two ways to survive in a harsh environment.

Be outstanding.

Or form strong alliances.

Park Tae-sung's instincts, honed from 30 years of corporate life, told him that Choi Hyunseok was the best ally.

***

That night.

Despite the late hour, Choi Hyunseok couldn't sleep.

"Phew..."

He could feel the cold stone floor against his back.

There was a makeshift bed made of straw in the cell, but it smelled so bad he didn't even want to look at it.

'How long will it take to increase my stats enough to escape...?'

Recently, these stats were his only hope.

'If I can average 100, will I become strong?'

Currently, his average stats, excluding magic, were around 30.

So, he needed to increase each by 70, totaling 210.

'If I increase one stat per week, 210 would take about 1470 days, or 4 years...'

It was a pointless calculation.

There was no guarantee that his stats would increase every week.

Choi Hyunseok knew this.

But he felt he needed to do something to endure this hell.

'This is all Rahel's fault. That wicked woman...?'

Thinking of Rahel made his teeth grind even in his sleep.

'How could someone so beautiful do such a thing!?'

How could she?

He had even considered converting to Christianity because of her.

And yet, she did such a despicable thing!

"Hero! When I wake up, the village chief will welcome me as a hero and offer me food..."

Village chief?

What appeared was a muscular monster with horns spewing flames.

"After completing my mission, what do you know? The chief's youngest daughter was a beautiful young woman in her 20s!"

There was no beautiful young woman.

Only a goblin with a flat face that evoked disgust.

Ah, and the option of wielding a sword caked with dried blood.

Choi Hyunseok clenched his teeth.

'I won't die like this! I will survive somehow.'

Hero? He didn't care about that anymore.

His goal was to survive.

And to take revenge.

The ugly goblin guard Jaq.

The large-headed leader Raidrun.

And finally, the devil in the guise of an angel, Rahel.

'I need to get stronger until I have the power... Until then, I'll stay low.'

He needed to become stronger.

He had heard that in this world, one could gain superhuman strength through magic.

· Magic: 10

Though his magic was only 10 now, there must be a way to increase it.

There was more hope.

'What are these Hero Points? They seem very important...'

Choi Hyunseok focused on the 'Hero Points' at the bottom of the status window.

▫ Hero Points: 0

Unfortunately, no one knew what they were.

They only speculated.

"Collecting these points can buy legendary weapons!"

"You can return to Earth!"

"They give you enough strength to crush rocks with a single punch."

None of these were particularly helpful.

What did these fake heroes know?

They had been dropped into the stronghold and lived as slaves from the start.

They just knew a bit more than Choi Hyunseok because they arrived slightly earlier.

"I need to find out what these Hero Points are..."

As Choi Hyunseok frowned and continued to think,

a familiar voice came from behind.

"Shall I tell you?"

Choi Hyunseok's eyes widened.

'Could this voice be...?'

His head turned slowly.

He knew who the voice belonged to.

How could he forget this voice?

Though their meeting was brief, he would never forget it.

"You, you...!?"

"It's been a while, hero."

Rahel smiled shyly and greeted him.