Chapter 6

There are no bad heroes in the world - Chapter 6 (6/273)

"Want to train the slaves?"

Raidrun's expression twisted subtly.

Choi Hyunseok explained calmly without flinching.

"To improve work efficiency."

"Improve work efficiency?"

"Yes. After observing the slave yard for a few days, I noticed that the slaves here lack both unity and discipline."

It was a natural observation.

Currently, the Second Slave Battalion captures and enslaves humans from all over the continent.

Most of them are peasants, and even among them, they come from different countries, making it inevitable for them to be in disarray.

"Hmm... But slaves are just slaves. They are already struggling with their work; if we add training, their weak human bodies won't be able to handle it. It will only decrease work efficiency."

"Of course, it might be that way at first. However! It will change soon. Think about it!"

Choi Hyunseok raised his hands as if making a speech.

"Elite working slaves who move in perfect unison to every command! No sign of laziness, and each slave can do the work of two, or even three!"

"Hmm..."

"Our battalion will become the best slave battalion, and within the Demon King's army, the praise for Lord Raidrun will be widespread!"

"Is that so...?"

"Yes! If you give me the chance, I will create the strongest, best working slave battalion!"

Finally, Raidrun was completely convinced.

"Permission granted."

"Thank you!"

With Raidrun's approval, Choi Hyunseok bowed deeply and left the office.

'Haha...'

A deep smile spread across Choi Hyunseok's face as he stepped into the corridor.

'You took the bait.'

***

Choi Hyunseok returned to his room with light steps.

"Phew... I'm glad it worked."

The door finally closed, and Choi Hyunseok let out a sigh of relief.

At the same time, Rahel started to rant.

"You're crazy! Crazy! Crazy!!!"

"Why are you making such a fuss again?"

"Hero! Did you really get shot in the head!? The best working slaves? What else did you say? The Demon King's army will praise Lord Raidrun!? And you're still a hero!?"

"I said I won't be a hero anymore. And getting shot in the head? Where did you learn such vulgar language?"

"Is that important right now!?"

As Rahel continued to rant, Choi Hyunseok covered his ears.

"You're driving me crazy."

"Die! Die, you lackey of the Demon King's army!"

Rahel punched Choi Hyunseok's chest repeatedly.

It was less effective than a kitten's punch, though.

"Just calm down for a moment."

Choi Hyunseok grabbed Rahel and sat her down at the desk.

"Listen carefully. The real battle is about to begin."

Suddenly, Choi Hyunseok adopted a serious tone.

"Are you going to manipulate me with your silver tongue again!?"

"Manipulating with my silver tongue is your specialty!"

For a moment, Choi Hyunseok flared up at the memory of the past, but he calmed down and cleared his throat.

"Ahem! Anyway, I'll explain my plan for the future."

Rahel's suspicious gaze didn't waver, but Choi Hyunseok ignored it and continued.

"I plan to train the slaves to start a rebellion."

"R, rebellion...!?"

"Shh...! Someone might hear us."

Rahel was startled and clamped her hand over her mouth.

"There are 3,000 slaves in this fortress, but the Demon King's army managing them is less than 500."

Choi Hyunseok explained what he had observed during his time in the slave yard.

"Out of the 500 Demon King's army, if we only count the ones with excellent combat skills, the number will drop to less than half."

Choi Hyunseok hadn't been flattering them mindlessly.

Everything was for this grand plan!

A battle of 3,000 against 500.

Even if the Demon King's army had monstrous beings, Choi Hyunseok thought it was worth a try.

If he trained the slaves in combat techniques with his knowledge from Earth, it was entirely possible.

The key was their will.

The crucial point would be whether they could shake off their fear and resist the Demon King's army.

"Can that really work?"

"We won't know until we try. Should we give up before we even start because it seems impossible?"

"That's true, but... what if the rebellion succeeds, what happens next?"

"I heard that the human alliance army is stationed near this Hemorn Fortress."

"Oh! Then..."

"Yes. If we capture the fortress and request support, the game is over."

"Hero...!"

Tears welled up in Rahel's eyes.

"I didn't know... sniff..."

"You might not have known. It's okay."

"At first, I thought you were just a muscle-bound, ignorant man who only knew how to fight... I really see you differently now!"

"Is that a compliment? Is it?"

"Of course! You're a genius, Hero!"

Choi Hyunseok smiled at Rahel's praise.

"If we succeed in this, I might receive a great reward."

"Of course! Capturing a fortress is a huge achievement! You might even be granted a noble title. Then your future will be smooth sailing!"

"Indeed?"

"Yes! As a noble, you'll start from a different point than other heroes. It's like starting with a cheat code!"

Choi Hyunseok nodded repeatedly.

'Isn't it too late to call this a start after enduring this wretched life as a slave in the Demon King's army for so long?'

His mouth itched, but he didn't say it.

Choi Hyunseok looked at Rahel for a long time.

'Now that I think about it, quite some time has passed since I've been with Rahel.'

At first, she really annoyed him.

To be honest, he wanted to separate her head from her body.

'But I'm not an emotional person.'

A fighter must remain calm in any situation.

He must always watch his opponent's eyes and strive for the best outcome in any situation.

Therefore, Choi Hyunseok thought about Rahel's usefulness.

It was impossible to get rid of Rahel.

The wise choice was to find her usefulness and use her well.

'At least she has more knowledge than me.'

Compared to Choi Hyunseok, she had more knowledge, but that didn't mean she was smart.

'And she can use magic.'

Rahel could use various useful everyday magic.

Hiding her appearance.

Blocking sound.

Heating bathwater.

And more!

It wasn't very useful right now, but Rahel said she could use more diverse magic as Choi Hyunseok's magic power grew.

'She can also be used as a scout. Rahel is small and can move around easily.'

Rahel's usefulness was endless depending on how she was used.

And the most important thing was...

'She's cute.'

Rahel was incredibly beautiful and adorable.

When had Choi Hyunseok ever traveled with such a beautiful woman in his previous life?

That fact alone was enough.

Even if the destination was a hellish Demon King's fortress.

Isn't there a saying?

If you can't avoid it, enjoy it!

This had become Choi Hyunseok's favorite saying since he arrived here.

"By the way, Hero!"

"What is it?"

"Didn't you say you completed a hero quest earlier?"

"Oh, right!"

Rahel's words reminded him.

"I got hero points, and the Hero Shop was opened."

Rahel finally let out a sigh of relief.

The Hero Shop only opened after completing the first hero quest.

In other words, the crazy hero quest Choi Hyunseok mentioned was real.

"You weren't lying..."

"How many times do I have to say it!?"

"Let's open the shop quickly!"

"Alright, alright..."

Choi Hyunseok shook his head and opened the Hero Shop.

Opening the shop made him a bit nervous.

'What will be in there?'

Finally, he would learn the use of the mysterious 'Hero Points.'

The Hero Shop finally opened, and there was... nothing much.

- Abilities

- Items

It was divided into two main categories.

Choi Hyunseok first checked the abilities.

- Holding Breath (F): Improves breath-holding ability.

- Holding Poop (F): Improves poop-holding ability.

Choi Hyunseok's face hardened like a rock.

'Holding breath...? Holding poop...?'

To use the points he had painstakingly earned for such abilities was ridiculous.

Choi Hyunseok squinted his eyes and checked the detailed description of Holding Poop.

□ Holding Poop (F)

- Description: A hero never knows when and where a long battle might occur!

For such a hero, physiological activities can be a real burden!

This ability, Holding Poop, is custom-made for you who can't easily use the restroom. It stops your physiological activities for up to 24 hours!

- Required Hero Points: 50

"What the... What is this!?"

Choi Hyunseok denied the reality.

It must be a joke. It must be a prank.

But even when he opened his eyes again, the description was the same.

The 100 Hero Points he had earned through flattery could only buy the ability to hold his breath a bit longer and hold his poop better.

It was unbelievable.

It couldn't be true.

"Ha..."

There were a few more in the 'Holding' series, but the situation was similar.

In other words, they were useless.

Choi Hyunseok grabbed Rahel by the collar.

"Are you kidding me!?"

"W, well..."

Rahel, flustered, explained.

"It's because the shop is only at Level 1! If you gather more Hero Points and level up, there will be many more useful abilities!"

Rahel raised her index finger and spoke cheerfully, but it had the opposite effect.

"Shut up!"

Choi Hyunseok, excited, shouted, spitting as he spoke.

Just before he threw Rahel out the window,

"Wait! Hero. Calm down and look closely! There are many good abilities in the Hero Shop besides the 'Holding' series!"

"Are there other abilities?"

"Yes, there are! Look through them! Hahaha..."

"Hmm..."

Choi Hyunseok checked the ability section again.

After passing through the Holding Breath, Holding Poop, and Holding Sleep series, he finally saw other abilities.

"Cooking... Cleaning... Laundry..."

Choi Hyunseok's face twisted even more.

"When will I find a useful ability!?"

"Um..."

Rahel, after a moment of thought, made a cute face.

"Maybe they'll appear when you level up? Hehe!"

"Hehe...?"

Choi Hyunseok's face hardened even more.

But Rahel didn't back down.

'If it comes to this, I'll push with the cuteness strategy!'

Rahel winked forcefully.

"Hehe! Hehe!"

"Just die."

Choi Hyunseok, with a serious face, grabbed Rahel.

"Now, wait! Ah!"

That day, Rahel's screams echoed until dawn.

***

A few days passed.

During this time, Choi Hyunseok overcame his disappointment with the trashy Hero Shop and focused on his duties.

The most important of these was the morning training.

Every morning, before work started, he trained the slaves.

Although it was only a short hour, Choi Hyunseok didn't want to waste it.

"Before we start the training, we will salute the Demon King. Everyone, salute!" Bang!

The 3,000 slaves raised their hands in unison.

Although still a bit awkward, their posture had improved after a few days of practice.

"Good. Attention."

At Choi Hyunseok's command, the slaves stood at attention in perfect unison.

"Next, we will sing the anthem of the Demon King's Army's Third Corps. Anthem, start!"

As Choi Hyunseok shouted loudly, the anthem of the Third Corps echoed throughout Hemorn Fortress.

"We are~! The great~! Demon King's Army~!"

"Crush the humans! Eat the humans!"

The bizarre scene of humans shouting to eat humans was unfolding, but...

Raidrun, the battalion commander watching all this, felt a sense of grandeur.

'How pleased the Demon King would be to see this...'

Standing at 2.5 meters tall with a muscular body, Raidrun, whose horns emitted flames, couldn't help but feel his eyes well up at this grand sight.

Tears formed in his cow-like, round eyes.

"Ahem, hmm."

Raidrun raised his thick hand to wipe his eyes.

"I was right to allow the training..."

Raidrun resolved to recruit Choi Hyunseok into the Demon King's Army.

Although he was human, he was a man who fit the Demon King's Army more than anyone.

The great Demon King would be very satisfied to see Choi Hyunseok.

At that moment,

Knock knock.

Someone knocked on the door of the office.

'Who dares...?'

He had explicitly told everyone not to come during the morning training.

Raidrun was furious, but the uninvited guest knocked again without noticing.

Knock knock!

"What is it!?"

"Lord Raidrun, urgent news!"

The one who entered was the goblin guard, Jack.

Before Raidrun could crush Jack's ugly face, he decided to listen to what he had to say.

"Urgent news?"

"The human army is advancing here!"

"What do you mean!?"

Raidrun was shocked.

The human army advancing?

It was impossible.

Just yesterday, he received a report that the human army had retreated.

Thanks to that, the 8th Division of the Demon King's Army, stationed near the fortress, had set out to exterminate the fleeing humans.

"The humans who should have all been killed are returning to the fortress?"

"It was... a trap!"

"A trap?"

"Yes. The 8th Division has been defeated, and the humans are advancing directly to the fortress!"

"..."

Raidrun clenched his jaw.

The 8th Division of the Third Corps was the largest unit in the area.

If the 8th Division was defeated, there was no army to stop the humans advancing to Hemorn Fortress.

"Lord Raidrun, you must evacuate immediately!"

The Second Slave Battalion led by Raidrun was not a combat unit.

It was a unit to lead slaves and do work.

The entire unit consisted of only 500 members.

It was impossible to stop the thousands or tens of thousands of human soldiers with this.

"Other units... won't come to our aid?"

"The cunning humans seem to have already taken action. All nearby units are tied up."

The cunning humans seemed to have already set their traps.

In the end, there was no choice but to hand over the fortress to the humans.

Raidrun, unable to contain his anger, slammed the table.

"Damn it!"

Bang!

The massive wooden table shattered into pieces.

"To have to hand over this fortress, which is almost complete, so futilely!"

It was the price of underestimating the humans' cunning.

"Lord Raidrun, we don't have time! The enemy will be here soon. You must evacuate quickly..."

"I understand. Let's go now."

Just as Raidrun was about to leave, biting his teeth,

"One! Two!"

A loud training voice came from outside the window.

Raidrun's large eyes focused on Choi Hyunseok.

'Choi Hyunseok...'

The man passionately training the slaves in the courtyard.

Raidrun couldn't give up on him.

"Wait!"

"Yes?"

"I must take Choi Hyunseok with me, no matter what!"

Raidrun, a Demon King's Army officer who loved talent, was determined.