Chapter 35: Wanna be secret friends
‘Knock my ass!’
Looking at the shape they were in, they wouldn’t have heard whatever I did.
“My love, don’t lose to the hero.”
“Hm, naturally.”
Madam Elf Queen kissed Demon King Pedonar on his cheek, as if praying for his fortune, and then took her leave, swaying her hips in a bewitching manner as she went. It seed like the relationship between the two had beco stronger than in the 2nd Playthrough(22 days back). Was it that the principle and harmony of Yin and Yang transcended even ideology?
It was only after the Elf Queen left that we could proceed to the eting between top dogs.
“Sir Demon King, let’s get it over with quickly.”
“What? Wait! O Hero! Why are you in such hurry? It is the final battle between the Demon King and Hero. Do you not intend on giving even a self-introduction in this historical mont?”
Demon King Pedonar, who had been preparing a showy performance by exploding his SSS-rank Dark Energy everywhere, asked this question in bewildernt.
The reason why the proud Demon King was buying for ti using an unsatisfactory reason like self-introducing was simple—the Demon King’s penalty. He needed ti to adjust to the sudden drop in his Level.
I turned the cogs in my head. Self-introducing was a waste of ti. This was my 3rd eting with Demon King Pedonar, and didn’t have anything like a na to give to the king who would soon be dead. I did, however, have the intention to make use of this situation; I guided the conversation in a direction the Demon King who required ti couldn’t refuse.
“Spill what you know about Ullullu.”
He was Pedonar, one who was called the first demon. There was no way he wouldn’t know about that distinctive giant whose head looked like that of a catfish. The Demon King would gain ti, while I would obtain information. It wasn’t a bad trade.
“Ullullu, you say… an interesting question you ask. Then my answer is decided then. Hm-hm. Listen well.”
Swooosh—
There was an explosion of the energy of darkness..
“O Hero! You have done well coming this far! I am the very pinnacle of all evil, the one who shall dye this world in darkness, Pedonar! Try using that worthless power of love and friendship to defeat ! Then you will be able to draw near the door of truth!”
The trade was off. However, since the Demon King had bought quite so ti by giving a long self-introduction with so pauses in between, it shouldn’t be a complete failure.
I nodded in agreent.
“I agree that love and friendship are worthless.”
“…”
“What?”
“Are you really the hero?”
“I am.”
And a hero on his 3rd Playthrough at that!
Demon King Pedonar didn’t lie, because it was definitely true that I would draw near the truth by defeating him. Who would expect a report card to be waiting at the end?
I summoned forth Holy Sword 2.
“A cursed Holy Sword…!” Demon King Pedonar shouted loudly upon sighting Holy Sword 2.
It was an extrely interesting reaction—even the saintess who was closest to the hero had denied the existence of a second Holy Sword, yet the Demon King seed as if he had known.
“Looks like you know of this Holy Sword?”
Pedonar would beco more used to his fallen Level as ti was dragged out, but I prioritized gathering information.
The Demon King replied in a serious tone, “… I should have realized it when rain fell against nature back then. So you used that small power to slay Ullullu and approach the secret… This generation’s hero really is absurd.”
Shiing-
After speaking up to that point, the Demon King drew the Demon Sword by his waist, a different reaction from the 2nd Playthrough when he was utterly careless. He appeared wary of Holy Sword 2.
“Sir Demon King. How about explaining before you croak?”
“O Hero. You shall co to know naturally if you defeat .”
“I didn’t, though.”
Even after cracking his skull, after cutting off his head, I didn’t find out.
“Are you a fool? Or hard of hearing? I said that you will know the secret if you defeat . It’s only natural to not know yet. I would appreciate it if you didn’t show off your ignorance.”
“…”
With the negotiations broken down, Hero A and the Demon King proceeded to clash.
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The curtains fell on the stand off which could have ended up in the destruction of this barbaric world 0 tis.
It was over the mont Holy Sword 2 and the Demon Sword collided.
Tang!
The Demon Sword was cut through, along with the Demon King’s robust waist.
“H-how can this be…?”
His torso cleanly separated from his lower body, Demon King Pedonar muttered to himself in disbelief.
I shrugged my shoulders in a natural manner.
“I’m a bit strong.”
Holy Sword 2’s amplification effect had good synergy with . When the hero and Demon King’s Levels beca the sa, the one with superior Skills and greater experience would hold the advantage. The Demon King held the upper hand in terms of overall Skill ranks as always; however, the tables were turned with the addition of Holy Sword 2.
“O Hero…!”
The Demon King pried open his lips with difficulty to speak.
“Don’t die in the middle and just sum up the main point.”
I refused to hear awkward foreshadowing or bait.
“Show that cursed Holy Sword to Oblivion Dragon King, who disappeared all of a sudden 500 years ago. This is as far as I can tel—kegh?!”
“Then die.”
I didn’t want to listen to so trivial last words.
Demon King Pedonar’s life ca to an end. I lightly ignored the look of indignant resentnt that remained in his still wide-open eyes.
Ssss.
Dark Energy seeped out from the Demon King’s corpse, and was absorbed by like EXP.
“You can inherit Dark Energy by killing a powerful demon, but…”
It was a kind of a curse, a power that gradually drove an individual to madness. I didn’t rember clearly if I had gained this power in the 1st Playthrough as well, as at the ti, I had no other mind than to quickly return to my ho planet.
Not anymore, however. Having beco able to not forget Skills through Black-Box, I brought the SS-rank Skill Dark Energy, which was obtained upon defeating the Demon King in the 2nd Playthrough, over to the 3rd Playthrough. Then this ti as well…
?Race: Chaos Human
?Level: 999
?Job: Hero(EXP 500%)
?Skills: Battle Spirit(SSS) Dark Energy(SSS) Massacre(SS) Chaos(SS) Destruction(SS)…
?Condition: Chaos, Holy Sword
Dark Energy, which had been SS-rank all this while, was promoted to SSS-rank. The total amount of Dark Energy I possessed had beco similar to what Pedonar had.
“Really! I think people would believe if I claid to be the Demon King now?”
The rest of my abilities had changed beautifully as well. While I had a lower Level than what I had in the 1st Playthrough, I had beco far stronger. I had two SSS-rank Skills which even the first Demon King had only one of. When taking into account Holy Sword 2’s amplification effect as well, then asuring my combat ability would beco aningless. And that was why my stomach burned even more.
“It’s a bit of a pity about Holy Sword 2.”
To think I’d have to return it after not having used it for much.
Shiik…
I unsummoned Holy Sword 2 which was stuck in the Demon King’s heart. What was the point of yearning for what couldn’t be reached?
Now, I waited calmly for the result of the adventure.
?Sir Hero. Has your adventure been enjoyable?
‘Nope. Not in the least. I’m tired in mind and body because of a certain despicable competitor and doing volunteer work.’
?The path of a true hero is truly difficult. But you ford countless bonds which encouraged you who did not lose your hopes and dreams. From them you learned friendship and love, and after maturing together with them you defeated the wicked Demon King at last. Congratulations truly!
These sa lines touched my heart today especially—the 3rd Playthrough had truly been rough. Many tis I had almost fallen to despair because of Sieg, that maestro of hypocrisy and propaganda, but it was with the encouragent of the demon worshipers that I could muster strength.
While there was no love or friendship, it was at least certain that we had experienced growth together. Thanks to the demon worshipers earnestly raising up my reputation, I was able to take down the Demon King with a light heart. I truly felt grateful towards them.
?Shall we look at your grading now?
I looked back on the 3rd Playthrough. This ti I had really prepared thoroughly. Although I was slightly anxious regarding my achievent grade, what with Prince Nasus having taken the initiative to off the Elf King, I was confident that my reputation and character was perfect. Combat ability didn’t even need be ntioned. This ti I was certain of a triple SSS-grade!
?Please check your report card carefully!
?Na: Kang Han Soo
?Combat Power: SS
?Achievents: SS
?Reputation: A
?Character: FF
?Note: Why on earth is the easiest subject, Character, in this state?
… Eh?
I also didn’t know why it turned out like this.
?You have failed to pass.
?Reason: It is a chaotic ss on the whole so I do not know where to begin. A hero must set off on an adventure with hopes and dreams in his heart. An adventure filled with propaganda and falsehoods is no different than a mirage.
‘Wait! Sieg is the one who started that mirage business, though? I only followed what he did.’
?Beginning re-test.
Ignoring my reasonable protest, light began to envelop my body.
“Hey! You bastards! Don’t give that sh*t! What standard are you judging my character on?! What about the character of you lot, kidnapping sobody who was living just fine on Ear…!”
?All of the teaching staff are praying for your success!
?A specialist instructor will be dispatched.
?A specialist instructor will be dispatched.
?A specialist instructor will be dispatched.
?There is no specialist instructor to dispatch.
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“Welco Sir Hero!”
“…”
The voice of Lanuvel who was acting cute rattled my ear drums. I had put in so much effort to fix that pretense of hers, yet it was reset again. A horrifying evidence that the 4th Playthrough had begun.
“Have you co to your senses?”
“No.”
I was about to go nuts.
I was really about to go nuts.
In my 3rd Playthrough, I had achieved top-level scores in all of my subjects, excluding that unreasonable and bias verdict on my character subject. It was a passing score when based on the average, wasn’t it? This ti’s re-test didn’t make any sense. I was going to go insane.
“Is, is that so. Hero-nim, please co to your senses soon! You’re very confused at being summoned abruptly without even a warning, aren’t you? This is Fantasia. A different dinsion from the world where Hero-nim was born and raised in. It must be unreasonable to hope for you to imdiately understand. I’ll start explaining things one by one from now.”
I turned a deaf ear to Lanuvel’s explanation, which I was on the verge of learning by heart word for word, as I took a look around the magic circle I was standing on.
Lanuvel, Sieg, and the palace knights. It was the completely sa start as in the 3rd Playthrough. Nevertheless, I carried out a test for starters.
“Sieg, do you rember ?”
It seed that this guy, whom Professor Morals had praised so very highly as a model student, had also failed to graduate and regressed. The dazed-faced Sieg found , and then shouted with glaring eyes, “Gasp! Kang Han Soo! You, this punk! Am I bloody glad to see you! How dare you do that to my Sylvi—gueh?!”
I punched the lower jaw of Sieg who ca fearlessly at , giving vent to my emotions. I felt my stress ease a little.
Slump.
I examined the Status of Sieg who had collapsed, frothing at the mouth.
?Race: Arch-Human
?Level: 1
?Job: Hero(EXP 500%)
?Skills: Interpretation(A)
?Condition: Critical, Knocked Out
I had thought the vile teaching staff was only discriminating , but Sieg’s Status had completely reset after regressing. It seed only his mories from the previous Playthrough remained. As for on the other hand?
?Race: Arch-Human
?Level: 1
?Job: Hero(EXP 500%)
?Skills: Interpretation(A) ■■(E)
?Condition: Good
Everything was the sa as Sieg’s except for one thing: Black-Box. It had remained as it was, promoted up to E-rank in the 3rd Playthrough. I had worried whether it would be caught out by so vicious ans like that of a antivirus program, but apparently my fears had been ungrounded. My Status was modest as the Skill had yet to be activated.
“Eek?!”
“Sir Hero?!”
“Gasp?!”
Lanuvel and the palace knights were astonished. They seed surprised that the heroes punched at each other out of nowhere.
[?]Popping In: Seems quite chaotic around here. Has sothing already happened? I might end up wanting to cry if I get wrapped up in a big problem from the start.
What was with this guy? The way he spoke was entirely different from Professor Morals. Was Professor Morals really replaced?
[?]Lively: Hello! Student Kang Han Soo! I’m a temporary teacher here for so practice teaching this ti! My outstanding seniors unanimously conceded the role to , so I’m very nervous to have co without preparation. It’s my first practical experience so I’m sure I’ll be lacking in many things, but I look forward to your kind cooperation!
Hooh… a fresh teacher had co.
‘Are you a man? Or a woman? Tell that to start with.’
[?]Flinch: I’m really sorry. The rule is that while I may be a teacher, I can’t reveal personal information for the fairness of the lessons. In exchange, if there’s anything else you are curious about, I’ll give you an answer with all my sincerity!
‘This teacher’s a black man. His legs must be covered in hair like pine caterpillars.’
[?]Explode: I shave ticulously every morning I tell you! Student Kang Han Soo! It’s not in personal relations to make assumptions that may hurtful to… Ack?!
‘Uhuhuhu… Co on in, Miss Trainee Teacher. Ah! Have you married by chance?
[?]Fit of Anger: I haven’t! I still haven’t even held a man’s hand yet! What does that matter to—hub?! You idiot, ! idiot! Even though I swore to never lose my head on the job! It’s all over for …
‘Miss Trainee Teacher, don’t be too pessimistic. How about we… beco secret friends?’
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