episode_0019

Among the broken tables, there was one table that remained intact.

“No…”

A sense of someone’s presence could be felt there.

‘What’s going on…’

I was ready to fight if it was dangerous…

Why are they fighting so well?

I feel like I would just get in the way if I were there.

Steven may not know, but my mother is strong like that too.

Why are they using that defensive formation for fighting?

But…

Can I use that too?

No, wait.

The situation has clearly shifted in our favor now. I worried for nothing.

Worried?

I never thought I would worry about those two.

A wry smile escaped my lips.

Even I thought my actions didn’t suit me.

But looking back, I consider this all part of my rebirth.

“If things go wrong, we need to be ready to go back…”

“Hey…”

“Call me hyung. Don’t just say ‘hey’ like that.”

“Okay, hyung.”

“What?”

“Well… it looks dangerous right now…”

“We were winning just a moment ago, why…?”

“Ah…ah!!!! This isn’t fun!!! It’s not fun!!!!”

‘What’s wrong with him.’

Is he just crazy?

Certainly, anyone could go mad in that situation.

After all, who wouldn’t go crazy when facing the Three Great Heavens.

‘I’ll be fine.’ I thought, but that thought vanished when I saw the mad scientist’s skills.

A mad scientist who kills his comrades to create new entities to control.

Among the heretics, he is ranked in the top 10 of the country’s designated top 10 heretics, with little known information.

Aster Timonas.

In the testimonies of the few soldiers who returned after enduring harsh experiments by the heretics, he was described as ‘fun’ if he had just that one word, he could do anything.

He was said to rarely appear on the battlefield, but what led him here?

There were many possibilities.

To capture the princess and witness the king’s despair.

Or to use the Sword Saint Robert as an experiment.

The answer was clear.

Sword Saint Robert.

It seems his curiosity about the profession of Sword Saint and the idea of using him as an experiment led him here.

But.

‘Even if I know this, there’s nothing I can do.’

What can I do here?

As I pondered this question, a child next to me tugged at the back of my uniform.

“Don’t you have to fight too, hyung?”

“…I…”

Because I’m weak. That one word just couldn’t come out.

I don’t have the strong faith or sense of justice like those two.

In the end, I never really fit the mold of a knight.

But why can’t I say it?

Why am I even here?

It would be fine without me. They could do well without me.

Why did I come to such a dangerous place?

A headache struck me.

“Are you okay, hyung?”

“Yeah…”

It was a response that contradicted my expression, but what could the child understand.

“Hyung… it looks like they’re starting to fight again.”

“Yeah, I see it too… and it’ll be fine.”

“Then that’s good… but… are you really not going?”

“If I go…”

Once again, I couldn’t finish my sentence.

“Hyung, aren’t you a Trueborn?”

“No, you’re right.”

The child muttered with a disappointed expression.

“My mom said all Trueborns are heroes… but that was a lie…”

If this kid has something to say, say it quietly. But.

“Heroes?”

“Don’t you know what a hero is? A hero!”

The child, excited to share something with me, stood up and spoke.

“A hero is someone who appears in front of people who need help at any time! That’s why I want to be one too, so my mom said if I join the Trueborns, I could become one…”

The child spoke with a pouty mouth like a duck.

“No, that’s not it…”

Is he talking to me?

Sighing, I rubbed my chin.

“Is this… what it means to be a hero?”

Do all children grow up reading this?

Even here, I don’t know anything and can’t empathize.

A bitter laugh escaped me. What am I even doing here?

Seeing the kid looking at me with worried eyes, another bitter laugh escaped me.

“Kid, is being a hero really that great?”

“Of course! A hero is someone everyone recognizes!”

“Recognition…”

What does recognition even mean?

You have to experience it to know…

Would it be nice to receive it? Can I also receive praise?

As the throbbing headache from those two words subsided, it felt like a blocked door had been opened.

“There they are!”

“Capture the kid and kill the soldier!”

The voices grew louder as two heretics rushed towards us.

The kid shouted urgently, “Hyung, we need to run away quickly!”

“Recognition…”

Thud!

“Kid.”

“…Huh?”

“How do you receive recognition?”

“I… don’t know. Isn’t it just about being cool?”

“Then, would it be cool if I helped those people?”

“Maybe?”

“Then just stay quiet for a moment.”

I took out two swords from my bag and strapped them to my waist.

“Sigh…”

Drawing one of the swords from my waist, I gripped the handle tightly.

“To be honest…”

I’m not confident.

But…

Why was I hiding in this dangerous place?

I realized the reason.

I wanted to be seen as a good guy, not a weirdo anymore.

[Kraverk’s fangs smiled]

“What?”

As I lowered my head with the sword…

[Kraverk’s fangs grinned again]

“Huh?”

It seemed like the sword had a will of its own.

Kraverk’s fangs flew towards the heretics, where Aster was located. Wait, hold on!

***

“…”

Have you ever fallen right in the middle of enemy forces?

And have you ever faced the enemy leader one-on-one?

If you had the chance, what would you say first?

“Hello?”

“Kill him!!!”

At Aster’s command, all the transformed heretics charged towards me.

Thud!

“Let’s at least exchange greetings before we start.”

I mercilessly struck down the heretics rushing towards me, regardless of their necks, arms, or legs.

But their numbers didn’t decrease at all.

Aster.

He had the skill to control corpses.

But could he become one of the ten heretics designated by the nation with just that skill?

No, it’s impossible.

Unless certain conditions are met, his skill is useless.

So how could he become one of the ten heretics?

The reason was simple.

The power to increase the number of corpses using the heretics.

And the ability to endlessly regenerate those corpses.

If I only fought these corpses here, it was clear that my stamina would run out before theirs.

[Kraverk’s fangs smiled]

“This guy is laughing while his master is dying.”

I needed to find a way to escape.

But I couldn’t run away from the heretics coming from all directions.

Even with armor, it was getting harder to fend them off as time passed.

“If the nuisance is going to die on its own… then I’ll just have to study that defense!!”

Crack!

Someone entered the heretics’ lair at a rapid speed, cutting through them like a madman.

Continuing to cut down the heretics, he reached where I was.

“Steven!”

“Quickly, grab my hand!”

I reached out my hand to Steven. With his skills, maybe we could escape quickly…?

The moment Steven’s hand met mine.

He threw me forcefully from the den of heretics to where my parents were.

“What are you doing, Steven!”

“I will buy us some time.”

“No, what…!”

“This life I dedicate for my lord. It is not a waste at all.”

With a triumphant smile, Steven once again took on the heretics.

Thud!

I landed precisely in front of my parents and couldn’t say a word.

I simply stood there. Now, I quietly watched where Steven was fighting.

As I stood there, my father and mother approached.

“Rosegr! Didn’t I tell you to go first, Mom!”

Then my father grabbed my shoulder and said,

“This is not a place for you, who is not accustomed to fighting like you. So go back quickly, Steven is our savior…”

“Father.”

As I spoke, my father looked puzzled.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Show me the defense you showed during the fight.”

“Suddenly, what is this, I will teach you separately later. For now, run…”

“Father, I cannot run away.”

“Do you not know who he is! He is not an opponent you can defeat.”

“Then are you going to abandon Steven? Am I?”

My father looked into my eyes for a moment, sighed, and my mother smiled with a nostalgic expression.

“Really resembles someone…”

“Show me quickly.”

“I will say this, but this is not something you can learn by watching. So if you cannot use it… I will stop you even if I have to use force.”

I firmly grasped Asbel’s sword. Anxious.

Elemental magic was possible, but I don’t know if this specific magic is possible.

Of course, there was no choice not to try just because it seemed impossible.

At this moment, my goal is to be recognized by people.

If the story of someone who ran away after abandoning the closest person circulates, can I be recognized?

No.

Even if I can be accepted, I cannot accept myself as someone who cannot protect even one precious person.

Father showed me one defense.

I slowly raised the sword. And struck it down hard.

Clang!

“What, what are you doing!”

As I shattered the defense, my father looked surprised.

[Asbel’s sword is impressed by your will]

[Kraverk’s fangs rejoice in your desire]

[Skill) Absorption and emission range has widened]

“I will be back.”

“I clearly said. Do not use this skill…!”

Before his words could finish, numerous defenses were summoned around me.

Pop!

Riding on the defense, I charged towards the heretics without listening to my father’s story.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

With the help of the defense, the path to Steven was easily made. Before regeneration!

I felt Steven’s sword far away. Hurry!

After slashing through numerous heretics, I saw Steven spitting blood in front of me.

“Doyeon…!”

“I owe you.”

The heretics who had quickly regenerated attacked us again.

But I had a defense.

Using the defense once again, I barely escaped from there by cutting them down.

“Steven must be struggling, but I must not let him come.”

I quickly put my mother and father, who were staring blankly at me, on the defense.

And I moved them as far away as possible.

“I have to be prepared for a fight…”

I took a deep breath.

I saved them and acted cool… but now what do I do?

No matter how much I think about it, I can’t think of a way to kill them.

Then a status window appeared in my right field of vision.

[Kraverk’s fangs are craving again]

[Kraverk’s fangs cannot resist and bestow a privilege]

[Baal Sebul’s gluttony]

[Skill) Consume as much as you bend the opponent’s soul]

[Explanation) The opponent who has been hit cannot recover]