Chapter 1

Chapter 1: It Should Have Been the Epilogue…?

It was a life with no wants . My parents who went to a tennis club each weekend were healthy, and our family wasn’t in such dire straits that I needed to study and work part-time at the same time .

Fantasy, Muhyeop, games, novels, movies, comics…

I was an ordinary high schooler who liked these things .

That’s how it definitely was until ten years ago .

“I can’t understand even now after ten years have passed . Why me? Fantasy worlds are supposed to be the welfare center for the disabled that saves social outcasts, the Greenpeace that helps the disadvantaged . ”

Clearly that’s how it was in fantasy novels and comics .

For instance, someone bullied at school?

For instance, a shut-in?

Summoning those B-rank humans who found it difficult to live on Earth to a fantasy world, giving material and spiritual support so that they could live a rosy life… Looking back on it now, the way these stories played out was truly retarded .

That’s why this had to be a mistake .

“Listen carefully . I lived just fine on Earth . I was a cultured citizen who shared and discussed novels and comics with friends everyday . ”

No, my circumstances were better than my school friends . I was a bourgeois who could majestically spend 100 won in front of my friends who went around looking for free events and illegal downloads .

Now, if only my face had been a little more handsome… No, never mind .

“Why is someone like me treated the same as those losers in life? You also think this is wrong, don’t you?”

I looked down at a fallen comrade, seeking agreement .

Of course, they had no hope of surviving as I had crushed their heart for certain . But the glaring light in their eyes alone was quite lively . Had this been the law-governed country Korea, somebody who witnessed this scene of slaughter would have reported it to the police and things would have become troublesome, however…

This place wasn’t Earth .

A fantasy world ruled by those with power .

A utopia for savages .

It was a world where, as long as you had the physical strength, whether it be money, glory, power, women… anything could be had or stolen .

“Crazy bastard…”

Even the vehement words full of malice spat by my comrade couldn’t shake me . All it was to me, was like the barking of some dog .

“Calling the hero-nim who will be slaying the Demon King that threatens humanity crazy . Aren’t you touched in the head?”

I was a hero . Someone who was chosen as the apostle of justice . It wasn’t a title I decided on . The natives of this worlds summoned me here and called me as such as they pleased . Saying that I was the hero of legend who would save the world .

“Somebody like you isn’t a hero…! Cough!”

“Are those your last words?”

“…”

There was no retort from that comrade who had vomited blood from between their lips . They were no longer able to glare at me with anger .

I turned my back on the comrade, with whom I had shared lasting bad blood, without regret . The corpses of my other comrades had long been scattered around the place, lying on the cold ground .

Sword Princess .

Fairy King .

Sage .

Mercenary King .

They were heroes who were overwhelmingly stronger than me at one time . But at present, after 10 years have passed since my forced summon to this fantasy world, they were no match for me one-on-one .

So I killed them .

Right before the battle with the last boss, the Demon King .

I slew them cleanly by surprise .

“Oi . Try talking again if you happen to be alive . ”

“…”

“…”

“Weren’t you going to kill me as well after killing the Demon King? Pah! Who are you kidding . ”

I was able to win thanks to a difference in values . To my comrades this fantasy world was their home where they were born and raised in . If the hero lost to the Demon King then their family, friends and lovers would be at the mercy of the demons, so they couldn’t thoughtlessly lay a hand on him .

But me on the other hand?

It wasn’t my business as to how this world ended up .

I was going to kill the Demon king and return to Earth, to my family .

Now, there was no obstructions blocking my way .

Scattered flesh and pieces of bones were scattered left and right in the dark hallway . The pools of blood that had gathered on the stone floor thickly drenched my shoes . There were corpses of humans, corpses of monsters, and corpses of demons who looked somewhat similar to humans .

They had all perished together harmoniously .

For the sake of sending the hero past this point .

For the sake of protecting the Demon King beyond this point .

“H-, Hero-nim . Why…?”

Ah, there was a survivor?

The mercenary leaning against the cold wall, dying, asked me this . A close follower of the Mercenary King, I remembered him as a pleasant fellow who would hum a song even in the most dire of situations .

His name was probably… Let’s call him Mercenary A .

Having stopped my steps, I answered Mercenary A in a reassuring tone .

“Why did I kill my comrades? Worry not . I’ll take care of the Demon King by myself . My condition is at its peak too now that those bothersome comrades of mine are gone . ”

“…”

“You’re not humming a song today . ”

I hummed a song through my nose in place of Mercenary A as I moved through the hallway . I merrily hopped over the corpses and obstructions that blocked the way .

My footsteps were light like that of a young lady who had come out for a stroll in a beautiful flower garden . Wouldn’t I be soaring in the air if I weren’t wearing the scale armor made for me by the Dragon King?

It wasn’t just my body that was in joy .

“Hm~♫ Heung~♪”

The me of today was in an amazingly good mood . I could swear that I didn’t feel as good as now even when I had embraced the number one beauty of the continent .

I channeled that pleasure and-

Slam!

I kicked open the splendid-looking doors barring my path with all my might .

Creaak- Boom!

Beyond the door which couldn’t withstand my kick and was destroyed . The Demon King’s audience chamber was so spacious that it you wouldn’t believe it was indoors . But a single intact furniture came into sight, not to mention any demons .

That’s why it stood out even more .

“So you have finally reached this place! Oh chosen hero!”

At the opposite end from the entrance of the audience chamber . The man who had been sitting on a throne decorated with gems of various colors slowly stood up as he warmly welcomed me .

Above his pointy ears was a pair of horns which symbolized demons, but they were larger and more splendidly ornamented than any other demon’s I had seen to this point . I could easily guess at the status of my opponent just by this feature alone .

“You’re the Demon King?”

“Indeed! I am the very pinnacle of all evil! I am Fedornar, the one who will plunge this world in darkness!”

A black miasma burst from the Demon King’s body after he finished his self-introduction . Seeing that powerful performance of his, I grew convinced that he wasn’t one of those clones, fakes that I had slain to the point of getting sick and tired these past 10 years .

Demon King Fedornar .

My train ticket to Earth .

He wouldn’t know just how eagerly I had anticipated this moment .

“Haha! Hero . Those eyes longing for victory are truly to my liking! Very well! I shall accept humanity’s challenge…!”

“Wait . ”

“…”

“There’s something I want to ask before we fight, you see . Why is it that you merely stood by and watched the deaths of your subordinates?”

It was a question which I had constantly harbored for the past 10 years .

The Demon King before me was the very person who had let me run amok as I liked . There would forever be no chance to ask this question if I didn’t do so now .

Demon King Fedornar frowned in response, his good humour soured .

“Merely stood by? How unpleasant . I have always dispatched stronger subordinates in order to take revenge . ”

“And they died . ”

“So I sent even stronger subordinates . ”

“And they died again . ”

“Hero . Are you dissatisfied at having luckily survived?”

Demon King Fedornar rebuked in a dumbfounded tone . The way he looked at me as if I was truly foolish caused a burst of emotions in me .

So I returned tit for tat without losing .

“If Demon King-nim acted in the beginning, I wouldn’t have been able to reach this point?”

During the past 10 years, the Demon King had lost many things .

The plan to overthrow the kingdom, the plot to assassinate a hero, loyal subordinates, an outstanding son, beautiful slaves, a first-rate elite demon legion, superior equipment, treasures that were piled up like a mountain, large territory…

So many that even an account book wouldn’t suffice to record them all!

And each time he lost something grew stronger .

My biggest sponsor wasn’t humanity, but the Demon King .

“Hero . Such speculations are meaningless . ”

“They aren’t meaning…”

“Do you know the politics of demons? Be silent otherwise . ”

“…”

Words were futile with the Demon King .

The question which I had harbored for 10 years couldn’t be solved until the end .

*

*

*

Every time I ventured into temples, labyrinths, ruins and the like that were prepared for the hero who would enter someday, there were no problems even without the ‘power of friendship’ which I never heard the end of .

I was strong even without something to protect .

My earnest goal of escaping this barbaric fantasy world and returning to the cultured citizen of Earth was enough motivation for me . Those 10 years of endurance didn’t fail me . I didn’t need trivial, cheap tricks .

“Krgh! Hero . Does this mighty power of yours come from the rage of losing your comrades…?”

“No . It’s the result of training . ”

What rage would I be feeling when I was the one who killed them? Far from rage, I was feeling very refreshed .

“Is, is that so . In any case, it was an excellent fight…”

The eyes of Demon King Fedornar, who had lost in a pure head-on duel, in a clash of swords, closed slowly .

I waited without letting go of my tension .

1 second, 2 seconds, 5 seconds, 10 seconds…

But the dead Demon King didn’t move an inch . There was no development of a consolation match that went along the lines of “Now I’ll face you for real!” .

“… Are you for real? This is the end? Hello?”

“…”

“Huh…”

I had toiled for 10 years in order to defeat the Demon King .

But it ended so simply like this?

Looking at the Demon King’s corpse which was lying face down like a matchstick, curses rose to the tip of my tongue .

I grew dispirited .

“Damn . They say the ignorant are fated to labor…”

A list of names of those bastards who had over-exaggerated the Demon King who wasn’t even all that rose in my mind, but I decided to be understanding with a generous heart . Right now, it was a waste of time to even bother with them .

I looked up toward the sky and shouted in a loud voice .

“Oh god of the fantasy world! I have defeated the Demon King as promised! Please return me to Earth now!”

There was no use in regretting the past . I thought of the things that I was going to do after returning to Earth . Being a good son, dating, games, being a gourmand, the Olympics, going on a quest for justice…

I waited to go back with an excited heart .

▷Hero-nim . Has your adventure been enjoyable?

Yes yes . So quickly send me to Ear…

▷The path of a true hero is truly difficult . But there were countless bonds that 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!

▷Shall we look at your grading now?

“Wait! Grading…?”

It was my first time hearing this . My intuition which had never betrayed me was ringing alarm bells, telling me that something strange was going on .

▷Please check your report card carefully!

▷Name: Kang Han Soo

▷Combat Power: S

▷Achievements: A-

▷Reputation: D+

▷Character: F

▷Note: Why the hell did you go and kill off your perfectly fine comrades .

But they weren’t perfectly fine?

My comrades had meddled and imposed in everything in my life . Disregarding human rights and violence under the pretense of training were par for the course . There was even one crazy bitch who had revealed her birthday suit by her own negligence then wielded a sword at me .

If I were to make a list of the indignation and unreasonableness I went through in the past 10 years, there would really be no end to it . So that was a justified revenge…

▷You have failed to pass .

▷Reason: With great power follows equal responsibility . But you possess a character that does not suit the power you have . For the sake of the world’s order and peace, you shall be returning to the first day of the test .

▷Beginning re-test .

“Return? Re-test? What bullshit is this!”

No matter how arbitrary a god could get, this wasn’t acceptable . Roll around again in this garbage dump that didn’t even have flush toilets? The comrades I had done my best to kill were going to come back to life?

The mere thought of it caused goosebumps to rise…

A suspicious light enveloped my body .

▷All of the teaching staff are praying for your success!

▷You have been designated as a Blue Falcon Hero .

▷A specialist instructor will be dispatched .

“God damn…”

Translator : Hunnybuttachips

Editor : Fujimaru