Is this Hero for Real?

[Act 13] Demons

It’d been about a month since I’d been thrown into this savage world, and I was letting the reality sink in that the fantasy status windows were above law and ethics.

[Slave Blessing]

[Slave Curse]

And so those with that Blessing or Curse were treated no differently than objects—not for political means, but as physical property.

For example, long-abandoned slaves or slaves with dead owners were free for the first person to take.

It was said there were occupations even centered around that…

“They’re slave stealers.”

“You’re biased! It’s not like I’m the only one who buys slaves!”

“No need to get mad. After all, it’s rare to see a level 1 customer buying a lot of slaves.”

“I see.”

It seemed I looked the most vulnerable for having a low level, but I didn’t think they would try to assassinate me in the middle of the day.

‘What if the wrong person comes to steal the slaves!’

If I was a slave stealer…

“Ack?!”

A man screeched after getting his eyes poked out by the demon woman.

That’s right. I would be waiting near the slave like that guy over here.

“Eek?!”

“M-murder!”

“Aaack?!”

Slowly realizing what was going on, the people around us fell into a state of confusion.

‘Well, this is troublesome.’

Demons don’t die from just a hole in their skulls.

As proof, the ‘horn hiding magic’ that Kogmos had put on himself was still active.

What would happen if he got up like a zombie?

He would get exposed for disguising himself as a human right away!

And if he got caught, it’d get dangerous for me as well.

“Ah… guess I have no choice.”

I wanted to slaughter the scattering slave stealers as they realized their plan had failed, but I couldn’t leave Kogmos like that.

“Be thankful, Kogmos.”

“…”

I sped through the crowd of people with the body of the bleeding Kogmos over my shoulders.

“Master, you’re strong for being level 1.”

“It’s all thanks to my awesome Blessing, not me.”

[A certain god sticks out their chest and acts pompous.]

[A certain god tells you to praise them more.]

“…”

‘I see they’re walking on air from just a little praise!’

“ABblessing, huh~”

“I’m going to run all the way out of the city like I’m still getting chased by the assassins.”

“Okay.”

One good thing?

At least Kogmos wasn’t dead from an arrow to the head.

If he’d died and his spell got uncast, countless people would have found out he was a demon. Then I would have also been…

I felt disturbed from just thinking about it.

“We should part ways soon.”

“Ur, urgh… don’t talk as if I’m a nuisance. I just let my guard down because I’ve never been targeted before.”

The demon man justified himself after we got out of the city.

‘Does he know it’s pointless when he says that on an inferior human’s shoulders?’

It looked like the demon woman agreed as well.

“Hey, are you proud of yourself for living so recklessly this entire time? Why are you even breathing?”

“Urgh…”

“And I hope you realize how weak you really are. You have a filthy way of thinking, buying an enslaved woman with money.”

“Uurghh…”

The demon man deteriorated without defending himself even once to the woman.

And that was the guy who was as smooth as ever with ladies A and B…

“My clothes are a mess.”

Dirtied with the demon’s blood, my clothes felt extremely uncomfortable.

‘Should I just change right now?’

It was right when I put Kogmos down and went to take my clothes off…

Fwp-

The demon woman’s right hand swiftly reached out for my neck.

It was unmistakably animosity.

Smack.

I hit her hand to the side and ordered, “stop.”

“…”

But she didn’t stop moving. In fact, she was coming for me even more vehemently!

[Outsider]

I sucked in my chubby stomach and activated ‘The Power of Meat’.

Pow-

As our two hands clashed, the air rippled around us from the shockwaves.

‘Why? What did I do?’

“Talk.”

“…”

“Jeez.”

With that, I was certain.

—It wasn’t just the slave stealers that had been underestimating me.

***

Closest to the Great Plains where I’d hunted an infinite number of orcs was Aldriol, or The Plain City.

Back at the temple after wrapping up his investigation there, Prince Alsus gathered the Heroes and taught them the ways of a knight.

“Have you all been well?”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

The handsome man looked contently at the Heroes as they gave confident answers and explained.

“The most important aspect of swordsmanship is your attitude.”

[Warrior]

▶You who have survived countless life-or-death crises have sufficient qualifications to become stronger.

▶Defeat all of the enemies that cross your path with the power of love and justice!

Prince Alsus showed the Heroes the Blessing they haven’t yet acquired.

He continued, “You may be asking, ‘wouldn’t it be better if we could efficiently fight the enemy by dodging their attacks?’”

“Yes!

“That’s right!”

The Heroes agreed.

Among them was Choi Kangmin, who had become very uncomfortable ever since the draw with Oh Hanwoo.

Love! Justice!

It was something Prince Alsus had emphasized again and again day by day.

But it was a futile lesson for the Heroes, who didn’t have the ‘Warrior’s Blessing’.

It was only natural for him to be frustrated.

“Even if you pierce a demon with a sword after avoiding all of their attacks, they won’t even get a scratch.”

“But with a better sword…”

“Obviously, the sword ki…”

The prince cut off the Heroes’ unsurprising refutes.

“The top predators, including dragons, are generally large in size. You’ll hit the mark no matter how you hit it.”

“Ah…”

“Um…”

“In other words, it means you won't be able to escape if those top predators charge at you with their enormous bodies or weapons. How can you dodge a fist that’s bigger than your body?”

“…”

“…”

* * *

* * *

The Heroes fell silent.

‘Would I be able to barely dodge a dump truck charging at me?’

They would have to throw their entire bodies and roll on the floor to avoid a collision.

“Also, demons and dragons have wings that let them fly. Are you going to just watch them from the ground until a mage or archer drops them?”

“Wings…”

“Oh my…”

The Heroes were unable to argue.

That was the reality of fantasy.

It was different from the medieval ages back on Earth, where wars were fought sword vs sword and human vs human.

“There is only one solution: swordsmanship that overpowers the enemy.”

“Woah…”

“Woaah…”

Overwhelmed by Prince Alsus’s spirit, consecutive exclamations could be heard from the Heroes.

“Flying monsters can be dropped from the sky by targeting them with swordsmanship, and the monsters’ massive attacks can be pierced with swordsmanship…”

“Ah!”

“Aah!”

Prince Alsus remembered ‘Gang Hansue’, the mercenary he’d met in Aldrior.

The brilliantly red pillar… if Hansue’s ‘swordsmanship’ was even a little bit more powerful, Alsus wouldn’t even be alive.

There was no need for muddled tricks.

Just one single blow!

“Keep that in mind: the instant your swordsmanship fails to penetrate the defense of the enemy, there is no hope.:”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

And that is why love and justice was important!

…is how Prince Alsus wrapped up his lesson.

***

[A certain god spins around in place.]

[A certain god hurries you to kill off the demon.]

[A certain god…]

Dear god! Aren’t you excited!

‘I can understand where you’re coming from, but it’s getting hard for me to fight with all of your messages blocking my vision.’

[A certain god is extremely displeased.]

[A certain god is extremely displeased.]

[A certain god is extremely displeased.]

[A certain god…]

‘I’m sorry. Do what you want.’

The Slave Blessing may’ve bound the female demon’s free will, but it had a loophole because, after all, it wasn’t a curse.

[Slave]

▶ Having forfeited all your rights, you take on the attribute of property.

▶ Every time you follow your owner's order, you will feel a corresponding amount of pleasure!

There was no rule that stated she had to follow her owner’s orders at all costs.

Like she was doing right then.

“Stop.”

“Hmph!”

She received no repercussions, even if she ignored her owner’s commands with a scoff.

It was truly a Blessing.

She was a half-slave who could obey her master’s orders selectively.

‘If that’s the case…’

“Come at me.”

“Urk?!”

All I had to do was give an order she had no choice but to obey.

Furrowing her brows, anxiety clouded the female demon’s gaze.

[Slave]

Just as one’s stomach hurts from laughing too much…

It would have been hard for her to hold back from the pleasure from the Slave Blessing that obeying commands gave her.

Which meant that time was on my side.

Surely the demon woman, engulfed in pleasure, would know.

As I expected, she decided a long fight would be too difficult, as she created a black blade on her right hand, inch by inch.

—And she swung.

“You’re soft.”

Perhaps it was because Kogmos, who she treated like garbage, would naturally become her owner if I died.

—She was only going for the nonfatal arms and legs.

[Fairy]

[Outsider]

To retaliate, I also focused my power into my right hand.

After drawing out my long red claws with my powers, I lashed at the demon’s black blade.

Slash-!

The result was crystal clear.

Her right arm was completely ripped from her body, and the demon took a big step back.

Without a single glance to her missing right shoulder, she spoke.

“You… are you really level 1?”

“You let your guard down like they did, huh?”

“…”

Inch by inch!

The demon, provoked by my inquisitive reply, drew strength into her right hand.

More! More! More! More!

Her completed blade revealed her determination that she did not intend on caring about her owner’s life or her future.

“You’re still a… huh?”

I thought nothing would change.

But instead of fighting back with force, she chose to give up her body to attack my weak spot.

Rip! Rrip!

Twisting her flexible hips, countless cuts were made on her curvy body.

It was a critical injury that would have been nearly fatal if she was human!

But demons were different.

Even though her entire body was lacerated, she had a smile on her face.

“You let your guard down, huh?”

“…”

‘This is going to hurt a lot.’

Slash-!

The female demon’s blade cut through my right shoulder to my left rib cage diagonally.

—But she did not attack further.

Instead…

“Demons don’t get weak with wounds like these,” she kindly advised.

“I can tell.”

“Now, Master? Command my freedom. Then I’ll treat you right away.”

“Hm…”

“And my name is Diaroka.”

“Did I ask? Diaroka.”

“Yes.”

To the girl wishing to be freed from a slave status, I commanded,

“Stay still.”

“Urgh?!”

“You won’t be able to stay still if I command you like this, huh?”

“…Are you really human?”

The demon’s eyes widened as she saw me get up just fine.

[Outsider]

“Your owner won’t get weak from wounds like these.”

“…you let your guard down again, didn’t ya?♪”

Woosh.

Diaroka’s body was engulfed in a black aura as she quickly recovered.

Woosh!

The time it took for her severed right shoulder to spring out a new right arm…

It was a shocking recovery rate that I had not seen in Kogmos.

“It’s only natural that demons look down on humans.”

“If you get it, why don’t you give up ownership? All it takes is two words: You’re free.”

“I don’t want to.”

I was absolutely loathsome of betrayal after having gotten backstabbed by the evil goddess.

[Outsider]

It didn’t show thanks to my emotions getting reset infinitely, but I despised traitors with my mind, not my heart.

“Well, aren’t you stubborn.”

“Well, aren’t you a nagging slave.”

“…You’re going to regret this.”

Maybe things would have been different if that demon had gotten on her knees and begged me to set her free.

After all, it would only be tiring to carry around a slave that didn’t want to be there.

And so…

“Kill me, Diaroka.”

I wagged my fingers at the demon who couldn’t forgive me.

“Are you insane?”

“I have been for a while!”

Ever since I’d been abandoned in the gnoll-infested forest from the evil goddess’s betrayal…

I hadn’t had even a moment of sanity.

“…”

“Listen to me. One of us dies here, no matter what.”

[A certain god is uncomfortable.]

[A certain god drills in that the outsider will not die.]

…God?

‘I’m just saying. I don’t intend on dying either…’

[A certain god is extremely uncomfortable.]

[A certain god is so uncomfortable they cannot breathe.]

[A certain god passes out.]

“…”

‘It is this adolescent Outsider’s fault. I’m sorry, please breathe!’