2 – My level was 1
“Should I quit?”
Once again today, I entertain such thoughts.
This word has been repeated almost a thousand times in my mind during the six months I’ve been in this party.
Maybe I do it about a thousand times a day.
The idea of quitting seemed quite good.
That way, I wouldn’t have to do things like this anymore.
Carefully, carefully.
Inside a resting area in the dungeon.
I was diligently disassembling the corpses of monsters there.
Naturally, monster corpses were worth quite a bit of money.
The bodies of those bastards who could only block steel blades with their bodies were practically high-quality materials in themselves.
Ranging from basic textiles to furniture, and even more specifically, they were used as high-quality ingredients or raw materials for cosmetics.
If you handle monster corpses well, they’re practically piles of money.
Money was important even in a hero party, and thanks to that, I was diligently working on disassembling.
That way, I could easily take them home.
Of course, the physiological labor I had to endure during the process of disassembling monsters was entirely my responsibility.
“…Damn, it’s not cutting cleanly.”
“Ha-ha…”
Due to that, I just awkwardly chuckled to wrap up the situation.
Rather than that, I need to finish the dismantling process quickly.
Their secretions had a mild toxicity, and my hands were still itching at this moment.
But there’s not much time left, so I just need to endure a bit longer…
That’s what I was thinking at the time.
Thud!
Frog carcasses fell from the air in a pile.
The corpses that had just been cleared away were now stacked like a mountain.
The work that was almost finished was suddenly back to square one.
The bodies were piled up haphazardly, not a trace of order. The sight of bones, flesh, and fluids all mixed together was repulsively grotesque.
I have to separate them.
“…”
I hid my frustration and glanced upward for a moment.
A Dark Elf with dark skin appeared. She was a corporal in our team and responsible for reconnaissance.
In her golden eyes, I could sense a tinge of disdain and disgust.
Yep, it’s the same as always.
I couldn’t tell if her disgust was directed at the pile of corpses or at me. It could be both.
“…”
She glared at me for a moment and then left.
What remained were the replenished poison frog corpses and my blood-soaked body.
Seeing that, I let out a soft sigh.
“Haah…”
Maybe I should really withdraw.
+
“Phew, it’s finally done.”
The work was finished, but it was already late in the evening.
I had finished the battle around the time the sunset began, so it took about 2-3 hours for it to be nearly dismantled.
As a result, my body was covered in the blood and mucus of the frozen program.
I felt discomfort and tingling all over my body.
I let out a bitter laugh.
“This will be quite a task to wash off.”
It’s a bit far to go to the nearby stream… I should ask the saint to use purification or something.
There is also a magic called clean that the magician uses, but still, I need purification to remove the accumulated toxins in my body.
Honestly, I don’t think she will listen, but I should ask at least once.
So I began searching for a place where the saint might be at this time.
The elf and the knight had just entered the tent… Since the saint wouldn’t be there, she might be outside.
While roaming around, I also came across the magician who was meditating.
“Ew, you’re dirty… Can’t you clean yourself up?”
“······.”
I immediately heard his words and moved away.
Anyway, I ran into him.
“So, I’m going to wash up, you asshole…”
I muttered to myself as I walked the streets again.
Fortunately, I soon ran into the saint.
I saw her praying to the deity as if pleading for something.
Her hair, flowing like waves, and her gentle face that seemed to embody kindness were visible.
“Oh, deity… Why have you made such an evil person like him a hero…”
Although what came out of her mouth was an insult towards me, it was still evident that she looked virtuous.
In fact, apart from me, it was true that she was good.
I watched her for a moment and then sensed her presence.
“hehehe, um, Saint?”
“Oh, yes? What’s the matter?”
“I’m a bit dirty at the moment… Would it be possible for you to bless me once?”
I asked the saint, extending my hand to her.
“Hmm.”
Fortunately, she did not frown or make an impression when she saw me covered in mucus.
It was the same smiling face as always.
At least, the personality I knew didn’t openly reveal emotions.
Instead, there was something elusive about her.
Finally, she smiled as if in pity and spoke.
“Oh, what can I do? I’d like to help, but unfortunately, my power is completely depleted right now.”
Naturally, it’s a lie.
The fight against the Poison Program was annoying, but not that intense.
Her vast power, like the ocean, had no equal in the East.
It’s not even a high-level blessing; she could use purification as much as she wanted.
The only reason she told such a lie was clearly to mess with me.
We both knew this fact, and we were both aware that we knew it.
“Well, then, there’s nothing to be done.”
I decided to let it go.
I wasn’t expecting anything anyway. Maybe because I wasn’t expecting anything, there was no disappointment.
“Yes, then.”
Afterward, she left with a compassionate smile. It was clear to anyone that she was avoiding me.
Watching that, I let out a bitter sigh. There was no disappointment, but there was as much bitterness as I couldn’t hide.
This had been my appearance in the past half year.
Being scolded for absurdities, dealing with various odd jobs.
Even though I had received the title of the hero appointed by the gods.
A sigh came out involuntarily.
“Haah…”
How on earth did it come to this?
Surprisingly, these girls were not originally like this.
Rather, they were more dedicated and courageous than anyone else.
I could say this with confidence, even though I had seen them on the monitor countless times.
And perhaps that hasn’t changed even now.
Showing such an attitude is probably just for me.
That’s why I let out an even deeper sigh.
“Whew…”
How on earth did it come to this?
No, in fact, even while saying this, I already knew the cause.
It’s not because of them, but probably because of my own body.
The choices I made, and as a result, they changed like that.
So, what kind of choice did I make that caused this?
What did I do that made them so hostile?
To know that, I should start from an incident six months ago.
I began to contemplate internally.
Let’s see…where should I start explaining?
How can I start explaining so that my story can be conveyed vividly…
Hmm, yes, it’s better to start with this first sentence.
When I first fell, my level was 1.
*
Thud!
“Ugh!”
After pressing the ‘YES’ button, the hard floor greeted me with force.
A sharp pain hit my skull, as if it had fallen from my head.
“Ugh… What the heck.”
At that time, I was quite confused.
Contrary to the searing pain felt in my bones, my mind was filled with intense questions.
What’s going on? I was just playing a game in my room until a moment ago.
I must have been happily discovering a new route while attempting the 1000th try just before.
Before I knew it, I found myself lying on the ground.
I looked around, wondering if I had fallen off my chair due to a sudden burst of light.
And I couldn’t help but be bewildered.
“Huh?”
What entered my eyes was not the dim basement room, but a shabby tavern.
I could see walls covered with old wooden panels. An orange-colored lantern hanging from the ceiling.
Even the bitter smell of alcohol permeated the air.
And below, I saw people staring at me with disdain.
“Heh, look at that guy. He can’t even control his own body properly.”
“How much did you drink to be like that? Young friend, tsk tsk.”
Feeling embarrassed in an instant, I quickly got up and sat at the table.
In their eyes, I must have looked like a drunkard who had fallen to the floor.
On the table, there were piles of side dishes and large beer glasses.
Instantly, I felt a strange sense of familiarity.
Though unfamiliar, it strangely resembled the atmosphere of the tavern in the game I played, “The Demon King and the Party of Heroes.”
Every time I returned from a quest, I always visited a tavern to relieve my fatigue.
The atmosphere of that tavern and the atmosphere here were incredibly similar.
Not only that, but even the people’s clothing and the vividness I could feel on their skin…
“Could it be that I’m inside the game?”
Thanks to that thought, I was able to easily deduce the answer to this situation.
It was a really absurd idea, but if not, it would have been difficult to explain the current situation.
At that moment,
“But still, don’t say anything bad. Maybe something bad happened for him to drink that much. Like losing his family to the Demon King or something.”
“Tsk, that could be. Lately, the Demon King has been too successful, causing problems.”
Near my table, I heard the voices of two middle-aged men chatting.
They were drinking beer heavily while discussing gloomy stories.
“The Demon King.”
Upon hearing that word, I felt more certain about my assumption. It was a familiar word.
Just like other games, “The Demon King and the Party of Heroes” also unfolds as the Demon King gains power.
As the world becomes chaotic, a hero is chosen to gather party members. This is the prologue of the game.
And here I am, having just pressed my 1000th try, and ending up in this place.
From Noble mtl dot com
Maybe I will be the hero who gets chosen.
Despite the chaotic situation, my mind continued to deduce like flowing water.
Meanwhile, the conversation between the two middle-aged men continued.
“But don’t worry. It seems they are already searching for heroes. Eren mentioned it. There is a rumor that a new hero might appear soon.”
As expected, they haven’t chosen the hero yet.
Alright. Now all I need to do is gather the scattered party members from different countries.
“Oh, I heard about that too. It seems they have already organized the party members, right?”
‘What?’
‘Wait, what did you say?’
You’re saying that the hero party has already gathered?
‘Yes. It seems that the demon army has become too powerful, so the empire is planning to hold a departure ceremony soon.’
And they’re already preparing for the departure ceremony?
‘What nonsense.’
Hearing that, I scowled.
It’s normal for the hero to be chosen and gather party members next.
After slowly leveling up, it was usual to prepare for the departure ceremony once all four members were gathered.
But… the party members are already all here, and now they just need to choose the hero?
Even though this game is a roguelike game, and the story changes slightly with each playthrough.
I had never experienced a situation like this before.
From the beginning, it was all messed up.
At that moment, I saw a blue window in front of me.
[Quest!]
+
QUEST: The hero party’s departure is imminent.
The empire will bless the future of the hero party, and the hero party will begin a difficult journey to subdue the Four Kings.
Please also build your strength until then and join this journey.
QUEST Conditions: Reach Lv70 before the hero party’s departure.
(Current Level: 1)
Clear Reward: Earn the title ‘Hero’!
Attention!
If you fail to clear, the heroines will start the departure without a hero!
+
‘Crazy.’
I cursed inwardly.
A hero party without a hero. What kind of crazy nonsense is that?
Despite that, the middle-aged men continued their casual chatter.
‘I see. So, when is the departure ceremony?’
“There’s not much time left. It’s in two weeks.”
“······.”
I lost the words to say.
When I first started, my level was 1.
And within two weeks, I have to reach level 70.
+
Attention!
In case of clear failure, the heroines will start the expedition without a hero!
+
Confusion filled my eyes as the quest window flickered for a while.
