Chapter 5 - Why Am I Stronger?
"Did you see that earlier? When I split that goblin's head right open with my axe."
"My spear was way more impressive, you know? It pierced right through its chest!"
The thrilling taste of combat is bound to leave behind tales of heroism.
The kids chattered on, each telling their own heroic tale.
"Still, I bet I killed more goblins than you. What level are you?"
"I'm level 3. Aren't you level 3 too? Most people seem to be level 3."
"How much experience do you have?"
"It's about half full now."
"Hong-seop, what level are you?"
This was something I was a little curious about too.
Although I had taken down the strongest enemy, Hong-seop was the one who had stepped forward first and likely killed the most goblins.
Surely, his level would be higher than mine.
"Level 4. I leveled up at the very end, so I have no accumulated experience."
"What?"
Everyone let out a surprised gasp.
Even me!
But the meaning behind our surprise must have been different.
I was surprised because Hong-seop's level was so low.
My level was a whopping 6.
Even though I had killed the boss, I thought I had only killed a very small fraction of the total.
But a difference this big… this was a good sign.
'Somehow, I think I can manage to survive on this continent.'
"Jin-woo. Are you hurt anywhere?"
'If I hunt alone, I don't have to share the loot, so it's actually more profitable.'
Last night, the kids had divided the items they obtained fairly.
That idea had come from Hong-seop.
No one could object, but I was different.
I didn't have to share the items I had obtained all by myself at all.
"Jin-woo? Jin-woo! Kim Jin-woo!"
"Huh? Oh?"
Ah, right.
My name was Jin-woo.
It had been so long since it was called that I didn't even realize they were calling me.
The one who had called me was So-young.
Out of the thirty-two students in our department, she was the only one who would check on me first, a girl who perfectly fit the description of a graceful lady.
"I asked if you were hurt anywhere."
"I'm fine. What about you?"
"Thankfully, I was in the back, so I'm okay too. Thanks to that, I barely leveled up, though..."
"It's more ridiculous to expect someone to adapt to a situation like this so suddenly. Don't worry too much."
Was it because my level was ahead that I felt more at ease?
I offered some advice that was very unlike me.
Contrary to that advice, I had accepted reality quickly.
The fact that I had died.
And the fact that I couldn't go back.
Perhaps it was because I had nothing, so I had nothing to miss.
"This place is so scary. I don't care about wishes or anything, I just want to go back, but I guess there's no way, right?"
I understood So-young's anxiety.
However, I didn't possess the eloquence to soothe that anxiety.
"Probably not. Even if we went back, we'd just be dead."
"Right. I never thought I'd just die like that yesterday. Or that I'd be fighting monsters like this."
It seemed this situation was quite difficult for the gentle So-young.
"Do you think I can do it?"
"I don't know. This is a first for me too."
Hmm… no matter how I thought about it, I really didn't know how to say kind words.
"I guess so, right?"
"But I think it's meaningless to wonder if you can do it. The situation has already happened, and if we don't want to die, we have no choice but to do it. I'm thinking about how I'm going to survive."
I was always alone. It was difficult to even be perceived by others, let alone receive someone's help.
Since no one ever looked out for me, I had no choice but to look out for myself. That personality was actually helpful in a place like this. Even that ridiculously non-existent presence.
I replayed the moment I killed the shaman. A presence so faint he didn't even notice until I stabbed him. It was a moment when an ability that had been rather useless in reality felt like a talent.
'Is my talent pulling a rickshaw?'
There was a saying like that. That everyone has their own talent. But meeting the right environment for that talent to bloom is a matter of sheer luck. Most people live without ever even knowing what their talent is.
A prime example was pulling a rickshaw. In modern society, even if you had a talent for pulling a rickshaw, you'd probably die without ever knowing you had it.
Well, then I guess I'm on the fortunate side. At least I can use my talent to make a living.
"Because you have no choice but to do it, you find a way to do it."
"Well, yeah. There's no one to do it for me."
"Thank you. I feel much more at ease. I should also think about what to do from now on. If only to see my mom and dad again. Ah..."
So-young suddenly glanced at me cautiously. It seemed she had remembered that I was an orphan with no parents. Good grief. She really didn't have to be this kind.
I wasn't a teenager going through a stormy phase anymore, and by now, the fact that I didn't have parents was just a wrinkle everyone has. It was just that.
"It's okay. You don't have to worry about it."
I casually moved away. Situations like this were uncomfortable. My action seemed to make So-young feel even more sorry, but it wouldn't last long.
I am the ghost, Kim Jin-woo. So-young would soon forget my existence too. Especially in the middle of all this noise.
"Ooh, everyone. I knew you would succeed. Now, come this way."
Only after the battle was completely over did Ronan and the other villagers show themselves. It was a disgusting sight, but no one other than me took issue with it.
Instead, they just partook in the food and festivities prepared by the villagers.
A large bonfire lit in the faintly falling darkness. With plenty of food and drink and songs of victory echoing around, the mood was festive, even in this unknown land.
Fortunately, the food on the Lumos Continent was edible. People often say that food doesn't suit their palate when they go abroad, but at least I wouldn't suffer because of the food.
"How is it, does the food suit your tastes?"
Ronan's voice. Of course, he wasn't asking me. Ronan seemed to be speaking to everyone, yet his gaze was fixed on Hong-seop.
"Thanks to you, we are eating well. I've never seen any of this food before, but it's delicious."
"This is all the guidance of the goddess. She informed us that while the food from your world and this place is different, there are some similarities. Most of today's dishes are flavored with tomato and cream, so they should be easy for you to eat."
"No wonder, it's similar to the Western food from our side. Thank you."
"I'm glad. It's a drop in the bucket compared to you heroes defeating the Goblin Shaman. Speaking of which, I have yet to hear the tale of heroism. How on earth did you defeat the Goblin Shaman? It's no ordinary monster..."
"We have not dealt with such a monster."
The other kids hadn't even seen the Goblin Shaman. I had killed it as soon as I found it and even burned the corpse to a crisp.
I hoped this topic would just pass. In any case, the goblins were dealt with, so shouldn't that be enough?
"Pardon? But if the shaman, the leader of the settlement, had not died, there is no way they would have collapsed. Besides, the pillar of fire that shot up earlier was clearly the Goblin Shaman's spell."
"I wanted to check on that anyway. While we were fighting at the front, a fire broke out along with a notification that someone had defeated the Goblin Shaman."
So the boss kill message goes out to everyone? This was quite a troublesome development. I had no intention of letting anyone know that I had the highest level or that I had a talent for combat.
If you're asking if I'm trying to be some hero in the dark, the answer is absolutely not.
What I want is a life where I work less and earn more. But what happens if it becomes known that I'm strong? Hong-seop will definitely try to take me with him.
He's the type who thinks it's natural for those with power to do the difficult work. That's the nature of those in-ssa types, too.
But I'm not like that. I had no intention of becoming the goddess's puppet and subjugating the Demon King. So, all I had to do was let this pass quietly as well.
However, this matter became much bigger and more troublesome than I had anticipated.
"This is a big problem. The Goblin Shaman possesses a magic orb that contains its entire life's work. That item has the power to create flames. That power is essential for the road to the next village."
"Why is that?"
"There is a swamp on the way to the next village. A swamp teeming with terrifying monsters. But if you burn that swamp and dry it up completely, you can cross it in an instant. Otherwise, you would have to take a detour of three days. And that path is not a smooth one either."
My stomach churned with stress. I don't want to step forward. But the item I have is something we need for the road ahead. It's a good item, but at this rate, it would have been better not to have it.
To repeat, I had no intention of going with Hong-seop to subjugate the Demon King with a "heave-ho" attitude.
Alright. I just happened to find an orb rolling around while I was wandering. Someone must have left it behind. No one would suspect me, right? I don't look like Hong-seop, after all.
"Excuse me, that orb. It's right here..."
"F*ck, who is it! The bastard who got greedy and took the boss for himself. Get your ass out here right now!"
Damn it. Someone who couldn't be reasoned with had jumped in.
The kid shouting incessantly was Seo Hyung-seok. A tall kid with broad shoulders. Because of his prickly personality, which matched his tough exterior, he only hung out with a few of the other guys.
"Not coming out? F*ck, you want me to come find you?"
Getting involved with a guy like that is tiring. Even though he was over twenty, his violent streak hadn't subsided, and he had a strong, stubborn personality.
Of course, I had no intention of getting scared and hiding. To be clear, I wasn't the type to live in hiding. I was just the owner of a talent that made me live in hiding.
"It's me. I wasn't being greedy. I just found this on the ground."
"F*ck, you're not coming out? You wanna go, you and me?"
"..."
At this point, would they only notice if I dropped my pants in front of everyone?
"Stop it, Hyung-seok. That friend probably didn't have bad intentions. He's a friend who fought the goblins with us."
"F*ck you, does that make any sense to you? That bastard took the boss and the items all for himself."
"He did it without knowing. You and I both learned about that item for the first time just now. It must be the same for him, so in the beginning, all he did was step up to do a dangerous job for everyone else."
"If he's so righteous, then why isn't he showing himself now?"
"I did show myself..."
"He must have his reasons. If you're just going to curse and get angry now, it will only make it harder for him to come out."
"I said I came out."
"So now it's my fault, is that it?"
"I'm just saying there's a possibility. So calm down."
"F*ck..."
"F*ck..."
Hyung-seok and I swore at the same time. Fine, if you're not going to listen anyway, do whatever you want. I went back to fill my stomach. If they weren't going to listen, there was no reason to tell them.
"You son of a bitch!"
Just then, Seo Hyung-seok grabbed Hong-seop by the collar. Considering his easygoing impression so far, he could have let it slide even in this moment.
But Hong-seop wasn't that kind of person. A conviction to never bend on what he believed was right. A spirit that wouldn't back down even against a rough guy like Seo Hyung-seok. That was Kim Hong-seop.
"That's enough."
Hong-seop didn't back down and grabbed Seo Hyung-seok's arm. Though he had a slender build, his strength seemed anything but ordinary, as he didn't get pushed back by Hyung-seok.
It looked like fists were about to fly. The atmosphere was diffused by completely different beings.
"Ugh… look how violent he is. He's the worst."
"It's always the ones who aren't all that great who bully the ones who are."
"I know, right. Just taking out his anger because things don't go his way."
"What, you f*ckers?"
Blatant taunts were directed at Hyung-seok. The situation was what it was, but the fact that Hyung-seok had grabbed Hong-seop by the collar seemed to have angered Hong-seop's personal guard.
"Oh my, why are you getting angry at us?"
"I know, right. Isn't he just mad because he's the least noticeable one?"
"Wow, he wants to be noticed with that face? Not a chance."
"Y-you f*ckers. I'm right, aren't I? Do you guys even understand what that bastard is saying?"
In truth, the rational one in this moment was Hyung-seok. But what could you do? Hyung-seok wasn't the protagonist either.
No matter how much he appealed, all he got back were cold stares. In the end, Hyung-seok had no choice but to flee to his lodgings as if running away from the atmosphere.
"F*ck..."
His eyes were bloodshot. This… feels ominous for some reason.