I Became the 101st Hero – Chapter 8

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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Following Gwen, I left the village behind.

Perhaps due to the late hour, the path was deserted.

Gwen, with her small frame, led the way.

While I trusted her as much as I knew her, venturing out without knowing the destination made me a little uneasy.

“Um, where are we going?”

“Barrier.”

“The barrier?”

She raised her hand, pointing towards a faintly glowing barrier in the distance.

It enveloped the sky with a soft light. It wouldn’t be wrong to say the entire sky within our sight was encased in this barrier.

“You know what the barrier is, right?”

The barrier was a significant element in the world’s lore and was frequently mentioned. I had a general understanding of it.

However, I was curious. Was there anything different from what I knew? Was there anything I didn’t know?

“I’ve heard from the village elders. They say monsters live beyond the barrier.”

So, I decided to play dumb.

“I know that the ruins are beyond the barrier, but do you mean the specifics?”

It seemed to work.

Gwen, who had paused for a moment as if organizing her knowledge about the barrier, continued.

“Yes, you’re right to some extent. Beyond the barrier, monstrous creatures called Chaos Beasts live.”

Monstrous beasts called Chaos Beasts inhabiting the world beyond the barrier.

Up to this point, my knowledge was accurate.

“And we call the world beyond the barrier, where the Chaos Beasts reside, the Chaos Realm.”

As we briefly conversed, we arrived near the barrier.

Although there were instances of Chaos Beasts occasionally breaking through the barrier, there was no need to worry with Gwen in front of me.

Not to mention that Chaos Beasts are weakened in the process of penetrating the barrier.

Finally stopping, I could examine the barrier closely.

Or rather, both the barrier and the dimly visible Chaos Realm beyond it. This seemed to be the first time I had seen it directly since coming to this world.

Come to think of it, I’d never seen it on Earth either, so maybe this was truly the first time.

‘It certainly doesn’t feel pleasant.’

Looking at the indescribable dark hues and the writhing something within sent shivers down my spine.

The fact that I had to cross the barrier and throw myself into that place to reach the ruins felt terrifyingly real.

Noticing my reaction, Gwen spoke.

“Can you feel the Chaos slightly? Even the barrier can’t completely block it out.”

“Chaos?”

Chaos, as a substance, was depicted in the game.

However, its true nature was never explicitly revealed.

I only knew it was a dangerous substance; experiencing it firsthand like this was a first.

“The Chaos Realm isn’t dangerous just because of the Chaos Beasts. The Chaos that fills the realm is actually more dangerous.”

I could already feel the truth in her words.

Simply being exposed to the faint traces of Chaos near the barrier was gradually worsening my condition.

If I were to cross over to the Chaos Realm in my current state, unprotected…

“An ordinary person wouldn’t last a minute in the Chaos Realm. Their mind would collapse, and they’d turn into a Chaos Beast.”

In reality, that was one of the main reasons many high-level players ended up killing their characters.

Transformation into a Chaos Beast due to Chaos.

Of course, I had no intention of letting that happen to me. That’s why I waited for Gwen.

“There are two ways to endure that Chaos. The first is a Stigma. But you don’t need to know about that. Not only is it not a guaranteed method, but even if you know, it doesn’t change anything.”

It didn’t change anything because Stigmas were innate.

I had a Stigma, but I was under no obligation to tell her, so I had denied having one when she asked earlier.

In reality, apart from the one I inherited, my Stigma was practically non-existent.

She folded one of her two outstretched fingers.

“The second is a relic.”

Shing.

She drew her sword from its sheath.

A gleaming blade was revealed, even in the darkness.

It was the sword she had been polishing back in the room.

“That’s…”

“The 3-star relic I use, Ignis.”

Earlier, I thought it was just reflecting the lamplight, but now I saw it emitted a faint red glow even in the darkness.

Seeing it now, I finally recognized the sword from my memories.

It was indeed a sword recommended for Gwen in the later stages of the game.

“Items called relics are imbued with the power left behind by ancient gods. This power acts as a miniature barrier, protecting us from the erosion of Chaos.”

With that, she sheathed her sword.

“You’ll be using a relic as well.”

“But I don’t have a relic…”

Gwen reached out her hand into the air.

“Inventory.”

Her emblem glowed in the air, distorting the space around it.

Her hand, up to her wrist, vanished and reappeared.

In her hand was a sword.

‘Right, there was an inventory.’

I had completely forgotten.

Or rather, instead of forgetting, I hadn’t realized it was possible.

It was only natural to take it for granted as a game mechanic in the game, but I never imagined it would exist in the reality of the game world.

The inventory was perhaps the most convenient feature of all.

Since I was also a playable character, I should be able to use it. For now, I had to keep it hidden from Gwen to avoid revealing my identity.

She repeated the act of retrieving a sword twice more.

Three swords now lay on the ground.

“These are three 2-star relics I carry as backup. I’ll lend you one, so choose.”

“Are you sure?”

“Suit yourself.”

As if I could refuse.

Honestly, this was also one of the reasons I waited for Gwen.

Of course, it wasn’t that I had no means of obtaining a relic myself, but this was simply easier and faster.

I hurriedly approached the swords Gwen laid out.

Perhaps it was because they were relics, but I felt a strange energy emanating from them.

‘Come to think of it…’

If I could see a character’s status window, I could probably see information about the relics as well.

‘Let’s try… Item Information?’

As I willed it, information about the swords began to appear before my eyes.

I started examining the swords one by one, beginning with the one on the left.

To avoid revealing that I could see the swords’ information, I pretended to examine them meticulously.

The first sword, Breezebringer.

One might think, ‘This is a 2-star?’ …but the explanation for that was already provided in the information window.

However, setting aside that explanation, this sword was unexpectedly useful. Especially for those with a high Swordsmanship Rank.

Though its effect was merely summoning a gentle breeze, when wielded by someone with a certain level of Swordsmanship, it wasn’t bad.

Personally, I had speculated that it had hidden stats, but having come to the world within the game, I had to revise my assumptions.

It was likely due to the breeze’s ability to deceive the senses. It was said that once a certain level of Swordsmanship was reached, the sword’s movements became impossible to track with the naked eye. In such situations, artificially manipulating the flow of the wind would serve as a decent feint.

That being said.

I had no use for this sword.

The reason was simple. My Swordsmanship Rank wasn’t high enough.

It was a sword that would only be useful once my Swordsmanship reached at least Rank A+.

I shifted my gaze to the next sword.

This time, it was the one in the middle.

Sacred Replicant.

The original of this sword, Sacred, was known as the strongest sword in the game and was the only one among relics to bear the title of “holy sword.”

But putting that aside, this sword, despite being a mere replica, was quite significant.

‘Is it alright to borrow something like this?’

This was a sword that the Church loaned to the top 101 heroes, those who showed promise for promotion to high-ranking heroes.

Of course, there was no way I could just run off with this sword from Gwen, but compared to Breezebringer on the left, it was on a different level in terms of its background.

Furthermore, I had no intention of borrowing this one either.

Despite its symbolic value, its practicality as a sword was lacking. Other than possessing holy power equivalent to a 2-star relic, it had no other notable characteristics.

Its structure was also identical to the original Sacred, making it cumbersome to wield due to its ornate decorations.

‘It’s too much pressure to borrow.’

I moved on to the last sword.

And the moment I brought up its information…

A faint smile crept onto my face.

‘This is it.’

Making sure to meticulously examine the sword as before, I spoke.

“I’ll take this one.”

“Unexpected.”

“What do you mean?”

“I thought you’d choose the middle one.”

It was a natural assumption.

The appearance of ‘Sacred Replicant’ and the one I chose were almost polar opposites.

The sword I chose, the one on the right, was an ordinary-looking sword with no distinguishing features.

“Thank you for lending me this relic.”

“Don’t mention it. It’s a transaction. In exchange, you’ll lead me to the Trial within the ruins.”

She said that, but I could tell.

One corner of her lips subtly curved upward. It seemed my gratitude pleased her.

This was why I waited for her. Beneath her seemingly cold demeanor, she possessed a certain warmth.

“What are you staring at?”

“It’s nothing.”

“A deal’s a deal. But in return, once we reach the Trial, you’ll tell me the location of the relic and return the sword.”

I nodded.

“Of course.”

I felt the weight of the sword Gwen had given me in my hand.

I got myself a nice item. Even if it was temporary.

It was then.

“Well then, let’s go.”

“Huh?”

Where were we going now?

A sudden sense of foreboding washed over me as I looked at Gwen.

Seeing the look in my eyes, she said,

“What’s with that clueless expression? We’re crossing the barrier, obviously. It’s best to experience things firsthand.”

“That’s true, but…”

Right now?

Of course, I hadn’t mentally prepared myself.

“Were you planning on waiting three days and then just popping out beyond the barrier?”

The problem was, Gwen’s words made perfect sense.

I forced a smile and said,

“Haha, you’re right, let’s go…”

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