I Became the 101st Hero – Chapter 9

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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“Hey, kid, coming or what?”

Standing right in front of the barrier, I replied to Gwen’s call.

“Of course, I’m coming.”

Cold sweat trickled down my back.

The murky colors visible beyond the faintly glowing barrier did not sit well with me.

They say the strongest fear humans experience is the fear of the unknown. Here, Chaos was that very unknown.

It was a substance nonexistent on Earth, and even within the game, its true nature remained a mystery.

And I had to step into a space overflowing with it.

‘Well, I won’t die.’

Not with a relic.

Even Allen Blake in my 100th playthrough, where I managed to raise him to a hero candidate, had successfully entered the Chaos Realm.

He died to a Chaos Beast during the third mission, but still.

‘So, let’s go.’

With Gwen by my side, there couldn’t be a safer environment.

I had to experience the Chaos Realm eventually, so this was a good opportunity.

Confirming my movement, Gwen also stepped beyond the barrier.

“Huu…”

Taking a small breath, I, too, extended my foot towards the barrier.

My hand tightly gripped the relic Gwen had given me.

And the moment I crossed the barrier…

“Gah…!”

An alien sensation washed over me, and my breath hitched.

My vision spun.

It wasn’t pain. Something indescribable filled every orifice on my face.

“Ugh…!”

Agony.

An agony that drove me to the brink of madness.

As if all my senses were paralyzed, perhaps even my brain, everything began to fade to black.

I need to throw up.

I need to cry, to expel it with my tears.

My instincts screamed.

Someone, help me…

“Get a hold of yourself!”

A snapping sensation in my neck.

A belated stinging pain registered on my cheek.

Only then did I realize my senses were returning.

“Where…”

A forest.

It seemed I had been dragged beyond the barrier.

The ground was littered with what I had thrown up.

Catching my breath, I stammered,

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”

“It’s alright.”

Gwen offered me a cloth.

“Everyone goes through that the first time they enter the Chaos Realm.”

I was about to ask if she had experienced the same, but stopped myself.

Given my pathetic state, it seemed like adding insult to injury.

I didn’t want to do that to someone who had just shown me kindness.

As I wiped my face with the cloth…

“By the way, you crumbled pretty quickly.”

My hand froze.

Her words pierced me like a knife.

“You always seemed so composed.”

She was right.

My usual composure was largely thanks to the [Absolute Obedience] trait.

However, Chaos didn’t even give me the chance to activate [Absolute Obedience] before breaking me down in an instant.

This was different.

Usually, even when Allen Blake’s mind was on the verge of collapsing, I, as the player, could stabilize it with [Absolute Obedience]. But Chaos attacked not just Allen Blake’s mind, but my own as well.

Had it not been for Gwen, I would have been in serious danger.

“Thank you for saving me.”

“Don’t mention it. It was a transaction to bring you to the Trial.”

At that moment, Gwen seemed like an angel.

I somehow managed to pull myself together and stand up.

Then, I said to Gwen,

“Let’s try that again.”

“You think you can?”

I nodded.

I figured I just needed to regain my composure.

Earlier, I panicked from the unfamiliar sensations.

Knowing that I wouldn’t die, there was no problem.

‘Calm down. Don’t panic.’

Just in case, I decided to activate [Absolute Obedience] in advance.

If this prevented Allen’s mind from crumbling, it wouldn’t affect me either.

With my mind made up and preparations complete, I followed Gwen once more, stepping into the Chaos Realm.

“Huu, huu…”

An unfamiliar feeling, as if something was stuck in my throat, but I could feel myself breathing.

It was like looking through thick lenses, but I could see clearly.

Finally, the landscape of the Chaos Realm came into view.

An extreme environment where ordinary people couldn’t even survive.

The air was murky, polluted by Chaos, and reddish-black dust swirled around us.

Thanks to the relic, I could breathe, but it wasn’t comfortable.

“You should put your hood up. That reddish-black dust is condensed Chaos.”

As Gwen instructed, I obediently pulled up my hood.

I still didn’t know what exactly Chaos was, but I now had a sense of its danger.

“Anyway, you seem much better this time.”

“It’s still a little uncomfortable, but I can manage.”

“Usually, it takes at least five times to get used to it. You’re special. After seeing you earlier, I thought you might be struggling.”

To be honest, it was largely thanks to the effect of [Absolute Obedience], but I couldn’t tell her that.

‘Speaking of which…’

Looking at the scenery unfolding before me, I said,

“It’s quite a spectacle, actually.”

We were standing on high ground, like a hill, affording us a view of the landscape below.

Ruins stretched from one end of my vision to the other.

Despite being uninhabited for so long, the ruins, clearly distinct from their surroundings, evoked a sense of awe.

“You find ruins a spectacle? You have peculiar tastes.”

Gwen didn’t seem to share my sentiment.

“The village ahead was also inhabited hundreds of years ago. All the spaces beyond the barrier were once part of human territory. Well, it’s a past that has nothing to do with us, so I understand finding it a spectacle.”

“…I see.”

“Let’s head back. We achieved our goal of getting you acclimated to Chaos. I thought it would take at least two days, but I never imagined you’d adapt in one go.”

After a short stay in the Chaos Realm, we turned back to return.

This entry was merely for me to adapt to Chaos, not to reach the Trial yet.

As we walked for a while…

“Allen!”

Gwen’s voice called out.

Her voice held a note of urgency. I stopped in my tracks…

…only for my vision to be swallowed by darkness.

(You can’t do it anyway.)

(This is my limit.)

(I give up.)

(There’s no meaning in this.)

(This is the last time.)

(Give up.)

(Give up.)

(Give up.)

(Give up.)

(Give up.)

“Allen! Allen!”

My eyes snapped open as Gwen called out Allen’s name.

Gwen’s face filled my vision.

(Give up.)

(Give up.)

(Give up.)

Why could I still hear that voice?

Listening closely, I thought I recognized it.

It was my voice. Not Allen’s, but my voice from reality.

(Give up.)

(Give up.)

My cheek stung.

Gwen was slapping me relentlessly.

Still, the voice continued.

(Give up.)

‘Give up? What?’

I couldn’t understand.

Then, an unbelievable sight unfolded before my eyes.

Gwen was pointing her sword at my face.

‘Gwen?’

There was no way Gwen would point her sword at someone without reason.

But if she drew her sword, she wouldn’t hesitate.

Knowing this, I reacted instinctively.

‘Dodge!’

I rolled to the side with all my might.

Looking back, I realized Gwen hadn’t actually swung her sword.

“Sorry, I thought that would work.”

“What’s going on…?”

“You were showing early symptoms of Chaosfication.”

Early symptoms of Chaosfication?

Was it related to the voices I heard earlier?

Then, Gwen abruptly apologized.

“I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”

“What?”

“I should have told you to watch your step. I was being careless. You stepped in a pool of Chaos…”

It seemed that was why I lost consciousness so suddenly.

But one question remained.

“If I was undergoing Chaosfication, why didn’t you kill me?”

It wasn’t a question you asked the person who just saved you.

But considering Gwen’s usual personality, it was strange.

She might be kind, but when it came to making tough decisions, she was colder than anyone. There had to be a reason.

“It was different from typical Chaosfication. It was a type I’d never seen before, so I hesitated.”

“What do you mean?”

“Physically, at least, it was like some immense willpower was resisting the Chaosfication. The problem was your consciousness wouldn’t wake up. Usually, Chaosfication affects both mind and body at the same pace, but in your case, it was as if they were separated…”

Separated.

That expression seemed to perfectly describe my current state.

But on the other hand, it also meant that while Allen’s body resisted the Chaosfication, my consciousness couldn’t.

‘My consciousness was the problem?’

Until now, it had always been Allen who was the issue, never me.

‘Why?’

Without a clear understanding of Chaos, I couldn’t pinpoint the cause.

Why was Allen’s body able to resist, while my consciousness couldn’t until I saw Gwen’s sword?

Lost in thought, I heard Gwen say,

“Well, you overcame it, so don’t worry about it. As long as you don’t come into direct contact with Chaos again, it shouldn’t happen. And even if you do, once a person resists it successfully, they can usually resist it again.”

Well, I wasn’t sure if my overcoming Chaosfication this time was entirely due to my own resistance.

One thing was for sure: I had to watch my step from now on.

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Three days passed.

Gwen purchased supplies like food and cloth from the village, and I took the opportunity to cross the barrier with her at night, getting used to the Chaos Realm.

I had reached the point where I could breathe almost normally within Chaos, as long as I had a 2-star relic.

“Are you all set?”

We would be beyond the barrier for at least a week.

There was no guarantee we’d return.

So I said my goodbyes to the innkeeper.

Other than that, there wasn’t much else to prepare.

“Yes, let’s go. To the Trial.”

To be honest, I was still scared.

The other side of the barrier was a dangerous place where even a moment of carelessness could cost you your life.

I suddenly recalled the voice I heard in my consciousness.

(Give up.)

I thought I understood what it meant now.

Was there really a need to become stronger?

Was there a need to become a hero?

It would be a lie to say those thoughts didn’t cross my mind.

However, there was still so much I didn’t know.

Right now, knowing nothing, all I could do was move forward.

I took a step towards the world beyond the barrier.

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