I Became the 101st Hero – Chapter 18

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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The Chaos Realm, shrouded in crimson Chaos particles.

Within this chaotic expanse, a sword emitting a faint glow sliced through the air.

The sword, aimed more at crushing than cutting, plunged into a Chaos Beast known as a “Fluffball.”

A sound resembling a sheep’s bleating, though distinctly more horrifying, erupted from the creature.

Baaaahhhh!

‘Not yet,’ I thought.

I had to finish it off.

Despite its unassuming appearance, it was still a Chaos Beast.

It possessed its own means of defense.

Baaah!

The Fluffball’s body began to swell.

Of course, I wouldn’t allow that.

‘Activate.’

The faint glow emanating from the relic in my hand, the Gravitas Replicant, intensified in an instant.

Its weight increased dramatically, becoming too heavy for even most Heroes to wield.

I brought it down upon the creature.

CRASH!

A sound like an explosion reverberated through the air.

The creature’s bodily fluids splattered everywhere.

I quickly shielded myself with my robe.

I had learned that touching a Chaos Beast’s fluids was never a good idea.

“Phew…”

After confirming that the scattered fluids had dissipated into Chaos particles, I took a breath.

Taking down these beasts one by one was no easy feat.

The Chaos Beasts around this village were quite strong, as if whoever designed Allen’s playthrough wanted to ramp up the difficulty.

They were the kind of creatures you’d normally face only after officially becoming a Hero.

‘At least I have a decent relic.’

The only reason I could handle them was because of the Gravitas Replicant Gwen had left me.

It was a remarkably effective 2-star relic. If it weren’t a replica, it might even have been classified as a 3-star.

‘And it suits me well.’

Swords that were too heavy were difficult for me to wield due to my low Strength stat. But this one allowed me to adjust its weight at will, so I could swing it freely without straining myself.

It also compensated for the lack of power in my finishing blows due to my lack of strength. I simply had to release the weight restriction at the moment of impact.

Of course, it took some practice to master the timing, but any problem solvable through practice wasn’t a real problem.

‘And since my Mana stat isn’t high enough to use magic, this is probably the best sword for me right now.’

In other words, for the current Allen Pleuk, it was the ultimate weapon.

Everything was going according to plan, or even better than planned.

‘For now, I need to hunt Chaos Beasts and raise my SP and stats as quickly as possible.’

Receiving an unexpected relic from Gwen…

Had given me a new goal.

Something that was once impossible now seemed within reach.

‘I’ll defeat the 71st Demon King right here.’

In a month, a horde of Chaos Beasts would breach the barrier.

And leading them would be the 71st Demon King. I planned to stop him here and now.

He started by attacking Allen’s village, then gradually grew stronger, eventually becoming a formidable foe even for high-ranking Heroes.

If I could defeat him here, I could nip the problem in the bud.

The SP I’d gain from defeating a Demon King was just a bonus.

And…

‘I’ll protect the village at the same time.’

Watching Gwen had made me think.

About having a place to return to.

Of course, becoming a high-ranking Hero was my current priority, but it wouldn’t hurt to have a fallback plan.

‘Though the old man did say he wouldn’t leave me the inn…’

Well, I could always just take it by force using my authority as a Hero.

Just kidding.

‘Speaking of which…’

While everything seemed to be going according to plan, there was one thing that differed.

I checked my status window.

What was this?

I still couldn’t grasp it.

The vague description of “accelerating all matter within a certain radius” didn’t offer much insight.

Moreover, unlike Swordsmanship, there was no accompanying knowledge or instinct. Perhaps it was the difference between an inherited skill and one acquired through other means.

‘Wind… wind…’

I closed my eyes.

‘Who were the characters who used wind?’

There was definitely a Hero who used wind.

His name was… Gust, was it?

I tried to recall how he used wind magic.

‘…’

It was no use.

It felt like trying to force something that was inherently impossible.

Like an elementary school kid trying to imitate a cartoon character.

‘What kind of skill is this?’

If it was a simple acceleration effect, I didn’t feel any difference when swinging my sword or running.

But if it was literally about manipulating wind, I had no clue how to activate it.

‘It was a purple reward, so it can’t be useless…’

My future plans could hinge on whether I could use this skill.

If only I could figure out how.

That was when…

Something fluttered down before me.

‘A straw?’

It was a straw, discolored by the Chaos, a dull and murky brown.

It was so light that it drifted down slowly and gently.

A phrase from the skill description flashed through my mind.

‘The range of affected matter is influenced by proficiency.’

What if the “range” wasn’t a spatial restriction, but a limitation on the type of matter affected?

My proficiency with the skill was currently at rock bottom. Perhaps my body and my sword were too complex for the skill to affect yet.

But maybe… this tiny straw would be different.

‘Please…’

I focused all my mental energy on the falling straw.

But the straw, oblivious to my efforts, continued its descent. Its leisurely swaying seemed to mock me.

‘Just move…’

It was then.

Just before it touched the ground, the straw twirled in the air.

To an observer, it might have seemed like a simple gust of wind, nothing special. But for me, it was a revelation.

I ignored the notification that popped up. I was used to it by now.

What mattered was the sensation I had felt in that moment.

I tried to replicate it.

Flick.

The straw, resting on the ground, lifted slightly before settling back down.

‘I did it.’

It might seem like a trivial accomplishment, lifting a single straw. But it was a significant step forward.

At least I knew the skill wasn’t completely useless.

‘So, is this “range” related to weight?’

It didn’t work on my sword or my body, but it worked on the straw.

That meant weight was a likely factor.

‘I’ll have to test it to be sure.’

I focused my senses on the edge of my robe.

The sensation of manipulating the straw lingered.

The edge of my robe fluttered gently.

‘That’s it.’

I could use it on anything light, like my robe or my hair.

It seemed that with my current low proficiency, I could only manipulate objects with minimal weight.

‘There’s a reason it’s called Wind’s Authority.’

It was completely different from telekinesis.

The weight restriction, the requirement for a clear path…

And the sensation itself felt more like manipulating the air around an object rather than directly controlling the object itself.

‘So, the priority is to raise my proficiency.’

Being limited to light objects severely restricted the skill’s potential.

If I could use it on heavier objects, it would be incredibly useful.

Imagine accelerating my body, my sword…

‘Speaking of proficiency…’

My gaze shifted to the Stigma section of my status window.

This trait was the best for increasing skill proficiency.

Though it was a weaker version compared to the one Gwen possessed, it lacked the drawback of stunted physical growth, so it wasn’t entirely inferior.

‘I currently have 180 SP.’

The result of diligently completing quests while waiting for Gwen.

And hunting Chaos Beasts after she left.

It still felt meager compared to the effort I had put in, but considering I had previously dumped all my points into Swordsmanship (B), I had recovered quite a bit.

‘Time to earn the remaining 70 SP.’

Feeling sufficiently rested, I started searching for my next target.

One month. I had to acquire [Precocious] within two weeks at most, then use the remaining time to maximize my [Wind’s Authority].

‘If my hunch is right, Wind’s Authority will synergize well with Gravitas.’

Realistically, with my current stats, facing a Demon King was suicide.

But with Wind’s Authority, Gravitas Replicant, and Swordsmanship (B+) combined, there was a glimmer of hope.

‘I need to be as prepared as possible.’

I gazed into the depths of the Chaos Realm, towards where the Demon King likely resided.

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Deep within the Chaos Realm, a man sat inside the crumbling remains of a ruined building, ravaged by Chaos.

His hair was white with age and hardship, and his left arm, severed due to Chaos contamination, stood out starkly.

‘Not enough money… not enough money…’

No matter how many times he calculated, the numbers didn’t add up.

‘Those bastards must have skimmed some off the top again.’

It seemed there had been a problem with selling the valuables and relics they had plundered from the inner world.

He had even sent someone he trusted to oversee them this time.

‘But I can’t go myself.’

He was wanted within the inner world, so he couldn’t cross the barrier.

That left him with only one option.

‘Time to make an example out of a few of them.’

He twirled the dagger in his right hand.

It was a relic that had protected him from Chaos for many years.

A 3-star relic, something none of his subordinates possessed.

A 3-star relic was something even most Heroes couldn’t acquire. Thanks to it, he had survived in the outer world, even facing off against Heroes.

‘As long as it’s not a monster like that one…’

He shuddered, remembering the small, red-haired woman he had encountered recently.

He had tried to lure a golem to kill the two kids wandering outside the barrier, but ended up losing a valuable subordinate instead.

‘Thinking about it makes me even angrier.’

He had initially planned on making an example out of two, but now it seemed he needed three.

It was then.

His hand trembled, and the dagger slipped from his grasp.

He managed to catch it, but he must have nicked himself on the blade because a drop of blood welled up on his palm.

The blood was dark and murky, like the Chaos itself.

‘Have I been in the Chaos Realm for too long?’

Even with the relic’s protection, his human body was suffering from prolonged exposure to Chaos.

‘I need to get my hands on Sak’s ID and leave this damned place for good.’

At that moment…

“Boss!”

A man burst into his room.

‘Perfect timing. You’re the first.’

“I told you to knock…”

“Boss! This isn’t the time for that!”

He was about to retort, but stopped himself.

The urgency in his subordinate’s voice was undeniable.

“What is it?”

“Those two kids we saw before, remember?”

The man frowned.

He didn’t want anything to do with that woman again.

“I told you to leave them alone…”

But when he heard his subordinate’s next words, he couldn’t help but grin.

“The boy, the one who was lagging behind… he’s been wandering around outside the barrier by himself! And he’s carrying a relic, looks to be at least a 2-star.”

The man jumped out of his chair.

“Now that is good news,” he said.

He looked at his subordinate, who was staring at him blankly.

“What are you waiting for? Get everyone ready.”

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“Phew…”

No matter how many Chaos Beasts I killed, there was no end in sight.

At this rate, reaching 250 SP within two weeks seemed impossible.

‘This is too slow.’

This was the downside of hunting Chaos Beasts for SP.

It provided a steady and reliable source of SP, and I could also earn money by collecting Chaos Fragments, but it was difficult to acquire a large amount at once.

‘I wish a decent quest would pop up.’

Completing a high-difficulty quest was the fastest way to earn a large amount of SP at once.

But those weren’t exactly common…

Now we’re talking.

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