I Became the 101st Hero – Chapter 54

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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‘I wonder how he’s doing.’

A month had passed since Allen left.

A month was a fleeting moment compared to the eons Libero had lived.

But it wasn’t that short.

It certainly hadn’t felt short to him.

In fact, it had felt longer than any of the countless years he had spent drifting aimlessly through life.

‘He’ll be fine.’

Allen was weak, his talent nonexistent.

But that didn’t mean he was incapable.

He possessed a surprising amount of knowledge, a unique method of self-hypnosis…

And above all… an unwavering will.

A will that even he, Libero, lacked.

He wanted to believe that with that will, Allen could overcome any obstacle, achieve anything he set his mind to.

‘There’s something strange going on in Sak lately.’

He couldn’t afford to be distracted by Allen’s whereabouts.

Something was amiss right here in Sak, something that was impossible to ignore.

Sak’s back alleys had always been a haven for criminals, but recently, the frequency and severity of crimes had increased.

One might assume that law enforcement had simply become more lax, but Libero knew better.

Petty crimes were actually on the decline.

‘They must sense that something big is coming.’

But the activities of the Four Symbols gangs, the Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise, had intensified.

Even the remnants of the Azure Dragon gang, whom he had crushed, were stirring.

Multiple gangs operating simultaneously, with increased boldness and aggression… there was only one explanation.

‘What are you up to, Gineus?’

The Company, the organization that controlled these gangs, was headed by the Demon King, Gineus.

She was orchestrating something, that much was certain.

‘A storm is brewing.’

He didn’t know if this storm was connected to Gineus’ schemes.

But judging by the current state of the city, something big was about to happen.

‘But…’

He glanced down at his clenched fist, then forced himself to relax.

‘It’s just a hobby.’

He wasn’t a hero.

He was a Demon King, a being who stood in direct opposition to those who called themselves heroes.

His occasional acts of heroism… they were just a hobby.

Even those, it seemed, annoyed Gineus.

‘Demon Kings can’t interfere with each other’s business.’

There was an unspoken agreement among the Demon Kings, despite their individualistic nature.

One of those agreements was non-interference.

That was why he was only allowed to indulge in his ‘hobby’ when it involved the Four Symbols gangs, who were not officially affiliated with the Company.

And that was also why Gineus couldn’t touch him.

‘I’ll just lay low for now.’

He had crushed the Azure Dragon gang in a fit of rage, and Gineus had reported him to the Demon King Council, which had been in session at the time.

If he interfered with these gangs now, the Council would reprimand him.

It would be a hassle.

But he couldn’t shake off the unease that gnawed at him.

‘Maybe a drink will help.’

His favorite bar… perhaps it would calm his nerves.

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“Boss, the government crackdown has completely stopped.”

“So?”

Jinmu, the leader of the White Tiger gang, responded apathetically to his subordinate’s report.

“What do you mean ‘so’? This is our chance to make a move! The Vermillion Bird and Black Tortoise gangs are running wild. Even those Azure Dragon bastards are back in action!”

Jinmu remained silent.

“Boss! What’s gotten into you? There’s a feast laid out before us, and you’re refusing to eat!”

“Shut up!”

He hurled an ashtray at the wall. It shattered into pieces.

“It’s not like I want to sit here and do nothing.”

He, too, wanted to take advantage of this opportunity, to expand his territory and amass wealth.

But there was something more important than money.

His own life.

‘That Demon King… something about her doesn’t feel right.’

He owed his success to Gineus, the Demon King who controlled the Company. She was the one who had provided him with the resources and connections he needed to rise to power.

But there was something… unsettling about this situation.

‘This is too big.’

Gineus was a cunning, cautious Demon King.

She had always operated from the shadows, using the Company as a shield.

But this was different.

‘She wouldn’t change her methods so drastically without a reason.’

She was up to something, he was sure of it.

And that something… it felt dangerous.

His instincts, honed from years of surviving in this city’s unforgiving underbelly, were screaming at him to be careful.

“Listen closely. We’re not doing anything.”

“What?”

“Did I stutter?!”

“But boss…”

His subordinate stopped, intimidated by the sudden shift in Jinmu’s demeanor.

His boss was frowning, his left eyebrow twitching slightly.

He knew that meant whatever his boss was about to say was important, not to be questioned.

“What should we do then?”

“I told you, nothing. Just make sure our men stay in line. No unnecessary risks.”

“Yes, sir.”

As his subordinate was about to leave the room, he heard his boss mutter,

“A tsunami is coming. We’ll just ride it out, wait for it to pass. And then… everything that’s left will be ours.”

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“Stop it! This is my livelihood! I’ve worked my entire life to build this business!”

“Who’s going to miss this dump? You don’t even have any customers, old man.”

The man kicked the old shopkeeper, sending him sprawling across the floor.

Libero watched the scene unfold, his eyes cold and detached.

As if sensing his gaze, the man turned to him and said,

“Hey, you!”

He didn’t respond.

He simply stared at the man.

That was all.

But the man, as if sensing something dangerous, clicked his tongue and walked away.

“Thank you! Thank…”

Libero ignored the old man’s attempts to thank him and quickly left the shop.

He couldn’t afford to get involved.

As he was heading toward his favorite bar…

(Libero!)

It was Violet, the Demon King, contacting him telepathically.

‘What’s up?’

(Something Gineus said… it’s been bothering me.)

‘Gineus? What did she say?’

Hearing her name, right when he was trying to avoid getting caught up in her schemes… he couldn’t help but be curious.

(You remember what was discussed at the last Demon King Council, right?)

‘You mean the death of the 71st Demon King?’

(Yes. We tried to find out who killed him, but we failed.)

What did that have to do with Gineus?

(Gineus… she’s not happy about that. She said if that hero shows up in Sak…)

‘Wait.’

Libero stopped in his tracks.

He stared at the scene before him, unable to look away.

Even he, who had been trying his best to avoid getting involved, couldn’t ignore this.

‘Go on, Violet.’

(She said… she wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate you.)

Libero clenched his fist.

‘So it’s a declaration of war, then.’

(What?)

He cut off the connection with Violet.

He stared at his favorite bar, or rather, what was left of it. It had been completely destroyed.

And standing before it was the hero he had often seen in the bar recently.

“Hmm?”

The hero finally noticed him.

“You’re a regular here, right? I’m new in town, so I don’t know you, but I’ve seen you here almost every day.”

The hero was right.

He was a regular. That was his only connection to this place.

But it was more than enough.

Rage surged within him.

“Who did this?”

His voice was cold, deadly calm.

“I overheard someone saying it was either the Black Tortoise or the Vermillion Bird gang.”

“I see.”

He turned away, his gaze fixed on the horizon.

If he didn’t know which gang was responsible… he would simply destroy them both.

And…

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“Demon King Gineus, the Vermillion Bird and Black Tortoise gangs have been decimated. They were no match for him.”

Gineus clenched her fist beneath her desk.

She had been getting impatient.

She hadn’t expected Libero to resist her provocations.

“It seems destroying his favorite bar was an effective motivator.”

“Tell them… good work. I doubt there are any survivors, but it doesn’t really matter.”

It didn’t matter to her.

The Four Symbols gangs… they were nothing more than street thugs. Easily replaceable.

And Sak had an endless supply of those.

‘A small price to pay to eliminate Libero.’

She turned to her subordinate.

“The heroes must have noticed by now, haven’t they?”

Two powerful gangs, wiped out overnight.

There was no way the heroes in Sak hadn’t noticed.

‘Farewell, Masked Man.’

Just then, she heard an explosion in the distance.

It wasn’t close, but it was definitely coming from within Sak.

Boom…

Rumble…

‘Could it be…?’

Her face hardened as she felt the tremors, the shockwaves rippling through the city, heading straight for them.

‘He’s coming here?’

She stood up abruptly.

“Contact the Sak government! Tell them to send all available heroes to the Company headquarters! Now!”

She had assumed that whoever killed the 71st Demon King would be strong enough to defeat Libero.

He was within the barrier, after all. And while his swordsmanship was exceptional, his Demon Body wasn’t that powerful.

But her instincts were screaming at her. She couldn’t afford to underestimate him.

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