I Became the 101st Hero – Chapter 40

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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Rain began to pour.

Thankfully, I had bought a raincoat in Basil, having learned my lesson from the downpour I experienced there.

But there was one problem.

I had no idea where to find Libero, the training facility I was searching for.

He had no home, no workplace.

But I did have a lead.

‘Where should I start?’

After a moment of contemplation, I made up my mind.

‘That bar is probably my best bet.’

Libero’s favorite haunt, the bar he frequented.

It seemed like the most likely place to find him.

However, when I arrived, the bar was already closed.

‘Now what?’

I was at a loss.

Wandering aimlessly through the back alleys of Sak didn’t seem like a wise idea. This city was known for its less than stellar reputation when it came to safety.

As I walked away from the bar, deep in thought, a figure caught my eye.

‘Huh?’

A man lying motionless in the alley, as still as a corpse.

His eyes were vacant, staring blankly at the sky.

A stranger might have mistaken him for a homeless man who had passed away. But I knew who he was.

And I knew he couldn’t die.

Splash, splash.

The sound of my footsteps echoed through the puddles that had formed on the ground.

The man didn’t even look at me.

Not until I called out his name.

“Mr. Libero.”

He finally turned his head, his gaze settling on me.

One might expect a flicker of recognition, a hint of curiosity, upon being addressed by a stranger. But his eyes remained empty, devoid of any emotion.

It was as if he was daring me to prove that I knew him.

And in a way, he was right.

“It took me a while to find you.”

Thankfully, finding him had been surprisingly easy once I arrived in Sak. Luck was on my side, I suppose.

But the journey leading up to this moment had been anything but easy.

Refusing Gwen’s offer, defeating the Demon King to unlock my Secondary Inheritance, leaving the village and getting entangled with Erciara…

It felt a bit ironic that all that effort had led me to a homeless man in a grimy alley.

‘This is the best I can do? A homeless old man?’

It was true. Right now, he was nothing more than a homeless man.

But he was no ordinary homeless man.

“Do you know me?”

“Of course. I’m here to collect on a promise you made to my ancestor.”

I deliberately infused my voice with the [Authority of the Lodraim Royal Family].

His expression finally shifted, a flicker of interest replacing the emptiness in his eyes.

It was a stark contrast to the dead look he had given me earlier.

“And what is it you want?”

To be honest, I wasn’t sure how to channel the Authority of the Lodraim Royal Family through my voice.

I had just tried to sound as serious and dignified as possible, and it seemed to have worked.

Then, there was no need to waste time.

“I desire strength.”

I had said those same words to Gwen once.

“Yes, my swordsmanship skills are above average for my age. But let’s be realistic. Do you think I have what it takes to become a high-ranking hero, even if I were to become your successor?”

Gwen’s level of skill wasn’t enough. It wouldn’t get me where I wanted to be.

“So you’re saying there’s someone out there, someone who can help me reach the level of a high-ranking hero?”

Yes.

And he was standing right in front of me.

“Strength…”

He repeated the word, as if testing its weight.

“What kind of strength do you desire? Let me make this clear, I can’t grant impossible wishes. That’s the agreement I made with your ancestor.”

“I know.”

He was referring to things like political power or intelligence, intangible things he couldn’t bestow upon me.

But what I sought was something entirely different, something he could definitely provide.

“The strength you can offer me… there’s only one, isn’t there?”

“Well, you’re not wrong.”

He slowly got to his feet.

As he straightened his hunched figure, his powerful build became apparent.

Even if I trained my body to the limit, I would never be able to match that physique. A pang of envy shot through me.

But it wasn’t just his physical prowess that set him apart.

“Then show me what you’re capable of.”

There was a vast gulf between his skills and mine.

His casual words, “show me what you’re capable of,” weighed heavily on me.

But I couldn’t back down. I had come too far.

‘Don’t panic.’

My heart still raced, but the tension that had been constricting my muscles dissipated.

I was finally ready to fight.

‘Inventory.’

I reached into the air and drew Gravitas Replicant.

Libero raised an eyebrow, surprised.

“You don’t seem that strong, yet you have a patron. Interesting.”

There was no point in hiding it from him.

Besides, perhaps it was due to my increased Strength stat, but the sword felt lighter than before, even with the weight reduction I had activated.

My Swordsmanship skill was still B+, the same rank I had achieved after training with Gwen. But through various battles and countless hours of practice, I had honed my skills considerably.

I was still weak, but I was undoubtedly stronger than before.

And I was going to use everything I had, including the [Power of the Wind], which I had painstakingly raised to rank B during my travels.

I was determined to give it my all.

But even with all that…

‘There’s no way I can defeat him.’

I still intended to try my best.

That was the only way he would be able to accurately assess my capabilities.

So…

“Why don’t you draw your sword as well?”

“You’re quite bold, aren’t you? For a kid with a face like that.”

He was intrigued now, his interest piqued.

“Alright. You seem determined to fight me seriously, so I suppose I can’t just stand here with my hands in my pockets.”

He raised his hand.

But unlike me, a sword didn’t materialize out of thin air.

Crimson particles flowed from his hand, gathering and swirling until they formed a sword.

“You don’t seem surprised. I assume you already know who I am.”

Of course, I was surprised.

But thanks to Absolute Obedience keeping my body under control, I didn’t outwardly react.

It was true, though, that I knew who he was.

“You sought me out, knowing my true nature. You’re quite different from that cowardly ancestor of yours.”

He raised his newly formed sword, pointing it at me.

“Show me what you’ve got.”

There was no point in holding back.

He never let his guard down in a fight.

My only option was to attack with everything I had, right from the start.

‘Gravitas Replicant.’

I activated its weight reduction to the maximum.

‘Power of the Wind.’

I channeled the Power of the Wind into my legs and my sword simultaneously, something I could only do now that my proficiency had reached rank B.

The wind propelled me forward, closing the distance between us in an instant.

Swoooosh!

The wind whipped around my feet, scattering the raindrops.

I swung my sword, aiming for him.

It was the fastest slash I could execute with a longsword, a move I had honed to perfection.

And there was one more thing.

‘Gravitas Replicant.’

I released the weight restriction, making the sword impossibly heavy.

But it continued on its trajectory, unstoppable.

Even a seasoned hero would hesitate to block this attack head-on.

Clang!

But Libero effortlessly deflected it with his sword, as if it were nothing.

Then, he casually remarked,

“That’s quite a heavy sword. It resembles Gravitas, but this is a replica, isn’t it?”

I had anticipated this.

The moment my attack was parried, I activated the weight reduction once more.

I used the Power of the Wind to change the sword’s trajectory mid-swing.

But that too, was easily countered.

“You use a unique power as well. A divine power, perhaps?”

I gritted my teeth, refusing to give up.

Channeling the Power of the Wind into my legs, I pivoted, using a technique I had learned from Gwen.

I swung my sword again, aiming for a different angle.

Clang!

Another miss.

“Is that the Lidval family swordsmanship? It’s a bit different from what I remember.”

He effortlessly parried my attacks, analyzing my every move as if it were a casual sparring match.

‘Damn it, Power of the Wind!’

It was mentally taxing, but I needed to create an opening, even if it was just for a moment.

I used the Power of the Wind to lift myself off the ground.

It wasn’t a significant height, but it was enough.

‘Gravitas Replicant!’

I spun in the air, using the Power of the Wind to propel myself.

The wind whipped the rain around me, creating a miniature storm.

With Gravitas Replicant’s weight unleashed to its full potential, I brought it down on Libero with all my might.

The clash was instantaneous.

Or rather, was it even right to call it a clash, when the outcome had been predetermined from the very beginning?

He deflected my attack with precise, controlled movements.

Gravitas Replicant, knocked out of my grasp, returned to its normal weight, clattering to the ground.

I had lost.

I had known this would happen.

I knew the difference in our skills was vast.

But experiencing it firsthand… it was a completely different story.

A wall.

It was a different kind of wall from the one I had felt with the hero on the way to Sak.

That wall, at least, seemed attainable, its peak visible.

But this wall… it was insurmountable.

Like a colossal dam, its surface smooth and unyielding, defying any attempts to scale it.

“Ugh…”

I collapsed to my knees, my body exhausted from the brief but intense exertion.

Libero walked over and offered me my fallen sword.

I took it and returned it to my inventory.

“You certainly have more skill than your talent warrants.”

I had to agree.

I had shown him everything I had.

If I hadn’t earned at least that much acknowledgment, I would have been disappointed.

“You said you desired strength, right?”

“Yes.”

My talent was meager.

Everything I had achieved so far felt like a borrowed gift, a fleeting moment of borrowed power.

But I still needed more strength.

“How much strength do you need?”

“Enough to become a high-ranking hero. No, I’m aiming even higher, for Saint-rank.”

That had been my goal ever since the Trial.

I refused to accept my limitations, and Libero, this training facility, was the key to breaking free.

But his expression turned cold, his gaze unwavering.

“I told you. I cannot grant impossible wishes.”

He deemed my wish impossible.

“Is there no other wish you have? I could probably help you become an average hero.”

I wouldn’t be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted.

But the Trial had given me something more valuable than a guaranteed path to mediocrity.

“Then prove it.”

“What?”

“Prove to me that I can’t become a high-ranking hero. If you can do that, I’ll accept my limitations and step aside.”

He looked at me, incredulous.

“Look, there are things in this world that you don’t need to prove.”

“No, I need to see it for myself. Even if the outcome proves me wrong…”

I thought back to that summer, so long ago.

To my cowardly self, the one who chose to ignore the truth.

The Trial had given me the gift of regret, the burning desire to right past wrongs.

And as long as I had that regret…

“I can’t give up.”

Libero’s eyes widened.

He hesitated for a moment, lost in thought.

The silence stretched on, punctuated only by the sound of raindrops hitting the pavement.

“Follow me. Boy.”

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