I Became the 101st Hero – Chapter 46

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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“Master.”

“What is it now?”

“It’s… a way of addressing one’s teacher.”

I lowered my sword.

My mind was made up.

I couldn’t delay it any longer.

“Just call me your teacher. Don’t use such strange words.”

“I’m leaving.”

Libero’s flippant attitude vanished. He frowned, his eyes narrowed.

“Are you giving up?”

He almost seemed… disappointed.

“There’s something I need to take care of first. I’ll come back afterwards.”

The Absolute Obedience issue couldn’t be ignored.

I was leaving for the Trial, but I would return. I had to.

I still had much to learn from him.

‘And maybe the Trial will help me overcome my limitations with swordsmanship.’

It was an optimistic thought, of course.

The Trial was exactly what its name implied: a test, an ordeal. The potential rewards were usually overshadowed by the suffering one had to endure.

But I had no other choice.

“When do you plan to return?”

“I’m not sure. But your lifespan isn’t exactly limited, so it shouldn’t matter to you, right?”

“It would be rather inconvenient if you came back as a withered old man.”

Despite his gruff demeanor, he was clearly concerned about me.

“I’ll be back before that happens.”

The Trial’s duration varied greatly from person to person.

It could be over in a flash, or it could last for what felt like an eternity.

But those were extreme cases. Usually, it took a week at most.

‘I’ll be back soon.’

I left the basement, steeling myself for what lay ahead.

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‘This is tricky.’

Leaving Sak to enter the Chaos Realm was more complicated than leaving Basil.

In Basil, I could just walk out. There was no one to stop me.

But Sak was different.

Due to the constant threat of Chaos Beast incursions, Sak had built watchtowers near the barrier, and everyone leaving the city had to pass through them.

To pass, you needed authorization from the Order’s Sak branch.

Thankfully, the Pathfinder ID I had obtained in Basil was useful.

I showed it to the clerk.

“Name’s Allen Blake. Pathfinder.”

The clerk examined the ID, confirming its authenticity.

“Purpose for leaving the barrier?”

“Relic excavation.”

“You’re aware of the regulations regarding relic acquisition, correct?”

“Yes.”

I answered, though it didn’t really apply to me.

I wasn’t leaving to collect relics. And even if I did, my inventory would allow me to easily conceal them.

“Then please show me your relic.”

The clerk gestured toward a relic detection device.

“Excuse me?”

“We can’t let you leave without a relic.”

What was I supposed to do?

I couldn’t just casually open my inventory and pull out a relic.

Ordinary people might not know what an inventory was, but a clerk from the Order would.

‘They would question my Pathfinder status.’

I needed to maintain my Pathfinder identity for now.

At least while I was associated with Libero.

Then, I remembered a clause in the Pathfinder contract.

“I’m postponing relic rental due to personal circumstances.”

Relic rental was a basic part of the Pathfinder program.

And I had postponed the rental offer they had given me earlier.

“Is that so? Please be aware that you may be subject to penalties if you’re found in possession of multiple rented relics.”

She checked her records.

“I don’t see an Allen Blake in our system. If you rented a relic from the Basil branch, then it’s their responsibility.”

She stood and retrieved a small box.

“Please wait a moment. Since you don’t have any notable accomplishments yet, we can lend you a 1-star relic.”

After receiving a 1-star relic, I left the Order office.

It was a ring.

It was a common relic, found in almost every ruin I explored in the game.

The Stamina boost might seem useful, but the description’s “slightly” was accurate.

I felt no difference after putting it on.

‘It’s just for show, so it doesn’t really matter.’

Though the rental fee had been a bit of a waste.

“Pathfinder. I have authorization.”

I showed my pass to the guard at the watchtower.

He glanced at it briefly, then waved me through dismissively.

I walked past the watchtower toward the barrier.

Unlike Basil’s crimson barrier, Sak’s was pitch black.

It was already the darkest part of Sak, located on the city’s outskirts, but the barrier’s inky blackness made its boundary distinct.

‘It’s been a while.’

Since arriving in Sak via the Gate, I hadn’t stepped outside the barrier.

This was my first time venturing into the Chaos Realm since defeating the 71st Demon King.

‘Stay sharp.’

I thought back to my first experience outside the barrier.

It was a dangerous place, where death lurked around every corner.

Staying alert wouldn’t guarantee my survival, but letting my guard down was a guaranteed death sentence.

“Haa…”

I took a deep breath and stepped into the Chaos Realm.

‘I really hope the Trial is nearby.’

Last time, I had reached the Trial quickly thanks to Gwen’s knowledge of its approximate location.

But this time, I had no clues. It could take a while to find it.

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‘It’s strangely quiet without him.’

He didn’t need sleep or rest.

His days were longer than an ordinary human’s, and teaching Allen had filled up half of each one.

Now, he had all that time to himself again.

‘What did I even do before he showed up?’

He looked around the empty basement, lost in thought.

He had only been teaching the boy for six months.

It was a ridiculous question, considering he had lived alone for centuries.

‘Right, I didn’t do anything.’

Reaching the pinnacle of swordsmanship was an impossible dream.

And he had no other goals, nothing he truly desired.

Except for his foolish little hobbies.

He spent most of his time wandering the streets, aimlessly drifting from one place to another.

He wasn’t just a vagrant in Sak. He was a vagrant everywhere he went. He had simply ended up in Sak during his travels.

Libero the vagrant. That was what people called him.

‘This cozy little space… it’s not for me.’

He turned to leave the basement, his footsteps echoing in the silence.

He heard muffled voices coming from above.

“Are you sure about this?”

“Yes, I saw him leaving the Order. He went toward the barrier.”

“No wonder he was so damn strong. Must’ve been a hero.”

He recognized those voices.

‘Those bastards.’

Unaware that he was listening, they continued whispering.

“So if that brat’s gone, that means the old man’s all alone in the basement, right?”

“Exactly. Let’s take back our hideout. We’ll grab the old man. That’ll keep the kid out even if he comes back.”

Libero reached out his hand.

Crimson particles swirled around his fingertips, forming a sword.

‘The streets are where I belong.’

He stepped out of the basement.

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“Back again, pal?”

He sat down at the counter, saying nothing.

A glass appeared before him, filled with his usual drink, even though he hadn’t ordered anything.

“Where’s your nephew today?”

Libero nodded silently.

“That’s too bad. He was a cute kid, unlike you.”

Libero didn’t care.

The bartender would forget about his “nephew” soon enough.

Time held a different meaning for him.

He had lived for centuries; a few days were a blink of an eye.

As he took a sip of his drink, someone sat down next to him.

“I’ll have what I had yesterday.”

He had never seen this man before.

He had no memory of encountering him during his nightly patrols.

‘Must be new in town.’

That would explain it.

While Allen had been staying with him, he had been spending his nights in the basement.

Their paths wouldn’t have crossed.

‘This guy…’

He subtly assessed the man’s energy without turning his head.

He wasn’t particularly strong.

But he definitely possessed a Stigma and a relic.

‘A hero.’

He didn’t feel threatened.

He might not have reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship, but he was more than capable of concealing his true strength.

That was how he had managed to survive on the streets for so long.

“Thank you.”

The man accepted his drink.

He continued his observation.

‘His Stigma is weak, but his martial arts… they’re something else.’

It didn’t take long. He quickly grasped the extent of the man’s abilities.

His primary weapons were his fists.

And his mastery of hand-to-hand combat was formidable.

As he finished his assessment,

The man turned to the bartender and asked,

“Do you know anything about Demon Kings?”

The bartender, wiping down a glass, replied casually,

“Demon Kings? Those are humanity’s enemies, the ones from the Chaos Realm.”

“I’ve heard rumors that there’s a Demon King… here in Sak.”

Libero’s ears perked up.

‘Now this is interesting.’

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“Jinmu of the White Tiger gang requests an audience with the Demon King.”

He bowed respectfully before the Demon King Gineus, who was seated on the top floor of the Company headquarters, the tallest building in Sak.

“What is it?” she asked, her voice laced with irritation.

She was already dealing with enough problems. She had no time for trivialities.

“This is something I felt compelled to report in person. There’s a man from Basil who seems to be searching for a Demon King within Sak.”

“That’s it?”

“It’s his identity that’s concerning. I asked around in the Order’s Sak branch. They say he’s the 157th ranked hero. He’s extremely skilled, and it’s only a matter of time before he’s promoted to high-ranking hero.”

Gineus’ expression shifted, her interest piqued.

“So you’re saying he’s here to rack up achievements?”

Even she felt threatened by someone with the skills of a high-ranking hero.

But based on this report, it seemed the hero was unaware of her true identity.

‘All the better.’

Something about this man intrigued her.

A skilled hero from Basil… it was highly likely that he was the one who had killed the 71st Demon King.

He was probably keeping his accomplishment a secret for now, to avoid attracting attention, waiting for the right moment to reveal it and secure his promotion to high-ranking hero.

‘I told them what I would do if the 71st’s killer showed up in Sak.’

She smiled, her eyes glinting with malicious intent.

“It just so happens that we have another Demon King in Sak, don’t we?”

She stood and walked towards the window, gazing out at the sprawling cityscape.

Sak, the city where the sun never rose, shimmered beneath a blanket of darkness.

The city might have been beautiful, but its shadowed streets were havens for criminals and the desperate.

And somewhere within those hidden corners, he lurked.

“It’s time to make him… a little more active.”

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