I Became the 101st Hero – Chapter 60

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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“What are you waiting for? Strike me down.”

Libero stood tall, his chest exposed, inviting the final blow.

But I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

“What are you talking about? I still need you,” I said, my voice shaking.

“I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.”

His words made no sense.

“Then help me! You can still help me!”

He still had so much to offer, so much to teach.

“You’re supposed to teach me swordsmanship! That was my wish, the one you promised to grant.”

“I told you, I can’t grant impossible wishes,” he said, a bitter smile on his lips.

“Now… it’s become impossible for me. This is where it ends.”

“Where it ends…? What do you mean?”

“I’ve turned my back on both the Demon Kings and the heroes. There’s nowhere left for me to run. There’s no escape.”

He was right.

No matter how strong he was… he was alone.

He couldn’t survive against both the Demon King Council and the Order.

But I couldn’t accept it.

“You’re giving up… just like that?!”

When he had broken free from Gineus’ mind control, I thought he had finally understood.

His words, echoing the ones I had heard in the Trial, had triggered a faint memory, a glimmer of understanding.

“The pinnacle of swordsmanship… it lies in the will of its wielder! Didn’t you realize that? Didn’t you achieve that?!”

I didn’t know what his will truly was.

I didn’t know his past, the events that had shaped him.

But I had observed him for a long time, had trained under him, had glimpsed the depths of his soul.

“You wanted to be a hero… to protect something precious, didn’t you?”

“You’re right,” he said quietly.

“Then the pinnacle of swordsmanship… it’s right there! Why are you giving up without even trying?!”

“I’m not giving up,” he said, placing a hand on my head.

“I’ve simply found someone who can carry on my will.”

His eyes met mine, and he asked,

“Allen, where does your swordsmanship end?”

My swordsmanship’s end…

It represented my will, my reason for wielding a sword.

“To become a hero.”

“Is that all?”

“What do you mean ‘that’s all’?”

“Is there no other reason why you want to become a hero?”

A reason to become a hero…

Of course, there was.

‘Because that’s what Allen Pleak, the character, was designed to do.’

But that was the initial reason.

Had it always been my only reason?

No.

I had changed.

And now… I knew the truth.

I wasn’t Allen Pleak, the character.

I was Allen Pleak, and I was me.

And I had a clear reason for becoming a hero now.

“To protect the people I care about.”

Chaos Beasts, Demon Kings, wars…

This world was a dangerous place.

To protect the bonds I had forged, the precious connections I had made, I needed the strength that only a hero could possess.

And beyond that… I wanted to stop the world’s destruction.

According to the game’s story, the complete annihilation of the world, consumed by Chaos, was inevitable.

That was why most playthroughs ended that way.

As a player, it had been easy to accept that as a simple game mechanic.

But now… it wasn’t so easy to ignore.

I didn’t think I could save the world on my own.

But I had to at least try. And to do that, to protect the ones who could help me, the ones who were worth saving…

I needed strength.

“I knew it… I sensed it from the beginning. We’re not so different, you and I.”

Libero smiled, a genuine smile, the first one I had seen in a while.

“Allen, the Demon King Council is planning something in the Lodraim Kingdom. They’re still in the early stages, but if they succeed… it could mean the end of the Lodraim Kingdom.”

I knew.

I had the player’s memories.

But…

“Do you have the strength to stop them?”

That was the problem.

Even with my Swordsmanship at A+, it wouldn’t be enough.

But if there was a way to save the Lodraim Kingdom… I wanted to do it.

‘Because the kingdom’s destruction… it means Erciara’s death.’

But as I had just admitted, I wasn’t strong enough yet.

This was on a completely different scale from the 71st Demon King’s invasion.

But there was one solution.

“I can’t do it alone. But if you help me…”

“I’d like to help, but I can’t. I told you, my chances of survival are slim.”

He gestured to his chest.

“Strike me down. You heroes with patrons… you get rewarded for killing Demon Kings, don’t you?”

He was referring to the SP reward.

200 SP was a significant amount. Killing him and Gineus would probably grant me enough SP to unlock my third Stigma Inheritance.

But to think of that… as the price for his life… it felt so… insignificant.

“Think rationally, Allen. We don’t have much time.”

He glanced toward the window, his eyes distant.

“The Order reinforcements have just arrived. It seems they’ve sent a Saint-ranked hero as well. They’ll be here soon.”

Rationally… I knew he was right.

Even if we combined our strength, we couldn’t defeat an expeditionary force that included a Saint-ranked hero.

But my hand wouldn’t move.

The memories of my Trial playthroughs had faded, like a distant dream.

Just like Libero’s memories of his past.

But just as he had clung to his memories, I couldn’t erase the centuries I had spent with him, the bond we had forged.

“Why are you hesitating?!”

His voice, sharp and clear, snapped me out of my thoughts.

“I’m entrusting you with the culmination of my swordsmanship! Or does that seem like a joke to you?”

“Entrusting me… with your swordsmanship?”

“If the pinnacle of swordsmanship lies in the wielder’s will… then it doesn’t matter who wields the sword.”

He was serious.

It made my hesitation seem foolish, pathetic.

“Strike me down, Allen. That is the culmination of my swordsmanship. ”

“Alright.”

The moment I made my decision, my doubts vanished.

I gripped my sword, my resolve hardening.

I thrust it forward, my movements fueled by conviction, by a certainty I hadn’t felt before.

I rotated my upper body, aligning myself with the blade.

I thrust deeper.

The sword pierced his ribs, sinking deep, impaling his heart.

“That’s it, Allen.”

He smiled, his eyes filled with a strange serenity.

“There’s nothing more I can teach you. I’ve fulfilled my promise.”

I withdrew the sword.

His body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

A cold, impersonal message appeared in my vision.

I had killed two Demon Kings in one go.

I had earned 400 SP.

I had unlocked my third Stigma Inheritance.

But…

“Fuck.”

I felt… empty.

“The 13th and 67th Demon Kings are dead.”

Her crystal ball, once clear, was now stained crimson, a testament to the death of her comrades.

Violet, the Demon King, spoke in a somber tone.

More than half of the Demon King Council members were gathered here today.

Even more than when the 71st Demon King had died.

And it was the first time, since the formation of the Council, that both the 1st and 5th Demon Kings were present.

“I’m sorry, Libero. We couldn’t save you…”

Violet’s hand trembled.

She had known Libero for centuries, as the 16th Demon King, as the Council’s messenger.

“We knew Gineus was up to something…”

But they couldn’t interfere.

Interference in another Demon King’s affairs was strictly forbidden by the Council.

“He was destined to break eventually. He simply lasted longer than we expected,” the 5th Demon King said, his expression stoic.

He had witnessed the deaths of many Demon Kings.

But there was a hint of sadness in his eyes.

“He never belonged here, in this world of chaos.”

They all knew it.

Libero, with his contradictions and misplaced ideals, his constant struggle between darkness and light… he had been teetering on the edge of destruction for centuries.

They lowered their heads in a silent tribute.

“Let us offer our condolences. To Libero, the last knight of the Lodraim Kingdom.”

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