What is a Hero?
What kind of being is a hero? What is a hero? A courageous soul? The arch-nemesis of a Demon King with the power to end the world? The sole hope of all intelligent beings, the chosen one? Someone who overcomes countless trials, grows, and fulfills their destined mission? There are surely many definitions.
These days, people say heroes have fallen or gone rotten. Betrayed and discarded by their party members or kings. It's become a poorly regarded profession—sometimes they even die alongside the Demon King. But I think a hero is someone who never turns away from those in need. A good, brave person. Whether I qualify, I don't know.
The goddess told me no one else could do it. The constellations granted me their powers, even at the cost of diminishing their own karma. I have no idea how this journey will end. I might collapse fighting alone. I might get used and betrayed by my comrades. I might get sucked dry like a sucker and tossed aside.
What if, just maybe, somehow... The uncertainty of the future twists into anxiety, distrust, and soon enough, fear. The goddess said causality and fate chose me. But I still couldn't believe why it had to be me. Every time I saw a Maou Skill, my resolve nearly broke.
I thought it was terrifying to see a child about to get hit by a truck. Yet my legs didn't stop. There are things you lose if you hesitate and overthink. Whether they have form or not, I don't want regrets.
"Hey—human!!"
Faster than Po'runga could grab me with her shout. The cries of White Ents, the queen's shriek. Ants swarming toward me from all directions in an instant.
I blocked the lead White Ent's acidic spit with my shield. My lowered stats made my limbs feel heavy, like I'd swum and hiked all day with iron weights attached.
Sizzle—
I tossed the shield, which melted with a disgusting sound.
Curse of Longevity has activated.
—A calamity approaches.
Did I think it was fine to die because I had the [Resurrection] skill? I only had three [Fireball]s left. [Deadly Queen] required touch, which was impossible with their speed.
I pulled the case from my waist, fumbled the lock open. Grabbed a knife, bit it in my teeth. Then hurled the bag with all my strength.
The charging White Ent tried to chomp it with its jaws, but the bag didn't budge. It leaped up and stomped on it.
"[Deadly Queen]!"
Boom! The primary explosion launched the bag skyward. My body followed, riding the bag's propulsion. My plan was to close the distance that way, but no way it'd work.
Plan B, then. I summoned the Metal Mimic (Chamber Pot) into my hand, filled it with Create Water, and hugged it close. Then wrapped my flapping robe tightly around me.
The secondary blast hit right after—among the case's contents were not just spirits, but kerosene too. The first explosion spilled everything, and the flames ignited it all. The fire spread through the kerosene. I didn't know if the blade oil would fan it further.
The bug spray ignited, spewing acrid smoke everywhere. I immediately splashed the chamber pot's water toward the flames. Thanks to Clear Mind, I could judge coolly in any situation. Amid the urgency where the oncoming flames seemed slow, the water shot out—and collided, expanding the blaze in a flash.
I gave up on landing. I tumbled across the ground with a crash. The robe protected me from burns, but it was charred to hell overall.
Curse of Longevity has activated.
—A calamity approaches.
Boom! Another explosion. Maybe an underground spring burst, or something fell from above. Either way, I bolted for a burrow, slashing it open with my knife.
"Mage!"
It was the young mage who'd helped during the giant slugs last time. I checked him urgently, but one arm had melted grotesquely, fused with his clothes.
"Ugh..."
"Can you use magic?!"
"Sorry..."
He seemed guilt-ridden for getting caught after being summoned. Couldn't he chant without his staff? And surprisingly, the burrow held more live adventurers than expected.
As they thrashed wildly, I caught an incoming acidic spit in the Metal Mimic. Hurled the whole pot— the drenched White Ent shrieked.
"Page 3!"
The glowing Memorize Spellbook—over a hundred White Ents easily. [Fireball]'s power could obliterate the colony entrance, but its straight-line shot was inefficient against encirclement.
I pointed at the queen. The White Ents sped up.
"[Fireball]!"
Boom! The fireball direct-hit the White Ent Queen, setting her ablaze. Her writhing roar sent the White Ents into frenzy. They split: some to save the queen, others to kill me.
"Human!"
Po'runga tried to help with her last spirits' flames, but too late. Firing a Fireball to clear a path would burden her evasion. Escaping alone? My stamina was at its limit from the recklessness. My legs wouldn't hold; I was bluffing standing.
So I pointed at the ceiling. Stabbed the knife through my hand into the opposite palm with all my strength. Then cast from the pierced hand.
"[Fireball] double shot!!"
Curse of Longevity
—Your aging slows 100x.
—In exchange, calamities strike with every injury.
My body moved coldly precise, judging the most viable path in my mind. First self-harm ever, but Clear Mind left no hesitation. The Fireballs smashed the ceiling with a deafening roar.
I'd taken the wound—the calamity scaled with injury size? As I looked up, the entire colony began collapsing. Cracks spiderwebbed from walls to surface.
A rock fell toward my head. I'd touch and [Deadly Queen] it mid-fall. For now, I smacked falling stones to explode them, stalling the White Ents.
Didn't know what a huge boulder would do. But things had gone "as planned" so far.
"────!!!!!"
As I reached for the falling rock—
A deafening high-pitched screech and invisible shockwave blasted it into the wall. Po'runga landed before me, panting, smashing a White Ent's head.
"Gutsy! That was almost Deinous-like!"
Was that a compliment? Her tail wrapped my waist protectively, pressing me to her back. She beckoned the ants with a finger, battle-ready.
Adventurers rained from the ceiling hole.
"Prioritize killing the princess and queen!"
"Secure adventurers! Search storage first!"
"Deinous over there! Human too!"
"Signaler that way!"
They scattered efficiently. Flashy skills, combat prowess, raw specs massacred ants. Healers/priests checked captives with aid.
The White Ent Queen died crushed under rocks while burning.
"...Thanks, human."
"No... glad you're safe... but your arm..."
"Ah... it's fine. Worst case, get a dwarf prosthetic."
He had savings; guilds insured C-grade+. The merchant mage who'd supported me smiled reassuringly before passing out, head drooping. "Gonna nap."
"Potion time."
A potion-laden adventurer poured on my pierced hand. Bubbles foamed; the wound regenerated flawlessly. This was potion magic... pure fantasy healing.
"Human, strip your top—check for hidden injuries."
Honestly, I'd pushed hard; wounds might lurk. I bared my shirt. Po'runga swallowed, inspected meticulously, applied ointment. Offered spit if needed, but an adventurer handed some over. Lucky.
"Human, no more reckless crap. Got it? An adventurer's life is their top asset."
"Yess... sorry."
Without charging, maybe stealthier resolution. An adventurer brought my scorched bag and shattered glasses. The bag was fine after ash shake—goddess gift, holy relic?
Robe was toast. Armor? Ruined beyond words.
"...Sigh... such a waste... brand new too."
"But you got the White Ent Queen. Technically yours."
Adventurers confirmed Po'runga's words. Wonder what byproducts it'd yield. Honeycomb? Royal jelly at least.
This fiasco burned my bag's contents. Lost shortsword, shield... left with knife and spent Memorize Spellbook.
"All done?"
"Hope so."
The sudden White Ent swarm ended abruptly. Escort to slug ambush, forest edge scout to colony raid, reluctant queen slay. Felt like one nonstop chain scenario.
Hard to shake the sense fate pushed my back.
"Must've been a disaster for you."
The chihuahua-like Canidie receptionist handed a report: "Good work." Sold White Ent Queen parts for 170 SP. Charred bits, prime cuts crushed—meager haul.
"So why a [nuptial flight] off-season? How'd we miss a colony that size?"
"Investigation found an underground [Portal]."
"[Portal]?"
"Yeah... like a [Gate]. Pops up sometimes..."
Dwarf [Gates] were teleporters. [Portals] linked terrains magically. Po'runga said natural ones hadn't occurred in ages.
"How long?"
"Hero era—400 years minimum?"
Demon King invasion 500 years ago; portals common then, via his minions like demons. Now integrated in union cities—ask them. But regretted it; lost spells, just records.
"Demons open it, then?"
"Demon King'd need to breach elves first... where's it lead?"
"Mongrel Kingdom. My homeland."
"That Canidie kingdom, three months by carriage??"
A [Portal] linking Trust Union to Mongrel Kingdom. Why...?
F-grade me couldn't investigate. Options: head to Mongrel Kingdom, or train/skill research. Stick with Po'runga a month? Choices mattered; be cautious.
No coincidence... Demons cast [Portals], but "lost" for union demons. Maybe something from Demon King side slipped through...
"Human, bit longer, but head back to Trust Union city?"
"Walking?"
"Take a carriage."
Small mercy. Priority: fix dropped stats...