What the Hell, I'm Stronger Than Them
I stood up after receiving Eris's comfort.
“Thanks, Boss Lady. I’m fine now.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Thanks to you, Boss Lady, my mind feels at ease. I think I know what I need to do from here on out.”
“Then pat my head!”
The serious demeanor she’d shown just moments ago was gone. Eris beamed with a silly smile. It was impossible to tell which version of her was the real one. Still, if she wanted her head patted, I’d pat it. It wasn’t like my hand would wear out from doing it.
I stroked her from the crown of her head down to the wavy hair at the back, avoiding the waxed bangs. Eris giggled happily and rubbed her head against my palm.
“Hyun-woo feels better, so I feel good too!”
Sometimes she seemed enormous, but in reality she was small and fragile. To protect the boss of Fantasia, I needed to sharpen fantasy into a blade that could pierce cold reality.
If my very existence was Fantasia’s greatest fantasy, then I had no choice but to move forward without fearing reality.
Ding—
A message had arrived on Carrot Market. When I checked, it was from Lenny.
I’ve pulled myself together a bit. I’m trying to think positively. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to run again, but at least I’m alive. Maybe a miracle will happen while I’m living. If it weren’t for you, I might have lived like that my whole life and died without ever knowing anything else. So… I wanted to say thank you.
She was alive.
I’d thought I failed to protect Lenny’s life, but I had saved it. As long as there was life, a person’s story would continue. And while living, a miracle might one day occur.
If you believed in that kind of fantasy, you could find the strength to keep going no matter how horrible reality became.
Yes, I’m sure a miracle will happen. After all, this world can’t only be filled with realistic events.
Especially since this world was a creation made by someone. How stifling would life be if you only demanded realism from a work of fiction?
Come to think of it, fantastical things had already happened several times. There was no need to fear reality at all.
So while I had Carrot Market open, I replied to the message that had come in earlier.
How can I join the goblin extermination party?
For Eris, who had given me true fantasy, and to become the greatest fantasy myself, I couldn’t afford to be afraid.
So what if goblins were monsters? So what if they were stronger than the humans I’d faced so far? So what if I didn’t have the power to defeat monsters?
There was nowhere in reality where I was allowed to run away. The only place that permitted escape was fantasy, filled with nothing but optimism.
“Boss Lady, wait just a little. I’ll bring you a goblin shaman’s skull.”
I handed Eris the dryad branch I’d obtained from this incident. She stared at it blankly, then nodded brightly.
“Okay! I’ll wait quietly beside Siz!”
With that, I escorted Eris home and headed for the Jujak Guild.
To join the goblin extermination party.
“Welcome to the Jujak Guild. How may I assist you?”
The Jujak Guild was the de facto ruler of the southern district, yet its building wasn’t located at the center of that district. Normally, the true ruler of a district would be stationed at its heart so they could respond to any incident within it.
However, the Jujak Guild’s headquarters stood not at the center of the southern district, but at the Southern Boundary—the dangerous wilderness known as the border with the outside world.
The reason was simple. The Jujak Guild was a guild obsessed solely with monster extermination. That was why they showed no interest even as Carpe Diem gradually expanded its territory in the southern district. As long as no one touched them, they didn’t care.
“I’d like to join the goblin extermination party departing tomorrow morning.”
“Do you possess any special abilities?”
“No.”
“Are you perhaps affiliated with the Murim Alliance and have learned martial arts? Sometimes lower-ranking members come here because the alliance won’t issue permits.”
“I’m not affiliated with them either.”
“Then… do you have any way to prove your strength to us?”
“What would I need to do to prove it?”
“Hmm… Actually, proof isn’t strictly necessary, but in that case you’ll need to sign this.”
The counselor at the counter slid a sheet of paper toward me.
Incompetent Life Waiver Agreement.
The title alone was brutal, but the content was simple. It stated that if an individual with no abilities wished to join a monster extermination party and died, they could not file for damages against the Jujak Guild.
Unfortunately for them, I had no intention of dying. There was no need to worry about something that wouldn’t happen. That kind of thinking didn’t suit Fantasia.
“I’ll sign it gladly.”
Without the slightest hesitation, I signed the Incompetent Life Waiver Agreement. The counselor’s eyes widened in surprise.
“You’re the first crazy person I’ve seen do that so willingly. Most people absolutely refuse when we ask them to sign something like this.”
“Come on, in this world, who would fear death?”
“Hmm…”
The counselor collected the document, scanned it, and said, “Very well. Please follow the guide. They’ll explain the goblin hunting party in detail.”
Once the scanner finished, the counselor made a copy of the agreement and handed it to me. Then they rang a bell to call the guide.
“Please follow me. I’ll take you to the lodging where the goblin extermination party members are staying.”
I walked after the guide. The building’s interior looked like any ordinary company office, which almost made me forget I’d been transported to another world. It really felt like something you’d see in South Korea. The only difference was that this company had living quarters inside it. Some corporations did provide dorms, but it wasn’t exactly common.
“Sir, may I ask you one thing?”
The guide asked me politely.
“Go ahead.”
“Seeing that you signed the life waiver, I assume you’re an incompetent. Is this your first time hunting monsters?”
“It is.”
“I thought so. Still, try not to be too nervous. Your opponents are just goblins. There’s never been a report of anyone dying in a goblin hunting party. If it feels too dangerous, just step back.”
—After all, the raid leader is an ability user from the Jujak Guild, so there’s no chance of defeat.
“Since you’re an incompetent, I’ll specially assign you to the same room as the raid leader. That way the leader will know your face and can protect you.”
“Am I the only incompetent in this party?”
“So far, yes. It’s not common for an incompetent to join a party in the first place.”
We arrived. The guide stopped in front of a door. A list was posted beside it.
- 1. Baek Ji-hwan
- 2. Gu Ja-gon
- 3.
It seemed three people per room was the limit. The guide wrote my name, Woo Hyun-woo, in the third slot.
“Baek Ji-hwan is a low-ranking ability user of the Jujak Guild, but he’s a veteran who’s cleared goblin parties dozens of times. He’s even taken down goblin groups that included a shaman twice.”
“Gu Ja-gon is a low-ranking member of the Murim Alliance, though I don’t know the exact details. He carries a staff on his back.”
“My guidance ends here. We’ll depart tomorrow morning right after the guild master’s encouraging speech, so please manage your condition well.”
The guide opened the door. As it swung open, the two men inside turned their gazes toward me. The calm-looking man was maintaining a single-edged sword of medium length, while the rough-looking man sat with a staff resting on his shoulder.
The calm one wore an S-shaped earring in his ear, so he had to be Baek Ji-hwan. The rough one was dressed in martial robes, so he was probably Gu Ja-gon. Distinguishing between Esper Hunters and Murim Alliance members was surprisingly easy.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Woo Hyun-woo. I’ll be in your care until tomorrow.”
I bowed my head in a standard greeting. It was only polite. But it seemed the rough-looking Gu Ja-gon didn’t care much for manners.
“Wahaha, you’ve got quite the build, buddy. But I heard you don’t have any abilities? Goblins may be weak, but did you think you could take them down with just your size?”
The description looked pathetic, but he was far stronger than the Gangnam Three Heroes I’d met before. My current combat power was 420, so he was stronger than me too.
“Gu Ja-gon, no matter how powerless the other person is, you shouldn’t speak so rudely.”
The calm-looking Baek Ji-hwan scolded Gu Ja-gon in a low tone.
“Hmph, look at this scholar acting all high and mighty.”
When Gu Ja-gon grumbled, Baek Ji-hwan smiled at me.
“The beggars of the Beggars’ Sect tend to show their lack of education. Please understand, Woo Hyun-woo.”
“No, I’m fine.”
“That’s a relief.”
Baek Ji-hwan sheathed his single-edged sword after finishing maintenance and said, “Even though you’re an incompetent, there’s no need to be too nervous. If it seems dangerous, just run away. If you don’t want to die, stay close to me at all times.”
“Ha! You damn scholar. You’re saying worse things than me, yet you call me uneducated?”
“I only spoke the truth.”
Neither of them was wrong.
Both Gu Ja-gon and Baek Ji-hwan had higher combat power than me, and Baek Ji-hwan was a veteran who had hunted over a thousand goblins. Even if he only ever hunted goblins, it meant he was the best at fighting them. If he was satisfied with that, who could blame him? It was natural for him to be overflowing with confidence.
“You’re both right. Realistically speaking, the correct choice for me would be to stay quiet and safe.”
But I was Fantasia.
“Still, I like fantasy.”
Baek Ji-hwan and Gu Ja-gon exchanged glances, then looked at me with strange eyes. Their gazes carried mocking ridicule that condemned my foolishness.
Well, they could laugh all they wanted. Fantasy was always meant to be ridiculed by realistic people. All I needed to do was confirm exactly how far my current best could reach.
I circulated my chegi to strengthen my entire body and checked my combat power. The number that appeared when I raised my combat power to the maximum using chegi was—
Combat Power: 790
What the hell? I’m stronger than them.