Hero
Hero
"Where is this?"
A pure white space.
College student Im Jun couldn't make sense of the current situation.
"Backrooms? Is that it?"
He remembered seeing a post about it while browsing social media, calling it a creepy story.
A strange place with no sound or objects whatsoever.
It didn't resemble any place he knew, but oddly enough, he felt a sense of comfort.
Whether there was a front, a side, a ceiling, or a floor.
Nothing could be confirmed as existing.
In this alien space where no sense of distance could be felt, Im Jun decided to move forward for now.
That was the conclusion he reached after standing still for a while and looking around.
Because there was nothing he could do in place.
Jun took a step, hoping for even the smallest clue to appear.
At the same time, Jun thought about why he had ended up here.
He didn't remember hitting any walls.
It wasn't like discovering a bug that lets you clip through the map, like in some novel's Platform 9¾ or a video game.
As he carefully retraced his memories, his head throbbed.
"Right... I was studying late at the study cafe."
And on the way back to his rented room.
The traffic light turned green.
Just as he was about to cross the crosswalk...
A truck hit Jun.
It was an undeniable fact.
"Haa... Did I die? Me?"
Overwhelmed by the shocking truth, Jun grabbed his face and slumped down.
His mind went blank.
And with a different feeling than before, he looked around again.
"Is this the afterlife? It's very different from what I expected."
A land flowing with milk and honey, where lions eat with lambs, a castle made of gold.
Or a journey where you're judged for the sins you committed in life.
Or perhaps a cauldron burning with brimstone?
Many different types came to mind, but he had never imagined an empty, formless space like this.
How long would he have to stay here?
A slight fear began to bloom in Jun.
Would he just fade away like this?
Or would he spend eons, an eternity, a lifetime, in this barren wilderness?
He even deluded himself, hoping that maybe after a short stay here, he'd wake up in his original world.
Like a dream, or a waiting room in his own subconscious.
Some time passed.
Jun no longer walked.
The repeating void.
The unchanging scenery and his own state.
He was sick of it.
He realized just how maddening it is to keep moving forward without any goal.
He just squatted there, endlessly imagining what would have happened if he hadn't been hit by the truck, or reminiscing about past memories.
With no wall to lean on, he changed positions multiple times, sometimes stretching out on the ground, then getting back up.
Out of frustration, he even tried running aimlessly.
But the cruel reality that he couldn't even feel the wind against his skin made Jun despair.
In this place, the flow of time was barely perceptible.
He wasn't sleepy, hungry, or thirsty.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Even if he shouted.
"One hundred and twenty-one, one hundred and twenty-two...!"
Even if he exercised like crazy.
This strange place didn't tire him or make him sweat.
To keep from going insane, Jun moved his body every day.
He ran, even if he didn't know where he was going.
He trained, even though nothing changed.
He slept, even though he wasn't tired.
And to not forget himself, he kept reminding himself of who he was.
How many days had passed?
He had no pen, couldn't even carve a mark on the floor, so Jun couldn't tell.
But it was certain that quite a long time had passed.
The last thing Jun remembered was that his life here had exceeded one year.
And Jun also remembered that so much time had passed that that first year had faded from memory.
A situation that would drive anyone insane.
Jun endured and endured.
He didn't know the reason, but he constantly thought of and created reasons for why he had to be here.
When even those reasons were forgotten, and his repetitive days became a kind of instinct.
A change came to Jun's routine.
As usual, after mimicking sleep and waking up, it was right before his eyes.
A small light.
In this place where there was nothing, when something alien appeared in the empty air, Jun was afraid.
What could this be?
If he had been on Earth, he would have thought of various reasons—a firefly, a flashlight, a laser—but he had changed in many ways and didn't think that way.
Thus, he spent ages floating the light in the air and observing it from around.
Finally making a big decision, Jun reached out to the light.
Hwaaaa—.
A bright halo that reminded him of his last memory before falling into this space.
"Euaaaaak!"
He instinctively curled up and screamed.
"Hello, Im Jun."
A warm female voice.
How long had it been since he last heard another person's voice?
"Ah... Aaah..."
Jun sobbed, unable to even form coherent words.
He carefully examined the woman's appearance.
A beautiful figure.
A white dress.
Anyone would know without being told.
A god.
He thought.
"Who... are you?"
"I am the goddess of Glacius. Glessian."
"Ah, Glessian-nim..."
It was a name he had never heard in his life, but given his situation, Im Jun couldn't doubt it.
Some might resent the one who sent him here.
But such feelings were a luxury for Jun.
Loneliness.
Desolation.
Depression.
Even if someone else had appeared here, they could exert an influence as significant as a god on Jun.
"Glessian-nim, why have you appeared before me?"
"Im Jun. You have been chosen as the hero of my Glacius."
"A hero?"
Jun searched his memory.
To him, a hero was a figure from fantasy who defeats the Demon King.
"Do you mean the hero I know of?"
"Yes. You will shoulder the duty of a hero in a world different from Earth."
"Ah. Then everything up to now was the hero's trial...!"
The goddess smiled gently.
Jun finally understood.
No, he had to understand that cruel experience somehow.
A trial to purify the body and mind from evil forces.
The goddess had watched him endure until now, and once he met the criteria, she came to him.
But Jun had no way of knowing that the goddess had forgotten that time flowed differently in this space and came late.
If Jun had known the brutal truth, a new god-slayer might have been born right then and there.
"So, are you ready? Jun?"
"Yes, I will save Glacius!"
"Then I leave it to you. I will grant you convenient abilities to help you adapt easily to the other world. Make sure to save the world."
With a solemn resolve, Jun was transported to the other world.
"Hehehe. The Earth goddess said she'd just throw him raw into Glacius, huh? This is a sure thing! Ohohohoho!"
All while being unaware of what role he was playing between the other world's god and Earth's god.
Colorful light strands enveloped Im Jun's body.
Then they slowly faded, and the surrounding scenery came into view.
How long had it been since he saw a color other than white?
And when was the last time he saw various people?
"Your Majesty! The summoning ritual has succeeded!"
"Ooh! Good work, everyone! The goddess has heard our prayers!"
People rejoiced surrounding Im Jun.
"Welcome! Hero-nim! I am the king who rules this nation. I am called 'Beer II.'"
"Nice to meet you, King Beer. I am Jun, who has received the mission to save the world according to the will of Glessian-nim."
Jun felt that the language, though unfamiliar, flowed smoothly and his sentences came out eloquently.
So this is the goddess's power.
"Now, now! The hero-nim has arrived! Prepare a grand feast!"
The minister beside him clapped his hands, and people busily moved.
"Hero-nim, if you come this way, I will assist in your preparation."
A woman approached and guided Jun.
"My name is Sophia. I have been assigned to assist you from now on, so please tell me if you need anything."
"Sophia. Is my schedule set?"
Thinking about it, he hadn't received a clear mission from the goddess.
"According to the oracle from the goddess, the hero-nim's power is not yet complete, so I heard the kingdom must strive. Therefore, a session to confirm the hero-nim's power has been prepared for tomorrow."
"I see. Understood."
For now, a test came first.
Jun felt both worried and expectant.
What kind of power had the goddess granted him?
A grand feast.
Jun met various dignitaries and received greetings asking him to take good care of the kingdom.
The destiny given to Jun.
To the people of this other world, it was only natural.
To expect and entrust everything to the hero sent by the goddess.
Perhaps Jun began to feel something strange from around this time.
Blatant stares and pressure.
It wasn't long before Im Jun's hope that it was just his own anxiety and that the goddess had a plan was shattered.
The next day, the place to test the hero's power.
High officials and royalty.
Priests, knights, and mages of the temple.
Royal palace workers and other spectators.
Jun intended to show off his skills with vigor.
Sword strikes that cut through the air.
A handful of mana.
Unimpressive physical techniques.
Something was wrong here.
What was the point of the years Jun had wasted in the void space?
Of course, rolling his body alone with no effect hadn't helped.
But the goddess hadn't granted him any exceptional power either.
He had practically relied only on the goddess, hoping to make a good impression.
But the goddess hadn't bestowed any great superpowers upon Jun.
"As expected."
"Hero, no need to worry. I already knew you wouldn't have great abilities from the start."
The king's once expectant face cooled, and he sent a look of disinterest.
"We were going to have the kingdom train you anyway, so we just checked your current level. Knight Commander!"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Cooperate with the Magic Tower and teach the hero well. I plan to reveal him to the people only when he reaches a perfect level."
"I shall obey."
And so, the hero's training began.
Jun was talented enough.
Additionally, even if it wasn't a visible ability, the goddess had granted Jun a blessing to allow him to grow faster.
But Im Jun's trust in the goddess was already showing cracks.
"They say the Knight Commander was very pleased with today's lesson. They said it's the goddess's blessing."
"Yes."
"The mages of the Magic Tower also praised the hero-nim's growth, saying it's remarkable. They said the goddess is watching over you."
"Yes."
"I also heard from the temple that reaching this level in half a year would be difficult for anyone but a genius."
"Sophia. At this rate, I won't even reach the doorstep of the Demon King's Castle."
"... I'm sorry."
Half a year since Jun arrived in the kingdom.
Jun had become very cynical.
"Would you like some refreshments?"
"No."
"Then, let's just..."
Sophia gently embraced Jun from behind.
Their eyes met.
And then they collapsed onto the soft bedding.
"Ha... Hero-nim."
"...."
"As expected, the hero-nim's skills seem to improve frighteningly every day. Is it all because of the goddess's protection, I wonder?"
"Sophia. Focus on me right now, not the goddess."
Jun no longer favored the goddess very much.