The Hero and the Demon King
I stared blankly at the rat-headed bastard for a moment.
"[So among everyone who thinks that way, you're the only one with a 5-star class, Mr. Kang Min-gu. That's why we chose you.]"
“So you’re the ones who helped me draw a 5-star class—”
"[No no no. Absolutely not. You're saying something incredibly dangerous. Our company never helped you draw a 5-star class. Do you understand? If you go around saying that, you'll be in serious trouble. You simply drew a 5-star class through your own luck, Mr. Kang Min-gu. Got it?]"
The rat-headed guy spoke rapidly, his face turning dead serious. Apparently claiming they helped with the draw was a serious violation. Seeing him panic like that, I figured it must be. Fine. I'll just call it my own luck then.
“Understood. I drew a 5-star class with my own luck. But even though I know 5-star classes are amazing, still—”
"[No, Min-gu. You still don't fully understand just how incredible your class is. A 5-star class is powerful enough to shake the entire balance of this game. We're still in the very early stages, so its influence on the whole game is minimal for now. But as time passes and you grow into higher-tier classes, that influence will become absolutely enormous.]"
Hmm, that much? Higher-tier classes? There’s something like that?
When I asked about higher-tier classes, the rat-headed guy answered.
"[Of course there are. Did you really think you'd just keep the same skills forever? How would people with 1-star or 2-star classes survive then? As your level rises, higher-tier classes will unlock. The more stars a class has, the wider your choices become and the more powerful skills you can obtain.]"
Hmm, I see. Makes sense. After all, someone like Ji-su or Ji-yun with their pathetic classes that only have a single skill would never last as time goes on. There needs to be higher-tier classes to keep the balance.
"[That's exactly why a 5-star class represents the highest possible potential. How many people do you think possess a 5-star class on Earth right now, where this game is currently unfolding?]"
“Uh… I don’t know. Ten seems too low. Maybe around a hundred?”
"[Including you, Mr. Kang Min-gu, there are exactly five.]"
Whoa. That actually shocked me.
“F-five? Only five people?”
"[Yes, that's correct. Now do you understand how extraordinary your class is? Depending on how those five individuals act, this game could end in as little as three years, or it could drag on much longer. Do you understand?]"
Hmm, that makes sense. The five people with 5-star classes—including me—would eventually become the strongest beings on Earth. So they came to recruit me, since I’d have a massive impact on who wins this game.
"[Now you understand why we want to help you, right?]"
“Yes, I get it. So what kind of help are you offering?”
At my question, the rat-headed guy continued with a visibly relieved expression.
"[As I mentioned earlier, the only thing we can provide is information. The truth is, we can't offer any other kind of help. If we interfere too much with a player, the chances of getting caught by the higher-ups increase dramatically. If we're caught, in the worst case the management company could be replaced. And if that happens… it's over.]"
The rat-headed guy shivered as if imagining something terrifying. To me it didn’t sound that scary, but apparently it was to him. Higher-ups, huh. I wonder who that refers to. Probably the ones who made this game. So… gods or something? Ugh, I don’t know. My head hurts.
I pushed the complicated thoughts aside and asked the rat-headed guy, “So what information are you giving me?”
"[We, and you, Mr. Kang Min-gu, both want this game to never end, correct? Then first, we need to know how this game actually ends.]"
“The game ends when humans kill the Demon King, right? That’s why I plan to get stronger and protect the Demon King from the humans.”
"[Protecting the Demon King from humans. I like that. But that answer is only half correct.]"
“What’s the other half?”
"[First, let me clearly explain how this game is won or lost. If the Demon King dies, humans win and the Demon King's army loses, ending the game. It doesn't matter how many troops the Demon King's army has left or whether all four Heavenly Kings are still alive. If the Demon King dies, it's over. Period.]"
“So just kill the king and it’s done? Well, that’ll never happen, but it’s a simple rule.”
"[Yes, that's correct. And that same rule… also applies to the human side.]"
Huh? What the hell does that mean?
I looked at the rat-headed guy with a confused expression. “What do you mean it applies to the human side too? If their king dies, they lose?”
"[Exactly.]"
“…Who’s the king on the human side?”
"[Among those who received a five-star class like you, there will be one who received the 'Hero' class. He is the king of the human side. If he dies, the game ends with the Demon King's army victorious.]"
I stared at the rat-headed guy with a dumbfounded look. I had thought that as long as I just protected the Demon King, the game would never end. Who knew there was a rule like this?
"[To summarize, if the Demon King dies, humans win. If the Hero dies, the Demon King's army wins. The game ends either way. Do you understand?]"
“Uh… yeah, I understand.”
The rat-headed guy spoke with a satisfied expression.
"[Good. Then let me ask you a question. How do you prevent this game from ending?]"
Oh, a quiz. I hate these. But it’s not that hard.
“…Make sure neither the Demon King nor the Hero ever dies.”
The rat-headed guy smiled.
"[Correct.]"
The rat-headed guy left in a hurry. He said he’d stayed too long and it was dangerous. He’d come back secretly next time so we could continue then, and with that, he vanished.
The only piece of information he left behind was about the Hero. Apparently the person with the Hero class is in Korea. Out of the mere five 5-star class holders in the entire world, two of them are in Korea. As expected from a gaming powerhouse. A useless surge of national pride welled up inside me.
The rat-headed guy advised me to find the Hero. He said the Hero is much weaker in the early game compared to other 5-star class holders. There have been cases where the Hero dies pathetically early on, ending the game in vain. So if I meet him, I should protect him until he grows stronger. He also said building a good relationship with the Hero would be very helpful in controlling the flow of the game.
Ha. Telling a socially awkward loser like me to build relationships with others. The rat-headed guy really doesn’t know people at all.
But I can’t protect the guy if I don’t know where he is. When I asked for the Hero’s location, the rat-headed guy said even he didn’t know. He had barely managed to find out the Hero was in Korea. Since it was information directly related to the game’s outcome, access was difficult.
"[-Survivors are forming groups. If you look around those groups, you should be able to find the Hero. There's a fairly large gathering of humans not too far from here. Why don't you start there? Even though he's weaker than other 5-star class holders in the early game, he should still have much stronger skills than ordinary people. If you look for particularly outstanding humans, you'll likely find the Hero.-]"
The rat-headed guy irresponsibly dumped the task on me and disappeared in a hurry. Damn, I had so many questions. He just said what he wanted and left. What a shitty rat bastard. I’ll have to ask next time.
It’ll be a bit annoying, but what can I do? I have to look for him. At the same time, I realized I need to get much stronger myself. To keep both the Hero and the Demon King alive and balance things out, I’ll need real power.
In my heart, I just want to hide somewhere with my pretty girls and live a sweet, cozy life. But if I do that, the game will probably end before I can enjoy it for long. Still, meeting the rat-headed guy helped me figure out the direction I need to take from now on.
I looked at the spot where the rat-headed guy had disappeared and sent a word of thanks. Thanks, you rat bastard.
I returned to the lecture room in the Chungui Building and summoned the Gate of Rest. As soon as I stepped inside, Si-eun and Ji-yun came running over to greet me.
“O-oppa! What happened? The scenery outside suddenly changed…”
“It was a space where nothing was visible. I thought I heard strange monster sounds from far away…”
I stroked Si-eun and Ji-yun’s heads and said, “Sorry about that. I closed the Gate of Rest, so it seems you got moved to some kind of gap between dimensions. Were you scared?”
At my words, both Si-eun and Ji-yun shook their heads.
“Um… it wasn’t… that scary.”
“Not scary?”
“Yeah. If anything, it felt kind of… warm and cozy.”
Warm and cozy, huh. That’s unexpected. Well, as long as they weren’t scared, that’s good.
I went back to the mattress and lay down. I was tired. I hadn’t slept much, and then I went out to talk with the rat-headed guy. No wonder I was exhausted.
I spoke to Ji-yun and Si-eun, who were lying on my arms like pillows. “Tomorrow I’m thinking of heading near OO Station. There’s someone I need to find.”
“OO Station?”
“Someone to find?”
The two of them focused on different parts of what I said.
“Yeah. Apparently a pretty large survivor group has formed there. I’m going to see if the person I’m looking for is in that group.”
Si-eun and Ji-yun didn’t ask any more questions. I really like that about these girls. Even if they’re curious, they don’t pry.
But Ji-yun’s expression bothered me. She looked like she wanted to say something, hesitating, before finally burying her face in my chest. It was only a fleeting expression, but I didn’t miss it. I’d survived on nothing but reading the room since I was a kid. There was no way I could ignore it.
“Ji-yun.”
“Yes, oppa.”
“If you have something you want to say, just say it. I’ll listen if I can.”
I meant it. If I can listen, I will. I’m their master, after all. Of course, those two bitches standing over there don’t get shit. I’m a petty bastard.
At my words, Ji-yun started hesitating again.
“I can order you to tell me every single thought you’re holding inside. Should I do that from now on?”
Ji-yun jumped in surprise. “N-no, oppa. I’ll tell you.”
She seemed to organize her thoughts for a moment before she began to speak.
“You said we’re going to OO Station.”
“I did.”
“Then… could we look for my parents and younger sibling? My parents’ house is near there… they might be in that survivor group.”
Oh right. Ji-yun had said she was going to find her parents after telling Chang-su and Jung-hyun about their deaths at school. That’s when she ran into Juniel and died. Sigh. If it were anyone else’s request, maybe I could ignore it, but I can’t refuse this.
Besides, I was planning to go there tomorrow anyway.
“…Alright. Since we’re going there tomorrow, let’s look for your parents and sibling.”
“R-really?”
Ji-yun’s face lit up. I asked her, “But… what will you do if you meet your parents?”
I needed to be clear about this. If Ji-yun’s parents were alive and she wanted to stay with them, I planned to coolly leave her behind. I didn’t know if she could even move properly if separated from me, but that wasn’t my problem. Anyway, I would respect Ji-yun’s choice. She had saved my life. The least I could do was let her have this.
But Ji-yun’s answer was completely different from what I expected.
“…I won’t meet them.”
“…Huh?”
With her face still buried in my chest, Ji-yun said, “Please. Could you just check if my parents and sibling are alive or dead for me? And if they’re both alive… please tell them I’m dead.”
“Huh? Are you sure that’s okay?”
“Yes… because it’s true that I’m dead.”
This was really not the answer I expected.
“Ji-yun, think carefully. Honestly, if you said you wanted to stay with your parents, I was going to let you go.”
Ji-yun looked at me with sad eyes. “No. Like I said, I’m already dead. Even if I somehow separate from you, there’s no guarantee I could keep moving properly like I do now.”
Hmm. She’s sharp.
“And…” Ji-yun continued. “I’m your thrall, oppa. You’re my master. So… I want to stay by your side until the end.”
Ah, this sweet girl. I almost looked at that bitch Ji-su again… ugh, let’s stop.
“So please make sure to tell my parents that I’m definitely dead. That way they’ll be able to let go of me.”
“…Alright. If that’s what you want, I’ll do it.”
This was probably part of my responsibility as her master. It wasn’t for just anyone. It was for Ji-yun. I could do at least this much.
Ji-yun buried her face in my chest again. I noticed Si-eun, who was nestled against my other side, staring at me intently.
“…What? Do you need to find your parents too?”
Si-eun shook her head. “No. My parents are in America. Honestly, we weren’t that close, so I don’t really feel the need to look for them.”
Si-eun quietly watched Ji-yun with her face buried in my chest, then said, “I was just… a little jealous of Ji-yun. It seems like you had a good relationship with your family… and oppa seems to care about you a lot…”
Hmm. Did I end up favoring Ji-yun too much and neglecting our goddess? That moment when she died in my place is still burned into my eyes. I can’t let our goddess get sulky.
I tightened my arms around both women and said, “Don’t worry. Now that you’re all mine, I’ll cherish you all equally and take care of you all the same.”
I glanced at Juniel and Ji-su standing off to the side and muttered quietly, “Except for those two.”
I closed my eyes again and tried to sleep.