Chapter 9
Chapter 9
The moment I escaped underground, I had collapsed onto a soft field of grass, completely exhausted. But what I was feeling now was nothing like that. It was hard, uncomfortable, and unpleasant in every possible way.
Clang clang clang clang clang clang!!!!!
“Ughhh…”
A loud, irritating sound slammed into my ears.
“Mom… just five more minutes…”
I turned over and muttered in protest, but the sharp noise struck again.
Clang clang clang clang clang clang!!!!!
“Wake up already!!!!!”
A deep voice followed, dragging me back into reality.
“…Where am I?”
I slowly opened my eyes and looked around.
I was inside what looked like a cave.
“A cave…?”
The only light came from a distant torch, and between me and the man who had woken me up were thick wooden bars.
“Don’t tell me…”
The bearded man casually tossed a wooden bowl through the bars and sat down on a nearby chair.
I rushed forward and grabbed the bars.
“I finally got out of one prison and now I’m locked up again?! I can’t take this anymore!!!!!”
After my outburst finally settled down, I slumped back down, touching my empty head where Momo should have been, and ended up sharing a bowl of thick porridge with the others in the cell.
To introduce the people in this prison:
“Hehe, come here, moth…”
A laughing lunatic who kept grinning to himself.
“….”
A quiet child curled up in the corner without saying a word.
“Oww… my old bones…”
An old man who did nothing but lie down all day.
“Haa… this is hard to swallow.”
And a mysterious man wrapped tightly from head to toe.
“Momo…”
And lastly… me.
I checked my belongings again, only to find everything gone, including Momo and even Zildre’s sword hilt.
For now, I needed information.
This place looked like a cave that had been turned into a hideout. The wooden bars were sloppy, poorly built. Everything about it screamed that this was not an official prison.
If this was a government prison, then it meant the level of this world’s government was about that bad.
I walked over to the one person who looked like he might actually talk.
“Hey…”
“….”
The man in the robe completely ignored me.
“Excuse me…”
“….”
“Hey?”
“….”
“Hello?”
“….”
“What, are you mute or something?”
“….”
“….”
“….”
“AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!”
“Gah! What is wrong with you?! Why are you suddenly screaming?!”
Only after I screamed like a maniac did the mysterious man finally react.
“If you don’t respond, what else am I supposed to do?”
“Did you ever consider I might not want to talk?”
“I still want to talk to you though.”
“…Another insane one.”
Great. My communication skills were completely useless here.
“So… where is this place?”
“…A bandit prison. Obvious enough, isn’t it?”
“Uh… why are you talking informally?”
“…? So what are you going to do about it? Talk informally back if you’re so bothered.”
This guy was way ruder than expected. But I had a strategy.
“Fine! I’m Siwoo!”
I cheerfully grabbed his hand and shook it.
“Hey! What are you doing!”
He quickly pulled his hand away in shock.
“What? I’m greeting you! Now we’re friends!”
A secret technique my father taught me. If someone dislikes you, act overly friendly.
I sat beside him like we were old friends and even draped an arm over his shoulder.
“So what’s your name?”
“…Sigh. Rev. Call me Rev.”
“Got it! Nice to meet you, Rev!”
I offered my hand again, but this time he ignored it completely and lay back down.
“Good night!”
“….”
No response.
I lay down as well, watching the fading light of the day.
◆◆◆◆◆
Kim Chulsoo rose from his luxurious bed.
“IA, status report.”
“Battery at 75 percent. Synchronization complete. Optimization complete. Field analysis unavailable. Good morning, Master.”
“Yeah, good morning.”
He tapped the floating hologram near his vision and drank warm water prepared in advance while looking out the window.
Outside, the breathtaking morning scenery of another world stretched endlessly.
“So I really did come to another world…”
“May I enter, Hero?”
The door opened before he could finish speaking. The one who entered was the saint who had summoned him the day before.
Beautiful face, golden hair, and striking blue eyes. Her presence alone felt almost unreal.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Yeah. How about Ilucia?”
“I am always filled with the goddess’s blessing.”
As she spoke, a soft divine light wrapped around her body.
“That’s holy power? Interesting…”
“Analysis impossible. Unknown energy detected. Temporary designation ‘holy power’ registered.”
The AI voice echoed beside him. Ilucia tilted her head in curiosity.
“You are the one who is more interesting, Hero. Is that a spirit? A strange one at that.”
“It’s not a spirit… I think. Or maybe it is in this world?”
“In your homeland, do all people keep spirits like that?”
“Yeah. But this one’s special. I customized it myself.”
“Wow… I don’t fully understand, but that’s amazing! As expected of a true Hero!”
The word “impurity” flashed briefly in Chulsoo’s mind.
One of the other summoned candidates. The one called a mistake.
“Probably dead already. Falling from that height…”
Three enemies of the Hero. The Demon King, the Calamity, and the most troublesome one, the Self.
“No sign of the Demon King or the Calamity yet, right?”
“Yes. Your situation is unique, so…”
Ten years after the ninth Hero returned, the divine oracle had suddenly spoken again. The cycle that once summoned a Hero every hundred years had broken.
Only a few people in the world even knew the tenth Hero had appeared.
“So basically… I don’t have anything to do?”
He laughed bitterly.
“No!”
Ilucia reacted immediately.
“You were definitely chosen for a reason!”
She rushed forward and hugged him tightly, patting his back as if comforting him.
“I assure you… you are the true Hero!”
“Hey, I was joking… calm down…”
She quickly realized her position and stepped back, face bright red.
“I-I’m sorry…”
“It’s fine. Actually, I feel better thanks to you.”
“Hero…”
Ilucia silently decided something. This was worth everything she had worked for. Her position, her mission, even this unexpected journey.
She carefully waited for the right moment again.
“Ilucia.”
“H-Hero…”
Their faces slowly drew closer.
“Ah.”
“Ah.”
They both turned away in embarrassment.
Today was enough. She would take it step by step.
As she left, she muttered quietly.
“Still… he does have a good body…”
Since Chulsoo was wearing only a bathrobe, she had seen his upper body clearly.
“Are all people from other worlds built like that?”
She tried to recall the name of his homeland.
“Neo… Joseon? What a strange name…”
Then she dismissed it and returned to planning how to make him hers.
◆◆◆◆◆
It had been two days since I was locked in the bandit prison. I woke up starving.
“…I’m hungry.”
I hadn’t had a proper meal since arriving in this world.
Down in the underground, I had only eaten small snacks at Zildre’s hideout. Here, they only threw us a disgusting porridge mixed with who-knows-what.
Clang clang clang clang clang clang!!!!!
“Wake up! Food!”
A guard slammed a bowl down loudly.
I dragged myself over.
“Old man! Over here… no, I’ll bring it to you. Hey kid, come here!”
“Hehe… food…”
“Rev! Bring that kid over!”
Soon everyone gathered, and we sat together eating the porridge.
“Hehe… tasty… a butterfly…”
“….”
“Ahh… I should’ve died when I got old…”
I noticed Rev wasn’t eating.
“Hey! Stop watching butterflies and eat.”
“I don’t need it.”
“Don’t be stupid. You need food to survive.”
“I said I don’t need it.”
After forcing him over, I sat back down.
Suddenly, a loud noise came from outside.
“Hm? What’s that?”
I handed my spoon to Rev and went to the bars.
“Hey, what’s going on?”
“I don’t know… damn it…”
The guard rushed off angrily.
“Seriously… what is happening…”
When I returned, everyone had already finished eating.
“Wait, it’s already gone?”
“Of course. There wasn’t even a full portion.”
They all returned to their corners.
“Man… what now…”
I sat down beside Rev.
“…Hey.”
“Hmm? Talking to me?”
“Yeah. You’re the only useful one here.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Then Rev spoke seriously.
“I have a plan to escape.”
“Escape?”
I froze.
“You had a plan all along?”
Rev had never once looked at the bars or acted like he was thinking of escaping.
“You don’t show plans when a guard is watching.”
“So you were acting…?”
“Of course.”
This guy… is actually crazy in a different way.
“So… why tell me?”
“I need help.”
He explained his plan.
“I break the bars first…”
“Break them? How?”
“With one punch.”
“…Seriously?”
Seeing my disbelief, he slowly pulled back his bandages.
“…See?”
Then he covered it again immediately.
“…See what?”
I just blinked.
“…I’m a demon.”
“…Okay? What am I supposed to say to that?”
Rev looked confused at my reaction.
“You… are you from the edge of the southern continent or something?”
“What’s that?”
He sighed and continued.
“Forget it. I break the bars. I go to the storage room.”
“Storage room?”
“Then I trigger an explosion using gunpowder. While they’re distracted, you go to the boss’s room.”
“Boss’s room?”
“Exactly. The real exit is a hidden passage.”
“But why me? You could do it alone.”
“….”
He paused for a long time.
“Because… there might be unknown risks… and we need speed…”
It was clearly a made-up excuse.
Still, I didn’t have a reason to refuse.
“Fine. When do we move?”
“Now. The guard is gone.”
Rev stood up.
“Wait. What about the others?”
“…That’s not our concern.”
“What?! If we’re leaving, we should all—”
“You’re misunderstanding something.”
He stared at me coldly.
“They’re weak. They won’t survive anyway.”
“Then I’m weak too! You literally said I was crazy!”
I grabbed his collar.
“…The fact you can argue means you’re fine.”
He easily pushed my hand away.
His strength was on another level.
“Demon, huh…”
I muttered.
Then I said firmly.
“I’m taking them with us.”
“You idiot. Don’t ruin the plan.”
“Then do your part properly.”
Rev smashed his fist into the bars.
The bars shattered instantly.
He ran outside.
“See you later.”
“Wait!”
“…Changed your mind?”
“Where’s the boss’s room?”
“….”
“…You didn’t tell me.”
“….”