The Hero Is Made by Gear

The hero is made by gear. "Krrraaaah—!" The hydra reared all eight of its heads at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠once and roared. The sound was so deafening it felt like my eardrums would burst. Purple poisonous gas billowed from its maws like thick fog.

"Shit, it's breathing! Dodge!" Before I could even finish shouting, the forest began to melt. Hsssss— Trees dissolved like candle wax and the ground bubbled violently.

"Cough! Cough!"

"Ugh...!"

Seo Yoona and Han Soeun staggered at the same time. Poison resistance potions? Of course they hadn't brought any. Who would've expected a B-Class deadly venom to show up during a freshman training exercise?

"This is seriously high-maintenance," I grumbled, rummaging through my pocket. A 300 million won Purification Orb. Using it here made my eyes sting with tears, but what choice did I have?

Clink—! The moment I smashed three orbs on the ground, a pure white light spread out and pushed back the toxic gas.

"Haa... Haa..."

The two women, finally able to breathe again, turned to look at me. Their eyes sparkled brightly.

"Senior... did you prepare this in advance?"

"Young Master, as expected..."

"Don't get the wrong idea. I didn't use it for you two," I snapped back curtly, glaring at the hydra. That slippery bastard. Its regeneration was so broken that ordinary damage wouldn't even scratch it.

That was when it happened.

"......Huh?"

My eyes widened. What? It could cure Mana Insensitivity? The one and only trash flaw in this body—the garbage mana circuits—could actually be fixed?

My heart began pounding like crazy. That was something money couldn't buy. Even if I offered 300 trillion won, it couldn't fix this body, but one monster heart could do it?

I have to eat it.

The switch of greed flipped on. That thing was no longer a disaster. It was a walking treasure chest. I had to kill it no matter what.

But there was a problem. To take it down, I'd have to use my 'secret weapon'... and that would look pretty suspicious and embarrassing.

An F-Class using A-Class magic? I'd be suspected immediately. And more importantly, to monopolize the hidden piece, there couldn't be any witnesses.

I need to send them away. Somewhere safe. And out of my sight.

"Hey, you two."

I called out.

"Yes, Senior!"

"Yes, Young Master!"

"Get out of here."

"......Pardon?"

Both of them stared at me with dumb expressions.

"Didn't you hear? I said get out. You're in the way."

I deliberately scowled.

"Look at the state you're in. You can barely hold your sword, and you can't even cast spells. If you stick around, you'll just be dead weight. Got it?"

I deliberately chose the harshest words I could. That way they'd give up and leave.

"B-but..."

Seo Yoona cried out, her voice cracking.

"How can I leave Senior behind alone! Against that monster... I'd rather die together!"

"Me too! I won't go! ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠If Young Master dies, I'll bite my tongue and die too!"

Han Soeun clung to my arm, sobbing. These girls were seriously turning this into a drama. Why the hell would they die together? I was just trying to farm some loot.

Words won't work.

I sighed and pulled out a Short-Range Spatial Teleport Scroll from my pocket. Ten billion won per sheet. Tearing it would forcibly send anyone within a five-meter radius to the gate entrance.

I looked at the two women. Their faces were stained with poison, but the way their eyes worried for me was completely sincere.

It was... kind of cute, actually.

I roughly fixed Han Soeun's messy hair and tossed out casually,

"Go look in a mirror or something."

"......Pardon?"

"Look at the state you're in. You're someone precious who has to stay by my side, so don't show up looking like that. Only show me your pretty side."

Han Soeun's face flushed bright red. Even in this situation, Young Master is still worrying about how I look... Because I'm his woman.

This time I turned to Seo Yoona. Her hand holding the sword was trembling violently.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Relax your grip."

I took her hand and lowered the blade.

"You're going to ruin the edge. You're more precious to me than any expensive sword."

Seo Yoona's pupils shook. Senior... even when his life is on the line, he's still thinking of me.

"Go and wait for me."

I said indifferently.

"I hate it when my things get scratched. Stay in perfect condition and wait."

"Young Master..."

"Senior..."

Tears welled up in their eyes. The words my things seemed to paralyze their reason.

We belong to him. He's trying to protect us. Even at the cost of his own life.

"No... I don't want to..."

Han Soeun seemed to catch on and began backing away.

"I won't go! I want to stay with you!"

"Too late."

I gave them a wink, then tore the scroll without hesitation.

Riiip—!

"Nooooooo!"

"Lee Dohyuuuun!"

A blue light enveloped the two women. Their desperate screams echoed through the air. They reached out to grab me, but spatial teleportation magic showed no mercy.

Pop—!

The two women vanished. The forest was now empty. Just me and the hydra, alone.

"Whew..."

Only then did I let out the breath I'd been holding and roughly loosen my tie. My legs gave out completely. I collapsed onto the ground.

"Ugh, damn... my legs are shaking so bad I might actually piss myself."

To be honest, I thought I was going to. No matter how much I trusted my gear, pretending to be tough in front of a building-sized monster wasn't easy. Cold sweat poured down my back like rain.

"The audience has left, so I can stop acting now."

I opened the inner pocket of my jacket. Golden glowing scrolls greeted me.

That was the price of two buildings in Gangnam. My hands were shaking. Not from fear, but from how much it hurt to spend.

"This is so expensive... If Grandpa finds out, he'll disown me..."

But the hydra in front of me didn't give a damn about my wallet. Enraged that its two prey had disappeared, all eight heads came barreling toward me.

"Krrraaaah!"

"Yeah, yeah, keep barking! This meal's gonna cost you!"

I slipped the Ring of Absolute Defense onto my finger.

Clang! The instant a transparent golden dome formed, the hydra's fangs bounced off. The sound of its teeth cracking was oddly satisfying.

"How's that taste? That's capitalism, baby!"

I cackled inside the dome and pulled the pins on the grenades. One, two, three... Screw it, all ten!

"Time for fireworks!"

I hurled the bundle of grenades outside the barrier.

Boom! Boomboomboom!

With a tremendous explosion, three or four of the hydra's heads burst apart. Chunks of flesh rained down like a bloody shower. The creature writhed in agony and staggered backward.

"Gotta finish it before it regenerates."

I pulled out my final card—the 50 billion won Dragon's Breath Scroll.

The moment I tore the paper, an overwhelming surge of mana wrapped around my body. It was hot. Like holding lava in my bare hands.

I stared at the creature's belly, where its heart was. My S-Class mana core was in there. My life-changing item was in there.

"Eat this, you damn eel bastard!"

I shoved the scroll straight into its gaping maw.

"Payment in full, cash only!"

Whoosh—!

A massive flame dragon rose from my fingertips. The sound of fifty billion won burning was more beautiful than any magic incantation.

Pop!

In a flash of light, Seo Yoona and Han Soeun tumbled onto the dirt ground outside the gate.

"Ow..."

The shock of the forced teleport left them dazed for a moment. But they quickly realized what had happened. This wasn't the forest. It was the safe entrance. And he wasn't here.

"Senior!"

"Young Master!"

Both women shot to their feet at the same time and sprinted back toward the gate. Even when their legs gave out and they fell, they tried to crawl forward. But—

Rumble rumble rumble—!

The ground shook. Deep inside the gate, a massive flash of light erupted, so bright it blurred their vision.

Kwaaaaaaaa—!

An enormous explosion. The shockwave reached all the way to the entrance. Seo Yoona and Han Soeun were swept up by the blast and sent tumbling backward.

"Ah......"

Han Soeun stared blankly with her mouth open. Black smoke was swallowing the forest. With an explosion that big... there was no way anyone could survive. Not the B-Class monster, and not the person still inside it.

"This can't be real."

Han Soeun clutched her head.

"It's a lie... it's a lie..."

He had promised. He'd said, 'Don't get scratched because you're mine.' Was that his last will? Did he throw away that expensive life just to save me?

"Aaaaaaaaah!"

Seo Yoona slammed her fists against the ground and wailed. Her nails broke and blood flowed, but she felt no pain.

"It's because I'm... I'm too weak..."

Self-loathing swallowed her whole. She had called herself a knight. She had boasted that she would protect him. In the end, she had been the one protected and sent running. She had cowardly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠accepted the chance he created by risking his life.

"Young Master... please come out... I beg you..."

Han Soeun staggered forward again, crawling toward the gate. But management staff came running and blocked her.

"Student! It's dangerous! You can't go in!"

"Let go! Let go of me! My Young Master is still in there!"

Han Soeun screamed and bit down hard on the staff member's arm. Her eyes had completely lost their sanity. Reason? Dignity? None of that existed anymore. Without him, the world itself didn't exist.

"Senior..."

Seo Yoona sat on the ground, staring blankly at the burning forest. The light in her eyes had vanished. And into that empty space, a dark, sticky darkness began to seep in.

Just stay alive.

She muttered through blood-stained lips.

If you just come back alive... I won't let you go again.

Even if I have to cut off your arms and legs. I'll tie you to my side. Even if I have to lock you in a room where not a single ray of sunlight can reach, I'll make sure you never set foot in a dangerous place again.

Not even one step outside my sight... I'll never let you leave.

Han Soeun, who had been thrashing beside her, had also gone quiet. It seemed she was thinking the exact same thing. Her nails dug into her palms until blood dripped steadily.

At that very moment, deep inside the forest, Lee Dohyun was cackling, "Whoa! Heart get! I made back my 80 billion!"

Completely unaware of that fact, only despair and madness settled heavily over the gate entrance.