Episode 101. Mass-produced hero
Hero Garam Lee.
When she had just entered this world, she experienced humiliation at the traditional hazing ceremony held among warriors, and as a result, she suffered the stigma of being a weedless warrior.
Such a stigma continues to circulate among fallen heroes even now.
For warriors who always find fault with their opponents and find fault with them, the fact that they already have a record of being labeled as a culling warrior is reason enough to be treated with contempt.
‘Unlike them, the do-tae warriors are now taking it upon themselves to help workers… …. ‘Is that so?’
Rather, because she did not accept the culture of the warriors, the girl walked a different path from the other warriors.
The Irregular’s help was of great help in reinforcing the garrison at this moment.
“Thanks to you, the work was completed faster than expected. Should we leave the finishing work here to the workers and go eat first?”
“Hmm, okay. “What’s on the menu for lunch today?”
“I just happened to have some seasoning left over at the dorm. Should I eat pork?”
“… “For some reason, when I eat together with you, it seems like it’s either pork or pork cutlet.”
“That’s because after working hard, you need to eat something hearty and stimulating to gain strength. “But you, little one, why does Hyoseong keep calling you oppa and me calling you uncle?”
“If you call someone a kid, it means there is a big age difference between them. “Melong~”
Two warriors bickering with each other and leaving the work site.
There was a generally positive reaction from the workers who watched the scene, but if it was an emotion aimed at the existence of a warrior, there would be people who did not view it so favorably.
A hero is someone who is considered a hero and idol that everyone looks up to and should become their spiritual support.
If such a being were to stand in the same position as the small citizens, it might be thought that it would lose its symbolism as an idol.
‘But that kind of recognition is probably a good thing for me.’
Marcus Cradle.
To him, the corps commander, everyone in the military was nothing more than a part of the community and a part of the army that needed to be cooperated to achieve the goal.
The same goes for heroes.
Even if there is a role that suits them, those who do not even perform that role and only seek to make profits are bound to be regarded as a nuisance.
“Adjutant, how many warriors are currently active?”
“Except for the two warriors Lee Garam and Namseong, who helped the workers, most of them do not have any proper duties… …. “I don’t know if they will cooperate.”
“If they come out uncooperative, this side will have to take a hard line too.”
If you have power, you should use it.
If they don’t listen to me, I can just give them a warning.
Marcus, the person in charge of this land, had the authority to do so.
***
“Oh my goodness, warrior~ You can’t touch those places~”
“What do you think~ I had a lot of fun last night~”
After such judgment, we arrived at a warrior’s lodgings.
When he went inside, ignoring the coquettish voices coming from inside, the man and woman rolling around on the bed expressed their displeasure towards him.
“What are you? Suddenly. Without even knocking to know where I am…….”
“The brave Shin Ji-ho.”
Marcus just responded in a cold voice.
What was important to him was not who the opponent was or how they felt, but to protect the safety of this garrison.
“Do you think I am in a position to listen to what you say and step down?”
“… Hiccup. “Oh what, was it you?”
It is not until then that the hero Shin Ji-ho abandons the adventurer woman whom he had previously embraced like a prostitute.
It seemed as if he had not yet woken up from drinking all night, and his proud face was still stained red even after he recognized himself.
“Uh huh~! Okay! When I asked who it was, it turned out to be our corps commander!? “I’m sorry, I drank too much and it was late to find out~!”
Frivolous and sloppy words and actions.
Shin Ji-ho, who did not even show the slightest respect for his superiors, jumped up from the bed and began to bring the alcohol from the table.
“What brings you here? Let’s have fun together? It worked out well, this time the merchants brought some good alcohol and we drank together… ….”
-Clink!
A liquor bottle falling and breaking from a swinging sword.
Shin Ji-ho’s face, looking down at him, gradually began to become irritated.
“… Mr. Ha, I only have one bottle of that.”
“So, are you going to attack me?”
A normal person would have been prepared to die at the point when he offended the hero.
But Marcus did not feel intimidated and just fired back as if to overwhelm Shin Ji-ho.
Antagonizing yourself means disobeying the imperial family, which means you will become a wanted criminal and become a corrupt warrior.
“Puh-huh, that can’t be possible~ I too am living off the empire’s rust, so how can I reconcile with the commander?”
Luckily, even though the other person was drunk, he still had that level of mental intelligence.
It is a concept that is far from sincere loyalty or a great cause, but if there is something that can achieve something like that, it would be good to use it.
“… Follow me. “I will introduce you to the place where you will be active.”
“Hey, if you tell me to do it, you have to do it~ Instead, after you finish work, don’t touch me for a while? “It’s so exhausting to be interrupted during the best of times.”
Shin Ji-ho is drunk and barely dressed.
Afterwards, Marcus glanced back at the person following him and quietly turned his head and answered.
“… “As long as you do the job well, you can do anything.”
His steps were unsteady due to intoxication, but there was no sign of worry on his face.
It’s as if I have absolute confidence that I can do whatever happens next.
****
Yes, he will definitely be able to do well no matter what happens.
The title of hero is given to those who are born with such abilities.
The key is motivation, not ability.
Despite his position as a corps commander, the reason he had to leave the base and head to the operational area was because he was the only one who could control the problems he would face in an emergency.
“Are they the ones down there?”
“Yes, an undead army in the Corpse Lord’s sphere of influence.”
A hilly area arrived after passing a foggy ridge.
At the bottom of the hill there, an undead army could be seen standing there, watched by the scouting unit that had joined them.
The equipment on his body is old and rusty, but he is armed.
The sight of hundreds of troops standing in an orderly manner is also something that could never be seen among the undead that naturally occur in the wild.
“Hey, look at how crowded it is. “Are the Four Knights I’ve only heard about through rumors here?”
“No, it is a unit led by the lich under him.”
“Is this not the level of a corps commander, but a battalion commander? “Oh, by the way, I thought he must be such a great person that he called me, but he couldn’t even sort out one of those idiots, so he ended up calling me here.”
With that level of force, this side can also respond.
However, if that happens, our side will also have to send hundreds of people, and if we engage in an all-out war with them like that, there will be a risk of casualties on our side as well.
Moreover, if you lead your troops and fight directly in a situation where the enemy’s strategy has not yet been properly confirmed, there is a risk of being fooled by the enemy’s tricks.
In order to prevent the opponent’s intentions in advance, the best way is to secretly attack with a small number of elites and make a complete strike.
“So, you’re saying you can’t do it?”
However, due to the nature of a warrior, it would be considered a nuisance to even elaborate on such intentions.
Marcus spoke as if he was getting on his nerves, and Shin Ji-ho burst out laughing and quietly stood up from his seat.
“Just stay there and watch. “I’ll just go and take care of it and come back.”
Shin Ji-ho moves his unsteady feet while adjusting the collar he was wearing roughly.
Afterwards, members of the reconnaissance unit who were watching him go down the hill expressed their concerns about Marcus, who came here with Shin Ji-ho.
“Commander, are you okay? Anyway, processing that many numbers alone…….”
From Noble mtl dot com
“There you are. “Don’t you know why a hero is called a hero?”
Alone among hundreds of troops.
If you have never seen the majesty of a warrior in person, it would be natural to feel uneasy, but as a corps commander, Marcus has seen the achievements of many warriors.
I realized through my own skin why heroes are called heroes and why they are revered as saviors regardless of their humanity or purpose.
‘Yes, regardless of their values or actions, their power is real.’
-Pazzu!!
The moment when I felt the electric current flowing through my body.
Marcus wanted to compare him with a warrior he admired in the past.
There may be differences in the details, but at least his power and potential may be comparable to the warriors I saw at that time.
“… Human.”
But is it because his brain is rotten that he cannot perceive such power?
Soon, the corpse of the black hood leading the undead group, a high-ranking undead called Lich, began to show hostility as he saw Shin Ji-ho approaching.
“Human, this, came here. Everyone, prepare for battle, for the Queen…….”
– Pooooo!!!!
A powerful thunderbolt shoots out from the swung hand.
As the Lich’s head, exposed to the attack, burned on the spot, the bodies of the undead waiting in front of him convulsed all at once.
The leader was not embarrassed because he was attacked.
The actions of the undead, who have no such thing as consciousness, are based on the orders of higher entities.
If such a higher-level entity becomes unable to give orders, they naturally lose control and have no choice but to remain faithful to their overriding instincts.
“Koooh, oh oh oh oh!”
“Kyaaa!”
The undead run wild with madness and appetite, screaming and screaming.
Their target was, of course, the person closest to them, but Shin Ji-ho just stood there and put all his strength into his body.
Paz ie, zu ie. The electric current that spreads through the skin to the surroundings is due to the ability he has, ‘electric current skin’.
He can generate electricity when his magical power flows through his skin, and this power was greatly strengthened through all kinds of artifacts and elixirs he received from his patrons.
-Quaga River!! Quagga River!!
The result is the massacre that takes place at this very moment.
The undead who were attacking only one human were burned to the bone by the electric current before they reached him, turning them into ashes one by one.
There was no need for even aiming to spread the electricity.
The overwhelming power released just by standing can burn up a rotten human body very easily.
“Puhuhuh, hahahahaha!!!”
Shin Ji-ho, showing off such power, burst into laughter.
My intoxicated mind began to gradually become tinged with a sense of elation as I looked at the trash that was overwhelming me at this moment.
“What are you doing! You corpses! Try harder! This is so boring that it’s not even a fight! hahahaha!!”
It took less than a minute for the number of undead who fell to the ground and stopped moving to spread from dozens to hundreds, and eventually to the entire population.
The soldiers of the reconnaissance unit expressed shock when they saw the scene of an individual massacre of a battalion unit, but Marcus just looked down with calm eyes.
‘Yes, her potential is similar to hers, so she is called her dragon.’
It is not yet at a level where it can stand up to the dragon.
Not yet… ….
But that was also an achievement achieved in only about 1 to 2 years after coming to this world.
If he continues to survive after her death and develops her power, he may be able to grow beyond her into an overwhelming force and become a being that will drive out her dragon-like ash.
‘There are currently more than ten such warriors in this garrison alone.’
That’s why the empire is obsessed with summoning heroes.
It is possible to ‘mass produce’ beings like the warriors who fought against the dragon in the past, so all mankind calls them hope.
Even in a world so harsh that a hero cannot endure it alone, it will be possible to completely protect the safety of humanity if such people form a unit of tens or hundreds of people.
“… “It’s boring. Do I really have to travel this far for something like this?”
But those who are intoxicated with such strength sometimes forget one fact.
The leisure that comes from great power gives birth to arrogance, and such arrogance creates a weakness called ‘carelessness’, which is a gap that has nothing to do with power.
“That’s okay. If you’re done with the annoying work, I’ll go take a rest.”
Yes, at this moment, Shin Ji-ho did not notice the incident that occurred at the scene of the massacre and was just trying to leave his post.
At the scene where the ash burned by the electric current was blowing around, I did not notice that the corpses lying around starting from the lich were tangled together and forming into a huge shape.
“Shin Ji-ho!!! Look behind you!!”
Marcus notices this on the hill and shouts.
Shin Ji-ho, unable to keep his guard up, frowned and vented his frustration at him.
“Oh really, why is this old man doing that again?”
His own strength is almost invincible.
There was no way any of the undead burned there were alive, and it seemed displeasing to him that they were trying to manipulate him just because he was a superior.
You only see it once. Asking him to do any more work than this would have gone against my plan to enjoy drinking and women today.
“Hey, you old man. Do you think I’m a brat for following you here so obediently!? What should I order you to do this time…?”
-Quad!
Right after that, Shin Ji-ho gets caught by something swinging from behind.
The bones of his entire body crumbled from the pressure, but it happened so quickly that Shin Ji-ho couldn’t even properly understand the situation.
-Beep, beep.
But even if you noticed, it was already too late.
The corpses that were thought to have been burned by his power were secretly gathered together out of his reach and were soon hardening into a gigantic shape.
In the form of a gigantic ‘corpse golem’, created by the magic left behind by the lich who leads them, entwined together.
“Uh, uh, wait…..”
– Quad deuk!
The moment I realized the crisis, my body was crushed and the blood it squeezed out began to stain the floor.
The faces of the scouts who were watching the scene from the hill began to turn pale.
“Hey, the hero got hit…!?”
“This is ridiculous…”
“What are you waiting for? The enemy has already recognized us! Prepare to retreat immediately!”
A moment is enough to understand the situation.
Marcus, who had finished all his men, urged his men to run to where his horses were.
Actually, as he said, the corpse golem had already recognized them and was preparing to throw the piece of flesh it was holding in its hand.
He was once called a hero, but now he is nothing more than a piece of meat to throw.
-The Quagga River!
Everything that existed in the place where it was thrown into pieces was crushed, crushed, and began to explode into fragments in all directions.
Fortunately, there have been no casualties yet, but time will inevitably be wasted just to correct the current chaos.
-Kugung!
Taking advantage of the swing, the golem jumped high into the air and soon prepared to swing its fist towards where Marcus and the scouting unit were.
‘It must be stopped.’
A sword at the waist that is drawn reflexively.
However, the moment Marcus met the fist swinging towards him, he couldn’t help but feel hesitation.
Is it really possible for an ‘ordinary human’ like myself to stop that monster created from hundreds of corpses that killed even a warrior in an instant even if he was not careful?
‘If you don’t stop it, everyone will die…!’
Even so, his Aura was about to swing the young sword towards the golem flying towards him.
-Wow!! Kwaang!!!
A flash of light came from the opposite side of where he was standing and struck the golem’s body.
Soon, it changed into the shape of a spear and pushed its body out of its seat.
-Kooooo… Oooh…!!
A large body that is violently pushed away by an explosion of magical power.
Marcus, whose safety was thus secured, quickly took his attention away from the corpse golem and looked back at the person approaching here.
An alien in black armor came here before I knew it, retrieved his spear that had fallen on the floor, and took a stance.