To Hell With Being a Hero!

On the other hand, he became curious. This ability had suddenly gotten registered in his user information. ‘How strong…am I now?’

“Congratulations.” Byeok’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “In the end, you obtained a strong power for yourself.” If he wasn’t mistaken, she didn’t sound pleased. “So, how does it feel to have a power beyond your means? Do you feel like you’re going to fly?”

Chi-Woo quietly looked down at his hand. He had also been thinking that compared to the past, he had changed 180 degrees, and his level of sensory perception might have changed too dramatically. It felt like entering a new world, and the first thing he felt after experiencing this world was, “It’s a little…scary…”

Byeok lifted one eyebrow.

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to use this power well…”

After hearing Chi-Woo speak in a slightly hoarse voice, Byeok’s angry expression subsided a little. Two extremes were two sides of the same coin. It was a problem to have too little confidence, but having too much was also a problem.

In a way, power was like a drug. There were many cases when a lucky person who won the lottery failed to control themselves and ended up in ruins. Byeok also saw many heroes become corrupt after gaining great power, and as her disciple, she was more worried about Chi-Woo than others. However, Chi-Woo’s reply just now reassured her a little. Having a thought like that meant that he was less likely to be corrupted.

Of course, it was only in the present, and no one knew what the future may hold. Byeok said, “…It must have appeared in your user information.”

“Yes.”

“Then make a promise with me,” Byeok softly continued. “To not recklessly improve that ability by only pursuing strength.” It was similar to the condition that he shouldn’t release his sealed abilities whenever he wanted.

“Yes, I promise.”

“Really?” When Chi-Woo easily agreed, Byeok asked for confirmation suspiciously.

“I was actually thinking about doing that already.” Chi-Woo wasn’t lying. He was still struggling to adjust to the sea of information coming from his sensory organs, so he couldn’t even imagine what would happen if he raised its rank. He might consider it after fully preparing himself and getting stronger, but at his current level, he didn’t even dare to think about it. Rather than just relying on the growth system, he needed to be able to utilize it.

“…Geez. Your attitude makes me wonder if you two really are brothers. I’m sure you came from the same womb, but how can you two be so different…”

“Sorry?”

“No, it’s nothing. Anyway, that’s good.” Byeok thought Chi-Woo didn’t seem to be lying, and the worry on her face disappeared. Moreover, since the situation turned out like this, she decided to think positively. After entering Liber as part of the ninth recruits, she had endlessly devoured information about Liber’s situation and Chi-Woo. After reading all the reports, Byeok reached a conclusion that Liber’s salvation needed to be centered around Chi-Woo, not Chi-Hyun. No matter how many times she thought about it, she came to the same conclusion.

The reason why Byeok was so certain of this was because of the World’s will. Liber’s World chose Chi-Woo over Chi-Hyun, and the fact that Chi-Woo had the seven-sided die was evidence of that. Therefore, Chi-Woo needed to carry out the World’s will.

“Then let’s stop training.”

Chi-Woo quickly lifted his head. This was the end of training? Was he perhaps graduating?

“Don’t be mistaken. I’m only talking about the internal training.”

‘What did she mean?’ When Chi-Woo tilted her head, Byeok smirked. “Let’s talk about the details tomorrow. I think I also need to organize my thoughts. You should rest well for today.”

* * *

The next day arrived. After lunch, Byeok and Chi-Woo convened in a room rather than the yard. They sat face to face, and Byeok got right down to business. “What do you think power is?”

It was a profound question. He could answer it philosophically, but Chi-Woo decided to not think too hard about it. A simple and clear answer might be closer to the truth.

“I think it’s a measure of how strong someone or something is.”

“Yeah. So what are the factors that determine how strong you are?”

“Uh…well, first of all, there’s the user information.”

“And?”

“Hmm…one’s natural ability independent of the growth system?”

“What else?” Chi-Woo closed his mouth for a moment. Since she kept asking him more questions, he thought that he should think more deeply about his answer.

Noting that Chi-Woo didn’t seem to have a clue, Byeok decided to give him a hint. “Why don’t you try thinking about external factors excluding yourself?”

Only then did Chi-Woo let out a small exclamation. “Your comrade.”

“Yeah, that’s the answer.” Byeok nodded. “A reliable comrade or a group of reliable comrades. Factors that count as strength are not limited to yourself.”

Byeok was correct; words such as alumni, regionalism, and blood ties existed for a reason. Byeok asked, “Why do you think I brought this topic up to you?”

“So that I’ll gather more reliable comrades?”

“Then I would have simply told you to do so.”

Chi-Woo blinked when Byeok closely considered him. After a short pause, she said, “I’ll put it bluntly. This is my guess, but I don’t think Liber’s World is gone.”

Chi-Woo’s eyes widened. The disappearance of Liber’s World was confirmed by the Celestial Realm, but Byeok was saying the opposite.

“It’s impossible to know whether Liber’s World disappeared or has been hiding quietly. But one thing is clear.” Byeok continued, “There’s a hero here who has inherited the will of the World.”

“Who—”

“He’s in front of me right now.”

Chi-Woo’s expression stiffened.

“Think about it carefully.” Byeok paid no heed to his reaction and continued, “The World’s Milestone and how you got that die.”

Chi-Woo’s mouth slightly widened. Frankly, he had been curious ever since he came to Liber why he got transported to an unknown space and received a die before his arrival. But as Byeok said, if the girl surrounded by white light was really Liber’s World, everything made sense.

“You don’t look that surprised,” Byeok continued as she stared at Chi-Woo, who was lost in thought. “I’m sure you felt it too. Why are events always happening with you in the center?”

That was the last nail in the coffin. This had been true for the Zepar expedition and the rescue mission for the eighth recruits. There were many other notable events as well. As soon as one event was over, another happened around him. Moreover, most of those events were connected.

“Since you inherited the will of the World, you have to act as the center. Even if it might not be true for now, you have to do so in the near future. This means that you need to build a force centered around you.” In other words, Chi-Woo needed to create an army solely for himself “This is the path that a hero chosen by the World needs to walk.”

Chi-Woo became speechless; the revelation was too much for him to take in all at once.

“Don’t tell me no or deny it.” Byeok seemed to have noticed Chi-Woo’s hesitation. “If that’s not the case, there is no reason why you have that special privilege.”

Chi-Woo closed his eyes inadvertently. He admitted that Byeok was right. It wasn’t just his die; there was his special privilege: 7 Ways to Become a Great and Respected Parent. He now knew why out of hundreds of people, he was the only one who went into a mysterious library and received a special privilege. In short, he was presented with the direction to Liber’s salvation with a condition—to save Liber with the die and special privilege. If this was the World’s wish, it made sense why he was given these special perks.

Therefore, Chi-Woo could not act as a side-kick or bystander; as Byeok said, even if he didn’t like it, he needed to play a central role in key events to save Liber. The more he thought about it, the heavier his shoulders felt.

“Will I…” Chi-Woo wiped his face with a hand. “Will I be able to do it…” This was completely different from when he was training; training by himself was a far cry from standing at the peak of an enormous force.

“It may be easier than you think.”

“?”

“You have a stronger and firmer background than anyone else.”

Chi-Woo grasped what Byeok was trying to say; she was telling him to reveal his last name to everyone. ‘Certainly…’ His situation had changed a lot from before. There were a few people who knew who he was. His companions as well as all the Celestial Lights knew his true identity. Considering this, his secret was still unexpectedly well maintained. This was because the people around him were keeping their mouth shut for him, and Ru Amuh was keeping a good eye on Ru Hiana. However, this was viable to change. Moreover, the Celestial Lights were keeping his secret because they judged that revealing the truth would only benefit the Choi family.

But what would happen if Chi-Woo revealed that he was part of the Choi family and the legend’s blood relative? Things might get easier than he might think since revealing his last name alone would draw attention beyond his imagination. The path that he had walked so far would be re-examined with a completely different perspective.

“No.” However, Chi-Woo shook his head. “I don’t want to do that yet.”

“Not yet, you say…” Byeok tapped the pipe in her hand. “Can I ask you why?”

“If I’m going to do this, I do think it might be better to just reveal it.” Then Chi-Woo added, “—if I had lived like my older brother.” In other words, if he had been raised as a hero since young like Chi-Hyun. However, Chi-Woo grew up not knowing anything. “I’m definitely part of the Choi family, and I’ve directly seen and heard what the Celestial Realm’s heroes think of the Choi family.” He heard from both heroes who liked and disliked the Choi family. They had one thing in common. Regardless of their personal feelings, they all first showed their respect. Even the prideful Celestial Lights failed to act haughtily facing Chi-Hyun’s command.

“I…” Considering all this, Chi-Woo voiced his thoughts, “I think I’m still a long way from meeting that expectation.

Byeok looked at Chi-Woo with a strange expression. “Then are you planning to keep it a secret forever?”

“No.” Chi-Woo shook his head again. “I will reveal it eventually, but only when I need to.”

Byeok slightly tilted her chin. She would actually be the first to stop him if Chi-Woo said he was going to use the Choi family’s name. It was because while there were great advantages to that path, there were clear disadvantages as well. Although it might be the easy way that showed results immediately, it would be hard for him to reach his goal in the end. The reason for this was because Chi-Hyun wouldn’t stay still.

Chi-Hyun put his brother’s safety before Liber’s salvation. If Chi-Woo revealed his last name to everyone, Chi-Hyun would immediately come forward and support him publicly. He would acknowledge that Chi-Woo was his younger brother, and he would generously support him under the pretext of family. No one would insult him for this; rather, they would think this was only natural since the Choi family possessed that much power. Therein lay the problem, however; Chi-Woo’s image would be greatly influenced by Chi-Hyun as a result. For example, people might say he was not better than his older brother, or that his older brother had his back. Later, no matter what great achievement Chi-Woo might make, the praise and credit would go to his family instead. In other words, he could get close to the center, but it would be difficult for him to become the center.

However, Byeok’s concerns were nothing more than a false alarm. She fully understood Chi-Woo’s will; he had no intention to rely on the power of his family, but he still wanted to thoroughly use it depending on the situation. If necessary, he would no longer hesitate to reveal his last name. In Byeok’s perspective, this was the perfect answer. Moreover, this was a helpful way of thinking for not just this situation, but everything, especially for his personal growth. Still, the fact that this was a difficult path remained unchanged.

“I respect and admire your will, but it won’t be easy. Be prepared.”

“Yes, that’s most likely the case…” Chi-Woo wasn’t a fool either; he knew what it meant to play a central role. Who was the backbone of humanity now? If he asked anyone, they would all answer Chi-Hyun 100 percent of the time. Therefore, Byeok’s words also meant that he should be prepared to push out Chi-Hyun. Besides the fact that Chi-Hyun was his blood-related brother, Chi-Woo had to supersede Chi-Hyun and the overwhelming and astounding reputation he’d built for decades, which led to him being called the legend. It was a truly formidable task, and in a way, it might be easier for Chi-Woo to get stronger physically than his brother than accomplish this feat.

“I understand what you mean…but I have no idea what I should do first…”

“That’s already been decided.”

“What?”

“Why are you so surprised? Even a thousand miles starts with one step forward.”

“Oh, are you perhaps talking about my tier? If that’s the case—”

“Yeah, there’s that, but isn’t there something much more important than that?”

There was something more urgent than raising his tier? When Chi-Woo stared at her blankly, Byeok sighed and said, “Your name.”

Chi-Woo flinched.

“What kind of name is Chichibbong anyway? I doubted my eyes when I read it.”

Chi-Woo was even more flustered when Byeok said it with a tone of rebuke.

“How did you...”

“Weren’t you ashamed every time you said it? What kind of poor naming sense do you have?”

“Please wait a minute, master. About that—”

“Don’t bother.” When Chi-Woo tried to make excuses, Byeok said bluntly, “Besides your last name, you should make sure you reveal your name properly in the future. As much as what is on the inside, it’s important to consider how you present yourself as well.” Byeok began to scold him, saying he shouldn’t dream of gaining awe and respect under such a ridiculous name.

On second thought, no matter what great achievements a hero made, if their name was something like ‘Bumblebee Cabbagepatch’, Chi-Woo’s first reaction might be to laugh.

“Yes…I got it…” In the end, Chi-Woo answered with his head down while making a firm resolve to live confidently as Chi-Woo rather than Chichibbong.