This World Needs a Hero

Chapter 14

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Avatar Training.

Since obtaining the Iris of Laplace, I have been favouring this training, rapidly improving my skills with a realistic progression similar to actual combat.

It creates a simulation of the battlefield and enemies stored in the information collective, making the training feel like real combat.

The principles are similar to illusion magic.

One should not underestimate it as just an illusion; the sensations felt during training are genuine.

Moreover, facing death during the training results in an unpleasant experience of temporary loss of consciousness.

▼

Would you like to set ‘Advanced Monster, Agini,’ as the training avatar?

▲

Nodding, my field of vision changed.

The expansive training ground was enveloped in darkness, and the silhouette of the monster I had been facing wearily emerged in the distance.

Agini.

A monster commonly found near the seaside, resembling a crab.

It had a tough outer shell and a large, powerful claw capable of crushing small boats in a single blow.

Its main weapon was a massive claw, wielding it like a fist with substantial mass.

For a knight of reasonable skill, it was a threatening monster, easily eliminating them in an instant.

In the past few days, the record of my battles against Agini was roughly as follows:

21 victories, 11 defeats.

If I fought three times, I would lose once.

The difficulty lay in the creature’s intricate and robust outer shell, making it challenging to land accurate hits.

On the other hand, the colossal claw punch was deadly even with a mere graze.

If I had fought using a standard weapon instead of the black sword, the win rate would have been even lower.

However, the current state of battle presented a significant change.

Pa-ah-!

A single claw came flying at the upper body.

It was slow enough to induce a yawn.

I raised the black hope diagonally, redirecting the attack upwards.

Previously, I would have dodged the attack by flying my body, but now, the defense happened almost instinctively.

Thunk!

The claw smoothly bounced upward.

I thrust the sword into the exposed space.

That was the end of it.

Kwajijijik!

The once impenetrable outer shell crumbled inward, shattering into pieces.

Fresh flesh fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

▼

Avatar training concludes.

Training evaluation: S

▲

…It’s genius.

It was a genius swordsmanship.

Of course, this might still be considered limited in some circles.

“What I’ve been doing so far was just surface level.”

Despite my efforts as an ordinary talent, I could only imitate the form.

However, now I fully understand the content.

How to move muscles and manipulate magic to maximize power.

It vividly came to me as if I had become a real Hero.

▼

If the evaluation result is A or above,

It is recommended to practice against a stronger avatar.

Would you like to summon a stronger avatar?

▲

I nodded.

▼

Setting ‘Lesser Demon, Azimuth’ as the training avatar.

▲

Azimuth.

A demon named Azimuth.

His name was mentioned without fail in the epic of the Hero.

The first lesser demon he had subjugated.

His inexperienced battle had become a legend.

My heart began to pound.

“I’ll be facing a demon directly.”

These beings were entirely different from simple monsters.

The deepest part of the Demon Realm.

Powerful beings projecting the will to exterminate humans from the very origin of all evil, manifesting in different dimensions.

No matter how low-ranking, one needed the skill to handle ki to confront them.

Calling a human capable of defeating demons alone an “Hero” was not an exaggeration.

Even if Polymorph evolved, could I defeat a Lesser demon?

…The answer would soon come.

Woooooong!

The silhouette that was faintly visible at the edge of my sight changed.

▼

– The battlefield is assigned randomly

– Summoning ‘Amora’s Desert’ (No. 79)

▲

I gripped my sword, staring ahead.

Azimuth silently appeared and glared at me.

The figure beyond the gritty sand grains was a mixture of spider and human, not fitting entirely into either category.

…It didn’t belong to either category in terms of size.

With a stature exceeding three meters, eight log-like legs adorned with thorns that seemed like they could tear flesh on contact.

Above all, the horrific torso of a human attached loosely to its monstrous body was unsettling.

An alarming appearance.

“Better than Magon, but…”

The intimidation was different.

A feeling of being overshadowed.

It truly seemed like a creature designed as a predator of humans.

Suddenly, a bitter laugh escaped me.

“Am I supposed to fight these creatures casually?”

The Hero must have been fourteen when he killed Azimuth.

“Sigh.”

I readjusted the grip on the Black Hope.

The greatsword felt as light as a twig.

Azimuth’s pale lips slowly parted.

“Determination… the prey doesn’t understand its purpose.”

Kwoong!

Without warning, it leaped.

A body springing up elastically in an instant.

The field was engulfed in a dark shadow.

One leg shot out like a spear.

‘Dodge? Counterattack? Evade?’

Alright, dodge.

A leg shot out like a spear.

Thud!

I slightly twisted my body to the sidestep.

The pillar-like leg grazed dangerously close.

The precision of its movement was surprisingly sophisticated, effortlessly avoiding the sinking sand floor.

“Ugh!”

Then, reversing the greatsword, I spun around and struck the joint of its leg.

Its skin, akin to metal, split like pudding.

Despite the strong rebound, my body moved automatically, dispersing the impact.

Kraaaah!

The legs snapped off lifelessly.

Azimuth swung and kicked the remaining leg fiercely, attempting to lash out and push me away.

None of those limbs touched me.

After losing half of its legs, it kicked and lifted its body, retreating out of range.

“Shred into pieces…!”

Its twisted eyes flickered.

“Whew…”

Perhaps Polymorph’s ability gave me the Hero’s calmness.

Even in the face of this ominous aura, my heart remained calm.

“…Yes, like the Hero.”

I could do this.

With confidence, I raised the sword.

The contours of the objects around me blurred, and an unfamiliar strength surged from the hand gripping the sword.

The preparation to unleash a fierce blow was complete.

And as soon as I realized it, my body moved on its own.

“Die!”

Magic burst out like fireworks.

Azimuth also charged aggressively at the right moment.

And then.

Saaaaah!

A sharp flash cut through everything in front of me in a single stroke.

Among all the attacks I had encountered so far, it was the one that most resembled him.

.

.

.

▼

Virtual training ends

Training evaluation: A

▲

I won.

Even after one avatar training session ended, the training continued.

“This can’t be… ”

I realized something truly astonishing.

There was still hope for humanity.

* * *

“… It was already duplicated?”

After Polymorph evolved.

Once I broke through the boundary, I could finally access my inner thoughts.

And there, in the midst of it all, I discovered something emitting an immense presence.

At first, I couldn’t believe its identity.

… It was the ‘core’ of the Hero.

What else could I call it besides a core?

Everything about him was contained within it.

“I couldn’t replicate it because I didn’t realize how to do it until now… ”

In addition, all the ‘cores’ of the many humans I had replicated over the years were also present around it.

However, compared to the hero’s, their size was like fireflies in front of the sun.

‘…How many of Hero’s abilities could I replicate? 10%?’

Not even 10%, maybe not even a 1%.

If the evolved Polymorph had a limit of 100 for the abilities it could draw upon, the Hero’s core seemed to be more than just tenfold …much more stronger.

Seeing other cores numbering around 10, it was evident how extraordinary that power was.

A deep joy surged through me.

‘… I can become even stronger than I am now. Growth is within reach.’

Above all, it was motivation.

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If my capacity expanded, instead of a hundred abilities, I could contain two hundred, three hundred, and perhaps even more!

It might be something in the distant future, but I could truly approach the ‘real.’

And the method was already presented.

Immediately after finishing the avatar training, I looked at the new clue revealed by the Iris of Laplace.

▼

I made an old man sigh,

A genius received a punishment he fears

Now everyone laughs and cries at me

Can you find me hidden where ignorance loses its strength?

▲

It was right after observing the imaginary world.

A mysterious comment.

The hero clearly mentioned that there would be a ‘change’ in the Iris of Laplace.

If that was true, just like during the guardian period, this comment might also be part of the change the Hero spoke about.

‘If that’s the case….’

One pleasant fact would be proven.

The Iris of Laplace seemed to be guiding me with ‘signposts’ and would continue in the future.

‘I still don’t know the meaning of this riddle, but one thing is certain.’

The fact that a reward is waiting.

“Yes, I can become stronger.”

I achieved unexpected growth.

By gradually accomplishing things that can be done, even the ‘lies’ that feel turbulent can become a bit smoother.

I laughed heartily for the first time in a long while.

No, I tried to laugh.

“Haha… cough. Ah.”

Compared to the achievements, it was a trivial problem.

“…This clumsy body can’t keep up.”

Even if I replicate the core, ultimately, my body bears the output.

My physique is still somewhat weak to handle the Hero’s insights and movements.

Yesterday, due to the commotion in the training ground, I suffered all day, but…

“As long as I don’t push myself too hard, it should be fine.”

It was probably okay.

Though my whole body felt like it had been beaten, laughter continued to escape.

* * *

At the same moment, in the central part of Rosenstark.

The monthly meeting of professors was underway at the top floor of the ‘Phileas Hall.’

The blue-haired head, seated at the top, got straight to the point without any greetings or

introductions.

“Let’s skip the greetings and introductions since everyone is busy.”

Principal Yussi had an unusually serious expression.

Her calm voice continued.

“The current situation of the Empire is more ominous than expected. Do any of you know?”

Some professors nodded, but the rest looked at Yussi with puzzled faces.

She spoke with a slight sneer.

“It seems that the suppression of the remnants of the Demon King’s forces is not going as smoothly as expected.”

An alert came from the royal palace.

Some remnants of the Demon King’s forces, instead of retreating from the magical realm, were fervently rampaging.

It was a situation opposite to the predictions.

The problem was that some of them had set foot on imperial territory.

Reports of damage started to come in from areas adjacent to the front lines.

“Well, the probability of their antics affecting the distant west is low, but everyone, please be extra cautious.”

“Understood.”

“Especially, pay attention to the safety of the students. We don’t want to repeat Rosenstark’s sad past, do we?”

…Sad past.

A short sigh escaped from the mouths of some older professors.

In fact, Rosenstark had been one of the main targets of the demons for a long time.

Given the founding principle of ‘nurturing talents for the annihilation of great demon race,’ it was inevitable.

During the peak of the demon realm’s power.

There were betrayers and minions collaborating with demons who hid in the academy, harming students.

Not only that, they had been invaded and even fought a battle at Suseongjeon.

“Well, with the Hero present, they won’t easily set foot here, but let’s not be careless.”

As the atmosphere darkened rapidly, Yussi clapped her hands as if trying to freshen the mood.

“We’ve roughly finished the main discussion. There are some minor matters remaining. Can anyone guess what they are?”

It was at that moment that some professors expressions turned pallid.

Yussi’s voice, which had become cold, echoed in the hall.

“…It’s me. It seems that I’ve increased the research support funds almost tenfold compared to previous years. Why haven’t you produced the expected results?”

It was the time for scrutiny.

The main targets were former deans (who were highly corrupt) and those who had been diligently taking advantage of the situation.

From Yussi’s perspective, they were thorns that she wanted to cut off immediately.

“I’ve said it before. If you don’t have confidence in achieving results, reject the money. You gladly accepted it at that time, and now what is this situation?”

“…Hoho, calling it research that is almost a failure. Our principal, you’re too hasty.”

These professors had spent more years at Rosenstark than she had lived.

‘…They gather together, with their only efforts in protecting their own interests.’

Despite Yussi’s high position in Glendor, she couldn’t confront these old professors head-on.

For decades, they had served as professors at the continent’s top education institution.

The connections they had built were formidable, with many of their students holding various positions in the empire, and their families were mostly from prestigious backgrounds.

‘I need to get rid of those pests for things to start working properly.’

She hadn’t paid much attention to the internal affairs of the academy until now.

But with the Hero at Rosenstark, she needed to deal with them for his pleasant school life.

‘Of course, if I act recklessly, I might be ousted first.’

If there were significant conflicts with them, it would cause trouble for Yussi’s family.

The head of the Glendor family despised disturbances.

If she lost points for causing such trouble, she might become prey to the Hirigaya brothers, who eagerly eyed her position.

So, she engaged in subtle conflicts and power struggles, trying not to cause a commotion.

And recently, they were pressuring her on one particular topic.

“Assigning a large-scale project to a mere graduate student was the problem from the beginning.”

“In the field of alchemy, my friend is more outstanding than me. Haven’t I told you several times that it’s worth waiting for?”

“Hehe, the dean generously favors only that graduate student. Don’t you think it seriously violates fairness?”

…Fairness is nonsense.

Yussi scoffed at this.

“Hoho, well, you see. Since the expected value of the outcome is on a different level, we give more opportunities. If it succeeds, it will be recorded as the greatest research in Rosenstark’s history.”

“Well, hasn’t there been significant damage already, as the principal generously supported them?”

“…Ugh.”

Upon taking office, she had provided full support for alchemical research that showed potential.

Confident in her expertise in the field, she had invested not only the academy’s budget, foundation support, and various investments but also her personal funds.

‘If it succeeds, it will change history.’

However, the project, despite its smooth start, was facing considerable challenges.

It has been a year already.

The situation was becoming increasingly difficult, to be honest.

“So, what is the outstanding research director doing now? I heard they’ve completely abandoned the research for some time.”

“I told them to take a break and focus on something else.”

“…Something else?”

Yussi nodded silently.

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