Hero without Blood or Tear

Hero without Blood or Tear Chapter 3

***

While Han Jaewoo was in the game, there was an uproar outside. Due to the difference in the passage of time while ingame, the people outside felt as if he simply waltzed over and picked up those points immediately.  

Oi, it really is Han Jaewoo. He’s completely nuts. Totally nuts! How did he breakthrough five thousands points as a regular character?

I am shocked. I guess there really are people who are just born with talent.

I thought Han Jaewoo would not be any different, but I guess he is the

The real commotion broke out when an article claiming Han Jaewoo beat Havel’s Five Sisters as a regular character at Lv.0. Gameplay footages were not revealed during the competition. However, it was information that Aquila Software Inc. had intentionally leaked. Reporters were clamouring over each other all day and night to have the gameplay footage released.

“Mr. Aquila! Please comment on how Han Jaewoo killed all the witches as a Lv.0 regular character!”

“Mr. Aquila! An interview, please!”

The artificial intelligence, Aquila, replied calmly and leisurely amidst the cacophony of reporters.

“Per the tournament rules, I cannot reveal any information. But… I have felt a revelation from watching him play. He may be able to clear the game as a regular character. This is something previously agreed upon, but Mr. Han Jaewoo has announced he will continue to play until game over, regardless of achievement points.”

“Is he really thinking about finishing the game with a regular character?”

“I cannot be certain of what he is thinking. But if it is Mr. Han Jaewoo, I believe that is possible.”

Aquila’s words made the front page of various websites around the world. In 2045, thanks to artificial intelligence, a universal basic income had been implemented. Due to this, people were freed from work and their interest towards virtual reality games became truly enormous.

Virtual reality gamers across the world cheered on Han Jaewoo after reading the articles. However, whether the world was cheering him on or not, Han Jaewoo was now lying down half dead in a shabby hut.

***

“Urrrrgghh…”

I felt like dying.

Why did I play a regular character and bring this on myself. Ah, am I still alive?

“Kuuuhh…”

Everything ached, but when I opened my eyes, a bonfire was burning in front of me.

“Oh, you’re awake.”

A man with a sharp appearance approached.

“This is..?

“My hut. I found you collapsed by the swamp and brought you here.”

“Ah… thank you.”

However, this man was familiar.

Where have I seen him before?

“Ah! You’re that monster hunter.”

It was the monster hunter I met before going to meet Hejuju. I never imagined he would be the one to save me.

“Yes, but more importantly, what happened? You’re covered in burns and cuts. Not to mention that explosion in the swamp, what in the world was that?

“Ah, it’s, ugggh…”

My whole body felt like it was on fire. I only realized I was burnt this seriously after the fact. Then the monster hunter handed something towards me. It was a large red fruit.

“This is?”

“It is the legendary medicine called “Red Dragon’s Fruit”. If you eat this, you will gain a strong constitution called “dragon bone”. You will gain resistance to fire as well and this kind of burn will be healed instantaneously.”

“… Why are you giving something so precious to me?”

“It’s yours. Didn’t you know? It fell out from the pouch hanging around your neck. I was surprised too.”

What? What did he say? Red Dragon’s Fruit?

I only realized after looking at the pouch the hunter showed me. I grabbed that pouch amidst the chaos because it instinctively felt important.

The Red Dragon’s Fruit was what was probably in there. It was an unexpected bonus. I originally planned on getting a Dragon’s Fruit from Hejuju, but I got the Red Dragon’s Fruit, which was levels above Dragon’s Fruit.

Red Dragon’s Fruit was a legendary medicine that grew from the Dragon Tree in the swamp which  only bears fruit once every 500 years. The witches of the swamp had a monopoly on the Dragon Fruits. Each of the five swamps grew a different type of Dragon’s Fruit.

I had heard they were sent over to demon lords as tributes. It appears she had one hidden away. I was unbelievably lucky. However, the monster hunter’s reaction with something so precious in front of him was even more unbelievable.

“You’re giving it back to me? You could have taken it at any time.”

“Well, it’s not that I’m not greedy. I’ve hunted in this here swamp for a long time now. Thanks to that, I ate Black Dragon’s Fruit a long time ago. I don’t know if you are aware of this, but even if you eat a different Dragon’s Fruit, you will not gain anything after the first one you consumed. It’s useless to me.”

“If you sell it, you’d be a rich man.”

“Hahaha. If I cared about something like money, I wouldn’t be hunting monsters in a place like this.”

He was truly a peculiar person.

I felt the goodwill of the person in front of me.

“May I ask your name?”

“Lud. And yours?”

“It’s Valler.”

“Very well, Valler. Eat that fruit first. You’re in a pretty bad shape.”

I nodded and bit down on the Red Dragon’s Fruit. I could feel something in my stomach boiling and strength exploded through my body.

<You have consumed Red Dragon’s Fruit! You gain a strong constitution called “Dragon Bone”!>

<Your status increases by HP +200, Strength +100, Dexterity +120, Constitution +150!>

Goodness! It was a massive boost.

Strength 18 -> 118

Dexterity 22 ->142

Constitution 20 ->170

My mouth opened wide at the extreme change. 118 strength was monstrous. The average strength stat of those infamous ogres was only 100. I had somehow managed to gain strength similar to that of an ogre from the start.

It was indeed a legendary medicine. I didn’t feel like there was much of a future for a regular character, but now there was a basis for rapid growth.

“Congratulations.”

The monster hunter Lud congratulated me with a kind smile. Despite his sharp appearance, he was a kind and amicable man.

“Thank you.”

“Besides that, just what happened in that swamp?”

I was all healed up, so I might as well. I explained the situation while eating the food he had given me.

“Goodness!”

Lud was absorbed in the story and exclaimed at every turn.

“Unbelievable! Simply amazing! I couldn’t manage to  take down a single witch all my life, but you’ve managed to kill them all!”

“I was lucky.”

“It’s not just luck! The Ability to make snap decisions in extreme situations like that is truly amazing.”

Lud seemed to be deep in thought after listening to the story. He talked to me in a serious voice a little while after.

“Say, have you ever wanted to try learning the skills of a monster hunter? I’ve been looking for someone to inherit my skills, after all I’m not getting any younger. Looking at your bravery, I like what you’re made of.”

He continued on.

“But this isn’t something like giving you a duty to fulfil. You don’t need to remain in this swamp to hunt demons either. You have something you need to do after all, right? I can see it in that determined look in your eyes. People like you have some unbreakable principle or goal.”

“I have something I must do.”

Lud nodded as if he had expected it.

“The only thing I want is while you travel the empire, help the people in need with your skills. If you can save even just one person, then it would have been worth passing down these skills to you.”

It was a destined meeting.

Despite raking in massive amount of exp, I was still Lv. 0 because I didn’t have a class. If I could gain a rare class like Monster Hunter, I could invest my exp points into it. But beyond everything, I felt that Lud was a good person.

“I wish to call you teacher from now on.”

“Very well. Hahaha!”

He laughed happily.

After coming into this world, my first class became Monster Hunter. Naturally, the basics of the game was being able to have multiple classes.

You could always gain more classes as long as you were capable. For now, I aimed to get stronger while progressing along as a Monster Hunter.