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nChapter 2: With My Instructor’s Qualification On the Line

n10 years before I busted Demon King Pedonar’s ass.

nThere was a time when I was tender too.

nOn that day, I was having a heated discussion with my high school friends. Boldly placed on top of the worn table which we were sitting around, were magazines about magical girls instead of textbooks. The girls in our class threw us rude looks that said “those idiots are at it again…”, but hobbies deserved to be respected. It was a healthy topic appropriate for those our age.

n“I want to quit studying and go over to a fantasy world… I want to save a princess held captive by a demon king and marry her.”

n“Just a princess? I would go on an exciting adventure with beauties of various races in a fantasy world.”

nTwo of my friends argued hotly as they revealed their preferences. They declared that they would steal the women of other men like savages, and create a harem which was rejected in modern society.

nThe gazes of the female students directed towards us changed from looking at idiots to looking at something below insects, but my two friends who were romantics of fantasy didn’t notice in the least. And my other friend beside them couldn’t be underestimated either.

n“Adventure? How trifling. Is the history and science you learned just for show? Even world domination would be possible if you just invent a nuclear weapon?”

n“Someone with a 30 score in science would surely do well in making a nuclear weapon. When it comes to fantasy, it’s gotta be a forbidden spell of the 10th circle. Wiping everything out in one shot!”

n“Pft! Magic? Spoken like a geek. The martial arts from a Muhyeop world are the real deal! Have you even heard of a Sword Master?”

nThe things they wanted to do in a fantasy world. The dreams and hopes my friends spouted as if boasting were all outrageous things. They carelessly spoke of them because they were delusions that would never happen, tantamount to the occult.

n“Kang Han Soo. What about you?”

nThe baton was passed over to me as I was scanning the popularity ranking for recent games printed in one of the magazines, absentmindedly listening to my friends talk. I felt a silent pressure from their pointed stares. They seemed uncomfortable that I had continued to be quiet.

n‘What do I want to do in a fantasy world?’

nI hadn’t thought about it deeply before. Exploring Mars would be far more realistic instead. If possible, I would have liked it if they asked about some place I could go by car or plane… or in the worst case by spaceship. After all, if it’s Mars, I might be able to set foot on it before I died of old age.

nThe pointed stares of my friends gradually increased in intensity. Helplessly, I pondered on it for about 3 seconds before answering.

n“My dream is…”

nThe gag trophy of that day became mine.

nIt was a sweet memory before the day I was kidnapped to a fantasy world.

n*

n*

n*

n… Sweet my ass.

nIts expiry date was so passed that the mold on it grew a flower.

nMy dream.

nWhat’s wrong about inventing a flush toilet?

nEven great emperors, pretty princesses, archmages and sword masters would crouch over a chamber pot or over grass and do their business all the same. It wouldn’t be too late to consider childish dreams after that.

nNow, let’s shove aside this miserable show of reminiscence, and confront the cruel reality that is without dreams or hopes.

nI was inside of an extremely familiar room. An arch-shaped dome enveloped in pure white marble. Instead of a white fluorescent light, a dim purple light from the lanterns hung on the walls illuminated the interior from all directions. On the floor there was a complicated picture drawn in the shape of a donut, but I involuntarily gnashed my teeth the moment I saw it.

n“Hero-kidnapping magic circle…”

nIn fancy professional terms, it was called a dimension transfer magic circle. I stood in its very center, and surrounding me as if to trap me in were men in silver armor.

nPalace knights. They were the fantasy world equivalent of elite troops. Facing me, there wasn’t a single palace knight who was nervous. And it couldn’t be any other way, as right now I was in a ‘high schooler’s body’, in no way comparable with those muscular builds of theirs like that of a bodybuilder.

n“Ha, hahah…”

nI couldn’t help but force a laugh.

nPalace knights were no doubt the most elite bunch regardless of country, but for a long time there had been no one who held their heads up so straight like that in front of me. But after coming face to face with this unbelievable situation, I truly realized that I had lost the power I had built up over 10 years.

nMy forearms which had been thick as logs had become as thin as dog bones. The rest of my body was just as pathetic. And the change wasn’t limited to my body.

nMy high-class equipment and items had all disappeared. The time I had invested in gathered them had become for nothing in just one return trip in time.

nThis wasn’t a dream.

nThis wasn’t Korea.

nThis wasn’t even on Earth.

nNo matter how much I denied it, reality didn’t change. But even so, the thought of so simply acknowledging it made my insides boil.

nIt had been a whole 10 years, 10!

nIf it had been someone else’s life then I could have said “Oh! I see. You did your best in a dog **ty place for 10 years huh?”, and passed over the matter indifferently. But the story changes when it comes to yourself.

n10 years was an extremely long time.

nIt was enough time for a frail kid to exercise hard, become chosen as a national representative and become a globally famous athlete.

nIf one was to marry and start a family, it would be more than enough time to have your first child, and from a gurgling babe, see him off at his primary school entrance ceremony.

n3 years in middle school, 3 years in high school, 4 years in college. They say if you study for these 10 years in total, the rest of your life becomes comfortable, but don’t people play in spite of that?

n10 years.

n3,650 days.

n87,600 hours.

nThroughout this long period of time I yearned to return to Earth for every single day. Especially on days when I received the scorn and disdain of my damned comrades. It wasn’t enough that I was sent back in time, I was still in a fantasy world.

nHow could I simply acknowledge this terrible reality…!

n“Welcome, Hero-nim!”

n“…”

nA sweet voice like that of an oriole woke my senses.

nThe owner of that voice… was a young woman donned in a pure white robe which emphasized the color theme of the environment.

nHers was a face I knew.

nShe was one of the comrades that was part of my dark history. But she wasn’t able to accompany us up to the last boss, because in one of our adventures, she fell behind in escaping a collapsing ruin and was buried alive.

nOn that day, I had held a toast by myself.

nI had thought I would never be seeing her again.

n“Have you come to your senses?”

n“No.”

nReturning in time, re-testing.

nIt wasn’t a bad joke.

n“Is, is that so. Hero-nim, please come to your senses soon! You’re very confused at being summoned abruptly without even a warning, aren’t you? This is Fantasia. A different dimension from the world where Hero-nim was born and raised in. It must be unreasonable to hope for you to immediately understand. I’ll start explaining things one by one from now.”

nShe broke up what could have been simply summed up in four lines and turned it into a lengthy explanation.

nI was aware of all of it as I had come back in time. And that wasn’t all. I had even busted the ass of Demon King Pedonar who put humanity at danger and saw through the Epilogue too. I wasn’t a fool hero who came back in time because he died midway.

n“Oh my! I forgot to introduce myself. I am Lanuvel. I am the archaeologist who received a prophecy in the middle of a journey of chasing the ancient legends, and summoned Hero-nim. Lanuvel means the ‘truth’ in ancient language.”

nArchaeologist Lanuvel. A genius mage who had both the looks and the talent.

nShe was the scholarly type so she was more specialized in supportive magic rather than combat magic but, as befitting a tough explorer, her financial capability, ability to survive, stamina and the like were overall on the excellent side.

nIt was just that…

n“Don’t smile so brightly. It bothers me.”

n“Wha-?!”

nThis bitch was the one behind everything. The main culprit who kidnapped me to this savage world. If, I still had even 1% of my capability when I ripped a new one in the Demon King right now, I would have killed Lanuvel before anything else.

nShe was a woman who was repulsive in whatever she did. That’s what defined Archaeologist Lanuvel.

n“Stop pretending to be cute is what I’m saying.”

nBut I should acknowledge what should be acknowledge. The god who chose Lanuvel had an excellent eye. The me before going back in time who didn’t know the future… let’s call it the ‘1st episode’. 1st episode me made a regretful decision when he was in the same situation I was in right now. And that was none other… than to be enchanted by Lanuvel’s good looks.

nIn slight defense of myself, I was in my puberty back then. And Lanuvel was pretty. Her beauty was overwhelming to the point that the game character cosplaying professional female actor who I liked seemed like a squid in my memories in comparison.

nBut not anymore. Lanuvel was as pretty as ever, but I had changed. I had come too far to fall for a beauty trap.

n“That, that…”

n“Kidnapping someone who was living just fine and asking him for help? Do you find this situation amusing? Do you feel like bursting out in laughter just looking at my face? What a brainless truth like that name of yours, Lanuvel. Do you have a death wish?”

nLanuvel’s gorgeous smile froze.

nNow that’s more like it.

n“I am sorry…”

nLanuvel whose neck was shrunk back like a turtle apologized in a crestfallen tone. But she wore a look that said she didn’t know why the hero was being angry.

nThe hero would save the world.

nIn this fantasy world, it was common sense that was accepted as naturally as the harmony between Yin and Yang. The summoned hero would carry dreams and hopes and set off on an adventure. Every generation of heroes recorded in history books were all like that.

nClank. I heard the metal sound of armor.

n“Hero-nim. His Majesty awaits you.”

nHad he been waiting for that noisy Lanuvel’s mouth to become shut? One of the palace knights who had been waiting by the side relayed those words to me.

nThough Lanuvel had received the prophecy, she was only an assistant. The material cost, magic catalysts and the like that went into making this dimension transfer magic circle I was currently standing on would have been an impossible requirement if not for the support of an entire nation. In short, the Kingdom was behind this.

n“I’m also waiting.”

n“… Eh?”

n“Why are you surprised?”

n“Well that’s…”

nThe incompetent palace knight who couldn’t comprehend words asked what I meant. It was my fault for expecting too much of fellows who were muscle heads through and through.

nI should explain in a way easy to understand.

n“Think carefully. How many heroes are there in this world who can slay the Demon King?”

n“Only you.”

nThe palace knight immediately replied without much thought.

nJust as he said, I was the only hero. This body of mine was far more precious than a mere fantasy king that could be endlessly replaced by princes like car tires.

nThis world would end if I died.

n“You understand now right? Let the king know that if he wants to meet me, stop testing the waters and come out quick. My time is expensive. If you’ve got a problem with that, then you lot can defeat the Demon King instead.”

n“…”

n“…”

nAll those present were struck speechless at my bizarre utterance.

nI bet they couldn’t think of any words to retort with?

n▷Retort: There is an old saying, that no one would lower their heads before a hidden gem. Lower yourself, Hero-nim. Those who raise themselves will fall lower, while those who lower themselves will rise. Modesty is a virtue and at the same time, it allows one to distinguish oneself from the ordinary.

nA long line of nonsense was trying to lecture me. It wasn’t clear as to whether this presumptuous ‘lecture’ was from a voice or was a message. It was hard to tell as it was delivered directly inside my head.

nSo who are you?

n▷Answer: A special instructor. It appears that you have received an F score for character. That is no easy feat either… But do not worry too much! It is for you that I was dispatched. I shall do my all to help you in being reborn as a respectable hero. With my instructor’s qualification on the line.

n“My god…”

nProfessor Morals reporting for duty in a fantasy world…

nTranslator : Hunnybuttachips

nEditor : Fujimaru

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