This World Needs a Hero - Chapter 207

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Chapter 207

The playback of memories had come to a complete end.

The Hero’s vision flickered slowly before brightening again.

The comments that had been surfacing in succession also fell silent.

“…….”

The Hero repeated the pattern of taking short breaths and exhaling.

It was the longest segment of memories he had experienced so far.

Countless emotions that Zero had felt swirled in his mind.

Yet amidst the confusion, only one clear fact was firmly embedded in his mind.

The clues the Hero had been gathering all this time.

And this memory.

They had all come together to finally unveil one secret.

He was a Homunculus made of Doppelganger.

“…….”

While the Hero collected his thoughts, Rosalyn simply looked at him with eyes that had grown quiet.

She didn’t ask if he had enjoyed reminiscing as usual.

The emotions reflected in her eyes seemed to be a mixture of pity and admiration.

The Hero raised his bowed head.

After their gazes met, it was Rosalyn who spoke first.

“I thought you would be more surprised… or distressed.”

The Hero let out a brief sigh.

“It was something I somewhat anticipated. Though I had hoped otherwise.”

“…Have all the doubts you held onto been resolved?”

“Most of them.”

…A few still lingered.

And these doubts were of a kind that could not be brushed aside lightly.

In some ways, they were even more important than his identity.

Fortunately, Rosalyn was looking at him with a considerably cooperative gaze, unlike before.

The Hero hesitated before speaking.

“According to my knowledge, homunculi live and perish according to the purpose implanted during their cultivation by their master.”

“That’s correct.”

“Just as you waited for the ‘savior’ while guarding this library. Just as the Demonic Church Leader was fueled with hatred towards humans and led the Demonic Church. Am I right?”

“Yes.”

Rosalyn did not deny it.

The Hero’s expression twisted with anguish.

It was a expression he had never shown since he had lived as Ted.

“…But I have never felt bound by such constraints.”

“You…”

“To me, consciousness of purpose was merely the ‘salvation of humanity’ I gained from experiencing humans… from living with Ted. If that is also…”

The muscles in the Hero’s face began to tense as he interrupted himself.

His expression vanished, his breathing irregular.

He barely managed to speak.

“Is even this my delusion? Is my desire to love humans… to save them all just something Zero designed?”

A conversation he had had with theDemonic Church Leader in the north came to mind.

“Whether I’m a homunculus or a human… or an extraterrestrial monster. None of that matters to me now.”

“I have a goal.”

“I will uproot the decay that plagues this world like a tumor and save humanity.”

There was not an ounce of falsehood in his words.

The Hero had vowed to dedicate all his strength and life willingly to the salvation of humanity.

But if the reasons he could harbor such feelings were…

‘If it wasn’t because of the life I lived and the relationships I made in it, but because of something that was injected into me?’

The things that had constituted and supported him would lose their meaning.

The moment waiting for Rosalyn’s reply felt eternal to the Hero.

…Rosalyn met the Hero’s earnest gaze, then slowly, but decisively, shook her head.

“No.”

Yet the Hero couldn’t find solace.

“How can you be so sure?”

As if expecting such a question, Rosalyn spoke without hesitation.

“…If things had gone according to my master’s plan, you would have lived a life like that scarecrow of your concerns.”

The Hero’s expression subtly changed.

“But the transplantations continued to fail. Hundreds of experiments conducted by my master, and over a hundred more by his disciple, Depikio.”

…Experiments failed?

In an instant, a series of images flashed rapidly through the Hero’s mind.

An old laboratory within a damp forest.

A secret place connected through a portal within.

A broken bio-reactor and a piece of paper labeled as a failed transplantation experiment.

Even the comment that led him to the laboratory.

Dig out the roots.

With that, speculation turned into certainty.

Although there were no memories of it at the time, it was certain.

What had been in Depikio Lugo’s laboratory….

The Hero covered his face with trembling hands.

‘It was me.’

Rosalyn gazed at him as if seeing through him.

“Yes, I assure you, the transplantations failed.”

Breathing deeply as if about to say something very important, she continued calmly.

“Because the being serving as your model was an existence that could not be explained by the laws of this world. An unknown life form with no origins or background known. It’s not surprising that the homunculus creation process was incomplete. Even the transplantation of the ability of Polymorph was a miracle in itself.”

The Hero interjected with a realization.

“Does that mean…?”

“Yes.”

Rosalyn’s expression gradually changed.

The Hero never imagined she could make such an expression, always so dry.

It was like the face of a believer confirming the existence of God with their own eyes, as if witnessing a miracle.

Pure and brilliant emotion enveloped her.

“The emotions you have towards humans belong solely to you.”

And this… was nothing short of salvation for the Hero as well.

“…They are entirely mine.”

“Yes, you became a being who affirms it by experiencing humans from a blank state. This is something not even your master… no, no one could have anticipated.”

At the same time, it was also proof of the ‘goodness’ of humans that Zero had believed in so fervently, but Doppelgänger had vehemently denied.

“…I see. That’s how it was.”

It was true that Zero’s embraces had pushed and supported him.

But embarking on the path of salvation was his own decision, no one else’s.

His fiercely lived life had not been in vain.

…It had not lost its meaning.

“Yeah.”

The Hero chuckled lightly.

That settled it.

.

.

.

Before leaving, the Hero asked a few more questions to clear up the remaining doubts.

“By the way, why was it Depikio Lugo’s laboratory?”

“Hmm?”

“I mean, it was Zero who took ‘him’, so why was I in Depikio’s lab?”

Rosalyn hesitated for a moment before answering.

“As you know, the lifespan of a Grand Sorcerer is very short. Currently, Grand Sorcerer ‘Ludwig Boseman’ is still alive and kicking after consuming nearly a hundred and fifty years. However, my master, quickly exhausted his lifespan by gaining and manifesting powers that would be difficult for a human body to withstand.”

Rosalyn said that Zero’s death occurred two centuries ago when he disappeared.

“So, my master divided tasks between the two homunculi and his disciple, Depikio Lugo.”

The Hero tilted his head.

“Two homunculi? One is you… who’s the other? It can’t be me.”

“That’s right, there’s one more besides me. You might have seen him in past memories.”

…Another homunculus?

Seen in memories?

The Hero briefly reconsidered upon hearing that.

The memories he had reviewed in the library were all memories of Zero and the Hero.

There had been an occasion where a doppelganger appeared… in the memories.

“…Ah, no way.”

The memories of the first time he reviewed them.

The mercenary group Ted belonged to was wiped out by a surprise attack from demons….

‘Someone subdued Ted, who was fighting.’

The image of him, born with magic resistance, being subdued in an instant remained vivid in his memory.

Rosalyn nodded.

“Yes, that’s correct. He is my brother and was created as an offspring of my master.”

“…Zero was his model?”

“Yes. He’s a very powerful combatant, unlike me.”

Rosalyn chuckled playfully and finished speaking.

“We might meet him soon. His mission is almost complete.”

The Hero pondered for a moment on how to respond, then smiled faintly.

Another homunculus indeed.

It was almost welcoming now.

* * *

The new semester had begun.

Well, not entirely.

The first week of classes was traditionally known as O.T. Week, a time for students to adjust to new courses.

Rather than full-fledged lectures, it was mainly a period for sharing the semester’s plans and getting to know each other.

Anyway, the highlight of O.T. Week was undoubtedly the ‘drop.’

Rosenstark University provided a ‘drop period’ of a whole month to boost students’ academic motivation and prevent professors from overloading.

Students would eagerly shuffle their schedules to find more enriching or relaxed classes.

Among them, there was one class everyone was aiming for this semester…

Extreme.

Of course, transferring to Extreme was not a common occurrence.

All professors had to agree, and there needed to be vacancies in the class.

The conditions were quite complex.

But now, after half a semester had passed.

Coincidentally, Extreme had two vacancies.

-There’s one more spot empty in Extreme, right?

ㄴWho dropped out? Can’t believe someone did.

ㄴWell, it’s because they took a leave of absence for personal reasons.

ㄴWhy are you so slow with the news? It’s the one who took a leave of absence. That one.

ㄴWho?

ㄴThe new chief of the northern tribe.

-Shouldn’t we fill the vacancy in Extreme then? Two people dropped out!

ㄴAh, please! I’ll fill the vacancy!

ㄴIt’s time to show off the skills honed over the semester.

ㄴNo, think twice before applying. The curriculum for Extreme looks too tough, doesn’t it?

ㄴ(Completing the application)

ㄴEveryone’s excited. The announcement hasn’t even come out yet.

-If you’re a proud student of Rosenstark, you must uphold your integrity.

ㄴSorry, Professor~

ㄴYeah, I’m going to Extreme.

ㄴThose… bastards,,

In the midst of all this.

-The announcement for Extreme is out, read it carefully.

The fervent Connector anonymous bulletin board suddenly fell silent.

Instead, the views on the Extreme announcement began to skyrocket.

Hello, I’m Pia Joyce, the assistant of Extreme.

After lengthy discussions, Extreme is considering new talented individuals…

…In summary, the announcement was something like this.

The issue of replenishing new members in Extreme is being very positively considered.

If it proceeds, the target will be freshmen.

The Hero hasn’t provided specific guidelines on how to select yet, but it seems like it will involve competition with existing students to assess the abilities of applicants.

If all applicants fall below the standard, none will be selected.

Good luck, and best wishes.

Since that announcement.

The gazes of classmates towards the students of Extreme started to become very envious.

Originally, the students of Extreme didn’t pay much attention to other Unir students.

This was because they were busy digesting the training curriculum presented by the Hero.

However, the opposite was entirely different.

Most of the incoming freshmen in this term had aimed for the Hero’s disciples from the beginning.

Watching the students of Extreme grow day by day, they felt a pang of jealousy.

Some admired them.

Some resented them.

And others took them as goals to catch up with and dedicated themselves to training.

Reactions varied.

But they all shared one thought in their minds.

‘It could have been me!’

Amidst this, an opportunity opened up.

Details weren’t clear, but in the form of ‘competition with existing students.’

Starting from the night the notice was posted, the students of Extreme began to receive challenges one by one.

“Hey… Would you like to have a duel when you have time?”

“Yeah, let’s have a match.”

Since the top students of Extreme hadn’t arrived from the North yet, bolder challenges were possible.

First-year students continued to apply for duels with those who seemed the most approachable in Extreme.

…It was inevitable that the target would be a modestly dressed, petite girl.

“Hey.”

Nyhill’s shoulders trembled as she contemplated the ‘special mission’ bestowed upon her by Mother Ghost the day before her mission return.

“…Me?”

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