I’m Sorry, but It’s Because I’m an Ordinary Person

“Aaaaaaah-!”

Someone was screaming.

The dungeon interior was shaking heavily and on the verge of collapsing at any moment. Everyone trapped inside the King of Pride’s belly was battling attrition, waiting for just one person.

“Yoo Juha!” Loveless, who was using ice to block the newly created hole from which liquid was leaking, shouted the name of I Really Like.

Then I Really Like, who was assessing the interior and exterior space, raised his head and opened his mouth. “I can’t stop the change. I can’t evacuate all the humans here either.”

“Then what should we do?”

“I can evacuate one of two people. The difference between the dungeon creator and my rank is too big. I can’t do more than that.”

It might’ve been possible if Shub was here, but it was impossible to fold space alone.

In the face of the crisis, I Really Like made a quick decision. He may seem like someone who acts without thinking, but he was one of the few who knew the proper line to follow. He could handle being everyone’s enemy with his radical moves and blunt words because he was in a position where he could handle it.

Didn’t he act like a dog before Finger Technique or Polar Night, who he couldn’t handle?

“Let’s get out of here.” I Really Like made the best decision he could make in this situation after a short moment of judgment. “That person and Shub will be able to survive on their own. Needless to say, since she came back alone from the special-grade gate.”

Closing the special-grade gate alone and returning. It was Finger King’s greatest achievement, which was always mentioned when discussing Finger Technique’s heroics.

“We’re the only ones who will have a problem staying here. We still have usefulness, so it would be troublesome if we get buried here. It’s something we worked hard on for a long time, so it would be difficult to find a replacement.”

Sizzle!!

The sound of the shoe soles melting could be heard. The situation was critical, and there was no time to hesitate.

‘You’re an F-class, aren’t you?’

He lived his life according to his instincts. He did what he wanted and didn’t do what he didn’t want to do.

‘I’ll make you an S-class.’

It was a demon with ominous purple eyes which he shook hands with in the end, and this, too, was following his instinct.

‘So, please become Her Highness’ third servant again this time.’

His smiling face and statement about turning an F-class into an S-class were very tempting. Who could believe that?

I Really Like hadn’t believed those words. That face had just swayed him.

Wasn’t everyone originally like that? Even children grew up admiring pretty and beautiful things, didn’t they?

He was a devout believer in the superficiality worshiped by society.

Going from F-class to S-class was an unbelievable claim. It was something that not even the leader of a cult could accomplish.

But those words became a reality.

“Grab my hand, quickly.”

So he must be useful. The person who lifted him up in this place was that person—No, maybe it wasn’t even a person, but it didn’t matter. It was good enough. Even magpies repaid favors, so how could a person not?

Most of the inhabitants of Paradise had such feelings toward Polar Night. There was no restraint whatsoever, but everyone was fiercely blind. Since the leader acted so blindly for someone, how could the people under him not be influenced? It was almost impossible.

Of course… His superior regarded the officially recognized strongest human being as if she were his own pet. The way he looked at Finger Technique while listening attentively was reminiscent of a dog owner looking at his loyal pet. Even when openly challenged by the other side, he smiled like a dog owner watching his angry dog. It was like he was saying, “No matter what you do, you’re still our little puppy.”

[T/N: I don’t think this passage means Polar Night views FT as something lower than him. PN probably thinks of FT as…cute in a way she doesn’t actually know anything yet pretends to be bigger than him. Remember that PN is a returnee and should be much older than FT. Or it could be how IRL views their interaction only and might be very different from what PN thinks.]

“Aaaagh-!!”

A scream erupted from the opposite side this time. It looked like flesh was melting into a flowing liquid.

While Loveless hesitated, his mind wandered. Damn Loveless.

I Really Like cursed without changing his expression.

He was using mana frantically to prevent people from melting into the liquid that was seeping out.

“Let’s stop and retreat. We’ll all die here anyway if we stay too long. What’s the point of saving anyone?”

“Maybe if we keep them alive a little longer, a solution might come up.”

“Do you trust them?” I Really Like asked with narrowed eyes.  It was a rare sight to see I Really Like thinking before speaking. It might not even happen once a year, but Loveless wasn’t surprised.

“No.”

And she didn’t flinch. I Really Like was an S-class that started from an F-class, but Loveless had always been a high-ranked Hunter.

“I don’t believe in them.”

Few people knew the pride of high-ranking Hunters as well as she did. When you became a high-rank Hunter, you knew how stupid it was to trust others, especially in such things.

“Well then?” I Really Like’s question, full of irritation, echoed in her ear.

Loveless also knew. Dying here would be a waste, and there was a place where she could be useful. For the greater good, they couldn’t die here.

But these newcomers were the core of this country’s Hunter community. It would be better if they could all survive in the long run.

It may sound idealistic lately, but life was precious just by its existence. They might be ridiculed as naive if they said things like this elsewhere.

And…

“I believe in Her Highness.”

Of course, she knew that Finger Technique wasn’t someone she could blindly trust as it was known to the public. But she had seen it for herself.

She had seen the back of the person who opposed the king and died alone in the end.

“Who are you? Are you still Loveless?” I Really Like asked with an uneasy face.

Loveless was about to open her mouth in frustration but immediately shut it as she heard a loud shout.

“IRL! Are you there!!?”

The voice was urgent and clear, surprising and alarming Loveless. She turned her head to look where the great crater was.

“Get ready to move quickly. We need to evacuate everyone before it collapses!”

“How can you address someone so rudely?”

“Oh, right. I kept using informal language and forgot to use formal language.” 

There was PK, with someone stepping on his back for whatever reason. Although her appearance was far from her original appearance—with the half-mask on her face—the smile on her face revealed her true identity.

It was the person Loveless had been waiting for.

***

The dungeon was in the middle of collapsing. The situation was already chaotic, and the Hunters ran around, avoiding the liquid that dissolved humans.

Thud, thud, thud-!!

To make matters worse, a huge tremor shook the ground.

“Aaagh-!!”

“Get out of the way! It’s a cliff!”

A huge shadow appeared behind them.

Darn it.

I uttered polite curse words that I didn’t normally use. The crimson soul stone shimmered in my hand.

“Everyone, get behind me!!” My voice was loud, and my presence was overwhelming—a blue flame, which everyone associated with Finger King, danced in the air.

I smiled as I felt the gaze suddenly focus on me.

I wasn’t a show-off, but it was a situation that I couldn’t help but be excited about.

“Can you see it, Hunters?” I held up the soul stone in my hand and shook it.

The Hunters who found the soul stone shouted at the same time. “That’s…!”

“It’s a soul stone! Was it true that Finger King came in?!”

“Call the others who went to different places, quickly!”

As I infused mana into the soul stone, the gate shook uncontrollably mid-air. It was a sight I was used to seeing, but the way the gate opened was always eerily fascinating.

People rushed out through the open gate. I turned my head back and shouted, “Get out of here quickly before the dungeon collapses!” They would’ve escaped without me shouting, but it was only natural to shout it out.

The door is open, so it’s done.

I looked around with Fragarach in hand. People who had melted and died in the liquid were visible in various places. I thought I had been early, but it seemed not.

The door wouldn’t close as long as it was open. So I just needed to be the last one out.

I saw PK flying from far away. He was so slow that it was difficult to wait.

“Your Highness, shall we assist you now?” Loveless, who had frozen the ground with her ability, came over and asked.

I shook my head to decline her offer. The monsters that filled every direction were gathering and getting larger. I looked at the astonishing sight and spoke, “Someone needs to wait for the others and stop those monsters when they attack. You go ahead.”

“Well, yes, but wouldn’t it be more important for you to come? Even a hundred people might be unable to do what you can alone.”

“Then are you going to stop them?” I said, pointing to the growing mass of monsters.

IRL blinked innocently and replied with a sluggish voice. Judging from the hesitation, he didn’t want to do it himself, “If Your Highness wishes, I will dedicate this body to you.”

“You’re really putting in a lot of effort.”

“Can’t you say I have ‘loyalty’ instead?”

It’s hard to say it like that when I’ve seen your true face too many times.

I gestured to Loveless, not hiding my uneasy expression. Loveless nodded quite cunningly and pulled on IRL’s collar. Kegh. The strangled IRL made a choking noise.

By taking IRL with her, Loveless guaranteed fast and reliable handling of the situation. I felt the trust in her piling up. If I leave here, I have to stop by Paradise again. I have much to ask about the contract with the King of Pride and Favor’s identity.

I organized my thoughts and turned my head back.

Because I had looked at the King of Pride and my eyes were damaged earlier, the appearance of the monsters looked distorted. I had been startled and shocked at first, but now I could face these enemies that could only be faced by downgrading, not upgrading their appearances.

They were unusual.

I took a step towards the monster. No, I tried to take a step.

“What are you thinking?”

Bang!

A blue trajectory rushed toward me. I moved my hand to catch the mana-made bullet. The scattered mana pieces shone like the sky. When I turned my head to where the bullet had come from, I saw sky-blue eyes glaring at me.

He stood tall even in the crumbling dungeon. He was someone who tried hard to keep our country from falling apart.

“Are you planning to go inside instead of outside?” Ban Seojun’s gaze reached the giant monster. The monster’s massive feather wings swept the ground lightly, causing the whole area to collapse.

“Come with me.”

Clang. He raised his weapon and rolled his disbelief-filled eyes. It was a petty action, but I understood it easily.

Well, it was understandable. I refused his offer and refused his help with taxi fare, but then I suddenly appeared with a soul stone after not even showing my nose in the dungeon.

“Why? Do you think I’m trying to take advantage alone?”

“You always speak like that. If I really thought so, we wouldn’t even have quarreled.”

“Why don’t you try speaking with respect like last time? Isn’t being dishonest part of the concept?”

Ban Seojun’s face was completely crumpled. I thought he might hold the gun to my chin for a moment. He might actually shoot if I kept playing around.

“Just go home, wipe your feet, and get some rest. I’ll be the last one to leave.”

“Then why-”

Kwaaaang!!

A deafening roar cut off Ban Seojun’s words.

The monster’s wings demolished everything in the area. I grabbed him by the collar as the wings charged toward the gate’s opening.

“We need at least one person to stop that before we all leave. You go first if you understand.”

Ban Seojun grabbed my wrist tightly with wide-opened eyes. However, his characteristics were cohesion and pierce. It was obvious I could win in close combat.

Despite his much larger and well-trained body, he was pulled towards me as I yanked him. You cannot judge a person by appearance alone. I knew that well, and so did he.

“You-!” Ban Seojun opened his mouth with a twisted face, but there was no time to listen to his chatter. Actually, I didn’t even want to listen.

“See you next time,” I said as I tossed the annoying snapping leech out of the gate. It seemed this was not the place to have a sincere conversation.

You go out and do your representative duties steadily. I raised my hand and tapped my temple.

Ban Seojun flew toward the gate and twisted his face like a demon when he saw my gesture.

Oh no. He’ll be angry for a while. I should buy some salt on my way back.

[T/N: Salt is repellant to evil creatures, demons, etc., which is related to what the passage above said, ‘his face twisted like a demon.’]

A huge shadow appeared above my head. White feather wings were approaching to strike the ground.

Crackle!

A sharp current of electricity flickered lightly over my palm. I reached out my hand towards the approaching wings.

Zap!! Thump!!

Afterward, a blinding lightning bolt struck mercilessly onto the wings.

The smell of roasted chicken wafted through the air. If you’re asking whether it’s actual chicken, well, it’s not.

Crackle, crackle, sizzle!!

It was simply the sound of burning wings. But they still looked similar to chicken wings, right?

“Who’s the idiot that throws that lightning!? Do you still have eyes!?”

“Ahh! Auntie!! Nice words, nice words! There’s Finger Technique over there!!”

Amidst the deafening noise, a booming shout mixed in.

Among the Hunters who hadn’t escaped yet, there seemed to be some belonging to Constitution, seeing Rena screaming.

I quickly turned my head towards where I heard the voice and saw the face of the person shouting. Oh, it’s the Fire Dragon Auntie, the Guan Yu of Seocho Province. A giant has joined the fray.

“Take cover! Take cover!! Auntie, on the right!!”

“I know without you shouting!! My ears are ringing!!”

A thick round shield blocked the crazy damage from the surroundings. Thanks to the two guards who held the line, the damage from the rear was negligible. With the shield, there was no need to worry about the rear.

I swung my sword to harvest the lightning and flames. Do you want electric roasted chicken or spicy fire chicken? The menu has only two options. Of course, it’s not real chicken if someone asks.

Crash!!

Tattered wings hit the ground here and there.

I swung my greatsword toward the storm of feathers that felt like it would sweep away the gate entrance.

Swish!!

I cut the air, and my sword clashed with the wings, producing a clanking sound. The wings fell to the ground with a thud.

I was pushed back by the aftermath and collided with the shield.

Crash!!

“Who broke my shield!?”

“Auntie! It’s Finger Technique! Finger Technique! Hold your attack!!”

Oh, sorry about that.

After the shield shattered with a single collision, the two Hunters behind it became visible. There had been three Hunters in total in front of the gate, with two having just crossed it.

Since everyone has already left, there’s no need for us to stay here any longer.

I threw my sword into the subspace and lifted the two Hunters of the Hunters Association. Rena sensed my ominous intent and asked cautiously, “FT-nim, are you really going to do what I think you’re doing…?”

“If you’re leaving, take care of these two and take them to the hospital.”

I swung my right arm high, and the female I threw screamed as she passed through the gate.

Upon seeing the scene, Rena’s limbs shook in horror.

“Ah! Ahh! My legs are fine! I can run all the way there! Don’t throw me, don’t throw me!”

“I can throw you faster than you can run.”

Then Rena’s desperate screams disappeared beyond the gate. The gate was still open, but the dungeon was completely empty.

Well, it was empty, but PK and non-human creatures were still left.

PK, who had been crawling like a slug, staggered due to the aftermath of my last attack toward the wings.

I whipped out my spark once more for my ill-fated business partner.

My head was pounding. The nosebleed that had stopped earlier dripped.

“Is the door closed? Why is it closed!?”

“Are you blind? Can’t you see it’s still open and working?”

“Why is the guy who flew around after closing the special-grade gate back then now looking like this? Have you finally lost your edge?”

“While you were busy with your own affairs, I had a showdown with the king and got a soul stone, you idiot.” I wiped my runny nose with my sleeve and kicked the PK out of the way.

The kicked PK disappeared over the gate. Green eyes fluttered behind the monster as its wings again struck the ground.

But I didn’t have to deal with that one. I wasn’t in a position to worry about aliens. Blame my lack of skill for it.

[The ‘Green-Eyed Demon’ wants to become your patron.]

Amid my confusion, the green letters popped up again, but I just threw myself into the gate. The game was over.