240 The Hero's Title

An inconvenient truth: Hero Julius was Yamada-kun's older brother.

He was a tiny child the last time we met, but now he has grown fully into a strikingly handsome young man.

His features bear little resemblance to Yamada-kun's.

Gentle. Appearing kind.

One might say he radiates an aura of inherent goodness just from looking at him.

Perhaps it's just my bias, but those who wear gentle smiles usually harbor something deeper—yet Hero Julius seems to lack that.

His smile alone might purify a corrupted body.

Still, I'd prefer not to interact with him.

We met during a war when he was a child, and I let him live then because his potential was promising—intended to be harvested later. But the circumstances have changed significantly since then.

I no longer require experience points, having achieved godhood.

Experience points?

What’s that? Tasty?

Not needed. Not needed.

So, from my personal standpoint, there’s no point in targeting it specifically.

It’s not really anything important, really.

But when considering the world as a whole, it’s not that simple.

What is a hero, really?

The answer lies in the opposite—demon lord.

Judging by the system upgrade history I’ve reviewed, heroes and demon lords weren’t originally part of the core code.

It seems that demon lords arose naturally, heroes emerged from defeating them, and D found the pattern amusing—so the system was updated to include the roles of hero and demon lord.

Thus, demon lords predate heroes.

As for the hero, their role is simple.

To defeat the demon lord.

That’s all.

While demon lords carry complex circumstances, the hero’s purpose is extremely straightforward.

Defeat the Demon Lord.

Conversely, one could say the one who defeats the Demon Lord is the Hero, and the one defeated by the Hero is the Demon Lord.

That is the issue.

The Hero title possesses a hidden effect not described in its description.

The one who holds the Hero title is the Hero. However, hidden mechanics have been embedded within the Hero's skill set.

D enjoys such mechanics—always preparing peculiar gimmicks. One must remain vigilant.

The Hero title has a hidden effect: upon defeating an opponent, it grants them the title "Vanquished by the Hero."

In practice, defeat equates to death. Once dead, receiving such a title serves no purpose.

However, if the defeated opponent possesses skills like Undying or Endurance, or miraculously revives, this title gains significance.

The skills granted by this title are: "Demon Lord LV1" and "Taboo LV1."

At this point, it's clear—this won't do.

Whether hero or demon lord, possessing skills increases the likelihood of inheriting the next title.

The demon lord, for instance, avoided becoming a demon lord for ages by leveraging the authority of Gluttony's Dominion. But with skills developed, inheriting the title becomes easier.

Being defeated by a hero brings one step closer to the demon lord title.

Still, the demon lord's seat is already occupied—no issue there.

The real issue lies in the title system itself.

Titles, like skills, grant special effects upon acquisition.

And immediately upon obtaining a title, two skills are granted automatically.

Combined, the title's effect is equivalent to receiving three skills at once.

Occasionally, one might receive a forbidden skill or a dangerous one—but generally, acquiring a title is advantageous.

I myself have been helped by this many times.

But titles hide significant traps.

Skills are acquired by paying a cost in skill points, or refined through training until they bear fruit.

A clear system of equivalent exchange applies here.

Titles, however, can be obtained simply by meeting conditions.

Some titles require effort to attain, but most do not demand such effort, unlike skills.

The title "One Defeated by the Hero" can be obtained merely by being defeated by a hero.

No equivalent exchange exists—only passive reception.

Then, where does it originate?

The answer is the system, and the M-A region.

In theory, skills gained through titles should yield a positive balance if the recipient trains them at all before death.

That is, titles were designed with this calculation in mind—by the system itself.

Like a loan—lend you a title, and you must repay it with interest upon death.

But in this dire situation, lending M.A. energy is something one would avoid if possible.

It’s a fire cart, after all.

What makes it troublesome is the title “Defeated by the Hero,” which becomes obtainable upon being slain by the Hero.

I ended up acquiring that title.

No, I didn’t intend to receive it in the slightest.

I didn’t even expect to receive it.

I’ve ascended beyond the system, severed from its mechanics.

Yet I still received it—curious.

Likely due to my reckless hacking into the system.

Some abnormal reaction occurred. A glitch, perhaps.

When the Hero defeats a fragment of a being, the title is granted.

Of course, it cannot remain in title form. It is automatically converted to energy upon receipt.

Each time a fragment is destroyed, it inevitably enters.

Ah, yeah.

The irony—me, who claims the energy is unstable, is the one draining it needlessly.

No, I can’t avoid this situation right now.

It’s bad, but I end up receiving it regardless. I don’t even notice until it’s already happened.

For now, I must hack into the data managing that area and fix the bug.

Moreover, the hero persistently targets my fragments.

Is that…?

The trauma from the last war?

She’s unnervingly perceptive. Every fragment that approaches gets eradicated.

As a result, I’ve had difficulty deploying fragments near Yamada-kun.

Honestly, it’s a nuisance.

But I can’t eliminate her.

So, despite the frustration, I have no choice but to adopt a passive approach—avoid contact entirely.

Exasperating.

I’m glad Yamada-kun and the others entered the academy.

Not constantly present, given the wanderings across regions as a hero, but every time I return, my fragmented forms are dealt with.

Yet within the academy, even heroes cannot interfere.

Finally, I can monitor without fear.