The capital was in chaos.
A wyvern, the terror of the skies, had been reduced to ash in a single swing by a man who couldn't even be bothered to raise his voice. Whispers spread like wildfire — the Trash Hero had once again defied expectations. But no one dared approach him. Not yet, anyway.
Lee Hwan was already back under his favorite tree, completely unaware of the frantic chaos he'd left behind.
Ding!
+50,000 EXP for "defending" the capital from a monster you didn't care about.
+5,000 AGI for moving just enough to avoid being in the explosion zone.
Level Up! Level Up! Level Up!
Lee Hwan yawned, scratching his stomach. His body felt good, and he had no idea how much stronger he'd become. But to him, it didn't matter. He was here for one thing only: relaxation.
"Maybe I'll take a nap for a few more hours," he muttered, sinking deeper into the grass.
Ding!
+100 MANA for having an extended rest.
Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder.
Lee Hwan blinked, opening one eye. Standing above him was none other than the royal knight commander, a towering man in polished armor.
"What do you want?" Lee Hwan asked flatly, clearly unimpressed.
"I—" The knight hesitated before speaking. "Your presence is requested by His Majesty, the king."
Lee Hwan groaned. "Ugh, I'm too busy. Tell him I'm… busy."
The knight stiffened. "It's... a matter of great urgency. You've become the kingdom's savior. The king wishes to speak with you, and he… He insists it is a matter of great importance."
Lee Hwan scratched his head. "Does he think I'm going to suddenly care about this place?"
The knight's expression faltered. "I'm not sure, but he requests you at the castle at once. It's... a royal command."
Lee Hwan groaned louder. "Fine. Fine. I'll go. But I'm not promising anything." He rolled over, standing up lazily, stretching his arms above his head.
Inside the Royal Castle…
The throne room was tense.
Nobles whispered in the corners. The king paced anxiously, clearly on edge. Even the princess, who had rarely been seen since the hero summoning, was sitting at the royal table, looking as if she'd rather be anywhere else.
"Trash Hero Lee Hwan has arrived, Your Majesty," the royal guard called out, announcing Lee Hwan's presence.
The king looked up, trying his best to suppress a frown. He was getting desperate, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could handle the embarrassment.
"Lee Hwan, you've come," the king said, his voice heavy with forced dignity.
Lee Hwan yawned, walking in slowly. "Yeah, what is it? I was having a really nice nap before some guy disturbed me."
"You—" The king bit back his anger, his fingers twitching. "You are a hero now. The people look up to you. You've saved the capital. You've destroyed a wyvern and defeated the goblin king with no effort. Why are you so…"
"Lazy?" Lee Hwan finished for him, his expression unchanged.
"Yes! Exactly!" the king said, growing more exasperated. "You could be the greatest warrior in the kingdom! You could be a legend! And yet..."
"Meh. Sounds like a lot of work," Lee Hwan said, flopping into a nearby chair, propping his feet up on the royal table. "I'm good with where I am. Nice and chill."
The king's face twitched. "You... You are the greatest warrior in the kingdom. And I need your help."
Lee Hwan blinked, pausing for a moment. He hadn't expected this.
"You want me to fight for you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No," the king said, his voice now quieter. "There's... something worse coming."
Lee Hwan sighed. "What now? More wyverns? Or do you want me to take down your brother or something?"
The king looked pained. "It's not that simple. There's an ancient artifact—one that controls the very fabric of reality itself. It was lost to time, but a cult has rediscovered it. They're calling it the Crown of the Void. And they're using it to tear apart the boundaries between our world and... something far worse."
Lee Hwan raised an eyebrow. "That sounds like a whole lot of work."
"It is a lot of work," the king said urgently. "But if you help us, you'll be the one to save us all. We don't know who else can stop them."
Lee Hwan tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling as if the conversation wasn't interesting enough to hold his attention.
Ding!
A special event has been triggered: The Crown of the Void has been awakened.
- Reward: +1,000,000 EXP for interfering in world-ending events.
- Option: Help the king and become the kingdom's hero.
*- Option: Ignore the event and continue relaxing. (Guaranteed increased rewards for doing nothing.)
Lee Hwan shrugged. "Alright, alright. I'll help. But I'm not running around like a hero or anything. You guys better handle all the 'saving the world' part. I'm just here for the snacks and the rewards."
The king stared at him, unsure whether to be relieved or frustrated. "Very well. But I must ask — will you at least try?"
Lee Hwan looked at the king and smiled lazily.
"I'll try if there's cake afterward," he said, flashing a lazy grin.
The king nearly choked on his own frustration.