Chapter 47 : Chapter 47

Chapter 47. The Sword Demon (3)

Fighting as many duels as possible in a short span of time—That was the method I chose to prove my strength to the 「Arena」. In these matches, I had to show beyond doubt that I was a fighter far above the level of a ‘Silver Medal.’ That meant I couldn’t simply win the upcoming ten-plus duels.

“This sacred duel shall be dedicated to Goddess Refri, the guardian of justice!”

I had to win overwhelmingly. Even more decisively than Seol Yoon.

Not just against the other fighters—but in a way even the spectators could accept without question.

***

“Is this a fake? How the hell is this supposed to be the Little Gladiator?”

“……”

“Did a black mage capture you and do some modification surgery or something? Or did you just eat monster meat from the slums?”

My first opponent of the day was a talkative one.

The audience’s reaction was strange as well.

Some of them still remembered me, and the sudden change in my appearance caused a stir. But the loud chatter soon faded.

“Bastard, I asked you a ques—urk—”

I knew the true nature of this place. The people here didn’t come to the Arena out of affection for any particular fighter. They didn’t care who you were, how you looked, or what happened to you.

All they wanted was entertainment—something thrilling.

As long as you could give them that, no one cared that the small boy they once cheered for had become a broad-shouldered young man.

“—Ughk!”

Entertainment. That was all that mattered.

That was the law of this Arena.

And from their perspective, my duels would be very entertaining.

“Ooohhhh!”

“Holy shit!”

Thud. My opponent—who had been mouthing off only seconds ago—crashed face-first into the dirt. The duel ended in an instant.

The fighter’s eyes rolled back as he drooled and twitched on the ground. I slid my sword back into its sheath and said flatly,

“Next.”

Just one word. And the crowd exploded.

“Woooooaaaaahhh!”

“Crazy bastard! I’m betting everything I’ve got on you, Little Gladiator!”

“Hell yeah! Bring out the next one! He didn’t even warm up yet!”

As the spectators screamed and the unconscious fighter was dragged away, the Arena staff hurried to bring in the next opponent.

I had seven fights scheduled back-to-back.

The audience’s excitement would only keep growing.

I glanced up at the stands.

“Liam! Liam!”

“Little Gladiator!”

I no longer fought while running away with a needle-thin blade. Among the swords I’d devoured were now heavier, more feral ones. Blades that weren’t born from humans—but from orcs. Wild, primal, and thrilling—the kind that made audiences’ hearts race.

Today, I decided to set their hearts ablaze.

“You’re the lunatic who scheduled seven fights in a day, huh? Guess you just got lucky in the first one—”

A massive fighter appeared, built like a barbarian. My second opponent.

He swaggered in bare-chested, muscles bulging.

As soon as I faced him, I dropped my sword to the ground.

“Are you mocking me, you bastard—”

I didn’t need a sword. With a single breath, strength beyond human limits filled my body. The physique that 「Wild Instinct」 granted me was as solid as steel.

I charged straight in and slammed my fist into his jaw. Bone cracked under my knuckles.

“Guh—”

In that instant, my 「Path」 read the movements of his muscles. A 「Sword Walker」 doesn’t need a blade to dominate in close combat—just like this.

“Gkk—gah!”

I dodged every attack he threw, and in return, struck every opening he showed. His bare torso was covered in bruises and blood before long. When his teeth scattered across the sand, I kicked him square in the forehead, sending him limp.

“Next.”

The crowd’s reaction was exactly what I expected.

“Wooooaaaaaaahhh!”

“This guy’s insane!”

The next five fights went the same way. Each one ended explosively, the crowd roaring louder every time. By the sixth, even other fighters began surrendering preemptively after seeing me fight.

That was how my first seven matches ended—in no time at all.

No thoughts of conserving stamina or fighting efficiently. Just pure, raw spectacle.

For those moments, I didn’t feel human—I felt like an orc.

And later that night—“I can’t sleep. I have to go again tomorrow. That mad bastard’s incredible!”

Even in the taverns, my name echoed late into the night.

I couldn’t help but smile.

After checking my condition, I let myself rest.

The sound of insects and distant drunken laughter became white noise.

Moonlight filtered through the window, clean and bright.

And when the next day came—

“I’ll give you the chance to fight for the Gold Medal.”

—I received an unexpected offer.

Much sooner than I thought.

***

While I was preparing for my remaining eight matches, an Arena representative came to the inn where I stayed. How they found me, I didn’t ask. With the kind of network the Arena had in this Steel City, tracking a single gladiator was nothing to them.

What mattered was why they came.

“Little Gladiator, we’ve all seen your strength after yesterday. That’s why I came in person. I guarantee you—watching you crush weaklings eight more times would be boring. Dominance is only exciting the first few times; repetition dulls the thrill. We can’t have the heat of the crowd cooling into boredom. A proper Arena planner must always keep the audience satisfied.”

“……”

“With the attention you’re getting, it’s only natural to move you up. What other Silver Medal fighter could draw this kind of crowd? You’re a rare opportunity.”

The man chuckled softly.

“You have real talent as a gladiator. Even back when you were a Bronze Medalist, you drew attention naturally. You have the gift of a star.”

“And what exactly are you proposing?”

“Let’s cancel today’s eight matches and hold one promotion match instead. If you win, you’ll wear the Gold Medal immediately.”

It was a tempting offer. No—more than that, it was excellent.

Why waste time on eight pointless fights when I could rise straight to Gold?

Still, I didn’t accept right away.

“I’d like to hear the details of the promotion match.”

After all, I remembered what happened last time.

I could still recall the malice hidden behind their offers.

“Ha! Suspicious, aren’t you?”

“I get that a lot.”

He laughed briefly, then said,

“It’s not a particularly difficult—”

“No need to lie.”

I cut him off. Then smiled the same way he did.

“I know it’s a crap match. Just say it plainly.”

Maybe it was the orc influence, but my tone had grown rougher. Still, the representative didn’t seem offended—in fact, he laughed heartily.

“Yes, fine. To be honest, it’s a damn nasty match. I picked it myself. But it’ll be entertaining. A fight so thrilling it’ll steal the crowd’s breath away—absolutely delightful.”

“I see.”

“Yes. Of course, you’ll do it, won’t you? You seem like my kind of man—a born fighter who’d burn himself alive for the audience’s excitement! Isn’t that why you scheduled fifteen matches in the first place? Ha ha ha!”

His eyes gleamed with madness.

Liam muttered beside me,

「These insane jesters haven’t changed a bit. Back in the old Arena, they’d throw their own parents in the ring if it got the crowd excited.」

I agreed completely. That kind of gleam in his eye chilled me. Still, I nodded and asked,

“Who’s my opponent?”

“Ah, you probably wouldn’t know them. You don’t see folks like this in the Iron Kingdom often, but they came running when they heard about the 「Infinite Duel」 event.”

He paused dramatically.

“Have you ever heard of the ‘Monks’?”

***

Monk. The word used to refer to the ascetic monks of the Sky Empire, Velma.

They trained in the Sky Mountains, devoting their lives to discipline and worship of the Sun Goddess, Revrua.

They cut ties with the mortal world, severed their desires, and honed their bodies and souls beyond their limits.

Mysterious figures—rarely seen in the Iron Kingdom.

“They always show up for events like the Infinite Duel, where strength and endurance are tested. Facing a Monk in combat is a rare opportunity—even for you.”

The Arena representative explained, grinning.

While he droned on, Liam murmured,

「Monks, huh. Haven’t heard that name in a while. Lunatic ascetics, those ones.」

“……”

「Accept it. It’ll be... an interesting experience.」

He smiled mischievously.

I did as my master suggested and told the Arena I’d accept.

The representative beamed, saying he knew I wouldn’t refuse.

After he left, I asked Liam,

“What exactly is a Monk?”

「To someone like you? A real pain in the ass.」

He gave me a look.

「It’ll feel like fighting a giant boulder.」

A giant boulder…

Did he mean like an armored knight? The image didn’t form clearly in my mind. I’d never seen one, nor heard any first-hand accounts.

But there was no point in overthinking it.

“Not sure how much longer this nickname will stick! No longer small, no longer weak! From a lowly Bronze Medalist to a fierce fighter now on the brink of Gold! The most famous Silver Medal gladiator in all the Steel City—Liam, the Little Gladiator!”

“Woooooaaaaaahhh!”

The match was already beginning.

Instead of imagining things, I’d see for myself soon enough.

“And his opponent—from the mighty Sky Mountains, a rare Monk who has journeyed far to test his strength in battle! Fighter Helen!”

As the announcer’s booming voice echoed, I saw him—A man walking calmly across the Arena floor, wearing nothing but a thin robe. His bare torso was sculpted with dense, steel-like muscle.

Through the slit in his helmet, his eyes shone—clear as spring water.

Yes, like a clear spring.

‘This won’t be easy.’

***

The audience was initially unhappy about the cancellation of my remaining eight matches.

They’d been expecting the same fiery streak of rapid victories as yesterday.

But once they heard the name of my opponent—Monk!

A mysterious ascetic from beyond the Sky Mountains—Their dissatisfaction vanished instantly, replaced by feverish excitement.

I could feel their heat even from here.

“How easily people of the world are stirred. I envy that. When I still lived among them, I too would burn with passion over the smallest things.”

Helen’s voice was calm—unmoved by the cheers. That was a bad sign.

An opponent who didn’t get swept up in emotion was dangerous.

Such people fought cleverly.

So instead of replying to his musings, I focused on gathering what little information I could.

Knowledge was power—especially in battle.

“Little Gladiator Liam versus Helen, the Monk from the Sky Mountains! Let’s skip the talk and begin the duel!”

Helen’s body was like a sculpture—perfection forged by endless training.

But beyond the flesh, I could sense another power within him.

A force different from any swordsman or mage I’d faced—pure, untainted mana.

“This sacred duel shall be dedicated to Goddess Refri, the guardian of justice! —Ah, but of course, we also have a follower of another goddess here today! Then let us also dedicate it to the Sun Goddess, Revrua!”

Before the starting signal, I stayed alert—watching for any clue, any habit, any pattern in his movements.

“Then—let the duel begin!”

The signal fell.

“──!”

With a dull thump, Helen vanished.

Fast—far faster than I’d anticipated.

I instantly expanded my 「Path」 around me and drew my sword. My senses sharpened to their limits. A presence—behind me. Closing in fast.

“Hup—”

I turned sharply and swung in a wide arc. The air hissed as my blade cut through it—revealing Helen, who didn’t retreat. Instead, he raised a knife-hand and countered with a strange, fluid motion—barehanded.

I swung, ready to lose a hand if necessary—But—“What—”

My sword didn’t cut him. Instead, a harsh metallic clang rang out as a powerful shock ran down my arm. It felt like striking solid steel.

No—harder than steel.

「Stay sharp, young descendant.」

I pulled back, resetting my stance. But Helen pursued relentlessly, not giving me even a breath.

I thrust my sword to force him off—but he caught the blade between his palms, twisted it, and sent me flying.

「Monks are the natural enemies of blade-wielders. Especially swordsmen.」

“……”

「Your toughness won’t help you much here. Monks are among the few beings in this continent whose bodies can rival the ‘Karavans’ in hardness.」

Midair, his fist struck my chest. The impact rippled through my entire body, from my ribs to my fingertips. It was like being struck by lightning—or smashed into a boulder.

For a moment, my mind went blank. But I couldn’t afford to black out.

-I inhaled sharply and flung my sword away.

Helen’s gaze followed the weapon, surprised.

A swordsman abandoning his blade? Unthinkable.

“What—”

That moment of distraction was enough.

I drew 「Fang」 from my thigh and stabbed both daggers into his shoulders.

The blades didn’t pierce fully—but that was fine.

I had another way to break through his hardness.

“Ha!”

Line. From the daggers buried in his shoulders, an explosive force surged—launching Helen high into the air and sending him crashing across the Arena.

Dust billowed. Through it, I saw him staggering to his feet.

“...That was impressive resilience.”

His shoulders were shredded, blood dripping freely.

A wound severe enough that most would call it victory.

“Let’s continue.”

Of course.

“I want to see it again—that strength of yours. That hardness is like steel. To think a swordsman could possess such fortitude.”

If only he weren’t a Monk.

「That’s the truly cursed thing about Monks, my young descendant.」

A Monk was a spiritual warrior—a priest of the Sun Goddess.

A martial artist and a healer in one.

Their strength wasn’t just in their hardened bodies.

A golden light bloomed from Helen’s skin. In moments, his torn flesh was whole again.

He stepped forward through the dust, uninjured.

There was only one thing I could say.

“What a goddamn way to duel.”

「That’s the highest praise you can give, boy.」

This fight...wasn’t going to be easy.

***

『Designation: Monk』

『Ascetic monks residing in Velma of the Sky Empire. They train in the Sky Mountains, severing ties with the mortal world.』

『Followers of the Sun Goddess Revrua, they live by strict doctrines of self-restraint and denial of worldly desire.』

『Their superb physical ability, martial skill, and divine healing power make them formidable opponents in battle.』