Chapter 97 : Chapter 97

Chapter 97 - Tournament (1)

The sky was clear without a single cloud, the sunlight was blazing, and the wind blew refreshingly on a certain day.

Humans, laden with deadly weapons, were lined up in a giant colosseum.

“...”

“...”

No, really.

Looking at such a grim scene on such a beautiful day was enough to make my mood turn foul on its own.

It seemed to be the same for Seo Ah-in standing next to me, as she whispered to me with a thoroughly crumpled expression.

“...Did you really have to push me to participate in a place like this?”

“Yes.”

“...”

In the first place, regardless of my foul mood, I would have brought this girl here no matter what.

Well, considering what scenarios awaited in the long run, you needed to grow up much more.

And this tournament would serve as a mid-term check to see how much she had grown.

‘Definitely...’

Considering how badly I had thrashed Aaron, Edgar must have fed Lina some pretty potent enhancement drugs.

Considering she was already a top-tier among A-rank Climbers, she would be a rather threatening opponent.

Perhaps she could even have a good match with Ms. Seo Hye-in.

[ To all of you who have attended this tournament. We sincerely thank you. The year-end settlement Guild Grand Unification Event will conclude with this final schedule... ]

While the loudspeaker inside the colosseum was saying that, I turned my gaze and scanned the interior.

Well, I had already expected a large audience, so that was that.

The thing to focus on was the VIP seats located on the top floor.

The reason I had gone out of my way to participate in the Guild Grand Unification Event was, of course, to blow off Arklight's Edgar's head in advance, but the biggest reason was the person inside there.

‘The Master of the Magic Tower.’

The strongest mage in the world.

A person whose appearance the vast majority of people here didn't even know.

According to the original game's progression, he was someone you could only meet much later, but in the lore, he liked to spectate things, so he was a guy who always participated in this event's tournament one way or another.

My goal was to leave a rather deep impression on that guy.

“...”

And considering what would happen in this tournament, it wasn't actually that difficult.

After the excruciatingly boring opening ceremony ended, people scattered in small groups to their assigned arenas.

“I'm... in Building A. What about you, Mr. Gyu-sik?”

“Building B. But it doesn’t really matter anyway.”

“Pardon?”

“Your opponent and mine are already decided.”

Yep.

It was true.

Considering the insidiousness that guy Edgar showed in the game, he would have already pulled some strings here.

For someone who acted all smug on the outside, he was a really petty guy on the inside.

Seo Ah-in would 100 percent fight Lina, and I would fight him.

“...How is this real?”

Seo Ah-in, who had received the tournament bracket, asked back blankly, and I just smirked at her.

Have you ever seen me say anything wrong?

“No, even so, if he’s that kind of behind-the-scenes villain type... shouldn’t it be something like, ‘I will defeat you on a grander stage!’? Why from the preliminaries...?”

“It's not just that he's petty, he's also impatient.”

To be precise, he probably perceived me and Seo Ah-in as ‘obstacles’ to what he was planning to do today, so he wanted to get rid of us as quickly as possible.

But that was a matter for later.

For now, I took out my phone from my pocket and made a call.

“Yo. Ms. Meirin.”

[H-how do I receive this? The call button, yes. I already pressed it. What? It's already connected? Yes, yes! Hello!]

“...”

It seemed like a real struggle just to answer a single phone call.

I couldn’t help but be shocked when I heard that this person, just like Seo Ah-in, hadn't owned a cell phone until recently.

“Are you on standby at the location? Evangeline is with you too, right?”

[...Don’t act all friendly and call me by my name. It gives me the creeps.]

“Well, creeps or not, just do the job I asked you to do later.”

[Hmph.]

I heard a scoff from the other end of the line, but at least no words of refusal came.

That was enough.

“...? Are you plotting something again?”

“It’s not plotting, just preparing.”

“Preparing?”

“Yes.”

Answering so, I looked up at the sky.

The weather was splendidly clear right now, but.

Soon, it would get a little... cloudy.

***

People often become violent when they are extremely tired.

And Seo Ah-in, who had been tormented by Kim Gyu-sik for the past two days, was in a state where the person in front of her looked hideously hateful.

It was because Mr. Gyu-sik had pushed her so hard, telling her she had to face this person.

“You. My opponent? You look pathetic.”

Lina or whatever her name was, the woman with an irritating face, was babbling on about something.

Ah, I shouldn't be like this.

If I get this annoyed, I feel like I'm going to start talking like Mr. Gyu-sik.

“Your whole speech concept is so damn cringey.”

“...What did you say?”

“No. A-ah, it’s nothing. Let’s have a good match.”

Forcing a smile, Seo Ah-in drew her sword and saluted in time with the referee's call.

She was different from that man. At least in a fair and square duel, she would act with dignity and sportsmanship.

Fighting by looking down on and crushing others like a person with a broken personality was not to her-

“Hmph. To someone like you. I don't even want to greet you. To a subordinate of such. A pathetic man.”

“...Excuse me?”

What the hell is this crazy bitch saying?

I’m trying to be polite here.

As Seo Ah-in stared at her opponent with a cold, soured gaze, Lina raised her red gauntlets and approached her step by step.

“To remain by the side of such. A pathetic-looking man. You’re pitiful too. If you came to Sir Edgar’s side. You could be much happier.”

“...”

Ha.

Really.

Seo Ah-in took a deep breath, trying to calm her twitching lips.

No, well. Fine.

Even a hedgehog thinks its own child is beautiful, so she might think her Edgar or whatever was better than Mr. Gyu-sik. In the first place, Mr. Gyu-sik didn't have a very favorable first impression.

“The opponent for that pathetic man. Will be Sir Edgar. Probably. By now he’s being trampled on unsightly. Begging for his life. You shouldn't end up like that either. How about you surrender in advance?”

“...”

Right.

She had endured as much as she could.

“Ah, I see.”

Seo Ah-in smiled brightly and drew White Edge.

“Then how about you try taking a technique taught by that pathetic person.”

And her body shot forward.

The difference in basic physical abilities was probably clear. That woman named Lina was much stronger than her.

“You call that an attack. Now?”

Saying so, Lina raised her arm with a relaxed expression, intending to block the attack.

However.

[Mind's Eye]

I can see everything.

The mana gathered in her eyes judged the situation in seconds and produced the ‘correct answer’.

Grab the sword and swing.

To Lina, it might have been a slow attack flying in a predictable path, but.

-!

It connects.

The sword strike, a valid hit, sliced through Lina's shoulder.

“...Huh?”

While Lina let out a dazed sound, Seo Ah-in rushed in again without rest.

She swung again. Thrust. Slashed.

And all of them cut through Lina’s body.

Slow speed? Weak power?

Such disadvantages crumble like a sandcastle under the overwhelming superiority of information.

If it’s something that happens in the space where breaths touch and steel clashes, this ‘eye’ calculates everything. As if it knows every cause and effect under the category of combat.

Mr. Gyu-sik had told her. As long as she had Mind’s Eye, she was nearly invincible against any opponent within one meter.

All of it. He had told her.

“...If it were Mr. Gyu-sik, he would have dodged that just now without a problem.”

She muttered as she kicked Lina’s shin. It was true. If it were him, he would have dodged this while tripping her. Taunting her for being slow.

“If it were him, he definitely would have blocked this.”

A vertical slash down the centerline.

After being hit by a series of attacks, a downward slash that went in precisely during the opening when she stepped back to catch her breath split Lina’s chest. Blood splattered everywhere.

If it were Mr. Gyu-sik, he would have cut off the flow with a short attack before the attack even came out.

No, in the first place, if it were him, he wouldn't have been driven into a corner like this.

“Y-you bitch, I’ll tear you to pieces-!”

Ah, her speech concept broke.

Seo Ah-in smirked and leisurely ducked under the gauntlet Lina swung with a large motion.

An unknown joy was welling up in her chest.

Was this why he never stopped provoking his opponents throughout a fight?

“You.”

Three steps forward. Turn to the left. Dodging the counterattack that came out at the perfect timing, she struck Lina’s throat with the pommel of her sword.

Listening to the choking sounds, she kicked her in the abdomen.

“You might not like Mr. Gyu-sik. He does attract an unusual amount of aggro. Still.”

That guy named Edgar was a man who dragged a minor into a dungeon, killed her, and then wiped his mouth clean.

A criminal like that. A piece of human trash. What?

Better than him?

“He’s not someone to be insulted by the likes of you! You trash!”

If anyone was going to insult him properly, it would have to be me!

Because I’m the one who’s suffered the most from him!

“...”

Whether that was a good thing or not, leaving that aside.

She exhaled and thrust her sword. The slash, accurately lodged in a vital spot, sent Lina flying, scattering blood in all directions.

“Winner! Seo Ah-in of Renegade!”

“...Hoo.”

Hearing the referee’s declaration and the thunderous cheers of the crowd, Seo Ah-in let out a deep sigh.

“...”

Lina, in front of her, was a complete wreck.

Her entire body was covered in ragged cuts, and the gauntlets she was wearing were almost scrap.

Hmm. For some reason, she got too heated in the middle and her hands might have been a bit too harsh. Let’s reflect on that.

Now, look.

She was beaten so severely that a black aura was rising from her body and her entire body began to twitch...

“...Huh?”

No, this wasn't right.

As Seo Ah-in flinched and stepped back, the people around her, who had also noticed something was wrong, began to murmur.

“What is that?”

“Is it a new skill or something? An enhancement skill?”

Ah, right.

Come to think of it, Mr. Gyu-sik had said something like that.

‘You’ll probably subdue her surprisingly easily the first time. You’re stronger than you think right now.’

‘The first time? Are you saying we’ll fight twice?’

‘Yeah. It would originally be a 2-phase boss fight.’

‘...You’re talking nonsense I can’t understand again.’

‘Well, then I’ll explain it so you can understand.’

Yes.

And the words that followed, she had heard them loud and clear.

‘If something black starts rising from her body. Then run.’

And at the same time as that thought flashed through her mind.

Something exploded from Lina’s body.

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