Translated by Demonic Dog
Read it only at utoon.net
===================
Chapter 63 – Tournament
“That’s an unpleasant commonality.”
Lee Lee Se-min frowned.
Isn’t this a group of victims who were trafficked by the same criminal? I didn’t want to feel identified in this way. Lee Lee Se-min slowly leaned back.
“I guess that’s not the only reason you called me. What is your business?”
“Hahaha, I have some business to meet you.”
“When you meet someone for the first time, you need a reason.”
“Just a moment.”
Gorgola called the waiter.
“I would like some herbal tea, please. I’m a singer, so my throat is important.”
“Don’t worry. The herbal tea at our store is very good for your throat. It’s an honor to serve the singer Gorgola. I’m personally a fan.”
“I am truly honored that such a beautiful person loves my song.”
A necklace dangled from Gorgola’s neck as he shook hands with an employee.
It was the same type as what Lee Lee Se-min was wearing.
The slaves of Sargasonia each had a different restraint, the shape of which was similar to the symbol of a wizard.
Gorgola noticed the gaze and shook her necklace.
“Angel Lee Lee Se-min has the same thing, right?”
Lee Lee Se-min shrugged his shoulders with a sullen expression.
His was hidden beneath a gladiator’s garb.
“At first, I resented it, but now I have a sense of duty.”
It was Gorgola’s unexpected words.
It was difficult for Lee Lee Se-min to keep up with the context of the conversation about becoming a slave and talking about a sense of duty. So, I thought about it while drinking tea. Did this guy take a bribe from Killa?
Lee Lee Se-min looked at him with questioning eyes.
On the outside, he was just a skinny and small man.
“What kind of sense of mission are you talking about?”
“Hahaha, Angel Lee Lee Se-min would definitely know.”
“I don’t know.”
“Even a joke….”
“Where is Killa? I’m going to find him and stab him.”
“Yes?”
“If you enslave someone, you have to be prepared to be put under the sword, right?”
“Over there…”
Gorgola shrugged her shoulders at Lee Lee Se-min’s harsh mood.
“So, what is that mission? I’m curious.”
“That…”
Only then did Gorgola realize that Lee Lee Se-min was sincere and began to choose his words. The conversation between the two somehow did not make sense.
“So… Angel Lee Lee Se-min… blames Killa.”
“Who likes enslaved women?”
“But it’s safer here than outside… in many ways….”
“Survival alone is not enough for humans!”
“…….”
“As a human being, you must achieve freedom, don’t you think?”
Gorgola asked with a worried expression.
“Did Killa say anything?”
“You mean? I did.”
When Lee Lee Se-min leaned forward, Gorgola took a step back.
“She deceived me with sweet words.”
“Are you Killa?”
“They brought me to Sargasonia, saying they would show me something good, but they beat me on the back of the head and sold me into slavery. The devil-like Vatikaros, who even the guards shake their heads at, is my master. A gladiator fight where I have to risk my life… Did you become a gladiator because you liked me?”
“…….”
His expression became depressed.
“I see…”
Silence fell between the two. Lee Lee Se-min and Gorgola just sipped tea in an awkward atmosphere.
“Actually…”
As Lee Lee Se-min was about to pour the last sip of tea down his throat, Gorgola spoke again.
“We have a meeting.”
“Yes.”
“This is a gathering of those who entered Sargasonia under the guidance of Killa.”
“It’s a combination that exudes slave spirit just by hearing it.”
“Haha… Angel Lee Lee Se-min seems to be a slightly different case from us.”
Lee Lee Se-min also heard something. The aliens preferred to remain slaves in Sargasonia rather than enjoy freedom. For that reason, Killa may be their benefactor.
Of course, it’s not like Kila wasn’t very helpful to Lee Lee Se-min. If it weren’t for her, Lee Lee Se-min wouldn’t had been able to be incorporated into the society of otherworlders.
But betrayal was betrayal.
A charlatan never forgets his grudges.
“Killa said this when he let me into Sargasonia.”
Gorgola looked at the ceiling as if reminiscing about the past.
“Gorgola. Your voice is special. Sow the seeds of Sargasonia with your song.”
“I guess the seed is a metaphor.”
“Yes. I don’t know what it is, but I think I know now.”
He started humming lightly.
It was a voice that seemed to had no boundaries. His tone fluctuated between high and low notes. When Gorgola finished humming briefly, Lee Lee Se-min was lost in the lingering mood.
Gorgola grinned.
“As you said in the gladiatorial arena, Sargasonia is corrupt.”
It was part of noise marketing, and Gorgola thought highly of him.
“Other members of our group have the ability to communicate with animals. We are helping the children of Sargasonia better understand their pets. They are becoming children who know how to be considerate of others.”
“Isn’t that a fraud?”
“He is real. And another member is a very good stonemason. We are erecting a statue of him in the scenery of the old empire and in memory of His Majesty, who was killed by Badurbarok. So that the younger generation will not forget those times.”
Here again, Badurbarok appeared. And Gorgola said the name casually.
“ Badurbarok…….”
“Ah.”
.
“It’s a taboo name in Sargasonia. I think it actually encourages fear of it.”
“Aren’t others as afraid of Badurbarok as you are?”
“I’m afraid too. It’s a name that everyone is afraid of. But it’s not to the point where I can’t even say it like the residents of Sargasonia. Not only me, but all the people who were led to Killa are like that. This can also be said to be something we have in common.”
As Lee Lee Se-min began to show interest in the conversation, Gorgola began to explain further.
Lee Lee Se-min was able to ask questions about the empire and Badurbarok that he had not been able to learn from books. .
Badurbarok brought darkness and led monsters to slay the Emperor and his army.
The emperor was the leader of humanity and the coordinator who connected humans with ancient races.
With his disappearance, the forces resisting Badur Barok were completely broken, and now everyone was reduced to hiding from the demonic beasts.
“ ?”
“Yes. Although they are small in number, they are four races with great abilities. They say they each hid in their own lands after the fall of the empire. I have never seen them before. Since the emperor is gone, there is nothing we can do.”
“If there is no emperor, shouldn’t we just appoint a new emperor?”
Gorgola looked at Lee Lee Se-min as if asking what he was talking about. As he raised his eyebrows, Lee Lee Se-min excused himself.
“I come from a very rural area, so I don’t know anything.”
“Um… yes. It’s not that you want to become emperor. You must be recognized by the throne.”
“The throne?”
“Unfortunately, after the death of the last emperor, the throne also disappeared. Without the throne, we no longer have an emperor.”
From then on, Lee Lee Se-min continued to ask questions, but even Gorgola only knew roughly the details about Badurbarok and the throne. This was because quite a bit of time had passed since the empire fell.
“Only Germanos and some nobles would know the details.”
Germanos, the Sin on the Sand, was once a member of the emperor’s personal guard and was now said to be the strongest gladiator in Sargasonia.
According to Gorgola, he was an old man with gray hair.
“I thought it was a waste of time, but it was more useful than I thought.”
“…… .”
“Still, slave gatherings are a bit like that. I hate Killa.”
“I understand your feelings. However, the fact that Angel Lee Lee Se-min and Killa did not provide any explanation before bringing Angel Lee Lee Se-min to Sargasonia may mean that Killa has high expectations for Angel Lee Lee Se-min.”
“Why?”
“Isn’t it a belief that Angel Lee Lee Se-min will take care of things? Look, he is even now turning himself into an immortal gladiator and exposing Sargasonia’s corruption.”
They got up from their seats. Gorgola said she had to prepare to sing at a party hosted by her owner.
“It’s hard to find time because we’re all slaves, but sometimes we hold meetings. I hope Angel Lee Lee Se-min can attend those times.”
“ .”
“. .”
As they left the teahouse, the attention of the street gathered again.
Gorgola sang a song to the people. The lyrics about love and peace rang out. People of all ages and genders fell in love with his voice.
Some sensitive people even had tears in their eyes.
Lee Lee Se-min found it paradoxical that the residents of Sargasonia, who were shouting for the death of gladiators in gladiatorial arenas, were also shedding tears while listening to these songs.
As he watched Gorgola leave after finishing the song, Lee Lee Se-min reflected on what he had said.
“The emperor….”
Lee Lee Se-min shrugged his shoulders and headed towards Vatikaros’ mansion.
Anyway, the place he needs to be in order to gain freedom was on the sands of the gladiatorial arena.
***
Since Lee Lee Se-min had qualified for the tournament, he did not want to engage in another gladiatorial fight, but Vaticaros would not leave him alone.
Lower rankers desperately tried to qualify for the tournament.
“! !”
“ !”
“ !”
The noise in the stadium was still there.
The blood-soaked sand was stepped on by my shoes. The blood will soon be sucked down and disappear.
Lee Lee Se-min compacted the floor by rubbing the sand and stepping on it, then lowered his posture.
The opposing gladiator facing him was not afraid of Lee Lee Se-min’s attacks. It was a strategy focused solely on attack, ignoring defense.
“ .”
Angel Lee Lee Se-min never kills his opponents.
The guys who didn’t like it when it first appeared, now took advantage of that to push Lee Lee Se-min around. Since there was no burden of death, they attack more boldly.
. . Raised Rufus to block the enemy’s attack. He shouted and increased his speed even further.
I felt like the intention was to only take one.
Lee Lee Se-min wanted to cut down that arrogant gladiator.
“ .”
After dodging the enemy’s sword, Lee Lee Se-min hit his ribs with his knee. .
As Lee Lee Se-min lifted Rufus up, he desperately attempted a stabbing attack. Even during this time, they didn’t seem to care about defense.
He kicked the opponent’s wrist, made him drop his sword, and struck Rufus again.
The gladiatorial arena became quiet.
Even the crowd that was thirsting for blood looked dumbfounded when they saw Lee Lee Se-min’s blood.
But that surprise soon turned into jeers again.
He realized that Lee Lee Se-min had not cut him with the sword, but had struck him hard with the blade.
The opposing gladiator was bleeding from the head, but the wound was not fatal. I only lost consciousness due to a mild concussion.
It was his victory again.
‘Kill him.’
The ghosts of the gladiatorial arena motivated him, but Lee Lee Se-min was not affected by them. The black energies creeping up from under the sand did not dare to touch Lee Lee Se-min, who was wearing Taegeukhye.
There was still no cheering.
Amidst the now-familiar boos of the gladiatorial arena, Lee Lee Se-min suddenly spotted someone.
An old man was sitting in the front row of the audience. His hair was gray, but his physique was sturdy. The muscles all over my body were trembling, making the deep wrinkles on my face indistinct.
Lee Lee Se-min knew that man.
Sargasonia’s strongest gladiator.
This was Germanos, the sinner on the sand.
Lee Lee Se-min grinned.
Amid pouring boos and curses, Lee Lee Se-min walked towards Germanos, putting the ghosts of the gladiatorial arena to rest with Taegeukhye.
And shouted.
“Germanos, fallen gladiator of Sargasonia!”
The tip of his sword was tilted towards the old man.
“I will defeat you in the tournament and spread freedom to Sargasonia.”
When Lee Lee Se-min declared, the audience started booing. Lee Lee Se-min grinned and stepped on the body of the opposing gladiator who had fallen in front of him.
“I will make you like this.”
There was no change in Germanos’ expression. He received Lee Lee Se-min’s gaze with calm eyes.
The crowd, who had been booing for a while, now silenced their voices as they waited for Germanos’ answer.
As the noise gradually died down, all eyes in the gladiatorial arena were focused on him.
Germanos responded.
“I…”
It was a rough, hoarse voice.
“I will kill you.”
It was a short answer, but the meaning was clear.
The crowd cheered and chanted Germanos’ name. The stadium was now filled with anticipation for the upcoming tournament.
Lee Lee Se-min swallowed his saliva as he accepted Germanos’ indifferent killing gesture.
He was indeed a man called the strongest.
I was just looking at him, but that alone sent a feeling of death that made my skin tingle.
Lee Lee Se-min finished the gladiatorial match by pouring out comments unique to the Angel Lee Lee Se-min gimmick. Every time he opened his mouth, young jeers poured in from his enemies. Now I’m so used to it that I feel helpless if I don’t get scolded.
The opposing gladiator seemed relieved that he was not dead. Lee Lee Se-min was so disgusted by that sight that he kicked him once. He fainted.
Anyway, Lee Lee Se-min won today as well.
Audiences will continue to flock to see him die.
The role of silencing Angel Lee Lee Se-min fell to the tournament’s gladiators.
***
When Lee Lee Se-min was sold to Vaticaros, three of his gladiators died.
Everything became dew on the sand.
It was the fate of a gladiator.
Of those who survived, only Lee Lee Se-min and Kutinos qualified for the tournament.
Vaticaros gathered Lee Lee Se-min and Kutinos together, praised their hard work, and asked them to do well in the tournament.
He especially emphasized that he had high expectations for Lee Lee Se-min. According to Kutinos, Vaticaros had become lenient to the extent that his treatment of the entire gladiator troupe had changed since Lee Lee Se-min’s arrival.
Clearly Vaticaros liked Lee Lee Se-min.
“I don’t know what kind of magic you did, but to us, you really are an angel.”
“There must be something out there.”
After meeting with Vatikaros, the two sparred with wooden swords and talked.
“My brother is very suspicious, so it’s a problem.”
“I don’t believe in effects without causes. If Vaticaros has changed like that, there must be something going on. He may be plotting dirty tricks behind the scenes.”
“A man like this has the concept of an angel…”
“I told you it was business.”
Lee Lee Se-min held out his sword. Kutinos took it skillfully. The two wooden swords continued to clash.
Kutinos’ skills were exceptional. Among the gladiators at Vaticaros Mansion, there was an expectation that Lee Lee Se-min and Kutinos might actually win the tournament.
But the problem was still Germanos.
Not only had he never lost, but he hasn’t even shown himself struggling.
He was a strong man who protected the emperor even when the empire was alive in the first place. It may be natural that he was called the strongest in Sargasonia, a city of defeated soldiers and refugees.
“Have you ever seen Germanos’ skills?”
“Of course.”
There were no matches for Germanos after Lee Lee Se-min arrived.
Perhaps it won’t be until the tournament that we’ll be able to see his skills.
“He is on a different level. The brothers are great, but Germanos’ fight was truly shocking.”
“How was it?”
“He didn’t move from his seat.”
Kutinos stepped back with his wooden sword. And he swung his sword in the air like a whip.
“Just by swinging from a distance like this, the opponent couldn’t even resist and was hit one-sidedly.”
“Isn’t that just black energy?”
“The game at the time was at a soldier level.”
If you were a soldier, you were allowed to had an auror level of Green Mark Raider by Earth standards.
Continuing to emit that amount of sword energy was extremely inefficient. The general trend was that just by blocking the incoming sword energy with the sword, the opponent would deplete their aura and self-destruct.
But Kutinos said something different.
“He kept throwing his sword energy over and over again.”
“That means….”
“That’s right.”
Kutinos and Lee Lee Se-min’s eyes met.
The two opinions seemed to agree.
“Conspiring with the wizard behind the scenes…!”
“Great aura control…!”
Their voices mingled.
Of course, it was the Lee Lee Se-min who suspected Germanos of wrongdoing. As Kutinos stared, Lee Lee Se-min cleared his throat.
“Well, that won’t happen, right?”
“Gladiator games are the most important event in Sargasonia. Something like that has never happened. Even if it had, would Germanos have made a show of it?”
“Okay.”
“What I mean is, he was that skilled at handling Aurors.”
Lee Lee Se-min waved his wooden sword while keeping his distance from Kutinos. The necklace was blocking the flow of Aurors. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t remember what it felt like when his power was at its full potential. It felt like a distant and faint memory.
That would be the same for other gladiators.
What if they could all demonstrate their full potential? Lee Lee Se-min was curious about the real strength of the otherworldly people.
“Cutinos.”
“Huh?”
“Have you ever met a swordsman who can level a mountain with a single sword?”
“Mountains to plains?”
He let out a laugh.
“That’s impossible. I’ve never seen anything like that before. Even the knights of the old empire wouldn’t have been able to do that.”
“Really?”
Lee Lee Se-min saw.
Although it was a video, he witnessed the Transcendent Network’s swordmaster Ferzen slowly erasing a mountain with his sword.
I thought I was strong enough, but I still had a long way to go. But now it doesn’t feel as far away as it used to. Lee Lee Se-min had a vague feeling that if he could catch a faint clue, if he could overcome just one more wall, he would be able to reach the level that Fersen had shown.
That was what must be done to kill Badurbarok.
But soon, as his thoughts reached the earth, Lee Lee Se-min became a little depressed.
To shake off that feeling, I smiled and asked Kutinos.
“Kutinos, but have you ever felt that way during a gladiatorial fight?”
“Which?”
“It feels like the sand in a gladiatorial arena is sucking up my blood. The blood disappears so quickly. Sometimes it feels like the entire arena is urging me to kill my opponent.”
“I never thought of that.”
Kutinos tilted his head.
“I’ve heard rumors that at night, the ghosts of the dead in the gladiatorial arena come back to life and continue their eternal sword fight.”
“There were a lot of superstitions like that where I was, too.”
“What you felt might be the grudges of the ghosts. Be careful. They might come to your bed today.”
“Even if they don’t kill people, they are willing to kill ghosts.”
“Hahahaha!”
Kutinos laughed once and swung his wooden sword at Lee Lee Se-min. Lee Lee Se-min responded. Their swords quickly crossed.
Lee Lee Se-min’s sword began to had its own flow, combining all the martial arts he had learned. Sometimes they follow a system, but sometimes they improvise and make random moves when necessary.
Kutinos was gradually pushed out by Lee Lee Se-min.
“Pretty good!”
He began to roughly resist Lee Lee Se-min’s momentum. Kutinos’ swordsmanship had been honed through numerous battles and was flawless.
His sword pierced towards Lee Lee Se-min’s vital spot.
But Lee Lee Se-min was already out of his attack range.
It was a reckless move.
“That’s fascinating.”
Kutinos was impressed. He realized that Lee Lee Se-min was not ordinary. His swordsmanship did not feel like fighting or sword fighting, but as if it was being done to achieve something bigger.
This time, Lee Lee Se-min came in. When Kutinos blocked from above, Lee Lee Se-min’s wooden sword stabbed downward, and when he was wondering if he could avoid the bottom attack, Lee Lee Se-min was already waiting at the end of the line.
After frantically dodging and blocking, Lee Lee Se-min’s wooden sword reached Kutinos’ neck.
“I lost.”
Kutinos laughed bitterly. Lee Lee Se-min raised his wooden sword.
“The loser is executed.”
“Aren’t you an angel of love and mercy?”
“It’s all lies.”
“You were a hypocrite after all.”
Lee Lee Se-min and Kutinos laughed. They took away their wooden swords. A fellow gladiator who was watching the two sparring while taking a break brought them a bucket of water.
“Thank you.”
“Next time, spar with me. I want to learn a lesson.”
“Anytime.”
The gladiators agreed that Lee Lee Se-min was the strongest of the Vatikaros gladiators. They often asked to learn.
“I heard it when you two were talking earlier, about the gladiatorial arena.”
As Lee Lee Se-min drank water and poured it on his head to cool off, his fellow gladiator spoke.
“There was a gladiator who said something similar to you.”
“What?”
“You talked nonsense about breaking the blood curse on the gladiatorial arena and liberating Sargasonia.”
“Who is that?”
“He’s already dead. Zemer Gloria.”
Kutinos also nodded at the name Zemer Gloria.
“Ah, that reminds me. He was the one who was killed by Germanos in the finals of the tournament, right?”
“That’s right.”
“He used to say strange things.”
Lee Lee Se-min heard his name more than anything else. asked them.
“Was Gloria a noblewoman?”
They both nodded at the same time.
“That’s right. Even though he was a nobleman, he voluntarily became a gladiator. His skills were good, but he couldn’t surpass Germanos in the end.”
“The Gloria family seemed to welcome his death.”
“Because he was the bane of the family.”
Lee Lee Se-min recalled Yuria Gloria, who had invited him, and the black energy of the gladiatorial arena that surrounded him.
“It’s complicated.”
The madness of the Sargasonia residents seen in the gladiatorial arena was by no means ordinary.
Lee Lee Se-min clearly thought there was something there.
***
An opening ceremony was held to announce the start of the tournament.
Sargasonia was in a festive mood.
A total of 32 people will participate in the tournament, including the ten strongest players in each weight class and two people selected by recommendations from nobles.
The match was made by drawing.
Each gladiator drew a number assigned to him.
Every time the gladiators came forward, the audience cheered. The beauty of the opening ceremony was that the size of the cheers varied depending on the athlete.
The gladiators drew their numbers from the box and held them high.
Each time, the names of the gladiators appeared on the magic electronic display board.
When the rivalry took place, the gladiatorial arena was shaken.
And then it was Lee Lee Se-min’s turn.
As he walked onto the stage, boos poured in that were incomparable to the cheers that had been pouring in so far.
Lee Lee Se-min waved his hand in response and then raised his middle finger as if it was a mistake.
Insults poured out.
When Lee Lee Se-min went on stage, everyone’s eyes focused on him. Lee Lee Se-min felt the gladiators’ gazed glaring at him. The strongest people in Sargasonia were all gathered together. Lee Lee Se-min looked at each of their faces.
“That sucks.”
Because of the emcee’s microphone who was standing nearby, his voice echoed throughout the gladiatorial arena.
[What are you saying is bad?]
“The faces of the fallen gladiators are so pitiful. How can sinners have such a proud expression? Sargasonia’s morality has fallen to the ground.”
[Woman, this is Angel Lee Lee Se-min as expected. From the beginning, he pours out very spicy words.]
The host tried to calm things down with a joke, but dirt was already flying onto the stage.
A fruit peel fell on the host’s head.
[Everyone, please calm down.]
Lee Lee Se-min removed the fruit peel from the host’s head and patted his shoulder.
In fact, Lee Lee Se-min was avoiding all the flying dirt. Because he avoided it, the host continued to be hit with dirt.
[We will proceed with the lottery right away! Angel Lee Lee Se-min! Please take a number ticket quickly!]
He seemed eager to proceed quickly. Lee Lee Se-min laughed and walked in front of the box. And without hesitation, he pushed his hand into the hole.
He grabbed whatever he could get his hands on and lifted it above his head without checking.
And then I looked at the electronic display board.
The moment his first match was confirmed, cheers poured out.
Angel Lee Lee Se-min, and Shozen.
It was my first time seeing this name.
However, the crowd chanted Shozen as if they had been waiting. Lee Lee Se-min realized that the young man waving his hand under the stage was his opponent.
Shozen was not a traditional gladiator, but was one of two fighters who entered through the recommendation of a nobleman.
The attire was not that of a gladiator, but rather a formal attire worn only by nobles.
When he made eye contact with Lee Lee Se-min, he smiled and even showed courtesy by bowing his head.
He was a handsome, bright-faced young man. His body was also toned and tanned, as if he had not neglected his training. If you were recommended by a noble, your skills must be excellent. Women cheered for Shozen. He was a bright, sunny young man who had no shortcomings.
This was the type that Lee Lee Se-min hates.
He shouted reflexively.
“Shozen! As an apostle of heaven, I can see it! You are a pervert who is different on the outside and the inside!”
I thoughtlessly found fault.
However, the crowd, which had only responded with boos no matter what Lee Lee Se-min said, began to become agitated for the first time.
“What? Shozen is a pervert?”
“Those guys are sneaky behind the scenes.”
“Well, that’s right, you were very polite.”
“They say the sky is secretly fair.”
Men like Lee Lee Se-min, those who were envious and jealous when they saw Shozen, who was so proud, responded immediately.
The truth didn’t matter to them.
It’s just that since the number of cases had increased, they were just going to steer public opinion in the direction they want.
“What are you talking about!”
Shozen shouted in embarrassment.
Although drowned out by the commotion of the crowd, he calmly maintained his innocence.
“Angel Lee Lee Se-min, don’t insult me! It’s a baseless slander!”
Before he could argue further, Lee Lee Se-min used a cowardly argument technique.
“Look at him getting so excited! He must really be a pervert! Otherwise, why are he so angry? Did he hit the nail on the head? Are he angry because he got caught?”
At Lee Lee Se-min’s words, the audience’s attention focused on Shozen.
Shozen, who always smiled politely, was blushing and screaming.
The crowd’s reaction became even more heated.
“Pervert!”
“No, that’s why I’m saying no…!”
“Shozen was a pervert!”
“No!”
Lee Lee Se-min declared.
“I, Angel Lee Lee Se-min, will defeat Shozen and reveal his sinister true face! Shozen, the lustful demon of Sargasonia, repent!”
The rumor quickly became a fait accompli and spread. And Shozen, who was witnessing that scene with his own eyes, was going crazy.
“No!”
The more he shouted, the worse public opinion became.
Now Shozen had become a pervert who pursued sexual desires in all kinds of bizarre ways.
Lee Lee Se-min handed the microphone back to the moderator. Shozen looked at the host with eager eyes. The host cleared his throat.
[A shocking fact has just been revealed. No one could have imagined that Shozen would be such a person… … .]
Shozen was in despair, and Lee Lee Se-min smiled in remorse.
As Lee Lee Se-min came down from the stage and stood in line with the gladiators, he felt a gaze so intense that it felt like it was going to pierce the back of his head. It’s definitely Shozen. Lee Lee Se-min pretended not to notice and stared at the stage. Shozen’s gaze did not fall.
I’m sorry, but the response was so good.
In Sargasonia, which was struggling to catch Angel Lee Lee Se-min, if public opinion can change so much with just a few words from him, isn’t there something wrong with Shozen’s usual behavior?
Lee Lee Se-min relieved his guilt by constructing such logic.
If Shozen had listened to his inner thoughts, the stabbing might had occurred right away.
[Anyway, citizens of Sargasonia, please watch out for perverts in the future. Next order… … .]
The lottery continued. The names were filled in on the electronic display board. Soon all 32 names came to mind, and the bracket was confirmed.
Lee Lee Se-min looked at it and calculated. If he and Germanos continued to win, they would face each other in the finals.
Meanwhile, there was Andrew and Kutinos.
[Then let’s begin the opening match!]
As the host spoke, firecrackers rose from all directions.
Lee Lee Se-min, who didn’t know that the game would start right after the lottery ceremony, looked around. The stage and equipment were quickly removed, and the two gladiators in the front row of the bracket headed to their respective waiting rooms.
“Cutinos!”
Lee Lee Se-min walked towards Kutinos.
“Are they usually going to play games like this right after the lottery?”
“It’s fan service.”
“By the way…”
Lee Lee Se-min continued to create buzz and went up to the stood with Kutinos. Shozen was glaring at him from behind, so he desperately had to pretend not to notice.
“Whew, I thought I was going to get a hole in the back of my head.”
“Are you talking about Shozen?”
“Yeah. You’re a timid friend. I can’t believe you got so angry over something I just joked about.”
When Lee Lee Se-min spoke shamelessly, Kutinos laughed and gave advice.
“Shozen is strong, so be careful.”
“But anyway, you’re a pervert, right?”
“Wouldn’t it be more humiliating to be attacked by a pervert?”
“He is like that too.”
Even Kutinos naturally accepted the Shozen perversion theory. Lee Lee Se-min was thrilled that his instigation worked so well.
While they were flirting, a barrier was opened separating the stadium and the stood.
I could feel that the barrier was different from usual. It was a special protective shield prepared for indiscriminate warfare. It was such an expensive and powerful magic that indiscriminate pay was abolished due to its cost.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
No matter what anyone said, you can see the true skills of the gladiators.
Soon the two gladiators were on the sand, glaring at each other.
After talking about something, each of them took up a weapon.
The sword fight began.
***
On the way back, I ran into Yuria Gloria.
As soon as she saw Lee Lee Se-min, she laughed out loud.
“You’re turning Shozen into a pervert, is that even a business?”
“Yes.”
She was accompanied by several strong guards, including Gunen, the guard knight who had been defeated by Lee Lee Se-min. When Lee Lee Se-min waved his hand, he lightly nodded.
“You are a really interesting person. How do you feel about watching the opening match today?”
“Everyone had great skills.”
I meant it.
As the gladiators threw off their restrictions and fought with all their heart, a sound like lightning continued to echo in the arena. Their aurors seemed as if they could even destroy the reinforced barrier. Every time the swords collided, an explosion sound rang out.
Ordinary people would not had even seen the gladiators move.
As soon as sword energy poured out from one side of the arena, two people were clashing swords at the other end.
Every time they clashed, the entire gladiatorial arena shook.
“I will still win, though.”
“You’re full of confidence after seeing a fight like that. Since your opponent is Shozen, I’m looking forward to Angel Lee Lee Se-min’s match.”
“Are you coming?”
“Of course.”
The two walked side by side while talking.
The sound of citizens whispering on the street reached Lee Lee Se-min’s ears.
“I heard that the relationship between Lady Yuria and Angel Lee Lee Se-min is unusual…”
“You said you defeated Guinen and offered up that victory, but I guess it was a political act.”
“A bastard like Angel Lee Lee Se-min dares Lady Yuria….”
Several people’s voices must had been heard by Yuria, but she didn’t seem to care. Instead, the escorts following them showed signs of discomfort. The citizens fell silent and retreated.
“Oh, I have a question.”
“Yes.”
“If you win, what demands will you make to the nobles?”
The winner of the tournament became a free citizen and can simultaneously request one wish from the six nobles who rule Sargasonia. Unless it was impossible, it was customary to usually do it.
“I will make not only me but all the brothers of the Vatikaros gladiators free people.”
It was a promise between the gladiators of the Vaticaros gladiator troupe.
“Hmm….”
Yuria narrowed her eyes.
“Are you just going to be satisfied with that?”
“Not at all. It’s like a long-cherished wish for gladiators.”
“I see.”
She made a strange sound.
“Isn’t there a better wish? For example, if Angel Lee Lee Se-min gets something through a wish, the gladiators will naturally be freed… things like that.”
Lee Lee Se-min looked at Yuria.
Suddenly, a person named Zemer Gloria, whom I had heard about while talking with my fellow gladiators, came to mind. He said that he became a gladiator despite being a nobleman in order to liberate Sargasonia.
What was your relationship with Yuria Gloria?
Although he was curious, Lee Lee Se-min didn’t say anything because it seemed rude to ask about someone who was already dead.
Then Yuria spoke first.
“I had an older brother.”
It was past tense.
Lee Lee Se-min intuitively realized that this was the story of Zemer Gloria.
“My brother was also a gladiator.”
“You mean Zemer Gloria?”
“Oh my, did you know?”
“I heard it from my brothers.”
“I guess so. He was similar to you. Oh, except, of course, you were business and you were serious.”
“I am sincere, too. Professionals put their sincerity into business.”
Yuria laughed again.
“People hated my brother, but I liked him. He was a really kind and strong person.”
“You really look like me.”
“Hehe, you weren’t as shameless as Angel Lee Lee Se-min.”
She looked back and winked. Gunen took a step forward and unfolded his aura. An invisible membrane appeared, blocking the outside world and sound.
“Are you confident that you can defeat Germanos?”
Lee Lee Se-min had never seen Germanos fight. The intimidation I felt when I faced him was great, but that alone was not enough to determine victory or defeat.
“I’m not sure. I haven’t seen Germanos fight yet.”
“I see.”
Yuria touched her lips.
“If you show that you are good enough to win, I will tell Lee Lee Se-min one thing.”
“What is that?”
“It’s a wish you must ask for.”
“My wish?”
“Lee Lee Se-min doesn’t know what he can do yet.”
When Yuria gestured, the sound shield that Gwinen had spread disappeared. As the noise from the street poured in, Lee Lee Se-min had to raise his voice again.
“What is that?”
“I can’t tell you in advance. Show me your skills first, Angel Lee Lee Se-min.”
Lee Lee Se-min chuckled. Although it was a lax provocation, it strangely made my motivation boil over.
“I’ll be happy to show you. Please come watch me play.”
“I will.”
The two reached a crossroads. The directions were different. Lee Lee Se-min suddenly became playful when he saw Gunen.
“Yuria.”
“Yes?”
Just like he did before, Lee Lee Se-min got down on one knee and kissed the back of Yuria’s hand.
“I will win the tournament and dedicate the honor to Lady Yuria.”
I could feel Gwinen’s survival. Lee Lee Se-min stood up and winked at Gunen. His face became grim. Lee Lee Se-min chuckled to himself and lowered his gaze back to Yuria.
As for Yuria.
My face was red.
Seeing that expression, Lee Lee Se-min immediately began to think that he had made a mistake. Yuria, who had lowered her eyes, looked up at Lee Lee Se-min and spoke calmly.
“Keep your word.”
“Yes?”
“Okay then.”
Yuria led the escort and walked away.
Lee Lee Se-min stood blankly looking at the back.
The voices of citizens were heard.
“Did you just see it?”
“Wow, this is awesome.”
“Do you really think there is something between you two?”
Lee Lee Se-min muttered.
“Too much is not too much, it’s the law to follow the line, but I forgot it!”
As the sun went down, the darkness spread like ink. Lee Lee Se-min was wielding Rufus alone at the training ground.
Leave your body in the realm of instinct and calculate future events with your head.
Many thoughts passed by.
First thing was to take off this damn necklace.
And we must go forward to kill Badurbarok.
I thought that somewhere in this world there would be a force opposing Badurbarok. However, Sargasonia was a city where even speaking its name was considered taboo.
So, Lee Lee Se-min was vaguely thinking of leaving the city and visiting the four ancient races as soon as he won the tournament.
But no matter what plan you make, winning came first.
None of the gladiators I saw at the opening ceremony looked weak.
I’m sorry to say this, but at least Andrew and Kutinos did well. Lee Lee Se-min was already well aware of their power. However, there was no information about the remaining gladiators.
Andrew and Kutinos were at the same level as Lee Lee Se-min in the top 10.
It was correct to think that everyone was stronger than them.
“Taegeuk refers to yin and yang, heaven and earth, and furthermore, the original form.”
Lee Lee Se-min muttered those words and contemplated his insides.
Even if he tried to use his aura, his natural energy was disturbed by the necklace. I could not get used to the feeling of helplessness with the loss of the Aurors that I had wielded like hands and feet, even as time passed.
“Germanosra.”
The most difficult enemy was, of course, him.
Kutinos said that he was able to wield his sword skills to his heart’s content with just a Soldier-level Auror.
Lee Lee Se-min didn’t had the confidence to do that.
It was true that the quantitative problem of Aurors had been overcome by handling natural energy, but it was not at the level of infinite use.
“After all, isn’t it because they teamed up with wizards and increased the number of aurors?”
It was a strong guess, but since Kutinos was surprised that it wasn’t, I assumed it wasn’t the case.
Lee Lee Se-min swung his sword into the air.
Although the aurors were not gathered, I desperately tried to use as many aurors as my fingernails that I was able to wield as I adapted to this state.
It collapsed as soon as it left Lee Lee Se-min’s body.
“That doesn’t work.”
Lee Lee Se-min took a breath.
And I swung the sword for a while.
After reaching that level, physical training no longer had much meaning, but swinging the sword alone felt like my mind and body were stable and my head was in order.
After sweating, something became clear again.
Hostility toward the being called Badurbarok.
A new awareness that killing him was an infinitely impossible task.
As always, I am determined to patiently move forward along this arduous and arduous path.
And, sadness for those who died leaving him behind.
Ah, Lee Lee Se-min shook his head.
Now was not the time to think about such things. Lee Lee Se-min tried to calm the heavy emotions rising from the back of his skull. Those who had laughed and chatted together scattered the scenery that had been hanging like objects with a tornado.
I’m ready to cry, but it’s not the time yet.
Lee Lee Se-min held Rufus. The sword spirit cried loudly. Even though he was unable to use his aurors, Rufus was reacting to him.
This sword, whose identity and origin were unknown, now felt like a friend.
Suddenly, Rufus grabbed him.
It’s a strange thing to say, but I felt like the tip of the sword was twisting my body towards somewhere. Rufus was trying to say something to Lee Lee Se-min, like a dog biting the hem of its owner’s clothes and leading it somewhere.
Lee Lee Se-min reflexively walked in that direction.
Rufus was pointing outside Vatikaros’ mansion.
Although freedom of movement was guaranteed to gladiators, they were not allowed to leave the dormitory late at night. As he pondered, Rufus shook even more strongly.
The worry was short-lived.
First, Lee Lee Se-min hid behind the garden tree. The guards were passing by. You had to escape the patrol without making a sound.
Of course, he was Lee Lee Se-min. It was a radar that hunted goblins, disaster beasts. Even without an auror, you can at least escape the mansion. The moment the guards moved away, he quickly climbed up the wall.
Sargasonia was night-dead. The downtown area a little away from the mansion was still shining brightly. The light dimly illuminated the wall of the gladiatorial arena located right next to it.
The gladiatorial arena had high exterior walls and was completely dark inside.
I couldn’t tell whether the direction Rufus was pointing to was the downtown area or the gladiatorial arena.
Lee Lee Se-min went through the back alleys of the city, hiding as much as possible.
“Gladiator brother, did you sneak out?”
As I entered the downtown area, I had no choice but to show up.
“I’ll keep it a secret, so why don’t you go have some fun? You’re a healthy guy, right? Training is a lot of stress, right?”
He pushed away the tangled woman.
To avoid being discovered, Lee Lee Se-min desperately turned his head to avoid people’s gaze.
It seemed like no one recognized him.
I felt sad inside.
Why was there no one asking for an autograph even though Angel Lee Lee Se-min, the center of attention, was right in front of us?
Should I become more famous?
“I’ll make you into rags, Shozen…!”
He burned his hostility towards his next opponent for no reason.
Lee Lee Se-min headed toward the center of the downtown area, avoiding the shoulders of drunk customers and pushing away the touts that were approaching.
There, Lee Lee Se-min found someone.
I turned my head just before our eyes met.
It was Killa.
She was crossing the downtown area, dressed in formal robes and escorted by knights.
Lee Lee Se-min bought a bandana at a stall, covered his face, and followed them.
Killa looked around the streets of Sargasonia, where the lights were not turned off even at night, and made a strange expression. He said something, but judging from the shape of his mouth, he seemed to be sarcastic that nothing had changed.
They soon reached the gladiatorial arena.
Killa was greeted by guards and entered without hesitation.
Lee Lee Se-min infiltrated the country through a back road he learned while working as a gladiator.
I traced Killa through the dark interior of the gladiatorial arena. Every time he got confused, Rufus vibrated and guided him. Lee Lee Se-min soon hid in the passageway leading to the audience and looked down on the gladiatorial arena.
Killa stood in the center of the gladiatorial arena.
The torch she held dimly lit the interior.
Each time the flames flickered, the curves of the sand changed in light and dark. It was as if the sand was rippling around her.
Killa began to chant a spell.
On the floor of the gladiatorial arena, red energy escaped through the cracks in the sand and rose like a haze. They seemed to burn even redder under the torch held by Killa. A red air current swirled along her touch.
The ritual continued for some time.
The red energy formed geometric shapes and letters, then disintegrated and fell back down.
That process was repeated several times.
Lee Lee Se-min stared blankly at the scene.
Lee Lee Se-min suddenly felt a strange feeling. It felt like the air of Sargasonia was pressing towards him. But when his necklace began to emit a faint light, that feeling disappeared completely.
The necklace lost its shine again and became limp.
At that moment, the ceremony ended.
Lee Lee Se-min stared into the darkness of the gladiatorial arena, where the red light disappeared, even the torches went out, and nothing was visible.
The afterimages of the light that had disturbed my eyes just now flickered in the darkness.
And again, light emerged.
Lee Lee Se-min frowned. There was a light sphere in Killa’s hand. It was dark and then suddenly brightened, so much so that Lee Lee Se-min could not see clearly.
It was a moment when I calmed down a bit and saw Killa again.
Our eyes met.
She was staring at Lee Lee Se-min.
There was silence.
Killa quickly withdrew his gaze and walked out of the stadium as if nothing had happened.
The regular sound of footsteps soon overlapped with those of the guards and made the inside of the gladiatorial arena sound dizzy.
What did you just see?
In the darkness of the gladiatorial arena, Lee Lee Se-min thought alone. Kila seemed very familiar with the work she had just done. It may be that some kind of magic was cast periodically. So what was it for?
“I don’t know.”
The strange sensations I felt in the gladiatorial arena, the blood-absorbing sand, and Killa’s face passed through my mind one after another.
“Is this what bothered me?”
Lee Lee Se-min muttered to Rufus. Rufus was quiet. The guy stopped shaking from the moment he entered the gladiatorial arena.
Anyway, it became clear that there was something suspicious in the gladiatorial arena.
And Kila was involved in that.
She also knew that Lee Lee Se-min was watching her.
However, in the end, the true nature of this ritual was unknown.
“Let’s go back first.”
Lee Lee Se-min turned around, muttering to himself. It wasn’t difficult to get out through the back road. He returned to Vatikaros’ mansion, following the route he took here.
***
Time passed, and the day of the game arrived.
Lee Lee Se-min was sitting in the waiting room with Lupus.
Kutinos was nearby giving advice, but I couldn’t hear him. Lee Lee Se-min waited for the host to shout his name. The pre-game took longer than expected, so the crowd cheered for a long time.
Eventually, Lee Lee Se-min realized that his turn had come.
He could tell without the host calling his name.
This was because the sound of booing all at once rang out from outside.
“Come back after winning.”
“Come right away.”
Lee Lee Se-min bumped shoulders with Kutinos once and walked towards the wizard. The seal on the necklace was broken. All the strength I had lost so far had returned.
It was completely intact, with nothing missing.
Lee Lee Se-min walked through the hallway toward the gladiatorial arena.
Hot boos poured in. The sun was heating the sand white. Feeling the heat with his whole body, Lee Lee Se-min entered the stadium with strides.
I felt Shozen’s fierce gaze.
There were a lot of rumors that he was plotting against Lee Lee Se-min after being accused of being a pervert at a lottery ceremony.
The host seemed to be expecting Lee Lee Se-min to make a bold statement, but Lee Lee Se-min stood silently. The host tilted his head at his calm appearance. Normally, it would had been Lee Lee Se-min’s turn to criticize Sargasonia.
[Angel Lee Lee Se-min! Maybe he was nervous because it was a tournament? It’s unusually quiet today!]
Lee Lee Se-min was enjoying the return of Auror after a long time.
It was close to a feeling of omnipotence.
I grinned at Shozen, who was glaring fiercely at me. The Taegeukhye that flowed from Lee Lee Se-min’s body was already surrounding him. As if he felt something, Shozen rolled up the handle of his sword and held it with a stern expression.
As the audience booed and told them to start the game, the host immediately stepped back and announced the start of the match.
The ball rang, but the two did not move.
There were cheers for Shozen, and curses and insults for Lee Lee Se-min.
“What are you doing!”
“Don’t just watch, let’s fight!”
“Are you scared!”
Lee Lee Se-min raised his head and assessed the barrier surrounding the audience. It seemed sturdy enough to block a decent amount of attack. Even if you wield your power to your heart’s content, no misfortune will occur.
I heard about lupus.
Shozen was visibly nervous.
“Shozen!”
Lee Lee Se-min screamed. I don’t know about the audience, but Shozen was definitely watching.
Aura currents swirling around Lee Lee Se-min’s body.
“You may not be able to control it, so surrender yourself!”
I warned you in advance.
And then he swung Rufus.
A lump of pure white aura struck Shozen.
An explosion rang out.
When the dust settled, Shozen was revealed, sitting in the corner of the stadium and gasping for breath.
He narrowly avoided Lee Lee Se-min’s attack.
At the spot where Shozen had been standing just moments ago, a trace of destruction remained in the shape of a huge tornado.
Shozen’s eyes wavered as he looked at it.
Before I knew it, the booing had stopped.
There were many predictions that the indiscriminate match would be disadvantageous for Angel Lee Lee Se-min.
Everyone was wrong.
“I warned you.”
Lee Lee Se-min laughed viciously.
Taegeukhye stretched out in all directions from behind Lee Lee Se-min’s back, fluttering like wings. His aurors were dominating the arena.
“Ugh…!”
Shozen gritted his teeth.
It was also a promising technique. He was confident enough to volunteer for a dangerous gladiatorial tournament and believed that he would not lose, at least until he met Germanos.
That belief began to waver.
Lee Lee Se-min controlled the huge auror as if it were his own limbs. Every time Rufus swung, the Auror’s wings struck Shozen. It was so destructive that the gladiatorial arena shook.
Shozen’s body was already in shambles.
“Angel Lee Lee Se-min…!”
He muttered the enemy’s name like he was chewing it.
I couldn’t be defeated like a bug like this.
Shozen lost his honor by Lee Lee Se-min. Previously, when he went out on the streets, everyone would look at him with envy, but after Lee Se-min’s slander, everyone just avoided their eyes and whispered behind his back.
“Yes, I am Angel Lee Lee Se-min, the Apostle of God.”
Lee Lee Se-min relaxed and spread his arms.
Then the aurors fluttered in the shape of six pairs of wings.
Taegeukhye, whom he met again after a long time, was excited and responded to his will.
Perhaps not using Aurors for a while had actually led to training, but the use of Aurors was smoother than before. It felt like taking off a sandbag or heavy steel panties. I was confident that I could control each strand of Auror as I wanted.
Lee Lee Se-min took a step forward.
It was a small move for him, but for Shozen it was like the approach of a giant. The Taijihui all marched toward Shozen. Shozen swallowed his saliva at the grand scale.
Shozen also desperately raised his aura.
Then a huge sword energy rose from his sword.
It was as large as Lee Lee Se-min’s wings.
“Fuck that dirty hypocrisy!”
When Shozen swung his sword, his sword energy became entangled with the six pairs of wings raised by Lee Lee Se-min. The two Aurors discharged energy in the center of the stadium as if in a power struggle.
“You defamed my honor!”
At one point, even Shozen had doubts, but now he can be sure. Angel Lee Lee Se-min was absolutely not an apostle of God.
Because.
Because he’s not really a pervert.
His own innocence proves that that coward was a hypocrite and a fraud. But no one believed him. In a one-eyed world, two-eyed people were monsters. He swung his sword at Lee Lee Se-min with anger.
“Citizens of Sargasonia! That guy is by no means an apostle of God! Don’t be deceived!”
It was a scream that felt like vomiting blood.
The audience whispered.
It wasn’t that my heart finally began to waver at his appealing cries.
The reason was simple.
“Do you know?”
“There’s no way a guy like that is an apostle of God.”
“Fight! Either pervert or hypocrite must die!”
“Just die together!”
“You pervert! Stop talking and stab me with a knife!”
In the first place, no one believed that Lee Lee Se-min was an apostle of God.
Shozen was in despair.
“Then why…?”
Taking advantage of his weakened spirit, Lee Lee Se-min struck Rufus. A white-hot sword energy flew towards Shozen.
Shozen rolled on the floor and escaped the attack radius.
His gladiator uniform was now completely stained with sand and blood.
Lee Lee Se-min said to Shozen, who was getting up.
“You are still obsessed with facts. Let me tell you one truth.”
“What?”
“People like those who are wise.”
The sword fight continued. Their swords met for the first time. Every time their swords clashed and sparks flew, the Aurors that appeared above their heads also clashed together as if in a proxy war.
“We look alike.”
Shozen asked those words again.
“What?”
“From good looks to great skills and perfect personalities, these are people who lack nothing.”
Shozen was dumbfounded and ended up asking for the third time.
“What are you saying?”
“Humans are jealous of people who are better than themselves. That is human nature. That is why people prefer foolish people over intelligent people.”
The crowd’s frantic cries for their death continued to pour in.
In the waves of those cursed words, Lee Lee Se-min’s soft voice cut into Shozen’s chest like a dagger.
“Look back. The friends you studied with at the same time must have gradually grown distant from you.”
It was true.
Shozen and his friends, who were like brothers, gradually grew apart as the gap in skill widened.
“Even those who said nice things must have had different feelings inside.”
As he became stronger and his reputation grew, all kinds of flatterers and fraudsters flocked to him.
“The crowd that loved you immediately turned their backs on my instigation. Not because what I said was true, but because deep down they all hoped that you were somehow lacking. Humans only believe what they want to believe!”
Shozen’s reason said that this was sophistry, but deep down, he agreed with Lee Lee Se-min’s words.
“That’s what life is like.”
The two had a power struggle with their swords touching each other. The face got closer. The auras that rose from their bodies also pushed each other and compared their power.
Shozen said while glaring.
“Stop talking nonsense and swing your sword. We are in the middle of a gladiatorial fight.”
“That is correct.”
Lee Lee Se-min grinned and laughed.
“Win or lose, you will always be known as the pervert of Sargasonia.”
Shozen was shaken by his mockery. The auror reacting to his tantrum flared up loudly.
There was a reason why the military ban was a time-honored strategy.
Because it was that effective.
Shozen began to exert his energy and project his power towards Lee Lee Se-min.
Lee Lee Se-min also raised an auror and responded to his attack.
The moment when the conflict between each other reached its peak.
Lee Lee Se-min’s body slid to the side.
Shozen’s sword lost its opponent and was thrown into the air. Rufus took advantage of the gap. As the pressure on each other was strong, the speed of divergence was also fast.
What was given to Shozen was just a moment.
At a distance of each other’s breath, Rufus was stabbing down on his body.
It was inevitable.
A premonition of death rattled down his spine.
Shozen saw a flash of light.
Soon, my vision went black and my body flew through the air.
Shozen fell face first to the floor. Sand got into my eyes, nose, and mouth. He shook his head and spat. When I raised my head, I saw Lee Lee Se-min standing there looking down at me.
He should had just died.
But I lived.
He groped his chest. There was blood flowing from the cut, but there was no cut. Just before the blade touched, Lee Lee Se-min twisted the body of the sword and struck him with the blade.
It was humiliating.
It was fortunate that they didn’t die at the same time.
“Do you admit defeat?”
There were boos.
Shozen, who had been sitting down in confusion, raised his head and looked at a part of the audience.
In a special room for nobles, there were sponsors who recommended him to the tournament.
The middle-aged man sitting with his legs crossed shook his head.
Shozen gritted his teeth and stood up.
“Don’t be funny!”
They kicked the ground and rushed towards Lee Lee Se-min. His sword was hurled towards Lee Lee Se-min’s vital spot. Lee Lee Se-min blocked it. Shozen’s offensive continued.
I thought it was going to be propaganda for a while, but in the end, it was defeated again by Lee Lee Se-min. This time, I got hit on the head with a sword. He stumbled, unable to get up because his bones were shaken. After hitting my ass a couple of times, I finally managed to stand upright.
Shozen looked at his benefactor again.
The man shook his head again.
“Aaaaaah!”
Shozen shouted and rushed towards Lee Lee Se-min again. But the outcome was decided. Shozen was swinging his sword at random and was kicked in the stomach by Lee Lee Se-min, sending him flying all the way to the end of the arena and falling down.
I raised my head.
Now the crowd was mocking his defeat.
Lee Lee Se-min asked again.
“Will you admit defeat?”
Shozen raised his head. Beyond Lee Lee Se-min’s face, the audience was visible. His sponsor was nodding.
But Shozen stood up without giving in.
“No.”
This time, it was a decision I made myself.
He pointed the tip of his sword at Lee Lee Se-min and loaded all the aurors he had.
And charged.
It was not precise or quick, but the aura and force contained at the tip of the sword were destructive. Shozen put everything he had into this strike. Lee Lee Se-min also did not move from the spot even though he could easily avoid it.
“Aaaaaaaaa!”
Shozen roared and threw his whole body.
Lee Lee Se-min just lifted Rufus up.
Then something unbelievable happened.
The tip of Shozen’s sword and the tip of Rufus raised by Lee Lee Se-min began to be drawn toward each other.
Shozen couldn’t escape the flow.
The cross section of the tip of the knife, which was infinitely close to the point, became infinitely larger. No matter where he aims or how he changes the direction of his sword, he will eventually stab the wall. However, the wall was actually just the tip of a sharpened sword.
Shozen couldn’t distinguish between the small dot on the blade and the vast wall in front of him.
He ended up punching the wall.
No, the wall was an illusion.
That’s the point.
Shozen was swinging his sword at the tip of Lee Lee Se-min’s sword. The tips of the two swords collided miraculously.
Shozen’s sword split.
His sword became fragments and scattered into pieces. Rufus, who had broken Shozen’s sword, stopped in front of Shozen’s chest. Shozen watched the scene blankly.
Lee Lee Se-min asked again.
“Did you lose?”
Now, there was no one to blame or any reason.
Shozen nodded.
“I lost.”
Shozen admitted defeat.
In this way, Lee Lee Se-min’s advancement to the round of 16 of the tournament was confirmed.
Cheers shook the gladiatorial arena.
“Kill!”
“Whether you are a pervert or a fraud, die!”
“You hypocrite!”
In the midst of the confusion, Shozen looked in despair at the broken state of his sword.
What did he see?
The tip of Lee Lee Se-min’s sword expanded infinitely and soon became a huge wall.
Shozen had to swing his sword at it, and the impact force he created was returned to him.
As he was pondering, a low voice came to his ears.
“Fighting is ultimately a process of subordinating the enemy’s universe to one’s own universe. Therefore, martial arts is the path to self-perfection, and if one is perfect, the enemy will surrender on his own.”
Shozen raised his eyes.
Lee Lee Se-min continued speaking while carrying Rufus on his back.
“You were shaken here and there, and I was not shaken. You fell on your own.”
Those were wise words.
Shozen felt like he realized something. Lee Lee Se-min was unfazed by his attack and simply erected a wall. Since Lee Lee Se-min was motionless, Shozen’s sword returned to itself as a backwater.
Shozen asked.
“Could it be that the whole plot to accuse me of being a pervert was to agitate me… and point out my shortcomings through him?”
Lee Lee Se-min nodded without hesitation.
“Yes.”
It was great shamelessness.
Shozen smiled bitterly and nodded.
“I admit my defeat.”
He looked back at the crowd screaming for his death. Then he saw the nobles sitting among them and his benefactor. Shozen apologized for defeat with a wink. The sponsor just nodded without any agitation.
Shozen left a word to Lee Lee Se-min and left.
“Don’t lose.”
Lee Lee Se-min admired Shozen, who calmly spoke lines reminiscent of a youth sports drama, and watched him walk away until the end.
I couldn’t believe it, but just before disappearing into the aisle, he even gave me a thumbs up behind my back.
“As expected, he’s not normal. He’s definitely a pervert.”
Lee Lee Se-min muttered.
Once Shozen was out of sight, he walked to the center of the stadium to celebrate his victory. Everyone was booing his victory.
As always, Lee Lee Se-min, as Angel Lee Lee Se-min, was about to criticize Sargasonia for its corruption.
Suddenly, I made eye contact with someone.
It was Yuria Gloria, sitting in a special seat for nobles.
She looked very excited about something.
For a moment, a cold sweat broke out.
‘I will win the tournament and dedicate the honor to Lady Yuria.’
He definitely said something like that. It was just an action to tease Gunen, but it seemed to had a serious meaning for Yuria.
As Lee Lee Se-min remained silent, the boos became stronger.
After much thought, Lee Lee Se-min opened his mouth.
“First of all…”
Lee Lee Se-min hesitated while choosing his words.
First, he started babbling something random.
“I would like to thank everyone who has helped me so far so that I can stand here… especially the brothers of the Vatikaros Gladiator who supported me… and… my master Vatikaros… and… again….”
As he spoke uncharacteristically, the audience silenced their voices.
This was because Lee Lee Se-min’s muttering voice was difficult to hear.
“I’m grateful to Aunt Bob of the Gladiator Group, who cooks the food well… and to the guards who watch over us… and to Shozen, the brat who lost overwhelmingly to me today… and I have nothing to thank Killa… and… uh….”
Meanwhile, Yuria was still looking at Lee Lee Se-min with shining eyes.
It was a face I couldn’t ignore.
Lee Lee Se-min closed his eyes tightly and said.
“More than anything… I dedicate this victory to you, who promised me victory before the game. That’s it.”
Lee Lee Se-min finished his comment and immediately left the gladiatorial arena. The host called him, but Lee Lee Se-min did not turn around.
Kutinos was waiting for him in the waiting room.
“Brother.”
“Huh?”
“I was impressed.”
“What?”
“Didn’t you say you would give victory to me?”
Lee Lee Se-min looked at him in surprise.
I think he said something similar before the game started.
It was true that he spoke in such a blunt way in times of emergency, but it didn’t feel good to see the muscular gladiator staring at him with such emotion on his face.
“It’s all natural.”
Lee Lee Se-min quickly prepared to leave.
He looked uncharacteristic of a gladiator who had won the tournament, Sargasonia’s greatest festival.
“You look like you’re in a hurry?”
“I’m hungry.”
When they returned to the Vatikaros Gladiator’s quarters, the butler cleared his throat and greeted them.
Lee Lee Se-min and Kutinos’ eyes widened.
A grand dinner was prepared.
“This…?”
“This is an award given by Vatikaros because he was moved by your impressions.”
Lee Lee Se-min looked blankly at the butler.
His face, which was always flirtatious, had softened a little.
“I never thought I would dedicate my victory in the tournament to Vatikaros. Now, I have become a complete member of the Vatikaros gladiator team. That’s a great attitude.”
“Ah, yes….”
“It is Vaticaros’ mercy, so enjoy today.”
The butler said that and left.
Kutinos burst into laughter.
“I think Vaticaros has made a mistake. Let’s just pretend not to notice and have fun. I’ll call the other brothers.”
“Yeah, yeah….”
Everyone misunderstood something, but Lee Lee Se-min decided to just keep quiet.
Lee Lee Se-min enjoyed a dinner with his colleagues from the Vatikaros gladiator group. Here too, monster meat was being used to solve the food problem.
Lee Lee Se-min, who was eating Koud meat, suddenly became curious about the outside of Sargasonia.
“Your brothers are all from outside Sargasonia, right?”
“That’s right.”
“What is it like outside?”
“It’s a place where you have to fight against demonic beasts every day.”
Beyond the mountain ranges surrounding Sargasonia, small villages and villages were formed here and there.
In recent years, people waiting for their turn to enter Sargasonia had created their own residences, and something like a village had been formed outside the outer walls.
“It’s hard to live outside Sargasonia. A lot of gladiators die, but it’s better than outside. That’s why everyone wants to come here.”
“I see.”
“Outside, you have no choice but to train your sword to survive, and the profession that kills the most in Sargasonia is gladiator. That’s why gladiator slaves like us are the ones with the most influx. It’s a damn cycle.”
After a while, everyone started drinking and their faces turned red.
Kutinos said.
“Brother, I felt something while watching the game today.”
“Huh?”
“I think if they were brothers, they might really win.”
Lee Lee Se-min chuckled. Kutinos said as he poured a drink for Lee Lee Se-min.
“Defeat the Germanos bastard and win.”
“Of course.”
***
The gladiator tournament went smoothly.
Meanwhile, Sargasonia was in a festive mood. Gambling to guess the winner was popular here and there, and items symbolizing each gladiator were sold.
Meanwhile, strange movements began to be detected in the city.
“What’s going on these days?”
“Maybe…”
said Kutinos, who was walking down the street with Lee Lee Se-min.
“Judging from the way the soldiers are moving, it seems like an outside problem.”
“Outside problems?”
Occasionally, soldiers from noble families began to be seen moving in groups.
They left the Sargasonia barrier fully armed and returned, or they trained intensely as if preparing for battle.
“I think there might be a problem outside.”
The area outside the barrier was exposed to demonic beasts. In this world, no place was safe except Sargasonia.
“Nothing is the same.”
What was it like when the empire was alive?
According to what Lee Lee Se-min had been reading in the study of the Vaticaros Mansion, not only humans but also the four ancient races coexisted in the past.
They had tremendous power.
The emperor united the humans and engaged in a decisive battle with Badurbarok, but was eventually defeated.
Considering the power of the emperor and the prosperity of the old empire described in the book, the idea of opposing Badurbarok felt futile.
Lee Lee Se-min shook his head.
I don’t had time to get lost in these thoughts.
“We’ll be late. Let’s go quickly.”
“Okay.”
Kutinos looked nervous.
Today was his tournament day.
When they appeared near the gladiatorial arena, people took notice.
Kutinos was an experienced gladiator who had been active for a long time, so his reputation was also high. People supporting him also sang a song with Kutinos’ name on it.
It was a completely different atmosphere from Lee Lee Se-min, who always received boos.
“Is it always like this?”
“Yes.”
“Damn.”
Lee Lee Se-min felt strangely sad.
They prepared a gladiatorial fight in the waiting room. The audience gradually began to fill up, so much so that the murmur could be heard even inside.
Kutinos closed his eyes and concentrated.
Lee Lee Se-min stayed still so as not to disturb him.
“Brother.”
“Huh?”
“If I lose…”
Kutinos spoke with his eyes closed.
I’ve been to his matches a few times, but this was the first time I’ve heard him say he lost.
“Don’t be so lucky.”
“Because I don’t know about people.”
Kutinos laughed.
“If I am defeated, cremate my body and scatter it outside Sargasonia. I don’t want to remain in this strange city until I die.”
Lee Lee Se-min shook his head.
“When you die, we will bury you in Sargasonia and even erect a tombstone for you. If you don’t like that, win.”
“Hahaha.”
Kutinos laughed lowly.
He looked miserable. Lee Lee Se-min was able to feel once again how difficult the lives of gladiators were.
Lee Lee Se-min was strong.
In most cases, it overwhelms the opponent to the point where there was no sense of risking one’s life.
However, for ordinary gladiators like Kutinos, a gladiator match was a life-threatening struggle. Kutinos had been fighting as a gladiator for many years. I had always lived with the fear of death in my head.
“If we win today, let’s go eat something nice. I’ll buy it.”
“Good.”
Soon cheers began to be heard outside.
It’s time to get out.
Kutinos lightly hugged Lee Lee Se-min and then walked toward the aisle.
Lee Lee Se-min watched the back. His sturdy body soon crossed the hallway and disappeared into the dazzling sunlight of the gladiatorial arena.
“…….”
Lee Lee Se-min left the gladiator’s waiting room and went upstairs. There was a place to watch the game.
When Lee Lee Se-min appeared, the adjacent audience recognized him and booed him.
Suddenly I heard a familiar voice.
“Angel Lee Lee Se-min!”
It was a clear and elegant tone.
When Lee Lee Se-min turned around, the singer Gorgola was sitting there.
“Gorgola?”
“I see you here again.”
He looked very uncomfortable.
Men who seemed to be twice his size were shouting and waving their arms wildly on both sides, so much so that they couldn’t even sit down properly. If things continue that way, we won’t even be able to properly watch a gladiatorial fight.
Gorgola looked at Lee Lee Se-min with eager eyes.
Lee Lee Se-min advised him.
“Shall we watch it together from here?”
“Ah! Then it would be an honor. Thank you.”
He stood up as if he had been waiting.
Since there was only Lee Lee Se-min in the Kutinos side’s official seat, the two were able to occupy ample space.
“Lee Lee Se-min, what do you think the game will be like today?”
“Kutinos will win.”
“Well…”
The tone was as if he did not agree with Lee Lee Se-min’s words.
“I don’t know much about gladiators, but everyone around me says my opponent is stronger than Kutinos.”
Lee Lee Se-min looked at the gladiatorial arena. Kutinos and the opposing gladiator were glaring at each other, and the host was talking amongst themselves.
“Galdini, along with Angel Lee Lee Se-min, is mentioned as a candidate for the finals.”
Because Germanos was so strong, it was more popular to say that he was a candidate for the finals rather than a candidate for the championship.
And as a candidate for the finals, the person who was considered alongside Lee Lee Se-min was Kutinos’ opponent.
“But Kutinos will win.”
Gorgola nodded without saying any more.
Suddenly, people’s cheers became stronger.
The game had begun.
Kutinos, the opposing gladiator, and Galdini spun around the arena, glaring at each other. A tedious search battle followed. The cheers soon turned into jeers. The crowd hurled insults at the two and yelled at them to fight.
But the two experienced gladiators were unfazed.
Defeat means death.
In a sword fight where your life was at stake, paying attention to the audience’s reaction was only possible when you were overwhelmingly stronger than your opponent.
Suddenly, Galdini’s appearance became blurred.
He appeared in front of Kutinos and swung his sword. The sound of metal clashing rang out. It was first contact.
To put the previous exploration battle to shame, the two began to engage in a fierce battle.
It seemed as if they didn’t use auras. By extremely condensing the aura, speed and destructive power were maximized. At some point, the audience could barely see anything.
People watched blankly, not knowing how the sword fight was going on, but at some point they cheered again when Kutinos was thrown off and rolled around on the floor.
“I can’t even see it.”
“Kutinos kicked me in the solar plexus.”
Lee Lee Se-min watched the entire process.
I began to think that what Gorgola said might be true. Galdini was a more complete gladiator than Kutinos. It had a similar style to Kutinos, but was slightly ahead in every way.
If the pros and cons were completely different, it would be difficult for Kutinos to overcome it.
Lee Lee Se-min’s hands were sweating.
Kutinos got up and took a calm stance again. The two spun around, glaring at each other again. The search war resumed.
Just as the crowd’s boos were about to rise again, this time Kutinos rushed in.
The two collided.
This time Kutinos went on the offensive more actively. Now, it appears that he was overdoing it by projecting his aura to the outside. Kutinos’ aura formed a clear shape and struck Galdini.
There was an explosion sound and sand dust rose.
Beyond that, their shadows continued to intersect.
Lee Lee Se-min tightened his eyes. Gradually his face hardened. Kutinos continued to incur losses.
A little bit behind in every way.
So no matter what I tried, it didn’t work.
The compatibility was not good.
“Lee Lee Se-min.”
“…….”
“Even though I don’t know anything about fighting…”
“It’s not over yet.”
Kutinos had wounds all over his body. His blood soaked the sand of the gladiatorial arena. Although he seemed to be rushing to finish, Galdini was calmly circling around, looking for an opening again.
The crowd began to cry out louder for death as they began to see blood.
Galdini tricked Kutinos into stumbling him and then kicked him, knocking him down. I swung my sword straight down. Kutinos rolled on the floor to avoid the sword and lost it.
Kutinos’s sword had been stepped on by Galdini.
Galdini threw his sword away and attacked Kutinos one-sidedly. Now all Kutinos could do was avoid. Although Galdini tried to fight back by occasionally swinging his fist, Galdini responded calmly.
Kutinos fell down with a cut on his thigh.
Galdini kicked him in the jaw.
Kutinos fell to the floor.
“Kill!”
“Execute!”
“Death to the loser!”
The crowd’s shouts pushed Galdini’s back.
Galdini raised his sword high. His sword shined white in the sunlight. Lee Lee Se-min gritted his teeth and stared at that figure.