-Please open the reward.
Min-jun’s eyes snapped open.
Rage settled in his bloodshot eyes.
‘If you’re going to give it to me, just give it already. Stop talking so much!’
The Lizardman approached, flipping left and right.
Arrogance could be seen in its eyes. It now seemed to see him not as an opponent in a struggle, but as prey.
It was looking down on him.
What an insolent bastard.
Sssssss…….
The thing’s claws flew in like a flash.
“Hup!”
He hurriedly raised his sword to block, but with a crack, the blade split in half with a dull sound.
“Ah!”
The claws that had chopped the sword like a sorghum stalk buried themselves in his shoulder once more.
Not just one side.
One in each shoulder.
The three claws attached to each hand pierced into his bones like skewers.
“Urrrrgh!”
The sensation of living flesh tearing and bone being scraped was accompanied by tremendous pain.
His teeth clacked together. His breath caught, and his entire vision began fading into bright yellow.
“You bas…….”
The thing, which had pinned Min-jun to the ground and pierced both his shoulders, slowly looked down at him.
As if savoring its victory, it began observing every part of his body slowly, very slowly.
“It’s over!”
“Kill him!”
“Kill him!”
“Waaaaaaa!”
Heated cheers and vibrations. Min-jun’s eyes gradually lost their color and grew murky.
It felt as if his consciousness was drifting farther and farther away.
‘No. I can’t end here…….’
His fingertips trembled.
At the moment he felt it was over, a clear voice reached Min-jun’s ears.
Time flowed slowly, as if it had stopped.
-A reward is granted to Hero Candidate Liz.
A flashing card appeared before his eyes. Even through his blurry consciousness, he saw it clearly.
Unlike before, the top was marked “Spirit Card Zeroph,” and on a hill filled with crosses, an armored skeleton soldier was looking at him.
-Warrior.
A voice flowed from the skeleton’s mouth inside the card.
It opened its mouth toward him.
-Grow strong.
-Only as deep as the wounds carved into you.
-Only as deep as the pool of blood you have spilled.
His heart began pounding like mad. Something dark and sticky rose from deep inside his body.
-Contracted with “Berserker Zeroph.”
-Berserker Zeroph manifests.
An unknown power surged up.
Proportional to the pain and wounds filling his body, more and more of it rose without end, filling him to the brim.
Kiiiiik.
Just as the Lizardman opened its maw to swallow Min-jun’s head.
“You lizard…… bastard.”
Min-jun’s arm flashed upward. He grabbed the thing’s snout and began pushing it away.
“Huh!”
“What is…….”
Shock spread among the audience. The weight of the armor, the weight of its body.
The Lizardman’s body, which must have weighed well over hundreds of kilograms altogether, was gradually being pushed back by Min-jun’s grip.
Sssssss!
It tried desperately to endure, but it was useless.
No sooner had Min-jun pushed the thing’s head away than he raised the broken half of his sword.
He drove it into the Lizardman’s black maw with a squelch.
Even if it was no longer a sword, but nothing more than a blunt iron club, it was enough to tear through the soft flesh inside its mouth.
Keeeeeeeeek!
He kicked the chest of the howling thing with all his strength.
Its huge body was flung away.
‘Now is my only chance.’
Min-jun knew this was a “temporary power” obtained through his contract with Berserker Zeroph.
It was an ability that gained a brief burst of power by offering the wounds piled up on his body and the blood flowing from them as sacrifices.
The limit on its duration was obvious.
‘A power that manifests for a very short time right before my body breaks down…….’
If he got drunk on this power and dragged things out, it was obvious that his arms or legs would tear off, or something in his body would go horribly wrong.
If that happened, only death awaited.
‘I can’t last long like this.’
He charged at the Lizardman with his sword raised.
The thing writhed in pain, then began swinging its tail in every direction.
As if he had known it was coming, Min-jun swung his sword each time and knocked it away.
Kieeeeeek!
CLANG—!
Every time the tail swung, it met the sword and scattered sparks, and the audience grew even hotter.
“Huh, was the outcome not decided?”
“He changed the flow!”
“That one is no ordinary man.”
“He’s the one who caught the Orc Warrior of Rohan!”
The Lizardman began to fall into panic.
To it, the approaching Min-jun must have looked like a demon returned from death.
“Take off the armor first, you cowardly bastard.”
Min-jun grabbed the thing by the neck and clung to it. He used his shoulder and pressed down with all his strength.
THUD—!
The moment the large Lizardman’s body fell to the ground, Min-jun gripped his sword in a reverse hold.
“Hoo!”
Like hammering, he repeatedly struck down on the armor around the thing’s neck, its most vital area.
CLANG! CLANG!
With the sound of metal being struck, the scales of the armor peeled away one by one.
Kieeek!
He blocked the thing’s incoming claws with his palm.
Three saw-like blades pierced through his palm and dug in, but right now, Min-jun had neither pain nor hesitation.
“Just…… die!”
THUD—! THUD—!
He relentlessly struck the armor at the nape of its neck with all his strength.
Until the scales peeled away completely, until he pierced through the chainmail beneath them, until the black skin was revealed.
Kigigigik!
Whoosh!
The tail shot up and wrapped around his neck.
“Urgh!”
It had enough force to strangle him to death like this.
His neck felt as if it would break, but Min-jun’s momentum did not falter.
He drove the sword into the thing’s neck with all his strength.
‘You’ll die faster!’
It was a broken sword, but it still had an edge.
When he stabbed and pressed with brutal force, a wound gradually formed, and the metal of the blade slowly widened the gap.
“Urrrrgh!”
Grrrrrk…… Grrrrrk!
Blue blood foam rose from the thing’s mouth.
Squelch!
The sword that pierced its flesh met the neck bone.
When he pushed in with even more strength, bone and tendon were crushed. Finally, there was no resistance left.
Squelch!
The sword that had entered from the front pierced through and jutted out from the back of the thing’s neck.
The tail wrapped around his neck lost strength in an instant and went limp.
-Level increased.
-Hero Level: 5 → 6
-Physical abilities increased.
“Cough, cough…… Haa!”
Min-jun let out rough breaths and staggered to his feet. He had no feeling in his entire body, and the world spun around him.
The ecstatic audience sprang from their seats, but his ears were ringing, so he could hear nothing.
He could only feel the vibrating hum.
As Min-jun swept his gaze through the arena, his eyes stopped at the arena’s seat of honor. It was the man watching him with his legs crossed sideways.
‘He overcame trials like this ten times?’
Min-jun chuckled.
“Lying…… bastard…… bring…… proof…….”
Thud.
Min-jun collapsed.
“Hmm…….”
Only then did Emperor Wigen Haieon uncross his legs.
The arena was a crucible of excitement, but his eyes were cold.
“What is that one’s name?”
“I do not know the names of gladiators, Your Majesty. I will find out immediately, so please wait a moment.”
The emperor frowned at the eunuch’s words.
“I gifted him a specially armored Lizardman, but I did not expect him to refuse it.”
“The lowly thing seems to have more grit than expected, Your Majesty.”
“Grit? No. That is courage. It is a virtue anyone who steps onto the battlefield must possess. It is something you, as a eunuch, would not understand well.”
The emperor’s muttering face seemed to show no particular emotion.
But the eunuch knew that this was an extremely generous evaluation.
“That one will certainly pass the third fight.”
“However, Your Majesty, the wounds he suffered this time appear rather severe. Would it not be difficult?”
“Do not add objections to Our words.”
“M-My deepest apologies, Your Majesty.”
Wigen Haieon was certain. Min-jun would bring victory at least in the next fight.
“No matter how much he strives, would it not be difficult from the fourth fight onward?”
At the eunuch’s words, the emperor nodded.
“From that point onward, it is a gate no one has ever crossed. He is an entertaining one to watch, but at best, that should be as far as he goes.”
“I know.”
Emperor Wigen Haieon answered that way, yet felt strangely odd.
“Keep watch over that one.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The emperor, who had been quietly stroking his beard, suddenly smiled as if a good thought had occurred to him.
“If that one surpasses even the third stage by some chance, I will summon him to my banquet.”
“Y-Your Majesty?”
“Know it so.”
The eunuch was bewildered by the words, which were far too unexpected, but he had no choice but to bow his head.
A smile had already spread across the emperor’s face, as if he had reached a conclusion.
“He seems to need treatment.”
“I will send the lower servants and tell them to close at least the urgent wounds, Your Majesty.”
Min-jun’s collapsed body was carried away by the guards.
The emperor looked down at that scene in silence.
“Yes.”
In his inorganic eyes, the sight of the blood trail left by the gladiator was deeply engraved.
“What an amusing one.”
***
“Haa!”
Min-jun woke while struggling against the pain covering his entire body. It was pain intense enough to wake even someone unconscious.
“Stay still.”
A white, soft hand touched his chest. It was a light touch that seemed to settle gently and soothe him.
“I’m stopping the bleeding. Stay still.”
At the low voice, he raised his head. It was a woman wearing a white blouse and a blue skirt.
Her slightly wavy black hair was tied up, and deep black eyes held his reflection.
Min-jun knew who it was.
“Yu…… no, Canaria.”
Her original name was “Yu A-yeong,” but her Hero Name he had seen in Hero Network was “Canaria,” so he called her that.
“The emperor specifically ordered you to be treated. The general said to only stop the bleeding and left.”
“The emperor, the general?”
“Yeah.”
‘Unexpected.’
He did not know the details, but he could tell this was special treatment.
‘Does that mean the emperor is watching me closely?’
Seeing the bandages wrapped all over his body, Min-jun felt inwardly relieved.
He had thought that even if he defeated the Lizardman, it would be hard to promise anything beyond that, but this was extremely fortunate.
To exaggerate a little, his feelings toward the emperor softened slightly.
“Hoo, if they told me to fight in that state, I would’ve been half a corpse before the third round even began. What a relief.”
“Yeah. The guards were worried, asking if you were even alive when you came here.”
“Our guards?”
Canaria nodded.
Unlike when they first met, she was speaking casually now.
Perhaps her status in this place had made that happen.
If she was a lieutenant, then she would be much higher in status than others.
‘Status…….’
Her outfit as she sat beside the bed was clean and neat.
Even the ornament tying up her hair had glittering silver and jewels.
There was no need to mention the difference in status between her and him in this place.
“……If you had been a gladiator in this request, it would’ve been much easier.”
Min-jun let those words slip because he could not help feeling regret.
“What does a lieutenant usually do?”
“I go to work and follow the Chief Guard around. Since there was a match today, I only managed that.”
“That’s a little enviable.”
Without a word, Canaria picked up a dry cloth and wiped the cold sweat covering Min-jun’s body.
“But is it all right for a lieutenant to stay in a place like this and attend to me?”
“I said I had business with the gladiator and told everyone to leave. They said to enjoy myself and that they’d come back in one hour…….”
Min-jun’s expression twisted.
“You do know what they meant by that, right?”
“……?”
Canaria blinked and tilted her head. An innocent face that knew nothing.
Min-jun lost his words.
‘Damn it, Ariel, the Spirit of Wisdom…… Why did you give such a good class to this living national treasure of a girl?’
Damn it.
Min-jun sighed.
She was too innocent to fight while shedding blood.
Thinking back, she had been like that even in the previous “survival game.”
“Two orcs will appear in the third round.”
Flinch.
At those words, Min-jun came to his senses.
“As expected…… you were the source of information.”
“Yeah.”
It was as he expected.
The person who could neatly pull out information about this festival or match, whatever it was, and scatter it to them.
Who else could it be but Canaria, with her status as a lieutenant?
If Brillante was the leader on the gladiator side who gathered that information and delivered it to the participants, Canaria was the empire’s spy.
“Two orcs.”
Two of those ignorant brutes he had met in the first fight were coming out?
“That’s nothing but telling us to die.”
It was a truly despairing matchup.
“We’ll do something. Reduce the food given to the orcs and disturb their sleep so they’re as stressed as possible.”
At those words, Min-jun’s eyes flashed.
“Is that possible?”
“Yeah. Managing the orc cages is the Guard Headquarters’ job. If I arrange the duty roster well and don’t get caught, probably…….”
It was welcome news.
Min-jun grabbed her hand tightly.
“Not probably. You absolutely have to do it. Absolutely!”
Canaria blinked for a moment while looking at the hand that had suddenly grabbed hers, then nodded.
‘The third match might be easier if this goes well.’
If one did not feed a beast, its venomous temper could rise and make it more dangerous, but that was only for a day or two.
If they harassed them for a week, they would be practically half-dead. This was a scenario that could really work.
‘At least around ten people have to pass the third match for us to have a chance.’
Min-jun saw the minimum number of people who had to pass the third match as around ten.
No, if it was not that many, things would be difficult.
Knock, knock.
A sound came from outside the door.
It seemed one hour had passed.
“Win.”
Canaria left those words behind and stood from her seat.
“Definitely.”
And that night.
Just like after the first round ended.
The survivors of the second round gathered again.
“This.”
Min-jun’s eyes trembled as he looked at the wounded people gathered there.
“This is, right now…… everyone who’s left? This?”
He counted the number of people left one by one. He could not believe it.
“Huh…… S-Seven?”
Seven people.
Seven people, all sunken, with miserable, dark expressions.
Even those were all wounded.
“It’s just…… over now.”
A voice mixed with despair flowed from someone’s mouth.
Min-jun was the same.
Despair flowed through his entire body.
‘There are already only single digits left?’
Min-jun had thought at least ten people needed to survive the third match.
But reality had reached single digits before it even began.
His vision went dark.
“Haaaa…….”
“Hic.”
Listening to the sounds of sobbing here and there, Min-jun sank heavily to the ground.
“……Damn it.”