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[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
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Chapter 108: Postponed (1)
A massive hammer came crashing down from above.
It was a brutal strike swung with both hands by a burly man, and the sound of it tearing through the air was ominous.
Terror prickled down his spine, but Kwon Hudon didn’t dodge. Instead, he rammed his shoulder into the hammer.
Invincible Shell: Indestructible Curve
The hammer met Kwon Hudon’s shoulder—and shattered like ice.
“You bastard!”
Even with his weapon destroyed, the brute didn’t give up. He tried to stab Hudon with the broken handle.
Kwon Hudon didn’t back down either. He stepped forward and threw both fists at once.
Invincible Shell: Myriad-Breaking Fists
His fists crashed into the brute’s torso. Blood burst from the man’s mouth.
“Gah!”
He was sent flying backward. Kwon Hudon wiped the sweat off his brow and sighed in relief.
“It’s… it’s over.”
He wasn’t referring to just defeating the brute. Around him, dozens of people lay unconscious, sprawled across the ground.
All were opponents Hudon had taken down.
No—technically speaking, he hadn’t done it alone.
“Aaaaahhh!”
A scream came from behind. Hudon turned to see a man clutching his broken leg.
“I—I give up! I surrender…!”
The man pleaded desperately. But the woman in front of him didn’t flinch. She raised her hand and brought it down like a blade.
Her small palm shattered his neck and slammed his head into the ground.
It was such a vicious blow, it was questionable whether the man had survived. Hudon stared at the scene, visibly shaken.
“Ah, Mr. Hu!”
The woman who’d just crushed the man waved cheerfully at Hudon. He returned the gesture with an awkward smile.
“L-Larisa…”
“Sorry I couldn’t help more! I was too busy fending off the ones coming at me…”
Larisa looked genuinely apologetic as she glanced at Hudon.
In that moment, she looked like a bashful girl. But during the fight, Hudon had seen her true self—more than once.
What she’d just done to that pleading man was nothing.
She had snapped the limbs of more than ten people without a flicker of emotion. It was terrifying to watch.
“A-Anyway, looks like it’s finally over.”
“Not quite. You and I are still standing, right?”
Larisa looked at Hudon, her face now devoid of smiles. Her calm stare made him gulp instinctively.
Just as she said, only one victor could emerge from this arena.
They had cooperated out of necessity—but only one could remain in the end.
“D-Do we really have to fight?”
Knowing the rules didn’t stop Hudon from asking. He couldn’t instantly see her—someone he had just fought beside—as an enemy.
“One of us could surrender. But I hope that won’t be you, Mr. Hu.”
“Why… why not?”
“Because I want to fight you.”
A spark lit up in Larisa’s previously emotionless eyes—curiosity.
“I saw everything. The way you fought, the skills you used… You’re incredibly strong.”
Just as Hudon had observed her, she had been watching him.
“Besides, you haven’t even shown everything you’ve got, have you? There’s still more, isn’t there?”
She even figured that out?
He couldn’t hide his surprise.
“Y-You’re hiding your full strength too, aren’t you, Miss Larisa…?”
The words slipped out before he realized it. In that moment, her presence changed completely.
“So you noticed. I knew I wasn’t wrong about you.”
A fierce killing intent radiated from Larisa.
While she heated up with excitement, he froze with fear.
Just then—
<Match suspended! All contestants, please halt!>
Hudon and Larisa looked up in confusion.
<Team ‘Lily’ has declared forfeiture! The winner is ‘Black Turtle’!>
"Black Turtle" was the alias Kwon Myung-woo had hastily registered for Kwon Hudon.
“Lily” probably referred to Larisa.
Hudon looked at Larisa in disbelief.
“...Seems something came up on my end,” she said, sounding disappointed.
“Well then, Mr. Hu. If fate allows, let’s meet again someday.”
Larisa turned and walked out of the arena. The moment she disappeared, Hudon collapsed to the ground.
“That was ten years off my life…”
* * *
Colosseum of the Western Hall
A stadium built for the spectacle of humans versus monsters.
Today marked its most exhilarating moment since it first opened.
—"Yeah! Valkyrie! Cut them down with one swing!"
—"What’s the Ghost Blade doing? She’s slowing down!"
Two women fought against monsters in the arena.
One, known as Valkyrie, wielded an enormous greatsword.
Every time she swung it—massive, almost the size of a bus—monsters were reduced to chunks of meat.
Opposite her, a woman wielded a more standard sword.
Yet she was no less formidable.
While Valkyrie relied on brute strength, this woman fought with skill and speed, striking monsters’ vital points in the blink of an eye.
—"They finished at the same time again!"
—"Wow! They’re amazing!"
Normally, only one fighter was allowed per match.
But the gap between these two and the rest of the contestants had been so overwhelming that the organizers changed the rules.
After all, the colosseum existed for entertainment.
Mystery City, the overseeing body, saw no harm in bending a rule or two for fun.
“Hahaha!”
Valkyrie laughed, resting her blood-dripping greatsword on her shoulder. Her laughter echoed just as loudly as her size suggested.
“You’re pretty damn good! You’re the first to stand toe-to-toe with me like this!”
Mei Hong didn’t respond right away. She needed a moment to catch her breath.
“I could say the same. You’re the first who’s ever kept up with my blade.”
“Haha! So I’m your first too? That’s kinda flattering!”
Valkyrie’s grin widened.
“I’m glad I got to fight a swordswoman like you… but I know you feel it too, don’t you?”
“Feel what?”
“Don’t play dumb. You know who’s gonna win this.”
Mei Hong’s grip on her sword tightened.
She didn’t want to admit it—but Valkyrie was right.
Starting from the tenth monster, Valkyrie had been finishing them off slightly faster.
It wasn’t just speed.
Mei Hong had to go all-out, grinding her teeth, to keep up.
Valkyrie, meanwhile, barely seemed to break a sweat.
“...You’re acting high and mighty for someone who won in a match tilted in their favor.”
That didn’t mean Mei Hong was weaker.
Unlike the brute force of Valkyrie, she relied on technique.
But against monsters, Valkyrie’s approach simply had the upper hand.
“Well, life’s never fair, is it?”
Valkyrie didn’t deny it—and she certainly wasn’t ashamed.
Just then, two more monsters walked into the arena.
The scoreboard lit up.
<Final Match!>
<The winner of this battle will be crowned champion!>
Mei Hong bit her lip. She hadn’t fully recovered her stamina.
If the fight started now, she’d undoubtedly lose.
“Haha! Let’s wrap this up then!”
Valkyrie hoisted her greatsword high.
Then, a voice echoed from the speakers:
<Match suspended! ‘Valkyrie’ has declared forfeiture!>
<The winner is ‘Ghost Blade’!>
“…What?”
The look on Valkyrie’s face twisted in disbelief.
“Who said I was forfeiting?! I can still fight!”
She roared, looking ready to raise hell.
But suddenly, she froze—staring into the audience.
“…Damn it.”
She turned to leave the arena.
“You’re ending it like this?” Mei Hong called after her.
“What are you, stupid? Didn’t you hear? I forfeit. You win. Got it?”
Before Mei Hong could respond, Valkyrie spoke again.
“Being lucky is a kind of skill too. So don’t get all mopey about it.”
Without hesitation, Valkyrie walked off.
Mei Hong stood still, then muttered quietly, “…I don’t like this.”
* * *
<A contestant just crossed the finish line!>
<The winner is ‘GG’!>
Southern Colosseum
A race through a trap-ridden course where the first to cross the finish line wins.
A victor had just been declared.
It had been a close one—less than a second between first and second.
“Tch. I lost.”
GG looked to the side. A man who’d just finished second clicked his tongue.
“I don’t know who the hell you are, but all those weird skills you used… If not for that, I would’ve won.”
The pot-bellied man grumbled.
It wasn’t just empty whining. Unlike Gael Garcia, the man had charged through the traps head-on.
It was reckless—but impressively fast. Gael had barely scraped by.
“Talkative for a loser.”
Still, Gael Garcia didn’t intend to let it slide.
“What did you say?”
“If you’ve lost, step down quietly. Isn’t that what a loser should do?”
Gael hadn’t meant to be this harsh.
But the man’s cocky attitude had rubbed him the wrong way.
“Hah. You're only useful for finding paths in dungeons anyway.”
The man stomped toward him, eyes flaring.
“If I weren’t under orders, I’d kill you right here.”
His eyes glinted.
Not the eyes of a normal hunter—but someone used to killing. Someone who enjoyed it.
The very kind of person Gael Garcia loathed.
“Talk’s cheap.”
“What did you just say?”
“Cowards bark the loudest. You seem like the type.”
The man’s bloodshot eyes narrowed. His bloodlust surged.
“You little bastard!”
He raised his fist with a shout—
<Attention: 'Buffalo'—please report to the waiting room immediately.>
<Once again, this is a request from your associate. ‘Buffalo’ must report now…>
The man froze.
“…You. I’ll see you again. Next time, I’ll kill you.”
With that chilling promise, he left the arena.
Gael Garcia calmly watched him go.
His Mystic Vein could sense the life force of living things. It helped him gauge their level.
And as far as he could tell…
“That’s not someone I want to fight.”
Better to avoid him if possible.
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[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
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