Chapter 70 : Chapter 70
Chapter 70. The Request Has Arrived.
An attack from a human.
To the Gold Gladiator, Ibis, it was like a bolt from the blue.
He trembled as he watched Hyunwoo approach with a grin.
He was a madman.
This human who had newly ascended to the position of Arena Champion was definitely out of his mind.
He could feel the madness lingering in the eyes of the human who was muttering to himself as he approached.
“Shall we get started for real now?”
Ibis had also heard the news about Hyunwoo.
News that he was going around the Gold dormitories, stirring things up while carrying a bizarre order called a ‘Free Sparring Pass’.
He hadn't thought much of it, but now that he was on the receiving end, it was a different story.
It seemed the rumor that he would back off after a moderate exchange of swords was false.
For some reason, he didn't look like he had any intention of backing down.
Ibis hurriedly opened his mouth.
“Y-you crazy human! Are you running rampant just because you became the Champion!?”
“It’s just a spar.”
“A spar…? Ha! You call what you’re doing now a spar?”
Ibis, agitated, pointed at the smashed door and furniture.
Hyunwoo, who watched him for a moment, spoke nonchalantly.
“See, it would have been nice for both of us if you had just sparred nicely, right?”
“…What did you say?”
“No, I mean, nothing’s that badly broken, so stop making a fuss……”
Hyunwoo avoided Ibis’s gaze and placed a hand on a nearby chair.
The chair teetered, then collapsed with a clatter.
Kkiiik― Kung!
“This chair is pretty old.”
“……”
He seemed so angry, so I thought I'd lighten the mood and try to have a conversation…
Looking at Ibis’s expression, a conversation seemed impossible.
It couldn't be helped.
“Haap―!”
Hyunwoo swung his sword in a surprise attack.
No need for questions!
There was no other way but to knock him down first and then talk.
Kagagak―!
Hyunwoo’s sword failed to pierce Ibis’s defense and bounced back.
A sword-screen.
A hemispherical defensive barrier made of mana was firmly protecting his body.
⌜Veluma Swordsmanship (3-Star)—Unfolds a sword-screen in a fan shape. As proficiency increases, a sword-screen covering a wider range can be deployed. A sword-screen coated in mana can block any attack.
Proficiency: 81%
Trait: None⌟
‘His proficiency is considerable, huh?’
Veluma Swordsmanship, a style specialized in defense.
The power of this survival-oriented swordsmanship must have been a major factor in him surviving until the end of the special match.
“G-guards—! Guards!”
“I told you it’s no use.”
A one-sided spar unfolded.
Hyunwoo attacked, and Ibis, like a turtle hiding in its shell, only used his sword-screen.
Ibis, crouched and using only his sword-screen, was no different from a sandbag.
He was like a training dummy made for swordsmanship practice.
He blocked my attacks so well.
Before I knew it, Hyunwoo had forgotten his original purpose and was swinging his sword with excitement.
“Damn it… if only it wasn't indoors…”
Ibis’s muttered words, spoken with a frustrated expression, were not an empty boast.
Because folded on his shoulder blades were wings.
‘The Aiteru race.’
A race with a pair of eagle wings.
The Aiteru race's fighting style was to soar into the sky and fight while maintaining distance from their prey.
‘It would be impossible to fly high with the low ceiling of the dormitory.’
The indoors was, in many ways, a disadvantageous battlefield for Ibis.
Hyunwoo, who only poured on one-sided attacks, and Ibis, who only used his sword-screen for defense.
The outcome of their spar was decided from the start.
In the end, the moment the exhausted Ibis withdrew his sword-screen.
Chak―
Hyunwoo pointed his sword at the panting Ibis’s neck and opened his mouth.
“I won, right?”
“Huk… huk… I lost.”
“Good.”
Hyunwoo sheathed Cheonbyeondo and stared at Ibis.
Because there was still work to be done.
He placed a hand on the shoulder of Ibis, who was nervously darting his eyes around.
“You’re tired, right?”
“……”
“Since you’re tired, let’s eat together.”
“……?”
He was truly a madman.
After beating him to a pulp, he suggested they eat.
Ibis was at a loss for words at his shamelessness.
“You don’t want to…?”
Seueuk―
At the sight of Hyunwoo reaching a hand into his coat, Ibis’s body reflexively flinched.
Hyunwoo thrust the ‘Free Sparring Pass’ in front of his face again.
“If you don’t want to, we can go another round.”
“W-what!? Ridiculous!”
“This isn't a one-time use thing.”
Sseueuk―
Seeing Hyunwoo’s ghastly smile, Ibis trembled.
The ‘Free Sparring Pass’ he presented had no expiration date or usage limit written on it.
Just as he said, it was an order that allowed for unlimited malevolence.
Why on earth would they give something like this to that madman…?
He had experienced enough to know that he was not someone he could reason with.
In the end, Ibis had no choice but to reluctantly open his mouth.
“…Alright.”
“Good. Let’s go.”
What was so good about it?
Ibis, hiding his true feelings so as not to get on the madman's nerves, followed him.
***
Hyunwoo guided Ibis to his own dormitory.
Ibis, who entered his dormitory, was surprised by three things.
First, he was surprised by the lavish interior of the dormitory, and then he was surprised that there was a separate servant who brought out refreshments.
Ibis, who received the tea brought by Pierre.
What surprised him the most was because of what Van said after glancing at him.
“Did you pick up another gladiator? You don’t think this dorm is an inn, do you?”
…Again?
The fact that this had happened before made Ibis afraid.
For what purpose, exactly…?
Ibis, who had hurriedly finished his tea, cautiously opened his mouth while watching Hyunwoo's expression.
“The tea was good. Can I go now…?”
“Where?”
“…My administrator will be looking for me.”
“He says so.”
Hyunwoo rested one arm on the sofa and looked back at Van.
Van, who understood his meaning, sighed.
“I’ll let him know. What should I say?”
“This friend… now that I think about it, what’s your name?”
He had done all that without even knowing his name?
Just as the incensed Ibis was about to speak, Hyunwoo waved his hands.
“Ah, right. It should be written here.”
Ibis shut his mouth upon seeing his personal information written on the document Hyunwoo took out.
“……”
Why did he have something like that?
The more he learned, the scarier he was.
“Ibis. His administrator is… Roten? Go and deliver the message.”
“What should I tell him?”
“That he’ll be staying at my dorm for about a month.”
“A whole month?”
Instead of answering Van, Hyunwoo looked at Ibis.
“There’s something I need to get friendly for.”
As Hyunwoo looked at Ibis and grinned, the feathers on his wings stood on end.
In the end, Ibis couldn't overcome his anxiety and shot up from his seat.
“I… I’m going back!”
“Sit.”
“……”
Ibis quietly sat back down.
The pain in his body from being beaten by Hyunwoo was still vivid.
“Eat a lot, and get some rest. We have to do it again later.”
“What do you mean, do it again……”
“Spar.”
Hyunwoo shook the ‘Free Sparring Pass’ in his hand.
The first step to raising affinity was trust.
Right now, the trust between them was shattered.
Restoring that trust was the first priority.
Hyunwoo knew a way to raise his trust.
By using his aspiration.
However, to Ibis, who had no way of knowing his inner thoughts, it was just the madness of a madman.
He suppressed his fear and managed to speak.
“…Why on earth do I have to do that?”
“Because it will help you.”
“…What?”
“Don’t you want to leave the arena?”
“……!”
The words, which had inadvertently pierced Ibis's inner thoughts, went right through him.
“I heard the Aiteru race is a race that soars freely in the sky.”
“……”
“No matter how spacious the Gold dormitory is, compared to the outside, it must be like a narrow birdcage.”
“How… how did you…”
“I can tell just by looking.”
Hyunwoo chuckled, seeing the wavering in Ibis’s eyes.
Recalling his aspiration of ‘a free body’ and the nature of the Aiteru race, this level of deduction was easy.
“How about it? If you do as I say, I think I can grant you the ‘freedom’ you desire.”
“How are you going to do that?”
“Can't you tell by looking?”
As Hyunwoo took out the ‘Free Sparring Pass’ again and waved it in front of his eyes, Ibis was startled and backed away.
“…Just say it.”
“What are you thinking?”
“Weren't you about to act out again?”
“No, not that. Think carefully. How do you think I got this? Were there any past champions who had something like this?”
“That is……”
“It means I'm close with Lord Lionel. What do you think? Do you still think I can't give you your freedom?”
“……”
Ibis was not naive enough to believe Hyunwoo's words at face value.
But just as he said, he had never heard of Lionel giving a champion something like a ‘Free Sparring Pass’.
He wanted to shout at him to stop talking nonsense, but the thought of ‘what if’ kept capturing him.
Because this might be his last chance to leave the arena.
“…So? Even if you’re right, freeing a gladiator is a different matter.”
“You only know one thing and not the other. This is a secret, but…”
As Hyunwoo leaned in closer, Ibis flinched.
But he soon realized he was trying to whisper and remained silent.
“…I've already been promised that I can leave the arena.”
“……!”
“Taking a few more people with me then is no big deal.”
“That… is that true?”
“Why would I tell a lie that will be found out soon?”
The words that he had already been promised to leave the arena were not a lie.
‘…Though it’s because of a long-term request.’
Since Hyunwoo also had a plan to become a free man, it wasn't entirely wrong.
Hyunwoo moved away from Ibis and leaned back, confidently resting his arms on the armrests of the sofa.
An expression full of bravado.
But for some reason, that confidence felt trustworthy.
No, perhaps he just wanted to believe his words.
Because to Ibis, ‘freedom’ was his last remaining desire, one he had cherished in his heart for a long time.
“Assuming what you say is true…”
“It is true.”
“Why me? There must be other gladiators.”
“Because you survived.”
The reason he had chosen him was simply because he had survived.
“That last match. You must have felt it too, right?”
“…Felt what?”
“The malice. Didn't you feel that malice that didn't care if all the participating gladiators died?”
“……”
“And what did the gladiators gain from that?”
Nothing.
The mana stones promised as a reward were as good as nothing for the price of barely surviving.
Not to mention the gladiators who had lost their lives in vain.
“At the very least, I believe those who survived that hell deserve a just reward.”
“……”
“That's why I chose you. Because you survived.”
Hyunwoo's words struck a chord in Ibis’s heart.
With each and every one of his words, Ibis’s hunched chest straightened.
It wasn't just his confidence that rose.
[Your affinity with Ibis has increased by 15.]
‘It worked!’
It was hard to get the ball rolling, but.
Once the affinity was above a certain baseline, time would take care of the rest.
Because once affinity rises, it becomes easier to raise it further.
“…Then what should I do?”
Hyunwoo smiled at the sight of Ibis, who had become much more proactive.
“Well, I’m not asking for much. In return, be my swordsmanship opponent.”
“Is that really all?”
“That’s enough.”
For now.
He didn't say the rest.
Once they continued to spar, it would be easy to create things to do together.
Hyunwoo held out his hand.
Ibis, after a moment of hesitation, took his hand.
“……”
Pierre, who had been watching them from a slight distance, shook his head.
It felt like watching a ridiculous play.
But for some reason, a sense of déjà vu made his stomach churn.
***
The original plan to raise affinity by having Ibis stay at the dormitory was thwarted by an unexpected obstacle.
[I hate birds. They smell.]
[What’s a bat talking about…?]
[Bats are mammals. Your level of common sense is the same as an Orc's.]
[…….]
I was at a loss for words at the unexpected counter from Lucas.
…Do they teach biology in the vampire world?
Because of Lucas, who vehemently opposed it, thinking the Aiteru race was an actual ‘bird’, the schedule was changed to inviting Ibis to the dormitory every day.
Hyunwoo spent time with him to raise his affinity in various ways.
He sparred with him and even gifted him a good sword.
Moreover, he even bought and fed him the strange bugs that the Aiteru race was said to like.
While sharing conversations of the body and showering him with gifts, he constantly forced the words ‘We're close, right?’ on him.
The result of moving with the single goal of raising his affinity with him for a month.
[Your affinity with Ibis has increased.]
Affinity 60.
The end was now in sight.
‘Almost there.’
He thought he could probably reach 65 within a few days.
All that was left was his aspiration, ‘freedom’, which was to get out of the arena.
Just as Hyunwoo was thinking about it, Van came looking for him in a hurry.
“Hyunwoo!”
It seemed what Hyunwoo had been waiting for had finally arrived.
“A request form has come down from the arena.”
The name of the client written at the very top of the request form Van held out.
‘Lionel Bellatus.’
It was a request he had made himself.
Of course, he was just a proxy.
Hyunwoo knew very well who was behind him.
‘Jude Basterion.’
The long-awaited request from Jude had arrived.