Chapter 88
Chapter 88
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: The Imperba Pioneer Tournament
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Imperba Dukedom.
The grandest city in the east was holding a festival after a long time.
A tournament to determine the rankings among top Pioneers.
Skilled top Pioneers from all over had flocked here for it.
"Over here! Ice-cold beer, get your beer!"
"How about a dogfight before the Pioneer Tournament? Come watch!"
"Roast chicken, stew, grab a meal before you go!"
With crowds of spectators pouring in.
Vendors hawked their wares everywhere.
Among them were criminals who made a living picking pockets.
But the festive mood only grew thicker.
As the festival atmosphere reached its peak.
The highlight finally began.
"Waaaaaaaaah!"
The Imperba Arena, usually used for gambling fights.
The seats were packed, and the crowd erupted in cheers as one.
"Greetings, citizens of Imperba. I'm Porzo, your host for this event."
The man serving as both emcee and referee greeted the citizens.
He first praised the duke who had sponsored the festival.
Then he smoothly guided the event along.
"I guess it's time to start the tournament without keeping you all waiting any longer, right?"
The crowd raised their beer mugs and cheered wildly.
In a world with few entertainments to begin with.
Battles between the strong were the greatest spectacle.
"Alright then, let the first match of the tournament begin—the clash to decide the strongest among top Pioneers!"
With the announcer's call, the tournament curtain rose.
Amid the cheering masses.
In a spot not far from the Imperba duke's box.
A man sat there, arms crossed, watching the event.
His pitch-black cloak bore an embroidered moon and goat.
Moon Goat Guild Master.
Cluvram.
He had taken the best seat to watch the tournament.
"Kuhuhu, Guild Master, did you see the Sunso Guild guys? They've only got one entrant this time."
Beside Cluvram.
A neatly dressed man let out a snide chuckle.
The red-haired woman pinned with a hairpin next to him chimed in.
"Most of their resident top Pioneers jumped ship to us. They're gonna bleed dry."
The timing of this tournament was a disaster for Sunso Guild.
Their renowned top Pioneers were off on expeditions in other dungeons.
And right then, the tournament hit.
Sunso was already short on top Pioneers.
And Moon Goat had swooped in and snatched a bunch.
Sunso had no way to field entrants.
"Even if some leftover Sunso top Pioneer enters, it's just the injured Ovillan."
"The top Pioneers defected in droves because of Ovillan to begin with."
The Moon Goat members laughed in agreement.
Just as they said.
Ovillan's favoritism was the big reason Sunso's top Pioneers left.
The guild kept pushing the talented Ovillan, leaving others feeling sidelined. They jumped at Moon Goat's better offers.
Plus, Ovillan was arrogant and insufferable.
He'd mellowed a bit after the major guild meeting.
But top Pioneers remembered the rude version.
So they flipped him off and bailed.
Ovillan had toned down after clashing with Leyzon.
Too late.
"Phew, finally rid of those annoying barbarians."
Cluvram stroked his goatee, a satisfied smile on his lips.
Cluvram saw himself as a true intellectual.
Sunso, meanwhile, was led by a brutish minority water buffalo.
It irked him that such a beast helmed a major guild on his level.
So he planned to crush Sunso this time.
Sunso had one entrant.
Moon Goat had ten.
One glance showed who had the edge.
"Waaaaaaaaah!"
A cheer exploded from the crowd.
One match had just ended.
As fighters exited, the announcer called the next.
"From Moon Goat Guild, Amajim!"
"Oh, Amajim's up."
"He better do well."
Members on both sides buzzed excitedly.
Cluvram watched with eager eyes.
"His opponent is from—oh, the other major guild, Sunso!"
The cheers intensified.
The two guilds dominating Imperba Dukedom.
Their members clashing? Of course it hyped everyone.
"Ovillan must be coming out."
As Cluvram nodded at a guild member's words.
"From Sunso Guild, Hanok Wilbria!"
At that name, Cluvram's head tilted.
It wasn't Ovillan.
The guild members listening nearby reacted the same.
"Hanok Wilbria?"
"Was there a top Pioneer by that name in Sunso?"
They looked puzzled.
Cluvram frowned, sharing the doubt.
He scanned around.
To find where Sunso members gathered.
It wasn't hard.
A massive flag emblazoned with Sunso's mark stood out.
'What a barbaric display.'
As if that flag advertised the guild.
Cluvram dismissed Sunso as crude while hunting for the water buffalo.
Soon, his face froze.
"...That guy's...?"
A robed man sat there.
A menacing Half Dark Elf.
But Cluvram remembered that face clearly.
The Steel Wolf Guild member who one-shotted promising star Ovillan.
Leyzon.
"Why's that guy here."
"Huh? Guild Master, what's wrong?"
A guild member asked at his tone.
But Cluvram had no time to answer.
'He's definitely from Steel Wolf.'
Leyzon was no ordinary Pioneer.
Whatever cheat he used, his strength was real.
His presence here stirred unease.
Then Cluvram locked eyes with the water buffalo.
The buffalo sat leisurely, legs crossed, grinning slyly.
That smile screamed ulterior motives.
Creases formed on Cluvram's brow.
'These are my nurtured guild members.'
Whatever the scheme.
Sunso couldn't beat them.
Cluvram believed that, watching anxiously.
The match was already underway.
In the arena, two men faced off.
One: a bald man with long earrings, Amajim.
The other: a timid-looking Sword-Tooth Clan boy.
But the boy had an odd appearance.
His face was boyish, but his build was freakishly huge.
Big.
The boy in massive armor fit that word perfectly.
Easily over 2 meters.
"Uh, ughhh."
Hanok Wilbria.
He trembled, making a pathetically weak noise.
His face screamed uncertainty, glancing around nervously.
Amajim across from him furrowed his brow slightly.
The imposing bulk.
The fearful face.
The mismatch felt off.
Still, a top Pioneer opponent.
No room for complacency, no matter the weird vibe.
So he shook off the pressure with his signature snark.
"Haven't seen you around Sunso Guild. Newbie, huh?"
Hanok flinched hard at the jab.
He bit his lip, face full of fear.
"I-I-I am a Sunso Guild member!"
Who said otherwise?
Amajim clicked his tongue at Hanok's defensive outburst.
He'd tensed thinking Ovillan, but this? Tension gone.
"Hah, sure."
He tapped his earrings; they morphed into dual swords.
"I'll send you packing quick, so go home and suckle mama a bit more, kiddo."
Hanok's eyes went wide at the words.
"B-But... both my moms passed away."
"Uh, um, r-really? Sorry."
Amajim awkwardly smacked his lips after the unintended burn.
Both moms dead? What kind of family was that?
Hanok's backstory baffled him.
As Amajim's mind tangled.
The announcer gestured from outside.
Signal for the start bell.
Amajim shook his head clear.
He was a 12-Ascension Pioneer.
Opponent looked like a fresh 10-Ascension chick.
'Whatever.'
End it in seconds.
"Match start!"
With the ref's shout, Amajim crouched and leaped.
His explosive jump closed the gap instantly.
Hanok's face filled with panic.
One hit, obviously.
So Amajim thought—
"S-S-Sorryyy!"
Thud!
He was rolling on the ground before he knew it.
"Huh?"
Why am I rolling?
As he tumbled, he saw Hanok eyes squeezed shut, gauntlet thrust forward.
Ah, hit by that.
He realized his gut was caved in.
Too late—consciousness fled.
Thump!
Amajim flew out of the arena, out cold.
Foaming at the mouth, completely knocked out.
The announcer forgot to declare the result amid the shock.
As silence gripped the crowd.
"W-Waaaaaaaaah!"
Roaring cheers slowly erupted.
"Eek!"
Hanok shrank at the noise.
His timidity clashed wildly with his giant frame.
"Sunso Guild's Hanok takes a 1-0 win over Moon Goat Guild!"
The announcer snapped to and declared, with plenty of flair.
Moon Goat members froze in stunned silence.
Guild Master Cluvram stood rigid.
Mouth agape, he couldn't move.
The top Pioneer tournament.
A monster had entered.