Chapter 245
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 245.
Yoo Baek-jun continued to pile up victories.
It was an unstoppable momentum.
He kept winning without pause, and the spectators soon learned his name.
"Master! We won again this time!"
"Oh, good."
Not only that, but he also made a fortune.
Under Yoo Baek-jun's orders, Han Seong-ah had placed bets on him, and since he won every time, they reaped massive profits.
"Even so, it’s terrifying how far this still falls short of the gold I’ve lost."
"Master! What should we do next time? Bet on you again? Or maybe…"
"……"
Han Seong-ah’s eyes sparkled.
Watching her, Yoo Baek-jun felt an inexplicable sense of guilt.
‘What is this guilt I’m feeling, as if I’ve corrupted an innocent person…’
It was the pang of conscience.
Whether she had developed a taste for gambling or not, Han Seong-ah began showing interest in other forms of betting beyond the arena.
‘I need to get back soon.’
Before Han Seong-ah spirals further.
In any case, as Yoo Baek-jun’s fame grew, so did the caliber of his opponents.
"You think you can beat me… Gahhk!"
A famous ranker in the arena.
"W-what kind of strength…!"
"You’re taking on all these numbers alone!"
Multiple fighters.
—Oooh, ooooh!
—Grrrooar!
A horde of monsters, including ogres.
Naturally, none of them stood a chance against Yoo Baek-jun. He mowed them down effortlessly.
"Yoo Baek-jun! Yoo Baek-jun!"
"I believed in you all along!"
"Waaaah!"
The cheers of the crowd echoed.
And before long, just as Tugwi had done, he reached a level where he could single-handedly take on multiple ogres.
An arena employee called for him.
‘Seems like the time has come.’
They were probably summoning him to make the offer he had been waiting for.
He cut through the heart of the casino to meet the employee.
Whirrr!
The sound of the roulette wheel spinning, cards being dealt, the despair of the people.
All sorts of noises filled the air.
Ignoring them, Yoo Baek-jun’s footsteps suddenly halted.
"Should I bet on this one this time?"
"Oh my, after losing so much already?"
"Since I’ve lost so much, it’s about time I win, don’t you think? I’ve got a good feeling!"
It was because he spotted Tugwi.
The man was enjoying a gambling session, nestled in the arms of women.
Their eyes met.
"Oh, who do we have here? Isn’t this the Traveler from another world who’s been making waves lately?"
"That's him?"
Tugwi placed a bet on the roulette and grinned at Yoo Baek-jun.
He was a rough-looking man.
More like a wild beast than someone belonging to civilization.
"Here to gamble too? I heard you’re quite the gambler yourself."
"No, an employee called for me."
"Called for you? Reaaally?"
Tugwi narrowed his eyes.
"Now I’m curious why they called you, heh. Well, whatever. You… Ah, damn it! Again!"
The roulette stopped on a number he hadn’t chosen, and he erupted in anger.
The dealer, seemingly used to it, remained unfazed.
"Tch, you. I’ve been watching your fights. Why don’t you go all out?"
"You’re curious about that?"
"Yeah, I wanted to see you fight seriously, but I never got the chance."
Tugwi glared. Yoo Baek-jun silently pointed at him.
"Same reason as you. You’ve never gone all out in the arena either, have you?"
"Same as me, huh…"
Tugwi gulped down his drink and flashed a bitter smile.
"Heh, yeah. That’s right. The guys here are too weak. Nothing but puny brats unworthy of my full strength."
He laughed loudly.
"It was fine at first, but lately, even fighting has gotten boring. The only fun thing left here is this."
He pointed at the roulette.
"Know why this is fun?"
"Not really, no."
"Because it doesn’t go my way."
He places his chips where he wants, spins the wheel, but has no control over where the marble lands. It’s all up to luck.
"There’s nothing I haven’t achieved. Everything I’ve ever attempted, I’ve succeeded. The only thing that doesn’t bend to my will is gambling."
Overwhelming talent.
Having grown up without knowing failure, he was inevitably drawn to gambling—the one thing he couldn’t control.
"That’s why it’s fun. You feel the same, don’t you?"
"Not really."
A classic gambling addict.
Of course, Yoo Baek-jun hadn’t disliked the recent roulette or card games.
But he had too much else to do, and no time to waste endlessly gambling here.
‘Must be nice to have so much free time, bastard.’
Yoo Baek-jun turned away.
"I’ll look forward to the day we meet in the arena."
A voice called out to his retreating back.
Yoo Baek-jun and Han Seong-ah left the casino and walked down a long corridor.
"Master, about that man… Doesn’t he feel familiar somehow?"
"Familiar?"
"Yes, well…"
Han Seong-ah hesitated briefly.
"He reminds me of Yoo Kang-ho…"
"Both are delinquents, so I guess they’re similar. Wasting their lives and all."
"Right?"
Yoo Kang-ho had talent too, but he threw it all away for nightlife.
Tugwi hadn’t ruined his life yet, but he was wasting his time all the same.
‘He’s too useful to leave rotting here.’
Along with Blood Rin he couldn’t let someone this capable stay buried in this place.
‘I’ll find a way to put him to work.’
Yoo Baek-jun went to meet the employee and received the proposal he had been waiting for.
"Traveler from another world, we have an offer for you. Care to hear it?"
"What is it?"
The female employee who had first registered him scratched the back of her head.
"Frankly, there’s no one left in the arena who can challenge you. Monsters, fighters—you’ve beaten them all."
"True. You’re not kicking me out, are you?"
"Of course not. Well, uh…"
She sighed deeply.
"We’ve received a proposal for you to face Tugwi next."
"Tugwi…"
Yoo Baek-jun widened his eyes in feigned surprise, then pretended to ponder.
The woman sighed again and pointed outside.
"Hear that?"
Yoo Baek-jun listened.
—Let us see the Traveler from another world fight Tugwi! It’s about time they clashed!
—Hey, what are you talking about? There’s no contest. Tugwi would obviously win.
—Tugwi and that Traveler from another world don’t seem so different to me. They’re evenly matched, no?
—What nonsense…
—Nonsense? You…
The spectators were arguing.
The topic was Yoo Baek-jun vs. Tugwi—who would win? The childish debate raged on.
"Many people are eager to see you two fight. It’s getting hard to delay. Even the higher-ups have ordered…"
"Higher-ups?"
"Ahem, cough, cough!"
She awkwardly cleared her throat and raised a finger.
"Anyway, your next opponent is Tugwi. What do you say? If you want to quit, that’s fine too."
"Quit?"
Yoo Baek-jun smirked.
"You think I’d quit like a coward? Set it up right now."
"…You sure? Tugwi is a veteran who’s been here for years."
"All the so-called ‘veterans’ who strutted before me—were they any different? I doubt Tugwi will be either."
"…I like your confidence. Then I’ll schedule the match as you wish."
She exhaled.
"It’s tomorrow. That fine with you?"
"Sure."
The opportunity he had been waiting for, despite all the hassle, had finally arrived.
Yoo Baek-jun stood up.
‘Time to wake him up properly.’
* * *
The next day, the arena.
The arena was always crowded, but today, even more people had gathered.
The stands were packed, with some even watching from outside.
"Kehehe, I can’t remember the last time we had this many suckers."
"I think there are even more than when Tugwi first appeared in a match."
"Right?"
Gold Rich grinned in satisfaction.
All those spectators would place bets, and that meant profit for him.
He couldn’t help but be pleased.
"Still, what a relief. Who’d have thought Tugwi himself would propose it?"
He wanted to fight the inter-dimensional adventurer.
Gold Rich had been about to make the offer himself, but Tugwi beat him to it.
No need for tedious persuasion—this was a happy turn of events.
"But, Gold Rich, sir… This might just be my useless worry…"
"Huh? Spit it out."
"What if Tugwi loses…?"
Gold Rich’s face twisted.
"Stupid question. You think that monster could lose? That freak?"
"Y-yes, of course!"
"Exactly. That guy’s a monster."
A monster of overwhelming power, unlike anything Gold Rich had ever seen.
Even if everyone in the arena ganged up on him, victory wasn’t guaranteed.
The idea of Tugwi losing was unimaginable.
"And anyway…"
Kihihi, Gold Rich chuckled.
"Luck is on my side. No matter what happens, things will turn in my favor. Definitely."
His gaze turned to the warehouse.
A goddess statue smiling gently.
"The Goddess of Fortune is smiling upon me. Kahaha!"
* * *
Yoo Baek-jun waited in the arena’s preparation room with Han Seong-ah.
Seol-yeong, who was usually by her side, was strangely absent.
"Master, why does this situation… feel so familiar?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well… You facing someone one-on-one while I wait in the preparation room—this exact scenario."
Now that he thought about it, she was right.
It had been the same with Yoo Kang-ho, and even during his spar with Kim Mok-jun.
"I guess that just means I’ve got a lot of fights on my hands. Seriously…"
"You’ll come back safely this time too, right?"
Han Seong-ah looked at him with worried eyes. Yoo Baek-jun patted her shoulder.
"Of course."
Creak! The arena gates opened.
The vast arena came into view, along with the packed stands.
—I bet on you today!
—Hurry up and fight! Let’s see who’s stronger!
—Tugwi! Tugwi! Tugwi!
And beyond them, Tugwi.
He stood empty-handed, armed with nothing but his body.
"Didn’t expect the day to come so soon."
He had said he’d look forward to meeting in the arena.
Who knew it’d be the very next day?
"What, isn’t this what you wanted? I heard you made the proposal yourself."
"Oh, you knew?"
Tugwi grinned.
"Yeah, that’s right. I couldn’t wait any longer. Never seen someone like you before."
"Even madness has its limits."
"Heh… ‘Madness,’ you say."
Boom!
Tugwi stomped the ground.
"Anyone would go mad after tasting this boredom! So show me—your true strength!"
The crowd roared at the electrifying atmosphere.
Tugwi burst into maniacal laughter.
"Entertain me!"
A voice dripping with madness.
No reasoning would work here. Yoo Baek-jun tightened his grip on his spear.
A step forward, his arm pulling back.
‘Then I’ll give you what you want.’
The spear shot forward, spinning fiercely as it hurtled toward Tugwi.
He sneered.
"I’ve already seen this one!"
Having witnessed the attack before, dodging was child’s play for him.
He read the spear’s trajectory perfectly and evaded with a graceful movement.
But what he missed—
Crackle!
—was Yoo Baek-jun’s lightning-clad charge.
Activating Heavenly thunder, Yoo Baek-jun surged forward, electricity scattering from his entire body.
The speed was so fast it was nearly impossible to follow, and the attack was something Tugwi had never seen before.
"Wha—!"
Thud!
Heavenly Thunder struck Tugwi square in the abdomen. Simultaneously, the lightning coiled around Yoo Baek-jun’s fist exploded outward.
Then, countless afterimages appeared around Yoo Baek-jun.
"…Ghk!"
The afterimages attacked in unison.
Heavenly Chain Strikes assailed Tugwi from all directions, leaving him no room to breathe.
Yoo Baek-jun swung his right arm, now swirling with dense energy, wide.
Slash!
A final strike.
Countless blades of energy tore through Tugwi’s body.
Unable to withstand the onslaught, Tugwi was sent flying.
Crash!
He slammed into the arena wall.
A one-sided assault by Yoo Baek-jun, all in under a minute.
The arena, once filled with near-manic energy, fell into a momentary silence.
Then—
"Waaaah!"
The stands erupted.
The crowd went wild as debris crumbled from the wall where Tugwi had been embedded.
"Well? You all wanted entertainment."
Yoo Baek-jun dusted off his hands and smirked.