Chapter 21
I’ll translate the whole chapter into natural English and format all system text with the required HTML blocks. First I’m checking the chapter content flow, then I’ll render the full HTML output cleanly.CHAPTER_TITLE: Chapter 21
Kwa-ddddddeuk—! A gale howled through the arena. The fist that had shot out without warning had created a calamity in a single instant.
Kwo-ga-ga-ga-gak—!
The ground shattered, and a blade-like typhoon burst forth, tearing straight through the wall as if it were paper.
The Colosseum’s thick wall exploded apart.
The problem was—
...This is...
The body of Wei Ajun standing before my fist had been ripped to shreds.
“Huh...?”
“What the hell...!”
Wei Ajun’s body had burst apart in an instant, crushed beyond recognition.
What the hell just happened?
What was this? The eyeballs hidden behind my mask trembled.
Synchronization Rate has risen to 7%, and a skill has been unlocked.
Patcheonmu Second Form
Paryeolbando has been unlocked.
An attack has been detected.
Automatic activation chance succeeded at 3%. Paryeolbando activates.
There is a difference in rank. Power has increased.
Paryeolbando?
It seemed to be the skill that had just burst forth. My eyes moved as I checked the skill description.
Paryeolbando.
Counterattacks are unleashed at the perfect moment.
Automatically performs a counterattack with a certain probability.
The activation condition is set according to the Synchronization Rate.
Current activation chance: 3%
A counter skill?
It was a skill that unleashed a retaliation. But then—
...An automatic counterattack chance?
It had a passive function that automatically struck back. Three percent. That meant it had triggered.
And not only was that absurdly low chance ridiculous—
—that was the power it produced? The force was monstrous. Even now, with my strength enhanced to this degree.
...Are you insane?
Even so, for an SS-class to die from a single blow...
When everyone fell silent at this absurd turn of events—
“Ah, shit.”
Along with a rough curse, something in front of me began to writhe.
Fwa-ssss—!
Something like mist scattered through the air gathered together. It slowly condensed, taking shape.
“Haha. That’s fun.”
It was, unbelievably, Wei Ajun.
What?
He’d been torn apart, and yet he was resurrecting? What the hell kind of impossible form was this?
Wei Ajun, whose body had fully restored itself, cracked his neck from side to side.
“Hoo. Now that’s ridiculous. When I saw the footage, I thought you were just some half-decent punk.”
Wei Ajun’s lips curled upward.
“But you’re more than half-decent, huh? What are you supposed to be?”
Sssss— I could feel the energy around him.
Hero's Super-sensory has activated.
Kill intent detection has activated.
It was the same as before. Just as I wondered if Wei Ajun was about to attack me again—
Warning!
Unapproved combat is prohibited inside the Colosseum.
If further combat occurs, both participants will lose.
Please be advised.
If further combat occurs, both participants will lose.
The warning flashed twice. Seeing that, Wei Ajun narrowed his eyes.
“Tch.”
At that, Wei Ajun turned his back. I’d expected him to say something else, but it looked like he wouldn’t.
“What a shame. It was just getting interesting.”
He walked away, glancing back with visible disappointment. Watching him, I forced myself to calm down.
Did I nearly get screwed over?
It was only because the skill had triggered. If not for that...
If not for that?
Halfway through the thought, a question rose in my mind.
Can’t I beat him?
Was it impossible to defeat Wei Ajun in my current state? And yet I had that absurd 3,000% boost.
“......”
After mulling it over, I shook my head.
This was not the time to be thinking about such things. Why had that thought suddenly come to mind?
Just as I was trying to clear my head in confusion—
“...That Wei Ajun got attacked.”
“It was a single strike. How could something like that...?”
“Just what in the world is Musin—”
They were talking about me. The sound made my ears itch.
Hm.
I didn’t know how to react, so I just fidgeted with my fingers.
The required number of participants for the Colosseum has been reached.
The Colosseum duel will now begin.
The notifications came pouring in. The Colosseum duel was about to begin. Along with that, something dropped in front of my eyes.
A box?
A box floated in midair. What was this?
The bracket will now be drawn.
Please reach into the box and draw your match-up slip.
It seemed I just had to put my hand inside. Naturally, I reached in.
Ping—!
You drew slip number 1.
Damn it.
Of all things, it was number 1. I really had the worst luck.
I scowled fiercely. If I hadn’t been wearing the mask, it would have shown plain as day.
Since all I had to do was reach into the box to draw, the bracket selection didn’t take long at all.
And once everyone had drawn their slips—
The bracket has been generated.
Following that notification, a giant display board rose into view.
...Huh?
My body jerked the moment I saw it.
It couldn’t be helped. The name at the very top was the problem.
Matchup 1.
Musin versus Divine Snake.
“Ha... hahahaha!”
A burst of laughter exploded. It was Wei Ajun. He laughed his head off and looked at me.
“Oh, this is fate, isn’t it? Perfect timing. Right?”
I didn’t answer. His face looked like he was genuinely delighted. Why was he so pleased?
Was he a complete lunatic?
SS-class people really are all messed up.
Irene was strange enough, but that man was odd in a completely different way. Very, very much so.
The bracket has been finalized.
Moving to the arena.
With that notification, the scenery changed. I was transported to a wide open space, not the place I’d just been standing in.
And that wasn’t all.
People...?
Seated in the circular stands were, astonishingly, people.
More than that, there were faces that looked strangely familiar from somewhere.
No way.
They’re superhumans?
Other superhumans. They seemed a little different from the ones who had participated in the Colosseum.
There was a murmur of voices.
“...Looking at the bracket, they’re all S-class?”
“So it’s all S-class superhumans?”
“What kind of gate is this...? Is it even okay for us to be here?”
As I listened to them, I realized something. They all had one thing in common.
They’re A-class superhumans.
Among the many familiar faces, I found the common thread. They were all A-class superhumans.
Which meant—
Only A-class superhumans can sit up there.
That seemed to be the condition. At that moment—
“You’re making quite a racket.”
An irritating voice rang out. It was Wei Ajun in front of me.
“What’s the point of gathering all these bugs? Makes us look like some kind of spectacle.”
His expression was full of annoyance.
“To think I’m being gawked at by those worthless trash... Tch.”
It looked like he was offended by A-class superhumans watching him.
The way he dug at his ear with a finger was extremely uncouth. Then Wei Ajun flicked the earwax from his finger and said, looking at me,
“You probably feel the same, don’t you?”
...
Was he asking me to agree with him?
I had no intention of doing that. I hadn’t planned on saying anything in the first place, either.
So I kept silent, and Wei Ajun snorted.
“You’re a boring one. Whatever. Doesn’t matter.”
He flexed his fist.
“What matters is what’s more fun than running your mouth.”
The first match of the Colosseum is ready.
The first match will now begin.
May the warriors receive the blessing of the gods.
We’d been dragged here and were really going to fight? The tension was rising—
Win the battle against your opponent.
📍 Location: Colosseum
🎁 Reward: Access to Musin’s Secret Repository and Musin’s Mental Image II
What the hell is this ridiculous quest!
Win against Wei Ajun? I was rattled when—
“It’ll be different from before, Musin.”
Wei Ajun’s eyes gleamed with ferocity.
The lashing tongue and those eyes split wide open made my disgust rise like bile.
Ah, what am I supposed to do?
I rolled my eyes.
Hero's Super-sensory has activated.
Kill intent detection has activated.
I could already tell what Wei Ajun was feeling through the skill. It seemed like he intended to do this for real.
Only after seeing that did I swallow hard and assess the situation.
...A fight with an SS-class superhuman.
Could I win? I couldn’t even be certain what would happen against Lin Xiao, who was S-class. And now I was facing Wei Ajun.
No matter how I looked at it, this was bad.
But still.
What was that quest, then?
Win the battle against your opponent.
📍 Location: Colosseum
🎁 Reward: Access to Musin’s Secret Repository and Musin’s Mental Image II
...
To earn Musin’s Mental Image by winning against Wei Ajun, I had to go to the place that had previously granted me kill intent detection.
Can you even call that a reasonable request?
I didn’t know. Even if my stats had risen to extreme heights upon entering the gate, it was the same either way.
My opponent was an SS-class superhuman. Someone I couldn’t possibly handle recklessly.
So.
If I wanted to win, I needed some kind of method.
“...Hmm.”
Wei Ajun frowned at me. He was different from before.
He isn’t rushing at me.
He hadn’t charged me. Maybe the earlier clash was the reason.
I didn’t know how he’d come back to life, but thanks to that, Wei Ajun was wary of me.
Hoo.
Could I use that? My mind raced over and over.
“I don’t get it.”
Wei Ajun spoke.
“I’m not really the type to enjoy thinking things through.”
A chill ran down my spine.
“I guess I’ll just have to fight first. That’s better, right?”
Shit.
I’d arrived at the worst possible choice. The instant I glared at him and scowled—
Kwaang—!!
With a thunderous blast, Wei Ajun’s body reached me in an instant.
!
His movements were supple and fierce. The hand bursting from Wei Ajun’s body drilled toward my throat. Too fast to block.
Even with my body boosted by 5,000%.
This is...
...I’m going to lose.
The instant that thought flashed through my mind—
The paper rises against its master.
The contract carved into the soul activates.
The snake tightens around itself.
“Ghk!?”
Along with those incomprehensible words, Wei Ajun’s body stiffened. His hand was still just barely touching my throat.
“Krr... krahhh!!”
Wei Ajun screamed. It was an incomprehensible situation. What was wrong with this guy?
While I stood frozen in shock, unable to do anything—
The snake tightens around itself.
“Uuugh...”
Wei Ajun rolled his eyes back and collapsed on the spot.
Eh?
What?
Quest complete.
You have won the duel.
As a reward, access to Musin’s Secret Repository and Musin’s Mental Image II has been granted.
Ignoring the notifications that rose before me, I thought to myself.
...What in the hell.
I still couldn’t figure out the answer.