A Predator's Bargain
“So, to summarize the situation: for some reason we don’t understand, H-O-13 is fighting in the arena as a gladiator, and his opponent is Adam’s little sister.”
I clapped without thinking at Naram noona’s perfect summary.
“Th-this isn’t the time for applause.”
“Ah.”
It was a complete mess. If things stayed this way, Adam’s sister was fated to become another victim in H-O-13’s human-disassembly show. We might lose our guide in this world. An older brother consumed by rage over his lost sister could never serve as a guide.
“B-but there’s something strange about this.”
“What is it?”
“Umm. You heard the explanation back at the institute too, Suho. Jason is supposed to pick a territory and slaughter every prey inside it. Yet he’s only killing the gladiators while leaving the spectators and the overseer unharmed. Doesn’t that feel off?”
Every Hwanjong possessed its own rules. That was a fact multiple researchers had confirmed—an absolute, unchanging truth. A Hwanjong had broken its rule. Such a thing should have been impossible, yet I had already witnessed it once before.
“H-I-01 did the same thing.”
“Huh?”
I briefly told Naram noona about my encounter with the Neck-Snapping Statue before we met. She exploded.
“Why didn’t you tell me until now?!”
“The timing never felt right……”
“Seriously, Suho, if something like that happened you should’ve reported it to noona right away… Are you okay? Did it leave any trauma?”
I didn’t bother mentioning that I had died dozens of times trying to take the thing down. Naram noona would have burst into tears if she heard that story. Even so, the warmth in her voice as she worried about me made my chest itch. I really was hopeless. I wanted her to worry about me just a little more.
“I’ve been having nightmares lately……”
“Oh no, our Suho……”
“My neck still feels a bit……”
We repeated that exchange about ten times before Naram noona finally caught on.
“Stop messing around.”
“Yep.”
Too bad.
“Anyway, it seems Hwanjong that crossed over here can break their rules… Umm, give noona a moment to think. I feel like I’m onto something. Good thing we still have the sparrow drone!”
The sparrow drone flew toward the arena. From the way her voice cut off, Naram noona was clearly focusing on the investigation. I slipped outside quietly.
Adam stood there biting his lip, still stamping his feet in place. I walked over to him.
“Adam, if we do nothing your sister will die.”
“I’m well aware of that. But what can we possibly……”
“There might be a way.”
Adam’s gaze snapped to me, suddenly intense. He stared so hard I thought his eyes might pop out.
“Is that true!?”
I shrugged.
“But we can’t move right now. We’ve already drawn the overseer’s attention, and we still don’t have enough concrete information. If we wait calmly we should find at least a small opening. For now, just wait. When is your sister’s match?”
“I-in two weeks.”
Adam’s eyes grew red.
“Thank you so much. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay this kindness……”
“Think about that after we save your sister.”
Two weeks. Not enough time, yet more than enough. Adam and I decided to stay in Sunflower Town instead of returning to the Supernatural Research Institute—specifically, in a spot with a clear view of the arena where Jason was performing as a gladiator.
Isekai Report
1. After crossing into this world, the monkey-brained H-O-13 has gained intelligence.
2. The arena overseer is greedy and plans to use H-O-13 to make money.
3. Adam’s sister is locked in an underground iron cage under extremely tight security.
4. H-O-13 is biding its time. Like the Neck-Snapping Statue, Jason has broken its rule—specifically, the rule concerning intelligence. According to Naram noona’s observations, Jason has become intelligent enough to converse with people.
“It’s using the radio to speak one syllable at a time.”
I checked the additional footage Naram noona sent. In the video, Jason and the overseer were talking.
“That match was truly magnificent! Jason! Meeting a gladiator like you is the greatest fortune of my life!”
“Th-this, m-match, is?”
“Of course—it’s the match against Eve you’ve been wanting so badly.”
“U-under, stood.”
This was something the Supernatural Research Institute could never have imagined. Jason, who used to play nothing but the screams of prey—“Help me,” “Kyaaah”—had made a tremendous leap forward.
“It still feels the urge to kill, but for some reason it’s suppressing it. I don’t know why, but sometimes reason can overpower emotion, right? To me it looks like it’s waiting for something.”
“Like someone who gets tonkatsu for dinner but saves it for last?”
“U-umm… yeah, that kind of feeling. A-anyway, I also found Adam’s sister underground. She looked completely imprisoned, and her condition didn’t seem good. Her legs appeared to be in pretty bad shape……”
Naram noona rambled on about various other details before yawning.
“Hwaaam…… I’ve been up for two nights straight. I’m sleepy.”
“Good work.”
“Mm. Don’t push yourself either, Suho! Your safety is the most important thing right now. Then noona’s going to sleep~”
“Okay.”
That concluded today’s cute exchange with Naram noona. She must have been exhausted from investigating and writing the report at the same time. I’d have to treat her to plenty of airplane rides later.
While Naram noona spent three days compiling the report, I hadn’t been idle either. I conducted on-site investigations, slipping coins to the men who came and went from the arena like it was their own home and gathering information about the place.
“Among the people who visit the arena are some big spenders. The famous ones are Libertas, master of the Clocktower; Gwangho Charteon, one of the Seven Disciples of the Sword Saint; Diane, a priest of the Holy Light Church; and Clare, daughter of the Lord of Sayang. They don’t bet pocket change like us. They wager enough money to buy an entire city on a single match.”
Of course, relaying my words to the men was Adam’s job. Incidentally, Adam had already bowed his head and apologized to the arena overseer. I had forced him to do it. Having at least one insider on our side would make future plans much smoother.
I left the inn and headed for the arena. Adam was waiting for me.
“I’ve already informed the overseer.”
I already knew what the overseer wanted and why he valued H-O-13 so highly. Well then, time to start the negotiation. I followed Adam toward the overseer’s room.
Inside the luxurious chamber, the overseer sat slouched with his belly protruding as usual, looking thoroughly bored.
“This is the person who said he wanted to meet you, sir. I was not in my right mind last time and committed a great discourtesy. I apologize once again.”
“Hmph. Fine. You may leave now.”
“Understood.”
Adam left the room without another word. Only the overseer and I remained. The awkward silence was broken by the overseer himself.
“I heard you wanted to see me. They say you’re a magician of considerable skill. I’d like to hear your reason. Why have you come to me? Do you wish to fight a strong gladiator? If so, you’ll need to be very strong indeed. We don’t accept just anyone as a gladiator. Every fighter in this arena possesses real talent. None of them will be easy opponents. I hope you’re not some ignorant pup who doesn’t know the world.”
I could feel his skepticism. Seeing is believing. I drew my pistol and pulled the trigger.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The roar of humanity’s finest concentrated killing tool was always deafening. The overseer’s mouth snapped shut in shock. His body trembled violently. I didn’t waste the sudden pressure and fear I had created.
“I’ve come for Jason’s head.”
Short, blunt, spoken in the alien language of this world. I made my offer. I wondered how many people in this world could possibly refuse such a proposal. I was curious, but the overseer would not be among them.