Chapter 164: Floor 31: Showdown of S-rank Heroes.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 164: Floor 31: Showdown of S-rank Heroes.
BANG!!
With the starting shot, Iron Golem from District 2 and Power Fist from District 5 charged at each other.
They tore across the arena floor with a force and speed incomparable to the B-rank Heroes from before.
Both were close-quarters combat specialists.
Iron Golem, who fought by turning his body into a mass of steel, and Power Fist, whose ability strengthened his fists, clashed in the center of the arena.
“Kuhahahahaap!”
“Uriyaaaaaaah!!”
KWAAAAANG!!
Fist against fist.
A battle of pride between two men!!
The collision of their fists sent out a powerful shockwave that forced them back for a moment, but they immediately closed the distance again, planting their feet and beginning to pummel each other.
‘No, you crazy bastard!! Did you just forget everything I taught you?!’
I had taught him some martial arts while we trained.
But right now, he was just trading blows like a true manly man.
What was even more absurd was that his opponent was doing the exact same thing.
Somehow, two identical idiots had been matched up, unleashing a merciless barrage of attacks befitting A-rank close-combat specialists.
“Woooooah!!”
“This is insane!!”
“This is so fucking intense!!!”
The crowd was on its feet, roaring with excitement at the unyielding battle between the two manly men.
‘Sigh… Fine, do it your way.’
It looked a little stupid, but I understood.
That fighting spirit and passion, that desire to test one's limits when facing a man of the same breed.
A burning competitive drive!!!
KABOOM!! THWACK!! BAM! BAM! BAM!!! CRACK!
The sounds of striking steel and breaking bones echoed, but neither man backed down.
“Is this all you’ve got, Iron Golem!!”
“Hahahahaha!! Go on, hit me harder!!!”
‘Crazy bastards…’
The two bald guys were throwing dozens of punches per second at each other.
For reference, most people with skin-altering abilities are bald. As for Power Fist… it’s probably just genetic.
Iron Golem was a hero specializing in defense, while Power Fist specialized in offense.
A battle between a shield that could block anything and a spear that could pierce anything.
“Guooooorgh!!!”
“Kuaargh! Gack!”
Just when it seemed one of them would collapse, they would hold on with sheer willpower and keep swinging.
Blood was already pouring from their faces, ribs, and fists, but the two men refused to yield.
In the end, the one with the stronger will, Power Fist, was the one to decide the match.
Iron Golem, who had been swinging his fists almost unconsciously, collapsed, and about a second later, Power Fist fell too.
“…Th-The winner is Power Fist from District 5!!!”
“Waaaaaaaaah!!!”
“They both fought well!!”
“Iron Golem fought well too!”
Unlike the first match, everyone sincerely cheered for both fighters, leading to a heartwarming conclusion.
Both had suffered severe injuries all over their bodies, including serious concussions with fractured skulls, but they were perfectly fine as soon as I healed them.
As soon as he regained consciousness and saw me, Power Fist looked a little sheepish.
“Ahem… I’m sorry… It just sort of… happened…”
“It’s fine. You won, and that’s what matters.”
Still, it was a heart-pounding fight, the first I’d seen in a while. Who could possibly criticize a duel between men like these?
And then, finally, the long-awaited duel.
“And now~~ for the highlight of this event match!! The new S-rank Hero from District 5, Pink Spear, versus the S-rank Hero from District 2, the Ice Heaven Emperor!!!”
“Waaaaaaaaah!!!!!”
"It's finally starting!"
Perhaps because of the intense duel that had just ended, the crowd was even more worked up, letting out a thunderous roar.
'I wonder what kind of strategy you’ve prepared, Ice Heaven Emperor.'
Unless he’s had a second awakening, there’s no way he can beat me in a straight fight. He must have some kind of trick up his sleeve.
Worried he might have tampered with the food, I ate at home and consumed nothing but the water in my Inventory.
When I walked to the center of the arena, I saw the Ice Heaven Emperor waving with a greasy smile, dressed in a silver suit.
“You’re much more beautiful in person. How about working as my secretary?”
“And how about you work as my freezer?”
Hearing my words, his expression twisted into a scowl.
"How dare you… I’ll freeze you solid and force you to do it!!"
'Force me to do what?'
“Alright~ Get ready! Both fighters, please step back!”
We both turned and walked back a little to our respective sides.
There’s no room for carelessness.
Even I have no intention of being publicly defeat-raped in a match like this!
‘Although, of course, it would feel amazing…’
I shook my head to clear the lewd thoughts.
I stacked all my buffs to the eighth level and spread my energy in all directions to detect any killing intent, guarding against potential interference.
‘What kind of dirty trick are you planning to use, Ice Heaven Emperor?!’
I don’t think he expects to beat me through normal means.
He’s definitely going to use some dirty trick.
Just in case, I had my Sidekick prepare an antidote and even wore a specially made mask.
‘Hoo… I’ll give you credit for making me, Lee Do-hee, this tense.’
“Let the match begin!!!”
BANG!!
As soon as the match started, he began forming a large chunk of ice above his head.
‘I won’t make a rash move.’
First, I threw a probing spear. Not a skill, just a throw to test the waters.
SHWAAAAAK!! THUD!
“…Huh?”
“Guooooorgh…!”
My spear tore right through his side.
‘What… What is this?’
While I hesitated, wondering if this was some kind of act or a ploy, he shouted.
“You bitch!! How dare you use a finishing move right from the start… and at such a precise moment to interrupt my own ultimate skill!! But this is the end. I dodged it, and you’ve lost your weapon!! Keuk… Cough! Victory is mine!!!”
“……”
He staunched the bleeding from his side by creating ice over it, then summoned more ice in the air and launched it at me.
But of course, a newly summoned spear was already in my hand.
“……?”
As I effortlessly batted away all his ice shards with my summoned spear, his expression contorted.
‘There’s no way an S-rank Hero is this weak…? Don’t tell me… Right, he must be acting! I heard he’s been in dramas and movies; his acting skills are no joke, Ice Heaven Emperor!!’
There’s no way he would have challenged me to a duel with skills like that.
‘You coward. Using such a cheap deception!!!’
I won’t let my guard down!
I knocked away even the ice shards that seemed like they wouldn’t hurt, watching his every move and spreading my energy to prepare for a surprise attack.
The Ice Heaven Emperor had a look of clear defeat on his face, shouting things like, ‘N-No way!!’ as he desperately threw more ice.
‘Damn, he’s a fucking genius actor, this Ice Heaven Emperor!!’
I see now that his title as an S-rank Celebrity wasn’t meant as a mockery.
He was hiding his incredible acting skills!
He must be buying time to prepare something. I need an attack that will divert his attention.
As I dodged the ice shards and quickly closed in, he screamed in despair.
“You, you bitch!! Why, whyyy!!”
‘Anyone else might have been fooled, but not me!!’
My body has already been trained by Baek Do-hyeon.
His methods are similar, too.
Pretending to be losing to lure his opponent into a magic trap was one of Baek Do-hyeon’s main tactics.
I feigned a charge, then threw my spear and used the recoil to jump back.
KWAJIIIIK!!!
“Gyaaaaaaaahk!!!”
His thigh was pierced, and one of his legs was blown off.
‘To put on such a passionate performance, even sacrificing a leg… What terrifying acting skills, Ice Heaven Emperor!!!’
I immediately summoned another spear, stared him down, and spread my energy to remain vigilant.
“Kuaaaaaahk!! How dare you… toy with me like this!!”
The Ice Heaven Emperor immediately created a new leg for himself out of ice.
Perhaps deciding the act was over, a tremendous energy began to surge from his body.
‘Just as I thought, he was hiding his true power!’
In reality, his anger at Pink Spear for toying with him had reached its peak, causing his innate energy to explode in a rage, but Pink Spear remained on guard.
Five ice towers, each about 10 meters tall, quickly rose around him. Sharp icicles began to form endlessly from the towers and rain down on me.
The Ice Heaven Emperor’s ultimate offensive and defensive skill.
[Frozen Octagon]
"Ooh!! That’s the Ice Heaven Emperor’s signature move!!"
"You’re finished now, Pink Spear!"
Seeing this, the crowd cheered.
“Die, Pink Spear!!”
However, not a single one could touch Pink Spear, who possessed incredible reflexes and combat sense on the level of future prediction.
'This is his ultimate skill…? You’ve got to be kidding me!'
“What the hell are you aiming for, Ice Heaven Emperor!!”
Tudududududu…!
The surroundings were covered in ice, and the temperature dropped rapidly.
Of course, it was still ridiculously insufficient to freeze me.
I easily batted away the small icicles with my spear, and when a large ice pick flew through the gaps, I dodged it with a light side-step.
He must be using these pathetic ice shards to obscure my vision while he prepares something else.
‘What the hell are you planning?!’
Giving him any more time is dangerous.
He might even be using the fact that I can’t rush in carelessly to buy himself time.
“Don’t tell me… a double trap! You’re truly cunning, Ice Heaven Emperor!!”
Waiting any longer is dangerous.
There’s no telling what kind of spell he might be casting.
“Kuhk…”
Since it’s come to this, I’ll break through in one go.
Even if there’s a trap, I’ll trust my Absolute Barrier and attempt a high-speed breakthrough.
KWAAANG!!
The arena floor cracked as I instantly appeared before him. The ground was slippery with ice, but that was easily solved by channeling a little divine power to the soles of my feet.
‘What the hell… is he aiming for?’
Something felt off, but I couldn’t let my guard down until the very end!
I lightly swung my spear toward his heart…
‘Oops, I can’t kill him.’
I changed direction, pierced his shoulder, and pulled back.
PWASH!!
His right arm, including the shoulder, was severed.
Bright red blood splattered across the white ice.
Once more, quickly…
“Hmm…?”
A strange feeling made me stop my attack.
“Kuaaaak… Kugh! Aaaaargh!!!”
The Ice Heaven Emperor was writhing on the ground, screaming in pain.
He seemed unable to create ice anymore; the ice on his leg had disappeared, causing massive bleeding, and the ice towers had stopped working and were melting away.
“Ah…?”
Now I finally understood the situation.
That’s right. He had no hidden tricks.
He was just a little slow. No, the gap between us was as wide as the heavens and the earth, so vast that he couldn’t even perceive it.
As I took a step closer, he cried out.
“Guoork… I-I surrender!! I-I lost!!! Don’t stab me…! S-Save meeee!!”
He was so desperate that he was crying tears of blood, slapping the arena floor with his one remaining arm as if tapping out.
“Eh…”
Setting aside the fact that he was an S-rank Hero, for a duel that had garnered the attention of 30 million people after he’d boasted so loudly about winning, the ending was utterly anticlimactic. I mean, I hadn’t even used any of my skills yet…
“Th… The winner is Pink Spear from District 5!!!”
The announcer’s voice echoed through the arena, but everyone was speechless.
Everyone just stood there with their mouths agape, letting out disbelieving laughs.
Although many had expected the Ice Heaven Emperor to lose, no one thought the gap would be this huge.
To see the always arrogant and boastful Ice Heaven Emperor writhing pathetically on the ground with only one arm and one leg left… everyone was beyond shocked.
Of course, so was I.
'What the hell is with this fucking scrub?' My expression, which clearly said this, was captured perfectly by the camera.
‘What, did he really not have any trump cards? I mean, even if he was arrogant, shouldn’t his sidekick or someone else have stopped him?’
Unfortunately, everyone around the Ice Heaven Emperor had already grown tired of his tyranny, and all the sane people had left. The only ones remaining were sycophants desperate for money.
People in the arena started cursing as they left.
Wanting to escape this awkward situation as quickly as possible, I used Heal on him for some first aid and then left.
Looking back, I saw the Ice Heaven Emperor convulsing like a frog, crying out in pain.
‘Why did he even hold this match if this was going to happen? Ugh, I’m getting second-hand embarrassment just watching.’
This was basically his own people screwing him over.
Even I’m embarrassed; I can’t imagine how humiliating it must be for him.
The situation ended anticlimactically, and the event quickly wrapped up.
When I went outside, my Sidekick came running up and hugged me.
“Pink Spear-nim!!! Th-That was so cool!”
“Ahem… Was it?”
As I held her, I caught the scent of coffee, which didn’t quite match her appearance.
'Does she still have a lot of work?'
Celebrating my victory in my own way, I rode back in her car.
The news and online communities were in an uproar over today’s match, but I was at peace.
But the next day, an incident occurred that shattered my peace…
An out-of-the-blue news story broke.
[Ice Heaven Emperor Claims Pink Spear Broke the Rules with a Surprise Attack!! A Sudden Revelation!?]
[Crippled S-rank Hero Ice Heaven Emperor: 'Pink Spear is Responsible for Using Excessive Force']
[District 2 Hero Association Preparing Lawsuit Worth Hundreds of billions of won]
[Did Pink Spear Intentionally Heal Him to Complicate Surgery!?]
"What is this…?"
The portal sites were plastered with stories about me.
The main point was to condemn me for viciously using lethal force in a friendly match.
"Wait, I even healed this bastard, and they couldn’t reattach his limbs?"
They said the medical team was held up somewhere or something; anyway, he couldn’t get treated in time and ended up crippled, missing an arm and a leg.
And they were blaming their inability to reattach his limbs on me, claiming the problem was that I had healed him while he was already crippled, sealing the wounds.
"I healed that bastard so he wouldn’t die, and this is what I get…"
In truth, this was all part of the Ice Heaven Emperor’s own scheme to inflict permanent damage on Pink Spear by delaying treatment for frostbite, but he ended up falling into his own trap.
In any case, since he had suffered severe damage, he was now trying to file a massive lawsuit for damages, just to screw me over.
"Should I have just killed him?"
But unlike the articles filled with criticism, the comments and community reactions were completely different.
They were mostly cursing out the Ice Heaven Emperor.
[Title: This is the final boss of patheticness lololol]
[Body]
He was so confident about teaching her a lesson, but the moment he gets his ass beat, he sues lololol. Fuck, I never imagined he’d actually sue lololol.
-----
[Comments]
- He’s a real fucking idiot lololol
- Legendary, truly legendary
- No one’s actually a fan of a hero like this, right?
- Losing was pathetic enough, but his response is even more pathetic.
- Is the Ice Heaven Emperor weak, or is Pink Spear strong?
L Both
- But can she even pay that? Doesn’t Pink Spear donate everything?
---------------
'Sigh, fine, let him sue. It’ll all be over when this Ordeal ends anyway.'
I wasn’t too concerned, but it seemed my Sidekick was.
[Pink Spear-nim, do you happen to have any assets saved up?]
"No, almost none."
[What…? Don’t you get a huge stipend as an A-rank Hero?]
"I donated all of that to welfare facilities and orphanages…"
Not me, but the original owner of my body spent it all in good(?) places.
[Then… Ahh…]
The call ended with a voice that sounded like it had given up all hope.
*
The next day.
[S-rank Villain Appears in District 2!!!]
[District 2 Silently Annihilated, Ice Heaven Emperor Missing!?]
[Another S-rank Villain Appears, Is There No Way to Stop Them?]
"What… What’s going on?"
The S-rank Villain who was supposed to attack District 5 had attacked District 2 instead.
"So suddenly…?"