The Duel
"What? This bastard doesn't even grasp the situation... This isn't the time to put on airs just because there are women watching."
The man's face flushed crimson at my provocation as he fired back. The companions who'd been snickering behind him wiped the smirks off their faces and rose from their seats.
I flashed a wider grin, stoking his temper even higher, and kept needling him.
"Listen, kid. Pick your targets carefully or you'll get yourself killed. I'll be magnanimous and let it slide this time—go grab a glass of milk with your buddies over there."
Behind me Serena tugged at my collar, telling me to stop, but I ignored her.
"This bastard's hopeless. Fresh meat who just got dumped into the Labyrinth City, huh? Guess I'll have to teach you how scary the labyrinth really is. I challenge you to a duel!"
He bellowed the word "duel" loud enough for everyone nearby to hear. In an instant, explorers who'd been going about their own business turned their eyes on us.
"A duel? That's a thing?"
He snorted as if he'd expected the question.
"Too late, you little shit. You won't be walking out of here on two legs today. Follow me!"
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"A duel, huh? Looks like we've got ourselves some free entertainment."
"That bastard's nasty hobby is acting up again. What's so fun about beating the crap out of clueless rookies? Tsk tsk."
"Is that the one they call Iron Wall Leonard? Heard he's pretty solid."
"Calling himself Iron Wall out loud is a bit much, but supposedly he's made it to the eighth floor."
"Those thugs of his are pure filth. Get mixed up with them and you'll regret it."
Bored explorers gathered around us like spectators at a show. Leonard jerked his chin.
"You. Follow me. I'll educate you proper right out in the plaza."
He started walking, and I trailed after him with enthusiastic cooperation. I was already looking forward to deciding what loot I'd demand.
A throng of explorers poured out of the Explorer Support Center and assembled in the plaza ahead. They formed a rough circle with me and the man called Leonard at the center.
That was when a greasy-looking man who seemed to be Leonard's associate stepped between us and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"This is a duel!
It shall be conducted according to the rules of the Labyrinth City of Entrum as a legal and rightful contest!
Henceforth no one shall take issue with its outcome!
Every witness gathered here today shall stand as living testimony to this duel!"
He ran through the spiel like a man who'd done it a hundred times.
These bastards... professional shakedown artists? Or just sadists who get off tormenting rookies?
I answered in a tone that said I was delighted to have walked into their trap.
"So if I win, what do I get?"
Leonard barked a hollow laugh.
"Ha. Fine, anything you want. Name it."
My gaze settled on the luxurious shield strapped to his back.
"Wager that shield."
Leonard looked at me as if I had lost my mind.
"Do you even know how much this thing costs? And what the hell are you putting up?"
I pulled a thick bundle of Truna from my coat.
"My entire fortune. Two million eight hundred thousand Truna."
"Hey, you little shit! This shield is worth at least seven million Truna! That pocket change doesn't even come close!"
Ah. That expensive, huh? In that case...
I casually pointed at Serena standing behind me.
"Then I'll throw the woman in too."
"What?! Who the hell gave you permission?! Have you completely lost it?! Are you joking right now?!"
Serena screeched like she was having a seizure, but I cleanly ignored her.
Leonard eyed Serena, then smirked with pure filth.
"Fine. The woman plus two million eight hundred thousand Truna—I'll take that bet. Don't go crying about it later."
"Same to you."
"You. What's your name?"
Name? Hmm. I didn't feel like giving my real one, Kim Min-sung. Fantasy rule number one: foreign-sounding monikers only.
"Hannibal. Hannibal Lecter."
The name that had simply flashed through my head. From this moment on, I was Hannibal Lecter.
"Alright. Let's begin."
Leonard signaled his greasy associate standing between us.
"The duel will now commence!
Leonard versus Hannibal Lecter!
If Leonard wins—two million eight hundred thousand Truna and the woman!
If Lecter wins—he claims Leonard's shield!"
The man stepped back and barked the starting signal.
"Ready... Begin!"
Leonard drew his sword and leveled it at me. He showed no intention of unstrapping the shield.
"You a bare-knuckle fighter? Or did you just forget to bring a weapon?"
"I don't need a sword for trash like you. Come at me."
"Ha... This bastard. For your sake I hope your skills match that loud mouth of yours. It'd be a pain if you died for nothing!"
So dying would be inconvenient for him, huh? Guess I'd better hold back a little.
Then Leonard's aura shifted and he rocketed toward me at terrifying speed.
Fast...!
Way faster than I'd expected. No way I could land a slap like this. I'd be the one getting wrecked first.
Without hesitation I activated Time of Sonic Speed.
Time of Sonic Speed
In that instant I felt a barrier form with me at its center. Everything slowed.
Leonard, mid-charge, looked as if someone had paused a video frame.
This is... the S-Rank skill, Time of Sonic Speed.
I accelerated a hundredfold while everything within fifty meters of me slowed a hundredfold. But that was the limit of the effect. Drag it out too long and people outside the radius might notice something wrong. I had no intention of advertising my power.
Finish this fast.
I closed the distance on Leonard without delay. He hung frozen in mid-air, sword extended, still locked in his charging pose.
A slap to the face might kill him. So I circled behind and delivered a full-power smashing slap square to his ass.
Thwack!
It felt like hitting a brick wall. Because Time of Sonic Speed slowed even my own attacks, the impact would only register once the skill ended.
I returned to my original spot.
Time of Sonic Speed—release.
The barrier dissolved. The world lurched back into motion.
KRAAAAAANG!
"Gyaaaaah?!"
Leonard, still charging, face-planted into the dirt as my full-power ass-slap finally detonated. The crowd, with no idea what had just happened, fell into absolute silence—not even breathing.
I shattered the quiet by sprinting over and driving a merciless kick into the still-dazed Leonard's head.
Thud!!
His neck snapped sideways and he went completely limp.
"Stop! Stop! Halt!"
The greasy announcer scrambled in and called the duel. Would he have jumped in that fast if I'd been the one getting wrecked?
A hollow laugh escaped me at the shameless bias, but thrashing an already-unconscious man would only hurt my hands.
I yanked the shield off the collapsed Leonard and held it up.
"Then I'll be taking this shield. No objections?"
No one spoke. Overwhelming fear dominated the plaza.
I snagged Serena's wrist and strolled away at a leisurely pace.
Only then did the cheers erupt.
Waaaaaaaah!!!
"What the hell was that skill?"
"Some deepest-floor explorer come up for a little fun? Insane."
Admiration washed over me from every side. Anyway—seven-million-Truna shield, get!
I walked the main avenue again with Serena, this time heading the opposite direction—toward the hotel. The heavy shield rode on my back. A high-grade piece easily worth seven million Truna. Gear used by a veteran who'd reached the eighth floor; it would more than pull its weight.
Those monkey bastards that show up on the fourth floor throw rocks, right? This ought to come in handy.
As someone only monstrously strong at ultra-close range, long-distance pebble sniping was a real headache. A shield this absurdly wide and solid ought to block it somehow.
But what special functions did the thing actually have? I should've asked before walking off. I'd been in too much of a hurry to escape the plaza spotlight and had completely forgotten the important part. Next time I picked a skill, I vowed to grab something related to appraisal.
"Serena. First stop—clothes."
Our next objective was attire. After rolling through the first and second floors, these filthy, tattered rags needed to go. We needed thin, clean, comfortable clothes suited to the hot, humid environment of the fourth floor.
We stepped into a clothing shop on the avenue that displayed elegant yet practical explorer gear.
I shopped first. Following the sharp-eyed clerk's recommendations, I threw on a white high-performance shirt that breathed well and resisted tearing, then layered a thin black hooded jacket that was waterproof and packed with pockets. For pants I chose brown explorer cargoes with excellent mobility and generous pocket space, finishing with sturdy brown leather walkers that locked the ankles firm.
Serena changed next and stepped out of the fitting room.
The outfit she'd chosen was a sleek combination built to endure the fourth floor's tropical heat while maximizing a healer's freedom of movement. The top was a tight sleeveless crop that left her upper chest and collarbones coolly exposed; the thin, stretchy fabric hid none of her heavy volume. Over it she wore a thin khaki performance outer layer engineered for maximum airflow.
Below she wore dark-gray slim-fit short shorts with excellent stretch for pushing through rough forest, complete with garter straps. Lightweight explorer long boots finished the look. Her narrow waist and firm hip line were emphasized without mercy—the overall effect was intensely provocative.
"Looks good on you."
I grinned and ran my eyes over Serena's new figure from head to toe with zero subtlety.
"Don't look at me with those eyes! You degenerate!"
She clapped both arms over her chest and yelled for show, yet the way she kept stealing glances at her clean, stylish reflection in the mirror told me she was secretly pleased.
Total cost: one million seven hundred fifty thousand Truna. I paid without blinking, abandoned the old rags in the shop without a shred of regret, and stepped back outside.
Gear and clothing were set. Now, fully prepared, it was time to head for the tropical rainforest of the fourth floor.