Chapter 70
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: What Lurks Beneath the Lantern (3)
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After exchanging greetings, Yu Wolha said he had something to attend to and sent us up ahead.
So, as I headed to the banquet hall, I frowned at the scene before me.
‘How is this a banquet hall? It’s a club.’
The spacious area was more reminiscent of a stadium than a banquet hall.
The overall lighting was low, making it dark, but thanks to the vibrant, colorful lights flashing from the ceiling, the atmosphere wasn't entirely gloomy.
In the center was a hexagonal stage where a DJ was dropping beats.
Hunters sat at tables arranged in a circle around the stage.
Some were chugging alcohol, some were getting handsy with each other, and some were playing cards with stacks of cash on the table.
"Then I shall take my leave. Please call me whenever you need anything."
After guiding me to a table laden with all sorts of liquor and fine hors d'oeuvres, the hotelier quietly disappeared.
I sat down and looked around.
The hall was built in a tiered fashion, with the sides rising progressively higher from the central hexagonal stage.
My table was a moderate distance from the stage.
"Mr. Woohyun."
I turned to see Jeong Sowon looking at me.
"I will be stepping away for a moment."
"I don't see why you can't stay here."
"No, there are quite a few Hunters here who find me and my guild unpleasant. I will be back shortly. Please make yourself comfortable."
Jeong Sowon straightened her suit and disappeared.
And it seemed her words hadn't been empty.
"Hello, mind if I sit next to you?"
"Hehe, that's a cool mask."
"..."
The moment Jeong Sowon left, Hunters who had been loitering nearby approached me.
It seemed they had already figured out who I was.
A spoiled, third-generation chaebol heir with a lot of money.
In that case.
It was time for the shamelessness I’d built up over five years of streaming crappy games to shine.
"What are you doing, sitting here and killing my buzz? What, you gonna perform a little trick for me? Go on, give it a try."
Dealing with people like this is easy.
"Ahaha, what's with you? You're a funny one. You don't know who I am, do you?"
"Hahaha, what an interesting guy. Don't be like that, here, have a drink. It's been a while since we've had a new face around."
They would stick to me like leeches no matter what insults I threw at them.
The Hunters naturally offered me drinks, flattering me.
And before long, the conversation turned in one direction.
"By the way, I hear you're rolling in it. To be honest, our guild might look new, but..."
"You know, our guild is working on a fun project these days. It'd be way more fun than sponsoring Sanarae. What do you say?"
They were no different from a swarm of flies on rotten meat.
‘Looks like Jeong Sowon leaked some information beforehand.’
Having rabble like this suck up to me is actually welcome in a place like this.
It makes gathering information that much easier.
"I have something I want to ask."
"Ah, okay, okay. We'll answer anything for you, boss."
By now, about five Hunters from different guilds had gathered at my table.
One of them hurriedly poured me a drink and spoke up.
"What are you curious about, big bro?"
"This party is getting boring. It's no different from a regular club. Sanarae said it would be full of interesting things, but so far, it's been nothing but a disappointment."
"Ah, that's..."
"I heard there's an event where you make monsters fight each other."
"Ahh, you mean the banquet? Just wait a bit. See over there?"
A female Hunter who had attached herself to my side pointed to a corner next to the stage.
Quite a few Hunters were gathered there.
"They're taking applications to participate. Word got out about you, and suddenly there's a flood of applicants. Everyone wants to make a good impression."
As I nodded at her explanation, another Hunter muttered while downing his drink.
"Ah, shit. If the one I tamed hadn't died last time, I'd have signed up right away."
"Hehehe, you crazy bastard. You should've just laid low after that 10-win streak. Why'd you have to challenge the management?"
"He wasn't going to last long anyway. I was just trying to squeeze some more money out of it."
"Right, you did all sorts of unspeakable things to that Cerberus, didn't you? Body modifications and force-feeding him god knows how many cocktails. I thought he was going to die from pity."
"You crazy bitch, you've got some nerve saying that. You're the one who fused a fire spirit and an ice spirit and blew them to pieces."
"..."
Tamed monsters cannot defy their masters, no matter what is done to them.
Among them are many who protect their masters until death not out of brainwashing, but out of pure loyalty.
And to creatures like that, these people...
"Someone explain the banquet properly."
I threw a bundle of cash, which I had received from Jeong Sowon earlier, onto the table.
It was an absurd amount for lower-ranked Hunters from minor guilds.
"...!"
Just as I expected, the Hunters' eyes glinted greedily.
One of them placed his hand on the wad of cash.
It was the one who claimed to have a 10-win streak with a Cerberus.
"You don't know anything about the banquet, do you?"
"Only the gist of it."
"They call it a banquet to be fancy, but it's just monster duels. Like that old thing... the Roman Colosseum? You can think of it like that. Oh, no. Maybe more like Pokémon Gold. The masters fight each other there too, right?"
*They don't fight using inhumane methods like you people do.*
"Two at a time, they release their tamed monsters onto the stage and make them fight. Once the fight starts, the tamer has to just watch quietly. They can't use skills or anything. Once the monsters are in the arena, they're left to fight on their own."
"Until when?"
"Usually, they let them fight until one is on the verge of death. That's the most thrilling part, isn't it?"
"What do the participating Hunters get?"
"They get the pot. Naturally, gambling follows a brawl like this. The spectating Hunters place bets, and the winner takes a share."
It was all so typical there was nothing to be curious about.
However, what the Hunter said next was a bit more interesting.
"And if you get a 10-win streak with a single tamed monster, you're given a qualification."
"A qualification?"
"Yes. Simply put, it's the right to fight the management of the arena."
"Are you talking about Yu Wolha?"
"Whoa, you scared me, man. You'll get in big trouble for saying his name so openly outside. It doesn't matter in here, though."
"Damn, that third-gen chaebol swagger is on another level. That's right. It's not just the operator; there's another guy under him, too."
The Hunter used crude terms befitting his station.
"Uh, right. Just think of him as a mid-boss. If you beat him, you can face the operator."
"Does the size of the pot change from the management on?"
"Of course. It's a big match, after all. For a guy like me, the pot easily hit a billion won. Oh, of course, you still get prize money even if you stop at 10 wins. It's a choice, your choice."
I asked in a flat tone.
"And if you beat Yu Wolha?"
"Uh... well. First, you get a billion won as prize money, and if you're from a shabby guild, you can supposedly transfer to the Samwol Guild. I'm not sure, since no one's ever beaten the operator. In the first place, that fucking mid-boss uses some ridiculous cheap shots..."
The Hunter licked his lips and slowly reached for the bundle of cash.
*Thud.*
However, I placed my foot on the money and spoke.
"I have one last thing to ask. Have you ever seen a strange-looking spirit?"
"A spirit? Ah. You mean that thing, right? Raum."
Raum?
Receiving my gaze, the Hunter continued with a grin.
"Seriously. I've never seen such an ugly spirit in my life. The first time I saw it, I thought it was some kind of goblin-troll hybrid. I wouldn't have known if my spirit hadn't told me."
It was a spirit I had never heard of before.
"Where can I see this Raum?"
"Raum? You'll probably see him today. He often comes out before the matches start, to hype up the crowd."
"Hehehe, he's kind of like an appetizer before the main course. The operator brings out his tamed monsters to fight, and Raum usually comes out."
"Does he fight well?"
At my question, the Hunter gave a dirty smile.
"Hehe, you'll see for yourself."
As if on cue.
- You've waited long enough, everyone! So many Hunters have joined us here again today.
The announcer's voice boomed.
It was the man who had been the DJ just moments ago.
The hand that had been scratching turntables now held a microphone.
The EDM that had filled the hall also faded away.
- Now, we will begin the main event you've all been waiting for! Stage—on!
*Vwoom—*
Simultaneously, something incredible happened.
The floor beneath the tables began to move.
Excluding the central hexagonal stage, the tiered seating areas began to rotate and rise.
*Kugugung.*
With the sound of gears locking into place, the movement stopped.
The banquet hall had transformed into something resembling the ancient Roman Colosseum.
Far below, I could see the announcer with his hand raised high.
- Before we begin the banquet, we'll have a word from our operator!
And on the opposite side, Yu Wolha, who had taken a seat in the stands at some point, rose from his seat.
His voice rang out clearly, despite the lack of a microphone.
"I would like to express my gratitude to all the Hunters who have graced us with their presence today. We have an especially large number of Hunters to brighten our banquet tonight. I suppose it's because we have a distinguished guest."
Though he was far away, I could feel Yu Wolha's gaze fixed on me.
"First, I have prepared an event to lightly raise the mood. I hope you all have a wonderful time. That is all."
Yu Wolha sat back down.
A round of thunderous applause and cheers swept through the venue.
- Then let's begin with the event match prepared by our operator!
*Kugugung.*
With the sound of grinding gears, the steel gate behind the hexagonal ring opened.
"There he is. That one. So ugly, right?"
The Hunter next to me whispered, pointing with his finger.
I looked in that direction.
- The ugliest spirit in the world, Raum!
A demi-human monster dressed in rags staggered out.
It resembled a dwarf from a fairy tale.
Its nose was long, its ears were long, and its head and eyes were large.
Its frail body and abnormally large feet made it look all the more pathetic.
- Now, what monster will be beating up our poor Raum? Ah, it's! An Orc! A vigorous Orc warrior!
This time, the gate on the opposite side opened, and an orc wielding a club charged out.
It was clear the creature was not in its right mind.
Its eyes were bloodshot, and it snorted with excitement.
And then.
- Let's begin immediately... Ah, the Orc charges before I can even finish my sentence! There's nothing quite as ferocious as an orc in heat!
Before the announcer, who had moved to a safe spot, could finish, the orc rushed at Raum.
As its massive body charged forward, the dwarf was frozen, unable to even think of dodging.
*CRASH!*
Crushed by the mass of muscle, the dwarf was sent flying backward.
Slammed onto the floor, the creature simply trembled and curled up.
*THWACK!*
A club the size of Raum's torso came down on it mercilessly.
The dwarf didn't even think to swing the hammer it held.
It just curled its body into a ball, raising its hands to cover only its head.
*Thwack, thwack, thwack!*
The club tore flesh and broke bone.
Blood splattered like fireworks, and weak groans escaped its lips.
Bloodstains seeped into the white stage.
*CRACK!*
Every time something shattered, Raum curled up tighter, like a pill bug.
It was a scene of one-sided violence.
- Ahh, our Raum is getting beaten up again today... What on earth is something like that good for? A runaway kobold would fight better than that!
However, the Hunters watching reacted with indifference.
"Hey, look at that thing getting its ass kicked. Same as always."
"Still, he's got some serious grit."
"Yu Wolha just patches him up when he's about to die. It's kinda creepy."
"Hey, you think he's trying to raise his toughness to use him as a shield later? His health stat would probably go up, right?"
"You crazy bastard, kekekeke."
The Sage trembled.
[The Sage cannot comprehend them.]
Yes, you wouldn't be able to understand.
This place was a giant garbage dump where all the trash gathered.
How could a mere monster understand humans like these?
* * *
The battered Raum was dragged away, and the orc also exited.
The matches continued for the next two hours.
Hunters bet money on tamers, and immediately after, two tamed monsters would lunge at each other.
There were some evenly matched fights, and some were one-sided like the one between Raum and the orc.
But there was one thing in common.
The fight didn't end until one of the tamed monsters lay dead.
"..."
I watched the scene in silence.
I saw a saber-toothed tiger, high on drugs, rip out the throat of a lizardman with a grotesquely mutated arm.
I saw Hunters shouting for the execution of a bleeding, twitching kobold.
I saw tamers, with their dying monsters beside them, cheering as they clutched wads of cash.
The last surviving tamed monster, a distant subspecies of a drake, died right after its victory was declared, with its eyeball burst and its insides torn apart.
And so, the banquet came to an end.
"Shall we be going?"
Right after everything ended and the venue returned to being an ordinary 'banquet hall,' Jeong Sowon came back.
At her appearance, the Hunters who had been clinging to me like flies slowly dispersed.
"I need to see Yu Wolha."
Quietly, I uttered only those words.
* * *
"Ah, Mr. Woohyun. Did you enjoy the banquet? I made sure to arrange some more stimulating matchups for today."
Yu Wolha greeted me with a wide smile.
My head was completely cool.
So, I replied with a faint smile of my own.
"Yes, it was very enjoyable."
"I'm glad to hear that. Is there anything else you need? Or are you planning to leave already?"
"I think I'll head back for today. I believe I've had a bit too much to drink."
"Ah..."
A hint of disappointment appeared in his narrow eyes.
"And I would like to participate in the banquet myself."
But that expression changed to one of intrigue at my next words.
"You wish to participate in the banquet yourself?"
"Yes, I'm actually a taming-type Awakened Being myself. It's not a remarkable enough ability to use in the field, so I've been living as a civilian. But watching the Hunters fight with their summons looked quite entertaining."
"So you were an Awakened Being as well, Mr. Woohyun. Hmm, I did not know that."
"Is it possible? I'd like to place some bets myself and have some fun."
"Aha, you want to bet as well."
For a moment, Yu Wolha and I stared at each other in silence.
Our eyes met.
And then.
"Of course. It's certainly possible."
Yu Wolha's eyes curved upwards.
"When were you thinking of participating?"
"Starting from the very next banquet."
"You're very straightforward. Have you already decided on a partner to enter with?"
"Of course."
I smiled as I rolled the orb in my hand.
"I've already picked out a decently interesting one."