The Colosseum Trap
Zeon stared piercingly at the steak.
As Goran had said, it was clearly made from real beef.
The juices slowly seeping out and the aroma carried a rich savoriness impossible to find in cultured meat or monster flesh.
Saliva gathered unbidden in Zeon's mouth.
Goran sliced into his steak and spoke.
"I told you not to hold back. This stuff's real good."
He shoved a large chunk into his mouth and chewed.
Juices dribbled down his chin.
Goran wiped them with his finger and sucked it clean.
In an instant, one steak vanished into his gut.
Goran pointed at the steak in front of Zeon.
"You gonna eat yours or what?"
"Not really craving it."
"Tch! When you're young, you gotta eat whatever's put in front of you."
"My tastes are kinda picky."
"Guess you're not hungry yet. What about a woman, then?"
Snap!
Goran flicked his fingers again, and a side door swung open.
Beyond it waited about a dozen women in skimpy outfits. A flashy middle-aged woman in ornate clothes led them out.
Zeon recognized her immediately.
Eiba.
The lover of Iton, whom he'd left half-dead, and the madam of the brothel district.
Eiba flashed a seductive smile.
"You're back again, young master!"
"How's your boyfriend holding up? I roughed him up pretty bad."
"No need to worry. He'll shake it off and be back on his feet in no time."
"Good to hear."
"What a kind-hearted young master."
Eiba smiled with her eyes.
Zeon figured Eiba was no ordinary woman.
It wasn't easy to smile in the face of the man who'd nearly killed her lover.
Eiba gestured to the prostitutes flanking her.
"So, any that catch your eye? I hand-picked my top aces from the bunch…"
The prostitutes beamed radiantly.
They were the most renowned beauties among Eiba's girls. The perfume they wore teased Zeon's nose.
Zeon scanned them one by one.
The prostitutes struck sultry poses or thrust out their chests to appeal to him.
But none of them moved him.
Zeon said, "None are my type."
"You're just inexperienced with women. Even if one doesn't click at first, roll around in bed with her, and your mind'll change."
Eiba nodded, and the prostitutes surrounded Zeon.
One sat on his lap; another slipped her hand into his shirt to caress his chest.
It was temptation hard for any man to resist.
Goran watched Zeon encircled by the women and said, "Just say the word. They'll all be yours."
"What word?"
"That you'll follow me."
"So…"
"Yeah! I'm scouting you right now. So don't turn me down. I'm not used to rejection."
His words were soft, but his eyes weren't.
The menacing glare pierced through his sunglasses.
Zeon asked with intrigued curiosity, "And if I do reject you?"
"You'll pay a price. A harsh one."
"You always threaten the talent you're trying to recruit like this?"
"Depends on the target."
He'd sent Iton after Zeon, and Iton had returned gravely wounded.
Iton, along with Dolkhan, Ta-o, and Eiba, was one of his most trusted lieutenants.
Zeon had subdued Iton without much effort.
According to Iton and Eiba, Zeon's rank wasn't C-grade—at least B-grade.
B-rank or higher Awakeners were exceedingly rare in the slums.
Even inside Neo Seoul, a B-rank got treated like nobility.
If he could recruit a B-rank Awakener, he could swallow any personal grudge.
Zeon said, "I'm flattered you think so highly of me. Before I answer, one question: You leaked the mana generator info to the Crocodiles, right?"
"It was business. No hard feelings—don't misunderstand."
"Figured as much."
"For the record, I don't want word of this getting out to Dokkaebi Market. So think carefully before you answer."
Goran bared his white teeth in a grin.
The smile looked even more chilling against his pitch-black skin.
Zeon wasn't dense enough to miss Goran's implication.
This was Goran's home turf.
Everyone in the colosseum fell under his influence. One word from Goran, and the whole place—Shinchon itself—would turn on Zeon.
"Ruler of Shinchon" wasn't just a hollow title.
Zeon said, "I never had a choice to begin with."
"If you wanna keep putting down roots in Shinchon, come under me. I won't work you that hard."
"What about the Crocodiles?"
"Hand over the mana generator, and we're square."
"Come on, that's no solution. I'd be the only one taking the L."
"That's how the world works. The weak swallow all the bullshit conditions. If it's unfair, become stronger than me."
"That simple, huh?"
"You confident?"
Goran lowered his sunglasses slightly and eyed Zeon.
"I've learned confidence alone doesn't solve everything."
"Talking like you've got tons of experience."
"More than a few."
"Hah!"
Goran sighed, irritation etching his face at Zeon's nitpicking.
"Guess negotiations are off, then."
"Negotiations only work when both sides have something to concede. Who'd agree to a one-sided raw deal?"
"Fair point. I pushed too hard for your sacrifice. But what can ya do? That's the law of the world. The ruler takes all. I'm Shinchon's ruler. Everything in Shinchon is mine. Nothing escapes my grasp. Not even you."
Zeon smirked at Goran's mad rant.
"I'm no one's property."
"You're in my turf, so you're mine."
"You must be out of your mind. Makes me curious how someone gets like that."
"Watch your mouth. My patience isn't infinite."
"You watch yours. Don't hassle someone trying to rest after a long trip home."
Zeon shoved the encircling prostitutes aside and stood.
Goran glared at him.
"Sit."
"Negotiations over."
"I wasn't done. Sit!"
"I'm done."
"You ready for what comes next?"
"Bring it."
"Young and fearless, huh."
"Unlike some, I don't hide behind barriers."
Goran's face twisted at Zeon's jab.
He wasn't actually using a barrier, but he wore an item that activated one on attack.
The ring on his finger.
A rare dungeon item, hard-won.
Once a day, it auto-triggered against surprise attacks.
Goran called it the Guardian Ring.
Without it, he'd never let Zeon get this close.
Whether Zeon had spotted it or not, the taunt stung.
"Heh heh!"
Goran laughed.
He gave up trying to persuade Zeon.
Zeon was tempting, but not worth the bruised ego.
Goran rose and loomed over Zeon, two heads taller.
"You're a guest today, so you're free to go."
"Thanks. Then…"
Zeon dipped his head slightly and descended the stairs.
Dolkhan spoke as he watched Zeon's retreating back.
"You really letting him go?"
"Like hell…"
Goran grinned, flashing white teeth.
Zeon was nearly at the colosseum floor below.
The arena was empty, the previous fight over.
Then Goran bellowed.
"Time for a new match!"
"Woooah!"
Deafening cheers erupted.
The crowd, itching for more action, flushed with excitement.
Goran pointed at Zeon.
"Opponent: Zeon! First to take him down gets 10,000 sol!"
"Woooah!"
The colosseum doors flew open, and people poured out.
Mostly civilians snared for unpaid debts to Goran.
They clutched axes, swords—cold steel weapons.
Goran's promise of 10,000 sol shattered their reason.
That sum could clear their debts and free them from this hell.
"Hah."
Zeon sighed and looked up at Goran.
Goran grinned down at him.
"They're just civilians—no abilities. Let's see if you can perform against them."
"Hah. Really…"
Zeon sighed again.
He'd tried playing nice to live quietly, but it seemed like weakness to them.
"Fuck you! Die!"
"10,000 sol!"
"Gimme my money!"
The trapped civilians swung at Zeon.
Desperation filled their voices and eyes.
To them, Zeon was a lottery ticket to escape hell—one grab away.
The crowd's roars fueled them further.
"Woooah!"
"Fight!"
The cheers numbed what reason they had left.
Shing!
Swords and axes flew at Zeon's throat and chest.
They'd given their all, but to Zeon, it was laughably slow.
Zeon moved.
Papapapak!
With striking sounds, the rushers flew back.
Their weapons hadn't scratched him.
Zeon looked up at Goran.
"Useless, I told you."
"Nah, they did their job perfectly."
Goran smirked.
Sensing something off in his demeanor, Zeon glanced at the fallen attackers.
One's body glowed red.
"Goddammit!"
Zeon hurled himself backward without hesitation.
Boom!
The glowing body exploded.
Before Zeon could fully escape, the blast caught him, slamming him into the colosseum wall.
An Awakener like Zeon wouldn't die from that.
He brushed off the dust and stood.
His eyes had gone ice-cold.
He'd seen plenty, but never a human detonating like a bomb.
It couldn't happen naturally.
Not without deliberate tampering.
Zeon's gaze locked on Goran.
"Planting bombs in human bodies? You're insane, old man."
"Surprised by just that?..."
Goran grinned with white teeth.
He bellowed for the whole colosseum to hear.
"100,000 sol! Wound Zeon, get 100,000 sol!"
"100,000… sol?"
"Crazy!"
Madness twisted the crowd's faces.
The fortune obliterated their sanity—even after seeing what happened to the first wave.
"It's mine! Don't touch!"
"Fuck! I'll kill him!"
The spectators turned enemies, charging Zeon.
Zeon eyed them with frigid calm.
"They're crossing the line hard."