Unrivaled Arena Domination
Mu-hyuk's movements were lightning-fast.
Even the Fireman right in front of him couldn't react properly.
Wha... what...!
There wasn't even time to cast a shield spell.
"Hup!"
Mu-hyuk's sword sliced through the Fireman's robe, carving a cross-shaped gash.
Before he could even register his plummeting HP, a shockwave hit him from behind.
Bang!
He tumbled across the arena floor amid the explosion.
One attack after another hammered down relentlessly.
Bam! Baaaang!
Each time, the Fireman rolled helplessly across the ground.
It was pathetic. Utterly miserable.
The moment he thought he'd been pushed out of the arena, Mu-hyuk was already there, sword swinging to block his escape and seal his elimination.
Then the Fireman would roll back toward the center, caught in the whirlwind of chaos.
He tried to counter with magic, but Mu-hyuk moved too quickly—impossible to pin down.
In the end, the Fireman just took a brutal, one-sided beating for what felt like ages.
"Poor guy..."
"That's a bit harsh."
"Well, he's getting what he deserves."
The onlookers muttered as much.
And in that instant...
"Ah..."
The Fireman's HP hit zero as he rolled on the ground, flinging him out of the arena.
His face scraped against the floor. He scrambled up in humiliation, his entire body flushed red, but there was nothing he could do.
He shot Mu-hyuk a venomous glare before hurrying out of the tournament hall.
"Kuhahaha!"
"Man, that's pitiful. Heh."
Laughter erupted belatedly.
"Pfft."
Even Yerin couldn't hold it back.
*
Mu-hyuk's second match was another victory.
"That's overwhelming."
"Who could beat that guy?"
"Impressive."
"The rumors weren't exaggerated."
Most players were busy marveling. A few, though—those confident in their own skills—frowned in displeasure.
"Is there no one here brave enough to challenge the outsider Mu-hyuk?"
But even they held back from facing him.
"Tch."
The Mad Warrior Mu-hyuk had his eye on was no different.
Having made it this far in the preliminaries, dropping out now would sting.
Unless they were absolutely sure of victory—and unless their competitive fire burned that hot—no one stepped up.
No player here could confidently claim they'd beat Mu-hyuk.
"I'll ask once more. Does anyone challenge the outsider Mu-hyuk...?"
No challengers emerged.
"Outsider Mu-hyuk advances to the first round of the main tournament."
Mu-hyuk stepped down from the arena and sat beside Yerin.
She stared at him blankly.
Her wide, unblinking eyes were surprisingly burdensome.
Did I overdo it?
Truth be told, in the heat of the moment, he hadn't thought twice. Only after utterly crushing the Fireman did his senses return.
"Um..."
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
Yerin bowed her head in gratitude.
It made his cheeks itch awkwardly.
"Uh, yeah, sure."
He brushed it off and changed the subject.
"Anyway, looks like you didn't make the main round."
"Making it through the qualifiers is plenty. It was a blast."
"..."
If not for that Fireman jerk, he might've believed her.
"For real."
"Good to hear."
"Hehe, I'll cheer you on all the way—so win it all!"
"Got it."
As they chatted idly, the number of first-round qualifiers had already surpassed twenty.
Around then, the real powerhouses—who'd been watching quietly—began stepping up one by one. Countless players who hadn't fought yet let out sighs of regret.
"Ah, damn. Should've gone early."
"Ugh, me too."
Mu-hyuk, already qualified, watched the matches leisurely.
"Next..."
"I'll challenge."
Right on cue, the Mad Warrior rose.
A hulking man wielding a massive greatsword.
As he climbed into the arena, the vast space felt filled to the brim. His sheer presence was that imposing.
And the battle that followed was enough to earn nods of approval. His skill matched his aura.
Two wins. Three.
He claimed victory with ridiculous ease.
"Outsider, Esca—qualified!"
That made thirty qualifiers.
With just two spots left, Adeon stepped up.
The puppeteer class.
Adeon's control was exceptional, making the fight unfold with clever precision. From the sidelines, it was downright entertaining.
"Whoa..."
"Pretty cool, right?"
"Yeah, it's like the opponents are letting Adeon win on purpose."
Adeon racked up three straight wins without breaking a sweat.
"Now for the final one...!"
Thirty-one qualified.
One spot remaining.
The remaining players clashed in a brutal frenzy.
Anyone who notched one or two wins got promptly knocked out, dragging the fight for the last slot into the longest battle yet.
But all things end. Finally, one player beat three in a row, filling the roster at thirty-two.
"That's it!"
The first round of preliminaries concluded.
*
Only qualifiers could proceed to the next venue.
"Hey, oppa."
"Yeah?"
"What's your phone number?"
"My number?"
"Yeah. Adding you as a friend is a hassle for mail."
"True."
"So we can just text or call sometimes."
Mu-hyuk nodded and gave it to her. She jotted it down in the Illusion system's notepad, flashing a bright smile.
"I'll hit you up!"
"Sure."
As she left, Mu-hyuk followed the other qualifiers ahead.
Thirty-two in total.
Soon, survivors from the other groups joined, making 128—one from each of the four groups.
Sung Min-woo spotted Mu-hyuk and sidled up, glancing around.
"Where's Yerin?"
"Didn't make it."
"No way! I should've at least said hi..."
"Later."
"How?"
"Got her number."
"Whoa, seriously?"
"Yeah."
"Epic, man. But hey."
Sung Min-woo wore a sly grin.
"Sometimes you seem like a total idiot with girls, but then you pull this off. Wild. How'd a girl that pretty and sweet end up buddies with you? Oh yeah, you're tight with Yura too, right?"
"Is that a compliment or an insult?"
"Nah, it's an insult disguised as a compliment."
"Your mouth's gotten sharper, huh?"
"Not a little— a lot."
Adeon, who'd been listening in, chuckled softly.
Didn't know he had that side.
The vibe felt right for getting closer.
He didn't know how many main rounds there were or the format, so building ties couldn't hurt.
Even beyond that, connections with top rankers would prove useful someday.
"Excuse me."
Gathering his courage, he butted in.
"Hm? Who...?"
Thankfully, Mu-hyuk didn't seem opposed to the connection.
Adeon had helped in the qualifiers, after all.
Mu-hyuk introduced him briefly to Sung Min-woo.
"He helped me out in the qualifiers."
"Oh, cool."
"Yeah, summoner class too."
Puppeteer.
Broadly speaking, a summoner.
"For real? You're a summoner?"
"Ah, yes."
"Nice to meet you!"
"You too."
"What kind? How many puppets?"
"Whoa, that's awesome!"
"Haha..."
"I do spirit summons."
"Impressive."
Three summoner-class players together. An odd balance.
Just then, as they chatted casually—
Clap!
The NPC guiding the players clapped sharply.
"Welcome, all who made it this far. I'll now explain the second round of preliminaries. Listen closely—no repeats."
Mu-hyuk, Sung Min-woo, and Adeon focused on him.
"The format is simple."
Tournament bracket, probably.
128 players—perfect number.
"It's 4v4 team battles."
His guess missed the mark.
"Team battles...?"
"4v4?"
All three exchanged glances.
Mu-hyuk, Sung Min-woo, Adeon.
All summoners.
But Mu-hyuk and Sung Min-woo were powerhouse solo fighters. Adeon had skills to sow chaos among foes.
"This could be fun," Mu-hyuk said.
They both nodded.
It promised an intriguing combo.
*
The judge continued.
"Form your teams as you like. First come, first assigned—I'll register temporary teams for the second round. There are 32 teams total. Matches will be called by me; winning team advances. Lose once, and you're out. Be warned."
"Can we use potions?"
"Yes. Any more questions?"
"..."
"Then form your teams."
Some players moved immediately, linking up with acquaintances.
"We need one more."
"Who?"
Plenty of big names: Dark, Ares, Gus.
And hidden experts.
But they'd already teamed up among themselves.
"Just don't get stuck with those guys..."
Bad luck pitting against an all-elite team?
Instant elimination.
Luck would play a big role.
Then one player caught Mu-hyuk's eye.
The Mad Warrior, Esca.
"What about him?"
"Who?"
"The greatsword guy."
"Skilled?"
"Yeah."
"Sold. Looks like a lone wolf anyway."
"Let's go."
As they approached, Esca looked up.
"Teamed up yet?"
"Ahem, no."
"Join us?"
Esca eyed Mu-hyuk, Adeon, and Sung Min-woo in turn. He'd seen Mu-hyuk and Adeon in action.
This lineup...
He nodded slowly.
"Sure."
They headed straight to the judge.
"Team formed?"
"Yes."
"Good. Hands."
Mu-hyuk extended his; light swirled over it.
A number etched on his hand.
"Team 17."
They nodded and stepped back.
*
No healers anyway.
It'd boil down to who zeroed the enemy's HP first.
"We're in a good spot."
Make that very good.
Sung Min-woo, Mu-hyuk, Adeon.
Their summons alone numbered over a hundred.
"Whew, pumped."
"Nervous?"
"Kinda. What if we face top rankers?"
Mu-hyuk laughed at Sung Min-woo's words.
"Doesn't matter if we do."
"Huh?"
"I'm confident."
Against any team.
None would be a cakewalk.
"Whoa, cocky much?"
"Baseline."
Then—
A commotion stirred.
"Hm?"
A group appeared from afar.
"What's that?"
"Broadcast crew?"
They were setting up around the arena, already filming select players.
"Showtime for the cameras."
The reality sank in: this would air nationwide.
Adrenaline surged naturally.
"Focus, please."
The judge's voice cut through.
All eyes on him.
"The second round preliminaries begin now."
The curtain rose.