New Prey
New Prey
"Ughhh..."
With a groan, the trio opened their eyes.
As they came to their senses one by one, they glanced at us and let out low sighs.
"Ah... I see. We lost after all."
"Good to see you've grasped the situation. Yeah, you lost."
Contrary to my expectation that they'd fly into a rage, these guys were calm.
They simply smacked their lips in bitter resignation.
"Tch... A shame. I thought we stood a decent chance. So, what are you going to do with us now? Kill us?"
"No, I considered that too, but I figured you might have some use. Do you have any interest in participating in the tournament?"
My words must have been somewhat unexpected, because question marks practically floated above their heads.
"We aren't opposed to it... but what's this about?"
"What do you think? I'm saying let's cooperate. I hear this tournament is a team battle. Form a team among yourselves and help us out. In return, I won't interfere with you at all afterward."
"That's absurd. Couldn't we just betray you?"
"From what the old man told me, you fighters place great importance on honor. You wouldn't really pull something so cowardly, would you? After getting thoroughly wrecked?"
"......"
The guy fell silent.
After a long silence, he finally gave the answer I wanted.
"Alright. We'll do it. However, a promise must be kept. If you go back on your word..."
"I won't, so you just hold up your end."
The one who appeared to be the leader nodded with a grave expression.
"Of course, I have no intention of breaking it. It is the law here that the defeated simply follow the words of the victor. We shall cooperate with whatever you need."
I didn't really trust them, but this was enough for now.
According to the old man and Mirkella, fighters never forget a debt of honor, so they should prove helpful later.
If they turned out to be ungrateful bastards who didn't know honor, it wouldn't be too late to deal with them then.
These guys aren't valuable enough to worry that much about.
I approached them and untied their bonds.
"Go on. And when the time comes, join up on your own."
"Remarkably decisive. I thought you might secure some kind of insurance since we're outsiders."
Their eyes widened, clearly not expecting to be freed so readily.
But soon, they snorted, gathered their gear, and walked toward the camper van's exit.
"Then we'll see you at the tournament in four days."
After saying that, he vanished in an instant alongside his comrades, like the wind.
No matter how I looked at it, they didn't seem any younger than us.
From their appearance to their manner of speech, nothing about them suggested they were minors.
I let out a short sigh and moved to where Kang Ha-rin was.
"Looks like you guys will have to wait here for a while. If anything comes up, rely on Hui-ryeong."
"So that's how it is. Understood. But what about you?"
"According to the old man, there's a waiting quarters for participants... We're planning to stay there and feel out the situation for a bit."
"Won't the quality be poor? Since they take in anyone, I doubt it'll be a comfortable place."
I agreed with her concern.
With hundreds of participants, I didn't imagine the lodging set up for them would be very nice.
"Well, what can you do? Gotta do what you gotta do."
"Why not just stay here together and leave later? Wouldn't that be better, if only to help soothe Hui-ryeong?"
"...That's true, but."
It was a reasonable suggestion, but I couldn't help feeling somewhat reluctant.
How should I put it... it felt awkward.
I'd gotten oddly embarrassed about facing her after the incident a short while ago.
Ha Hui-ryeong similarly hadn't come out of her room at all.
Ladylike Maiden : Hey, pull a lot of food out before you go.
Ladylike Maiden : And it's still cold, so dress warmly.
Ladylike Maiden : Ah, also....
She kept sending messages like this on the bulletin board, but she never once came out to talk face-to-face.
I felt a little dumbfounded.
We'd done all sorts of things, yet she was making such a fuss over a simple kiss on the forehead.
It's not like I'm any better, but she's really something else.
"Still, I think I need to do some advance reconnaissance. Let's just say I want to scope out opponents to be wary of."
"Oh, really? It's just my imagination that it seems like more than that?"
"It's your imagination."
"I see. Mm-hm, of course it is."
Kang Ha-rin smiled mischievously, which was rare for her.
This woman occasionally mixed in casual speech like this.
Mainly when it was just the two of us.
That was when.
"Oppaaaa! I'm all packed!!"
Jeong Ji-min's voice rang out loudly from afar.
She was moving luggage near the door with the first-generation members.
"I'll bring souvenirs when I come back."
"I won't get my hopes up. Just come back safe."
Kang Ha-rin, who had answered like that, gave a light wave of her hand.
I chuckled emptily and waved back, then slowly walked toward the door.
Kim Ha-yoon, Angelica, and Mirkella, already prepared, were waiting for me there.
Oh, and the old man reeking of piss was a bonus.
"Is it okay to leave without saying goodbye to Hui-ryeong unnie?"
"It's fine. I messaged her on the bulletin board earlier."
I brushed off Kim Ha-yoon's question.
In truth, Ha Hui-ryeong was still constantly sending me messages even now.
Since I was answering them casually, there shouldn't be any problem.
"Then let's get going. Here, take this."
I took the carrier Angelica handed me.
Immediately after, the camper van door opened, and we began to step out one by one.
*
Even though night had fallen, the streets of Gwanak-gu were bright.
From the dazzling neon signs of electronic billboards and streetlights placed everywhere, to the unidentified creatures that occasionally swam through the sky displaying holograms.
It kind of looked like a cutlassfish... Why the hell is something like that here?
Isn't that a mutant entity?
"Old man. That cutlassfish that just passed by, isn't it a mutant entity?"
"It is not. That creature was created by a Gladiator, so you need not worry about being attacked."
...Created it?
"They can make things like that...?"
"I told you, that is why they are considered closest to gods."
I don't think that phrase alone explains it.
No matter how much this world was rampant with supernatural phenomena, the ability to create life was on a vastly different level from anything we'd experienced so far.
Even that guy called the Cult Leader couldn't give birth to something living, right?
But this is just...
"Don't try to understand it. The powers they've been granted are unknown phenomena. It's easier on the mind to simply accept the incomprehensible rather than try to forcibly dig into it."
It was Mirkella's advice.
Indeed, her suggestion—to just think, 'Ah, I see, they got a lucky gacha pull,' and move on—seemed much better for my mental state than pointlessly racking my brain.
"More importantly, let's move quickly. It seems we're drawing attention."
Angelica, who was walking ahead, urged us on.
Indeed, as she said, more and more people were eyeing us oddly as we carried our luggage.
This was largely due to the women's appearances.
Because of their outstanding looks, gazes were naturally drawn to them.
But no one deliberately tried to pick a fight.
Was it thanks to the huge old man? The majority of them clicked their tongues in regret after seeing the medal hanging around his neck.
And so, following the old man's guidance, we were able to arrive safely at the lodging.
I expected it to be a shabby place... but what a surprise.
Where we stopped was a surprisingly luxurious hotel.
It was large enough to comfortably accommodate hundreds of people, and as soon as we entered, high-class interiors greeted us.
"The facilities are... better than I thought?"
"Of course. For those participating in the tournament, every support is provided generously."
Around us were fighters like the old man, as well as a considerable number of outsiders like us.
The atmosphere was all quite menacing.
Their eyes gleamed sharply, like veterans who had been through all sorts of hell.
'So I'll have to face guys like these from now on.'
My intuition told me it wouldn't be easy.
But I wasn't that anxious.
Because our fighting power was just as formidable.
We could kill most ordinary opponents in one hit.
So there was absolutely no need to be scared from the get-go.
"I shall secure our rooms first."
"Oh... sure. I'll leave that part to you."
After saying that, the old man headed toward the counter.
We gathered our luggage together and glanced around.
Everyone had rough, fearsome looks, but a few individuals stood out among them.
"....."
For instance, the man who had just passed by us.
The man, walking with an entourage clad in black robes, held a long staff from which a strange energy emanated.
Just like Ha Hui-ryeong's bat or my crowbar, a specific attribute swirled around the staff.
A pale purple light... I felt the need to be cautious.
He looked dangerous at a glance, didn't he?
Next was a group clad in full plate armor.
Unlike others, they had skinny physiques, but a cold energy, like Kim Ha-yoon's frost, rippled around them.
In this modern age, full plate armor... those guys are pretty unique.
The last one personally piqued my interest.
"Ah, Mom! Hurry up! Why have you been so slow!?"
"Kid... Your mom's getting older, can't you understand if I'm a little late?"
"You're only in your thirties though!"
"Having a child ages you by ten years."
A lively teenage girl and the MILF following behind her.
The moment I spotted her, I couldn't help but admire her incredibly voluptuous figure.
Even her outfit was quite provocative.
A top with a bare back and bottoms that clung tightly, emphasizing certain curves.
I couldn't help but stare.
'Look at that thick ass and heavy rack.'
Perhaps noticing my gaze lingering on one spot, Angelica cleared her throat—"Ahem"—and poked me in the side.
"What?"
"What do you mean, what? Aren't you staring too openly?"
"I couldn't help it with her. Anyone would stare just like me. Look around. Everyone is."
Indeed, quite a few people were pretending not to but stealing glances at the MILF.
Some boldly scanned her from top to bottom, while others furtively fixated only on the areas where her skin was exposed.
"See? It's that woman's fault. How can she tempt people with such a shameless outfit..."
"Still, since she has a kid, she's probably getting on in years."
"From what I overheard of their conversation, she's in her thirties. Not that much different from Ha-rin, right?"
"...What you just said might have hurt Ha-rin if she'd heard it."
Kim Ha-yoon let out a deep sigh, as if to ask if I was really starting this again.
Honestly, her reaction was kind of rude.
I'm always like this, so aren't I being fairly consistent as a person?
And I'm upfront about it, right?
"Is Ha-rin that sensitive about her age?"
"Yes. She's in her late twenties. If she weren't self-conscious about it, she wouldn't be a woman."
Hmm... I remember a Youth Elixir being sold in the vending machine, maybe I should buy it for her first.
I feel like she'd be overjoyed.
"So, are you actually planning to target this woman? Do you even have the leeway for that?"
"If it's possible, I want to... Wanna help me?"
"To think you'd ask me to cooperate with this. You really are awful."
Angelica frowned as if she had a headache, then pressed her temples with her index fingers.
"How could you seduce a married woman with a child? Do you think such behavior would even be tolerated in the tournament?"
"Well... it actually might be permitted? Because in the arena, all acts are allowed. Though you might face some criticism."
At Mirkella's answer, Angelica made a dumbfounded face.
On the other hand, my expression brightened.
"Really? That Gladi... Gladiator woman? She allows that?"
"Yes. While she emphasizes honor and etiquette, what she values above all is victory and defeat. 'The victor seizes all, and the loser is stripped of everything.' That is the rule here, so even the disposal of the defeated is said to be the victor's right."
"Oh... I like the sound of that?"
They had some flexibility, didn't they?
My eyes sparkled brightly as I stared at the MILF and her daughter.
Within those innocent-looking eyes, lowly desire glinted.