Entry
Entry
And so, the long-awaited fourth day arrived.
The day of the tournament had finally come.
In the early morning, the participants staying at the hotel began making their way to the arena, one by one.
We followed them, moving at a leisurely pace.
The sight of hundreds of people all converging on a single destination was quite the spectacle.
"Wow, so we have to go up against all of them?"
I murmured under my breath, impressed.
Every person we passed was a potential competitor.
Just from the fighting spirit they radiated, each and every one of them looked like a veteran warrior.
Ladylike Maiden : Hey, has it started?
Yajeongkojeong : Not yet. How are things on your end?
Ladylike Maiden : Not bad. I sold all the stuff you set aside in advance, too.
Yajeongkojeong : Already? You've got a knack for this, huh?
Ladylike Maiden : Look at what I'm selling. Of course I do.
Ladylike Maiden : More importantly, just be careful. Don't do anything stupid and get yourself hurt.
A sudden message from Ha Hui-ryeong.
It was her own way of encouraging me.
Anyway, so the stuff I'd set aside did end up selling out.
I'd thought it might take longer since the ID was different.
I pushed the transparent window to the corner of my vision and looked straight ahead.
Emerging from a dark passageway, we found ourselves in a colossal circular arena, brightly lit by the morning sun.
Just then, Kim Ha-yoon, who was walking beside me, tugged at my sleeve.
"Don't get separated. There are just... too many people."
"Yeah. You be careful, too."
To completely eliminate any worry of that, I held Kim Ha-yoon's hand tightly.
Likewise, Angelica also cleared her throat with an "Ahem, ahem," giving me a pointed look, so I subtly reached out my hand.
She took it without hesitation and stuck close to my side.
Flowers in both hands.
While I was basking in a satisfied smile, Mirkella, who was walking ahead, glanced back at us and narrowed her eyes in clear disapproval.
"How about you save the public displays of affection for later? Now is not the time."
"What's the big deal? They're all strangers anyway."
Other people's gazes were none of my concern.
I'd probably never see the vast majority of these people again after this anyway.
"...I'm saying there's no need to draw unnecessary attention. Look, aren't there people subtly glaring at you?"
The envious, hostile stares of losers were not something I cared about.
So what if they glare?
The worst they could do is gang up on me in a cheap shot.
But even then, fodder was still just fodder.
Those who acted on petty emotions were opponents I didn't need to be wary of, unlike the ones I actually kept my eyes on.
Even if a large number of them rushed us, our party was more than enough to beat them.
As I shrugged my shoulders lightly, Mirkella let out a sigh so deep the ground might cave in.
"Haa. Fine. You're the type who only learns after suffering hardship."
"Don't be jealous, Mir-mir."
"Wh-when did I ever say I was jealous...! Ju-just keep your nonsense to yourself!"
As always, Mirkella turned her head away with an exaggerated reaction.
It was right around the time I was chuckling at her that things started.
The noisy surroundings gradually began to quiet down.
The tallest spire.
As a figure emerged from it, the murmuring crowd started to fall silent.
Soon after, giant silver cutlassfish began appearing in the sky, one after another.
They swam through the air, projecting a screen on their bodies like a massive display.
"Welcome, all of you. Fighters who pursue honor and righteousness, and strangers who have come to this land bearing wishes. I, Gladiator, welcome you."
Projected there was a woman.
Passionate red hair, fierce eyes, and a beautiful face.
She, Gladiator, wore a laurel wreath upon her head and, just like the residents here, was dressed in quite an embarrassing outfit.
The amount of fabric was minimal.
Her glamorous figure was completely exposed because of it.
Her massive tits, rivaling Ha Yeosa's in size, and the curves of her slender, well-toned body.
Truly, she was a woman so tantalizing it made my mouth water.
"Immortality, honor, truth, strength, the mysteries of the unknown... Each of you has come here bearing what you desire. If you wish to seize what you seek, win."
Gladiator, who had been speaking in a measured tone, spread her arms wide toward the sky.
"Those who bear hope, fight with all your might and seize victory. Become the brightest burning fire seed. For only the courageous shall earn the right to grasp everything."
And as if putting a punctuation mark on her speech, she raised her fist high.
"I look forward to witnessing the birth of a new hero in this tournament. Now, begin!"
The moment her speech ended, fireworks burst out from all over the arena.
Colorful fireworks erupted alongside a massive roar of cheers from the spectator stands.
The sudden change happened in that instant.
Everything around us began to ripple like a mirage, and in a flash, the scenery shifted.
The cheers, the fireworks, the countless crowds... all of it vanished without a trace, and what was revealed was a forest sprawling with vast greenery.
"...What the hell is this?"
I frowned deeply.
Fortunately, our group was together, but the hundreds of gathered people had disappeared without a trace.
It was a truly bizarre and fantastical phenomenon.
An illusion?
No, if it were... the gentle breeze brushing my skin, the scent of earth tickling my nose, the lingering fragrance of the thicket—all of it told me this was real.
"Hey, Mir-mir. Explain this. Is this how it's supposed to be?"
"Don't panic. This is Gladiator's authority. But don't let your guard down either. None of this is any different from reality."
Mirkella was relatively calm.
The old man was the same.
"Hmm. The theme this time is a forest, it seems. With so many places to hide, we must be wary of ambushes."
"What about the other people? Were they randomly dropped somewhere else like us?"
"That is correct. However, we are on the fortunate side. It is rare for an entire team to be together like this, as a rule."
As expected, everything in this Survival Match seemed random.
But by some coincidence, it looked like only we had dropped in the exact same spot.
Was this the effect of Lucky One, too?
It's a power I really can't quite figure out.
"Even so, we're facing a fairly difficult situation. Securing food in a place like this will be tough. How long exactly does this tournament go on?"
"There is no set time limit. It continues until the final 50 people remain."
"Ha... If I'd known this, I would've packed anything else we could bring..."
At the old man's explanation, Angelica pressed her temples as if she had a headache.
Kim Ha-yoon looked at the old man and Mirkella with a sulky expression.
"If it was going to be like this, why didn't you tell us beforehand?"
"Because it's meaningless to say so. The theme changes every time, so how could you prepare in advance knowing what's coming? I didn't know it would be this kind of environment either. Usually, it's based in city streets or urban centers... but this tournament seems a bit unique."
"The young foreign lady is correct. Last time it was New York, and the time before that, Tokyo was the backdrop. So we judged there was no need for separate preparations, but..."
The old man clicked his tongue bitterly as he spoke.
Right now, we were in a situation where we'd literally come with only the clothes on our backs.
We'd been advised that bringing luggage would only be a hindrance, so we'd only brought the crowbar, contraceptives, and the Subordination Scroll.
Kim Ha-yoon, Angelica, and Mirkella hadn't brought anything of note either.
They had their Activation Systems.
Since they relied more on their possessed traits than on using weapons, it was actually better to travel light.
So we'd formed a strategy of procuring what we needed locally, but... this was a complete strategic miss.
I stroked my chin, then spoke.
"There's a high possibility we'll be staying here for quite a while... Should we find a base first?"
"Hmm. That seems best. I agree with your opinion that the duration is likely to be prolonged. While there will be aggressive individuals, there will also be those who limit their movements and only look for opportunities."
The others didn't voice any opposing opinions either.
Since we'd been plopped down in an unknown forest, everyone felt the need to secure a place to rest first.
"...Underwear, I only have what I'm wearing now."
"Bear with it. Honestly, the only reason our lives have been comfortable lately is thanks to our husband. Isn't this kind of inconvenience originally normal?"
"...That's true, but it's hard for my heart to accept it."
Kim Ha-yoon, in particular, seemed to have the biggest complaints.
She apparently didn't have the confidence to endure the lingering stickiness later on.
"Honestly speaking, every time I do it once with that guy, my whole body gets sticky."
"That's... well, of course, but even our husband can tell time and place. He wouldn't suggest a round in a situation like this, would he? Right? Huh?"
The arrow suddenly turned back to me.
I nodded with a slightly awkward expression.
"Of course I wouldn't, dammit. No matter how you look at it, I'm not that much of an animal."
Well, if that MILF showed up, it might be a different story.
If I found that woman, there was a high possibility I wouldn't be able to hold back and would end up pouncing on her.
And why not? Didn't they say here, the winner takes all?
The winner is justice.
Yeah, the moment I see her, let's break the agreement and sucker-punch her from behind.
While I was indulging in such sinister flights of fancy, Mirkella, walking beside me, had a complicated expression on her face.
I asked her why, wondering what was up.
"Why? Is there a problem?"
"Hmm... No. It's nothing, just that I really can't open the bulletin board here. I thought if I was lucky, I could use a little trick... It's a bit disappointing."
"What? You can't connect? Oh... You're right."
Just in case, I tried it myself.
And sure enough, just as she said, only a message saying 'Connection Unstable' appeared, and I couldn't access the bulletin board.
"So you don't know everything either, huh?"
"Well, of course not. This is my first time participating, too."
Mirkella puffed out her cheeks like a chipmunk.
Her reactions are certainly diverse.
Just then, the old man cut into our conversation.
"There's no need to be too disappointed. Receiving outside support in the first place is practically cheating."
Indeed, the moment intervention from non-participants was allowed, the very concept of a survival match would likely become diluted.
So was that why they blocked the possibility of interference in advance, in such a grandiose way, by creating a whole space?
This was no joke.
I was reminded once again that she had one seriously bullshit trait.
"Hey, old man. Just how big is this place? We've been walking for quite a while, but I can't feel a single sign of life."
"I don't know. As I said, this is the first time for me in such a case as well."
"Even so, don't you have some kind of old man's intuition? The wisdom of years? Something like that?"
"You're asking for the impossible."
The old man walked on ahead, as if telling me to stop talking nonsense.
He really was a man who couldn't take a joke.
As I was grumbling internally, Angelica answered my question.
"There's no point in trying to gauge how wide this place is. Didn't they say this is Gladiator's, that woman's domain? If she wishes, she could expand it as much as she wants."
"Thinking the other way, that means she could shrink it too, right?"
"Probably. She's a woman who can manifest such absurd phenomena. There's likely little she can't do."
Angelica's guess was correct.
That was why Mirkella nodded in confirmation.
"Yes. Actually, as time passes, the space shrinks. It's a measure to prevent things from getting boring. So it'll probably end within a week at the longest. Even if this case is a bit special... that point is highly unlikely to change."
"That's just ridiculous. Is she even the same species as us?"
"Judging by her looks, she's probably human, isn't she? She's not prettier than me, so she'd fall into the human category, I think."
What nonsense.
No, looking at her face, it seems like she was serious about what she just said.
She genuinely seems to think she's prettier.
Come to think of it, this Mirkella, her pride in her looks was something else.
But hey, Mir-mir.
You have to look at everything comprehensively.
A woman's face isn't everything.
If you consider body shape... from my standpoint, shouldn't I say I have no choice but to give more points to that woman called Gladiator?
On top of that, even her face was comparable, so it was practically a landslide victory, really.
"Wait. Everyone quiet."
That's when it happened.
The old man, who had stopped abruptly, raised his arm and halted us.
My curiosity about why he was doing this was brief; my complexion hardened immediately at his next words.
"There are some ahead. Roughly four or five."
At last.
The corners of my lips twitched, painting a vicious smile.