Take It and Settle Up Later (3)
Everyone fights differently, but I prefer to end battles quickly if I can. If it means wrapping things up in one shot. I don't have an instant-death cheat, but if I did, I'd have no qualms dropping a single "die" on an enemy and calling it a day.
But if there's an attack that mimics that effect? A way to kill in one hit? I'd choose it without hesitation. Just like I did to claim that first win.
'If they're off guard, end it in one blow.'
Tehalt had let his guard down. The reason was obvious: his weapon and his massive size. He was way bigger than me, and he had a weapon. If I'd swapped for one with an exchange voucher—a blade—he'd have been on alert for sure.
And one more thing: he was a fixture in Chekhov's Arena. Veterans dropping their guard against newbies and getting their throats slit? Happens all the time here.
"That seemed way too easy," Shin Yu-hee said from outside, scanning me up and down with a sour look. "You okay, sunbae?"
"Fine as hell. Not even a splinter grazed me."
"Well..."
"A bit of blood splattered, but I'll change clothes. No big deal."
"Ah."
I'd shaken off as much as I could, but prisoner garb stained with blood wasn't coming fully clean.
"Aren't you freaked out? Looked pretty brutal from where I was."
If something bugged me, it was that she'd watched the whole thing—me showing no mercy, not even glancing back as I butchered him.
"...I've killed a few goblins already. No people, though."
Surprising. I'd figured she'd flinch at the killing or recoil from the cruelty. Glad she didn't.
"Still, I thought that guy would take longer."
Actually the opposite. She was analyzing my style dead seriously.
"Isn't it better to drop dangerous foes fast? If I'd dragged it out, the crowd would've booed me for toying with him."
"......."
"And if I hadn't finished quick, the risk to me ramps up."
"True, ending it fast makes sense, but..."
Shin Yu-hee eyed my fist, then my body briefly.
"You ever do boxing or something?"
That first jaw shot. Straight out of boxing or UFC playbooks.
"Picked it up in the army."
"The army?"
"Yeah."
She gave me a skeptical look, but it wasn't a lie. Back in my first run, surviving the Tutorial hinged on all the nasty tricks I'd learned in service.
...Not your average unit, which helped. No plans to name names, though. Last time I spilled, I ended up vanguard from Tutorial to solo play.
"Not my oppa, though..."
"Oppa?"
"My brother. One older, did his service. About... a year. We... probably won't meet again."
Won't meet again. In a way, that's a blessing.
"Won't meet again, huh."
"At least in the army, he won't die. Parents hear from him every couple days—sounds like he's doing fine. ...He won't come chasing after me if I die."
"Hope so."
This is the afterlife for the dead. Meeting family here means they're gone too. Better not to see them.
"No way to check on Earth life from here, so focus on our mess. Check this out."
I waved the exchange voucher from the ref.
"Told you. Borrow and pay back later."
"Hmm..."
Twelve vouchers. One kill, one win, and a massive haul. Shin Yu-hee had one left—started with three; I took one for the party link, she spent one on bread.
Party-wise: two of six on food, then three of four on the bet, one life left. Shared assets view. Wonder what she thought.
"Feeling greedy?"
"Honestly? Yeah. Twelve out of nowhere."
She scowled at the arena, hand dipping into her pocket for her survival log and voucher.
"If I bet my voucher and life too... could I get more?"
Grind, crunch. A weird noise echoed from the arena as she watched. While we chatted, staff dragged in something freaky to clean up the corpse.
"Ready to die like that?"
A monster was devouring the body. Pig-like thing slithering on the ground, chain around its neck, swallowing Tehalt bones and all.
"Yeah. But post-death, your body's not your problem anymore."
I leaned in close to her shoulder, whispering so others couldn't hear.
"This is still the Tutorial. You don't respawn here."
"How do you know?"
"You didn't revive after dying in the goblin stage. If this place had special rules... well, nothing we can do."
"......."
Estiel wouldn't add weird rules. Not her style, and as a low-rank angel, snitching to her boss Nariel after screwing a hero prospect? Bad news. She'd spin it as "necessary trial to strengthen the hero!" but angels hate heroes resenting them or the Goddess. Demon King army flip? Disaster.
"If your corpse looks like it's getting defiled or eaten, I'll handle it."
"What kinda sick joke is that?"
She recoiled, brushing my hand off her shoulder.
"So... what's next?"
"Huh?"
"We got vouchers. Gotta spend 'em. Bail from here, head back somewhere."
Around us, onlookers stared silently. Before, casual gawkers; now, wary scans post-Tehalt.
"What if they ambush for revenge...?"
"They'd get called for the arena first."
No one's picking fights outright yet, against her worry.
'Assassins maybe, but Chekhov wouldn't want that.'
Here, kills mean poison mostly—pricey, hard to source beyond natural stuff. Assuming we move safe.
"Like I said earlier, no heading back to the room?"
"Right. At least..."
She trailed off. Guessing the unsaid: 'for now.' If I ditch or betray her, back to the group. Tutorial lets her afford that extra coin.
'Smart girl.'
Way better than blind "you're party now, handle everything." Keeping suspicion, planning escapes? Smart survival. Offer better incentives than feared, and walls crumble.
"Shin Yu-hee. Ever see room moves in the survival log?"
"...Heard you can use vouchers for a better one."
"That's the plan."
"But that costs a ton."
"We stacked 'em."
I shook all twelve.
"Buy a room with these."
"Sunbae."
"Yeah."
"Not buying a house. Just renting a day, right? Log says..."
She spread all ten fingers.
"Personal room, one day: ten vouchers. Twenty loaves of bread."
"Exactly. Too steep for a safe night or private space."
"And the room..."
"I'm renting a private one with these."
No budging, whatever she says. I'm right.
"It'll be our base."
I slipped the question casual-like.
"Coming?"
No details. Wouldn't spill even if asked. Sounded bored, but she'd infer.
Private room. Medieval inn or motel, still one room.
"...Gotta."
She decided.
"You'll let me in, right?"
"Of course. Oh, no worries I'll jump you?"
"Then."
She mimed biting hard, pointing ahead.
"I'll bite my tongue and die before you rape me."
"That's the spirit."