Raising Shin Yu-hee (5)
After exchanging information with the prospective customers in moderation,
"Is this the training ground?"
"Yeah."
"Hardly anyone trains here, though?"
"That's exactly the problem."
I headed to the training ground that Shemiri had told me about, and there we saw an empty lot with absolutely nothing in it.
"Doesn't anyone manage this place? Is it because it's nighttime?"
"They probably do maintain it. The fact that there's nothing here is proof."
"Pardon?"
"No traces of fights, no bloodstains. They clean it constantly. They just don't set up equipment like at a gym or anything for training."
Training costs money too. Even training dummies don't just pop out of thin air with magic—you have to redeem them with exchange vouchers and use them up. At least they don't make you clean up afterward, so that's something.
"Stand in the middle for now."
"Are we... going to spar?"
"Not me. What you need right now isn't brutal training—it's confidence."
She was holding a sword, but right now, Shin Yu-hee was in a state where her self-esteem had taken a bit of a hit. To boost that self-esteem, and to make sure she could swing her weapon properly in the arena without freezing up against opponents, she needed a rock-solid mentality. The kind of winning mentality you hear about in sports. Not just beating the opponent, but the will to straight-up kill them.
"I'll ask one last time. Do you have the confidence to kill your enemies?"
"...Of course."
Shin Yu-hee gripped her sword.
"Just like when I killed those goblins. Human or goblin, doesn't matter..."
"Good. That's the right mindset. So even if the opponent is a human-shaped illusion, you won't hesitate, right?"
"Illusion?"
"Yeah. In a place where you even have to buy water with exchange vouchers or starve, this is one of the few free things you can use."
I reached out toward the round orb embedded in the wall of the empty training ground.
"This place is for getting people who fell into this pit out. Our situation's a bit different, but they do provide a minimal lifeline for failed dropouts."
"...In a place where you starve without exchange vouchers for water?"
"Think of it as part of creating an extreme environment. Anyway, watch out in front of you."
Like operating a kiosk terminal, I triggered the magic based on the info registered in the magic stone. It wasn't reacting to my mana. The round red magic stone itself responded and activated the spell.
Blood Servants
Blood Servants. A unique ability of high-ranking vampires.
Shloooorp.
"Eek, eeeek...!?"
Shin Yu-hee recoiled in horror. It was understandable—the blood gushing grotesquely from the red orb was bad enough, but watching it form into a human shape right in front of her was terrifying.
"W-what is this!?"
"A free training dummy to spar with."
"Huh?"
"A lifeline prepared by the great and mighty owner of this arena, Lady Chekhov, for us rejects."
Wriggle, wriggle.
The blood-slime-like mass soon took on a perfect human form.
"T-that person...!?"
"What do you think? Can you fight it?"
Tehalt. The guy I'd already killed.
"What happened? Did he come back to life?"
"Not resurrection. If I had to put a name to it... he's enslaved to the vampire?"
The blood-mass Tehalt had no face or genitals—just a torso, and even the nail-studded bat in his hand was made of blood.
One of the unique powers of other races you see in the hero's world. It took a slightly unique form here, but originally, it's a magic where vampires store servants in their blood and pull them out as slaves when needed. So-called blood magic.
"Enslaved to a vampire... Does that mean if we die here, we end up like that too?"
"Depending on the case."
"The case?"
"Vampires don't just devour thousands or tens of thousands indiscriminately. There's a capacity limit. So they manage numbers efficiently. Unless you're talent worth using in the training ground like this."
"Th-then that means there's a high chance for us?"
"Exactly, Shin Yu-hee."
I snapped my fingers at her, drawing her focus.
"Useless trash doesn't even get recycled as vampire slaves—they just end up as bone dust in the incinerator. You've just realized for yourself, 'I'm not that level.'"
"Ah..."
"Give it a shot. Tip-wise—"
"One time."
Shin Yu-hee thrust her sword forward.
"Just once, I'll try."
Without even hearing my tip, she stared straight ahead, scanning the opponent up and down.
No need to say more.
I immediately pressed the control button that appeared on the magic stone.
Clunk.
As soon as the mechanical sound rang out, the blood-mass Tehalt charged at Shin Yu-hee.
"!!"
More aggressive than when he'd come at me. A guy 1.5 times her size charging with a nail-studded club would terrify anyone—but
"Hah...!"
Shin Yu-hee moved first, darting to the side, angling her sword obliquely as she swung while dodging.
Spluuurt!
Blood sprayed from Tehalt's side—like slicing a PET bottle full of red liquid with a cutter knife, liquid gushing out.
"How was it!?"
"......"
"Senior?"
"Impressive."
Pure admiration slipped out.
"You've got more talent than I thought."
I'd seen the potential when she said she'd killed goblins in the tutorial, and felt it during our spar too.
Born in the wrong era?
If she'd been born in ancient or medieval times, the kingdom would've backed her as a female knight.
No matter how much I'd guided her, landing cuts like that was no joke.
"Good. Practice for about an hour, then head to the arena. Let's snag a different guy this time."
Second round. I summoned an arena fighter who'd racked up one win and then died. Definitely one of Chekhov's slaves, decent enough like Tehalt—but
"Now for this one..."
Splatter!!
"Ah... I need to put more power into it."
Shin Yu-hee, eyes like she'd gained some enlightenment, wasn't afraid of the new enemy—she was regretting not severing the neck in one go.
...Had I awakened a monster?
Good is good.
Human butcher outside, demure at home, my woman in bed—doesn't matter.
Need to get her a proper weapon soon.
Sparring with these arena rice-eaters might be less useful than me doing it personally.
And at that level...
It might be possible.
Handling some conscienceless bastard who skips contracts should be easy.
* * *
Arena 13. It wasn't a place that usually drew crowds, but even at this late hour, a decent number of people had gathered.
"Tehalt's dead?"
"Yeah. News travels slow. It's been days."
"Not like it's just three or four days old..."
Tehalt's death. For someone with one win, he'd had quite the notoriety, making him a good spectacle and money-maker for arena sightseers.
"Who's gonna throw now?"
Tehalt had been one who threw fights on purpose. He'd smash, rape, and kill opponents, but right before they died, they'd scream 'surrender.' One win. And countless losses. For each loss, he'd raped and killed someone in the arena.
"Fucking retard. Everyone bet on Tehalt losing anyway."
"But there were idiots betting on Tehalt winning, right? Newbies and such."
Thanks to that, for gamblers betting exchange vouchers on outcomes, Tehalt's losses were stable payouts. No one expected him to actually die, and those who'd bet on his win thinking 'this time's different' went bankrupt and started scavenging for Tehalt's leavings.
"That newbie's seed's drying up anyway. Don't bother chasing newbie blood money—just grab a pickaxe and work honest."
"Bullshit. I'd rather suck off the madam over there for exchange vouchers than grind magic stone dust with a pickaxe."
"You psycho."
Hustle hard labor for exchange vouchers? Or scam them some other way. Exchange vouchers were money. In Chekhov's arena, there was always a way to eat.
"No thoughts of getting out?"
"Fuck, get out? From here? Outside's worse than hell."
...For those who knew the outside world, living here with limited wealth might not be so bad. Some stacked vouchers after hitting just enough wins, half-giving up on escape, choosing prison and underground life. Their interest? Newbies rolling in.
"...Hey, don't you ever wanna get out?"
"Fuck, you gonna beat the top dogs?"
"How about eating those newbies that just came in?"
"Twenty of 'em. Once the 'grace period' ends, the top guys'll outbid with vouchers... Huh?"
Thud, thud.
Someone approached Arena 13. From the training area, not the main crowd zone. The group cracking jokes turned puzzled eyes toward the newcomer.
"Th-that's...!"
They saw it. Tehalt's killer. A 1-0 warrior in a leather robe draping to his knees, escorting a single female swordswoman.
"Aah."
He cleared his throat and declared to the sparse crowd in Arena 13.
"No questions asked. 30 exchange vouchers for one win."
"What?"
"Hey, newbie buddy. Fought yet? Not easy, huh?"
"Selling."
"...Pardon?"
Nod, nod.
"30 exchange vouchers, and I'll proxy a win for you. Any opponent."
The man held his hand upside down, extending only his pinky to tap his forehead.
"Payment on delivery."
"Uh, that's..."
"Different words? For 30 vouchers, name a guy you hate. And..."
Slash.
The man mimed slitting his throat and grinned.
"I'll make him die the most painfully, right in plain view."