If You Raise It, You Gotta Eat It (1)
No matter how the pin turned out, I'd had one plan from the start. If he refused to hand over the exchange vouchers or honor the deal, I'd have Shin Yu-hee nominate him right away.
"How's the sword?"
"The straight blade feels a bit awkward, sure, but it shouldn't be a big problem. Um... was nominating him too much?"
"If it was, I'd have stopped you. You did good. I was gonna tell you to do it anyway."
Quick on the uptake, Shin Yu-hee had nominated Pin, and she'd grabbed Dex's sword—the one I'd looted—instead of the broken one.
"You're wearing that dead guy's armor under your robe right now, aren't you?"
"Yeah. Want it? The size won't fit perfect, so it'll be a bit snug."
"That's not it. I just finally get why you dumped all those exchange vouchers on me for weapons and gear."
"Good, then. Unlike women's gear, men's stuff is everywhere in this arena."
The better the equipment, the more likely it was owned by men. Not some sexist bullshit—women had an easier way out if they wanted to escape. ...Though that might be even more sexist.
"But, sunbae. Why'd that guy run?"
"Pin?"
"Yeah. Did he forge those exchange vouchers? They looked like at least thirty—were they fake?"
"Dunno. He's been nominated now, so he'll show up soon, but they didn't seem fake."
Pin had bolted. Thinking it through, he must've realized that stiffing us on thirty exchange vouchers could lead to me nominating him for revenge later. And yet he'd run anyway. Losing those thirty vouchers he had on him must've scared him more than breaking our verbal deal and beefing with me.
"Maybe he took out a loan from loan sharks."
"Loan sharks?"
"Like, borrowed from some scary fuckers maybe."
"But we killed Dex."
"There could be scarier guys than him. With over thirteen arenas here, each one's got its own ecosystem, right?"
"Hm..."
"And who gives a shit about some coward's panicked thoughts anyway? What matters is your first win."
"First win."
Shin Yu-hee flexed and unflexed her thumb on the sword hilt over and over. While everyone else hadn't even notched a victory yet, being able to take that first step out of five seemed to steel her—no real fear of mortal combat showed on her face.
"Ugh, uuuugh...!"
A groaning voice echoed from down the corridor. It was blatantly reluctant, like he had no choice but to come—the fugitive Pin appeared, face pale as a ghost.
And then—
"Please, spare me! Withdraw the nomination! I'll pay back the thirty vouchers slowly!!"
He dropped to his knees before me, bowing his head to the floor in desperate pleading.
"...Can you even withdraw a nomination?"
Sunbae, you don't know everything?
"Anything not in the survival log or told to me by Shemiri, I don't know. Referee. Can you withdraw a nomination?"
"It's not impossible. If both parties agree, sure."
The referee answered while feeding Dex's stripped corpse to a monster and cleaning up the arena.
"But both sides lose one win count."
"What if it's zero? Go to minus one?"
"Can't deduct if it's already zero. No grounds for withdrawal in the first place."
"Then we're done. Hey, contract breaker. Get your ass in the arena nice and quiet. I'll watch from here."
"Wha...? What the hell does that mean?"
Pin panicked. His stare, fixed on me, slowly shifted to Shin Yu-hee, and his face twisted in horror.
"You fucking...?!"
"You're fighting me."
"You bitches! From the start...!"
"What're you on about? Just hand over the thirty vouchers and none of this happens."
"Urk...!"
Pin hauled himself up.
"W-wait! Calm down! I-I surrender, so please spare me! Th-this ain't simple!"
Realizing begging on his knees wasn't cutting it, he stood and tried negotiating.
"I'll pay back the thirty vouchers later! I swear, so please don't kill me—just let me lose this one!!"
"Can you surrender in the arena?"
"...Surrender itself ain't impossible."
The referee eyed Pin with contempt.
Probably disgusted as arena staff by anyone 'giving up' on a fight.
"Not impossible, but for the side prepping for a fight just to surrender from the jump? Fucking infuriating."
He usually looked down on folks who didn't plan to rack up five wins and GTFO, but now he was showing outright loathing, like the arena might lose its fairness mid-match.
"Of course, we don't accept surrenders easy. It's up to the opponent."
"So you can refuse surrender?"
"If they wanna deduct their own win count to show mercy, yeah."
"What a circlejerk. So it's impossible from the start? Thought there was another way since you made it sound possible."
"Please!!"
He looked desperate. Fate sealed, yet scrambling for any lifeline.
Mental's shattered.
Couldn't think straight anymore.
"Hey, Pin. Want me to tell you the way out?"
"Wh-what?"
"Kill the bitch in front of you."
I pointed at Shin Yu-hee, entering the arena, swinging her sword through the air to warm up.
"That's it. Win and you live, right? Isn't that why you brought a weapon?"
"Urk...!"
Pin's hand went to the dagger at his waist.
"F-fuck...!"
He had some knife experience—looked like he'd worked for a thieves' guild or something by local standards.
No coaching needed. Shin Yu-hee was ready body and mind, just waiting for the gong.
"Hoo, hoo. Damn it, just you wait...! You'll regret underestimating me...!"
Killing intent filled Pin's eyes. Panicking Pin climbing into the arena might've been better, but this favored Shin Yu-hee more.
"Alright, get ready."
Snap.
"Fight."
The referee snapped his fingers.
Onlookers held their breath; Pin held his dagger guard-high, circling and probing Shin Yu-hee.
One sword. No shield. But it was an ex-knight's blade—far tougher and sharper than Pin's dagger.
"Fuck!!"
The second Pin lunged with a curse, Shin Yu-hee gripped her sword and moved.
Clang!
Perfect form. Like she'd done this before, she parried his dagger dead-on.
"Huh?"
Parry. Timing was a hair risky, but she deflected it cleanly and riposted instantly.
Splurt!!
"Wha, wha...?"
Blood sprayed from Pin's throat. Shin Yu-hee yanked her sword back and retreated, wiping splattered blood from her face with her forearm.
"Guh, guhgh, h-how...?"
Thud.
Pin clutched his neck with one hand and pitched forward dead.
Pin was dead.
Killed by Shin Yu-hee.
"......."
Her hands shook hard, but she didn't drop the sword. She just stared down at Pin, throat gaping, blood gushing as he died—burning the memory of her first kill into her mind.
"Fighter Shin Yu-hee. Victory. First win achieved. ...Shift change soon, so get outta the arena? Gotta clean up the body quick."
"...Ah. One sec."
Before the referee could summon monsters, Shin Yu-hee approached Pin's corpse.
Shff.
She pulled out his survival log and shook the stack of exchange vouchers inside at me.
"This good?"
"Of course."
Shin Yu-hee. Mentally, she was now solidly on the hero's path.
Dawn approaching—time for Park Chang-su's crew to stir.
I rented a way better room than before with twenty exchange vouchers, and thanks to Goblin Grimwald's not-so-gracious grace, we got extra time.
Spoils boiled down to three big things.
One: Exchange vouchers from Dex and Pin. Minus what we spent, our party had forty total now.
Two: Dex's weapons and gear. Sans helmet, I scored some faded knight-like armor.
And last: Shin Yu-hee's first win.
I quietly brought her back to the room without a word post-victory; she headed straight for the shower.
"Urp...!"
She'd killed a man. Cool under pressure with the enemy in front, but now the tension crashed, and the aftermath hit.
She'll get used to it.
Even if it was for survival, killing a person doesn't fade easy. My first kill left me two days without eating, feeling like shit. Shin Yu-hee would shake it faster, shortening our timeline ahead.
About time to start pondering.
Tutorial stage two. We were in Chekhov's Arena, but 'over there' they'd be gaining real combat exp in easier spots.
Still a week of buffer, but if we lag near ten days—
Creeeak.
The shower door opened.
Figured she'd calmed; instead—
Plop, plop.
Shin Yu-hee tossed her armor and clothes out from the bathroom.
"What?"
"...Sunbae."
Hot water and soap scrubbed clean, Shin Yu-hee emerged naked, hands covering her front.
"Dry my gear and clothes... you shower."