For My Survival (1)
Madam Helma was dead.
With the rapier still lodged in her, she crumpled to her knees and collapsed.
"Haa..."
Blood poured from her shoulder. Well, "shoulder" was putting it mildly—it was right above her heart, so blood gushing out front and back wasn't surprising at all.
Silence.
Helma was dead. I knew it as the one who'd killed her, but the others didn't seem convinced yet. Sure, people sometimes survived things piercing their eyes or whatever, but no one had expected Helma to drop like this.
Even as I'd racked up win after win, they'd never thought I'd actually kill her.
"Referee."
The referee was the same. She'd been one of the arena's rulers for so long, having built an environment that even the management hesitated to touch directly. And now this powerhouse was gone.
"Winner?"
But powerhouse or not, dead was dead. I demanded the call, and the referee approached Helma with a stiff face, reaching for her neck.
"...Winner: Proxy Knight Yoo Si-woo!"
The referee declared it. The moment one of management's own vampires made the call, it was official.
"Waaaaah—!!"
Cheers erupted from the stands, shaking the arena with ecstasy over Helma's demise.
"Finally croaking, you fucking bitch!"
"Ugh, damn it! Should've loaned some exchange vouchers if I'd known!"
"Thank you... thank you so much...!"
The arena residents showed all kinds of reactions.
"N-No way Helma actually died...!"
"Count, what do we do?"
"Fuck, don't ask me right now...!"
The nobles in their ill-fitting clothes looked like the world was crashing down with the shifting power dynamics.
"Th-This damn...!"
"Uwaaah! Madam Helma?!"
Helma's thugs were shocked as if the sky had fallen. Literally the sky—Helma had been their shield, their ceiling, the unbreakable backing that let them run wild all this time.
And now that backing was gone. Plus, I'd already taken out strong ones like Dex and Hexter.
"Challenge! I'm challenging!"
"Helma's fucking dogs!"
Dozens headed off with weapons in hand. Since challenges weren't allowed in the first arena, they were probably rushing to the others.
Challenges they'd held back on out of fear of retaliation—now was the perfect chance for revenge without that backing.
"Yoo Si-woo! Yoo Si-woo! Yoo Si-woo!"
And they cheered for me. I waved my right hand at them, signaling to get going, then turned to the others.
The reserve heroes. How to describe their stares? Definitely not good.
Like they're looking at a monster.
A different kind from Helma. The mix of fear and awe probably came from their memories of the past.
-Wasn't he just a college kid?
-Isn't he a Korean guy in his early twenties like us?
-What the fuck is with this guy?
They didn't say it out loud, but their trembling eyes betrayed everything.
Familiar feeling.
It was the same look I'd gotten plenty as a hero before. Regression or not, nothing new.
Only one person gave me a friendly gaze: Choi Yu-jin. She nodded shortly and flashed a thumbs-up.
And another—
"U-Uwaaak!"
She bolted with Helma's fighters, so all I saw was her fleeing backside.
"Ngh."
"You okay?"
Before I could think about chasing her out of the arena, the referee approached.
"That wound looks pretty bad."
"Planning to trade vouchers for a potion."
"In that case... how about this."
A black bat perched on the referee's shoulder flew to my wound. I thought it might attack, but it turned into red liquid on contact, starting to heal me.
"This is...?"
"A blessing from the great one."
I knew it. A blood magic technique vampires used to convert mana into life force. The effect on me: rapid regeneration. As the black bat seeped in, the pain faded. My wound was probably closed already.
Familiar blood magic. I'd struggled plenty suppressing regeneration like this from vampires before.
"...No idea how it works."
Of course, play dumb.
"Isn't this special treatment?"
"Same result whether you chug a potion with vouchers or get this. You one of those who enjoys the pain of healing?"
"No way."
I denied it flat-out and yanked the rapier from Helma.
"Was gonna do more challenges if I had time, but the arena's about to change big-time, so I'll stop here."
First goal of the infinite proxy challenge: kill Helma. After that? Just watch how it played out.
"Too bad. Challenging Helma direct would've been your fourth win."
"Not really regretting it. Someone was bound to pick a fight anyway—I'd just challenge and kill them."
The nobles stared with complicated eyes. They didn't move. If it were me, I'd blend into the crowd right away.
"To the brothel!"
"Challenge anyone who blocks us! I'll handle 'em!"
"Catherine, wait...!"
The enraged residents—practically a mob now—chased Helma's fleeing thugs toward the brothel.
The thugs were probably grabbing Helma's legacy there. The residents wanted to snatch it or free the trapped women.
Either way.
"Handle cleanup. And voucher settlement."
"Not taking your gear?"
"Nah."
I'd done my part; let the locals handle the rest.
"Didn't kill Helma to meddle in arena politics."
"Then...? Why did you?"
"Eh, nothing big."
I raised my voice so the reserve heroes watching could all hear.
"She tried using me. Pissed me off, so I killed her."
* * *
A bit later, I headed to Shemiri's restaurant. To update her and Shin Yu-hee—but
"Oppa!"
Just before entering, Choi Yu-jin ran up.
"What? Why?"
"Th-Thank you so much for saving us...!"
She bowed deeply, voice loud. The reserves watched from behind; I put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her up.
"...Enough with the fake gratitude."
Fake. At that word, she positioned herself facing only me, back to the others.
"So now I lead them?"
"Yeah."
Our deal before Helma grabbed her. She hadn't forgotten.
It wasn't fully planned getting chained up, but going to Helma as their rep meant some strategy.
"Rack up five wins fast. Don't pick Helma's minions."
"Huh? Why?"
"They're desperate to survive now, poisoned with rage. Don't poke a pissed-off beehive. Pick the weaklings from the mines trying to act tough now that Helma's dead."
For reserves—not like me or Shin Yu-hee—just having "murder experience" was enough. Not just killing, but "kill the enemy to survive" mindset, bad guy or not.
"Remember: Arena goes to shit or not, we just need five wins to escape. That's all the tips. Good?"
"...No."
"What else?"
"Gotta keep promises."
Her eyes dropped.
"Said if you saved me, I'd suck your dick."
"Oh, that."
Her gaze was blatant, so I leaned in close.
"Got it upfront."
"Huh?"
"Truth."
No one else could hear, pressing her shoulder lightly.
"The guy fucking Shemiri in the restaurant."
"......!"
"Sucked my dick for ten vouchers? That was me."
"Wha...."
Confusion, fear, shock.
"N-No, that...!"
Absurdity and a spark of anger sped her breath—but
"Oppa... you're fucking insane, huh?"
She switched faces quick, smiling as her hand slid onto me slyly.
"...Right now, I could even let you cum in my mouth."
"Said that to save face in front of them."
"No. I'm doing it. Gotta lead those dumb bitches like you said."
"What? ...You don't mean?"
"Sorry, but being your girl gives me power now."
She licked her lips, clinging tight.
"Even if you fuck me in front of them, I need it."
"Going wild, huh?"
"From the guy who made me suck a dick full of another woman's creampie?"
"That was Shemiri's idea."
"You shoved it in the window."
"Fair."
I glanced back. The reserves looked curious about our talk.
"Gotta rest anyway, so sort out what I told you. Don't challenge weirdos and die."
Smack.
I lightly spanked her ass, then gripped hard.
"Eek...?!"
"Got it?"
Blatant sexual harassment. But she grinned, lips quivering in excitement despite the fluster.
"Got it. ...Oh, hey."
"What now."
"Thirty vouchers buys oppa, right?"
"Proxy challenge?"
"No, me. Oh, and don't lend to those other bitches no matter what they beg."
Squeeze.
"If you want one, tell me. I'll wrap her nice and deliver."