Chapter 96
Chapter 96
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: Arena King (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Agon was a barren wasteland.
Its cracked earth resembled the tough hide of calloused feet. Not a tree in sight, not even a blade of grass. Forget rivers—finding a well was a challenge. Surrounded by fertile grasslands, the wasteland felt all the more parched and desolate by comparison.
It hadn't always been this way. But once the waters dried up and the grasses withered, people lost interest. Fertile lands lay everywhere if you just turned your gaze. Abandoned by all, the wasteland endured long, lonely days and nights.
But now, all that was ancient history...
Today, Agon ranked as the fourth-largest city in the Alliance.
Truth be told, excluding the true metropolises with councils, it was effectively the biggest. Thick earthen walls layered the buildings, erasing any memory of the empty expanse. From the bustling center to the outskirts' slums, people packed every inch, leaving no room to breathe.
This city, bypassed by the blessings of fertility, had only one reason for its revival.
The arena.
The blood-soaked spectacle boasted the continent's grandest scale.
That legendary structure loomed right before the group. Duncan couldn't stop marveling.
"Wow, how did folks even build something like this...? Hard to believe even seeing it with my own eyes..."
"..."
Kadim arched an eyebrow.
It resembled the Colosseum at a glance, but far larger and more ornate. Its scale evoked a giant's goblet drinking the heavens. The marble exterior featured intricate reliefs of gladiators locked in fierce combat. Whoever built it must have poured a fortune into the thing.
He had no memory of such a structure from his past life. He turned to the blond physician whose base was here in Agon.
"Damn thing's huge. When was this built?"
"...It's been about a century since completion. Lord Remillion conceived the initial plans, but construction took far longer."
"Why build it here of all places? Wasn't Agon a wasteland back when they planned it?"
"Pardon? Ah, well... I'm not entirely sure. I've heard whispers that Agon wasn't always barren, but as a physician, not a historian..."
"Isn't this your home turf?"
"..."
"Lacking in hometown pride, eh?"
Adonis clamped his mouth shut. Discomfort etched his face.
It wasn't just about being scolded while playing tour guide despite his physician status. The bigger issue was the veiled threat disguised as escort. With him as a hostage, any plot to trap the Demon Slayer was dead in the water.
'Damn it, I've got to shake them before the schedule ends... but no openings...'
Still, he couldn't let this man actually face Agon's Furious Horn. If the champion fell, the Indomitable Legion would be a headless beast. They could never seize Galentana or the territories, much less stand against outside forces.
Plus, a fact known only to a handful of physicians: Agon's Furious Horn wasn't at full strength. He'd taken heavy wounds battling the central demon...
"Whoa, Doc! What's that crowd? Why are so many folks gathered there?"
Adonis nearly snorted. Great, now even this pea-brained porter treated him like a guide. His dignity as a physician was in tatters.
But following Duncan's pointing finger, Adonis paled.
Beneath a balcony-like protrusion on the outer wall, countless people screamed in frenzy.
"Waaaaah!"
"Waaaaah! Come out! Come out!!"
"Come out! Come out!! Come out!!!"
It was the champion's routine appearance for the citizens.
And the arena's champion was...
Agon's Furious Horn.
"That's the podium introducing today's gladiators. You've seen enough, so shall we head in? We need to meet an important sponsor first, over that way."
Adonis masked his panic with calm deception, smoothly turning toward the opposite direction.
But his fine acting was ruined by the chants rising from behind.
"Agon's Furious Horn! Agon's Furious Horn! Agon's Furious Horn!"
"Hero who saved the Alliance! Terminator of the demon outbreak!! Vanguard of the 'Indomitable Legion'!!!"
"Great champion! Bless us with your visage today!!"
"..."
We're screwed.
Adonis blinked in dismay. Kadim's lips curved slyly.
"Perfect timing. Looks like he's in today's fights."
"..."
"No need to waste time. We'll meet him here."
Adonis fidgeted nervously.
The savage's rock-splitter legs tensed. The podium was high, but no comfort there. He remembered this man vaulting Galentana's 30-meter walls with ease.
For emergencies, he signaled his warrior escorts to block if needed. They might not stop this monster, but... Adonis prayed desperately that Agon's Furious Horn wouldn't show.
By some miracle, no one appeared on the podium.
"What, skipping again today...?"
"Aw, another no-show... Waited all day without eating..."
"How many days now! Quit playing hard to get and show yourself, Agon's Furious Horn!"
"Shh! Watch your mouth... Don't you see the Atalans over there?"
"...Gulp!"
The crowd grumbled in disappointment and dispersed. Clearly, the champion's absences weren't new.
The reason was obvious. Still recovering from injuries. Adonis exhaled shakily, forcing a wry smile.
"Haha, must be too busy to appear... Regrettable, truly... Now, to that mansion over there..."
"..."
Kadim stared silently at the empty podium, face hardened.
*
In a grand Agon mansion, a luxurious reception room.
A fat man in golden wool robes flushed beet-red, veins bulging.
"So, he ignored my summons again today?"
"...Y-Yes, Grand Master."
"And I told you to warn him I'd cut funding if he keeps acting on his own?"
"...Yes, I relayed it clearly to the other warriors."
"And he still blew me off? That punk who wouldn't have a champion title without my help? I hype him as the Alliance's savior, and now he thinks he's hot stuff? Muscles a bit thicker and he forgets old favors? The nerve, huh?!"
Bam—!
His pudgy fist, buried in jeweled rings, slammed the desk. The blow lacked power, but the rage came through loud and clear. The steward bowed low, fearing fallout, then scurried away after a quick bow.
Bam, bam—!
"Damn it... Hoo, hoo..."
The man punched a few more times, still fuming, breathing heavily.
If asked who held the most influence in Agon, the clueless might say the councilors and aides.
Wrong. Public power paled next to sway over the 'arena' itself. Insiders would name this raging fat man.
Yubik Agrámendus.
Known to all as the Arena King.
Leader of the largest mercenary band of fighters and slaves, owner of most arena shares—a titan of wealth.
This titan fetched ogre-bone liquor from a cabinet and chugged it. The fiery burn soothed his anger and cleared his mind. His flushed face returned to normal.
Yubik thought calmly, no longer ruled by emotion.
'Agon's Furious Horn... gotten too big. Beyond my control now.'
Agon's Furious Horn was, without doubt, his finest creation.
Under Yubik's lavish patronage, the legendary champion grew into the arena's box-office guarantee—sold-out crowds and scalped tickets every time. In his prime, crushing challengers, he seemed set to rake in fortunes till the arena crumbled.
But times changed.
Agon's Furious Horn transcended champion. He'd formed his own force, the Indomitable Legion, and halted the demon outbreak. From street urchins to city elites, all praised his feats. Even his patron couldn't demand a savior keep fighting as a gladiator.
The problem: his retirement would tank arena revenues overnight.
'Need to discuss next steps soon...'
Agon's Furious Horn had holed up for days, ignoring summons.
Money threats worked before, but new backers dulled that edge. Harsher methods existed, but they'd breed resentment—save as last resort...
Yubik ground his teeth, pondering alone.
'Retirement's inevitable. But a standard farewell bout for one last haul is too shortsighted. Need a new star's birth. Something to draw crowds post-departure... For that, Agon's Furious Horn must lose his retirement match...'
Not easy. The proud hero ignored summons—wouldn't entertain fixed fights. No legit challenger could beat the undefeated champ either...
He recited potentials: 'Northern Spear' Rumark, 'Net Predator' Ron, 'Untana Ogre' Olgadin, 'Vile Hunter' Malkes, Tomerk, Perun, Valdronos...
All proven crowd-pleasers, some even in the Indomitable Legion. But none could match Agon's Furious Horn.
Gang-ups or dirty tricks, maybe? As he mulled...
One name stabbed his mind like a wedge.
The mercenary who'd piled demon corpses into mountains on the Golden Highway.
Rumors swept Agon. Hadn't slain the central demon, but matched the champion's feats...
"Grand Master, a guest! Adonis the physician from Galentana's council!"
"...?"
Adonis was one of Yubik's backed young Agon physicians. Thought he'd be tied up with Galentana affairs—no reason to visit suddenly...
Stroking his thick chin in puzzlement, Yubik ordered the steward to show him in.
*
His pupils dilated. Nostrils flared. Jowls quivered.
Adonis wasn't alone. Yubik glanced at the hulking brute radiating menace and asked, unable to hide his agitation.
"So that's... the infamous 'Demon Slayer'?"
"...Yes, Grand Master."
"Why's he traveling with you? What's his sudden business in Agon?"
"...We met by chance en route and teamed up. I came to pay respects after a while. He... has some issue with Agon's Furious Horn and wants to settle it 'to the death.'"
"..."
"Specifically, 'to the death.'"
Adonis emphasized twice, begging intervention before things blew up.
But Yubik didn't react as hoped.
Instead of summoning mercenaries, he stared piercingly at Kadim. Flabby as he was, no one in Agon rivaled his eye for talent.
No ordinary fighter. Rumors true. At least Rumark or Perun level—maybe far beyond... A gleam sparked in Yubik's eyes.
Kadim indifferently sized up the bloated tycoon. How many plates of meat if butchered? Plenty—even skimpy, ten-plus. Trim the fat, less so. Guts out? Maybe not even one.
"..."
"..."
After mutual appraisal...
The Arena King bared his teeth in a ear-splitting grin.
"Hey, you... Ever thought of being a gladiator?"
A smile unseen since meeting Agon's Furious Horn first.
The grin for finding prime merchandise.