Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: The Tormented Champion
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Do-jae walked over to Katania, holding the paper he had drawn.
"Katania, what does this say?"
"A tempest. That's a troublesome field. You'd better hope your opponent drew a better one."
Katania chuckled as she looked at Do-jae's paper.
Then she held out her own paper. Judging by her satisfied smile, she had drawn a favorable arena, though he couldn't tell what it was.
"How are the fields made?"
"How else? With magic, of course. Five of the kingdom's most skilled mages are on standby. They've probably already drawn magic circles all over the arena."
"That's amazing. I never thought magic could be used like this. Maybe I should gather some magic-type Awakeners and start an entertainment business..."
"What? What's an entertainment business?"
"Nothing, I was just thinking aloud."
Do-jae turned and walked toward the man named Sitah.
He was Do-jae's opponent in the quarterfinals, a rugged Gray Elf.
"You're Sitah?"
"That's right! Are you Lee Do-jae? What's your field?"
In this drawing, each of the eight contestants would draw a different field.
Then, they would negotiate with their opponent to choose one of the two fields.
The four unchosen fields would be used for the semifinals and finals, selected not by the participants, but by a vote from the audience.
"I got the Tempest Field. You?"
"I have the Rock Field."
Do-jae and Sitah checked each other's papers.
Not that Do-jae could read what was written on Sitah's paper, but since they had to submit them anyway, there was no reason for Sitah to lie.
"Alright, which field do you want?"
"It doesn't matter! I'll be the one crushing you and moving on anyway!"
Sitah declared with a confident expression and voice.
Do-jae was glad his quarterfinal opponent had such a simple personality.
"Then I won't be shy about choosing. Let's go with the Tempest Field."
"Hooo. You chose the harder field on purpose! Thinking you can wear me down by making things difficult for both of us? You're mistaken! I hail from a forest where it rains constantly."
Sitah pointed a finger at Do-jae.
Do-jae had to stop himself from laughing at this grown man acting like the protagonist of a shonen manga.
"Hoo, hoo... That wasn't really my intention, but..."
"Nervous? You must be afraid of me. Don't worry. I'll at least spare your life!"
"Heh... I'll look forward to it. We'll see whose life is in danger."
"What?"
Sitah's eyebrow twitched.
He had only spoken with a hint of sarcasm, but the taunt was surprisingly effective.
"Well, I'm off. I have to submit the paper now."
"You bastard! I'll make you regret those words!"
Leaving the trembling Sitah behind, Do-jae headed for the tournament official.
He wasn't sure if the provocation would work in his favor or not, but seeing as the man fell for such a cheap taunt, there seemed to be no need to worry.
***
"Um... Sir Salreuta? I drew the Wave Field, and you...?"
*Glare-!*
Salreuta glared at Hukun, then tore the paper in his hand to shreds.
"Get lost."
"Yes, sir! I'll go with the field I drew, then!"
Intimidated by Salreuta's murderous aura, Hukun backed away and hastily fled.
*'Why has he changed so much?'*
Hukun and Salreuta had met before.
Fifty years ago, at the last tournament.
Despite it being his first time participating, Hukun had been lucky enough to advance to the main tournament.
But his first opponent was Salreuta.
Salreuta, who was already a promising contender for the championship back then, was too formidable an opponent for Hukun to handle.
Hukun was disheartened after tasting a bitter defeat in his first match when Salreuta approached him.
*'You're incredibly skilled for your age. I almost lost.'*
*'That sharp thrust of yours was enough to give me chills.'*
*'If you keep training hard, you'll be even better than me by the next tournament.'*
Salreuta had encouraged Hukun with a friendly smile.
Despite winning with an overwhelming difference in skill, Salreuta had shown grace and magnanimity.
Not only that, Salreuta had also generously offered advice.
He had pointed out Hukun's weaknesses and taught him how to capitalize on his strengths.
*'Thanks to him, I trained hard with the spear.'*
Hukun had originally used a sword.
But following Salreuta's advice, he switched to the spear.
Just as Salreuta had predicted, Hukun's spearmanship improved rapidly.
A hundred days of wielding the spear showed better results than a thousand days of practicing swordsmanship.
And so, he was able to reach the main tournament once again, and after defeating a tough opponent in the first match, he now stood before Salreuta.
*'What could have happened to him...'*
Salreuta's reaction wasn't just cold; it was terrifying.
A dark aura emanated from him, so potent it was difficult to even get close.
Hukun watched Salreuta quietly.
The Salreuta he had admired and respected was staring into space with wide eyes, muttering to himself.
*'Still, I have to show Sir Salreuta how hard I've worked.'*
Steeling his resolve, Hukun handed the paper to the official.
In truth, Salreuta wasn't thinking about Hukun or anything else; his mind was consumed by a headache.
*Grind-.*
*'Damn it, the voices again.'*
Salreuta clenched his jaw so hard to endure the headache that his gums began to bleed.
- *Kyaaaaak!*
- *Uwaaaaak!*
Screams that came without warning.
Sometimes it was the shriek of a woman, other times the roar of a man.
At its worst, the voices of dozens, even hundreds of Gray Elves—men, women, and children alike—would scream as if crushing his brain, but he could never identify them.
Whenever that happened, Salreuta would lose consciousness and destroy and kill everything.
The unbearable urge to destroy would only subside after he was drenched in blood, and only then would the voices stop.
One day, while wandering without knowing who he was or why he was alive.
As he was washing blood off himself by a lake, a single leaf imbued with a mysterious aura drifted down beside him.
- *Participate in the fighting tournament. The answer is there.*
When he touched the leaf, a clear voice spoke to him.
His mind was still a jumbled mess, like a confusing fog, but it felt as if a single ray of light had appeared.
Salreuta picked up the leaf, made it into a hair ornament, and followed the voice's instruction to participate in the fighting tournament.
But the screams, which had been quiet until now, were starting again.
- *Kyaaak!*
*'Please, shut up! Just get out of my head!'*
Overcome with boiling rage, Salreuta's mind grew distant again as he gripped his sword.
The gazes of those around him focused on him, but he didn't care.
Right now, the only thought in Salreuta's mind was the desire to kill everyone in this place.
But just then.
*Woong-.*
The leaf he had made into a hair ornament vibrated gently.
The screams gradually subsided, and his killing intent receded.
*Thud-.*
Salreuta dropped his sword and collapsed to his knees.
Someone approached him, but he had no desire to deal with them.
So he was about to respond with his usual "get lost," but the moment he saw the person's face, he couldn't bring himself to speak.
"Lee Do-jae, stop. What are you trying to do?"
"It's okay, Katania."
"What's okay? Let's just go."
"Don't worry."
It was a woman who looked vaguely familiar and a figure wearing a robe.
The familiar woman had been on his mind since the second preliminary round, stirring a strange, suffocating feeling in his chest, as if a memory was just out of reach.
"The fields for all matches have been confirmed. We wish everyone a comfortable rest this evening."
As soon as the tournament official finished speaking, the quarterfinalists began to leave the waiting room.
Only three remained.
"Katania, I'd like to talk to Salreuta alone."
"Hah... I really don't get you sometimes. I'm tired, so I'm going to rest."
"Thanks."
The woman with the familiar face left, leaving only the robed figure in front of Salreuta.
Then, the figure removed his robe and spoke.
"Follow me."
***
Do-jae had submitted the paper that read 'Tempest Field' to the official and was asking Katania for more details about it.
Just then, a tingling sensation ran through Do-jae's temples as he felt a thick, viscous energy.
The source of the energy was Salreuta.
Salreuta was exuding a malevolent aura as he gripped his sword.
*Flare-.*
At the same time, the back of Do-jae's hand grew burning hot.
The spot where the Sealed Memory of his right hand lay was resonating with Salreuta's energy.
But immediately after, he felt a new energy, the same one he had felt from Arcturia.
Between the Sealed Memory of his right hand and Salreuta's energy, Do-jae recalled Kang Young-chan's Transcendence Stone.
And having thought of a certain possibility, Do-jae had approached Salreuta despite Katania's attempts to stop him.
"What are you? Why is a High Elf here?"
Do-jae had put his robe back on to come outside, but he showed his face to Salreuta.
Of course, since he was wearing the ring, he appeared not as a human but as a High Elf.
The reason he went out of his way to show his face was to be more persuasive.
He thought that if he showed something special, he could convince Salreuta to come with him.
"I said I'd help you."
"Hmph, I don't need any help. Get lost."
"Telling someone who wants to help you to get lost. You've really made a habit of that, haven't you?"
*Thwack-.*
Salreuta grabbed the neck of Do-jae's robe.
And pulled him forward with great force.
Do-jae was lifted up, his collar in a tight grip, so close he could feel Salreuta's breath.
*'How is he so strong?'*
Do-jae pushed Salreuta away, barely managing to break his grip.
"Let go and we can talk. I'm not here to fight; I really want to help."
"Bullshit."
"If I can't help, you can kill me. I hear destroying and killing is your daily routine."
"Shut up. I don't want to kill anyone."
"What? Then why do you do it?"
*Bam-.*
Salreuta slammed his fist against the wall, punching a large hole in it.
"I hear screams. Women, men, children, the elderly. The screams of people I don't even know, they never stop. The only way to make them go away is to kill someone, so I have no choice."
"Then why not kill yourself?"
"I can't even kill myself. Every time I tried, the screams only got louder, and when I came to my senses, nothing was left alive around me."
"I didn't realize you were in such a situation."
"So if you don't want to die, get lost."
"Wait. I'm going to help you. And I'm telling you in advance, don't be surprised."
Worried that Salreuta might misunderstand and launch a surprise attack, Do-jae gave him a warning before opening his Subspace.
Fortunately, Salreuta didn't seem surprised or attack; instead, he remained impassive, showing no reaction at all.
Feeling a little awkward, Do-jae took out the pile of rocks he had stored in his Subspace.
*Rumble-.*
Then, he immediately cast Golem Armor.
Not the full Golem Armor, just on his right hand.
The pile of rocks on the floor climbed up Do-jae's leg and formed a long, thick gauntlet on his arm.
*Vmm- Vmm-!*
The Sealed Memory of his right hand, which only appeared when he cast Golem Armor.
Taking the form of a bead embedded in the gauntlet, the Sealed Memory of his right hand emitted its characteristic light and trembled violently.
"I'm going to touch your body. Again, I'm not attacking you, so don't be alarmed no matter what happens."
"Hmph."
Salreuta snorted.
Do-jae thought Salreuta must have been a real piece of work even before he went mad, and slowly reached out with his right hand.