Chapter 116
Chapter 116
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 116
Chapter Title: Southern Savage Beast Palace
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December 31, 2030.
A full year had passed since the Trials' Arena began.
To ordinary people, it was just another day to ring in the New Year and close out the old one, but to the Players, it marked entry into the thirteenth trial.
Naturally, Hae-jin's house was filled with his party members.
More than expected from the top roster Nam Joo-hyuk had assembled.
Park Hae-jin, Kwon Na-ye, Lee Sang, Anna, Raffaello, Manager Kim, Ji Soo-jung, and even Garfield had joined.
Midnight was approaching, and the New Year's bells were about to ring.
They were all together at Hae-jin's place, waiting for the New Year and watching the bells toll on TV, when Raffaello called out to Hae-jin.
"Brother Hae-jin."
"Yeah?"
"But can we really watch the New Year's bells?"
The New Year's bells.
Rung every year to mark the end of the old and the start of the new.
Yet Raffaello was asking if they could watch them.
Hae-jin answered nonchalantly.
"Nope. They ring after the countdown."
Of course they couldn't.
The New Year's bells were rung after the countdown ended, to celebrate the arrival of the new year.
So they rang after midnight, meaning Players who transferred straight into the Trials' Arena at midnight naturally couldn't see them.
Thus, Raffaello wondered why they even had the New Year's bells broadcast on if the group couldn't watch them ring.
"Then don't we have no reason to watch that?"
At that moment, Kwon Na-ye scolded the tactless Raffaello.
"Ugh! It's just to set the mood, Rael."
"Hehe, I was just saying. We won't see it anyway before heading to the next Trials' Arena."
Hae-jin smirked at their exchange.
"Well, we can have our own New Year's party after we get back."
"Yeah! I'll prepare a ton of food!"
"Sounds good."
As their light conversation wrapped up, Hae-jin's group watched.
The people on TV counting down to the New Year.
[5!]
[4!]
[3!]
[2!]
[1!]
[0!]
Flash!
Every Player's view shifted.
They didn't even see the bells being pulled back to ring before transferring into the thirteenth Trials' Arena.
Content: Obtain recognition from the Southern Savage Beast Palace.
- Zone 166 participants: 2,482
"Ah, we're here."
Hae-jin muttered.
The thirteenth trial.
He needed to be among the 1,250 recognized by the Southern Savage Beast Palace.
Fail to make the cut, and he'd die in this Trials' Arena like so many others.
For now, Hae-jin looked ahead.
"No jungle in sight. We just go straight, so let's run."
Hae-jin already knew exactly how to reach the Southern Savage Beast Palace.
From the thirteenth trial starting point, just charge straight ahead.
Sure, countless jungle beasts would target him along the way.
But those beasts were no match for Hae-jin's twin swords, getting shredded mercilessly.
Meanwhile, he summoned Q and Kyro midway to pick up items.
Charging straight ahead like that, Hae-jin spotted it.
A massive city overgrown like ancient ruins in the jungle.
That was the Southern Savage Beast Palace.
At its entrance, hulking figures in animal-hide garb stood guard, petting their leopards.
Spotting Hae-jin approaching, two of them paused their play.
Normally, they'd demand to know who he was.
"Who... Gasp! We greet the Palace Commander!"
Palace Commander.
The highest rank in the Southern Savage Beast Palace was Palace Lord.
Then came the elders, followed by Palace Commanders.
A Palace Commander was akin to an undisputed general everyone in the palace acknowledged.
Yet these guards, seeing Hae-jin for the first time this regression cycle, treated him as one.
Not that Hae-jin hadn't expected it.
'Looks like one of Joo-hyuk's titles after all.'
There were several ways to earn the Palace Commander title.
First, rack up merits in the palace's wars.
Second, pass trials from a Palace Commander family to inherit the seat.
Third and finally.
Win the Southern Savage Duel Arena hosted by the palace.
Naturally, both Hae-jin and the previous Leader, Nam Joo-hyuk, had to win it during hidden trials before their regressions, making it a staple of the thirteenth Trials' Arena.
Thus, Nam Joo-hyuk's achievements and titles inevitably included Palace Commander.
And since Hae-jin had inherited everything from him, the title was his too.
Recognized as Palace Commander, Hae-jin faced the guards bowing to him.
Ordinary Players would claim they stumbled upon the place, leading to varied outcomes.
The combative ones fought and proved their strength to enter.
Others talked their way in amicably.
Of course, some ended up imprisoned unlike the rest.
'If you can't win, better not pick a fight.'
Most who lost to mere guards and got locked up were as good as dead this trial anyway.
But imprisonment didn't mean no hope.
The jailed could still enter the Southern Savage Duel Arena.
Survive there, and even a prison start could lead to survival.
The problem?
'Anyone surviving the Duel Arena wouldn't lose to these guards to begin with.'
Either way, Hae-jin's Palace Commander title freed him from all those scenarios.
To the guards showing him respect, Hae-jin said.
"I've come to see the Palace Lord. May I?"
"Goodness! How could lowly palace disciples like us bar the Palace Commander's way? Please, enter, Palace Commander."
"Thank you."
"Not at all, Palace Commander. No need for such deference!"
The Palace Commander rank was the highest below Palace Lord and elders.
From the guards' perspective as mere disciples, Hae-jin's politeness felt burdensome.
Yet Hae-jin didn't drop the formalities.
"This feels natural to me."
"Then we gratefully accept your honorifics, Palace Commander."
"Alright, I'll head in?"
"Yes, please enter!"
With his title, the guards offered no obstruction to the palace.
Leaving them behind, Hae-jin headed straight for where the Palace Lord resided in the city.
Though outsiders called the entire city the Southern Savage Beast Palace, the true palace was where the Palace Lord and elders stayed.
Hae-jin knew the way.
Just go straight.
He dashed there in one breath.
Flash!
Arriving at the palace gates, more guards awaited—stronger than the city's, radiating fiercer auras.
But they reacted just like the entrance guards upon seeing him.
"Who... Gasp! We greet the Palace Commander!"
To the bowing palace guards, Hae-jin repeated.
"I've come to see the Palace Lord."
"Yes, sir! Please enter!"
Unlike the city entrance guards playing with leopards, these were rigorously vigilant—but automatic doors before a Palace Commander.
Entering the palace, Hae-jin went straight to the Palace Lord and met the giant who dwarfed even the burly palace disciples he'd seen so far.
Hard to fathom a human nearing three meters tall, but with disciples averaging over two meters, it made sense.
'Even after all this time, he's huge.'
Hae-jin knew the Palace Lord well.
That lessened the shock, but even now, the man's size was astonishing.
Using his Palace Commander status to request an audience, the Palace Lord asked.
"What brings the Palace Commander to seek me out?"
The palace's supreme authority used honorifics with Hae-jin.
He had to.
Palace Commanders were universally acknowledged by all disciples.
Such a high rank meant even the Palace Lord refrained from rudeness.
To the one asking why he'd sought him, Hae-jin replied.
"I wish to enter the Southern Savage Duel Arena."
"Hm? You've already proven yourself there, which earned you that seat."
The Palace Lord furrowed his brow.
He had no choice.
The Palace Commander title Hae-jin inherited from Nam Joo-hyuk.
It came from winning the Duel Arena.
Thus, Palace Commanders needn't compete again.
So the Lord's confusion at Hae-jin's request for re-entry was understandable.
But Hae-jin knew the palace folk's nature intimately.
Flipping such reactions wasn't hard.
"Don't we palace disciples always seek battles with the strong? I want to face the fresh challengers entering the arena anew."
"Hoh, true enough. But if a proven winner like you competes, someone else loses a shot at Commander. Filling vacant seats would get tricky."
Vacant Commander seats.
The Southern Savage Beast Palace had fixed slots.
1 Palace Lord, 10 Elders, 100 Commanders.
That's the hierarchy.
A hundred Commanders.
When one vacated, the Duel Arena opened to fill it.
The timing in the thirteenth trial coincided perfectly, allowing survival-focused Players to join.
But Hae-jin already held a seat.
From the palace's view, they were running the arena to pick a new Commander—only for their current one to enter and win, leaving the seat empty.
Hae-jin dismissed it casually.
"If I win, just give it to the runner-up."
"Hm, that works. But if I grant one Commander's request, won't the others demand to join too?"
Palace disciples never shied from fights.
So if Hae-jin could join, why not them? the Lord asked.
Hae-jin had anticipated this.
Grinning at the question, he replied.
"I have a solution."
"A solution? What is it?"
To the Lord's query on handling other Commanders' demands, Hae-jin revealed his plan.
"It's..."