Arena (2)
"Welcome to the Duel Trial, Arena."
Welcome to the Duel Trial, Arena.
The hazy vision that suddenly appeared before his eyes sharpened his foggy mind, as if he'd been dreaming until that moment.
For balance, all challengers' stats are uniformly adjusted to F- Rank.
Yun-seok blankly stared up at the sky, blinking in a daze. The sunlight pouring from the clear blue heavens was dazzling, and the air wrapping around his lungs felt crisp and cool.
Prepare yourselves. The duel will begin shortly.
It felt too vivid to be a dream. But he couldn't just accept it with an "Ah, so it's not a dream!" either. There was no way to explain where this place was or why that monster was standing right in front of him if it wasn't a dream.
"Snort! Snort!"
Yun-seok simply opened his eyes wide. About 20 meters away, the green-skinned freak was still huffing and puffing like a pig in heat. It looked just like the orcs that showed up in movies and games.
"......"
The monster, which had been glancing around in confusion just like him, finally spotted Yun-seok and went berserk.
"Human! Snort! A human tricked me into this trap!"
It was nice that he could understand a language he'd never heard before without any issue. But Yun-seok felt like his breath had caught in his throat. Those eyes gleaming with murderous intent—they were unmistakably the gaze of a predator. His biological instincts screamed at him wildly: Run away, now!
"Wh-what... What the hell is this...?"
The moment he instinctively stepped back—
"Huh?"
Only then did Yun-seok realize it. For some reason, his legs wouldn't move. Not just his legs—his entire body was frozen in place. All he could do was steady his breathing and dart his eyes around. That's when he finally took in his surroundings.
A circular arena that instantly brought Rome's Colosseum to mind. In this vast space, there was nothing but him and that monster—no ant or bird in sight. The spectator seats, who knew who they were for, stood completely empty. Goosebumps prickled his skin.
Are they seriously telling me to fight that monster?
No matter how he looked at it, this didn't seem like a place made for him and the monster to hold hands and play patty-cake to become friends. But Yun-seok desperately denied it. At a glance, the thing towered over 2 meters tall, with muscles pumped up like they might burst at any moment. Even if it were human, those specs would be intimidating as hell—not that it was human.
It has to be a dream... right?
But contrary to that belief, why did his heart clench tight at the translucent text floating before his eyes? Truth be told, Yun-seok already knew the answer.
Countdown commencing.
When faced with an unreal sight, ordinary people first deny reality. It must be a dream. They repeat it to themselves, clinging to hope.
3.
But deep down, they feel it with every fiber of their being. That this is undoubtedly real.
2.
Reason clashes with instinct. The mind insists it's a dream, but the body trembles ceaselessly in fear.
1.
A circular arena mimicking the Colosseum perfectly. Him and the green monster right in the center. What would happen once the countdown ended was all too obvious.
START!
The moment the starting message floated in the air, the binding sensation holding his body vanished.
"I'll kill you! Kill!"
The green monster charged at Yun-seok like it had been waiting for this exact moment. Was this how the characters in dramas felt, just staring blankly as a truck barreled toward them?
Wh-what...?
Yun-seok froze solid. By the time he snapped out of it, the monster was already right up in his face. But then, something bizarre happened. Was this that superhuman ability in crises they'd talked about? His senses sharpened insanely. Every movement he saw slowed down, and he could feel the monster's hot breath on his skin.
Thanks to that, Yun-seok saw it all too clearly. The monster's fist thrusting toward him with a roar.
"Grrraaah!"
Yun-seok had no idea. Would getting hit by that fist wake him from this nightmare? Or would it just pulverize his bones into a lump of meat?
His instincts, at least, were brutally honest. Whoosh! As the fist whipped through the air with a heavy whoosh, his rigid body rolled across the ground on its own. The split-second sensation faded like a soap bubble the moment his shoulder hit the dirt. But he had no time to lament that.
This... isn't a dream.
Now he was certain. It wasn't a dream. Sure, everything was unreal. But the pain throbbing in his shoulder from the roll? That was real as could be.
I wish it were a dream...
Yun-seok groaned. The situation was that bleak. If it wasn't a dream, it meant he had to fight this monster and survive. And the odds of Yun-seok beating it? Just looking at their sizes from afar gave the answer: zero.
174cm, 68kg—Yun-seok had the average Korean male build. His opponent? Even against a pro fighter, those physical specs wouldn't stand a chance. They weren't even the same species.
Boom!
Dodging a stomp aimed at his head by rolling sideways, Yun-seok sprang back to his feet. Instantly, a fist came flying at him like it had been waiting. Whoosh! Yun-seok squeezed his eyes shut. At least he'd instinctively hunched and guarded his face with both arms—that was the only silver lining. Without all those beatings from Kang Hyung-woo, he might not have even managed that.
Thud—!
The moment the monster's massive fist slammed into his guard, Yun-seok was shoved backward. Even blocking with his arms, his head rang. The muscles in his arms throbbed. But it was weird. He'd expected worse.
Is it weaker than it looks...?
He'd braced to be sent flying, maybe even have his arm broken. But no—he was just staggering a bit, still standing, and aside from some pain, his arm was fine.
Suddenly, Yun-seok recalled the first message he'd seen. It had flashed by quickly amid the chaos, but it definitely said something like that.
For balance, all challengers' stats are uniformly adjusted to F- Rank.
Maybe... just maybe, regardless of size, he and the green monster had equal power.
And if that was true...
I have to fight...
A path to survival opened up. Of course, fighting didn't guarantee victory. Hell, the odds were heavily against him. Yun-seok hadn't fought anyone since he was ten, when he'd traded punches with Kang Hyung-woo. After that day, he'd lived as the guy's slave. His self-esteem had been shattered beyond repair, and even when he clashed with others—not Hyung-woo—he'd apologize first, even if it wasn't his fault. And if a fight broke out anyway, he'd just take the beating. Because he figured he couldn't win.
But now was different. He had to fight, win or lose. And as if God were lending a hand, even the slimmest possibility had appeared before him. Zero and one were worlds apart.
Yeah. Let's do this.
Resolve turned to action in an instant. Yun-seok clenched his fists and raised his guard—not just covering his head blindly like before, but precisely enough to keep his vision clear. He hadn't learned this; it was just mimicry. But better than nothing, right?
Yet the moment he decided to fight, all sorts of buried info bubbled up from his subconscious.
Gripping too tight tires you out fast. Hold it like an egg normally... Like this?
Proper fist-forming technique. Never close your eyes. The most basic rule of fighting. Before he knew it, Yun-seok was in a proper stance, staring down the green monster without flinching. If a seasoned fighter saw him, they might've been impressed. The posture and eyes were spot-on, at least.
Standing still means your body won't move right in time, huh?
Not quite footwork, but his body swayed in a steady rhythm. He didn't realize it, but his ragged breathing had long since steadied—short, deep, and quiet, synced to the rhythm.
"Snort! Snort!"
The green monster halted mid-stride. It sensed Yun-seok's aura had flipped 180 degrees from easy prey. But dismissing it as his imagination, it swung its fist anyway.
Watching that fist come with wide eyes, Yun-seok vaguely thought: The arm's arc is too wide. A slight duck of the waist should dodge it easily. He had no clue why he, who'd never properly fought, would think that. But he trusted his gut.
Whoosh!
The fist sailed over his ducked head. Yun-seok looked up, eyes fixed on the monster. More precisely, its jaw. It was an optical illusion, maybe, but it looked so exposed, almost glowing faintly.
Suddenly, a hallucinated voice echoed.
—Yun-seok! This is an uppercut. Got it? Huh?
Words Kang Hyung-woo had spat while using him as a punching bag back in middle school.
—It's not about arm strength. Use the recoil from your waist and back...
A conversation from over ten years ago. But it replayed crystal clear in his head. No—the whole scene vividly drew itself in his mind. Hyung-woo's face was blurry, and the sneering faces of his friends beside him too. But the arc of that swinging arm. The muscle flexing visibly even through his clothes. That part was etched into his brain, replaying perfectly.
Come to think of it, he could've gone pro.
Kang Hyung-woo had learned boxing. To torment Yun-seok more viciously, but in months, he'd medaled at nationals. Ridiculously, the guy had talent. If not for being a chaebol heir, he could've seriously pursued fighting.
—Like this!
Such a guy. No—Yun-seok twisted his waist slightly sideways. His obliques compressed with the torque. And not just them—his neck, legs, thighs. Every muscle needed for the motion tensed elastically. It felt like his whole body had become a coiled spring.
Yun-seok held back no longer.
Thud—!
A flawless counter uppercut.