Arena (3)
Yun-seok's fist slammed into the green monster's jaw. A perfect counter uppercut. If he had to nitpick, the height difference was so extreme that he had to stretch his arm much higher than a normal uppercut, meaning not 100% of his power made it into the punch. But that hardly mattered. His fist connected solidly with the monster's jaw, and it crumpled to the ground.
Thud!
The monster went down in one hit, sprawling out flat on its back. It was still breathing, but its eyes rolled back, showing only whites—it was out cold. Honestly, Yun-seok felt a bit dazed.
Did I win? For real? I actually beat it?
It didn't feel real. He could hardly believe it. He, who had been ignored and beaten down day after day, had finally struck someone back for the first time since that day.
"Huff... huff..."
Yun-seok gasped for breath. It wasn't physical exhaustion—it was mental fatigue crashing over him. All because of the trauma Kang Hyung-woo had left behind. No matter how unfairly he was treated, Yun-seok hadn't fought anyone since that incident. It didn't matter if it wasn't Kang Hyung-woo himself; it was the same either way. After all, his life had been ruined by a single careless punch he'd thrown that day.
Unable to believe it, Yun-seok clenched and unclenched his fists repeatedly.
I did it. I won...
He vaguely remembered the moment. It was like someone else had taken over his body for an instant, moving on autopilot. Part of him wondered if it had all been a dream... but the faint thrill still lingering in his knuckles said otherwise.
Standing blankly in place for a while, Yun-seok slowly approached the monster. He'd somehow subdued it and passed the immediate crisis, but nothing was resolved.
"Where the hell am I...?"
He looked around. No exit connected to the outside. The arena walls linking to the empty stands were too high for a human to climb, and smooth as glass with no handholds. In other words, no physical way out.
"Do I have to kill it to end this?"
Yun-seok said, staring at the stands. They still looked completely empty, but he felt like someone was listening. No reply came.
"Snort... snorrt..."
Then the unconscious monster's snoring changed slightly. Yun-seok tensed.
Whatever it is, better kill it now...
A thought he'd never had in his life. But his resolve didn't waver. It made sense, really. He wasn't sure if killing was the key to escape, but leaving it alive meant it could wake up and attack anytime.
No guarantee I'd win a rematch.
He wasn't immune to the idea of taking a life. But it was a monster, and it had come at him first. Legally, morally, ethically—no guilt there.
Yun-seok straddled the monster's upper body and wrapped both hands around its throat.
"Gurk! Guh, snor..."
It didn't take long. Pressing down with his full weight, he soon felt it through his fingertips: the monster's heartbeat stopping.
Bang! Boom! Pop!
Fireworks exploded brilliantly against the blue sky. A new message appeared before Yun-seok's eyes.
1,000 AP awarded as reward.
Unique Skill Predation activated.
Randomly acquire one of the opponent's skills.
Unique Skill Weapon Enhancement acquired.
He was still dazed, not grasping what any of it meant. But the last two lines were clear.
Returning to 1st Floor Waiting Room.
Please prepare for the next duel.
It was only the end of round 1.
* * *
Like flipping a TV channel, the scenery around Yun-seok shifted. From the sun-drenched circular arena to the middle of a dim stone chamber.
This the waiting room?
Probably. As the message said, a place to prepare for the next fight. Whether it was standard procedure after a duel, the throbbing pain in his arm from the monster's punch was gone.
No exit here either.
About 10 pyeong in size. Yun-seok scanned the interior. A statue holding a sword and shield stood against the front wall; nothing else. The only standout feature was the electronic timer perched atop the statue.
Yun-seok smiled bitterly. If he couldn't grasp it from this, he'd have to be brain-dead.
"So I have to fight again in 24 hours."
Now he had a sense of his situation. Another duel in 24 hours. Win that, and maybe go home? He was skeptical. Maybe he was doomed to fight endlessly in this mad world forever.
But... why am I not just scared?
Surprisingly, not pure fear. Excitement, maybe? Hard to say. He couldn't pinpoint the emotion. It felt like his body was heating up, craving that thrill from toppling the monster again.
Yun-seok shook his head, denying it.
What about school? Re-enrollment's soon—can I make it back?
Humans were ridiculous. Even with his life on the line, such thoughts surfaced.
Kang Hyung-woo will lose his shit when he realizes I'm gone...
Smack!
Yun-seok slapped both cheeks to snap out of it. Worrying about his father's business, which might suffer, already made him anxious. But in this uncertain situation, it wasn't worth thinking about.
Get it together.
School, Kang Hyung-woo—irrelevant now. If he survived, he'd handle it all. Survival first. That was his sole priority.
As the timer ticked down, Yun-seok steeled himself—and noticed something. A roughly 20-inch screen attached to the crude statue, blending tech with stone impossibly.
It felt oddly familiar and harmless, so Yun-seok touched the top option: [Info]. Sure enough, touchscreen—the screen changed.
Record: 1 Win, 0 Losses, 0 Draws
Unique Skills
Predation — Steals from the defeated.
Weapon Enhancement — Enhances equipped weapon using mana.
Acquired Skills — None
Total Score: 2,000 AP
Coins in Possession: 3
A status window straight out of a game. Obviously about him. Yun-seok focused on the unique skills.
Predation?
Steals from the defeated—what did that mean? The vague description baffled him, so he tapped the (+) at the end. Details expanded.
Predation
Rank F
Upon victory in a duel, randomly acquire one skill owned by the opponent. Upon defeat, randomly lose one acquired skill.
Straightforward explanation, easy to understand—but hard to accept.
This isn't some game...
He checked the unique skill acquired via Predation: Weapon Enhancement.
Weapon Enhancement
Rank F
Increases the rank of equipped weapon by 3 steps. Higher weapon ranks consume more mana.
No idea how to use it, or its exact effects. But probably made weapons tougher and sharper.
Lucky we were both bare-handed.
If the monster had a weapon, Yun-seok might've been the one down.
All stats F-...
He smiled wryly at the bottom-tier stats. At least no academic probation here.
No clue on total score or coins...
The info was sparse; no point lingering. Time to check other tabs.
Back at the main screen, Yun-seok spotted [Chat] at the bottom.
What, does the statue talk if I tap it?
Half-joking, but even if it did, he wouldn't be shocked. What he'd been through was light-years beyond reality. No point judging with modern logic. Hoping for any clue, he tapped [Chat].
Please set your nickname.
After a moment's thought, Yun-seok typed on the keyboard.
-Predator.
Taken from his unique skill Predation. Typing on a heavenly script keyboard in a stone room felt surreal, but whatever.
Entering 1st Floor Chat Room (3).
Current participants: 1,982/10,000
The chat updated faster than the eye could follow. With nearly 2,000 people, it was expected. Rather than join live, Yun-seok scrolled up, pinned it, and read from the top.
Are they all nuts? Or roleplayers?
His brow furrowed as he read. Inner energy gone, former court mage... tons of weird claims.
No way it's real... right?
After fighting that freakish monster, other dimensions weren't impossible. But accepting it easily? No.
Keep reading. Something useful might pop up.
He scrolled slowly from the top. Updates outpaced his reading, but persistence would pay off.
And it did.
An explainer had appeared in the chat.