Arena Duel
Arena Duel
'This place is.......'
Is this an arena?
Looking around, I saw a massive structure surrounded by a circle, much like a Colosseum, with countless seats.
Naturally, since I was the only one in the center of the arena for now, I decided to examine the functions first.
Duel Invite.
Spectator Invite.
Point Betting.
"......."
The Duel Invite seemed to be for calling people here to fight.
The Spectator Invite seemed to be for calling people to sit in those numerous seats and watch.
'But point betting, of all things.'
I figured it was a way to win points by guessing who would win.
'This would be dangerous if used in Channel 2.'
Channel 2 is a place where almost everyone is desperate to earn points day by day.
I thought that if I suddenly opened a point betting system where they could strike it rich, it would be uncontrollable.
'After all, it's a way of taking other people's money.'
Ttiring~!
Point betting: 1% goes to the system, 1% to the integrated channel manager. The fees are split this way.
"......."
What is this?
'A 1% fee?'
I thought about what would happen if I opened the arena in Channel 3.
The population of Channel 3 is 2.5 million, so if only 10% of them participated and bet just 1 point each.......
'1% of 250,000 points. That means 2,500 points would come to me.'
It seems like a small amount of points, but that's only if they bet 1 point each.
If people bet 1,000 points, 10,000 points, and so on, the points coming to me would be enormous.
'What would happen if I opened it in Channel 4, which has the largest population?'
However, I still didn't think point betting was the right move, so I pressed [Duel Invite] and selected Master Hye-gak from Channel 1.
The opponent has accepted the arena duel invitation.
Pat―
At the same time, an old monk, estimated to be in his 60s, appeared in front of me.
The old monk, presumably Master Hye-gak, looked at me and the arena with a rather surprised expression.
"Amitabha. Are you, by any chance, the one called Castaway?"
"Ah, yes. That's right. Please, speak comfortably."
"I am sufficiently comfortable, so please do not trouble yourself."
Master Hye-gak replied calmly while pressing his palms together.
'But.'
Now that I looked closely, unlike his apparent age, he had a quite robust physique.
Moreover, I don't know if it was my imagination, but he felt much heavier and more solid than his actual weight.
"Siju, you have good eyes."
"Good eyes?"
When I asked back, Master Hye-gak smiled slightly.
"More importantly, may I ask where this place is?"
"Ah. It's an arena among the gallery functions. I think it's a space where we can fight each other...... I thought we might be able to meet here, so I used it."
"An arena, you say...... Since this humble monk and Siju have met, it was certainly a correct guess."
Of course, that wasn't the only purpose for using the arena.
'Also, the person in front of me, Master Hye-gak, is a person from Channel 1.'
I thought I might need the help of someone from Channel 1 regarding Sirien, so I decided to mention it in advance.
"I was also thinking of finding out what happens if we spar here in the arena."
"A sparring match, you say?"
Then, Master Hye-gak scanned my body.
"Now that I look, you possess a considerable body. It is as if you have undergone bone-marrow cleansing."
"I said sparring, but I meant my companion. I don't know how to fight."
"One can tell that by looking at Siju's eyes. That is why I thought Siju wanted to spar."
My eyes?
'Does that show in my eyes too?'
Anyway, Cheongwolhwa said Master Hye-gak was one of the elders staying with her.
I didn't intend to hide it, but I explained why I needed a sparring partner so the other party wouldn't misunderstand.
"I heard that one of my companions needs to fight to grow. So, I thought of the arena and the people of Channel 1."
"I am curious as to what you mean by needing to fight to grow."
"Physical growth? She is not a human, but a member of the Beastkin race."
Master Hye-gak looked surprised at the mention of a race other than humans, but he seemed to accept it quickly.
Since he already knew that other worlds existed, I thought he might have accepted the fact that other races existed along with that.
"I understand. It is a small contribution, but please allow this humble monk to help."
"You, Master?"
Master Hye-gak nodded.
"Along with food, you even provided precious items. I was worried about how to repay this grace, but fortunately, have you not suggested a way?"
"Ah. Then shall we start by sparring with me to see how it proceeds?"
"Is there a need to unnecessarily increase the workload? If the purpose is to have the Beastkin person spar, you may call them now."
It seemed he intended to spar with Sirien right away without even checking.
'No, I could just stop at the right timing while sparring to check, but.'
Thinking this, I nodded and decided to proceed according to Master Hye-gak's words.
"Yes. Just a moment."
Then, just like with Master Hye-gak, I invited Sirien.
The opponent has accepted the arena duel invitation.
Pat―
Sirien also accepted the duel invitation and appeared in front of me.
"Castaway! You suddenly disappeared, and everyone was worried!"
"Ah. It seems I was moved to the arena."
It didn't seem like only my consciousness was transferred, like when I met the Great Witch.
Furthermore, if my actual body was moved, I wondered if sparring would be dangerous, but just then, Sirien closed her mouth for a moment.
'Huh?'
Seeing Sirien suddenly go quiet, she was looking at Master Hye-gak with wary eyes.
"Sirien-ssi. What's wrong?"
"Who is that person?"
"He is Master Hye-gak from Channel 1. He said he wanted to express his gratitude to me, so I met him like this."
"......He's quite strong. About on par with Veronica."
If she's on par with Veronica.......
"Do you mean a semi-transcendent?"
"Yes."
I knew he was strong to some extent, but to be at a semi-transcendent level.
Thanks to that, I was also surprised anew, and Master Hye-gak spoke while looking at Sirien.
"I cannot understand what Ye-siju is saying."
"It must be because we are from different worlds. I received an ability related to translation."
I was thinking that maybe the friend who sent me to this other world gave it to me.
"Thanks to that, I have learned many new facts. Then, I suppose I shall have a sparring match with that person now."
"At first, we need to find out how sparring here is different, so let's stop if we get even light injuries."
"Understood."
I listened to Master Hye-gak and said the same to Sirien.
"You said to take it easy at first?"
"Think of it as a warm-up."
"Got it."
I had spoken to both of them, but I didn't know how to start the sparring match.
Since we were in the arena, did we just do it? The moment I thought that, Sirien said to Hye-gak.
"Let's fight!"
Channel 2, 'I am the Chief' requests a duel with Channel 1, 'Hye-gak'.
The opponent accepts the duel.
It seemed the duel was established as soon as one side said let's fight, without me needing to do anything.
As soon as the duel started, I quickly stepped back as I saw Sirien rushing toward Hye-gak.
'I told both of them to take it easy, so they'll fight lightly, right?'
That's what I thought, but the sparring that unfolded before my eyes was different from what I expected.
Kwang!― Kwang!―
Sirien swung her hands and feet at Hye-gak with an aura as if she were going to kill him.
It was an attack fast enough that even with my eyes, which now had the physical capabilities of a D-rank hunter, it felt quite fast.
'Still, I can see it somehow.'
Apart from seeing it, if someone told me to dodge it myself, it was a speed I would absolutely not be able to dodge.
However, Hye-gak showed himself receiving all of Sirien's attacks by moving very shortly and concisely.
"......."
Seeing him receive Sirien's attacks as if it were nothing, I thought he might be taking it easy.
Kwang!―
But the sound heard every time he blocked Sirien's attack told me that was absolutely not the case.
At that moment, a massive aura like a mountain emanated from Master Hye-gak's body, having received Sirien's attacks several times.
'What is that?'
When I first saw him, I felt that Master Hye-gak's body was solid.
But the moment I thought that feeling was even more intense now.
Kwaang!―
Master Hye-gak's fist was extended before I knew it and hit Sirien's shoulder.
The power in the fist must have been great, as Sirien spun sideways and flew about 3 to 4 meters.
"Let's stop here."
Then, Master Hye-gak said let's stop here after pressing his palms together.
The duel is terminated.
Channel 2, 'I am the Chief' wins.
'Huh?'
Perhaps because Master Hye-gak said to stop here first, the system answered that it was Sirien's victory.
'So even if you say let's stop first, it counts as a defeat.'
But that wasn't particularly important.
I looked at Sirien and Master Hye-gak with a hopeful heart.
'Has anything changed?'
Unfortunately, it was hard to confirm with my current eyes, but Sirien and Master Hye-gak, who fought directly, were different.
"So this was the effect. The body returns to its original state as soon as the duel ends."
"It returns to its original state?"
"Yes. Even if you get hurt or your clothes are torn, it seems to return to the state when you first entered this place."
Fortunately, as I had expected, I was able to learn that sparring in this arena was safe.
Still, I hadn't confirmed everything, and having thought of the most important thing, I pondered about it.
'I'm also curious about what happens if you die in the arena.'
What I wanted was that even if you died, you would return to your original state.
But I couldn't tell either of them to die to test that.
'Instead, it seems you return to your original state no matter how much you get hurt, so I have no choice but to be satisfied with that.'
While I was thinking, Sirien returned looking perfectly fine, and she glared at Master Hye-gak with a much more excited look than before.
"......."
Even to me, an outsider to combat, Sirien was emitting a brutal aura as if she would attack at any moment.
'It feels like if I even say a word, she might attack immediately.'
Master Hye-gak seemed to have already noticed and told me to be careful.
"Siju. It would be best to step back a little without saying anything for now."
I followed Master Hye-gak's words and stepped back far away without saying a word.
Master Hye-gak requested a duel again to Sirien, who was glaring at him without taking her eyes off him for a moment.
"I request a martial arts duel."
Channel 1, 'Hye-gak' requests a duel with Channel 2, 'I am the Chief'.
The opponent accepts the duel.
"Keu-eoeong!"
With that, Sirien's body grew even larger, and her face and body began to change to resemble a white tiger.
'What is that again?'
Before, she looked no different from a human except for her ears and tail, but now she was almost a beast.
The only difference was that she was standing on two legs like a human, and Master Hye-gak also looked surprised, but soon took a stance.
Pabat!―
'Muscle Power Wave?'
However, Sirien even used the Muscle Power Wave she obtained from the Awakening Stone to triple her muscle strength.
'No, isn't it dangerous to even use the Muscle Power Wave?'
Master Hye-gak also seemed to feel that Sirien's current appearance was extraordinary, as he emitted a much stronger and fiercer aura than before.
Thus, Sirien, who had become a beast, rushed at Master Hye-gak with a speed that was now hard to follow with the eyes.
"Ahahahat! Castaway! Thank you! You're the best!"
The sparring between Sirien and Master Hye-gak continued for the entire hour I used the arena.
Sirien, who had only been beaten up for that hour, clung to me with an extremely happy face.
"Hey, Sirien-ssi. Calm down."
I stopped Sirien, who was hugging me tightly and rubbing her cheek against my face.
"Ahahat!"
But she didn't seem to hear me, and Sirien just kept laughing.
Thanks to that, Rubyel, who was watching Sirien and me, asked what on earth had happened.
"What did you do in there to be like that?"
"I asked her to spar with someone from Channel 1."
"Channel 1? Is there someone there who can fight Sirien?"
It wasn't just that there was someone who could fight; there was someone who had pulverized Sirien in more ways than one.
'Even so, I didn't know she wouldn't even be a match for him while using the Muscle Power Wave.'
I could tell that Sirien's words about him being a semi-transcendent were no empty talk.
'Anyway, since I've found out various things about the arena.'
I left Sirien clinging to me and recalled the things I had found out about the arena.