Simma
Simma
"About how to fight... that's fine too. Since we met like this, it's fate, so I'll teach you everything one by one."
Jin Cheong-un smiled coolly and said he would teach me everything one by one.
'I don't know Jin Cheong-un's skill level, though.'
He seemed to be volunteering as a representative among the people who came to the arena today, so I figured he must be quite skilled.
'So, it should be fine to fight with full power.'
While I was thinking that, I heard Cheong Wol-hwa's worried voice.
"Refuse now, while you still can. You don't need a sparring match; you need to work on your basics."
"It's fine. I'll just see how far I can go first."
"See? What are you trying to see?"
"I have abilities and weapons I received from other channels."
When I answered, Jin Cheong-un also showed interest.
"It seems you have something."
"Yes. More than that, may I fight with all the power I possess?"
"I would actually prefer that. It's a chance to witness the power of another world."
Certainly, with the 3rd Channel's Telekinesis and the 4th Channel's weapons, it was enough to show a clear difference from the 1st Channel.
'The problem is whether what I have will actually work.'
Having decided to check, I put some distance between Jin Cheong-un and myself, then requested a duel.
"Then I'll request a duel. Duel request."
"I accept."
[The opponent accepts the duel.]
Along with that, I opened my inventory and took out my weapons.
Four Taehwa 9-Style guns.
Two Thunder Bolts, the flail-type weapons.
Finally, the Transcendent-class Monster claw given to me by Yoo Hyun-min from the 7th Channel.
I took out a total of 7 weapons and lifted them with Telekinesis.
"......!?"
Then Jin Cheong-un widened his eyes and spat out a word as if it were absurd.
"S-Sword Control Technique!?"
It seemed he mistook my Telekinesis for the Sword Control Technique.
"Jo So-hyeop! Have you been deceiving me this whole time?"
"Deceiving you?"
"Flaunting your Sword Control Technique like that..."
Jin Cheong-un started to say something, then stopped and stared intently at my Telekinesis.
Soon after, realizing that my Telekinesis was different from the Sword Control Technique, he shouted with a face that was clearly full of anger.
"Now I see, it was a heretical art."
"It's a 3rd Channel ability."
"Yes. I understand what you mean. Let's begin."
It looked like he regained his composure after realizing it wasn't the Sword Control Technique.
Anyway, at his words to begin, I moved one of my remaining Telekinesis hands to adjust the output of the Thunder Bolt.
'Since they said level 5 out of 1-5 makes things crispy on the outside and cooked on the inside...'
I adjusted it to level 4.
Then I pulled the trigger of the Taehwa 9-Style.
"I'm attacking."
"Come at me with everything you've got."
As soon as those words ended, a blue light like a circuit appeared on the barrel of the Taehwa 9-Style.
Papapapapat!!—
Four beams of light shot from the muzzles and tore Jin Cheong-un's limbs to shreds.
"Argh, aaaaagh!!"
"Huh? Huh?"
Jin Cheong-un moved to react as soon as he saw the beams of light, but the Taehwa 9-Style's attack was faster.
I remembered Elisicia saying that even she couldn't dodge it without using Instant Acceleration.
[The duel ends.]
[2nd Channel, 'Survivor★' wins.]
Fortunately, as the duel ended, Jin Cheong-un's limbs returned to normal.
Jin Cheong-un calmed down as the pain disappeared, but he looked at me with eyes that shook violently, as if an earthquake were happening.
"Th-that. What was that just now?"
"It's a weapon I received from the 4th Channel."
"A weapon? Don't tell me it's a weapon like a cannon?"
A cannon?
"Yes. You can think of it as that kind of weapon."
"If it's a cannon, then others could fire it just the same."
I didn't know his intention for asking, but I nodded to answer him.
"That's true."
"Ha."
At my answer, Jin Cheong-un let out a hollow laugh filled with a sense of futility.
"What on earth... have I been wielding a sword for..."
At that moment, Jin Cheong-un's eyes became hollow, as if they were emptying out.
I didn't know what was happening, but Hye-gak Daesa, who clearly did, shouted immediately.
"Simma!"
Hye-gak Daesa, who shouted "Simma!", quickly ran to Jin Cheong-un and poked various parts of his body with his fingers.
Then, after laying Jin Cheong-un on the floor, he placed his hand on his chest and did something, but I couldn't tell what it was.
"Simma..."
Cheong Wol-hwa also approached my side at some point and looked at Jin Cheong-un, saying it was Simma.
"But what is Simma?"
"Think of it as a sickness of the heart. But for a martial artist, it's fatal."
"He suddenly caught that Simma?"
Cheong Wol-hwa answered with a serious expression.
"The weapon you used was too powerful. To the point where the sword he's wielded his whole life became meaningless."
"......."
If it were me, I would have just wielded the sword and fired the gun.
Besides, Elisicia had seen the Taehwa 9-Style, but she didn't have any particular reaction.
Not only that, but others here, including Cheong Wol-hwa, had seen the Taehwa 9-Style, but they didn't get Simma.
'Or is it because he was hit directly by the Taehwa 9-Style?'
I thought it might be the difference between seeing it and getting hit by it.
Meanwhile, Hye-gak Daesa, who had his hand on Jin Cheong-un's chest, let out a long breath and slowly lowered his hand.
"Hoo."
"Hye-gak Daesa-nim. How is Jin-gongja?"
When Cheong Wol-hwa asked, Hye-gak Daesa explained.
"I have calmed his surging internal energy for now. But from here on out, it is entirely up to Jin-siju."
Hearing that, it seemed like Simma was something one had to overcome on their own.
Anyway, since I felt like it was partly my fault, I asked if there was anything I could do.
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
"As I said, he has no choice but to overcome it himself. But you possess an incredible weapon, Siju."
"Technology is extremely advanced in the 4th Channel. Weapons are too."
"If you have that weapon, dealing with the minions of the Old Gods might be much easier."
Hye-gak Daesa made a remark that sounded like he wanted my Taehwa 9-Style.
"This is a weapon that's hard to get even in the 4th Channel, so I don't think I can give it to you. Even if I did, you wouldn't be able to use it much due to the ammunition issue."
"Ammunition, you say?"
"Well... you know how cannons fire cannonballs? This weapon also fires something called ammunition."
Hye-gak Daesa nodded as if he understood, and then looked at the monster claw I received from Yoo Hyun-min in the 7th Channel.
"I also feel an ominous energy from that claw. May I ask what it is?"
"I received it from the 7th Channel, but other than it being some monster claw, I don't really know either."
"It surely isn't an ordinary monster. The person who obtained such a monster's claw wouldn't be ordinary either."
Indeed, since Yoo Hyun-min is also speculated to be a Transcendent, he wasn't ordinary.
'Anyway, I wonder if Jin Cheong-un will be okay.'
I looked at Jin Cheong-un, who was lying quietly as if asleep.
If I had known it would turn out like this, I wouldn't have dueled, but the deed was already done.
"Survivor. So, is it over for today?"
Meanwhile, Sirien asked if the arena was over for today.
As Sirien said, it might be right to end it since it would be hard to continue dueling.
"It seems Yeo-siju wishes to fight more."
Hye-gak Daesa also noticed what she wanted just by looking at Sirien's reaction.
Actually, since all Sirien wanted here was to fight, it wasn't difficult.
"That's true, but... since things turned out this way, it can't be helped."
"If you really want to fight, how about you try with someone else instead of me?"
"With someone else?"
Then Hye-gak Daesa nodded.
"If Yeo-siju doesn't transform into a White Tiger, it will be a good match with the people here. You'll gain more than you would sparring with me."
The arena was a special space where you returned to normal no matter how much you were injured.
Hye-gak Daesa, perhaps unable to just leave her be in this arena, recommended a duel with someone else.
"I'll ask her first."
I asked Sirien immediately.
"Sirien-ssi. Hye-gak Daesa-nim here is asking how about you try fighting someone else."
"Someone else?"
"Yes. He says if you don't transform into a White Tiger, it will be a good match."
"Compared to the monk, they seem too weak."
Sirien seemed reluctant.
I thought for a moment and brought up something that would tempt Sirien.
"If you beat everyone over there, maybe Hye-gak Daesa-nim will fight you again."
"Ah! That's true."
Sirien said that and immediately pointed at one person and shouted.
"You. Let's fight!"
Naturally, the people also saw Sirien fighting Hye-gak Daesa.
It meant they saw Sirien's skill, and perhaps that's why everyone started looking at her with competitive eyes.
'Plus, they saw Jin Cheong-un's limbs get torn off and then return to normal.'
Perhaps thinking there was no need to worry about injuries, one person boldly accepted the duel request.
"I look forward to a good match."
"Mm-hmm."
After that, Sirien dueled with almost everyone.
The surprising thing was that she won most of them, which was because she utilized the characteristics of the arena well.
'Since she doesn't fear injury itself.'
Because she attacked without caring even if her limbs were cut, the opponent was actually flustered.
Sirien seized that opportunity to win, and thanks to that, people also started using the arena's characteristics.
In short, hesitation in attacking disappeared.
'Maybe by tomorrow, everyone will be actively engaging in duels?'
Anyway, Sirien, who had fought to her heart's content with many people, had a somewhat satisfied expression.
"I wish I could fight like this every day."
Sirien said something that made me think she would have been sick and collapsed if it weren't for the arena.
Separately from that, Sirien and I, whose arena usage time was over, returned to the labyrinth to wash up and prepare to sleep.
'More than that, Jin Cheong-un is still on my mind.'
Is the Taehwa 9-Style that kind of weapon?
'I don't think I can beat a Quasi-Transcendent with the Taehwa 9-Style.'
Hye-gak Daesa also said it was an incredible weapon, but he didn't seem particularly wary.
This is my guess, but I think the Taehwa 9-Style wouldn't work on anyone above the Quasi-Transcendent level.
'Come to think of it, I didn't even use the Nano Suit.'
And one more thing.
'I also forgot to ask about the 1st Channel Administrator.'
The moment I thought I should ask when I use the arena again tomorrow.
"Survivor-nim."
Aila, the saintess with sky-blue hair and squinty eyes, came to find me on the 2nd floor where I was.
As soon as I saw Aila, I remembered that yesterday, the fox-kin Tipina said let's sleep together when she was leaving.
'Plus, Elisicia agreed too.'
Also, since I slept with Sirien and Tipina yesterday, today was naturally Saintess Aila and Elf Riness's turn.
'Hm?'
But looking around, Riness wasn't there.
"Riness-ssi refused."
"Ah. That makes sense."
Since Riness and I were more distant than the other party members, it was an obvious statement.
Aila then told me the reason why Riness refused.
"Please understand. Elves are wary of members of the opposite sex from other races."
"Is there a reason for that?"
"Because if they get close, they might like them, and if they like them, they might fall in love."
Aila said something cryptic.
"Elves only love one person in their entire life. But the lifespans of elves and other races are different."
"Ah."
Only then did I understand the reason.
"So she was wary of getting close to me in the first place."
"Yes. But she doesn't dislike you, Survivor-nim, so I hope you don't misunderstand."
"No misunderstanding here."
Anyway, if that was the reason, I thought I should also be careful with Riness.
Even now, I don't share personal stories with Riness, so I felt it would be fine if I just kept it this way.
'...Wait? Then am I sleeping with just Aila today?'
As if to prove my thought was correct, Aila approached nonchalantly and lay down next to me.