61
061 ― There's No Helping It When It Comes to Watching Fights
At a glance, there had been major changes in the city. First was the drastically increased population. People who had been sparse before were now as common as stones underfoot.
The second was that chaos was erupting on the floating Island above the city.
Kwagwagwagwagwang!
Tudududududududu!
Several bolts of lightning fell toward the upper part of the Island. That wasn't all. Ice fragments scattered and fell like hail to the ground below, and flames stretched across the sky before disappearing with a hwaleuleu.
Sometimes the entire Island shook and stone dust fell, and occasionally even large rocks tumbled down, forcing people below to dodge them on their own.
In an ordinary city, that alone would constitute a disaster, but this was Pandemonium, the 3rd floor. There were many skilled individuals who could reflexively dodge or block falling rocks.
—Uooooooo!
—Waaaaaaaaa!
Though too distant to hear clearly, cheers of some kind could be heard. The fact that they could be heard even faintly at this distance made it impossible to imagine how loudly they must be echoing at the actual scene.
"Master! You were still in the 3rd floor?"
Just then, he encountered April entering Moonlit Forest. She ran toward him happily upon seeing Jin-woo.
"I thought you had returned to your original world since you hadn't been seen."
"I was dealing with a rather troublesome trial, so I had to go resolve that."
"For someone of Master's caliber to take two whole weeks, it must have been quite a difficult trial."
"It was both difficult and far."
It had been incredibly far since he had gone all the way up to the 6th floor.
But more than that, the changes in the city were fascinating.
"What happened? I was only gone for about two weeks, but everything's completely changed."
"The city, you mean? Suddenly, an enormous number of humans from Master's world came flooding in. It seems your achievements have become widely known."
April pointed to one location, telling him to look over there. It was a place where people had gathered in droves, and he could see them glancing this way with sidelong looks.
Actually, rather than this way, they were only paying attention to him specifically.
—Kang Jin-woo#@@#$@
—@#^%@Kang Jin-woo!#%#%
Though it was a foreign language he didn't understand, he could clearly hear his own name.
The Hunters glancing this way while murmuring Jin-woo's name weren't just one or two. Most of them were looking at Jin-woo with curiosity, reverence, or a desire to compete.
Even for Jin-woo, receiving such waves of attention was somewhat burdensome.
"Should we go back into the forest for a moment?"
"Please do as you're comfortable."
Jin-woo pulled April back into the forest. He wanted to catch up on recent events in a quieter place.
Fortunately, Moonlit Forest was still a place where few besides Elves ventured.
It wasn't that the forest rejected other races, but it had a strong impression of being the Elves' stronghold. Since Elves themselves weren't particularly sociable with other races, few non-elves visited their stronghold of Moonlit Forest.
"My story spread to Earth?"
"I don't know the details either. But the achievement of being the first to bring down a temple and drive divine authority out of the 3rd floor would certainly be worth spreading rumors about, wouldn't it?"
"That's true."
Especially on Earth with its well-developed internet, it wouldn't be strange for rumors to spread completely in a single day.
So all those people had either come to verify the rumors they'd heard, or had been stimulated to visit the 3rd floor...
'At least it's not something bad or a disaster.'
He had been worried there might be some ominous event, but apparently that wasn't the case.
—Kwaaaaaaang!
"Then what's that up there? Why is the floating Island like that?"
Hearing the massive explosion that echoed even to Moonlit Forest, Jin-woo asked about the floating Island that was exploding repeatedly. Of course, the Island itself wasn't being destroyed—it was the top of it that was erupting.
"It's because of the God of War."
"The God of War?"
"It seems quite a few strong individuals have gathered from Master's world. I heard that over ten people on par with Lin Shenlin have been spotted."
"S-rank?"
Strong individuals on par with Lin Shenlin meant S-rank. It wasn't like Ireland, where a city-scale disaster had occurred, yet S-ranks had gathered like that?
"Not just them, but dozens of 4th floor level warriors like myself have easily gathered as well. With so many strong individuals assembled in the city, the God of War seems to have gotten excited. He's been generously distributing contribution points while opening an arena."
That was indeed behavior befitting someone called the God of War.
"Contribution points are only useful in the 3rd floor, so they're really fighting over that?"
"Aren't they all hot-blooded people? If you give them an excuse and set up a stage, they're the type to go wild with joy. How could they have become masters without that kind of spirit?"
Hearing it put that way, it made sense. If they had disliked fighting or combat from the start, they wouldn't have reached S-rank, let alone A-rank. They would have retired before that to plan a second life with their accumulated wealth.
"The God of War is personally using his power to protect them from dying. Well, arms and legs are flying off left and right, but there are skilled healers too, so somehow they all get treated."
"...S-ranks have an extraordinary scale even for sparring matches."
"This works out perfectly. Rather than just hearing about it, let's go see it directly with Master's own eyes."
He had nothing particular to do anyway, having just returned. The only thing to do would be to visit Kalesian.
That wasn't particularly urgent either.
'I was really conflicted about whether to tell him about the 6th floor.'
The God of Moonlit Forest had used two divine artifacts to open a path to the 6th floor, and he had visited the 6th floor through it. He had been somewhat conflicted about whether to tell Kalesian about that fact.
To conclude, he had decided to postpone it for now.
'If I tell him carelessly, he might storm into Moonlit Forest's temple, throwing a tantrum, or try to coax me into raiding other temples again.'
Once he learned that at least two divine artifacts were needed, it was obvious he would target other divine artifacts as well.
Jin-woo had been able to obtain a divine artifact from the God of Sky's temple because he was lucky. The guardian protecting the divine artifact was entirely magic, using the power of Erosion, so it was easily defeated by Jin-woo's hand.
But there was no guarantee other temples would be the same. Just looking at Moonlit Forest's divine artifact—the greatly grown tree—he felt no power of Erosion at all.
'Besides, if other gods have any sense, they would have strengthened their temples' defenses.'
Those who had watched the Sky Temple's downfall while munching popcorn couldn't have left their own temples undefended. They would have strengthened security far more than before.
Using stronger guardians, laying multiple dangerous traps—there were many methods.
"Shall we go take a look?"
Anyway, that's why there was no immediate need to find Kalesian. With plenty of time, he could talk with him slowly.
When Jin-woo accepted, April asked him to follow her and guided him to one location. It seemed she was looking for a way to get up to the floating Island.
"Are we going to find Poldere?"
"No. There's an elevator going up."
An elevator? There was an elevator?
Following April with a puzzled expression, the place they reached had long, stretched vine stems. Below those stems that reached to the Island, giant leaves were laid out like carpets.
"Please get on."
"Oh, okay."
Being somewhat bewildered by the unexpected appearance of the elevator, April got on the left first. When Jin-woo also climbed on, the leaf began ascending the vine to the top of the Island.
"Here we are."
The floating Island they arrived at had a very different landscape than before.
The previous scenery had the collapsed ruins of the Sky Temple and tree roots that seemed to swallow up those ruins.
But now, the site of the collapsed temple had become a stage for fighting, and the surrounding tree roots had become seats for spectators, creating a place where fights could be comfortably watched.
—Waaaaaaaaa!
—Kill him! Kill him!
—You can't kill because of the God of War's blessing, you idiot!
—Who doesn't know that? Fight like you're trying to kill!
Cheers overlapped with voices of unknown origin. There were foreign languages Jin-woo didn't know mixed in, and even known languages were often drowned out by the massive roar.
Looking at them, Jin-woo soon turned his eyes back to the seats they were sitting in. And also to the vines and leaves he had just ridden.
'This obviously isn't just the God of War's power.'
While opening the arena itself might have been the God of War's doing, decorating the Island like this wasn't something that could be done with his power alone.
In the first place, on the day Jin-woo brought down the Sky Temple, it was the God of Moonlit Forest who swallowed up the Island that had lost control.
This Island itself was now Moonlit Forest's territory.
'What's this? Did you help him decorate here?'
[The God of Moonlit Forest cautiously nods.]
'You threw me into the 6th floor, and then you were here doing this kind of work?'
[S-sorry. It looked fun so I just...]
A thin voice, like crawling, was heard. It was a voice that clearly conveyed the feeling of having no face to show.
Jin-woo sighed softly and shook his head.
'Well, there's no helping it when it comes to watching fights.'
Isn't there a saying that watching fires and fights is the most entertaining?
In this place, you could see both. In the arena made from the temple site, flames were exploding peongpeong even at this very moment.
***
A Hunter with a sword charged through flames that seemed to engulf the stage. The hot heat tried to penetrate and burn his skin, but it was blocked by the Magi protecting his body.
A swordsman who could charge head-on through magic was no match for a mage.
Chwaak—
The sword flashed once, and the mage's arm fell off. The arm that had been holding the staff. The mage, suddenly one-armed, screamed and tumbled away.
"Keuaaaaaaaaa!"
[The God of War declares. This fight has already ended.]
Meaning not to lay a hand on him anymore.
The swordsman obediently withdrew and raised his fist, and victorious cheers poured down on him.
Unlike the swordsman receiving everyone's attention and cheers, no one was interested in the mage crawling on the ground after losing his arm.
"Bring the injured one over here quickly."
Except for those who were here to treat the injured.
At someone's instruction, two Orcs quickly brought a stretcher. They loaded the mage and his fallen arm.
The fact that Orcs were doing systematic work was remarkable in itself, but no one at this place found it strange. It was a scene they had been watching for days.
The one giving instructions to the Orcs was also an Orc.
His lower fangs grew like those of a fierce wild boar. But contrary to that, he wore round-framed glasses over his eyes and held a thick theological text in one hand.
His attire was also priest robes made of black cloth, though it wasn't the garb of any actually existing religious order. It was a priestly outfit he had imagined and sewn himself.
[The God of War orders. His treatment.]
"Leave it to me."
Bertus.
The Orc who held 1st place in the God of War's temple contribution points and 2nd place in all of Pandemonium.
• Bertus — God of War's Contribution Points: 83,147,341
His contribution points, which had once been 55 million, had already surpassed 80 million because he was treating almost all the injured coming from this arena.
Indeed, when he made the sign of the cross and recited an incantation, the groaning mage's arm reattached, and his breathing returned to normal.
After safely reattaching the arm, he took out a potion from his subspace pocket and forcibly poured it into the half-conscious mage's mouth.
"Kek, kekkek! Are you trying to drown me to death!"
The effect was certain, and the mage immediately woke up coughing. Of course, his words were in Earth's language, so Bertus couldn't understand them. He probably thought it was something like being happy to be alive.
"You've recovered safely. You may go now."
"Huh? My arm! You fixed it? Wow, I'd heard stories, but this is really impressive. This level would be comparable to an S-rank healer, but an Orc with this kind of healing power?"
The mage marveled at his properly attached arm, then took out payment from his inventory.
He had heard that Orcs don't like things like gems and prefer food or weapons. Since he had reattached an arm, he should give at least this much.
When he offered high-grade ingredients that were quite expensive even on Earth and a well-sharpened axe, Bertus gratefully accepted them without even properly checking.
Bertus had no intention of receiving payment in the first place, but he didn't refuse offered items.
"Thanks. There really are all kinds of people in the world, no, all kinds of Orcs."
The mage left, swinging his fully healed arm hwijeokhuijeok.
[You have made an appropriate contribution to the God of War's temple.]
• Bertus — God of War's Contribution Points: 83,159,962 (↑12,621)
Bertus, who had treated him, received contribution points from the God of War. It was just an appropriate amount since it was just reattaching a freshly severed arm. The more serious the injury, the more contribution points came in exponentially.
However, Bertus wasn't very interested in contribution points either. His treatment of the injured here wasn't for payment or contribution points.
Then was he purely volunteering out of the heart to care for the injured? That wasn't it either.
'Certainly, there are many strong individuals.'
He, too, was an Orc, so he had fighting instincts. The innate nature of being instinctively drawn to battles, battlefields, and strong individuals.
Just watching was enjoyable. Many strong individuals existed, and among them were those who were even stronger. Bertus surveyed the arena with the feeling of looking at a sparkling, starry sky.
And then.
—It's Kang Jin-woo!
—What? Kang Jin-woo?
—It really is him!?
His gaze turned toward where commotion had arisen. Beyond the crowd, he could see April, whom he had encountered several times. Her Orc-like appearance, full of muscles, unusual for an Elf, made her easy to recognize.
And one human beside her.
He was the brightest star in this place.
***
"That's Bertus. He's an Orc sorcerer famous for using considerable-level healing arts. The God of War being able to open this kind of arena was possible because of him, an excellent healer."
April whispered information about him.
Bertus. Though only briefly glimpsed, it was a name in his memory. He was definitely the one who held 2nd place in Pandemonium's contribution point rankings.
Jin-woo's eyes, looking at him, were extremely sharp. Even sharper than when he had looked at Lin Shenlin.
Inside that Orc called Bertus, black flames were blazing fiercely—not blue ones. Flames like those of the Black Knight or Ireland.