Chapter 92

Chapter 32. The Arena of Cosmos (3)

Amidst the cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

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Chapter 92

Chapter 32. The Arena of Cosmos (3)

The interior of the arena, filled with romance and love, was, in many ways, similar to a prison. It had long, dark corridors, and on either side, small rooms were lined up, their doors replaced with iron bars instead of the usual doors found in ordinary homes. The only difference from a prison was that the participants could open and close the iron bars at will. Additionally, the pirate subordinates of Cosmos, who served as guides, were surprisingly quite kind.

"Hey, a newbie participant has arrived? Hahaha, this year's arena is having a bumper crop of kids. Let me see... What? Group 13? Oh, and you beat up the captain? You're quite the catch, kid."

The guide examined Jin with curiosity.

"Kids these days are fearless. There's another kid who's a fan of our captain. If you two were in the same group, it would be quite a show. Too bad you're in different groups."

There was no need to ask who the other kid was. It had to be Dante Hyaran; no other teenager on this crazy island would dare do such a thing.

"So, which room should I use?"

When Jin asked indifferently, the guide shrugged.

"Pick any room! The matches for Group 13 start tomorrow, so you can watch other groups fight if you get bored today. You should have some fun memories before you die, right?"

The guide clearly thought Jin would die soon. Fortunately, it wasn't said with malice, so Jin simply walked past him and started choosing a room.

Thud, thud.

As he slowly walked and examined the rooms, he realized that a variety of people were gathered there. Some sat in the corner muttering prayers, others were inspecting unknown objects, and many had already formed groups and were chatting among themselves. In some ways, it felt more barbaric than the Mamet lawless zone.

'Anyway, that pirate Cosmos is not someone to be underestimated. I wonder why he's doing piracy in a place like this.'

Jin shrugged and chose a room. After wandering the corridor for about ten minutes, he found no room particularly better or cleaner. They were all old and dirty.

'And there aren't enough rooms for the participants. It's standard for two or three to share a room. The intention to not accommodate everyone is too obvious, it's annoying.'

The arena of Cosmos is a combat competition where even killing your opponent before the matches start is allowed. It's more like a survival game than a combat competition.

Thus, it was designed to have participants share cramped, shabby rooms, encouraging them to fight each other whenever the opportunity arose. Once you registered, there was no way to withdraw. The entrance was guarded by Cosmos's subordinates, and the other participants weren't kind enough to let a runaway go.

If someone tried to escape, the other participants would turn them into jerky before the subordinates even caught them. When Cosmos said, "You might not make it through the night," and the guide implied that Jin would die anyway, it was all because of this.

It would be hard to imagine a young boy like Jin surviving in such a situation. The pirates believed that even if Jin had the skills of a four-star genius, the probability of him dying was higher. In a world of intrigue and deceit, experience and wisdom were more important than pure strength. And in the pirates' common sense, a boy couldn't possess such qualities.

-You don't know much, do you? This is a more dangerous combat competition than you think.

Jin suddenly remembered what Kasimir had said. Seeing the reality firsthand, he immediately understood.

'Well, it's somewhat refreshing.'

Jin pulled open the iron bars of a room near the center of the corridor. With a grating sound, the three participants inside glared at him.

"Can't you see there are three of us here? Get lost, kid."

"Man, even in a low-level competition, they let in kids like you?"

"Why are you just standing there? Get out quickly."

All three were men in their mid to late twenties. Their casual tone and slouching posture made them seem like worthless thugs.

'Someone once said that patience is the best approach when dealing with people like this. I can't quite remember who—was it my old teacher or Sister Mary?'

Still, he should give them a chance before beating them up. Jin made eye contact with each of them.

"From today, I'll be using this room alone. I'll count to three. That should give you enough time to move a few steps and leave."

He had no intention of sharing a room with anyone. It was impossible to trust people who might stab you in the back at any moment.

Naturally, the thugs were taken aback, their eyes wide.

"One, two, three."

Crack! Bang! Snap!

Two punches and one joint lock. The results: orbital bone fracture, cheekbone depression, and shoulder dislocation. The thugs couldn't even react to the sudden assault.

As their screams echoed, cheers erupted from nearby rooms. When Jin put his hand on his waist, the three thugs stumbled out of the room, not even uttering a single curse.

The room was now clear.

But the real challenge was just beginning.

'With me alone in this room, there will be plenty of people who will try to take it... I won't be getting much sleep from now on.'

His prediction was accurate.

Before ten minutes had passed, new challengers started appearing to take the room.

"Hey, let's share this room."

They would walk in confidently.

"Ugh! Oof!"

Those who got a couple of punches and ran away were almost cute.

But those who tried to spray poison while pretending to pass by, or who attacked with crossbows in groups and then ran away, were not so cute.

So, he cut off their fingers or sliced their wrists and sent them back. It would send a better message to the other participants than killing them.

However, the most concerning group after Jin took the room were those who just observed and passed by.

'They'll definitely try to attack me when they get a proper chance. I can't just focus on the front; I need to be aware of their tricks.'

It wasn't particularly scary, but it was annoying. He couldn't use magic or spirit energy here.

'No matter the situation, I have to solve problems with just my sword. It's definitely a burden, considering I used to rely on three different powers simultaneously.'

Or he used to have companions. Until recently, he had a necklace that would ensure his survival no matter who he faced.

'I understand why Father sent me here. It's not just to fight Dante, but also to remind me not to be complacent with my sword skills.'

How long had he been staring down the corridor, on high alert?

The guide's voice echoed from outside.

"Alright, the matches between Group 1 and Group 2 are about to start! If you want to watch, head to the spectator area. And remember, no killing in the spectator area. If you cause trouble, you'll be in big trouble, so be careful."

Clank, clank!

Almost all the iron bars in the corridor started to open one by one. Everyone was moving to watch the matches between Group 1 and Group 2.

The spectator area was the only time participants could relax, as killing and attacking were prohibited. Additionally, there seemed to be an unwritten rule that participants didn't attack each other while moving to the spectator area. So, Jin naturally tried to blend into the moving crowd.

'Those who just observed me and passed by earlier. If I were them, I'd stab me in the crowd. It would have the highest success rate.'

No matter how skilled Jin was, it would be impossible to accurately catch and dodge a sudden blade in a crowd.

The rule of not attacking each other while moving to the spectator area was just an unwritten rule, not an official rule. Jin had read the rules on the back of the application form dozens of times on the way, and there was no such content.

Of course, those who attacked Jin in the crowd would receive disapproving looks from other participants. But there would also be many who would welcome the death of a cocky kid who had taken a room alone.

'There's no harm in going slowly. It's better to leave when the corridor is less crowded.'

It was a good judgment.

The participants who had observed Jin and passed by earlier were part of a group. They saw Jin as a four-star level participant and had a plan to eliminate him.

They had no other reason to target Jin; he just seemed the most interesting among the prey they could handle.

Because Jin was cautious, they couldn't execute their plan. The guide, who had been quietly observing, muttered in admiration.

"I thought you were just a fearless kid, but you're quite perceptive. Now I understand why the captain specifically asked to pair you with someone he thought was useful."

Jin left the room without a word.

As he approached the arena, the cheers gradually became clearer. When he arrived at the spectator area, he was momentarily speechless at the massive crowd.

'Crazy, so many people came to watch this?'

There seemed to be over a thousand spectators, excluding the participants.

For a moment, he worried if anyone would recognize him, but it was unlikely that the bigwigs who could attend the Runkandel log bridge party would come to such a place.

'Dante Hyaran probably participated because he's not well-known outside the imperial nobility.'

If he had known the competition would have so many spectators, he would have been more careful with his disguise.

He found a seat and naturally overheard the voices of the spectators in front of him. They seemed to be wealthy people from the Velado Principality who watched the competition every year.

"Have you heard the rumor?"

"What rumor?"

"There's a rumor that a Runkandel cadet is participating in this arena under a pseudonym."