Chapter 93

Chapter 32. The Arena of Cosmos (4)

Startled.

"Ah, geez, that's a surprise. Why did you suddenly rush in like that?"

Upon arriving at the spectator seats, Jin had never imagined he would hear such rumors. He quietly took a seat near them and opened his ears wide.

"Runkandel's prospective captain? Haha, my friend. Why would such a promising talent come to an arena like this? There's no place lower than this."

"I heard this from the officers of the Cosmos Pirate Group a few days ago. They say there's an incredible young man among the participants, and he must be Runkandel's prospective captain."

"Hmm, really? Let's see... who could be a prospective captain at Runkandel right now. Daytona, Hito, and Jin Runkandel. There are three of them."

"Jin Runkandel was quite the talk last year. The news was all about that boy achieving five stars. Anyway, the officer was very confident. He said one of these three must be participating."

Jin found it quite interesting to hear such rumors right next to him.

'Runkandel's influence is indeed formidable. I know I've been in the news a lot, but for them to even know the names of the Tona brothers...'

The Tona brothers were indeed around the age to become prospective captains. In the previous timeline, they started their activities as prospective captains around 1796 or 1797.

Moreover, as he carefully considered the nature of this 'Arena of Cosmos' tournament,

it seemed plausible that the Tona brothers, known as 'vicious murderers' in their previous lives, could participate.

Of course, in this life, the Tona brothers had been quite tamed compared to their previous lives, having been bullied by Jin since childhood.

'If the brothers are participating, it would be perfect for me. I can quietly bring them in and use them as my bodyguards until the end of the tournament. I can also offload all the tiring tasks to them.'

The nobles then engaged in a brief discussion about which participant might be Runkandel's prospective captain.

Not only that, but other nobles nearby were also whispering to each other about the same topic.

'Come to think of it, most of the spectators are nobles. Well, rich kids always look for something exciting.'

Creak!

The massive iron gate on one side of the circular arena began to open.

As the gate opened, a man stepped into the center of the arena, the pirate Cosmos. The audience erupted into cheers as soon as he appeared, indicating his significant popularity.

"Thank you for waiting!"

"Cosmos!"

"Cosmos!"

The sight of the nobles, who usually looked down on commoners, enthusiastically chanting Cosmos's name was quite peculiar. They were fervently cheering for a mere criminal.

"Gentlemen and ladies, thank you for visiting the arena. This pirate king, Cosmos, sincerely appreciates your presence. Hahaha! I'm overwhelmed by the number of people who have come this year."

Clap!

As Cosmos clapped his hands, fireworks suddenly shot up from all directions. The sky was brilliantly lit, and the air instantly heated up with the sound of explosions.

"Alright, let's get started! Hehe, boys! Bring out the first pair! Sound the trumpets!"

Brrr! Brrr!

As the pirates at the edge of the arena began to blow their trumpets, the iron gates on both sides opened, revealing the participants.

Each group had 14 participants.

With 13 groups, a total of 182 warriors were participating in this terrifying tournament. A martial arts tournament with such a large number of participants was not common.

"Roar! The star of the first match is... last year's round of 16 participant and the Shark Pirate Group's darling, Mantis! And his opponent is!"

Cosmos narrowed his brows and leaned closer to the match list. His expression was sour, indicating some problem.

"Ah, this is bad. I'll probably have to listen to the Shark pirates' captain's complaints later. And I plan to punish the subordinate who drew up the match list. Anyway, let me introduce him! His name is, Paul Mix!"

"Who is Paul Mix?"

"It's a name I've never heard before, but from Cosmos's reaction, he seems to be someone special."

As the nobles discussed in confusion, Mantis stepped into the arena first.

With a slender build and a shark tattoo on his back, he walked with two curved swords, looking every bit the pirate.

"Hehe, Mr. Cosmos. Who is this Paul or Mix? You're scaring me. I feel so disappointed, it's embarrassing."

Cosmos avoided Mantis's playful gaze.

As Paul Mix emerged from the waiting room, the audience quickly began to murmur.

"He's just a kid?"

"What? I heard there were many children participating in this tournament, but this is a bit much, isn't it?"

"If he bends his knees a little, the longsword on his back will touch the ground. Hehe."

Jin was also a bit taken aback.

The boy called Paul Mix looked no more than fifteen at first glance.

'Thirteen? Fourteen? Goodness, to let such a young child participate in a tournament? They must be crazy!'

He almost rushed into the arena. He couldn't just stand by and watch a child his size die right in front of him.

If Cosmos's reaction hadn't been so strange, he might have done it.

'Could this kid be Dante Hyran? No, Dante is three years older than me...'

And then something astonishing happened.

As Cosmos prepared to step aside to announce the start of the match, and Mantis shrugged his shoulders to express his disbelief,

Swoosh!

It happened in the blink of an eye.

Mantis's head was severed.

"Huh?"

"What just happened...?"

"Did anyone see it clearly?"

Most of the audience didn't even realize the moment Mantis's head fell.

It was only natural. Even Jin, who was about to reach the sixth star, almost missed it.

'Sword qi. He closed the distance in an instant and used sword qi to cut the neck when he was about five steps away. Crazy, could it be that kid?'

No, it couldn't be a coincidence.

Among the participants, no one other than Dante Hyran could have performed such a feat.

The audience fell silent in an instant. Everyone who had been chattering just moments ago was now speechless, their mouths agape.

Thud!

The sound of Mantis's body hitting the ground was heard even in the spectator seats.

Cosmos, with his hand on his forehead, looked perplexed.

"Well... Mantis was a valuable participant, having reached the round of 16 last year. To lose so pointlessly... Anyway, Paul Mix wins!"

As Cosmos announced the winner, the audience remained silent. In the midst of everyone's shock, a man in the VIP section opposite Jin suddenly stood up and began clapping.

"I'm going to bet everything on Paul Mix! Paul Mix! Paul Mix! Excellent!"

And surprisingly,

The man was someone Jin knew well.

'What the heck, Veradin Jip!? Why is he here!?'

As Jin widened his eyes and confirmed Veradin's face, the audience began to cheer belatedly.

Incidentally, Veradin had come to the arena on the orders of the Jip elders. They wanted him to see with his own eyes the brilliant growth of the next head of the Hyran family.

"Wow!"

"What a kid!"

"I'm also betting everything on Paul Mix in this arena! All in!"

The two nobles from the Belado Principality sitting right in front of Jin whispered confidently.

"Look, have I ever been wrong about my information? That's the boy. The prospective captain of Runkandel!"

"Indeed, it's amazing. No one other than a Runkandel prospective captain could do that at his age. I think it's Jin Runkandel."

"I agree. He's too young to be one of the Tona brothers."

The other noble spectators nearby nodded in agreement.

Of course, no one shouted Jin's name out loud. They knew that revealing a prospective captain's name and whereabouts could invite retaliation from Runkandel.

So they only whispered to each other. Paul Mix is Jin Runkandel, Paul Mix is the prospective captain!

Jin couldn't help but chuckle as he listened to all this.

'By the way... I've never heard that Dante looked so young. In the previous life, the face I saw in the news was just chubby, and he didn't look nineteen at all.'

Jin glanced at Paul Mix, or rather, Dante, and then at Veradin, who was still clapping.

'Veradin must have been sent by his family to see Dante. He's as much of a concern to them as Dante is. He'll definitely recognize me... If he acknowledges me, it'll be quite troublesome.'

His uneasy premonition didn't fail him.

At that moment, Veradin noticed Jin, who was looking at him.

"Huh? Wow!"

Veradin waved frantically at Jin.

Of course, Jin pretended not to see and turned his gaze back to Dante. However, amusingly, Dante had turned his head and was staring intently at Veradin.

'That's... Veradin Jip. Could he be acknowledging me? We only met once at the Jip banquet, yet he seems so excited. Fine, I'll welcome you too, Veradin!'

Dante, who had misinterpreted the situation, waved at Veradin, and Jin couldn't help but laugh. He didn't read Dante's mind, but he had a good idea of what was happening.

'They're such funny guys.'

Cosmos's subordinates quickly came to collect Mantis's body.

"Alright, gentlemen and ladies. Mantis of the Shark Pirate Group has ended his short life. Let's hear a word from the winner before moving on to the next match. Mr. Paul Mix, how do you feel?"

"It feels good to have removed another evil from the world. I hope he doesn't become a pirate in his next life."

A rough voice that contrasted sharply with his youthful appearance. Moreover, he even disrespected pirates in a place full of them.

Many pirates gritted their teeth, but none dared to challenge Dante, having just witnessed his extraordinary sword skills.

Cosmos burst into laughter and nodded.

"Hahaha, being a pirate isn't a job to recommend to growing children. But it's a great start for those who have fallen to the bottom of life."

As Dante moved to the waiting room without a word, Cosmos proceeded to the next match.

Jin, watching Dante's back, thought to himself,

'Can I... beat that kid?'