Chapter 223

Chapter 223

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

Chapter 223: Match Fixing (1)

Second stage, four mutant clones.

This too was not a difficulty for Yeongwoo.

But what about Dragos?

‘No matter how cunning you are, your acting ends here.’

Dragos had already shown signs of struggle in the first stage.

If he managed to survive the second stage as well, everyone would undoubtedly notice, regardless of how hard he fought.

They would realize that Dragos had been pretending to be weak all along.

‘Four mutants mean it’s twice as difficult as the first stage. This isn’t something you can overcome just by fighting hard.’

Of course, Dragos might have achieved his goal just by the fact that twelve votes were cast predicting his death.

BOOM!

Soon, a door opened in each of the four directions of the arena where Yeongwoo stood, and mutants burst out.

「Graaaah!」

「Wooooooo...!」

‘Whoa, their momentum is incredible.’

Yeongwoo felt a chill as he watched the mutants charging at him from all directions.

Even though he no longer had a human heart, his mind still thought like a human.

He realized that this situation would be a nightmare for an ordinary person.

Especially since this was an arena on an alien planet.

Dying here meant he couldn’t even return to the soil of his homeland.

‘I’m not particularly attached to Earth, but if I have to die, I’d prefer to die on my planet.’

Of course, he had no intention of dying here.

Tap!

As Yeongwoo assumed his drawing stance again and firmly planted his foot, the participants in the waiting room all focused their attention.

They wanted to see if this ‘Strongest one’ could deal with the mutants in a single strike this time as well.

If he started to show signs of struggling, they might consider betting on his death in the fourth or fifth stage.

And Yeongwoo himself...

‘Oh, wait.’

He hesitated just as he was about to slash the mutants that had gotten close.

‘Shouldn’t I at least pretend a little? The more confused my competitors are, the more advantageous it is for me, right?’

So Yeongwoo decided to...

Swoosh!

Instead of slashing through all the mutants like he did in the first stage, he decided to barely miss the ones on his sides and rear.

He wanted to imply that in situations where enemies approached from all directions, he couldn’t help but have some openings.

‘But everyone knows I have strong firepower, so I should allow the first hit and then quickly deal with the rest.’

While Yeongwoo was thinking this through, his sword, already slashed through two of the second-stage mutants cleanly.

Then...

Thud!

A powerful impact hit Yeongwoo’s waist.

“...Ugh!”

While he was slashing forward, an ogre that had approached from behind swung its hammer.

「......?」

Even as a mutant clone, the ogre seemed to show a ‘puzzled’ expression as it looked at its hammer.

It found it strange that its target didn’t flinch even after a direct hit.

And that was the last expression the ogre made.

Swoosh!

From bottom to top.

Yeongwoo vertically slashed with his sword, which extended to 6 meters, splitting the 4-meter-tall ogre in half.

Then...

「Kyaaa!」

A lizardman charged from the side, swinging its round shield at Yeongwoo’s left shoulder.

BOOM!

A powerful shockwave occurred, pushing one of Yeongwoo’s feet a few inches back.

“You’re quite strong too.”

This lizardman must be at least a fourth-day mutant.

Thump!

As Yeongwoo grabbed the bottom of the shield touching his shoulder with his left hand, the lizardman’s eyes widened.

「......!」

Because...

Crack!

From where Yeongwoo gripped the bottom of the shield, purple cracks spread like spider webs.

“......?”

Yeongwoo’s eyes widened too, as this was unexpected.

‘No way.’

Yeongwoo’s brain quickly recalled the effects of his equipment.

Then he identified the likely cause.

‘...Crazy. They’re voting on whether to intervene.’

However, it wasn’t the people who bet on number one, but the people who bet on number three who were voting to intervene.

‘Well, there are a lot more people who bet on the weakling’s death.’

[Stage 2]

| Number 1 – 8 votes

| Number 3 – 12 votes

At a glance, the difference in the number of people who bet on one and three was four, but that wasn’t actually the case.

That count included the votes of the Strongest and weak representatives who were directly in the arena.

So, if you excluded the two fixed votes in the arena, the actual betting situation was:

| Number 1 – 6 votes

| Number 3 – 12 votes

‘Twice as many people voted for the weakling’s death.’

In other words, there were twice as many people wanting Dragos to die as there were people wanting to save him.

‘This... is bad.’

As Yeongwoo reached this conclusion, the waiting room broadcast screen brightened again.

The number three bettors who had voted to intervene really proceeded with the arena transfer.

The number of people who newly entered the second arena was:

Flash, flash, flash!

‘...Four.’

So, would it be a four-on-three battle soon?

Strictly speaking, no.

All the mutants in the second arena were still alive.

Though one mutant was on the brink of death thanks to Bristol and Nashville’s entry, there were still three mutants remaining.

So now, what the Weakest side had to deal with was:

‘Three mutants and four named humans. Seven to three.’

Swoosh.

Yeongwoo, who had been sitting and watching the screen, stood up without realizing it.

He felt like he had to use the bombardment.

‘If I shoot at the center, I can clear most of them.’

〔II|l||-Lupo-917-005-3113-45〕

Yeongwoo quickly recalled the coordinates for the bombardment point.

If he delayed the decision too long, it would be useless, so he needed to hurry.

If he fired after the fight began, both the new interveners and Dragos would die.

‘Things are already getting complicated.’

But it was unavoidable.

Yeongwoo closed his eyes tightly, then opened them and shouted loudly while looking at the second arena’s broadcast screen.

“General! Transmitting coordinates! Lupo! 917! 005! 31...!”

Then.

“...What?”

He stopped, seeing something on the screen.

“What, what is this?”

In the second arena.

Dragos, who had been bleeding profusely and watching the four new interveners, suddenly fell to his knees.

Then.

“What’s this guy doing?”

Everyone in the dungeon, including Yeongwoo, saw him clasp his hands and start praying to the sky.

Seeing this, the Swordmaster Bristol, who had come to help him, shouted with a red face.

Apparently, Bristol thought Dragos had lost his mind.

Meanwhile, Yeongwoo.

“To our Lord in the universe, please have mercy on me...”

Yeongwoo read Dragos’s lips through the screen and realized something.

‘Why can I read that?’

No matter how unified languages had become, reading lips was a different story altogether.

But Yeongwoo didn’t have time to delve into this mystery.

Ting!

A clear sound rang out from somewhere above the arena.

Swoosh!

A beam of white light shot down towards the second arena.

“......!”

Yeongwoo quickly turned his gaze back to the broadcast screen.

Then he saw Dragos, arms spread wide, looking up at the sky.

—「Mara」......!

This time, an otherworldly language clearly transcended the screen.

‘What has this guy summoned?’

Regardless, Yeongwoo had to admit it.

Dragos’s prayer had been answered.

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]