123th Chapter
“Attention! Salute to the knights!”
Following the command from the battalion commander… or rather, the representative challenger, the participants of the trial of the Godless Festival placed their hands on their chests.
In front of the lined-up participants, the Cavaliers standing on the podium also uniformly placed their hands on their chests to salute in response.
Their movements were precise, and the synchronized actions of the fifty Cavaliers were picture-perfect, exuding an overwhelming sense of grandeur.
“The world really… is good.”
This scene was being broadcast through the giant crystal mirror that had descended from the Flying Fortress Leviathan.
“Oh, crazy. The resolution seems better than Earth’s digital billboards.”
Having absorbed the technologies of the heroes indiscriminately, to what extent did they achieve to create such advanced technology? Though this world has its own impressive technological capabilities, like creating androids as seen with Seseona, so it’s understandable.
The more I saw the floating relay mirrors, the more my curiosity grew about the nation of Unterland.
“Oh, there they are.”
Meanwhile, I took the opportunity to scan the faces of the Cavaliers, who had distinct individualities.
Out of the original total of 100 Cavaliers, half were absent due to border defense duties. Thus, around 50 took part in the drill. Among them was a familiar face that stood out.
Of course, it was Adrang.
―Next, there will be an aerial stunt by the Grand Duchy of Unterland’s fighting battalion combined with the Dragon Empire’s Kosk Wyvern Corps!
Next, came the display of knights riding massive wyverns over 10 meters in length, equipped with the horns and tails of dragons. Alongside them, the soldiers of Unterland showcasing their prowess in exoskeleton armor and flight suits.
The show was exhilarating, with the audience’s cheers reaching a fever pitch. At the climax, the flight formations split apart to reveal two figures ascending the podium.
“That’s…”.
One was an old man with flowing white hair, the other, a fiery-haired younger woman.
Both were clad in flowing black and white robes and distinctive hats. Upon seeing their attire, I immediately identified them.
I had heard about them from Halsenberg. These two are nobles of Mittelrand.
―Introducing the seven great mages, Sir Berkel and his student, Lady Mage Be-ra!
Impressive. Not just nobles, but two of the seven great mages. I was duly impressed.
Immediately after the introductions, a dazzling white light gathered in their hands. As they extended their hands skyward, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of light-formed birds extended and took flight.
“Peiiik―!”
The sky was filled with a dazzling light display as the birds gracefully soared. The entire stadium shimmered with the light from the avian forms.
It was awe-inspiring. Even I couldn’t resist exclaiming in admiration.
“Wow, it’s so beautiful.”
“Isn’t it? I told you. Witnessing Lord Berkel’s Thousand Wings can always send shivers down your spine!”
Mr. Fredel, standing next to me, raised his voice in excitement, like a foreign kid who got an Nintendo 64 as a birthday present.
Really? Why are you so proud of something that doesn’t even belong to your country? A true master of overimmersion.
“This marks the solemn declaration of the start of the Godless Festival!”
After the magical show, there was a moment of quiet reverence. Then, the tallest Cavalier on the podium declared aloud,
“Five thousand gold coins will be given uniformly to those who reach the finals, and an additional five thousand coins to the top hundred!”
Just those words doubled the tension among the participants immediately.
After all, five thousand coins equate to nearly a decade’s worth of living expenses for a family of four. Even Mr. Fredel’s eyes are shining like they’re emitting beams.
“Furthermore, the top five will receive rare treasures collected from all over the world! And to the champion, the legendary relic, the Dragon-Slaying Sword provided by the Dragon Empire, will be bestowed!”
Swish. The man lifted a single sword that had been elegantly placed at the center of the podium.
The blade shone with a piercing white light, and a dark dragon’s form was engraved on the guard – a sword that looked like a masterpiece at first glance.
Even Mr. Fredel couldn’t contain his breathless admiration.
“Oh… That’s the famed Dragon-Slaying Sword we’ve only heard tales about…”
And at that moment, the Cavalier who had been holding his breath called out in a powerful voice.
Without any amplification devices, his voice resounded clearly throughout the stadium.
“Inheriting the will of the last giant, we shall commence the holy war of the godless!”
Waahhhhh!!
At those words, both participants and spectators alike erupted in cheers that made the stadium feel like it might lift off. The ground trembled violently with the force of their voices, confirming the explosive energy.
The Godless Festival was officially underway.
*
Participant No. 112, Blood-soaked Moon Shadow
That is my current title.
“End of the match at Arena 3! Please draw the next numbers!”
“Participant 7221 and Participant 1012! Please enter Arena 3!”
The flow of the competition was nothing short of smooth and relentless, proceeding without pause.
In the fifty square combat arenas, people continuously entered and exited. The sounds of weapons clashing, heavy thuds, and cries of battle filled the air without cease.
“Selected participants, please enter quickly!”
“Participants, please hold back! Please send in the medical team!”
Event coordinators ran in all directions, and similarly the white-robed priests were hard at work. Their shouts and hurried footsteps were drowned out amidst the cries of the arena and the thunderous cheers of the audience.
“Arena 22! Participant 95 has been killed instantly!”
“Bring the stretcher!”
“Corpse disposal team, please respond!”
The fatalities were innumerable.
In the Godless Festival, real-life combat weapons chosen by the participants were used. As a result, cases of severed heads, exploded entrails, and arenas turned into bloodbaths were quite common.
At the sight of such profuse bloodshed, the cheering spectators may make one feel uneasy, as if witnessing some form of mob mania.
“Hmm…”
I slightly lifted my head.
The display(?) screens showing the match-ups and the random player selections kept updating without a moment’s rest.
“Absolutely chaotic.”
After all, the preliminary rounds aim to reduce the 10,000 participants to only 500.
All this has to be completed within three days. Even if this tournament started early in the morning and continues deep into the night, it would be impossible to stay on schedule without this kind of relentless pace.
I continued to gaze at the display where match results were updated in real-time at each arena. Watching it, I felt drawn into the overwhelmingly fast-moving scene.
“Battle time is 3 minutes…”
The time limit is incredibly tight. If the battle doesn’t conclude within this period, it transitions into a death match where the first effective strike decides the winner.
Impressively handling such a breathlessly intense sequence is astonishing in itself.
With traditions and solid foundations, this grand festival must have weathered numerous trials and tribulations. The organizers indeed possess a well-established system.
“Participant 112 and Participant8155, please enter Arena Number 49!”
And at that moment, the voice calling my turn finally reached me. I snapped back to reality and headed towards the designated arena.
From behind, Mr. Fredel, who had been standing nervously, waved his hand suddenly.
“Stay strong, buddy! We’ll surely see you in the main tournament!”
“Yes. Good luck to you too, sir.”
I smiled faintly, pocketed my hands, and walked leisurely towards the arena.
At the same time, I initiated a process I had prepared beforehand.
‘Evolutionary Black Wing Modification.’
Hsss. The edges of the cloak began to slowly stir and extend, snaking upwards along my jaw. Once the transformation of the cloak stabilized, a pitch-black mask covering below my eyes formed.
“With this hood on…”.
All my facial features except my eyes were hidden. Thus, the Blood-soaked Moon Shadow was born.
Completely satisfied with the transformation, I nodded and confidently stepped onto the designated arena. My opponent was leisurely climbing onto the arena from the opposite side.
“Blue side, Participant 8155! Han Sun-hanguhan!”
The referee loudly announced while pointing at the opponent standing opposite to me.
“Han Sun-hanguhan? What a peculiar name.” I turned my gaze to where he indicated.
“Eh?”
I immediately widened my eyes, and an unintentional surprise escaped my lips.
‘This…’.
Pitch-black hair and eyes, along with familiar East Asian features. Unless you’re a foreigner, if you’re from the same country, you’d recognize that unmistakable ‘kimchi vibe.’
“Is it Han Seong-gwang? His pronunciation is really tough to decipher…”
I absentmindedly muttered while stroking my head, thinking, “So you’re suffering from your name too. You’re just like Swordman Whocares.”
I carefully observed his features and suddenly realized something.
“Isn’t he…?”
Come to think of it, he looked familiar. It was him— the one I saw behind the trial’s curtain.
Among the final 16, he was the only other Korean participant besides me. He was the one with three lackeys trailing after him.
So, due to the gathering crowd at the festival, these types of encounters occur. I chuckled to myself.
[Name: Han Seong-gwang]
[Alias: 163404885th Official Hero. Black-haired Bounty Hunter. The Supreme One]
[Level: 163]
[Health: 1500/1500 MP: 560/560 Physical Condition: Normal]
[Strength: 251 Agility: 149 Intelligence: 33 Hero Sense: 7]
I confirmed this information using the Eye of Mimir, checking if ‘Han Seong-gwang’ was a pseudonym. It wasn’t—his name was indeed Han Seong-gwang.
I definitely remembered him. I’ll have to try to connect with him some other time.
“Maybe I’ll meet other members of the final 16 too.”
The upcoming battle became more anticipatory for me considering that possibility. Even if participating was involuntary, I felt it had been a good decision. I smirked behind the mask.
At that moment, the referee finished his introduction of Han Seong-gwang and turned to face my side.
“Red side, Participant 112! Blood-soaked Moon… Heeek.”
However, he burst out laughing mid-introduction.
“Blood… Ha. That’s… Heeek… Moon… Shadow… Uhhak…”
He tried desperately to control his laughter, but his mouth kept twitching uncontrollably. The proceedings were delayed due to his attempts to suppress laughter.
Arena 49 was close to the spectator seats, so the murmurs of the crowd were audible.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me. Did he really name himself Blood-soaked Moon Shadow?”
“If I knew this guy, I’d have teased him about this for the next thirty years.”
“Isn’t he embarrassed? Hahaha.”
Most of the spectators were fixated on the name that appeared on the panel.
Are you mocking me? Do you find Blood-soaked Moon Shadow funny? Allow me to paint your shadow with blood.
I glared menacingly at the referee, who finally composed himself and announced formally,
“Hem! Arena 49, commencing battle!”
At his declaration, an unmistakable tension spread between Han Seong-gwang and me as if by magic.
Chiiing! Han Seong-gwang drew the sword on his back. The blade was so massive it seemed taller than me – a great katana, almost akin to an anti-demon blade.
His lips curled into a mocking sneer.
“Starting off with a madman dripping with pseudo-madness… Guess my luck’s good today. An unopposed victory, perhaps? Hee-hee.”
The appearance of such a tough weapon was quite a surprise to me.
Seeing my stiffened body, Han Seong-gwang grew even more emboldened and loudly proclaimed,
“Draw your weapon! Let’s finish this quickly!”
Indeed, well said. We’ve got only three minutes, so finishing quickly is essential.
I glanced at the referee, who was keeping an eye on the hourglass, then swiftly drew my chosen weapon.
Han Seong-gwang let out a surprised gasp upon seeing it.
“…Hmm?”
There’s no Espada nor Vestark this time. Both are at Adrang’s place. The weapon I would use this time—was this.
I pulled out a simple spoon I’d carelessly shoved into my pocket and pointed it directly at Han Seong-gwang.
“What is THAT?”
His eyebrows furrowed. I calmly replied,
“A spoon used at lunch.”
“Are you kidding me?! Get a weapon out! Do you WANT to lose?!”
Heh. I deliberately laughed aloud.
This is the moment. I loaded and fired the carefully prepared provocations from last night.
“Do you need to use a dragon-slaying sword when catching a chicken?”
I deliberately delivered the line in Korean.
Though he understood the words, it seemed he didn’t catch it was Korean, judging from the lack of recognition in his response, which was more fierce anger than surprise.
“You little bastard! Let’s see if you can say that after losing!”
Han Seong-gwang, glaring fiercely and grinding his teeth, charged at me with immense momentum.
Excellent. Everything is following my imagination perfectly. I gripped the spoon the reverse way and immediately initiated a skill.
‘Dispersion of Shadows.’
Gooouuh! An intangible, chilling aura emanated outward from me, spreading across the arena. Han Seong-gwang, who was caught directly in it, visibly flinched.
His fierce momentum was noticeably subdued. Apparently, being over level 150 has its advantages here, he didn’t stop completely.
“Enough.”
But even a brief movement block is more than enough.
I gauged the distance to my opponent, took a deep breath, and propelled myself forward.
Having pre-practiced such situations for hours last night, I quietly spoke the line.
“Too slow.”
By the time my line was delivered, I was already behind Han Seong-gwang’s back.
And almost a beat delayed, a diagonal bloodline appeared on Han Seong-gwang’s body.
“E… Ah!”
Pfft! Blood splattered in all directions.
Han Seong-gwang stared wide-eyed, unable to believe this, and finally collapsed on the arena floor.
“It… can’t be…”
Han Seong-gwang gave an extra dramatic line worthy of an extra, then lost consciousness.
This is the power of a nearly 200-level gap. The cut was shallow, so he shouldn’t die.
I wiped the blood off the spoon and watched Han Seong-gwang, who was still twitching on the ground.
“…”.
“…”.
Dead silence descended.
Not only the referee but also the surrounding spectators who were observing this battle were completely overwhelmed by the oppressive silence.
I was the one who broke this silence.
The carefully selected closing line from last night’s three-hour prep, loaded and fired.
“Mercy was in my hands.”
Then, with a flourish, I dramatically swirled the cloak with the black wings and exited the arena.
A beat later, the referee raised his voice.
“Arena 49, the winner is… Participant 112, Blood-soaked Moon Shadow!!”
Only after I disappeared towards the contestant waiting room did the delayed cheers erupt.
The cheers celebrating ‘Pimjeokdal’, the hidden expert of the arena, were thunderous.
