Episode 150: Investigation On
After a somewhat successful conversation with Adrang, I spent my personal preparation time until the start of the second day of the Godless Festival.
Not much to prepare, really – it mostly involved the skills I had earned at the risk of my life during the fight with Adrang.
[Skill Information]
[Name: Qi Gong (Active)]
[Effect: Continuous consumption of mana. Mana consumption: 150 per minute. All abilities increased by 1.2 times.]
[Details: A technique created by the Last Giant Crossfade. Activates physical abilities through burning mana. It’s the core for all Qi-based skills. Increases mana efficiency as level rises. Results in the abnormal status – Rebound (反動) with prolonged use.]
[Skill Information]
[Name: Qi Burst (Active)]
[Effect: Continuous consumption of stamina. Stamina consumption: 300 per minute. All abilities increased by 1.5 times.]
[Details: A technique created by the Last Giant Crossfade. Activates physical abilities through burning stamina. Increases stamina efficiency as level rises. Results in the abnormal status – Exhaustion upon use.]
[Skill Information]
[Name: Armor Break (Passive)]
[Effect: Critical attacks apply double defense reduction rate. Low probability of complete destruction.]
[Details: Delivers extreme impact to the limits of armor, increasing its shattering rate. Increases the defense reduction rate and complete destruction rate as the level rises.]
Without a doubt, I maxed out Qi Gong straight to Master level.
“Now I understand why Adrang managed to keep up with me even though my stats were considerably higher.”
I recalled our battle from my previous life.
Certainly, there was a noticeable difference in our combat skills regardless of stats. But despite my stats being significantly higher, there was hardly any difference in speed and power.
Both Qi Gong and Qi Burst seemed to have been utilized by Adrang.
That means Adrang also approached that fight as if willing to throw everything on the line.
“But Qi Burst is a rather difficult skill to learn.”
Unlike Qi Gong, it carries too high of a risk.
“Exhaustion” leaves you completely incapacitated for a set period of time. Literally, you’re out of the fight.
In other words, once the skill is activated, you must definitely win within the duration of the effect. Otherwise, it results in a guaranteed loss.
I’ve already made a promise to Ruci to survive at all costs.
It was one thing before that promise, but now I have no intention of taking such risks.
“Honestly, Armor Break is pretty useless.”
The higher the level, the more I realize that defense stats don’t matter much.
The Hero Support System allows attack power to be endlessly increased, but defense cannot be. Defense acts more like additional HP layered on top of regular HP, making it conceptually different.
That’s why it’s mostly meaningless. In fact, only Halsenberg and Adrang have survived my fatal combo so far.
And those two were immune to surprise attacks from the get-go.
“But just in case… maybe I should level it to 100,000.”
Investing up to Master level seems like overinvestment at this point. I decided to bring it halfway up for now. Even then, I still had 70 skill points remaining.
We really did gain a lot of power wiping out the Resurrection Sect. That realization brought a bitter smile to my face.
Having confirmed all my skills, I was fully prepared.
I left the mansion to participate in the preliminaries of the second day’s Godless Festival and entered the arena.
“38th Arena, commence!”
As soon as the referee’s command was given, I brought up my opponent’s status window.
Mask or no mask, it didn’t matter. Ever since I realized the danger lurking in this tournament, checking opponents has become almost automatic.
[Name: Maria Kamen]
[Nickname: 153850197th Official Hero. Butcher Maria, Silent]
[LV. 228]
[HP: 1800/1800 MP: 600/600 Condition: Normal]
[Strength: 473 Agility: 221 Intelligence: 29 Hero Sense: 15]
My opponent wasn’t the blackened Zenon disguised as Jerry Levern, nor was it Portia, the witch hunter planted by Adrang.
As it always was in my previous life, my first round opponent had changed this time too.
“Butcher Maria.”
I recalled distinctly hearing that name while I was in the stands.
A muscular woman in a tank top, wielding a massive scythe—her striking prowess cutting through sturdy plate armor effortlessly stuck in my memory.
The audience’s roaring applause at that time made me feel she was quite a renowned hero in the Markeiteuriseu region.
“Alright. Let’s go.”
What I planned to do in this tournament was nothing but information gathering.
Today, I would scan as many participants as possible, weeding out Hectors Cassas’ accomplices in the process.
Understanding their exact intentions in infiltrating the Godless Festival, and dealing with their attacks efficiently, first required knowing their exact composition.
“Nothing particularly suspicious in the arena so far…”
As I entered the arena, I had already scanned the other participants in nearby arenas. But there was no sign of anyone labeled as “Cassas’ Apostle.”
I paused for a moment.
“Come to think of it, all the Resurrection Sect members were marked as monsters…”
Recalling Hector Cassas and his followers from my previous life, I clearly remembered that they showed human status windows.
Cassas and his crew are far more deeply involved in the world’s darkness than the Resurrection Sect. Yet why don’t their status windows appear as monsters?
I will have to ask Older Brother Sooho about this someday.
My thoughts were interrupted.
“Huh?”
I snapped out of it and slightly bowed my head.
Whoosh! A scythe swung in front of me, cutting off my idle thoughts.
“What are you spacing out for! Come at me, boy!!”
“…”
This hag daring to interrupt a rare moment of deep thought for Park Jeong-yong?
My irritation flared up instantly. I effortlessly dodged the scythe swinging madly toward my head, then quickly drew my sword and thrust both hands toward the scythe.
Kaang!
The high metallic sound rang through the arena.
“Eh, uh… what the-!”
Butcher Maria let out a gasp of surprise.
Crick, crick. The scythe was caught between my crossed swords, squealing in protest.
As she struggled fiercely to pull it out, I tightened my grip with both hands. She was now completely immobilized, her weapon firmly locked by me.
“You little-!”
Maria unexpectedly abandoned her scythe right away.
Swish! She drew a dagger attached to her thigh and immediately lunged at my neck with the skill of an accomplished assassin. Her movements were far quicker this time, almost like a different person.
“…Is this her gimmick.”
Fame isn’t undeserved it seems. Her cold judgment and sharp actions exude the seasoned experience of battle that Adrang has but I lack.
I muttered to myself while marveling.
“Shadow Chains.”
Thrrrrr! Black shadows writhed from all directions in the arena, rushing toward Maria and wrapping tightly around her limbs like mad.
It was a surprise attack. She had no chance to even think of escaping and was instantly restrained.
“Ugh…hurk!”
Some chains snaked toward Maria’s neck and tightly encircled it.
Crunch. Her face turned pale as the chains constricted savagely.
“Surrender. Even mercy will only be granted to a certain extent.”
In the middle of all this, I muttered my finishing lines.
“… Public and private matters should be treated separately. Since I’m already here for the Godless Festival, might as well see it through.”
“Ah, gurgh, ahhh… I surrender! I surrender!!”
Maria thrashed her legs violently as she shouted. I nodded and released all the chains.
Drdrdr. The chains disappeared back into the dark portal. Without the chains holding her up, Maria collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily.
“Winner! Challenger 112! Bloodstained Shadow!”
The referee announced the end of the match.
Silent at first, the surrounding crowd began to murmur, then erupted into a deafening roar that seemed to shake the arena itself.
“What, Bloodstained Shadow beats even Maria?!”
“My eyes weren’t wrong! I knew it from the first look!”
“You said what?!”
No matter how physically and mentally exhausted, we need some fun in life. I enjoyed the commotion with satisfaction as I left the arena.
The people soon began chanting my pseudonym in unison.
“Blood!”
“Stained!!”
“Shadow!!!”
“OOAAHHH!!!”
… Honestly, that was a bit embarrassing.
Well, I have to admit it. Even I think Bloodstained Shadow is pushing it a bit too far.
Shit. Hearing “Bloodstained Shadow” echoing from all directions makes me want to die of embarrassment.
“Bloodstained Shadow! Bloodstained Shadow!”
“Bloodstained Shadow! Bloodstained Shadow!”
Maybe it’s because Butcher Maria has high visibility, my fame has shot up in an instant.
There’s a famous line in some game.
“Expectation leads to betrayal. Not expecting anything means there’s nothing to betray.”
Maria, the crowd-favorite warrior. And Bloodstained Shadow, the unexpected middle schooler. The result was the overwhelming victory of Bloodstained Shadow.
When something you didn’t expect succeeds, it’s more satisfying in a way. My popularity has almost reached its peak right now.
“… Are you watching, Hector Cassas?”
I’m having a great time here. Bring it if you dare.
Among countless spectators and participants, or somewhere beyond the crystal mirror, I clenched my teeth against whoever might be watching secretly.
Flap! As always, I roughly flung my cloak and returned to the waiting room.
I was scanning the people in the waiting room with my eyeballs practically falling out.
“Phew… So exhausting.”
The waiting room had an overwhelming number of people constantly moving, making it a human hell cramped with masses. Checking each person one by one with The Eye of Mimir was practically impossible.
It’s also mentally exhausting. Even in Kern, it was tough… having this much information forced into your brain by continuous use is surprisingly hard.
Perhaps it’s because I have a thick skull that makes it harder.
“All these faces look the same… I’m about to go insane.”
I just scanned that masked man, then went to check another but… due to the match progress, the crowd surged.
After a massive migration, my mind resets. When I check again after briefly losing sight, that masked man turned out to actually be this one… like this.
It’s like they all bought their masks and hoods from the same place. There’s absolutely no way to distinguish them.
“Ugh…”
After countless difficulties, I managed to confirm about thirty people.
Of course, it was all wasted effort.
“Damn. My bad luck needs to be recognized.”
I thought I could discover at least one more person. Out of 300 masked individuals, scanning 10% and not catching a single one was surprising.
It’s going to be harder than expected to pin down these guys. I sighed deeply, thinking far into the future.
“Challenger 512 and Challenger 1125, please enter Arena 25!”
Just as I was scrutinizing people to the point of losing my eyesight, a sudden shout reached my ears. My gaze immediately snapped toward the source.
Ah. An involuntary exclamation escaped my lips.
“That number…!”
Among the endless announcements from the staff, that one voice was the only one I clearly heard.
512. A number I could never forget. I instantly turned my gaze to the crystal mirror panel of Arena 25.
– Challenger 512: Jerry Levern
I shot up from my seat like a spring.
Pushing through the crowd, I hurriedly made my way toward the arena area.
“Hold on! Wait a sec!!”
Somehow managing to break through the numerous people, I emerged at the clearing ahead of the passage. In the center of the wide-open view stood the back of someone in a mask and cloak.
I instantly recognized him by the crimson dagger on his waist.
“Shit! Zenon!”
I shouted loudly as I grabbed the masked man’s shoulder.
I had my hand on Vestark’s handle, ready to thrust both the spear and mana sword at any moment.
“…”
The masked man slowly turned to face me. Our eyes met. A long silence followed. Tension tightened my grip on Vestark.
He slowly removed his mask.
“How did you figure out it was me back in Kern too? You’re such an annoying bastard.”
No blood-red eyes. No bulging veins on his skin. No metallic breathing sounds.
It was the Zenon I knew.
Looking at me with the same casual disdain as before.
“…What?”
For a moment, I lost all words and turned to stone.
Honestly, I never imagined that our conversation would make sense at all while I was yelling at him.
