Chapter 168

Chapter 169. Can You Feel the Difference in Power? (8)

At first, I thought Norman might be a doppelganger.

While it’s possible to perfectly mimic someone’s appearance with magic, replicating memories is something only a doppelganger can do.

However, Norman just made a mistake. He underestimated Pasian’s Muryeong and ignored the suspicious orange aura surrounding him.

Norman’s Aura Sword was completely blocked by Pasian’s Muryeong, leaving Norman utterly defenseless.

If this were a real battle, Pasian would have had Norman at his mercy. He could have cleanly severed his neck for an instant kill or pierced his skull with a thrust.

But since this is a tournament, intentionally killing an opponent would result in disqualification, so Pasian aimed for one of Norman’s arms instead.

‘If you make a mistake like that, losing an arm isn’t unfair.’

But Norman, whether by instinct or thinking no one would notice, dodged the sword strike with an impossible movement. His right arm bent completely behind his shoulder.

That’s not something you can just praise as flexibility. It’s beyond the range of human joint movement. It’s as if he has no bones.

‘There’s only one monster without bones.’

A slime.

Norman’s movement to dodge Pasian’s sword can’t be explained unless he’s a slime.

So, it’s quite fascinating.

A slime is a ‘monster.’ It’s not classified as a ‘demi-human.’

The definition of a monster varies by country, scholar, and individual, but generally, a monster is an entity that cannot communicate with humans.

But look at Norman. He looks completely human.

On top of that, he’s clearly trying to act like one.

‘How can a slime even transform into a human? I’ve never heard of such a slime before.’

Of course, nothing is impossible in this world, so somewhere out there, there might be a ‘slime that can transform into a human.’

But usually, such variant monsters don’t exist in the outside world…

*Snap!*

“That’s it.”

The place where such outlandish monsters exist—the Demon Realm.

It’s filled with all sorts of monsters that defy common sense.

A mud demon that lures people with the guise of a beautiful woman.

A demon oasis disguised as a lake.

A swarm of blood-sucking mosquitoes that move like fog.

If it’s the Demon Realm, it makes sense that there could be a slime that transforms into a human.

But at the same time, it doesn’t make sense.

‘All the monsters from the Demon Realm should be held back at the front lines, right?’

Even the weakest grunt from the Demon Realm is stronger than an ogre.

A rabbit from the Demon Realm, no bigger than a fist, could tear an ogre apart.

If the Demon Realm and the human world were directly connected, this world would be a much crueler place.

But the Demon Realm is cut off from the human world, and only a very few Demon Realm monsters make it through. And wherever they appear, a front line is always established.

‘The idea that the Demon Realm’s front line has been breached is absurd. If that happened, the world would already be in chaos.’

Over 60% of the actual military force is concentrated on the Demon Realm’s front lines. If those lines were breached, the very existence of the nation would be at risk.

No matter how weak Sephira is in terms of intelligence, they couldn’t possibly miss something like that. Sephira’s soldiers must also be at the Demon Realm’s front lines.

At that moment, Taragon casually spoke up.

“Hey, Keter. So, what’s Norman’s deal?”

Was his voice a bit loud for a mutter? Seems like everyone heard. Not just Taragon, but the entire party was looking at me with expressions of burning curiosity.

“A slime.”

“A slime?”

“Yeah, um…”

They all looked completely clueless.

Don’t give me that ‘explain it to us’ face. You guys don’t need to know about the Demon Realm, and even if you did, what would you do about it? You’d just worry more, and I’d just get a sore throat.

If it were Maknun, he’d have immediately said, ‘So, he’s from the Demon Realm, huh?’ and wrapped it up neatly.

It’s true, you need someone who can understand you. And right now, the only one who can understand me is Maknun.

‘Maknun, just wait a bit. I’ll come get you.’

Anyway, Norman is a slime from the Demon Realm. How he breached the front lines and made it to the city is unknown.

The only one who might know about this is—

‘It has to be that guy.’

Norman, or rather, that guy when he was Philip, had a close relationship with some merchant.

Was his name Alloren or Allowen? Anyway, it’s hard to remember the names of such unremarkable-looking guys.

But if I take care of that guy, I might get some answers…

*Scratch scratch.*

‘What a bother.’

In the end, that ‘squishy thing’ is related to the Demon Realm.

And right now, I have no particular interest in the Demon Realm, nor any reason to be interested.

Of course, if something happens to the Demon Realm’s front lines, it would endanger this country, and even the world, but—

‘That’s the military or the royal family’s job.’

I have a lot on my plate rebuilding Sephira and growing my own power. Unless there’s some treasure or talent related to the Demon Realm, I’m not interested.

‘There’s nothing right now. It’s too far away.’

If it really bothers me, I can just dump it on Ultima. After all, if I win this tournament, that Alloren or whatever his name is, his merchant group will belong to Ultima. He’s an ambitious guy, so he might be thrilled at the chance to extend his reach to the Demon Realm’s front lines.

Then I can just use that as an excuse to squeeze him for more.

“Wooaaah!”

Judging by the audience’s cheers, it seems the match has been decided.

Sure enough, Norman has pushed Pasian almost to the edge of the ring.

That Pasian guy, if he had taken all the advice I gave him during the Battle Royale, he might have lasted a bit longer.

But he only took what suited him. He’s grown, but he’s still not at the level to beat Norman.

‘And he’s still holding back on Muryeong.’

Muryeong isn’t something you can only use once. You can call it multiple times.

Of course, the backlash increases exponentially, but would that really be a problem if it meant winning? Pasian just doesn’t want to win that badly.

The reason? Probably because of me. During the match, I could feel him glancing at me from time to time. I could also feel the intense gaze from that old man Galahind.

Galahind, the head of the noble alliance that’s most aggressively targeting Sephira.

He’s not someone to be ignored, but he’s also not someone to worry about.

For example, the body-enhancing drugs he gave his knights were pretty underwhelming. That level of doping wouldn’t even be considered a drug in Ruquer. It’s more like a snack for kids.

‘Still, I’m a bit curious about the Muryeong stacking.’

Depending on how it’s used, Muryeong can turn even a dullard into a genius, if only for a moment.

Of course, the price would be one’s life, but would Pasian really want to beat me that badly? Enough to risk his life?

If he does go that far, I might have a bit of fun, but I doubt it. Pasian is also an ambitious guy.

Ambition means valuing one’s life, and his loyalty is shallow. So, he’ll probably just do enough to not die.

Anyway, these guys, they all value their lives too much. How am I supposed to have any fun like this?

‘I’ve held back enough.’

Two things are set in stone once the tournament ends.

One is to bring Maknun back from Ruquer. It’s frustrating not having anyone to talk to.

The second is to find a worthy opponent.

While I’ve been busy nurturing talent and rebuilding Sephira, I had forgotten for a moment, but fighting these kids in the tournament has flipped a switch in me.

‘I need someone who can make my heart race.’

I’m not looking for some mediocre opponent. I want a strong enemy. Someone I can’t beat as I am now. Only by defeating such an enemy can I double the joy of victory and the growth that comes with it.

To do that, I need to wrap up this tournament first.

It’s not far off. I can feel it’s almost over. Once today’s match ends, only the individual tournament remains.

The issues with Norman the slime and Ayrus the lich will also end with the tournament. Both are ultimately tied to the tournament.

That’s when I felt it.

A gaze, like being poked with a needle, coming from the general audience seats.

I turned my head. Among the countless spectators, that guy stood out immediately.

*Wiggle wiggle*

He waved his hand at me, greeting me.

‘Ayrus.’

The Ayrus I know only shows up in front of me when he’s up to something. Seeing that annoying smile, he must have prepared something.

And sure enough—

*Thud thud thud…*

A faint vibration could be felt from the audience seats.

It wasn’t from the audience’s stomping or cheering. It was coming from below, from underground.

*Boom!*

“Kyaaaah!”

“Whaaaat?!”

Suddenly, an explosion erupted in the middle of the city, accompanied by a deafening roar. A rose-shaped cloud rose vividly into the sky. Even Norman, who was about to finish off Pasian, looked up in shock.

Amidst the chaos, only one person remained calm, smiling slyly.

Ayrus.

He mouthed to me:

‘I’ll come find you tonight.’

This explosion was an unspoken threat—refuse or avoid me, and I won’t let it slide.

In response, I raised my middle finger.

* * *

The explosion in the city center shook the world.

It was the same type of explosion that had blown up Pedders Hotel before, and the citizens were utterly panicked.

“Wasn’t the terrorist caught?”

“Uh, what do we do?! Shouldn’t we run?”

Forget the tournament, some citizens were already getting up and moving. Those trying to stay in their seats and those trying to leave clashed, creating chaos.

It wasn’t just the citizens who were shocked. The nobles were also trying to flee the audience seats.

“Move! Get out of the way!”

“If you don’t move, I’ll cut you down!”

While the commoners’ and nobles’ seats were separate, the exits were the same, so the nobles drew their swords and threatened the commoners.

Meanwhile, the Sephira party, amidst everyone rushing to leave the arena, stayed put. It was because of a single line Keter had casually thrown out.

“Just stay seated.”

“Huh, why?”

Taragon asked, but Mail answered for him.

“The explosion happened outside the arena, not inside. And this arena is protected by magic. It’s safer here than anywhere else, not more dangerous.”

Anis chimed in with Mail’s calm analysis.

“The tournament officials are also panicking, but they’re staying put. Even if there are more explosions or attacks, they know this arena is safe. The Immortal Knights are also stationed here.”

The brothers’ analysis was spot on. Soon, the announcer began controlling the crowd with a loudspeaker.

-Please remain in your seats. The explosion outside the arena occurred during the suppression of hidden terrorists. The terrorists have all been subdued, and there will be no further explosions. Even if there are more explosions, this arena is designed to withstand even 7th-circle magic. Therefore, we urge all spectators, including the nobles, to return to their seats.

The announcer’s confident words didn’t immediately quell the chaos, but the number of people trying to leave did decrease.

The announcer didn’t try to control those who insisted on leaving. He just let them go if they wanted to.

The nobles, seeing some of their peers solemnly staying put, hesitated but eventually returned to their seats.

While most of the audience returned to their seats, they remained standing, nervously chatting.

“Is it really okay?”

“That explosion was just like the one when Pedders Hotel collapsed.”

“My ears are ringing. I thought the sky was falling.”

“Yesterday, there were undead, and today, a bomb? I thought the capital had good security…”

Interest in the finals had already faded. Only anxiety and dissatisfaction lingered in the arena.

But the biggest problem was that the clear winner of the finals had yet to be decided.

The announcer stepped up to address the issue.

-The finals of Team Tournament Group B have been interrupted due to the sudden explosion, but we have determined that resuming is not feasible. Therefore, the judges will decide the outcome.

At the announcer’s words, the audience showed a bit of interest.

But the result was obvious. Anyone could see that Norman had the victory in the bag.

-The five judges have unanimously agreed. The winner of this final is…

After a brief pause, the announcer suddenly grabbed Pasian’s arm and raised it high.

-The Red Wolf, Pasian!