Chapter 65

[Translator – Prøks]

[Proofreader – Prøks]

Chapter 65: The Trial Grounds (2)

[You have entered the ‘Opensia Arena.’]

It was a massive colosseum with crowds of various species in the stands.

In the center of the arena, a fierce battle between a lizardman and a gnoll was taking place.

―Yeah! Go, Gomongo! Stab him right there!

―Smelly gnoll scum! Just kill him already!

―Kalex! Don’t lose! I bet today’s wages on you!

The gnoll, called Kalex, was pushing the lizardman back.

He found himself in a small prison cell at the edge of the arena.

An old gnome approached the cell and grinned, revealing his yellowed teeth.

“First time here? You look like a newbie.”

“Who are you?”

“Me? I’m your overseer. Why’d a weak human like you end up here? Did you get sold off?”

“Seems like it.”

“Tsk. Humans, I swear. Anyway, you’re up next. If you don’t want to die, you’d better fight with all you’ve got, though it might not help…”

“Who’s my opponent?”

“Karligo.”

“What’s that?”

“You don’t know the ‘Butcher’ Karligo? Man, you’re in trouble. He’s a troll who crushes the heads of rookie gladiators like you.”

A troll?

They were typically level 200 to 250, roughly in the upper-C-rank range.

‘So I just need to beat this troll to pass the trial?’

For a Diamond-level trial, this seemed almost too easy.

His puzzled look seemed to further confirm the gnome’s perception of him as a clueless newbie.

He clicked his tongue in pity.

“Seriously? You don’t even know what a troll is? Did you just crawl out of a cave?”

“I know.”

Just then, the gnoll called Kalex smashed the lizardman’s head with a mace in one strike.

The crowd erupted in cheers as the gnoll raised his weapon in victory.

“So killing is allowed?”

“This is an illegal arena. No one cares about rules here. Choose carefully. If you try to surrender early, you’ll just be thrown to the dogs.”

“Got it.”

The gnome opened the cell door.

“Go on. Good luck surviving, kid.”

He handed him a sword.

It was a simple, rusty blade, but it would do.

‘Come to think of it… I don’t have my weapons or equipment.’

All his gear had been stripped away.

[Initiate – Diamond’ trial begins!]

[First stage: Defeat the ‘Butcher’ Karligo.]

[Difficulty: Diamond]

[Difficulty adjustments are being applied!]

[1st Stage]

[1. Karligo’s health increased by 300%.]

[2. Existing equipment cannot be used.]

[3. Consumables cannot be used.]

[4. Skills cannot be used.]

‘Well, that’s one way to make it a challenge’

It made sense that a Diamond-level trial would have significant limitations.

No consumables, no equipment, no skills, and a heavily buffed opponent.

Yet, it didn’t worry him.

Equipment?

He just needed this one sword to defeat the troll.

Even with 300% health, a sharp enough blade would still do the job.

If he were a typical necromancer, the lack of skills would be a massive problem, but he was anything but typical.

Even without skills, he could slice through his enemies with ease.

The announcer’s voice boomed across the arena.

“Introducing a new challenger, a first-time fighter in the arena! He goes by the name ‘Kim Minwoo!’ And his opponent is none other than the Butcher himself…”

On the opposite side of the arena, the gates rolled open, and the ground trembled with each step of the approaching giant.

A towering troll nearly 5 meters tall emerged, wielding a massive iron mace.

“The Butcher, Karligo! Known for crushing the bodies of countless rookies!”

―Yeah!

―Hah! We know who’s going to win this one!

―I’ve got one minute on the human!

―I bet one minute and 30 seconds!

The crowd was abuzz with excitement, making bets on how quickly Karligo would crush him.

Their enthusiasm was palpable, though their expectations for his survival were grim.

―Hey! I’m betting one ruble on the human to win!

―Are you crazy? Betting one ruble on this? You’re nuts!

The crowd murmured in disbelief as he chuckled to himself.

These people couldn’t imagine a scenario where he wouldn’t get crushed.

It was like hitting the lottery.

As for him, he couldn’t imagine losing this fight.

―Let the match begin!

A drumbeat echoed across the arena, and the troll charged at him with his massive iron mace.

‘Here we go.’

As Karligo swung the mace, he leaped onto it, using its momentum to carry him forward.

He ran up the handle, jumped onto his shoulder, and then plunged his sword deep into Karligo’s neck, cutting through flesh and bone.

The troll gurgled as he tried to swat him away, but he swiftly sliced off two of his fingers before leaping away.

By the time his other hand smashed down where he had been, he was already on top of his head, driving his sword into his skull.

No matter how much health a troll had, a brain-piercing stab was enough to end the fight.

The troll stumbled and then collapsed, dead, in less than 10 seconds.

―…Huh?

The announcer blinked, clearly surprised.

―…The winner is Kim Minwoo! That was lightning fast! Did we just witness the birth of a new super rookie?!

The crowd erupted into chaos.

―My money!

―Hey, what kind of trick is this, you crazy human?!

―You guys are rigging this match to take our money!

The gamblers went berserk, turning into instant paupers.

Karligo, the supposed rookie killer, had fallen in just a few seconds, leaving them all in shock.

The announcer, sensing the crowd’s anger, quickly adapted.

―Well, if we end it here, it’s not much fun, is it? Karligo was just the gatekeeper! Let’s move on to our second contestant!

[Second Stage: Defeat the ‘Iron Ogre’ Turuk.]

[Difficulty: Diamond]

[Difficulty adjustments are being applied!]

[2nd Stage]

[1. Turuk’s health increased by 300%.]

[2. Existing equipment cannot be used.]

[3. Consumables cannot be used.]

[4. Skills cannot be used.]

[5. Random curse applied.]

The new challenge details popped up.

Just then…

[Curse of Endurance has been applied!]

‘Huh. What’s this curse about?’

He wondered, getting ready for the next opponent.

The itchy sensation spread from his fingers to his arms and then across his entire body.

It felt like bugs crawling under his skin.

It was unbearable, making him want to scratch every inch of his body.

He bit his lip to suppress the urge to roll on the ground.

‘What the hell?’

He thought while scratching his arm, but the itch only intensified.

Cold sweat began to form on his forehead as he looked ahead.

The iron gate had opened, and a massive ogre was stepping out.

Unlike the troll, the ogre had armor plating on his entire body, making him more durable.

―Roar!

The ogre bellowed, swinging a massive iron club.

The betting odds for this round were 7:3, indicating that many gamblers still believed the ogre would win.

“Human! I’ll tear you apart!.”

―Can the rookie overcome the fearsome Iron Ogre Turuk? Let’s start the match!

Boom. Boom.

The ogre charged toward him with heavy footsteps.

[‘Law of Victory’ is activating!]

[All stats increased by 10%!]

[All damage increased by 10%!]

The iron club swung at him with tremendous speed and force.

It was faster than the troll’s attacks, but that didn’t change the outcome.

He dodged the club, moving closer to the ogre’s legs.

Despite the armor plating, there were still weak points.

He drove his sword into the Achilles tendon, splitting bone with a resounding crack.

The ogre stumbled and tried to bring his club down, but it was another miss.

‘Break his legs.’

With 300% more health, headshots would take longer.

Immobilizing the ogre was his best option.

He struck the same spot on his leg again, deepening the wound.

[Consecutive attack!]

[Damage increased by 11%!]

[‘Drill Down’ is activating!]

[Additional damage applied!]

Every successive hit added more damage.

After the third strike, the ogre’s leg was completely severed, and he collapsed to the ground.

―Roar!

The ogre’s pained cry echoed through the arena as he plunged his sword into his head.

It took about two minutes to defeat him.

It wasn’t due to fatigue—it was that cursed itch that made it harder to concentrate.

Thankfully, the curse dissipated after the ogre fell.

He turned to look at the announcer, who seemed impressed by his quick work.

―Turuk has fallen! We might be witnessing the rise of a legendary newcomer! Kim Minwoo, would you like to continue?

He nodded, ready for the next challenge. But before he could move, a message appeared.

[You have achieved perfect scores for the first two stages!]

[It’s impossible to gauge your limits with the Diamond difficulty!]

[Hidden difficulty levels are unlocked!]

[You can ‘select’ your next opponent.]

[1. ‘Black Knight’ Idric]

[A knight with a mask known as the strongest warrior in the Opensia Arena. He normally doesn’t appear in matches, but given your current performance, you might be able to summon him. Note: choosing him will increase the difficulty.]

[2. ‘Cerberus’ Sastera]

[One of the Cerberus species fighting in the Opensia Arena.]

[3. ‘Chain Scythe’ Jemerson]

[A warrior known for his incredible skill with a chain scythe.]

.

.

The list of potential opponents had expanded.

Among them, Idric stood out the most.

Normally, he wouldn’t even appear, indicating a higher level of challenge.

‘Guess it’s time to see what this hidden path is all about.’

He thought, considering his next move.

With a hidden route, there must be a significant reward.

It made sense to take the risk.

‘Let’s do it.’

Turning to the announcer, he said.

“Black Knight Idric. He’s the only one who might be a challenge for me.”

The announcer paused, the crowd falling silent.

If someone said that without backing it up, they’d be laughed at, but given his track record, they couldn’t deny he had some credibility.

After all, he’d taken down Karligo, the rookie crusher, and Turuk, the veteran killer, without breaking a sweat.

―Idric? He’s calling out Idric?

―This is going to be interesting!

―Hey, announcer! If you don’t bring him out, you’ll lose all respect!

The announcer nodded as the crowd roared with excitement.

―Alright, let’s do it! We’ll bring out the best warrior in the Opensia Arena!

After a brief wait, the announcer returned with someone in tow.

―Here he is! The crowd’s favorite—the Black Knight, Idric! Get ready for an unforgettable match!

The audience erupted with cheers as the Black Knight strode forward.

He had the typical look of a knight, but with a metal mask covering his face.

[You’ve unlocked a special route!]

[Warning! The difficulty has changed from ‘Diamond’ to ‘Lethal’!]

[‘Lethal’ difficulty!]

[Stage 3: Survive for 3 minutes against the ‘Black Knight’ Idric.]

[Applying difficulty adjustments!]

[‘Lethal’ difficulty.]

[1. Existing equipment cannot be used.]

[2. Consumables cannot be used.]

[3. Skills cannot be used.]

[4. Two random curses will be applied.]

[5. Idric’s stats are increased by 100%.]

[6. Kim Minwoo’s all stats are fixed at 100.]

He was supposed to survive for 3 minutes.

At first, he wondered why they called it “Lethal.”

But the answer was clear.

His stats were capped at 100, while Idric’s were doubled.

Given that he was likely in the level 300-400 range, his strength and agility would easily exceed 800.

‘And they added two random curses?’

This was indeed a lethal setup.

Strangely, he felt a rush of excitement.

The previous rounds had been almost too easy.

Now, he finally had a real challenge on his hands.

[Translator – Prøks]

[Proofreader – Prøks]