The third arena to visit.
But things are different now in many ways.
The first was a visit to make use of practical experience.
The second visit was to dry Erina.
But now I’m here to take a look.
‘Although I’ll cheer for Albion too.’
Besides, the level of ability between then and now is also incomparable.
Because it was more than doubled.
‘But it seems that the level has definitely risen.’
Various demons roaming around.
Each of them had a different race and appearance, but they had something in common.
just being strong.
When I came to the arena in the past, there were few people stronger than Erina.
But now, it seemed that there were quite a few strong players on Erina’s level.
Even those with abilities close to a thousand units seemed like it would be a pretty fierce competition to see from time to time.
‘Albion guy, it must be difficult.’
I don’t know how much Albion has grown in 2 months, but even if I set it to the maximum, it would be difficult to exceed a thousand units.
If Dae Jin-woon does not follow, the possibility of falling early seemed high.
“If you would like to participate in the competition, please register now.”
The people rushed all at once to the shouts of the arena staff.
The sudden inclination caused the surroundings to become confused.
“Now, hold on!”
“Get out of the way!”
“Don’t push!”
Jetty and I were reasonably far apart, but those in the center were getting tangled up and the confusion was increasing.
If this is the case, people may get hurt.
Right then.
Kwaaang!
A loud sound that calms the commotion.
People’s eyes turned to where the explosion was heard.
Patter.
A person sitting on top of an empty arena.
A well-proportioned, muscular body.
Sharp eyes that scare the viewer.
He was a man with an impressive scar across his lips.
“Everyone, let’s keep some order.”
The man waved his fist and looked at the people.
People’s eyes turned to the arena floor.
A large hole in the center of the arena.
It was the result of a single punch.
“Now, everyone, there is no need to rush. Those who want to participate will be accepted even if it is a little late, so please take your time.”
Reception started in a more organized atmosphere than before with the guidance of the staff.
And the man who had quieted the commotion left without incident.
‘Aren’t you the one who wants to participate in the contest?’
Looking at his skills, it looked like he could aim for a high rank, but it was a bit unexpected.
‘One strength seems to be ignorantly strong.’
He made a hole in the arena with pure physical strength without using demonic energy.
It was impossible with any force.
‘What… It’s not that great.’
I can do the same.
No, if I wanted to, I could have blown up the stadium, not just a hole.
If you use Magi, the arena isn’t a problem.
‘As expected, it would be a foul for me to step forward.’
No matter how I looked, I couldn’t see anyone who would be my opponent.
at that time.
‘what? That person.’
A familiar figure caught my eye.
Tall enough to look down on everyone around you.
A thick body suitable for him.
It was his senior, Galius.
‘Why is that person here again… No, it suits me.’
From the first meeting, it was Galius who had been fighting randomly with his juniors.
I’ve heard from Esca that he likes fighting, so it’s not strange if he visits the arena.
They say that thanks to the tournament, strong players are gathering, so they seem to have rushed excitedly.
And Galius seemed to have found me too.
“Hey, who is this? That’s Kyler Diablick.”
Galius greeted me warmly.
“Nice to meet you.”
“It seemed like I hadn’t seen you for a while, but I thought I’d meet you in a place like this.”
“Because I was away from Demonic for training for a while.”
“Hoo?”
Galius with an interesting expression.
“How about taking part in this contest?”
“I do not know. I don’t really like it now.”
To begin with, the level difference is too great.
I don’t know if it was before I went to the succubus castle, but it wouldn’t be very helpful to me now.
I don’t know if there are strong opponents, but I didn’t see them either.
“Is this a disappointment?”
“What do you mean?”
“I didn’t know you were afraid of a fight.”
Galius is making a clumsy provocation on me.
The intention is so clear that it makes me laugh.
‘It would be better for everyone if I didn’t participate.’
But if you say something like that, it’s polite to accept it.
“I am not afraid of a fight. What… To prove that, I must also participate, right?”
“Well? right! If you participate, no one will laugh at you.”
He is a very simple senior.
But the person itself wasn’t bad, so I decided to hang out in moderation.
“All right. Let’s get involved.”
“Hahaha, very good. I hope to see you at the competition.”
When you encounter it, the outcome is fixed.
With the defeat of Galius.
An opponent I could have beaten even when we first met.
Now, of course, they are not opponents.
“Because I really want to see the skills that Lucifer praised.”
this is another surprise
I never thought Lucifer would tell my story to other people.
“Is the student council president doing well?”
“Well? Oh, you said you haven’t been to Demonic for a while. Lucifer is also temporarily out of Demonic for training.”
I thought I was staying inside Demonic, but it was unexpected.
‘I can’t apologize right now.’
Since you left for training, you may not come back if you do not achieve satisfactory results.
But I rather liked that.
The existence of a rival who works hard without being conceited was a stimulus to me as well.
“okay. There will be a chance to meet you next time.”
“Before that, I think the first thing to do is to pay attention to the competition.”
“I know. You don’t have to worry because I’m going to do my best without being vigilant.”
“Good attitude. Then I look forward to seeing you at the stadium later.”
Galius waved his hand and left.
“Kyler, are you really going to participate?”
“I thought it would be better than just watching.”
“Well… If it’s Kyle, you don’t have to worry.”
“I have to register first.”
In the meantime, quite a few people applied, and soon after, I was able to complete the application too.
‘But where is the Albion guy?’
Since he said he was participating in the competition, it was clear that he was probably here somewhere.
I thought it wouldn’t be hard to find because it’s so noticeable, but it wasn’t easy because there were more people than expected.
It was then.
“Oh, look over there.”
Jetty pointing somewhere.
There, he saw a familiar face.
Bear head and muscular body.
It was Albion.
‘I just found it. Well?’
I was about to approach Albion, but I stopped when I saw the existence in front of him.
A mask that seems like I’ve seen it somewhere and a sword wrapped around my waist.
‘It’s definitely something I remember. ah!’
Only then did a forgotten memory come to mind.
The swordsman who blindly demanded a confrontation when he first visited the arena.
The man in front of him was that swordsman.
* * *
‘It must have been called Heidel.’
At that time, he had a high level of ability that was unmatched by opponents.
‘I said we would compete in four months, but I never thought we would meet like this.’
At the time, I didn’t think I would be able to win even after 4 months.
A proposal I made thinking that it would be on an equal level.
However, with the help of the Orb of Temptation, it was a different story now that he had accelerated his growth by two years.
‘I forgot, but that’s good.’
However, the atmosphere in Albion and Heidel was unusual.
I had to check first, so I decided to intervene.
“Long time no see, Albion.”
“Well? Kyler, when did you come back?”
“It arrived today. I came to hear that you are participating in the contest.”
“Haha, that’s right.”
“So what happened?”
“Ah, that’s what you mean.”
Albion scratched his head with a troubled expression.
“This person here suddenly asked to compete.”
It seems to be a habit that only comes out when I meet someone who looks a little stronger.
“Even if you can meet them if you participate in the competition, they will come out recklessly.”
“I am not interested in the weak. I will have to wait a long time to meet you, but you have to give up on me.”
Because of the mask, I couldn’t see his face, but I could hear his stubbornness in his voice.
‘Still, Albion seems to have gotten a lot stronger.’
It was a story that Albion had been working hard enough to catch the eye of a strong man like Heidel.
However, there was no reason for Albion to listen to his insistence.
It’s a tough opponent to beat, but if you fight against him and get hurt, you’d have to give up the tournament.
‘I guess I’ll have to solve it here.’
I slowly took the mask out of my pocket.
“Do you remember this mask?”
“Well? No, you, you!”
Heidel’s eyes, revealed through the mask, shook violently.
“I came to keep my promise to meet you in four months.”
Of course it’s a lie.
Because I completely forgot about it until I came here.
But my words seem to have been properly eaten by the opponent.
“As expected, you were a warrior who knew honor. I apologize for worrying about what to do if you don’t come for a while.”
An attitude that goes beyond politeness and even reverence.
Rather, it made me feel sorry.
“But I can’t compete right now.”
“why?”
“Because I intend to participate in the contest.”
“There would be no reason for a strong person like you to fight against the weak.”
right.
So, originally, I didn’t want to participate.
However, I had no intention of changing my decision once I decided to participate.
“Because I think there is something to be gained even in a duel with a weak opponent.”
Heidel reacted violently to the plausible words.
“Oh, I guess that could be true.”
At the time I revealed my identity, his attention was directed only to me.
Thanks to that, Albion is in a situation where only his eyes are blinking from the side.
“So let’s decide our match at the tournament.”
“great. Since you did not forget your promise and came, I will also make concessions to that extent.”
“I hope you don’t fall for someone else in the middle.”
“Haha, that’s not going to happen so don’t worry.”
A confident voice.
Considering the abilities he had seen before, it wasn’t strange to have that kind of confidence.
‘Let’s see if I’ve made some progress in the meantime.’
I checked Heidel’s status window.
◆ Name: Heidel Marius
◆ Age: 36 years old
◆ Stats: Strength (1,002) Agility (1,313) Magi (1,036) Endurance (976)
‘Is it the right way?’
Compared to 4 months ago, the ability has definitely improved.
All stats had grown evenly over 200.
‘I don’t think it would have been easy to deal with if I hadn’t trained with the Temptation Orb.’
But now I have grown incomparably with then.
Heidel had no chance of winning.
“Then I will wait to see you at the stadium.”
Heidel waved his sword in greeting and left.
“Kyler, how did you get to know him?”
“I got entangled when I came here once before.”
“Anyway, thanks to you, I was able to escape. Did you finish your training well?”
“I got satisfactory results.”
“Congratulations. I thought you would do well.”
Albion sincerely congratulates you.
Jetty did the same, but I was grateful that he thought of my work as if it were his own.
“I would appreciate it if the participants and spectators participating in the competition could gather at the central stadium now.”
The sound announcing the start of the tournament began to spread throughout the arena.
Soon a large number of people gathered in the central arena.
“Thank you for your interest.”
The moderator who came up to the stadium greeted the surroundings.
And after that, several objects came up on the stage.
“These are the prizes for this contest.”
Artifacts, jewelry, rare books, and other types of goods were showing their presence.
And there was one thing that caught my attention.
‘That’s also coming out as a product?’
A small stone that emits black light.
It was the Chaos Stone.
‘If this is the case, I have no choice but to do it properly.’
It was the moment when the half-joking heart changed to the heart.