Chapter 118 – Nesos (4)

The Twin-headed Tiger that appeared inside the cage saw the two people and bared its ferocious teeth.

The two heads, sprouting from a single body, each let out a fierce roar and began to threaten the prey before them.

An ordinary warrior would have their body frozen just by hearing that roar.

Of course, this did not apply to Seo Ji-han and Min Ha-rin.

Seo Ji-han immediately activated his Mana Eyes to gauge the beast’s full strength.

‘Now I get it.’

The reason the audience had been so excited at the name Twin-headed Tiger.

Surprisingly, the beast’s mana reserve surpassed that of the Class 3 gladiator, Lloyd.

Even if a real fight were to break out, the outcome would likely be decided by mana.

In this place, Nesos, those who had properly learned swordsmanship were rare. If Lloyd had been one of them, he wouldn’t have remained a mere Class 3.

Min Ha-rin looked at the Twin-headed Tiger and infused her blade with mana.

She was determined to handle it by herself, no matter what.

It was due to the sense of debt she felt for owing so much to Senior Johan so far.

The problem was that every time she drew upon her mana, the speed at which the toxin spread in her body increased.

‘So, it would be troublesome to drag this out.’

A prolonged battle meant her body would be further damaged.

Her calculation was exactly two moves.

One strike to the left neck, one strike to the right neck.

Of course, this was only her own calculation, and it was impossible to predict how the actual battle would unfold.

The Twin-headed Tiger was clearly exuding an unusual aura.

Furthermore, if the poison in her body were to run rampant, the situation would become uncontrollable, so she had to concentrate with all her might.

But that resolve from a moment ago did not last long.

Step.

Step.

Seo Ji-han stepped forward and stood face to face with the Twin-headed Tiger.

“S-Senior!”

Min Ha-rin was about to step forward again but had to stop for a moment.

It felt like she was blocked by a wall.

Seo Ji-han was exuding an aura like that of an ancient tree.

“Just stay back.”

A low voice.

As she always felt, it was a truly reassuring voice.

It felt like he would become a sturdy umbrella no matter what enemies came rushing in.

But soon, a sense of concern was added and mixed in.

‘The toxin will surely spread faster in Senior’s body.’

To defeat the Twin-headed Tiger, he would have to generate a considerable amount of mana.

And the resulting spread of the toxin would be a significant pain.

A sense of guilt once again tightened its grip on Min Ha-rin’s heart.

Even though she knew the superstition about Nesos, it was Min Ha-rin herself who had first proposed the party to Johan.

As a result, they had fallen into this situation, so she thought she had to bear all the burden herself.

“Senior! I think it’s right for me to step forward now!”

“If you don’t want to become a burden, step back.”

“……What?”

“If you act rashly and the toxin runs rampant, I’ll have to carry you on my back. So stay back.”

Min Ha-rin was momentarily at a loss for words.

Johan’s words carried an undeniable sternness.

So she couldn’t say anything more against his words.

She had once again come to rely on Johan.

My friend! I do not know why everyone is making such a fuss over catching a single mob like this!

‘I know, right.’

The Twin-headed Tiger, which had been roaring, finally began to move with a prowl.

Like a predator slowly pressuring its prey.

But Seo Ji-han stood still, holding the Holy Sword, without moving a muscle.

The voices of the audience grew louder.

They were shouting for him to snap out of it and fight back properly.

So that the blood that would be shed would be all the more gruesome.

Grrrrr.

The eyes of the Twin-headed Tiger, which had been closing the distance with a prowl, suddenly flashed.

At the same time, the surrounding air changed.

Its coiled hind legs shot out like a gale, rushing towards Seo Ji-han.

It was a terrifying speed that belied its massive size.

But even at this moment, Seo Ji-han stood perfectly still without any movement.

There was no change in his expression, not even the blink of an eye.

Only the Holy Sword he held drew a nonchalant arc.

Slice!

A red line appeared where the sword had passed, and one of the Twin-headed Tiger’s heads fell to the ground with a thud.

A fountain of blood erupted.

The audience’s gasps of horror rang out, and the remaining head of the Twin-headed Tiger let out a ferocious roar.

But Seo Ji-han, as if he were a third party, was still observing the situation with a nonchalant expression.

The Twin-headed Tiger charged again without delay.

With the intent to tear Seo Ji-han to shreds.

Although it had lost one head, its ferocious teeth and sharp claws were still intact.

In fact, the threat became even greater as the Twin-headed Tiger’s mana ran rampant.

But Seo Ji-han’s response did not change.

As before, his Holy Sword moved lightly.

Slice!

The charging Twin-headed Tiger had its neck cut off without even knowing what had happened.

Both heads lay side by side on the ground, their eyes wide open.

The headless body thrashed madly, spewing blood.

In the boisterous arena, for a moment, only silence reigned.

Until the Twin-headed Tiger’s body collapsed.

Thump!

Only then did the audience begin to shout.

Various voices were mixed together.

The cries of those who had lost money, the cheers of those who had made an unexpected windfall, and the excitement of those aroused by the smell of blood.

All sorts of sounds engulfed the arena.

Only after some time had passed since the situation ended did Min Ha-rin let out the breath she had been holding.

Her back was already drenched in sweat.

She hadn’t doubted her trust in Johan, but there had been a slight sense of apprehension.

He had just watched the Twin-headed Tiger’s charge until the very last moment.

Min Ha-rin recalled Johan’s appearance from a moment ago.

The two elegant sword paths he had drawn.

Her long-held question was whether such swordsmanship existed in the world.

Although her knowledge was still lacking, she knew most of the well-known sword styles.

But she couldn’t even begin to guess the identity of the swordsmanship that this man named Johan displayed.

And the more surprising feeling was that the class of the swordsmanship he used seemed as if it wouldn’t be outmatched by any other in the world.

It didn’t make sense for such a person to still remain an unknown swordsman.

She was aware that the name Johan was likely an alias.

She wanted to ask.

Why he was hiding his identity.

There must be some story, but she wished he would reveal it, at least to her.

‘But is he really alright?’

Although it ended cleanly in just two moves, he must have drawn upon a considerable amount of mana.

If so, the toxin in his body would have also spread rapidly.

If that was the case, she would once again be in great debt to Johan.

Min Ha-rin looked at his back and bowed her head in respect.

And at this moment, the one who was most dumbfounded was the owner of the arena, Kals.

‘That thing cost a fortune!’

A sense of futility washed over him as he looked at the two severed heads.

The Twin-headed Tiger was a creature he had procured with great difficulty.

A popular and rare species that was both visually spectacular and had outstanding combat prowess.

He had not expected to lose such a guaranteed box-office hit so futilely.

The common understanding was that the Twin-headed Tiger’s power was on par with a Class 4 gladiator.

Moreover, since those two, a man and a woman, were no-classes who had just debuted today, he had not doubted the result.

But the outcome that had already occurred was that the match was decided in just two moves. And the one whose neck was cut was the Twin-headed Tiger.

Kals let out a sigh and then suddenly snapped to his senses.

This was not the time to be dumbfounded.

The Twin-headed Tiger he had spent a fortune on was dead, but the ones who had done it were gladiators who had debuted today.

This was a great story.

Furthermore, the immense potential they must possess was beyond imagination.

‘They can be a new box-office card!’

If things went as planned, he thought they could have an impact incomparable to the Twin-headed Tiger.

Seo Ji-han and Min Ha-rin, having finished the fight, were coming out of the cage.

Kals hurriedly ran towards the two of them.

“Congratulations! I knew you two could do it! I had a feeling from the moment I first saw you. That’s why I offered you such a generous bonus, isn’t it! Hahahaha!”

But Seo Ji-han, barely listening, waited for Kals to finish his words and then opened his mouth.

“Where can I get paid?”

“Paid? What’s the rush! Wait a moment. There’s a short break time after the second match anyway, so let’s talk then. Alright? You can watch the next match next to me.”

Seo Ji-han thought for a moment and then nodded his head.

He was curious about Lloyd’s match anyway.

In Seo Ji-han’s judgment, Lloyd was a crude but good man.

He had genuinely worried about him until the very end, and his appearance of fighting for his life in this place to save his sister was also impressive.

“You two! Wait here for a moment. I have to go out and host the match again.”

Kals urged Seo Ji-han and then left for a moment.

A short while later, Lloyd appeared.

Perhaps because his promotion to Class 4 was on the line, he looked visibly nervous. A stark contrast to when he was talking big.

He entered the cage with a solemn expression.

“Now! Let’s begin the second match! The challenger is the Class 3 gladiator, Lloyd!”

And following him, another gladiator appeared.

According to Kals’s introduction, he was the Class 4 gladiator, Jenyak.

Seo Ji-han compared the strength of the two men through his Mana Eyes.

And the conclusion he reached a moment later.

‘Unfortunate.’

Because the difference in their mana was clear.

If this were Earth, he would have been a little more cautious in predicting the outcome.

There were many cases where the difference in mana could be overcome through swordsmanship.

‘A prime example being me.’

The problem was that this place was not Earth, but Nesos.

It was a place where people who were accustomed to overpowering with force rather than technique gathered.

If Lloyd didn’t have any special swordsmanship, this difference would never be overturned.

At Kals’s signal, the battle between the two men began.

Both men in the cage were huge.

The two hulks began a power struggle, swinging their brutishly large swords that suited them perfectly.

Kwaang!

Kwaaaang!

Sparks flew and a loud roar erupted every time their swords clashed.

Without a single feint or variation, simple yet honest attacks were exchanged.

Kwaaaang!

It was amazing.

He was amazed by their mana, and then amazed again by their swordsmanship.

In the end, the match would be decided by mana.

It was still a tight match, but the one whose strength gave out first would be rapidly pushed into a defensive position.

Kwaaaaaang!

In the end, Lloyd was pushed back by the force and fell backward.

Jenyak did not hesitate and began to bring his sword down on Lloyd.

Enduring well was only a story when it happened once or twice.

It was impossible for Lloyd to defend against Jenyak’s continuous attacks.

Kwaaaaaang!

In the end, Lloyd, who was blocking Jenyak’s attacks while lying down, dropped his sword.

He had truly reached his limit.

Lloyd, now empty-handed, squeezed his eyes shut.

Jenyak grinned and attempted a decisive vertical slash.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep