Episode 92
Chapter 32: The Battleground of Cosmos (3)
Inside the battleground—supposedly filled with romance and love—the layout was, in many ways, eerily similar to a prison.
There was a long, dark corridor, and on either side, cramped single rooms lined up side by side. Instead of ordinary doors like those in a typical home, each room was barred with iron grates.
The only difference from a prison was that the participants could open and close these iron bars at will. And surprisingly, the pirate henchmen of Cosmos, who acted as guides, were quite friendly.
“What’s this? A fresh-faced participant just walked in? Haha, this year’s battleground is really full of kids. Let me see… huh, Team 13? And you even beat up your captain? Now that’s impressive.”
The guide eyed Jin with curiosity.
“Kids these days have no fear. There’s another fan of our captain besides you, so if you two face off, it’ll be quite a show. Too bad you’re on different teams.”
There was no need to ask who he meant. If it wasn’t Dante Hyland, no other teenager on this crazy island would dare pull such a stunt.
“So, which room do I get?”
Jin asked indifferently, and the guide shrugged.
“Pick any you want! The Team 13 matches start tomorrow, so if you get bored today, just watch the other teams fight. You might as well make some fun memories before you die, right?”
The guide clearly assumed Jin wouldn’t last long. Fortunately, he wasn’t mocking, so Jin just brushed past him and began choosing a room.
Step, step.
As Jin walked slowly, inspecting the rooms, it became clear just how diverse the participants were.
Some sat in corners murmuring prayers, others pulled out strange items to check and prepare, and many had already formed cliques, chatting noisily among themselves.
In some ways, it felt even more savage than the lawless Mamite zone.
‘That pirate Cosmos isn’t someone you see every day. Why is he doing pirate work in a place like this?’
Jin shrugged and continued scanning the rooms. After about ten minutes wandering the corridor, there wasn’t a single room that was better or cleaner than the rest. All were old and filthy.
‘There aren’t even enough rooms for the participants. It’s obvious they’re forcing two or three people to share each room. The intention to keep them cramped and unable to rest properly is so blatant it’s irritating.’
Cosmos’s battleground was a no-holds-barred fighting tournament where killing opponents before the official matches even started was allowed. It was more of a survival game than a martial arts competition.
That was why the rooms were designed to be so cramped—to force participants to clash and fight whenever they had the chance.
Once registered, withdrawal was impossible. Cosmos’s henchmen were stationed at the entrance, and other participants weren’t kind enough to let anyone escape.
Anyone who tried to run would be turned into jerky by other participants before the henchmen could catch them.
That was why Cosmos said things like “If you don’t survive the night, you’ll be shark food,” and why the guide spoke as if Jin was doomed from the start.
They couldn’t expect a boy like Jin to survive in this environment. Even if he was a genius with a four-star or higher skill level, the pirates judged his chances of survival as slim.
In a world of intrigue and treachery, experience and savvy mattered more than raw strength. And in the pirates’ eyes, a boy simply couldn’t possess that.
Jin suddenly recalled what Kashimir had said. Now that he was here, seeing the reality firsthand, he understood immediately.
‘Well, it’s kind of refreshing in its own way.’
Jin grabbed the iron bars of a room near the center of the corridor. The unpleasant screech of metal echoed as he pulled the door open, and three participants inside glared at him simultaneously.
“Don’t you see there are three of us here? Get lost, kid.”
“Man, even for a bottom-tier tournament, they’re letting in brats like you now?”
“Why are you just standing there? Get moving.”
All three were men in their mid to late twenties. Their slouching postures and rough tones marked them as low-level thugs.
‘Who was it that said “a firm hand is the best way to deal with these guys”? Was it my old master? Or Mary-nim? It’s fuzzy.’
Still, Jin thought he should give them a chance before beating them up. He met each of their eyes once.
“From today on, this room is mine alone. I’m going to count to three. That’s enough time for you to move out, right?”
He had zero intention of sharing a room with anyone. Keeping people like these close was just asking for a knife in the back.
The thugs blinked in disbelief.
“One, two, three.”
Crack! Bam! Snap!
Two punches and a joint lock. The results: orbital bone fracture, sunken cheekbone, and a dislocated shoulder. The thugs were so stunned by the sudden assault they couldn’t even react.
Screams of pain echoed, and cheers erupted from nearby rooms. Jin placed his hand on his waist, and the three thugs scrambled out without uttering a single curse.
Room secured.
But the real battle was just beginning.
‘There won’t be just one or two who try to take this room from me… Looks like I’m done sleeping for a while.’
His prediction was spot on.
Within ten minutes, new challengers began showing up, trying to claim the room.
“Hey, let’s share this room.”
Some boldly said that before getting punched a few times and running off, which was almost cute.
But others tried to sneak by spraying poison or came in groups of three or four, firing crossbows before fleeing. Those weren’t so easy to forgive.
For those, Jin cut off all their fingers or sliced their wrists before sending them away. It sent a stronger message to the other participants than killing them outright would.
But the most bothersome were those who just watched him quietly as they passed.
‘They’re definitely waiting for the right moment to strike. If I only watch the front like I do now, it’ll be hard to stop their tricks.’
It wasn’t exactly frightening, but it was annoying. He couldn’t use magic or spiritual energy here.
‘Having to solve every problem with just my sword is definitely a burden. I’m used to using all three powers at once.’
Besides, he used to have comrades. Until recently, he even had a necklace that guaranteed survival no matter who he met.
‘Now I get why my father sent me here. It’s not just about facing Dante—it’s a lesson not to be arrogant about my swordsmanship.’
Jin kept his senses sharp, staring down the corridor.
Suddenly, the guide’s voice echoed from outside.
“Alright, the matches between Team 1 and Team 2 are about to start! If you want to watch, head over to the stands. Oh, and remember—no killing in the stands! If you cause trouble, there’ll be consequences, so behave.”
Clang, clank!
One by one, the iron bars along the corridor began to open. Everyone was moving to watch the Team 1 and 2 matches.
It made sense—since killing and attacking were forbidden in the stands, it was the only time participants could truly relax.
There seemed to be an unspoken rule that participants wouldn’t attack each other even while moving to the stands. So Jin naturally tried to blend into the crowd.
‘Those who just watched me earlier? If I were them, I’d stab me in this crowd. That’s the best chance to succeed.’
No matter how skilled Jin was, it was impossible to spot and dodge a sudden blade flying through a crowd.
The non-aggression during the move was only an unspoken rule.
It wasn’t officially stated by the organizers. Jin had read the rulebook on the back of the application form dozens of times on the way here, and there was no mention of such a rule.
Of course, anyone who attacked Jin would get dirty looks from others. But there were plenty who’d cheer for killing the arrogant kid who claimed a room alone.
‘No rush. I’m better off waiting until the corridor thins out a bit.’
A wise decision.
The few participants who had checked Jin out earlier moved separately but were clearly a group. They saw Jin as a four-star level fighter and planned to take him out.
They had no other reason—Jin was simply the most interesting prey they could handle.
But thanks to Jin’s cautious behavior, they couldn’t carry out their plan. The guide, watching quietly, muttered low praise.
“I thought he was just a reckless kid relying on skill alone, but he’s got good instincts. Now I see why the captain wanted to match him with some worthy opponents.”
Without replying, Jin left the room.
As he neared the arena, the cheers grew louder and clearer. When he reached the stands, he was momentarily speechless at the sheer size of the crowd.
‘Damn, this many people actually came to watch?’
There were easily over a thousand spectators besides the participants.
For a moment, Jin worried someone might recognize him, but it was unlikely any big shots who attended the Runkandel Bridge party would show up here.
“Dante Hai is still pretty unknown outside the imperial nobility, so that’s probably why he’s entered,” I thought.
If I’d known the crowd would be this big, I would’ve put more effort into my disguise.
I smirked to myself and settled into a decent spot. From there, the chatter of the spectators in front of me drifted over naturally.
They looked like wealthy nobles from the Bellado Principality who came every year to watch this tournament.
“Have you heard the rumor?”
“What rumor?”
“They say the apprentice rider from Runcandel is entering this arena under a false name.”