Episode 94
Chapter 32: The Battleground of Cosmos (5)
I can win.
The answer came to him immediately.
—If I can use both magic and spiritual energy.
Though he’d retired and grown rusty, he had recently defeated Alisa, a former member of the Bimont Special Forces. Dante was undeniably exceptional, but Jin felt confident he could overpower him.
That is, if magic and spiritual energy were allowed.
But if it came down to swordsmanship alone—
—I’m not so sure. Dante’s sword aura, his lightning-fast speed, explosive power, and pinpoint accuracy were all astonishing.
The second match had already started, but Jin couldn’t focus on anything else. His mind kept replaying the instant Dante struck Mentis’s neck.
Dante Hylan was clearly a swordsman superior to Jin. Three years of difference in experience made that inevitable.
So Jin had to analyze.
Before they met on the field and crossed blades, he needed to find a way to win.
—but unlike the other contestants, I don’t want to rely on tricks or traps. It has to be a pure, head-on fight to have any meaning.
While Jin wrestled with these thoughts, across the arena in the VIP stands, Veradin’s heart pounded uncontrollably.
—I’m glad I came. I never imagined Jin would enter! And to see Jin and Dante face off so soon… what a stroke of luck.
Jin and Dante.
Veradin had always believed these two were his only true rivals in the world. He never imagined he’d see them meet in a place like this.
Unfortunately, Jin barely paid Veradin any mind.
Jin watched the matches of groups one and two but found no one worth noting after Dante.
The battleground was less a martial arts tournament and more a brutal spectacle, as expected.
Contestants ranked three stars or below busied themselves with underhanded tactics; the naive fell prey and became entertainment for the nobles; veterans slowly tortured their opponents to cheers.
That was the battleground of Cosmos.
—Starting tomorrow, there will be three or four matches a day. I won’t fight until three days from now. So until then…
He had to survive the nights in the arena.
In some ways, more dangerous than the matches themselves.
Currently, 147 contestants remained in the arena’s lodging. Out of 182 total participants, 35 had already died.
Only about ten died during matches; the other 25 perished in fights within the lodging.
Poisonings, assassinations, ambushes, and brawls were common.
If you sat down against a wall to rest, zoning out for a moment, you were likely to die.
So Jin knew he couldn’t sleep for the next three days. Light dozing in the stands was one thing, but deep sleep was impossible.
—I had sleepless training back in the academy… but never for three whole days.
He’d considered gathering a few trustworthy participants to form a group and take turns resting.
But could he really trust anyone in this insane tournament? To watch each other’s backs while sleeping, share meals, and protect one another until their matches?
No.
Seventy percent of the contestants were pirates who pillaged outside; twenty percent were cunning mercenaries or thugs.
The remaining ten percent were ordinary warriors—naive souls who came to gain experience, unaware of the world’s harshness.
Most of those had already died. Too naive to survive this den of vipers. Even if they were alive, Jin wouldn’t have formed a group with them.
—Whatever. I’ll just tough it out. Am I the only one tired? The ones trying to kill me must be exhausted too.
With a soft sigh, Jin sat upright and drew his sword, Bradamante, placing it on the floor within easy reach.
If anyone attacked, he’d be ready to strike.
Time dragged painfully.
The thought of 147 enemies lurking beyond the iron bars sharpened his senses, making the wait feel even longer.
Slowly, dawn approached, and the surroundings brightened.
Not once was Jin attacked.
—Maybe cutting off the fingers and arms of those fools who charged me yesterday worked. I didn’t expect no one to come looking for me.
Of course, that didn’t mean he could sleep tonight. The ones who wanted him dead might just be waiting for him to wear down.
There had been several fights outside during the night. The number of contestants dropped from 147 to 140, with many others seriously injured.
After a quick meal of dried rations and water, the usher announced the start of the matches. From the second day onward, matches ran nonstop from morning till night.
The contestants shuffled down the hall with tired faces. Jin waited until the end of the procession before heading to the stands.
And the same dull day repeated: watching a brutal, low-level spectacle, then returning to his room as the matches ended.
Since “murder” was forbidden in the stands, he could doze off a few times, but it didn’t help much with the fatigue.
Night fell again.
Jin had done little in his first two days here, aside from taking over his room and teaching a few foolish contestants a lesson.
Still, his body felt like it was breaking apart from exhaustion.
Naturally, it was from lack of sleep.
If it were just sleep deprivation, it wouldn’t be this bad. But staying fully alert, ready for battle for two straight nights, was unimaginably brutal.
—If I can just hold on today and tomorrow… Once the final rounds start, I’ll get proper rest. I just have to grit my teeth until then.
By the time the 13th group’s matches rolled around, he figured he’d only be able to muster about twenty percent of his usual strength.
But that didn’t matter. Unless his first opponent was Dante, twenty percent was enough to handle anyone here. Even the so-called “skilled” veterans.
Jin drew Bradamante again.
Maybe because of the mounting fatigue, time crawled maddeningly slow. Waves of drowsiness hit him now and then.
And cruelly, the arena was eerily quiet tonight. Occasionally, distant screams of death echoed, but that was all.
No one attacked Jin again.
That only made him more uneasy. He was certain someone was waiting for him to break, but not knowing who made it unbearable.
Then, just before four in the morning, a sudden thought flashed through his mind.
—Why don’t I just go out and kill them all first?
A chill ran down his spine.
Sure, most contestants were villains in their own right, but the fact that he even considered killing over a hundred people without cause was unsettling.
—Ha, I’m losing my mind. As Sir Kashimir said, this really is a dangerous tournament.
He took a deep breath and steadied himself. As a warrior, he’d kill many in his lifetime, but that didn’t mean he had to become a mad murderer.
About an hour later—
Thump, thump…
Footsteps approached down the hallway outside.
It wasn’t just someone passing by; they were clearly moving to attack someone.
—Is it finally starting?
Maybe they weren’t after him, but Jin silently gripped Bradamante.
The footsteps stopped right next to his door—close enough to reach it with a single step.
—They’re definitely after me. Either they’re bold or stupid. Coming right up like that? Or maybe they’re half out of their minds from two sleepless nights.
He stood, lowered his stance, and tightened his grip, ready to strike the moment the attacker reached the iron bars.
A strong scent of blood hung in the air outside.
Then, unexpectedly, a voice spoke.
“Wait… can we talk for a moment?”
A rough voice.
It was Dante.
—What? Why is Dante coming to me?
A flood of thoughts raced through Jin’s mind.
Does he know who I am? Did Veradin tell him? Is he here to settle this now without waiting? Or is it just a coincidence?
His heart pounded.
If Dante was well-rested, unlike Jin, he was unbeatable. This wasn’t a place where Jin could say, “I’m too tired, let’s fight later.”
“Talk?” Jin asked, trying to hide his surprise and sound casual.
“Yes.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Jin opened the iron bars.
“Come in.”
“Thank you…”
Staggering, Dante knelt on one knee as soon as he entered. Jin’s eyes widened in surprise before Dante spoke.
“I apologize for the rudeness of this first meeting… but please, let me sleep. In return, I’ll stand guard so you can rest tomorrow.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Exactly that. I can’t hold on any longer. If I don’t sleep even for an hour… I think I’ll go mad.”
In other words, Dante had reached his limit. Like Jin, he’d spent two sleepless nights waiting for assassins.
“But why me? What makes you trust me?”
“I’ve been watching you since yesterday. Unlike the other contestants, you seem like a true warrior. In this battleground, you’re the only one. That’s why I can trust you… grrkk.”
Grrkk, grrkk…
Before he could finish his sentence, Dante simply collapsed and fell asleep.
Jin couldn’t help but feel utterly baffled.
‘What kind of guy is this? In some ways, he’s even more shocking than Veradin.’
Honestly, Jin could have easily slit Dante’s throat right then and there without any trouble. But Dante was snoring softly, completely out cold.
‘Does Hiran not put them through any sleep deprivation training? Or did even more contestants gang up on this guy than the others?’
Before Jin’s bewilderment could fade, he heard it—soft, cautious footsteps.
Sshh, sshh.
This time, the footsteps clearly betrayed an attempt to be stealthy.
They belonged to the group of other contestants who had been waiting for Dante to tire out.
And in that moment, Jin realized something.
‘The strong scent of blood coming from Dante… So this guy’s been tormented by the others before ending up here. Unlike me, who no one ever came after. Well, whatever.’
It wouldn’t hurt to make the next head of Hiran owe him a favor.
Wrapping his aura around Bradamante, Jin prepared to face the assassins in Dante’s place.