novelraw Chapter 79 : Chapter 79
Chapter 79 : Chapter 79
Chapter 79 Life-and-Death Tournament (2)
It was only after a long time had passed that the group was finally able to reach the registration desk.
Looking at the stacks of paper piled on one side, it seemed that a large number of people had registered for this Life-and-Death Tournament as well.
‘If they select fifty out of hundreds, it means I’ll have to fight at least four or five times.’
Expanding my sensory perception, I took one last look at the levels of the warriors around me.
Excluding a few exceptional individuals like the Five Evils, there were no opponents that seemed particularly difficult, so I walked toward the registration desk with a light heart.
“Name.”
A man with dark circles under his eyes from exhaustion asked bluntly.
“Han Jaun.”
The man looked up at the youthful voice and blinked his eyes.
“How old are you? Do you not know that those under twenty cannot participate in the Life-and-Death Tournament?”
At those words, Ice Rakshasa Pan Bing-yeong approached the desk, pulled a small piece of paper from her robe, and shoved it toward the man.
“What is this? No matter how much money you offer, rules are rules. If he isn't of age……”
“Shut up and read it.”
Hearing Ice Rakshasa’s chilling voice, the man cleared his throat with a dry cough and unfolded the paper.
After reading the contents written on the paper, the man wrote down the words ‘Han Jaun, affiliated with the Murim Alliance Demon Study Hall’ on the sheet on the table.
“As you would know from reading the Alliance Leader's letter, keep Young Master Jaun's affiliation a secret for the time being so there isn't any unnecessary commotion.”
At Ice Rakshasa’s voice, the man nodded quietly and glanced up at me.
“Is it all done?”
Ban Cheol-hwi asked while stretching his stiff body, and Ice Rakshasa nodded.
“It’s finished. Now we just have to wait for the tournament bracket to come out.”
Ban Cheol-hwi let out a large yawn and gestured toward the two of us.
“Then let’s go back now. My heels are starting to hurt from standing for so long.”
Ban Cheol-hwi, who had turned around first, looked up when he saw an unfamiliar shadow cast over his head.
“The affiliation is a secret in the Alliance Leader's letter, you say. Who are you people?”
A young man wrapped tightly in iron chains—I wasn't sure when he had approached—stood in front of Ban Cheol-hwi and asked while looking at Ice Rakshasa.
At the appearance of an unexpected person, Ice Rakshasa bit her lip with a flustered face.
“You heard that too? Why is a guy who finished registration earlier still hanging around here?”
Ice Rakshasa replied with narrowed eyes.
She had certainly expanded an Energy Barrier behind her to prevent others from hearing, but it happened that one of the Five Evils had been crouching beside the registration desk.
“Because you dropped this on your way out.”
The young man held out a mud-stained iron plaque.
I wasn't sure what that was, but our luck was bad.
Who would have thought that a warrior capable of hearing even her small whispers would be crouching in a spot where the registrar blocked his view?
But all of that was merely an excuse.
In the end, it was her own failure for not properly surveying the surroundings.
Realizing that Jaun could be placed in an awkward situation due to her mistake, Ice Rakshasa let out a sigh.
“Don't ask any more and just go back. Then I’ll let it pass quietly as well.”
Staring blankly at Ice Rakshasa, who was wrapped in a large robe and wearing a veil, the young man burst into a smirk.
“Heh. I don't know what kind of bitch you are, but you must have something to hide, seeing how you're all bundled up. A person hiding their identity is trying to enter a brat in the Life-and-Death Tournament with the Alliance Leader's letter. Don't you think it smells fishy even to yourself?”
When the young man's gaze turned toward me, Ice Rakshasa’s eyes took on a sharp glint.
“I told you that’s enough. You surely heard that we brought the Alliance Leader's letter.”
At those words, the young man, who had been looking at Ice Rakshasa’s face, pushed aside Ban Cheol-hwi standing in front of him and walked forward.
“Ugh!”
Ban Cheol-hwi’s body rolled on the ground as he was pushed helplessly.
At that sight, sparks flew from Ice Rakshasa’s eyes.
Watching the scene, I grabbed Ice Rakshasa’s wrist to calm her down.
“Until I verify it, I can’t know if that’s truly the Alliance Leader's letter or a prank by you bastards. The Alliance Leader clearly said there would be no more exceptions when she issued the Life-and-Death Tournament participation permits to us, the Five Evils. In other words, the letter you brought is a lie.”
The young man turned his head and looked straight at Ice Rakshasa.
“Be honest. You plotted this because you wanted to watch the masters at the tournament grounds, didn't you?”
Since the Life-and-Death Tournament was a dream stage for warriors affiliated with the Sado Alliance, I had heard that there were sometimes rising stars who tried to participate in the tournament secretly like this.
However, Ice Rakshasa, who never dreamed she would be misunderstood in such a way, let out a hollow laugh.
“Ha. Right. I suppose I have been away for a long time. I thought you would have at least noticed by intuition, but……”
I restrained Ice Rakshasa, who was cracking her neck and trying to step forward again, and spoke to the young man.
“Go and check the letter yourself.”
At my words, the young man tilted his head and snatched the paper from the hands of the man sitting at the registration desk.
After rubbing his eyes and reading the words written on the paper, the young man frowned and raised his head.
“……Murim Alliance, Demon Study Hall?”
As if he couldn't understand the situation at all, the young man looked back and forth between me and Ice Rakshasa.
“Young Master Jaun! Why……”
At Ice Rakshasa’s rebuking words, I wore a smile.
“Since it’s come to this, I thought it would be better to just make it public. I also wanted to see what the level of the Sado Alliance was. Since I’m checking, shouldn't I do it properly?”
“Young Master……!”
“Don't worry.”
After reassuring Ice Rakshasa, I turned my body and assisted Ban Cheol-hwi, who was getting up.
“Young Master Ban, are you alright?”
“Ahem. Well, I am not significantly injured.”
Watching me examine Ban Cheol-hwi, who was brushing off his clothes, the young man let out a hollow laugh.
“Kuku. This is absurd. Affiliated with the Murim Alliance? A member of the Murim Alliance dares to participate in the Sado Alliance’s Life-and-Death Tournament?”
I nodded toward the young man, whose eyes were shining as if he had discovered prey.
“There are some circumstances. Since it’s come to this, I was thinking of checking out the level of the Sado Alliance before I go.”
“Crazy bastard. You must be dying for a suicide. Do you think the Life-and-Death Tournament is some third-rate martial arts competition?”
I raised my head toward the young man looking down at me with an absurd expression.
“I heard you're among the strongest among the rising stars of the Sado Alliance?”
At my words, the young man frowned and glared at me.
“Try your best. I’ll see what level you’re at.”
Staring at me with a bewildered expression, the young man let out a faint chuckle.
“Who is seeing whose level?”
─ Clatter
The chains wrapping around the young man's body began to writhe, imbued with energy.
─ Rattle
Soon, the iron chains wrapping the young man's body gradually increased their movement.
Watching the iron chains moving here and there like living snakes, Ice Rakshasa stepped forward.
“You seem to be forgetting, but this person's participation in the Life-and-Death Tournament is the Alliance Leader's will. If you really want to fight, fight on the stage of the Life-and-Death Tournament. Unless you intend to defy the Alliance Leader's wishes.”
At Ice Rakshasa’s words, the young man faltered and turned his head to glare at me.
“Ptooey.”
The young man spat coarsely on the ground, let out a small sigh, and slowly gathered his momentum.
The iron chains that had been writhing like snakes also wound back around the young man's body.
Looking down at me with cold eyes, the young man spoke.
“It doesn't matter if that letter is a prank of yours or truly the Alliance Leader's will. I am Jin Cheol-myeong, a member of the Sado Alliance Five Evils and known as the Black Blood Ghost Whip. You’d best remember my name. Because I’ll make you pay dearly for what you just blurted out at the Life-and-Death Tournament.”
“If you say so.”
I replied noncommittally with a shrug.
Jin Cheol-myeong let out a smirk of disbelief, stared at me, then whipped his body around and began to move away from the registration desk.
At the same time, the murmuring of the Sado Alliance warriors who had been watching the situation from behind began to grow louder.
“What? That brat is from the Murim Alliance?”
“Could that be? Why would a Murim Alliance warrior participate in the Life-and-Death Tournament?”
“How should I know? But seeing as he picked a fight with the Black Blood Ghost Whip, isn't there something to him?”
“Isn't he just out of his mind?”
At the words heard from the surroundings, Ice Rakshasa Pan Bing-yeong let out a deep sigh.
“I told you to be careful, yet you went and declared war.”
“Don't worry. Didn't the Alliance Leader say she would help as much as I entertained her? Since it’s come to this, I think it’s better to enlarge the scale.”
At my words, which were spoken with a beaming smile, Ice Rakshasa scratched her head.
“Ah. I don't know. Do as you please, Young Master Jaun. In exchange! I’m definitely going to be standing next to the stage, and if it seems like the Young Master is in danger, I’ll jump in immediately. Even if we lose the Sado Alliance’s help because of that, don't say anything to me.”
Ice Rakshasa, with a thoroughly sulky expression, walked heavily toward the inn.
****
“Aah-ha-hum.”
Ban Cheol-hwi, who was opening the window and letting out a large stretch, rubbed his eyes upon seeing the scene outside.
Just as he always did, Ban Cheol-hwi intended to greet me as I did my morning exercises in front of the inn, but he had no choice but to stare blankly at his surroundings.
This was because an enormous crowd had gathered around me as I exercised, murmuring.
Ban Cheol-hwi rubbed his eyes once more, looked around, and then spoke to me.
“Well…… what is all of this?”
“Ah, Young Master Ban. Did you sleep well?”
“I slept well, but what is all this commotion?”
“I don't know. At some point, people started gathering one by one, and it ended up like this.”
When I shrugged and turned around, the gathered people let out a shout.
“Kuhaha! Anyway, that brat from the Murim Alliance sure has guts.”
“Tell me about it. Usually, one would be scared.”
“Can he be that composed when his head might be taken today?”
“He must be acting like that because he trusts his background of the Murim Alliance. But he’s completely misunderstood. The Life-and-Death Tournament isn't a place where people use their blades while considering things like that.”
Having waved my hand once to the murmuring people, I let out a smirk and entered the inn.
Watching that, Ban Cheol-hwi shook his head, closed the window, left the room, and came down to the first floor.
“If you're not going to order, don't take a single step inside the inn.”
“Hey. Mr. Jang. On a day like today, are you going to be like this? I’m just going to watch quietly.”
“Don't say such unlucky things. Don't you see that the morning business is completely ruined because of the people gathered right now? If you're going to be like this, don't just watch; come in and eat something!”
“Tsk. I know your skills, Mr. Jang, so eating here is a bit……”
“What? Are you really spouting that as words?”
Looking at the innkeeper huffing and bickering with the people gathered at the entrance, Ban Cheol-hwi approached me, as I was eating alone, and sat down heavily.
“It seems you've become quite a celebrity.”
“Indeed. I wonder if this is something that needs to go this far.”
I, who was putting flour noodles into my mouth, frowned slightly and set down my chopsticks.
Ban Cheol-hwi, having finished assessing the situation while watching me, ordered a cup of tea instead of food.
“Is Miss Pan not down yet?”
“She grumbled that she couldn't sleep a wink last night because she was worried, and then went to wash. She’ll be down soon.”
“Hmm. By what time must we enter the Inner Court?”
“Since it’s said to start from the beginning of O-si, I’m thinking of moving out as soon as Miss Pan comes down.”
“Seeing the gathered people, it seems it will take quite a while to move. No, I wonder if we can even safely move to the Inner Court.”
“Don't worry about that.”
Ice Rakshasa Pan Bing-yeong spoke as she sat down heavily next to me after coming down the stairs.
“Today, I have to enter the Inner Court in the capacity of an observer, so there's no need to hide my identity. If I lead the way, there won't be any major problems.”
At Ice Rakshasa’s words, spoken while she dried her hair with one hand, Ban Cheol-hwi nodded.
“It seems it would be best to do so. Look over there.”
Following Ban Cheol-hwi’s finger and looking back at the people filling the front of the inn, Ice Rakshasa shook her head.
“I chased them away once earlier, but they gathered back like that in no time. I suppose it’s because it’s the first time a Murim Alliance warrior is participating in the Life-and-Death Tournament. Since it’s said Ak-yang is vibrating with rumors about Young Master Jaun……. The Young Master's intention to enlarge the scale has worked properly.”
Ice Rakshasa, who narrowed her eyes and glared at me, let out a sigh.
“As I said yesterday, if I feel it’s dangerous, I’m going up immediately without considering anything, so keep that in mind.”
At Ice Rakshasa’s words, I nodded.
“Understood. Shall we go now?”
Ice Rakshasa let out a small sigh and stood up from her seat.
“Let’s go. Sheesh. Anyway, the Alliance Leader has bad taste as well. She could have just helped, but she has to enlarge the situation like this.”
Grumbling as she stood up, Ice Rakshasa stepped ahead of me and Ban Cheol-hwi.
“If there are people bothering us, I’ll just push through. There might be a dangerous situation, so Young Master Ban, stick close to Young Master Jaun.”
Ice Rakshasa began to move her steps out of the inn.