Chapter 105

105th Episode

The Nymph Cultist and Pluto’s Underground Maze

“Hotan of Samaria. You are the one responsible for this dungeon expedition!”

Hippolyte’s sharp gaze pierced through me as if it could see right through my soul. I was caught off guard while I had momentarily let my guard down, leaving me no choice but to feel bewildered.

As I was about to rise from my seat, I felt the room stirring with commotion around me.

“He looks like some kind of barbarian.”

“Lordess, wasn’t it said that you bestowed both a weapon and a name upon him?”

“Seeing him in person for the first time. Wow, he really looks exactly as I imagined.”

Not being accustomed to drawing attention to myself, I felt a sudden rush of bl**d to my face. I had been told that I could simply attend as an observer for the conversion ceremony but, after that, I never expected there would be an event like this.

I don’t exactly enjoy these surprise parties.

Still, I figured I shouldn’t show tension or awkwardness in front of the young ones with whom I may soon compete for the Gold Tier necklace.

As I stood before Hippolyte with an exaggerated air of grandeur, stretching my shoulders and back straight, murmurs of astonishment spread across the room.

“He’s even taller than the Queen of the Amazons! Truly, the Samarians are born warriors.”

“Eh, what’s the good of being tall? You just become an easier target for arrows.”

“Yeah, and the next dwarf kid. Dwarves are short, too.”

“What did you say, you b*stard?”

“Quiet. Be quiet!”

As the hall started to get unruly, Hippolyte silenced everyone with her sharp voice.

She then looked up to me, standing a head taller than her. Unlike the times when she sometimes showed a more human side to Luna and me, her current stern expression, lacking any trace of a smile, left me tense.

Is this the kind of person who separates the professional from the personal thoroughly?

“Young warrior Hotan, if this mission concludes well, you might have a chance to advance to the Silver Tier earlier.”

Advance to the Silver Tier? I heard that to become a Silver Tier, one’s average stats should at least reach 30 to qualify. Although my level has been rising rapidly recently, I’m still far from reaching 30.

“Hippolyte, is this true?” I was about to ask when…

“Hippolyte! Such treatment is nonsense!”

Someone abruptly stood up and roared with anger. The focus of everyone’s attention turned to a tall man armed with a long sword.

His silver hair and beard hinted at his age, but his face appeared relatively young. He looked to be in his mid-thirties. His leather armor, belt, breastplate, and greaves fitted seamlessly, giving him the appearance of a seasoned veteran. The bronze necklace around his neck appeared ancient, worn with years of use.

In short, he was clearly a proficient adventurer at first glance.

Staring at him, Hippolyte spoke with narrow eyes.

“You are Banes the Resolver. Indeed, the rumors are true — you are a rude man.”

“Is it not a great honor that the Great Priestess of Mars knows my name well? However, I have words to say. This is why I deserve the name ‘rude Banes.'”

Banes, the Bronze Tier swordsman being addressed, scanned the room.

“All of you gathered here have spent months, even years, striving to earn your silver necklace, often on the brink of d*ath. Many have given up and failed. But now, a freshman who’s only been here for a month is given the Silver Tier?”

At those words, the people in the crowd began to look at each other, clearly sharing his sentiments. The adventurers gathered around were undoubtedly veterans, many on par with Banes himself.

Still, most remained at the Bronze Tier.

In fact, the majority of adventurers reach their limit at the Bronze Tier due to serious injuries or loss of will, retiring or meeting their end before they could advance further.

Simply put, unless one is incredibly lucky, Bronze Tier is often the end of the road for many.

“Therefore, I, Banes, protest this decision. Moreover, it troubles me that I wasn’t even chosen to be on this expedition.”

That concluded Banes’ declaration. His unexpected arrival left me feeling like I’d been invited to a wedding without a formal invitation, extremely uncomfortable.

“sh*t, how embarrassing.”

At this point, Hippolyte spoke again.

“Banes Rodelheim. The strength of a warrior lies not in how long or short one’s history is. Your lack of realization about this is the reason why your skills have not improved. Hence, you’ve been stuck in Bronze Tier for over five years.”

“That’s quite a harsh statement. Isn’t it true that you, Lady High Priestess, have remained at the Silver Tier for years? It’s been rumored that you’ve stagnated in your growth due to some kind of curse.”

As Banes finished speaking, murmurs rippled through the crowd.

“Curse?”

“Hippolyte is cursed?”

“So that’s why she hasn’t been able to reach Gold Tier.”

The word “curse” echoed through the crowd. Surprisingly, Hippolyte said nothing. She remained eerily calm, as if she’d expected this moment all along.

Perhaps interpreting her silence as confirmation, Banes continued.

“One might wonder how I learned of such secrets. As one spends more time in this business, one’s knowledge of rumors and tales grows.”

“Indeed, your information gathering skills are admirable. You deserve the title ‘Resolver.'”

“Do you not feel shame giving advice to others while you cannot even take care of yourself? Or, more honestly, how can a street thug-turned-priestess of Mars call herself the daughter of Mars?”

Crink.

Until now, Hippolyte had been listening patiently, but now her brows furrowed. The tension from her expression even affected me, raising my own level of stress.

Is Banes about to explode? Watching someone’s head blow off is not something I relish. What gives this guy the audacity to provoke this woman so boldly? I can’t help but feel anxious.

Reflecting on it, people in this world seem mostly foolish. Like morons unaware they’re sticking their hands into the mouth of a tiger.

Still, Hippolyte did not lose her temper. Instead, she regained her calm composure.

“Alright, Banes. Despite your roundabout words, it seems you’re ultimately against my decision as a Priestess of Mars.”

“That is correct.”

“Then we shall proceed with the warrior’s method of resolving this matter.”

“Alright, that’s what I wanted.”

Hippolyte’s words caused Banes’s face to light up with satisfaction.

“Finally, we’re speaking the same language. Priestess of Mars, Hippolyte! I, Banes, hereby challenge this son of barbarians to a duel on this occasion!”

Woah!

The crowd erupted in cheers, as if awaiting a festival. The moment felt surreal to me, filled with unexpected excitement.

“Wow, is that real? Banes, man, you really have guts!”

“d*mn fool, challenging a Samarian? Don’t you value your life? Is this kid immune to d*ath?”

“Banes’ overall stats are around 20, right? I heard the Samarian’s are only at about 7.”

“Idiot, do you think such numbers matter to Samarians? They say even Samarian babies crush vipers with their bare hands.”

“Either way, someone’s about to clean up a corpse.”

Amidst the noisy laughter and shouting, Banes’s ash-colored gaze fixed straight on me.

Contrary to his earlier boisterous performance, his piercing eyes now gleamed with the intensity of a wild beast.

“Son of the wild. I shall grant you the choice of the duel’s method — hand-to-hand combat, combat with weapons, I’ll accept any.”

Banes’s bold proclamation drew a quiet smirk from Hippolyte who stood in front of me.

“It seems to be a tactic to gain fame by drawing attention. Such petty cunning is why you lack growth as a warrior. But…”

Hippolyte paused, closed her eyes, and took a few breaths, then reopened her eyes and smirked once more.

“But it’s entertaining. Allow it!”

sh*t.

I was just standing there, silently ignoring it all, and now the duel had been set anyway. What’s with all this random PK nonsense?

Uneducated barbarians. The real barbarian here is me, feeling utterly wronged.

“Hey, Hotan…”

At that moment, someone anxiously grabbed the hem of my tunic. Turning my head, I saw that it was Luna, looking up at me with obvious concern.

Luna appeared agitated at the thought of me fighting that menacing veteran adventurer.

“Hotan… don’t k*ll him, okay?”

Oh, I see. She wasn’t worried about me but about my opponent. So, she doesn’t seem to think I could lose, does she?

Her expression made the situation seem unreal and strangely comical, so I just laughed.

An inexplicable urge to laugh was bubbling up from the pit of my stomach.

“Look at that. The duel’s been confirmed and he’s still laughing!”

“sh*t, I’m too scared to watch. Just tell me the result!”

*

“Here’s an octagonal arena I’ve specially crafted for you. Let’s see what the party planner has to showcase!”

A dwarf, wielding a large double-bladed axe, whose name I believe is Didier, had gathered wood and ropes from somewhere to construct an octagonal arena.

Hammering stakes into the ground and wrapping ropes around them, he formed what resembled a makeshift MMA octagon.

The spectators encircling the new arena looked with a mix of excitement and nervousness at me and the man called Banes within it.

“Banes! Show us the pride of the continent! Don’t lose to the wild kid!”

Cheers and cries of encouragement echoed throughout, their faces flushed with excitement. I too could feel that strange swell of energy in my chest.

Fear, tension, and the impending duel of life and d*ath stirred a tingling sensation in my hands and feet.

Two years ago, when the gladiator arena I worked in as a slave gladiator burned down due to an unforeseen event, these sensations were a daily occurrence for me; along with the fierce, unrestrained combat spirit of my opponents.

“Hand-to-hand combat. Excellent choice. You’ll have the opportunity to witness the skills of the one known as ‘Caldia’s Slaughter.'”

Huh, whoosh.

Standing a good distance away from me, Banes extended both his hands — his left and right — into the air, slicing through it as he moved. The sound of his fists cutting through the air was unmistakable. Was he warming up?

Meanwhile, I merely sat cross-legged on the arena floor, covering my hands with dirt and sand. It would be foolish to waste energy pointlessly before the actual fight.

As we were both prepping for the duel, Hippolyte, now donning a red robe over her armor, stepped between Banes and me.

“I, Hippolyte, stand here as the proxy of the god of struggle, Mars. Swear by his name to conduct a worthy and honorable battle.”

“I, Banes, son of Vilemon, swear to fight honorably without shame.”

Banes, son of Vilemon? Is it a custom here to swear using one’s father’s name? Though I’ve been through many fights, I’ve never encountered this before.

This seems like some kind of serious ritual, where one swears in their parents’ name. Doing such here seems odd. No matter how bold I might be, using my parents’ names in such a situation feels somewhat uncomfortable.

“I, Hotan of Samaria, also swear.”

“Very well, the duel is set!”

With that, Hippolyte stepped out of the arena. Now, the only ones left within the tight octagonal space were Banes and me.

How can I defeat this solid-looking guy? Knock him over with a trip? Or should I try for a ground game with the little jujutsu I know?

As I was contemplating this,

Banes, standing with the stance typical of a boxer, holding his fists forward and his body taut, whispered slyly through his clenched fists.

“Hmph, as I suspected, a child without parents. You are truly what the rumors claim — the offspring of Jupiter.”

“What?”

“I mean, a parentless brat. Your real parents are either dead or captured as slaves. High-quality slaves are a specialty in the black sands, after all.”

“What the hell, you b*stard?”

Suddenly making a jab at my parents made me genuinely furious. I can endure insults to myself, but parental digs — absolutely not.

Therefore, erasing every strategy I’d thought up in my mind, I charged at him with fury coursing through my veins, like bl**d rushing to my head.

“Hmph, falling for shallow provocations! Just like rumors said — a mindless wild boar!”

Banes swung a quick punch at me. His sharp and solid fists hammered against my chest and abdomen, briefly making it feel like my breath was cut off.

“What the hell, what about my parents?”

But that pain was insufficient to quell my rage.

Whoosh.

I immediately wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him down to the ground with me.

“Street fight? Great! Come on, kid, let’s go! Ever since I was a boy, I’ve been unbeatable in street scuffles!”

As the opponent attempted to retaliate with his arms and legs, I pinned his body down with my weight, lifting my clenched fist and smashing it directly downward.

Wham!

“Ugh!”

My fist connected precisely with Banes’ jaw, and he collapsed like a deflating balloon, losing strength in his body. The well-placed hit was likely reverberating within his skull.

But my anger was still far from quenched, so I mounted him and relentlessly pounded his face.

Crack, thud, pop, pop!

“Graaah, Ugh, Aaaah, Ugh, Aack…”

Despite the pain of my bruised and battered fists from hitting his solid face, I couldn’t stop striking.

“…”

Only when the opponent, bl**d frothing from his nose and mouth, lay completely still without the slightest movement, did I stop my assault. At that moment, words appeared in front of my eyes.

Ding!

“The ‘Anti-social Obsession’ of Banes Rodelheim has been cured.”

“Mission Stat +10”

“Current Mission Stat: +42”

What? Getting hit in the face cured his weird obsession?

Anyway, I lost count of how many times I hit him.

The Banes beneath me didn’t make even the slightest move.

…

Could he be dead?

Even though I never intended to k*ll him.

Checking for his pulse, as I was about to place my fingers under his neck and jawline for signs of life,

“Hey, he’s trying to peel his skin!”

“sh*t, it’s true! Unbelievable level of cruelty!”

“Who, someone needs to stop him!”

The audience started screaming alarming nonsense, so I hastily drew my hands back.

“Cough.”

Just then, Banes, pinned beneath me, coughed up a mouthful of bl**d and groaned, confirming that he was still alive.

“Sa… save me…”

“Nah, you piece of cr*p!”

[Author’s Note]

Mr. Kadeom!!!! Mr. Nuo13!!!! Mr. Osusut!!!! Mr. rrrmrrr!!!! And Miss Sorarung!!!! You all sent me the King Sponsorship Coupons, didn’t you?? ㅠㅠ…!!! That’s a King Sponsorship!!! ㅠㅠ..

Was the Wealth Sorcery I sent out yesterday effective?? I’m so surprised..!! I may have to switch my job from writer to sorcerer from tomorrow!!

Also, a lot of you sent me manuscript coupons!! It’s a bit sad that I can’t name you all since Joara’s system differs from the sponsorship system where the usernames don’t appear even though someone sends me coupons!!

Therefore, I’m going to send out the wandering spider ‘Keng Keng’ to the four corners of the world, where I believe all of you are!! May these Keng Kengs catch all the mosquitoes and stick to your windows for a pleasant summer time…!!!

I am always grateful for all the recommendations and comments and read every single one of them!!! Thanks a bunch!!!

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