Since I somewhat violently defeated the hero, I expected boos rather than cheers.
After all, he was well-known and popular.
– Waaaaaah!!
Contrary to my expectations, the audience cheered.
Could it be because a nobody without any ranking defeated the second-ranked hero? Though it might not have been the outcome they expected, it was still an exciting match.
When I saw Johan being carried out on a stretcher instead of walking out on his own, the sharp emotions I had been feeling gradually settled down.
‘What was that?’
I furrowed my brow and slightly opened my hand. The sensation I had been tightly gripping just moments ago began to fade.
Something felt… off. As if the emotions were mine, but there was something foreign mixed in. It was like someone was whispering in my ear, urging me on…
I turned my head to leave the arena.
That’s when it happened.
Instinctively, I tilted my head upward.
The strong protective barrier that should have surrounded the arena to protect the audience from any attacks during the match – one corner of it was… broken.
A chill of menace crept up my neck. Without hesitation, I quickly took three steps back.
– BOOM!
Right at that moment.
Something massive slammed into the very spot where I had been standing just moments ago.
The ground trembled. Fragments flew everywhere, and a shockwave spread out.
If I had been just a step late, it would have crushed me on the spot.
A white figure.
It was a man.
With his massive mace deeply embedded in the ground and firmly gripping its end, he was glaring at me.
The specialized equipment of the Church’s direct subordinate Holy Knight Corps, modified for combat.
Without a word, the man lifted his mace again. The weight of the weapon was clearly no light matter.
I immediately recognized who he was.
The one who guards the hero and fights by his side.
‘Crusader.’
This wasn’t Johan’s plaything from Gaon – a so-called Crusader who only dealt with low-stakes matters. This was a real Crusader – one who eradicated demons at the front lines.
A group that exists for the hero and by the hero, whose loyalty cannot be blocked by anything. They follow only the deity and the hero. Laws, morals, and public opinion mean nothing to them.
Only now did I slowly open my mouth.
“…Interesting way of making an entrance.”
The man silently stared at me.
He briefly glanced at Johan being carried away, then slowly bowed his head in that direction.
Then, turning back to me, he spoke.
“I’ll return the favor.”
His voice was low and weighty. Simultaneously, the same menacing aura from before pierced through my body.
I hurriedly reached for my hip, but there was no blade. So, there was only one option.
I crouched low, curling my whole body into a guarding stance.
– BOOM!
The moment the mace struck down, a shockwave spread out. However, it was strange.
I was still intact. The mace had… not hit me.
“?!”
In front of me stood the silhouette of a man in plain clothing. Without any armor.
He had raised one hand and was blocking the incoming mace with his bare hand.
-Waaaaaaah!!
The cheers of the audience rang out.
The Holy Knight’s expression wavered. He immediately pulled back his weapon and took a few steps back.
In contrast, the man who had blocked the mace casually dusted off his arm as if nothing had happened.
Then he spoke.
“A sparring match should be answered with a sparring match, right?”
A somewhat playful and relaxed tone of voice.
The Holy Knight muttered the name.
“Park Kwang-cheol…?”
Park Kwang-cheol gave a light laugh.
“It’ll be embarrassing if you get involved.”
The knight furrowed his brow at his words.
With the Crusader’s armor and build combined, the size difference was roughly more than twice.
Yet, Park Kwang-cheol’s presence was gradually consuming the entire arena.
“The Vanguisher shouldn’t interfere in this. Further involvement will be considered a declaration of war on the Church…”
“Why shouldn’t we?”
Park Kwang-cheol gave a soft laugh and stepped back, lightly placing his hand on my shoulder.
“Are we bringing you along?”
At his words, the knight’s expression distorted.
“The Vanguisher…?”
Park Kwang-cheol laughed again.
“Declaration of war…”
He lightly pushed my shoulder, moving me aside, then took a step forward toward the knight.
“Are you sure about that?”
A lazy voice, but the meaning behind it was heavy.
“…”
The arena became deathly silent, to the point where the sound of swallowing could be heard. At that moment, the knight’s fingertips trembled slightly.
Park Kwang-cheol, still smiling, lightly patted his shoulder.
“Just kidding.”
Then he turned back to me.
“Let’s go.”
I looked at Park Kwang-cheol.
“Let’s go eat.”
His expression carried just a hint of mischief.
The Vanguisher openly confronted the Church to take me away.
This not only made enemies with the Church but was also essentially a formal declaration of my protection.
Thanks to that, our feet were almost caught in the flashbulbs of photographers and a barrage of questions as we exited.
– Move out of the way!!
Of course, Park Kwang-cheol cleared a path ahead of us.
“So, is this okay?”
I asked while scooping up a spoonful of rice soup.
-Hurrp
Cradling the bowl with both hands, Park Kwang-cheol slurped down the scorching broth. Putting down the bowl, with his chopsticks still in hand, he told me.
“Originally, we just planned to watch from the sidelines?”
Then he gave a sly laugh as if remembering something.
“You… have too much popularity, don’t you?”
“So when I reported it to the old man, he immediately said to bring you over.”
I put down my spoon and nodded.
Fortunately, it wasn’t his unilateral decision.
If the old man ordered it, that’s that…
Park Kwang-cheol spoke with ease.
“So, anyway, who’s your opponent tomorrow? There’s only one match today, right?”
The first day only conducts the first round matches. The second and third rounds are tomorrow, when the most spectators are expected, marking the start of their assault.
Therefore, I hadn’t even checked tomorrow’s schedule since I intended to forfeit anyway.
“Eh… What was it?”
I turned on my watch to check. After it had been shattered earlier, I had hastily bought a new one before entering the restaurant.
However, something else caught my eye first.
The first round duels had just ended, and it seemed the student bidding process by various organizations had begun.
[Bid Status]
[Crimson Guild] → [Park Su-hyung] Bid 10,000,000 KRW.
[Dominant Guild] → [Wilson] Bid 14,000 USD.
Bids were coming in from various guilds around the world.
Then,
[Arcadia Church] → [Johan] Bid 500,000,000 KRW.
“Wow, 5 billion?”
Park Kwang-cheol marveled at the watch screen.
“So they’re at least keeping his spirits up.”
I nodded at his words. It was a gesture of consideration from the Church.
Both a measure to save Johan’s pride and a declaration of their intention to support him to the end.
There were still no bids for me.
I slowly scanned the list of my opponents for tomorrow. Unfamiliar names. So I roughly estimated.
Park Kwang-cheol seemed to have finished eating as he leaned back in his chair.
As I stood up, I said.
“Let’s go.”
There was something I had to prepare now.
When Harpe arrived, I carried the package waiting outside the dormitory door inside.
“Wow, heavy.”
Opening the box, a massive rock revealed itself.
“Big, isn’t it?”
The scythe made of stone was larger than expected. Its rugged and rough surface felt weighty like rock.
It looked more like a broken pillar than a scythe.
There was no trace of energy, nor any sacred aura.
I set the stone scythe down and looked outside.
The sun had set, and the moon was rising.
A gentle night breeze flowed in, spreading faint grassy scents.
I slung the stone scythe over my shoulder and stepped outside.
I headed straight for the forest. It wasn’t too late, so there were still many people, thus the need for a secluded space.
The forest at night had an entirely different atmosphere from the day.
It was desolate. Not even the wind stirred.
I slowly walked through the trees, looked up at the night sky filled with countless stars.
The task at hand was simple.
To attune this stone scythe to the Perseus constellation.
That would be the condition to restore Harpe’s true form.
Before setting off, I spent considerable time searching for the Perseus constellation on the internet.
Now being April,
The Perseus constellation should normally be invisible this time of year.
However, this isn’t the real world but a ‘game world’.
If that’s the setting, then it becomes the law.
‘There.’
I gripped the stone scythe and looked up at the sky.
The Perseus constellation.
Aiming precisely at it, I raised the scythe.
An accurately aligned view of the constellation.
At that moment, a light descended. A single beam of blue light descending from the constellation.
When it touched the stone scythe, tremors spread from my fingertips.
The rough surface of the stone scythe began to transform instantly.
The rugged surface started cracking, as if something hidden within was awakening.
The cracks revealed a gradual gleam of metal.
Not stone, but a mysterious metal with a silver luster.
The heavy and dull stone had now become a sword with a curved blade, a divine artifact.
I quietly grasped the Harpe that fit snugly into my hand.
‘Lightweight.’
It fits perfectly into my hand. Surprisingly naturally.
This relic that transcended myths into reality.
‘The sword that slits through snakes.’
The sword that judges Medusa.
