VIP

The match schedule was set quickly.

“Starting next week with the preliminary matches.”

“Preliminary matches?”

“Players participating in individual matches for the first time go through 9 matches. You have to win 5 of them to advance to the main tournament where you face the VIPs’ players. Think of it as an evaluation measuring player strength.”

“What level are the players?”

“Five similar to your level, four strong ones.”

“Is there a separate scenario?”

“There’s no big money on the preliminaries, so no scenario. With your current ability, you’ll take 5 wins easily. Think of it as making an impression on the VIPs and rampage as you like.”

“You mean it’s fine to kill the players?”

“Level 3 is too much for your level. If you meet a Level 3, think of it as gaining experience and give up.”

At the words that he wouldn’t mind whatever variables occurred in the preliminary matches, Pernok smiled.

The guard captain explained a few more rules and allowed Pernok a long rest period.

Pernok returned to his quarters and shared all information with Yak.

“Preliminaries… Doesn’t that disrupt our plan?”

At Yak’s worried voice, Pernok shook his head.

The original plan was to adequately perform the manager’s scenario while building strength and escaping.

Yak anticipated that more time than planned would be consumed due to the division into preliminaries and main tournament, but Pernok rather considered it an opportunity.

“I’ll win all nine preliminary matches. In return, I’ll demand items needed for escape, and old man, under the pretext of running my errands, make sure to thoroughly grasp this place’s structure.”

“And then?”

“The day I advance to the main tournament, old man, you must enter ‘that place’ without fail.”

“Then I’ll have no means to signal you. That place isn’t far from the arena.”

“Doesn’t matter. If you just do your job, old man, we can slip out of here as planned. Of course, after killing all the bastards who locked us in here.”

“Reckless. Just leave quietly.”

Pernok smiled grimly.

“You don’t leave future troubles behind. And…”

Everyone here should rightfully become his nourishment.

He swallowed the latter words that he’d kill the VIPs and players as a stepping stone for growth rather than personal vengeance.

‘Better to send the old man to the rendezvous point and meet separately.’

Even now, Mana Reinforcement was endlessly growing, so he didn’t worry much about escape.

If he obtained a few magics, mages at the guard captain’s level wouldn’t be a match.

The moment he advanced to the main tournament, he’d have sufficient capability to attempt escape.

“I’ll prepare food and alcohol. Old man, use that to build friendships with the guards. Memorize this place’s structure precisely so you don’t get confused. And…”

“I’ll definitely open that place.”

“…You’ve gotten bolder too, old man.”

“There’s no place left to retreat, is there?”

Yak wore a resolute expression.

“I have no lingering attachment to my life. But since God gave me another chance, I’ll make sure to help at least you escape.”

“Who’s worrying about whom? Don’t think useless thoughts and just do what you’re told properly.”

Yak nodded, and Pernok smiled pleasantly.

He looked forward to how varied the magic and abundant the mana the mages he’d face from now on would have.

‘There are many bastards here who need killing.’

He hoped all nine magics would be useful.

* * *

Time flew like an arrow, and before he knew it, the first match day arrived.

Pernok stood before the iron gate wearing one longsword and two daggers.

The guard captain approached and whispered.

“The first opponent is a Level 3 mage.”

“Similar level to you?”

The guard captain sneered.

“He just became Level 3. Compare things worth comparing.”

“Then he’s included among opponents I can kill.”

“If luck follows, there’s a possibility. But losing this match is natural. Compare how much the gap between levels is. It’ll be very good experience when drafting scenarios in the main tournament.”

“I’ll handle that myself, so just keep your promise.”

“Promise?”

“You said you’d grant whatever I want if I win matches.”

“Ah, you mean wishes.”

“Yak seems frustrated, so I want to let him get some fresh air.”

The guard captain curled up his lip.

“Confidence is good, but don’t die from pointless bravado. Breaking a product before using it is something he detests.”

“Will you do it or not?”

“Fine. I can’t let him outside, so I’ll let him tour the interior.”

“Prepare and wait.”

The guard captain saw off Pernok’s confident appearance with a sneer.

Grrrrind!

“…A new player enters!”

When the iron gate opened, the blocked sound came through.

Pernok entered the arena where masked spectators waited.

The arena with a hard circular stone floor and high walls erected showed not even a hole for players to escape through.

Pernok glanced at the group above the spectator seats that caught his gaze.

‘Are those the VIPs?’

Several VIPs were beside the manager.

They had no mana but had guards at guard captain level behind them, and those guards seemed to be the VIPs’ players.

‘There are a few stronger than the guard captain. But…’

If he dealt with them one at a time, it was a fight worth attempting.

Pernok turned his gaze forward while wearing a smile.

A middle-aged man who didn’t even seem 160cm tall walked out, his entire body covered in muscle.

The silver shin guards worn on both forearms and shins stood out.

“Both players, come to the center.”

When Pernok and the man faced each other from 10m distance, the moderator slowly withdrew and said.

“Death or declaration of surrender is considered defeat, and all weapons and hidden weapons are permitted. Then, the match will begin with the signal!”

The moderator disappeared into the iron gate.

The iron gate closed, and the man grinned and twisted his ankles and wrists.

From the flat shin guards, sharp iron spikes like awls protruded.

The man bent his arms inward to show off the spikes.

He rolled his body into a ball while raising his arms into an 11-shape above his eyes.

At the charging form with spikes leading, Pernok activated the Observation Eye.

“Glory to the victor!”

As soon as the signal dropped from the VIP seats, the man’s mana concentrated in both feet.

Bang!

In the blink of an eye, Pernok’s sword and the man’s shin guards clashed.

It was a speed that would have pierced straight through the shin guards without reacting if not for the Observation Eye.

“Young fellow’s got good strength.”

Seeing the man even adding his body weight, he seemed to know why he was chosen as the first opponent.

The man’s magic was explosive speed.

The intent was to confirm how much efficiency a mage of a similar type to Pernok could extract in this space.

‘It’s narrower than I thought, so the wall is close.’

After just one clash, the wall was right behind his back.

It was a structure worth attempting for both mages who enhanced their bodies and mages like Erik who shot fire.

The key was initiative.

Quickly grasping the opponent’s magic and closing distance was the shortcut to victory.

Pernok, who’d seen through the arena’s flow in a brief moment, twisted his longsword.

The muscle strength amplified by Mana Reinforcement generated strong rotational force and deflected the man’s shin guard.

Just as he tried to stab the sword into the abdomen that was suddenly fully exposed, mana fluctuated in the man’s feet.

“Strange tricks!”

Before he knew it, the man had distanced himself far away and took his initial stance again.

‘A typical mage who doesn’t know weapon techniques and only relies on magic. And also…’

Tendons bulged in the man’s ankle. It was the precursor to the magic grasped by the Observation Eye activating.

Pernok threw a dagger straight ahead.

Ting, a light clashing sound was heard and Pernok leisurely withdrew his body to the side.

The man barely grazed past his flank.

‘…An idiot who can’t even control his own speed, so he can’t change direction.’

He was swept along by his own speed to the point of not being able to dodge thrown daggers mid-course.

Only forward. The man couldn’t turn.

There was no more interest in magic he couldn’t control.

“You rat bastard!”

The moment the man’s figure blurred, Pernok leaped from his spot.

And calculating the timing of his arrival, he drove down his sword.

Crrrack!

Not the ground but the man’s spine was pierced. When the eerie sound of scraping bone joints resonated, the man turned his head with a shocked gaze.

“How…?”

No matter how fast the speed, if the movements were honest, they were easy to counter.

Pernok pulled the sword straight from the back and slashed the man’s throat.

Shaking off the blood on the sword, the man’s soul burst out, and absorbing the spiritual power, a large amount of mana flowed in together.

[Acceleration Lv.3]

Bursts mana to increase speed. The more mana combusted, the more speed amplifies.

Now that he looked, the man was an idiot who couldn’t even properly utilize his own magic.

If mana had to be concentrated and burst, there was no need for that body part to be limited to the feet.

‘When I use Acceleration magic on an opponent accustomed to Mana Reinforcement and they can’t adapt to the changed speed, I’ll cut them down as is.’

Double acceleration.

Though single-use, it was magic with many applications.

Pernok looked up at the VIP seats with a satisfied expression.

Beneath the mask, the manager’s lip corner that showed slightly was raised.

Though an unexpected victory, he seemed to welcome it.

“Number 15 wins!”

The moderator who’d appeared before he knew it shouted.

Feeling the spectators’ gazes piercing into him, Pernok returned to his room.

* * *

The subsequent matches were quite easy.

“Number 15 wins!”

“Number 15! Consecutive wins!”

“He absolutely doesn’t stop! Who can block Number 15?!”

The manager, contrary to initial expectations, gladly welcomed Pernok accumulating consecutive wins.

Saying he’d receive the interest of high-ranking VIPs in the main tournament, he generously granted Pernok’s demands.

Pernok was also quite satisfied with the consecutive wins.

Even though they were preliminaries, perhaps because they were players, there were many combat-related magics and most had high utility.

Each time he killed them, Pernok’s Mana Reinforcement grew.

Now he could grasp even Level 3 mages’ attacks without the Observation Eye.

Pernok had become the rising star of the preliminary matches that spectators cheered for.

The guard captain showed suspicious eyes, but it didn’t particularly matter.

‘When I finish growing while continuing to accumulate consecutive wins, no matter how much you bastards suspect, you can never stop me.’

He’d already achieved 6 consecutive wins and absorbed all their spiritual power, mana, and magic.

Like water being sucked into parched earth, Pernok’s growth rose steeply.

Even if the guard captain sensed something, it was useless now.

“The core of the storm! Number 15, who broke through with his own hands from subjugation battles to death matches! Now he challenges his 7th consecutive win!”

Perhaps to further raise interest before the showdown with VIP players, the moderator fervently introduced Pernok in an extremely excited voice.

The more Pernok’s prominence rose, the more noticeably tense the opposing players became.

‘That bastard is Level 2! I definitely heard he was Level 2!’

They too had heard information about Pernok from their sponsors.

But Pernok’s movements were so unusual that the information seemed like false rumors.

A huge wall existed between levels.

Unless it was a bad matchup, being unable to surpass visible numbers was normal.

‘They said magic focused on acceleration! My magic is a curse!’

Marco, a Level 3 unique-type mage, thought he’d easily handle physical enhancement type magic.

His magic disrupted opponents’ perception.

It was the natural enemy of physical enhancement type magic that incapacitated by scattering judgment and thought.

However.

“Why!”

Despite coming out with full preparation, Pernok didn’t struggle with perception disruption.

“Why on earth!”

Bursting out a single scream, Marco’s head rolled on the floor.

Pernok savored the lingering sensation in his hand and opened his eyes that had been closed all along.

[Perception Disruption Lv.3]

Makes places where the opponent’s vision reaches chaotic.

Pernok had known about Marco’s magic from hearing it from the guard captain.

The countermeasure was simple.

If perception disruption was applied when looking at the opponent, charge without looking from the start.

This was a method possible because Marco was a weapon technique greenhorn who swung his sword easily relying only on perception disruption.

Moreover, Pernok possessed countless combat experiences of measuring the gap with opponents even with eyes closed.

The match with Marco, who didn’t amount to even a speck of Pernok in both experience and weapon techniques, ended easily.

“7 consecutive wiiiins!”

“Number 15! Number 15! Number 15!”

When Pernok entered the iron gate with the spectators’ cheers behind him, the guard captain approached from afar.

His mana that had seemed unfamiliar and large at first now felt trivial.

The seventh today.

Pernok’s mana had already reached Level 4.