The Hunt

Pernok divided his mana into two branches.

One coated his entire body with Mana Reinforcement, the other gathered as a Level 2-sized mass below his navel, in his mana core.

The mana dwelling in the mana core couldn’t reveal its true form until directly drawn out.

Mages including the manager only sensed mana flowing on the surface.

This was why they mistakenly thought Pernok couldn’t surpass Level 3.

“He fought with his eyes closed.”

But lately, the guard captain’s suspicions had been deepening.

His mana amount was merely Level 2, yet Pernok continued accumulating consecutive wins—it looked strange to anyone.

The manager, judging that Pernok had fallen into his grasp by feeding him poison, rejoiced at discovering a treasure.

But the guard captain wanted to erase even a trace of doubt.

The guard captain, who usually waited in the corridor, directly observed today’s match and sharply examined Pernok.

“Curse magic isn’t easy to counter even if you know about it, yet you skillfully avoided the crisis.”

“I’ve met a similar type before. An experienced mercenary recommended a countermeasure. He said when you meet a mage who confounds the mind, close your eyes and charge in.”

“One misstep and you’d have died.”

“But I can’t just sit still and take it, can I?”

The guard captain let mana flow toward Pernok.

He noticed the mana wrapped on the outside but couldn’t read the true intent hidden deep in the mana core.

‘The mana is the same. I don’t feel the magic has grown either. Yet he killed Level 3 mages consecutively. Either the mages’ level was low. Or they had bad compatibility with him. Or…’

His sparring with him was already three months ago. Could he have broken through a wall in that time?

‘…I’ll know if I send him up. From there, he can’t hide anything.’

There must be nothing he couldn’t control.

As if to shake off the unpleasant feeling, the guard captain shook his head and said.

“Refrain from reckless actions.”

“I didn’t wait just to hear pointless worries, did I?”

The guard captain turned his head toward the inside of the corridor.

“It’s time for medicine.”

“Isn’t there a week left?”

“He’s very satisfied with your performance.”

Each time Pernok achieved victory, the manager put more items in the cell than requested.

He was so pleased he personally visited the cell and even poured precious alcohol.

“Make sure you don’t become a burden.”

Pernok shrugged his shoulders and passed the guard captain.

Following the familiar path, the manager’s unusually fancy study came into view.

When Pernok lightly opened the door, a greasy smell pierced through.

The manager welcomed Pernok with delicacies laid out.

“Hahaha, today’s match was also the best!”

Pernok’s consecutive wins exceeded the manager’s expectations.

He’d matched him with the weakest mages possible to achieve just 5 wins, but Pernok went even further and drove back even Level 3 mages.

If the manager who arranged the matches was this surprised, how much more so the spectators?

Rumors spread, and many wealthy people visited the arena to watch Pernok’s matches.

The manager smiled naturally each time he saw Pernok.

“Your mana doesn’t escape Level 2, but your magic application is worthy of being called Level 3!”

“Compatibility was just good. I can’t guarantee I’ll show such performance in the main tournament.”

“But the VIPs are evaluating you as a Level 3 mage.”

“Won’t receiving attention make drafting scenarios harder?”

“There’s no story that heats up the audience more than a mage who crawled up from the bottom overcoming adversity and slaughtering the strong. All VIPs welcome matches that stimulate the audience.”

The manager placed a bottle containing green liquid on the table.

“You’re doing very well. I like your refreshing appearance. Hahahaha!”

He seemed to regard Pernok as a toy he could perfectly control as long as this ‘antidote’ existed.

Pernok, who’d drunk the antidote he didn’t need to drink three times, gulped down the green liquid this time too.

The manager asked with a pleased smile.

“What should I give you this time? Say anything.”

“Chainmail armor.”

The manager tilted his head.

“You, who emphasizes speed, want to wear such a cumbersome lump of iron?”

“I’ll give it to Yak.”

“Tsk tsk, overflowing with pointless affection. What’s so good about a mere old errand runner that you look after him?”

“He’s quite sharp. But he cowers just hearing monster cries, so I need to do something about that. If I at least put armor on him, he’ll be a bit better.”

The manager nodded.

“I’ll prepare a good one. And we’re ending the preliminaries today.”

“What about the remaining 2 matches?”

“There’s no longer any need to hold them. The VIPs seem anxious about your performance. They’re proposing matches while presenting players first.”

“Isn’t it hasty? When the atmosphere is at its peak, if I lose, the spectators will be disappointed.”

“From the main tournament, whether you win or lose, you just need to set up an interesting stage. First, for the first match, be prepared to have at least one arm broken. If you struggle appropriately, the opponent will cooperate accordingly.”

“I don’t know why you’re rushing things.”

Pernok shook his head side to side and stood up.

“Send the chainmail armor quickly.”

“I’ll fit you with a very good one. Ah, you can take the food too. Catch up with your servant.”

When the manager snapped his fingers, the guards loaded the food onto a cart.

“I look forward to the match in two weeks.”

* * *

Pernok returned to his room that had become abundant.

When the guards set up the food in the room, Yak’s eyes went round.

“What’s all this?”

“The last supper.”

Pernok spoke indifferently while tearing into chicken.

“We’ll need to move up the schedule.”

After the guards disappeared, Pernok explained the situation.

“I’ll have a match with a VIP player in two weeks.”

“Aren’t there still 2 more people left in the preliminaries?”

“Skipping and going straight to the main tournament. Old man, have you grasped the location of ‘that place’?”

“I know the rough location. The problem is how to get in there…”

Yak, who’d been pondering, discovered the high-quality wine and grinned.

“…I think I can manage it. Will you be alright?”

Pernok had planned to move after obtaining nine magics.

But he judged the seven magics he’d obtained so far would suffice.

“The suspicious eyes are getting serious. It’s amazing I’ve gotten by appropriately until now. Rather, it’s a good opportunity. When their surveillance is loosely tightening, I should aim for the gap.”

Based on seven magics, he’d kill the main tournament players and immediately covet their spiritual power and mana.

Having secured the minimum state to maintain endurance during combat, there was nothing to hesitate about now.

Pernok pulled out a sharp piece of iron from under the bed.

“On the first match day, the manager and guard captain will definitely watch me. VIPs will also gather to see my exact ability, and the stakes will be large. Their vigilance will be concentrated around the arena.”

“Other places will be that much more carelessly guarded, and surveillance of that place will loosen.”

Pernok grinned.

“At that time, infiltrate that place and release them all.”

* * *

Time flew like an arrow before he knew it, and the main tournament match with VIP players approached.

A confrontation between experts evaluated as top-tier even among individual matches.

More spectators than ever flocked to watch the confrontation with VIP players, called the flower of the fighting pit.

“Number 15! Number 15! Number 15!”

Before they knew it, the spectators chanted Pernok’s alias.

A bottom-tier expert who achieved 7 consecutive wins in individual matches starting from subjugation battles.

The scenario the manager crafted made people heat up.

That excitement reached its peak when they witnessed the opponent on the opposite side.

“It’s the Iron Man!”

From the opposite side walked out a giant whose body seemed 2m tall.

He wore nothing on his upper body, but nobody thought him defenseless.

Iron Man was a nickname given because he made his entire body as hard as metal.

His magic simultaneously raised the body’s hardness and amplified muscle strength.

Those who lost couldn’t pierce through his magic and were crushed as is.

‘A natural enemy of mages who emphasize speed?’

No matter how fast, if you couldn’t penetrate the body, it was meaningless.

Even if Iron Man just stayed still and curled up his body, acceleration mages would exhaust themselves and collapse.

‘If I win even the match they pushed me to lose, they’ll definitely consider me dangerous.’

It was a match where he understood why they told him to lose with the resolve to break one arm.

Scenarios were usually drafted like this.

Manipulating match brackets or pairing obviously losing matchups so match-fixing wouldn’t displease VIPs.

‘How crude.’

Pernok sneered at their desires and entered the middle of the arena.

Iron Man with crossed arms walked out sluggishly from the opposite side.

“Obediently leave just one arm.”

As if in return for a boring match, Iron Man took a sloppy stance.

Pernok smiled faintly.

Iron Man mistakenly thought Pernok accepted his signal.

‘There are many watching eyes, so I should play around appropriately and finish.’

There was an order to absolutely not kill him. But Iron Man was a player with considerable experience in the main tournament.

He knew well what conditions excited the spectators.

‘As long as I keep him alive, it doesn’t matter.’

Twist bones to spread screams and cruelly crush limbs.

The experienced Iron Man in the arena anticipated the spectators’ cheers and kicked off the ground.

The moment massive wind pressure whooshed into Pernok’s entire body.

“…?”

Iron Man’s arm swept past empty space.

“What. Where…”

Thunk!

An eerie sound was heard from his nape.

When Iron Man swung his arm behind him like swatting a fly, Pernok fell from his shoulder.

“Huh…?”

At the same time, Iron Man knelt.

His head suddenly began to spin. His stomach churned and nausea surged up.

Iron Man, who unknowingly swept his nape, was greatly surprised.

His steel body had been pierced and blood was flowing out profusely.

[Single Point Strike Lv.2]

Strikes one part ten times. The power amplifies each time the same spot is struck.

It was magic Pernok collected at his 3rd consecutive win.

Each time the number of strikes to one part increased, the power inflated exponentially.

Magic that was useless if you couldn’t hit the opponent, but could become a decisive weapon against opponents with wide striking areas.

He mixed in one more here.

[Corrosion Lv.3]

Rots places touched by mana.

Even if Iron Man was a mage at the tail end of Level 3, he couldn’t offset two types of magic.

Everyone here was the same.

Who would think two magics burst forth in combination from the tip of Pernok’s sword?

[Perception Disruption Lv.3]

Makes places where the opponent’s vision reaches chaotic.

And Pernok drove in the final wedge.

Along with blood flowing from his neck, Iron Man had dizziness and even nausea. But he couldn’t close his eyes and rest.

Pernok, who’d approached right before his eyes before he knew it, raised his sword.

The moment he met those cold eyes, Iron Man got goosebumps.

“What are you doing?!”

Only then realizing his and Pernok’s purposes had been misaligned from the start, Iron Man widened his eyes.

“Is this also the scenario? No, right? Huh? Sa-say what you want! Anything…”

Pernok raised his sword high.

“What I want is your magic.”

The sword pierced through the softened flesh and took Iron Man’s breath.

As soon as he went limp while trembling, Pernok showed a satisfied smile.

[Steel Body Lv.3]

Makes the body as hard as steel. Spread mana amplifies into muscle strength matching the hardness.

A weapon not wasteful of the magic used was newly added.

Pernok looked up with a much more relaxed expression.

“Pernooook!!”

The flustered manager abruptly stood and shouted.

Iron Man’s VIP froze like a stone statue, and other VIPs murmured with confused voices.

He’d absolutely killed someone who shouldn’t be killed. The scenario was twisted and everyone who knew this was shocked.

When even the spectators were silent, unable to believe the match that ended in an instant, Pernok turned his gaze to the iron gate.

“What are you doing?!”

The enraged guard captain was running over.

“Do you want to die…!”

However, the guard captain couldn’t head toward Pernok.

“Guard Captain! Monsters! Monsters have escaped from us!”

A guard who’d urgently followed behind shouted. And the giant snake that had been lurking in the long corridor also followed behind him.

“Mo-monsters!”

“Why are there monsters here!”

“Guards!”

“Open the door!”

The spectators screamed, and guards mingled together with monsters.

Pernok leisurely walked through the arena that had become a pandemonium.

‘Did Yak move a beat faster?’

The content instructed to Yak was just one thing.

That place called the prison.

Releasing all dangerous elements imprisoned in the arena’s underground.

For this, each time Pernok had a match, Yak mingled with guards and built friendships.

Once he began knowing the corridors here like his own home, all plans were easily drafted.

‘I alone can’t handle all of those. But if those with grudges join together, the story is different.’

The enemy’s enemy is an ally.

And it wasn’t just monsters.

He felt suppressed anger exploding from underground.

“Wh-what is all this…”

Pernok pointed his sword at the flustered guard captain.

The many mages in the VIP seats.

The guard captain, guards, and monsters.

In the middle of chaos overflowing with nourishment, Pernok fully opened all the mana he’d hidden until now.

“Now, shall we start the game you bastards love?”