Arena

Chapter 16 Comrades (Part 3)

The fire blazed up.

“It’s done!”

Joon-ho was so happy he almost jumped.

The gathered leaves, straw, and dry twigs were put into the fire and then we gathered in the firewood. The fire in front of the cave was a success.

“Now, it’s time to grill the rabbit...”

“Should we roast it whole?”

“Yeah. We’ll stab it through with a skewer and rotate it over the fire.”

“Will this work?”

Joon-ho hands out the wooden spear I made him.

“Sure. If it becomes unusable, I’ll make you another one”

“Ok.”

I stabbed the spear through the rabbit and placed it over the fire.

I motion to Lee Hye-su to call her over.

“Miss Hye-su, please grill this”

“.... Ok”

Lee Hye-su obediently grabbed the spear and began to grill the rabbit. I spoke to her quietly.

“If you contribute by doing a lot to these things, the karma you earn should increase. Miss Hye-su, you have a disadvantage in fighting, so try to do more of these things.”

I continue to speak in a low voice.

“Earn the karma and master your skills and get stronger and Park Go-chan won’t be able to touch you.”

“Thank you, so much.”

She expressed her gratitude.

In the rising fire, her face is visible.

Looking closely, she is without makeup, but her bare face alone is pretty.

White and delicate skin. Her short, permed hair goes well with her slender face. Her height looks similar to Hyun-ji’s at 165 cm (about 5 ft 4 inches), and her skinny legs in black training pants are impressionable.

‘This is why Park Go-chan is drooling.’

Even after having his pride bent by Kang Chan-seong, Park Go-chan was still a roughneck. Riding on Kang Chan-seong’s lack of interest in anything, he tactfully causes strife. Seeing his shamelessness, it is evident that he will continue to cause problems with Lee Hye-su.

‘For now, I shall protect her.’

Kang Chan-seong is disinterested; Joon-ho is kind but weak, so that just leaves me. We are due to oppose each other anyway.

The tasty meat grilling smell spread around. Hye-su slowly rotating and grilling the whole rabbit was almost finished cooking.

“Is it all cooked through?”

“I think so.”

“Then I’ll cut it.”

Hye-su took the entire rabbit out of the campfire. I used Sylph to cut the whole rabbit into five portions and shared it amongst everyone. Really, because we have no knife, I must rely on Sylph for even these trivial things.

The rabbit meat tasted decent. It was too hot, so it was uncomfortable to eat with bare hands, and no seasonings meant it was bland, but I didn’t care since I was eating it on an empty stomach.

“Ah, this is so bland.”

Park Go-chan is complaining. Then why not just starve to death?

“Hey asshole, go catch another one. Think this will be enough?”

Ah, I don’t even want to share words. I take a piece of candy out of my pocket and throw it to Park Go-chan.

“Oh? What is this?”

“Can’t you tell by looking at it?”

“Where did you get this! You can bring this kind of stuff here?”

“Originally, you can’t. He said it was a special service?”

“That shit, I couldn’t even bring my cigarettes and lighter, is he discriminating or what!”

But then, as soon as he popped the candy in his mouth, he shut up. I wonder if the price of shutting his mouth is a piece of candy.

I share the candy with everyone else.

“Thanks, hyung.”

“Thank you.”

Joon-ho and Lee Hye-su express their gratitude. Should I just escape in the night with these two?

Dinner is over and the night is deep.

“We need to decide on the sentry order.”

Before going to bed, I mention it.

“What sentry crap.”

This is, of course, Park Go-chan.

“We have to watch the fire and also watch out for the threat of an attack. I think we can each take turns for 1 hour 20 minutes. Would it be okay if I just decide the order?”

I purposely ask Kang Chan-seong. Kang Chan-seong nods his head. Thanks to him, Park Go-chan can’t complain about it.

The sentry order is as follows.

Lee Hye-su, Lee Joon-ho, me, Kang Chan-seong, Park Go-chan. Putting Park-go Chan as the last sentry was a difficult, but fortuitous, decision I came to after much thought.

He may not wake up when being woken. That’s why before him, I put Kang Chan-seong. If Kang Chan-seong wakes him, what is he going to do but wake up?

Also, there is concern that the next sentry will be called before the time is up. That’s why he is last. This way he can’t complain about the sentry problem.

First in line, Lee Hye-su stands guard at the front of the cave by the fire. The rest of us get ready for bed inside the cave. Most of us toss and turn because of how uncomfortable it is. I stuff the rabbit leather full of straw and make myself a pillow. The hunting and the filleting was done by me so this pillow is a privilege that I alone deserve.

Thanks to having dressed warmly, I was just barely able to withstand the cold air of the night.

And so I finished the first night of the second exam.

***

“Wake up”

The voice waking us was Kang Chan-seong.

“Ugg.”

I moan from the fatigue and wake from my speep. I summon my board to check the time and it hasn’t even been 40 minutes since I finished my guard.

“What is the matter?”

“The bastards are here.”

At those words I am fully awake. The others are surprised too and grab their weapons.

“Sylph, weapon, equip.”

Only after assuming battle stance do I ask Sylph.

“Sylph, are enemies nearby?”

-Meow.

Sylph nods her head.

“Do they look like monkeys and have red fur?”

-Meow.

This time too, Sylph nods her head.

“It really is those bastards.”

Park Go-chan grabs his sword tightly.

Sylph draws the number 21 in the dirt.

“21 of them?”

“There, there are that many!”

At the news of 21, Joon-ho freaks out, and Lee Hye-su’s face goes white. Both her hands gripping the spear are shaking like aspen trees.

“Well, as long as we can guard the entrance of the cave. No matter the number, tell ‘em to come.”

Says Park Go-chan confidently. But then I refute.

“No. we have to guard the fire.”

“What?”

“They’re purposely attacking at night. That’s because they’re confident in the dark. They will probably first...”

I was about to say that they will go for the fire first.

“Kee-ek!” (like a shrieking noise)

“Kee-ek!”

The red apes send out shrieks from the forest and throw rocks. The rocks hit the fire and send out sparks and ash in all directions.

If the fire goes out, we will suddenly become disadvantaged!

I quickly take out a fistful of lead bullets and put one in the chamber.

“Sylph, please aim for me.”

-Meow!

I put the butt of the gun to my shoulder and pull the trigger.

Toong-Puk!

“KKek!”

As the bullet was shot, the short cry of a red ape spread out from the inside of the forest. The neck, head, or heart will have been shot, because Sylph will have aimed it so.

I continue to quickly add lead bullets and shoot. I have Sylph, so I don’t need to aim.

Toong-Puk!

“Kkek!”

Each time the magic gun shoots out a lead bullet, a cry comes from within the forest.

“Wow...”

Lee Joon-ho is in awe.

“How are you getting them when you can’t even see them?”

Park Go-chan has on a face of disbelief.

I have killed six in mere moments.

“Kee-ekk!”

“Ggi-ekk!”

The angry yelling spread from inside the forest. Red apes wielding stone hatchets couldn’t contain themselves and have come dashing out.

15 red apes come swarming like a wave.

“I’ll help from the back!”

I yelled. As I did, the first person to jump out of the cave is Kang Chan-seong.

I thought he was going to step on them but as he heads forward, he spreads out his right hand.

Bbuk!

A single blow.

The red ape who got hit by the palm had his face turned 180 degrees. It was to the point I heard the sound of his neck break from where I was standing.

“Ggi-ekk!”

From the front, a different bastard swings his hatchet. The sight makes us twinge.

Bbuk!

The red ape attacked first but Kang Chan-seong’s fist landed on the apes chin first. Kang Chan-seong again twists his body in the opposite direction and grabs another apes neck and legs and throws it. The thrown ape collides with other bastards.

‘What in the world!’

It was not thrown with strength. He collapsed his balance and used minimal strength to throw the ape. That is a Baguazhang martial artist.

He is really strong. It felt like Kang Chan-seong alone could defeat them all.

‘I can’t just stand here and be a spectator.’

After loading the gun, I pull the trigger.

Toong-puk!

From one of their heads, blood exploded like a fountain.

On top of the gun and also from watching Kang Chan-seong fight, the rest of the spectating group focus.

Lee Joon-ho cautiously moved forward with his shield and spear gripped.

“If I want karma, I have to fight!”

Park Go-chan screams out and races forward.

“Huk, huk...!”

Only Lee Hye-su was frozen in fear and unable to move.

The fight was quickly over.

I killed 9.

Lee Joon-ho fought hard, but finished with just injuring one or two, Park Go-chan zealously swung his sword, but compared to how uncontrollably he swung, he killed one and injured another.

The rest were nearly all Kang Chan-seong. He was nearly one blow, one kill, executed perfectly.

“Kek!”

“Keek!”

The remaining two apes run away in fear. I yell.

“Sylph! Cut their throats and kill them all!”

-Meow!

Sylph flies by like a shot. Their agonizing death howl emanates for a short while through the forest.

And thus, the fight ends in a big victory for us.

–

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