studiobondurri Chapter 41
Chapter 41
How many people must be killed to increase a stat by 1?
A total of 100 people.
No matter how much I’ve adapted to the Tower of Struggle, this is too much.
The exchange rate is too cruel.
Humans die like flies, but that doesn't mean their lives are actually as worthless as flies, right?
But then, this ratio changed.
Now, 33 kills will increase a stat by 1.
If that doesn't sound tempting, then you're lying.
‘Just when they decided to mess with me.’
Rationalization.
My brain reinterprets the situation, thinking, "Maybe it's okay to kill them, just this once."
‘Just once.’
Just pour me some soup.
I thought to myself, but the Lunacolis clan made the first move.
“You really want to die, don’t you?”
Even though one of them had already died, they didn’t flinch at all.
In fact, they rushed at me, trying to kill me.
“Not so fast.”
At that moment, Administrator Daimus appeared, standing between us.
It all happened in the blink of an eye.
“Administrator.”
One of the Lunacolis snarled at Daimus, glaring at him.
“Our clan member is dead. Killed by that human. And you’re just going to stand there and let it happen?”
Daimus sneered as though he found it amusing.
“Can’t you see the opponent standing right in front of you? Why are you barking at me without even looking at them?”
An intangible energy radiated from Daimus toward the Lunacolis.
The Lunacolis hit by the energy began to tremble in fear, as if they were struck by terror.
If you looked at it superficially, Daimus’s size was at least three times larger.
It would be like comparing a grown male high school student to a kindergartner.
Yet the Lunacolis were terrified.
If you only judged by appearance, Daimus should have been the one running away.
The Lunacolis shouted.
“Then what about the life of Kar Fer? How do you plan on paying for his death?”
“Why do you think someone has to pay for it? It’s only natural for the weak to be eliminated in the Tower of Struggle.”
“...So you’re the one stopping me from killing these vermin, aren’t you, Administrator?”
Daimus burst into laughter.
He laughed so hard that it felt like he was mocking them.
Perhaps the Lunacolis felt the same way because they ground their teeth in frustration.
But they couldn’t charge forward.
“Well then, how about this?”
Daimus continued.
“How about we have your Lunacolis team face off against this error... the Scarlet team. In the Colosseum.”
“What... what did you say?!”
Scarlet reacted as though she had a seizure.
By her expression, it seemed like she wasn’t keen on fighting in the Colosseum.
It was instinctual.
She felt that they couldn’t win against the Lunacolis.
Daimus glanced at her with a dismissive look and ignored her words.
“Well, since this is happening, how about we make it for points as well?”
“No. No, absolutely not.”
They’re putting the points on the line.
That meant no safety net. If they lost, they would die.
The Scarlet team, being the relative underdogs, wouldn’t want such a rule.
‘...This is being said to me, huh.’
For some reason, I understood what Daimus was implying.
“There’s no way something like that exists. You’re underestimating me, a goblin?”
“Earthlings are weak. The managers of floor 0 and the players of floor 1 all said the same. Suddenly, an Earthling having a special skill...”
Kim Min-seong clicked his tongue.
“Do you know every skill in the Tower of Struggle?”
“......”
“There are so few skills we know among all the registered ones. It’s not strange that there are skills we don’t know about.”
This statement rejects the existing idea that Earthlings are useless.
“Scarlet, I think you already know Ryu-in-hyung is an Earthling.”
I’m a fallen monk from the Shaolin temple.
Did she really know?
With that meaning, I stared at Scarlet, and she blushed, avoiding my gaze.
“...Luna has a good nose. So she knew. That’s how we figured out that the error being is an Earthling.”
“But he's not weak like an Earthling, is he? Ryu-in-hyung was different from other Earthlings. Why?”
Kim Min-seong, as if to show even a goblin could understand, looked down at Golrak.
“Is it because of the special skill? Kekrek?”
“Correct. The special skill only Earthlings have. That’s what made Ryu-in-hyung strong.”
Segei chimed in.
“Then it makes sense. The force Ryu-in showed... That power that can’t be associated with an Earthling. It’s easy to explain if we consider that special skill only Earthlings possess.”
“...That doesn’t make sense. If there is such a special skill, why do the administrators treat Earthlings like that?”
Scarlet’s question.
Kim Min-seong answers.
“You all went up from floor 1, right? Who did you meet there?”
“......”
They all looked around.
It seemed like they came up from floor 1 as a team.
Kim Min-seong shook his head.
“On floor 1, there’s a crazy administrator. You all know about her.”
“...The one who always says ‘Yongyong’...”
“Yes. Since she’s a dragon, she probably thinks it’s cute when she says ‘Yongyong.’ That’s probably why she says it. But she’s not in her right mind. What did you think when you saw her?”
“......”
“You thought, ‘What a crazy person.’”
That was Kim Min-seong’s opinion.
It wasn’t the Scarlet team’s view.
“Even so, no one is foolish enough to underestimate a dragon. It’s the same on Earth.”
“......”
“Just because there are special Earthlings like Ryu-in-hyung, that doesn’t mean Earthlings are strong. The same goes for the Earth’s evaluation of them.”
An analogy that even a foolish goblin could understand.
The Scarlet team’s expressions changed slightly.
There was a glimmer of hope in their eyes.
“...So, do you think we can win?”
Scarlet looked at me, asking.
At that question, I felt confused.
“I’m not some kind of superhuman. If I thought I’d lose, I wouldn’t have accepted Daimus’s offer.”
I accepted the offer because I was sure I’d win.
The expressions of the Scarlet team lightened a little.
I could feel them relaxing.
“...I think it’s fine.”
Luna spoke up.
“I’m sorry that everyone else has to risk their lives because of my hometown’s issue...”
“Luna, don’t worry about it. We’re a team.”
Scarlet and Luna embraced each other.
The rest of the team gathered around them.
Kim Min-seong came up to me and whispered.
“Hyung, things are going according to plan, right?”
“......”
I nodded.
Two days later, we headed toward the arena.