Once I finished all my preparations, I came down to the first floor earlier than the appointment time. Based on the stillness, people hadn"t arrived yet. There was only one person quietly immersed in meditation. I sat carefully in my chair so as to not break his meditation.
Gyeonso Dragon was focused on meditation. I deliberately didn"t talk to him because he seemed quite focused. I just quietly sipped tea next to him.
“......”
This lasted for five minutes before Gyeonso Dragon opened his eyes and spoke to me, “You came early.”
“Yes, I didn"t talk to you because I felt you were quite focused.”
“Yes, I was talking to Raitra for a while.”
“Oh, you can have a lot of conversations now."
“Yes, it has been this way since that day."
"That day" was probably the time he left for training in the North Pole. I was looking forward to the showdown with him. I wondered how strong he would be. I told him, “It is a good thing.”
“I want to see you in the finals.”
“Yes, I think so as well.”
I sipped the tea again and quietly savored the fragrance. Then I heard a loud noise as players in the top 8 started to gather one by one. The loudest one was naturally Reinhardt.
"Wuhahaha! The winner will be me!” Reinhardt shouted, his arms raised like a champion. Then he went straight to a corner and started to warm up his body. I shook my head at the sight. In any case, he was too noisy.
Next, there was that d.a.m.n clown called Mad Dog. He made eye contact with me and glared strongly with bloodshot eyes. He still had a lot of dissatisfaction with me. I tried hard to ignore it because it was normal. In any case, I was going to get my hands on him today. The preparations were already complete.
Next, Hutton and Kim Hyeonu came in. The only ones who weren"t here yet were Mido and Park Muyeol.
“Um, what the h.e.l.l is Muyeol doing?”
Yesterday, he was the first one to come and talk to me, but I felt that he would be late today. Just then, I heard a clatter and the stomping of feet. The one who came down at a fast pace was Mido, the most beautiful granddaughter in the world. The moment she came down, she looked around like she was searching for someone.
She met my eyes and walked over. Her expression was quite urgent and cute. Thus, I couldn"t help smiling behind my mask.
She requested, “I have to talk to you about something. Can you meet me for a moment?”
Even the appearance of her mouth moving was so cute that I subconsciously smiled. I seemed to know what Mido would say and nodded silently. The moment I followed her up to the second floor, she spoke, “I heard about it from my grandfather. He said you helped me with my a.s.signment. I really appreciate it. I think I can get a lot of points.”
Mido bowed her head. She was pretty polite. I nodded at her. No matter how I thought about it, I had raised my granddaughter really well. I deliberately lowered my voice to change it. It was to sound majestic and serious, as well as not get caught.
“It isn"t a big deal.”
In fact, I wanted to give a longer answer, but I thought I would be caught, so I purposely answered in a short manner. Mido stared into my eyes and asked after a slight pause, “Excuse me... how did you get that information?”
“By chance.”
This should be a long story but it wasn"t possible. I could only speak briefly. Mido looked embarra.s.sed and prevaricate, “I-I see. I have another question.”
In fact, I was more curious. I was trying to touch my ring to use Eyes of Judgment. I had no choice but to use Solomon"s Ring in my head. I wondered who was in Mido"s mind right now. I immediately concentrated and felt the power hidden in Solomon"s Ring. Just as light was going to spread out from the ring...
Mido asked, “Do you like me?”
“...?”
“Do you like me?”
What was happening all of a sudden?
The makjang dramas I previously watched weren"t this bad.
“I"m sorry, but I have a firm ideal type. He is as handsome and caring as my grandfather. I"m sorry, but I can"t accept your heart.”
“No...”
“We should still get along. I hope to see you often in the game in the future. Is that possible?”
At the same time, she reached out. I held her hand with a blank expression. I didn"t know what happened because it was so quick.
“Then I"ll be going down. I"m cheering for you today!” Mido waved and then went down to the first floor.
I was speechless due to the storm that pa.s.sed by so suddenly. A short time later, I smiled. “I"m her ideal type...?”
I suddenly burst out laughing and it lasted for a long time. Just then, a voice was heard from the stairs of the second floor.
“Do you have dementia?” It was Park Muyeol.
* * *
-Today, we will go from the round of 8 to the semi-finals all at once. It was a sudden death match the other day, but this time, it will be a one-on-one showdown. Don"t worry, the sudden change in the rules the other day caused damage to Kaidan.
Now partic.i.p.ants from the round of 8 gathered to listen to the host. There were many things but the most pleasing one was that there would be no sudden rule change like the other day. Due to what happened last time, I wondered if they would use another method. It was just a guess but it was very possible given Aidan"s temperament.
-Now, let"s draw up a table for the top 8. Please come up and pull a ball out of the box.
One by one, we went up and pulled out a ball. I picked the ball with the number "1". After a few minutes, this was the situation.
-Colosseum Bracket
Match 1: Jackson vs Reinhardt
Match 2: Mido vs Mad Dog
Match 3: Gyeonso Dragon vs Kim Hyeonu
Match 4: Park Muyeol vs Hutton
"Hahaha! We meet again! It is my pleasure!”
The huge Reinhardt approached and tried to hit my back. I changed positions with Gyeonso Dragon next to me because I didn"t want my health to decrease. Gyeonso Dragon was. .h.i.t a few times before grabbing Reinhardt"s hand.
“Stop.”
“Huh? You again. I"m sorry for this! Hahaha! See you later!”
Reinhardt stepped back and a whisper from Gyeonso Dragon arrived.
-Gyeonso Dragon: Brother, be careful. Reinhardt is strong.
-Jackson: I know. I saw you fighting him the other day.
-Gyeonso Dragon: His s.h.i.+eld has the same power as a Star Piece. It is a s.h.i.+eld used by the ancient giants. My lightning couldn"t easily penetrate it.
-Jackson: Umm, really?
If his words were correct then Reinhardt"s s.h.i.+eld should be made out of the same material as Alexus" Fork Spoon—the giant"s mineral, Elbaprium. Perhaps it would be a tough fight.
-Park Muyeol: Tsk tsk. It is the first match. Don"t be beaten up.
-Jackson: This rotten guy. Who should be worried about who?
-Park Muyeol: Hahaha! That"s right. Who cares about Choi Chuntaek? Go and win.
-Jackson: Yes.
I went straight to the entrance that led to the stage. I couldn"t go up because the iron bars were still down. Next to me was the giant Reinhardt. It occurred to me that I hadn"t been expected to fight against him. Nearby, my granddaughter Mido was cheering with both fists and I nodded at her. After a while, the iron bars slid up with a rumbling sound.
Reinhardt and I started to climb the stairs. One step, another step. With every step I took, I felt the roaring of the audience getting closer. Perhaps I knew some of them. They said they would come and watch on time. Finally, I climbed from the underground area to the ground where the stage was located.
There were loud roars from the crowd. It was the same last time but once again, the Colosseum seemed to be full. The same was true for the live broadcasts from the broadcasting stations. The only difference was that Reinhardt and I were alone on the stage.
Then the host"s voice was heard.
-Introducing the protagonists of the first match in the round of 8!
The audience once again screamed as Reinhardt and I took to the stage.
We waved lightly and the audience started to yell.
“Reinhardt, fighting!”
“Go, Reinhardt!”
“I"m a fan! Reinhardt!”
“Zeus Guild! I"m cheering for you! Be sure to win!”
...These b.a.s.t.a.r.ds. Why did it seem that none of the audience was on my side? They all thought Reinhardt would win, d.a.m.n b.a.s.t.a.r.ds.
-First, let"s look at the players" determination before the match starts. Player Reinhardt? Can I ask how you want to fight in the first match?
The host gave the microphone to Reinhardt.
“Wuhahaha! Thank you for your support! The match isn"t a big deal! I will just hit and smas.h.!.+ This friend will be like that soon, hit and smashed!”
Reinhardt"s finger pointed at me. It was cheeky. Who would dare to hit and smash someone? I was upset all of a sudden. He was too rude and cheap.
-Uh, the name... Player Jackson? What do you think about Player Reinhardt"s determination? What type of match do you expect?
The microphone pa.s.sed from Reinhardt back to the host and then to me. I grabbed the microphone he handed me. Of course, my voice was slightly modulated. It was a bit low and rough. “The moment the match starts, he will be hit by fire and blown away.”
At the same time, laughter from the audience members burst from all over the place. To them, the words seemed like the courage of a scared, weak man.
-Haha. That is a funny joke. Now, let"s go ahead and start the match right away. Magicians, please come out and create the barrier.
The host left the stage and the familiar magicians appeared to form a barrier around the stage. I couldn"t see Aidan or Supreme Fire Dragon in the VIP seats on the second floor. The same went for Kaidan, the owner of the Colosseum. I felt more uneasy because they weren"t present.
...I had to focus on the match. The moment the barrier went up, the host"s voice was heard.
-Then let"s start the first match of the round of 8!
The gong rang and the audience shouted. On the stage, I danced with the sun. Reinhardt was stretching his neck and shoulders. He looked at me and laughed. “Huhu, what is this? Your warm up exercises are pretty loud...”
Flames appeared on both my legs. I got close to him in an instant, the hem of my clothes flapping as I flew through the air. I then kicked Reinhardt"s face with a 1080 degree swivel kick.
The body of the giant Reinhardt flew back from the explosion as I quietly pulled out a cigarette and lit it. Through the smoke that rose, I declared, “An impolite b.a.s.t.a.r.d is asking to receive a beating as medicine.”
The audience was as quiet as a dead mouse.