“We don’t give a d.a.m.n about those, you little s.h.i.t.”
“What?”
“For each and every case, securing evidence, checking and measuring the situations prior and at the time of crimes, consequences of the punishments or the gazes of the people around us or whatever… If we are to juggle all those at the same time, then how are we supposed to beat the c.r.a.p out of b.a.s.t.a.r.ds like you? Especially inside the Tutorial?”
[The match will begin.]
The message showed up.
I took slow, heavy steps forward. Lucas, the slimy, sn.o.bby man panicked. He waved his hand around.
“Hey. Don’t overreact! It’s just a misunderstanding! This is crazy… You should investigate it clearly before handing out punishment! If you are going to go straight to it like this… Just what authority do you have?!”
Why are you looking for authorities here? Do you think I’m the police?
I was dumbfounded. I dashed toward Lucas.
As soon as the distance closed in, I swung my fist right at his face.
Surprisingly, Lucas responded to my movement.
Even though it was a split second, he managed to raise both of his arms to a.s.sume the guarding position.
As I thought, this guy knew a few things.
He is probably one of the stronger challengers.
Of course, it is not like he could stop my attack just because he knows a few things.
Ppaaaaak!
I struck him hard on the side of his face. Lucas faltered and staggered back from the impact.
I bet your skull shook.
The duel is already decided.
Lucas’ head and back are twisted to the side.
His lower body was still holding out motionlessly, so he was managing to stay up, but that was all.
I kicked the inside of his thigh, and he promptly started to roll on the floor.
How disappointing.
Like that, he was lying on the floor and struggling. It took a bit of time until the man finally got a grip and screamed at me.
“Uuuuuuk… That was clearly intentional and excessive attack? What you did of all things should put you on the list for the punishment. You lunatic basta… Uuuuaaaaaak!”
Lucas started to yap away about some things. Meanwhile, I placed my foot above his ankle and pressed hard. Along with a cracking sound, his ankle bone was crushed.
As a bonus, that guy’s noisy mouth started to pour out screams instead of annoying words.
Unlike how skilled he is, this guy can’t take many hits, can he?
Just what’s his skill level on pain resistance?
“So, what does that have to do with anything, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d? Did we ever ask you guys to be all buddies with us? We asked you to be polite kids who properly follow the rules. Did we ask you all to become pacifists along with us? We are here just to give h.e.l.l to b.a.s.t.a.r.ds like you. We told you so during the morning. If you feel wronged, then you should not have done evil in the first place.”
I happened to be bored because the tournament was no fun for me so far. Now, you are only making this annoying for me.
I moved the foot I used earlier to his knee and pressed hard again.
Again, along with the sound of bones being crushed, screams could be heard.
Lucas held his legs with his arms and shook his body in pain. I crouched down next to the man and sat down. I fashioned a sharp point of mana at the tip of my finger.
Lucas was not able to snap out of it due to pain. When I was bringing the finger toward his heard, he shouted loudly,
“Uuuuuaaaaaaak! Stop! I… I surrender. I surrender! Surrender!”
He shouted in desperate voice. Immediately, a message appeared in front of my eyes.
[You have achieved three wins in the second preliminary matches.]
[Current number of wins: 3]
[Congratulations. You have pa.s.sed the second preliminary matches.]
While I was reading the message, Lucas, who was screaming in pain on the floor, disappeared from the arena.
[Would you like to move to the spectator seats?]
I had no need to be at the arena anymore, so I moved to the seats.
I returned to my seat, but Park Jong-shik was not around.
I lifted my head and looked around, and tried to look for him.
There was a spot in the spectator seats area with lots of people gathered.
They were the Australians… In particular, the thugs like b.a.s.t.a.r.ds were gathered there.
Park Jong-shik was there with the Order of Vigilance.
Also, Lucas was a small distance from where the Australians and the Order members were having a standoff. He was struggling in pain, grasping his leg.
It seemed one of the Order members knew where Lucas was sitting.
If that was not the case, there is no way they could have swooped in so quickly there.
Anyway, I think this is going to cause a stir.
It seemed that other Australians were trying to protect their comrade. The Order members were trying to get to Lucas, but they were not allowing them to pa.s.s. They formed a barricade with their bodies.
From how it looks from the distance, I think they are arguing with the Order, questioning our authority on the matter.
I didn’t bother to focus my hearing to hear details of their arguments.
It didn’t matter. It was obvious what was going to happen next anyway.
The Order members warned again and again to the people who were getting in the way.
I’m sure the Order members were warning them that they won’t be spilling blood if they stepped aside willingly.
The warning was ignored as if they thought that was the obviously right thing to do.
Instead of stepping aside, the Australians tried to push the Order members away.
Because of where the situation was headed, the Order members each exchanged a look. They all drew their weapons at the same time and promptly charged in.
The Australians seemed like they never expected to be attacked. They were not able to put up any resistance before being swept away.
A carnage of blood and scream continued for a moment. The Order members cleared the wall that was blocking their path. They were able to secure Lucas.
Lucas was still screaming in pain. The Order members ended his life. As if they were trying to say that their business was done, they swiftly retreated.
The process and result were all very obvious.
In the modern day world, criminals are usually handled by imprisonment and rehabilitation.
However, due to the special characteristic of the Tutorial’s environment, it was impossible to isolate the criminals from the victims and the rest.
We were in an environment without any knowledge on rehabilitating the criminals or experts for it. To stop reoccurrence of criminal activities by the criminals, the Order of Vigilance chose the following option.
They made it so that it was impossible for the criminals to ever commit crimes ever again.
Inside the Tutorial, we had waiting rooms where all wounds and abnormalities were recovered. Hence, there was only one way to stop the criminals from committing more crimes later.
When the very first day of the great harmony concluded, which was full of chaos, people thought the problems that the Representative Federation perpetrated were completely over.
However, although the members of the Federation received bucket loads of beatings throughout the day, they all survived and went back to the waiting rooms and stages.
After the day of the great harmony ended, they were quiet for a few rounds.
However, as the time went by, the Order’s surveillance started to loosen.
Back in those days, we didn’t have any information about the day of the great harmony. They thought the day of the great harmony may not happen again.
Also, they were infuriated about being attacked by the people that they once oppressed and stepped on. So, the members of the Representative Federations retaliated.
Like that, they started engaging in criminal activities again.
Through a manager, the information about the second day of the great harmony being held was communicated to us. Afterwards, when people learned about this, countless messages came flying to the Order of Vigilance.
They were all messages with records of what people personally suffered or witnessed.
The seriousness and prevalence of the crimes were far beyond what the Order expected. The Order was shocked.
Also, the Order kicked themselves over the fact that the same crimes were perpetrated.
The Order acknowledged that their measures were not harsh enough. They came to a conclusion together that they must not repeat the same mistake.
When the second day of the great harmony happened, the Order immediately hunted down the leader of the Representative Federation and other criminals. Then the Order discussed the punishment.
Along with fervent support of countless victims, they came to a unanimous decision about the punishment for the criminals.
During this day, even the people who were not victims also argued for executions of all criminals.
During that day, the green field where the day of the great harmony was held was like the execution site or witch trial site from the medieval era.
Everyone was intoxicated by the madness that day. The problems related to the Representative Federation were pulled off from the ground along with all of their roots.
Like that, the problems were resolved, although we occasionally have gotten new problems since.
This time, it was the same.
We resolved the immediate problem by executing Lucas, but new problems happened.
Until the incident, the huge arena was lively. Now, the atmosphere was frozen.
Due to a sudden commotion, people were mumbling at each other. They looked anxious.
The preliminary matches were nearing the end.
People were eating snacks with people around themselves and making new friends, establishing relationships and comradery. Such were common until a moment ago. Now, the atmosphere had sunk to a heavy mood.
Everyone’s face was saturated in anxiety and fear.
It is a huge contrast to the mood earlier because it was so lively before this.
Compared to the militant att.i.tude that the Order displayed in the beginning, the Order had been quiet until now. After seeing what transpired, j.a.panese and Australian people were shocked. Meanwhile, people from the Korean server just figured as much after seeing what happened.
The Korean people didn’t exactly have pleasant looks on their faces, but…
Is it because they have seen and experienced these a few times before?
I found it regretful that the atmosphere was quickly changing into this sunken mood.
It was full of festiveness before this.
Still, we could not afford to waive the execution.
It was at that moment. I was sitting at my seat, and someone came to me.
It was the bearded uncle from the j.a.panese server.
[TL: From this point, I will translate “Ah-jur-shi” to uncle, even if they are not biologically related.]
Park Jung-ah and Kim Min-hyuk didn’t even show their noses to the scene. They said they were busy. As for Park Jong-shik, he was still on the rear side of the spectator seats.
It looks like I’ll have to meet him.
“I think we will have to talk for a bit. Can you please explain what happened just now?”
I was uncomfortable that I had to step up and carry out the conversation again. Still, I stayed calm and explained the commotion that transpired a moment ago.
“Was this the punishment that you guys meant?”
I nodded. The bearded uncle asked again,
“Why did you guys have to take such an extreme measure? On top of this, your group also attacked others who were not the one that committed the crime?”
Um…
“If I must explain, it was to prioritize the protection the victim.”
As a public relation type of response, the Order of Vigilance explained the decision this way.
For the sake of victims, the criminals are punished with the most severe method.
In fact, this was the Order’s primary intent.
“Still, that is too extreme.”
The bearded uncle pointed at the Australian people who were still knocked out because they got beat up by the people from the Order.
“You understand why I feel anxious about this, right?”
I nodded.
After seeing the Order taking an extreme measure, even among the Korean people, there were many who looked anxious.
They are probably worried about these mad dogs aiming their fangs at someone other than the criminals and oppressing the people with their power.
“You won’t need to worry. Well, it would be hard for you to believe even if told you this, but still…”
“If, by any chance… what I’m concerned about does happen, we won’t just sit quietly and take it. Remember that well.”
That’s obvious.
I told him to do so.
The look on the man’s eyes were stern like a protective statue in front of a village. The concerned look on his face refused to leave him.
“If you would like to hear a more detailed response, it would be best if you talked to someone else. I’m not in charge of that, so…”
“… I got it. In that case, I should go calm the people first, so I’ll get going.”
Not long after the commotion, the second preliminary matches were over.
I had to stay at the arena building long after the matches were over.
After I confirmed the very last person left the arena, I was finally able to leave.
I looked at the inside of the building one last time. I felt like I became a manager for the arena building.
Like that, I started to walk to the residential building.
With the arena building at the center, there were three different residential buildings. We decided to a.s.sign each server one building.
“Haaaaaaaaaammmmm. I wonder when Jung-ah is going to come.”
I asked Kim Min-hyuk who was walking right beside me.
He was able to finally show his face after the matches were over for the day.
Of course, I’m sure he was busy.
“I’m not sure. She looked super busy. I think she might need to stay up whole night and work today.”
Allocating the Order members a.s.signments, a.s.signing the residential building rooms, and recording the people’s movements in real time… I’m sure she is incredibly busy doing all that.
It was not like she could organize them with a computer. She had to write it all on paper.
In middle of all this, there was not enough manpower to handle the work. Just a few had to do it all by themselves. I could understand why Park Jung-ah and Kim Min-hyuk could not leave their posts easily.
“By the way, what’s up with the sword and the sheath?”
Kim Min-hyuk was pointing at the sword and the sheath on my waist.
“Are you following the trend from the j.a.panese people? You find it cool?”
“It’s not like that.”
Honestly, I think it is cool.
“Lately, human characters appeared on stages. I thought that it would be more useful to have a sword placed on my waist when dealing with people instead of having it inside the inventory where it is not visible.”
People naturally change their att.i.tudes when they see the sword on the waist.
It was a convincing excuse.
“Ah, and look at this.”
I drew the sword from the sheath.
After that, I changed it to a shield form.
“Hul… What is this?”
The sheath was also the Trans.m.u.table Thousand Arms.
Apparently, even a sheath was considered a blunt weapon. I was able to form various sheaths with it.
“Ah, this is the thing. The thing that came out of the mystery box you got from the last tournament…”
I explained the type of forms that the Trans.m.u.table Thousand Arms could change into. I continued my explanation proudly.
“You got a mystery box too. Have you opened it?”
He brought out a spear and wielded it.
“Of course I have.”
The spear looked like an ordinary kind.
However,
“Here. If I inject just a little mana… Here, like this.”
Wielding the spear, he injected mana into it. Along with resonating sound, the spear tip was wrapped in mana.
No, that’s no ordinary mana.
“Aura?”
Even with a little bit of mana injected into the spear, the spear tip had a completed aura wrapped on it.
Of course, I could make that aura myself. However, to the people who could not, the spear was incredibly valuable.
Having an aura on the weapon meant more than just amplifying the weapon’s cutting power.
Looking at Kim Min-hyuk’s spear and then my Trans.m.u.table Thousand Arms, I felt left out.
Isn’t his spear better than mine?
I am sure Kiri Kiri said the Trans.m.u.table Thousand Arms is a great weapon.
The thought was coming up. Kim Min-hyuk said,
“Give it to me. I wanna try too.”
I changed a Trans.m.u.table Thousand Arms to sphere shape and handed it to him. Kim Min-hyuk closed his eyes and focused.
After a moment, he formed a weapon. It was a spear.
The problem was that… Its tip was exuding flames.
What is that?
“Wow, something like this is in it too? What should I call this? Flame spear? Isn’t this totally a cheat item? If it has a function like this, then you should have told me about this first.”
No. I didn’t know either.
Kim Min-hyuk tried changing the Trans.m.u.table Thousand Arms to different forms.
This time, again, it was another spear.
However, this time, the tip of the spear made pazizizick sound. I could tell that electricity was flowing through.
It seemed Kim Min-hyuk was having fun. He tried changing the form again.
The next form that he made was… Something that appeared to be a hand cannon.