Her name was Herna, wasn’t it?
The woman I’d seen at the arena slammed open the private room door. Behind her stood the visibly flustered restaurant owner, flanked by men who appeared to be her guards, weapons in hand.
‘Tch, of all times…’
I’d been moments away from extorting a hefty sum from Jangp. That money was meant to fund my escape from the city. With prison guards appearing more frequently, staying in this backwater town indefinitely wasn’t an option.
‘The more I see her, the more insufferable she becomes.’
While I stewed, Herna stared me down. Thankfully, I’d reinserted my tinted lenses amid the earlier chaos—a small mercy.
“We meet again?”
“You sought me out.”
“Hehe. You’re far more remarkable than I expected.”
Her smirk grated. Remarkable? At what? Did she know I was an Arhan?
My glance at Jangp caught him bowing deeply while shaking his head. Had he betrayed me in that brief window? Impossible. His terror had been genuine—he’d take that secret to his grave.
Only one leak source made sense: Kerion Prison.
“Impressive connections for a city big shot.”
“I’ll take that as praise. I doubted at first, but your status explains the audacity.” Her confidence held firm despite knowing my identity—proof she understood my hollow authority from prison intel. If Jangp discovered I was all bark, the gold would vanish.
I cut her off. “This stays between us.”
“Naturally.” At her gesture, guards escorted Jangp out, leaving Herna, Liu, and me in thickening silence.
I broke it first. “Why come here? Business with me?”
“A misunderstanding. My client takes priority.” She nodded at Liu, who fidgeted under my stare.
“You?”
“S-sorry! I meant to tell you—”
Ah. The hidden funds. I watched silently as Herna’s demeanor shifted.
“Your request requires additional payment.”
“What?! We had a deal!” Liu’s voice cracked.
“Pennies to me. Tracking a missing brother—no leads, not even confirmation he’s alive—isn’t cheap.”
“You promised!”
“For more coin.” Herna’s smirk widened as Liu trembled, desperation laid bare.
“How could you… My last hope!” The boy choked back tears.
I intervened. “Let me clarify: Liu hired you, and you’re extorting him.”
“Will you pay?” Her viperous grin ignited fury. Liu knew the risks—street-smart but desperate.
Even the wise grasp rotten ropes when drowning. I’d done worse in my youth.
“You wanted my cooperation? Tie it to this.”
“Oh? Help him, and you’ll help me?”
“Details first.” Paying her with Jangp’s money was possible but pointless. Scamming scammers required finesse.
“Simple: fight Icas again.”
“He’s beneath me.”
“He claims carelessness. As his sponsor, I’ll arrange a rematch.”
Carelessness? Please. Icas wasn’t brooding—he’d hit a wall. But her game didn’t matter.
“Fine. Proceed with Liu’s search.”
“A deal.” Her triumphant exit left me plotting payback.
Liu wordlessly carried Jangp’s box back. Inside: five gold bars—500 gold coins’ worth.
This world mirrored my last: scammers thrived while honest folk starved. Yet fleecing Jangp brought no guilt. The fairest coin came from outwitting swindlers.
“Why mope? We’re rich.”
“…I never meant to lie.”
“I knew about the savings. Just not Herna.”
“You… knew?”
“Your help was worth it.”
Without Liu, I’d still be caged. He’d stolen keys and supplies under Clark’s oppressive aura—not for me, but instrumental regardless.
It was for my own benefit, but it's true that I was helped.
Rationalizing ingratitude is the mindset of a small-minded person, not how an adult should act.
"Still, I can’t have this same issue repeating. From now on, tell me everything without hiding anything."
"......"
"The most trash-worthy act in the world is repaying goodwill with betrayal. Even if you crawled out of the gutters, don’t become garbage."
"Mmm... I’ll remember that."
Liu appeared genuinely remorseful. A mix of advice and warning should suffice.
He was clever enough to grasp my intentions.
"Zed, let’s escape with this money. If we stay any longer, the guards will catch us."
"What about your brother’s request?"
"...You know as well as I do. That woman will betray us again."
"I know. I’d planned to leave too, but I’ve reconsidered."
"Why? Are you seriously aiming for a rematch?"
"I can’t stand leaving trash lying around."
Liu had once said something like that.
The arena was Herna’s primary cash cow.
Icas, once undefeated, had been crushed. To Herna, her golden goose had been tainted.
The rematch request was meant to erase that stain.
The problem? Herna would come prepared.
If Icas lost again, he’d be branded irreparable scrap—no longer the arena’s champion. No doubt he’d train like his life depended on it.
"I don’t doubt your skills. I’ve watched you train like a knight daily. But this time’s different. Herna’s plotting something."
"That’s exactly why I want this."
"What...?"
"Defeating someone who’s given their all? Nothing compares to that rush."
Plus, severing Herna’s revenue stream.
It wasn’t enough payback for crossing me, but it was the best revenge I could muster.
The rematch came three days later.
The arena overflowed with spectators, no doubt due to aggressive promotion. It felt like watching my last stand—except this time, the crowd wasn’t rooting for me.
"Icas! I’m counting on you this time!"
"Don’t hold back! Crush him from the start—I’ve bet everything on you!"
Despite his single loss, his past victories still glittered in the audience’s minds. Facing a 15-year-old opponent only amplified their confidence. They likely dismissed his defeat as a fluke or mercy.
But why does he look so smug?
Icas’s face came into view as I entered the ring. I’d expected fear, but he stretched lazily, oozing arrogance.
After being humiliated, he’s still cocky?
He clearly had an ace up his sleeve. A closer look revealed it:
Wait—is that an Ogre’s Belt?
The belt around his waist was unmistakable—a rare artifact reducing physical damage by 90%. Finding it in this backwater arena was shocking.
The catch? It only nullified pure physical damage. In a mana-dominated world, even a trace of energy or magic converted attacks into "composite damage," rendering the belt useless. Yet its ogre-derived materials made it notoriously hard to craft. Blacksmiths ignored it since knights and mages—reliant on enchanted gear—had no use for it.
Herna had dug up this relic.
Cheating bastard.
The arena’s ironclad rule banned mana use. Normally, fighters could bypass the belt with mana-infused gear, but I—a mage with zero mana—was screwed.
"Look at that pathetic face. Where’s your bravado from last time?"
"......"
"Things’ll be different now. I’ll grind you into pulp—just wait."
Trash. Talking big while wearing cheat gear?
The Ogre’s Belt was only unbeatable if opponents lacked counter-items. But Herna knew my weakness: no mana, no options. This was a precision strike.
A flick of my gaze caught Herna lurking in the shadows behind Icas. She smirked, tongue flicking over her lips.
That viper...
DING—
The bell tore through the air.
