Chapter 183 (1/2)

Siegfried. He was the hero who caught Fafnir in mythology, a long time ago. But that was just a myth, and the name Fafnir was given to the monster that destroyed Su-hyeun’s world later. But, strangely, the name Siegfried weighed on Su-hyeun’s mind.

<<Why Siegfried? Of all the heroes?>>

Su-hyeun looked at the sword he was holding. Balmung. That was also the name of the sword Siegfried had used. Su-hyeun felt strange about the fact that the owner of this body was named Siegfried.

<<I shouldn’t think about it too much.>>

They were just names, and he was in the Tower of Trials. It was a different world from the one where he lived. He thought he shouldn’t waste his energy to think about it too much.

“When is the next game?” Su-hyeun, who had just smashed down his first opponent, shook his hands and asked the host.

The host was still expressionless. His eyes didn’t even focus on Su-hyeun. “Tomorrow,” he said.

“How many players are there?”

“There are 256 people. After the preliminary round today, there will be 128 players left. If you are injured, please tell the host over there. All wounds will be healed.”

The host pointed to the opposite side of the exit where Su-hyeun came out from. Su-hyeun nodded at the host’s stiff tone. The host continued the competition, calling for the next player.

<<They’re dolls.>>

The hosts weren’t living humans, but they weren’t another species, either. Su-hyeun couldn’t feel any Vitality from them. In a word, they were like dolls. The only thing they could do was answer questions and move.

“Let me ask you one more thing,” Su-hyeun looked back at the host and asked. “Can I watch the games?”

“Of course.”

At the host’s answer, Su-hyeun walked to the stands. It was a good seat. He could see the rest of the fights well enough. He sat in the front row and looked down at the stadium.

<<Heroes from many worlds…>>

Su-hyeun started to watch the game because he thought it would be good to know the other players’ levels ahead. But, also, there was another reason.

A hero. Su-hyeun was very sensitive about that word. No one was as sensitive about that word as Su-hyeun. In his past life, people had called him a hero and he disliked that word a lot. So, he wanted to see what heroes from other worlds would look like. The giant hero he just had met was quite disappointing.

<<Well. Everybody has some skills.>>

Crack, crack—!

Boom, boom—!

The stands were far from the stadium. People with bad eyesight might not able to see the game properly from this far away. But there was a reason for that. It was because the aftereffect of the stadium was so significant.

The heroes of each world, in other words, the players, had excellent skills. On second thought, the first opponent that had rushed to Su-hyeun was also a good player who could beat up most of S-Rank awakeners. If Su-hyeun hadn’t raised his Strength stat up to 97, he might have had to draw his sword.

<<I guess he came from a pretty soft world. Or maybe because it was the preliminary round?>>

The giant man was certainly weaker compared to the other players fighting on the stage at the moment. Of course, there were other players about the same level as the giant man.

<<The really strong ones aren’t showing their real power…>>

It was too far to check the real talented ones because the real strong ones overpowered their opponents at once, as Su-hyeun had done.

<<It looks like there’s nothing more to see.>>

Su-hyeun got up from his seat. He thought there would be nothing more to see anymore. There was no point in watching the weak ones, and powerful ones didn’t reveal their actual skills.

“Are you leaving?”

At that moment, a man, who had been watching the game behind Su-hyeun, said something. As Su-hyeun remembered, he was the man who had subdued his opponent instantly in the fifth round.

Su-hyeun looked back and said, “Yes. There’s nothing much to see.”

“Yea. They all suck,” the man said, grinning.

He looked to be in his late thirty or forty. He was tall, about 190 centimeters. He had a muscular body and thin eyes. Su-hyeun thought he looked like some sort of handsome gangster that would show up in a movie or something. That was Su-hyeun’s first impression of him.

“But stay and watch more fights. I’m sure some real guys will show up soon,” the man said.

“Is there anyone you have an interest in?” Su-hyeun asked.

“Me? Yes, I have one.”

“Who’s that?”

“You,” the man grinned.

At that grin, Su-hyeun frowned, as if it sounded gross.

The man shook his head. “No, no. I don’t mean that kind of interest. Really.”

“I know. The nuance was a little weird.”

“Well. If you know, that’s good, I guess. I was just curious about the man who takes a red dragon wherever he goes.”

At the man’s word, Su-hyeun, who had been losing interest in the game, snapped back to attention. Miru was sitting to one side, yawning, not paying attention to what was going on. Since there was nothing for him to do, he seemed about to fall sleep.

“Have you ever met a dragon?” Su-hyeun asked.

“Of course. I’m sure there will be no one here who knows more than me about dragons.”

“Wait. Are you…?”

“Oh. Do you know me? My name is Luslec. Have you ever heard?”

Luslec. Su-hyeun definitely knew the name.

<<The author of the book that Malcolm gave me was Luslec Exysos.>>

Su-hyeun didn’t know where the book was written, but the author wasn’t from the same world as Su-hyeun. He could tell the author was from a different world by the book. But, here in his trials, Su-hyeun met the author.

“Well. I was very famous. I met all kinds of divine beasts from all kinds of worlds. I also wrote quite a few books.”

“How did you meet dragons?”

“What do you mean, how?” Luslec pointed up with his finger, grinning, “I climbed the tower, of course.”