The Hero Returns

"Enter. Player Mahara. Player Chun Ha-jin."

At the host's call, two players stepped forward. Mahara, who was a bit shorter than tall Chun Ha-jin, looked up at him. Chun Ha-jin was dressed in all black. Because of the cloth pulled above his nose, it was hard to see Chun Ha-jin's face. But, through some part of his body that wasn't covered by clothes, his skin was revealed. It was as black as his clothing.

"Wouldn't it be uncomfortable to fight in such clothes?"

Mahara, of course, thought Chun Ha-jin would take off his clothes before fighting. Unless those clothes had some special effects, it would be very uncomfortable to fight in them.

"It's none of your business." But, at Mahara's advice, Chun Ha-jin narrowed his eyes and answered vacantly.

His reaction might upset him, but Mahara just calmly nodded and put his hands together.

"All right, then. I'll ask you for a good game," Mahara said.

"A good game…," Chun Ha-jin muttered.

"Get ready—"

The host called, stepping back.

"I don't know if I can have one with short-ass prick."

Chun Ha-jin pointed out his weakness, and Mahara knit his brow for the first time.

"—Start!"

The host announced the battle.

Swish—

Mahara's body divided into dozens of people and began to rush toward Chun Ha-jin.

"Then, get ready to be beaten up by that short man!"

Dozens of voices came from the dozens of people at the same time. It was a sort of hallucination skill, using magic. They could be destroyed, but his level was quite high, so the hallucinations were hard to destroy in a short period of time. And that brief moment could be fatal to his opponent. Because, actually, Mahara wasn't a magician; he was a boxer who played close combat.

Swish—

Mahara's fists rushed in from many directions. Chun Ha-jin stood still and just looked at the fists reaching toward him. And it was at that moment…

Swish, boom—!

Craaack—

Chun Ha-jin reached out to one side, grabbed Mahara's fist, and broke it.

"Arrrggg!"

"Don't be a crybaby."

Grab, swish—!

Wham—!

Chun Ha-jin broke Mahara's wrist and slammed his body to the ground. The illusions that had appeared around Mahara disappeared. In that short moment, Chun Ha-jin had quickly penetrated Mahara's skill and the combat ended very quickly. Mahara, lying on the floor, realized that his opponent's skills were far superior to his own.

"I lost… You're really good…"

"You asked me for a good game, didn't you?"

Chun Ha-jin's mask covering his mouth began to wriggle. He laughed big, opening his mouth widely.

"Well. I'm the one who should have asked."

"What are you talking about…Aaaarrrgggg—!"

With an inhaling sound, Mahara's body quickly began to dry. He became like a mummy who lost all of the moisture in his body. His body shrank and eyes blurred. The host didn't do anything, just watched. Meanwhile, Mahara's body dried up all the way and hardened.

Crumble—

Mahara's dead body became sand and fell from Chun Ha-jin's hand.

Chun Ha-jin dropped the sand, scattering from his hand, and muttered, "He's really not tasty."

Chun Ha-jin turned his gaze to the host. At that moment, the host announced, "Hero Chun Ha-jin wins!"

***

Su-hyeun knit his brow.

<<Hero? He's a hero? That's bullsh*t.>>

There was no way such a man could be called a hero. It was just a contest, but Chun Ha-jin took Mahara's light. And he laughed while he did it.

<<That man's just a murderer.>>

He had an excellent ability. Notably, the skill he used was unique and powerful.

"Force Absorption," Luslec said. "That's a quite well-known skill where he came from." It seemed like Luslec knew a lot about Chun Ha-jin.

"Is it a skill that absorbs other people's magic power?" Su-hyeun asked.

"Yes. But not just magic power. It also takes their Vitality. He's a monster that eats other people to get stronger."

"Do you guys know each other?"

"No, we don't. Why? Are you upset?" Luslec asked, grinning. Then he looked at the tournament tables on the wall afar, and said, "Let's see. I guess he'll fight against you to the semifinals. Well. If both of you win the games before that."

"Semifinals…" Su-hyeun muttered.

Chun Ha-jin was above the goal of the trial. That meant Chun Ha-jin's level was higher than the trial of the 42nd floor.

"And you'll meet me in the final. Do you think you can make it?"

And this man, who probably would wait for Su-hyeun in the finals, had a higher level than Chun Ha-jin. Su-hyeun didn't like Chun Ha-jin quite much, but Luslec was the more concerning opponent.

"How do you know about Chun Ha-jin?"

"Me? Well…"

"Everyone here must be from different worlds. Honestly…even though it's a world in the trial, I can't understand your background and your presence." Su-hyeun stared at Luslec, narrowing his eyes. "Are you an awakener who climbs the tower, like me? Or…"

"Player Siegfried. Please come up," the host called for Su-hyeun.

But Su-hyeun didn't move. When the host called him three times, Luslec grinned and waved his hand.

"Go quickly. He's calling you."

"…"

Su-hyeun looked at Luslec for a moment and walked away. Luslec still waved his hand with a smiling face. All the way up to the stadium, Su-hyeun was thinking about two people.

<<Chun Ha-jin and Luslec.>>

They were the people that he would meet in the semifinals and the finals. Perhaps those two would be the strongest enemies in this trial.

Stomp—

Su-hyeun stepped onto the stage. His opponent was waiting for him. Su-hyeun's gaze changed.

<<I'll think about them later. I should focus on the game now.>>

He would meet them anyway if he kept fighting and winning.

"Get ready. Start!"

Whiz—

When the host announced the start of the game, Su-hyeun moved quicker than ever.

***

Because there were so many players, 128 players played the games for two days. The next round, of 64 people, also took a whole day. People didn't have to worry about injuries because there was a device in the stadium that could restore the players' bodies at once. This day was for the game of 32 people, and Su-hyeun's match for today was the last one.

Swish—

Boom—!

Su-hyeun wielded his fist, but his opponent dodged. His opponent was fast and had hallucination skills. He could quickly avoid Su-hyeun's attacks. But that was all he could do.

Swish—

Puff—

Su-hyeun wielded his sword with his right hand. This time the hallucinations around Su-hyeun disappeared.

Whoosh—

Boom, boom, boom—!

And, when Su-hyeun covered half of the stadium with his Flame skill, the hallucinations burst. The real opponent was finally revealed.

"Shit…" he mumbled.

"Your dodging skill was quite good."

"…!"

The man was startled at the voice that came from right next to him. He quickly turned his face.

Wham—!

As soon as he turned his face, he felt a shock on his temple. It was a force that could easily crush most people's skulls, but he just fainted.

Thump—

As his opponent fell on the ground, Su-hyeun looked at the host.

"Hero Siegfried. Wins!"

The host announced the last round of the day was over. Su-hyeun gave his arm to his opponent and took him to the other host. The host took him to a recovery room.

"Why didn't you kill him?" that time, Chun Ha-jin talked to Su-hyeun. "You totally could have killed him. You didn't have to subdue him using more energy."

"Then let me ask you," Su-hyeun stared at Chun Ha-jin. "Why did you kill? You could totally just subdue any of your opponents."

"Well. You 'e different from me."

Chun Ha-jin wiggled his fingers like snakes. The meaning was very clear. He was showing he could absorb other people's energy through his hands. His Force Absorption skill could take the magic and even life force from other people when he touched them.

"I'm going to eat up all the people here." Chun Ha-jin's mouth, covered by his mask, grinned. His eyes sparkled with a murderous spirit. Chun Ha-jin looked around the spectators and other players that were going back to their rooms and went on. "This place is a paradise for me. So much prey. And, especially you. You're the best meal here."

"Oh. Is that so?"

"But seriously, why don't you kill the others? Nothing will be changed even though you let them live."

"Is that why you came to me?"

"Maybe. I came here because you're really a different person from me."

"Well. You're wasting your time, then."

Shhhh—

Crack—

Su-hyeun lifted his eyes. He even opened his third eye and revealed his murderous spirit to Chun Ha-jin.

"Because when I meet you on the stage, I'll definitely kill you," Su-hyeun said.

"That is…a very satisfying answer." Chun Ha-jin's eyes made a big smile as if he had heard what he wanted to hear.

"Well, then. Good luck. I'm looking forward to eating you."

"That's not my business." Su-hyeun shook his head.

There was nothing more to talk with him about. They would fight in the semifinals anyway. Chun Ha-jin had made a very obvious provocation, but Su-hyeun ignored him and asked the question that he had been wondering.

"But what are you going to do after eating all the people here?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you just want to be stronger? Is that your goal? What do you want to do when you become strong?"

It wasn't just an idle question. Su-hyeun was wondering about the people here, not only Chun Ha-jin but all the others participating in the competition as well.

<<Are they human beings just like me, fighting in each world? Or are they awakeners that were climbing the Tower of Trials like Luslec?>>

When Su-hyeun asked to solve his curiosity— "What I want to do?" —Chun Ha-jin's face became vacant. "What…I…want…to…have…to…?"

"…?"

Chun Ha-jin was vacant for a moment but…

"Anyway, I am leaving now. I hope to see you on the stage."

All of a sudden, he acted like nothing had ever happened, turned his body with a smile, and walked away. It was as if he couldn't remember what Su-hyeun had asked.

"What was that?" Su-hyeun muttered.

Something was very strange. He didn't want to get involved too deeply in this world, but he couldn't help it. Su-hyeun moved to find other players and asked them the same question that he had asked Chun Ha-jin. He asked about their lives before the game and why they had come to this competition. But…

"I…why…"

"Uh…Umm…"

"Competition…? What?"

Everyone had the same reaction. They had a sense of purpose to win the competition, but they had no idea about the reason, which should have been simple. They even didn't know who exactly they were.

<<What the hell is this?>>

Su-hyeun had experienced so many trials, but this had never happened. Because of the reactions of the other players, Su-hyeun felt like this trial was something bizarre.

<<I have no idea about this trial.>>

But there was only one person who had a different reaction from the other people.

"Where I came from? Why do you ask that? You and I are just the same human beings."

It was Luslec.

<<What the hell is he?>>