episode_0160

160. With Her.

“Heeeuuuhm.”

When Alex first arrived at the waiting room, he was looking around at the players with sparkling eyes.

This was because a highly skilled magician was needed to activate his unique ‘trait’.

[Mirror of Enigmas]

A trait that, in addition to copying the opponent’s spells, can also partially copy the amount of magic power.

When he first arrived at the tower, Alex was in a weak position. However, as time passed, Alex’s growth accelerated exponentially.

All thanks to Alex’s trait.

‘Let’s see… Is there anyone decent here?’

Alex’s eyes shone faintly as he scanned his surroundings. He had previously acquired a trait enhancement ticket as a trial reward.

He immediately used the enhancement ticket on the ‘Mirror of Enigmas’. After that, Alex developed an eye for gauging the ‘magical achievements’ of others.

‘Oh? That guy······.’

Two men and women were entering through the passage he had come through. Alex focused his attention on the man among them.

To be exact, he was staring at the blue light emanating from the man.

“Heh, heh heh.”

“What’s wrong, Alex? Why are you suddenly like that?”

Rosa gave Alex a reproachful look as he grinned. Alex whispered softly, just loud enough for her to hear.

“A whale, a whale has arrived.”

“······Ah. That man?”

“Yeah. He’s no ordinary guy. He’s the best magician I’ve ever seen.”

“That much? Well, it’s the last floor, so I guess it could be.”

Rosa wasn’t too surprised. Alex felt a little frustrated. If Rosa could see the radiance he was seeing, she would have fainted in surprise.

Anyway, Alex waited for an opportunity and slyly approached John. And asked.

“Are you a magician?”

At this time, Alex deliberately wore a smug expression. He had to reel the man in somehow.

“······Perhaps?”

Alex smirked.

The whale was hooked.

***

Back to the present.

Crackle!

The shield, which resembled John’s spell, was easily shattered. But Alex had already backed away.

Sarah raised her long sword and growled.

“What? Someone else’s cookie? That’s John’s spell, isn’t it?”

“That’s right. I will make good use of your lover’s spell.”

Sarah’s insides were boiling. Why was it that a complete stranger using John’s spell bothered her so much?

Sarah savagely pulled up the corners of her lips.

“Okay, I’ll see how much you can imitate.”

Kwaang!

Sarah rushed at Alex again. Alex quickly waved his hand.

Puhwaaaaaaak!

A cloud of dust that sprouted from under his feet engulfed Sarah and Alex. Soon, the struggle between the two men and women began inside the dust cloud.

John, who was watching, smiled lightly.

‘Good strategy. A magician is more advantageous than a swordsman in a place where visibility is blocked.’

John decided to temporarily forget about teleportation research. This was because the scene unfolding before his eyes was so exciting.

At that time, someone looked at John from the side and spoke to him.

“Hey, monster mister.”

“Hmm?”

“Aren’t you upset? That yellow head devoured your spell completely. If it were me, I would have just…!”

John chuckled at the man’s words.

“Well, I don’t really care.”

“Is that so? You’re a very easygoing person. Hmmm, hmmm.”

John leaned back in his seat. And muttered in a languid tone.

“It’s an interesting trait, but it’s definitely not a pioneering ability.”

“A pioneer?”

“Yeah.”

John stretched out his finger and pointed at Alex.

“No matter how much you imitate, you can’t beat someone who has paved their own way.”

As soon as John finished speaking, the dust cloud cleared with a whoosh.

“Ooooh!”

The man who had been talking from the side cheered. He was amazed by the sight of Alex, who was covered in countless wounds all over his body, and Sarah, who only had a few scratches.

The man secretly hoped that the beautiful woman would win rather than the thieving Alex.

“Tuh-!”

Alex spat blood-tinged phlegm onto the ground. The pink phlegm felt somehow unpleasant.

“After all, there’s a limit to stealing.”

“······.”

Sarah tapped her sword with a blank expression. It was a silent sign to shut up and prepare to die.

Alex chuckled at that. Immediately after, a torrent of magic power concentrated around his right fist.

“Hoo. That is.”

A familiar array of magic power. John’s eyes widened as if he was intrigued.

Fire Harpoon.

Hwareureureureuk-!

Alex grinned as he held the harpoon in his hand.

“A high-quality fake cannot be distinguished from the real thing… Haven’t you heard that saying?”

“······Huh.”

Even Sarah couldn’t help but be impressed this time. To imitate a spell so precisely.

But that doesn’t mean the result will change. Sarah pulled the sword toward her forehead and grabbed it with both hands. Her eyes closed quietly.

Tingle-

Alex shuddered. The hairs all over his body stood on end as if they had touched static electricity.

“Heh, okay. I guess it’s still not enough.”

Alex slowly stroked the harpoon with his left hand. Then, a dazzling steel wrapped around the harpoon like armor.

“Oh.”

John let out a short exclamation. Adding steel properties to the Fire Harpoon.

‘I didn’t even think of that.’

It was a match with a lot to gain. John watched the two men and women with a happy heart.

“Heh, heeuh. Heueoheoeok······.”

Alex’s breathing is abnormally rough. He must have overdone it quite a bit.

Alex stretched his right hand straight back and pointed his left hand at Sarah. Then, Alex’s right shoulder became blurred.

Swaeeeeeeeeek-!

Sarah didn’t move. Instead, she firmly pressed both feet to the ground and swung her sword as it was.

Her sword was shining as if it was burning due to the red sword energy.

Soon, the red sword path and the steel harpoon collided with each other.

Kwaaaaaaaang!!!

Immediately after, memories of the past flashed through her mind. Sparring with Sama Han, and sparring with Hwageom Jin-in.

Hwageom Jin-in once said.

[Sword Master Sarah. If you can digest all of my teachings.]

Swish- Her sword cut through the steel outer shell and faced the burning harpoon.

In a fleeting moment, Alex detonated the harpoon. The harpoon strangely rippled.

Sarah had a calm expression as she faced the explosion right in front of her.

[You are the greatest swordsman under the heavens.]

At that moment, Alex smelled a strange scent that flowed in from somewhere.

But something was strange. It was too fragrant to be a smell, and too fishy to be a fragrance.

At the same time, the harpoon exploded. No, to be exact, it looked like it exploded.

“What······!”

Shyuwraryararyarak-

Thousands of red flower petals gently embraced the harpoon.

The harpoon continued to wriggle. It looked pathetic as it tried to explode at all costs.

“······.”

Sarah calmly looked at the harpoon and stuck her sword into the ground.

Then, new petals began to bloom from the sword.

When the newly created petals joined the harpoon, the shape of the harpoon was no longer visible in the slightest.

Hwareureuk······.

The size of the harpoon gradually decreased. Sarah held the sphere of petals, which had become smaller than her fist, in her hand. Soon, embers scattered into the air with a fizz.

Alex said in a hollow voice.

“No, what kind of nonsense is this······.”

Swish-

Alex’s head flew into the air. Sarah still put away her sword with a calm expression.

Sarah raised her head and looked at the audience seats. To be exact, she was looking at John, who was leaning back in his seat.

She smiled brightly.

“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”

At the same time, the audience’s loud cheers echoed throughout the colosseum.

It was a sign of respect and courtesy for the gladiator who showed an outstanding performance.

“What is that woman! She’s amazing!”

“Marry me! Marry me! Marry me!”

Sarah returned to the waiting room amidst the audience’s enthusiastic response.

****

After that, the matches continued. Accordingly, the frequency of calling John increased.

This was because the order of turns became faster as the number of people decreased.

Among them, Sarah and John were hot topics among the audience. It was natural since they were constantly winning their matches with overwhelming victories.

And finally, Sarah and John faced their last match.

[Match 521: Shin John VS Kim Sarah. *1 Colosseum*]

“It ended up like this after all.”

John shook his head and muttered. Sarah smiled slightly and replied.

“Why, don’t tell me you never dreamed it would turn out like this?”

“No way.”

“Then why are you like that? Why the fuss?”

John smiled slightly at that and twisted his fingers back and forth.

Sarah lowered her stance and drew her sword. It was a reflex action as soon as she saw John’s unique habit.

“It hasn’t even been a day since we sparred, and this time it’s a death match······.”

[The match will begin.]

At that moment, John’s right shoulder became blurred. Before he knew it, he was holding an overbearing harpoon in his hand.

Fire Harpoon.

Swaeeeeeeeeek!!!

John’s surprise attack rained down on Sarah.