Ch. 52 Karma (1)
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 52 – Karma (1)
The first time I met Garvat, my opponent, was the afternoon before the duel.
I was casually loosening up my body without much thought when he arrived with Kalson and other coliseum officials.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Moonlight Sword Radiance. I’m trembling with excitement to finally see and face the warrior I’ve admired.”
“You look pretty excited for someone who’s trembling.”
Despite his rough appearance, his tone was surprisingly polite. Of course, it felt more like he was putting on a mask and acting, much like how we often do in social situations.
“How could I not be excited? I’m grateful for your mercy in accepting the arrogant proposal of a weakling like me. Thanks to that, I’ve gained a sense of weight, and I’ll give it my all, thinking of it as learning from a great warrior.”
He grinned, revealing sharp teeth.
Like everyone else, it seemed he didn’t believe he could win.
He even mentioned that the slave duel he proposed was a kind of stimulant for himself.
‘Slick tongue…’
However, having already learned of their plot through the fan gallery, I was certain that Garvat and the coliseum officials were in cahoots.
Garvat was sincere.
He genuinely wanted to defeat and crush me. Arrogantly so.
——————————————————————————————————————————
ㄴ“Manager, you did warn Reina, right?”
ㄴ“I did, so stop asking ㅡ.ㅡ”
——————————————————————————————————————————
Serpina had also warned me.
She phrased it as a caution about an approaching danger, but I had already figured out the solution by referencing the forum.
***
“Reina…!”
But that evening, Kim Ji-eun, who had left earlier saying she had something to do, returned with a panicked expression and urgently sought me out.
“What’s this?”
Unable to speak properly, Kim Ji-eun grabbed my wrist and dragged me to a rather shocking scene.
Kalson, the coliseum manager, and a few of his subordinates were lying beaten to a pulp.
And right in front of Jung Chan-soo.
I froze, unable to comprehend the situation.
“They were conspiring to add a handicap without prior notice on the day of the duel.”
Jung Chan-soo explained the reason for this incident as casually as if he were picking up trash.
“They calculated that you wouldn’t refuse the proposal in front of so many people due to pride and planned to chain you with this sensory confusion spell right before the duel.”
Jung Chan-soo held up the chain engraved with the spell.
It was identical to the one I had seen in the fan gallery video.
“This is insane…”
Listening to the story, it was absurd.
While Kim Ji-eun and Mark were secretly investigating Lexion and the coliseum, they were discovered by Jung Chan-soo’s informant. Jung Chan-soo immediately intervened, captured Kalson, and extracted a confession.
“Are you crazy? What if they hadn’t planned to do anything? How would you have handled the fallout?”
“…I’ve already accumulated a lot of karma. And it was worth the risk.”
The first thought that came to my mind was that he had recklessly beaten Kalson, a member of the alliance, to extract information.
My heart sank, but Jung Chan-soo seemed unfazed.
I bit my lip at his mention of accumulated karma.
After all, Jung Chan-soo, the leader of a new faction, had clashed with the alliance more than once or twice.
If Jung Chan-soo’s power hadn’t been sufficient, and if the faction he led hadn’t dominated the ranking, the alliance would have already tried to expel him along with the old forces.
‘You’ve ruined all my plans, you lunatic!’
But what angered me the most was that the plan I had prepared with the help of the gallery users had been completely derailed.
The world is designed to exchange karma and consequences.
The more the opponent acts out, the more justification I have to act out as well.
I had planned to accept the ridiculous handicap, overcome it, and then destroy the coliseum and those I disliked as payback, but now I couldn’t do that.
“I…owe you a debt. It seems my constellation’s warning wasn’t for nothing.”
Another thing that pissed me off was that something I already knew was now being presented as if Jung Chan-soo had just informed me.
My voice trembled as I acknowledged the debt to him.
I could never accept owing Jung Chan-sou in this way.
Of course, I knew he wasn’t the type to demand something in return, but it still made me uncomfortable.
“This duel is unjust. It would be better to cancel it and seek compensation.”
In reality, Jung Chan-soo was already moving on to the next task, indifferent to my reaction.
His demeanor only fueled my rebellious spirit.
“…I won’t cancel it.”
“?”
“Huh?”
For some reason, Reina, who had been glaring, clenched her teeth and muttered quietly.
Jung Chan-soo, Kim Dong-soo, Kim Ji-eun, and even Kalson, who was writhing on the floor, were all taken aback by her words.
“I’m angry about their arrogant schemes, but I can’t accept ending it like this. I’ll destroy them with my own hands. Do they really think this little thing can stop me?”
Reina’s red eyes flashed as she declared with unwavering resolve.
She would personally punish her enemies, chains be damned.
“What are you talking about?! This isn’t right!”
Even Kim Ji-eun, her closest aide, tried to stop her, but Reina didn’t even blink, having already made up her mind.
“I don’t care if it’s frustrating or stubborn. This is my way.”
“The sensory confusion spell can be more troublesome than simply controlling stats. Can you adapt?”
Reina firmly shook her head, placing her hand on Kim Ji-eun’s head as she tried to dissuade her.
Realizing she was serious, Jung Chan-soo didn’t try to stop her but instead asked if she was confident.
“Of course.”
Reina’s expression seemed to ask why he would even question it, and Jung Chan-soo nodded.
Kim Ji-eun desperately looked to him for help, but Jung Chan-soo had already made up his mind.
He would let Reina do as she wished. After all, he was merely a third party in this matter.
“You bastard.”
Reina then grabbed Kalson by the collar and lifted him. Despite his 2-meter frame, Reina hoisted him up with one hand.
“Prepare properly. And no matter what happens tomorrow, you’ll just take the beating quietly. Got it?”
“Ugh…”
Kalson, unable to argue against her menacing growl, reluctantly nodded.
.
.
.
“What a storm.”
As the injured Kalson and his employees limped away, Reina and Kim Ji-eun also left the room without looking back.
Kim Dongsoo looked at the empty room and let out a hollow laugh.
“As expected. That’s just like her.”
Jung Chan-soo, seated in a chair, remained unfazed.
He had anticipated and trusted that Reina would act this way.
After all, the Reina he had observed was exactly that kind of person.
-“You haven’t forgotten our warning, have you?”
“…”
At that moment, the voice of Esgalte, the constellation, echoed in his ears.
In fact, the main reason Jung Chan-soo had gotten involved in this matter was due to Esgalte’s tip.
‘Why? He could’ve just said it outright.’
However, unlike usual, Esgalte had privately contacted him to relay this information, ensuring other constellations wouldn’t hear.
It was an unusual action, even for Jung Chan-soo.
Considering Esgalte was slightly more favorable to Reina compared to other constellations, it was still a peculiar move.
-“Her unique pride makes her act cute, but the fact remains that she owes you a favor. Hehe…that’s enough. It’s a delicious bait.”
Esgalte, looking down at Jung Chan-soo, smiled, satisfied with the outcome of his actions.
‘Radiant, noble, proud, and a strong warrior.’
After Kim Dongsoo left, Jung Chan-soo, now alone, absentmindedly stared at a photo of Reina on his phone.
Contrary to others’ expectations, he was currently pondering Reina’s characteristics and making some conjectures.
‘She’s someone I’ve never heard of before the regression. All possibilities are open.’
He was speculating about the possibilities that arose from Reina obtaining the Star Origin during the Continuous Bloodbath.
He had already awakened the power of the constellations in most of the surrounding figures as planned.
But Reina was not part of that plan.
Even as a regressor, Jung Chan-soo couldn’t be certain about Reina’s future and destiny.
‘From what I know, there’s only one constellation that suits her. Artemis. But…is it really that one?’
He let out a small sigh and continued to gaze at Reina’s photo.
“Is she a virgin?”
The casual remark he made during this process unknowingly turned everything upside down, though he was unaware of it.
Author Note
A/N (Author’s note):
Thank you for reading.
Translator Note
T/N (Translator’s note):
Wow, definitely won’t start a fire, so now let’s ruin her further!
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