Chapter 89: The Power of Sponsorship

Episode 89

[The information I’m about to share is also available on the official Colosseum Survival website!

If you have any questions while listening, please visit the website for a more detailed explanation!]

As soon as the broadcast continued, Kim Jinsung took out his smartphone and accessed the Colosseum website. The site was lagging due to the sudden influx of users, but he managed to pull up the announcement quickly.

The announcement titled ‘Detailed Rules for Season 12 Preliminary Round 3’ provided a detailed explanation of the rules. The first line was about the ‘Sponsorship System’ mentioned in the announcement.

—

1. Sponsorship System.

Viewers can now sponsor the participants they want.

Participants can use the sponsored funds to purchase weapons, armor, consumables, and other items available in the waiting room, which they can then use during the preliminary rounds.

The amount of sponsorship will be revealed at the start of each round for each participant, and the list of the top 10 sponsors will be published.

If the sponsored funds are not used during that round, the remaining amount can be used in the next round.

Once sponsored, the funds cannot be refunded. Please note this.

—

As Kim Jinsung read the explanation, the caster’s voice continued.

[…And the items you can purchase with sponsored funds are all high-performance, capable of instantly turning the tide of a one-on-one match, and they come in a wide variety!

Don’t you want to see your favorite participant survive the preliminaries?

Your small sponsorship can determine the outcome of the match! We encourage your participation!]

Kim Jinsung thought to himself as he listened to the announcement.

‘This makes it too advantageous for popular players.’

He, Kim Jinsung, seemed to be at a significant advantage. This sponsorship system was clearly beneficial for those with a large fan base.

‘It’s a system that makes the rich richer… Is this right?’

While this system was beneficial for him, it was also incredibly disadvantageous for unpopular players. If Kim Jinsung was an unpopular player, he would have been furious to see this system.

Indeed, the participants sitting around him were expressing similar complaints.

“What? This means that if you get enough sponsorship, you can win even if you’re weak, right?”

“What about unpopular players like me? We’re just supposed to die?”

“This isn’t right! Baek Jun must have gone crazy for money…”

Regardless of their complaints, the announcement continued.

[You can sponsor participants through the Sponsorship System, which is available on the official website! Start sponsoring now!]

—

After the detailed explanation of the rules for the third preliminary round, the opening performance began.

The audience, who had been murmuring about the unfamiliar sponsorship system, soon began to cheer.

“Woooaaaah!!”

“Kyaaah!! Oppaaa!!”

They were captivated by the dazzling performance of South Korea’s top idols. The grand opening performance, as spectacular as the opening ceremony of the World Cup or Olympics, was scheduled to continue until 3 PM, when the main event would begin.

But Kim Jinsung wasn’t interested in the opening performance. He was still reading the detailed rules on the website.

—

2. The time limit for each match in the third preliminary round is 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, the winner, loser, and draw will be determined based on the judges’ decision.

A draw means both players survive that round.

3. Participants who passed as Thieves will automatically advance to the second round with a bye. They can watch the first round matches from the VIP seats.

4. The pairings for the second and third rounds will be determined randomly by computer.

—

‘…There’s a draw this time.’

Kim Jinsung thought as he read rule number 2. It was a familiar rule for those who watched many fighting matches.

‘But a draw is practically impossible. It rarely happens in actual fighting matches.’

For a draw to occur, all the judges would have to agree on a draw, which was highly unlikely. That’s why, in actual fighting matches, a winner and a loser were usually determined.

‘This means I need to be aggressive from the start. That way, I’ll have a better chance of winning even if it goes to the judges.’

Kim Jinsung briefly recalled the judging scenes he had witnessed in the fight club. CEO Jo always favored the player who had fought more aggressively, even in close matches.

– That’s what makes money! I don’t need players who only defend! They’re unpopular, so they don’t even attract bets!

The image of CEO Jo, shouting at Kim Jinsung in a drunken voice, was still vivid in his mind.

Then, a thunderous applause suddenly echoed, snapping Kim Jinsung out of his thoughts. He looked around the arena.

‘…The opening must be over.’

Kim Jinsung checked the time. It was 2:50 PM. The main event would start in 10 minutes.

[Everyone, please give them a warm welcome!]

A voice, more formal and solemn than usual, echoed through the speakers.

[Muhammad bin Nasir Al Saud, the King of Saudi Arabia, is entering!]

The people in the VIP seats on the right stood up, and Kim Jinsung turned his head.

A middle-aged man, who looked like a typical Middle Eastern tycoon, entered, waving at the audience with a bright smile. It must be Bin Nasir.

“Bin Nasir? The richest man in the world?”

“He invested a huge amount of money in the Colosseum! The amount…”

“…Whoa! Is that a real unit?”

“I’m jealous… He can eat whatever chicken he wants without worrying about money.”

“Give me 50,000 won so I can order pizza…”

The audience murmured, looking at Bin Nasir as if he were a mythical creature.

As Bin Nasir sat down in the center with Baek Jun and others, the caster’s voice echoed through the speakers again.

[Welcome, everyone! We will now begin the first match of the highly anticipated third preliminary round of Colosseum Survival Season 12!]

“Woooaaaah!!”

Over 100,000 spectators cheered in unison.

* * *

At that moment.

Hong Hyeonjin, the vice-master of the Baekdu Clan, was on the phone, frowning.

“You said my father wanted to meet him personally?”

– Yes. He said he had to meet Bin Nasir himself to maintain face…

The voice of the secretary came from the smartphone.

“So, what happened? Did he escape the hospital again?”

– Fortunately, we managed to persuade him this time. He’s back in bed now.

“Whew… Good job.”

Hong Hyeonjin sighed in relief but was still annoyed.

‘He’s really being a pain. He’s making it so obvious that he doesn’t trust me. That’s why the staff doesn’t recognize me as the master…’

If Hong Seong-heun had given up on the master position long ago, Hong Hyeonjin would have already taken over the Baekdu Clan. But it seemed like he was still afraid of her becoming the master. Whenever there was an important event, he would insist on being there.

But he was too old to do that now. He was so frail that he couldn’t even stand up without help.

“Alright, I understand. I’ll meet Bin Nasir for dinner and then visit my father. Contact me immediately if anything happens before then.”

– Yes, Master.

“Don’t call me Master yet. Maybe after you get my father’s approval.”

– …

There was no response from the other side of the phone, as if Hong Hyeonjin’s reply had made them feel sad.

“I’m hanging up.”

Just as Hong Hyeonjin ended the call,

[Let me introduce the two players who will be competing in the first match of the third preliminary round!]

The announcement echoed through the arena, making Hong Hyeonjin turn her gaze towards the arena.

As her eyes shifted to the two players standing in the center, the caster’s voice continued.

[Blue Corner, Kim Hyun-su! The total sponsorship amount received so far is 873 million won!]

“800 million?!”

“800 million in two hours?”

“That’s amazing…!”

The audience murmured in surprise, but the announcement continued.

[The highest sponsor is ‘Jo Se-jin,’ who has sponsored 400 million won.

Kim Hyun-su has used 870 million won of that amount to purchase items for this first round.]

Hong Hyeonjin looked at the participant named Kim Hyun-su. He was fully armored from head to toe, suggesting he had invested most of the money in protection.

[Next, Red Corner, Lee Ji-seong! The total sponsorship amount received so far is…]

The caster paused for a moment before announcing the amount.

[30,125 billion won!]

“What?!”

“30 billion?!”

“Did I hear that right?”

The audience exclaimed in even greater surprise. How could they raise over 30 billion in just two hours?

[The highest sponsor is ‘Hwang Himchan,’ who has sponsored 30 billion won.

Lee Ji-seong has used 30 billion won of that amount for this first round…]

‘…Wait a minute. Hwang Himchan?’

Hong Hyeonjin turned her head. She saw a balding middle-aged man sitting in the VIP seats, waving at Lee Ji-seong with a smile.

Hong Hyeonjin immediately understood the situation.

‘It must have been Hwang Himchan, the master of the Infinity Clan.’

The Infinity Clan had recently risen to become a mid-sized clan. The head of the clan was this middle-aged man, Hwang Himchan.

He could easily spare 30 billion. Even a mid-sized clan could earn a massive amount of revenue from a single dungeon raid.

‘He wouldn’t have done it for nothing. They must have discussed recruitment at the party.’

There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Even for someone like Hwang Himchan, who wouldn’t bat an eye at 30 billion.

If Lee Ji-seong survived until the end of this season, he would likely join the Infinity Clan.

‘What did he buy with 30 billion?’

Hong Hyeonjin looked down at Lee Ji-seong in the arena, puzzled. He was wearing much simpler armor than his opponent, Kim Hyun-su, despite spending a significantly larger amount.

‘…What?’

Hong Hyeonjin’s gaze stopped at the sword Lee Ji-seong was holding.

Then, she noticed it.

The Taegeuk symbol engraved on the hilt of the sword.

‘Could it be a sword made by the Daehan Clan?’

Just as Hong Hyeonjin wondered,

[The match will begin!]

The announcement echoed through the arena.

Simultaneously, Lee Ji-seong swung his sword towards Kim Hyun-su.

**Boom!**

A deafening explosion shook the entire arena, erupting from where Kim Hyun-su had been standing.

“What?”

“No…!”

“What?!”

The audience, shocked, began to stand up one by one. They could see a long, deep trench from the front of Lee Ji-seong to where Kim Hyun-su had been standing. It was the result of the crescent-shaped mana that had flown from Lee Ji-seong’s sword.

“No way!”

“That’s possible even if its not Kim Jinsung?!”

“Even Shin Woong couldn’t do that!”

“No, Shin Woong could…”

Everyone exclaimed in disbelief.

Hong Hyeonjin also stared at Lee Ji-seong with wide eyes, unable to look away.

‘I was right. That’s the latest mana amplification sword made by the Daehan Clan!’

At the same time, she understood why Lee Ji-seong had used 30 billion at once. That was the price for the latest mana amplification sword.

‘He could buy that sword? That sword alone can boost the user’s level by several stages!’

She couldn’t comprehend it. If they could buy such weapons with sponsorship funds, then the difference in sponsorship would essentially determine the outcome of the matches.

‘I thought President Baek Jun hated outside influence on the matches…’

This was beyond influence; it could decide the survival of the participants.

‘What is he thinking, President Baek Jun? Is this his way of promoting the rising stars?’

Hong Hyeonjin turned her head towards Baek Jun, who was sitting in the distance. He was whispering to Jang Seungwook, his expression unreadable.

—