episode_0116

116. Evaluation.

Yohan arrived in front of a certain door, following the guidance of Black Wolf.

Black Wolf flung the door open and said in a monotonous voice.

“Excuse me.”

“What, what suddenly!”

Someone inside shouted in embarrassment. Regardless, Black Wolf led Yohan with a silent attitude.

Yohan looked around the not-so-large room. A small round table, and two men and one woman sitting in four chairs.

Yohan’s eyes gleamed. Two players and one person from the Central Plains, huh.

Yohan bowed lightly and said.

“Nice to meet you. I am the person who won the Black Wolf Arena.”

When he greeted them first, the others stood up from their seats with faces as if they had just realized it.

Among them, a middle-aged man with a serious face opened his mouth.

“Ah, nice to meet you. You’ve finally arrived. We were just talking about who the last person would be, but you have a more scholar-like impression than I thought.”

“That’s right. I thought a muscular giant would come in.”

The second to speak was a beautiful middle-aged woman with a sophisticated atmosphere. She looked to be in her 50s, but the energy she exuded was extraordinary.

At least to Yohan, she seemed the strongest of them. Of course, that was just a feeling. It was very likely that it wasn’t true.

Now the remaining person was a young man who seemed to be of a similar age to Yohan. The young man smiled broadly when he met Yohan’s eyes.

It was a mischievous smile for some reason.

“Ah, you’re a player, right? You look about the same age as me, so let’s speak casually, okay? Sit comfortably. We’re going to be in the same boat anyway, so what.”

“Why are you deciding that?”

“Then old man, don’t sit down.”

“Hahaha.”

The middle-aged man and the young man exchanged banter in a familiar manner. He didn’t know if they were originally close, or if they had become close here.

The beautiful woman said.

“Yes. Let’s sit down for now. We can’t just stand here forever.”

“Yes.”

The four sat down at the same time. Suddenly, when he turned around, Black Wolf had disappeared without a trace.

Yohan felt a bit creeped out. When did he disappear?

The beautiful woman looked at such Yohan and said with a soft smile.

“I heard that the Black Wolf Arena had the most people and was the most difficult, so you must be quite skilled?”

“Haha, no. How much difference could there be? It’s all about the same.”

She covered her mouth and laughed. Her eyes narrowed as she examined Yohan.

“You’re humble. Is it because you came from another world?”

Yohan tapped his thigh with his finger.

“I’m not the only one who came from another world, am I? The lady and that gentleman over there must have come from another world too.”

Yohan rolled his eyes and looked at the middle-aged man. The middle-aged man, who met Yohan’s eyes, raised his eyebrows.

“Oh, how did you know? That I’m a player? We even have the same hair color.”

The beautiful woman was surprised as well. She thought she had acted quite well, but did Black Wolf tell him?

As if piercing through her question, Yohan said indifferently.

“There is a subtle difference between that young man and the two of you.”

“What is it?”

Yohan smiled.

The middle-aged man swallowed. He clearly looked like he didn’t want to answer. He didn’t bother to ask.

At that time, the young man who was smiling and looking at Yohan from the side opened his mouth.

“Amazing? The old man who came third didn’t seem to know at all, you have a good eye.”

“It’s nothing special.”

The method Yohan was able to distinguish was simple.

When they got up from their seats earlier, the movements of the middle-aged man and the beautiful woman felt a bit choppy.

But the young man’s movements were different. Like a salmon swimming upstream, he got up from his seat with fluid movements.

Yohan instinctively realized. Ah, that man is from the Central Plains. The rest are players.

“Hehe, yeah. It’s not important. Hey, did you hear anything from Black King?”

“Nothing in particular. Ah, I almost fainted though.”

The middle-aged man and the beautiful woman frowned at Yohan’s words.

Almost fainted?

The middle-aged man mumbled awkwardly.

“······Perhaps, you didn’t faint? You?”

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

“······.”

“······.”

The middle-aged man and the beautiful woman exchanged glances. And looked at Yohan again.

The beautiful woman swept the table with her slender fingers.

“Indeed, you’re not ordinary. What is your name?”

“Yohan. Shin Yohan.”

“Mr. Yohan. Among the people here, there are only two who didn’t faint from the Black King’s aura.”

She reached out and pointed to the young man, then pointed to Yohan this time.

Yohan tapped his chest.

“Yes? You mean only that person and I endured it?”

“······Yes. If what Mr. Yohan is saying is true.”

She was making a doubtful expression. Well, Yohan understood enough.

Even Yohan himself was still dazed. How he escaped from the Black King’s aura, it still felt like a dream.

The young man leaned forward with an interested face.

“Endured the Black King’s aura? Are you even from another world? I heard that old man even wet his pants.”

Then the middle-aged man shouted, distorting his face red.

“Hey! You there! How dare you spread such rumors!”

“Rumors my ass. It’s the truth.”

“······.”

The middle-aged man trembled with both fists. But he didn’t throw a punch in the end. Yohan’s eyes sparkled.

‘The two aren’t close.’

On the contrary. Yohan looked at the young man who was giggling and laughing.

‘Just how strong is he? That old man doesn’t look weak either.’

It’s just a guess, but it seems like the middle-aged man is scared. Of that young man.

Yohan asked the middle-aged man.

“By any chance, what place did you get in the previous trial?”

“Are you talking about the marathon?”

“Yes.”

The middle-aged man was silent for a moment before opening his mouth.

“I got 1st place. You must have gotten 1st place too?”

“That’s right. I also got 1st place.”

When Yohan looked at the beautiful woman, she answered immediately.

“I also got 1st place.”

As expected, everyone was no ordinary person.

‘It was said that there are 38 people from other worlds in Black King’s Castle.’

There are two people here who have the title of 1st place. Perhaps the other players are ranked a bit lower.

Yohan scratched his chin. His eyes were looking at the young man.

‘Even though he got 1st place, he’s scared······.’

He began to wonder about the young man’s identity. As if he had read Yohan’s mind, he gave a mischievous smile.

“Why, wanna fight?”

Yohan pretended to be thinking. In the meantime, the young man stuck his face out.

Yohan was startled and pulled his head back. He said.

“Don’t use your little tricks, let’s fight. You want to fight anyway, right?”

“······Huh.”

Yohan smiled slightly. He understood for sure. This man is an eccentric.

‘I couldn’t even see it.’

Clearly [Thought Acceleration] was being activated properly.

Yohan’s neck was cold. There are already three monsters he’s met today. Three.

“Alright. Do you want to do it right now?”

“Of course. There’s no reason to waste time.”

Creak-

Yohan and the young man stood up at the same time, followed by the two men and women.

Three people from other worlds and one person from the Central Plains moved towards the training ground.

***

The office where Yohan left. Only Black King was left alone, leaning back in the rocking chair.

Creak- Creak-

His head nodded according to the rocking of the chair.

He was admiring the ceiling with a huge tiger painted on it, but a shadow that appeared from somewhere hid the tiger’s traces.

Black King frowned.

“Hey, you bastard. Knock on the door and make a sound before you come in. You startled me.”

“Were you surprised?”

“No.”

“Then it’s fine.”

Black King chuckled. Then he slowly put weight on his legs and got up.

“That cult leader guy. He endured it?”

“Isn’t it the first time? Among the people from other worlds.”

“That’s right. I’ve tested many people from other worlds so far, but only that guy succeeded.”

Black King took out a small iron plate from his pocket.

Scratch- Scratch-

He carefully trimmed his long fingernails. Unusually, the fingernails were dark red.

“I heard he’s not even a swordsman? I heard he uses some kind of sorcery.”

“That’s right. In the language of the people from other worlds, he is called a ‘mage’.”

“Is it something like a shaman?”

“It’s very different.”

“I see.”

Black King lifted his index finger and tapped it on the desk. Dark red powder spread around and decorated the desk.

“I think he’s probably the strongest of the people from other worlds in Black King’s Castle, what do you think? You saw him fight too.”

“I saw him.”

“How was it?”

Black Wolf closed his mouth in a straight line. It was as if he was reflecting on the scene at that time.

Soon his mouth opened.

“It was terrible.”

“That guy?”

“Yes.”

Black King tilted his head. That guy isn’t one to lie, is he? The level of the guy who endured my killing intent is terrible?

While he was slightly embarrassed, Black Wolf continued.

“Swordsmanship and footwork. And even unarmed combat. Everything was lacking. The only thing worth looking at was the amount of inner energy.”

“Huh.”

“However─”

Before he knew it, Black Wolf’s expression had become quite solemn. He said in a heavy voice.

“The sorcery that the cult leader uses is quite threatening. Perhaps Black Shin, even that guy wouldn’t easily win against the cult leader.”

“······!”

Black King’s eyes widened. Black Shin. Although he was the lowest-ranking of the four top executives, that didn’t mean he was unskilled.

At the very least, you would have to bring the head of a prestigious family to be a match for Black Shin.

Black King put down the iron plate he was holding in his right hand.

“Are you serious?”