Chapter 287. City of the Abandoned (7)

Round Three had begun with a new face stepping into the Arena. From the stands, jeers and mocking laughter erupted one after another, all directed at the clueless-looking slave.

“Look at her, darting her eyes around like that! She doesn’t even understand what’s going on!”

“Ah, damn it! That beam almost got her just now!”

Each time the rookie narrowly dodged the monster’s beam, fists clenched in frustration. Most of them had placed their bets on the Eye of Destruction.

“Everyone, calm down! Wouldn’t it be boring if it ended too quickly?”

Not a single person in the audience pitied the girl.

“Persistent, isn’t she?”

“Who knows? She’s got a decent face, which might land herself a sponsor and survive.”

In other words, they were wondering if some fool would pay to spare the life of a defeated slave.

“A sponsorship from her very first match? She’d better put on a better show for that.”

“Exactly. Slaves these days have no grit. It’s no fun.”

Sponsorship was the only way for a losing slave to stay alive. Because of that, many slaves spent entire matches scrambling and fleeing like acrobats. For certain spectators with peculiar tastes, that desperate struggle was entertainment in itself.

However, betting was different. It was a high-risk gamble where one could lose everything depending on the outcome. Since everyone knew that, one man seated in the VIP section was drawing more than a few sideways glances.

“So what possessed you to bet on that rookie?”

The man at the center of attention let a bead of sweat roll down his temple. “Too much money to burn, I suppose.”

“Strange... He doesn’t seem like the type to enjoy risks.”

“He’s got some connection to her or something?”

It was a fair question. After all, he had wagered a staggering ten million points on a brand-new slave.

Among the roughly three hundred who had bet against the odds, his was by far the largest stake. The rest were little more than followers who had jumped in after hearing rumors of that massive bet.

The very man who started those rumors was, at this very moment, feeling deeply wronged.

This is supposed to be a guaranteed win!

Why would anyone in their right mind do something so insane? Unless, someone had forced a blade to their throat and demanded they place the bet.

It was supposed to be a fixed outcome. Even if the winnings weren’t huge, it was meant to be easy money.

“You think I’m crazy—ah, forget it. Just shut up and watch the match,” he muttered under his breath, a cold sensation pressed into his side.

“Shh. You’re talking too much,” Eun-Ho said quietly.

“Ahem!”

What choice did he have? Anyone who forced others to bet on their behalf was clearly trouble, probably already blacklisted.

It’s best to do as told.

He swallowed his curses.

Just then, a gunshot rang out across the Arena.

Bang!

“A gun? Was that one of the weapons?”

“It’s the first time I’ve seen it! Must be the slave’s own item.”

“Hah!”

Laughter rippled through the crowd in response.

“How na?ve.”

“Does she really think bullets can pierce the Eye of Destruction?”

A gun was certainly a powerful long-range weapon, but her opponent was the worst possible match.

The Eye of Destruction was a monster built purely for killing. Its defense was so formidable that ordinary steel couldn’t even scratch it.

The spectators knew that well, clicking their tongues in disbelief.

“You’d need layers of reinforced aura just to—”

Bang!Bang!

Three gunshots rang out and three eyeballs burst apart, shattering into fragments midair.

“Huh?”

“It pierced it?”

They blinked, rubbing their eyes in disbelief.

“The Eye got destroyed?!”

“No way. That’s impossible!”

The grotesque sphere had lost three of its largest eyes.

“Look at that accuracy!”

“It's j-just luck, that’s all!”

Was it really luck? No one could say for sure.

However, the once-relaxed spectators straightened in their seats, and a few impatient ones even rose to their feet.

“It’s fine! Look! It’s already regenerating!”

Bang—!

“Isn’t it getting destroyed again?”

The sheer force overwhelmed its regenerative ability. At that level, it wasn’t just attack power, but outright destruction.

“What kind of ammunition could possibly pierce the Eye of Destruction?!”

“What is the system doing? That’s not her ability. That’s the weapon’s firepower! It should be banned!”

Some were already raising their voices in protest, but most remained calm.

“There’s no need to panic. No matter what it’s made of, bullets run out eventually.”

“Exactly! With that many eyes left, there’s no way she avoids every beam!”

One hit was all it would take. The spectators had seen the dark violet disintegrationbeam slicing across her back like a blade. They knew its power, but could they have imagined that landing even a single hit would be this difficult?

The Eye of Destruction fired again.

Pazzzzzzt—!

A beam large enough to engulf the rookie shot forward in a straight line—then shifted left, right, forward, and back—tracking its target relentlessly.

“Huh? The slave’s movements have suddenly changed!”

“She’s moving like a feather! What kind of trick is this?!”

Ji-Eun kicked off the ground and launched herself into the air. She stretched her legs out, tilting sideways as if suspended mid-flight, then stopped.

From that frozen position, she fired.

Rat-tat-tat!

Without even confirming the hits, she flipped midair. The beam missed her by a hair.

While the Eye of Destruction ended up disintegrating its own shadow, Ji-Eun had already moved behind it.

Rat-tat-tat-tat!

Dark violet fluid burst out like a fountain.

“W-what kind of movement is that?!”

The monster had lost most of its eyes.

As the stunned spectators stared, they met her gaze.

“Hieek!”

Gone was the dazed, clueless expression, replaced by a cold, unwavering stare. Her eyes were as still and deep as the abyss itself, devoid of any warmth.

The crowd fell silent, overwhelmed.

"How come someone that strong got here?”

It was the unspoken thought shared by all. Even the man who had wagered a fortune on her found himself gripping his arm, goosebumps rising without understanding why.

Eun-Ho said behind him, “You can graduate now.”

It was a gentle voice, one that sounded as if this outcome had always been expected.

“W-who are you people?” the man asked cautiously, encouraged by the man’s softness.

However, that was a mistake.

“Collect the winnings first,” Eun-Ho replied.

The words came back sharp like a blade pressed against his side.

***

[The Eye of Destruction has been defeated!]

The match was over as soon as the countless eyes clinging to the monster like barnacles were destroyed. Not only was its armored shell shattered, its metallic-smelling organs were also obliterated. It was a flawless victory, leaving no room for doubt.

[Congratulations!]

[The level of the skill Prophetic Shooting has increased(Lv. 8 to Lv. 9).]

Thanks to that, her Prophetic Shooting had reached level nine.

The announcer’s trembling voice echoed from somewhere unseen. “H-how did this happen?! This is unbelievable, but it’s been defeated! It’s down, everyone!”

[Match over!]

The fight had ended.

[Subject #100000 has won their first match.]

[Life has been preserved.]

[Victory token has been acquired.]

Clink—

A single coin appeared before her, appearing less like gold and more like thin aluminum foil. Still, gold was gold. At its center, a crudely engraved sword stood proudly.

[Exchange your token at the exchange for survival goods.]

So this is a token, Ji-Eun thought.

It seemed to be the only currency slaves could possess within the Arena. However, she wasn’t done yet.

[With heightened senses, you evaded the All-Seeing Eye.]

[You persistently destroyed the unseen core of your enemy.]

[The level of the skill Detection has increased(Lv. 7 to Lv. 8).]

[Your strong will allows you to sense desired targets.]

[You can now pinpoint detected targets with greater precision.]

Without anyone to cover her back, she had fought alone, sharpening her senses to their limit.

[Your heightened perception responds to your inner self.]

A sensation she had never experienced before swept all over her.

[Detection(Lv. 8) is being maximized.]

It felt as though a fog she hadn’t even known existed had lifted. Her vision cleared, and she could even smell the faint sweetness of snacks held by distant spectators. She could also feel the coarse yet strangely soft grains of sand brushing against her skin in the wind.

The world around her felt stripped bare, rough and unrefined, yet vividly alive in a way she had never perceived before.

Within that,the eye embedded in her heart opened once more.

[Detection Target - Lee Eun-Ho]

Just like finding a path through a dense crowd, her senses drifted following a faint current, like tracing a stream back to its source.

He’s nearby. He was watching me all along.

Ji-Eun couldn’t help but smile. Close enough to feel his breath, she could imagine his faint smile and satisfied look. She then looked up with determination.

Then what remains is finding what I came here for and leaving.

Just as that thought crossed her mind, another current appeared.

[Detection Target - The Undying’s Stock Certificate]

It was a path she hadn’t expected, flowing like an entirely different river.

***

Overseer K was flustered. “T-this can’t be happening!”

The way Subject #100000 had moved while destroying the Eye of Destruction was beyond an ordinary employee. At the very least, it was combat unit level, more likely an elite.

Subject #99999 was no different.

“Gaaah!”

At first, Overseer K had assumed the slave was just writhing in pain. However, that wasn’t it.

“Kuahahaha! I’m fine now! Come at me, all of you!”

Even with blood pouring and flesh hanging loose, the man regenerated almost instantly. He had a grotesque healing ability. On top of that, he had a terrifying strength to grab and hurl any weapon within reach. What followed was a massacre.

“How are untrained nobodies slaughtering monsters like that?!”

Something was wrong.

“You said they were pencil-pushers who only ever sat at desks!”

“They didn’t even resist when we first found them! So I thought they were just scared!”

Scared? Those people who just tore apart monsters dozens of times their size without a hint of hesitation, dismantling the corpses and even collecting spoils?

“And those eyes are of monsters!”

A chill ran down his spine.

They were monsters in the truest sense. Literal living weapons, created by someone unknown, were standing before the overseers.

H, pale-faced, hurried off. “Let’s wait here for now. I’ll see if there’s anything we can get out of them.”

Left alone, K clutched his head, trying to come up with a way to secure favor with the chairman.

We need to destroy them!

To the new chairman, they were no different from enemy prisoners captured after a war. Now, slaves who had already fallen out of favor had landed in their hands.

This is an opportunity!

No matter how he thought about it, those two were the key. If they had been cast aside despite their strength, then they had to have thoroughly displeased the chairman.

There’s got to be a way... Ah!

Just as K’s expression brightened with a sudden idea, H had already returned, leaning in. “What’s going on here?”

“H? You’re back already?”

It felt like he had just left.

Perhaps there was nothing to get out of them.

Tilting his head, K watched as H asked, “More importantly, tell me. What exactly is the problem?”

K snapped. “What isn’t the problem?!”

What kind of question is that? Haven’t I already explained everything?

“At this rate, our plan for advancement is ruined!”

“Plan for advancement?”

“The plan to squeeze those slaves dry!”

H frowned but K didn’t notice.

Clenching his fist, K explained confidently, “There’s no need to worry. I’ve figured out what the new chairman is thinking.”

“What?”

Looks like fate hasn’t abandoned me after all.

K smiled, pleased with his own brilliance. The reason the chairman had discarded those two was simple. He probably intended to pit them against each other.

“You fight monsters with monsters.”

“What do you mean?”

“We make that short-haired girl fight the black-haired bastard. At least one of them will die, won’t they?” K had never felt more grateful for his own sharp instincts. “You should thank me. I just saved your life.”

After all, he wasn’t someone meant to rot away in this backwater. He was the kind of subordinate who could understand and execute the chairman’s will perfectly.

K’s imagination ran wild. “Heh, at this rate, I might even get a reward.”

H’s eyes sank coldly. “Ah.”

“Oh! Actually! Sending a severed head would be even better.”

From the dark corner, a silent shadow spread, and someone asked, “To who?”

“Who else is there? The new chairman, obviously!”

“So why send it to the chairman?”

“Ha! You still don’t get it? That’s how we get on his side—”

K suddenly realized that it was a different voice. It was a voice that didn’t belong in a place meant only for the discarded, especially in this most secluded space reserved for overseers.

Under suffocating pressure, K’s eyes darted wildly. “W-who are you?”

Over his trembling shoulder, a man emerged, his eyes gleaming like those of a beast. “I’m the chairman, you fucking bastard.”