Arena

Chapter 128 – Confrontation (Part 2)

The rest period was approaching its end.

As the exam neared, we returned to the Nordic exam group headquarters in Denmark.

When the exam starts, our bodies in real life would in a sleeping state, but there was the danger that we could be attacked during that time.

At the Nordic exam headquarters, we slowly began exam preparations, when the person in charge of the research center, Vilhelm, came and gave me something.

Two radio transmitter-receivers and 10 communicators.*

(TN: Walkie-talkies is my best guess on what communicators means.)

I looked at them and asked.

“Odin?”

Vilhelm must have understood what I meant by it because he nodded.

It means I should take them to the Arena and give them to Odin.

‘Eh, no problem.’

The wider the communications net, the more I benefit from it as well.

The better we are able to communicate, the faster and easier getting information from my friendly Nordic exam group’s examinees will be.

And when I need help, I could call for help too.

***

“Welcome! It is your long-anticipated exam time.”

The baby angel obnoxiously flew about and greeted us.

“Board summons.”

Sharp as a knife, Cha Ji-hye.

Without even trying to pay attention or listen to the baby angel, she immediately summoned her board and checked out the mission.

I should look too.

I summoned my board too and checked it out.

-Name: Kim Hyun-ho

-Class: 33

-Karma: +100

-Mission: block the pirate attack

-Time limit: unlimited

I glanced over at Cha Ji-hye.

“It looks like the pirates are going to attack again.”

Seeing Cha Ji-hye’s calm demeanor calmed me down too.

“Perhaps they are trying to recoup last times failure.”

The pirates were chased off by Odin, and the corrupt examinees that were amongst them were finished by me.

Should we assume that the movement of the pirates was influenced by the corrupt examinees from China?

They weren’t able to collect their majeong the last time so they’re trying to fix that. In addition.

“The Chinese are trying to get revenge on us.”

Said Cha Ji-hye.

I nodded my head.

“They’ll invade the harbor with the pirates and try to kill us.”

And there was a high chance that Lee Chang-wee will be among them.

Why?

Because of Odin.

If Odin stops their invasion this time too, the only one who could eliminate such a strong opponent would be Lee Chang-wee.

“They’re too much. The one who calls himself the consular will once again try to use his army to aid the pirates.

Without the defense of the army, how were they to stop the pirate invasion?

“Oh boy, this one sounds messy.”

Said the baby angel in a mocking tone.

“Are you teasing someone right now?”

“Yes.”

“Ku ak! You piece of crap!”

Tang tang – tang –

I summoned my double hand guns and fired shot after shot but the baby angel annoying dodged casually just flitting here and there.

Because of the shooting skill, I had a 100% accuracy within 10 meters, but I couldn’t hit the baby angel.

Maybe it’s because he’s an angel.

“Calm down, calm down. Don’t waste your bullets.”

“You bastard! We’re only now on the 8th exam! And this is the mission you give us?”

There could be some corrupt examinees from the Chinese examinee group amongst the pirates.

Taking such things into account, this mission level was too hard for us.

“What do you mean. Have you had an impossible mission given to you before?”

“……”

No. Since we cleared them all so far.

“How is it that examinee Kim Hyun-ho keeps getting all these opportunities to quickly get stronger? Don’t you think it’s because there’s something that will be asked of you?”

“…… I suppose.”

“The difficulty is just right. It hasn’t been wrong once.”

Having finished talking, the baby angel waved his hand as if to shoo away a fly.

“Now now, stop whining and be on your way.”

Shook! (swish)

The exam door suddenly appeared.

I guess the exam should be alright, but there’s definitely something irksome about how that baby angel talks! He’s ruining the examinee’s condition before even entering the mission!

Cha Ji-hye opened the door first and went through, I stared down the baby angel and then followed suit.

With his smug face, he waved at me.

***

“You have come.”

Odin was waiting for us.

“Odin, what is your mission?”

“As expected. I have to return home and spread the word about the black magic organization.”

‘I had expected that but still….,.’

I had a bad feeling about this.

If Odin left, the work of stopping the pirates’ invasion would become that much harder.

“What about you two?”

“We have to stop the pirate invasion.”

“Just you two?”

“I know.”

“Hm, that complicates things. Since the deport harbor’s consular looks like he’s mixed in with the pirates.”

Consular Adsel, was it?

That vulgar bald man, he will time it so that he leads the soldiers away somewhere when the pirates invade.

Then, in a defenseless situation, how are Cha Ji-hye and I supposed to protect the harbor?

And then.

“Hyun-ho-!”

A familiar voice came from atop the hill.

Pat!

“Kuk!”

Marie jumped out from the bushes and into my arms. In no time she was hanging onto my neck like a koala.

“Marie, what’s your mission?”

Asked Odin.

With a peeved face, Marie said.

“Guard Odin.”

“Guard? Me?”

Marie nodded her head.

I could see why that would be her mission.

“Odin, when you try to spread the word, that organization will try to get rid of you. I think it’s Marie job to stop that then.”

Odin nodded at my words.

“I think so too. Anyway, this exam too won’t be as easy as we hoped.”

“What about you Hyun-ho?”

Asked Marie. I told her our mission.

Marie looked upset that we have to part ways.

Having come back into the Deport harbor, we spent a day in the inn we had previously stayed in.

The next day, Odin and Marie left for their exam.

“I wish I could stay a while and help, but my mission has a time limit.”

“Yes, go on and hurry then. We’ll do our best over on this end.”

I gave Odin the synthetic muscle suit, two transceiver-receivers, and 10 walkie talkies that I had stored.

“Be strong.”

“Yes, you too, Odin.”

“Hyun-ho see you later!”

Marie waved her hand at me, on the verge of tears.

I gave her a big smile and pat her on the head.

At least she is able to differentiate between what is important and what isn’t and she didn’t’ resist on leaving. Who knows, maybe her mind is starting to recover.

“Now, let’s figure out a way to block the pirates.”

“Okay.”

We discussed while we had our meal.

“Basically, it is impossible for just the two of us to fight a pirate mob. The power difference is clear there.”

“You’re right. I don’t think they gave us this exam just to have us haphazardly fight them all.”

I remembered when I fought on the Brown Mountain with the elves.

The ones that fought the undead horde was the elves.

I just helped the elves get stronger and gave them strategies and ideas to help them fight.

I think this mission will be the same.

“Shall we take a more radical approach this time?”

I was curious at what Cha Ji-hye just said.

“What are you thinking?”

“The army won’t just leave if the consular is dead.”

“Ah……!”

It was indeed a radical approach.

But an absolutely doable strategy.

If I got rid of the consular Adsel, then without the consular orders, the army won’t just move elsewhere.

“The attack has to happen on the day the army is scheduled to leave the harbor.”

Cha Ji-hye’s explanation continued. The day Adsel tries to leave the harbor with the army will be the same day the pirates will attack.

At that time I’ll kill consular Adsel and the army would lose its reason to leave the harbor.

When everyone knows their commander was murdered, how could the army think of leaving?

Then there will be no choice but for the army and pirates to fight.

“If consul Adsel is murdered first, the army will need to make up another excuse to leave or the pirates will find out and push back the attack date.”

Not only consul Adsel, there was a high chance that there are pirate spies in the army.

“That is true. For now, let’s plan on doing it this way.”

Now the big problem was how we’ll repel the pirates.

We can’t really rely on the army here.

An army that can’t even properly protect the harbor, I don’t think they’ll be able to handle the pirates.

On top of that there would be corrupt examines mixed in with the pirates.

“Wouldn’t it be better to fight them on the water instead of on land?”

I asked.

If we fight on water, there was less chance of close quarter combat than on land.

If everyone fought far apart, there would be more chances for me to use my sniper rifle.

“That makes sense. But for a battle at sea, the army here has to board military ships and go out to the pirates.”

Hm.

This crappy army is yet again the problem.

We put our heads to work and fell deep in thought. How can we send the army out to sea and make them fight the pirates?

Then Cha Ji-hye opened her mouth.

“I don’t think all the soldiers are rotten.”

“I don’t think so either. There must be some with their head on straight……”

“What if that someone became the ultimate leader of the Deport harbor?”

I got what Cha Ji-hye was saying.

“And kill everyone above him.”

“Yes, with your skills, I don’t think it’ll be that hard.”

I thought it over for a moment.

Amongst the superior officers in this army, there must be a general with responsibility, a proper soldier who wants to protect the people from the pirates.

Find that person, kill everyone above him, make him the one in charge……

Then at the very least, it’ll simplify going up against the pirates.

If he took the battle out at sea, even if Lee Chang-wee was the opponent, I still felt confident.

Even if he could fly and crawl, how will he dodge a sniper’s bullet?

I nodded as I said.

“Let’s do that.”

“First let’s gather some information.”

We finished our meal and called the inn owner over.

“How was your meal?”

The owner of an inn that served royalty. He had nice clothes and a gentle speech.

“It was fine. I have something to ask you though.”

I cringed but I spoke with a noble dialect.

“Of course, ask me anything.”

“There was that pirate attack recently.”

“There was.”

The inn owner’s face turned gloomy.

“What was this here army doing?”

“Useless. They went to suppress monsters or whatnot, they were probably just trying to escape far away.”

Said the inn owner sarcastically.

As expected, the people thought poorly of the consul and his army.

“How could they, so it’s safe to say they are in bed with the pirates then.”

The inn owner looked around then secretively said in a quiet voice.

“That is an open secret here. Nobles in bed with pirates, it’s not just a few in this country and that’s no secret.”

He knows I came with Odin from a foreign country, so the owner told me honestly and without hesitation.

“That is ludicrous. Then is there not a single proper soldier in this army?”

I asked.

The inn owner replied.

“Why wouldn’t there be? Some rotten fruit doesn’t doom the whole tree.”

“There is someone then?”

I asked.

“There is someone who has the respect of all. He stayed behind during the last attack and he’s the one who ordered the evacuation.”