Cale could hear Toonka shout with an excited expression on his face.
"Get it ready right away!"
Suddenly, an arena for the battle began to form in the center. There was nothing special about it. The citizens who went crazy for battle moved some of the tents near the training ground to create a larger area for the battle.
Cale turned his gaze after hearing Raon’s voice. Billos was staring at Cale from a distance. Cale casually made a shooing motion toward Billos.
The chiefs were next to Billos, but now was not the time to worry about it. Cale turned his gaze to the front as a shadow appeared in front of him.
"I will guide you to the front."
It was the large woman, Pelia, Toonka's left arm and a master of the spear. She pointed toward the front of the audience section of the arena. His expression immediately stiffened.
"There is no need to do that."
Cale did not want to be at the closest place to the arena at all. He would the first to die if Toonka is sent flying or Choi Han accidentally launches his aura toward the wrong spot.
"We have to give you the best spot."
As Pelia said that and looked forward, Cale could see the soldiers create a path to the center of the arena. It was a miracle for such wild people to be so coordinated.
Pelia really deserved her position as Vice General.
Cale sighed and followed the path to the front of the arena. He had already hidden his Dominating Aura, but Pelia and the soldiers could not take their eyes off of Cale.
His slow pace made it seem like he was on a casual stroll, while the young man and woman walking behind him looked dangerous.
But Cale was just walking slowly because he did not want to go. He couldn’t do anything about Raon's nagging. Rosalyn and Lock did not look good following behind Cale as well.
"Young master Cale."
"What is it?"
Rosalyn cautiously looked toward the arena where Choi Han and Toonka would fight against each other.
"What if this makes them hate us?"
‘Hate?’
Cale's eyes were full of confusion.
Lock then approached Cale and started to whisper.
"As Noona mentioned, wouldn’t it be bad if Choi Han hyung ends up winning? What if they get angry? Don’t you think Toonka would be angry and decide not to trade with us? "
Neither Rosalyn nor Lock had any doubts about Choi Han winning. This was the same for Cale. However, Cale was thinking a little differently than the two of them.
Cale slowly sat down on the chairs that were provided for the high ranking officials. He then pointed to the seats on either side of him for the two people still standing.
"Are you going to stand the whole time?"
Rosalyn and Lock sat in the chairs with concern still on their faces. Then Cale’s voice reached their ears.
"There is no need to worry."
Toonka was not that strong. Of course, he was strong compared to the average person, but he was outrageously weak compared to Whales and Dragons.
However, Toonka would never have come to this position if he had suffered after meeting a stronger being and vowed revenge on all of them.
He was not the only one who was like that.
"Just look around."
Rosalyn turned her gaze as Cale pointed to the open space. It was at that moment.
"Woo! Woo! Woo!"
Voices echoed in the wide open space. The shouts of the soldiers around the arena rang in Rosalyn’s ears. There was more.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sound of the citizens stomping their feet filled the area. Lock, who had been watching, could feel the vibrations underneath his feet. Once the citizens started to stomp, the soldiers and knights all started to stomp as well.
"Woo! Woo! Woo!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
And that noise gradually grew louder. It seemed like the earth itself was shouting.
"Young master! What, what is going on?"
The timid Lock looked at Cale with a pale expression. He could see Cale smiling.
He answered for both Lock and Rosalyn.
"Winning or losing does not matter to them."
At that time, Pelia came near Cale to sit behind him. She also heard what Cale had to say.
"The Warriors’ Ritual."
She stopped sitting down and looked at Cale, who continued to look forward without noticing Pelia’s reaction. The two warriors slowly made their way into the arena.
Choi Han and Toonka. Cale continued to speak while looking at the two of them.
"To fight."
For Toonka's people, victory or defeat was not important. Fighting was the only thing that mattered. In particular, if the opponent was not an enemy, the fighting between warriors was rather sacred.
"Only that is important."
Cale finished speaking and leaned over the back of the chair as much as possible. He was afraid of getting hurt after seeing Toonka and Choi Han entering the arena.
At that time, he heard Raon's voice.
It was a voice filled with pity. Cale did not like the tone of Raon’s voice, so he continued to lean back before turning around.
"What is it?"
"It is nothing."
Cale saw that Pelia was sitting down and turned his gaze forward. He then also sat up straight. He didn’t want Pelia, who was loyal to Toonka, to get angry for his casual demeanor.
Cale ignored Raon’s ramblings as he observed Hota, one of Toonka’s other subordinates, stepping forward as referee.
‘Not that they really need one.’
Until your opponent faints or gives up. That was the rule of these people. Fainting in such a battle was embarrassing for these people.
"Young master, I don’t need to worry?"
"Yes, you can just relax Miss Rosalyn."
Cale responded to Rosalyn's question and watched Hota start to shout in order to get people’s attention. He then blew a small flute.
Beeeeeeeep-!
The battle had begun.
It would be nice if they ran toward each other right away, but Choi Han and Toonka both continued to stare at each other without moving. Cale watched this without thinking much about it.
At that moment, he could hear Toonka’s voice. The arena was large, but since they were in the front, it was not difficult to hear their voices. It also helped that Toonka had a very loud voice.
"Why do you care about what the weakling thinks?"
‘The weakling?’
Cale felt like it was referring to him.
‘Choi Han is wary of me? Why?’
Cale had a question, but could not think of it any longer. It was because Rosalyn and Lock kept peeking his way. Toonka definitely was referring to him when he said weakling.
Choi Han's voice could be heard at that time.
"…What did you just say?"
His voice was very low. Cale could see the mocking smile on Toonka’s face.
“I said why do you care what the weakling thinks! The weaklings are the first to die in any battlefield! I’m sure you know that!”
Rosalyn and Lock started to frown. At that moment, the two of them heard something in their ears.
"Sigh."
Cale’s sigh made Lock shut up. Lock’s claws were becoming sharper and slowly getting longer. Rosalyn brushed her face with her fingers. However, the two of them soon stopped moving.
“Poor bastard.”
…Poor bastard? The two of them both had confusion on their faces as they looked toward Cale. Cale had a blank expression as if he had never sighed in the first place as he looked toward the arena.
The Choi Han that Cale knew had been transported to the hell known as the Forest of Darkness when he was just a sophomore in high school. He was the weakest existence in that forest for the longest time. Cale felt bad for Toonka, who was telling such a person that the weakest would be the first to die.
"Young master Cale, who are you calling a poor-"
"…Just take a look for yourself."
Cale pointed to the arena instead of answering Rosalyn.
At that moment, Choi Han took the sword strap off of his waist. The sword flew out of the corner of the arena once Choi Han threw it in the air.
Plop.
Cale could hear the sound of the sword falling to the ground, but he just nodded his head as he started to mumble.
“It’s definitely better to beat someone up with your bare hands.”
Lock and Rosalyn both flinched and watched as Cale’s words became reality.
Wham!
“Ugh!”
Rosalyn could now tell who Cale was calling a poor bastard.
Pow! Pow!
Boom!
Boooom!
The arena was silent.
Nobody could talk. However, Raon’s voice was going off in Cale’s head.
Raon was correct. Choi Han was beating Toonka up without holding anything back.
“Ugh, you bastard!”
Toonka moved very quickly for someone his size as he rushed toward Choi Han and threw a punch.
Pang.
It made a cute noise as Choi Han blocked it with his palm. Choi Han then closed his fist around Toonka’s hand as he darted toward Toonka. All of this happened in an instant.
Cale could not see past that point. However, he could hear it.
Booom!
Toonka’s body was flung to the ground. The arena was filled with dust from the impact.
“Ugh!”
Toonka was having a difficult time breathing. However, Cale could see that Toonka was still smiling.
“Great! This strength! A battle of st- ugh!”
“You talk too much.”
However, Choi Han did not allow Toonka to keep smiling.
Cale could see Toonka raise his arms in an attempt to block Choi Han’s attack, but Choi Han’s kick still flung Toonka into the air.
“Ugh! Hahaha!”
Toonka was laughing even as he was sent flying. He then twisted his body and tried to attack again. However, the results were the same. He ended up getting beaten again and again.
All Cale could see was Toonka’s bloodied clothes, his face that was slowly getting swollen to the point that they couldn’t even tell it was Toonka, and the dust that was consistently being kicked up into the air.
“Hehe…hehe, I will not fall!”
Toonka got up while staggering to the side. At that moment, Cale could hear Raon’s serious voice.
Cale looked up toward the sky. However, he could still hear what sounded like a punching bag being beaten up.
There was no way that Choi Han, someone who could fight against the Whales, would not be able to beat Toonka up easily. Only Choi Han had the strength to fight against both Raon and the Whale King, Shickler. He really deserved his title of the main character.
Pow! Pow!
Cale continued to look up at the sky with curiosity.
When will Choi Han finish beating Toonka up?
Wasn’t it about time for Toonka to run out of strength?
However, Toonka was just too strong.
“Young master Cale, shouldn’t we stop Choi Han?”
Cale gave a short response to Rosalyn’s cautious question.
“We cannot get involved in the Warriors’ Ritual. It can only end with the will of one of the warriors. All we can do is watch this sacred ritual from the side.”
Cale did not know that all of the high ranking warriors were looking at him as he said that. He just looked back down after hearing another punching noise followed by a bang.
“Hehehe, you are a really strong bastard. Spit!”
Toonka spit out some blood and continued to laugh. Choi Han looked toward him with disgust. It looked like Choi Han had realized how crazy Toonka was.
He would continue to smile no matter how much he was beaten up. He will stand back up even after being beaten to a pulp repeatedly. He would never give up. He seemed like a character out of a children’s cartoon.
‘That is why he is such a crazy bastard.’
Cale could see Toonka’s morale starting to go down. He could not even tell whether Toonka even had his eyes open anymore.
Toonka looked terrible as he let out a shout and rushed forward once more.
“Ahhhhhhhhhh!”
Toonka then started to fly away.
“…Looks like he is blasting off.”
Toonka was flung high into the sky. Choi Han’s half transparent black aura had sent Toonka soaring into the air.
“Huh, huh?”
“D, dodge!”
“Everybody move!”
The soldiers rushed backward in order to dodge Toonka’s body as Toonka came flying their way.
Booom!
A large ditch was formed as if a meteor had struck down and caused an explosion. Toonka had fainted inside this ditch. Fainting was what Toonka found to be the most embarrassing.
Choi Han walked over to Cale like he didn’t even need to check on Toonka. Cale quickly got up, as if this was the moment he had been waiting for the entire battle.
Rosalyn and Lock, who also got up at that moment, started to flinch. This was the same for Toonka’s subordinates who were heading toward Toonka.
That feeling they had gotten earlier. That gentle yet anxiety provoking feeling. Cale reached his hand out to Choi Han who had approached him.
“Good job.”
“Yes, Cale-nim.”
Choi Han grabbed Cale’s hand and started to smile. Cale surrounded his body with the dominating aura before looking around. The gaze that Toonka’s companions gave Choi Han and himself was worlds apart from the original gaze that Toonka’s group had given them when they had arrived.
Cale had a smile on his face.
Now it was set up properly. It was set up exactly as Cale had wanted.
Tap. Tap.
Toonka woke up from someone tapping on his cheeks. Pelia was waking him up. However, Toonka was looking at Cale who was behind her.
Cale looked down at the collapsed Toonka as he started to speak.
“Take me to the Magic Tower.”
Teaser
Imagine it is a guy throwing the punch
1. Our PR’s masochistic friend. (PR: I’m innocent I swear.)