Episode 37: The Demonic Humans (1)
Since I had beaten up the Hero rather harshly, I expected boos rather than cheers.
After all, he was famous and popular.
—Waaaah!!
However, contrary to my expectations, the crowd cheered.
Perhaps it was because an unranked nobody had taken down the second-ranked fighter.
It might not have been the match they were expecting, but it must have been interesting in its own right.
Seeing Yohan being carried out on a stretcher instead of walking off on his own made my sharp emotions gradually settle.
‘What was that…?’
I furrowed my brows and slightly opened my hand.
The sensation I had been gripping so tightly until just now was fading.
Something felt off.
As if it was my own emotion, yet something foreign had seeped in.
Like a whisper in my ear, urging me on…
I turned my head to leave the arena.
And that’s when it happened.
Instinctively, I looked up.
To protect the audience from attacks originating in the arena, there was supposed to be a powerful barrier surrounding the entire battlefield.
But one section of that barrier… was broken.
A murderous intent slithered down my neck.
Without hesitation, I stepped back three paces.
—BOOM!
At that exact moment.
Something massive crashed down where I had just been standing.
The ground trembled. Debris flew in all directions, and a shockwave spread outward.
Had I been even a step slower, I would’ve been crushed.
A white figure.
It was a man.
He had driven a massive mace deep into the ground, gripping its handle tightly as he stared at me.
A weapon specially modified for combat—an exclusive armament of the Church’s Paladin Order.
Without a word, he raised his mace once more.
It was clear from its weight that it was anything but light.
I immediately recognized who he was.
The one who always stood by the Hero, protecting him and fighting alongside him.
‘Crusader.’
Not one of those pretend crusaders that Yohan played around with in Gaon,
But a real crusader—the kind that exterminated Demonic Humans on the frontlines.
A group that existed for the Hero, because of the Hero.
Their loyalty was absolute, and nothing could stop them.
The only things they followed were God and the Hero.
Laws, morals, and public perception meant nothing to them.
At last, I slowly opened my mouth.
“… Quite the unique way to make an entrance.”
The man silently stared at me.
After briefly glancing at the unconscious Yohan being carried away,
He slowly bowed his head in that direction.
Then, turning his gaze back to me, he finally spoke.
“I’ll do the same to you.”
His voice was low and heavy.
At that moment, his massive frame vanished.
Instantly, the same murderous intent from earlier pierced through my entire body.
I quickly reached for my spear at my waist—
But it wasn’t there.
That left me with only one option.
Lowering my stance, I curled my body into a defensive guard.
—BOOM!
The moment the mace crashed down, a tremendous impact spread out.
But… something was strange.
I was completely fine.
The mace hadn’t hit me.
“…?”
In front of me stood a man.
A man with no armor, no weapons.
He had simply raised a hand—
And stopped the incoming mace with his bare hand.
—Waaaahhh!!
The crowd erupted in cheers.
The crusader's expression wavered.
He quickly retrieved his weapon and took several steps back.
Meanwhile, the man who had blocked the attack casually dusted off his arm.
Then, he spoke.
“You should treat a duel as just a duel. Don’t you think?”
His voice was playful and relaxed.
The crusader muttered a name.
“… Park Gwang-chul?”
Park Gwang-chul smirked.
“It’d be embarrassing if you butted in, don’t you think?”
The crusader frowned at his words.
Considering the sheer size of a Crusader’s armor and physique,
The difference in size between them was more than twice as much.
And yet, Park Gwang-chul’s presence was slowly dominating the arena.
“This isn’t a matter for a Vanquisher to interfere in. If you continue, the Church will see this as a declaration of war—”
“What do you mean, ‘isn’t a matter for me’?”
Park Gwang-chul chuckled and took a step back.
Then, he casually placed a hand on my shoulder.
“We’re taking him with us.”
At his words, the crusader's expression twisted.
“Vanquisher…?”
Park Gwang-chul chuckled once more.
“A declaration of war….”
He lightly pushed my shoulder aside and took a step toward the crusader.
“Are you really going to do it?”
His voice was low and languid, but the weight behind his words was undeniable.
“…”
The stadium fell so silent that I could hear the sound of someone swallowing. At that moment, the Crusader's fingertips trembled slightly.
Park Gwang-chul smiled and patted his shoulder.
“Just kidding.”
Then, he turned back to me.
“Let’s go.”
I looked at Park Gwang-chul.
“Go where?”
A playful grin spread across his face.
“To eat.”
***
Vanquisher openly confronted the Order and took me with them.
This wasn’t just an act of hostility against the Order—it was practically a public declaration of my protection.
Thanks to that, we were nearly trapped by the flashing cameras and relentless questions from reporters as we left.
“Move aside!!”
Of course, Park Gwang-chul cleared the way ahead.
“…Is this really okay?”
I asked, taking a spoonful of soup.
-Slurp-
Holding the earthenware bowl with both hands, Park Gwang-chul loudly slurped the hot broth.
Setting the bowl down, he stuck his spoon into the rice and said,
“At first, I was just going to watch.”
Then, as if remembering something, he smirked.
“But you… you’re way too popular, aren’t you?”
“When I told the old man, he said to bring you in immediately.”
I set my spoon down and nodded.
So it wasn’t just his own decision.
If the old man ordered it, then… well.
Park Gwang-chul spoke casually.
“By the way, Haein, what the hell have you been up to?”
I hesitated for a moment.
“The League, Arcadia… and even the Yu family?”
After briefly thinking, I answered vaguely.
“Just… doing what I had to do.”
Park Gwang-chul chuckled.
“So, who’s your opponent tomorrow? There was only one match today, right?”
On the first day, only one round of matches was held. Tomorrow would have the second and third rounds.
That was also when the real attack would begin, as it was the day with the largest audience.
I hadn’t even checked who I’d be up against tomorrow.
I planned to forfeit anyway.
“Uh… not sure.”
I turned on my watch to check. Since my previous one had been destroyed, I had quickly bought a replacement before coming to the restaurant.
But something else caught my eye first.
The first round had just ended, and it looked like student bidding had begun.
[Current Bidding Status]
[Crimson Guild] → [Park Soo-hyung] 10,000,000 KRW bid.
[Dominant Guild] → [Wilson] 14,000 USD bid.
Guilds from all over the world were placing their bids.
Then, I saw it.
[Arcadia Order] → [Yohan] 500,000,000 KRW bid.
“Whoa, 500 million?”
Park Gwang-chul looked at the watch screen and marveled.
“They’re keeping up appearances, at least.”
I nodded at his words. It was a show of consideration from the Order.
A gesture to protect Yohan’s pride and a declaration that they would support him to the end.
There were still no bids for me.
I slowly skimmed through the list of tomorrow’s matchups. None of the names were familiar. So, I just gave a vague response.
Park Gwang-chul, seemingly done with his meal, leaned back in his chair.
I stood up and spoke.
“Let’s go.”
There was something I needed to prepare.
***
Harpe had arrived. I picked up the package left in front of my dormitory door and carried it inside.
“Damn, this is heavy.”
When I opened the box, a massive stone object was revealed.
“… It’s huge.”
The scythe, made of stone, was larger than I expected. Its surface was rough and crude, and it had the weight of solid rock.
It didn’t look like a scythe at all—more like a broken pillar.
There was no energy emanating from it, no trace of divinity.
I set the massive stone down and glanced outside.
The sun had already set, and the moon had risen.
A gentle night breeze carried the faint scent of grass.
I slung the stone scythe over my shoulder and stepped outside.
I headed straight for the forest. Since it wasn’t too late yet, there were still a lot of people around. I needed a secluded place.
The forest at night had a completely different atmosphere from the daytime.
It was silent. Not even the sound of the wind could be heard.
Walking slowly between the trees, I lifted my head and gazed at the sky.
The dark night sky was studded with countless stars.
Now, I had only one task left.
To synchronize this stone scythe with the Perseus constellation.
That was the key to restoring Harpe’s true form.
Before heading out, I had struggled to find the Perseus constellation on the internet.
It was April.
Normally, the Perseus constellation shouldn’t be visible at this time of year.
But this wasn’t reality—this was a game world.
If the setting dictated it, then it became the law of this world.
‘There it is.’
Gripping the stone scythe firmly, I raised my gaze to the sky.
The Perseus constellation.
Aligning my sight precisely with the constellation, I lifted the scythe high.
At that moment, a beam of blue light descended from the constellation.
As soon as it touched the stone scythe, a shiver ran through my fingers.
The rough surface of the scythe began to crack.
As if something hidden within was awakening.
From the cracks, a metallic luster gradually emerged.
No longer stone, but a mystical silver metal.
The heavy, cumbersome rock had transformed into a blade with elegant curves—a divine weapon.
I gripped Harpe tightly.
‘It’s light.’
It fit perfectly in my hand, as if it had always belonged there.
A relic that had descended from myth into reality.
‘The sword that rips apart serpents.’
The blade destined to bring judgment upon Medusa.