Chapter 10
Nova Arena was the pinnacle of cutting-edge modern technology and the grandest arena of entertainment ever conceived by humankind.
BCI (Brain-Computer Interface) technology, capable of reading sensory and motor controls alongside latent memory signals buried deep in the subconscious in real time, had fundamentally revolutionized the very concept of “spectating.”
Viewers no longer merely observed matches across a flat screen.
Instead, much like a camera perspective in a third-person RPG, they could roam the map from any angle they pleased, soaking in the tension of the battlefield as it unfolded.
While restricted to illuminated lines of sight, spectators could tangibly experience the battlefield’s raw urgency ā down to the metallic tang of fresh blood in the air.
In that sense, Chae Geonuk was likewise watching this living hell through Spectator Mode.
Watching Go Taemin exploit split-second openings to drop opponents with unreal efficiency, Geonuk shook his head in sheer disbelief.
“-Oh my god! Did you see that? Raven… Raven has fallen! Less than five minutes into the match!”
“-Unbelievable. Raven’s ambush was flawless. With that angle and timing, even other Named-tier warriors would’ve been rattled. Demon, however… It was as if he already knew exactly how Raven would strike!”
“-What was truly astounding was his spacing! Raven’s blade sliced past barely an inch from Demon’s throat. That distance control was measured down to the millimeter!”
“-Raven charged in convinced he was the hunter, but he practically walked straight into Demon’s kill zone on his own two feet. Settled in a single exchange. What an incredible performance. That was the precision of a surgeon, reading the subject completely before making the incision.”
“-Right out of the gate, he proves his undefeated promotion was no fluke! Ladies and gentlemen, we may very well be witnessing the birth of a brand-new Named today. Welcome to the US Pro League, Demon!”
Bringing down Raven was merely the beginning.
Wearing his Akwi mask, eyes glinting with a savage crimson glow, Go Taemin eliminated yet another pro warrior.
It took only a breath.
Evade the incoming blow, close the gap, drive the blade into the nape of the neck.
That was all it took.
His movements were so swift and unerring that fellow spectators streaming the match couldn’t help but marvel.
āWhat was that just now? Did the stream drop frames?
āIt didn’t even look like a dodge, more like he phased right through it.
āHe came out of the Japan Amateur League? No way! He’s carving up pro warriors like trash mobs!
āAbove all, that red eye glow is insane. Dude’s a literal demon.
Having known Taemin for over a decade, Chae Geonuk felt precisely the same way.
Looking back, he had never once seen Taemin undertake an operation or engage in active combat over the past ten years.
He knew only that Taemin operated under the codename “Ghost” and possessed monstrous skill.
Geonuk remained spellbound, eyes glued to Taemin’s combat.
A Caucasian man covered in tattoos launched a surprise attack from behind.
Parrying the blow, Taemin drove the dagger in his left hand straight into the man’s flank.
“Guh!”
A single counter left the man half-incapacitated.
Clutching the wound with one arm, he swung his sword erratically to keep Taemin at bay.
A desperate struggle to break away from the fiend before him.
Taemin gave the tattooed man no room to flee.
Closing the distance in an eye-blink, his blade sank deep into the man’s neck.
[You have slain Pro Warrior “Bulk.”]
Succinct, fast, and unerringly precise.
Geonuk let out a dry laugh.
It was so overwhelming that the tension had evaporated entirely.
The sequence Taemin had just displayed was chillingly flawless.
Parry the attack, draw the dagger, gouge out the exposed flank ā every movement executed without a shred of wasted motion.
He truly lived up to his pedigree from the 9th Operations Unit, a outfit reputed to harbor only monsters even within the Defense Intelligence Command.
With this caliber of skill, surviving the match would be child’s play.
Just as Geonuk let out a sigh of relief…
A chime broke the silence, ringing sharp in his ears.
[Two hours have elapsed since the match began.]
[A hidden rule is now revealed.]
[Hidden Rule: Red Diamond]
[Five warriors will randomly receive the Red Diamond Mark.]
[Anyone who slays a mark holder will receive a special bonus equal to 10% of their base pay. (Stackable)]
[Upon a mark holder’s death, the Red Diamond Mark will randomly transfer to another participant.]
A mark randomly assigned to five people.
A 10% base pay bonus per kill.
Random transfer to a new participant upon the bearer’s death.
Reviewing the hidden rule, Geonuk furrowed his brow.
An uncontrollable variable had barged into a board where an easy victory seemed all but guaranteed.
Deep darkness blanketed the primeval forest.
The moment the notification appeared, anomalous clusters of light erupted throughout the area.
It was a vivid crimson beam, conspicuous enough to be clearly seen even from Taemin’s hiding spot along the jungle’s edge.
Taemin immediately began crunching numbers the instant his eyes caught the glow.
Stackable, no less.
The gaze that had been executing efficient hunts until a moment ago chilled over.
Taemin turned his head to survey his surroundings.
A wavering shaft of red light flickered through the trees not far away.
It was remarkably close ā roughly two hundred and fifty meters.
He set off toward the light’s origin without hesitation.
Night in the primeval forest was pitch-black, obscuring everything beyond arm’s reach.
Blades of grass, thick and tough from the oxygen-rich air, scraped stinging lines across his skin.
As he drew closer to the beacon, the ambient racket grew louder.
Sharp rings of clashing metal erupted in rapid succession from beyond the brush.
Rough panting and shouted curses shattered the jungle’s silence soon after.
“Back off, you bastard! I called dibs on this one!”
“Cut the crap! Whoever kills him first takes the bounty!”
Parting the foliage to reach a clearing, Taemin spotted the crimson pattern shifting in the dark.
Around it, several warriors were already tangled in an all-out melee.
The mark holder was a man wielding a long two-handed sword.
Every time he swung his blade, the Red Diamond Mark floating above his head pulsed violently.
Four warriors were assaulting the bearer.
A spearman suffocating him with superior reach, a hulking brute swinging a blunt weapon, and two swordsmen weaving in and out to target openings.
Keeping low, Taemin silently closed the distance using the jungle terrain.
Dense foliage and the massive shadows of towering trees concealed his movements completely.
At the center of the fray stood the Red Diamond bearer.
Brandishing his longsword, he held off the converging warriors with flashy, seasoned technique.
Each time the tip of his blade carved through the air, fine red lines crisscrossed to sketch an eerie trajectory. Even while fending off four combatants simultaneously, he did not give an inch of ground.
In that very moment, a gap opened amid the chaotic trails.
Taemin surged forward with explosive acceleration.
“Whoa, what theā!”
One of the warriors pressuring the bearer shouted in alarm, but spotting the demon mask meant he was already too late.
Taemin drove like lightning straight through the gaps in the red lines.
A single passing strike.
The pitch-black blade carved cleanly across the mark holder’s throat.
[You have slain Pro Warrior “Jackson Miller.”]
[You have slain a Red Diamond mark holder. (Cumulative mark holder kills: 1)]
[For slaying a mark holder, your probability of receiving the next mark increases by 3%.]
“Guh… kh!”
Clutching his throat, the mark holder collapsed to the ground.
Crimson blood sprayed in all directions, drenching the dirt.
It happened in a heartbeat.
The warriors who had been pressing the bearer stood frozen in place, expressions blank with shock.
“W-what? What just happened?”
“Jackson… in one shot?”
“That mask just now… Don’t tell me, Demon?”
“Fuck. They said he was the first undefeated promotion in the Japanese league…”
Shocked voices erupted belatedly, but Taemin had already vanished into the darkness.
Those left behind could only exhale sighs of relief, grateful that they hadn’t been his target.
The hunt continued thereafter.
The method remained simple.
Slip in swiftly during the height of a melee, evade the red line trajectories, plunge his blade into the target’s vitals, and disengage immediately.
Roaming the jungle in this fashion quickly brought his tally to three mark kills.
Perched high in a tree, Taemin smiled contentedly as he checked the notifications floating at the edge of his vision.
Converted to Korean won, that was eight million won.
A substantial windfall earned in a mere twelve hours.
That was enough to buy 1,834 bulgogi burgers.
It was also enough to effortlessly purchase three or four top-of-the-line laptops with maxed-out specs.
A broad grin spread across Taemin’s face at the thought of giving his younger brothers extra spending money.
Meanwhile, the match entered its middle phase.
Sixty hours remained. Roughly five hundred survivors were still standing.
Taemin turned toward the outer perimeter of the forest.
He had been prowling this vast jungle for twelve straight hours.
Adrenaline kept his body feeling light for now, but the fatigue bound to hit the moment he let his guard down could not be ignored.
Moving stealthily, Taemin searched for a suitable shelter.
After pushing deep into the outskirts, he discovered a hollow where the tangled roots of a massive tree veiled an entrance like a natural cave.
A space tailor-made for a person to crawl in and lie down.
Checking meticulously for any traps someone might have set nearby, he carefully slipped inside.
The scent of damp earth pricked his nose.
Taemin sat down, resting his sword across his knees.
Poised to spring into action at a moment’s notice, he kept his eyes narrowed, watching the outside world through the gaps in the roots.
With combat paused for the immediate future, practical survival concerns surfaced in his mind.
Three factors mattered most in an extended survival match.
Shelter, drinking water, and rations.
Having secured a decent shelter, the remaining issues were water and food.
For essential drinking water, the clean mountain streams scattered across the map would suffice.
As for food, knowing this match was a survival format, he had packed plenty of chocolate bars.
They would easily see him through the remaining time.
While resting on alert, keeping his senses tuned to the surroundings…
The darkness suddenly flared uncomfortably bright.
Feeling a crimson light piercing through his closed eyelids, Taemin looked up above his head.
Inside the cramped hollow, directly above him, a red diamond was spinning like a top.
[Pro Warrior “Akwi (ę”鬼)” has been granted the Red Diamond Mark.]
A mark randomly assigned among the surviving participants.
This time, the lucky winner was Taemin himself.
“…”
The tranquil surroundings grew noisy. The underbrush ahead rustled.
Attracted by the crimson light radiating from the mark, neighboring warriors were closing in.
A moment ago, he had been the hunter stalking bonus bounties; in the blink of an eye, he had become the high-value target whose coordinates were being broadcast live.
Taemin scratched his head in mild exasperation.
To him, that was a matter of utmost importance.
