Arena Chapter 113

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Chapter 113 – Entering the 7th exam (Part 2)

For nearly an hour, I was hard at work climbing the Tree of Life.

Even so, I can't see the very top, that's how large it was.

'If it keeps growing like this, won't it get through the atmosphere and into s.p.a.ce?'

These are the kind of stupid thoughts going through my head as I set up the radio transmitter.

When I pushed the red switch, the LED lamp lit up.

'Did they say it would work for 2 years?'

The radio transmitter was powered with majeong.

Thanks to using majeong, combined with lots of mana, they said it should easily last around 2 years.

After two years, if the majeong isn't replaced it won't work.

I took out two comm devices from my s.p.a.ce bag. I turned on the power b.u.t.ton and tried talking.

"Ahh."

-Ahh.

I heard my voice in the other comm device. Maybe because it was close but the sound was very clear.

'First, I'll leave a comm device with the elves.'

I think I'll give it to the eldest elder mother of the three villages on Brown Mountain.

I came down the Tree of Life and immediately went in search of the eldest mother.

Like always, the mothers were gathered at the below the Tree of Life chatting.

"Oh my, Kim, what is it?"

Asked the eldest mother with a very smooth voice unfitting to her age.

"First, take this please."

I handed a comm device to the eldest mother.

"Huh?"

"What is that?"

"It looks interesting."

The mothers' curiosity has been instigated and they gathered like a hive of bees.

I explained to them.

"It turns on when you press the red switch. And underneath is a number keypad……"

I tried my hardest to explain how to use the comm device.

The eldest mother listened to my explanation and tried using the comm device.

Ring, ring, ring.

The comm device I had vibrated. Even the vibrating was just like a flip phone.

I flipped open the device and answered.

"Can you hear me?"

"Oh my goodness!"

The eldest mother, having heard my voice through the comm device, exploded in exclamations.

For a while, there was a bustling crowd gathering around the comm device. The mothers all wanted to have a go at using it.

After using the comm device with all the mothers, I was finally able to get to the point.

"If you have this, even if I am far away, we can talk to each other."

"Are you thinking of leaving?"

"Yes."

"You can't!"

"You have to live with us, where are you going to go?"

"That's right, yes."

"Is he going to go find a partner?"

"You think so? Then again, in human age, Kim is past the best age for marriage."

The mothers were boisterous.

Ultimately, it was decided that I am leaving to find a woman to marry. I felt a bit wronged but oh well.

The eldest mother spoke.

"Alright, if you must leave, I cannot stop you. But if you find a partner, do return."

"Yes. If something happens, do not hesitate to contact me."

Good.

With this, I could get the aid of the elves in an emergency.

As the news of my departure spread, elves came from the Pine and Thuja Village.

"Kim, thanks to you we have found our safe haven."

"Thank you so much."

"I will not forget this kindness."

"Please come back."

With consecutive greetings of thanks, they gave me bunches of dried fruit.

With a light step, I left the Brown Mountain.

I don't know the way but using the guider skill, I was able to tell which way Odin was. Where he was located was where Count Wolfenbrooke was.

When I was about out of the Brown Mountain.

Ring, ring, ring.

The comm device started vibrating.

'Huh?'

I picked up the comm device.

-Is this Kim.

A dignified voice.

It was the eldest mother's husband, the greatest elf warrior, Derrick.

"Derrick!"

-I was far away and couldn't see you off.

"That's okay. I'm glad we're able to say goodbye at least this way."

-Yes, this is a very interesting item.

"I am going to leave a comm device with Count Wolfenbrooke as well. If a dangerous situation arises, ask them for aid."

-We will. Thank you for gifting us such a precious treasure.

"Please, it is nothing."

-The kindness you have shown us, if I spent my remaining life repaying you it still would never be enough. So I will make you one promise.

-If you need aid, contact me through this. No matter how difficult or dangerous, I will gladly come to your aid.

I felt moved at Derrick's promise.

"Thank you."

-I will see you again. Honey, how do you turn this off?

-Give it here.

I heard the eldest mother's voice and then the connection was cut off.

I smiled and continued walking.

'Shall I start speeding up?'

Using the Divine Protection of the Wind, I start to move fast.

As the Divine Protection of the Wind combined with the power of the synthetic muscle fiber, every time I jumped, I dashed forward as much as 20 meters.

For the 50 minutes I could use the Divine Protection of the Wind, I ran like crazy.

When the Divine Protection of the Wind ran out of time and after the 25 minute cool down ended, I ran again.

With that pace, I raced towards Odin.

Occasionally, I saw a village of people, but I didn't bother and I kept going.

I didn't want to uselessly be intertwined with people. It might remind me of trauma of that secluded village of the lycanthropes.

At night, after a full week of traveling, I arrived at Count Wolfenbrooke's territory.

All around was endless green fields.

A flowing river and behind it was a large fortress. Looking at the castle, a western lord in the middle ages would have gawked at this structure.

"Halt!"

Soldiers dressed in armor were guarding the fortress entrance.

I spoke.

"I have come to meet Sir Odin, I mean, Count Wolfenbrooke."

"The lord?"

The soldiers looked at me with great suspicion.

"If you say I have come from the Brown Mountain, he will know."

"We will deliver the message."

One soldier headed inside to relay the message. The other soldiers kept looking me up and down with suspicion.

The wait wasn't all that long.

"Mr. Kim Hyun-ho!"

Odin had come running out.

At the behavior of Odin gladly welcoming me, the soldiers were surprised.

The sovereign ruling them had come out personally to greet me, it's no wonder they were surprised.

"What kind of mission did you get?"

"My mission is a bit of ha.s.sle. Let's head inside and we can discuss it."

"Sure."

Odin personally showed me to my quarters.

With antique furnis.h.i.+ngs and silk curtains to decorate, it was a luxurious room.

"This is the VIP room. You can stay here."

"Thank you."

"You will need clothes as well. If you wear those clothes around here, it will be suspicious."

"Probably, huh?"

"I will get you some clothes."

Odin snapped his fingers. A maid in the hallway came in.

"Call the tailor and bring a simple meal."

"Yes, my lord."

The maid respectfully bowed and left.

We sat at the table and talked.

"My mission is to investigate the dark magicians that attacked the Brown Mountain elves."

"That dark magic organization?"

"Yes. I put people here and there to investigate but still, I think it will take some time."

"The name of the dark magician that attacked the Brown Mountain is John Omento."

"John Omento?"

"Yes, but I'm sure getting anywhere with that name will be difficult."

"Tsk, more than likely."

Then I suddenly got a good idea.

"Could you get me some pen and paper?"

"Here you go."

Odin summoned his item backpack and handed me a pencil and paper.

"Sylph."

-Meow.

Sylph appeared midair and hopped atop my shoulder and started rubbing her face against my cheek.

I pet the cute Sylph and said

"You remember John Omento? The dark magician that attacked me."

-Meow.

Sylph nodded her head.

I handed Sylph the pencil.

"Could you draw his face on this paper?"

Sylph wrapped her tail around the pencil. Then she hopped down onto the table and started to draw on the paper.

Suk suk suk. Suk suk.

The sound of the pencil echoed through the room. Sylph sketcheed it surprisingly fast.

"Huh!"

Odin couldn't hide his amazement.

I was amazed too. No matter how many times I see it, it's an impressive skill.

In seconds, the thin middle-aged dark magician, John Omento, was sketched.

I gave the finished picture to Odin.

"The name might not mean anything, but it should help knowing what he looks like?"

"I will copy this picture and spread it far and wide."

"You can make copies?"

"There is magic. It might look similar but it's different here from the middle ages of Earth."

"Oh."

Servants brought us a simple meal. With soft white bread and a warm soup with steam coming up, and wine.

Odin gave the picture to a servant and told him to get the magician to make 100 copies. The servant respectfully took the picture and left.

"You must be comfortable, being a royal."

I said, watching all this.

Odin laughed.

"Of course it is comfortable. Because I can leave the trivial matters to those below me. Ah, speaking of, would you like to become royalty?"

"Can you do that?"

Odin pat himself on the chest.

"I may look like this but in this world I am a man of great fame and reputation, of the scholar cla.s.s and a feudal lord. I can give the t.i.tle of baronet."

"A baron?"

According to Odin's explanation, a baron is a rank not of royalty, but a t.i.tle of n.o.bility.

The amount of small feudal lords under a strong lord is a measure of his t.i.tle, and although a baronet isn't a high status, the t.i.tle does have hereditary transmission.

Even amongst other baronets, depending on who t.i.tled you, you are treated differently.

Odin boasts an incredible reputation in the Arena so he says anyone he t.i.tles baronet will receive considerable status.

"You could, no matter the country, gain the attention of a king and be t.i.tled by him, but then that's troublesome."

"Sure. If you would give me a t.i.tle, I would gladly accept."

"Then I should tell the magician to make an ID for you as well."

Above royalty cla.s.s, to block identify theft, he says it's crucial to get a special ID made by a magician.

Odin called the servant again to tell him to get an ID made.

Telling others to do this and that, it sure looked comfortable.

"By the way, did you bring the comm devices?"

"Yes, I set up the radio trans-receiver atop the Tree of Life in the Zelkova Village. At this time, communication with the eldest mother is possible, would you like to try?"

"Alright."

I handed Odin a comm device.

"The number?"

"I am number 1, the elves are number 2."

"And I am number 3. Okay."

Odin punched in the number 2 on the keypad and tried to call.

-Is this Kim?

The eldest mother's voice.

Odin replied.

"It is not. I am the count of Wolfenbrooke, Odin. Kim is number 1."

-Oh, so that's how you tell the difference.

I explained it to her for a long time but she must have gotten confused.

-Anyway, nice to hear from you. It is nice that we can talk this way.

"Likewise. I look forward to working with you."

-Us too. But is Kim there?

"Yes, he is next to me."

Odin handed me the comm device. I exchanged a few sentences with the eldest mother and then hung up.

Odin looked at the comm device and smiled.

"To be able to use a phone here in this place, it really is convenient."

"It is."

I smiled too.

If Cha Ji-hye could find her way here to Wolfenbrooke, I could communicate with her in the Arena too.

Of course, it was only within the radio wave area, but that one radio trans-receiver had a radius of 1850 km coverage, it wouldn't be a problem.

"Anyway, what mission did you get, Mr. Kim Hyun-ho?"

"My mission is a bit of a ha.s.sle as well."