Arena Chapter 100:
Arena Chapter 100 – A New Birth (Part 3)
First off, Cha Ji-hye went towards a nearby tree .
After checking out what the enemy was, her plan was to avoid it from atop a tree .
“Shiik……!”
The monster that appeared making a wily sound was the expected lizardman .
Its stature was only slightly smaller than a grown man .
Except for the abdomen, nearly the entire body was covered in scales .
A flitting tongue and sharp fingernails and toenails .
This was the real version of the thing she had only seen illustrated before .
It is only just the one .
Cha Ji-hye decided to fight .
The opponent was one that she could defeat .
She only needed to survive for 30 minutes, but if she fights and beats it that would be even better .
‘I just have to be watch out for the nails and teeth . ’
With her guard up, Cha Ji-hye slowly approached the lizardman .
“Shik!”
The impatient lizardman rushed forward first .
Instantly, she dodged with a side step and then a left jab .
Shu pak!
“Shwik!”
The jab landed on the lizardman’s protruding jaw .
Continuing on, she kept hitting him with left jabs followed by right hooks to the mouth .
Puk puk!
“Shwiik!”
The lizardman shook its head back and forth and shakily started stepping back from her .
The shwik shwik sound rang out loud as if it was getting angrier .
A lizardman’s weak points were the jaw and the scale-less abdominal area . That’s why she targeted the jaw .
‘It’s all going according to plan . ’
The lizardman’s eyes starting looking towards her slightly extended left hand . It started to recognize her punching pattern .
If that’s the case, this just became a lot easier .
As if she was about to throw a jab, she lightly feinted with her left fist . The lizardman’s body flinched a bit at that motion .
Within a split second, her right hand threw a straight at its jaw .
Bbuk!
“Shwik!”
The straight landed perfectly on its jaw .
The jaw wasn’t a crucial weak point but the point was to disorient the lizardman .
Using that timing, Cha Ji-hye lunged forward and boldly clinched his head with both arms, then threw a knee at his midsection .
Bbuk!
Her knee went in hard straight to its abdomen!
The look of agony finally appeared on the lizardman’s face .
“Shwik! Shiiik!”
Now that he was really **** off, lizardman haphazardly flung his nails around .
But she had already let go of her clinch and backed away so his attack wasn’t able to reach Cha Ji-hye .
“Shwiik!”
With a really angry demeanor, the lizardman chased after her .
Cha Ji-hye again lifted her left fist .
She got its attention with her fists and with her right leg that was firm as a deer she put all her power into a kick .
Bbuuk!
A perfect kick to the solar plexus!
“Shik!”
The lizardman that had been running towards her was suddenly sent flying backwards .
Puk!
She kicked again and it landed on its chest .
As the lizardman’s body faltered backwards, Cha Ji-hye quickly lowered her body and kicked out the lizardman’s back legs .
The lizardman lost its balance and tumbled to the ground .
Cha Ji-hye quickly looked around her .
She grabbed the closest rock she saw .
With the sharp end, she smashed down on the lizardman’s face .
Bbuk!
“Shwiik!”
“Hu aab!”
Using both hands while yelling, she smashed the rock down again and again .
Bbu kuk!
The sound of flesh ripping apart permeated the air .
The lizardman’s face was covered in scales as well, but the right eye had no such cover .
“Shiiiik-!”
A strange screaming sound came from the lizardman’s throat .
Jjuuk! Jjuk! Bbuuk!
Cha Ji-hye grit her teeth and kept smashing down on the lizardman’s face with the rock .
She kept smashing at the part she’s ripped .
Green blood spurted out .
At last, there were no more sounds of screaming . The lizardman had stopped moving and was lying there dead underneath her .
“Huuk, huk!”
While she tried to catch her breath, Cha Ji-hye stood up .
“Board retrieval . ”
She retrieved her board and checked out how much time was left . There’s roughly 17 minutes remaining .
Cha Ji-hye climbed up a tree and passed the rest of her time up there .
It was because the **** smell of the dead lizardman might attract other monsters or wild animals .
When all 17 minutes were up, a door appeared in front of her .
‘The exam door!’
She fearlessly opened the door and walked into the blinding light as she approached whatever was waiting for her inside .
She got a cozy feeling as the environment changed .
The sky and the ground, everything was white .
A completely empty white space with nothing in it .
Cha Ji-hye looked around her .
When she looked up, even she couldn’t help but be startled .
A baby angel was right above her head and looking straight down at her . From a distance where it could nearly touch her .
“Are you well?”
Playfully, the baby angel greeted her .
Cha Ji-hye looked the baby angel up and down .
An oddly revolting face .
A mocking tone of voice .
And a dangling small……
“The angel in charge of examinee Kim Hyun-ho?”
“Wow, have you heard lots about me?”
“Mostly bad . ”
“Hehehe . ”
The baby angel chuckled .
With small wings like a sparrows, flapping hectically, flying around .
Cha Ji-hye could understand why Kim Hyun-ho had to grit his teeth and hated the baby angel so much .
“Aw, that isn’t so . He pretends not to like me but he actually really does . ”
‘Understandably unlikeable . ’
Cha Ji-hye got more affirmation of such .
“Well, anyway, I was surprised . You are the first to so aptly pass the first exam . You showed the experience and skill of a veteran examinee . ”
“Do I need to retrieve the board to check my results?”
“Whoa, you know about that as well too . ”
“Board retrieval . ”
-Name: Cha Ji-hye
-Class: 3
-Karma: +400
-Mission: rest until the next exam
-Time limit: 10 days
Class 3, 400 karma .
It’s a decent grade .
“Karma prize . I wish to acquire the physical strength buff . ”
Cha Ji-hye used her karma without any hesitation .
The words on the board started changing .
-Physical strength buff (assist skill) entry level 3 has been acquired . Acquisition possible from entry level 4 . Do you wish to acquire?
-Physical strength buff (assist skill): strengthens all physical aspects
*Entry level 4: gain the body of a specialty trained soldier . (-250)
-Remaining karma: +400
“Acquire . ”
Pat!
A light came out from the board and seeped into Cha Ji-hye’s body .
-Using 250 karma to raise the physical strength buff (assist skill) to entry level 4 .
-Remaining karma: +150
Cha Ji-hye inspected her body and repeatedly clenched and unclenched her fists .
‘I can definitely feel that I got stronger . ’
A feeling of confidence and strength .
This is what the examinees must have always felt .
‘I should leave the remaining karma for now . ’
Having made the decisions easily, Cha Ji-hye started talking to the baby angel .
“I have a request . ”
“What is it?”
“You can probably read my thoughts but seeing as how you’re asking me, of course Kim Hyun-ho dislikes you . ”
“Hehehe, is it a request to become a team with examinee Kim Hyun-ho? You can’t . ”
Right .
Cha Ji-hye, having become an examinee, wanted to become teammates with Kim Hyun-ho .
She thought it would be of great benefit to Kim Hyun-ho who had lost all his teammates .
“I really can’t?”
“You have now only just passed the first exam, you cannot be teamed with examinee Kim Hyun-ho . ”
The baby angel disgustingly started fishing in his ear as he spoke .
“Even if you were a 6th turn examinee, getting to a level similar to examinee Kim Hyun-ho is unknown . ”
“What does that mean?”
“That person, you see, is setting a new record every exam . Also very recently during his resting period he has used a strange method to obtain more karma . ”
Cha Ji-hye was astonished by Kim Hyun-ho’s potential .
Going on through the 6th exam with new records all the way!
So even though by exam he’s a 6th turn, in practical terms he may be stronger than an examinee with twice the amount of exams under their belt .
Cha Ji-hye though things over carefully .
A bit later she said .
“Then I have a different request . ”
“That one’s okay . ”
This time, the baby angel read her mind instead of listening to her request and answered right away .
Ddak!
When the baby angel flicked his finger, the exam door appeared .
“An examinee that wants to go straight into the second exam without resting after the first exam . This is a first . ”
Without hesitation, Cha Ji-hye opened the exam door and went through . Without a second thought .
***
“Oppa, don’t you think I got a bit fat lately?”
Min-jeong was in front of the vanity looking at her body in the mirror .
A yellow lingerie with a pretty design dizzily was simulating my eyes .
“Not even a little . ”
I gave a plain and model answer .
Min-jeong’s body is far from a body firmed from working out and exercising .
But her waist is skinny and a little fat on her hips and lower belly is cute, just the perfect body .
… . if I said that then all she would hear is ‘fat’ which is why I gave the good and casual answer .
“Aw, actually take a good look . I think I’ve got fat lately . It must be because I’m eating more after learning how to cook . ”
She wanted to get rid of that little bit of fat, do you want to look like a clothes hanger?
“Right now is just perfect . I just want to save you just the way you are right now . ”
“So you’re saying I did get fat? Right?”
Damn!
Is she saying she wants to fight? Have we been so uneventful that she’s bored?
After thinking it over I tried one answer .
“Come over here, so I can take a good look . ”
I pulled Min-jeong closer to me and looked over her pale standing body . Every time my eyes rested on her body she felt embarrassed .
“Hmm, I think I’ll have to touch to now . ”
“Aw, trying that again!”
Min-jeong began to fuss .
But with my extreme strength, I lifted her up and laid her down on the floor .
As I kissed her firmly on her neck, Min-jeong let out a gasp .
An astonishing reflex at superior level 1! Without restraint, I used my new mastery on her .
Min-jeong, who tried picking a fight with talks of being fat, is now losing her mind .
In the midst of having a really great time .
Ring .
My smartphone buzzed .
I kissed Min-jeong and with one hand I picked up my phone .
Hugging her with the one arm and with the other hand I checked my text message .
[Be careful of the Chinese . Careful and alert for everything . No contact . ]
A number I didn’t know .
But I knew instantly who this text message was from .
‘Cha Ji-hye?’
If my identity has been divulged, then the leak must have been from the Korean arena research agency .
And the only person who would send me a warning like this at the Korean arena research agency was Cha Ji-hye .
‘This means someone at the research agency is selling my identity to the Chinese!’
There was Odin’s warning too but I had no idea that my identity would be divulged to the Chinese examinees this fast .
‘Damn them!’
Remembering the Korean Arena Research Agency, I grit my teeth .
I was prepared for it but now that it’s happening, it just made me angrier .
‘I wonder if Cha Ji-hye is okay . ’
Seeing as how it was a number I didn’t know, I think she’s warning me secretly . If she is found out, won’t she face disciplinary action?
But knowing her, she will be able to take care of herself . She is a rather smart woman .
“Oppa?”
Having been completely immersed, Min-jeong was calling to me with dissatisfaction .
I quickly deleted the text message and put down my smartphone .
“Sorry . Were you waiting?”
“Humph, whatever . ”
“What do you mean whatever? Now, let’s see how fat you got . ”
“What, gross!”
“Weren’t you the one that asked me first?”
“Ah, no . Now that I think about it, I’m not fat anywhere . ”
“No, if I take a close look I might see you did get fat somewhere . ”
“No, I haven’t anywhere! I’m perfect!”
“There is no one in the world that is perfect . And you’ve already been aggroed by me . ”
“Kyak!”
A sweet time passed .
But the inside of my head was filled with complicated thoughts about the corrupt Chinese examinees .
To dismiss those thoughts, I started hanging on to Min-jeong more .