Arena Chapter 113:
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 space?’
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 space bag . I turned on the power button 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 hassle . Let’s head inside and we can discuss it . ”
“Sure . ”
Odin personally showed me to my quarters .
With antique furnishings 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 class and a feudal lord . I can give the title of baronet . ”
“A baron?”
According to Odin’s explanation, a baron is a rank not of royalty, but a title of nobility .
The amount of small feudal lords under a strong lord is a measure of his title, and although a baronet isn’t a high status, the title does have hereditary transmission .
Even amongst other baronets, depending on who titled you, you are treated differently .
Odin boasts an incredible reputation in the Arena so he says anyone he titles baronet will receive considerable status .
“You could, no matter the country, gain the attention of a king and be titled by him, but then that’s troublesome . ”
“Sure . If you would give me a title, I would gladly accept . ”
“Then I should tell the magician to make an ID for you as well . ”
Above royalty class, 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 hassle as well . ”