Chapter 270 – The Other Side of the Festival – Arena
A polis is a planned city. When looking down from above, a group of buildings forms a square and are arranged infinitely like a checkerboard.
However, there is a big difference in the quality, height, and density of the buildings that occupy one square of the checkerboard.
In the outskirts, large warehouses and yards are located here and there for convenient logistics with the outside world.
Residences and shops also use a lot of temporary buildings and are rustic, giving off a feeling of the former Soviet Union.
On the other hand, as you head towards the center, the number of well-built buildings increases and the splendid downtown unfolds.
Inside the carriage, I peeked out the window and looked around.
[Is this your first time riding a carriage?]
“Huh. “I was planning to go on a trip to Europe someday and ride it, but I never thought my wish would come true in this way.”
This is the gist of the world.
“We’re all here.”
Eventually, we arrived at our destination, the downtown area.
“Great job. “Please keep the change.”
“Thank you! Customer!”
When I handed the driver several 10,000 credit bills, he accepted them with both hands as if he was grateful.
When I got off and looked around, I saw a rickshaw attached to a bicycle and a tuk-tuk connected to a bike.
A world with everything, including population, economic power, and materials, is a landscape created when oil is scarce.
“Yeah yeah, I’m leaving now!”
The coachman left for a middle-aged woman waving on the side of the road across from her.
“It’s not prime level, but it’s pretty good here. “Everything is there.”
[But if the manager has a child, you probably don’t want to raise it here.]
Even though there were lights everywhere in downtown Police, it felt like there was darkness lurking somewhere.
It is the feeling of anxiety that even if you are walking in a bright and safe place, if you look away for a moment, you will be led into a dark alley.
It’s nothing compared to Prime, which seems to be okay even if you sleep in the middle of the street. Compared to the outside world, it’s still paradise.
Here, two large buildings stood out. They are showing off their power at an appropriate distance, as if they are competing with each other.
One resembled a resort and the other resembled a party hall built in European style. I headed towards the party venue.
Since it was the center of the city, there were traffic lights everywhere, but I wasn’t disturbed for a moment.
[Administrator is leaving! Get out of the way!]
This is because Kids arbitrarily modified the signals on my route.
“What? Why is the light red again?”
“Is it broken? I’ve never had anything like this before.”
Suddenly, people who had been waiting honestly ended up waiting even longer, but we didn’t care at all.
As I cross the crosswalk, I can already hear music pounding. It looks like the party is already in full swing.
“Where are you from?”
At the entrance, a security guard in a suit and wearing a microphone stopped me. It doesn’t seem to be a place where everyone is accepted.
“I came from Prime.”
“Do you have an ID card?”
If you take out the shelter manager ID card that Artemis gave you, there will be an uproar.
“It came, and I lost it…”
The security guard chuckled, probably because it was an excuse he often heard.
“Then you can’t pass. “Did you suggest an alternative to prove your identity?”
“It’s a replacement product…”
I took out my still full wallet and opened it. The security guard’s eyes widened as the tightly packed 10,000 credit bills appeared.
This alone could be proof, but to make sure, I slipped a tip into his arms.
“It has been confirmed. Please come in.”
“Good job.”
I received a polite greeting and entered the party hall.
[Hey, the skill of secretly stabbing is not common. It looks like you’ve tried it several times?]
“I don’t think there is anyone who has ever used bribes as much as me among those who served in the military.”
[That guy is lucky. I must have earned roughly 2–3 weeks’ worth of salary in one go.]
“Was it that much?”
10,000 credits = not 10,000 won. The treatment and prices for each industry have changed so much from pre-war Korea that it is hard to understand.
Inside the party hall, well-dressed men and women are chatting while holding glasses.
Most of the men wore suits and were of various ages.
On the other hand, most of the women were young. She is wearing a sophisticated one-piece or dress, showing off her breasts and smooth shoulders. High heels, which are rarely seen in today’s world, are being seen everywhere.
There are also officers of rank and rank wearing military uniforms, perhaps belonging to military cliques.
A luxurious chandelier casts light on the ceiling, and large masterpieces hang on the walls to liven up the atmosphere.
Among them, I felt foreign, wearing a hoodie alone.
“If you look at what the people here wear, it’s just as good as Prime, isn’t it?”
[It’s not a place that even the wealthy can enter. We comprehensively evaluate skills, personal connections, status, and personality. Just by entering here, you are considered upper class in this day and age.]
Waiters carried glasses filled with alcohol on trays, and waitresses carried cigarettes and refreshments.
“They are all handsome men and women.”
[I am using pre-war idol trainees and models. After-sales service is possible as long as you have the money.]
I stopped a waitress passing nearby and picked up the chocolate and cookies on the tray.
“Is there anything else you need?”
She grinned, showing off her white teeth.
“I came here because I heard there was something interesting to see underground, but I don’t know where to go.”
The pretty face became somewhat stiff.
“I don’t think it would be difficult for me to help.”
“Difficult? “I’m not saying it can’t be done?”
This is a place that straddles sunny and shaded areas. In a place like this, you have to be able to catch different subtleties.
Instead of answering, she pushed her bare chest provocatively.
“Hmm.”
She stood next to her and blocked the gaze of those around her with her body. Then, he took a few bills out of her arms and stuck them between her breasts.
“Actually…”
The waitress whispered in my ear as she pushed the bill deeper into her chest.
After a while, I was looking at a door installed in a corner. At first glance, I noticed a group of people who looked like they were working in the back world going inside. It is clear here.
[Aren’t you spending your money too carelessly?]
“When you use it up, just ask Artemis for more.”
[You are a really bad man!]
When I opened the door in the corner, an elevator appeared.
“Do you have an invitation?”
The guard guarding the place asked.
I took out the invitation Sasha made from my pocket.
“Please come in.”
She seems to be having a blast on this floor. He was wary of my casual attire and stepped back in a polite manner.
When the elevator door opened in the basement, a wide hallway appeared. A red artificial carpet is spread tightly on the floor.
“It is a neatly maintained carpet during the era of destruction.”
It is probably a place where no one can enter.
Side. Jjook.
There is a man and a woman leaning against a wall and sharing a passionate kiss.
A hairy hand adorned with thick gold rings violently grasps the woman’s buttocks.
“Ah!”
With that touch, the skirt rolled up, revealing red T-panties.
“Brother, stop staring and pass me by.”
The man glared at me with raised eyes.
“Yes, yes.”
As I pass by while suppressing laughter, I hear a loud rustling sound behind me.
When we reached the end of the hallway, a theater-like space appeared. The audience was dark, but the stage was brightly lit.
Two men are engaged in a bloody fight in a cage arena surrounded by iron cages.
It’s a match that doesn’t make sense when you look at the weight class alone. It’s a short but sturdy man and a muscular man who looks like he’s 180 cm tall.
However, the game was decided surprisingly easily.
The short man lowered his stance, charged, and instantly succeeded in a flipping technique.
Kwaang!
A large body crashes to the floor.
A soccer kick landed in the face of the tall man, who stood up shakily while shaking his head.
“Ugh!”
That merciless attack is enough to make anyone who sees it groan.
Puck! Puck! Puck!
A barrage of kicks is thrown at the fallen man.
It’s not just stomping like American professional wrestling. They really put their weight on it and hit it with the force of crushing the skull.
This arena only had modern facilities, but its contents were close to the ancient, barbaric Colosseum.
It was a no-rules killing field with no gloves or referee.
Haha, brother, I’m really excited here. Right?”
“It’s a place where no one can come in. “I used some effort to bring you here.”
“Kyaaa! “I love you, oppa!”
“Shh~ This isn’t some cheap arena outside. A quiet place to enjoy…”
“Huh? “What’s wrong, brother?”
Suddenly, through my heightened senses, I felt something approaching my shoulder. I reflexively turned around and grabbed it.
“Wow!”
The man, whose hands were twisted by his strong strength, desperately suppressed his moans. Seeing as he didn’t have a weapon in his hand, it doesn’t seem like he was trying to do any harm.
“Wow, aren’t you the manager?”
He looks at me with a mixture of suspicion and joy. When I looked closely, it was a face I knew.
“It’s me! Chief Kim of the rest area!”
“… Why are you here?”
It was so absurd that I burst out laughing.
* * *
“Oh, brother!”
Director Kim had a companion. A pretty vulgarly dressed woman glared at me from next to him.
“Are you acting mischievously because you know who my brother is?”
“It’s noisy, shut up.”
“Town! “Eup!”
The first thing Director Kim did when I let go of his hand was to cover the mouth of the woman accompanying him.
“I’m just quietly watching from the spot I told you about earlier.”
Director Kim said coldly.
“Why, why are you doing that?”
“I don’t like saying things twice.”
The woman seemed to be taken aback by the sudden change in her friendly attitude. But she doesn’t seem to be very stupid.
I must have felt something when I saw the tension in his attitude toward me, but it quickly disappeared.
“Sorry. “I showed you my ugly side.”
He bowed politely.
“No, I’m sorry for interrupting a good time.”
“You’re welcome. I heard that you have just returned from a great journey. “It is an honor to meet you like this.”
“Nice to meet you too.”
Director Kim guided me to a nearby seat.
“Is that girl from earlier okay? “Why don’t you follow her and comfort her?”
“Women, you can pick it up anywhere, but isn’t the opportunity to meet the manager a heaven-sent gift? If it’s okay with you, I’ll take you there.”
Meanwhile, two new players entered the ring.
There were profiles of both players on the electronic display board, and one of them is someone I know.
“That person is an Olympic medalist, right?”
He won a silver medal in wrestling at the last Olympics before the war.
“You’re right. Many past sports players and celebrities participate here. “The higher the awareness, the bigger the special allowance, so all kinds of celebrities participate.”
“Let alone sports players, why celebrities?”
Director Kim laughed bitterly.
“Would you say it’s the dark side of humanity? People who were in the bright spotlight in the past are bleeding, suffering, and moaning. There are many customers who feel a sense of superiority and pleasure in such things. This is a business that accurately meets that need.”
“Are you running it?”
“No. I’m just a spectator who stopped by on business. Isn’t this a downtown police district? “It’s hard to sell even a hot dog with a decent amount of connections.”
“Well, it seems like you already have great connections with us.”
“I will be loyal for the rest of my life!”
Director Kim said in an emotional voice.
As she was a no-rules arena, the match ended quickly. All kinds of unusual and vicious attacks come and go, so it’s easy to get knocked out in just 1 or 2 rounds.
Since it is an entertainment match and not just for the fighting itself, the participants are also unique.
The ones fighting this time are two female former body builders. It must have been quite difficult to recruit.
As the times change, the muscles have shrunk a lot, but the body looks like it was carved out of diamonds.
As two muscular women in bikinis tangled together, a heat rose.
“He was just a nobleman if he was a celebrity.”
“There was a time when a former member of the National Assembly participated.”
“What?”
“Because there is no business when it comes to money. A man nearing his 60th birthday fought against a female boxer in her 20s and ended up exploding in a one-sided fight. It was a great success.”
As they speak, the two female body builders are rolling around covered in sweat. One had her bikini torn, exposing her breasts.
The electronic display enlarged and broadcast the scene, and applause and laughter were heard from the audience every time her heart bounced.
When the game was over, the host took the microphone.
“Ladies and gentlemen. I am honored that you took the time to join us today.”
Wearing a white suit, he bowed politely towards the audience.
“There is only one thing that the staff, including me, and the warriors who will step into the shining ring wish for! It is about quenching the thirst in your soul.”
Lights twinkled throughout the dark audience seats.
As the audience raised their glasses in response, the light was reflected.
“Before the war, my dream was to become a variety show host at a broadcasting station. Although that dream failed, this city gave me an even greater honor and mission.”
Two players entered the ring.
“I serve you with happiness and fulfillment every day. “Today, we would like to give you a special gift for your continued support.”
He was wearing full plate armor, no matter where he got it, and was equipped with a long sword and shield. The medieval knight I only saw in movies was right in front of me.
“Please support us with loud applause!”
Is it an expectation of unique entertainment? Applause poured in from everywhere. That goes for me too.
“I think I saw this on YouTube. “You’re wearing armor and fighting with weapons that aren’t designed for you, right?”
“Yes, Manager. Medieval mixed martial arts is called MMMA (Medieval Mixed Martial Arts). “I did it once before.”
Director Kim said with a face full of anticipation.
“Today’s game is special! Because they are both holding real swords!”
The host said.
“They said you stopped me?”
“I guess so.”
Isn’t this crossing the line? But the situation was more than I thought.
“Polis! Live forever!”
With the host’s shout, a large shadow appeared in the passageway connected to the cage arena.
“Crrrrm
It was a bear.
“I think the plan is not to fight each other, but to use real swords and fight the bear 2:1?”
Chief Kim speaks with a nervous expression.
“Kids, can you survive a fight with a bear while wearing armor?”
[The bear tears people to pieces…]
“It’s done.”
I stood up.
“Director Kim, wait here.”
“Yes.”
I crossed the enthusiastic audience and went down to the stadium.
The two players were heavily armed, but they were still human bodies. As the huge bear roared and approached, the sword in his hand trembled like an aspen.
“Kaaaaang!”
The bear that entered the cage arena rushed at him without any hesitation.
The targeted man swung his sword with trembling hands, but he lacked power, speed, and fighting intent.
As the blade cut through the air senselessly, the bear’s front paw struck the chest of the armor.
Kang!
“Aaaaah!”
The person who was hit lost sight of both the shield and the sword, and was knocked to the ground. The bear ran up to him and took a mount stance.
Kigeek!
Kigigigeek!
Every time the bear’s front paws and teeth flashed mercilessly, a creepy sound was made.
“This is just a can of human beings.”
Another man who tried to stab the bear in the back was knocked out with a single punch on the phone.
“Ha, surrender! Please save me! Please save me!”
I declared that I would give up on the match, but what good would that do? In the Colosseum of ancient Rome, lions were controlled by putting leashes on them, but there is no such thing here.
Thanks to the performance of the full body armor, it is still holding on, but if you make a fuss, you could die.
“Damn.”
What kind of idiot came up with this irrational plan?
I took out a pistol from my pocket and aimed it at the bear.
Phew! Phew!
The bear’s skull was cracked by two shots and collapsed. The man trapped under the bear’s carcass struggled desperately.
“Aaaaah!”
“What is that guy?!”
I had a silencer on, so there were no gunshots, but everyone could tell that I was shooting.
The audience started screaming and leaving.
“Hey, are you okay?”
I grabbed the barbed wire and asked the armored player.
“Hey!”
“Calm down. Because the bear is dead. Really, there is a limit to seeking stimulation, but isn’t this too much?”
The player, who had barely calmed down, opened his helmet and looked at me. Now, he is a young man who may have just turned 20.
“Thank you. Thanks to you, I survived.”
“It’s quite a rare experience to cover a bear with a blanket while wearing medieval armor, isn’t it?”
“Well, that’s right.”
The awkwardly smiling young man was bleeding from his neck and armpits, but his injuries were not fatal.
When I looked around the stadium, I saw that most of the audience had left. The host who was broadcasting passionately was the first to fall off.
Only Director Kim and I are standing near the stage.
As I was drinking a martini that the owner had left in a nearby auditorium, I heard loud footsteps.
Clap!
The door burst open and people wearing riot gear and bulletproof helmets appeared. Security is written on the chest.
“It’s not the police guard. They are security forces hired separately here.”
Director Kim said.
“Don’t move!”
“Drop your weapons!”
They pointed at us with shotguns and pistols.
I threw the pistol on the ground and raised both hands.
“The first outing ends like this.”
Haha.”
Director Kim smiled awkwardly at me as I complained.
The security forces looked at me as if I was dumbfounded.
They don’t seem to understand why I am smiling optimistically even after a major accident occurs in the midst of the power of the police and the underworld.
This is the end of my first territory patrol and drink after my return.
