Black-Haired Alien From Another World 132

## Chapter 132 – The Arena’s Barbarian

We all gathered in the damp underground and laughed heartily for a while.

I didn’t quite understand, but it was an enjoyable time. Laughter releases endorphins. When there’s nothing to laugh about, it’s good to force a laugh, even if it means using the military laughter bell that the South Korean army employs.

“Whew! You guys have quite the laugh! You’re all laughing heartthrobs!”

As the atmosphere gradually calmed down, I observed the gladiators. I still didn’t know why we were laughing, but everyone seemed to be in high spirits, so good things must be good. After all, you can’t spit on a smiling face.

So, can I take this as a sign of welcome?

“Hehehe… truly a barbarian, so boisterous.”
“And you, sir, are quite the hearty laughing heartthrob yourself!”
“A very sociable newbie. Good. He’s perfect to take Sodotar’s place for the o/p/e/n/i/n/g.”

It seemed my assumption about the welcome was correct.

These special-grade serial killers have somewhat twisted and warped sensibilities, so it’s usually difficult to cater to their moods. That sudden burst of laughter was a prime example.

It’s safe to assume that the laughter just now was a test to see if I was qualified to become ‘one of them.’

As proof, the gazes that had been scrutinizing me turned friendly.

“Then, Katt. Go change your clothes.”
“What? You want me to come in here?”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“Um… never mind. I had a momentary d/e/l/u/s/i/o/n.”

—Swish.

I immediately took off my top, revealing my scarred, muscular upper body.

“Ooh! A warrior’s ‘body’!”
“His physique too… you have ‘talent’.”
“Hehehe. We’ve got a ‘good’ newbie, haven’t we?”

The gladiators burst into admiration.
For some reason, they kept emphasizing certain words, but I guess it didn’t matter.

“Ooh… indeed, this has… ‘impact’.”

Durvan also examined my upper body and exclaimed in admiration.

Everyone was focused on me.
I barely suppressed the urge to strike a cool pose.

After all, I had spent three years in this other world, honing my body through combat. It was something to be proud of. From what I could see, I was on par with the gladiators.

No, in terms of sheer size, I might even be better. I was taller, at least. Of course, their skills were on a different level.

I was truly the embodiment of a barbaric warrior.
I’m a completely different man when I take my shirt off.

“Then quickly, bring out an outfit with ‘impact’.”
“No, I’m changing the plan.”

Durvan brought out a pair of pants with a wild leopard print. They looked like something a caveman would wear.

Was this guy aiming for a barbarian look?

“Wear these.”
“Are you going for a barbarian look?”
“A look? What do you mean?”
“Never mind. You want a barbaric impact, right?”
“Exactly.”

I unbuckled my belt and took off my pants. My thighs were also covered in scars, indelible marks from countless battles.

Bite marks, claw marks, torn flesh… I had survived by slaughtering the monsters that had wounded me. I was truly a veteran and a fighter for life. I put on the pants I had been handed.

Wearing this, I felt like a ‘barbarian warrior’ straight out of prejudice.

“Durvan, what weapon should I use?”
“Hmm… that’s a tough one. Just use the sword you’ve been using.”
“Okay.”

I also changed into the provided leather sandals. They weren’t very comfortable, so I tightened the straps. That made them a little better.

Without my iron greaves, my body felt like it could fly. As good as greaves were, they were still chunks of metal that drained my stamina when I wore them on my legs. It was like wearing sandbags. It felt refreshing to take them off.

Today, I would be fighting without those greaves.

My current equipment consisted only of my steel-like body, my beloved sword, and those barbaric pants and sandals.

Without the armor that always protected me, I felt a little less confident, but my opponents were just three kobolds and three goblins. No matter what they did, I would win. The only thing to be careful about was not getting hurt.

I resolved to be strong.

Even without steel armor, my body was steel.
I am the steel alchemist.

“Then wait here for a moment. You’ll be called when the opening starts.”
“Alright.”

With that, Durvan went up to the surface.

As the time drew near, I started to get nervous.
After all, I was going to be fighting publicly in front of an audience.

Back in high school, I had been forced onto the stage during a school trip and deliberately played “Compass,” plummeting the mood of my classmates. Could I really do this?

I shook my head vigorously to dispel those negative thoughts.

I am not the Kim Geun-tae of the past.
I am Kim Katt, a D-rank adventurer.

There is a big difference between a law-abiding citizen and a killer.

“Hehehe, newbie. You seem nervous?”
“No, not really.”
“By the way, you really have an amazing ‘body.’ Are all barbarians like that? Tall, broad-shouldered… a very ‘promising’ physique.”

As I sat waiting, the gladiators started talking to me. There didn’t seem to be any hazing. We had already formed a bond on a physical level.

They don’t bully each other in a situation where everyone acknowledges each other as warriors.
That is the proof of true warriors.

“Indeed. All of us Mirkesha are fierce and violent warriors. I left my homeland in search of blood and battle that would suit me. That place has become a lukewarm bath, because of the hot blood of the corpses I piled up. I wonder if I can find a satisfying fight here. Hehehe, now that I look at it, you guys have bodies that are no less than our warriors. I like it very much.”
“What, what is this guy? He changed his tone?”

Today, I am also a barbarian warrior.

If so, I must use a tone that suits him. I brought out the ‘Barbarian Warrior Kim Katt’ persona that I had discarded long ago. In the past, I was just a weakling, so I couldn’t use that concept. Back then, I was too weak to act the way I looked.

“One can change one’s tone as much as one wants, depending on the time and situation. Isn’t that right for you gladiators too?”
“Hmm, that’s true! You seem to have as much talent for gladiatorial combat as you do for that physique! To be honest, I never liked that cowardly Sodotar!”
“Yeah, yeah! Hey, newbie. How about becoming a full-time gladiator? A warrior like you would be ‘fun to cut’!”
“…”

Instantly terrified, I shut my mouth.

I wondered why they were showing so much interest in my body, but it was just a silent expression of their desire to kill me on stage. These serial killer bastards.

Damn it, I came to the wrong place. I’m only doing this today and never again.
It was a mistake to associate with these killers in the first place.

“The opening is starting! Contestants, enter!”

Just then, a sharp shout rang out.
Is it starting now?

“Hehehe. Go quickly, Barbarian Warrior. It would be good to get the audience fired up enough before the main event starts. Keh heh heh!”

I waved to the gladiators and walked to the surface.

Good.
Let’s just suffer for thirty minutes.

Then I’ll get a whopping 1 silver.

“Contestant, enter~!”

A cheerful voice greeted me. It seemed the host was a woman. I took a step forward. Crossing the boundary between the underground and the surface, I ‘entered’ the arena in the truest sense of the word.

—A blood-stained dirt floor.

The scorching sunlight poured down as if to burn my skin.

I looked around the vast arena. Quite a few people were sitting in the seats, looking down at me. Copson and Claudia were probably among them, but it was impossible to find them.

—Whisper, whisper.

I could hear the audience closest to the entrance whispering. Barbarian? Barbarian? Barbarian? They were muttering something like that, but it was too noisy to hear properly.

“The contestant who will be in charge of today’s opening is! From that distant, desolate land! A ruthless barbarian warrior who has come from the land where barbarism lives and breathes, just to satisfy his thirst for blood! A violent barbarian!!!”

The host shouted, piercing through the noisy arena.

“Please welcome him with a round of applause!”

—Clap, clap, clap, clap!

All eyes in the arena were on me. I immediately used the Heavenly Demon’s Descent Step. I straightened my back, tucked in my chin, and strode forward, showing off my height and physique.

Everyone is looking at me.

At this moment, I have become the center of the world.

My dream in middle school was to be an ordinary death metal singer. I didn’t really like idols or famous movie stars who followed trends.

Due to my innate disposition, I couldn’t like what others liked, and I couldn’t enjoy what others commonly enjoyed. So I fell into death metal. Only that deathly voice could cool my burning heart.

I wanted to be a singer.

But in South Korea, going on Superstar K as a death metal singer was like trying to pick a star out of the sky. That place was literally a place to discover ‘mainstream singers.’ Death metal, which was the epitome of non-mainstream, was not a place that could be aspired to.

I despaired.

Middle school student Kim Geun-tae despaired at that time.

Just like when he gave up his dream of being a baseball player in elementary school,
In middle school, he gave up his dream of being a death metal singer.

I gave up. I had no choice but to give up. This world. My lack of talent. Forced me to give up my dream. God did not give me talent. If he didn’t give me talent? Then I should have made an effort. But.

God didn’t even give me the talent to try.

“Ah.”

But.

I am no longer the Kim Geun-tae of the past.

“I’m Kim Katt.”

That’s right.

At this moment.

“Kieㅡ”

I have become a death metal singer.

「KIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEㅡ!!!!!!!!!!!!!」

I let out a barbaric scream. Just like the death metal singers I admired, I screamed with all my might. How long have I been training to perfect this?

It was truly a cry filled with the essence of barbarism.

I screamed as if to vent my resentment for the past when I had no talent and didn’t even try.

Then.

ㅡOh, oh!!!
ㅡWoo-oh-oh-oh-oh!!!!
ㅡWaaaaaaa!!!!

A roar of cheers erupted.

“Easy.”

This is what these uncivilized people in this other world, who are thirsty for pleasure, want. I had already roughly figured out the arena.

To me, who has mastered all kinds of modern civilization, showmanship was as simple as a completely insane wild male lion being born with a deformity and eating a baby Thomson’s gazelle that can’t run.

As soon as they saw my dark hair, they thought of ‘barbarism,’ and I immediately satisfied their wishes by letting out a barbaric scream.

“Did you hear that! That is the roar of the barbarians, who are no different from monsters themselves! It’s terrifying!”

My roaring figure was the ‘barbarian warrior’ himself.

ㅡIs that a barbarian, hey!
ㅡBarbarian! Barbarian!
ㅡKieeeeeee!!

The audience cheered.
This is enough ‘impact’.

I faithfully fulfilled the contract.

“Then it is right to prepare a bloody battle for him! The opponent of the barbarian warrior is! A monster of despair crawling out of the bottom of hell!”

What? A monster of despair?

“It’s a kobold!!!”

The opposite iron bars opened. ㅡGyusaat…! ㅡGyusatsat…! They were kobolds, making familiar cries. What the hell, I was scared for a moment because they said it was a monster of despair, but it was just a kobold.

Unusually, the kobolds were armed, wearing helmets made of monster skulls and claws made of broken bones on their arms. Indeed, this is the arena.

It certainly looks like something when they are armed like that.
But they’re still kobolds.

Yeah, I have to make money.

“The game starts now!!!!”