I Became a Veteran Who Has to Stir Up Trouble to Survive - Chapter 81

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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[081] Monster, Gladiator
“That’s not allowed?! Why not!”
“Pardon? Well, of course it’s not possible… The roster and match order have already been finalized. Showing up the day before and suddenly asking to participate is….”
“Then, then I’ll give you more chips, so please find a way…!”
“Even chips won’t work!”
“Not even with chips? I thought money could buy anything at Ludus Magna?!”
“This, this is a different matter! There are high-ranking sponsors and nobles all tangled up here, and if I change the bracket on my own, I won’t just lose my job—I’ll literally lose my head! Besides, a noble of your standing wanting to participate as a lowly gladiator? What kind of nonsense is that…!”
The Announcer trembled as though hearing words he shouldn’t, then fled in panic lest he be grabbed again.
“Let’s cool our heads for a moment. Everyone’s gotten too worked up.”
Following Malton’s suggestion, we withdrew from the Arena.
After downing cold ice cream at a nearby cafe, Karen, whose heat had cooled somewhat, glanced over and opened her mouth.
“…I’m sorry.”
“Pardon? For what?”
“That burn on your arm… I caused it by stopping you.”
“Oh… it’s nothing serious. Something like this heals quickly. …Don’t tell me you’re normally so prickly because you’re worried people will get hurt because of your nature?”
“….”
Ouch—I’d thrown that out to lighten the mood, but I’d hit the mark.
As Karen’s spirits sank further and she buried her face in her ice cream, I leaned back against the chair, at a loss.
Though the situation had become complicated, losing Belmont as my reliable backing was inconvenient for me as well.
And I didn’t like squandering such a rare opportunity to meet another transmigrator so pathetically.
I smiled and spoke.
“It’s not over yet. There are plenty of other methods we can try.”
“…Really?”
“Yes, we’ve always tried to find answers even in dire circumstances. Isn’t that right, Malton?”
“That’s the truth. It’s too early to despair.”
Radi, who had been listening silently to our conversation, chimed in.
“Honestly, I never thought participating in the Arena was even a viable method. After seeing how many people die there, doing something so reckless… Why not just bribe a gladiator instead? Match fixing!”
“That’ll be difficult. The Announcer mentioned earlier that sponsors are involved in the Arena. Most gladiators are former slaves, so with their lives on the line, there’s no one who’d intentionally throw a match.”
“Then hmm… What about the prize? We could swap it with a fake!”
“Even if we recover Belmont’s ring, without knowing the seller’s location, it’d be useless.”
We put our heads together in frustration, brainstorming ideas.
With a new tournament starting tomorrow, if we don’t find a solution by today, our chance to trace Belmont’s whereabouts through the ring is lost.
To backtrack the ring’s origin, we must somehow prevent a champion from being crowned in the tournament.
If I were the me from when I fought Leviathan, I would have wielded the Sacred Relic and driven out all the swarming spectators….
‘Wait… Undead? The venue is packed with spectators…?’
The moment that thought struck me, I bolted upright, shoving the table aside.
Karen glared at me as ice cream dripped from her face, but I couldn’t contain my excitement as I cried out.
“I have a brilliant idea…! The gladiator recruitment may be closed, but there’s still another avenue!”
“…Another avenue?”
“Monsters! We can’t enter as gladiators, but we can slip in among the beasts!”
If I need to prevent a champion from emerging in the tournament, I can simply become the opposing monster myself and crush all the participants beneath my feet.
As the worst kind of monster, enhanced by [Chaos].
* * *
The next day, Doran and Karen found the Monster Management Facility.
To disguise myself as a monster and compete in the Arena, I first needed to infiltrate the location where the Monster Cage was kept.
The problem was that there was no way such a facility wouldn’t have guards posted.
“So… are you ready?”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
Doran and Karen exchanged glances, then approached the Guard with determined expressions.
Upon spotting Doran and Karen in their ornate mink coats, the Guard crossed his spear to block the entrance.
“Please step back, my lord. This is a facility for storing gladiatorial monsters. It is not a place for distinguished guests such as yourselves.”
As they stubbornly refused entry, Karen leaned against Doran’s shoulder beneath her mask, her shameless expression hidden, and began her act.
“Oh my, so this is where those terrifying monsters that will appear in the Arena are kept! Would it be alright if we took a quick look? My husband and I have a hobby of collecting rare monsters.”
“During the tournament, absolutely no outsiders are permitted to enter this facility.”
“Could you perhaps make an exception? Just for a moment, if you would be so kind?”
Karen slipped black betting chips into the guards’ pockets.
One, two, three… as the chips accumulated, the guards reluctantly moved their spears aside.
“…Only for a moment.”
“Oh, thank you so much. Here’s a bonus for you.”
While one Guard stood watch outside, the other led Karen and Doran into the facility.
As my eyes adjusted to the dim interior, I could see cages lining the corridor and the monsters confined within them.
“The smell is quite pungent, isn’t it? Please be careful not to get too close to the cages. Ah, this is a Steel-Claw Lion. As the name suggests, it possesses long, sharp steel claws!”
“A lion with steel claws—how absolutely terrifying!”
“Oh dear…! Madam, please be careful not to get sparks on your coat. This horse was procured from the Volcanic Region. Its distinguishing feature is its mane that constantly burns with flame.”
“Oh, just looking at it is painful!”
Karen played along with the Guard’s explanation, feigning admiration, while whispering to Doran.
“We don’t have time—hurry and decide! Which monster are you going to transform into?”
“Well… I’m still thinking about it.”
Using the [Disguise] skill required preliminary work—hunting the corresponding monster first.
To transform into a new monster, I would need to kill the creature in the cage and dispose of its corpse, which was impossible with the Guard watching.
‘…Besides, simply transforming into an arbitrarily powerful monster isn’t the answer.’
My transformation skill couldn’t fully unleash a monster’s complete abilities from the start.
If I recklessly transformed into a massive creature, I might not be able to move properly.
So the monster I needed to choose now was….
As I crossed the boundary line on the floor and moved deeper into the more dilapidated section of the facility, the Guard gave me a puzzled look.
“Huh? That area just contains weak, unremarkable prey, so there’s nothing much to see there.”
“Prey?”
“Yes, madam. Before the tournament officially begins, we warm up the atmosphere by showing monsters being slaughtered! These lower-tier creatures are for that purpose.”
In other words, they were disposable goods meant to be discarded the moment the show started.
Doran stopped in front of a cage containing one particular group of monsters.
Green skin, diminutive stature, a familiar silhouette.
[Goblin]
｢A common mob creature found anywhere in Belheim! While they can occasionally prove troublesome in groups, conversely, when their unity fractures, they collapse with surprising ease.｣
Karen regarded me with an uncertain gaze.
‘Are you really sure about this? You’re certain…?’
‘Yes.’
‘But no matter what, wouldn’t it be better to choose a stronger monster…! You’re really going to beat the gladiators with this?’
‘Just trust me.’
As I nodded with conviction, Karen smiled and waved her betting chips.
“Excuse me, could you look over here for a moment?”
“Huh? What’s the matter….”
Crack!
I brought down the prepared bludgeon on the Guard’s skull, knocking him unconscious, then extracted the cage key from his back pocket.
｢You’ve disguised yourself as a Forest Goblin!｣
Clang—! I opened the cage and stepped directly into the throng of monsters.
I tensed slightly, half-expecting a sudden group assault, but the resigned Goblins merely glanced at me with indifference.
With this, I had achieved the objective of blending in among the fighting monsters.
Yet Karen, who had seemed composed while planning, felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness the moment she saw me enter the cage.
‘How can he be so unfazed…?’
I was acting as though this were nothing, but in truth, this was a gamble with my life at stake.
There was no guarantee that things would go smoothly, and with the frail body of a lowest-tier monster, I would have to engage in a slaughter against formidable opponents.
I couldn’t predict what variables might arise, and given the nature of being in the center of the Arena, it would be impossible for my allies to intervene and rescue me if things went wrong.
‘But where does this confidence even come from…?’
Moreover, this man and Uncle were complete strangers to each other.
Uncle Belmont, while somewhat stern, was the family who taught me to love magic—someone who, due to my constitution, had to live alone from childhood.
A man who would step forward for such a precious person could only be respected as a human being.
“…Did Malton and Radi accept you through a process like this too?”
─Gob? What nonsense are you spouting, human.
The moment I grasped the bars with nonchalance, something remarkable occurred.
Karen, who had always been so sharp-tongued, bowed respectfully.
“…I apologize for my rudeness up until now. I, Karen, the young Rabbit of the Ignas Family, swear that I will do my utmost to aid you in this mission, and I pledge upon my esteemed magic to repay this debt of gratitude.”
Faced with Karen’s solemn declaration, I could only be bewildered.
‘Why is she doing this? Did she eat something bad?’
I promptly pointed a long index finger through the bars and responded in the cheerful manner characteristic of Goblins.
─That sort of thing—save it for after this is over and prepare a meat feast instead.
“….”
The moment Karen answered with a faint smile, the sound of fireworks erupted from outside.
I swiveled my Goblin head frantically, looking around.
─Ick, that’s Radi’s signal! Someone must be coming!
“…I wish you fortune.”
Karen quickly gathered Doran’s clothes and hurried away from the spot.
Soon, the sound of murmuring voices and footsteps drew near.
The laborers who had come to transport the monsters cried out upon seeing the Guard collapsed on the ground.
“What’s this? Passed out in broad daylight!”
“Must’ve gotten drunk again. This isn’t the first or second time—let’s just finish the job. We’re running out of time.”
A cloth was draped over the cage, and the sound of wheels rolling accompanied the jolting vibrations.
After enduring several violent impacts and regaining my balance, the four sides of the cage suddenly swung wide open.
As sunlight poured down, Doran instinctively squinted, and his vision filled with an innumerable crowd and the scorching sand floor of the arena.
I stood in the heart of the Ludus Magna Arena, the very place where I had watched the slaughter spectacle with fascination the day before.
“Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Ludus Magna Arena!! Before today’s highly anticipated first tournament match begins, we present to you a special entertainment—a monster massacre!”
“Please offer your condolences to the goblins who will meet such a tragic fate!!”
With a deafening roar from the crowd, the opposite cage opened, and a massive bull emerged with a bellowing cry.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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