The Automatic Rooting Range Is Too Wide - Chapter 183

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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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Auto Looting Range Too Wide Episode 183

Episode 183: Crimson Arena (2)

How did things come to this?
Mincheol calmly recalled what had transpired moments before.
“Older Brother, do you have much time today?”
“I don’t have any particular schedule…”
“Perfect. We can leave right now.”
“Right now? Where are we going?”
“First, take this.”
Hae-in tossed Mincheol a ring crafted from azure stone and an expressionless mask.

【Azure Stone Ring】
-Grade: Unique
-Description: A magical artifact used by the Nobility for secret meetings. When worn, it allows the wearer to transform into another person.

【Faceless Mask】
-Grade: Unique
-Description: A mask that conceals the face. It is nearly impossible to see through.

The moment Mincheol checked the Item Information, he couldn’t help but gasp.
Unique grade?
She’s giving me two of these treasures?
What if I just take them and run?
“You need to wear both so your identity won’t be exposed.”
“Wait, what are you trying to—”
“Hurry, please.”
Unable to resist Hae-in’s urging, Mincheol put on the rings.
His skin darkened immediately, and coarse hair sprouted across his forearms and jaw.
“Oh?”
Mincheol checked his face using his smartphone’s selfie camera.
The camera displayed a completely different person.
“With these two items, there’s no way your identity will be discovered.”
Next, Hae-in retrieved a rusted key from her Inventory and twisted it in midair.
A brilliant blue Dimensional Gate swung wide open.
Mincheol’s eyes widened in astonishment.
He’d heard that items capable of opening Dimensional Gates were among the rarest of Legendary grade artifacts.
‘What exactly is her true identity?’
He’d anticipated she was a high-tier Awakened, but he never imagined she was this formidable.
The possibility that she was far more remarkable than he’d initially assessed began to dawn on him.
“Older Brother, just a moment. I need to prepare myself as well.”
With those words, Hae-in retrieved a mask from her Inventory and put it on.
It was a different mask than the one Mincheol had received.
Next, she removed her earrings and placed them in her Inventory.
Hae-in’s physique began to transform.
Her short hair suddenly lengthened, and her chest became more pronounced.
“Wh-wh-what?!”
Mincheol couldn’t help but be startled by the sudden change.
“Y-you’re saying you were a woman?”
“Ahahaha, how could that be? It’s just a disguise.”
Hae-in burst into laughter.
Not only her physique but her voice had changed completely.
“Why? Are you disappointed it’s not real?”
Hae-in laughed brightly and patted Mincheol’s back, clearly amused.
But Mincheol could only stare at her with a wary gaze.
‘No matter what, disguising herself as a woman… is she insane?’
It was the moment Mincheol’s assessment of Hae-in took a sharp nosedive.
“Come on, follow me quickly.”
Standing before the Dimensional Gate, Hae-in extended her hand and spoke.
Staring at that outstretched hand, Mincheol found himself lost in thought.
‘Are you trying to do something bad to me?’
From childhood, hadn’t I been taught never to follow strangers?
In a harsh world like this, not just children but adults needed to be cautious too.
‘No, Hae-in wouldn’t do that.’
But Mincheol quickly changed his mind.
Though they hadn’t known each other long, Hae-in didn’t seem like the type to harm him.
Besides, considering Hae-in’s abilities, she wouldn’t need to resort to such troublesome schemes when she could hurt me far more easily.
‘Ah, whatever.’
If I could grasp even a clue about utilizing the Meteor Spear Technique through this, it would be a worthwhile gamble.
For a World Game without regrets.
Mincheol followed Hae-in through the Dimensional Gate.

* * *

The place they arrived at after passing through the Dimensional Gate was in front of a hotel.
Mincheol gazed upward at the dazzling building with wonder in his eyes.
‘Hopewell Hotel?’
Even Mincheol, who had never used a hotel in his entire life, knew of this place.
It was one of Seoul’s most prestigious luxury hotels.
“This way, please.”
Hae-in led Mincheol toward the lobby.
Various guests passed by the two of them, yet no one paid them any attention.
Despite their unusual attire.
“It’s because of an item installed in the hotel.”
Noticing Mincheol’s confusion, Hae-in offered a brief explanation.
“An item?”
“I’ll explain the details later. For now, just know that it prevents guests like us from drawing attention.”
Why would a hotel need such a function?
While Mincheol pondered this, the two arrived at the information desk.
“How may I assist you?”
The Employee spoke with a gentle smile.
Hae-in silently produced a crimson ring and displayed it.
“…!”
Upon seeing the ring, the Employee’s eyes narrowed as she glanced around the surroundings, then whispered to Hae-in.
“I’ll escort you right away.”
The Employee led the two to the elevator.
Once inside the elevator, the Employee produced a key card and swiped it across the reader.
The elevator began descending without anyone pressing a floor button.
Even after considerable time had passed, the elevator showed no signs of stopping.
‘Just how deep are we going?’
Ding dong.
After descending for over five minutes, the elevator doors slid open.
As I stepped out, a middle-aged man greeted me with open arms as if he’d been waiting.
“What an honor to have such a distinguished guest grace us with their presence. Today is truly a fortunate day.”
“You’re still managing this place, I see.”
“Haha, fortunately my juniors haven’t pushed me out yet.”
Mincheol nudged Hae-in’s elbow—a silent request for an explanation.
“Older Brother, this is the proprietor of Hopewell Hotel.”
“Ah, so Togui has brought an acquaintance. Pleased to meet you. I’m Kim Jong-sik.”
The proprietor of the hotel?
I gazed at the man with undisguised admiration.
Perhaps it was because I was still a job seeker, but I always envied anyone with a high position.
“Wait, what do you mean by Togui?”
“It’s the username I used to go by.”
“Username?”
Why would a username be necessary just to visit a hotel?
I felt genuinely bewildered.
But what truly unsettled me was the conversation between the two of them.
“If you’re interested in participating in the Arena, I could arrange a championship match for you immediately. The current champion would be delighted to accept.”
“Ah, I have no intention of participating.”
“I see, you’ve come to enjoy the spectacle. Excellent. I’ll have you shown to the VIP seating at once——”
“Instead, I have someone to recommend.”
“A recommendation, you say…?”
The proprietor’s gaze shifted to me. I watched his expression visibly stiffen.
“That would be problematic. The Arena operated by Hopewell only accepts Awakened who possess both qualifications and exceptional skill——”
“I’m aware. As the former champion, I vouch for him. His abilities surpass anyone in this establishment.”
Conflict flickered across the proprietor’s face.
“There has been an opening recently, though…”
“Perfect! Why not put him to the test? If the audience isn’t satisfied, I’ll compete in his stead.”
At the mention of competing himself, the proprietor’s eyes gleamed with interest.
Either way, the hotel stood to gain—he seemed to realize there was no downside.
“Very well, I accept. Then, if the gentleman behind you would kindly follow me——”

* * *

“Young Novice!”
The shout snapped Mincheol back to attention.
“So you came in as a substitute for Finger Cutter? And of all people, I get you as my first opponent. Your luck is absolutely rotten!”
Spine Destroyer bellowed with swagger.
“And what’s that weapon you’re holding? An iron rod? You think you can fight me with a blade that hasn’t even been sharpened?”
Just as Spine Destroyer said, the weapon I held was indeed an iron rod.
It was something I’d grabbed hastily when told I had to fight immediately.
“Let me give you some advice as a senior. Only those prepared to kill survive and leave this arena alive.”
Crunch, crunch.
Spine Destroyer flexed his studded gloves as he spoke.
Those protruding knobs looked like they’d shatter bones like brittle reeds if they connected.
“In other words, you won’t be leaving here alive today!”
Spine Destroyer kicked off the sand and charged forward.
With both fists pressed against his face and his torso lowered, he came at me like a bullet.
I thrust the iron rod forward to prevent him from closing the distance.
Spine Destroyer didn’t dodge. Instead, he shortened his punch and deflected my thrust.
I recovered the rod and thrust again. Multiple successive thrusts aimed at Spine Destroyer’s torso.
Clang—clang-clang—
Spine Destroyer parried every single attack effortlessly.
His technique was remarkably refined, despite his crude demeanor.
‘Prepared to kill, he said…’
As we exchanged blows, I turned his words over in my mind.
By his logic, I wasn’t prepared to kill anyone yet.
Or rather, it was more accurate to say I had no intention of doing so.
Kill someone? Why would I?
What if legal problems arose from that?
Even setting that aside, there’s no guarantee my conscience could bear it.
When I let the Hope Society’s Awakened die in the Mercenary Layer, I’d come to understand something.
Ah, killing people really isn’t an easy thing to do.
Even doing it indirectly carries such a heavy burden—what about doing it directly?
Could someone like me, who’d lived an ordinary life, bear that weight?
That’s why I had absolutely no intention of killing anyone going forward.
My mental health is precious, after all!
“Young Novice! Your focus is slipping!”
Suddenly, Spine Destroyer’s entire body rotated.
He struck the iron rod with a right hook while extending one leg wide.
Closing the distance with another rotation.
Simultaneously, he swung the back of his opposite hand.
In fighting terms, it was a technique called a backspin blow.
Just as the studded glove was about to slam into my jaw—
Crash—
Something struck the outer side of the Spine Destroyer’s calf.
His leg lifted, his balance wavered. His body tilted to one side.
Caught mid-rotation, the Spine Destroyer couldn’t react and tumbled down pathetically.
The Spine Destroyer’s expression turned bewildered.
In his field of vision, he saw Mincheol raising an iron rod high above his head.
“Wait, hold on!”
Mincheol brought the iron rod down with all his strength without hesitation.
Boom—
A thunderous crash erupted from his back.
The Spine Destroyer lay sprawled on the ground like a frog beneath a shoe.
“All that talk about being prepared to kill… why does he have so much to say?”
Mincheol slung the iron rod across his shoulder as he added his remark.
“In the end, the stronger one wins.”

* * *

“Woooow!”
The crowd erupted in cheers at Mincheol’s clean finish.
“Did you see that? The Spine Destroyer went down in one hit!”
“It wasn’t one hit. One to the ankle, two to the neck. That’s two hits, isn’t it?”
“Either way, he won! Damn it, he won!”
The moment the Spine Destroyer’s fist struck the iron rod.
Mincheol used the recoil to spin the iron rod.
Thus he struck the Spine Destroyer’s ankle.
Because he was mid-rotation, the Spine Destroyer hadn’t seen it coming.
“I didn’t expect much since he came in as a substitute. But he’s no ordinary fighter.”
“Damn it, damn it… my money! What about my money!”
The spectator stands filled with cheers and jeers mixed together.
Among them, Go Hae-in watched Mincheol with a subtle smile on her face.
‘My instincts never fail me, do they.’
Fighting pits targeting Awakened were frequently held in the Underworld.
Few entertainments rivaled the thrill of watching these so-called superhumans risk their lives in brutal combat.
The Crimson Arena, operated by the Hopewell Hotel, ranked among the top fighting pits in the Underworld.
The caliber of Awakened here was correspondingly high.
The Spine Destroyer that Mincheol faced was a Middle Layer Awakened, after all.
‘Dangerous as it is… there’s no better place to build real combat experience in such a short time.’
Go Hae-in had frequented this place often during her Lower Layer days.
To gain experience with weapons other than spear techniques.
Of course, while concealing her identity as a member of the Goseong Group.
Those days had been quite entertaining. By the time I came to my senses, I had already ascended to the position of Champion.
‘My older brother should be able to do the same as me, right?’
Mincheol’s aptitude was something even Go Hae-in acknowledged.
I thought he would adapt to this place without much difficulty.
‘But don’t let your guard down.’
Having survived brutal battles, the Awakened here were far from ordinary.
Even Go Hae-in had struggled against them more than once.
Of course, the caliber of competitors now would be completely different from back then, but there was no way to know how things would unfold.
It was while Go Hae-in was lost in such thoughts.
Someone came and sat down beside her.
When I turned my head to the side, I saw a woman dressed in a striped suit.
Despite being an outfit that few could pull off, it suited her remarkably well.
Perhaps it was due to her slender figure, which rivaled that of a model.
But what Go Hae-in noticed was not the woman’s elegance.
It was the eye patch covering one of her eyes.
“It’s an honor to meet the legend of the Crimson Arena.”
The woman with the eye patch.
Cheongrok spoke with a bright smile.

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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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