The Automatic Rooting Range Is Too Wide - Chapter 185

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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 185
Chapter

Episode 185: Crimson Arena (4)
“What kind of nonsense is that!”
Mincheol burst out at Hae-in in exasperation.
I’d barely finished my first match, and now they wanted me to fight the Champion?
“Older Brother, why are you playing weak? I saw you fight well earlier.”
“That’s only because my opponent was weak! There’s no comparison to the Champion!”
Weak.
Hae-in couldn’t help but let out a quiet laugh.
The Spine Destroyer, the Awakened that Mincheol had defeated, was a formidable fighter ranked among the elite of the Crimson Arena.
In fact, with just two or three more matches, I would be eligible to challenge the Champion.
“No, stop laughing and tell me something.”
Mincheol asked pointedly.
Hae-in shrugged and spoke.
“Older Brother, we came here to gain experience in the first place. Fighting a strong opponent is far better than defeating several mediocre ones.”
“But the Champion? That doesn’t make sense!”
“Isn’t it better the stronger the opponent is?”
“I’m not in the mood for jokes right now….”
Mincheol had no choice but to fall silent.
From the look on Hae-in’s face, there was no doubt she was serious.
‘Damn it, she’s from Cardmos Dunwall too.’
Cardmos himself had imposed harsh trials while speaking of glorious combat against formidable foes.
‘Do all those who grow stronger have to possess this kind of insane mindset….’
As someone who, like Mincheol, valued safety, this way of thinking was utterly incomprehensible.
Sigh.
Mincheol exhaled deeply and asked.
“You actually believe I can defeat the Champion?”
“I’m not sure.”
Hae-in replied with an ambiguous expression. Mincheol felt a slight tension at the back of his head.
“The Crimson Arena isn’t the highest-ranked underground fighting pit, but it’s still quite prestigious. If the Champion here is strong enough to be consumed, then… you’d be close to the level of a Master, even if not quite there.”
Master.
It was a term for exceptionally powerful Awakened among those of the Middle Layer and above.
It carried far more weight than the term “prospect” used in the Lower Layer.
A prospect was merely a title given to an Awakened with guild backing.
But only Awakened who had proven their abilities could earn the title of Master.
And now I was supposed to fight someone close to that level?
Especially in a fighting pit where murders happened frequently.
“Don’t worry too much. With your skills, Older Brother, you might not win, but you won’t die either.”
I wouldn’t need to worry about the payment either.
Mincheol glanced at Hae-in before speaking.
“I’m not doing it.”
Now that he thought about it, there was no reason for him to indulge Hae-in’s stubbornness.
Forcing an ordinary civilian into a death game without warning was absurd.
The fact that he hadn’t fled during the first match was already an accomplishment.
“Even if a blade were at my throat, I wouldn’t do it, so understand that….”
“Oh, and if your older brother just endures over there, they promised to give Memory Stones for a Mana Engine.”
But he couldn’t help but pause at what came next.
“…A Mana Engine?”
It was a term he’d heard in a video by Michael Alzen that he’d watched long ago.
It was one of the essential skills an Awakened needed to ascend to the upper layers.
A Mana Engine was a type of buff that allowed one to gain various benefits by continuously consuming mana.
What benefits could be obtained depended on the type.
What was certain was that the boost it provided was extraordinary.
Among Awakened, it was regarded as a kind of secret weapon.
No wonder rare-grade Mana Engines were traded for tens of billions at the Auction House.
‘I’ve always wanted to obtain this skill anyway….’
A rare-grade Mana Engine for tens of billions.
It was expensive, but not a price Mincheol couldn’t afford with his abilities.
The reason Mincheol hadn’t purchased one was because of the Mana Engine’s unique characteristic.
Peculiarly, one could only acquire exactly one Mana Engine.
Replacement was possible, but it came at a considerable cost, or so it was known.
Therefore, one had to acquire a Mana Engine carefully.
If he made a mistake and acquired a Mana Engine that didn’t suit him, he’d waste both time and money.
“Plus, it’s supposedly Legendary grade.”
Legendary grade!
Mincheol’s eyes widened.
His goal had always been the World Game anyway.
Since only Awakened representing each nation could participate, they would all surely possess Mana Engines.
A Legendary-grade Mana Engine would be more than sufficient compared to the World Game participants.
“Originally, they said he had to win to receive it. But I pestered them so much that they agreed to give it just for enduring,” Hae-in whispered softly.
Hae-in whispered in a small voice.
“What will you do?”
It was like a demon’s temptation.
Mincheol swallowed hard.
* * *
And so Mincheol found himself standing in the Arena.
‘Sigh, I must be insane.’
Mincheol leaned against the iron rod planted in the ground and let out a deep sigh.
No matter how coveted a Legendary-grade mana engine was, I couldn’t believe I’d accepted such a preposterous proposal.
[Thank you all for staying with us!]
The announcer’s voice erupted from the arena’s speakers.
[All scheduled matches have concluded, but we have a special exhibition match coming up!]
[Please welcome our next fighters with thunderous applause! The current Champion of the Crimson Arena! The Young Lion! Crimson Crown! Kim Yeol-jin!]
A young man emerged from the iron gate entrance on the opposite side.
His physique was striking—like gazing upon a Greek sculpture.
‘How irritating.’
As I watched the young man, I snorted softly to myself.
Not quite on Baek-ryul’s level, but handsome enough to be genuinely annoying.
Whoosh—
Champion Kim Yeol-jin raised both arms toward the crowd.
The audience erupted in cheers.
“Woooow!”
“Red Crown! What are you showing us this time!”
“Kyaaaa! Oppa!”
The reaction was as if a celebrity had appeared, not a warrior.
[His challenger is none other than… a mysterious powerhouse who appeared out of nowhere and felled the Spine Destroyer in a single blow! The Nameless Spear!]
I climbed up into the arena.
The cheers died down instantly.
“Huh? A rookie fighting the champion?”
“He fought well, but… this suddenly?”
“Isn’t this favoritism?”
“Isn’t the Harvester desperate to reclaim the champion title from Red Crown?”
The crowd’s reaction was one of confusion.
I sympathized with their sentiments. I didn’t fully understand why I was here either.
[As this is a special exhibition, different rules apply! One side dies or loses consciousness—the match ends the same way! However, for the challenger, the Nameless Spear, surviving 3 rounds means victory!]
A rule disadvantageous to the champion.
Yet the crowd didn’t seem to see it that way.
“3 rounds? Isn’t that too harsh?”
“With a rookie’s skill level, I doubt he’ll even survive the first round?”
“Special exhibition, my ass—this is just an execution.”
Despite their worried remarks, anticipation gleamed increasingly in the spectators’ eyes.
They seemed eager to see how brutally the champion would kill me.
‘The crowd’s lost their minds too.’
I was speechless at the absurdity.
“Whiiiit—.”
The champion.
Kim Yeol-jin whistled. My gaze turned toward him.
“Old man, looks like you’re in for a bad time.”
Uncle?
For Mincheol, still in his mid-twenties, it was a title that stung a little.
“My father holds quite the grudge against your teacher. He’s bitter about losing to some green kid, apparently.”
It was something Hae-in had told me before stepping into the arena.
I’d supposedly dethroned the Owner of Red Bullet, who was the champion at the time, and taken his position.
“I’m not his teacher.”
“Is that so? Father must have misunderstood. Then what’s your relationship? Are you… close in that way?”
Kim Yeol-jin’s gaze fixed on Hae-in, seated in the VIP Seating.
His eyes gleamed with a disturbingly sticky intensity.
“Wow, quite the looker. Must be fun every single day.”
It was vulgar sexual harassment that revealed his true character.
But Mincheol could only feel a sense of pity.
‘Idiot, that’s a man.’
Just then, the speaker blared loudly.
[We now begin the special match of the Crimson Arena!]
I pulled the iron rod embedded in the ground.
Kim Yeol-jin also gripped the weapon he’d prepared in advance.
The moment I saw his weapon, my eyes gleamed with an odd light.
“Twin blades?”
“Impressive, right? I’m the type who lives and dies by style.”
Unlike me, who’d brought a rod with a blunt end, Kim Yeol-jin’s twin blades were wickedly sharp and gleaming.
“Then let’s see if you can survive this.”
With an arrogant expression of absolute confidence in his superiority, Kim Yeol-jin stamped the ground.
* * *
“I never thought you’d actually accept my proposal.”
Before the match began.
Kim Gwang-gyu, seated beside Hae-in, spoke.
Around them, the Awakened of Red Bullet stood positioned strategically.
As if they were watching Hae-in.
“You coerced me, and now you’re saying this?”
“I honestly didn’t expect you to accept so readily.”
Kim Gwang-gyu extended a glass.
A waiting Subordinate Employee poured what appeared to be premium liquor.
“I thought you’d only accept my proposal after causing some commotion, having a confrontation, and being cornered.”
“I’m not one for pointless fights.”
“Ahahaha, how wise.”
Kim Gwang-gyu laughed with satisfaction.
What Hae-in meant wasn’t that he’d surrendered because he thought he couldn’t win.
Rather, it meant that even if he killed everyone here, it would serve no purpose.
“Still, I made reasonable concessions too, didn’t I? I said I’d count it as your disciple’s victory if he just lasts three rounds.”
It appeared as though he was showing kindness, but in reality, it was an act of dismissing Hae-in.
The Awakened you brought cannot survive no matter what methods are used.
‘To push forward with the match despite recognizing such a gap in ability.’
What Kim Gwang-gyu desired was not the restoration of pride through his son.
It was an action to satisfy his sense of superiority by humiliating Hae-in.
‘It was always like that in the past.’
With Kim Gwang-gyu’s skill level, he could have participated in a fighting arena one tier above the Crimson Arena.
Yet the reason he chose the Crimson Arena was to feel a sense of superiority through overwhelming victories.
‘That’s exactly why he can never grow stronger.’
It was no coincidence that he had been caught up to in an instant by Hae-in, who had just become a Middle Layer Awakened back then.
“Don’t worry too much. As you well know, equipment plays a significant role in an Awakened’s combat power, doesn’t it? Right now, Yeol-jin is practically naked.”
It was a valid point.
The reason Awakened could display superhuman abilities was not only due to level and skills, but items also played a substantial role.
Simply by equipping them, one could increase stats or activate various skills.
“Since it’s purely a clash of stats and technique, if he’s lucky, the Unknown Spearman might endure three rounds and even claim the Memory Stones.”
Kim Gwang-gyu laughed heartily.
As if such a thing could never possibly happen.
* * *
‘Now it begins.’
A place only employees could enter.
Cheongchul leaned against the wall, gazing toward the arena.
‘Kim Gwang-gyu, I apologize for mocking you as a fool.’
I knew Kim Gwang-gyu lacked intelligence, but I never expected him to be so ignorant of the Butcher’s true strength as to provoke him.
‘Regardless, this benefits me. I finally get to witness what I’ve been anticipating.’
The skill gap between the Unknown Spearman and the Champion was unmistakable.
Moreover, the Champion harbored no qualms about killing people.
If anything, he seemed to enjoy it.
It was no different from leaving a person in a beast’s cage.
How would the Unknown Spearman behave in this perilous situation?
Could he maintain his lukewarm stance of not wanting to kill?
Or would he do whatever it takes to survive?
Shiver—
Cheongchul trembled slightly with anticipation.
* * *
[We now begin the special match of the Crimson Arena!]
The match commenced.
No one expected Mincheol’s victory.
They merely hoped he would become the Champion’s sacrifice and die spectacularly.
Boom—
As if answering that expectation, Kim Yeol-jin stomped the ground with all his might.
Sand scattered through the air.
Kim Yeol-jin closed the distance in a single breath, bringing both blades down in a devastating arc.
The arena’s lights gleamed off the steel. It was as if invisible lines were being drawn across the void.
Blocking or dodging would prove futile.
Kim Yeol-jin had already calculated every possible movement of the Nameless Spearman in his mind.
He was prepared to counter whatever the Nameless Spearman might do.
Clang—
The Nameless Spearman parried the slash with the end of his iron staff.
A move I’d already anticipated.
Kim Yeol-jin stepped forward, bringing his opposite blade to bear—
Clang—
But the Nameless Spearman thrust his spear forward once more, deflecting the second slash.
‘Not bad.’
Kim Yeol-jin was slightly taken aback.
The Nameless Spearman had handled himself better than expected.
‘Time to get a little serious.’
Kim Yeol-jin shifted into a higher gear mentally.
His movements accelerated. Slashes rained down upon the Nameless Spearman.
Clang-clang-clang—
The Nameless Spearman met each slash head-on. In the center of the arena, the two exchanged blow after blow.
‘I’ll start by slicing off one ear.’
Killing him too quickly would be boring.
To satisfy the crowd’s expectations and fulfill my father’s desires, I should start with non-lethal areas, one piece at a time—
Thud—
In that instant, my thoughts shattered.
The iron staff had driven straight into my solar plexus.
A searing pain erupted as if my skull were being torn open, and my body flew backward.
I tumbled across the ground, rolling helplessly.
The sudden attack left me gasping for breath.
I lay sprawled on the ground, retching violently.
“Gack! Ugh!”
There I remained, hunched over and heaving.
The crowd, which had been roaring with fervor moments before, fell deathly silent.
What?
The newcomer landed the first blow?
Not only that, but the Champion is rolling around on the ground?
‘Thank goodness.’
I withdrew my extended spear, exhaling with relief.
‘He uses dual blades.’
Dual blades were my specialty, regardless of other weapons.
I could see exactly how Kim Yeol-jin would move, what techniques he would deploy.
‘This might be more manageable than I thought?’
Mincheol’s eyes gleamed with interest.
* * *
Crash!
VIP Seating.
Kim Gwang-gyu slammed his fist down on the table. His face had turned a deep crimson.
“The Owner was right.”
Hae-in, seated beside him, spoke with an air of ease.
“Without specialized equipment, relying only on stats and skill—it’s actually doable.”
Your son’s pathetic, really.
At the blatant mockery, Kim Gwang-gyu’s eyes nearly rolled back in his head.
Hae-in looked at him with an expression that said, ‘What are you going to do about it?’

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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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