Arena Chapter 111:
Chapter 111 – Trend (Part 2)
“This would really be amazing if it could be used in the Arena!”
My current body already had the physical strength buff at intermediate level 5 and boasted impressive capabilities .
But with this I could use up to twenty fold my current muscle ability?
Jumping, attacking, and speed even will all increase by 20 times!
‘Not only that, but the sensor was incredible . It doesn’t feel unnatural at all!’
I put force into just my big toe and attempted to jump .
A big jump and I leaped 1 meter in the air . I barely used the strength of a tip toe, that little strength, and it’s this much .
On top of that, I can control it to the point of grabbing a paper cup with ease . Which meant I wouldn’t accidentally break my guns when I pulled the trigger!
Odin said,
“We want you, Kim Hyun-ho, to take this synthetic muscle suit to the Arena for us . If you could, you two would obviously get one, and we would offer separate compensation for it . ”
Research chief Vilhelm said something too and Odin translated it for us .
“He says he will pay 3,000,000 francs per suit . On top of that, is the conditions that our Nordic exam group’s will continue to protect your family . ”
3,000,000 in Swiss francs is in Korean money 3,300,000,000 won . (TLN: $3 million USD)
Considering that it was just a delivery charge, it was an incredible amount!
But thinking about the synthetic muscle suit that increases muscle power by 20 times, it wasn’t really an expensive price either .
Basically, if examinees with superhuman physiques used this muscle suit, what would happen?
That result was something that couldn’t be measured just in monetary value .
‘But money isn’t what’s important . ’
Having allies that are strong like the Nordic exam group, on my side, was more significant .
I could always make money with the flames of life .
I nodded my head .
“First, I will deliver ten units . Can I deliver them to your territory?”
“Yes . I can hold them until our examinees visit my area and pick one up each . ”
“On that note, amongst the delivery, please save one for Miss Cha Ji-hye . ”
“Of course . ”
On the account of delivering 10 suits to Odin’s Count Wolfenbrooke, I am to receive 30,000,000 francs . (TLN: 30 mil USD)
When Cha Ji-hye leaves the tropical swamps and gets a chance, she will stop by Wolfenbrooke’s territory and pick up the synthetic muscle suit .
We talked a lot about the other electronics I would be taking to the Arena .
It seemed the Nordic exam group brainstormed a lot of ideas upon hearing about the capabilities of my space bag skill .
They said they are working on a radio wave transmitter-receiver that uses majeong to increase thrust and send the signal to a wide area .
As long as the person was within that scope of the signal, a phone call would be possible .
“Our Nordic exam group has spent time a lot of time to develop a good amount of uses for majeong and, if it goes well, we can create a transmitter that at most can cover 2000 km, before the next exam . ” (TLN: 1,240 miles)
“A whole 2000 km? That’s incredible . ”
“With that distance, don’t you think something like a huge communication satellite won’t be needed?”
“I completely agree . ”
The entire distance from Seoul to Busan is roughly 400 km . with 2000 km that was plenty to cover the distance between the Brown Mountains and Wolfenbrooke’s territory .
We talked about this and that and suddenly it was evening .
Research Chief Vilhelm Heinz said he’ll leave work and took off, and the rest of us decided to get dinner and headed to a restaurant .
“There is someone I wish to introduce to you . ”
I kind of have an idea who .
“Someone that needs my treatments?”
“Indeed . ”
“Is it a disease?”
“It is not a scientific/medical problem . She is a healthy 23 year old woman . ”
“If it is not a medical problem, will I be of any help?”
“Her life is precarious . She is desperately grasping at straws and she is asking for your help . ”
“She is an examinee . ”
Deduced Cha Ji-hye .
With a surprised face, Odin looked at her then nodded .
“She is . ”
Cha Ji-hye said to me,
“It is probably a problem of a curse . ”
“A curse?”
Instantly, I recalled the dark magician I fought in the last exam, John Omento .
He too had used some curse to sicken the Tree of Life .
“Even if she did get cursed, won’t she recover once she passes through the exam door?”
“The body recovers . ”
But the curse doesn’t go away?
“Something like that can happen?”
I became suspicious .
A curse that doesn’t disappear when you pass through the exam door?
There is something that the exam door, created by gods and angels, can’t cure?
“A psychogenic curse . ”
Said Cha Ji-hye again .
With an impressed face, Odin said,
“You do know a lot . Yes, it is a psychogenic curse . The curse itself disappears, but in this instance, the mental agony from that curse is left in the head . ”
“Then realistically, the thing I have to cure is psychological problem, not the curse?”
“Yes . ”
“Wouldn’t it be better to seek the help of a psych doctor?”
“Do you think she wouldn’t have tried that?”
I shut my mouth at Odin’s remark .
I’m sure she has .
“The mental agony that a curse leaves is a level that is not possible in reality, therefore it is not a level that can be handled at a psych mental health facility . ”
Neilson, who had long been silent, spoke up .
“She has attempted suicide three times so she is under 24/7 supervision . It’s a pity, she is a young gal . ”
I don’t know if the psychological aftereffect can be cured by flames of life .
No matter, I had to try .
We got to the restaurant on the first floor when .
“I said don’t touch me – ! I’ll kill you!!”
A female voice was shouting loudly in the Arena language .
A Caucasian woman with pure white skin, like a wax figure . Long blonde hair with large eyes, sharp nose, a classic beauty .
The situation is in the corner of the restaurant where she was sitting, surrounded by several examinee group employees .
They didn’t know what to do in the hysteria of this woman .
“Marie!”
Yelled Odin .
As soon as he shouted, the blonde beauty known as Marie saw him and went quiet .
“I told you to behave!”
As Odin approached her and scolded her, Marie looked quite uncomfortable and turned her head away and shrugged it off .
She was throwing such a loud fit, now she’s calmed in front of Odin .
Here, I can sense how big Odin’s status in the Nordic exam group was .
“You didn’t self-injure or anything again?”
Odin grabbed her wrists and checks them out around .
Marie angrily tried to shake her hands free from Odin . Like a father and a teenage daughter .
Then her eyes fell on me and Cha Ji-hye and her eyes sharpened .
“Who are you?”
“They are the people I told you about . ”
“I said I don’t need it!”
“Whether you need it or not, I decide . ”
With that snappy comment, Odin said to me,
“This woman is Marie Johanna and she is 23 this year . In her case, she died through suicide and became an examinee, she used to be well-behaved but she has changed to be this temperamental because of the curse . ”
Marie Johanna looked disgusted that Odin was telling us her private information .
“Well, hello . ”
I offered a greeting .
Marie abruptly turned her head away and ignored me .
Feeling embarrassed, I scratched my head .
“Can I be of any help?”
“Please try . You will be rewarded . ”
“Understood . ”
I made a flame of life .
Then Marie, who had been ignoring me, turned her eyes towards the flame of life .
I handed the flame of life towards her .
“Eat it . ”
“You want me to eat that?”
Marie scowled .
“It’s tasty . ”
I said jokingly .
Marie stared intently at the flame of life, thinking it over .
Odin grilled her .
“Hurry, eat it . ”
Marie gave a coy look, then took the flame of life . She halted momentarily then swallowed the flame .
Su lu luk .
The flame entered her body .
Her expression that was full of anger and evil, gradually became calmer .
I was thinking that the energy the flame was giving her made her feel better .
“Didn’t I say it was tasty?”
I joked, laughing .
Then, Marie Johanna stared at me . Then,
‘Huk!’
Then, with a heart piercing beautiful, she smiled .
Such a bright smile, she extended her hand .
“……?”
With a suspicious look on my face, Marie stared at me .
Her expression was like a child asking for something to eat . Is that……
“I think she is asking for more . ”
Said Odin with an air of annoyance .
“It’s not that I can’t give her more, but shouldn’t we check that it is effective? This is expensive . ”
Some rich man in America with his head hung low, spent an astronomical amount of money to eat these .
Marie looked at me with such a pitiful expression, as if asking if I really won’t give her any more .
‘Gung!’
I won’t be swayed by beauty again!
I slowly shook my head .
With a dispirited expression, Marie put down the hand she extended to me . And her head hung down .
“Let’s eat first and we can talk slowly . ”
We all sat down in our seats .
Odin and Neilson sat on either side of Marie and I sat alongside Cha Ji-hye .
But then, Marie just stared straight at me again, then looked back and forth between me and Cha Ji-hye .
Her beautiful blue eyes with double eyelids, shook .
It looked like her head was full of complicated thoughts .
Having decided, Marie got up and came around from the other side, to me .
She eased the chair close and sat really close to me .
‘Uh, what is this?’
When I gave her a strange look, she smiled again .
This was my first time experiencing such blatant flirting and I felt flustered and thought about how absurd this was all at once .
Odin let out a deep sigh .
“Her mental health was not on the good side originally, but her condition has gotten much worse after the curse . ”
‘Basically, she’s a bit gone in the head . ’
At first glance, she appeared that way .
At Odin’s remark, Marie looked angry again .
She threw the fork that was on the table .
Shwik!
I was completely surprised .
Because the fork was thrown like an arrow, but of course Odin quickly grabbed it with his left hand .
“I said to stop this shit!”
“Humph!’
Marie linked her arm into mine and snorted . As it she has deemed me her protector .
Within five minutes of meeting, she was treating me as if we were friends that had known each other for a long time .
“It is a mental regression . ”
Cha Ji-hye looked at us and said lightly .
Regardless of what you call this, this woman is crazy for sure .
The restaurant employees brought us steak and salad and soup .
And when I picked up the knife and fork to cut the steak .
Marie had picked up her knife first and quickly she started to cut the steak on my plate .
Shwi shwi shwi shwi shwi shwik-
1 second?
It was but a moment . The steak was cut into even bits .
I was speechless at her lightning speed .
Neilson smiled and said,
“She might look like a crazy bitch, but she is a 24th turn veteran . As I understand, she is an aura control intermediate level 10 . I heard she has mastered an assassination skill as her assist skill . ”
Marie looked at me and her smile that was innocent and bright . With a knife in her hand .
I got a creepy feeling .