1,000,000 Karma: My Reward Is a Quiet Life-Chapter 59: The Opening Round

Redrum recounted the story, "In mere minutes, without a fight even breaking out, he wiped out over a thousand monsters. I heard of it only from the single survivor of those stationed at the ruins, who was by fortune scouting the outside territory."

"Two decades ago, you said?" Rain added in, sitting up slightly with her disheveled hair laid on her shoulders.

"That’s right," Redrum confirmed with a nod.

"Was he just a kid back then, or what?" Otto wondered.

"No," Redrum answered. "He was a man, I know that for sure."

Noah sighed, looking at the mahogany table in front of his seat, "Sounds like he’s a real veteran then. I don’t like the idea of having to fight an old man."

"You’ve got to make it to the Champion’s Round first," Astrid reminded him with a playful laugh.

"After everything I’ve seen, I’d be an idiot not to put my money on Noah to make it there," Otto claimed with a shrug.

Redrum’s mood seemed entirely different from everybody else’s casual stance on the tournament as he looked straight at Noah, "I can’t approve of entering this tournament, Noah. Not if that man will be participating."

"Why’s that? Afraid I’m going to get hurt?" Noah asked.

"It’s not like killing is allowed," Otto added.

The orc wasn’t satisfied with that logic, "A rule is not enough to rely on. Killing is prohibited in most places, yet people do it all the time. This man takes joy in violence–more than any other I’d seen." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Thanks for the concern, I’ll keep it in mind," Noah accepted with a gracious smile, though stayed resolute. "If he’s that kind of guy, I’ll have to show him a better path."

"Hrm..." Redrum quietly acknowledged.

"I knew you’d say something like that," Otto sighed with a small smile.

As the hours passed with some much needed, but short rest, he found himself within the colosseum tunnels. Even for a structure built for the sole purpose of harboring combat, it was no less exuberant than the main building; walls of glistening marble and ivory gates ahead.

"Alright! You’re almost up, my friend! Are you excited? Aren’t you?!" Otto asked without containing any of his own joy, massaging and slapping Noah’s shoulders in an attempt to ignite him.

Noah looked ahead, "I’m questioning why you’re the one I let accompany here now."

"’Course I’m going to be the one to support you! Besides, it’s like front row seats...That’s not why I wanted to be here though!" Otto explained, stepping back with a proud look. "I’m here to support my best friend in his victory!"

"Right, thanks," Noah returned the notion with a smile of his own.

Beyond the tunnel, the echoes of the cheering crowd were hardly muffled by distance. The bout before his own seemed to have come to an end, leaving him next. In the center of the enclosed battlefield sat atop stone, a man in black was laid out on his back in defeat.

"THAT’S IT, FOLKS! LAMORE IS PROGRESSING TO THE SECOND ROUND!" Throughout the colosseum, the announcer’s voice boomed.

Standing victorious, an elven adventurer raised his arms, further igniting the vigor of the crowd.

Astrid watched from the crowd squeamishly, "Uuu..."

"I’m not much of a fan of this sort of thing, either," Redrum said quietly. "But I will respect the spirit of these warriors."

Meanwhile Rain was sitting between them, snacking on grilled meat and cheering, "Woo! That’s fifty gold for me! I just need good ol’ Noah to come through for an extra hundred, heheh..."

"You’re betting on this?!" Astrid asked in shock.

The baggy-eyed exorcist shrugged, "Why not? Ballou has some perks, I won’t deny it."

In the tunnel exclusive to combatants, Noah watched the loser of the first bout walk in with shame.

"Nice try out there—" Noah said in support.

"Shut up," the defeated rogue said in contempt as he passed by, holding his stomach.

Otto immediately looked back as the participant passed by, "Hey, he was being nice–!"

While he was thankful for his friend’s interjection, Noah calmly placed a hand on the youthful elf’s shoulder, whispering to him, "There’s no need for that. It’s my fault for saying something he didn’t want to hear."

Otto clenched his fist, wanting to say something though begrudgingly accepting the advice with a quiet exhale, "You’re way too nice, Noah. Seriously, it scares me sometimes."

"Is that so?" He said with a small laugh.

The hooded adventurer made a quick exit without saying anything else, though it was obvious the defeated contestant was hurting. He watched the eliminated adventurer leave, hopefully to get medical attention.

"OUR NEXT BOUT IS STARTING! PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE BATTLEGROUNDS–NOAH SOUL! THE HOT ROOKIE!"

Echoing vast, the announcer’s voice stirred a round of cheers. He rolled his shoulders to get himself ready, looking back as Otto extended a fist to him.

"Good luck out there," the archer said.

Noah met the bump halfway, "Thanks."

Passing through the tunnel, which each stride forward, the volume of the crowd seemed to amplify. It crescendoed until he reached the otherside, stepping into the light–

"There he is!"

"The rookie!"

"What was his name again? Nooya?"

While he could pick up on some chatter here and there, for the most part, it was a mess of cheers and incomprehensible shouts–some in favor of him, some not.

Above the stands of the common spectators, the luxurious, exclusive seating housed the most influential members of the city. Sat in a chair decorated with scarlet threads, a youthful woman in a lavish, amber dress watched the battlefield.

With a dismissive look, the platinum-haired woman of esteem raised a glistening coin, "Sir Sigurd."

"Yes, Lady Freja?" The bodyguard dressed in damaged, onyx armor answered beside the wealthy girl.

"Place this on the newcomer," she ordered.

"As you wish, but...If I may ask, what made you want to place your wager on him? He doesn’t look like much, if I’m being honest," the experienced bodyguard asked.

The wealthy girl simply smiled, resting her chin atop her pale hands, "I imagine he’ll be destroyed, but I’d like to root for this poor man’s struggle."

"AND FOR HIS OPPONENT, YOU KNOW HIM! A PREVIOUS PARTICIPANT OF THE CLASH OF STARS–LACIAN, THE AMBER TYRANT!"