Apocalypse Shelter Administrator-Chapter 77: Duel

Duel

On the day of the match, I entered the secret viewing area under Kiz's guidance. This place is a premium seat sparsely installed at the top of the arena.

"Those old farts sure didn’t spare any expense on this."

Even the feel of the sofa is something special. Just one of these would cost tens of millions of won. Various kinds of liquor displayed in one corner also caught my eye.

[Everything is ready. Shall we begin?]

Kiz spoke.

I could see two women standing in the square ring for the match and hundreds of spectators surrounding them.

The referee was a security robot. Dressed in the referee uniform of old illegal gambling dens and topped with a black hat, it looked surprisingly fitting.

What a rough life it must have had meeting the wrong owner…

***

While Jinsoo was surveying the arena from above, tension was brewing below.

"You, filthy bitch, don’t know your place." The Chinese woman said in broken Korean.

"You’re dead today by my hands." She clenched her bear-like hands at Nina.

"Fuck off, you Chinese whore." Nina grinned brightly and raised her middle finger.

In an ordinary fighting match, the referee would step in, but the machine cared nothing for martial etiquette. It was simply programmed to execute one command for this match.

—Provide more excitement and entertainment for the residents.

The verbal spar between the two women was broadcasted without a single word missed on every screen in the detention camp.

Everyone was interested in this rare spectacle. Even the women lying in the medical area due to severe menstrual pain, the farmers tending to the crops, the Pilates instructor and her students all stopped what they were doing to watch.

The referee looked up. Moments later, after receiving the signal to start, it stepped back from the two and raised its hand.

Bang!

As the bell rang, the crowd erupted in enthusiastic cheers.

The one who charged forward as soon as the match began was Nina. Her low stance and terrifying speed momentarily caught the Chinese woman off guard.

Nina's one-two punch. The first punch hit, but didn’t do much damage, and the second missed.

"You bitch!" The Chinese woman swung her pot-lid-sized fist at Nina, who effortlessly dodged diagonally.

"Chao ni ma!"

As the Chinese woman cursed and tried to attack again, she stumbled and felt a sharp pain in her thigh. Looking down, Nina’s well-placed leg was stretched out.

Nina's pretty lips curled up, and with that, the last thread of sanity in the Chinese woman's mind snapped.

"Wo~chao!"

With a roar, she charged, trying to shake off the throbbing pain in her thigh. But it was the Chinese woman who got hit again. Despite her overwhelming size, their height was similar, and Nina’s reach was longer.

Compared to the brute who relied solely on her size and strength to bully others, Nina, who had systematically trained in Muay Thai, excelled in both her footwork and reach calculation.

"Kuak!"

The sound of solid hits rang out in succession. Even when both threw punches, Nina's hit first by a margin of half an inch.

The Chinese woman wanted to get close and turn it into a brawl. If she could smother her with her bulk, skill wouldn’t matter. But Nina never gave her the distance she wanted. The way her bare white feet elegantly danced around the ring was reminiscent of a snake eagle. Though, instead of hunting a snake, it was a Chinese boar this time.

"Arghhhh!"

The Chinese woman, with her nose bleeding profusely, charged without any regard for defense. But that too was in vain.

Thwack!

Another low kick came flying. It landed precisely where it had hit earlier. Her posture faltered as the Chinese woman staggered.

"Hey, bitch, don’t you know how to manage your breathing? Why the hell do you talk so much?"

Nina threw a jab as she widened the distance again.

"Kyahhhhh!!!!"

"You’re amazing, sister!!!"

"Crush that Chinese bitch!"

The audience was in an uproar. The detention camp was also in chaos. And just like that, the first round ended.

During the break, as both fighters retreated to their corners, Nina was impressed. She’d just come to beat up a pig she didn’t like, but the organizers had set everything up at a professional level.

A medical robot, painted in green, checked Nina’s condition.

[No injuries detected. Basic treatment will be applied.]

The robot checked Nina’s mouthguard, applied ice packs to a few overheated areas, and sprayed some bruise treatment on her fist and the top of her foot where she’d thrown kicks. In truth, this treatment wasn’t necessary since she hadn’t been hit even once.

"This feels nice."

Still, it was the first time in a while she’d felt this kind of support as a fighter. The feeling was so delightful she stayed put.

Nina sat in a stereotypical post-round pose, arms resting on the ropes on either side of the ring. Her figure, strong and sexy at the same time, made the group of lesbian Sisters watching the broadcast lick their lips.

She looked truly delectable.

They were falling for her.

They wanted to smother her with kisses.

They wanted to rub against her somehow, but no one dared to make a move on Nina.

[Basic treatment complete. Transitioning to condition support.]

After finishing the bruise treatment, the medical robot stepped behind her and began massaging her shoulders and arms.

Nina’s lips curled into a warm smile at its devoted care. It felt as though the memories of her pro-fighting days, which had long since faded away, were being revived. She was filled with gratitude toward the leadership for organizing this match, regardless of the outcome.

[Would you like tactical support?]

Good heavens, there’s even a robot acting as my coach!

"Pffft." Nina couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter. "No, thanks. It’s just a pig I’m slaughtering. What’s there to coach?"

[A message of support from a resident has arrived. Would you like to hear it?]

Nina nodded.

[Sister, please beat that bitch to death! Thinking about what that pig did to me in the bathhouse makes me so damn mad!]

It was from one of the girls who followed Nina around, named Ling Ling. When Ling Ling spoke in Chinese, it was translated in real-time and played back in Ukrainian. The tone of voice became somewhat monotonous, but it still conveyed the message.

Ling Ling was from a minority group in China and only spoke Chinese. In order to survive, she joined a Chinese gang, but because of her background, she was always treated as an underdog.

She was constantly assigned trivial tasks, and whenever someone felt like it, she would suffer humiliation and harassment. Unable to bear it any longer, she left the gang, only to be tormented even more as a traitor. It was Nina who took Ling Ling in, and that’s how all this trouble started.

Glancing over at her opponent’s corner, Nina saw a tactical robot gesturing and coaching the Chinese woman. It seemed like she had requested tactical support. After getting thoroughly beaten despite her size, the Chinese woman had finally come to her senses.

Bang!

Round two.

The Chinese woman’s confident expression had completely disappeared. She didn’t dare rush in and was cautious instead.

Nina, intending to counter when her opponent came forward, had no choice but to take the initiative. Even a light jab was enough to make the Chinese woman stiffen her guard, with no attempt to counter. In situations like this, there’s a sure-fire remedy.

Thwack!

Nina’s foot connected with the Chinese woman’s thigh and produced a whip-cracking sound.

Thwackkk!

The sound echoed through the arena via the speakers, driving the crowd into a frenzy.

Since this place used to be an illegal fight ring, the system was designed to satisfy the spectators’ sadistic desires. The sounds of blows landing were amplified and broadcasted for maximum effect.

"This isn’t just any ordinary arena."

Nina grinned, looking at her opponent, who was now panting heavily.

No amount of coaching can help an untrained fighter perform in a real fight.

Thwack!

"Argh!"

Just as if Nina was about to throw a punch, she gauged the situation and landed another low kick on the unguarded lower part. Then came the tense exchange of jabs and straights.

As long as the opponent stays defensive, even Nina would find it hard to land a clean hit. However, like how clothes slowly get soaked in drizzling rain, the Chinese woman's whole body began to deteriorate.

Of course, she had her chances too. She managed to catch Nina's front kick aimed at her abdomen by luck, taking her down and entering the ground game. However, with her stamina already heavily depleted and her technique lacking, Nina easily managed to escape.

The round ended there, and they had a brief break. The Chinese woman had to receive coaching with tissues stuffed into both her nostrils. But having been hit in the face so much, she was too dazed physically and mentally to absorb anything.

Round 3.

The Chinese woman’s thigh was bruised so severely it looked like blood might start seeping out. Even just standing there, that leg was trembling uncontrollably.

Unable to endure any longer, she spat out a stream of curses and charged forward. It was her final assault.

In response, Nina’s low kick flew out again. The Chinese woman reflexively prepared for it, but midway, Nina’s knee and torso twisted. The low kick disguised as a Brazilian kick flew toward the upper body.

Thwack!

Nina's instep smacked into the Chinese woman’s cheek. From the sheer force of the blow, the Chinese woman collapsed as if crumbling. Her head was caught in Nina’s hands.

Wham!

With a devastating knee strike, she fell backward, blood spraying everywhere.

"Aaaahhhh!"

"Whoooooaaaa!"

Shouts erupted from all directions. They were the kind of screams full of excitement, like when riding a Viking or roller coaster at an amusement park.

"Hit her more!"

"Keep hitting her!"

Instead of chanting "Apologize!" like usual, the crowd yelled fierce slogans. These women clearly didn’t have normal sensitivities.

Nina mounted her and relentlessly pounded the Chinese woman’s face. She muttered something in Mandarin, but Nina didn’t stop her punches.

"What?"

Smack! Smack! Smack!

The Chinese woman shouted again in Mandarin.

"What the hell are you saying?!"

Wham!

A crazed smile spread across Nina’s face.

"Speak in Korean, you bitch!"

"P-Please stop! I surren—"

Whack!

Nina immediately struck her mouth before she could finish saying "surrender."

Whack!

Only after about five more punches was the Chinese woman able to shout her surrender.

Bang, bang, bang!

With the ringing of the bell signaling the end of the match, Nina’s victory was declared, and the fight was over. Though it only lasted three rounds, no one complained about the brevity. The match had been too thrilling.

***

That was three minutes ago. Now, Nina is standing in the same room as me.

"So, what is it you want?" I asked, baffled, and she flashed me a thrilling smile.

As the victor, Nina was allowed to request whatever she wanted as a prize. During the match promotion, a five-day vacation in a VIP residence had been suggested as a reward.

But she didn’t choose that. When asked what she wanted by the holographic Kiz, she pointed with her finger to one spot: the VIP audience seats located above the arena. She pointed directly at me.

[Huh? Huh, huh, huh?!]

Kiz kept repeating "Huh?" but it sounded more like an excited exclamation than confusion.

[What should we do, Administrator?]

"Ask her again if she really doesn’t want anything else."

A brief conversation ensued between Kiz and Nina. But Nina shook her head and pointed at me again.

"I didn’t see this coming."

I was sure she’d want the VIP vacation as her reward.

Meals of the highest quality by pre-war standards. Leisure and cultural facilities to make one feel like an emperor. Rooms that wouldn’t lose to the Presidential Suite of a five-star hotel. To someone who had endured long periods of confinement, or even to someone who maintained pre-war standards, could there be a sweeter choice?

But Nina didn’t want any of that. As a result, we now found ourselves alone in a room set up in the upper section of the arena.

A wild beauty with brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a revealing crop top and shorts. Her skin, still flushed and shiny with sweat, hadn’t fully cooled from the heat of the fight. It blended synergistically with her sculpted physique, making her incredibly alluring.

"Nice to meet you, Nina."

"Nice to meet you."

Nina nodded her head in greeting.

From what I knew, she spoke informally to everyone, and her nature was nothing but rough. But none of that was visible now. She was even standing at ease, waiting.

Is this discipline from her past life in the sports world? Or is it because she respects my authority?

"Have a seat." I pointed to a chair, and she relaxed her posture and sat down. I grabbed a chair and sat near her.

"So, what is it you really want? Should I guarantee you a position in the security forces? Even as a captain?" I tossed it out casually, even though it was already predetermined.

"No, I’m confident I’ll make it with my own skills."

Nina didn’t take the bait. Judging by her expression, she seemed sure she’d be selected.

"You’re confident, huh."

"They said it’d be purely based on skill. And from what I’ve seen, they overlook most things here, right? Besides, I’ve never taken drugs or cheated.”

A smile appeared on my face. She clearly understood our needs. Despite her straightforward demeanor, she was perceptive and bold. It's impossible not to like a woman like that.

“So, what would you like me to do for you? How about a sports massage?”

She stood up and took a few steps back.

Swoosh!

Then, she tossed off her crop top.

Bounce!

In contrast to her tightly toned body, her full chest was liberated, and her proudly erect nipples stared back at me.

“Huh?”

As I stood there stunned by her unexpected move, Nina took a stance. She clenched her fists and raised her guard. Her right leg slid back, while her left leg stepped forward.

Seeing my bewildered expression, she spoke up, “I saw the video.”

“The video?”

Although she was in a fighting stance, there was no hostility in Nina's eyes. Only curiosity and a strong fighting spirit.

“You, tearing through the city alone and taking down monsters.”

“Ah…”

Nina's blue eyes sparkled.

“It was impressive. Honestly, I can’t even compliment you. If I’m being honest, it’d sound like flattery.”

I could understand why. The video of my journey had been edited by Kiz to look much more intense and dramatic. While nothing was fabricated, the perfect angle adjustments, cuts, and transitions turned my journey into an epic hero’s tale. It wasn’t falsehood, just a form of conscientious propaganda, I suppose.

Kiz, arms crossed, nodded with a satisfied expression.

“There’s no one here who can match me. That fight just now wasn’t enough at all. I want a real match, one that leaves my arms and legs trembling!” Nina gazed at me with fiery eyes.

With plenty of rest and food fueling her energy, the recent fight hadn’t quenched her fighting spirit. Instead, it seemed to have only stoked a bigger fire.

I stood up.

“Kiz, clear the area. Pull back all the surveillance.”

[Yes, sir!]

Her chibi hologram saluted and vanished with a ‘pop.’

“Alright, if that’s the champion’s wish, let’s fight without titles or ranks.” I took off the ID badge hanging around my neck and tossed it onto the table.

“But why did you take off your top…?”

“As a service. A thank you for agreeing to my unreasonable request.” She said with a grin.

Nina’s mischievous yet carefree smile was simply breathtaking.