hotmtlnovel Chapter 30
Chapter 30
The White Hatchling Breath inflicts ice-type damage.
“What—what's going on?”
“That person suddenly...”
After a burst of cold swept through, the black lion, which had been defenseless against the dragon’s breath, emerged frozen solid in pure white.
The Earthlings stared at me, their faces a mix of surprise and disbelief.
“Ryu-in. Error Player!”
They called my name in broken Korean.
Perhaps because there were no Koreans around, it took them a moment to recognize me.
“Error Player?”
“The one who uses breath. The powerful Korean!”
“He survived...!”
The Earthlings who grasped the situation let out a sigh of relief.
It was a face that had found a glimmer of hope.
“Is he dead?”
“I’m not sure. I know the breath is strong, but is it enough to kill that lion in one shot...?”
With the frozen lion standing like an ice statue at the center, they kept their distance.
No one dared to approach and check it out.
Although it was frozen, its fearsome appearance remained unchanged.
What if I accidentally break it...?
They might be thinking something along those lines.
Even though they had summoned their courage to defeat the lion, their fear hadn’t completely vanished.
“......”
All eyes turned to me.
I could feel their quiet expectations.
It wasn’t particularly pleasant to feel like they were passing the responsibility onto me, but I tried to be generous.
After all, the black lion was dead.
Better than being disregarded entirely.
Compared to the audience watching from above, whose expectant gazes were filled with cruel anticipation for the brutal show, this was a relief.
I approached the black lion.
I didn’t forget to activate Cheolpo Samgong in preparation for any unforeseen circumstances.
With the boosted durability from Cheolpo Samgong and the regeneration of the D-Rank skill, I was confident that I wouldn’t die even if the lion bit me.
The noise from the audience died down.
Those who had been shouting excitedly now fell silent and watched me closely.
As I got closer, cracks began to form in the ice statue.
Crrr—. Crrr—.
The small fissures spread across its body and soon, the ice shattered.
[You absorb the soul of the Giant Black Rager.]
[Agility increased by 0.03.]
The Tower’s message confirmed the kill.
The audience erupted into cheers, almost in sync, though they were a beat late to react.
It was as if the roar had been delayed in reaching them.
“Hey! Did you really kill it?!”
“Is this possible? How can an Earthling kill a Giant Black Rager?”
“Do you think we see only a few special ones in the Tower of Struggle? You idiot!”
Watching the arena filled with madness sent chills down my spine.
Indeed. I expected them to all be dead.
It seemed they had intended to throw all the Earthlings to the lion as prey.
They were treated like mere crickets, not even worthy of a second thought.
I clenched my fist tightly.
If I could send one of the audience members down, I was confident I could beat them to death with my bare hands.
I was that furious.
“It seems there was an issue with the summoning process.”
The administrator began to speak.
It seemed he viewed me not as an Earthling but as something more—like a dragon.
“Summon! Bring in the other Earthlings!”
“Don’t tell me this is how it ends?”
“I paid a lot to be here! Show me something worthwhile!”
“......”
When I opened my eyes, I found myself in an opulent room.
Amidst the luxury items on display stood a boy confidently.
“Welcome.”
It was the same voice as the administrator I had heard earlier.
“I am Daimus, the administrator of the First Colosseum on the second floor.”
“I’m the Error Player.”
I acted as much like a White Dragon as I could.
Maybe it was thanks to my experience from the first floor, but my voice trembled less.
“Error Player. What an unusual name. Please, have a seat.”
“......”
I made sure to roll my eyes cautiously.
I worried that my discomfort might show.
Fortunately, Daimus didn’t seem to catch on.
“I feel nothing but remorse for the Error Player. I never expected such a mistake during the summoning process.”
“...Mistake?”
“Yes, it was a mistake.”
Daimus explained.
“The match that the Error Player participated in was an event match. It was an event for watching the struggle between the beasts raised in the Colosseum and the Earthlings.”
“......”
“But since an Error Player was summoned instead of an Earthling, what else could it be but a mistake?”
Daimus wore a smile that seemed congenial.
I somewhat knew this, but hearing it directly made it even more frustrating.
I didn’t show it on my face.
A dragon expressing emotions about the affairs of Earthlings didn’t seem credible.
“So?”
“...Yes?”
I surveyed Daimus’s demeanor.
While my gaze was slow, my mind was racing.
Let’s say Blinky acted friendly because we’re both dragons.
Jo Seohui had pushed me forward, thinking of me as an Earthling.
Then why this guy?
Why had I been summoned here separately from the other Earthlings?
There’s a purpose.
That purpose was likely connected to the racial settings concocted by the Book of Illusions.
So, I decided to take a bold stance.
“You should have something to say, right?”
“...Huh?”
I examined Daimus closely.
With my slow eye movements contrasted against my busy thoughts, I kept my composure.
The summoning process had gone wrong, right?
He had shown me a different perspective on the game.
I had been dragged into this situation under the guise of being the Error Player.
Something is up.
There must be a reason why it wouldn’t do to treat dragons carelessly.
I didn’t know what it was, but—
Daimus lowered his head, looking more troubled than before.
“...I’m sorry.”
I received an apology.
But I didn’t feel happy about it at all.
Was it the bowing that bothered me?
No.
The bigger question arose, complicating my feelings.
What’s with the apology? Why is he apologizing as an administrator?