Book 22 Chapter 11

Proactive market research

-I mean it!

"Yeonbi, are you serious?"

"Of course I'm serious, I've been there and I'm serious now. It's a kind of pre-exploration. You can't just run in there and not know how it works, right? I'm not that reckless."

It seemed reckless enough as it was.

"But……."

"Why?"

Yunfei stared at Na Yerin with eyes like seahorses.

"No, I'm just saying, you really don't hesitate."

Was it really necessary to go to such lengths to get power? Na Yerin questioned even that.

The Yeonbi smirked and replied.

"It's never too late to check it out, right? I'm not a divine shaman, and I can't decide whether or not to participate without knowing anything, right?"

"Oh, that's right, too."

"I'm the kind of person who doesn't believe in anything unless I've seen it with my own eyes and ears."

The determination in those words was so strong that no one dared to cross it. It was impossible to stop her any longer. Seeing that Na Yerin was visibly hesitant, Yun Che spoke.

"Stir, Rin?"

"Yes?"

"Rin, you should go home. I appreciate you coming this far with me, but I think you should go home. This is a place of human desire and madness. It's too much for Rin, so go back."

Now that I was here, I didn't want to drag Rin into this place with me. Who was to say that Na Yerin's mind wouldn't break in this maelstrom of desire and madness. This was a place most unlike Na Yerin. No matter how much she needed her power, she could not force herself to make such a sacrifice. But…….

"No, I'm not going back."

"Lean?"

It was a very unexpected answer.

"I don't want to, but I'm not going back."

It's what she already feels, the madness swirling beyond that great wall.

"Are you sure you want to do this? It could be dangerous, it could be painful."

"I can't keep making this excuse and that excuse forever, I'm going to move forward."

The emotions swirling inside me were so thick and wild. It was like a churning sea in a storm. I was reluctant to step into the center of it all. But Na Yerin had no intention of backing down.

"Okay, let's get in there, shall we?"

Na Yerin was the first to take Yunbi's hand and lead her inside. It was impossible to shake her hand away. She had made up her mind, and there was no backing out now. Na Yerin was right. You can't run from something forever. If you don't face your fears, you'll never be free from their bonds.

Finally, Na Yerin walked into the cylindrical arena, following Yeonbi.

The smell of vaporized sweat and blood hit me as I crossed the line.

People have been betting on the outcome of many races since time immemorial. Horse races, rat races, cricket races, dog races, turtle races, pig races, and pretty much anything that can run. Humans have also bet a lot of money not only on races for position, but also on fights to win or lose.

Dog fights, cow fights, horse fights, bug fights, and so on. There were countless other types of fights, but the ones that people were most excited about were the blood-spattered, flesh-eating arenas of man vs. man. It was a place where a lot of cash was exchanged in a single day.

"Are you okay, Rin?"

Despite her resolve, the atmosphere in the cylindrical arena was more turbulent than she could have imagined. Walking across the center of it was bad enough for Na Yerin. Standing in the midst of the most brutal maelstrom of desire, Na Yerin felt as unsteady as a single leaf in a typhoon.

"Uh… it's okay, I'm good."

Na Yerin's complexion was very pale as she answered.

Blood spatter paralyzes reason, torn flesh ignites instinct. It was a crucible of frenzy, where madness and violence danced hand in hand, as sword and sword, sword and saber, spear and axe clashed in the midst of sparks and roars of life and death.

"Waaaaaaaaaah!"

A raucous roar erupts as one warrior's axe strikes his opponent's shoulder. The blow seals the deal. The winner's bettors cheered and the other side wailed. The division was simple and easy to understand.

Na Yerin frowned to herself. It was as if an invisible madness had wrapped itself around the entire building like a black snake, writhing and writhing. This twisted grotesqueness might have been better left unseen, but her eyes reflected its every twist and turn. An instinctive revulsion rose within her.

"This is not a place you want to be for long."

The more I thought about it, the more disgusted I became with myself, wondering who the hell thought of making this into a form of entertainment, and who was enjoying it.

She, too, was one of those who worshiped the martial arts, but this was more a collection of violence than a martial art.

I knew for sure that this was not the place for me.