Book 22 Chapter 13

Rejection of Application

― To Be Rejected

"Go try somewhere else."

Yeonbi's eyebrows slightly rose at the man's gruff reply.

"What did you say?"

"Didn't you hear me? If you're trying to fool around, go find someone else to bother."

The portly middle-aged man's attitude was utterly indifferent.

"Ah, so you think we're fooling around right now, mister?"

A smile spread across Yeonbi's lips as she spoke. However, Mr. Jang, the middle-aged man in his forties in charge of this arena's registration, seemed to have lost his sense of danger, perhaps from being too removed from the wild.

"Then you're saying you're not?"

"Of course, we're serious."

But Mr. Jang still didn't seem convinced. He immediately shook his head.

"As expected, it's no good."

"You must have a reason prepared, right?"

"…The rules."

"Lies!"

Yeonbi stated with certainty.

"L-lies?!"

Registration officer Mr. Jang retorted, flustered. His reaction only proved Yeonbi's words to be true. The smile on Yeonbi's lips deepened.

"I don't recall saying anything untrue, do I? Because it's the truth. It's not about rules. You're just afraid it won't be profitable, aren't you?"

As she spoke, the intensity of the aura emanating from Yeonbi grew stronger. Mr. Jang also saw that the dark-skinned young lady before him was beautiful, but her smile felt strangely frightening.

"What do you mean, not profitable?"

"You probably mean there are no fools willing to bet on such frail and pretty young ladies. And if the betting money leans too heavily in one direction, the organizers won't have anything left, right?"

As if her words had hit the mark, Mr. Jang's face turned as white as snow. An inexplicable pressure tightened around his heart, making it difficult to even breathe properly.

"Th-then what are you planning to do?"

Mr. Jang asked back in a slightly trembling voice.

"What else? Since you won't allow it, we'll just go back. Let's go, Rin!"

With a shrug of her shoulders as a mark of respect for those enslaved by convention, Yeonbi turned around without hesitation. Then, she strode out. Na Yerinn, seeing this, followed her in a panic and called out to Yeonbi.

"Wait a moment, Yeonbi. What are you going to do? Are you giving up?"

Yeonbi, holding a black umbrella, turned around with a spin.

"Huh? No, why? Are you giving up just because of this? If you give up after being rejected just once, there's almost nothing you can do in this world."

It seemed she certainly didn't intend to underestimate the world.

"Then what?"

"If the lower dogs aren't watching, you have to peck at the higher-ups."

Yeonbi's smile deepened as she looked at Na Yerinn. Her left eye, sparkling like a gem, was full of mischief.

"No way…"

"That's right. Oh my, suddenly I'm bursting with curiosity about what the owner of this arena looks like. Oh my, how surprising!"

Na Yerinn tried to dissuade Yeonbi once. But she soon gave up. Her face clearly indicated that it was impossible.

'Why does this person become so similar to the person I know when it comes to these things…'

The more she thought about it, the stranger it was.

"What are you going to do when you meet them?"

"I'm going to persuade them."

"With what?"

"With words, of course."

Was it true? It wasn't an easy story to believe, but Na Yerinn had no choice but to nod. It seemed she had already passed the point where she could stop it.

"Where would the one who rules this arena be hiding? First, we need to find that place."

Yeonbi said with an excited voice.

The one who ruled this arena was called 'Donwang' (King of Money). He was not only the ruler of this arena but also the ruler of the dark order of Ganghorando. Everyone belonging to Ganghorando had to obey his commands. He possessed the wealth and power to maintain his control. Therefore, the guards protecting him were skilled and numerous.

"This is definitely the place, right?"

It was natural for anyone with common sense to harbor such doubts. This was because the corridor leading to the wealthy Donwang's office was empty. The entrance was much wider and taller than expected. And the decorations on both sides of the stairs looked quite ornate and valuable. The wide stairs led into darkness, and the shadows of those guarding it were nowhere to be seen. That fact made it even more suspicious.

"What should we do?"

Na Yerinn asked in a cautious tone.

"We can check it out."

Yeonbi was not indecisive enough to hesitate in a situation like this. Yeonbi stepped onto the stairs without a second thought.

Fweeee-fweee-fweee-fweee! Swaaaae-aeaeaeaeaeak!

Pabababa-bababa-babak!

The welcome was incredibly noisy and grand. It clearly didn't consider the feelings of the welcomed party. Few people enjoy a shower of flying daggers and sharp spearheads raining down like arrows. Without warning, forty-eight flying daggers, twenty-four spears, and twelve swords struck the ground at Yeonbi's feet like lightning. The blind swords and spears seemed not to care whether they pierced Yeonbi's heart, stomach, or head. But Yeonbi cared a great deal about that. Without retreating her step, she moved only her upper body, skillfully avoiding the downpour of swords, spears, and daggers.

Yeonbi laughed.

"Oh my, it seems we've definitely arrived."

And, mercifully, there was even an enthusiastic welcoming party. As if they had seeped from the walls, shadows appeared one by one, filling the stairs. Soon, the stairs were packed with a dense crowd, making it difficult for even one person to pass.

"What is it, there's someone to guide us."

Yeonbi's words were met with skepticism by Na Yerinn. It seemed they were more specialized in chasing people away than guiding them. Just then, a man walked out from among the dark figures. He was a man with very intense eyes, wearing a black headband with red accents. Judging by his aura, he seemed to be the leader of this group.

"Go back. This is no place for you!"

The man said.

"You're dismissing us before even hearing our business? And you're speaking to us informally right from the start. I'm concerned that your hospitality skills are lacking. It seems they don't teach even such basic things here, do they?"

Although her eyes were smiling, Yeonbi's tongue was laced with a blade. The man's eyes flickered for a moment. He hadn't expected anyone to be able to speak so freely in front of their hundred and eight guardians. And it was a young girl at that.

"Wh-what… did you say everything you wanted to?"

"I still have more. Tsk tsk, if your brain doesn't work this fast… What would you do if we were honored guests pre-arranged with the owner of this place?"

Yeonbi's words sent a chill down the spine of the man who had previously shown no fear.

"Hey, were you expected?"

In an instant, the man's attitude changed. His shoulders, which had been open in arrogance, narrowed, and his stiff waist immediately bowed. It would have taken longer to flip a palm.

"No."

Of course, there was no such arrangement.

"Eeeeek!"

Only then did the man realize he had been teased, and his face turned bright red. Seeing this, Yeonbi let out a chuckle.

"I said 'if', didn't I."

It meant that a hypothetical situation was just that, and you were a fool for not understanding. It was enough to infuriate anyone listening.

"You don't need to get so angry. You're about to become an important guest."

Yeonbi said with an unperturbed expression.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Tsk, you really don't understand. It means we're requesting a meeting with the owner of this place."

"What do you want to do by meeting the owner?"

"We have business to discuss, of course."

"Business?"

"Business related to our work. The rest isn't something to discuss with subordinates."

"Ho ho, so you're saying you want to meet the owner without any reservation or connection?"

"It seems you finally understand."

Yeonbi once again provoked the man in the black attire, speaking in a tone that suggested she had been very bored waiting.

"Ho ho, is that so. Very well, very well!"

Suddenly, as if greatly pleased, the man crossed his arms and nodded repeatedly. Then he shouted.

"Georyuksin!"

*Thump!*

With that single word, the entire staircase echoed with a 'thump'. It vibrated as if an earthquake had struck.

And then something began to walk towards them. It was a shadow that completely filled the staircase.

At first, they thought it was just a shadow. They even suspected that the lights on the stairs were being turned off one by one. But that wasn't it. Surprisingly, unbelievably, it was a human. And not just any human, but a giant with a physique that filled the entire staircase.

Yet, his arms were filled with muscle instead of fat. The bulging biceps, which looked hot just by looking at them, made the young ladies watching feel uncomfortable. Furthermore, as if protesting, he was completely bare-chested, wearing a metal plate to protect his heart in a cross shape with leather straps. He looked like he was about to shout 'Adio-dio-dio-dio!' and punch, shouting, 'You are already dead!' It was no exaggeration to wonder if his head was also filled with muscle.

"Hehehehe!"

Perhaps his intelligence was inversely proportional to his developed muscles, as he only let out beast-like laughter and said nothing else. He was only busy flexing his muscles as if to show them off.

"You don't intend to talk, do you?"

Feeling skeptical of his pathetic and heat-inducing appearance, Yeonbi sighed.

"Hehehe! Of course!"

It was clear that those thick, bulging muscles were negatively affecting his brain's language system. Instead, the man in black, the captain of the guards, explained.

"How is it? Surprised? This Georyuksin has mastered a special external martial art called 'Geumjongjo,' so ordinary swords and daggers can't even scratch his skin. So, it's too late to regret. There's no turning back now. Reflect on your foolishness in the remaining time!"

Thwack! Thwack!

The giant, called Georyuksin, slammed his rock-like fists together and gave a creepy smile. It was a face that could mentally damage the opponent just by its expression.

"Are you blind?"

The giant flinched at Yeonbi's sudden question.

"H-how did you know?"

"Ah, well, I just had a feeling."

Yeonbi shrugged, as if it were no big deal.

"I'll k-kill you!"

Georyuksin couldn't forgive Yeonbi for touching upon his vulnerability. Of course, Yeonbi didn't care whether he forgave her or not.

Meanwhile, Na Yerinn watched the situation with quiet eyes. She seemed to know that now was not the time for her to intervene. She decided to trust Yeonbi.

"Well, fine. I am a pacifist, but if you insist on coming at me like that, I won't refuse. After all, conversation isn't the only means of communication."

That's right. Sometimes, communication is possible through glances, sometimes through feelings, and occasionally, very occasionally, through fists. Yeonbi had never expressed a negative opinion about other forms of communication besides conversation. Sometimes, she even preferred the latter over the former. Her disciples and fellow students would surely understand her way of thinking. While some might froth at the mouth, at that time, they could have a ca-lm discussion to resolve everything. She wasn't so inflexible as to insist only on her own preferred method.

"It's impossible for people to fully understand each other, but that doesn't mean you should give up on trying. There might be some common ground, don't you think?"

Yeonbi smiled widely with an innocent smile. Then, she firmly gripped her folded black umbrella with both hands.

*Swoosh!*

Yeonbi's left foot lifted slightly, and as she took a powerful step forward with her fixed right foot, she smoothly turned her waist, channeling the rotational force from her toes through her waist to her shoulders, and swung both arms horizontally with all her might.

"Kaka!"

Georyuksin let out a strange laugh and, as if finding it pathetic, blocked the umbrella flying towards him with his palm as large as a cauldron lid. And then…

*BAM!*

A deafening roar, like a leather drum bursting, echoed through the air.

"Kuaaaae-aeaeaeaeaeaeaaak!"

The next moment, the giant Georyuksin, weighing hundreds of pounds, was folded in half and flew up the stairs at tremendous speed. Of course, the countless guards in his path were not spared. Where Georyuksin's body had swept through, only a terrible scene, fitting the description of pandemonium, remained.

"Hmm, no bell sound. Just a drum-bursting sound… Disappointing."

Just because he mastered Geumjongjo didn't mean he had to sound like a bell when hit. If anyone claimed that he should, it would be Yeonbi's unreasonable demand.

"Shall we go then?"

Yeonbi said, turning her head with a face full of smiles. This was just the first step.

There were still plenty of stairs left, as many as those who would try to stop them. Yeonbi was still prepared to communicate through means other than words.

There was no shred of falsehood in her statement about persuading with words. Her will was unwavering. Her sincerity was also guaranteed. But first, she had to meet the person in question to persuade them! For Yeonbi, the target of persuasion was only one person, the highest authority. She had no business with the subordinates. Therefore, she decided to use slightly rough tactics. Since both sides seemed prepared for that, there was no need to refuse.

"This would be called self-defense, wouldn't it?"

It was a rather misuse of terminology. However, there was no one around to point out that fact at this moment.