Of the westerners, the challenger of the h.e.l.l Difficulty's Six Floor was a very tall black man.
He looked sharp and quick. His arms and legs were a little too long. Those were his special characteristics.
He didn't have a weapon out either, so I could not figure out his cla.s.s.
Compared to me, who reached the 18th Floor, being at the Six Floor may seem like not much, but he is still incredible given that he got to the Sixth Floor alive.
That incredible black man was glaring at Park Jong-shik with bloodshot eyes.
The argument was started by Park Jong-shik and his side, but I could see why he got infuriated. It was because he was the laughingstock of the argument.
It looks like the man is pointing at Park Jong-shik with an index finger and giving him a warning.
Of course, Park Jong-shik ignored the man.
"Hooooeeeeeuuujaeeeeeee! Sixth Floor! This runt says he is at the Sixth Floorrrrrr!"
Please…. Stop that already, big bro Jong-shik…
Why are you brining up my name?
At first, I was going to go to where Park Jong-shik with Park Jung-ah. However, I stopped walking and just stood there.
I could not work up the courage to go over there.
Big Bro Jong-shik who was playing around like a child. Why is it my role to be embarra.s.sed with him?
I turned to look at Park Jung-ah. It seems like she was not interested in getting involved over there either.
"Here, a h.e.l.l Difficulty challenger at the Sixth Floor! Just one!"
The black man was talking quietly with his teeth clenched at first. Now, his voice was gradually getting louder.
It was not as loud as Park Jong-shik's voice, which was echoing through the entire plaza.
I was going to intervene once the situation calmed down a little. However, it looked like the situation was only going to escalate if they were left to their devices.
I think I'll have to get in there even if it is embarra.s.sing, before even more humiliating situation comes.
"About that side… I'll wrap it up and come back. Tell Kim Min-hyuk about the situation here and have him take over the command."
There was no need for Park Jung-ah to go over there too and roll on the mud.
I should go there, organize and wrap it up.
"Yes, I will. Also, for captain Park Jong-shik… please say something to him."
I definitely will.
I'll let him have a piece of my mind.
I firmed my resolve and went to where Park Jong-shik was.
As I got closer, I could observe more of the scene there.
First of all, there was a clear divide amongst the westerners.
There were the people who looked like gangs, and there were the people who didn't look like gangs.
Also, the people who were not gang members looked much brighter for some reason.
Second, the situation was a little different from what I expected.
I thought Park Jong-shik and the strike division members of the Hard difficulty were on a standoff against the westerners.
I thought it was odd that Park Jong-shik would engage in a childish argument with them and measure the size of their egos.
However, now that I went over there, I saw Park Jong-shik and the members of the strike division one-sidedly suppressing the other side.
They weren't having arguments.
It doesn't look like there were even physical struggles.
There was a substantial difference in their strength.
The strike division members next to Park Jong-shik were composed of almost all of the challengers from the Hard difficulty.
Except the few that were sitting around in First and Second Floors, the rest were strong enough to be placed in the strike division just based on the fact that they survived.
Such people were organized into groups of three or ten and arranged in a formation to surround the westerners.
Behind them were other members of the strike division from other difficulties who were holding their ground.
Also, they all came here because they thought there could be a battle here.
On top of this, the westerners were not completely unified as one.
Because the situation was not in their favor, most of westerners were watching, maintaining a distance.
Also, the look on people's faces were all different.
I don't think all that many would step up if a battle broke out.
Given the situation, it seems Park Jong-shik decided to surround them and yell at them instead of trying to negotiate with them.
The thug-like ones were in power here. So, I think this might be actually more effective.
While Park Jong-shik was yelling at and suppressing the thugs, the bald white man who appeared to be their leader started to talk about their challengers of his server to show off their power. I think that must be how the argument started.
After that, Park Jong-shik struck back with his belittling att.i.tude.
I understand the situation now.
However, is there a reason to look down on them so much?
"Big Bro."
"Ohhhh! Our Ho-jae is here! Good, Ho-jae. Tell us what floor…. Kek."
With his arm around my shoulder, Park Jong-shik started to yap away loudly so much that it made my ear hurt. I jabbed him in his waist with my elbow so n.o.body would notice.
"Big Bro. Please. This is embarra.s.sing. What are you doing? If anyone else saw this, they will think you are the thug here."
Park Jong-shik held his waist where I jabbed him. I told him quietly at his ear, and he turned around along with me, his arm still around my shoulder.
"Big Bro, did you deliver them all of the message?"
"Of course."
He was cringing. It seemed his side was hurting. He explained in whispers.
"I explained it all, and they even said that they understood. They were not being cooperative. So, we drew our weapons and threatened them to get with the program."
It looks like he really threatened them.
"In that case, you did everything you were here to do. Why were you having such childish arguments?"
"I thought it would be good to squash their pride a little."
Um…
Having heard that it was necessary, I momentarily paused.
Park Jong-shik was an honest man.
He was not the kind to cause a problem and then justify it afterwards. He would have apologized instead if he caused a problem without a proper justification.
"Please explain."
The westerners said they were from Australia.
Park Jong-shik explained to me what his impressions were when he met the people who came up as the Australian's representatives.
"From how I saw them, it seems they are just street thugs. They threaten the people around because they are just a little stronger and think they are great by watching others shrivel in fear. On top of this, they are trapped inside a world where there are no laws or police, so I bet they had been committing evil acts like there was no tomorrow."
I agree with that opinion.
"When it comes to facing such b.a.s.t.a.r.ds, you need to completely kill their spirit and step firmly on them. We need to plummet their status to the ground all the way. Only then will the other people be able to start seeing these thugs as something pathetic and obstacles that they could overcome. Only then, the other people will be able to think about resisting them."
You really were treating them as if they were street thugs…
I think my head is throbbing with headaches.
Like many challengers in Korean Tutorial server, these people also had real powers, not ordinary powers, but the kind that could be easily justified supernatural.
It was not like I could think of anything to say back to Park Jong-shik.
Park Jong-shik also said that the people on the back started to brighten up as he pressed down on the thugs and expressed their satisfactions quietly.
Because he noticed it, Park Jong-shik said he worked more diligently in crushing the thugs.
"Our guys thought it was fun to watch too."
I understood how Park Jong-shik was feeling.
I could even accept that it was not wrong.
Still.
"Why did you have to drag me into this argument so deeply? You embarra.s.sed the h.e.l.l out of me."
Park Jong-shik laughed it off and apologized. I gave him a dirty look and turned around.
As he said, it looked like the bald head and the other thugs were completely suppressed.
For some reason, I was disappointed.
It would be awkward to scold them and lecture them later if they are already like this.
I think they are more anxious now instead of when Park Jong-shik was still excited and raising his voice.
There was one person who was still burning with animosity toward us. The man was glaring at us.
He was the black man who was at the Sixth Floor of the h.e.l.l difficulty.
He was seething with anger, huffing and puffing through the nose. He looked like a volcano that was about to erupt.
Now that I think about it, this guy is the biggest victim of the circ.u.mstances here.
I felt a little sorry for the man. Meanwhile, I was glad to see another challenger from the h.e.l.l Difficulty, so I decided to greet the man at least.
"From the Sixth Floor of the h.e.l.l Difficulty? Are you…"
Now that I think about it, the Korean p.r.o.nunciation for the "Are you" sounds similar to the N-word that should not be said.
Well, it probably won't matter. It will translate.
… Will it?
The man's face was completely crumpled. It was surprising.
Why does he look way more infuriated now?
Ah…
Because I was thinking just now, I didn't continue my words after saying 'Are you.' Hence, it was not translated.
[TL: This situation is too forced by the author. There is no way the translator would not have translated the words. The p.r.o.nunciation is similar (Nae-ga), but not precisely matching enough to cause such a problem in the translator which is a magical skill.]
"Die, you son of a b.i.t.c.h!"
The man charged at me.
The translation is pretty good.
The man threw a fist at me. I caught it, twisted it around his back and struck him in his waist.
The black man yelped and instantly quieted down.
I released his wrist that I was holding. He fell to the floor and started to shake.
Oh my…
I had been practicing Aura Blade a lot lately. Perhaps because of that, I instinctively wrapped my fist with aura and struck him with it.
Of all places, I struck him right on the waist… Ah… I think his internals might have been busted.
"Are you all right?"
He did not look all right.
"Big Bro. Please give a potion to this friend here. It's my fault, so we should give him a potion at least."
Park Jong-shik nodded in agreement. I moved my gaze away and looked at the bald man.
"Your name?"
"… David."
The man looked very anxious.
The black man that he was counting on was knocked out in one strike. It seemed David was pretty shocked.
"You heard that all crimes are forbitten for the next six days while the tournament takes place, right? You also heard about the cautionary rules during the tournament matches as well, right?"
"I've heard."
Why is this rascal's reply so short?
He had been quietly responding, but something about the man's att.i.tude was not to my liking.
"Well then, answer me again. Tell me that you guys won't perpetrate crime, and you guys will actively cooperate with preventing crime and prosecuting criminals."
These guys are not like the bearded man I met earlier. Instead of stopping crimes, I think these b.a.s.t.a.r.ds are more likely to actively lead committing crimes.
I think that will do to straighten them out.
David… the bald head glanced at the man next to him before he answered.
The man had long curly hair although he was a man. It was unique.
The curly haired man lightly nodded, and David also said they understood.
Oh, look at this.
There was a leader who turned out to be someone else in all this?
I think I'll have to remember that guy with full-blown curly hair.
All Tutorial challengers from Korea, j.a.pan and Australia were gathered at the main plaza.
With all of them there, Park Jung-ah informed them that all criminal acts were forbidden for the next six days. She also explained the cautionary rules during the free time, tournament matches and spectating.
As for me, I was chatting away with Kim Min-hyuk, standing next to the platform where Park Jung-ah was standing.
"I can understand why j.a.pan is included since it is a neighboring country, but why Australia? What's the connection?"
Of course, we didn't know.
Instead of thinking deeply about it, I brought out a candy stick from the inventory.
"I thought you usually ate meat jerkies for snacks? Not just snacks, I thought you literally only ate meat jerkies and water?"
"You have any idea how long ago that was? Nowadays, I've been eating all sorts of things. Ah, I'm not eating this candy is not because I want to eat it."
"Then why?"
"I told you that I think the manager might have put a spell on me, right? It's that."
"Is there a magic that makes you want to eat candy?"
"Apparently so."
It was around that time. Someone in the plaza started to mouth off.
"What bulls.h.i.t. They are just showing off their d.i.c.ks…"
There were b.a.s.t.a.r.ds like these once in a while.
I pinpointed my Overwhelm skill at the individual and shut him up.
Each country showed clearly different responses to Park Jung-ah's speech and guidelines.
The people from Korean server seemed to be just listening.
It was not like it had been only a few days where the Order of Vigilance stepped in and acted so overprotectively like this.
Some from Korean server found it amusing that the Order was going to such lengths even with foreigners mixed in the tournament.
As for the people from the j.a.panese server, they usually possessed one of the two reactions.
Unlike the initial violent atmosphere at the plaza, they were relieved to hear the speech which expressed that crimes are forbidden and that we were requesting cooperation to bring about a safe atmosphere through the tournament. Some were naïve like that.
There were others who became anxious instead, after seeing the Order.
The problematic responses were mostly from the Australian server's people.
It seemed the thugs held the most power to tried to voice their opinions.
So, they continued to attempt to speak against the contents of the speech, and I had to continue to use the Overwhelm skill in order to allow Park Jung-ah to speak uninterrupted.
Anyway, it looks like they don't have a unified organization that oversees the entire server like we do.
It looks like the people from j.a.panese server are all divided into groups the size of small parties.
Still, they had the bearded man who was stepping up, and he seemed to have some support by the people, but it was not like he was representing the entire server. It was more like the parties or groups each elected a representative and came to discuss with the bearded man.
It seems like they never experienced the day of the great harmony properly either.
I should learn more about this later.
As for the Australian server, they have quite a number of large groups.
The problem was that their main groups seemed to be of the shady kinds.
It seemed the group where the bald head and the black man belonged to was the largest group there.
It was not like they had the most number of people, but they had the highest levels.
"Hey, about the people from j.a.pan. Why are so many of them carrying j.a.panese swords? Isn't that supposed to be difficult for beginners to handle?"
"It is difficult to handle."
They are ridiculously hard.
When I was picking my starting weapon, I tried holding the j.a.panese sword once and crossed it out from my list of potential weapons.
After that, I found a shorter weapon that seemed easier to handle.
On top of this, the j.a.panese swords that the people wielded were quite long.
They were not the kind that beginners could wield and swing.
Let's a.s.sume someone who just entered the Hard Difficulty only had one of these swords.
I'm sure that would double that person's chance of dying on the first stage.
"By the way, did they tell you why so many of them have those swords?"
"I think it is not that they picked those swords as the starting weapon. Perhaps there are some who did. I think most people purchased the swords as a fashion statement. When actual combat starts, they might put away the sword and bring out the actual weapons they really use."
"Fashion statement? I am not sure? I don't think that could be? You know how expensive it is to purchase a weapon."
"Look at them. People who are wielding j.a.panese swords all have them on their waist instead of placing them inside the inventory. I am saying that might be a trend right now."
We chattered about this unusual topic and spent the time. Before long, Park Jung-ah's speech was nearing its end.
"… You must not unilaterally decide the bounds of rules. I'll say this once again before finishing this. All criminal activities during the six days through the tournament are forbidden. As long as this rule is earnestly followed by everyone, there won't be any problems."
Although it is a rule that even we might have a hard time following, that is.