Arena - Chapter 141

The total amount of karma.

That is the number when all my skills and items were quantified as karma.

According to Odin’s advice, I decided to enroll in the world examinee rankings. I calculated all my skills and items into karma.

Not just the grades I received after clearing the missions but the karma I received from what I bought with money was significant as well.

I had also raised my skill levels through training rather than using karma before too.

Seeing all the karma added up,

“Woah……”

A number so big that my jaw almost fell out.

First, the skills and items I had are as follows.

-Main skill: spirit summons (superior level 1).

-Assist skill: physical strength buff (intermediate level 5), guider (entry level 1), teleportation (intermediate level 1), vision buffer (entry level 1).

-Special skill: skill synthesis

-Synthesis skill: Divine protection of the Wind (master), Divine Protection of Fire (master), reflex (master), flame of life (intermediate level 4), transmission (entry level 1), virtual space (intermediate level 1), shooting (entry level 1), bullet revision (master), reload, dynamic visual acuity (master), see-through (entry level 1), foresight.

-Remaining karma: +16,000

-Item: AW50F, Neilson H2 (x2), item backpack

Calculating all these as karma, how much will it be?

I started writing in a notebook and began to calculate.

But then, laying across from me on the bed, Cha Ji-hye looked at me and said.

“Can’t you just ask your board?”

“……”

I suddenly looked an idiot.

Cha Ji-hye smiled at me with her eyes before closing them and going to sleep.

After being together for a little while, I could now detect the nuances of her facial expressions.

“Will you show me the total karma with all my skills and items?”

As I said it, the word on the board really started to wiggle and change. What a very impressive AI.

-Showing examinee Kim Hyun-ho’s aggregate karma total with skills and items. This sum includes the remaining karma.

-Total karma: +108,600

“Woah……”

Seeing this huge amount, my jaw dropped.

“How much did you get?”

Asked Cha Ji-hye.

She was pretending to sleep but must’ve been curious. She’s oddly cute.

“108,600 karma.”

“What?”

Asked Cha Ji-hye, doubting her ears.

“108,600 karma.”

“And you just now finished your 8th exam?”

“Yes.”

Of course, this wasn’t the sum solely from having cleared exams.

There were instances where I raised my skills through training, and a ridiculous amount of karma I bought with an astronomical amount of money as well.

I sent this number to Odin in a text.

Then I climbed into bed and fell asleep next to Cha Ji-hye.

I didn’t know it, but the ripple effect that my text message would create would change the world.

***

[108,600]

“Oy……!”

Odin saw his text message and, without realizing it himself, groaned.

He was now just am 8th turn examinee.

He’s merely completed 8 exams, is this even possible?

‘He said he killed a lot of corrupt examinees while fighting the pirates. He’s made rapid progress from fighting with the Chinese examinee group.’

Odin got the feeling this examinee will be an explosive nuclear bomb.

He defeated Heising, someone with a strong evil reputation from the Chinese examinee group. Heising was now just considered a stepping stone for Hyun-ho, who rose after defeating him!

A strong person like him was rising up and making an honest race towards clearing the missions.

How would the Arena business world take that?

The investors waiting for the right moment to expose majeong technology to the world. How would they take the appearance of Kim Hyun-ho?

Even for Odin himself, he was faced with a lot of pressure and had to appease the massive businesses.

He only fought with the determination to not leave his daughter Bella alone, that’s what he focused on.

Thanks to that, he had been clearing the missions up to this point and was still standing today.

But even for Odin, who had such a clear goal, if he didn’t have the protection of the Nordic exam group he might not have made it.

They aren’t obvious like the Chinese examinee group but nearly all of the country agencies saw Arena as a big business opportunity.

Rather than emancipating the examinees by having them reach the final destination, they wanted a method of continuous majeong collection.

Of course, up until now, they had accounted for the examinees’ opposition already.

But the existence of Kim Hyun-ho might create a change in the status quo.

He’s already collided with the pirates and they know he’s already had conflicts with the dark magicians as well.

On top of that, he was heading for the end of the exams at a fast pace.

‘If he registers in the world rankings, he’ll start getting a lot of attention but……’

Odin smiled.

‘There will be that many more examinees who will want to join the fight to clear the exams.’

***

That day, there was a change in the World Arena Association’s rankings.

The Arena government agencies around the world were thrown into a shock.

The shock to the Korean research agency especially was very large.

-Examinee Kim Hyun-ho

-Nationality: South Korea

-Ranking: 7th

-Total karma: 108,600

“Uh, what is this?”

The Korean Arena Research Agency.

Chief Kim Joong-tae was staring at his monitor with eyes wide open.

‘Why is Kim Hyun-ho’s name on here?!’

This isn’t possible.

He would be a 7th, maybe 8th turn examinee or so now.

No. The fact that he hasn’t been handed over to the Chinese examinee group was more suspicious.

What kind of miracle did he receive to be able to evade death by the Chinese and then also manage to become an incredible ranker?!

7th place!

‘Why did this bastard suddenly appear with that ranking?’

Chief Kim Joong-tae’s could feel a chill in his liver and gallbladder.

Among the Korean examinees, there was actually no one in the top 20 of the rankings.

But suddenly, a Korean examinee appeared! Ranked 7th no less!

On top of that, someone not aligned with the Korean Arena Research Agency!

‘This is dangerous!’

Chief Kim Joong-tae felt on edge.

The current government, and even the president, didn’t have a clue about Arena.

There was no figure that really knew about this or had political authority which was why Chief Kim Joong-tae was able to exercise so much power.

But even if that was the case, if a ranker this big appeared, it may make its way into the president’s ear.

‘This is a big problem……’

With his heart pounding in his chest, Chief Kim Joong-tae took out his outdated flip phone.

The person Chief Kim Joong-tae called was Lee Chang-wee in Beijing.

-What is it?

“What happened?”

-What are you talking about?

“Kim Hyun-ho! What the fuck happened with Kim Hyun-ho?”

-Ahh, so you saw that too?

“Why is it that I gave you plenty of information and you haven’t done anything with Kim Hyun-ho yet?”

-Can’t you tell by seeing the rankings? He managed to overcome the danger and became stronger. He’s a very impressive person.

“You listen to me!”

-What’s the matter, Chief Kim Joong-tae?

“Have you given up on Kim Hyun-ho?”

-For me, there is no longer any need to deal with Kim Hyun-ho.

Chief Kim Joong-tae could feel a weird atmosphere.

This man, he said ‘for me.’

As if his thoughts represented the thoughts of the Chinese examinee group.

Chief Kim Joong-tae didn’t know that Lee Chang-wee’s rival Heising was dead.

And of course he also didn’t know about the events that happened within the Chinese examinee group either.

“What does that mean? That you don’t need to oppose Kim Hyun-ho……”

-Well, I’ve nothing more to say. Don’t call me anymore.

“Hey, hold on……!”

Lee Chang-wee hung up on him.

‘What’s happened in China?!’

Chief Kim Joong-tae was regretting having been negligent about any news from the Chinese side.

It was late but he had to get some news and figure out what to do in this situation.

But unfortunately for Chief Kim Joong-tae, he wasn’t given the time to do that.

Ring!

The phone in his office rang.

Chief Kim Joong-tae answered up the phone.

“What?”

-Chief, it’s the Blue House.*

(TN: Korea’s version of the White House).

“Put him through.”

Then he heard an old man’s voice.

-Chief Kim.

“Yes, presidential secretary, sir. Have you been well?”

-Is there anything you’ve heard from the Chinese examinee group?

“Before you mention it, I felt that something was off about them and was about to find out.”

-I think there was a big power shift within the Chinese examinee group, you don’t know exactly what that is yet?

“Yes, they are rather secretive over there. It has been difficult finding out.”

-Hm, well that’s that. Anyway, do you know about an examinee Kim Hyun-ho?

Chief Kim Joong-tae’s heart began to beat harder, thud thud thud thud.

“Regrettably he isn’t within our agency so I don’t know much. From what I know, he’s an examinee with Jinseong Group.”

-He is the first in our country to be in the world rankings. Hearing he isn’t one of ours, is regrettable. You know nothing more?

“Yes, I’ll find out more and, if possible, will bring him to our agency.”

-I see. So you are saying you don’t know anything else him.

“Yes……”

-Haha, well.

“……?”

His words had an icy edge.

Chief Kim Joong-tae left like his blood was running cold.

-I’ve talked with Chairman Park Jin-seong. You, Chief Kim, not only are you incompetent, but you think we’re idiots?

Chairman Park Jin-seong of Jinseong group!

He was a person whose life was rescued by Kim Hyun-ho.

Chief Kim Joong-tae realized his plans have gone terribly awry.

“Pre-presidential secretary, sir……”

-Enough. I don’t want to mince words with you any longer.

He hung up.

And 15 minutes later, a group of people from the National Intelligence Service stormed the Korean arena Research Agency.

***

-Have you been well?

A voice I hadn’t heard in a long while, Chairman Park Jin-seong. His voice sounded very cheerful.

“Yes, so-so as you know. How is your health, chairman?”

-Healthy, of course. For this life that was renewed with much difficulty I even quit drinking. Although a life without alcohol, I’m not sure whether this is living or not.

“Haha, I’m glad. May you live long until you smear poop on the walls.

(TN: A Korean phrase to mean until you go senile.)

-Oh shush. Anyway, I hear you’re doing very well lately?

“How so?”

-You son of a bitch. I mean the ranking!

“Ah, through the Nordic Examinee Group, I did register in the rankings. What ranking am I?”

-…… you’re asking me because you don’t know?

“I haven’t heard from Mr. Odin yet.”

-My, you live as a hopeless innocent. Someone like you is 7th, my goodness……

“Excuse me? 7th?”

-That’s right!

“I’m very high.”

I was completely surprised.

7th?

I did anticipate I’d be ranked high but I had no idea I’d be 7th out of all the examinees in the world!

Of course there could be lots of strong players like Lee Chang-wee who aren’t in the rankings but still, it was undoubtedly a high ranking.

-You know you’re still in my group, right?

“I do.”

While treating Chairman Park Jin-seong, I became contracted into Jinseong group. How could I forget that?

Thanks to that I got lots of help here and there from Secretary Lee Jung-shik.

-But why aren’t you bringing back any majeong? A man like you in 7th place, how have you never once brought us any majeong?

“Ah……”

Now that I think of it, yeah.

Majeong was an examinee’s strongest money maker.

But thanks to making a fortune from my flame of life I had no interest in gathering majeong.

-We’ve got the 7th rank player in our group, show us the merit of that, you bastard.

“Hahaha, if the opportunity arises, I’ll bring you some majeong.”

-Tsk tsk, anyway, there will be some good news soon.

“Good news?”