Arena Chapter 68

Please thank NauSouONight for this chapter. Consider this chapter as giving him face since he keeps asking for more chapters on Reddit.

In other news, 

Chapter 68 – The results of the fourth exam (Part 1)

"b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Why are you so late? You want to be fired?"

"Thank you for everything thus far."

"Ha, on whose authority?"

Chairman Park Jin-seong gave me a hug as I got out of the Porsche cayenne.

It was a sign of how desperately he yearned for my return.

I'm sure some of it was for the cure to his disease but treating me this way, doesn't make me feel bad.

Am I to cure for free? I am getting a lot of money and aid.

"You're here, give me one."

"Hmm…"

"What, kid?"

"That is… hmm…"

"Oh what is it! You want more money?"

"Yes."

"Kid, sure I am a billionaire but is this some highway robbery? Have I given you too little so far?"

"No, the thing is. I've raised my flame of life to intermediate level 1. It explained it definitely works to cure terminal illness."

"Is that true?"

"If you don't believe it, then fine."

"You b.a.s.t.a.r.d!"

I slightly dodged chairman Park Jin-seong's attempt to flick my forehead.

"Oh? Catch him!"

Chairman Park Jin-seong shouted to his guards.

'c.r.a.p.'

I leapt from my position and landed to the side on top of an old pine tree.

Currently, my physique has surpa.s.sed human limits and doing something like this was nothing.

The guards stared at me blankly not knowing how to proceed and scratched their heads while as they laughed

From atop the tree I shouted out to chairman Park Jin-seong.

"How much are you going to give me? This time, you'll see a marked difference."

"We can fix the price after I eat it and get an examination and see how effective it is. I received an exam yesterday too so I can clearly mark the difference."

'Well, chairman Park Jin-seong isn't one to be stingy with his money.'

I nodded my head.

"Okay."

"Then come down, a.s.shole."

I jumped down from the old pine tree and handed over a flame.

Hwaruk!

The flame that appears from my palm. It's no longer a marble sized flame, but a fist sized flame.

"Oh my, it's big."

The color returned to chairman Park Jin-seong's face.

"I've thought about it, but is there a need for you to eat it?"

"Then what?"

"Couldn't I just push it into your body?"

I spoke from experience from having blown the flame into the tree of life every day.

At my words, chairman Park Jin-seong hesitated for a moment then moved the flame to his lower chest.

'Is it lung cancer?'

Seeing him put the flame of life into where his lungs are, I presumed that's the case.

The ball of flame seeped into chairman Park Jin-seong's body.

"Huh, this was all that needed to be done. I've been eating it all this time for no reason."

"That's an elderly person's specialty. Putting everything good for you in your mouth."

"Shut up."

"How do you feel?"

"Haha, how do I say this? I feel really good, very good but I can't express it in words."

Chairman Park Jin-seong inspected his own body and was amazed.

His eyes would probably flip if I told him I could make two of these a day.

"It's been a while, would you like to go for a hunt?"

"Sure."

We packed out things and headed out to hunt. Particularly today, chairman Park Jin-seong was full of energy and he walked ahead.

"This, I feel better than I did when I was healthy. How very interesting."

But after about an hour, we decided to take a short break.

Chairman Park Jin-seong sat on a boulder and asked.

"How did the exam go?"

"I cleared it."

"Woah, good job. So, there was a point to getting the aid from the Nordic exam group?"

"Yes, well, I suppose so."

Even though honestly for the fourth exam I spent my days doing nothing related to fighting.

I hadn't verified if Odin was able to use his army to obliterate the Silver clan.

Now that I think of it, Odin won't know that my exam is over. Should I give him a call?

"How do you think the next exam will be?"

"I don't think the next one will be very difficult either."

"Really? That's good."

If it flows according to my thinking, in the following fifth exam, I will be much stronger.

Through the tree of life, the spirit summons grew stronger, and with the karma I received from clearing the exam, I'm going to increase my skill level.

The sun is about to go down and we haven't' found any prey.

"Shall I summon Sylph?"

"That's alright."

Chairman Park Jin-seong shook his head.

"It must be hard and at times, one must fail in order for hunting to be fun."

That sounded like chairman Park Jin-seong's life philosophy.

"Is that your businessman philosophy?"

"Huh? What c.r.a.p is that? If you fail in business, that's not fun."

"You have any idea how many execs and staff I have to feed, how could failing be fun? Are your exams fun? You're a funny lad."

It was useless that I said anything at all.

Chairman Park Jin-seong left urgently for the hospital to get re-examined.

I thought of testing out my skills and training, but today it was already too late so I decided to head home.

I miss Min-jeong so much. From my position, I haven't seen her in 30 days.

I took out my smartphone and gave Min-jeong  a call. At this time, she is probably at home.

-h.e.l.lo?

Min-jeong 's voice sounded happy. But along with her voice, I hear loud music.

With a fast tempo and strong beat, music that makes you want to dance…

"Mi-Min-jeong , where are you?"

I thought 'no way' and asked in a shaky voice.

-Where do you think I am?

"Um, perhaps, a club?"

As I said so, Min-jeong exploded in laughter.

The loud music suddenly disappeared.

-I'm at home.

Huh?

"Then what was that music?

-I got the music to use when I got your call.

She teased me!

"Min-jeong , oppa has a weak heart. Don't do that anymore, please?"

-Hmph, says you, you just left after taking care of yourself.

I suddenly recall the events from a month ago.

"It's not like that."

-Hmph, I don't know.

"Anyway, I'll be there soon."

-Do what you like.

And then Min-jeong just hung up the phone. Pretending to be sullen when she's not even angry. She's telling me to make her happy somehow.

'I should buy a present.'

I haven't seen her in a month and I want to get her a gift.

Ding dong-

-I don't take the newspaper.

Said Min-jeong through the interphone.

"I know you can see my face through the interphone."

-I said I don't take the newspaper.

"Is the interphone broken? Even so, you can hear my voice."

-Wow, so persistent. I said, I don't take the paper.

"I brought a present."

-Oppa~!

The door opened immediately and Min-jeong rushed out and hugged me.

I smiled and hugged her and lifted her up with one hand.

Min-jeong screamed.

With the other hand, I closed the door and went inside.

Min-jeong is excited in my embrace and when I laid her down on the bed, her expression became sour.

"What is this?"

"Huh? What is what?"

"Why the bed again? You want to be in trouble?"

"Ah, I didn't realize."

Gah, it's been 30 days since I've seen you! Even though you saw my yesterday.

"Give me the present, the present."

I took out a box full of macarons from my cross bag.

"Gyak, they look so tasty!"

Min-jeong gave me a peck on the cheek with her lips and rans into the kitchen saying she wants some coffee to go with them.

She delivered up two espressos and we have tea time with the macarons.

"You have better judgment than I thought."

"Thank you."

"It would have been funny if you brought a really expensive present haha."

"Ha, haha…"

"Huh? Why that expression, oppa?"

"No, it's nothing."

"… take it out."

"Ok…"

Obligingly I answer as I put my hand in the cross body bag.

'My hands! Don't fail me now!'

With my hands in the bag, I remove the wrapping so the brand logo on the box is evident. Then I show her the necklace inside.

"Oh my gosh, it's beautiful!"

It was a beautiful black stone necklace. A woman from the shop picked it up for me but I bought it because I thought it was pretty too.

Min-jeong was closely looking at the necklace in admiration when she stared at me.

"How much was this?"

"Uh, 40 bucks."

"This? No way!"

"They were selling it on the street so I bought it."

"Really? Then it's an imitation. Wow, it looks so much like the real thing."

"Oh, really? I don't really know that stuff."

I don't know but the internet search engines sure did.

And the GPS app sure knew where the store was located.

"Hehe, an unni I know has this. It looks just like the real thing. It looks like a real Marni necklace."

"Well, good, I'm glad you like it."

I can never get caught that that is a luxury item worth over $1000. A Marni store wouldn't sell a knock-off.

"Put it on me, oppa."

"Mm."

I took the necklace with two hands and went behind Min-jeong. But that was a trick. As if she'd been waiting for it, Min-jeong headed straight for my cross-body bag.

"Ah, no!"

"Hah!"

Min-jeong takes out the box with the Marni logo and wrapper.

"Oh lookie here? In that time, you managed to put your hand in the bag and removed the wrapping and opened the box? What good hand skills you have."

I raised my physical strength buff to entry level 3 and it improved my hand dexterity too.

"Spill it. How much was it?"

"… it was slightly over $1000."

"Crazy, that's insane!"

Min-jeong slapped me hard on the shoulder.

“Are you trying to prove you're soft? This is why Hyun-ji is so worried about you!"

"Uh, I just feel falsely accused right now…"

"About what!"

I haven't seen you in 30 days and I was just happy so I bought you a present!

… from Min-jeong 's point of view, we've seen each other every day and I randomly bought a really expensive present so I see why it looks bad.

"Return it."

"I don't want to."

"Return it quick. We haven't been dating that long, I can't accept something so expensive."

"I don't know, I don't know, I can't return it. I won't."

I crushed and ripped apart the necklace box.

"Gyak! Now you can't return this!"

"I won't. Just have it. I just wanted to buy it for you."

Min-jeong stared at me.

"This won't do. Oppa, you need to be punished."

"Punished?"

Min-jeong took out her smartphone.

"Uh, why are you taking out your phone?"

She put the necklace on her neck and suddenly made a "v" with her hand and took a selfie.

Then she sent a picture message but the person receiving it is…

"No, don't!"

I despaired but it is already too late.

[I got this from oppa^^ Marni <>

After that, somebody's message arrives to my smartphone.

[Hyun-ji: Hey, you crazy pushover! You got lots of money???]

"Kuk……!"

I despaired in an OTL position. At this, Min-jeong shook her finger.

"Hehe, oppa, anyway, thanks for the present. It's really pretty."

"That's okay…"

"Oppa, are you sulking?"

"Come here, oppa."

I flinched at her strong seduction but I resisted. I was sulking. How could she actually tattle to Hyun-ji!

'I am not a sucker, I'm rich. I have no need to be stingy with a piece of gum!'

How could it be difficult when I have $19 million (USD) just sitting in my bank?

"You won't come, even if I do this?"

Min-jeong started to take off her clothes one by one.

Delicately, every time a piece of clothing fell to the floor, I flinched.

Finally, when the necklace I gave her is all that remained on her body, I lost my endurance.

When the heat died down, Min-jeong stayed cuddled in my arms and whispered.

"You don't have to give me things like this. Just stay by me. That's really all I need."

… that is the very thing I cannot promise you.

Thus, I kept Min-jeong, who I have reunited with in a very long time, in my arms, and fell asleep.

At that time, I didn't realize that I should have kept my smartphone turned off.