Originally, the preliminary rounds were nothing more than a warm-up to build excitement before the main event—the Round of 16.
But this Colosseum preliminary round was completely different.
"Waaaaa! What the hell is that contestant doing?!"
Usually, the preliminaries were a tense game of cat-and-mouse where everyone watched each other warily, their palms sweating.
But now, it was a slaughterhouse where the tiger devoured everything in sight—foxes, rabbits, you name it.
Of course, in situations like this, it's usually boring, but surprisingly, many spectators were caught up in a frenzy of excitement.
"Serves him right! That damn brat always just ambushed people from behind every time at the Colosseum!"
"That booing feels so good! It's a relief just watching!"
Usually, fights drag on because everyone is tiptoeing around each other, but here, one person was sweeping the field clean—in a different sense, it was giving the spectators a real thrill.
"Spinning Sword Technique!"
Excel spun around in midair, whirling his sword.
Instantly, two beast-type pets and one monster-type pet were sliced down by the blade.
"Master! Aim for the master!"
"You're too slow to target me!"
From the tutorial forest all the way to the guild, the two had actually experienced a surprising amount of real combat.
Even before Wonhyo, they were newbies who had tasted defeat against slimes, devotees, and even veteran guild members who were fellow players.
Attacks from tourists or pet trainers, who were mostly unaccustomed to fighting, were laughable.
Let alone...
"T-that's how you attack!"
"No way! How did you just appear here!"
With Wonhyo's training added to the mix, the two were practically flying.
In particular, the combination of Excel, who flew around showcasing his aerial swordplay, and the newbie, who dodged attacks with nothing but rolls and footwork, sent the crowd into a frenzy.
"Looks like we didn't just waste a week after all!"
"I never knew that Wonhyo would turn out to be such a good teacher."
'I was sure it was just brute-force training, but now that I think about it, he kept us at 100% condition even though we barely rested.'
I'd thought it was nothing more than mindless evasion training...
But now that I think about it, Wonhyo's training might have been more refined than I realized.
At first, everyone fought like complete brutes, but as they watched the carnage among the participants, their fighting spirit soared.
"Damn it! If that bastard catches me, I'm done for anyway!"
"Let's lie low. That guy will make room for the Round of 16 on his own."
A few sharp ones vanished without a trace, leaving only the indecisive ones behind to get caught up in the hunt by Newbie and Excel.
"You bastard! Are you trying to pick a fight?!"
Even amidst the chaos, there were those with courage.
They were Urakan, the "Flame of the Charge" who had once reached the semifinals, and Salo, the pet owner famous as a bullfighter.
"This is the limit of how you dare to desecrate our sacred tournament! Urakan! Trample that little brat!"
"Muuuuu! Pffft! Pffffft!"
Urakan, the battle beast who had made him one of Taming City's Four Heavenly Kings, charged.
After stamping his hooves on the ground a few times, he charged forward at an incredible speed.
"Don't think you're safe just because you're small! Our Urakan's flames will incinerate your little fairy!"
Just as he said, sparks flew from Urakan's body a few times, and a massive firestorm erupted.
That was the Lamborghini Charge, famous even in the Colosseum.
"Ugh, ugh!"
"Aaargh! It's hot!"
Even if they tried to dodge, the firestorm spewed by Urakan engulfed the area.
Unfortunate nearby pets and their owners were caught up in the flames and forced to retire.
"Get out of my way! You piece of grilled meat! Excel, let's go!"
"Aaaah! I'll turn you into a beef patty!"
Instead, Excel charged head-on into the Urakan's assault.
"Hahaha! Go ahead and turn into a roasted chicken!"
Salo laughed heartily, but Excel leaped into the flames as if to mock him.
'H-hot... hot, hot, hot, hot!!!'
In an instant, Excel felt pain as if his entire body were being pierced by needles.
At the same time, he was overcome by an immense sense of terror.
Yet he did not back down.
'Newbie, for my friend!'
He began spinning his body with all his might amidst the flames.
"W-what are you doing?"
"Yaaaaah!"
Excel spun his sword and his body like a giant propeller.
That spin sliced clean through Urakan, from the top of its head down its spine to its tail.
"Ugh, nooooooo!"
In an instant, Urakan, sliced straight through from head to tail, collapsed to the ground.
The flames died down instantly, and Urakan vanished, turning into light.
"W-what is this! Huh?"
"Wheee!"
"Ugh, aaaah!"
The spin wasn't over yet.
It didn't stop until it had sliced through Salo's body as well, turning him into a shower of light.
Excel's head was spinning violently after he barely managed to stop.
The guy began to fall, his entire body charred like a lump of coal.
"Ugh, uwaaah! Watch out, Inseok!"
Thud!
"Ugh-heeeee... I'm seeing stars..."
"Hmm... You should only use that in a real emergency."
Newbie caught Excel as he plummeted.
Even though it was clearly the perfect moment to attack, everyone cringed at the sight.
No one dared to fight.
Then, the announcer declared.
[T-the... preliminary round is over! Based on the organizers' judgment that continuing would pose a safety risk, we will now select the top 16 players based on the order in which they eliminated their opponents! Thank you, everyone!]
To anyone watching, it was clearly a rushed conclusion.
It seemed the shock of seeing a former semifinalist get knocked out in a single blow during the preliminaries was just too much.
It certainly was a shock to everyone.
"Do you know anything about that guy?"
"S-sorry... We don't know him either. He seems to be a wanderer."
"Is that so?"
Even to the figure with the mysterious voice sitting in the seat of highest honor and greatest seclusion.
For her, it was closer to curiosity than shock.
*
The winner was certainly treated well.
During the preliminaries, they'd just shoved him in and told him to fight, but as soon as he made it to the Round of 16, they provided him with a private lounge.
Thanks to that, Excel, who had been suffering from dizziness and motion sickness, was able to lie down on a small pet bed and get some much-needed rest.
I also got to meet Wonhyo, our secret trainer, for a brief moment.
He looked quite satisfied.
"You really turned the arena upside down. You set a qualifying record that's never been seen before—and probably never will be again. But are you okay with that? Didn't you say you didn't want to stand out?"
Wonhyo chuckled.
Newbie, the one who actually did it, didn't look too thrilled.
"I had no choice. I have to win as much as possible to get more potions."
"That's true. I try to collect as much as possible for my own use too, but for you players, the more the better... Wait a minute."
Wonhyo tilted his head.
"Come to think of it, most players are already max level, so they probably don't need them. What on earth are you planning to do with all these potions that you're collecting so many?"
Caught off guard by the question, Newbie shrugged slightly.
After a moment's hesitation, Newbie spoke up.
"I'm actually short on levels right now. Like, really short."
"What? Don't joke around. You're saying a guy with that kind of combat sense isn't max level?"
Wonhyo looked at Newbie's face as if he couldn't believe it, but Newbie's expression was serious.
"Oh man… I won't ask about your level for now. But let me just ask this one thing."
"What is it?"
"Let's say you get hit once. Up to what level can you withstand the attack?"
"..."
"Goodness gracious. So the name 'Newbie' wasn't just a nickname after all? But level… Hmm."
Wonhyo rested his finger on his temple and fell deep in thought.
"Why? Are you saying we can't work together unless you're max level?"
"No... it's not that. I was just wondering if there's really any need to obsess over levels."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
Wonhyo tilted his head in confusion.
"Isn't the whole point of leveling up to get stats?"
"Right?"
"Can't you just use that 'privilege' thing? I thought someone like you would have that ability."
"Privilege?"
Privilege, huh.
At that moment, Newbie remembered what he possessed.
It was the ability he'd gained when he rescued the players who were slaves to the biological inventory during the old carriage robbery incident.
"Hold on. Let me check. Status window. Can you explain what this 'admin permission' is?"
[Possible. Currently, 'Newbie' possesses a Level 10 temporary privilege.]
[Level 10 Admin Privilege]
So it was there after all.
Wonhyo, observing Newbie's expression, continued his explanation.
"As far as I know, most of the powerful figures in this world possess strong, unique abilities that allow them to bend reality. We call all of those 'privileges.'"
"But why do they call them 'privileges'?"
"How should I put it? Usually, it feels like you're using a power because you have it, right? But privileges are different. It's like… you've been granted power by some immense entity that's hard to describe… That's why everyone calls them 'privileges.' Some even refer to them as the PD's divine power."
"PD? You don't mean the Executive Producer of this game, do you?"
"How should I know? As far as I know, it's the one true god the kingdom's people believe in. So they say that 'Authority' is a gift bestowed by the PD… Ugh! Who cares about that! What matters is that you have that power too! What matters is how you use it!"
Wonhyo hopped around excitedly.
After all, what does it matter?
"So you have that authority too?"
"No. It's not exactly a common ability to begin with. I know because the kingdom's high-ranking officials have seen so much of it. I've only heard a little myself, so there's not much I can teach you... but I'll do my best. First..."
Just as Wonhyo was about to speak, his teeth chattering, a loudspeaker blared.
[Attention! Glorious challengers competing in the Round of 16! The matches are about to begin! Please gather in front of the Colosseum!]
"Well, I'll have to tell you later. Go have some fun."
"Ugh, what terrible timing... Fine, whatever. Hey, get up, Axel."
At those words, Excel barely managed to sit up, clutching his head.
"Ugh, uh... Is it meal time? You eat alone—my stomach's too upset."
"What are you talking about? We have to fight."
"Ah!"
Only then did Excel snap out of it, soaring upward with a whoosh!
It was time to fight again.
*
The Colosseum was definitely the Colosseum.
It was one of the structures built based on real-world information obtained from players captured as prisoners in the early days of the Kingdom.
At least tens of thousands of tourists had their eyes fixed on the arena at the very bottom.
The VIP seats where the Apostles and the city's ruling class were supposed to sit were discreetly concealed, and in front of them, on a podium, the emcee was shouting enthusiastically.
[The moment you've all been waiting for! The true Colosseum battle! A glorious contest between sixteen pairs of gladiators! Who will indeed claim the Double Crown... Hmm?]
Just as the emcee was busy whipping the crowd into a frenzy, someone rushed up beside him.
[M-Mayor? Why is the Mayor...? Ah, yes... yes? What on earth...]
At first, his face turned pale as he watched the city's supreme ruler running over as if he were some errand boy.
The real problem came next.
Whatever he had heard, the announcer's face turned ashen.
After going from pale to ashen—a rather frantic sequence—the emcee finally managed to speak.
[O-o-oh, our great Apostle has bestowed a tremendous honor upon us! The glory of the Apostle...]
After spewing out a bucketful of insincere praise for the Apostle, he got to the point.
[The Apostle has bestowed a trial upon us! It is none other than defeating His representative! Will all sixteen pairs of warriors be able to triumph in this trial?]
With those words, a black shadow rose from the highest tower of the Colosseum, blocking out the sun...
Whoosh! Thud!
With an elegant movement, it landed in the center of the Colosseum's arena.
To anyone watching, it appeared to be the most graceful creature in the world...
[A, a guinea pig?]
Even the announcer seemed flustered, still stammering.
At that moment, he quickly corrected himself.
[Exactly, exactly! The Apostle's representative and His pet! It's Kwiip! ]
These were the ones who delivered his orders or handled affairs under the Apostles' command.
They were known as "Proxies."
And this one was also the sole proxy of the Apostle standing behind him right now.
However...
"What is that... Can it even fight?"
"The Apostle's proxy... I've only heard about them... What on earth..."
The audience seemed just as bewildered; the entire arena was filled with murmurs.
Just then, that cute guinea pig stood proudly before them.
"Kiiing!"
It bowed its head cutely in greeting.
At that moment, something glowing suddenly shot out from the VIP section, which had been shrouded in shadow.
Whoosh! Boom!
That something spun around and slammed into the ground right in front of the Representative, Kwi.
It was the sword wielded by that Apostle.
The guinea pig, as if accustomed to it, took a stance with the sword clenched between its teeth.
And then, slowly.
It waited for the sixteen pairs of challengers.