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"Can't I fight?" Ryoji stroked his chin and asked in return.
"This arena doesn't have a rule that prohibits ordinary people from challenging Adventurers, does it?"
Of course, there is no such rule.
Moreover, since he has already signed the contract, even if he dies on the stage, it's only his own fault, and the arena won't be held accountable. There's no need to worry about being questioned afterward.
Shakti didn't speak.
Only her eyes sharpened, her expression gradually fading, and her gaze fixed on Ryoji.
The restrained aura around her quickly surged, pressing toward him from the front.
In that instant, it felt as if a heavy pressure was bearing down, as if this blue-haired beauty was about to strike in public, making one's heart tremble and weakening their imposing manner.
But the young man opposite her remained completely unfazed by the imposing manner she deliberately directed at him. His calm demeanor could even be described as indifferent.
"...Although I'd like to say, for the sake of your life, I should forbid you from participating, you don't seem like a clueless rookie." Shakti's sky-blue eyes relaxed slightly, and her imposing manner gradually subsided.
"Then do as you please."
Facing her imposing manner without flinching, Shakti felt a slight interest in this young man.
In this Labyrinth City, anyone who makes a living by exploring the Dungeon can be called an Adventurer.
Although Lv.1 is at best a lower-tier Adventurer, the most inexperienced level among Adventurers, accounting for more than half of Orario's Adventurers, they are still beings who have received a god's Falna and embarked on the path of growth.
There is a significant gap in strength between ordinary people and Adventurers. While it's not an insurmountable chasm, it's still a considerable divide, akin to the difference between a rookie and a professional contestant.
Before this, almost no one would challenge an Adventurer as an ordinary person. Such an approach is too unwise and not something a typical Adventurer would take, as it could easily lead to severe injury or death.
But this young man is probably no ordinary person.
Shakti decided to give him a chance to see how far he could go.
"This is your number plate. Go wait in the preparation room."
After Ryoji filled out the registration form and signed the contract on the parchment, the blue-haired beauty handed him a wooden number plate and turned to leave.
"You're called Shakti, right? You're a good person." Ryoji suddenly spoke.
After saying this, he walked into the preparation room without looking back.
The blue-haired beauty Shakti turned her head, looking at the young man's back, a hint of surprise on her face.
He must have sensed her intentions. She didn't expect him to be such a thoughtful guy, making her thirty-plus years of single life stir with a slight flutter.
The key is, this guy really looks handsome.
"I'll need to keep a close eye on the stage later to avoid any accidents…"
The next match was about to begin, and Shakti returned to the area below the stage, standing in a very inconspicuous spot.
After she left.
"Hey, give me a registration form!"
A burly, fierce-looking Adventurer with a menacing face came to the registration desk and snatched a registration form from the staff.
He filled in his name and a bold "Lv.1" on the form, signed the contract, and then walked into the preparation room with a fierce glare.
"Was that guy really Lv.1?"
The staff member was intimidated by his imposing manner and didn't dare to speak. Only after he left did the staff member, looking at his back, feel a strong sense of doubt.
Guild staff often interact with Adventurers, and they can somewhat tell the difference between top-tier Adventurers and lower-tier ones.
In Orario, only Adventurers who reach Lv.2 can be considered top-tier Adventurers.
......
In the preparation room.
When Ryoji entered, there were three challengers left: two humans and one Small Person.
The three of them were either gripping their pants tightly, shaking their legs, or pacing back and forth, clearly unable to hide their nervousness.
They were all restless, and even when they saw Ryoji walk in, they had no intention of striking up a conversation with him.
Their gazes were all focused on the same spot.
Following their line of sight, Ryoji saw a window that had been wiped clean, through which the stage was clearly visible.
At that moment, a new match had begun, and the Dwarf Hawks was accepting the challenge of the sixth Adventurer.
Half a minute later, the match on stage concluded.
The process was uneventful, with the Dwarf warrior achieving an overwhelming victory once again.
The host announced a ten-minute break before the next match would begin.
In the preparation room, after witnessing the Dwarf warrior's effortless sixth consecutive win, the expressions of the three challengers became noticeably tenser, especially the middle-aged man among the two humans.
His number plate was the smallest among them, and he was up next.
"By the way, are you scared right now?" Ryoji leaned over, curiosity evident on his face as he spoke to him.
"...A little," the middle-aged man stammered, startled by Ryoji's question, trying to maintain his composure.
"Honestly, I'm quite scared too. After all, I'm the only child in my family, and I have two elderly parents in their eighties. If I die here, I really don't know how they would live on!"
Ryoji looked sympathetic, his face filled with concern for his nonexistent elderly parents.
"I-I just remembered that I need to water the fields at home...!"
The middle-aged man's face quickly turned pale, and suddenly he stood up, disregarding the staff member guarding the door, and rushed out toward the arena.
After he left, the young man who looked about twenty suddenly became panicked.
According to the number plates, he was next after the middle-aged man.
"Are you nervous now?" Ryoji shifted his position, sitting next to the young man and trying to comfort him.
"Actually, there's no need to be nervous. Look at that Dwarf; his arms are strong. One swing of his axe could chop you to pieces, and while the blood might splatter like tomato juice, if you just let him hit you, the pain is only for a moment. Though your brain might explode, it wouldn't be a pretty death..."
"I-I-I-I-I also just remembered that my shop needs to open soon. I have to go back!"
The young man imagined the scene Ryoji described, his face turning ashen. He stuttered for a while, then lifted his trembling feet and hurriedly left the preparation room.
With the two humans gone, the most nervous one left was the Small Person sitting in the corner.
His height barely reached Ryoji's waist, and he looked frail, not sturdy enough to withstand a Dwarf's axe. Thinking of the scene Ryoji had just described, he was already sweating profusely.
Then, he saw Ryoji approaching him with a warm smile.
"...I'm still a virgin! I need to revitalize my family; I can't die here!"
His complexion changed several times, and finally, he gritted his teeth, wearing a passionate expression, and quickly followed the young man out of sight.
"I didn't even say anything yet." Ryoji shrugged.
With such poor mental fortitude, what were they doing in the arena?
Wait, looking at it this way, I've indirectly saved three lives. What a great deed!
The door to the preparation room swung open.
A staff member walked in, looking puzzled as he surveyed the surroundings, his gaze landing on Ryoji.
"What happened here?"
"Nothing happened at all!" Ryoji replied, feigning surprise.
He was a very polite person; how could anything have happened?
The staff member, still confused, exited the preparation room.
(End of Chapter)