The Challenger's Return: Rebirth of the Rainbow Mage
chapter-38

Otto stood up from his brief mental meditation.

He felt a slight rumble on the arrays connected to the floor.

Otto knew.

The entire batch of remaining 'ambushers' had arrived.

It was just…

Who was the predator and who was the prey was still unclear.

Otto cast a quick [Sense Life] with a small radius to double check.

He confirmed that the Throskarts had his small stone house completely surrounded.

But he smiled.

It was the perfect stage.

The greater the number of enemies he could pack into the smallest possible space meant the higher the amount of points he would gather from his next plan.

Otto waited for a second before he blinked to the top of his roof.

Surprisingly, this area was still clear of Throskarts.

Perhaps it was because they hadn't had enough time to climb up. Or perhaps it was for other reasons unknown to Otto.

He swept his gaze over the surroundings.

He could see nothing.

The ground looked empty.

Of course, Otto wasn't fooled.

He had seen via his [Sense Life] how densely the people were packed into the area around his house.

Moreover, crowds inevitably created noise, no matter how well they tried to hide it.

Bodies jostled against each other and footsteps echoed on the ground, leading to an odd sensory experience.

Visually, there was nothing there, but all sorts of noises came from everywhere.

It even felt a little like the area was crowded with ghosts.

Otto was a little astonished at the wealth the audience was willing to use to 'ambush' him.

He didn't know how expensive these magic tools were, but he knew they certainly weren't cheap enough to easily procure almost 40,000 of them.

Because Otto hadn't bothered to cloak himself with stealth this time, he was fully visible to his audience of enemies.

A hush swept through the crowd of Throskarts as they gazed at the human they had come this time to kill.

Actually, if Otto was being honest with himself, he didn't have to be here on this roof.

Had he not had absolute confidence in his own capabilities against this group of people, he would certainly have activated the trap safely from within the confines of the stone walls.

But he did have the confidence to appear before them.

Moreover, deep in his bones, Otto had a little bit of flair for the dramatic.

He especially loved playing the villain.

And if playing the villain perfectly didn't involve any ~real~ additional risk, what was the point of denying himself the pleasure?

One had to get their kicks from somewhere in the [Tower's] uniquely dangerous environment.

Otto suddenly grinned from the rooftop, revealing sinister intent.

A few people in the crowd shuddered as they saw this grin.

They seemed to remember seeing the exact same grin back when they had been poisoned…

A couple men even subconsciously touched their butts, grimacing deeply when their hands came away with suspicious, foul smelling brown stains.

But the majority either didn't notice or didn't care that Otto was confident.

What could he even do?

They had 40,000 people with them.

No matter what, they would definitely be able to kill him today.

Yes, this human was strong.

No, this human could not possibly be invincible.

Frankly, they felt he would be lucky to even escape from their hands.

Otto's sharp canines gleamed under the gentle light of the moon.

It was that beautiful moment just between twilight and full night, where the moonlight emerged and the forest glowed in an almost fluorescent color, enhanced by the vivid vibrancy of the plants on this 'island planet.'

Finally, Otto spoke.

His tone was authoritative and calm.

"Reveal yourselves."

A murmur tore through the crowd, unstoppable.

Even if they wanted to ignore his words, they didn't. Perhaps it was not possible.

The atmosphere seemed to create a compulsion to obey.

As one, 40,000 people deactivated a small bracelet-like tool on their wrists.

Their figures were revealed.

Most of them looked ferocious, eyes glinting with anger as they looked at the human who still dared to stand above them despite being surrounded by so many of their own.

Some hid calculating glints in their gazes, scheming to get the last hit on the human, no matter what.

There was even a small minority who actually looked fearful of Otto's strength and means.

None of this mattered to Otto.

For they would all die here, regardless.

The tension between the two parties could be cut with a knife.

Yet not one person attacked.

Many were restless, not understanding why their leaders hadn't given the order.

Perhaps only the elites knew- they weren't worrying about killing this human.

They had to make sure it was entertaining.

Only then could they reap the best rewards from the skit they acted out.

From each direction, north, east, south, and west, a person stepped forward.

It was as if it was choreographed.

Otto turned first to the north.

The man who stepped out was burly, and looked very strong.

His token gleamed orange, albeit in a lighter colored orange than Otto's own.

He spoke first, his tone and words sounding upright and just.

"Human, you have committed heinous crimes against our Throskart race."

The man gained confidence as he spoke.

"We have come today to cut you down."

"I am Lenile the barbarian. I hope that you remem…"

Before he could continue, he was interrupted by a small snicker from the rooftop.

Though the sound was light, it echoed like thunder among the hushed crowd below.

Otto didn't bother hiding his amusement.

His words were sharp but polite, but carried an undertone of mockery and disdain.

"Barbarian, hmm? Indeed. It is a fitting moniker for a ...em, cultured man such as yourself."

Lenile reddened slightly but kept his composure.

However, the small snickers from his subordinates behind him could only cause his face to darken.

Worse, right when he had prepared a scathing retort for the dastardly, clever human, he discovered to his further anger that the human was already looking away.

Otto turned to the east, countenance explicitly revealing slight boredom.

He shot a fake, 'polite' smile at the rather ugly looking old woman from the east.

"Would you like to go next?"

The old woman's face was a little red.

She was trying to hide her own snickers.

Evidently, she and Lenile weren't on the best of terms.

Otto glanced at her token.

A glint flashed in his eyes when he saw its color: a bright, vivid yellow.

This old woman currently held more points than he did.

It was possible she was lucky, or else the only explanation was…

She had quite a few audience members. And those audience members were rich.

Even in a survival game like this one, the starting points of the wealthy and the destitute were very different.

Unlike the rest of these Throskarts, who had been forced or pressured into entering this show, there was a good chance that this old woman was doing it solely for the rewards.

The woman declared in a raspy voice,

"Sir human, this is no longer only a matter of racial enmity. Your heinous deeds have spread throughout the forest ring.

Even a few of my own subordinates fell prey to your cruel poison. To strike at an enemy while unguarded is, truly, such a despicable thing to do.

Alas, I'm afraid by now…there is no where left in this game for you to run."

Lucretia mimicked Otto's 'polite' smile, her expression brimming with condescension.

Her tone was a little pitying, but her words did an excellent job of boosting the morale among the Throskarts.

In any war, it was always useful to take the moral high ground.

Though in her books, this 'ambush' couldn't be called a war per se, tactics like this would help prevent unhappiness and disharmony when the human had been killed.

Lucretia was already planning to take the coins that dropped when he died, by hook or by crook.

If there was a chance, she also didn't mind inciting a war between the other three forces and calmly sweeping the benefits.

Her eyes held a cunning glint as her mind schemed and her thoughts danced.

It was clear that she was better with words than her predecessor.

Otto was, as usual, unfazed.

He scrutinized her for a second before he yawned.

His retort was lazy.

"Yes, yes, you Throskarts would only use honorable means like ambushing and surrounding a lone human in a 40,000 against one battle at his place of residence.

Even I am in deep awe of your knightly spirit."

Otto enjoyed the moment when the woman stiffened, her face clearly displaying her irritation at having her moral high ground pulled out from under her.

The audience in Otto's stream was also going crazy.

[Why am I suddenly hoping he doesn't die?]

[Yeah, Lucretia is an evil bitch.]

[Hahahaha!]

[Look how red her face is! SO WORTH IT]

[Death to the wealthy!!!]

[ehhh it's too bad the human's going to die! he's got a good mouth!]

[How many times will you ever to get to witness Lucretia MARRINGER get ridiculed?]

[Once in a life time event happening right here!!!]

Ignoring the audience's schadenfreude, Otto ignored the woman after seeing her freeze.

He inwardly complained that these folks were too easy to needle.

Weren't they supposed to be leaders that kept their composure?

They didn't even give him enough time to fire shots!

Otto slowly turned to the south and saw a beautiful young woman in a black combat suit standing out.

In her right hand, she carried a spear that looked eerie and incompatible with her science fiction-esque outfit.

Her token was also a light orange, similar in color to Lenile's.

Her expression was cold, but if one looked closer, they might be able to discern that she was actually feeling rather awkward.

She wasn't great at expressing herself.

So she chose to simplify her words.

"I am Rekara, and I will cut you down. Wash your neck, human."

Then she nodded, and it was unclear whether it was directed at Otto or to herself.

Otto just looked at her before he smirked.

Finally, an easy prey.

"Ah, yes, we have a phrase in the human world that might apply to you. I believe it's 'beautiful but brainless.'"

Otto furrowed his brows in mock confusion,

"No, that wasn't it, it was, uhh, 'sexy simpleton'? Damn, that's not it either. Maybe 'empty-headed enchantress?'"

"Sorry, please hold on for a second. Let me think, I will definitely remember the phrase."

His expression was earnest. From a glance, one would never be able to tell he was currently thinking hard to come up with alliterative insults along the lines of 'brainless beauty.'

Otto started 'muttering' to himself.

Of course, his 'mutters' were just loud enough for everyone in his enraptured audience to catch.

"Gorgeous but gullible? A bewitching ... bovine? No, no, that isn't it."

"Foxy but foolish."

"Captivating cretin."

"Attractive air-head."

"Thick-headed temptress."

"Pretty pea-brain."

His eyes lit up at the last one, only to shake his head a moment later.

With each phrase Otto uttered, Rekara's face darkened a little further.

She had a deep urge to thrust her spear into Otto's mouth. But...it wasn't time yet.

Rekara suppressed her anger.

She could vent it all on this evil human's corpse.

Otto wasn't done.

"Vacuous vixen?"

"No, that's close, but,"

Otto's eyes brightened.

He looked down at the crowd and shot a big smile at Rekara.

"Not to worry, not to worry, I figured it out!"

"We humans would call you a 'half-witted whore'!"

Even as Rekara almost lost complete control of her temper, Otto's audience exploded in delighted chatter once again.

[HAHAHAHAHA]

[I'm dying]

[AHHH too funny!]

[He took one look at her and realized she was stupid]

[Damn, is it traitorous if I hope this human lives?]

[^^ Yes.]

[AHAHAHAHAHAHA LMAOOO]

[half witted whore! such a good insult!]

[That one's going in the history books for sure.]

[Does anyone else feel bad for the beauty?]

[If you're a face con, shouldn't you be looking at the human?]

[okay okay everyone shut up and let me watch.]

The audience continued to chatter but the atmosphere grew increasingly tense around Otto's stone house.

Rekara's face got darker and darker and Otto just stared at her with a smile that held no good intent.

But in the end, she tightened her grip on her spear.

She didn't attack.

Otto sighed in disappointment. He really wanted to rile them up!

Lenile, in comparison, felt like he had dodged a bullet. Thankfully, the human hadn't spent too long talking to him.

Finally, the man in the west stepped up to face Otto.

He was also a little tongue-tied, as he really didn't want to lose face in front of this human.

Especially since the human was about to die.

Still, he eventually bowed to the audience's demands.

"What is your name, human? I am Bellario."

"Finally, some civil discourse."

Otto's gave a loud, helpless sigh, tone as dry as the desert.

"I am surprised and thrilled you Throskarts possess such capability. You can call me Toto."

Bellario was already starting to get angry.

The human's tone held such clear disdain for their race.

Still, he held it back with some effort and forced himself to continue speaking.

"Human, I do not wish to argue with you about who is right or wrong.

At the end of the day, this is a survival game, and we are all competitors.

In this forest ring, might makes right!"

His words created another stir among the crowd. They all knew it to be true.

Otherwise, why would they have submitted to their current leaders?

Bellario continued speaking in a loud voice.

"Since we are stronger than you, as our enemy, you must die."

When Bellario saw that Otto didn't respond, he shifted uncomfortably and tried to maintain his confident demeanor.

Something in Otto's expression made him feel a little uneasy.

He quickly got to the point.

"Human, do you have any last words?"

Otto's head was tilted down.

No one could observe his expression.

When he looked up again, the crowd instinctively let out a shudder.

Otto was smiling.

But his smile was too eerie, too wide.

Under the cold light of the moon that barely illuminated his pale skin, his smile couldn't be anything but ghostly. Ghastly, even.

Otto's lips moved,

"I must agree with your words, Bellario, you said your name was?"

"Indeed, might makes right."

Otto slapped an array formation on his back and quickly activated it.

The crowd was stunned to see a pair of wings materialize under his shoulder blades.

This was one of Otto's favorite creations in his past life, the [Winged Escape Formation].

In but a second, before anyone had time to react, Otto shot up another ten meters in the air.

His eyes twinkled as he looked down at the packed crowd.

"I'm afraid…I won't be the one dying here today."

The Throskarts were unilaterally alarmed.

Lucretia was the first to react.

They had already put on enough of a show.

She felt a strong feeling of danger from Otto, who had begun to reveal his cards.

She would never risk losing her life here.

"Attack!"

A fireball appeared on Otto's hands.

It grew larger and larger as Otto kept injecting mana into it.

Rekara also reacted.

"Stop him!"

Spells and arrows flew out from the crowd and peppered the air.

For a second, Otto's vision was filled with a shimmering wall of metal as the points of the arrows closed in.

Yet the boy didn't even seem to notice.

A slight smirk remained on his face.

Only he knew that the fireball was not the true danger.

One other person in the crowd of enemies reacted immediately.

His reaction was completely discordant with that of his neighbors.

As soon as Otto flew into the air, Khana had a bad feeling.

An intense sensation of imminent death assaulted him.

Without even a word of warning for his subordinates, he pushed and jostled to get to the back of the crowd.

He had to escape!

He had to escape, NOW.

Khana felt lucky at this time that his own group of 48 elites were smaller and weaker than some of the larger groups of Throskarsts.

Since he had refused to submit to them, he had been accorded a spot near the back of the crowd, almost on the edge.

This was supposed to be a shameful thing; the further away from the human, the lower the chance of getting the last hit.

But right now, it was an unexpected boon.

Khana couldn't be bothered to care about anything else at the moment.

He knew his very life was at risk!

Soon enough, the other shoe dropped.

This time, Otto didn't use the spell 'Force Field' to block the projectiles.

He felt his performance was already suitably villainous.

Otto didn't even bother to dodge the incoming projectiles with his incredible agility, either.

He simply flapped his wings and flew upward, smoothly escaping from their attack range entirely.

In the air, with wings, his mobility was unmatched.

That was not even including the spell [Wind Jump] that he had yet to use.

Finally, leisurely, from his position high in the air, Otto sprung his trap with a twisted grin.

He sent a mental command to the miniature explosion arrays he had placed around the area.

They made a small 'POOF' sound as they went off.

The platform arrays scattered around the area were disrupted for barely a second.

But that second could spell the death of almost 40,000 Throskarts.

As soon as forty thousand pairs of feet tread on the heavily weakened, hollow ground, snake like cracks spread instantaneously throughout the entire area.

It took merely a fraction of a second for those cracks to burst.

The ground collapsed.

In that moment, the invading 'ambushers' revealed stunned faces.

What was happening?

Why was the ground suddenly collapsing?

Soon, panic invaded their minds.

Most didn't have time to let out a single sound before they fell.

And fall they did, firmly into the condensed poisonous swamp that Otto had painstakingly crafted.

Leaving only a winged Otto hovering above amidst the cool night air.