The Failure Marquis Is A Genius [EN]: Chapter 154

19. Ruins: The Embarrassing Wastrel

The spectators swallowed hard.

Having witnessed the easy all-kills that led to the finals, they were unaware of the true limits of either competitor.

Now, no one could predict what would happen when these two clashed, but once the fight began, it was an incredible spectacle.

The momentum swung back and forth.

At first, Theodor seemed to dominate, but then the One-Eyed Butcher turned the tide. Yet, neither could land a decisive blow, and the fight devolved into a brutal slugfest.

Completely engrossed, the audience stopped cheering, watching the power struggle with rapt attention.

The victor emerged in an unexpected manner.

The One-Eyed Butcher faltered for a moment, as if struck by a muscle spasm, and Theodor seized the opportunity, his spear finding its mark.

“Waaaaah!!!”

The audience erupted in a fiery roar, the host included.

“In a stunning upset, the winner is Theodor of the Swift Wind Tribe! He defeats the formidable Butcher brothers of Poseidon City! Moreover, both warriors displayed an extraordinary level of skill. I believe this was one of the greatest matches in the history of this martial arts tournament!”

Meanwhile, chaos reigned in the Steel Heart team’s waiting room.

The second of the Butcher brothers, Hunchback, flew into a rage, tearing through the room.

“Dare you kill my youngest? I’m going to tear that bastard apart and grind him to dust!”

He grabbed the head of a Steel Heart warrior sitting nearby and crushed it with his bare hands.

It was a murder committed in cold blood, fueled by pure spite.

When Hunchback stepped into the arena, the audience stirred once more. He was slightly larger than One-Eye, but appeared more agile and flexible.

“Theodor, yield the match.”

He was urged to give up.

He had already expended a great deal of stamina in his duel with One-Eye. To fight again now would be suicide, and even if he won, it wouldn’t be worth his life. If Theodor died, the Swift Wind would be doomed, even if they ultimately won the tournament.

Theodor seemed to understand my thoughts and readily waved a white towel, signaling his intention to forfeit.

The audience erupted in an uproar when Theodor, the ace of the Swift Wind, conceded the match.

“What? Theodor is giving up?”

“Then who will fight? One of the other players?”

“That doesn’t make sense. Anyone else will be weaker than Theodor.”

“Ah! That’s why you shouldn’t bet against the odds!”

A gloomy atmosphere descended upon the Swift Wind Tribe, who had placed all their hopes on Theodor. ‘How could this happen?’ Questions swirled around Chief Kevin.

However, Kevin didn’t need to answer. Because I stepped onto the stage.

“Ah! The next player is here! Khan, the adventurer from the surface world! He will bear the fate of the Swift Wind Tribe. But this is a surprise even to the Swift Wind Tribe members themselves! Look at their faces!”

The first time a human had ever participated in the martial arts tournament. Add to that the deep-seated prejudice against humans among the Fishmen, and the fact that he was facing the powerful Butcher Hunchback, who was consumed by rage over his younger brother’s death.

All signs pointed to the Swift Wind’s imminent downfall.

“As the host, I must ask. Are you truly giving up Theodor and sending this human out to fight?”

“That’s right.”

“Do you understand what’s at stake in this match?”

“I believe I do.”

“You are a human. And you intend to fight that giant Fishman? You could die.”

The host’s question echoed the concerns of everyone present. I could feel the contempt the Fishmen held for humans.

Even after repeated questioning, and even after obtaining written consent from Kevin, the chief of the Swift Wind Tribe, the match proceeded.

“I’ve given you a chance. Now, let the match begin! A one-sided game is expected. But miracles do happen! Let’s hope the human race can show us something before they are crushed!”

Woo~~woo~~!

Jeers filled the arena.

The spectators felt that the interesting final had been ruined by the sudden appearance of a human.

Rotten seafood rained down on the arena, thrown by the angry crowd. Some spectators even left, declaring the match over.

Regardless, I drew the Heavenly Demon Sword and stroked its blade.

Hunchback, on the opposite side, frowned at my relaxed demeanor.

“The martial arts tournament is going to be a joke. Sending a snack out to fight a Fishman.”

He was clearly enraged by his brother’s death. Coupled with his disdain for me as a human, he spewed childish threats, promising to crush my limbs and devour me after he won.

“I’ll finish this quickly and clean up the rest of the rabble.”

The second match of the final round began.

Everyone expected Hunchback to charge in and trample the human from the start.

At least one of their predictions was correct. Hunchback rushed at me like a wild boar.

“Euryaaaa!!!”

There’s no easier opponent than someone charging in a straight line. I dodged the blow by slightly shifting my body, using Two-Source Mana [a technique that enhances agility and reflexes].

Kwaaaang!!

His strength was indeed monstrous. The ground where his bat struck shattered, sending pieces of stone flying in all directions.

But what good is strength if you can’t hit your target?

Hunchback’s attacks missed every time, often by a hair’s breadth. It would be one thing if he missed completely, but the near misses seemed to infuriate him even more.

“You rat-like bastard! Just get caught!”

He clearly didn’t realize that I was deliberately dodging him by the narrowest of margins.

“Uaaaaaa!!!”

Still, he wasn’t completely mindless. Even in his frenzy, he steadily drove me into a corner.

Tuk!

My back hit the wall. The escape route was blocked. Hunchback, believing he had won, grinned triumphantly.

“It’s over!!”

“No, it’s not over~”

[Wind Control]

[Blink] [a short-range teleportation ability]

I kicked off the air and floated upwards. Leaping high into the sky from the corner, I performed a somersault and landed in the center of the arena.

Now, Hunchback would have to drive me into the corner again from the beginning. It was like knocking down a domino formation he had painstakingly built.

“Uaaaaaa!!”

The guy, his irritation reaching its peak, now attacked indiscriminately. His destructive power had increased dramatically, but the precision and finesse he had shown earlier had vanished.

‘It’s about time to finish this.’

Perhaps sensing my intentions,

The One-Horned Butcher, who was in the opposing team’s waiting room, warned his brother.

“Be careful! That human is more skilled than he appears!”

But it was too late.

I was already within Hunchback’s reach.

Swish!

One-Sword Severance (一刀兩斷) [a martial arts technique that aims to cut the opponent in half with a single strike]

I slashed down cleanly from top to bottom.

A line of blood slowly appeared, stretching from the crown of his head to his crotch.

The guy wore an expression of disbelief.

It was the final moment for someone who had been negligent and careless until the very end.

Thud!

The giant body, split in two, collapsed.

The arena fell silent for a moment.

It was time to accept the reality of what had just happened.

Soon, the audience, snapping out of their shock, roared as if they were about to tear the place down.

“Waaaaaa!!!”

“What? That human?”

“Did I really just see that?”

“Are humans normally that strong?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen a human like that before.”

The rebellion of the underdog is always a welcome sight.

The host was ecstatic.

The same guy who had been doubting me just moments ago suddenly began praising me effusively.

“Who could have predicted it!! The mighty human race has defeated Hunchback, the strongman of Poseidon City! What will become of this year’s martial arts tournament? It’s more unpredictable than ever!”

Now, everyone’s attention was focused on the upcoming match between One-Horn and myself, but a twist was about to occur.

Flutter—!

The One-Horned Butcher threw a white towel.

Everyone who expected him to draw his sword and avenge his brother was bewildered.

I, too, was taken by surprise.

‘Is he really the eldest brother?’

Unlike his brothers, who were driven solely by strength and emotion, he was a strategist who knew how to assess his opponent. He was capable of making sound judgments.

Blake, feeling betrayed, foamed at the mouth and lashed out at One-Horned Butcher.

“What the hell are you doing! You took all that money and signed a contract! You have to fulfill it! You can’t just give up in such a pathetic way… Keheok!!”

The One-Horned Butcher grabbed Blake by the neck and lifted him into the air. Blake’s face turned pale as he struggled to breathe. He thrashed wildly, but One-Horn’s grip was too strong.

“I lost my brothers because of you. Now you’ll pay the price.”

Crack! Crack!

It was a brutal scene. The One-Horned Butcher literally dismantled Blake, tearing off his limbs as if he were a doll.

When One-Horn finally released him, Blake, barely clinging to life, writhed on the floor like an earthworm before his movements ceased.

It was a pathetic end.

The One-Horned Butcher, having brutally murdered one person, left in front of everyone’s eyes. As he passed me, he spat out a single sentence.

“If we meet in Poseidon City, I will kill you. Human.”

With the One-Horned Butcher’s departure, the final round descended into chaos. There were no warriors left to represent Steel Heart. The Swift Wind’s victory was automatically confirmed.

“The winner is, surprisingly, the Swift Wind Tribe!! They win the championship for the first time in 20 years and succeed in surviving!!”

“Waaaaaa!!”

Everyone was overcome with joy, hugging each other and cheering. That day’s martial arts tournament would be remembered as the most unexpected in history.

* * *

Even after the martial arts tournament, the Swift Wind Tribe remained in a festive mood. They were constantly drinking, celebrating their victory.

The tribe members, who were already tolerant of outsiders, now treated us almost like symbols of good luck. Some even created small statues of us and placed them in their homes.

My party and I gathered at Chief Kevin’s house, along with Kevin, Jane, and Theodor. The whole family came to express their gratitude.

“I don’t know how to express my gratitude.”

“You have been kind to us, so we are simply returning the favor.”

“If it weren’t for Khan, Theodor would never have been able to defeat the Butcher brothers alone. You are the saviors of our Swift Wind.”

I had only participated in the tournament to gain access to the royal palace, but it had turned out to be a beneficial decision in many ways.

The MVP [Most Valuable Player] award was initially given to Theodor. Although I had won more decisively, I was a human and Theodor was a Fishman, so it seemed the organizers favored Theodor.

Knowing that my goal was the MVP in the first place, Theodor requested the organizers to reconsider and declared that he would relinquish the MVP position. There was a brief argument, but Theodor strongly argued that he needed to protect the tribe’s honor, so I was ultimately awarded the MVP.

“You will be leaving for the capital soon.”

“That’s the plan.”

“It is a great honor to meet the Mermaid King. I don’t know if it will be an honor for Khan.”

“It is an honor for me as well.”

I had a lot to accomplish in the capital.

I needed to find the Golden Branch using the Heavenly Demon Navigation, and I also needed to inquire about the Mermaid King’s Orb that the Orneo Sage desired.

Being swept away by the whirlpool had landed me in a remote backwater, and it seemed like it would take a long time to reach my goals. But in the end, I had gained a respectable status and was on my way to the capital, turning a crisis into an opportunity.

“I would be ashamed to send you away empty-handed. I want to repay my benefactor, even if only a little.”

The first thing Chief Kevin gave me was a chest of pearls.

In the underwater city, pearls served as currency, and this amount was roughly equivalent to 200 gold in the Arnia continent. In Korean currency, it was about 500 million won [approximately $400,000 USD].

500 million won was a considerable sum for the Swift Wind Tribe. I could sense his generosity, so I declined.

“It’s alright. Use this money for the development of the village.”

“It’s half of the prize money from the tournament. I’m sorry I can’t give you everything.”

Even after repeated refusals, Kevin almost forced the chest upon me. I had no choice but to add it to the treasure mountain in my subspace inventory.

“Please accept this as well. I hope it will be useful to Khan.”

He held out a blue elixir.

“May I ask what kind of medicine it is?”

“Hehe, it’s nothing special. Think of it as my life’s work. Would you like to come this way for a moment?”

Kevin led me to his basement.

As I descended the stairs, I entered a small space of about ten pyeong [approximately 33 square meters], which turned out to be a laboratory.

In the corner, there were various types of seaweed, herbs, and marine life, and flasks and test tubes of various shapes were scattered on the table.

The unidentified liquid bubbling on the heating plant added to the mystery.

“This is quite an interesting space.”

“I told you that I was a scholar before I came to the underwater city.”

“I remember.”

“As I settled here and even got married, I became increasingly driven to become a Fishman.”

“Don’t tell me…”

“That’s right. So I researched a medicine that could transform me into a Fishman.”

Humans becoming Fishmen.

It was an incredible concept.

I gained a newfound respect for Chief Kevin.

“That’s an amazing achievement. To create a way for a human to become a Fishman.”

“Hahaha, you don’t have to praise me so much. It’s just a medicine with limitations, after all.”

Kevin swallowed the blue elixir. There was no immediate change on the outside, but the energy he exuded seemed to intensify.

“Temporarily, you will possess the strength and agility of a Fishman. Of course, there is a time limit, and the side effects are severe enough that you’ll need to rest for a few days.”

These were side effects that didn’t concern me. I could overcome fatigue in real time with my passive skill, Tenacious Vitality.

“Another significant advantage is that you can breathe underwater and move freely.”

There was a bathtub full of water in one corner of the laboratory, and Kevin, after consuming the elixir, jumped into the tub.

Five minutes passed with him completely submerged. But Kevin showed no signs of distress. He breathed comfortably and spoke and moved freely as if he were on dry land.

The effect of the elixir was remarkable.

I excelled in aerial combat with wind skills and in ground combat with wood and stone skills, but I lacked any water-based abilities, making me vulnerable in naval battles. If I had the elixir, it would be incredibly useful.

There were about twenty doses, which was quite generous. In addition to this, Kevin handed over the manufacturing method and the necessary materials for the elixir. If I stored them in my subspace inventory and produced it whenever I needed it, I would never run out.

“I feel bad about only receiving gifts.”

“On the contrary, I am grateful. The value of an object increases when it is in the hands of someone who appreciates it. This is a community of Fishmen, so who else would want this elixir? I hope you use it for good.”

I carefully packed the elixir, the manufacturing method, and the production materials.

The next day, I set off with a grand farewell.

My destination was Poseidon City.

The time to meet the Mermaid King was drawing near.