CHAPTER 62

062- Vertus

The Lord title of the God of the Battlefield was easy to guess. The Lord of Battle and War. It was almost identical to his divine name.
And Vertus, the #1 contributor who served this God of the Battlefield, harbored the same black flame as the one from Ireland. This meant…
‘A minion of the Lord of War.’
That was the only possible conclusion.
But why…
‘Why is he here healing people?’
Jinwoo's mind was filled with questions about this incomprehensible act.
A minion of Erosion was no different from Erosion itself. In fact, since a single entity possessed the power of Erosion that would normally spread over a vast area, you could call it a walking embodiment of Erosion.
But such a being was healing people's wounds?
‘It doesn't look like he's up to any special tricks, either.’
If he were secretly plotting to spread Erosion, it was impossible that Jinwoo wouldn't see it.
These were the eyes that had seen through the barrier the Sky God had set up to protect his Sacred Object. There was no way they would fail to detect the tricks of a mere minion.
This Orc named Vertus wasn't implanting the power of Erosion into his patients or anything of the sort. He was just honestly healing them.
"You are Kang Jinwoo, correct? The one who holds over 100 million Contribution Points in the Moonlight Forest."
That same Vertus saw Jinwoo and approached him without hesitation.
The surrounding people, who were already stealing glances at Jinwoo, held their breath and watched.
Ignoring their burdensome stares, Jinwoo replied with a frown.
"That's right. And you're Vertus, I presume?"
"Yes. I am Vertus, one who serves the God of the Battlefield and accumulates merit in this land. I am a proud Orc of the Ashen Tusk tribe and the son of our clan's great warrior, Grondar."
His speech was polite and his words were coherent. He didn't seem to lack reason like the Black Knight, nor did he feel forcibly suppressed like the entity in Ireland.
‘If anything, he seems more rational than other Orcs.’
As far as Jinwoo knew, Orcs were beings who prioritized instinct over reason. Fight, eat, sleep, and reproduce. A race that was true to its desires and felt no shame in them.
That was why Elves called Orcs barbarians, and why a common saying among Earth's Hunters was to throw food and run if you encountered an Orc.
However, Vertus was uncharacteristically rational for an Orc, and uncharacteristically for a minion of Erosion, he was maintaining that reason perfectly.
‘He's more dangerous.’
That was why Jinwoo felt he was a more dangerous being. More so than the Black Knight or the entity from Ireland.
"Kang Jinwoo? Is there something on my face?"
"...No, it's nothing."
When Jinwoo replied with a sigh, Vertus smiled.
"I have wanted to meet you for some time. The man who defeated Lin Shenlin and brought down the Sky God's temple! The one human, not an Elf, who has received the full affection of the God of Moonlight Forest."
"The ones who faced Lin Shenlin were Mahiri and Ipril here, not me."
"Ah, that is true."
At Jinwoo's mention, Ipril, who was standing behind him with her arms crossed, let out a "Hmph!" and snorted. Her expression didn't change, but she somehow seemed quite pleased.
"What do you say, Kang Jinwoo? Why not accept our god's invitation and let loose in the colosseum? There are many who are interested in your skills."
At Vertus's words, everyone around them lit up.
These people had come either to fight or to watch fights.
For them, the hottest topic was, of course, Kang Jinwoo, the #1 contributor who had brought down the Sky God's temple.
Is Kang Jinwoo really the strongest in this city?
Lately, a lot of humans on Lin Shenlin's level, or maybe even stronger, have been coming in. Even Kang Jinwoo will have a tough time.
In the end, he hasn't proven anything. The one who fought Lin Shenlin head-on was that dragon tamer, Mahiri, right? And Ipril joined in too.
Lin Shenlin was defeated and vanished, but Kang Jinwoo never proved he was stronger than him. Just because he's ranked #1 doesn't necessarily mean he's the strongest.
Whispers could be heard from all around. Some were in languages Jinwoo could understand, others he couldn't.
But just from the atmosphere, he knew they were all saying the same thing. They wanted to see Jinwoo's true strength.
"I, and my god, are also very interested in your power."
[The God of the Battlefield pays close attention. Is the power shown at the Sky God's temple truth or illusion?]
Even Vertus and the God of the Battlefield were observing Jinwoo with unnerving intensity. The expectation they held was slightly different from the others.

‘The God of the Battlefield saw how I conquered the Sky God's temple.’
Back when he had invaded the Sky God's temple, several gods had watched him bring it down while munching on popcorn.
They might not know how he broke the Sky God's barrier, but they had seen the barrier break.
That's what the God of the Battlefield and Vertus wanted to know. The source of the power that had shattered the barrier personally cast by the Sky God in just six steps.
"Sorry, but I'll pass."
Jinwoo shook his head.
He was under no obligation to show his opponent what they wanted to see.
Even without that, he had no intention of stepping into the colosseum. The offer of Contribution Points held no interest for him now.
"I have no intention of raising my Contribution Points any further. I already have more than enough."
"At this rate, I'll catch up to you in less than three months, you know?"
"I don't care if you do. I've already achieved my goal."
In truth, Jinwoo's goal had never been to raise his Contribution Points. It had been to confirm whether the God of Moonlight Forest was the World Tree.
Now that he had received confirmation from the entity herself, there was no reason to obsess over Contribution Points anymore.
"Hmph. Humans are difficult. If you were an Orc, I wouldn't have to persuade you; you would have immediately agreed to fight."
"You're an Orc too, you know."
"I'm a rather peculiar Orc. I fell from a pear tree when I was young and hit my head."
Was that a joke or the truth? He couldn't tell which, so he didn't laugh.
"Humans do need justification and benefit. Come back when you've created a justification or benefit I might find tempting."
"I wish I could, but my talents are limited to healing. I will try consulting with my god."
[The God of the Battlefield gets angry. I know nothing of such difficult matters.]
"Now, now, let's discuss it together, my Lord. As they say, even a boar's hide can be cut if two Orcs work together."
It seemed the God of the Battlefield was not as rational as Vertus.
Was it a case of living up to his name? The god seemed to have a temperament more similar to an Orc than Vertus, the Orc who wasn't very Orc-like.
"Well then, I shall take my leave. I see another injured person. I must go and heal them."
"Just make sure you don't pull any strange tricks in the name of healing."
"Haha, if I were going to pull such tricks, I would have done so long ago. I have been on this 3rd Floor for over two years, after all."
With those words, Vertus departed.
It was a short but intense encounter, including hearing the voice of the God of the Battlefield.
‘The God of the Battlefield.’
The Lord of Battle and War. It was certain that he, too, was a Lord of Erosion. Since all agents of Erosion were enemies who invaded stars, he was likely Jinwoo's enemy as well.
But aside from that obvious fact, there was one thing he wanted to know.
Was the God of the Battlefield an enemy of the Sky God, or an ally?

After Vertus left, Jinwoo spoke with Ipril.
"Ipril. Has Vertus really been in this city for two years?"
"I don't know the exact duration, but it should be about that long. I've been here for quite a while myself, and I've been indebted to him several times."
"So he used to go around healing people like that before?"
"Vertus's clinic is famous in Pandemonium. He has a great reputation for treating any major injury free of charge. Even the roughnecks of Pandemonium don't dare touch Vertus's clinic."
Even in the completely lawless Pandemonium, there were unwritten rules, and one of them concerned Vertus's clinic.
No one was to attack Vertus, and within the clinic, one must not fight even the murderer of one's parents.
"For someone who serves the God of the Battlefield, he's a peaceful fellow."
"A medic's presence on the battlefield is more important than anything. Perhaps because of that, the God of the Battlefield seems to hold him in very high regard. He does have the most Contribution Points, after all."
‘It's the other way around. It’s not that the god gave him points because he liked his abilities; Vertus was the minion he sent in the first place.’
What was his purpose? He didn't know yet. It didn't seem like the kind of thing he could figure out in a short time.
If it were something that could be figured out quickly, Vertus wouldn't have spent over two years on this 3rd Floor.
‘I'll keep it in mind for now.’
The fact that a minion of the Lord of War was here in Pandemonium. It was a piece of information he must not forget.
Engraving that in his mind, Jinwoo once again surveyed the area around the colosseum. The Sky Colosseum, hosted by the God of the Battlefield and assisted by Vertus, was a great success, packed with people.

With so many people, there were vendors selling food and others earning gold by selling cool drinks.
There was even what looked like a gambling den on one side. It was probably something like a sports betting pool, where you predict the winner and win money…
"Kal… no, Mahiri?"
He spotted a very familiar duo at that gambling den.
"Ah, Jinwoo!"
When their eyes met, she gave an awkward smile. Kalesian, the main body nestled in her arms, looked embarrassed and turned his head away.
"What are you doing here?"
"You've caught me in an embarrassing moment..."
Mahiri scratched her cheek as she answered. Behind her, he could see money, gold, and jewelry changing hands.
Jinwoo looked at her—no, at Kalesian in her arms—with ice-cold eyes.
"F-For fun! I was just doing it for fun! A colosseum like this wouldn't be complete without a little gambling, right?!" Mahiri shouted, turning her upper body to shield Kalesian as she hugged him tightly.
"I haven't said anything. People are allowed to gamble a little. Now, I'll just watch quietly, so please continue what you were doing."
"Urgh…"
At Mahiri's trembling reaction, Jinwoo let out a small laugh. He was just teasing a little; he had no intention of seriously blaming him.
He had known for a long time that Kalesian was a dragon who went crazy for gold and treasure.
"Hey mister, you wanna play too? Good odds, low fees."
A Hunter who seemed to be running the gambling den invited Jinwoo. He spoke in broken Korean that Jinwoo could understand, and from his unique accent, he seemed to be a Hunter from Hong Kong.
‘I thought most Hong Kong Hunters were raising Contribution Points for the Sky God…’
Could he hold a grudge against him for bringing down that very temple? He looked at the Hong Kong Hunter who started the game, but the man just grinned without a hint of resentment. The gold tooth in the front of his mouth was very noticeable.
"Place a bet. The next match is between an A-class from Moscow and an A-class from our Hong Kong. I recommend betting on Moscow."
"Why? Do you think a fellow Hong Kong Hunter will lose?"
"Yeah. I know that guy well, he's weak as shit. Not all A-classes are the same, you know."
He couldn't tell if the man was giving real information, playing a trick, or just throwing out bait. Anything to get people interested in the gambling den.
In any case, Jinwoo had no intention of betting, so he shook his head and stepped back.
"Five hundred dollars on Moscow!"
Of course, Mahiri cheerfully threw down a large sum of money with a broad smile. She was probably planning to use her winnings to buy some jewels at a luxury shop again.
‘Overall… this is like a festival.’
He wasn't just talking about the gambling den. The entire colosseum on the Sky Island was thriving like one big festival.
It didn't seem so bad. It meant everyone had a place to eat, drink, fight, and have a good time.
And if anyone got seriously injured, Vertus was there to heal them all. Not just Vertus, but he could also see A-class and S-class Hunters with healing skills.
‘An S-class healer, quite a few A-classes, and Vertus is even a Lord's minion.’
He didn't know Vertus's objective, but his healing skills were real.
Although, the fact that his objective was unknown was a bit concerning.
"Kalesian. Since you're going to be here anyway, please keep an eye on Vertus for me."
Jinwoo created a mana barrier so his voice wouldn't leak out and whispered only to Kalesian.
"Hm? Why?"
"He is a minion of the God of the Battlefield."
"...What?"
Kalesian seemed quite surprised, but he didn't show it. He could have instinctively glanced at Vertus, but he didn't. From the side, he appeared completely unfazed.
"Understood. I will take charge of watching him. I'm almost always at this place these days anyway."
"Just make sure you're only having fun. You may have a lot of money, but it's a shame to lose it, isn't it?"
"R-Right, I understand."
The way he stuttered his reply made Jinwoo suspect he had already lost a considerable amount.
Jinwoo shook his head from side to side. Well, as they say, you shouldn't worry about celebrities or Hunters; he would probably manage just fine on his own.
"By the way, how is the research on the Sacred Object coming along?"
"Hm? Oh, that's progressing moderately. There's plenty of time, so I plan to take it slow."
When would be a good time to tell him about the 6th Floor? Maybe it would be better to do it after returning to Earth. It would be troublesome if he immediately insisted on going to raid a second Sacred Object.

"Then I'll be heading down."
"Alright, take care."
Jinwoo parted from him and headed for the leaf that would take him down. Ipril followed closely behind him, saying she had little interest in the arena either.
"Let's head back to the apartment for now."
"As you wish."
Jinwoo decided to first return to the high-rise apartment he had been using as a base camp.

There was already a guest in the apartment.
Although Jinwoo had made it his base camp, it wasn't his house, nor did it have a lock. Anyone could have entered. Still, he had thought that given its high floor, it would be free of visitors.
"Master? There's no one here. Why aren't we going in?"
The guest was invisible to Ipril.
Jinwoo spoke, looking at the flickering Blue Flame by the window inside the room.
"Kurenai Masato. When did you come back to the 3rd Floor?"
"The Earth is in an uproar over the achievements you've made on the 3rd Floor. I just finished up some urgent business, so I thought I'd pay a visit."
It was the old man he had parted with in New York, Kurenai Masato.
He had left for Tokyo in a hurry after a guild there revealed a secret ledger related to the David incident. It seemed that matter was now fully resolved.
Since he handled it personally, the end for that guild was likely not a pleasant one...
"When I arrived, I found your reputation was indeed great. And as it happens, I received a strange request."
"A request?"
"Or do they call it a Trial here? It's been so long since I've been to the 3rd Floor, I'm a bit hazy. Anyway, I visited the Temple of Dawnlight, and the god there happened to ask me to do something."
The God of Dawnlight. Another name for her was the Lord of Light and Dawn.
Jinwoo had no idea why a man who lived his life hidden in the shadows would visit a temple of light. But...
"I was asked to assassinate an Orc named Bertus. Might I ask you a few questions? I just arrived on the 3rd Floor, so I have no information."
The request he had received—no, the Trial—was rather unexpected.