Reborn As The Villain

Arnold was able to get registered as a [Late Comer], someone who still has the chance to enter if he impresses the higher ups with his abilities.

He had no Ki to speak of so he wouldn't be able to measure that but he could probably fool them by using Aether since both energies are the same color. It also wasn't that hard to change Aether's density to fit that of Ki.

"What you did back there…" Lian spoke as she walked next to him towards the training grounds where the tests will be taking place.

"What? I got us in sooner, no?"

"…What if they come after you?"

Arnold shrugged off her concern. He then asked where the villagers went.

Lian replied: "Everyone is certain you will triumph and enter the tournament so they'll be watching you from the spectator seats tomorrow."

Arnold asked her where they'll stay for the night and she just said that this city is known—among other things—for having a lot of inns. Due to the sheer number of martials and tourists attracted to the tournament every month, fees to rent a room had been fairly low in recent years so even commoners can afford a few nights at an inn.

Depending on his scores, he'll be added into the roster and the one whose score he surpassed—and the entries below that person—will be moved down a rank. And yes, the one with the lowest score will be kicked automatically. You can apparently rejoin the tournament though but only once the current tournament concludes.

Arnold and the other three arrived at the training grounds. There was a crowd of both martials and employees gathered here. The employees were standing glued to the walls while the martials were gathered together between the reception buildings and another building which appeared to be a small stadium.

That stadium stood near the coliseum defensive walls. There were a few seats already placed there so someone was probably going to spectate their training.

There were also strange machines scattered throughout this huge training field—probably the equipment that will measure your strength, Ki, body strengthening arts and so on…

"Those of you already here, gather around!" an old man with long grey hair, dressed in black pants and a white long-sleeved shirt stood in front of a bunch of martials who weren't much to look at.

All their Ki was pretty underwhelming.

The old man looked in Arnold's direction. Stroking his beard, he looked Arnold up and down.

Arnold didn't notice this and only walked towards the crowd. He was no one special among a crowd of these vagrants, most of whom looked like dangerous fellows. In comparison, Arnold looked like a lost kid who entered a gang's hideout and is just trying to fit in.

After the doors to the registration center hall closed to signal that no more latecomers would be accepted, the announcer continued speaking.

First, he pointed up at the stands, "Some nobles asked to observe your examinations today. This is something that is rare since the nobles have been more interested in competitors already in the arena." He then pointed at the tall walls of the coliseum that was casting a gigantic shadow over this place, "But they soon realized that gems can be found among the rubbish that register as Late Comers."

No one took offense to that, probably admitting silently that they are rubbish compared to the competent fighters already in the ring.

"They see potential. And the fighters who impress them the most will get a job as an escort or guard today, even if you lose."

That sent shockwaves through the warriors.

"It seems many of them are here for the prize money and not the endgoal." Lian spoke from beside Arnold.

"Prize money?"

"Even if you are defeated before the top 10 are chosen or even in the first round, you will be given some coins for your efforts."

"Sounds to me like an investment by Ko."

"Yes, by throwing money at rubbish, they will one day emerge as gems. He believes—and he's made this clear many times—that through sheer effort and dedication, anyone can become strong as long as they have a goal. That's quite ironic, coming from one of the strongest men in the country, or possibly the world. In my opinion, he uses his mysterious origins to stroke the egos of these hopeful martials, making them delude themselves into thinking he rose from humble beginnings purely through effort and dedication, as he claims." She looked at the eager martials and shifted back to their prior discussion, "Even if they don't make it into the tournament, they might still get lucky with a job if they impress the lords and ladies."

"They're like jesters in front of a king." Arnold added.

Liwei and Kairi stifled their laughter. Lian merely nodded.

If they manage to impress the spectators then said spectators might come watch their examinations again. It's a consistent cycle of merits for the rubbish in this trashpile.

Arnold held his head high, confidently aware that his strength will turn a lot of eyes.

"I'll start counting heads then announcing the first one on the list. Your names are around your wrists which also has a number so be sure to check it before I call you up."

Arnold looked at his number which was #59.

After a few minutes of skimming through the list to count the martials gathered here, the spectators finally arrived. They seemed to be pouring out from the coliseum back entrance that was sticking out of the wall.

'None of them are martials.' Arnold concluded after reading their signatures. Well, that's what he thought before his eyes went over to a certain white-haired young man dressed head to toe in black.

"T-That's…!" Lian's gasp caught his attention. He followed her line of sight and the first thing that caught his eyes was white. Just white. To be specific: white hair, porcelain skin, red lips, sparkling but downcast eyes and a long white dress.

It was a woman whose every step was carried by grace.

Before Arnold could ask who that was, Lian ran towards the stadium in a hurry.

"Miss Lian, w-wait! I can't protect you if you run around like that!" Kairi went after her.

Liwei looked at Arnold timidly, "Go. I won't need you right now."

She nodded before following after her best friend.

The announcer addressed the newly-arrived guests, one of whom dazzled the whole crowd with her purity and divine beauty.

"Welcome, nobles from around the country!" the old man suddenly turned into a salesman who has to sell his goods, "We are honored that you have chosen to attend even though we have our differences in who should rule this country!"

"Just carry on with the exam. I grow impatient." A tall young man with white hair spoke as a representative of the group.

"?" Arnold noticed that the woman Lian was looking at earlier was sitting next to this man and they were exchanging whispers.

◊◊

Lian entered the spectator room. None of the people in the room paid any attention to her, their eyes glued to the martials below instead.

Wasting no time, Lian hurriedly walked over to a certain someone. Liwei and Kairi decided to stand behind her and not get in her way.

With a deep breath, she spoke to that person:

"…Princess Kohana…"

"Eh!?" Kohana almost jumped from her seat when she heard Lian's voice.

"Prince Rasuke." She then addressed the other person who had similar white hair to Kohana.

"Miss Lian…"

Lian spoke in a hurried whisper.

"If Ko Johun finds the two of you here—"

"We know, Lian."

"Then why?"

"I don't think that tyrant is interested in this small examination so he'll never come around here."

"Yes, Big Sis is right." Rasuke replied, "He's more invested in the tournament fighters. I heard he even invited the current number 1 and 2 martials to his office to discuss something."

'Ko must be trying to win them over.'

If the ranking stays the same, only one of them will come out on top. Maybe Ko Johun wants to get to know the two to conclude who has a better chance at winning.

"…Why are the two of you here?" Lian asked after pulling a chair over and sitting down.

Kohana and Rasuke looked at each other.

"We should just tell her… She might be able to help us…" the white-haired former princess said.

"Help you with that?"

"We're… looking for allies." Her brother said hesitantly, "Coming here today was the perfect opportunity to blend in. The nobles who now serve Ko Johun won't recognize us since it's been five years and I used to be fat. White hair is also common in the north so we usually just use that excuse when we're stopped to identify ourselves."

"That won't fool these people for long. The tournament is a good distraction so that they don't dive any deeper but I was the two of you to leave the city before it's over."

"But we need allies… The last mercenary group just took off with our money the next morning after we explained everything the night." Kohana averted her eyes as if she was to ashamed to admit it.

"Haa… I'll do what I can to help."

At that moment, the announcer's voice reached them:

"I shall now begin! 59, go up to that rock and see if you can punch a hole through it. We will measure the depth of the hole, force behind your punch and the injuries sustained from punching the rock itself without the usage of Ki." The announcer turned to the audience, "It may sound confusing to those uninformed of our ways but we must measure these things to ensure the candidates are ranked properly."

A silver-haired youth stepped out from the crowd. At first glance he looked like an ordinary young master with a very handsome face that made every woman look twice. His clothes weren't of any high-quality material and the sword at his waist looked quite cheap so many of the onlookers thought he was just a poor commoner.

Of course, this didn't dissuade the women of this noble group from thinking how they wanted that man to become their slave. Even if he'll be useless in a fight, they can use him as a pleasure toy since not many of them are in loving marriages filled with passion and desire.

"He's hiding his Ki." Rasuke said, "No, it would be more accurate to say he's masking his energy signature like I am. Only warriors on or above the level of an Earthly Ascendent can do this." Which is how Rasuke can hide from Ko even with his powerful Ki barely masked by the concealing talismans Lian gave him and Kohana.

"Let's see what he can do first before we approach him then."

"Yeah." The siblings shared a short exchange.

Arnold walked up to the giant rock that was supposed to be his first test. There was a magic circle drawn around the rock, something rarely seen in these lands outside of noble spaces since magic is so rare among the populace. Looking at the other machines scattered on the training grounds, they had similar magic circles draw around them. From what Lian knew, magic will monitor the candidates and help the proctor come to a conclusion.

In addition to magic that's rarely seen outside noble spaces, there were also machines known as Hologram Terminals that will calculate the results of the physical force, Ki, etc… These machines were connected to the magic circles through wires. Lian didn't know how those things worked since she isn't exactly allowed to buy her own.

"This boulder is hardened by a thousand years' worth of Ki supplied by powerful martials throughout the lands. Many volunteer every year to give their Ki to make the boulder even stronger. You can see by the shallow holes that many have tried to punch a hole deeper than 10 inches—something only a Divine Dao is capable of." The announcer proudly proclaimed, "Simply leaving a mark on the rock will get you into the tournament so don't let my words make you feel down."

"I'm doing it then." Arnold pulled up his sleeve, revealing his thick forearm that was filled with veins. A woman from the crowd cooed seeing the bulging veins.

Lian recalled seeing his naked upper body the previous night, which made her blush slightly. Imagine being pushed down by such large arms and looking at that muscular chest as he slams himself deep inside you… the pleasure and shockwaves being sent up that woman's body would be unfathomable…

Lian audibly gulped.

"—Go ahead then!" the announcer walked over to the HT to look at the results, "Huh? He's not channeling his Ki—"

At that moment—when Arnold threw his punch—a powerful rumble shook the surroundings. Every spectator could feel the ground tremble violently and their teeth clatter.

His arm… It went straight into the rock like it was burrowing through sand!

The inside of the stadium room was silent as the onlookers could only stare blankly.

"This should be enough to determine that I'm fit to enter the tournament, right?" he said casually as he pulled out his fist. A powerful wind came out of that hole which was as a result of the Ki being released from its thousand years' confinement.

The announcer was at a loss for words.

**

Despite the record-breaking event that just took place, the tournament examination needed to move on. From studying Arnold's results, he managed to punch straight through the boulder that had a 120-meter diameter. By straight, yes it meant from one end to the other was hollow. The examiners concluded that the force from his punches were enough to do such a thing.

Naturally this caught the attention of every martial in the kingdom almost instantly. Despite this, the man who broke this record seemingly vanished. For Arnold, it wasn't necessary to stick around any longer until the tournament tomorrow where the newcomers will officially be welcomed.

The second deepest "hole" was about half an inch from an Earthly Ascendant. It was a laughable result from Arnold's standards but it was enough for that same person to get countless sponsorships and people wanting to employ him—well, that is what would've happened if only everyone's attention wasn't focused on Arnold's results.

The location was inside a waiting room in the coliseum. It was a gigantic building so there were even rooms for the nobility. Gathered inside was Lian and the two servant girls and the former majesties.

Kohana was pacing around the room while muttering to herself.

"Sister… Please calm down…" Rasuke spoke hesitantly.

"How!? What will we do if Ko Johun wants that man!? We have no chance against a Divine Dao without him!"

Many thought it was a fluke or the boulder was fake since it was impossible for there to be three Divine Daos in this era at once. Maybe the divine dao who left that 10-inch hole was actually holding back?

"He must be a legendary Celestial Saint… Ko Johun and Funiji killed the last one five years ago so they'll definitely see him as a threat to their rule… We must do something, Rasuke!"

"You're right about them seeing him as a threat but what are the chances he'll even take our side? He could achieve literally anything with that kind of strength without fear of living under the rule of Ko and Funiji, unless the two of them work together to beat him, that is…"

"But he won't survive by himself, right? There are many benefits to becoming close to the imperial family!" Kohana said, sure of herself.

"Uhm, Lady Lian, if I may…" Liwei came up to the table, "Why aren't you telling them that he's on our side already…?"

"WHAT!?" Rasuke stood up so fast that his chair fell over, "Lian! Is that true!?"

Lian averted her eyes awkwardly, "…If you heard it from me, you would've assumed he'll fight for us…"

"W-What does that mean? How do you know him?" Kohana asked, gripping Lian's shoulders tightly. "If we had known such a man existed in this era, we would have offered him everything we've sacrificed for lowly soldiers already! Miss Lian, please don't tell me you're against helping us!?"

Without taking a single breath, Kohana spoke in rapid succession.

"That's not it!" Kairi interjected, "We met him after he saved our village and Lady Lian from Funiji's soldiers!"

"What…?" Kohana's eyes widened. Lian nodded when she looked at her.

"It's true…"

"So, that's what they were planning…" Rasuke frowned, "I have an insider in Funiji's military. He told me that your name was found in a file about possible threats to his rule."

If she didn't know any better, she would've thought that maybe it was her skills in the medical field that's such a threat to them. She could bring his opponent back to fighting form in mere hours, after all. Of course, she wasn't going to tell Rasuke and Kohana what it's really about.

It wasn't yet time for that… The reason was obvious—Rasuke. He was already pushing his body to the absolute limit just to be capable of using multiple martial arts that shouldn't be possible for an ordinary martial.

"I'll tell you about my informant later… He wants to share information with you since you're also our informant in Ko's ranks. Firstly, please tell us about that man. We really need him to fight side-by-side with us. I'd give up the will Father hid away for us just to have a Celestial Saint fight with us."

"Me too." Kohana said with determination.

"…Don't say something so ridiculous. You know His Majesty left that treasure behind so that the two of you can rebuild." Lian tapped her finger on her thigh, "…I'd like to say he'll fight with us but… all he said is that he'll help if I… do something for him in return…"

"Did he ask for your body in return? If so, I will gladly offer my own until we vanquish Ko and Funiji!" Kohana said, "Virgins are irresistible to men, right? They see us as prizes worth dying for in this nation. Even if the old families were wiped out by Ko, our tradition lives on!"

That statement was true but it's even more severe in positions of nobility or in tribes. Men would kill other suitors just to have the achievement of being the first partner to a pure woman.

"Your fiancé won't like hearing that." Rasuke said with a wry smile.

Indeed, Kohana is engaged to be married, which was announced a few years before the two tyrant martials took over this country and divided it. With all the preparations she's been doing over the years, Kohana couldn't exactly get married right away or focus on her husband yet. Lian knew the boy she's engaged to and recall her being smitten over him but that seems to have changed all these years.

"Rest assured, he is not interested in my body and I doubt he will want yours, Kohana. With his strength and looks, he must have a harem waiting for him back home so he can hold in his humanly urges."

Whenever Lian wanted to seduce man for certain goals as mentioned before, they'd jump at her like wild animals when even the top of her cleavage was exposed. In this country, if a maiden enters your chambers at night alone and with her clothes slightly undone, it means she gives consent for you to use her body.

Arnold didn't seem interested at all. At this very moment, he couldn't focus on anything other than that martial book.

"How will he help exactly? Did he give any details—"

Before Kohana could finish, the door to this room opened.

Liwei and Kairi shrieked since it was so unexpected.

"There you are, Lian." Arnold was the one standing in the doorway.