From Human to Skeleton: Revived with Infinite System Crystals

Ty, unfazed, advised her, "Just ignore him; he's a real instigator."

Yun-Jin's lips curled into a small, knowing smile. "I see. Not that I was worried, of course. I'll try to drop by for another sparring session sometime."

As she made her way to leave, the lieutenant called out, "Sounds good! Just don't fall for him too late, though. She's already given him a kiss."

With this final quip, he clapped a hand on Ty's shoulder and nudged him out of the dojo in the opposite direction, leaving Yun-Jin to glance back in a mix of confusion and curiosity.

Yun-Jin lingered alone, her hand instinctively coming to rest over her heart as the warmth from the recent exertion mingled with a different kind of heat. 'Why do I care about him?' she pondered, wiping away the sheen of sweat. 'I've been interested in others before, but they were either jerks or just too weak.'

A new thought struck her: 'He seems genuinely caring... Could that be a demon thing? Even when we first met, he was different from anyone else.' She let her gaze drift upwards to the darkening sky, seeking answers in its vastness. 'That's it.

He values life, I think.' She smiled as she headed off to her home for the evening, Maybe I should invite him for dinner sometime to learn more about who he says he is?"

*-*

Meanwhile, Ty stretched out the tension from the spar as he and Lt. Daemon moved away from the dojo. "Why are you stirring things up so much?" Ty asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Lt. Daemon flashed a mischievous grin. "I won't lie; you make it too easy. You've got this charisma with the ladies that makes them want to be around you, help you out."

Ty raised an eyebrow, unfazed. "So what if they do? It's not like she's a sponsor or offering help."

"I see. So, what do the next few days have in store for us?" Ty inquired, his curiosity piqued as they approached the formidable front doors of the prison.

Lt. Daemon pondered the question for a moment. "Good question," he replied as they walked. "I likely won't see you tomorrow because I'll be engulfed in briefings about what to expect, and I'll need to prepare your equipment for shipment."

"I want to give you more practice with that sword and hopefully dig up more information on that Erebos character. Aside from that, you should spend your time studying the profiles of past winners and losers of the arena."

"Understood," Ty nodded. "The sooner we get through this, the sooner I can obtain what I need and return home."

Lt. Daemon offered a nod of agreement. "You and me both, we're hoping to get what we need at the end of all this," he said, sharing a hopeful smile with Ty as they entered the building.

Inside, they were greeted by the sight of Goey engrossed in watching highlights of the arena candidates. "Welcome back, you two," Goey announced without shifting his gaze from the screen,

"I appreciate it, Goey. It sounds like it's been an eventful day, even without too much ruckus," the Lt. responded with an understanding nod, taking in the report of visitors and potential candidates.

"Any standout candidates from today?" he inquired further, eager to hear of any peculiar talents or potential threats.

Goey, with an affirming nod, delved into the day's observations. "Certainly. The most intriguing was a prisoner with the ability to liquify into water and conduct electricity, though it seems his range is rather limited."

He continued, recounting another unique candidate. "Then there was someone who created these odd bubbles capable of absorbing impacts. Not much for offensive damage, but against an unwary opponent, the tactical applications could be challenging."

Wrapping up the recap, Goey highlighted, "Aside from those two, the talk of the day centered around the Demon and the bulky contender that preceded him."

"I see. That's good strategy," acknowledged Ty, understanding the delicate balance required to navigate the arena's social and combative dynamics. The Lt.'s parting words hinted at a broader game at play, one that went beyond mere physical strength.

As they walked away, Ty couldn't help but smirk, amused by the notion of his making an impression. "Good to know I made a good impression, huh?"

Goey's expression shifted, introducing a note of caution into the conversation. "Sort of, but being noticed isn't always a good thing."

Rising from his seat, Goey signaled Ty to follow. "Handle anyone who comes in," he instructed a guard nearby. "I'm taking him back to his cell."

The guard affirmed the order, and as they moved toward Ty's cell, Goey shared a crucial piece of wisdom from his experience with survival arenas. "A common tactic is to gang up on the strongest early on, to remove the biggest threat.

If you're perceived as strong, you need to make them hesitate to attack you, either by demonstrating the cost would be too high or by building alliances strong enough that they'd consider you an asset instead of a target."

Ty inquired further, fueled by his observations and the bits and pieces he gathered from his time in the cell. "I see, thank you. Any news or information you have on why sponsors matter?"

Goey, fighting off a yawn, responded, "Yes, I have plenty. But it's already late, and I have to be back on post at 7am. We can go through some of the books and discuss them later. Try to get some good sleep, and I'll get you some new clothes to wash and bring some food."

After a brief pause, Ty's thoughts returned to the enigmatic cellmate he had briefly encountered. "Sure, that sounds fine. Any idea where the old man that was in my cell has gone? I haven't seen him in a while."

"It seems he has been moved out of the cell and placed elsewhere. I'm sure he has some strong connections; it was strange he was even here.

A person with black hair, who I didn't recognize and was wearing Officer garments, came a few hours before you arrived and said he would be moved to the open cell allocated for you," Goey explained, detailing the peculiar circumstances surrounding the old man's transfer.

He had these coins also he liked to flip in the air, was really strange but oddly mesmerizing how he was able to walk and flip them so easily.

This sparked a specific curiosity in Ty, leading him to ask about a distinctive detail he remembered. "And what about the coin he was always flipping? Do you remember the color of it?"

Goey nodded, recalling the detail. "Oh, yes, it was a red and black coin. He had an odd smile, though. Really off-putting, like it was a fake smile."