Transmigrated as the Cuck.... WTF!!!-Chapter 123. Tirie Town (2)

Tirie Town wasn’t what I’d call bustling—not like Everhart Town, at least. There was movement, sure. People wandered the streets, shops were open, and trade was happening.

But something about it all felt... muted. Like a town living in its own shadow. The people weren’t necessarily unfriendly, just not expressive. As if every smile came with a cost they couldn’t afford.

Most of the shops lining the streets catered to warriors. Weapons gleamed behind reinforced glass, rows of artifacts floated within mana-reinforced cases, and the occasional rack of armor stood proudly outside blacksmith stalls.

Combat-oriented. Everything here screamed survival, not luxury. Food stalls were rare, and utility shops even rarer. It felt like a place built more for soldiers and adventurers than for families.

And the people reflected that reality.

Conversations were short, clipped. No one stood around gossiping. No spontaneous laughter.

No storytellers in the square. Just people doing what they needed to, then retreating behind wooden doors and shuttered windows.

The silence wasn’t eerie, exactly—but it was... thick. Dense, like the very air carried unspoken rules.

Children played on the paved stone paths that twisted through the town. But unlike the cheerful tag or ball games you’d expect from kids, these children dueled. Yes—dueled. With actual swords.

I stopped and blinked when I saw a boy—maybe five years old, six at most—charging toward another child with a short blade in his hand.

Not a toy. A real knife. And more shocking? He knew how to wield the damn thing. He wasn’t flailing it like an amateur either. His grip, his posture, even the way he moved—it had form. Training.

"What the hell..." I murmured under my breath. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

No one stopped them. No one called for them to put the weapons down. In fact, an older man nearby even offered some pointers to one of the kids mid-spar.

It wasn’t a town. It was a crucible.

The buildings around us were made mostly of cobblestone and dark hardwood, the kind that looked ancient yet somehow unyielding to time.

Some were small, barely shacks, while others were sprawling two-story homes with defensive lattices built into the windows. Every corner reeked of utility over comfort.

But beyond the architecture, something else hit me—a smell.

A sharp, nauseating stench that burned the back of my throat.

It was the unmistakable odor of flesh. Burnt flesh. Blood, rot, and smoke all clinging to the air in a sticky, invisible fog.

"Ugh," I muttered, covering my nose. "What the hell died out here?"

The scent wasn’t just bad—it was almost putrid. Rancid.

For a brief moment, I thought maybe there was a butcher’s district nearby. But that hope was shattered when we made our way toward the town square.

There, in the center of it all, stood a massive iron stake.

A burning stake.

Bodies—human and otherwise—were being thrown into the fire. Some charred beyond recognition, others still partially fresh.

Carcasses of monsters, rotting limbs, dismembered parts. It was a pyre in the literal heart of the town.

I paused, staring.

Not out of horror. No, I’d seen worse.

But the placement.

’Why the middle of the town?’

Sure, disposal was necessary. But this? This wasn’t just unsanitary—it was symbolic. And not in a good way.

"Hey, please tell me such stuff only happens here." I asked aloud, disgust lacing my voice.

Evelyn beside me grimaced, her hand half-raised to cover her nose. "Yeah," she said, sighing. "If you’re asking whether this kind of thing is normal... burning bodies out in the open like this, then yeah. It’s an Opalcrest thing."

I gave a sigh of relief, half-mocking. "Thank the heavens. I was worried we’d accidentally stepped into hell."

"Not hell," she murmured, eyes still fixed on the pyre. "But close."

We continued walking, the stench still clinging to our clothes. I shoved my hands into my pockets and leaned toward her.

"So... where exactly are we meeting the others? Did you guys set a rendezvous point or something?"

She shook her head. "No. We figured it’d be a waste of time waiting around. Everyone just split up to start investigating on their own."

I nodded. That actually made sense. Waiting would’ve been inefficient. This wasn’t some horror game where we had to stick together or get killed one by one.

Hopefully.

"Smart move," I admitted.

With that, I moved ahead, letting my eyes scan the streets, rooftops, and alleyways around us. Watching. Listening.

Looking for anything out of place.

Everything seemed... normal, in its own twisted way. The guards continued their patrols, the children resumed their blade-filled games, and the townsfolk mindlessly ignored the burning corpse-pile behind them.

Not a single whisper. Not a curious glance.

It was terrifying, in a way.

’At least they know how to keep their mouths shut,’ I thought dryly. ’Better than Earth, for fuck’s sake. No constant drama. No busybodies trying to pry into every detail of your life.’

This world may have been violent, cruel, and absolutely lacking in hygiene protocols...

But damn, at least it had that going for it.

...

After spending over four hours aimlessly wandering through the crooked alleys and dusty lanes of Tirie Town, we came up with absolutely nothing.

No leads, no suspicious movement, not even a whisper of anything worth investigating. All we got in return for our efforts was sore feet, dry throats, and a growing sense of frustration.

Eventually, Evelyn stopped walking, letting out a soft groan as she leaned against a nearby lamppost. "I think we should find somewhere to rest. Maybe grab something to eat while we’re at it?"

I agreed, stretching my arms over my head. "Yeah, I’m down. But do we even have money?"

The thought hit me like a bucket of cold water. I hadn’t even thought about that until now. Typical. I was always underprepared for everything. I glanced toward Evelyn, hoping she might have a backup plan.

But she shook her head with an apologetic smile. "It slipped my mind. We usually just use our credits at the Academy. I didn’t think to bring any physical currency."

"Same," I muttered, scratching the back of my neck. "Damn it. We can’t really just run around begging, can we?"

She let out a dry chuckle. "No, unfortunately not."

Our situation wasn’t dire, but it was definitely inconvenient.

We were still a long way from the kind of desperate that forced people to resort to thievery or sleeping under trees, but the sun was already slipping past its peak, and night would descend soon.

We didn’t know the area well enough to navigate it in the dark, and even if we did, I wasn’t looking forward to using the teleporter again.

Multiple uses in one day usually came with the side effects—splitting headaches, nausea, disorientation.

Clicking my tongue, I racked my brain. We needed a quick solution. Food, shelter, and some local currency.

That’s when a memory stirred—something one of the guards said earlier during their ridiculous conversation.

"There’s supposed to be an arena here..." I muttered aloud.

Evelyn looked at me, puzzled. "What?"

"The guards from earlier. Remember their chatter? They mentioned an arena. If there’s one, then that probably means prize money for fights. If I participate and win, we might be able to fund ourselves for a while."

Her arms folded under her chest as she tilted her head. "That’s... not a bad idea. And who knows, maybe Art and the others went there too. He tends to drift toward places like that."

’Art and his tendency to attract random strays,’ I thought bitterly. I genuinely felt bad for my guy. ’He doesn’t deserve such injustice.’

I shook the thoughts away and nodded to Evelyn. "Alright. Let’s go check it out."

We made our way through the busier part of the town.

Tirie, despite being called a town, had everything a large city would—taverns spilling with drunken laughter, brothels that glowed with artificial charm, slave markets that made my skin crawl, and butcher shops with meat so fresh it still bled into the gutters.

And in the middle of it all, looming like a monument to the town’s pride, was the arena.

It was huge. Not just big—colossal. It looked like every copper and silver coin ever earned in Tirie went into its construction.

Brown sandstone bricks held up the tall colosseum-like structure, complete with enormous arches and beast carvings etched along its pillars.

Statues of monsters native to the region stood guard outside, their fangs bared and claws outstretched in eternal challenge.

It was absurd. This wasn’t a town arena—this was a damn regional spectacle.

We approached the entrance. Two lines branched out: one for spectators and another for participants. We took the latter, heading to the participant registration booth.

A woman with a tight ponytail and sharp features sat behind the counter. She looked like she’d been bored for hours, but the moment her eyes landed on us, a professional smile stretched across her face.

"Welcome to the Tirie Arena. Are you two here to watch the show?" Her voice was sweet, almost too sweet. "Perhaps a couple’s seat? We have special viewings for lovebirds—though unfortunately, no discounts."

I raised an eyebrow, then leaned in slightly, resting my arm on the edge of the counter. "No, nothing like that. I’m here to participate. Not watch."

Her brows lifted with interest, the smile still playing on her lips. "Oh? You want to register as a combatant?"

I nodded. "Exactly. I’m here to make some money and test my mettle."

"Very well," she said, tapping a few buttons on the device beside her. It projected a semi-transparent screen in front of her, a glowing interface with a list of names and rankings. "Name?"

"Cassius Lancaster."

"Affiliation?"

"Rose Academy."

She paused, giving me a curious look. "Academy student, huh? You sure you want to get involved here? This isn’t some schoolyard duel. Fighters die here, especially the newcomers."

I didn’t even flinch. "I’m not here to die."

Evelyn stood by my side, quiet but watchful. Her presence wasn’t loud, but it was supportive in its own way. Like she was telling the woman not to question me further.

The receptionist eventually shrugged. "Alright, then. You’re registered. You’ll be called once your slot opens up. Until then, you can wait in the participants’ lounge."

"What kind of fights are we looking at?" I asked.

"Randomized, based on the current cycle. You could be up against a human, a monster, or both. Depends on your luck."

I sighed. Of course. Luck.

But it didn’t matter. If there was money to be made and experience to be gained, then this was the best option we had.

I glanced at Evelyn. "While I fight, keep an eye on suspicious activities. Maybe listen to some conversations."

She smirked. "Ok, For now. I’ll be in the stands listening in. And someone’s gotta cheer you on."

I chuckled and nodded. "Then I better put on a good show."

As we walked toward the waiting area, I took one last look around the grand arena. The stone echoed with faint roars and clashing steel—ghosts of battles past. And soon, mine would echo here too.

’System stats’

’Hmm... let’s add 1000 stat points in each stat just to be sure there aren’t any repercussions.’

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