“You’re... t-testing my loyalty?” Ling stamred.
Her voice caught not on fear, but on the sheer audacity of the concept.
“Indeed I am.”
“Th-then this money...?”
…Perhaps she was simply concerned about losing the gold.
Regardless, Ling clutched the coin purse against her chest like a protective talisman, wariness flickering across her features.
I suppressed a sigh and shook my head. “Keep it. All I require is an opportunity to challenge the champion.”
“Thank the gods.” Ling’s relief was palpable as she nodded. “That much I can arrange. Though we’ll need proper justification.”
“Which would be?”
“You might not understand, coming from noble circles, but I’m still a champion—for whatever that’s worth. I can’t simply fight anyone who wanders in off the street.”
“Then what do you propose?”
“Enter as an underdog and defeat five opponents. Top-tier fighters, naturally.”
Ling tucked the purse inside her coat as she spoke, the gesture practiced and smooth.
“That’s excessive.”
“Absolutely not. Without this minimum requirent, I’d have nothing to tell my people. We could arrange a private bout where no one witnesses it, but that’s not what you’re after, is it?”
She had there. What I truly sought wasn’t an oath of loyalty, but intelligence about Hasilan’s whereabouts.
I drumd my fingers against my thigh, weighing alternatives. Several options presented themselves, but none seed particularly viable.
“Very well. I accept.”
“Wise decision.”
Ling’s grin carried the predatory satisfaction of soone who’d just closed a profitable deal.
She was undoubtedly planning to capitalize on this arrangent—with no one backing an unknown fighter, she’d likely wager on herself and pocket the windfall.
Unfortunately for her, things won’t unfold as expected.
I smiled behind my mask.
Champion Ling believed she held in the palm of her hand, never suspecting she was the one dancing to my tune.
* * *
Following Ling’s directions into the arena’s depths, I discovered what could charitably be described as a prison masquerading as fighters’ quarters.
Clang.
Creeeeak—
“Fresh at, boys.”
Ling shoved into a cell wrapped in iron bars, then strutted away with casual indifference.
Left alone, I was imdiately greeted by voices from the surrounding cells.
“New arrival?”
“Where ya from?”
“Another masked fighter? Must possess so skill, eh? They don’t grant that kind of mystique to just anyone.”
“Probably just her latest sche. How long do you think he’ll last? A day? Two?”
The holding area erupted in conversation. Each fighter was imprisoned in their own cramped iron cage, yet sohow they maintained their sense of camaraderie.
Not what I anticipated.
I surveyed my fellow prisoners with growing curiosity.
I’d expected an underground fighting pit to house madn and killers, but the reality seed far more complex.
“So what fabrication did she use to lure you here?”
The man in the adjacent cell asked with a knowing chuckle.
Stubble covered his unwashed face, and his appearance suggested he hadn’t seen proper hygiene in weeks.
Filth accumulating everywhere.
I shook my head slightly while studying his features. Sothing nagged at .
“Fabrication? What do you an?”
“Hmm? Still don’t understand? That woman promised you wealth, didn’t she?”
Wealth?
An uncomfortable realization began forming.
According to intelligence I’d gathered during my ti with Artezia, these fighters were here voluntarily—seeking fortune, drugs, or thrills. People who’d lost control and been drawn to this place by their own vices.
But the expressions surrounding told a different story entirely.
“You were all deceived as well?” I asked carefully, concealing my own circumstances.
The man who’d questioned laughed bitterly. “Deceived...? I was simply foolish.”
“Ten years trapped here after they promised to find my mother.”
“They abducted , holding my child hostage.”
“? They claid they’d help earn money, then drugged every single day.”
The testimonies continued, each more damning than the last.
I huffed in shock while processing their revelations.
If these accounts were accurate, it ant the Artezia operatives had deceived even their own intelligence networks about the arena’s true nature.
But why employ such elaborate misdirection?
The question troubled deeply. Al Fortia’s intelligence network should have accessed most information without difficulty—they were often the ones gathering it initially.
Yet here was intelligence that had sohow eluded even Al Fortia’s reach.
This suggested sothing far more sinister than simple criminal enterprise.
“They promised wealth as well,” I answered quietly, observing the reactions around .
The n nodded with grim recognition, chuckling as if they’d expected nothing less.
“Sa routine, never varies.”
“That miser sharing profits? Even if you win, she won’t honor the paynt.”
“At least defeating the champion grants freedom.”
“Only because there’ll be no one left to stop you leaving at that point.”
The holding area grew animated once more. Heavy footsteps approached from the corridor, and soon a man in light armor appeared, scanning between and my neighbor.
“Numbers thirty and forty-five, you’re up.”
Forty-five—my designation.
“Whew. Never seen one fight right after arrival,” my neighbor remarked with amusent as he stood.
He glanced at with sothing approaching sympathy. “Try not to die. The crowd here can be particularly vicious.”
I couldn’t suppress a laugh. “Likewise. Take care.”
“Hah. Spirited newcor, I’ll give you that.” The man burst into laughter.
With that exchange, my first match comnced.
* * *
The contest itself proved unremarkable—simply a life-or-death struggle within an enclosure constructed from magic stone wire sh.
The only permitted weapons were our bodies. No additional armants allowed.
“Do you understand the rules?” Ling herself climbed into the cage to inquire.
Apparently, she also served as referee—an interesting conflict of interests.
“Fascinating arrangent.”
“Hmm? Right, this is your first experience here.” Ling nodded as if rembering. “Would you like a brief explanation?”
“Proceed.”
“Prickly rookie, eh? Alright then.” Ling began pacing around the cage with her hands clasped behind her back. “Three rules govern this place. First, accept the referee’s judgnt without question. Second, no weapons whatsoever. And finally—”
Ling approached until she stood directly beside , whispering in my ear with a smile.
“No holding back.”
The curve of her lips held a cold edge. She probably expected to fight with the usual restraint of Al Fortia’s noble style.
And sure, I’d planned on clean, efficient kills—at first. But after hearing the prisoners’ stories, I changed my mind.
Besides, Ling was giving full permission.
So I made a small adjustnt to my approach.
I despise being manipulated.
I smiled behind my mask with anticipation. “Very well.”
“Good. Shall we comnce?”
Swoosh.
Ling looked up at the packed spectator stands and projected her voice. “Can everyone see clearly?”
“We can see fine—start already!”
“Everyone seems eager indeed. But you must endure the fighter introductions.”
Boooooo—!
Jeers erupted from the stands like a physical force.
“Patience, patience. I’ll keep this brief, so bear with montarily.”
Ling gestured toward my opponent with theatrical flair.
“This is Karl, a battle-worn hero, as you all know. A mber of the Mamami tribal people, called the Southern Barbarians by so. And on the other side—”
Now she indicated with a flourish.
“Our newest rising star, the Masked Man. A warrior whose skill and identity remain shrouded in mystery.”
Boooooo—!
More jeers erupted, but these were different—directed specifically at rather than Ling.
“Kill him! What kind of warrior hides behind a mask!”
“Show us a boring fight and we’ll kill you all!”
Ling offered an awkward smile while observing the roaring crowd.
“Co on... how much did you all wager to be acting like this?”
Ling consulted the betting board, then snorted in amusent.
“Ah, I understand now. Betting on the Masked Man would represent a complete reversal of fortune, wouldn’t it?”
“Yeaaaaah—!”
“Can’t be helped then. I’ll have to make this interesting myself. I’m wagering one hundred thousand gold on the Masked Man.”
Ling’s declaration struck the crowd into stunned silence.
Then greed filled their eyes before they erupted in renewed cheers.
“Waaaaaaah—!”
“But you must all enjoy yourselves properly. You hear?”
Ling turned away with a sinister smile, clearly planning to profit handsoly from this arrangent.
Not if I can prevent it.
I called out to Ling as she prepared to signal the match’s beginning.
“Am I permitted to participate in the betting as well?”
“What?” Ling stared at as if I’d spoken nonsense.
I ignored her bewildernt and addressed the crowd directly. They would certainly accept my participation—from their perspective, free money was falling from the heavens.
“I’m wagering one million gold on myself.”
“WAAAAAAAAAAH—!”
The cheers intensified exponentially.
My opponent regarded as if I’d lost my sanity.
Only one person was disturbed by this developnt—Ling.
“What in the hells are you doing?”
“What do you an?”
Her sche to profit from my potential victory had just been thoroughly demolished. The favorable odds were now working against her, not in her favor.
One million gold carried that kind of weight.
I smiled behind my mask at Ling’s bewildered expression. “I suggest you begin already. The crowd grows restless.”
Ling bit her lip with visible frustration. She wanted to declare that fighters couldn’t participate in betting, but such a ruling would incite the crowd’s wrath.
She had no choice but to allow my wager.
Sure enough.
“Begin,” Ling spoke quietly to the staff mber holding the bell.
Ding—!
The bell chid, and my opponent released a long sigh while raising his fists defensively.
“…I hope that’s not your entire fortune. I’ll spare your life, so you’d best work hard to repay it.”
These n truly were good-natured souls. In their position, I would have simply eliminated them all without hesitation.
Well… perhaps I’ve changed as well.
I shrugged and assud my fighting stance.
Drawing up my Aura, I focused the energy into my fists with practiced precision.
Then I exhaled slowly and recalled the technique I’d recently mastered—the combat arts Grand Master Enoxia had imparted to .
BOOM—!
My fist launched toward the man’s ribs with devastating force.
Simultaneously, he collapsed unconscious and flew out of the cage as half the enclosure itself was obliterated.
“Well… That’s over.”
In the still silence that followed, I quietly sheathed my Aura with a sense of satisfaction.
A flawless victory—achieved using rely ten percent of my available power.
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