The Bloody Colosseum
After parting ways with Jack01, who had gone to complete the Beggar Quest, Reina found herself consumed by curiosity.
She wanted to see for herself what the Colosseum was like in the world of Cosmia.
Without informing the other guild members, she headed toward the massive arena located in the heart of Belio City.
When she reached the entrance, she took a deep breath before stepping inside.
But...
The moment she entered the Colosseum, her expression changed.
"What..."
"...is this?"
The scene before her was nothing like the Colosseum she remembered from Cosmic Online.
The arena had become a slaughterhouse.
There were no official matches.
No orderly turns.
No referees.
Players attacked one another without restraint.
The clash of weapons, explosions of magic, screams of pain, and desperate cries blended into a deafening chorus.
The only rule the system still enforced was that Clerics could not be targeted.
Other than that...
Anyone could attack anyone.
Reina looked around grimly.
"This isn't an arena..."
"...it's a massacre."
In the middle of the arena, she spotted a low-level Rogue standing completely frozen.
The boy hadn't even drawn his weapon.
Suddenly, a Warrior rushed in from behind.
SLASH!!
The Rogue was sent flying.
His HP dropped to a tiny sliver.
Without thinking, Reina activated Speed Run.
Swoosh!
In an instant, she was beside the boy.
She lifted him into her arms and carried him to the safe zone at the edge of the arena.
"What are you doing?!"
"Don't be an idiot!"
Reina scolded him.
The boy slowly opened his eyes.
His voice trembled.
"I... I..."
"...I'm just a kid..."
"...I was only messing around with my older brother's game..."
Reina froze.
"A child...?"
The boy weakly nodded.
His eyes slowly began to close.
Reina immediately looked around.
There wasn't a single Cleric anywhere inside the Colosseum.
She clenched her teeth.
"Hang on a little longer."
"I'll get you out of here."
But...
She was too late.
A small purple icon appeared above the boy's body.
Poison.
Before Reina had reached him, another Rogue had already inflicted poison on him.
His HP continued to drain away little by little.
All Reina could do was grip his hand.
"Hey..."
"Don't give up..."
But eventually, his HP bar emptied.
The boy's body slowly dissolved into particles of light.
Then...
He vanished.
Without leaving anything behind.
Reina stood frozen.
Her hand remained outstretched.
For the first time...
She had truly witnessed someone die in the world of Cosmia.
Not an NPC.
Not a Mostro.
A player.
Reina remained standing there for a long time.
Her eyes were empty.
She finally understood the reality of this world.
Not everyone trapped here was searching for a way home.
Some had lost their sense of purpose.
Some had been consumed by ambition.
And others...
...no longer wanted to live at all.
They only wanted to become the strongest.
Or...
To end everything.
Unable to bear the sight any longer, Reina finally left the Colosseum.
The moment she stepped outside, she immediately opened Guild Chat.
XOXO:
No member of Guild TEMPLAR is to enter the Colosseum.
Death there is truly permanent.
Revival Water does exist, but it's incredibly difficult to craft.
From this moment on, avoid all PvP duels.
Our priority remains the Main Quest.
A moment later, one of the guild members replied.
Guild Member:
Guild Master...
There's one guild we need to watch out for.
They're called Executor.
Reina immediately focused on the message.
Guild Member:
Their Guild Master is infamous for being a complete psychopath.
He enjoys challenging random players to duels.
He even deliberately kills them inside the Colosseum.
The entire Executor Guild treats the Colosseum as their hunting ground.
I've even heard they force their own members to fight each other... just for entertainment.
Reina clenched her fists.
So...
It wasn't only the Mostro that were dangerous in this world.
Humans were too.
She immediately sent another message.
XOXO:
From now on, no one enters the Colosseum.
Don't accept duels from anyone.
If you run into trouble, contact the guild immediately.
The replies came almost instantly.
Understood, Guild Master!
Only a few steps after leaving the Colosseum...
Reina suddenly spotted someone.
"Yukio?"
Her eyes widened.
Near the entrance, several players were dragging someone inside by force.
It was Yukio.
Above their heads floated a guild emblem—a black circle bearing a skull at its center.
Guild Executor.
Almost simultaneously, Guild Chat chimed.
Yukio:
Help!!
They're forcing me into the Colosseum!!
Reina immediately broke into a sprint.
Without a second thought, she rushed back into the arena.
In the center of the Colosseum...
Yukio was shoved to the ground.
The Executor members left him standing alone.
They surrounded him, laughing.
Every member of the guild was around Level 150 or higher.
Not a single nearby player dared to intervene.
They simply watched.
Yukio gripped his Craftman's hammer with trembling hands.
He wasn't a fighter.
Until now, he had devoted himself entirely to blacksmithing.
He barely possessed any offensive skills.
His defensive abilities were just as poor.
Facing even one opponent would have been impossible.
Let alone...
An entire guild.
Standing inside the safe zone, Reina stared directly at Yukio.
Her eyes sharpened.
Her mind raced, desperately searching for a way to save her student from an almost hopeless situation.
Because she knew...
The moment Yukio was forced into battle...
She might only get one chance to save him.