Wrapped in a blindfold and unable to hear, Ash relied on his little friend to map out the prison hallway he was moving through.
'Imp... remember this as well...'
[On it.]
Nodding his little head, Imp flew around the maximum distance and began mapping out every inch of the area.
Imp was trying to find any hint of an opening or passage, but the lack of light was making things difficult for him.
[The number of guards positioned has increased.]
As they inched closer to the first intersection, the distance between each guard began to decrease.
'Understand!'
As he inched closer to his destination, Ash's heart began to flutter. He tried calming himself, but it didn't stop.
'I already know the information; there is nothing to worry about…'
He tried convincing himself, but the human tendency to always assume the worst couldn't be overcome this easily. Trying to distract himself, Ash lifted his head and thought to himself.
'Hey, Imp, can you explain what Rot is?'
The cultist had explained it vaguely, and he couldn't extract any meaningful information from it.
[It's the disease of the soul.]
Confused and a bit perplexed, Ash asked, 'Can you elaborate further?'
[No, you don't have the required authority.]
A swift and clear denial came his way, making Ash stumble a bit. The rope binding his hands tightened, and the guards turned his head around in annoyance.
"Have a death wish or what?"
"Sorry, sir... I'm nervous."
Apologizing, Ash followed the guards and thought to himself.
'Again with this authority thing… hmm!!'
Annoyed by all these restrictions, Ash asked Imp, wanting to know about this nobility and the authority they possess first.
[Authority is defined by the tier of your nobility. At this moment, you are considered a citizen… then a knight, and if you survive all this, you will become a Baron. It is the lowest of authority, but you will be considered nobility nonetheless. And now don't disturb me… or else the map wouldn't be perfect, and I won't be to blame.]
'Okay, okay, chill..'
Not disturbing him anymore, Ash silently pondered the new information, carefully piecing it together.
Lost in thought, he failed to notice the passage of time. It wasn't until the rope stopped tugging from the front that he finally snapped out of his thoughts.
'Did we reach the location…'
Proving his thought correct, the blindfold hiding his vision was removed by the guard. His eyes dilated, adjusting to the bright light, and Ash moved his head, observing his surroundings.
The first thing he noticed was that he was still somewhere underground.
"Make sure to entertain the guests…"
Muttering, the guard pushed him and closed the gate from behind.
'Is this a colosseum…'
A thought was born in his mind, and Ash felt as if standing on the set of some TV series where ancient warriors fight to prove their honor.
A ceiling stretched five meters above the ground, with dozens of lanterns hanging from iron chains. The floor was covered with packed dirt. Instead of gray, the soil had turned crimson from the countless battles fought there over the years.
Ash found a large iron gate standing on the opposite side of the arena. A marking of the sun was engraved in the middle of its body.
With all the proofs being there, it didn't take long to conclude that he was indeed in some sort of underground colosseum.
'Look everywhere you can.' Asking Imp, Ash raised his head and found dozens of people resting in their spots. Their clothes were lavish, and an animal mask adorned each face.
One would argue over the reason for them wearing masks as some philosophical indication of their desire to indulge in their animalistic instincts, but Ash knew it was all bullshit.
They were cowards who hid behind masks, fearing that one day the people would escape and they would be recognized.
"Ahemm!"
Suddenly, the sound of someone coughing echoed, grabbing everyone's attention.
Ash was no exception.
Following the voice, he found a man wearing colorful clothes that didn't match the lavish attire of the rest of the participants. Moving the cylindrical item he held toward his mouth, the man announced,
"I am your humble host, Monarick!... Before today's special game begins, let us all welcome the illustrious, strong, and genius Duke of Blazing County with a thunderous round of applause! After all, we are foreeeever grateful for his generous contributions to our kingdom's safety! Haha!"
Monarick pointed in a certain direction, his sweet and mesmerizing voice reached every corner of the colosseum, amplified by the item multiple times over.
Clap, clap, clap...
As the clapping died down, Monarick pointed toward Ash.
"But the Duke isn't the only special guest. To welcome his honor, we have brought a special soldier."
Hearing this, beads of sweat formed under Ash's hair.
'Just fuck me already…'
Ash cursed under his breath because he understood one thing clearly.
If someone special was joining, then the game couldn't remain normal. To appease the guest, the game had to be turned special… either more complex or more deadly.
One way or another, Ash's life was about to get worse. His fear soon proved true as the performer's next words didn't match the information he had gathered from the soldiers.
'Shit... all that for nothing.'
Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Ash focused on Monarick's words.
"Now, now... what fun would it be to welcome two honored guests only to give them a performance that falls short? Haha! Hmm... Surely you wouldn't want that, would you, my dear guests?"
"Yes!"
"Absolutely."
"It was getting boring watching the same thing repeat and repeat."
The others showed no remorse for what was to fall on the soldiers and were more excited for what was to come.
"Ahh! Yes, yes! Now this is the kind of excitement I live for! Haha! Without further delay, let me present the other contender for this trial!"
He pointed, and the door on the opposite side of the colosseum opened with a creak.
From the darkness, a man emerged. His body was so thin that the other soldiers would appear fat in front of him. Limping heavily, he dragged one leg as he slowly shuffled forward.
"Nooow... don't be fooled by that frail body. He may look weak, but he's a Primor. Oops! I wasn't supposed to reveal that, was I? Hahaha! Yeeeesss, ladies and gentlemen, our contestant is a genuine Primor, blessed with an ability. And for our honored guests today..."
He paused, savoring the audience's shocked gasps before finishing with a broad grin.
"We shall let a battle between a mortal and a Primor commence!"
Hearing this, a frown appeared over Ash's face, but it wasn't that of fear. No, he was confused by the words spoken by Monarick.
'A fight between a mortal and a Primor… but I'm a Primor as well…'