“Hahaha, your situation, of course! You must have one shitty luck to be put in here the moment you showed up in Ricando.” To the old man, Virus’ luck was a cause of much hilarity.
“Can you talk in a way we both understand?” Internally, Virus was now thinking about whether to smack this senior citizen to kingdom come if he continued behaving so tiresome.
“Sigh… well, we’re all going to die soon anyway, so let me just do you this little favor as a final act of grace, who knows, maybe the heavens blessed me after my death due to my kindness.” Releasing a pronounced sigh, the old man’s mood sunk further.
Then, with a vacant stare, he proceeded, “You see, the so-called Recreation Training Center is famous and known for another name amongst the ordinary people of Ricando living in the outer section.”
“And what is that?” His eyes wide open, Virus anticipated the incoming retort.
“The Arena of Death.”
Tilting his head downward, the old man’s depression seemed to have elevated to another degree, “It is the Recreation Training Center for those inner disciple bastards from the Inner layer since they just come here to have some fun and train their techniques on the unlucky citizens of the outer layer.”
“What do you mean? Can they do that? Is there no law in this city to prevent that kind of treatment toward the ordinary citizens?” Virus was bewildered immediately. He could not comprehend how such a city would even last until now.
Swiftly denying it with a wave of his wrist, he corrected Virus’ misunderstanding. “Of course not. Don’t get me wrong, the inner disciples can’t touch the citizens ordinarily, it is forbidden and those who disobey it will be punished severely.”
The dark circles under his eyes together with the pronounced lines over his face signaled the fatigue of the old man who added, “Well, there is a bit of history behind that. In the past, there were no laws to stop the inner disciples from committing all kinds of atrocities in the outer layer, however, seeing that it was getting out of control as it was harming the overall development of the city itself, the previous governor forbid the disciples and everyone else from harming the common people of the city.”
At this moment, while clenching his jaws, veins were pulsing on the elder’s temple who exuded a horrible hostility aimed at his next sentence’s target, “Alas, the Poison Deity clan required living dummies to at least hone their disciples, thus, that same governor put down another rule, a law if you will.”
“What is it?” Immersed in the story, Virus asked for more details.
“Every month, ten people will be randomly chosen and sent to the colosseum and the disciples can use those chosen ones in whatever way they desire.” By now, the elder’s body was trembling due to the rage that was coursing through his veins and heart.
“Damn…” Fascinated, Virus muttered.
Gnashing his teeth, hatred was boiling to the climax within the elder’s eyes. “Yeah, they can do whatever they feel like doing to those ten people every month be it testing a new poison they’ve developed or a technique they’ve learned recently, it doesn’t matter. They can dismember, poison, and even kill those ten people in the most horrific manners imaginable.”
“Anyway, that woman you’re talking about, I believe she was one of us unlucky people, and yet, she was clever enough to fool you into this situation.” Raising one brow, he didn’t fail to mention this particular part as well.
By now, a contemplative glimmer was occupying Virus’ countenance. ‘Hmm, it’s not that she was clever enough to fool me though, rather, I chose to be fooled on purpose.’ Though he didn’t open his mouth to deny it out loud since there was no significance in doing so.
“I have a question, old man.” Promptly, a razor-sharp glint gleamed through Virus’ sight. His following question was going to determine his next course of action.
“Go on.” Initiating and maintaining eye contact, the senior citizen said.
“Are you insinuating we can’t retaliate against the disciples? Are we supposed to just watch them murder us like chickens?” A hell-freezing coldness was radiating off of Virus’ being at this point as he patiently waited for the old man’s response. The elder’s answer was going to dictate the difficulty of his subsequent plan.
Listening to his question, the old man cracked up once more before replying in a single breath, “Of course not, to make it ‘seem’ fair, the governor declared that the chosen ones are also permitted to retaliate and kill the disciples and even vowed that there won’t be any repercussions or grudges held from the side of the clan. Ah, actually, they encourage it even and reward the chosen one that succeeds in killing a disciple with a hundred first grade Qi Ingots.”
“Oho, this just got much more entertaining, then!” A vicious grin abruptly crept over Virus’ visage.
Meanwhile, feeling irritated, a notion was flickering through his brain, ‘To hell with that bitch. If she had just described the situation from the get-go, I would’ve willingly jumped at the idea of coming here and raking in some money! I can’t believe she left me in the dark, making me worried for nothing all this time. What a bitch, payback is in order for her.’
In the meantime, the old guy merely scoffed at Virus’ naïve bravado, “That’s impossible though, mortals like us can’t possibly dream of going against cultivators, that’s an unshakeable truth of this town.”
“Well, we’ll see about that, anyway, old man, I’ll be the first one to go out first when the door opens, are you four okay with that?”
“Sure, who am I to stop a fool’s death.” Although the old man was happy to agree and live a bit longer, the other three didn’t exhibit any reactions whatsoever. They didn’t really care.
‘I suppose that means yes.’
…
‘How much longer will it take?’ Virus was just starting to get drowsy when the noise of the door unlocking itself traveled to his ears.
Click~
“That’s it, old man. See you soon.” After some hesitation, pushing it open, Virus walked out.
“Haha, I don’t think you will, but I sure as hell hope you do.” Was the elder’s only words in return.
In the meantime, just as Virus passed through the small entry, his pupils went into overdrive trying to adjust themselves to the abrupt light that had just flashed into his eyes, thus temporarily leaving him sightless and blind. The source of the light was of course the sun of the planet.
CLAP! CLAP-CLAP~
CLAP! CLAP-CLAP~
BUZZ! CLANK~
BOOOO~
CHEER~ CHEER!
Much to his stupefaction, while Virus gradually regained his sight, he found himself in the middle of the colosseum with tens of thousands of spectators cheering and clasping in harmony!
“What the…?” With his pupils shrinking, Virus was confused, “Why are they cheering so excitedly? Weren’t the common citizens supposed to abhor the Arena of Death?” Due to the tone and the way the elder explained the Recreation Training Center before, Virus had mistakenly surmised that everyone in the outer layer loathed it.
… but maybe he was wrong?
