“Are you really going through with this? I can fight in your stead, you know.”

“That’d defeat the purpose of that Mixrel’s request.” Kihet replied as he tightened the belt secured over a chest plate. “How does it look?”

Salith gave Kihet a glance over, adjusting loose straps in places Kihet couldn’t reach. She firmly tugged on the new overalls and gave Kihet a light shake.

He wore pieces of armor the Samark Family sponsored him with. Each piece were made of high quality materials which was nice, but it felt as though Kihet’s mobility decreased.

“It’s as good as I can help you. By the way, why did you pick up another request?”

“The daughter of Samark family made contact with me. She wants me to dethrone the reigning champion. If I successfully do that, she’ll get us a contact to get in touch with Rozzosea’s Queen.”

“You make it sound easy.”

“I don’t think they’ll be anyone I need to be wary unless it’s someone like Alc’Bruk. Did you find anything regarding the ‘dust’?”

“No concrete evidence, but…” Salith carefully looked around before continuing. “Aten and I heard of a ship arriving the same day we landed. We investigated. Gold miners hauled in more gold than they used to.”

Aten then presented a small pouch of said content.

It was certainly golden, similar color to pixie dust. However, each grain was of different size. There was even a small nugget among them.

“I don’t hear the elemental’s song. I think it’s just gold.”

“It’s fool’s gold.” Tama corrected. “It’s a common practice among scammers to mix in some shine and coloring, crush them to make it seem like gold. Nyalthough, if you put a gold nugget beside a handful, you can tell there’s a slight difference in color. It’s harder to tell in the shade.”

“Fool’s gold. Like fake gold? Is it edible?”

“Is that the first thing that comes to your mind?” Kihet shot Lily a doubtful look.

“Hey! I only asked because Tama showed me a stall selling edible glass.”

“It was hardened syrup popular among children.” Tama explained. “Other than that, Nyit isn’t all that strange for fool’s gold to pop by in large quantities.”

[People buy?]

“Mainly jewelers. You’d be shocked how profitable repairing some rich folk’s jewelry are with all the mugging and pickpocketing you’d hear nyaround here. Pure gold’s harder to swing by so they substitute or combine it.”

“Kihet, they’re calling for contestants.” Salith reminded.

The entrance of the Colosseum was flooded with people slowly making their way towards their seats. Thankfully, Kihet needed to go through the back gate.

“You all have your tickets?”

“Yup. We’ll be rooting for you, Kihet!” Lily tackled him for a hug.

[Watch for cheaters]

“I’ll nyactually skip, but I’ve already placed my bets on you. Salith, can you cash in for me after the Grumpy one wins?”

“Huh? Oh. Sure.” Salith answered. “Kihet, you better not go down as easy when we first fought.”

“I’ve got no intention to lose. I need to meet with the champion.”

Everyone wished him luck as Kihet entered through the back and turned the corner.

He flipped his hood over his face as he marched through the dark hallway following dozens of other competitors.

A couple of things caught his attention.

First, there was no exit in sight. If Kihet thought he knew where he was, there should’ve been one of the large iron gates shining light halfway down the hall. However, the width of the curved hallway was much narrower than he imagined suggesting there was another hallway behind by a wall.

Second, guards were stationed along the walkway above them. None of them paid attention to the crowd of duelists walking below them as if they were of no concern.

Third, the pathway was dimly lit by scare torchlight spread far apart. He could tell this arrangement was on purpose. It was very dark in between the lit scones. There were practically blind spots within the hallway. There was no doubt. Kihet believed it was to incite the fighters to reduce the numbers among themselves before they reached the arena.

One of those dark zones was fast approaching.

He was surrounded as Beastmen around him matched his pace. Knowing he was targeted, he quietly prepared a spell just before he stepped past the boundaries light. The moment he slipped into the dark, his [Chain] anchored into the ceiling and jumped.

The ringing of swordplay rebounded down the hall, but the guards pretended chatting amongst themselves as if nothing happened.

At that moment, an idea struck him. What if he defeated the competition before reaching the exit?

Kihet chose his landing ahead of the group, dropping [Quagmire Sphere] at the next zone. Upon snaring the competition into a slow field, he quickly shoved earplugs into his ears and lit a match.

One guard looked down and shouted, “Hey! What are you-?!”

He aimed his firelance at everyone behind him, shoving the small flame onto the venting hole.

Mixrels and Lycanthropes have heightened senses to detect foes in the dark. For Mixrels, their enlarged pupils allow them to see in the dark. For Lycnathropes, they use their keen sense of smell and ears to direct them. However, the Beastmen race have sensitive hearing as well.

A deafening crack and bright flash travelled down the enclosed hallway. A concussive blast stunned everyone before Kihet and rendered them immobile. Whether their ears ruptured or not, one thing’s for certain. There were no Beastmen left standing to step into the arena with him.

While the guards above suffered the same fate as those below. Kihet silently passed through the dimly lit path until he saw light coming through a large, grated iron gate. It slowly lifted from the ground and by the time he approached it, the gate had already retracted.

An ear splitting cheer went up.

Never once has Kihet experienced this amount of excitement condensed in one place. The closest were war chants he fought in battle, but the air was vastly different than the battlefield.

The combination of the audience’s voice and festive music shook the air. The encouragement from the crowd was surreal, let alone standing in front of thousands. No seat was left empty. People screamed out their lungs, looking forward to upsets, overwhelming victories, anything to give them stimulus.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

He tried to find Lily and the others among the crowd. Eventually, he believed to have spotted them standing in one of the private terraces, but they were too far of a distance to determine if it was them. He did, however, locate Fatilda on one of the VIP terraces with a first class view over the arena and a familiar face sitting in a grander balcony.

“Ladies and gentleman! Are you ready?! Let’s give it up for the duelists!”

Kihet was the only one who answered the call and emerged from the gates when the announcer introduced the participants.

There was a wave of confusion as the audience wondered where the absentees went. Many were concerned why only one rugged challenger hobbled towards the middle of the arena. He had a wooden peg for one led, an eye patch covering his left eye and he was missing fingers.

“Please excuse us, ladies and gentlemen. We are currently trying to find out what happened to other contestants and will give you all an update as soon as we can-.”

One of Fatilda’s messenger trotted up to the announcer, whispering into his hear.

“Umm… I’ve been given permission to start the preliminary round as is. Is owner sure about this? Yes? Well, okay.” The announcer stroked his whiskers. “Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for the wait! Today’s event has been abruptly changed. Our lone challenger will attempt the preliminary round solo. If he is victorious, he will win the grand prize!”

*Thump!

Something slammed against the opposing gate. The steel reinforced bars buckled and from the creature throwing its full weight at it.

“Crk, crk, crk.”

It sounded as though something was clicking.

“Seems like our friend can’t wait like all of you. Let’s let er out! Good luck, challenger!”

The large iron gate was raised. An enlarged limb reached into the light, several long claws dug into the ground and suddenly, its elongated body shot into the ring.

It towered over Kihet. Its pincers snapped repeatedly as if it was trying to convey to its prey he will end up in its stomach. It’s bulging eyes darted back and forth, looking around to find where its target was.

The crowd exploded in excitement as the monster entered the ring.

“And it’s a Sand Wyrm! It’s sturdy shell and pincer are known to be impervious to attacks. How unfortunate for our challenger to be pitted against it!”

It was a large lobster. Nothing about it resembled a Wyrm, but its ten legs carried its grainy carapace with frightening speed. It had four pincers; one crusher, one snipper and the last two were small and always tucked in until it was feeding.

The Sand Wyrm charged head on. Kihet dodged.

Its movement was as fluid as a slithering serpent, capable of making sharp turns in an instant. Anyone its body its deadly pincers caught were fated to be crushed or severed into two.

Kihet quickly rolled away and saw an opportunity to impale its finned tail. However, it fanned a powerful gust of wind at those aiming to attack its rear. A plume of dust swept Kihet and sent him sprawling backwards.

“Crk, crk, crk!”

Its feeding arms began shoving sand through its mandibles at an incredible rate. It hunkered down in a defensive position as it gorged itself.

Its body shuddered before spitting sticky fluid at Kihet. A film of its vomit casted over a wide area like a net.

Kihet took his stance. He drew a sword, enchanting it with [Kerse Armament: Repulsion], a spell. [Repulsion] repelled the sticky substance from sticking onto the blade, allowing him to tear an opening through the monster’s spray with [Tree Feller].

He was about to lunge at the Sand Wyrm, but his pegged foot suddenly detached. Before he tripped, he managed to sturdy himself with the help of his blade.

“That’s a surprise.” Kihet looked around.

Under the desert sun, the creature’s sticky vomit quickly congealed. It bonded with sand it ingested, making each thread much harder to cut away after it thickened.

The Sand Wyrm dashed at Kihet. It took a swipe with its crusher, at him.

Kihet drew a circle, tracing the image of a full moon while calling for the Oracle’s Blessing. He quickly deflected the lobster’s crusher with [Full Moon: High Tide]. A surge of power from the Oracle’s seal on his arms flowed through his entire body and when he hit the pincer, he angled it upwards.

He quickly swapped to his firelance and aimed downwards. The moment he nimbly struck a flame and stuffed it into the venting hole, a plume of black smoke engulfed the area around him. Under the cover of thick smog, one heard a devastating crack. The giant lobster recoiled out of the smokescreen with a large breach on the side of its carapace.

A thunderous cheer rose. No one had expected the creature’s sturdy shell to have been cracked. It was a difficult feat known among sailors as the most favorable way of hunting these Sand Wyrms was using powerful equipment mounted on their hunting vessels.

“Somehow our challenger managed to punch a hole past the Sand Wyrm’s defenses! Incredible!”

A lance of smoke pursued the creature and enveloped it once more. Several more air quaking shockwaves reverberated throughout the Colosseum. When the lobster emerged, the audience saw more of its shell damaged.

An eye was popped. A crack spread like a web over its back and a sword pierced through the joints of its arm unable to close its crusher claw.

The lobster violently thrashed around. It spun in circles, using its tail to fan away the smokescreen hiding Kihet.

Kihet precisely aimed and harpooned the monster using his [Chain], leaping after it. He saw the crusher swung towards him and reached for his sword anchored in it. In one fluid motion Kihet pried the blade along its cutting edge, severing the Sand Wyrm’s arm.

“Oh man! And there goes the Sand Wyrm’s arm! Our challenger is relentless!”

Kihet managed to keep the cheering continue. It certainly triumphed the experience he usually felt when his village used to boo him wherever he went. Though it felt exhilarating wanting to earn more praise, he managed to collect himself before he was tempted to make a mistake.

Kihet immediately mimicked a different stance not from the Lunar Blade Form and dove in. He imagined how Irvan held his weapon, copied how to transfer his momentum into his final blow.

Using knowledge of [Tree Feller], he gathered his entire weight from flinging himself towards his opponent and slashed downwards, tracing the perfect middle to split a mountain. While his slash cleanly sliced through the Sand Wyrm, the ground below it also opened a mini fissure.

It was [Mountain Cleaver]. Kihet can imagine Irvan seething if he saw him successfully copied it in his own way.

The lobster’s two halves equally split. It collapsed like a marionette whose string were cut and laid there lifelessly with all its innards spilling out.

The cheers exploded even further.

“Incredible! What was that swordplay?! Sand Wyrms are known for their nigh impenetrable shell! No spear shall pierce it, no blade shall cut it, but who is this challenger to cut it all the way through with a sword?!”

Kihet ignored the praises and examined the creature’s carcass, hoping he did not damage an organ he searched for. Once he located the sac which created the sticky fluid, he quickly extracted it into an airtight flask before the announcer ran up to him to him.

“Congratulations, Challenger! You put on a spectacular show and seem to have won yourself some adoring fans. Have you got something to say to them?”

Kihet shot the announcer a frown after having a magic relic, which amplifies one’s voice, shoved into his face. He was about shove the instrument away until he saw a particular figure standing in one of the more fancier terraces.

Although the person was short, Kihet recognized the figure’s fashioned spiked hair.

“I do have one thing to say.” Kihet snatched the relic. He pulled back his hood and defiantly jabbed his finger towards the champion of the Colosseum. “Seems like you made yourself comfortable after all these years. How about you come down here and we can talk.”

In the eyes of the audience, it seemed like a taunt directed at the reigning champion. However, it carried a different meaning behind the two finally able to meet.

The reigning champion leaped down from his luxurious throne and answered Kihet’s challenge. As the champion of the Colosseum and Kihet closed the distance to each other, murmurs began to spread among the crowd.

“Oh! Look at this rare occasion! Has the reigning champion taken the call from the challenger?”

“Fight, fight, fight!”

A chant erupted, watching the duelists meet in the middle of the stage.

The Champion outfitted himself in full chitin armor of trophies he hunted out in the desert. A bronze framed goggle held back his wild hair, a blazing red scarf violently fluttering in the passing wind.

He drew one of the many throwing knives from his belt and expertly twirled it in his fingers. “Yo, Kihet. Long time no see. Man, you look terrible.”

“Vol.”

“What? Aren’t you happy? I’m the champion of this Colosseum. I have a pretty high title here too. I got everything here under control. Sooner or later, the eight of us can go back home and relax once everything’s settled down. This mission the Creator gave us is a breeze. Smooth sailing.”

Kihet remained silent, keeping his small pupils trained on him.

“Hey man, chill out. Why the nasty glare?” Vol reached out and patted Kihet’s shoulder. “What about your end? By the way, what happened to you? How’d you lose a foot and an eye?”

Vol suddenly found himself suffocating under Kihet’s piercing cold glare. He instinctively jumped away.

“What the hell, dude? I’m trying to be nice.”

“Do you know what happened in Stusis? Anything at all?”

“I don’t get what you’re saying. Wait, did you come from Stusis? Is Draigh with you?”

“Seems like people here are withholding information from you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Draigh’s dead.”

“What…? He’s- no. How?!”

“So are Lemi, Hannah, the Elder and the rest of the village. Your parent’s farm. Gone.”

“You’re pulling my leg, aren’t you?” Vol snarled.

His hands reached for his daggers and before he could get into his stance, Kihet’s [Chain] swooped in and knocked his weapons out of his grip.

“What did you-, that’s magic!”

“Vol, I’m very disappointed in you. I made a promise to Draigh I’m going to knock some sense into you.”

“Ha! I see your tricks. You’re trying to bait me like you did with Irvan.” He smirked. “I don’t know how many days since you landed, but I do know how you fight. You could’ve snuck in here, planted a few traps.”

“I don’t know what you’re saying.”

“There’s no use trying to play dumb. Also, you can’t just challenge me, the champion of the Colosseum without proving yourself.” Vol snapped his fingers at the Announcer. “Call out Ryker.”