CHAPTER 6: Carnage [1]
After the prisoner spoke, everyone seemed slightly shocked. To be honest, I couldn't blame them. Who in their right mind would want to take part in such a brutal battle? The atmosphere in the room became much denser than normal, a heavy tension filling the air. Before we fully realized what was happening, we were greeted by a much larger group of guards than average. This time, they took every one of us. With such a crowd, it was hard to count exactly how many of us there were. I estimated around fifty. Following the guards, we underwent the standard process. First, we lined up single file and headed to the armory. After selecting our equipment, we moved towards the arena. Despite the dire circumstances, the sight always took my breath away – a vast stadium filled with people whose shouts caused something akin to an earthquake. The warmth on my skin, caused by the sunlight slightly penetrating the walls of the coliseum.
This time, I felt different than normal. I didn't feel fear – rather, I felt a slight excitement about what was about to happen. Time seemed to slow down, perhaps due to adrenaline, or maybe it was just the last feeling before death, but I didn't intend to dwell on it now. I focused on the cold metal of the dagger I was holding in my hand. Because of the overwhelming feeling, it took me a few minutes to notice that there were more of us in the arena. A group three times larger than ours had gathered. Orcs, Pandas, Minotaurs... all possible races. This is really going to be a massacre, I thought. "Gou, let's stick close to each other, we don't know what might happen," I said in a firm voice. Although I tried to exclude such a scenario from my mind, I realized that there might come a time when we would have to fight against each other. I hoped that wouldn't happen soon...
"You know what, Rock, I think you're reading my mind." I guessed he also anticipated such a scenario.
From the stands, we heard a deep male voice. It was definitely louder than all the others, a human throat wouldn't be able to shout with such intensity. It might have been amplified by some magical device similar to a loudspeaker, but I wasn't sure.
"Welcome everyone. As you know, every month a special event takes place in the coliseum, but today is especially amazing. On the occasion of our victory on the front lines, we have prepared something truly exciting for you!!"
His words didn't match the information I had received a few moments ago. Victory on the front lines? The kingdom is probably spreading false information among the citizens to maintain morale. Or maybe they actually won, and the earlier information was false? I probably wouldn't know the truth at this moment. And really, why was I bothering with this now?
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"Do you see all the monsters gathered here? Especially for you – a fight to the last living soul. The rules are simple; the last monster standing wins."
Of course, not all of us understood the announcement, as not all monsters know the human language. Only those with more experience with humans understood certain words: fight, last, win. For some, these words were enough to take the initiative, including Gou.
"For now, let's stick together; we'll deal with what's between us later," I heard from Gou's lips. Without hesitation, I ran over to him, positioning myself with my back to his. This position seemed the most reasonable, allowing us to see attacks from every side.
The arena erupted. Minutes hadn't passed before the first screams of pain and despair from the dying could be heard. The spectators were more excited than ever. The first to rush at us were three goblins – I didn't need to guess their intentions. "I've got your back," I said to Gou just before the impending assault. With a single, decisive thrust of his spear, he severed the head of one goblin. Following him, I blocked the blow of the second goblin with my shield, simultaneously stabbing it in the stomach with my dagger. Damn, too shallow, I thought as I quickly withdrew the weapon and struck again, this time aiming for the neck.
[You have killed a goblin] [You gained 10 experience points]
Screw it, I don't have time for this, I thought. Before the message could disappear, Gou had already felled the third goblin, driving his spear into its heart.
"Rock, behind you!!!" Just as the warning reached my ears, I felt the cold metal slice through my arm. Without a moment to react, I instinctively leaped back towards Gou. In mid-air, I caught a glimpse of my arm and shield lying on the ground. M-m-my arm. AAaAAAaAAaAaaaaaa!!!! The pain finally reached my brain, and the fear of death paralyzed my movements.
[You have taken damage: -15 HP]
[You have lost an arm]
[Permanent stat decrease: Dexterity -2, Strength -1]
"Please help me," was all I could manage to say in that situation. My initial confidence had completely vanished, leaving only the feeling of death approaching me with ever-larger steps. Gou, with fury on his face, began charging towards the minotaur who had just attacked me. It was the same minotaur with whom we had fought side by side to defeat the cyclops. Truly, this world is cruel, I thought. The clash of their weapons sent chills down my spine. The fight looked very even, but as it went on, Gou's strength and agility slowly began to surpass his opponent's. In a normal situation, I would have bled out long ago, but thanks to the goblin's body, the wound seemed to be regenerating slightly. While watching the fight, I kept an eye out for any other opponents heading our way, although in my current state, I didn't think I could do much. The number of fighters on the arena was dwindling at an immeasurable pace, with dozens of bodies lying on the ground. When will this end? As I finished my thought, I heard the thud of a body hitting the ground.
Gou raised his spear in a gesture of victory.