There weren't any beer nuts or sunflower seeds, but the black market's specialty of freshly squeezed human blood juice and popcorn was the hottest snack, and today nearly everyone who could come had turned up to watch. It'd been ages since there'd been such a huge, thrilling live event.
Picking the one and only S-tier mercenary team out of several squads drew plenty of C and B teams who wanted to observe, so the whole arena was packed shoulder to shoulder. Of course, everyone'd come prepared this time, wearing shields and bulletproof vests to guard against a repeat of the last incident.
At the start everyone still had to strip off weapons and gear, then they were shoved into a new "map" that took up most of the arena. This one had more cover, promising more intense gunfights, and there were even grenades and other explosives.
When the match officially began, Jing Shu and her group were placed at the map's edge. Jing Shu had already checked with a bug, and there wasn't even a vest to be found, let alone guns, so there was no question the organizers had done this on purpose. Jing Shu and the others had to start scavenging parts and armor.
"To make this experience extra intense, we've added real traps, there'll be blasts, quicksand and more. This isn't just a killing contest, it's a survival game," the host was saying, when the ground itself started to shudder. Cracks spidered across the arena floor, and outside the sky rumbled like thunder, the noise so huge it registered even underground.
"Oh, check out how real that effect is, and what an intense setup, they're trying to make the mercs inside panic and feel pressure. It's only a minute into the match and these people are too steady, we gotta spice things up!"
Before the host could finish, the shaking got worse, and the arena itself began to tremble. Screams started to cut through the air.
"Hey, stay calm, gentlemen, this damned quake's back, but don't panic. We get a few of these every day. This one seems a bit strong, but it's only around a four or five, not enough to have to run, give it a few minutes. Now let's turn our attention back to the field. These A-tier mercs haven't been affected at all."
The words hadn't even left his mouth before the cracks widened and exploded open. The very center of the arena collapsed in an instant, swallowing several heavily armed mercenaries whole, leaving no trace. Jing Shu and her group, who'd been at the edge, got lucky and kept a few breaths.
"Holy shit, pull out!" Jing Shu shouted. She'd heard the rumbling and knew trouble was coming, so she'd warned the others to get ready. She never expected the earthquake epicenter would be right under the black market arena.
The collapse spread like a cancer, and what had been a spectacle turned into a real disaster. The crowd thought it was part of the show at first, but this was the real thing.
"My god, match terminated, everyone evacuate, this is a real earthquake!" the host screamed in a panic, then bolted. In disasters, your own life comes first.
"Help, help!"
"Jesus, don't push me!"
"You just trampled my dad to death, move, move!"
"Oh my god, run, the arena's center has been swallowed, it's terrifying!"
The packed arena descended into chaos. As the quake worsened, people frantically tried to get out, and a stampede was unavoidable. The exits jammed, and nobody could get through.
The merc teams were hit the worst. More than half the people were swallowed without mercy. The few survivors were so panic-stricken they tried to flee, but all three exits were blocked, people pressed so tightly together no one could move.
Jing Shu quickly pulled on her heavy padded coat and bulletproof vest, slung her inseparable luggage onto her back, and prepared to move. The arena had caved inward and the collapse was spreading outward toward the spectator rings, so the crowd of onlookers would be swallowed soon enough.
She'd planned to toss a rope up to the nobles' area on the upper floors, but the nobles had already sealed their section with bulletproof glass, cutting off any passage and sealing the arena's escape routes.
The scene was the worst kind of chaos, gunshots, screams, high-pitched wails, and the thunderous roar of the quake all mixed together.
Some mercenaries, trying to force a quick exit, opened fire on the crowd blocking the way. That only made things worse, turning the fallen into obstacles underfoot.
Snake Spirit flicked its tongue and snatched the host, who hadn't escaped, out of the crush. "This guy tried another exit, I pulled him back. Xiao Hei, tell him to get us out safely," it said.
Xiao Hei grabbed the host and translated in a vicious tone, clearly shaken.
The host nearly cried, "God, there really is no other way, except the nobles' trash chute. We can climb up it to the surface, but it's risky, it might be collapsed. If you're going, move now."
So the group followed the host, quiet and wary, toward the arena's trash chute. The nobles dumped their garbage down that chute from the upper tier; it was sorted and sometimes turned into food or sold cheap to the slums.
Everyone but Jing Shu only carried valuables and key supplies, they'd left bedding and extra clothes in the market. Jing Shu, who never left without all her gear, had everything on her each day.
"My food's all in the house, I can't get it out, damn it!" Monkey cursed, panic sharpening his voice.
"Good thing I'm strong, I always carry my luggage," Tank said, his tone shaking with relief.
"We'll be left with nothing, no shelter, no food," Ling Ling said sadly as she climbed the trash chute.
Jing Shu tied a long string to her bags and hauled them up in a row. If it weren't for her strength she couldn't have pulled that few hundred kilos of gear. To make things worse, Xiao Dou was perched on the luggage, casually incubating eggs, totally oblivious to the danger.
The chute was slick with oil, full of bugs, and stank of rot, but they had to climb fast. Even down there they could hear the screams and chaos from the arena, and the channel shuddered violently now and then, threatening collapse at any second.
Luckily, they escaped before the underground black market completely caved in.
They hadn't even had time to breathe when dozens of black barrels of guns were shoved into their faces. People ringed them, waiting at the top like predators.
"Looks like some A-tier mercs finally made it out, if they're useless we can use them to fight our matches," someone said.