Simon awoke from his sleep, walked to the dining area, grabbed a fresh piece of bug meat, devoured it, then returned to the resting area.
He found a dirty, tattered cloth, dipped it in water, and wiped his Nail.
This didn't serve any maintenance purpose, but Simon meticulously cleaned his Nail until all the sticky bug blood was completely removed.
Then he folded the rag neatly and placed it back in the corner where he had found it.
Simon walked to the preparation area and voluntarily entered a cage.
He didn't say a word, like a piece of wood, having lost the will to resist the trials of the outside world.
Simon ascended to the surface and silently participated in the slaughter.
After a long while, it ended, and he returned to the resting area, soaked in the hot spring, slept, and ate.
He regarded himself as an empty iron kettle, black, with a smooth surface and a pitch-black opening; mentally, he was in a state of emptiness.
Behaviorally, he was like a mirror; the blades, spears, and halberds that came at him, he returned in kind, but he no longer killed a single Fool.
The third battle soon began.
This time he joined early, catching the beast-fighting segment.
On the ground, many Spiked Baldurs rolled back and forth.
These reddish-brown crawlers with thick spines, like their dark blue cousins, could curl into a ball and roll, but in comparison, they truly posed a threat rather than just rolling to escape quickly.
Adult Baldurs grew very large, with indestructible carapaces, and could injure others by spitting scorching liquid.
However, no bug had ever seen a mature Spiked Baldur; perhaps their development was artificially prevented.
The Fools' attention was primarily focused on fighting each other; they only needed to guard against these Spiked Baldurs tripping them, beyond that, there wouldn't be too much trouble.
The truly intimidating threats were the Primal Aspids flying in the air.
These terrifying creatures, naturally adorned with four-holed chitinous white masks, two pairs of wings on their backs, and abdomens filled with scorching venom, were once thought to be extinct but had appeared in Kingdom's Edge.
They flew with agility and speed, spewing large amounts of venom in an unpredictable manner, making them extremely difficult to kill.
Among the less intelligent, lower-tier bugs, Primal Aspids stood at the top of the food chain.
The winged Fools were responsible for clearing out the Primal Aspids, but many casualties occurred.
Simon roamed the arena like an outsider; he was still passively defending, as no opponent he deemed worthy had appeared yet.
At some point, both the Spiked Baldurs and Primal Aspids were all killed.
Just as the battle was about to get into full swing, a phantom appeared in the open space of the arena, instantly solidifying to reveal seven tall blue bugs.
Their eyes were orange-red, and on their foreheads was a bright white mirror-like marking; perhaps it wasn't a marking, but something else entirely.
These were Soul Warriors, from the Soul Sanctum; they were well-versed in knowledge, skilled in Nail techniques, could teleport, and could increase their combat power by absorbing Soul Energy.
The appearance of the Soul Warriors was like a stone dropping into a pond, the scene erupted, the audience shouted the Soul Warriors' names hoarsely, and the Fools, as if by prior agreement, abandoned their current opponents and converged on the Soul Warriors.
These guys were very unpopular; they were keen on killing powerful opponents, absorbing their souls, and claiming the opponent's strength for themselves.
Doing so would lead to severe consequences; at best, a confused mind, at worst, a body twisted by chaotic Soul Energy.
Moreover, as soon as they appeared, they would be besieged.
These Soul Warriors dispersed, each engaging a battle group.
Upon seeing these warriors, Simon instantly came alive, his entire being invigorated, and he strode directly towards the tallest Soul Warrior.
His action was naturally understood as a one-on-one challenge.
The other Fools, and even the remaining Soul Warriors, temporarily held their ground, stepping back a few paces to allow ample fighting space.
For a moment, the entire Colosseum of Fools' focus was on them, and the audience held their breath.
Simon said nothing, and the Soul Warrior was also taciturn; perhaps his confused mind no longer allowed him to articulate his thoughts coherently?
But faint whispers seemed to emanate from around him; was that the voice of souls?
The battle suddenly erupted.
The Soul Warrior wielded his slender, needle-like Nail with extreme speed; Simon could only judge the sword's path by his experience.
The two exchanged blows for only a few seconds, but the sound of Nails clashing was as dense as raindrops.
At some point, the Soul Warrior stepped back, waved his left hand, and launched an orange-yellow orb of light; this was an attack formed by concentrated Soul Energy!
Simon didn't want to get hit, but the orb tracked him.
Simon jumped, then dropped, rolled, and the orb hit the ground, shattering silently.
Before Simon could steady himself, the Soul Warrior teleported behind him, launching a fatal strike.
"Clang!"
The shield blocked it!
Simon, holding his Nail in his right hand, swept it back, forcing his opponent away, and calmly turned around.
This Soul Warrior, his ability to use Soul Energy to attack, truly made him an exceptionally formidable opponent.
One tactic failed, but the Soul Warrior had another deadly move; the faint whispers around him grew louder, and several small vortices suddenly appeared on the ground and in the air.
A group of slug-like, spherical, putrid-colored creatures emerged from them.
Among them, those crawling on the ground were called "Errors," and those flying in the air were called "Follies."
These were bugs distorted by the misuse of souls.
Looking at their orange-red eyes and the bright white swellings on their heads, perhaps they were once Soul Warriors themselves, now reduced to such a tragic state.
The Errors and Follies charged at Simon, making one wonder: do such pathetic forms also possess will?
If not, from where did such powerful hatred come?
Simon knew he had to quickly deal with these annoying creatures, or he might be successfully ambushed by the Soul Warrior.
His Nail cut into the Errors and Follies like pricking a balloon—effortlessly, yet not as easy as blowing a breath.
Simon's vision was obstructed, and the Soul Warrior had already vanished from his original spot.
Sensing a faint whooshing sound from his right, Simon dared not be slow and blocked with his vertically held sword.
"Clang!"
An orb of light attacked from behind.
Simon lunged forward; mid-air, a Folly quietly approached, and the Soul Warrior appeared at Simon's landing spot, raising his long, needle-like Nail straight up, in a casual posture, like a fisherman waiting for a fish to bite.
A finishing blow!
If it were any other Fool, escape would have been impossible at this moment.
But Simon was, after all, Simon, a Nail master whose swordsmanship had reached its peak!
He flung his left-hand shield, sending the Folly flying, then extended his right hand, gently resting his Nail on his opponent's Nail, like stacking one building block on another, then pressed down!
And rotated!
Nail met Nail perfectly, sparking as they frictioned, like a flower of the night, blooming brilliantly in a situation unseen by the world!
"Clang!" Simon's Nail swept upwards, successfully knocking his opponent's Nail aside; both were wide open, and just before Simon landed, he reached behind with his left hand and drew out his largest Nail.
Silver light descended!
A downward cleave!
This was an unstoppable downward cleave!
The blunt blade cut into the opponent's skull along the carapace joint at the central axis of his head, slicing into the brain, shattering the bright spot on his forehead.
Simon landed, standing.
The Soul Warrior fell, dead instantly.
Cheers erupted!
--------------------------------------
🚀 Want to read the latest chapters before anyone else?
✨ Come join me on Patreon!
👉 pat*eon*com/Greyhounds
There, you'll get advanced chapters and some exclusive content just for supporters. If you're enjoying this journey, Patreon is the place to go even further with me! 💖