There stood the dark silhouette of the Abomination.
Neptune instantly got up from the ground and dashed away.
"That bastard…"
But it paid Neptune no attention. Instead, it stared at Astariel. The Abomination stepped into the cell, towering over both of them, sending shivers down Neptune's spine. He looked at Astariel, who stepped forward, staring up at the giant's mask.
Then it raised its arm, and the chain shot toward her, wrapping around her neck—just like it had with Neptune. In that moment, the chain began to glow faintly, allowing Neptune to see her clearly.
She had pale, smooth white skin and long, flowing black hair. Her eyes glowed crimson red, and she wore raven-black armor that covered her body.
What should he do? Attack it?
He gritted his teeth.
No, he stood no chance against it. It was far too strong.
Astariel didn't resist. She allowed herself to be dragged outside, and the door slammed shut.
So it was her turn now.
Neptune sat down on the cold floor and leaned against the iron bars. He was exhausted, hungry, and thirsty. He didn't even know how long it had been since he last ate. But he had to keep his head cool—if he didn't, he would go mad.
He hoped Astariel would survive, because she was his only source of information. He had already taken a look at her Soul Vessel.
She had two Soul Vessels—one more than him. Her Soul Vessel looked different from any he had seen before: pitch black, pulsing faintly with red light.
With a sigh, he closed his eyes and looked inward at his own Soul Vessel.
It was still slightly cracked, but slowly healing. Beneath his Soul Vessel, he saw the familiar glowing letters:
Name: Neptune
Soul Vessel: Awakening
Soul Fragments: (23 / 500)
"Twenty-three already, huh?"
He still had a long way to go. So far, he had killed two Corrupted Creatures and one Demon, earning him twenty-three Soul Fragments.
The Colosseum would eventually give him more—but he had to survive. As long as they sent opponents in his range, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. He was even fairly sure he could handle Demons.
However, not without a price.
Neptune knew he had to take care of his wounds, or they would slow him down and eventually kill him.
And there was food. He needed food and water, or starvation would kill him even faster. In fact, hunger was a deadlier enemy than anything else right now.
If not… he'd have to feed on the corpses of the Corrupted Creatures.
The mere thought made Neptune gag.
He turned his attention to the shimmering words under his blade's name:
Main Soul Weapon: Crownbreaker
Rank: Dormant
Description: The sword grows stronger the more powerful or oppressive the foe—an immortal weapon of resistance.
No change.
He then looked at the left side of his Soul Vessel:
Charm: Predatory InstinctsRank: CommonDescription: You are able to sense enemies from a greater distance.
His only charm. Pretty useless right now, if he was being honest. He had killed two more Creatures since then, but neither dropped a new Charm.
"Luck really isn't on my side…" Neptune sighed and shook his head.
Then he leaned back against the iron bars and closed his eyes again. He needed rest.
***
Neptune was woken by the loud noise of the metal door creaking open.
He looked up just in time to see Astariel being thrown back into the cell. The Abomination's gaze lingered on her for a moment before slamming the door shut again.
"Astariel? Are you alright?"
As Neptune stood up and approached her, a familiar scent hit him.
Blood.
Neptune's eyes widened as she slowly rose from the ground. Blood dripped from her raven-black armor. Their eyes met.
"Don't worry—it's not my blood," she said calmly. Then, to his shock, she licked her lips and the blood off her hands.
"She's insane…" Neptune thought, eyes wide. "Did you get wounded?"
"No. Only a few shallow cuts, nothing serious. It was just a Demon," Astariel replied, dismissing her armor back into her Soul Vessel.
"You also have two Soul Vessels, right?" Neptune asked curiously.
She nodded.
"So you only fight creatures with the same number of Soul Vessels?"
"No. Right now it's the first phase," she explained. "The weaker fighters get eliminated, while the stronger ones move on. Someone like you will most likely fight enemies with higher Soul Vessels—those who already defeated their first opponents."
Neptune paled.
"From what I've heard," Astariel continued, "there are four phases in the Colosseum of Madness. The first is where the weak are killed, and the strong move on. The second phase is a free-for-all—multiple fighters enter the arena, and only the last one alive wins."
This wasn't good. Not at all.
Neptune had hoped he could fight more opponents at his own level, collect more Charms and Soul Fragments, strengthen his arsenal—and then face stronger ones. But it seemed that was no longer an option.
"I'm not sure," Astariel said, touching her chin. "But I think the third phase is two versus two—meaning you fight alongside the person in your cell. As for the fourth… no one knows."
She smirked slightly. "So do me a favor and stay alive."
She summoned her armor again and strapped it on.
Neptune was about to reply when the metal door opened again—cutting him off.
The Abomination stood there once more. This time, it tossed a piece of bread and a bottle of water toward him, then left, slamming the door behind it.
"Thank you, bastard," Neptune muttered.
Without hesitation, he grabbed the bread and ate eagerly. He couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten anything.
At least now his food problem was temporarily solved.
When he finished, he looked at Astariel.
"Don't you want something too?"
She shook her head. "Vampires don't need food—as long as we drink blood."
Neptune scratched the back of his head, slightly disgusted.
"Well… if you say so."
After talking for a while, both decided to get some sleep.
But then he was woken up by a pain in his neck.