Chapter 19: The Arena of Death and Life (Part 2)
Arthur:
After hearing Ravos's words, I followed them toward the arena.
"We have arrived at our destination," he smiled.
"Enter quickly, don't waste their time," Claude said to me.
"Yes… yes… don't worry. Are you that eager for my death?" I sneered.
"Stop the chatter, let's go in, to the arena," Selene said as she followed.
In the corridor that led to the square, there was a room.
"Here, from this room, young man, you can choose any weapons or armor you want, to entertain us a little."
"Alright, I will choose." I entered to find many weapons, from swords to whips and heavy armor… etc.
I chose a short sword and a light shield and refrained from wearing any type of armor under the assumption that it would weigh me down. My already lacking agility would only become worse. I must find a solution to this. Everyone I face is fast, especially Carlos. Not to mention Scott, the vice of the Smoke Nightmare Gang. His ability specializes in speed in particular. I must take advantage of my ability and obtain a skill that increases agility. My muscles give me a burst of strength, but it's not enough.
"That's it?" Ravos, armored from head to toe, was surprised. "I advise you to wear full armor to cover that scrawny body of yours."
"Pfft, why are you advising him? Let him do what he wants. I want him to die quickly so I can return to my precious research." Said the one in a black robe with a touch of mockery at me.
"No," Claude said with sweat that hadn't rolled down his forehead since they left the mine. "He has a certain healing ability. He looks weak to you, but in reality, he's a cockroach that won't die. I really hate to admit it."
"Really? Well then, it will be a rather brutal confrontation like this. No matter, enough talking, the other members are waiting. Good luck, we'll be watching you from the stands." Ravos frowned.
They made me move forward until I crossed the corridor and entered a large yellow sandy arena surrounded by many stands and heads watching.
---
Stands:
"Are you kidding me? Don't tell me that this weakling is the one facing it???" one spectator.
"This won't be entertaining at all," another spectator.
"What do you think, Vice Right Dran? Did he really defeat Claude so miserably? He almost wet his pants. Even though his rank is 44, in truth he is classified between 20 to 15 because of his ability. But fools are always like that."
"Yes, Kid, it seems we will be watching a very long battle," spoke the vice's right hand, with long blond hair tied into a ponytail, a handsome face, and blue eyes. He wore a shining heavenly armor that made his presence visible from afar.
"No matter, just enjoy."
"Yes, Vice Right Dran," Kid nodded.
"Since we are gathered here, I want to say something that worries me," said a young woman with long black hair like a black hole. She wore a purple robe and held a long staff with a strange gem at the top. "I sense a strange movement within the forest around us, as if we are being watched by something of tremendous power."
"Hahaha, you're always like this, Number 6. What could be dangerous? I see that we are more dangerous to each other. So don't say weird things," Kid said.
"Ehh… Number 5, you're always like this, and don't call me by my rank. I have a name. Don't worry, I'll take your number soon, don't worry," Dark was disappointed.
"Alright, my sweet Dark, let's pay attention to this one-sided battle. The beast has entered, the Bull-Horned Boar," said someone who sat a little apart from them.
"My sweet? You? Don't make me laugh, Number 10. Know your limits."
---
Arthur:
Get ready, John. This is your first real fight to the death. Take a deep breath and prepare.
A huge boar entered, reaching a height of one and a half floors and as wide as a truck. The boar had long horns protruding from its forehead.
It looked at me with those red eyes as if it bore a deep grudge against me. Without a thought, it charged like an enraged bull that saw red.
"Ehh… fast, I can't dodge it!" I raised my shield and sword to cover myself just seconds before the boar arrived. It crashed into me like a train.
Because of the immense strength and muscular mass of the boar, my shield was destroyed, and I was sent flying into the wall at incredible speed.
I spat blood and merged with the wall. Ughhh, that was a really strong hit. Even though I resisted the pain, I truly felt it.
---
Stands:
"That's it? Did he die? Where's the fun in this fight?! Where's Number 44 (Claude)? Bring him in instead," said Kid.
"Yes… yes… yes," almost all the audience agreed with the idea.
"Wait, it's not over," said Vice Right Dran, clasping his hands.
"Hmmm… yes, I see great power from the young man now… he is healing," Dark said, agreeing with his words.
"Look, he is coming out of the wall, still determined to face the boar. I like his guts, he could've just stayed down," Ravos said.
"Here comes the boar, charging with full force. Will he die this time?" commented one of the spectators.
---
Arthur:
When I saw the boar charging at me again, this time I must dodge. It's not good to take too many hits or I'll quickly reach my limit.
This time I started running along the edges of the arena to avoid the boar and then moved toward the center.
---
Stands:
"Is he stupid? Does he think he's faster than the boar? In his dreams," when Selene said this, everyone on her side agreed. The boar's speed was well-known.
The result was that Arthur took a blow to his back by the boar's right horn, sending him flying into the air up to four stories high.
The audience could all see the blood spraying from Arthur's back in the air and the terrifying gash across it.
He then fell onto his hands and knees, breaking his bones in the process.
"Ughh… this time it won't be easy for him," Ravos covered his face with his hand.
"He deserves it. Who told him to mess with me?" Claude smiled with pride on his face.
"Is it over this time, my sweet?" Chris, the one with black hair, asked Dark.
Her eyes shone white as she checked Arthur's life force. "No, it's not over. On the contrary, I see him getting stronger. Number 10, damn you, this is your last warning." She was surprised by this.
"And there's something else, did you notice, Vice Right Dran?"
"Yes, I saw it. The blood that was coming out actually stopped and began to return into his body in the air."
"Yes," she agreed with him.
"What is this? A miraculous healing ability?" Kid was astonished.
"I don't know, I don't understand it. It's as if he isn't even using an ability. The mana around his body doesn't belong to anything related to healing. It's as if he's using two abilities," this time the shock came to everyone sitting in front of Number 6, unable to believe what she was saying. Even Number 2 was shocked.
"Are you sure of what you're saying?" Number 2 asked Number 6.
"Yes, his mana rhythm is unique. Two types that differ depending on the injury. The first skill, I don't know its purpose, but the second skill is definitely resistance to bleeding, and its rank is higher than C," Dark (Number 6) said.
"That's why Claude feared him—he is a natural counter to him. No matter, even the possibility of him possessing two abilities alone is a shock and something extremely rare," said Vice Right Dran.