His words were carried by the silence of the entire Colosseum, reaching the ears of the challengers in the arena, passing through the audience of the rich and wealthy, and reaching up to the Sea Deity itself, stunning all that heard them.
Even Drake, who was a Marked just like Steven, despite not knowing the full consequences of challenging the Champion of the horrid Colosseum, knew of the brutality it carried from the little whispers he had heard in the hellish prison. This had him rubbing at his temples as a deep feeling of dread washed over him.
"Oh dear God. What have I gotten myself into," Drake swallowed hard, his eyes instinctively trailing upwards to the compartment where the Sea Deity and the elders of the Fated Colosseum sat.
At first, they stayed silent, letting the moment of shock wash over the Whole arena making the prisoners all uneasy. And when it died down a little, a thunderous, hoarse laughter echoed throughout the entire Colosseum, so loud it could have easily surpassed the full brunt of cheers the Colosseum had ever known.
And the source of the laughter was the obese Sea God, who swayed on the throbbing wooden chair that struggled to carry its weight properly.
Steven watched this monstrous, irritating figure laugh continuously, again and again, forcing the series of its laughter into his ears like a form of painful torture.
Soon enough, it stopped, and Ark'shaRin wiped away tears from its dark, beady eyes, its gaze settling on Steven as if he were a disgusting 'rat' it had wished to have snuffed out years ago. When Steven studied Ark'shaRin's countenance, he found nothing but disdain and deep hatred in the way it stared at the body he was in.
For some reason he did not know—and probably for a reason hidden to Rat as well—this Sea Deity hated him.
"Very well," Ark'shaRin pronounced, its voice sounding like a gurgle, muffled yet loud enough to be easily heard throughout the Colosseum. Its resentful eyes finally left Steven and settled on the others, the clear tension on their faces easily read.
"Is there any other person that wishes to join the challenger?"
The question hung in the air without a single person daring to answer it.
Many of the prisoners there were scared, others far more terrified, unable to fathom what the King Beast would even look like. Just battling regular Shadow Eaters was already a terror to them, let alone something far more demonic. A monster so outrageous that every challenger who had seen it only came back to tell the tales—if they came back at all.
No, they stood no chance. So why should they even participate? Why should they risk their lives for the silly challenge a skinny brat had pulled out of nowhere?
From the looks of it, Steven was highly malnourished compared to them. He was already dead to begin with. So why the hell should they even risk their lives for him?
Drake, in turn, stayed unreadable, his blank expression remaining completely unwavering at the choice before him. He only kept his eyes on Steven, who did not pay him any attention. Then, after a few seconds of contemplation, he raised his hand high without hesitation.
At this, Steven's lips curled up slightly. 'Compared to me, this bastard is even braver—no hesitation to follow a mad man down his path.' Steven was amused.
After this, none of the others raised a hand after Drake.
Seeing this, Ark'shaRin opened its mouth slightly, a green, thin tongue stretching out to lick its lips in excitement.
"In that case, both of you, come receive the blessing of your god."
As it spoke, a part of the Colosseum walls began to open, creating a path leading to who knew where, for Steven and Drake to follow.
The two hesitated for a moment, the same thoughts springing into their minds.
What if this was a trap to get rid of them?
But Steven, after hearing a familiar chime from his system, became reassured and began to move forward toward the opening.
Drake stared at him for a moment before following Steven, the same resolve burning in his eyes.
Steven was unsure whether Drake trusted him enough to be this confident in following him, or if he had simply grown desperate enough to accept whatever plan was thrown his way. However, Steven felt quite appealed by it.
Taking another look at the system, he read the notification that had popped up before him once again.
{Blessing of the Sea God: A blessing instilled by Ark'shaRin himself for any who challenge his Champion. The blessing is a potent part of his flesh, gifted to strengthen and empower the warrior twofold, allowing them a chance to win against the Fated Colosseum's Champion}
Steven sighed at the explanation, noting the part of the notification that did not indicate what type of chance it would be giving him—whether it was a slim one or a significant one against the Champion.
As the two drew nearer to the exit of the arena, Drake finally spoke, expressing his concerns.
"I hope you know what you are doing, and that you won't get us killed," Drake said.
{Your sponsor is expressing worry for your mental state and decision-making}
Steven sighed once more, then patted the hilt of his dagger, replaying his plan again in his head. "Hopefully not."
And with that, the two entered into the dark, devouring depths of the passageway.
//Author's note//
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