On the arena floor, the iron armor buried in blood and flesh still showed no sign of reaction. Liu Miong immediately turned to look at Samsara Tianqi, his gaze cold and merciless.
“Baiya Ifel Chlorom is still alive, isn’t she? Answer me, Samsara Tianqi.”
“Yes, Your Highness Liu Miong.” Samsara Tianqi’s eyes never left the iron armor embedded in the flesh and blood. “There is indeed a living presence. Baiya is not dead, and judging from the strength of the life force, she’s likely completely unscathed.”
Even Samsara Tianqi himself found it hard to believe as he spoke. The person closest to the resurrected Ghoul was not the firelock guards, but the captive Baiya. She should have been the first to die, torn to shreds like the guard behind her whose gun barrel had been pressed to her spine.
But the truth was as it was. Beneath the armor, a normal life force persisted. That meant Baiya was still alive. With understanding of both life and death, the [Sovereign of Life and Death] could not possibly have made a mistake in judgment.
Only Baiya’s presence remained alive—so, of all the firelock guards caught up in the Ghoul’s onslaught, she alone escaped? She was obviously a weak slave with a poor constitution. How had she managed it?
“Hey, hey, Baiya Ifel Chlorom, that name sounds familiar. Isn’t she the idiot who just got killed? My dear brother, have you pinned all your hopes on a corpse? Ahahahahahaha!” Arthur pointed at Liu Miong and laughed loudly. A moment ago, Liu Miong’s presence had scared him, but now that he understood who Liu Miong was relying on, he felt certain Liu Miong had given up.
“Watch carefully! I will win this wager!” Arthur turned his gaze to the arena, the carnage before him only fueling his excitement and arrogance.
Liu Miong clenched his fists. Now, his only hope was Baiya. Since she had managed to create a miracle of survival with the help of the 『Scales of Burial and Resurrection』, let her perform another miracle this time! Please!
He didn’t want to die! Even more, he refused to meet a hopeless end by his brother’s handpicked killers!
The nobles’ cheers from the stands grew louder. At this moment, the Ghoul had already slaughtered all the firelock guards, gnawing on half a thigh, his face devoid of joy or sorrow as he strode toward the crowd step by step.
The guards who had fought the gladiators quickly retreated from the field, escaping through the arena tunnels and entering the safe zone behind barred doors, where they would spectate the impending life-or-death battle between the gladiators and the Ghoul.
“This time, we’re doomed.” Luo Shi muttered in despair, hands clutching his longsword trembling uncontrollably. The courage he had gained from killing the guards was crushed with every approaching footstep of the Ghoul.
“Firearms can’t hurt him. A gold-rank magical beast… ha, haha… it’s too much. Not even silver-rank weapons work. We’re being herded to our deaths.” Lionblade Renxin also let his bloodied fists fall, most of his fighting spirit already drained away.
“Uncle Luo, Renxin, what should we do?” Lebron saw the Ghoul closing in on the gladiators and couldn’t help but panic.
Every step the Ghoul took forward, the gladiators took a step back. The fear weighed on them heavily, but no one dared to flee, for the first to run would likely become the first sacrifice.
Even though they knew the Ghoul would soon launch his attack and that, in that instant, someone was sure to die, the gladiators clung to their slim hopes and didn’t dare make any rash moves. Step by step, they retreated, until their backs pressed against the wall and there was nowhere left to go—yet the Ghoul still did not stop.
As the distance closed, reason began to crumble among the gladiators. When the pressure reached its peak, some were paralyzed by fear, legs too weak to move, but most simply screamed and scattered in every direction.
The moment chaos erupted, the Ghoul vanished—vanished without warning, leaving only empty space where he had stood. It wasn’t until the shrill sound of air being torn faded from their ears that the gladiators realized someone among them had died.
The Ghoul leisurely tore at blood-soaked remains. Once he finished eating, he would launch another assault. Everyone on the field was his prey.
With every attack, the Ghoul killed several gladiators, then paused to eat. His body was like iron and steel; even when standing still, he was impervious to the flurry of weapons hacking at him. The gladiators stood no chance of killing him. After their resistance proved fruitless, they tried to flee—but in the circular arena, there was nowhere to run. In the midst of the nobles’ mocking laughter, the Ghoul devoured them, little by little.
Some gladiators went mad and attacked the Ghoul as he ate, only to become his next meal. Others gave up all hope and knelt in the dirt for a final prayer, repenting for their sins.
“…Is there truly nothing we can do?!” Luo Shi smashed his fist into the ground, not noticing the blood welling from his scraped knuckles.
Another strike—the Ghoul selected Lebron as his next meal. A gash split open Lebron’s abdomen; though he managed to dodge a fatal blow, he collapsed in pain, wailing. In the next instant, two giant hands seized his shoulders. Tears streaming down his face, his head was clamped in the Ghoul’s gaping jaws and ripped away.
“My whole life… really is nothing but misery…” Lionblade Renxin fell to his knees, bracing himself on the ground with his arms. Tears rolled down his fierce, savage face, fading the bloodstains on the earth.
Renxin remembered the days in the same cell with Lebron. The young Lebron had dreamed of escaping the slave ship, gaining his freedom, and living the life he wanted—he’d always looked forward to the future, and so he never lost his will to resist.
Now, it seemed that from the very start, rebellion only led to the deepest despair. Lionblade Renxin didn’t want to do anything anymore. No matter how hard he struggled, only darkness awaited. He might as well save his strength and meet death head-on, bearing the weight of his failed life.