At dawn, the massive sun, nearly filling the horizon, slowly rose from the sea, its golden radiance once again illuminating everything. The darkness vanished without a trace, symbolizing the beginning of a new day.
For the slaves aboard the transport ship, today marked the start of new suffering, while for the last fighters in the arena, today was their execution day.
“We’re lucky so far, but our luck has run out.” Luo Shi casually scratched the hard stone slab beneath his feet with a piece of wood, quickly writing down the plan of action.
Lionman Renxin and Bloodhand Leblanc, who were locked in the same cell with him, sat quietly staring at the words on the slab. Leblanc’s face was terrifyingly pale, and despite his desperate attempts to calm himself, he could not stop his body from trembling with genuine fear.
“There’s only one way for us to survive today—kill that damned Silver-ranked cannibal.” Luo Shi crushed the wooden chip in his hand with a calm expression.
“The gap between Bronze and Silver is like the difference between a child and an adult. But if the child wields a sufficiently threatening weapon, it’s not impossible to kill the adult.”
“Although battles across ranks always end in defeat, we have no way out if we want to live. Renxin, tell us what you understand about these cannibalistic beasts.”
“Born hunters, their very existence revolves around the hunt. Their appetite is never satisfied. What’s even more terrifying is that a cannibal can survive for half a year without food or water. Such resilience is rare among magical beasts.” Renxin mulled over the plan written on the slab while nodding solemnly.
“We’re humans. At least Leblanc and I are humans. Renxin, you’re a half-beastman—half-human, in a way. Common knowledge tells us that a magical beast of the same rank can easily crush a human of equal rank. We have no chance in a direct confrontation.”
“But Uncle Luo, we have no choice but to face them head-on!” The pale Leblanc suddenly shouted in frustration.
“Our chance of winning a direct fight is zero. That way, we all die. So we have to act according to the plan. Maybe then, there’s a chance to survive today.” Luo Shi responded calmly.
“Shouldn’t we try to get Tabu to join us? His presence would greatly increase our chances of survival,” Renxin hesitated, his beastly eyes glancing repeatedly toward the neighboring stone cell.
“I won’t join.”
Before Luo Shi could speak, a hoarse voice came from the stone cell. The two humans and the half-beastman looked through the large gap in the wall toward the burly man sitting cross-legged with his arms folded on his chest. Because of a previous visit where the guards had avoided the main gate and to flaunt their strength, the cells holding Baiya and the girl, Tabu and Renxin, and Leblanc had been connected, creating a surprisingly spacious space.
Tabu closed his eyes in a half-sleep. His scarred, fearsome face was stained with tears. When the arrogant guards came to announce the death of the runaway slave Baiya and warned them to behave, Tabu smashed the guard’s head into his chest with a punch, killing him instantly.
Since tomorrow was the day Tabu’s group of fighters would enter the arena—and Tabu was the strongest and largest among them—his death would have taken much of the spectacle away. Considering the need to not spoil the nobles’ mood, the guard’s death was quietly swept under the rug.
At that moment, Tabu was in the same cell as Baiya and the girl. The girl curled up into a ball in the corner, partly fearing Tabu might harm her, partly simply trying to comfort herself.
Baiya’s death had resurrected all her despair. And with today being the day she had to enter the arena, her fate seemed sealed—devoured by the cannibals…
How wonderful, how cunning you were, sister. The desperate girl suddenly felt that Baiya’s death was a blessing.
“Forget that stubborn idiot. From now on, gather your strength. Let me repeat: only by risking our lives can we hope to keep them. I bet the cowards afraid to die will be the first to fall.” Luo Shi said this, deliberately glancing at Leblanc.
“Uncle Luo, I…” Leblanc opened his mouth but ultimately dared not swear to be fearless.
Seeing this, Luo Shi sighed deeply, raising his head to meet the sunlight pouring through the bars. He murmured, “So be it. Follow the plan and fight to survive. After all, I can’t die yet…”
Luo Shi still had things he had to do. Until then, he forbade himself from dying. This was the main reason he had joined forces with Renxin and Leblanc to set the plan to kill the cannibal.
Renxin and Leblanc subtly centered their actions around him. But Luo Shi did not want to shoulder this burden. He wished he could rely on a stronger person to survive. Yet, no such leader existed who could guide him through.
“Baiya Eifer Chlorom, idiot…”
Woken abruptly in the dead of night last night by the news of Baiya’s death, Luo Shi felt it was a predictable outcome, but it still brought a certain sorrow. That girl who could still laugh, naive enough to seem destined to die young—deep down, Luo Shi didn’t want such a person to perish.
The person was dead, the time had come. Nothing had deviated from the path. If any shocking miracle was to happen next, it would mean his plan had succeeded brilliantly—killing the cannibal and surviving today. Luo Shi couldn’t help but laugh quietly at the thought.
He placed his hands behind him, pressing against the ground to support his body as he straightened his chest. His eyes remained fixed on the top of the stone cell, staring long and hard at the chaotic fissures above.
“I can’t die yet…” he whispered once more.
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