Although Tabu had tried his best to suppress the excitement on his face, Luo Shi still noticed the brief flash of thrill, leading him to conclude that the girl encased in the iron armor was someone Tabu knew.
At this moment, the ogres’ roars rang loudly in his ears. Luo Shi tightened his grip on the iron longsword. He didn’t want to question too much now—he only needed to be sure that the Ironclad Guard wouldn’t pose a threat.
“Answer me! Are you on our side?” Luo Shi shouted.
“How many times do you expect me to answer the same question? Of course, I’m on the slaves’ side. If I have to fight, I won’t be afraid because I don’t want to lose.” The Ironclad Guard’s tone was somewhat resentful. She never really liked Luo Shi—what was with all the suspicion? Right now wasn’t the time to doubt her identity. If revealing it would help with the mission, she certainly didn’t want to bother hiding it. Was this man an idiot or what?
Luo Shi nodded and then turned away, no longer concerned about the Ironclad Guard. He fixed his serious gaze on the largest tunnel in the arena. Suddenly, he froze. The iron gate had been opened, yet no ogres appeared.
“Scatter quickly!” At that moment, he suddenly heard the Ironclad Guard shout, though her voice wasn’t aimed at him.
It was directed at everyone.
Suddenly, the intense cheers in his ears faded into the distance, leaving only the sickening sounds of flesh being torn and juices splattering—sharp and clear.
Luo Shi hadn’t even reacted yet when his clothing was already stained red.
His trembling hand rose, blood dripping down with a wet, warm sensation. Was that his own blood? Fear gripped him, causing uncontrollable shivers throughout his body, and his mind filled only with the urge to run.
He dared not move his eyes—he couldn’t even confirm if he was injured. Moving his body even slightly was a luxury beyond reach. Fear had frozen him completely. If he saw any more cruel truths, his spirit might collapse.
“Don’t be stupid! Want to be a living target?”
A sharp impact struck his waist. Though the force was light, it was enough to cause pain and bring him back to clarity. Losing balance suddenly, Luo Shi fell several meters but quickly scrambled back up, messy and disheveled.
“You bastard…” Luo Shi picked up his longsword and planted it firmly on the ground to steady himself. He then raised his head to glare fiercely at the attacker.
But his mind went blank as he clearly saw the face of the person who kicked him—and the background behind her.
“The strike radius is about three meters. Your position is delicate—just barely grazed by it. Lucky you.” The Ironclad Guard who had made him wary occupied his full attention. She rested her chin in her hand, nodding thoughtfully.
She stood on ground soaked with blood. Beside her lay a heap of indistinct, decaying flesh and viscera. On top of it crouched a massive brown-skinned man who, ignoring the filth, tore at the bloodied bones with his hands, stuffing chunks into his mouth with horrifying gnawing and chewing sounds.
Luo Shi recognized this man with clenched teeth—it was the devil who was about to claim his life, the arena’s main attraction: a silver-tier ogre!
The fighters lucky enough to avoid the ogre’s attack had already fled in screams. Most had dropped their weapons, and some knelt on the ground sobbing and praying desperately.
“Are you stupid? Putting on an act like you’re mature, level-headed, and powerful, but you can’t even run away. Have you been scared senseless?” The Ironclad Guard tilted her head, her tone thick with schadenfreude.
Luo Shi swallowed painfully. At this moment, he wanted to warn this girl who had, barely, saved him—but who was an idiot—that she was way too close to the ogre.
The ogre was still eating, and its speed was terrifying. The unlucky fighters who were crushed and shredded first had already been reduced to half skeletons. Judging by the pace, the ogre would finish its meal in just over ten seconds. Even a fool would know it would attack the nearest human next!
“Run!” Luo Shi summoned his courage and shouted loudly, but immediately regretted it—what if he attracted the ogre’s attention?
“Of course we have to run, but some things need to be settled first, or else there’s no escaping later.” The Ironclad Guard merely shrugged off Luo Shi’s shouting, indifferent, even ignoring the surprised and panicked glances from the gradually calming fighters.
Was she trying to get herself killed? More than one fighter thought so.
Suddenly, a wave of cheering erupted from the stands. It startled not only the fighters but even caused the ogre to pause its eating.
The Ironclad Guard continued to observe the ogre’s meal closely, uninterested in whatever was happening outside. She paid no mind to the hellish scene around her, focusing seriously on the ogre’s disgusting, terrifying gnawing.
“Your Highness the Prince!” The rotund nobleman who managed the arena put on a broad smile and greeted the blond man striding toward the stands from the entrance.
“Move aside.” The blond man glanced coldly at him. The two girls beside him shot murderous looks at the nobleman.
“Y-Yes!” The nobleman broke into a cold sweat, forced a few laughs, then stepped back, slinking away.
When the nobles saw Crown Prince Arthur’s stern expression upon his arrival, they finally recalled that Third Prince Riumion was also here, watching the arena’s deadly battle. It seemed this was a contest between the two brothers. Since it involved the Amidar royal family, the nobles thought it best to keep their distance.
The cheers from the nobles gradually died down. Sitting in the front row, Riumion didn’t need to turn his head to know who had arrived. After all, his “dear” brother was always watching his every move, constantly plotting how to silently kill him.
“What exactly are you scheming?”
Arthur grabbed Riumion by the collar, roughly pulling him away from Rinne Tenki. His cold gaze locked on his dangerously threatening younger brother.
Arthur’s two slave girls—Shadow Spider and Puppet Doll—followed closely. They looked at the now upright Rinne Tenki with pure hostility.
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