Free Web NovelChapter 31: fighting ring 3
I took a deep breath as I stepped out of the lift, clutching the storage bag hanging near my waist tightly.
I really hoped I wouldn’t regret this later.
I began to walk slowly, stalls lining both sides of the road. They were filled with all manner of weapons, armour, potions and combat gear.
In short... everything a person living a life of battles and blood might need, or at least to stay alive for as long as possible.
The vendors must have become rich by now; it’s good business, were it not for the fact that you could die at any moment—it’s just you and your luck.
With every step I took, the noise around me grew louder.
The sounds of haggling. The clang of metal. Rough laughter... until I thought those laughing were not humans but mere beasts, and scattered curses flying here and there.
I raised my head slightly to survey the place, before my eyes fell upon the giant lifts connecting the different levels of the colony.
It was then that I began to grasp the general layout of the place. The colony was divided into three main floors.
The first floor, where I was currently standing, served as the starting point.
It was filled with stalls and small shops built into the rock walls themselves, whilst the floor was simply compacted earth rather than stone or tiles.
Several huge buildings were also scattered across the floor. At least four or five. I wasn’t sure of the exact number.
But they were all connected by long bridges suspended in the air, whilst giant lifts rose like massive metal pillars.
As for the second floor... that was most likely where the fighting ring was located.
The place where fighters, gamblers, and anyone seeking money or death gathered.
Meanwhile, the third floor was reserved for the rich and powerful.
The problem was that the safe I was looking for was on one of those two floors.
Fortunately, I already knew where it was.
It was on the second floor.
Unfortunately... it was also the most heavily guarded of all the floors.
So I had to tread carefully and avoid drawing attention to myself.
But that’s much easier said than done.
To be honest... I was incredibly nervous. I gripped the bag tighter.
When did I become this reckless? Am I doing all this just for a few points?
No. I don’t think so. In fact, I knew the reason.
From the moment that mission appeared before me, my heart hadn’t stopped pounding violently.
There was a strange feeling that constantly accompanied me. And that’s why I wanted to find out the truth behind this feeling, and make it stop, whatever the cost.
Clang...
My thoughts were interrupted when the door of one of the lifts opened.
I stepped in with a group of men who reeked of such foul odours that I suspected they were capable of killing someone just by getting close to them.
Most of their faces were covered in scars, burns and the marks of severe beatings.
Some even looked as though they had lost parts of their faces or ears in a previous fight, from which they had barely escaped. It was a sight enough to frighten any ordinary person.
But I didn’t dare show any sign of weakness. In a place like this, even a single wrong glance could spell trouble.
As far as I could tell, most of the people present ranged in strength from Novice (F) to Expert (D).
This made me even more cautious. The lift rose slowly at first. Then it began to accelerate little by little.
Several minutes passed in a tense silence, broken only by the sound of mechanical clanking.
Finally... the lift stopped.
Ding...
The doors opened slowly before us.
The second floor was completely different from the first.
I realised this the moment I stepped out of the lift.
The floor was paved with dark blue metal that reflected the lights of the room, giving the entire floor a cold and imposing appearance.
And at its centre rose massive towers in the shape of a huge circle, connected to one another by mysterious wires and pipes stretching between the metal structures like a gigantic network.
This... was the arena.
Or rather, the true heart of this colony.
I raised my head.
Directly above the arena floated a giant blue screen, and nearby, at a towering height, private balconies stretched out overlooking the entire arena.
Seated upon them were several figures wearing masks that completely concealed their faces.
I couldn’t see their features, but the mere fact that they were sitting there was enough to indicate their status. They were watching everything from above.
Like ancient kings watching a wrestling arena. Down below, the place was teeming with life.
Hundreds of people sat around tables and chairs scattered in every corner.
Some were sipping drinks, whilst others were busy eating or watching old fights on the blue screens hung around the floor.
Laughter, shouts and arguments rang out from every direction.
But what caught my attention more than anything else was the small number of people standing in the long queues in front of the arena entrances.
They were lined up one after the other, waiting their turn. frёewebηovel.cѳm
Lining the corridors stood guards in long blue coats and white hats, watching the area with watchful eyes. From the auras of power emanating from them, I estimated that the weakest among them were at least at the Ascendant (C) rank, whilst at least some had reached the King (B) rank.
From my vantage point alone, I could count more than thirty guards.
Yet that was but a small fraction of what could be seen.
This floor was so vast that my gaze could not reach its limits, and large sections of it remained hidden behind the towers and structures scattered throughout.
