Chapter 600: The Beast Arena

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

Today the dreary rain still went on without end.

On the twilight hills, a gleaming white iron legion of some twenty-odd men slowly rolled across the springtime slopes.

Formed into a loose wedge—scouts, standard-bearers, soldiers.

Chainmail and spears rose and fell with the gradient of the hill.

After traveling for the better part of a day.

They dismounted, afraid the heavy clop of hooves would alert the target lurking beneath the earth.

"About ten li more."

Commander Cart turned back, his voice hoarse as a whetstone.

Beneath a war-helm drummed by raindrops, his gaze fixed on Rod; impossible to tell what was on his mind.

"Mr. Rod, Miss Lily, are you all right?"

Rod and Lily were dressed just as usual.

A golden sword and a black cloak, a modest bit of leather; a red breastplate, a broken-hilt short sword.

Clearly distinct from the rest of them, those big tin cans.

Rod gave him a nod.

Sweeping a glance around, he spotted Sein—the one who had "borrowed" the Soul-Tremor Blade—and couldn't help laughing out loud.

That Sein locked eyes with him from afar, white ceramic sword gripped at his waist, and gave a cold, lopsided smirk.

Commander Cart's gaze went dark and distant as it fell on the halfling girl at Rod's side.

"Since this is a dangerous subjugation, why hasn't Mr. Rod called in more help?"

"No need. Lily and I alone are enough."

Lily crossed her arms, pouted, shot him a glare—her cool little face tinged with annoyance.

"Heh-heh-heh—the young are wonderful, so confident. I like that. Any interest in joining Aethelorn's army?"

"No."

"What a pity."

Cart's face was full of regret.

Looking at the faint Blood-Dipped Mark on the man, he couldn't help thinking of his own son, little Levi's, injuries.

Though the feeling ought to have been hatred, the regret on his face right now was not feigned.

The Yige Sect was throwing the realm into chaos.

How could he not know it?

That his own Blood Horse Legion had been dismembered and reorganized into a conscription regiment was hardly his wish, but eighty percent of Aethelorn's ministers had thrown in with the Yige Sect.

Once factional struggle is laid out in the open, it becomes a fight to the death.

Whatever the other side proposes, right or wrong, close your eyes and vote against; whatever your own side suggests, no matter how absurd or ruinous, you back it with blind, fervent approval.

Crystallization disease, crystal-core-driven husk warriors, linked-spell mental constructs, the war against the Celestial Court Flower Kingdom—

What choice did a mid-sized legion's commander really have?

Survival, that's all.

But at this very moment.

Cart's intuition caught, on the man before him, a faint glimmer of hope.

Save the country?

He shook his head.

Even if the dynasty changed again, the kingdom would still need men like him; plunging into the vortex was pointless.

Commander Cart glanced at the Shadow Hunters' Wind commander Eve, disguised among the troops as an ordinary soldier, and at the tooth-fairy fae called Rosalia.

He was suddenly reminded of last night's intelligence report on the Shadow Hunters' Wind.

Minister Marco's people, are they?

It doesn't matter—what if they too have a chance at victory?

Cart, oh Cart, the fence-sitter.

He steadied himself.

He turned back and called for the mages to begin laying spells to conceal their forms and footsteps.

This clearly burned a spell slot from the Weave; no incantation needed, and in an instant a ghostly blue mantle of magic settled over the group.

And so they pressed on, not much longer.

They came to the edge of a small lake.

After that, the lot of them—by spell or by draught of potion—gained the ability to move beneath the water.

Quickly, under Commander Cart's lead, they found the secret ritual passage underwater and filed in one by one.

On the way.

Lily was silent for a moment, then said slowly, "Have I never told you about my family?"

Rod glanced at the halfling girl beside him, who only came up to his waist; her head was bowed, her ear-length auburn hair tied at the nape in a wolf-tail.

Cute, and dashing with it.

"I'd like to hear."

The girl's words were not a question.

So he didn't answer directly, but expressed his wish to listen.

Lily let slip a small smile.

"There's a fool eavesdropping on us. I'll tell you once we're out; you'll have to help me then."

"Of course. Between us, what need is there to even mention our relationship?"

The cave mouth was narrow at first.

Then it gradually widened, finally leading to a vast plaza beneath a domed rock ceiling.

It should have been pitch black and silent.

Instead, with crackling sounds, various light spells flared brightly on the dome all at once, gathering on Rod and the other.

The Conscription Corps had already prepared; they quickly withdrew, leaving only the two of them in the center of the plaza.

"Here we go."

"Wow—so direct. I thought they would put on a show."

Lili exclaimed.

Rod drew the 【Sword of Sacrifice】, shook his head, and smiled: "It's all understood without words. I am unwilling to openly oppose Athelron, and they do not wish to expose their connection to the Campbell family."

He looked up into the distance.

At the encirclement on the plaza's edge, he could see several gray dwarves and a large number of gnolls, kobolds, and lizardmen surrounding them.

This must be the Campbell family's standard setup; among them were a few humans of high status and rank, yet they all wore masks of various insects, making their true faces impossible to discern.

And at the very rear, a man nearly three meters tall, clad in a gray-white mage robe, was exceptionally conspicuous.

Looking backward,

the Conscription Corps, led by Grand Commander Carter, blocked the entrance tightly.

Rod felt the 【Cruel Mark】 on his chest emit heat.

His battle intent surged, and he stepped forward twice.

"Will you come at us together, or one by one?"

"Ranger Rod, are you so confident? Knowing it is a trap, you still stepped in willingly?"

From the Campbell family side, a man wearing a dragonfly-face mask spoke coldly.

"Larvae conducting disgusting business underground, what makes you think I should respect you?"

Rod chuckled.

The man with the dragonfly mask laughed in anger, and a key covered in red rust in his hand began to glow.

The ground suddenly began to tremble.

From slow to violent.

The domed ceiling rose as if breaking spatial limits, while the ground beneath sank downward.

The Conscription Corps on the edge and the Campbell family on the opposite edge remained completely motionless; both sides coldly looked down upon Rod and Lili's descent.

As a dazzling spiritual light flashed and vanished,

the scene before them underwent a world-shaking transformation.

The rock dome became blue sky and white clouds, while the edge of the circular plaza turned into tier upon tier of spectator stands.

The Conscription Corps and the Campbell family members sat arrogantly and self-satisfied among them.

Rod and Lili remained in the central area, gazing at the spectator stands; a round of fierce suns stung their eyes, casting everyone into the backlight's shadow.

Rod raised an eyebrow, seeing a new message appear on his panel.

【Treasure Obsession activated successfully!】

【Treasure discovered: 'Blood Lion Spine Colosseum'!】

【Details:

1. Spatial Lock: Forcibly drags all creatures within a 30-meter radius into the arena.

2. Crowd Frenzy: Based on the quantity of cheers and support, the cheered gladiator may autonomously choose corresponding buffs.

3. Escape Ban: Prohibits the use of flight/invisibility-type skills; wounds cannot be treated by conventional healing spells.

4. Home Advantage: The gladiator appearing as the treasure side is the Home Gladiator; upon death, they may respawn in the spectator stands (once per person only)!

5. Ladder of Glory: The Home Gladiator gains 'Honor Points' upon striking the Away Gladiator!

Consuming 50 Honor Points guarantees a critical hit on the next strike! Consuming 100 Honor Points grants 1.5 seconds of invincibility! Consuming 200 Honor Points triggers 'Crowd Riot,' where all spectators throw weapons carrying curse attributes!

6. Blood Lion Legacy: Consuming all Honor Points makes attacks ignore defense! Duration depends on the amount of Honor Points consumed.】

(End of Chapter)