The arena.
It exists in every era, even in a world of wasteland that is on the verge of collapse.
When a force reaches the scale of a “base” it signifies that “survival” is no longer the biggest dilemma. People within the base can resume some semblance of life, especially the elites.
As such, entertainment emerges as a necessity, and the most popular form of entertainment on the wasteland is undoubtedly combat.
Here, spectators exchange goods for currency to buy tickets, witnessing battles that are entirely composed of the Tainted Miasma, either against monsters or amongst each other in bloody combat.
The best way to support a favored contender is through betting, with victory in battle yielding rewards based on odds.
Because of this, the place is not only a sanctuary for viewing slaughter but also a casino where one can strike it rich overnight, seen by countless frenzied arena spectators as a means to fortune.
There are always stories of some lucky people who bet on underdogs no one believed in, only for those contenders to unexpectedly dominate, eliminating seasoned fighters and earning a fortune for their backers.
When violence and gambling combine, these primal elements deeply ingrained in our genes always manage to spark the greatest interest.
Of course, besides the spectators who can make money from betting, joining the arena as a gladiator (Fighter) is also a way to earn.
Especially the top gladiators, with a vast fan base, who receive extremely generous appearance fees and bonuses for each match.
Newcomers too have opportunities, particularly as dark horses who can eliminate popular top gladiators in battle, gaining instant fame and substantial rewards overnight. Here, fairness prevails, with strength always being paramount.
Thus, many desperados, bankrupt individuals throwing caution to the wind, and even regular Eclipse willingly come to Gulase, aspiring to become gladiators.
Of course, “gladiator” is the more dignified official term, but in reality, they are slaves to the arena.
After all, from the moment one signs the contract to become a gladiator, they are shackled permanently, unable to leave unless the arena’s owners choose to release them.
But perhaps, in a world of wasteland filled with danger, where living one day longer is a victory, selling one’s soul and body for survival through fighting might not be such a bad choice.
At least, for the demi-humans, it is so.
Demi-humans are born with strong physiques, naturally having an advantage in combat over humans. However, the survival of Demi-humans has always been a problem; they lack the human intellect for predicting disasters or building large cities.
Many Demi-humans live in tribes, struggling to survive on the wasteland, far from being as powerful as humans.
Thus, a portion of Demi-humans, in a bid for survival, choose to join human wasteland bases. However, they are usually employed as laborers, exploited for their work.
Therefore, a place like Gulase, where one can earn money or even fame purely through combat, becomes the first choice for many Demi-humans who have lost their tribes, becoming wanderers.
In the arena, at least half of the gladiators are Demi-humans.
The audience has no complaints about this; on the contrary, they enjoy it very much. After all, the physical strength of the Eclipse Demi-humans and the intensity of their battles are far more spectacular on all levels than those of Eclipse humans.
When Renji joined the arena and registered as a gladiator, he wasn’t bound by a contract or shackled like other gladiators. Even the three people following Renji were subconsciously ignored.
This is a characteristic of the Dragon War Zone.
With the boss dragon in “AFK” mode, Renji and others are like players to the Gulase base, and everything inside is like NPCs. Under the mechanisms of Dream Zero, the natives automatically ignore some of Renji’s actions.
Of course, this “ignorance” has its limits. Renji couldn’t bring too many people with him at once, so before entering the city, he had Control Number One place the other forty-nine mechanical servants on standby outside the city.
Soon after Renji became a gladiator, it was as if a storyline was triggered. Time in Gulase sped up, the scene in the dream reorganized. One moment, the person in charge was processing Renji’s paperwork; the next, Renji was notified that his first duel in the arena was about to begin.
Stepping into the arena from the long “gladiators’ corridor,” it’s a huge elliptical building surrounded by stands filled with dense, frenzied, and manic spectators. Renji, just a “debutant” newcomer, could see how popular the arena was.
His debut fight was straightforward, with no other opponents arranged, just a battle against Tainted monsters.
Renji didn’t even need to make a move, as Suthia, with a clean and efficient burst of holy light, took down four or five dog-
level Miasma monsters instantly.
The audience seemed stunned for a moment, not quite catching up with the speed of the event. However, they quickly erupted into thunderous applause and cheers for Renji, the newcomer, as if surprised and delighted by his powerful capability.
Of course, there were also some spectators who cursed loudly, obviously betting on Renji not even passing the first challenge. After all, failing at the debut fight isn’t rare in the arena.
After this round, Renji was led away by the staff to the gladiator’s resting room.
There, not just Renji, but Suthia as well, noticed among the many gladiators in the room, a dragonkin demi-human sitting in a corner against the wall.
The prominent dragon horns on the head were undoubtedly the best symbol of status. Many other Demi-humans in the resting room dared not come close, as dragonkin are considered to have a royal lineage among Demi-humans.
But what quickly made Renji and Suthia exchange glances was that despite seeing several shadows of Nova in this dragonkin’s appearance, the shadow didn’t seem to go forward but backward. .𝘤𝘰
This didn’t look like a young Nova but rather someone who seemed to have aged a bit. Judging by the slight wrinkles on her face and the condition of her skin, this female dragonkin appeared to be middle-aged.
Just as Renji and Suthia were puzzled, the next moment, a young little head peeked out from behind the large figure of the dragonkin.
“Mommy, I am hungry.”
“Nova, be good. Mommy’s going to fight soon. After that, Mommy will have money to buy you something to eat. How about meat soup?”
“Meat soup. Meat soup, meat soup!! Go and win mommy!”
Hearing this, the young dragonkin demi-human’s eyes sparkled with excitement, and it seemed drool was almost dribbling from the corner of her mouth as she wiped it with her chubby little hands.
She started running and jumping around her mother excitedly, then clung to her about-to-leave mother like a little chatterbox, babbling non-stop as if she had endless things to say. To anyone who saw her, the first impression was of an incredibly lively and energetic little girl who would surely grow up to be a restless troublemaker..
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