Note: Thank You “””@aaaninja””” for the Massage Chair. Thank You So Much 😉
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The Arena Head sat at a large desk and opened a thick metal booklet. His fingers drummed lightly on the table as he looked up at Kent.
“Name?” the Arena Head asked in a deep, gravelly voice, while scribing on the metal book.
“Kent.”
“Family?”
Silence hung for a brief moment before Kent answered, “Frost…”
The Arena Head’s eyebrow arched slightly, but he continued. “Cultivation?”
“Supreme Magus.”
“Main weapon?”
“Bow.”
The quill scratched across the page as the Arena Head filled in the details for Match Number 1333: Honour Justice Fight. Once he was finished, he pointed to a section of the register with his ink-stained finger.
“Place your seal here. Once you do, understand that no one will be held responsible for your life if you die during the fight in the Arena.” His voice was gruff but professional, a clear warning.
Kent looked at the register, his expression unreadable beneath the mask. For a long moment, he stared at the space where his seal was required, his eyes distant. The Arena Head, growing impatient, tapped the page again.
“What’s the delay?” he asked, his tone slightly sharper now.
Kent finally looked up, meeting the man’s gaze. “I don’t have a separate seal. This is my seal,” he said, lifting his right hand.
The Arena Head’s face twisted into a complicated expression. “No seal, huh?” He rummaged through a drawer beneath the table, pulling out a small vial filled with a strange, shimmering liquid. “Fine. Use this. Place your print here.”
Kent dipped his entire palm into the liquid and pressed his hand down firmly onto the register, leaving behind a glowing print that shimmered for a moment before settling into a dull, permanent mark.
“The match will commence at sunset. Until then, you are eligible to use the Arena’s training and cultivation rooms in the underground chambers,” the Arena Head explained, handing Kent a small golden coin engraved with the symbol of the Royal Arena. “This coin grants you access.”
Kent took the coin, flipping it between his fingers as he considered his next steps. Just then, King Ragnar, standing nearby, turned to him.
“Stay in the underground cultivation room until the evening. I have a few matters to attend to before the match,” Ragnar said in his usual authoritative tone, gesturing for Lily to follow him.
Kent nodded, watching as the two departed. Once they were gone, he pocketed the coin and made his way toward the underground chambers. As he walked, the commotion of the arena filled his ears. It was a low, growing murmur that seemed to echo off the walls of the massive structure.
When he reached the main corridor beside the underground rooms, he was met with a chaotic scene. A sea of people stretched out before him, forming a long line that disappeared into the distance. The crowd was rowdy, their excitement barely contained, and royal wizards moved through the lines, trying desperately to control the growing mass.
The metal window at the start of the line was tightly shut, but it was clear what was happening. Kent’s curiosity piqued as he stepped forward, stopping a man who just left the line.
“Brother, what’s going on here?” Kent asked casually, his eyes scanning the crowd.
The man, a big bellied individual with a weird smile, turned to Kent with a surprised look. “You don’t know?” He shook his head, grinning broadly. “There’s an Honour Justice Fight today at sunset. The Frost family and Doom family are at war. This kind of thing hasn’t happened in decades! Everyone’s here to witness it.”
Kent cut him off, a wry smile playing at his lips. “I meant, what’s happening with this line? Why is it so long?”
Your next read is at empire
The man’s smug expression deepened. “Oh, I see. You’re new to the Arena.” He chuckled, as if Kent’s ignorance amused him. “This line’s for tickets and betting. It’s the only place to buy tickets to the fight and place your bets. Each person can buy one ticket and make one bet.
I just bet a big amount on the Doom family.” He let out a sneering laugh, clearly feeling superior.
Kent raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Why are you so sure the Doom family will win?”
The man leaned in, as if sharing a well-kept secret. “Little brother, you must not know much about this fight. It’s a three versus one fight. The outcome is already decided. That fool who challenged the Doom family doesn’t stand a chance. And besides, the one fighting for the Doom family is none other than King Doom’s seventh son, Goom Doom, fresh from his Royal Abyssal training.
I pity the idiot who thought this Honour Justice Fight was a good idea.”
Kent’s amusement grew as the man rambled on. “You haven’t seen the guy who proposed the fight, have you?” Kent asked, still smiling beneath his mask.
The man’s face twisted into a dismissive sneer. “Nah, I couldn’t get into the Royal Court. I heard he’s some masked guy hiding his ugly face under a golden mask. Poor bastard.” He trailed off, his eyes drifting over Kent’s masked face. Suddenly, realization dawned, and his face paled.
His finger slowly rose, trembling as he pointed at Kent. “Y-you…you’re him?!” he stammered, his voice faltering.
But Kent was already walking away, a deep, amused laugh escaping him. The man stood there, frozen in shock, as Kent disappeared into the crowd, his laughter echoing behind him.
Rather than irritated Kent felt amused by the gossip running around.
—
As Kent passes through the corridors leading toward the underground chambers, the physical state of the capital is changing rapidly. News of the Honour Justice Fight had spread like wildfire, and now the entire city was alive with anticipation.
People were arriving from all 33 nations of the realm, some spending vast sums of money just to secure a seat in the Royal Arena. It was more than a fight—it was a spectacle, a once-in-a-lifetime event.
Families, merchants, and nobles were flooding the capital’s streets, rushing to secure their place inside the Arena. Hawkers and vendors shouted above the din, selling everything from food to illegal betting slips. The city business was electric, charged with excitement and tension.
The crowd was growing by the second. Some were betting on the Frost family, but the majority were putting their money on the Doom family, confident that the match was already decided.
The world was waiting.
And they had no idea what was about to unfold.
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Thank you for the support… ;-]