The Beast Fighting Arena, having expanded over hundreds of years, was now as large as more than ten football fields combined and was divided into several sections.
It was one of the largest buildings in the capital, capable of accommodating over a hundred thousand people at once.
The entrance fees ranged from a few silver coins to several hundred gold coins, and there were two distinctly opposite passageways.
One was lavishly decorated, accessible only to the nobility and wealthy merchants, leading to various VIP rooms. The other was the commoners' passageway, which, although well-decorated, was relatively much simpler.
"What a splendid place..."
Olthagia followed behind the attendant, a smile on his face as he strolled through the passageway.
The sin in the air made him feel genuinely comfortable.
The female housekeeper following behind him, hearing his words, smiled and replied, "If you like it, you can come here often in the future."
In her view, this place was so magnificently decorated, and the people coming and going were mostly nobles. Visiting here more often would do no harm; instead, it would allow her master to mingle more with the upper class.
Observing the passersby, each carrying varying degrees of sin and resentment, Olthagia nodded and said, "We'll see about that in the future, but this place truly has a remarkable aura, reminding me of my hometown."
Not only was Olthagia observing others, but others were also scrutinizing him.
His flawless physique and appearance, along with his unique hair and eye colors, drew curious glances from many.
Although there were many people with red hair, none had ever seen someone like Olthagia, whose hair was so purely red, as if dyed with blood.
His red eyes with golden pupils were also truly attention-grabbing, possessing an exotic beauty and a sense of majesty that seemed to peer into one's soul.
Coupled with his attire and demeanor, which clearly indicated his noble origins, many noblewomen and young ladies cast curious glances his way. If the setting had been more appropriate, he would have received numerous invitations on the spot.
Although he wasn't particularly interested in that...
Olthagia could have concealed his physical characteristics to appear more like an ordinary human, but he had no such intention. In his mind, why should he care about others' opinions?
The fact that he was using a human form was already a concession to local customs!
Before long, the two female attendants leading the way stopped in front of two large doors adorned with numerous local myths and legends of the Maddon Duchy. They gently pushed the doors open and stepped aside respectfully, allowing Olthagia and his entourage to enter first.
The room was spacious, extravagantly decorated, and fully furnished with various amenities. It also featured a large balcony, offering a commanding view of the arena's center and the countless common spectators below.
At that moment, a group of beautiful maids entered, carrying an abundance of fruits and fine wines. They arranged everything neatly in alignment.
The lead maid, glancing subtly at the female housekeeper beside Olthagia and the two maids he had brought along, smiled coquettishly and, accentuating her ample bosom, said, "Sir, if there's anything else you need, please let us know. We will do our best to accommodate you."
The implication was naturally clear.
The female housekeeper and the two maids immediately showed displeasure on their faces, but they dared not express any dissatisfaction, as their master's thoughts were not something they, as servants, could interfere with.
However, Olthagia was not particularly interested in her suggestion and hint. He simply sat calmly in his chair, waved his hand, and signaled for them to leave, without asking for any service.
Though she was unwilling, she dared not say anything more and could only smile and retreat.
Looking down at the bustling crowd on the balcony, Olthagia felt a sense of familiarity. He casually picked up a fruit of unknown origin, took a bite, and asked the three beside him, "Have you ever watched a performance here before?"
The female housekeeper, though unsure why Olthagia asked this question, thought for a moment and replied, "Only a few times, but mostly as commoners. This is the first time we've entered a high-class VIP room."
The answers from the two maids were quite similar.
Olthagia nodded and began to carefully observe the arena.
After a long while, his eyes lit up, and he gently tapped the armrest of his chair. He finally understood why he had felt that sense of familiarity upon entering. He then extended a slender finger, forced a drop of blood from his body, and flicked it into the arena.
In an instant, it seeped into the ground, like a drop of water merging into the ocean, leaving not the slightest trace.
Dozens of meters below the center of the arena, several figures clad in black robes were using the light of candles to paint a massive magical ritual with blood-made pigments. From its appearance, it was strikingly similar to the magic circle that had once summoned Olthagia, but it was much more refined in many small details, unlike the all-inclusive invitation that had brought Olthagia.
As everyone was diligently attending to their tasks, no one noticed that the smooth marble ceiling of the basement had, at some point, seeped a drop of blood, which slowly dripped onto the most crucial part of the magic circle, merging into it and disappearing without a trace.
'Hmm?'
'What was that?'
Only one black-robed figure seemed to catch something in the corner of their eye. They instinctively turned to look behind them but found nothing. Thus, they could only lower their head and continue their task with renewed focus.
The drawing of the runes could not afford even the slightest mistake, or it would lead to unpredictable consequences.
This was definitely not something they could bear.
"Welcome everyone to our Beast Fighting Arena! Today's combatant is a warrior from the Saya Tribe, possessing the strength of a Grand Knight. He was captured after committing over a dozen murders in the duchy over half a year. He is the Butcher—Otok!"
"And his opponent is the Qiya Magic Lion from the Chik Wasteland, a fierce and cruel high-level magical beast. Its running speed far surpasses that of a warhorse, its body is covered in scales impenetrable by ordinary means, and its sharp teeth can tear through ordinary metal as wide as three fingers. Without a hundred elite soldiers equipped with specialized tools, it would be impossible to capture!"
"These two will today..."
On the ground, Olthagia was leisurely sipping fine wine from his cup, watching the host standing at the center of the Beast Fighting Arena's combat zone, responsible for hyping up the atmosphere with his grandiose speech. Although the content was nothing more than meaningless drivel, Olthagia's mood remained above the baseline, considering that someone underground was working for him for free.
He casually instructed the two maids beside him, "Come and give me a massage. One on the shoulders, the other on the legs."
Meanwhile, the host at the center of the arena finally finished his nonsense and began to exit, making way for the contestants.
From the left passage emerged a human, a burly man with a fierce gaze, standing at least two meters tall. He wielded a long-handled battle axe and a single-handed shield, his armor resembling an enlarged version of the standard Maddon Duchy armor.
From the right passage, a Demonic Creature resembling an oversized African lion emerged. Its body was visibly packed with robust muscles, its streamlined form and tail measuring over seven meters in length. Even on all fours, its shoulder height exceeded two meters, and its body was covered in black scales that reflected the sunlight, marking it as an extremely ferocious predator!
As soon as it appeared, it let out a loud roar towards the spectator stands, glaring angrily at all the audience as if it might pounce and bite at any moment, ready to unleash a storm of blood and gore.
It made one wonder if the arena's twenty-meter-high stands could withstand its leap, preventing it from jumping into the audience.
Many spectators who were relatively close immediately shrank their necks, like a goose that had been kicked, and dared not continue their rowdy behavior.
Only after realizing that the Demonic Creature, despite several attempts, couldn't gain leverage on the walls and was forced to remain in the arena, did they regain their boisterous attitude, loudly jeering and even throwing various trash down below.
This provoked the Qiya Magic Lion to bare its teeth and roar continuously.
What they didn't know was that if the walls surrounding the arena weren't periodically smoothed and coated with special grease, the Qiya Magic Lion could indeed leap up in a few bounds and teach them a lesson!
Such Demonic Creatures, once fully grown, can easily jump nearly seven to eight meters high. With a couple of pushes off the wall for leverage, they could easily scale the stands.
It wouldn't be as effortless as drinking water or breathing, but it would be no more difficult than taking a few extra steps.
After a bout of futile rage, the Qiya Magic Lion turned its gaze towards Ottok across the arena. If possible, it didn't want to deal with this little dwarf. Its beastly instincts told it that this dwarf was dangerous, a predator with the ability to threaten it, unlike the numerous but insignificant weaklings on the high stands who could be hunted at will.
However, while reason told it that this target would be troublesome, prolonged hunger had become unbearable. The Beast Luring Powder sprinkled on Ottok and his armor began to take effect, emitting an irresistible aroma to the Qiya Magic Lion.
"Damn it..."
Watching the ferocious beast not far away, the killing intent in its eyes grew stronger and stronger.
Otok did not act rashly. Instead, he assumed a defensive stance specifically designed to counter beast attacks. He was well aware that the Qiya Magic Lion, a high-level magical beast, not only possessed strength far beyond that of ordinary beasts but also had intelligence comparable to that of a human child. A single mistake could mean instant death for him.
Fortunately, he had a set of armor and a weapon. Otherwise, facing such a ferocious creature bare-handed would have left him with no chance of survival. Even so, he estimated his odds of success to be no more than thirty to forty percent.
In a direct confrontation with an opponent superior in size, agility, and strength, humans often had to rely on their wits rather than brute force. However, standing in the open arena, he clearly had no other options.
Though in his heart, he was already cursing the ancestors of everyone associated with the Beast Fighting Arena!
But to be honest, strictly speaking, he should be grateful to the people of the Beast Fighting Arena for pulling him out of prison.
Otherwise, as a death row inmate, he would have been doomed to die, the only difference being how quickly it happened.
Only in the Beast Fighting Arena did he have a chance to survive. The rule here was that if one could survive thirty consecutive battles, all crimes would be pardoned!
This rule had even been acknowledged by the king!
Of course, in the hundreds of years since this cursed place was established, fewer than ten people had managed to survive thirty battles. But at least there was a chance...
It gave Otok a glimmer of hope.
He secretly vowed that if he ever got out alive, he would twist the head off the person in charge of this damned place as a token of his gratitude.