Chapter 54: Ch 54: Chloe
"Hey, have you heard? Those Foreign Adventurers are taking over the stage again. Some of them became incredibly famous overnight!"
"Yeah, I heard about it. The crowds are going completely crazy over them."
"I must say, they are getting stronger by the day. At first, we thought they were just foolish and reckless. But we were completely wrong."
"True. I even heard that one of them challenged the Holy Son from the War God’s Shrine."
"What? They actually dared to do that? What is her name?"
"Her name is... well, I forgot."
The excited whispers of the townsfolk reached Raidan’s ears as he navigated the bustling market streets. The news of those foreign adventurers taking over the Grand Martial Arena was spreading like wildfire through the city.
Instantly, a crafty and highly lucrative plan formed in his mind. If the wealthy nobles and arrogant merchants of the Central District were throwing away mountains of gold on these gladiatorial fights, he could easily manipulate the outcome to his absolute advantage.
Without a single moment of delay, Raidan adjusted his cloak and turned his steps directly toward the Martial Arena.
Arriving there, he went to ticket counter buy a ticket.
"A VIP pass for the upper terrace," Raidan said, keeping his face to his original one.
The ticket clerk behind the iron bars adjusted his spectacles and sneered.
"That will be exactly 100 gold coins, sir. No haggling allowed."
Raidan did not say a single word. He simply pulled a heavy leather pouch from his spatial inventory and dropped the required gold onto the wooden counter. The clerk’s arrogant expression vanished instantly as he scrambled to hand over a polished bronze medallion.
Raidan took the pass and walked past the heavily armed guards.
He climbed the grand marble staircase until he reached the exclusive upper sections.
This area was reserved entirely for the wealthy elite. The seats were padded with fine red velvet, and servants carried silver trays filled with expensive wine.
He found an empty seat near the front railing. He sat down just as a magically amplified voice reverberated across the massive sunlit coliseum.
"Ladies, gentlemen, and esteemed nobles of Great Vanir City. Welcome to the Grand Martial Arena!"
The conductor shouted, standing on a floating platform in the center of the bloody sand.
The roar of 50,000 spectators shook the stone pillars. Raidan crossed his arms, listening to the wealthy patrons arguing aggressively around him.
"I tell you, these foreigner adventurers are a menace. But they certainly know how to bleed for our entertainment."
"Are you betting on the challenger today, Lord Vane?" a powdered noblewoman asked, delicately sipping her wine.
Lord Vane scoffed. "Of course not. These foreigners might have some strange tricks, but brute force always wins at the end."
Raidan smirked under his hood. "Let us see about that."
But furst, he turned his attention on the match.
"Today, we have a spectacle that will shake the very foundations of this city! You have heard the wild rumors. You have seen them running blindly through our streets. They claim they are foreign adventurers. But today, they are the challengers!"
The massive crowd booed and cheered at the same time.
"Unfortunately for them, this won’t be so easy today. Because today... they will face the wrath of the Arena!"
The conductor then pointed his finger toward the heavy iron gates on the southern end.
"Standing at eight feet tall, we have the undisputed butcher of the pit! Give it up for Kordel the Blood-Axe!"
"YAHHHHH! KILLLL!"
Following the cheers, the hulking brute stepped out and dragged his gigantic iron battleaxe behind him.
"And in the northern corner... We have a Foreigner who has somehow won three consecutive death matches in a single afternoon! She wields a blade of pure fire and calls herself Sunshine. Will her strange magic save her from the butcher? Let the blood flow, and let the battle begin!"
"YEAHHHH! KILL HER! TEAR HER INTO PIECES!"
While the spectators cheered, Raidan could not help but smile a little.
’Sunshine... Does she seriously call herself that? Who is she anyway?’
The heavy iron gates on the northern side slowly ground opened, and a figure stepped out onto the bloodstained sand, bathed in the glaring sunlight.
She was clad in lightweight, crimson leather armor, holding a slender longsword that blazed with terrifying flames.
When she raised her head to scan the massive crowd, the light caught her striking features and her flowing golden hair.
Seeing her beautiful face, Raidan’s face forze for a second.
He knew that face.
She was Chloe.
Back in his old world, during his college days, she had been the undisputed belle of the entire campus. She was graceful, radiant, and constantly surrounded by admirers.
He had actually harbored a small crush on her back then. It was a innocent feeling from a lifetime ago, long before he had ever met and married Emma.
Seeing her here in this brutal, blood-soaked arena was completely surprising.
The untouchable college beauty had become a Player, swinging a flaming sword under the ridiculous alias of Sunshine.
-
Chloe’s POV:
The loud roar of the crowd was making my head muddled. I gripped my flaming longsword tightly, letting the intense heat wash over my leather gloves.
Back on Earth, my biggest worry was passing my final exams and avoiding annoying guys at college parties. Everyone treated me like a fragile model.
But, mow, I am standing in a blood-stained pit, preparing to fight an eight-foot-tall monster named Kordel just to survive.
I know dying in this world is same dying on Earth.
And I am not doing this for fame or glory. I need exactly 500 gold coins to purchase an Advanced Pyromancy Spell. If I want to make it in this brutal reality, I absolutely refuse to be weak. The Arena is the only place crazy enough to pay out that kind of cash to a novice like me.
I turned my attention to the fight.
Kordel stomped his massive boots into the sand. He raised his gigantic iron battleaxe, locking his bloodshot eyes on my small frame.
"Die, little doll!" he bellowed, charging forward like a runaway train.
I took a deep, breath and prepared to activate my movement skill.
But right before I could step out of his path, a familiar translucent blue screen materialized directly in my line of sight.
[ Ding! ]
[ You Have Received A Quest From Master Verde ]
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