**'Abyssal Sovereign: The Demon's Dominion'**

Chapter 533: Chapter 532: Serosa

Finally, they stood inches before the so-called Death Door. Keith’s eyes were cold as he looked at the seller.

"Smehijeufaca," the seller spoke as the door clicked open. He entered the darkness, and Keith followed. The instant Keith stepped through the door, it slammed shut behind him with a loud bang.

Keith’s body tensed once inside, but lights lit up the surroundings one by one, and Keith realized this was not a room but a long, dark passage.

Then, in silence, the two walked toward the end. For Keith, he couldn’t help but feel his heart pounding like crazy as his steps wobbled one after another. Each step brought him closer to his destination.

"Is he the one?" Finally, they reached another door as Keith saw a few men waiting while talking to the seller.

"He is," the seller replied as he pushed Keith forward. One of the men grabbed Keith. The instant he did, Keith felt a strong arm clamp onto his shoulder, forcing his body to bend slightly.

"You can return. One hundred taels will be sent."

Hearing this, the seller’s face beamed.

That was the good thing for sellers. Although they had to wait three years, in the end they still sold the slaves at a good price.

Outside in the slave market, one hundred taels could easily buy a high-grade slave or a beautiful maiden to serve.

"Thank you... thank you," the seller said as he bowed before leaving.

"He won’t last past the first round," one of the men said after he was gone.

"Yeah. Match him against a rising fighter. Let him torture the kid and have fun. Make him give the crowd what they want before killing him," another man with a much stronger, raspy voice said.

"Yes."

Just like that, Keith’s life and death were decided as Keith gritted his teeth.

Thinking about it...

It had always been like this.

His fate...

His life...

Others decided them one after another.

He had become nothing more than someone who answered, yes... yes... yes... to whatever was thrown at him.

"Take him to the rest," one of them ordered.

Keith’s chains were picked up once more as he was dragged forward.

His wrists felt sore as he was dragged like an animal into another room.

A much brighter one.

Inside, Keith saw many kids around his age, but he seemed completely out of place.

They were all chained, but their bodies were covered in long scars. Their eyes were cold as they held short knives.

Even though they were thin, their bodies were packed with muscles, and they carried an intimidating aura.

The man dragged Keith to a wall.

Keith watched as he picked up a giant nail and, with his bare palm, drove it into the wall, pinning Keith there.

Keith felt disturbed.

Was that even possible?

More importantly, his heart felt heavy.

He felt like prey in this room.

The dozens of people inside didn’t even spare him a glance, yet he felt suffocated just standing there.

Keith kept to the corner as his heartbeat raced.

But even through all this...

His rage and hatred never diminished.

Slowly, his hatred was no longer directed only at the townspeople.

Now...

Everything and everyone felt like his enemy.

The slave traders...

The townspeople...

Even the people in this room.

They didn’t have to wait long before the door opened once more.

"Alright. It’s time," A strange new man said. His size was the largest Keith had seen as he wore a iron Armour that gleamed in the dark.

The dozens of slaves stood up one after another as the man yanked the nails free, releasing them. Their chains fell onto the ground.

Only Keith remained seated.

The man frowned.

"Were you just brought here?" he asked as Keith trembled.

Then the man grabbed Keith by the head.

Bam!

Keith’s head snapped to the side as his lips instantly burst open and blood flowed out.

A sharp pain filled his head.

"You answer when you’re spoken to."

"Were you just brought here?" the man asked once more.

Bam!

Another dull impact landed, this time in Keith’s stomach.

He felt the air leave his lungs as his vision lost focus.

"Were you just—"

"Forget it," the man said with a wide grin.

Bam!

Bam!

Bam!

The dull impacts rang out one after another as Keith felt he was beyond life itself, only a step away from death.

Only then did the man stop.

"I like this one," the man said with a laugh as he removed the chains binding Keith and pulled him to his feet.

"Take this and fight. You’re very durable. Use that to your advantage and —"

Then the man paused as he looked at the almost lifeless Keith.

He popped a strange pill into Keith’s mouth, and Keith’s eyes suddenly open wide.

"Better. We can’t have you half dead before the match," the man said as Keith looked at him.

"Take it."

Keith reached out and grabbed the knife.

Then, after setting Keith down with the others, they followed the man outside.

This time, they didn’t go the way Keith had come.

Instead, they went in the opposite direction and soon arrived at a giant hall that branched into multiple passages.

Then multiple men emerged from those passages and selected the slaves one by one.

At that moment, a rather thin man stepped forward to take Keith.

But the man who had been standing with Keith and the others spoke.

"This one is durable. He has a burning hatred in his eyes. I think he’ll put on a good show. Match him against a stronger opponent."

The thin man bowed slightly.

"Yes."

With that, Keith was dragged away by the thin man as they left.

Once again, Keith was separated from the others as he followed the thin man.

This time, there were more than five paths. The thin man looked toward the far-left passage and sighed before heading to the one on the right.

Keith couldn’t help but look back at it.

Remembering that man’s words, he seemed to realize he was supposed to have been taken to the far-left passage, but now...

Had his stubbornness made things worse for him?

Keith felt he had learned his first lesson about breaking obedience as they entered the passageway.

The instant they did, Keith heard loud human roars as the ground above them trembled.

One after another, the deafening cheers caused Keith to tremble as they drew closer and grew louder.

Finally, in front of a massive wall, the thin man stopped dragging Keith before turning around and leaving.

Keith watched as the passage they had come through disappeared.

The ground shook once more as Keith’s breathing became ragged while he looked at the knife they had given him.

He touched its tip and ran his fingers along the blade.

Blunt...

This...

How was this supposed to help him fight?

And judging from everything he had heard...

This was a fight to the death.

Fear gripped Keith, but he couldn’t help remembering the pill he had been given and how it had brought him back to life.

Right now, Keith could feel a subtle energy flowing through his body.

Then he remembered the seller’s words.

Whatever happens...

"Don’t stay down."

Now he was beginning to understand.

As long as you didn’t die outright...

You could still live in this place.

And being stubborn would do you no good.

Obedience was the key to survival.

The ground shook as the wall before Keith slowly opened.

The deafening shouts poured into his ears without restraint, causing his body to go cold with fright.

Then he felt the closed exit behind him move closer and closer.

Before Keith knew it...

He was pushed outside.

The moment he stepped into the arena, a thunderous roar erupted.

A massive arena spread before him as he saw thousands of people cheering.

The intense light struck his face, and for a brief moment...

Keith felt as though he had returned to the surface.

But the overwhelming atmosphere of the arena made his legs wobble.

Keith wanted to run back.

Or simply sit down somewhere.

But...

He gritted his teeth and forced himself to walk forward toward the center of the open arena.

As he walked, Keith saw scattered bones.

Some still had pieces of flesh hanging from them.

The ground itself was a mixture of dark-red blood and bright yellow sand.

A clear testament to the countless deaths that had taken place here.

"Welcome his opponent!"

"The man currently on a ten-win streak!"

"The Underdog!"

"A killer in the truest sense, who uses the skulls of his enemies as trophy wine cups!"

"Welcome... Serosa!"

A booming voice, loud enough to drown out the cheering crowd, echoed throughout the arena.

The audience erupted once more as, opposite Keith, a section of the wall rumbled open.

A huge man stepped out.

He was only about a head shorter than the adults Keith had seen before, but his build was far larger than anyone Keith had ever laid eyes on.

Even worse...

He carried a giant axe over his shoulder and wore leather armor around his body.

Scars covered him from head to toe, with one particularly deep scar running across his face.

He looked terrifying.

Keith couldn’t help but collapse onto his backside as the crowd erupted into laughter.

But at that moment...

Keith realized something.

"I’m going to die..."

Keith’s eyes widened as he muttered those words.