Zayn chose not to look back even though he knew that the middle-aged man was still smiling at him.
'He shouldn't be a Guard, from the way he acts and moves. A former Adventurer-turned-Manager?' He guessed in his mind while taking a look at the Colosseum's interior.
The sheer size of the Colosseum was breathtaking. Walking through the arched hallway that rose above six meters, Zayn wondered if there had ever been someone with a God's power related to gigantification. Otherwise, it wouldn't really make sense to have such huge hallways, in the first place…or was there a valid reason?
Zayn was intrigued by the Colosseum's structure. Thus, he walked past the reception where he was supposed to register. He entered the wide-open seating area of the Colosseum, his mouth gaping open a bit at the sight that unfolded in front of him.
The seating area rose up in a spiral, each tier adorned with ornate carvings and imposing sculptures. The floor of the area was close to 300 meters in width and breadth. It was made of sand and surrounded by a wall that reached up to the top of the first seating tiers.
Zayn could tell that the atmosphere in the Colosseum was a jumbled mess. The air was filled with the sounds of cheers and shouts from thousands of people in attendance. Their excitement and anticipation were palpable as they waited for the next game to begin.
Zayn could clearly see that nearly every spectator seated in the Colosseum was holding a ticket tightly. This caused him to shake his head even though he was aware of the gambling scene within the Colosseum.
The Colosseum was not only a structure of architectural beauty and engineering wonder but also a symbol that showcased mankind's love for entertainment, even if that meant people had to die for the sake of others' entertainment.
'Betting on someone's victory and hoping that the other party dies…Are we really in the territory of humans, or did I end up in the territory of some demon race when I entered the Colosseum?' Zayn wondered for a moment. He shook his head but he could not change the way the Colosseum was operated.
He would make sure that these idiots would regret betting on someone's life while finding out how long they would survive and various other options one could bet for.
Zayn remained in his position a little longer. He waited for the next challenger to enter the arena. It was a man, a Normie with one Soulring. He was muscular and the scars all over his body showed quite clearly that he was not a person one should underestimate even if he was 'just' a Normie.
At first, Zayn thought of watching the fight, but upon seeing the monster that was being dragged inside the arena through a mechanism that moved the monster's iron cage, he lost interest.
'He will burn to a cinder even before he realizes,' He could only think as he turned around, and decided to approach the reception and register for the Colosseum Challenge.
"Better die fast, otherwise, I will piss on your ashes!" An old man shouted at the Normie in the arena and many similar curses rang out from all over the seating tiers. Zayn shook his head at this.
He continued to walk away from the arena, while hearing a desperate scream as the monster roared out, releasing blazing flames that burned the Normie within seconds, reducing him into a pile of ashes.
Thunderous cheers rang out all over the seating area, which only worsened Zayn's mood.
He took a deep breath when he ended up in front of the reception where two women were hard at work.
Next to the reception, one could see a large wooden counter and more than ten men and women fumbling around with copper, silver, and gold coins.
They fixed a few things until a cloaked man reached them, saying a few words before he disappeared once again. The men and women straightened their backs in response and they looked over to the pathway that connected the hall with the seating area.
It was not long after that dozens of men rushed through the pathway as if they were being pursued by ferocious monsters. Of course, that was not the case.
They rushed to the betting station of the Colosseum with greed and uncontrollable desire gleaming in their eyes.
"Give me my money, you bastard!" One man shouted loudly, clearly drunk and swaying from left to right, unable to control his body, let alone emotions anymore. A young man retrieved the ticket handed by the loud, drunk man. He retrieved a pouch, and grabbed a few coins without losing his calm before he handed the pouch to the man.
"I hope you visit the Colosseum's Gambling Ceasaria soon again. Thank you for your participation!" The young man said in a calm and gentle tone as the drunk man ripped the pouch out of his hands. He was still smiling but turned now to the other men who had bet their money on the earlier fight.
Zayn tried not to show any interest in the attitude of the Blessed who bet on the life and death of the Colosseum's Challengers, but that was hardly possible. The commotion was simply to loud, with too many Blessed having bet on the instant death of the Normie whom he had seen in the arena just seconds earlier.
The number of men and women scrambling to the Colosseum's Gambling Caesaria to get their money kept increasing, which caused Zayn to sigh subconsciously.
"Little Cutie, are you sure that you want to participate in the Colosseum's Challenge? Don't throw away your life just because you want money or fame. It's not worth it…" A high-pitched voice to his right advised.
Zayn turned to the right where he could see that both receptionists were looking at him. They had waited for him to say something but Zayn had been too focused on the scene to his left.
The two female receptionists could clearly see that Zayn didn't have a Stigma on his right arm. They were also experienced enough in their job to tell when young Normies that were confident in their strength, were trying to make some money while gaining fame.
Even if the receptionists were not able to understand how Normies felt when they were frowned upon, looked at with disgust, and treated as if they were not even worth a single speck of dirt, they could comprehend that most younger Normies were desperately trying to change their lives for the better.
To them, it was confusing how the high chance of a miserable and painful death was not enough to frighten the Normies. But they were not aware of the fact that these normies had gone through much more pain than any Blessed could understand. It was not their fault that no God chose to bless them. Did they really deserve to be treated like trash just because of their misfortune?
Zayn smiled slightly toward the two receptionists, feeling thankful for their well-meant advice. However, their advice didn't change anything for him.
He had to participate in the Colosseum's Challenge, he would win, and he would bet his entire fortune on his survival and the death of the beast he would face.
In the meantime, he would obliterate his opponents, to make sure that nobody except him would win the battle. Everyone betting on his death should fear losing their entire fortune because he was going to take it all!
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