TRANSMISSION! TRANSMISSION! TRANSMISSION! Transmission detected incoming. Accept Or Not!!!
A shrill voice echoed around a dark seemingly empty cave. However, if one were to look around the cave, a big transparent tank filled with a green liquid could be observed, in the middle of the tank, the faint outline of a body albeit incomplete could be glimpsed.
"Accept" An ancient voice echoed out seemingly from the tank. As the voice spoke, several light sources in the room lit up and a dark shadowy figure could be seen operating a computer-like object.
"Yes master" the shadowy figure replied and tapped a key.
"Lord Agamemo, a hint of that which is Taboo was detected on the planet where one of the Agamemo split souls resides. Should we send an Incursor to investigate what could have caused it as the planet is an extremely backwater place"
There was silence for a while then the ancient voice echoed out from the tank.
"Even Taboo existences lived in fear of my name back then. We shall watch and see if any suspicious events happen again. Deploy two Incursors to bring back the soul to me. I am going back to sleep"
"Yes master" replied the shrill voice. The lights in the room flickered out and the room descended back into quietness and darkness.
Meanwhile in the Glazed Coliseum, the second round was almost over as only one group was left to have their 10 rounds of fighting.
Coincidentally, Ryu was in this group and he was slated to fight first. The Arena Master spoke from the commentating booth.
"The last batch of 100 are here and the opening match is between the Relationship Hating Ryu and Lultra. The other matches shall take place till the tenth round is complete. Let the match begin"
Ryu walked to the stage and opposite him was a muscular man who had one arm bigger than the other. Ryu brandished his sword and coated it with Mekra while Lultra performed the same to his arm.
"Your sword will be of no use in this battle no matter how much Mekra you use to coat it. They call me Indestructible Lultra for a good reason. Forfeit and go your way" Lultra taunted Ryu who kept on giving him a cold gaze.
As Lultra saw that he had been ignored by Ryu, he roared and shot out with immense lace towards Ryu. He began punching rapidly creating lots of punch mirages flying towards Ryu with his actual punch hidden in the mirages. The crowd oohed and ahhed at his technique.
Ryu exhaled out and took a stance with his sword while he concentrated. Within the blink of an eye, he struck down with his sword at one of the fist mirages. The mirages vanished leaving only a fist coming at Ryu's chest. He jumped backwards and dodged it.
"Hoooo you saw through the illusion, but it gets even better" he shot out several fists while bragging as if he had already won the battle.
"Can you just shut up for a second, you ugly pig" Ryu retorted out of anger and spat on the floor as he parried the fists coming at him with ease only for one to hit him from behind. Lultra burst into laughter as Ryu fell to the ground on a knee while panting.
"Just accept your loss and die to my fist" he taunted Ryu.
"Sword of Cleaving First Act: Cleaved Unto Earth". Ryu swung his sword in an arc around him while a reddish line appeared on the ground around him.
What followed next was the sound of objects hitting the floor as Lultra's arms were cut off at the very ball and socket joint.
He looked on in shock at his former arms, then the pain and realization set on and he screamed.
Ryu stood up and walked towards him while speaking in a condescending tone.
"You really thought I didn't see what you did, using useless illusions while you used a projectile to hit me from behind. Try better next time but you have no arms anymore. Sad"
He then grabbed the arms and repeatedly jammed them into the shoulder part where they used to be causing Lultra to scream in more pain.
Ryu stopped after a while and he coated the arms in Mekra using them to bash in Lultra's face while the audience grew even more excited at the bloody scene presented to them.
After a while, Lultra's unconscious body fell to the ground and a group of healers moved in to reattach his arms as he still had nine more fights.
The fights were concluded shortly after and Ryu qualified for the next round with 10 wins and a title from the spectators. He was called 'The Gladiator of Pain'.
The Arena Master came to the stage holding a bowl in hand. The contestants lined up in front of him while he addressed them.
"Congratulations on making it to the third stage, now this stage is a very lively one for yourself and the bookies as well, given that the stage tests your luck. This bowl contains 100 pieces of paper, 20 are right which leads to life and 80 are wrong which leads to death. Now you shall pick a piece each and after the last man has picked, there will be a shuffling. We have several high leveled cultivators who can sense who is right or wrong. They'll snipe the wrong ones out. May luck be with you".
As he left, the contestants began picking one by one and after the last of them had picked his piece of paper, the Arena Master gave a sign from the commentators booth, the contestants were restrained by shackles spreading out from the paper each of them held. 20 contestants had a purple shackle while the remaining 80 had a red shackle.
A group of cultivators walked onto the stage each of them holding modified rifles refitted for Mekra infusion. They took aim and pulled the triggers.
80 contestants fell over while the remaining 20 were freed of their shackles and among the 20 was Ryu.
The Arena Master returned to the stage whilst smiling and he spoke to them.
"The fourth round shall start now".
To be continued.