Thus, a "mad dog" appeared in the underground gladiatorial arena of the goddess Ishtar...
"Again!"
Ryou had just been knocked to the ground by Anastasia but immediately got up and launched another attack on her.
This was already Ryou's third day in the arena. At first, Anastasia refused to spar with him, so Ryou had no choice but to practice with other slave gladiators.
However, after just one day, no slave dared to spar with him anymore.
Can you imagine a scene where a seemingly frail young man, no matter how much you beat him, just won't go down and then comes at you like a mad dog with a face full of blood?
These slaves, no matter how strong their physical condition, were just ordinary people, far inferior to adventurers. They could hardly inflict significant damage on Ryou, who possessed a mana. Moreover, each slave was the private property of the goddess Ishtar, and no one dared to use lethal force.
Even gladiators with much stronger physiques, who looked like bodybuilders, eventually succumbed to Ryou's relentless assaults.
The slaves who managed to survive in this underground arena had simple wishes: to stay alive, even if it meant licking the toes of these Amazonian warriors.
A healthy, uninjured body was their only guarantee of survival.
In contrast, Ryou, to become stronger, relied on his mana to quickly heal his injuries and fought as if he had no regard for his life.
Who would dare spar with him under such circumstances?
Ryou also realized that sparring with these ordinary people was far less efficient than getting beaten up by Anastasia, a level 2 adventurer. In one day, his attribute enhancement was less than a third of what it could be.
Determined to become stronger quickly, Ryou gritted his teeth and made a reckless decision: to seek abuse! Thus, on the third day, Ryou directly approached Anastasia, asking to spar with her.
"Hmph!" Anastasia responded with a disdainful snort and turned her back on him.
What a joke! Anastasia wasn't foolish. Sparring with Ryou was not only inglorious if she won, but if she accidentally got grappled by him, she'd lose both face and dignity. As a seasoned Amazon warrior, Anastasia would never do something so stupid.
She didn't want to, but Ryou was dead set on it.
"Afraid to fight me? Then go home and nurse your babies!"
Ryou taunted sarcastically, his voice loud enough for everyone in the training ground to hear.
Instantly, the previously noisy and bustling training ground fell silent. The slaves, who thrived on chaos, either laughed out loud or whistled, and the Amazons all turned to look with peculiar expressions.
The Amazon race, being natural battle maniacs and staunch feminists, reacted to Ryou's words as if he had insulted another man by calling him a cowardly bastard. The effect was immediate!
"You despicable man! You're asking for death!!!" Anastasia's face twisted in anger, her scars trembling.
She abruptly drew a short sword, stomped hard on the ground, and charged at Ryou like a raging T-Rex! Fortunately, she retained a shred of rationality and used a wooden short sword.
A powerful slash aimed directly at Ryou's head, but Ryou, having provoked her, was naturally prepared. He raised his wooden shield with both hands to block the strike.
Snap!
The hard birch-wood short sword struck with Anastasia's full force, instantly broke into two pieces. The sword tip flew off and embedded itself in the head of a slave, who was nearly scared to death.
Taking this powerful blow head-on, Ryou felt as though his arms were about to break, and he could barely stay upright, half-kneeling on the ground.
Anastasia sneered, quickly lifted her foot, and kicked Ryou, who hadn't yet caught his breath. He was sent flying. Anastasia nonchalantly tossed aside the broken sword and drew a spear.
"Get up! Didn't you want to spar with me?" Anastasia beckoned to Ryou, who was sprawled on the ground.
"Again!" Ryou spat out a mouthful of blood, propped himself up on his arms, and stood up once more.
The Amazons watching the fierce battle started to jeer.
"Anastasia's skills seem to be slipping."
"Yeah, she can't even take down a newbie weakling."
"How about we place bets? How many rounds do you think that pretty boy can last?" A round-faced Amazon smirked, eyes gleaming with mischief.
Many Amazons eagerly joined in.
"He lasted twelve rounds the day before yesterday, so I'll bet he makes it fifteen this time," one Amazon said cautiously.
"I think he won't last ten rounds this time; Anastasia is serious now," another Amazon, familiar with Anastasia, remarked.
"Then I'll bet twenty rounds," a tall Amazon declared.
"Hah? You must have a thing for him. If that's the case, lend me your 'big black stick' for two days," a slender Amazon teased.
"He was taken by that Phryne. Go ask her," the tall Amazon replied with a cold smile.
"Oh, poor 'big black stick,' I hope Phryne doesn't drain him dry too soon," the slender Amazon said mockingly.
However, all the Amazons present knew that was impossible. Phryne was a notorious man-killer in the entire Labyrinth City. Falling into her hands meant being drained to death was only a matter of time.
The Amazons watched the spectacle with extreme relaxation.
They seemed to have no faith in Ryou. Naturally, this was expected. One was a battle-hardened level 2 adventurer, and the other… well, hehe~ With their keen eyes, the Amazons could tell at a glance that Ryou had just learned to wield a weapon. Lasting five rounds against a serious Amazon warrior would be a compliment. As for injuring Anastasia, that was out of the question.
In the arena, perhaps Ryou's attitude had truly angered Anastasia, as she kept knocking him down in various ways.
When Ryou got into position, she swung her spear, using the butt to sweep Ryou's legs, sending him sprawling. When he stood up again, she switched her weapon to a shield and charged like a bull, sending him flying.
Ryou crashed into a weapon rack, taking a long time to get up. By then, Anastasia had switched weapons again, this time to a lasso.
She flung the lasso, expertly wrapping it around Ryou's arm. Flexing her muscular arm, she yanked hard, and Ryou, unable to resist her immense strength, was pulled toward Anastasia.
Anastasia's fist was already waiting for him. As soon as he got close, she landed a heavy punch on his left cheek.
Ryou was knocked to the ground once more, his left cheek swelling to more than double its size, the bruised area turning a dark purple.
"Spit!"
Ryou spat out a loose tooth.
"Again!"
"Again!"
"Again!!!"
Ryou seemed to only know these words, no matter how many times Anastasia knocked him down.
The Amazons watching were completely speechless by now. Forget twenty rounds; it was nearing fifty rounds, and he was still relentlessly attacking Anastasia like an indestructible cockroach.
Seeing the indomitable figure in the arena, even the iron-willed Amazon warriors were moved.
A prolonged battle finally wore out Anastasia's spirit. For a moment, her movements slackened.
Ryou, who had been on the defensive, suddenly saw an opportunity. His eyes lit up, and he thrust his wooden sword like lightning!
Although Anastasia quickly reacted, parrying with her wooden sword and deflecting his strike, he managed to leave a minute cut on her arm beforehand.
The cut was no longer than a finger and as thin as a hair, with barely a trace of blood visible.
But it still meant that Ryou, a complete novice, had wounded Anastasia, a highly experienced level 2 adventurer.
An unspeakable humiliation!
"Die!"
All of Anastasia's reason was instantly consumed by rage. She raised her wooden sword and swung it fiercely at Ryou's neck. If this blow landed, given her immense strength, even an unsharpened wooden sword could sever his neck.
Ryou barely managed to raise his wooden sword to block his neck.
Snap!
His wooden sword was instantly broken by Anastasia's strike, but the force was significantly diminished. The wooden sword struck Ryou's neck, hitting his windpipe, and he immediately felt a choking sensation, finally passing out dramatically.
...
When Ryou woke from his unconsciousness, he quickly checked himself. As expected, Anastasia had not bothered to treat his injuries.
However, a smile appeared on his face.
His basic attributes now were—
[ Strength—9.4 (F-)
Agility—10.2 (F)
Endurance—11.5 (F)
Magic—1.2 (F-) ]
He had improved by a full 3 or 4 points. Even without checking the attribute panel, he could feel that his physical condition had significantly improved.
Besides that, he had acquired two new skills—
[ Basic One-Handed Sword Mastery (1%), Basic Shield Mastery (3%). ]
I have indeed, step by step, grown stronger!
Lying on the haystack, staring at the moss-covered stone ceiling, Ryou raised his right fist to the sky, his eyes burning with an unquenchable fire...
...
In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.
During this time, Ryou's life became very regimented.
Every day, the first thing he did upon waking was to use various methods to provoke Anastasia, forcing her to spar with him (a one-sided beatdown). The hot-tempered Anastasia did not disappoint, using all kinds of methods and weapons to knock him to the ground.
As a warrior, especially a battle-hungry Amazon warrior, Anastasia was indeed experienced. She was proficient with swords, spears, halberds, bows, crossbows, and shields, as well as more exotic weapons like flails and whips. This wide range of skills, though too scattered to reach the highest level, made her an excellent beginner's teacher for him.
Thanks to her, Ryou made rapid progress. Not only did his physical attributes improve by 3 or 4 points across the board, but he also learned how to use a wide variety of weapons.
His initial two basic skills merged into a single one—Basic Cold Weapon Mastery (2%).
Ryou discovered that this skill was comprehensive. Whether in close combat, long-range, or using various strange weapons, as long as he held a weapon in his hand, he could wield it proficiently, even if he had never seen the weapon before.
It was as if a vast database of cold weapons had been implanted into his mind. For the first time, Ryou truly felt the power of the system.
However, the skill's proficiency increased very slowly. After ten days of almost continuous sparring with Anastasia, it had only increased by 1%.
Reaching 100% seemed like it would take forever, and given the "Basic" label, there were clearly at least "Intermediate" and "Advanced" levels above it. The revolution was far from successful, and he had to keep working hard.
Ryou also noticed a problem: sparring with Anastasia daily led to increasingly slow improvements in his basic attributes. Initially, he could increase by 2 or 3 points a day, but now, even if he trained from morning till night, exhausting himself completely, the increase was less than 0.5 points.
He needed to find a way to escape soon.
Ryou made up his mind.
He hadn't forgotten that the fastest way to grow stronger in this world was to join a god's Familia, receive their "Blessing," become an adventurer, and enter the dungeon to continuously kill monsters and level up.
A Familia is like a guild in a game, composed of mortals who have received the "Blessing" of the same deity.
The Blessing, reportedly developed jointly by the gods, can guide a person's potential. It can display a person's attributes in the form of numbers, like a simplified character panel, but the data can only be updated by the deity themselves.
Adventurers who receive the Blessing can increase their attributes by killing monsters, casting spells, creating potions, and through other activities, gradually becoming stronger like in a game.
As for leveling up, when an adventurer's basic attributes reach their limits and they accomplish feats like defeating powerful enemies, their level can increase. This is akin to filling a cup with water until it overflows and then needing a bigger cup to hold more water.
Doesn't it sound like an RPG game?
To Ryou, it seemed like a large-scale reality show organized by the bored gods, with the gods acting as shareholders, guild leaders, and programmers.
He planned to join a Familia, receive a Blessing, then enter the dungeon to adventure and become stronger. And eventually... uproot the entire Ishtar Familia!
Looking at Anastasia's scarred and ugly face, a sharp light as keen as a blade flashed in Ryou's eyes.
"You, are you a descendant of some deity or hero!"
Anastasia cursed as she swung her sword down. Ryou deftly raised his shield and, at the moment of contact, angled it slightly, causing the forceful sword strike to glance off.
Facing Anastasia's blatant probing, Ryou's eyes flickered, and he nonchalantly replied, "Who knows?"
Being beaten half to death every day, only to be full of energy and ready to fight again the next day, with almost no scars to show for it, was a recovery speed on par with or even surpassing that of a high-level adventurer.
After more than ten days, even someone as muscle-brained and hot-tempered as Anastasia noticed something was off.
Moreover, Ryou's terrifying growth speed was evident. From being knocked down in one move at the start, he could now last for over a dozen rounds, all in just half a month!
A combat genius was unmistakable.
However, Anastasia could never have imagined the existence of a system that was a "super cheat" so powerful it left the gods' "Blessing" far behind.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Ryou retreated steadily, using his shield to block Anastasia's relentless attacks. The wooden sword in her muscular hands pounded repeatedly against his wooden shield, sending splinters flying.
Seizing a gap in Anastasia's assault, Ryou suddenly swung his left-hand shield to deflect her sword, and his right-hand wooden short sword thrust straight at her abdomen.
At that moment, a smug smile of "You fell for it!" appeared on Anastasia's face. She swiftly and viciously drove her knee toward Ryou's side.
Ryou hesitated only for a moment, his expression turning as fierce as a lone wolf's. Instead of dodging, he accelerated his sword thrust.
The wooden blade left a fine scratch on Anastasia's abdomen, barely drawing blood. In contrast, Ryou was sent flying by Anastasia's brutal knee strike, crashing into two nearby, listless slave gladiators.
The three of them tumbled into a heap, but Ryou quickly got up as if nothing had happened, brushing the sand off his clothes.
Anastasia's eye twitched as she looked at the unscathed Ryou.
Fifteen days ago, this strike would have made him cough up blood and collapse, unable to get up for half a day. Now, it only caused him slight pain for a moment.
Facing such an opponent, Anastasia lost all interest. She suddenly plunged her wooden sword into the sandy ground.
"What, are you out of steam so quickly today, or is it that time of the month?" Ryou taunted out of habit.
"Mind your own business," Anastasia retorted, then suddenly recalled something and smiled oddly. "You should be more concerned about yourself."
Ryou's heart skipped a beat. This muscle-bound woman, whose mind was filled with nothing but fighting, had no guile. For her to say such a thing meant something significant was happening, something closely related to him.
His premonition was soon confirmed.
...
As the sun began to set, a group of fully armed Amazons entered the training ground, escorting a sensually dressed, stunningly beautiful woman.
"It's Lady Aisha!"
"Lady Aisha!"
The previously listless Amazons suddenly perked up, looking at the woman with eyes full of admiration.
What astonished Ryou was that even Anatasia, the musclebound woman, showed a look of reverence and envy.
Familiar with the original story, his mind immediately conjured up the information about this woman.
Aisha Belka, a high-ranking member of the Ishtar Familia, was responsible for leading the combat prostitutes within the Familia. The skillful and highly admired Aisha was more like the leader of the Ishtar Familia.
Her strength was close to level 4, and she was skilled in chanting magic during combat. Due to her splendid battle style, she earned the Alias "Antianeira."
A very troublesome woman — that was Ryou's assessment of her.
Surrounded by the Amazons, Aisha stepped onto the central platform of the training ground.
The slave gladiators had already been forcibly quieted by the Amazons, each raising their heads to look at the imposing and beautiful woman.
"Our mistress has spoken: the arena will soon open, and she does not need useless slaves!"
"Pick up your weapons! Kill the comrades beside you!"
"When the sun sets, if more than a third of you are still standing, we will personally execute the excess!"
Aisha coldly issued this cruel and bloody order, which instantly swept through the crowd like a bomb.
Perhaps they had been informed beforehand, as some battle-hungry Amazons crossed their arms and wore expressions of eager anticipation.
Among them was Anastasia. When Ryou's gaze met hers, Anastasia grinned widely and made a throat-slitting gesture. As she did so, the scars on her face twitched, making her look particularly ferocious.
There were at least over a hundred slave gladiators in the arena. Upon hearing this unreasonable and brutal order, they looked at each other in astonishment.
They quickly came to their senses, and the long-standing oppression ignited a fire of hatred within them, their anger flaring up instantly.
"These Amazon bitches want to kill us!"
"Fight them!"
"Men will never be slaves!"
Many slave gladiators grabbed their weapons and charged at the nearest Amazon warriors.
Ryou hesitated for a moment, quickly assessing the strength of both sides in his mind, then decisively withdrew from the crowd and hid in a corner, choosing to be cautious.
His decision proved to be entirely correct.
The Amazons, already prepared, stood ready, waiting for the slaves to rebel so they could kill and establish their authority!
At some point, their weapons had been replaced with metal ones, their blades glinting with a sharp, cold light. Despite being outnumbered, their dark faces showed expressions of bloodthirsty anticipation.
The weakest Amazon present was at least a level 1 adventurer. It was common knowledge in Orario that ordinary people without "blessings" could not compete with adventurers.
In just one clash, merely one clash, more than a dozen charging slave gladiators were instantly cut down. Severed limbs flew through the air, and blood quickly dyed the sandy ground of the training field red.
Watching the gruesome scene unfold from his hiding spot, Ryou couldn't help but feel his throat constrict and his stomach churn. He finally understood why the sand in the training field looked brown — it was stained permanently by countless blood, a cruel and unyielding color.
The previous training had seemed harsh, but wooden swords could never compare to the brutality of real blades cutting into flesh, with blood and gore flying everywhere. Resisting the urge to vomit was the result of his relentless and brutal training.
Their side was instantly overpowered, with over a dozen slaves brought down, while the Amazons only suffered a single arm injury, a cut neither too big nor too small. Faced with this brutal reality, the slave gladiators hesitated, their courage faltering, not daring to advance.
The Amazons, however, had no intention of letting them off easily.
"Fire!" commanded an Amazon from the wall, immediately raising her bow and shooting into the crowd.
"Ah!!!"
The gladiators screamed as they fell.
The Amazons' cruel methods and overwhelming combat strength finally crushed the gladiators' spirit of resistance. They dropped their weapons and raised their hands high in surrender.
Aisha watched all this with a cold, expressionless face. When she saw the gladiators stop resisting, a fleeting look of pity flashed in her eyes, but she still shouted, "Gladiators! Your time is running out!"
She pointed towards the sun, and the gladiators instinctively looked over, their hearts sinking as they saw that the sun had already half set.
At this moment, a gladiator with a vicious look suddenly grabbed the neck of the person in front of him and then picked up a sharp stone and slashed it across their throat!
Blood spurted out like a fountain, and his actions seemed to ignite the battle. The gladiators, who had just been united against a common enemy, turned their weapons on their comrades in an instant.
Blood splattered, and screams echoed relentlessly.
Perhaps because of his youthful appearance and slight build, Ryou was soon targeted.
His pursuers were a pair, their similar looks indicating a familial relationship. One on the left and one on the right, they closed in on him.
There was no exchange of words, nor was there a need for one. In his eyes, Ryou saw only raw, beast-like murderous intent.
Ryou's eyes narrowed slightly. Suddenly, he kicked his left foot swiftly, sending a large burst of sand flying towards the person on his left.
Caught off guard, the person immediately covered their face and staggered backward.
Ryou's hands weren't idle either. He swung his shield fiercely at the person on his right. The right-side gladiator instinctively blocked, sending the shield flying, but Ryou seized the opportunity to step forward and strike with his wooden sword.
However, his moment of hesitation led him to aim for the shoulder instead of a vital spot.
Just days ago, he had been living in a peaceful era, and the barrier of taking a life was one he couldn't immediately cross.
Nonetheless, with a strength attribute as high as 13, Ryou's strike was still beyond what an ordinary person could withstand.
A crisp crack echoed, and the person immediately clutched their arm and fell to the ground, screaming in pain, clearly suffering a fracture.
Just then, the gladiator on the left barely managed to open his eyes. Ryou swiftly struck his head, knocking him unconscious.
The gladiator with the fractured arm lay on the ground, groaning in pain. Suddenly, his vision darkened as Ryou stood over him with a grim expression.
"Spare me, please!" the gladiator pleaded desperately.
A trace of hesitation flickered across Ryou's face.
"Die!!!"
In that moment of hesitation, the gladiator on the ground suddenly sprang up. With a ferocious look, he pulled a dagger from his chest and stabbed it towards Ryou!