Inside arena 10.
The first sensation Roran became aware of as the darkness began to fade was pain, overwhelming and searing pain. The smell of burning flesh filled his nose, twisting his stomach as he struggled to make sense of his surroundings.
Memories, fragmented, flooded his mind, each one a vivid experience from a life he hadn't lived. It was as if he had lived another person's life, he experienced the feeling of their fears, desires, and even their darkest fantasies, something he absolutely wished to forget. One particular memory stood out, a desperate longing for death. A shiver crawled up Roran's spine. _What kind of idiot person wishes for death?_
Before he could dwell on it, Roran suddenly noticed that the pain, while still present, had lessened significantly. The unbearable burning sensation that had consumed him was now replaced by an intense itching, spreading across his entire body. He could feel his skin closing up and healing.
"Haa!"
Roran gasped, taking in air desperately like a man starved of air for years. The rush of air burned his throat, triggering a fit of dry coughs that felt like his insides were being ripped apart.
"Cough! Cough! Cough!"
The coughing subsided, leaving him with a raw, searing pain in his chest. He winced, trying to steady his breathing.
"He's actually still alive after being cooked by the demoness's dragon flame!" a voice nearby exclaimed in disbelief.
Roran's body slowly moved into a sitting position, muscles stiff and unresponsive. He sat still, in a trance, as memories kept surging through his mind relentlessly like a tide.
"Talk about being an unkillable cockroach. This guy didn't actually die," another murmured, equally astonished. Roran, now sitting up, could feel their eyes trained on him.
Another student exclaimed, his voice tinged with disbelief. " He actually has the time to be in a trance?!"
" Even if he survived the demoness flame, there's no point, " another student shook his head in pity, " he'll be killed by the python any second now. "
Their words pierced through Roran's haze, pulling him out of his trance. A cold chill enveloped him as reality crashed back to him. His heart pounded in his ribs, and a deep fear twisted in his gut. Abruptly, he glanced upwards, dread finally settling over him.
Roooar!!!
A roar echoed through the arena, an ominous reminder of the danger he was in. It had been fifty years since the emergence of arc energy.
Mutant beasts, despite their low intelligence, still understood when they were being ignored or disdained.
The python had been confined for so long and only ever fed the cold corpses of ordinary animals, and now it had the chance to enjoy a real, warm meal. It was supposed to be a feast, a moment of satisfaction, but it found itself being ignored. This enraged the creature. It's eyes reddened as it went berserk. With another furious roar, it launched at Roran with terrifying speed.
Roar!
Roran's mind went blank for a split second, disbelief flashing in his eyes as he muttered, " Pythons can roar?"
The beast overshadowed him, its form blocking the light. It lunged with, a swift predatory strike, it's mouth gaping wide. The snake's jaws clamped down, nearly swallowing Roran's entire body in one bite.
Crunch!
The pain was excruciating. Roran felt like his waist had been snapped in half, but miraculously, his body wasn't severed. The python yanked it's head back, tossing Roran into the air like a broken doll. As gravity pulled him back down, the python met him mid-air and swallowed him in a sickening gulp. It's throat muscles constricted and undulated, pulling him deeper into the dark, slimy abyss of it's stomach.
Coiling it's massive form in the corner of the arena, the python settled in, beginning the slow digestion of it's prey.
" As expected, he couldn't do anything against the opponent." A student murmured.
" In his next life, maybe he'll remember not to be late when dealing with the lady demoness." Another added with a grim chuckle. The students shifted their attention to the other stages, dismissing Roran as a lost cause.
Unbeknownst to them, inside the python, something incredible was happening.
The moment Roran had been thrown into the air, the shock nearly broke him. Yet, the moment just before the python swallowed him whole, his mind cleared with startling clarity. His panic gave way to instinct, and instinct to a sudden, desperate calculation. His widened as he recalled every student was issued a combat knife and they carried it within their official college coat. Good thing the coat was made with special materials, it withstood the demoness flame.
He reached inside his coat, his fingers brushing against the handle of the knife just as the python's jaws closed around him. But he was swallowed before he could retrieve. The knife was in his grasp, but in the dark, constricting environment, it felt like a lifeline slowly slipping away.
Roran's mind raced, just as the python's digestive juices began to corrode his skin. The python's throat muscles constricted around him, pulling him deeper, making his every breath a struggle. Desperation began to claw at him, his thoughts frantic until a clear memory surfaced- the grimoires.
He remembered the teachings of the four figures, the knowledge they had imparted him. Knowledge about the grimoires and their powers replayed in his mind, and he focused on one of them, the grimoire of blood.
Almost instantly, an image of a blood-red time appeared in his mind, however, unlike before, it was shrouded in an almost solid layer of gray-white light and it's precense seem to have disappeared.
How do I use it? I need something to heal myself, but I also need to deal with the python. What ability do I choose?
As if in response to his thoughts, the grimoire glowed with a vivid red light. A foreign energy surged into Roran, and his body began to emit a crimson hue. An influx of knowledge appeared in his mind as a strange deep red rune appeared in his mind, it was overwhelming but clear: Blood manipulation.
Roran felt the flow of blood in his body circulating rapidly as a result of his agitated emotions. He could even feel the blood inside the python rushing normally.
At the same time, he had an indistinct feeling he could affect the movement of the blood if he wanted to.
With newfound understanding, Roran gripped the combat knife tightly.
Meanwhile, outside Arena 10, two of the nine members had died in arena 4 and 7. One was impaled by the rhino's horn and the other student had her brain plucked by an eagle, along with her scalp.
The other five were still struggling against their beasts while the remaining two had defeated their opponents, displaying astonishing prowess.
Nyla and Jake were two students who had activated their cells beyond 60% and had actually reached 70% cell activation!
They were what one called geniuses amongst geniuses and of the recruits, they were ranked 2nd and 3rd in the rankings, respectfully.
Just as the other students were feeling envious of Nyla and Jake, something incredulous happened on Arena 10.