Before it started, I was really confident...but now I feel like I'm going to lose.
"No!"
I can't lose my confidence...I just have to give it my all...
I hesitantly move towards the first platform and climb up.
I slowly lift my head and look at my opponent...
"Looks like it's just the two of us fighting..."
A boy with golden hair and a bony face was staring at me...
"Hope we have a good fight..."
The boy's voice was barely above a whisper...
I get into a stance and prepare to use the ability the system gave me as soon as the match starts.
"Begin!"
As soon as the fight started, I instinctively closed my eyes and pointed my palm at the boy.
["Energy Discharge" activated]
What happened?
After the sound of my energy shot, everything went silent...no sound at all.
I slowly open my eyes...
"Hooray!"
"Awesome!"
"That's it!"
"Yeah, that's a real fight!"
The energetic voices of the spectators came from all around...So, did I win?
I look ahead...but I don't see anyone.
I look around a bit and finally, when I look down...I see a horrifying scene.
"Wh...why did it...happen like this?"
I couldn't believe what I was seeing...the boy's face was completely gone...so much so that his identity couldn't even be recognized...blood was splattered everywhere...
"I...I killed someone?!..."
I couldn't believe what had happened...it was hard to accept...I had never even fought with anyone before...and now I had...killed someone.
"You did well..."
The referee says this and then looks at the golden stands at the highest part of the spectators and says,
"Dear envoys, we will now start the auction for the first person...starting the bid at one silver coin."
I was still in shock from killing someone...someone who had just been talking to me a moment ago.
Now he was lying in front of me with a blood-covered face on the ground...
"Five silver."
Even though the stands were far away, their voices reached here clearly and loudly.
"Six silver."
"Seven silver and five bronze."
"Nine silver."
"Eight gold."
The referee is extremely surprised by this offer and the words escape his lips unintentionally,
"Wh...what?!"
It seems this price is very high for a kid who is just at the beginner level...
I was starting to come out of my shock a bit...well, these things are normal in this world...after all...this is a world where to survive, you have to be either wealthy, smart, or...powerful.
I looked at the golden stands. I guessed the bid was from one of the big tribes. They were looking for rare talents and apparently saw something in me worth all this expense.
The auction continued and the price kept going higher and higher. I just stood there, staring at the lifeless body of the boy I had been talking to a few minutes ago. I felt strange.
Not happy, not sad, just a complete numbness. It was like a curtain had been drawn between me and reality.
Suddenly, the referee's voice rang out:
"Ten pure gold! Anyone bid higher?"
A heavy silence fell over the arena. Ten gold for a kid...that amount was truly astronomical. Even for the big tribes, it was a significant investment.
The referee asked again: "Anyone bid higher? The bid is ten gold! Going once...going twice..."
A voice from the golden stand, cold and emotionless:
"Eleven gold."
No other sound came. Everyone knew this was the end of the auction. Eleven gold for a kid, a big gamble.
The referee, trying to hide his excitement, said:
"Sold! Number seven is sold to the Shadow Tribe for eleven pure gold!"
The Shadow Tribe...one of the most powerful and mysterious tribes. They focus on dark arts and assassination. I felt uneasy.
Two men in black clothes and dark masks came down from the golden stand and approached me. One of them put his hand on my shoulder and said in a deep voice:
"Welcome to the Shadow Tribe, number seven."
I didn't say anything. I just looked at his masked face. I felt like a dark and uncertain future awaited me.
They took me down from the platform and led me towards a large black gate at the end of the arena. A strange smell was coming from there, the smell of blood and iron.
Before passing through the gate, I looked back. The boy's body was still there, drenched in blood. For a moment, I felt like his eyes were looking at me. I quickly turned away and entered the darkness.
.....
We have been walking through the streets for a few minutes now.
One of the men led me to a large, tall building. When we entered, I saw a long, dark hallway lit by dim torches.
The man took me to a room and opened the door. The room was simple, a bed, a table, and a chair. The man said:
"This is your room. Rest. Training starts tomorrow."
Then he left without another word and closed the door.
I sat on the bed. I was still in shock from everything that had happened. I looked at my hands. They weren't bloody, but I felt like I could still smell the blood.
"System."
The blue screen appeared again.
[User Status:
Name: Unknown (Number 7)]
Age: 12 (Appearance)]
Race: Human
Layer: Beginner Martial Arts
Abilities: Energy Discharge (Beginner)
System Points: 300
Missions: None
Status: Shocked ]
I looked at the system points. I was curious about what I could do with them.
"System, what are system points for?"
[System points are used to buy items, upgrade abilities, and perform other tasks within the system.]
"What items?"
[The system has a shop where you can use system points to buy various items like weapons, armor, skill books, and more.]
This was great. A way to get stronger.
I felt extremely tired.
Because all the events today were too much. I lay down on the bed and closed my eyes. Tomorrow was a new day, a new beginning, in a completely different world. A world where to survive, I had to be strong.
And I intended to survive...