Gacha System: Reborn In The Hardest World-Chapter 22: The Bejeweled Colosseum

A smile stretched across Darius' lips, "Well, it just so happens I have an open slot in about an hour. You see, one of my guys was set to participate, but you sort of put him out of commission."

"I want an eighty-twenty split, though," Gael negotiated.

"Hah!" Darius laughed, leaning forward across the table. "I like your spunk. Call it seventy-thirty, rookie's deal."

The much larger hand was extended to him, which he accepted, already prepared to be squeezed as he returned the favor. Darius tossed a few gold coins on the table, covering the fee for the young man's breakfast without asking for a bill, though clearly overpaying.

"Let's move along then, shall we?" Darius smirked.

Following the imposing man through the streets, he was led westward through the capital. It became noticeably less clean and structurally sound the further along he followed. Cutting through some alleyways, it almost seemed like a different city entirety; rusted buildings, kept reinforced shoddily with metal scraps.

It was hard to even tell it was daytime through the smog that hung low in the sector of the city, though it was still as lively as the other parts.

"What is this place?" Gael asked, looking around.

The people in the rundown part of the massive city looked much less well off, loitering around, exchanging goods that hardly looked legal.

Darius chuckled, leading the way as he kicked a man that was sleeping on the street, waking up the drunken punk, "This is what they call the "Paradise Sector." Think that name is some kind of ironic joke, don't you?"

The stench of smoke and sewage was strong in the area, glancing around at the street side vendors that ranged from exotic meats to weapons and even to magical trinkets.

"Well, yeah. I can't see how this is any kind of "Paradise," he responded, finding it hard to deny the irony.

"Well, it ain't pretty, but for guys like us, it's paradise. You see, the law has no reach in this part of the city. It's a place entirely ruled by your own ambition and strength," Darius explained. "Ain't nothing going to stop you but yourself here."

"Sounds dangerous," Gael remarked, glancing down at the capybara beside him.

Darius laughed boisterously, "It's only dangerous if you let danger come to you. If you're strong enough, there isn't shit to worry about. Don't worry–right now, you're with me."

"I wasn't worried," Gael corrected him.

"That so? Well, glad to hear it then," Darius glanced back with a smile that seemed not to believe him.

The further he followed the enigmatic man, the more he felt he was getting into something he likely shouldn't have, looking around at the dreary atmosphere of the "Paradise Sector."

He decided to put his hood on, not wanting any unwanted attention, just blending in the best he could.

"Where is this place, anyway?" Gael asked.

"Just up ahead," Darius told him. "Come on."

He was led to a staircase that went downward to a tucked-away door, the kind that wasn't supposed to be easily accessed. More and more, he felt he was climbing into a dirt hole.

"...Alright," he mumbled, going down the steps.

Darius glanced back at him with a small laugh before tapping his knuckles against the steel door in a rhythm.

"What's the password?" A voice asked on the other side.

"Wipe my ass," Darius shouted at the door. "I already did the knock, so open up!"

"Oh—right! Sorry, Boss!"

Gael stood there, watching as the door was opened before the large man stepped through first. He followed along, immediately finding it to be a repulsive environment.

There were countless weapons hung and leaning against the walls; swords, spears, shields—all assortments of sharpened iron.

The man that opened the door was as pale as a ghost, though with a body completely covered in tattoos.

"Welcome back, Boss. The show is about to start! Where's Tunzel?" The ink-dyed man asked. "Wait, who's this chump?"

Darius slapped the shoulder of the tattooed thug, "That's our replacement for Tunzel."

"Huh?! Ain't no way this guy is better than Tunzel!"

"Bones! Calm down, wouldja?" Darius exclaimed then sighed. "As it turns out, rookie here flattened Tunzel and his squad. So, he's taking his place tonight."

"Damn, you really did that? Stronger than you look," Bones said, tapping the young man's arm.

Gael slapped the inked thug's hand away, "Alright, so what's the plan? This doesn't look like a colosseum."

"Impatient, huh?" Darius said, dropping down on a chair with a small laugh. "This is the prep room. Go down that hall when you're called up, and it leads to the colosseum grounds."

It was hard to believe the dingy room he was in was connected to the "Bejeweled Colosseum", though there was a lot he was still unaware of.

"Pick any weapon you'd like. Maybe a dagger for a quick gutting? Or are you more of a hammer kinda guy, like smashing skulls?" Bones offered, displaying the countless weapons on the walls.

There wasn't any shortage of options, though he wasn't interested in any that he saw. Some blades were left dirty, dyed with blood and other unsavory matter still.

"I'll pass," he said, setting back a massive axe he had inspected.

"Wha—? Hey, kid, if you're planning on fighting empty handed, you're gonna get your ass turned inside out in there!" Bones warned him in disbelief.

Darius spoke up, interjecting, "If that's his choice, let him make it. He made quick work of Tunzel, so I say he's proven he knows how to fight."

"Yeah, yeah...I guess," Bones sighed. "Be my guest, rook."

While he almost felt inclined to reveal his own weapons, he felt it was unnecessary, not wanting to reveal anything he didn't have to. He stood at the entrance to the corridor, hearing the distant roars of the waiting crowd.

Waiting for the signal to make his way towards the battlegrounds, he glanced down as the capybara nudged its head against his leg.

"Pucha," Gael mumbled.

"The furry one stays here," Darius told him.

While the capybara didn't seem all too pleased with the choice, a few pats to the head seemed to give Pucha the resolve to stay behind.

"So, do you know anything about the person I'm fighting? Any rules I should know about?" Gael asked.

Darius had a grin across his lips, exhaling the smoke of a cigar lit by a runestone, "Sorry, but that sort of information is kept confidential to sponsors and combatants. As for the rules of the Bejeweled Colosseum, well–the only rule is to put on an entertaining bout. Anything goes."

"Anything goes? That's scary," Gael mumbled.

He stood there, waiting for the announcement as he stared down the end of the dark tunnel. Every second began to feel like an eternity, moving at a snail's pace—

"LET'S BEGIN OUR NEXT BOUT OF THE DAY! NEXT COMBATANTS, STEP FORWARD!"

A voice boomed from the unseen colosseum at the end of the walkway, echoing through the entire structure.

"That's your cue, rook," Darius told him.

"—"

Gael said nothing as he moved forward, taking strides through the dark tunnel. He could hear the anticipation of the crowd not yet seen with every step he took.

["Maybe the only reason I followed along with all of this is that in this new life, I felt invincible. After all, I survived against everything so far.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freёnovelkiss.com.

That sort of hubris is going to bite me in the ass."]