"Without Lord Haiji Dao, a Level 13, how can we possibly stand against them?"
Saya scanned his surroundings, his gaze meeting only the hideous, terrifying silhouettes of the beasts and the night-haze-like black smoke billowing from their nostrils and bodies.
Saya couldn't help but shiver slightly.
"If he says Lord Haiji Dao can't come, does that mean he truly can't?"
Lu Sheng suddenly spoke up.
Saya froze, and Tang Dun, who had been keeping his head down nearby, also looked up.
"What do you mean?"
Tang Dun's voice was muffled and low.
"According to Sarl, Haiji Dao had its memories related to the rescue mission erased. To erase the memories of a Level 13 powerhouse, it would take at least a Level 14 powerhouse to pull it off, wouldn't you say?"
Lu Sheng stared expressionlessly at the two, his voice flat as he asked, "Do you think... we're worth a Level 14 powerhouse taking action?"
Saya and Tang Dun's eyes lit up as realization dawned.
Right. A bunch of nobodies like them, with the strongest barely reaching Level 12—were they really worth a Level 14 powerhouse's effort?
"Damn it, that Sarl was lying to us!"
Saya instantly perked up, his voice brimming with excitement. "So it looks like the Skeleton Blade is still coming after all."
"Of course."
Lu Sheng nodded, his tone matter-of-fact. "But judging by the current situation..."
"...it's unlikely he'll be the one to save us. Otherwise, Sarl wouldn't have the time to play recruitment games with you lot."
"Huh?"
Saya's face fell again upon hearing this.
"Then what's the point? Arriving late is no different from not coming at all. It's not like he's coming to bury our bodies.
Saya's pressuring us to make a decision immediately."
"Either join them as traitors or die—there's no third option..." Saya's eyes flickered with conflict as he hesitantly suggested, "What if we feign allegiance first? Then immediately switch sides once Lord Haiji Dao arrives. Could that work?"
Just as Saja was wrestling with his decision, Sarl's voice echoed down from above.
"Enough. You've had your chance."
By now, nearly half of the warriors present had voluntarily chosen to join Sarl's side, willing to betray their own cause.
The rest either remained undecided or vowed to resist to the death.
Sarl looked down at those left in the arena and spoke indifferently, "Since you wish to die, I won't stop you."
"Snap!"
Sarl snapped his fingers sharply.
Immediately, the countless beasts surrounding the crowd grew restless.
The encircling perimeter rapidly contracted, its cold, ominous aura surging forward like a tidal wave.
"Go!"
Sarl turned to the defectors beside him. "Joining isn't just lip service. Kill them. Each of you must stain your hands with at least one life. Only then will your allegiance be valid. If you fail..."
A cruel smile spread across Sarl's face as he lightly licked his lips with his tongue.
"...then you'll meet the same fate as them."
At these words, every face paled slightly. A small group of defectors immediately looked uneasy, their eyes darting nervously.
Clearly, Saya wasn't the only one plotting to defect after feigning allegiance.
"Roar!"
The first beast lunged at the remaining warriors in the arena. Its thunderous roar echoed like a battle cry, igniting the madness within the defectors' hearts.
"Kill!"
The first defector, an eleventh-level martial artist, eyes bloodshot and face contorted, dove headlong into the fray. Then the second, the third...
One after another, they rushed forward, each fearing they might be a step too slow. Their speed was even threefold faster than when they had scrambled for the beasts' crystal cores earlier.
"That's how humans are. Once a certain line is crossed within their hearts, any sense of guilt or remorse transforms into fuel for committing evil. They'll do things ten times more insane than raising a slaughtering blade against their former comrades."
A multitude of figures mingled into the beast horde, charging toward the group below led by the two guides. In an instant, they were swallowed by a sea of human and beast forms. Every combatant was locked in brutal struggle.
Meanwhile, Sarl and his companions stood arms crossed, smiles playing on their lips, as if watching a long-awaited spectacle. Sarl's command to the defectors was clear: they must stain their hands with the blood of at least one comrade.
It only had to be the blood of someone still standing in the arena; strength was irrelevant.
This led to... The few remaining Level 11 fighters instantly becoming the hottest "prizes" in the eyes of the defectors. Killing a Level 11 was far easier than taking down a Level 12.
"Ah!"
In the blink of an eye, piercing screams echoed across the battlefield.
The few Level 11 martial artists who refused to betray were torn apart by multiple Level 12 attackers. Their martial souls barely escaped their bodies before being extinguished by the second wave of attackers.
Their deaths were nothing short of gruesome.
"Damn!"
Saya's face twisted in horror at the sight, his speech stumbling. Their small group had managed to stay relatively distant, avoiding the initial onslaught. But within the blink of an eye, the attackers closed in.
"This one's mine!"
A Level 12 powerhouse, nearly four meters tall with a physique as solid as granite, fixed his piercing gaze on Saya like blades and launched a punch. The crushing energy wrapped around that fist nearly suffocated Saya.
The gap between an eleven-level and a twelve-level was simply too vast. If that punch landed, he would die! There was no other possibility.
"Hmph!"
Just then, a burly figure silently stepped in front of him, arms outstretched, fists clenched.
"Tang Dun!"
Saya nearly wept with emotion.
"My brother!"
But before his joy could last a few seconds, his body instantly tensed. Two more pairs of eyes, brimming with murderous intent, locked onto him. Both were Level 12!
"Damn it."
Saya scrambled backward, but after only a few steps, he felt a hand gently press against his back. Turning his head, he met Lu Sheng's eyes, calm as a lake.
"Lu Sheng!"
Saya's eyes lit up, about to plead for help, but a bitter realization struck him instantly. Lu Sheng was only a measly Level 11. Even if he was stronger, how much stronger could he be? Could he possibly block a Level 12 powerhouse? Even if Lu Sheng was a genius who could block a Level 12 at Level 11, he couldn't block a group of Level 12s!
Right now, Level 12s surrounded them on all sides. A quick glance revealed at least five or six.
Five or six Level 12s. And just the two of them at Level 11. A wave of profound helplessness and despair washed over Saya.
"It's over."
Feeling the bloodshot eyes around them, hungry like tigers eyeing sheep, Saya let out a bitter laugh.
"I shouldn't have listened to that old con artist about coming to some 'alternate battlefield'. A 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity'? This fucking thing just shoved me straight onto a dead-end path."
"Out there, even though I was bullied and humiliated, at least they didn't dare push me to the brink of death. Compared to staying alive, dignity is worth shit! Ugh."
Only when death approaches does one truly grasp life's preciousness. This was precisely how Saya felt in that moment. He even regretted not gritting his teeth earlier to become a traitor to Sarl's side. Being a dog was better than death.
In a thousandth of a second, countless chaotic thoughts flashed through Saya's mind. Then he slowly closed his eyes, preparing to accept his fate. Getting killed instantly probably wouldn't hurt much, Saya silently thought.
Just then, a calm voice sounded beside his ear.
"Actually..."
"Huh?!"
Saya's eyes snapped open.
He saw Lu Sheng looking at him, speaking slowly.
"Besides becoming a traitor or dying, there is a third option."
"What choice?"
Saya froze.
"It's simple."
Lu Sheng's gaze swept past Saya and shifted toward the direction behind him.
"Killing Sarl and all the beasts. That way, we won't be traitors, nor will we have to die."