Chapter 18: Gladiator Arena and Class
As the Young Island Lord, Isabella enjoyed quite a few privileges on Hai Yue Floating Island. Everyone was willing to give her some face, so her two attendant Demonesses, Ella and Bessie, quickly returned. Accompanying them was the person in charge of the Gladiator Arena, a capable Demoness with the aura of a big sister.
"Young Lady, I didn't expect you to grace us with your presence today. It is truly an honor for our Gladiator Arena. I have already arranged a venue for you. Do you prefer a public match or a private match?"
The responsible big sister asked enthusiastically, with the bright smile of someone welcoming a VIP client.
"Private match."
Isabella was already accustomed to being fawned over. She commanded indifferently.
Generally, Gladiator Arenas offered two modes for clients to choose from, much like restaurants have a main hall and private rooms.
A public match was open to spectators, similar to dining in the main hall. Because it profited from ticket sales, the venue fee was cheaper. Of course, the gladiators had to endure the audience's comments and criticisms, and there was also the risk of their specialized magic information being leaked.
A private match, on the other hand, was like a private room. Only the two gladiators and authorized spectators could enter this private Gladiator Arena. However, the venue fee was considerably more expensive, more than ten times that of a public match.
However, Isabella clearly wasn't short on money. The young lady was unwilling to be criticized like a monkey show.
Moreover, her matches with Alice over the years had always been fifty-fifty. She didn't have 100% confidence to play in a public match. How embarrassing would it be if she messed up this time?
"Alright, then this is your room card, Young Lady. I wish you and your friend a pleasant time."
The capable big sister nodded, without much unnecessary talk, took out a card, handed it to Isabella with both hands, and then politely excused herself.
"Then let's go, Alice. You still have a chance to regret it now. Don't cry when I beat you later. Don't say your older sister bullies her younger sister."
Holding the room card, Isabella looked at Alice provocatively.
"Heh heh, you're the one who should regret it. I hope your mouth is still this tough when you're greeted by my magic bullets later."
Alice, who had been accumulating anger all the way, naturally wouldn't back down at this moment. She cracked her knuckles, saying with full momentum amidst the popping sounds.
And so, everyone arrived at the entrance of the Gladiator Arena. Isabella swiped the room card on the teleportation gate, which also resembled a bronze door, and then led the way inside. Alice, not to be outdone, followed closely behind.
Dorothy, the master of fueling the fire, made a "helpless" expression. She exchanged glances with Isabella's two attendants, who also had bitter faces. The three of them finally walked in.
The familiar sensation of teleportation dizziness came again. As soon as she exited the teleportation gate, Dorothy lightly rubbed her forehead, feeling a bit uncomfortable. Fortunately, her interest in watching the show probably made her ignore some of the side effects of teleportation caused by her overly sensitive constitution, so this time she didn't throw up a rainbow. Instead, she quickly adapted.
After the discomfort subsided, Dorothy found that she and her group had appeared in a very luxuriously and elegantly decorated private room, which looked very high-class at a glance.
Inside the private room, there were about a dozen high-quality Wyvern leather seats, with a small snack table next to each seat. Along the walls of the private room, there were also fully stocked self-service snack and drink stands.
The front of the private room was a huge floor-to-ceiling glass window, through which one could see the massive circular Gladiator Arena below.
Next to the glass window, there was also a control panel. In the center of the control panel was a large crystal ball, which was the setting hub for the Gladiator Arena. Through this crystal ball, one could make detailed settings for the arena's style and rules.
"Random venue, no-limit brawl rules."
Before Isabella could continue provoking, Alice stepped forward, expertly manipulating the control crystal, and then walked out of the private room first.
The blue-haired young lady was not to be outdone. She politely smiled at Dorothy.
"Then I'll trouble my sister to be the referee."
Then she also walked into the preparation area from another exit of the private room with full momentum.
While the two rivals went to prepare, Dorothy unhurriedly went to the snack stand first, took some melon seeds and potato chips, and also grabbed three bottles of iced happy water. Only then did she carry these to the control crystal plate.
"Come on, Ella, Bessie, good sisters, come and watch the show with me."
She called out to Isabella's two attendants.
"Okay, Miss Dorothy."
The two attendant sisters didn't stand on ceremony with her. After all, the young lady wasn't here now, so they didn't need to be so reserved and could be more relaxed.
The Demonesses' workplace mentality had always been like this.
Although Witch World seemed to be a relatively traditional aristocratic lord system at first glance, it was not entirely feudal. At the very least, Demonesses were theoretically equal to each other, which was a social consensus.
Therefore, the relationship between a lord Demoness and her subordinates was more similar to the workplace relationships Dorothy experienced in her previous life, just a boss and employee, rather than the master-servant relationship under a feudal monarchy where a king could order a minister to die and the minister had no choice but to obey.
If I'm happy working for you, I'll work. If you make me unhappy, don't blame me for firing you, my boss.
Ella and Bessie, like Dorothy and Alice, also had mothers who were Research Demonesses under the Sea Moon Witch. Although their mothers' ranks were not as high as Dorothy's stepmother, they were also core forces of the Haiyue Territory.
And Ella and Bessie serving as Isabella's attendants was actually a part-time job, just like some people in Dorothy's previous life would take part-time jobs as maids. This was just a job.
However, unlike Alice, they were not exceptionally gifted. With ordinary Demoness qualifications, they had no grand ideals of achieving great deeds and becoming lords themselves. They were willing to assist Isabella in the future, just as their mothers assisted the Sea Moon Witch, and contribute to the Haiyue Territory.
After all, Demonesses also need to eat, right? Earning money is not shameful.
Of course, the concept of equality for all was limited only to Demonesses. Below Demonesses, humans, as the origin of Demonesses, enjoyed half the treatment of Demonesses and were still relatively free. As for other Different race...
It depends on their fate. They can only pray that the Demoness lord who conquered them is merciful.
It's like not all pets have good owners; this kind of thing truly depends on fate.
However, just as there were animal protection organizations in Dorothy's previous world, there were always some overly compassionate Demonesses in Witch World who constantly promoted the idea of treating other races kindly. Moreover, the mainstream view in Witch World had always been to treat other races favorably, and some laws were enacted to protect rare races.
Most Demoness lords were very good to other races, some even to the extent of loving their people like their own children. After all, good people are always more popular, and no one likes to deal with a cruel pervert.
However, there are always exceptions. Dorothy often saw reports in newspapers about cruel Demonesses abusing other races, just like some people in her previous life abused cats and dogs.
But in such matters, besides condemning and trying to distance themselves from and isolate that person, others had no other way. After all, according to Demoness tradition, other races in a Demoness's territory were considered the Demoness lord's property, and they had the right to dispose of their property as they pleased.
Alas, one can only say that in a big forest, there are all sorts of birds. The world is so big; if there weren't a few idiotic perverts, would you think you were living in paradise?
Oh, paradise in this world is not peaceful at all. Angels are quite brutal, so never mind then.
"Miss Dorothy, preparations are almost complete. It's time to begin."
Ella, beside her, spoke up, interrupting Dorothy's wild thoughts. She came back to her senses and, through the control crystal, saw that Alice and Isabella were both ready in their respective preparation areas. Only then did she input magic power into the crystal in front of her, activating the Gladiator Arena.
As the duel began, a giant virtual projection of a one-minute countdown appeared in the sky above the Gladiator Arena, and the originally flat ground began to undergo massive changes.
Invisible mighty forces began to move mountains and fill seas, shaping the environment. The world transformed, stars shifted, and plants grew rapidly. Soon, a complex tropical jungle terrain was created.
At this moment, the one-minute countdown was nearing its end, and the gates of the preparation rooms on both sides of the Gladiator Arena began to rumble, slowly rising.
The next moment, two figures shot out quickly, transforming into two streaks of light, and collided with each other.