"Rest in peace, great Bloodthirsty Battle Saint. I will bring the God-Emperor clan back to its pinnacle!" A voice echoed from not far away, and Orson turned to look.
A towering man appeared alone in front of the power core. He wore dark golden full-body heavy armor, holding an enchanted divine sword, his gaze burning with intensity, resembling a battle god descending to the mortal realm.
Orson checked the man's attributes.
[Awakened Cain: Level 50]
[Lord of Pondenorlin City · Imperial Count · Dragon Warrior · God-Emperor Bloodline]
"Those titles are a bit terrifying."
Orson frowned inwardly. In his previous life, Lord Cain was a mysterious figure, always collecting the souls of bosses to refine [Magic Evolution Pills]—what his true intentions were, no one knew.
The "Dragon Warrior" title indicated he was a dragon tamer, with a similar class characteristic to dragon knights. The "God-Emperor Bloodline" indicated a strong connection to the original owner of Celestial Fortress.
However, what caught Orson's attention the most was the [Awakened] title, which gave him a strange feeling—something about Cain seemed different from the other NPCs.
"Why does the thief hide behind the scenes?" Cain spoke without turning around.
Orson's brows furrowed as countless magical vortices began to form around Cain. A terrifying aura locked onto Orson.
Tempest God's Manifestation!
From the swirling maelstrom, six towering ethereal figures emerged, each holding a blue spear, battle sword, or longbow, pointing directly at Orson.
"How ridiculous, starting off with an A-rank spell."
Orson's eyes turned cold. He raised his hand slightly, and a tear in space appeared. The Crimson Lizard King spread its fiery red wings, letting out a deafening roar at Cain.
"Death Dragon Clan." Cain spun around suddenly, a trace of surprise in his eyes.
"Beasts from the ancient era should have been forgotten... Die!" Cain's eyes widened with fury, and the six wind gods roared in unison, charging toward the Crimson Lizard King.
The Crimson Lizard King swung its body, lifting its head proudly as it prepared to unleash its Destruction Breath.
Suddenly, a black sword flew out from the power core, embedding itself in the ground between Crimson Lizard King and Cain with a clattering sound. A surge of crimson blood energy erupted from the sword's hilt, immediately shrouding the entire Sky City in a deep red glow.
"Bloodrage Gladiator in preparation."
A system prompt rang out, interrupting both the Destruction Breath and Tempest God's Roar.
"In the Bloodrage Gladiator mode, all slain participants will lose all equipped items, cannot be revived by resurrection spells, and will have their level reduced by 10 levels!"
"Attention! Currently, within the Celestial Fortress range, there are 37,745 players and 29,032 monsters/NPCs."
"You have only 2 minutes to evacuate!"
"Otherwise, you will be randomly matched into a 1v1 mode, fighting with either players or NPCs in an indiscriminate gladiatorial combat!"
The announcement sent shockwaves through everyone.
Sky Wolf-Black Moon: "What the hell? This is too much! The penalty for losing is so severe!"
Unmatched Robert: "Haha, now this is interesting. The loser will never have a chance to rise again!"
Sky Wolf-Demon Moon: "Oh my god! Do I need to quit the guild now? I was finally getting my equipment back, and now it's all gone if I lose!"
"Does this mean it doesn't matter who we're fighting against, friends or enemies?" Madman and others in the maze frowned, not expecting such a sudden change that completely disrupted their plans.
"If we're matched against teammates in the 1v1, can't we just stand still?" Bradley muttered suspiciously, but soon received another prompt:
"Due to the influence of the Bloodthirsty Battle Saint, those who engage passively will have their level penalties doubled!"
Iron Cavalry: "What do you all think? I suggest we retreat first. No one knows the full extent of the gladiator mode's consequences."
Ride Donkey: "Hahaha, the winner takes all! I've always wanted to rip off your gear, Iron Cavalry!"
Texas Musk: "Bravo! That 10-level anti-magic shield must be worth a big villa! Please, Iron Cavalry, take it easy!"
God of Iron Cavalry looked bewildered, his knights glaring at him, clearly hoping to strip him of his prized equipment.
Iron Cavalry: "Don't make me laugh! If you can't beat me, all your precious gear is going to drop and you'll be crying!"
Ride Donkey ruthlessly retorted: "I wonder who's really scared now? Haha, all of you, stop him! Don't let this little brat escape!"
Empress of the Moon suddenly interjected, her expression grave: "Enough, everyone. Haven't you seen the prompt? It said 1v1 doesn't only apply to players. We could be matched with powerful NPCs too."
ShatteredCrown froze for a moment, his voice trembling with realization: "You mean... players could end up facing a dragon in a 1v1?"
At this, everyone immediately felt a chill run down their spines.
Even S-rank players who had fought powerful NPCs before would know that facing a dragon one-on-one would be a death sentence!
"What if we equip fine gear and fight?" Stewart suggested, recalling their past experience fighting UJ players, where Godslayer's forces minimized losses by using superior equipment.
Everyone nodded in agreement; it seemed like a reasonable plan.
However, Madman quickly shot it down: "No, weakening our attributes to save equipment means our chances of winning would drop significantly. If we die, we'll be kicked out of the arena, and that's not a good deal."
Bradley: "That's right. If we're going to face loss anyway, we might as well bet everything."
With no other choice, the Godslayer Alliance reluctantly accepted the rules of the Bloodrage Gladiator mode.
As the discussions ended, Madman pulled Nightshade aside, clapping him on the shoulder and saying, "Kid, don't screw up. If you die, we're all done for!"
Nightshade swallowed nervously, but his eyes hardened. "I'll win for sure!"
"I knew I didn't misjudge you! Fighting spirit, kid!" Madman grinned, his expression full of pride.
Nightshade's level was forcibly raised to level 25 by Bradley and the others, though his combat ability was practically nonexistent. His class leaned more towards support.
However, as an S-class Hidden Job, the King's Apostle of the Goblins, Nightshade carried immense potential in wartime. If he could survive, he would be a trump card for Godslayer!
"You have obtained a 25-level Legendary Staff [Dragon Death Wand · Holy]" "You have obtained a 25-level Hero Ring [Abyssal Blessing Ring]" "You have obtained a B-rank Earth Magic Tome..."
Nightshade was stunned, as Madman began feverishly stuffing him with legendary gear and high-tier skill books.
"Damn, Brother Madman, you've really gone all out. These pieces must be worth tens of thousands of dollars!" Nightshade said innocently.
"Thousands of dollars? Nah, just thousands of gold coins." Madman shot him a long-suffering glance before proceeding to "gently" adjust his robes and mutter, "Wear these properly, don't give them away. This is all I have left..."
Six pieces of legendary gear and four rare hero accessories fully equipped Nightshade in an instant.
Madman had been collecting them for over a week, hoping to make a big profit from someone who wasn't paying attention, only for the situation to force him to hand it all over to this fool. It was frustrating!
"1v1 gladiator mode... I hope they're lucky."
Orson frowned slightly as he took control of the power core, heading for the God-Emperor's palace, determined to claim it.
However, there were still several critical strategic points within Celestial Fortress that required the combined forces of the Godslayer Alliance to capture.
Otherwise, with the temporary loss of the fortress, the clock was ticking, and even Orson's strength wouldn't be enough to handle everything alone.
As Orson stared at the doors to the fortress's power core, a figure emerged from within.
"I am Darkbo Meyer." "The God-Emperor's Royal Guard! The Empire's Sword Saint!"
A hoarse, deep voice rang out, causing the blood-red aura in the sky to stir. An overwhelming sense of pressure washed over everyone.
The Crimson Lizard King suddenly stopped its roar, and Cain instantly sensed a terrifying presence. His forehead bulged with veins as he realized the true power of the newcomer!
The figure revealed himself: an old man with a hunched back, white hair flowing loosely, wearing no shirt and holding a single
screw in his hand. His appearance was disheveled and unkempt.
"I am also the most humble repairman of the God-Emperor." He muttered, his voice barely audible.
"Physical body?! Not a heroic spirit!" Orson gasped in his mind and immediately checked the attributes of the newcomer.
[Darkbo Meyer: Level 100]
[Ancient Battle Saint · God of Gladiators · King-tier Creature]
HP: 10,000 (Peak state: 500 million)
"Only 10,000 HP… not even 1/10th of his peak state!"
Seeing the HP number, Orson felt no relief. Instead, a chill ran down his spine.