Ryo was sitting on the grassy corner when the necromancer orc approached him.
"Why are you following me?" Ryo asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, I just want to offer my help in any way possible. Also, I haven't properly introduced myself to you. My name is Zul'thar. What's yours, Master?" the orc asked humbly.
"Ryo is my name. And I already told you earlier what kind of help I need."
"Oh, what a peculiar name, but it suits a strong warrior like you, hehe. Master, if you want, I can create a big, fat, gluttonous orc so you can use his belly as your bed."
"No thanks, I'd rather sleep here on the grass," Ryo said in a grouchy tone.
Then, he suddenly thought of food. "How about food? Can you bring me some grilled chicken?" Ryo asked curiously.
"Ah, um, sorry, Master, but here in prison, they feed us liquid minerals. The prison guards drop bottled minerals from the sky," Zul'thar explained.
Ryo glanced up and saw the stars shining in the night sky. Without warning, he stood up and suddenly sprinted toward the wall. With swift movements, he ran up its surface, attempting to escape by reaching the top. Zul'thar was in awe of Ryo's agility. However, when Ryo reached the top of the wall, his head slammed into a magical barrier that acted as the prison's roof. Ryo immediately fell to the ground. With his head still hurting, he tried to stand up.
"Master! Are you okay?" Zul'thar cried, running toward Ryo to help him.
But Ryo had hurt his head so badly after slamming into the magical barrier that he collapsed again, falling into unconsciousness. As a result, he slept through the entire night.
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The following day, as the sun shone high in the sky, people hurried toward the coliseum. Meanwhile, Wei, half-asleep and lying on the ground, groggily tried to look around to see what was happening. Town criers stood outside the coliseum, shouting, 'There will be an execution today! Hurry up and watch!'"
Wei saw a large translucent screen mounted on the coliseum wall.
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A rogue swordsman named Ryo, level 35, is scheduled to be executed today
by Roja, a top-tier Flame Master and army general ********************************************************************************
"This will be a great battle! We will witness the magnificent flames that Flame Master Roja possesses!" a passer-by said.
"Ryo? That sounds like a fighter's name from my world. I wonder if he's a human or just an elf using a human name." Wei thought.
Wei yawned, still drowsy and hungry. He spotted a food stall and walked toward it. Meanwhile, in the auditorium inside the coliseum, Roja stands alongside three other generals: Sylvaris, Dawnblade, and Moonveil. "Look, General Roja, the coliseum is starting to fill with spectators. Make sure to put on a good show," General Sylvaris said.
""Is this really what the goddess wants me to do?" Roja asked, a hint of disappointment in his voice. Dawnblade responded, "Would you like to speak with the oracle right now?"
"Never mind," Roja said, then turned and left, heading down to the stage.
As he walked down the stairs, a screen appeared in front of him—it was Princess Jewel.
"Roja, where are you?! King Elarion and I are heading to the coliseum because General Sylvaris sent word that they're going to execute Ryo!" Princess Jewel's voice was filled with worry.
"Princess, I need you to calm down. The oracle ordered me to execute Ryo, but I have a plan—so stop worrying," Roja assured her.
Princess Jewel was about to say something, but before she could, Roja swiped the screen, shutting it down. Roja continued walking until he was near the stage. He paused for a moment before leaping onto the stage floor. As he landed, the force of the impact made him crouch low. Ryo slowly stood and a screen appears. "We have a long list of criminals for death sentence, and you are their executioner. This will be beneficial for you because you will earn a lot of gold and experience." General Sylvaris said.
Goblins appeared on the stage—four giants and seven of average height, around 5'7. All of them were wearing armored suits; the giants held battle axes, while the rest carried swords. These goblins were teleported from another prison camp to the Lenor Coliseum for execution.
"What are their criminal charges?" asked Roja.
"Seriously? You're facing a bunch of pests in this world. Why are you even asking that?"
"Sorry, General Sylvaris. I just wanted to know what kind of death I should give them—that's why I asked."
"Well, they all deserve a brutal death. Just put on a good show; King Elarion is already here."
Roja looked toward the auditorium, where seats were reserved for the elites. He saw Princess Jewel and King Elarion sitting alongside General Sylvaris and other generals. He also noticed Princess Jewel's worried expression but ignored it. Roja then turned his gaze back to the attacking goblins. While the goblins were charging, they shouted in rage. Roja unfaze with the goblins, moves his body into a fighting stance. His sword materializes, ready to be swinged at any time. Nevertheless, Roja was not planning to slash the goblins one by one, he is planning to take them all at once. So, he activated his skill, and his sword erupted into flames.
"Burning Phoenix Feather Blade!!" Roja shouted as he swung his sword.
Countless burning feathers shot from his blade, soaring toward the charging goblins. The fiery feathers sliced through their bodies, dropping them lifeless to the ground. Blood began to flow from their bodies. The spectators, after witnessing Roja's actions, cheered and applauded him. A screen appears near Roja, General Sylvaris is on the screen.
"Hey, don't rush on killing them. Make it more fun, I think I forgot to tell you earlier that the goddess is watching right now. She might promote you as her royal guard. So don't think that I am just ordering you around."
Roja felt irritated upon hearing Sylvaris's words but concealed his emotions. As the screen went off, another group of goblins teleported onto the stage.
"This is bull crap, I don't want to work with anyone else but Princess Jewel. All I want is to live my life with her. If that isn't possible given my current circumstances, then I might have to become like Ryo, a rogue, and challenge the goddess."
"Meteor," Roja said to activate his skill. His whole body burned like a bright star. He fixed his gaze on the new group of goblins before him. These goblins were all giants clad in suits of armor, each wielding a battle axe. Roja noticed their armor; it appeared to be of special grade. He asked the Magic Wisdom System to appraise the goblins' armor and was surprised by the results.
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-ARCANE PLATE-
PROVIDES 100 PERCENT
DEFENSE AGAINTS
MAGICAL ASSAULTS.
****************************
"100 percent defense against magic? What a joke. My flames are more than just sorcery," Roja scoffed. In the blink of an eye, Roja delivered a series of fiery slashes to the goblins as fast as lightning. As his final strike landed, the giant goblins fell to their knees. Roja, standing behind the goblins, began to smirk. He knew that they were already finished. However, just after few seconds, the giant goblins were back on their feet. Roja's eyes narrowed in surprise. With deafening screams, the goblins charged at him.
In response, Roja's sword transformed into a burning staff. The goblins raised their massive battle axes and swung them down at him all at once. Their weapons struck his head, shoulders, neck, and chest—but the moment they made contact, an unseen force deflected them, sending the goblins stumbling backward. Immediately, Roja leaped into the air, swinging his burning staff at one of the goblins, slamming it to the ground. Without losing momentum, he twisted midair, rolling aside and striking another goblin square in the face with his staff. The goblin was sent flying through the air before crashing to the ground. Roja landed smoothly, immediately ducking into a low stance. He tensed his muscles, then spun like a whirlwind, his burning staff extending in length. With a powerful sweep, he struck the remaining two goblins, sending them hurtling through the air. They slammed into the magical barrier surrounding the stage with a resounding crack. Once again, after witnessing Roja's incredible fighting skills, the spectators erupted into applause and cheers, their voices echoing throughout the arena. Meanwhile, the Lenor city guards arrived at the prison field to pick up Ryo. One guard shouted through a megaphone, "Ryo! Where are you?! I need you to come over here!"
The loud voice stirred some monsters awake, including Ryo. As he opened his eyes, he wondered, "Is someone calling my name?"
"Ryo! Where are you?!" the guard shouted again through the megaphone.
This time, Ryo got up from the grassy ground. The guard continued shouting as Ryo walked toward them. When the guard noticed Ryo approaching, he stopped.
Ryo stood in front of the guards and asked,
"What do you want from me?" The guard replied, "Come with us. We're taking you to the coliseum for execution."