C10 Death Arena

Knock, knock, knock!

The sound of knocking echoed through the room.

The dorm supervisor's voice came from outside, "Luo, are you okay? What's going on?"

Lee Zhe and Xiao Yun both glanced toward the bed.

But instead, a figure emerged from underneath it.

Luo Yan!

Lee and Xiao were taken aback.

Why was he sleeping under the bed?

Did he know what Chen Yongsong was planning tonight?

Certainly, Luo Yan wasn't that prescient.

It was simply his caution.

Plus, he was used to sleeping in confined spaces when surviving outdoors.

Now, sleeping in a large bed felt unfamiliar.

Luo Yan gave Lee and Xiao a look.

Without a word, he turned and opened the door.

The door swung open, and the dorm supervisor stepped inside, followed by other students who had been roused by the commotion.

Upon entering, the supervisor immediately saw the gruesome scene of Chen Yongsong's body on the floor and quickly shut the door.

Still, many students caught a glimpse of the bloodstains.

The supervisor surveyed the room, his eyes lingering on the bloodied wire hanging in midair and the dagger in Chen Yongsong's hand.

Then he asked, "What happened here?"

Lee Zhe snapped to attention and pointed at Luo Yan.

"Teacher, Luo Yan murdered someone!"

Xiao Yuan regained his composure and chimed in, "That's right, Luo Yan killed Chen Yongsong. We saw it with our own eyes!"

Luo Yan scoffed.

"With your own eyes?"

"Then tell me."

"Which hand did I use to kill Chen Yongsong?"

The two were at a loss for words.

But they quickly retorted, "The wire!"

"You strung a wire and sliced through Chen Yongsong's neck!"

The supervisor turned to Luo Yan.

With composure, Luo Yan asked, "Where is this wire?"

Lee Zhe pointed out, "Don't play dumb, it's right there!"

"Yes, the wire is by the window."

"Not by the door."

"So why would Chen Yongsong ignore the door and crash through the window?"

Luo Yan then glanced at the dagger clutched in the corpse's hand, "He was armed with a weapon, clearly up to no good. His death was deserved."

Lee Zhe and Xiao found themselves at a loss for words once again.

The dorm supervisor turned to them and asked, "What do you think Chen Yongsong was up to?"

The pair hesitated before replying, "Chen Yongsong was humiliated by Luo during the academy trials and couldn't let it go."

"After drinking too much tonight, he got heated and wanted to, well, show Luo a thing or two."

"Teacher, we did try to talk him out of it."

"But nothing could hold him back."

"We never imagined..."

The teacher interjected with a chilly tone, "Is that the truth?"

"If I discover you're lying, the academy will not hesitate to punish you severely!"

Lee Zhe's complexion turned ashen, yet he insisted, "We're telling the truth."

The teacher then said, "Go back for now. The academy will handle this incident. And remember to watch what you say."

Lee Zhe and Xiao nodded, heads bowed, as they exited through the patio doors.

The teacher then arranged for Luo Yan to move to a different dormitory and, in the meantime, covered the body with a sheet.

Upon arriving at his new dorm, Luo Yan didn't go straight to sleep.

A smirk played across his lips.

He had finally deciphered the meaning of the fiery red glow.

That night, when Chen Yongsong burst through the window,

Luo Yan had activated his Aura Pupil and spotted Chen Yongsong from beneath the bed.

He observed a ring of fiery red light within the grey aura, with the number '127' emerging.

But as Chen Yongsong was decapitated by the sharpened steel wire,

The red light faded rapidly, and the number plummeted to zero in an instant.

"Blood Qi, or perhaps life force..."

"That ring of fiery red light signifies the vitality of a living being!"

Understanding the significance of the fiery red light filled Luo Yan with elation.

It signified a deeper comprehension of his unique ocular ability.

His thoughts then turned to Chen Yongsong.

"Did he really come after me just because of today's incident?"

Luo Yan pondered Lee Zhe and Xiao Yun's reactions before quietly switching off the room's light.

...

When Lee Zhe and Xiao Yuan returned to their own dorm, the look on their faces was far from cheerful.

"That Luo guy is terrifying."

"No, he's downright insane."

"Who sets up a trap like that in a dorm?"

Lee Zhe shook his head and said, "Old Xiao, I think we'd better stay out of Brother Luo's business."

"I agree."

With consensus reached, they turned off the lights and went to sleep.

Time passed, unmeasured.

Lee Zhe felt someone tapping his face.

Groggily, he opened his eyes: "Who's there?"

In an instant, he jolted awake.

Someone was sitting at the bedside.

A light glowed from their pocket, likely a phone with the screen lit.

Moreover, a cold sensation crept around his neck.

He glanced down.

A wire was coiled around his neck.

He nearly wet himself.

Then he heard the bedside figure demand, "Who put you up to this?"

Lee Zhe recognized the voice as Luo Yan's.

Pleading, he said, "Luo, please, don't do anything crazy."

"What orders? There were no orders."

"It was Chen Yongsong—he messed up."

After that, Luo Yan fell silent.

But the wire around Lee Zhe's neck began to tighten.

Lee Zhe's mind flashed to Chen Yongsong's headless body.

"Luo, what are you trying to do?"

"Please, stop... stop..."

The wire drew tighter still.

Lee Zhe felt its icy grip.

He could almost see the grim reaper beckoning.

Madman.

Luo was a madman!

He panicked.

"I'll talk, I'll talk."

"It was Lo Beichen, Lo Beichen told us to do it."

"He ordered Chen Yongsong to kill you, we had nothing to do with it."

"He's Lo Tianyi's son, and Lo Tianyi is running for the next city lord."

"His main rival is Commander Di Zheng, the one who recommended you!"

Upon learning the truth, Luo Yan said nothing more and simply tightened the wire around Lee Zhe's neck.

Lee Zhe struggled desperately, but soon his eyes bulged, and he died on the spot.

Luo Yan then moved to Xiao Yuan's bed.

The process repeated.

After setting the scene, Luo Yan finally departed.

Moments later.

Upon returning to his room, Luo Yan made a call to the soldier, Lee.

Lee answered, sounding surprised, "What's going on? It's so late."

Luo Yan got straight to the point, "Lo Beichen plotted to kill me. His man fell into a trap I set and died."

There was a pause on the line.

Then Lee said, "Hold on a second," and hung up.

Before long, Luo Yan's phone rang again.

He picked up to hear Di Zheng's voice, "Do you have any evidence?"

Luo Yan played back a recording. He had made sure to record the interrogation of Lee Xiao and another individual.

After listening, Di Zheng spoke gravely, "I'll warn the Lo family. You get some rest."

"A warning?" Luo Yan was clearly not pleased.

Di Zheng detected the dissatisfaction in his tone. "What are you suggesting?"

Luo Yan replied evenly, "You've said before, if someone tries to kill me, I can strike first and report later."

"The two men from earlier have been dealt with."

"Now, what should be done about Lo Beichen?"

Silence followed.

Finally, Di Zheng asked, "Are you thinking of killing him?"

"I don't appreciate being targeted," Luo Yan admitted.

Di Zheng responded firmly, "Fine, you handle the killing, I'll take care of the aftermath. But you can't just go and kill him outright."

"We're not above ground here. The academy has its rules."

"What rules?" inquired Luo Yan.

Di Zheng explained, "Within the academy, to resolve personal disputes, you can challenge someone to a duel. There are two types: the Martial Arena and the Death Arena. The Martial Arena forbids weapons and potions, and participants must be inspected by the academy for a fair fight. It determines the victor but not matters of life and death. Once the fight is over, the dispute is considered settled. The Death Arena, on the other hand, has no such restrictions and continues until death. However, even if victorious, the winner will face penalties, including a deduction of credits."

Without hesitation, Luo Yan declared, "Fine, I'll fight in the Death Arena. But don't underestimate Lo Beichen."

Di Zheng reminded, "His father, Lo Tianyi, is the head of Venus Heavy Industry."

"He's a major figure in Magemoor City."

"If you defeat him in the Death Arena, he'll surely muster considerable resources for his son to squander."

Luo Yan responded with calm, "No problem."

"You won't let me lose."

Di Zheng let out a soft chuckle over the phone.

"I've sent you the details on Lo Beichen via text message."

"There should be some useful information in there for you."

With that, Di Zheng ended the call.

Shortly thereafter, a series of messages arrived.

Luo Yan perused the information, his eyes narrowing slightly as a plan formed in his mind.

The following day.

After breakfast, everyone convened at the clubhouse.

Then, the 65 freshmen were escorted to a lecture hall.

The Director of Instruction, Wai Fenghua, entered with a male teacher.

He introduced, "This is Teacher Xiao Shi, who will be responsible for your general knowledge classes. Prepare yourselves; Teacher Xiao will begin shortly."

"Additionally, there was an incident last night."

"A few students are unable to attend classes today."

The young man with a powdered face next to Lo Beichen asked, "Teacher, was it truly an accident?"

His gaze shifted to Luo Yan: "Or did someone deliberately commit murder?"

"Perhaps because he was recommended by Commander Di Zheng?"

"So, even if he committed murder, he gets to act as if nothing happened?"

"That would be horrifying."

Luo Yan remained still.

The young man's words sparked whispers among the students.

"If that's true, isn't the academy showing favoritism?"

"No, this goes beyond favoritism."

"It's outright protection."

Lo Beichen smirked internally.

The previous evening, Lee Zhe and Xiao Yuan had reported back to him.

He was shocked to learn of Chen Yongsong's death.

Yet, he saw an opportunity in Chen Yongsong's demise.

He could manipulate the students to tarnish Di Zheng's reputation.

The strategy was proving effective.

Indeed, many students had noticed bloodstains in Luo Yan's room the night before.

Some even witnessed the academy's security personnel removing a body from Luo Yan's dormitory.

Now, all eyes were on Luo Yan.

Faces etched with fear, they distanced themselves from him.

Only two people remained unmoved.

A man and a woman were present.

The man was Lee Bohang, the well-groomed young man who had sought to team up with Luo Yan the day before.

The woman, wearing headphones, was engrossed in her book, seemingly indifferent to the events unfolding in the classroom.

Wai Fenghua frowned, troubled by the situation.

He was aware of the previous night's incident and knew that Xiao Yuan and Lee Zhe, who were implicated, had 'committed suicide'.

Di Zheng had reported the matter to the academy overnight, providing a recording as evidence.

The academy had reached a decision, yet it remained unannounced.

Now, Lo Beichen was being prompted to exploit the situation, which greatly irked Wai Fenghua.

He was on the verge of speaking out when another voice interrupted.

"Lo Beichen, is that the best you can do?"

Luo Yan remained seated, not bothering to look back as he spoke, "You prefer skulking in the shadows, engaging in unsavory deeds."

"With such a petty mindset, it's no surprise that Lo Tianyi favors your brother, Lo Nanxing, over you."

"It's inevitable."

"If I were Lo Tianyi, I wouldn't waste my time on a failure like you."

Luo Beichen, previously smug, heard these words and his face contorted with anger.

The young man next to him jumped, startled.

He was well aware that any positive mention of Lo Nanxing was a sore point for Luo Beichen.

Mere mention could lead to a barrage of insults or, worse, a beating.

Predictably, Lo Beichen reached his boiling point.

He rose to his feet, bellowing, "What did you say?"

Luo Yan replied coolly, "Don't pretend you're unaware."

"In Magemoor City, it's common knowledge that Lo Tianyi treasures Lo Nanxing."

"As for you, Lo Beichen," he chuckled, "you're nothing but a laughingstock."

Luo Yan was not one for idle talk, but today he made an exception to provoke Lo Beichen.

"Seeking your own demise!" Lo Beichen, having lost all composure, was ready to lunge.

The pale-faced young man desperately held him back, "Don't fall for it, Brother Luo. He's deliberately trying to rile you up."

Lo Beichen finally regained a semblance of rationality.

He pointed at Luo Yan and declared, "You've slandered me, and I won't let it slide."

"I challenge you to a deathmatch!"

Many students looked on, bewildered by the mention of a 'deathmatch'.

Wai Fenghua's brow creased ever so slightly.

He cast a glance at Luo Yan.

At that moment, Luo Yan lifted his head, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"Fine."

"Let's do it now!"

Lo Beichen let out a chuckle, "No need to rush. A month from now won't be too late for our fight."

"By then, I'll ensure you meet your end in no uncertain terms."

He needed time to get ready.

Moreover.

Even though he had thrown down the gauntlet to Luo Yan, Lo Beichen didn't promise to refrain from acting in the interim.

If an 'accident' were to befall Luo Yan, preventing him from stepping into the arena,

he wouldn't be bothered in the slightest.

Luo Yan pondered for a moment, then fixed his gaze on him, "Agreed."

And with that, the matter was decided.