'It's truly impossible to survive in this forest for a full six months. Is Socrates really protected by a goddess? Was he the one that killed the Obsidian Rabbit? How strong is he now? A single blow.... But why can't I sense any energy from him?' Mastrile asked himself as his grip on his sword tightened, his knuckles whitening slightly around the worn leather handle.
"Socrates.. You dare hurt the disciple of the Northern Gladiator Guild.. As the champion of the Earth Pavilion of the Northern Gladiator Guild, it's only natural I get justice for my fellow disciples. Boys, get him." Nicollo announced to his other lackeys, his voice carrying authority as it echoed faintly across the cave walls.
The trio stepped forward as they approached Socrates cautiously rather than rashly, their boots scraping against the uneven rocky floor, sending faint dust particles into the air.
"Oh is that your way of justification... How about the time I was ambushed by you all.. Am I not the disciple of the Earth Pavilion?" Socrates asked, his tone calm yet cold, but Nicollo didn't answer..
"Don't let him get into your skin.. Go all out.." Nicollo ordered as the three men instantly released their energy.
Yellow energy swirled out of their forms, spreading like thin mist around their bodies... The aura of an early-stage Energy Condensation Cultivator flickered around them, illuminating the dim cave with faint golden light.
"Son of Trueblood... You remember this axe..." One of the lackeys stated, lifting his weapon slightly so its metallic edge caught the light..
"It belonged to the man who died because of you.." The second added, his voice carrying resentment that had long been buried.
"Unfortunately you're going to die by the weapon of the man who has given his life up for you." The lackey stated again as the duo charged at Socrates from different directions, their steps heavy and forceful.
"You're challenging me with your early-stage strength... hmmph." Socrates shook his head in disappointment as he watched the duo close in, his blue eyes calm and emotionless.
He only moved a step, and that was enough for him to get out of the range of the attack of the two lackeys with axes, as he appeared right in front of the disciple with a gauntlet, his movement swift like a shadow shifting in darkness..
Before the disciple could think, a hand grabbed his neck as his body was lifted up from the ground, his feet kicking helplessly in the air.
'What? Why am I suddenly losing my strength?' The disciple gasped for air as he tried to free himself from Socrates' grip, but he couldn't even move at all as Socrates' grip made all his body go numb, his vision slowly blurring.
He didn't even last 5 seconds before his body collapsed in Socrates' hand. The Son of Trueblood had snuffed out his life with just a hand.....
He turned around and tossed the body to the duo that was charging at him from behind, the lifeless body flying like a thrown sack of grain.
All of this was happening fast as Nicollo and Mastrile stood there watching, their eyes widening as events unfolded faster than their minds could properly process.
The body that was flung at them disrupted their movement as they evaded the body before trying to regain their position in rushing Socrates, their feet scraping harshly across the rocky cave floor.
But the Son of Trueblood had already appeared in front of them, his figure moving with unnatural speed that left faint gusts of air in his wake.
With both hands raised up, he grabbed them both by the face, lifting them up without much resistance and smashing their heads on the ground instantly, the impact producing a thunderous crack that echoed violently through the cavern.
The ground beneath them quaked as a crackling sound of skull and stone traveled across the cave, followed by silence that felt heavy and suffocating.
The two lackeys were dead, and they died in a horrible way, having their heads smashed and necks broken, their bodies lying limp against the fractured stone floor.
Nicollo and Mastrile's hearts shook violently, they had witnessed what had just happened, and the cold realization settled deep into their bones.
'The Son of Trueblood had killed the Early Stage Cultivators with relative ease. There's only one way to explain this..' Mastrile's grip on his sword loosened before tightening once again, sweat forming along his forehead despite the cold air of the cave...
'He has turned into a monster...' Mastrile screamed in his mind, his breathing growing slightly uneven.
"Socrates... Seems like you've got some miracle encounters in this forest... After killing you, that encounter will be mine." Nicollo announced, releasing his aura....
He's at the 3rd level of Energy Condensation... His grip on his daggers tightened as he analyzed Socrates seriously, his earlier arrogance now replaced with visible caution.
"Mastrile we should...." Nicollo couldn't complete his speech when a blade drove into his heart straight from the back, the sound of metal piercing flesh ringing sharply within the cave.
The eyes of Nicollo widened, and even the eyes of Socrates Trueblood widened, as what he didn't expect was for Mastrile to sneak up on Nicollo and stab him from behind...
"What? Why did you..." Nicollo coughed out blood as Mastrile pulled out the sword without hesitation, crimson spilling rapidly from the fatal wound.
"I'm sorry but I've to ensure my survival." Mastrile whispered as he watched Nicollo struggle to say something before collapsing on the floor with a mouth full of blood, his body twitching once before becoming still.
Mastrile's gaze didn't linger much on the dead champion and then turned to Socrates before dropping his sword to the ground and dropping on his knees, the sound of metal striking stone echoing faintly.
"Mastrile pays salute to the Earth Pavilion Champion.." Mastrile stated as he bowed instantly, kissing the floor without hesitation, his posture completely submissive.
Socrates looked at him for a while, still trying to process what had just happened. What he planned was to kill everyone that was here because they were all the people that had ambushed and killed him.
What he hadn't expected was for Mastrile to betray Nicollo and then curry a favor from him.
He could actually kill Mastrile with relative ease, but there's a rule among Gladiators..
A Gladiator doesn't kill a man that has already surrendered and is defenseless. Talk more of the one that has already curried a favor from you.
"Why do you think I won't kill you?"
"Because I'm useful to you.. You've been gone for six months.. A lot of things have changed for the past six months and you'll need someone to fill you in." Mastrile said without hesitation, still kneeling low with his forehead nearly touching the cold stone floor.
"Alright, start filling your role.."
Mastrile stood up without hesitation as he walked over to the dead body of Nicollo, the corpse lying twisted awkwardly on the cracked stone, and pulled off his wristband.. He walked over to the others' wristbands, retrieved the items in them, and put them into Nicollo's wristband, and then handed it over to Socrates, who accepted it and strapped it to his wrist instantly, the metallic band locking firmly in place.
"Brother Socrates.. There's a new set of clothes in the wristband." Mastrile muttered, trying hard not to bite his teeth, his voice careful and respectful.
Socrates' eyes then traveled to his naked self and then he chuckled before walking forward, the faint sound of chains dragging lightly against the stone echoing behind him....
"Carry the dead body of the Obsidian Rabbit, let's go back to the Earth Pavilion.."
"What about the body of Nicollo and the others?" Mastrile asked, uncomfortable with the way the bodies were lying around here, blood slowly spreading across the uneven cave floor.
"Leave it there for the beasts to feed on..." Socrates chuckled softly as he recalled that this was the same fate that was supposed to befall him.
His body being devoured by beasts had it been he had not cultivated diligently under the Sculpture of the Goddess of Death....
The Goddess of Death wasn't just a title... There's a reason why Lady Achillia was referred to as the Goddess of Death...
This is the reason why no one was able to establish connection with her for centuries.....
Because to be able to enter the Gladiator King's world, one has to be close to death...
Socrates had been trying to establish a connection ever since, but he had failed all through...
But that very moment where he had gotten close to death... The connection picked... It was established, and his consciousness was taken to the world created by Lady Achillia while his true body was protected in a barrier...
Any training he had in the world of Lady Achillia also reflected in his body in the real world.. And while years had passed in that world, only six months had passed in the real world....
Socrates' meridian was still broken, but his body had been forged beyond limits, muscles hardened through endless suffering, and now he's back to take back things that once belonged to him.