"...I'll give you money!"

The cry, born of desperation, flowed out, causing Yuder's footsteps to momentarily halt.

"How much would it take for you to just leave? A hundred thousand gold coins? No, maybe half a million would be better. That's a fair amount for a mutual benefit, right? It wouldn't be a bad deal for the Cavalry either, would it?"

Nukijo played to his strengths. Convincing people to turn a blind eye to their deeds was one of his easiest tasks. Not a single soldier, knight, administrator, or mage remained unaffected by his propositions.

Slowly, Yuder's eyes narrowed. The sight of blood dripping from his stained fingertips was terrifying, yet since Yuder had ceased moving, Nukijo believed his approach was working. He hurriedly began another proposal.

"Listen. If receiving a lump sum is too much, how about we take a little from our earnings each month? If you want women, we'll send women; if men, then men. Besides, we can bridge a connection between the Cavalry and the high officials of Charloin! Isn't that enough?"

Nukijo was met with a gaze as dark and bottomless as a deep abyss.

After a moment, Yuder slowly spoke. "To think that the Cavalry, created for the Awakeners, would turn a blind eye for mere money and connections... You dream big."

What? The Awakeners? Nukijo's mind raced.

"The Awakeners? Ah, right. If the Awakeners are the problem, then we won't hold these Awakener fights. I'll abolish it right away. Will that suffice?"

A faint twist formed at the corner of Yuder's lips. "You expect me to believe you'd give up so easily."

"Look, the supply... I mean, finding talented participants has been tough lately. It hasn't been very profitable. Managing the risks is exhausting, and I was even considering closing it down. I was so desperate, I even thought about killing those who advised me to build the second and third underground floors... to make them take responsibility."

His skill in swiftly changing his words upon seeing Yuder's expression was evident.

"..."

"Even if some Awakeners occasionally insist on participating in the regular fighting pits, we can't stop them all... but if you dislike that too, we'll make it stop. It's easier for us too!"

Of course, it was a lie. But there was nothing he wouldn't say to deceive.

"Awakeners who insist on participating? Those trapped here would have laughed to hear that."

"Trapped? Who are you talking about? The one with wings? Do you know how much debt he's in? Of course, those in debt would curse me! I've always been a man of my word!"

Nukijo had even forgotten the name of the Elpkins he had ruined. Yuder gazed at him intently before speaking.

"You. Do you remember the Awakener you've imprisoned here for over a year?"

"Imprisoned...? Ah! That Durban girl. What nonsense. I've been paying her salary and even provided her with expensive clothes and a room."

If one had not seen the conditions in which Reneve lived, Nukijo's confident tone might have made them believe his words.

"Since arriving here, she's been searching for a friend who came with her. Why didn't you show her? Is she already dead?"

"Dead? Who said that? All those girls are alive and well."

Yuder's gaze shifted subtly. Nukijo quickly noticed his interest in the matter. The man who had shown little concern for money or connections was now reacting, and Nukijo swiftly surmised this could be the key to saving both his life and the fighting pit.

"Yes, were you curious about this? The two women from Durban are both alive. I don't lie. They were alive and did their jobs quite well here."

"But why didn't you show them?"

"Because..."

While clutching his head, dizzy from the loss of blood, Nukijo simultaneously sent a covert signal to his subordinates.

'Open the passage between the first and second floors. I'll escape then; help me.'

The faces of his men, knowing what lay there, momentarily turned pale. Nukijo, undeterred, continued to babble.

"The problem was that both women had awakened. You understand, managing staff is no ordinary task. It's troublesome if they start having other thoughts instead of focusing on their duties here. One had the power to suppress power, and the other one..."

He stopped mid-sentence and fumbled in his pocket, pressing a button on a magic tool and signaling his men.

'Now!'

With a loud thud, a passage next to the stage behind Yuder opened.

"Screams of terror and panic filled the air as Nukijo's men, previously kneeling in surrender, began to flee in absolute fear.

Yuder turned his head. From the dark, gaping maw of the passage, something approached at a rapid pace. It carried a cold, dark aura, as if it was not of this world. The pungent stench of decay and blood hit his nose. His instincts as an Awakener, honed by countless similar situations, immediately recognized the entity.

It was...

"The boss has opened all the monster cages!"

Emerging from the passage were monsters with countless writhing, octopus-like legs, stained with ominous colors and glistening grotesquely. Their bodies and heads were hard to discern amid the tangled mass of limbs.

Although the monsters didn't appear large or fast, Nukijo's men were desperately fleeing for their lives. The reason soon became apparent.

Aaaa

A scream echoed as a limb of one of the monsters suddenly stretched out, shooting forward like a harpoon to grab one of the fleeing men. The captured subordinate of Nukijo struggled in vain, trying to tear away from the monster's grasp.

In the blink of an eye, the continuously extending limb pulled the victim into a writhing mass of legs, engulfing him. His limbs, flailing in resistance, twitched as they were drawn between the monster's legs, soon withering away as if all his fluids had been drained.

Yuder swiftly approached and swung his sword, wrapped in flames. The monster, emitting a bizarre cry, writhed but did not release its victim. Yuder's strength seemed formidable but was not enough to intimidate the monster.

Only after slicing through several legs with a sword that was more effective than his strength did the monster finally regurgitate its victim. However, the man was already reduced to a skeletal, perforated corpse, desiccated from head to toe.

Silence fell as a sense of danger crawled up Yuder's spine. Turning, he saw Nukijo, supported by his men, already disappearing into the distance.

He released all the monsters brought in for the fighting pit... Such a move would not leave him unscathed either.

"Save me!"

Aaaa

Amidst the screams, another monster near Yuder extended its limbs towards him. He leaped over it gracefully, but there was more than one monster, and they had even more limbs.

Like starved creatures, the monsters swarmed, endlessly stretching their limbs. They didn't mind getting tangled with each other, harshly pulling and swallowing anything they caught. Simply put, they were the perfect monsters for creating a terrifying spectacle in the arena, grabbing and sucking blood and fluids before spitting out when their prey was gone.

'I've never seen these monsters before, but... I can tell they're hunting by sound.'

For the first time in a while, Yuder's past life experience proved useful. With so many types of monsters, it was impossible to know everything at a glance, but with experience, he could guess their characteristics just by a brief confrontation. Meanwhile, Yuder exerted the power of the earth to ensure Nukijo couldn't escape. Although the monsters were difficult to kill, he had no problem destroying other things.

'Did you think I would let you escape easily?'

With a loud crash, the door in the direction Nukijo's men were heading shattered, blocking their path. The men yelled something, and the monsters, recognizing the direction, extended their limbs mercilessly, chasing new victims.

Yuder contemplated whether it would be better to just bring down the entire place as the monsters, having fed plentifully, moved faster and more relentlessly, their numerous reappearing limbs making it difficult for him to keep up.

Before he could slice off another silently approaching limb from behind, something from the opposite side seemed to grab and tear it away, and someone landed beside him.

"Are you alright?"

Kishiar straightened up from his landing pose, surveying Yuder from head to toe. The other Awakeners, who had stopped in their tracks upon seeing the monster, indicated that Kishiar, having finished organizing the backstage area, had rushed here first upon noticing the situation.

Yuder quickly explained to the man inspecting the blood on his body.

"Of course, it's not my blood. I haven't been injured yet."

"There's a scrape here."

"Such a scratch can be caused by a mere fingernail."

Kishiar faintly smiled at Yuder's blunt rebuttal.

"So, how did this situation arise?"

"I was almost done dealing with Nukijo and could have finished everything. But I got distracted by something troubling, and during that moment, he opened the monster cages."

"Monsters are beings beyond human control. He blinded himself to the danger, making the worst choice of using his men as sacrifices for a brief escape."

"Fortunately, you arrived quickly."

Yuder knew that to deal with the monsters using his strength alone, he would need to employ indirect methods rather than attacking the monsters directly, inevitably causing more damage to the property. Already having created a hole in the roof, he hesitated to cause further destruction, considering it risky. But with Kishiar's arrival, he no longer needed to worry about that aspect.

"Let's quickly clear this up without causing any more damage to the building than necessary."

"Agreed."

Kishiar then loudly commanded the other Awakeners, who were standing frozen in fear at a distance.

"Mer, Daila! Check! Bet!"

"Yes, yes?"

The ones specifically named by Kishiar reacted with surprise.

"Since these monsters respond to sound, create as much noise as possible with your abilities to distract them. Everyone, except for Reneve, be cautious not to get caught by the legs and deal with the monsters accordingly. I'll tell you what needs to be done from now on..."

Kishiar's commands were quick and precise. In just a brief conversation, he had managed to identify and remember the names and abilities of each Awakener. As he called out each Awakeners, instructing them on how to counter the monsters, the fear-stricken faces gradually shifted.

The thought that it might be worth a try began to emerge.

"Avoid separating, and assist each other to prevent getting caught by the legs. Stay vigilant."

"Yes!"

The Awakeners responded reflexively, exchanging bewildered glances before mustering the courage to dash forward. Kishiar and Yuder, as if by agreement, stood back to back.

Yuder gripped his sword, feeling Kishiar's warmth through their touching backs.

Even knowing that monsters were his weakness, the man didn't ask Yuder to step back. He knew Yuder could handle it, however challenging it might be.

His trust and emotions flowed distinctly through their connected skin.

'I can do this.'

No longer did anything seem worrisome.