Chapter 293: Colosseum (I) “I Will Kill You”

【instance Name: Colosseum】

【instance Type: Multiplayer Survival】

【Pre-Warning: Humans are also beasts. Humans are not born to be beasts.】

The basic information about the instance refreshed on the system interface, a few lines of text delivering a terrible warning.

The three words “Colosseum” brought to mind Ancient Rome, which revered military strength. The description “Multiplayer” indicated a clear antagonistic relationship. Survival instances have high demands on martial strength and physique, yet the Pre-Warning was contradictory… Even though his martial strength had been enhanced by the Cursed Pendulum, Qi Si still knew his limits, realizing he was a Puzzle-solving Player.

Although Dong Xiwen’s martial strength was not weak, as a player who emerged from the puzzle-solving instance Grand Performance, his abilities were clearly also focused on puzzle-solving.

The prerequisites for this instance were highly unfavorable for both of them.

The darkness surrounding them slowly dissipated, and noisy sounds surged in from all directions—not human voices, but the cries of various animals.

The “moos” belonged to cows, the “woos” belonged to wolves, and there were many other indistinct, muffled sounds.

Qi Si opened his eyes and saw a tightly closed iron gate.

The air was filled with humid heat and a faint smell of blood. Brown clots clung to the iron bars and walls, and in the corner, a pile of flocculent, flesh-colored objects could be seen, seemingly rotten skin and meat.

He was in a cramped room with no furnishings except for the straw spread in the corner. He was currently sitting on the pile of straw with his knees hugged, looking through the bars of the iron gate toward a distant high platform.

That appeared to be the audience seating, built from solid blocks of marble, with seats tall enough for two people and wide enough for one. A few NPCs were scattered across them.

He only called them NPCs because Qi Si didn’t know how else to define those things.

They had the heads of animals like tigers and elephants, but their bodies were much larger than the normal size of these animals in nature. They sat leisurely in the audience seats in human postures, resembling animal-based Deities worshipped by certain civilizations.

The mixed howling of various animals in his ears never ceased, much of it coming from overhead. It was safe to assume that the ceiling of the room was likely a similar audience stand.

Qi Si listened for a while and realized he could actually understand a few of the sentences.

“This session of the Colosseum Game has several new faces. I wonder who will survive until the end.”

“I hope they can survive a few rounds; dying right away is no fun.”

“Yes, the last fight was too brutal… Who are you betting on this time? Still the Wolf?”

“We’ll see. The odds for the Wolf are too low, and one died, so they need to recruit a newcomer… I think the Lion is good.”

“Which team hasn’t lost someone? All six teams lost one member each. I suspect the organizers did it on purpose just to introduce new faces.”

Qi Si stood up and walked to the iron gate, listening clearly to the discussions above his head.

He pretty much understood now: he was a player participating in the Colosseum Game within this instance, and he would likely have to join a team soon.

Those tall animals were the spectators, who would place bets on the various teams, wagering on their wins and losses.

It sounds just like a miniature Gods Gamble… Qi Si looked at the enormous circular Colosseum outside the bars and fell into contemplation.

Designing the game venue based on the Roman Colosseum’s specifications, but swapping the positions of humans and animals, combined with the Pre-Warning, felt deeply intentional… A serious, objective narration sounded, explaining the world background.

【This is a world where humans and gods coexist. A hundred years ago, the Evil God, who loved conflict and revelry, descended here, becoming the ruler of all gods and humanity.】

【To celebrate His arrival, the gods built the magnificent Colosseum, inviting heroes among humanity to come here and engage in battles of life and death.】

【Courage and wisdom, fear and madness—the Evil God is pleased by the human performances and is willing to meet the most outstanding hero and grant his wish.】

【You are an ambitious schemer who dreams of becoming a god, using conspiracy and deceit to gain game qualification, only to obtain the method of apotheosis from the Evil God.】

【main quest has been refreshed】

【main quest: Audience with the Evil God】

The text related to the quest refreshed in the upper left corner of his vision, and Qi Si raised an eyebrow slightly.

The background of this instance was clearly a mixture of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece. The Colosseum was practically a direct copy of the Roman Colosseum, while the trick of using games to please the gods belonged to the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece.

Although it was nominally a world where humans and gods coexisted, the gods were undoubtedly in a ruling position, able to easily treat insignificant humans as mere entertainment.

What Qi Si was more concerned about was the part related to his personal identity.

Voluntarily joining a disadvantaged life-or-death game and performing on someone else’s home turf was already abstract enough; yet the goal was to somehow learn the method of apotheosis from the Evil God… Was the character he was playing really so naive as to think he could leapfrog classes and become a ruler based solely on one game?

“Time’s up. You may enter the stage.”

The iron gate was opened from the outside, and a giant with a Goat Head stood outside, his long, narrow pupils looking down at Qi Si, appearing cold and arrogant.

Qi Si stepped out of the room and was led by the Goat Head to stand on the circular platform in the center of the Colosseum.

He was dressed in a red suit and trousers, an outfit preset before entering the instance, which looked completely unsuitable for fighting.

On the surrounding audience stands, the NPCs with various animal heads showed great enthusiasm, erupting in earth-shattering cheers.

The Elephant sitting in the highest section excitedly swung its trunk, while the Lions and Tigers in the layer below opened their gaping maws.

These bizarre things were the “gods” of this instance. He wondered what the Evil God, whom the main quest required an audience with, looked like… “Let everyone welcome our Number 7!” The Goat Head stood beside Qi Si, shedding its previous coldness and introducing Qi Si enthusiastically to the audience. “He is the representative we drew from this batch of newcomers. He looks like he’d die from a single punch. I wonder how many days he can survive in this game?”

His words carried obvious malice, though it was unclear if it was directed solely at Qi Si or if it was equal contempt for all humans.

He paused, then added, as if realizing his slip-up: “Oh dear, I shouldn’t say that. Number 7 is the only one among this batch of newcomers who gained qualification through wisdom.”

The monsters in the audience seats burst into roaring laughter. The word “wisdom” seemed to be an absurd joke to them. The already fervent atmosphere instantly became even more intense.

The Goat Head clapped twice for show and announced loudly: “Next, we will draw one person from our old friends to come up and speak with this poor newcomer. I wonder what advice the veteran will have for the novice?”

A stone door slowly opened, and milky white radiance poured down from above. Pure white fragments spontaneously floated up, forming a long staircase leading directly to the circular platform.

Such treatment was clearly incomparable to what Qi Si, who was locked behind an iron gate, received; it was likely special preferential treatment for veteran players.

The halo dissipated, revealing a figure in black clothes and black hair, who steadily ascended the steps and walked onto the circular platform.

That person was none other than Chang Xu.

Players randomly matched into this instance were assigned different identities and thus enjoyed different initial treatments. In a sense, this was truly unfair.

Qi Si was not surprised that Chang Xu had appeared in this instance, although being drawn up separately as the novice and the veteran was quite a coincidence.

Seeing Chang Xu stop, he smiled and raised his left hand, revealing the white ring on his pinky finger: “Brother Chang, what a coincidence. I guessed you would be one of the two people sent by Jiuzhou.”

Chang Xu did not respond.

He looked directly into Qi Si’s eyes, his face devoid of emotion: “You are a Slaughter-path player. ‘Cheng An,’ who led the team wipe in Frog Hospital, was you. The person hidden behind Lin Chen in the Wraith instance was you. The person who tried to kill me in the Hopeless Sea instance was also you.”

Qi Si suppressed his smile and narrowed his eyes.

Chang Xu continued: “The person who impersonated me in the Carnivore instance was also you. You permanently closed the Wraith instance after thirty-five days to shift the suspicion onto Lin Chen.”

He did not continue speaking, seemingly waiting for Qi Si’s response, but judging by his tone and expression, he was clearly certain of the answer.

Qi Si stared at him in silence for a moment before a smile returned to his face: “So, you’re not an ignorant fool after all.

“That’s right. Skills are unique, and since you know my skill is Soul Contract, it’s not too difficult to guess a few things based on that.”

The tension was visibly palpable. The Goat Head quickly shouted: “Attention, gentlemen, the game has not officially begun yet. Harming each other outside of the game is not allowed!”

Chang Xu acted as if he hadn’t heard, looking at Qi Si and saying plainly: “You should have been a dead man in Frog Hospital. Having fallen into Ghosts, you should have been contained, but for some reason, the higher-ups refused to act against you.

“In that case, I will be the one to send you where you belong.”

“Oh?” Hearing this, Qi Si generously took a step back, dramatically looking left and right at the audience seats surrounding the platform. “To be inexplicably thrown into this cage by the Eerie Game, allowing a group of beasts to observe you like a circus animal—

“You can’t seriously intend to perform a scene of mutual slaughter for these NPCs under the instance’s rules, can you?

“Any normal person encountering this situation would immediately unite to destroy or escape this place. Are you willingly staying in the rule-bound dog cage, preferring to point your knife at a fellow player instead?”

Every sentence of his morally manipulative speech contained terms like “Eerie Game,” “instance,” and “player,” making them inaudible to the NPCs.

Chang Xu continued to look at him, his voice cold: “You have long since mutated into a Slaughter-path player, fallen into Ghosts, and harmed countless people along the way. We are not the same kind.”

Qi Si sighed: “Has no one ever told you not to be so blunt when you speak? You want to kill someone, yet you announce it right in front of them. Don’t you know how to be discreet?”

Chang Xu shook his head: “There is no need. You would know eventually.”

“It seems you think you have me cornered.” Qi Si’s smile became strange. “I guess you didn’t start a live broadcast this time. You probably prepared to sabotage cooperation long ago, didn’t you?

“Have you considered how the Eerie Investigation Bureau and the Jiuzhou Guild will handle the fallout if you openly attack me, the Vice Guild Master of the Unnamed Guild?”

“That is unimportant.” Chang Xu conjured a black Identity Card in his hand, the gilded patterns on it reflecting a faint light. “Executing Slaughter-path players aligns with the Covenant’s objective.”

Qi Si’s gaze swept over the Identity Card, and he countered with a half-smile: “No substantial evidence, no legal trial, convicting and executing based on vague suspicion—is this your justice?”

“You want to kill me, so I will kill you. That is fair.” Chang Xu crushed the card in his hand.

Black fragments scattered and flew, expanding in the air into a massive card phantom that momentarily obscured the entire sky.

The black-clothed, golden-eyed Judge stood solemnly between heaven and earth. The black-covered book in his hand flipped rapidly, and golden characters flashed out like ribbons, nearly blurring Qi Si’s vision.

【Identity Card: Dark Judge】

The instant he focused on it, Qi Si learned its name, accompanied by a cold and unequivocal declaration.

【Chang Xu, holder of the “Dark Judge” Identity Card, asserts the initiation of a judgment against you】

【Upon inspection, you are Deeply Sinful… Judgment is in effect, skills have been sealed】

The heavy black book stopped on one page. The icon for the 【Soul Contract】 skill in the upper left corner of the system interface instantly turned gray, and after two seconds of observation, the text 【Cannot be activated in this instance】 popped up.

The golden vines growing wildly in his consciousness space rapidly faded, and the hanging leaves and plump fruits rustled down, losing all sensation and connection within a few seconds.

Only a bloody branch remained hidden in the deep darkness, with Lin Chen’s crimson leaf hanging lonely at the tip, a remnant temporarily preserved by the 【Crimson High Priest】 card using the “Faith” system.

The phantom of the red-robed, red-eyed High Priest condensed behind him. A man-sized cross held aloft by its hands stood before Qi Si, dissolving into specks of light simultaneously upon contact with the golden characters.

A golden Divine Temple built from massive stones faintly appeared in a higher dimension. Beneath the closed-eyed marble statue, the red phantom raised its hand and placed a piece on the chessboard.

The black-clad figure seated opposite gazed indifferently, slowly raising his right hand, which held a cross pendant, and opening his five fingers.

A black cross fell from the high heavens, hovering above Qi Si’s head in the form of a phantom.

That was a mark of “sin,” visible to all players.

【Judgment will take effect in all instances until the Judge dies or unbinds the Identity Card】

【During the period the Judgment is in effect, you will continuously be able to know the Judge’s location and status】

All anomalies completely vanished. Two lines of silver-white prompt text appeared on the system interface. The depths of Qi Si’s consciousness were desolate, unable to perceive the presence of Dong Xiwen and others.

【Crimson High Priest】 is on the same level as 【Dark Judge】 and cannot break its control.

Soul Contract was disabled, and this restriction would permeate all instances, ceaselessly… unless he killed the Judge to terminate the judgment process.

Qi Si lifted his eyelids and looked at Chang Xu.

A crimson King Chess Piece condensed above the latter’s head, seemingly capable of penetrating time and space to manifest eternally in another dimension.

The 【Dark Judge】 card seemed inherently created for conflict. The Judge issued a Kill Order against the sinner, and the sinner would likewise view the Judge as a thorn in their side.

Fighting and tearing, ceaselessly, until one side dies.

Qi Si tilted his head and grinned at Chang Xu: “I will kill you.”

At the same time, all players in the instance heard the system broadcast.

【main quest has been updated, new Replaceable Quest added】

【main quest (Optional): Kill the Sinner Qi Si】