Chapter 186: First Place?

Chapter 186: Chapter 186: First Place?

She had to go to the Coliseum, and Seraphina Sinclair was going right now.

She needed greater Strength, needed to find any and all potentially useful information and items.

Seraphina Sinclair looked away from the whimpering Dragon Whelp, took a deep breath, and used the Invitation Letter to the Coliseum.

The Invitation Letter instantly stretched, elongated, and transformed into a notification panel before Seraphina Sinclair.

[You may bring any items you wish, but remember: within the Coliseum, you are responsible for your own life and death. The victor wins glory and Strength; the loser pays with blood and life!]

[Confirm teleportation to the Coliseum?]

Having come this far, Seraphina Sinclair naturally wouldn’t hesitate. She glanced at the little... uh, Lucky, still curled up on the quilt, and pressed ’confirm’.

The panel dissolved into countless motes of light, instantly engulfing her.

The light before her eyes faded, and the familiar sensations of weightlessness and spatial-transfer vertigo washed over her.

Seraphina Sinclair steadied herself and found she was now at the edge of a massive, circular plaza built from rough-hewn stone!

The air was thick with the heavy stench of blood, sweat, and an indescribable, acrid odor.

Seraphina Sinclair wrinkled her nose instinctively. ’This smell is absolutely vile.’

She looked up, only to find a ceilingless darkness above. The only light came from massive, flickering torches mounted on the surrounding walls, casting countless twisted, frenzied shadows onto the stone.

Deafening roars, shouts, the clash of weapons, and the grisly sound of tearing flesh emanated from the center of the plaza.

That was the Coliseum.

Seraphina Sinclair lowered her gaze and drew her long blade.

Just as she was about to step forward, a new notification panel appeared before her.

[Welcome to the Black Mist Coliseum, nameless survivor.]

[Please wait in the preparation area. Your match is about to begin.]

[Victory is your only path to survival.]

Seraphina Sinclair didn’t react much. Her gaze swept the area, and after spotting the location of a waiting room, she strode inside.

The smell in here was also incredibly foul.

Though not a germaphobe, Seraphina Sinclair was someone who liked to keep clean. Her eyes swept the room with disgust before she found a clean spot to stand.

She didn’t know that from the moment she stepped into the Coliseum, her every move was being watched.

"That expression... Don’t tell me this human thinks it’s dirty?"

"Why is it always these types who don’t know their own worth?! If they’re all this kind of trash, what’s the point of watching the Coliseum?!"

"Sigh, place your bets now. Once the rankings are announced, you won’t be able to bet anymore."

"Is there even any point in betting on this trash? She’s so disgusted by a little dirt. When the fight starts and there’s slime and blood spraying everywhere, isn’t she going to be scared to death?"

"Betting on the monster to win is a guaranteed profit! I love these kinds of humans; you don’t even have to guess the outcome. It’s obvious she’s just here to hand over her Black Fog Coins! I wonder what the odds are this time. The payout’s probably barely over 1:1 again!"

"Bet! I’m betting now! I just ran out of Black Fog Coins, so this one’s come at the perfect time!"

The discussions in the stands were boisterous, but they all revolved around the newly arrived contestant.

Although most of the spectators didn’t think much of her, a few of the smarter ones noticed the composure in Seraphina Sinclair’s demeanor.

These spectators frowned, tentatively placing a few Black Fog Coins on the human contestant to win.

The prize pool was still accumulating, but just as the spectators said, the contestant’s ranking would be announced soon! Before that, however, the survivor’s ID would be revealed!

On the large screen visible to all spectators, two words were emblazoned—Blacktiger Ford!

The two words flashed a few times, like the countdown before a race.

All the spectators held their breath, their pupils dilated in anticipation.

At the same time, Seraphina Sinclair also received a system notification and, following the instructions, stood before a closed iron gate.

Time’s up!

The large words on the screen vanished instantly!

[Zone Ranking: No. 1!]

That scarlet number hung high above, reflected in countless pairs of astonished eyes.

The dead silence lasted only for a moment before it was shattered by an even more frenzied uproar!

"Number one?! How could she be number one?"

"How could someone who’s disgusted by a little grime have the courage to raise a weapon and kill those monsters?!"

"It’s fixed! This is fixed! My Black Fog Coins... Give me back my Black Fog Coins!"

"Everyone, look at the odds! The payout for betting on the monster is a whopping 5.8! I’ve never seen a multiplier that high! Who the hell is this person?!"

"I was just about to say, that ID is so familiar! Isn’t that the server-wide number one from the novice rankings that just finished its review?!"

"Server-wide number one?! The entire server?!"

"It’s over... It’s all over... My Black Fog Coins."

"It’s not over yet. We have the power to influence things, you know. Who cares if she’s number one in the Zone or server-wide! Now that she’s in here, does she really think she can get out safely?"

"That’s right... a 5.8 multiplier. If we could get that..."

"Everyone, stop being stingy with your points! We have to make this human stay in our Coliseum!"

"Keep her here!"

All the spectators’ gazes turned toward the Coliseum as chains pulled open the large iron gate, revealing the straight-backed figure standing behind it.

Seraphina Sinclair held her blade in one hand, her gaze resting impassively on the monsters standing in the center of the arena.

For the first match in the E-level Coliseum, her enemies were five F-level Rotting Corpses.

These were monsters she had been dealing with ever since she entered this world.

Putting aside the difference in power, Seraphina Sinclair even knew the weaknesses of these Rotting Corpses like the back of her hand.

For her, at her current level, this match couldn’t even be called a warm-up.

Seraphina Sinclair tightened her grip on her long blade and, with a calm expression, strode out into the fire-lit Coliseum.

The sand underfoot was muddy and viscous, saturated with too much blood.

In the center of the arena, the five Rotting Corpses caught the scent of flesh and blood. They immediately let out guttural hisses, twisting their stiff limbs as they scrambled to lunge at her.

Ulcerated flesh sloughed off their bodies, revealing the stark white bone beneath. Their murky eyes held nothing but a primal craving for flesh.

The spectators erupted in even more frenzied roars, mixed with a torrent of vicious curses hoping to see her torn to shreds.

Seraphina Sinclair turned a deaf ear to it all.

Her eyes sharpened, instantly locking onto the neck of the Rotting Corpse rushing at the very front.

With a quick shift of her feet, she slid to the side, precisely dodging the Rotting Corpse’s swinging claws.

At the same time, her long blade traced a cold arc of light—

SHHNK!

The Blade cut effortlessly through the Rotting Corpse’s decayed flesh and bone. The grotesque head instantly separated from its body and rolled to the ground as black, foul blood spurted out.

Her current moves were all ones she had figured out on her own; naturally, they couldn’t compare to those of a professional.

But what she’d figured out herself was damn effective!