Other-dimensional Arena

"It's open!"

Everyone became excited upon seeing the opened tunnel and eagerly asked Ophelia what she had just read.

"I don't want to translate, but the gist is that it's a curse against God the Father..."

"Those damned heretics!" Ottos cursed.

The group planned to enter the tunnel, but Luo Jun stopped them. He took out Cinerary Urn and summoned an Undead Centurion, asking them to go into the tunnel first to scout ahead. Only after confirming that nothing unusual had happened did the group try to follow.

Just in case, the group decided to split into two teams. Ophelia, a guide who knew the Ancient Parami, led Luo Jun and Jin Fei inside first, while Zhuge Chi and Ottos Mu Ning stayed outside to keep watch.

However, Ophelia and her companions entered the tunnel and, after walking less than ten meters in the darkness, encountered a dead end and could not proceed any further.

The group spent a long time studying the tunnel, but couldn't find any mechanisms or information. They had gone to so much trouble to open the door; it couldn't just be a Dead Alley, could it?

"Let Mu Ning come down and take a look too," Jin Fei suggested. The three of them then called the guards outside to come in and check the situation.

As Zhuge Chi and his companions stepped into the tunnel, the boulder behind them suddenly moved, instantly sealing the entrance!

Trapped? No, wait...

The dead end ahead suddenly opened up, and light shone out, illuminating the darkness.

The tunnel deepened by another ten meters or so, and in the inner half, torches burned on both sides. It was unclear whether they were eternal flames that had never gone out for five thousand years, or lights that had been lit by Old Yuan and his group earlier.

"The next mechanism can only be opened after everyone has entered?" Zhuge Chi looked at the blocked path behind him. The brick and stone walls here were protected by divine power and were difficult to destroy. He could only continue forward.

The walls on either side were not only adorned with torches but also with exquisite paintings and accompanying text, mostly describing sacrificial rituals. As they progressed, people slaughtered livestock, prepared offerings, and decorated the altar; the rituals proceeded step by step, culminating in the high High Priest presenting the precious offerings to the great Supreme God Karruth...

The images on both walls converged at the end of the tunnel, and finally, the statue of Karruth was painted on a huge Stone Door facing the group.

The gods of Ancient Parami mostly appear in the form of beasts with human bodies. For example, this Karruth is a strong god with a head like Eagle Falcon and two large golden wings, and a bare upper body.

"Is this the end...?" Zhuge Chi looked at the Stone Door ahead. "All the secrets lie behind this."

Luo Jun ordered the Undead Centurion to step forward and push the door open. The door opened slowly, and nothing unusual happened. Through the doorway, one could see that there was a huge, open space inside.

The group followed them inside and found that it was a spacious area about 100 meters square. Directly above, the dazzling light of gemstones shone through the opening at the top of the pyramid, illuminating the entire space. In the middle of the area was a platform two meters high, with sides about 70 or 80 meters long. In the center of the platform stood a magnificent sculpture more than three meters tall, with a wolf's head and a human body, holding a spear.

"That's God of Arbitration and Victory Arubian, the youngest son of the great god Karruth. His image usually appears in court or on the field," Ophelia explained.

"Then why is this place here?" Jin Fei asked, puzzled. "Was this a competition venue back then?"

"According to the outside description, this pyramid was built to fight against evil... the followers of the Holy Father," Ophelia said. "Perhaps it was also a prayer for victory in the war..."

"Such a grand display, just for a blessing..." Ottos curled his lip. "These ignorant heretics deserved to be wiped out."

The words had barely left his mouth when he heard the sound of stones grinding together behind him. Turning around, he saw that the Stone Door was already closed.

At the same time, the statue on the platform suddenly came to life, and the originally gray stone emitted a golden light, as if the god of arbitration had reappeared in the world.

"Invaders from another world, followers of the Evil God Dias!" The enormous wolf-headed Giant brandished his spear, pointing it at the crowd below. "Father Karruth has made a pact with your evil god, establishing this Other-dimensional Arena to end the protracted war. Are you representatives of the Evil God Dias?"

The statue's words, translated by Ophelia, reached everyone's ears, leaving them utterly bewildered. What was this Other-dimensional Arena? What was this representation of an evil god?

The group exchanged bewildered glances. Luo Jun beckoned to an Undead Soldier and whispered a few words to him. The soldier stepped forward and shouted, "I'm not!"

Without needing a translator, the statue understood the Undead Soldier's words and raised its spear at him.

"Since you are not a representative, you have no right to step into the sacred Arena!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a beam of light shot down from the gem at the top, striking the Undead Soldier squarely and instantly obliterating him.

Why not just eliminate them outright?

The group exchanged bewildered glances. Ottos gritted his teeth and said, "I'll go and destroy that heretical statue!"

"Don't do anything rash!" Luo Jun looked up at the light at the top. "The statue is just a vessel. The real threat is the gem on top, which represents a higher level of power that we cannot shake."

Luo Jun's exceptional perception also increased his sensitivity to danger. When that beam of light shone down, the hairs on his body stood on end... That light was definitely not as simple as it looked!

"It seems we have no choice but to agree for now and see how things develop." Zhuge Chi stepped forward and said loudly, "We are the representatives."

"Very good!" The statue slammed its spear into the ground, and a wave of energy spread out, turning the originally empty hall made of gray stone into gold and silver. An invisible barrier also enveloped the platform.

"The evil god's side has six representatives, and Amgilla's side will also send six representatives!"

"The rules of the competition are as follows: each side will send one contestant into the Arena for a one-on-one life-or-death duel. The loser's representative will be resurrected by divine power and join the winning side as a reserve member. The competition will continue until all contestants from one side have been recruited by the other side, at which point the pyramid's restriction will be lifted."

"The arena is completely sealed off by a divine barrier. Contestants will enter the arena via teleportation talismans. Each side will be given one Teleportation Divine Rune and must agree on their chosen contestants within a specified time. Once the time limit is up, the contestant holding the talisman will be teleported to the arena to begin the match."

"The same player cannot represent the same team twice consecutively."

"During the competition, each contestant is only allowed to carry one weapon. The competition is decided by the death of one side. The competition time limit is 864 seconds. If no winner is determined within the time limit, or if both sides are killed, it will be considered a draw, and the two sides will switch sides."

"Now, please welcome the representatives from Amgilla."

As the rules were announced, Secret Door opened on the opposite side of the arena, and six people walked out.

Upon seeing the person opposite them, everyone stared in astonishment, their eyes widening. "That... that is..."

The leader appeared to be over sixty years old, with a gleaming bald head, except for a sparse ring of hair stubbornly covering the barren coastline.

"Old Yuan?"

"Not just Old Yuan, but behind him are Jason, Flora, Sister Sharna... and Rolf and Ma Lei!"

All the missing people reappeared on the opposite side, but their eyes were now vacant and their expressions blank. They had clearly been brainwashed by a mysterious force and no longer recognized their teammates.

(End of this chapter)