Were these people all on rat poison or something?!
Watching the scene inside the White Tower, Fu Qian couldn't help but marvel.
In the vast, open space, wave after wave of noise rolled over the crowd.
There were men and women, old and young, cheering and shrieking in a chaotic chorus.
Some were simply making meaningless noises, sounding like maddened donkeys braying.
All of it echoed together, somehow bringing to mind a piece of music called "Flight of the Bumblebee." His ears itched just listening to it.
The building looked even more magnificent from the inside than it did from the outside, though its architectural style left a lot to be desired.
The enormous space and soaring white columns spiraling upward made it feel as if he'd stepped into some impossibly grand cathedral.
Yet at the bottom was an arena like those of ancient Rome, surrounded by densely packed stands that resembled a honeycomb.
Meanwhile, the bizarre screens above the platform, and the chaotic bands of lights higher up, made it unmistakably clear that he was in the information age.
Was this the legendary, universe-invincible White Tower Arena?
All he could say was that it perfectly reflected the builders' bottomless budget and atrocious taste.
If he had to describe the overwhelming sense of incongruity, it was like seeing Yama, King of the Underworld, wearing Bluetooth earphones while twirling a boomerang.
"Hello. Please come this way."
A young woman with brown hair, dressed in a white robe like an ancient Greek priestess, approached. She interrupted Fu Qian's musings at just the right moment and, with an impeccable smile, gestured for him to enter through the passage beside them.
Fu Qian looked around. Sure enough, every competing "gladiator" had one of these women by their side.
According to past years' figures, the