The moment Lin Wan stepped through the stone door, the dim yellow soul-guide lamps hanging along both sides of the corridor stretched his shadow long and short.
Layers of dried blood stained the dark red walls like twisted murals, silently recounting the cruel history of Slaughter City.
The air reeked of blood, sweat, and fear—a stench unique to Slaughter City, one that seeped into the marrow and could never be washed away.
But Lin Wan had long since grown used to it.
His footsteps echoed through the empty corridor, steady and measured, betraying neither fatigue nor excitement from the nine-man deathmatch he had just survived.
The three purple poison marks on his face stood out sharply beneath the dim yellow light.
The venom had already seeped into his flesh, bringing a constant burning pain and faint numbness.
Lin Wan raised a finger and lightly touched the edge of one poison mark.
A slight sting came from his fingertip.
His expression remained calm as he took a palm-sized jade vial from his robes, pulled out the stopper, and poured several drops of pale blue medicinal liquid onto the wound.
This was an antidote refined by Ge Duo, capable of neutralizing most poisons.
The moment the medicine touched his skin, a cool sensation spread through it, slightly easing the burning pain.
Lin Wan put away the jade vial and continued onward.
At the end of the corridor, a heavy iron gate slowly rose, revealing the broad streets of the inner city beyond.
Unlike the madness within the Hell Slaughter Arena, the streets of Slaughter City's inner district were sparsely populated.
An occasional figure darted past from the shadows, hurrying along while warily scanning the surroundings like prey crossing a hunting ground, constantly guarding against a kill that could come from any direction.