First encounter

"Dinner time is over! Warriors to the arena, others do not move a muscle until I say so and wait for my command!" The giant, heavily armored guard had entered, slamming his spear to the ground. Vik guessed he must be another high-ranking Akseroat.

As the guard finished speaking, Vik glanced at the puree dish in front of him. It was half-finished. Leaving your plate unfinished was a great dishonor. She picked up her spoon again, plunged it into the puree, and brought it towards her mouth.

"I said eating's done!"

"Ahhghh!"

The giant guard had thrust the back end of his spear against Vik's back. She had no idea how the guard had gotten behind her so quickly. The impact caused her to cough the puree painfully towards the man sitting opposite her. The puree stuck to the man's clothes.

"Hey you slob! There was an unfinished plate here." Silence enveloped the surroundings. Vik, not understanding what was happening, turned her head towards Ricardo. Ricardo seemed to be holding back his laughter with great effort. When Vik frowned at him, Ricardo completely lost his control.

"Hahahaaa!"

"Hahahahaaa!" With his laughter, the atmosphere of laughter enveloped the whole dining hall. Everyone started laughing uproariously. Vik, embarrassed by the situation, lowered her head in shame.

"Silence!" What Vik wanted to do was accomplished by the guard instead. Just by slamming his spear to the ground, he had silenced the entire dining hall. Vik was now inwardly grateful to this guard she had been angry with a moment ago.

"Hey!"

Just when everything seemed resolved, the man Vik had splattered puree on angrily called out to her. Vik, scratching her hair, looked up at the man with a nervous smile. The man's voice was quite intimidating. "Yes, sir?" The man sighed deeply and stroked his long goatee. "We'll deal with this later."

"What?" Vik, startled by the sudden change in the man's tone, managed to focus properly on his face. What had just happened? When she turned to see what the man was looking at, she saw four shining eyes inside armor and quickly turned her head back. She understood why the man had changed his tone so suddenly. This guard must be as powerful as an Aarus. No one would want to anger him.

"Let those who are to fight stand up and move to the arena." With the guard's command, a dirty-bearded man with mechanical arms stood up first. "Haha! As much as it's an honor for me to have the first clash, I feel sorry for my opponent." The man picked up his cowboy hat from the table and started walking towards the exit. Vik was astounded. Could such a thing be possible? A human-machine hybrid... She had seen plenty of people walking with the help of machines, but everyone was like that. This was a first, in perfect harmony with the machine; a person like herself could not allow this. Besides, weren't they an intermediate species? A mix of human and Akseroat... How could this man have a mechanical arm? Vik, deep in thought, was brought back to reality by Ricardo nudging her.

"Hey Vik, look at that man."

Vik looked at the man Ricardo was pointing at. The man was trembling with fear. Vik understood why the man was scared, but why? She herself had four muscular arms. The man had only a mechanical arm.

"Stand up, warrior!"

"O-okay!" The man jumped to his feet, startled by the guard's fierce slamming of his spear to the ground. Other guards thrust their spears behind the man, forcibly leading him out of the dining hall. Once the man had left, the head guard stepped in front of the tables. "Wait for my command before going to watch the fight. You all must witness it." The guard cut off his speech, and the surroundings fell silent.

"Ugh! Vik, I feel so bad for Carlos, the guy's a total unlucky nomad." Ricardo whispered into Vik's ear.

"Huh, what are you talking about, Ricardo? Who's Carlos?"

"Carlos with the four arms, the other one is Rick, mechanized arm Rick."

"Haha! What a creative nickname. Did he come up with that himself?"

"Ah... Vik, don't change the subject. I want to tell you about it before the fight starts."

"Then spill it, Mr. Ricardo."

"That man, Carlos, he was a good friend of mine. We were so happy when we found out he was going for the first match, but only until we knew who his opponent was..."

"He sounds like the perfect friend for you. A big-armed friend for a four-armed friend. Haha!"

"Come on, Vik, this isn't the time for jokes."

"Alright, alright, that's enough. So, who's this 'mechanized arm Rick'?"

"Honestly, I don't know who he is, but I'm sure Carlos stands no chance against him."

"You're really good at dragging things out, Ricardo. You keep saying stuff and it all leads to another question. Now, just tell me the reason straight."

"I do this because I don't have all the information either."

"Then relax. Don't cloud your own mind with baseless worries."

"N-no, I can't. There are rumors, Vik. That's why I'm afraid. I don't want to say goodbye to my friend like this."

"In the end, you guys were gonna clash eventually. I think it's better this way."

"V-Vik, how can you speak so heartlessly? I didn't expect this from you."

"Okay, okay, joke aside, trust in your friend. I'm sure he'll shatter that 'mechanized arm Rick's mechanical arm to pieces with his muscles."

"Ahh... I hope so."

Vik smiled at Ricardo and turned back around. Ricardo, buoyed by Vik's smile, shook his head to dispel all the gloomy thoughts from his mind. "Yes, Carlos will win."

"That's the spirit, Ricardo." Vik couldn't believe she was warming up to someone she had just labeled a creep. Seated next to a creep, but feeling like he was the only one she could trust here.

"Warriors, rise!"

As everyone suddenly stood up, Vik quickly got to her feet as well.

"Follow me, single file."

Everyone lined up and started following the head guard. Vik lagged at the very end of the line, not wanting to blend in and avoid any trouble with someone again.

While Vik followed the line ahead with measured steps, her eyes glanced at a locked door beside. This door was entirely different from the one in her cell, almost as if someone was imprisoned here. As the line moved forward, she curiously scrutinized the gap under the door. What could the Akseroats be hiding here?

She started scanning the darkness inside, but could not make out anything. The interior was engulfed in sheer darkness. Squinting and trying to focus did not help pierce through the pitch-black void; she couldn't see even the slightest object. Just as she was about to give up and pull her head back, she noticed a glint inside. It was the sound of chains. Was someone chained up in there? The shine vanished suddenly, and in the darkness, two black eyes formed, staring at her. Vik jerked back in sudden fear, crashing against the wall behind her. She was left gasping for breath. "What was that?" She vowed never to let her curiosity get the better of her again as she rushed to catch up with the line ahead. She didn't have the courage to face those eyes again.

"Sit down!" The head guard had led them to a section with plenty of seats. Turning her head to the left, Vik noticed the massive arena below. Would she one day fight there?

"Vik, come sit next to me; I saved you a spot." Hearing Ricardo's voice, Vik turned her head and started walking towards him. She'd rather sit with a creepy she knew than next to a stranger.

"Mechanized arm Rick and Carlos, one of you is higher up in the food chain. Show us which one it is!"

Vik began attentively watching the two men facing each other below. Carlos didn't look as scared as before. Rick, on the other hand, was grinning malevolently. Vik secretly hoped for Carlos's victory. This was the first battle in the food chain arena. There could only be one winner.

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Hello, readers! I want to inform you about some changes to my plans. Currently, I am taking a break from this novel. If you ask why, it's because I am embarking on a kind of self-improvement journey. However, of course, I can't stand not writing anything, so alongside this journey of self-improvement, I will write my new novel. "Mrs. Void Church Stories" In this novel, I will delve into short stories, but of course, characters who own the main plot will be present. I would be delighted if you join me on this adventure.