Chapter 299: A Low Profile

Chapter 299Together, they moved with silent purpose... nine monsters marching toward the dark pit Aiden had pointed out.

The deeper they went, the louder the sound became.... roars, growls, the grinding of claws against black metal. And then the space opened up before them.

An arena.

At least, that’s what it looked like.

If you could even call it that.

It was huge, far bigger than any arena on Earth.... and it reeked of blood and madness. The air itself trembled with tension. The sound of snarls and howls thundered through the metallic walls.

In the center stood what could only be described as a "stage," though that word didn’t do it justice. It was a massive pit of black metal, four corners lined with bladed tusks glinting like the teeth of some ancient god. The ground shimmered with an oily reflection, and veins of red light pulsed beneath the surface, as if the entire place was alive.

"Hey... is it just me, or does this look like some kind of battle arena?" Little One muttered, his eyes flicking to the monstrous crowd. The beasts were packed shoulder to shoulder, roaring with anticipation.

"Out of everything we expected," he added dryly, "this definitely wasn’t on the list."

"Should we just... leave?" Elexa whispered.

Han didn’t answer immediately. His mind raced. This was the only route close enough to the portal boss’s base. If they turned back, they might lose their window. But walking into this chaos felt suicidal.

Before he could decide, a booming voice shook the arena.

A massive monster.... its body plated in black bone and sinew stepped forward. Its tone was guttural yet disturbingly articulate, carrying the authority of something ancient.

Han’s System Translator kicked in, converting the snarls and clicks into words he could understand.

A match will soon begin, the announcer said. Those who prove their strength shall earn the right to stand before the Great One. The victor may make one request of the Lord himself.

The crowd erupted. The sound was deafening.

Han felt every roar vibrate in his bones.

It was tempting. Dangerous, but tempting.

Jay’s voice echoed through the telepathic link. What do you think? If we join this "match," we might actually get to meet the boss without drawing suspicion.

Aiden and the others nodded. They all knew the same truth.... this might be their one clean shot.

Han frowned behind the mask, his glowing eyes narrowing. Not yet, he replied. We observe first.

As he spoke, the announcer raised its clawed hand. "I call upon—Gatribo!"

The ground trembled.

From the opposite gate, a shadow emerged.... a towering monster wrapped in black muscle and armor made from the bones of its victims. It carried a massive axe fashioned from a single, curved femur, the blade shimmering with a faint red glow.

Behind its skull mask burned two fierce green eyes, sharp and hungry.

Han’s Analyzer Eye flared. Data flooded his vision.

> Name: Gatribo

Rank: High Null (High S-Rank)

Threat Level: Catastrophic

"High S-rank..." Han muttered under his breath. His expression hardened. "That thing’s a monster even among monsters."

Gatribo walked forward, slow and deliberate, each step sending small quakes through the arena floor. He dragged his axe behind him, the sound scraping like steel on stone.

He didn’t posture. Didn’t roar. Just waited.... his blade planted in the ground, his head tilted slightly, as if daring anyone to challenge him.

Moments later, another creature .... a smaller Knull, maybe low S-rankleapt onto the stage, determined and desperate. The air grew heavier. The match began.

The challenger moved first, vanishing in a blur of motion. Its claws gleamed as they arced toward Gatribo’s chest.... razor-sharp, strong enough to tear steel apart.

But the blow landed... and did nothing.

Not a scratch. Not even a flinch.

The massive Null didn’t bother dodging or defending. He simply looked down, almost bored.

Then the air twisted.

Before anyone could blink, Gatribo’s hand shot up, grabbed the attacker’s skull....

....and crushed it.

One brutal squeeze.

One sickening crack.

Silence.

Then the crowd exploded. Roars, screams, the pounding of fists on metal.

The fight had lasted less than five seconds.

Han stood frozen, watching the headless corpse crumble into the black dust. His glowing eyes flickered beneath the mask.

"High S-rank, huh," he whispered, voice cold. "No... something beyond that."

"That’s... brutal," Aiden whispered through the telepathic link, his voice tight with disgust.

Han didn’t respond, but he didn’t need to. They all felt it. The air itself reeked of madness and bloodlust.

For them to butcher one of their own so casually, it wasn’t strength. It was savagery. Pure, unrestrained insanity.

The rest of the group could only watch in grim silence as the massacre continued. One monster after another stepped into the pit.... roaring, clawing, desperate to prove something... and each time, the result was the same.

Skulls crushed. Bodies broken. Gore splattering across the black metal floor.

And every time, the crowd cheered louder.

They loved it.

They reveled in the blood, in the sound of bones shattering. Every roar was a hymn to their cruelty.

Aiden clenched his fists. "They’re enjoying this," he muttered. "They’re actually enjoying this."

Han’s eyes... still glowing faintly behind the skull mask.... shifted toward the massive structure looming behind the arena floor. The boss’s base. Their target.

This is getting nowhere, he thought. Every second we waste here, the portal edges closer to collapse.

They didn’t have much time left

... maybe hours, maybe less. Once the portal broke, this entire world would unravel. If they didn’t reach the boss before that happened, everything they’d done so far would be meaningless.

Han’s mind spun with calculations, alternatives, outcomes. He needed a window, a single chance to slip through this chaos and strike.

But then....

The High Null’s voice thundered across the arena, shaking the ground beneath their feet.

It pointed one long, jagged finger straight at him.

"You."

The crowd went dead silent for half a heartbeat.

Then the voice came again, colder, heavier.... each word like a blade dragging through metal.

"You. Come. On. Stage."


The air froze. Every monster’s head turned in his direction.

Han didn’t move. His glowing blue eyes burned brighter beneath the skull mask, his face unreadable. For a few seconds, the silence stretched thin... taut and dangerous.

Then he exhaled.

A slow, quiet sigh.

"So much for keeping a low profile," he muttered under his breath.

And as he stepped forward.

To Be Continued.....

AUTHOR’S NOTE

That’s the Chapter, everyone!

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– Ultra