NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: The Encroaching Challenge
In a new development at the colosseum, an intriguing opportunity has arisen. Munera, the dungeon-core, has introduced a betting system that allows both combatants and spectators alike to wager their hard-earned champion points against one another. This has come with a noticeable growth in excitement as people become frenzied not only for the spectacle of the fights and the games but also for something a layer deeper — their earnings. The atmosphere within the colosseum is charged with excitement, as this change has added an extra layer of interest and anticipation for those who partake in the battles or simply observe from the stands. Longtime spectators and newcomers find themselves drawn into the world of wagers, meticulously evaluating each combatant's skill, agility, and ferocity to determine which one might emerge victorious.
Fan favorites are emerging amongst the champions, some of them for their skill and others for their charisma and showmanship during the events. Others are not so popular. Munera hasn’t quite yet figured out what exactly makes a candidate popular in the eyes of the public or not. They alwa
ys just seem to choose with a mind of their own, which it doesn’t really get.
Among the combatants themselves, this new betting system has sparked a flurry of emotions. Some relish the heightened stakes that come with betting their own champion points on their performance, while others feel a sense of pressure knowing that they now carry not only their pride but also the sometimes significant investments of others on their shoulders. In between bouts, discussions fill the air as bets are placed on favorite contenders or underdogs who may pull off surprising upsets. Animated debates ensue as spectators weigh the merits of each fighter against one another, attempting to predict how particular matchups will unfold.
“I’m telling you!” barks the older man, who had just arrived from the city today. “That girl doesn’t stand a chance,” he says, waving off the others next to him. They, in turn, are more than ready to argue for the archer’s merits, and her chances against a powerful undead monster by herself. “A lich? She’s done for.”
“I dunno,” says the one next to him. “Remember the ice wall thing?” he asks. The other man next to him nods in agreement, thinking. “She really picked a few off from there.”
With each clash in the arena, tensions rise as friends and strangers alike eagerly await the outcome of their wagers. Exhilarating victories lead to triumphant cheers from those who have bet wisely, while unexpected losses are met with groans of disbelief from those whose champion points have slipped through their fingers. The lure of potentially multiplying one's champion points through shrewd predictions keeps people coming back for more. It’s also dangerous for the contestants. Some of them, willing to bet against poor odds, are hoping to slingshot themselves out to a hundred points with a few easy battles. However, more often than not, they end up further from their goal than before. The wagers are fair, but a fight with ten to one odds is still very likely to be lost no matter what.
Munera, ever-evolving in its quest to keep both combatants, spectators, and itself engaged, has also recently reintroduced a new mode of combat to its upgraded arena. This latest addition allows champions the opportunity to test their mettle against hordes of monsters, either as individual fighters or by banding together in groups to tackle the challenges that await them. The arrival of these fearsome creatures, some of which are rarely seen outside their native habitats, has certainly captured the eyes of those who are starting to frequent the colosseum. As these terrifying beasts are unleashed into the arena, awed murmurs ripple through the masses as they bear witness to an entirely new form of combat. Not just hobgoblins or giant rats, but also exotic entities such as elementals made out of ice or poison, skorpioids, and there is even a teased big event coming up with a baby dragon.
For some champions, this novel challenge presents a chance to showcase their adaptability and quick thinking when faced with more traditional foes. After all, many of the revived champions are monster hunters, not soldiers or killers. This is far more to their preferences, and the thrill of the games remains just the same — monsters aren’t dumb, after all. They’re hungry, vicious things that want to live just as much as anyone else. As for these individuals who begin to specialize in fighting them, they rise to prominence as they deftly weave through the chaos. As champions battle against these horrifying monsters, word travels far and wide about this latest addition to the colosseum's offerings, which is growing in shape and size by the day — its popularity as well. The prospect of witnessing these epic confrontations draws even larger crowds than before, with spectators eager for a glimpse of these legendary battles between man and beast.
The newly renovated arena, which was changed just the other day to be a larger size, has trouble keeping up as the seating area is already full. Logistical issues begin to arise, namely that the spectators need places to stay, eat, and drink too. Many set up camp outside of the dungeon. Munera, greedy for money that it can use for payouts, decides to set up a small inn inside the arena that spectators can stay at.
The more expensive rooms have windows that look right into the arena from its walls.
There’s still more than that, though. To say that this operation is becoming busy is an understatement.
Munera, the enigmatic dungeon-core, known now around the nation already for its incredible powers of resurrection and influence over the dead, has found a new purpose for the lifeless bodies once deemed useless by the arena, such as the old man who was rejected the other day — the retired warlock. Rather than casting these fallen individuals aside as it had done, Munera now channels its arcane abilities into transforming them into undead combatants to face the living champions.
Sure, a ninety-seven year old man isn’t exactly useful in the arena as is. But turn him into a lich, and he’s breaking backs and grabbing hearts an hour later.
— If he wants to leave the arena as a horrifically powerful undead after he earns his hundred points or return to the true sleep of death, that is his decision to make.
As word spreads of this eerie development too, both fascination and trepidation grip those who frequent the colosseum. Humans love Munera’s ability to truely resurrect the dead, but they don’t love it when it uses it to resurrect the dead into undead instead of just back as they were in life.
Why must humans always be such tricky creatures to please?
This bizarre amalgamation of life and death, where once-fallen warriors now return as formidable undead adversaries, adds an entirely new dimension to the battles that take place within the confines of the arena, but also to the debates held very hotly in the nearby city and in the noble estates of the nation, who have slowly received word of the developments. People aren’t just bringing the fresh dead to the gates of the dungeon; they’ve also begun digging up old graves… sacred graves that are best left untouched.
Champions who had previously faced mortal opponents must now adapt their strategies and tactics to confront these undead foes, who fight very differently. Spectators find themselves spellbound by these macabre encounters, watching from the edges of their seats as each skirmish unfolds with a mixture of excitement and unease. The lines between life and death have become blurred in this arena where Munera's influence holds sway, but it is this very ambiguity that draws people in, eager to witness this morbid spectacle. This unexpected development also serves as a stark reminder to champions of the power and potential danger posed by Munera. As they face these undead combatants, they are confronted by the realization that they too could one day be transformed into these abominations should they die outside of the colosseum after being freed, only to be trapped inside of it again.
— A morbid thought.
The arena rumbles and shifts, changing its interior to suit the battle that is about to begin, the archer against the lich, the resurrected warlock from the other day. The sand shakes as mossy lichen grows along the walls, and the lighting all around the colosseum shifts from the flame of orange firelight to a softer, colder, more haunting glow that comes from magical fireflies, which begin to drift around the darkening air.
“We shouldn’t be down here…” says a very nervous man, looking around at the cold stone tunnel that they’re in. Ancient brickwork lines the tunnels, adorned with faceless gargoyles who have lost their visages, wings, and claws to the ravages of time. He turns his head, looking at his colleague, who is standing in front of an old sarcophagus that has been closed for generations now, after the end of a great crisis. “This is a really bad idea.”
His friend looks back, still leveraging the stone lid off the grave. “Shut up, you baby,” says the man, rolling his eyes. “Are you in or not?” The man frowns, looking around the forgotten tomb, before walking over to help. “We’ll bring these bones to that new dungeon,” he explains, laughing. “We’ll have it resurrect him, and that’ll be that,” says the friend. “We’ll be filthy rich, since he’ll owe us for bringing him back.”
“I don’t know…” replies the man, helping to push the lid off, the two of them looking down at the old bones resting inside the tomb. “Why would he?”
“Why would he?” asks his friend incredulously, rolling his eyes. The man punches his shoulder. “Because he’s a true hero, numb-nuts,” replies the man, gesturing down to the bones lying there in regal armor. “Of course he’ll pay us. He’s… like… honor bound, or something.”
“Oh, right,” replies the other man.
“Stupid. Come on!” says his friend. “Help me get these into a bag.”
The two of them set to work, pulling all of the bones out of the desecrated grave, before taking them with them as they leave.
