The first Gladiator passed through the columns and things were very okay.
There was no noise what's so ever, and it seemed as if the insects here had migrated to another place.
Lenny frowned at this.
His Assassin sense which had been trained through countless moments of danger was telling him that there was trouble up ahead.
And for a brief second, he paused, before he sighed a bit. Sometimes, one had to take risks for the goals one wanted to achieve.
This was one such moment.
He patted Crusher on the back, "let's go!"
Crusher frowned, "but..."
"Yeah!" Lenny turned to him and nodded in understanding.
Crusher sighed and followed along.
These columns looked worse coming close to them. After all, there were repetitive patterns of small clustered holes.
If these gladiators were any bit normal, they would have had tropophobia.
However, survival was the driving force that ensured that such trivial things did not take away the joy of exploring for a better chance at life.
Through the Big Columns, they walked.
According to Crusher, they were six columns in total. Their goal was simply to go through the six pairs of Colums and then there would be at the point of the cave leading to the outside world.
Because they were conscious of waking any occupant within these caves, they moved slowly and stealthily. Staying as far away as possible from the Columns.
Each Column was separated at least a hundred meters in distance.
There were so thick, that it would have taken about twelve grown men to wrap their arms around it.
Every step was taken in careful consciousness.
Thankfully, Gladiators never needed to wear shoes. Regardless of the uneven gravels on the ground, they still gently took their time as they advanced forward.
Through the first set of Columns, they moved . And then the second. And then the third.
If a pin had fallen to the ground in this place, then these men would have definitely heard it.
Their steps would even make a pervert peeping at a princess with the risk of death on his neck envious of their movements.
Finally, they made it to the Fourth.
pàпdá-ňᴏνêι.сóМ And then came the fifth.
Just ahead, they could already see the cave that they were planning on going through.
However, as they got close, they noticed someone walking towards them from the cave entrance.
This made them pause in their movements. Everyone was on high alert for who the person in front of them was.
They even took out their weapons in a ready position for a fight.
However, when the person got close enough, the Gladiators all paused in puzzlement at who was before them.
"Hey, kids! were are you guys really planning to leave without this old man's permission!?"
This voice. Even before they saw who it was properly, Lenny already knew.
It was old man Buckle.
As he stepped forward, Lenny had a better observation of his body.
At the moment, he looked nothing as he did before.
For instance, he had a part of his face smashed in.
And that side of his face had a big worm-like bug to it that looked like it was a part of his body.
He was bare-chested, and on his chest was not one spider like the last time Lenny saw him, but two spiders.
Even now, as he talked with them, Lenny and the remaining Gladiator could see as the creatures on his chest moved.
Sometimes it would be just a spider leg, and sometimes, it would be just be the spider heads and abdomen.
"What the fuck is the that!?" Crusher frowned as he asked, pointing to old man buckle's body.
"What do you mean? Don't you recognize me anymore!?" Old man Buckle turned to Lenny. "You brought down my dome to kill I and my children. If it was just my Children alone, They would have all died. But Luckily, I was also there. manage to save some of them in time."
Lenny frowned tightly.
Even though Lenny had seen Class C on the old man's body, he was not such a fool as to think that Old man Buckle was just an ordinary Class C Gladiator.
Firstly, that was many years ago. There was no way that he had not gotten better since that time. Especially since he had said that he had gone against the Queen on his own.
Without a doubt, he was a very scary opponent.
Just because he allowed Crusher and his gang to bully him and his villagers did not mean anything.
After all, he later found out that it was just part of the old man's plans.
These were plans that had all been ruined by one person. Lenny!
According to Old man Buckle's, it seemed like he had managed to save some of his children, but he had done it at a huge risk.
At the moment, he was obviously injured from the Dome.
Lenny could imagine the Dome crushing the old man in his head.
Old mn Bucle looked at Lenny strangely, "You! the Queen would like to have a conversation with you!"
Immediately, he lunged for Lenny.
Lenny dived out of the way.
*SURVEYOR*
Lenny activated his ability.
unlike before, he could now see Old man Buckle's Stats.
<Name: Buckle>
<Race: Human>
<Level: 19>
<Rank: Nil>
<Strength: 600>
<Agility: 500>
<HP: ??? (Depending on the will of the Chimera Queen)>
<EXP: 600/800>
<Abilities: Darkline energy (Unlocked: Lower (low) Grade.
Cry of the Colony>
Old man Buckle's stats was very incredible.
In his entire life, Lenny had never seen anything like it.
This old man was practically as strong as three Gladiators put together in one body.
All his stats were abnormally high.
Also, Lenny noticed that he did not have HP.
Lenny remembered that the old man had said something about his Fate being tied to this place forever. Apparently, this was what he meant.
Old Man buckle could not leave here even if he wanted to. His life no longer belonged to him. It now belonged to the queen.
She now dictated his everything.
"Since you kids deceided to leave this old man without so much as a warm farewell, Why don't I escort you on to the after life! Hmmm!?"
Old man Buckle suddenly lifted his hands to the sky and his palms opened up like a mouth.
Air seemed to be sucked inside them as they expanded like Lungs.
And then a sharp deafening sound wave went out in all directions.
<Congratulations Host, you have unlocked Major Task>
<During Major Task, host can you use abilities with twice the range on time>
<MAJOR TASK: KILL THE COLONY>
These series of alerts from the Satan system appeared before his eyes.
At around the same time, the Sonic waves from old man Buckle's hands went down.
And then the earth beneath their feet vibrated.
Also, they could hear noise of thousands of flapping wings coming towards them.
"SHIT!" Lenny cursed out loud. He had seen the old man's abilities.
Without a doubt, this was Cry of the Colony.
"RUN!!!" Lenny screamed.
Immediately, the first Gladiator in front ran for the cave.
However, Old man buckle moved his hand swiftly.
A resounding Punch sent the Gladiator flying into the air.
He defended with his hands but that was also not a good plan.
*CRACK!*
Audible cracking sounds could be heard from that punch.
If Old man Buckle was still in the Arena, with the kind of strength he possessed, he would have been a gladiator in the B Class.
However, he would have been at the high peak state.
The Gladiator that attacked was also a B class Gladiator, but he was at the early stages.
He was nothing of the Level of strength that old Man Buckle possessed.
The only person amongst them that was close to that level of strength was actually Crusher.
Just as expected, Crusher went for a fight with old man Buckle.
However, just as he approached, some one attacked him.
*Slash!*
A piecer was stabbed into his abdomen
Crusher turned to his side. To his surprise, it was one of the Gladiators that had stabbed him.
Before he could comprehend what was going on, another Blade came again from the other side.
Lenny frowned at this.
However, an attack also came for him.
It was from the Gladiator that had been punched. He immediately grabbed Lenny by the neck with a Blade against his head.
Crusher looked at the Gladiators and then at Lenny, and lastly at Old Man buckle.
He did not know how, and he really did not want to believe it, but this was a betrayal.
Crusher fell knees to the ground.
The blade that had been stabbed into him was so long and angled so perfectly, that it was only an inch away from his heart.
He turned to the Gladiator that stabbed him, "when and for how long now?"
The Gladiator sighed, "Since when you left us at the village to go help that friend of yours," he pointed to Lenny.
"We were giving an offer!"