Chapter 760 The Construction

Chapter 760 The Construction

With the agreement signed, construction of the arena began, creating a surreal and contradictory scene. Civilizations that were still officially at war found themselves working side by side on a shared project, while other sections of their fleets stood idle, maintaining a tense standby posture in case one side gave in to the temptation to strike.

The mana oath and runic contract ensured compliance, but they were not preemptive barriers—they only enforced punishment after a violation occurred, not for the intent. Although the penalties for breaking the agreement were severe, the potential destruction that could be unleashed in the moments before those consequences took effect was something neither side could afford to ignore. As a result, both sides remained cautious, prepared for any sudden betrayal.

The selection of the asteroid was completed swiftly, and it was soon pulled from the remnants of its disrupted orbit—a casualty of the black hole bomb that had marked the war’s violent beginning. The asteroid was maneuvered carefully and stationed at the midpoint between the two warring factions, becoming the neutral ground where everything would soon be decided.

Construction machines from both sides descended upon the asteroid, each faction contributing their most advanced capabilities to the effort. As the machines worked, the massive rock began to transform, and those watching the live broadcast could hardly believe what they were seeing. Bit by bit, the asteroid was reshaped into an enormous colosseum. Anyone familiar with history, whether through ancient texts or modern cinema, would recognize the familiar architecture emerging from the rubble—a circular battleground designed for combat, but on a scale never before witnessed.

The arena's combat zone spanned over eighty kilometers in diameter, giving fighters an unprecedented amount of space. Reinforcements were being meticulously installed—layers of physical barriers, mana-infused shields, and gravitational stabilizers—to ensure the structure could withstand the devastating attacks that were sure to unfold. The colossal dimensions of the arena served not just to impress but to silence any potential complaints. No fighter could argue they were constrained or unable to unleash their full strength.

This wasn’t just war—it was a spectacle. The fight needed to be an ultimate showcase of power, a stage where neither side could claim disadvantage. In war, being placed at a disadvantage was simply part of the game, but here, the rules demanded that all participants have the freedom to give everything they had without holding back. The message was clear: there would be no excuses, only victory or defeat.

{So, which type are we sending to fill the colosseum?} Nova asked, shifting the focus back to the purpose of the presentation.

"The lowest quality ones," Aron answered decisively. "They'll serve as the most common product in the market, setting the baseline price for the other grades. It makes sense to introduce them early, and flooding the Colosseum with these will also subtly reinforce their value as ‘standard.”

{Getting to work,} Nova acknowledged without hesitation.

Almost immediately, several mana-capable atomic printers whirred to life, initiating the rapid production of the low-grade mana stones. With precision and efficiency, the machines began assembling the stones, ready to fulfill their purpose in both the arena and the market.

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In just under two weeks, the Colosseum neared completion when a massive cargo ship appeared in the area, arriving from the solar system. The ship was loaded with an enormous number of containers, and without delay, it maneuvered toward the arena easily going through the already up and active shield surrounding the area, before it began to release a torrential downpour of mana stones into the fighting ground.

Members of the Conclave, watching the spectacle unfold, could hardly contain their envy as they witnessed the empire casually dumping nearly an entire low-level civilization's economy worth of mana stones as if they were mere trash.

As the mana stones met the ground in the open atmosphere, they immediately began to evaporate, slowly but significantly increasing the ambient mana in the arena. What remained behind were heaps of ash, the remnants of the bonds that had held the mana within the stones.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om