Chapter 94 | The Otherworld Journey That Starts From a Slime

Entering the outer Colosseum required a fee of 5 gold. It wasn't expensive, a relatively affordable price for the common folk.

Upon entering, Zhang Ye was immediately greeted by a deafening roar of voices.

The interior was similar to the Roman Colosseum, but the space was divided into several sections. In the center, there were six large arenas, each with a radius of five hundred meters. And these weren't even the largest, as they all surrounded a single core arena. It was clear just how massive the entire Colosseum complex was.

From the outer perimeter, only the smaller arenas were visible.

Various races could be seen competing within them.

Whether they were sapient races or magical beasts, they were all there.

Zhang Ye even saw seven Tier Four Azure Blade Wolves facing off against a Tier Five Thorny Python.

The spectators in the stands cheered wildly for the combatants, rooting or betting on the races they favored, their faces flushed with excitement.

Most of these people were commoners with low cultivation levels. Likely due to their own lack of strength, they yearned for such blood-pumping battles and came here seeking a thrill.

However, the highest rank in the outer arenas was only Tier Five. To Zhang Ye, it looked like children playing around—nothing particularly impressive. The higher-tier matches were likely held in the larger inner arenas.

So, the three of them headed toward the inner arenas, only to be stopped.

“Entry to the large arenas requires 500 gold,” a staff member said expressionlessly.

It was a hundred times more expensive than the outer arenas.

The three paid the fee and went inside.

There, they saw matches involving Tier Six and above.

It was far more intense than the outer arenas, and the spectators here were mostly well-dressed, likely people of means or nobility.

“It seems the highest tier in the large arenas is only Tier Eight,” Zhang Ye remarked after they had wandered around. “Are the matches above Tier Eight held in the core arena?”

Renomon nodded. “Yes, but the core arena only opens at fixed times. Entry requires five thousand gold. Those who fight in the core arena are generally Tier Eight to Tier Ten, mostly matches between magical beasts.”

“According to the schedule, the next core match isn't until two days from now.”

Zhang Ye nodded, and the three of them found seats at a Tier Eight arena to watch.

Competing in the arena were a Barbarian Bearman and a Great Rock Bear, both at the Tier Eight late stage. It was a clash of bears.

“Roar!” The Great Rock Bear let out a furious roar and slammed its paws onto the ground. Jagged Stone Spikes erupted from the earth in front of it, surging toward the Barbarian Bearman in a fan-shaped wave.

The Barbarian Bearman was equally fierce. His body jolted as he transformed into a creature with a human body and a bear's head. His muscles bulged with surging power as he hammered the ground. The earth cracked, and the approaching Stone Spikes were shattered instantly.

Zhang Ye analyzed it and learned that this was a common innate talent of the beastkin race called Semi-beastification, which could significantly enhance their physical attributes and specialties.

Due to racial factors, Zhang Ye was destined to never be able to learn this skill.

If a human underwent Semi-beastification, what would they become?

A monkey?

The Barbarian Bearman then roared and lunged at the Great Rock Bear.

The Great Rock Bear was over ten meters long and six or seven meters tall, while the semi-beastified Barbarian Bearman was only a bit over three meters tall. The difference in their sizes was massive; the Barbarian Bearman lunging at the Great Rock Bear looked like a moth flying into a flame.

However, that wasn't the case.

The Barbarian Bearman's strength was terrifying. When his fist collided with the Great Rock Bear's paw, he actually shattered the paw, sending blood flying everywhere.

Enraged, the Great Rock Bear unleashed its innate magic, covering its body in thick Rock Armor, and engaged in a brutal melee with the Barbarian Bearman.

The fight was incredibly savage.

In the end, the Barbarian Bearman gained the upper hand. Channeled all his mana, he condensed a giant mana bear several meters tall and literally slapped the Great Rock Bear to death.

Zhang Ye clicked his tongue in wonder.

In terms of combat power, this Tier Eight late stage Barbarian Bearman was likely not inferior to a typical Tier Nine Newly Advanced human Warrior.

This was the advantage of the beastkin, and specifically the strength of the Barbarian Bearman.

Many beastkin possessed physical attributes superior to humans, along with various specialties. For instance, Bearmen and Elephant-kin were naturally stronger and tougher than humans. Cat-folk and Leopard-kin had higher agility. There were even Eagle-kin who could fly and Snake-kin with venom.

The physical advantages of the beastkin far surpassed those of humans.

The only areas where humans could compete were wisdom and cultivation talent.

As for reproductive capability... there was no comparison. Pigmen could have twelve offspring in a single litter...

If the human race weren't powerful enough, their population would definitely be dwarfed by the beastkin.

There were even rumors circulating that the beastkin would eventually replace the humans.

Fortunately, the human race was currently dominant, and their population base was the largest among all sapient races on the continent.

As for those who spread such rumors, they were caught and burned at the stake. The fire burned for three days and three nights, and the person went out quite... toasted.

The Barbarian Bearman won. Bathed in blood, he stepped onto the corpse of the Great Rock Bear and let out a long howl toward the sky. The spectators cheered wildly, applauding the Barbarian Bearman.

Of course, those who had bet on the Great Rock Bear were frustrated, their mouths full of curses.

Lina frowned slightly at the unpleasant shouting around them. She didn't say anything, but Zhang Ye noticed.

He said, “Let’s go. This isn't very interesting, and it’s too noisy.”

As for learning new skills, he had already picked up quite a few unique ones while walking around; missing a few more wouldn't hurt.

So, the three of them left the Colosseum and wandered elsewhere.

They explored until dinner time before returning to the manor.

Leona wasn't there, so Zhang Ye took over the cooking.

Although the manor had servants and professional chefs, things like BBQ only tasted right when you did it yourself.

So, Zhang Ye grilled while teaching Lina and Renomon how to do it, chatting all the while. The three of them were having a great time.

“Brother Ye, how did you become so powerful?” Lina suddenly asked.

Zhang Ye thought for a moment and said, “Maybe it’s because I’m handsome. With such natural beauty, I couldn't bear to let it go to waste, so I cultivated diligently. That’s how I got this strong.”

Lina: “...”

Renomon: “...”

How could someone be so shameless?

“If only I could be as strong as Brother Ye...” Lina sighed, staring at the fire.

Zhang Ye laughed. “Of course you can.”

Lina shook her head with a bitter smile. “I can't. I actually... can't learn magic...”

As she spoke, the light in her eyes dimmed slightly.

Zhang Ye fell silent for a moment after hearing this, then said, “It doesn't matter. Who says you have to rely on magic to become strong?”

Lina was stunned. “How can I get strong if I don't know magic?”

Zhang Ye asked, “You can't use magic, but you can still release mana, right?”

Lina nodded. “I can, but pure mana alone can't compare to the power of magic...”

“I know. That’s why we need to find a way to make pure mana more powerful.” At this, Zhang Ye smiled. “I’ll help you think of something. I already have a few ideas in mind. We’ll test them out tomorrow.”

Even though they had been out enjoying themselves all day, Zhang Ye had actually been constantly thinking of ways for Lina to become strong without relying on magic.

Among them, the control and application of pure mana was one possibility.

Ella had said that a Saint-tier mage could destroy a city with a single Mana Ball condensed from their entire pool of mana. This proved that pure mana could indeed be powerful. Although it might not match magic in versatility, Zhang Ye felt he could find a way to make pure mana’s destructive power rival that of magic!

“Really?” Hearing this, stars twinkled in Lina’s eyes. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s test it now!”

Seeing Lina instantly become excited, Zhang Ye sighed inwardly.

He could tell that Lina was desperate to become strong.

Unable to cast magic and unable to increase her tier, her title as the Peerless Genius of the Lionheart Empire had turned into the Peerless Joke of the Lionheart Empire. Even if the Lionheart Royal Family didn't ostracize her, the rumors and gossip from the outside world must have put immense pressure on this girl.

Samanra and Nan Long’s coldness was a form of superficial self-protection.

Was Lina’s sunny and lively personality any different?

Facing the Ice-mist Leopard, she had been willing to exhaust her mana and refuse to surrender until the very last moment. From that alone, one could see the obsession hidden deep within Lina’s heart.

Furthermore, because of him, Lina would face danger and might get hurt in the future. This was something Zhang Ye didn't want to see, so he decided to help her.

Only by becoming strong herself could the root of the problem be addressed!

And Zhang Ye believed that Lina couldn't possibly be unable to learn magic for no reason.

It was very likely due to her special constitution. Since the system could detect her special constitution, Zhang Ye had every reason to believe that through the system, he could find a solution!