《The Weak Players Ascension to Battle Emporium Legend》 Chapter 1: A vow to be stronger The hot, blazing sun penetrated the skins of the soulless morsels that eroded the slum. They walked, worked, and wandered around, hopeless, and devoid of any enthusiasm. In the back alleyway, there was a commotion. An orphan beggar was surrounded by gang men dressed in black blazers. "You think you can get away from us" shouted one of the men whilst spitting on the floor. "This brat must be feeling brave. Should we send him to his maker? But then again, who would make this garbage" laughed the other one. One of the men took a step forward, and the others became silent. "Oi Eli, hand over the money you owe us." "You must be out of your mind" responded Eli "What?" "You think I can pay you back? I borrowed only 20 skals from you, but you are asking for 200 skals!" "That''s just business; life is hard nowadays, na?ve Eli. Didn''t we accept your plea when you came and begged us for money to pay for medicine for the orphan brats that you look after? Now it''s only right that you pay us back," he responded, twisting his words. "I can get you the 30 skals within a week, but 200 is too much. You know I can''t get that much money." The man became infuriated. He looked at Eli as if he had been staring at an insect. "Well, there''s nothing more we can do, Eli; get it within a week." "Ah, I nearly forgot¡­ tch¡­ tch¡­tch¡­ boys, show him what happens when you speak against the manager of the Bracos gang." Eli knew they would try to beat him up; he gathered his posture and took a deep breath. The men approached, laughing and smirking; one swung his fists, aiming for Eli''s face. Eli dodged to the left and evaded out of that man''s hit zone. Another ran at him to grab hold of him, but Eli quickly moved back; he then countered with a left kick. But the kick didn''t do much damage. Damn it, I have to find a way to escape. Eli wasn¡¯t the strongest; he didn¡¯t even have much endurance from being on the verge of starvation every day. However, he did have one feature that no one could beat him at. Eli has exceptional eyes; he could see the whole picture, identify any weaknesses or peculiarities, and see more than what others could. He had this ability since he was born, remembering in detail the faces of the man and woman who laughed as they dumped his tiny body in a dumpster. This allowed him to be strong, even without any strong muscles or powers, as he could identify ways to escape, counter or find tiny details that made the situation advantageous. Right there! If only I can get through these three people and dodge their attacks, I have a good chance of climbing onto the ladder and escaping through the building. His eyes focused, he gathered his stance and started running as fast as he could; the man was surprised that Eli was running straight at him; in a panic, he swung his metal rod only to miss and hit the floor. Now hunched over, Eli took this opportunity to step on the man''s shoulder. He lunged forward and stepped on the other man''s face, and before the last man could grab him, Eli jumped onto the ladder against the wall.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. He had managed to get away from danger, or so he thought. As he climbed the ladder, it detached from the wall, taking them both down. Before it could hit the floor, Eli managed to evade and reduce the impact but was still hurt from the landing. ¡°I¡¯ve got him now¡± Two large hands grabbed onto his back; he was captured. The manager of Bracos gang, approached closer with a metal baseball bat, he looked at Eli. ¡°Look at how much trouble you¡¯ve caused us¡± ¡°It was you guys that caused a fight over your ridiculous repayment scam¡± ¡°HAHA, he still has the gull to talk back¡± The manager swings his bat, hitting Eli on the stomach. ¡°This is for talking back to adults¡± He hits him again. ¡°This is for hitting my men¡± He hits him again, each time the noise getting more and more vivid, the sound of crunching bones and metal hitting flesh permeated the alleyway. ¡°This is for trying to be strong¡± The manager paused for a second to regain his breath. Eli was bleeding. He had been hit really severely; his ribs were broken, and his arm was too damaged to move. The man''s underling retorted, "Boss, there''s no way this scum can pay us back. I heard he''s been looking after the local orphans. I say we just sell them; there''s a lot of filthy, rich bastards that''ll take those filthy beggars." Eli''s veins shot up in anger. His broken body escaped from the grasp of the two men holding him, and he lunged forward, biting the hand of the man who had just crossed the line. The men grabbed him and moved him away. ¡°UGHH this runt¡± the bitten man responds as he brings out his pocketknife. ¡°Wait! Wait!¡± ¡°But manager, this mongrel just bit me¡± ¡°I told you to wait damn it, does it look like I¡¯m your friend¡± the manager glared into the man¡¯s eyes. ¡°N¡­no sir!¡± the bitten man responded whilst biting his teeth in anger and falling silent. ¡°Ha-ha. I like this one¡¯s energy; you¡¯ve got one week from now; you owe me 300 skals, or I''ll sell all the little ones you protect,¡± said the manager. The manager then used his club and hit Eli across the face, knocking him unconscious. Eli¡¯s vision started to fade; all he could say was ¡°Damn it¡± before he passed out. ~ A couple of hours had passed, the sun grew more tired, and the temperature dropped. The ringing in his head started to grow more and more; he could feel the cold, damp ground seep into his skin as the wind dried his blood. Eli opened his eyes ¡°UGHH, my head hurts¡±. He picked himself up slowly, grabbing his ribs in pain. His right hand shattered; he had to lean against the alleyway walls to bring himself outside. ¡°Those scumbags!!!!¡± he shouted. ¡°If only I was stronger, I could protect myself and my younger siblings from that trash.¡± Eli was angry; his expression was fierce; he was furious at the Bracos gang members and angry at himself for being so weak and pathetic. Eli looked up outside the alleyway; in front of him were massive buildings made of glass and concrete. He was on the edge of the slums, closer to the start of the city. There, he noticed something that captured his interest; on top of the building in front of him was a massive screen commonly used to show advertisements for a plethora of wealthy companies, but this time, it was different; it was a video. The man in the projection spoke: ¡°Are you tired of living life as garbage! Have you had enough people looking down on you, or are you exhausted from a life of no excitement? ¡°The perfect solution of the century has arrived at this world.¡± ¡°THE BATTLE EMPORIUM¡± ¡°Here, it doesn¡¯t matter about your race, class, or wealth; all that matters is a burning desire to win. Gain wealth, reputation and strength through this heavenly gift.¡± ¡°Battle your way through leagues, becoming the strongest to walk on this earth¡±. ¡°They say ¡®dead men tell no tales, ¡®But in the Battle Emporium ¡®, dead men tell the best tales¡¯ their abilities and reputation are gained by you the moment you beat them; you acquire their immortal legacy and become passed down in history as the strongest ever¡±. ¡°So, what are you waiting for? The world won¡¯t wait for you unless you can stop the world from moving¡±. ¡°Join today¡±. A light was ignited in Eli¡¯s eyes, and the only way for him and his siblings to have any chance in this world would be through the battle emporium. ¡°I have to change my life and their lives. No more will I let this world exploit us and abandon us.¡± He had set his eyes on the recruitment hall for Battle Emporium. This is where his journey to becoming The Battle Emporium¡¯s Legend begins. Chapter 2- Commotion in the Battle Emporium Recruitment Hall Eli stood at the forefront of a massive building; its blue glass penetrated the ugly stature of the slums, and it truly looked like a gem in this forsaken land. He took steps forward towards the gate. "Oi, what''s this filthy runt doing in a place like this" smirked one of the guards. "We don''t need more cannon fodder in this sacred Battle Emporium; now scram", shouted the other. But Eli wouldn''t budge. He took their insults to the face and carried on staggering forwards. One of the guards approached him with a distasteful look, putting his hand out to push Eli away, but Eli was able to quickly dodge. The guard was stunned; he turned around, infuriated from being humiliated. "Where do you think you going" "Stop," said the other guard standing in his initial position. "Let him go through; he should get rejected there rather than hold grudges against us." "Tch. Fine. But we did warn you, kid." Eli only heard glimpses of what they had said, his head had been ringing non-stop from all the violent battering he had taken; right now, all that was carrying him forward was adrenaline and pure desire to grasp the lifeline in front of him. Upon entering the battle emporium recruitment hall, he saw countless men, from old drunkards rummaging for a Skal to fill up their inventory, gamblers running away from debt much like him, and promising youths hoping to make a name for themselves. "The line is damn long", Eli sighed. The pain continued to wear out his body, but he finally managed to get to the reception desk. "Yes, would you like to bet money on the upcoming challenge or provide supplies to our merchant group" exclaimed the receptionist with a fake fa?ade. "no" "Then how may I help you today?" "I want to sign up for the Battle Emporium." ¡°¡­¡± "Ha, listen, kid, if this is a joke, I''ll have to ask security to kick you out." Eli remained unchanging, his gaze fixated and serious. "You can''t be serious", she said. "Listen, it''s not fun and games; these are literal death matches with contracts that can make you sacrifice your body parts for rewards. This is no place for a kid who looks no older than seventeen; you''ve got your whole life in front of you." Eli''s expression doesn''t change; he says calmly, "If I don''t take this chance, then there will be no future for me." The attendant looks drained of energy as if she had been talking to a solid wall; she lets out a deep sigh and proceeds to type on her machine. "I won''t stop you if you are already hellbent on dying." "This is the contract" "In the Battle Emporium, ''players'' are put in a battle arena where they have to fight or complete challenges to win. They can select five abilities from their arsenal; these abilities are not restricted; they can be abilities gained from the system, acquired through hard work or stolen from other players. The last option can only be acquired if, at the start of the game, the player puts up their life as collateral; in case the player wins, all the opponent''s five abilities are transferred over to the winner; however, if the player that put up his life as collateral loses, then his soul will be forfeited to the system and his body will be taken by the Battle Emporium management for ''research and experimentation''."If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Please touch the screen to register your first five abilities that the system recognises." Eli placed his hand on the holographic screen; for a split second, the screen wavered as if it had lost all electricity. However, it soon came back on." "Hmmm, in all my years, I haven''t seen that happen?" remarked the flabbergasted receptionist. ¡°let¡¯s see¡­ let¡¯s see¡­ ok. Your results are here. It says the system can only recognise two inherent abilities: fast reflexes in the D tier and survivability in the B tier. You need three more abilities to be registered as a Battle Emporium player." Eli panicked; he had thought to himself the worst possible scenario: not being accepted as a player. Before despair could run wild. "There is a way to get three more abilities. However, this method is very risky." "What do I have to do?" ¡°Well¡­ Ughhh fine¡­ Before I say the method, I should explain the rankings: At the top is the Legendary Dragon tier, where only one person had managed to reach. Phoenix tier with 0.005% of players. Griffin tier with 0.05% Manticore tier at 0.25% Minitour tier at 1% Cerberus tier at 3% Sphinx tier at 7% Hippogriff tier at 20% Basilisk tier at 30% "That''s not all; there''s one more tier for players who don''t have enough skills; it''s called the Imp tier, with 38% of players currently active. You have to participate in this league, and when you acquire enough skills, you will be promoted to the Basilisk tier. With each tier, the rewards, money, skills and winnings get more and more grand" "I''ll ask one last time if you are sure you want to go ahead with this. You can easily lose your life?" the receptionist said with genuine worry. "yes" Eli then signed the document and was told to put his hand inside a machine, which applied a digital tattoo to his wrist. "That''s it; you are now officially a player in the Imp league! Good luck and may the Battle Emporium shine light upon you!" Though he had been put into the lowest league, it wasn''t a bad thing. Eli was more than determined to win against the odds; his journey had just begun. He turned over his body, still holding his broken rib, staggering towards the exit. When a larger, bulkier man grazed against his shoulder. "Tch. What bad luck! Hey you twerp!" Eli, too tired from the previous beating, was not able to hear properly and continued to walk on. "I said wait, you twerp." The man reached for Eli, pushing him to the ground. Eli fell to the floor like a broken tree. He gathered his strength and looked back at what had just pushed him. "Haaaa. What the hell is this? Are they hiring just anybody nowadays? Is this the so-called respected Battle Emporium?" the bulky man chuckled and grinned. There was a crowd forming around the assailant, and they looked at the knocked over Eli. They murmured, "Is there a fight?" "No, look, that kid got thrown on the floor". Eli struggled; his hand barely able to support his body as he pushed against the floor to get back up. He turned to face the man who had pushed him, staring right at his face. "Oh, I see. So, you can glare, you vagrant. What? Are you gonna call your mommy to come and fight me? Oh wait, you probably don''t have one," the bulky man smirked. "you''re right, I don''t have a mother. Your mother is probably about to pass away because you have been eating all her food. Haven''t you? Piggy," retorted Eli. The crowd laughed out loud. Some shouted, "The kids got spunk, I''ll give him that", and "Haha. You show him, motherless kid". The large, bulky man was humiliated; his face turned red in anger. Unable to withstand the embarrassment, he charged at Eli with his fist. Eli was able to gauge the situation as this would be a regular occurrence; he had experience verbally fighting worthless crooks and would often get charged at by bulky drinkers and gamblers, looking to take their anger out on him. Unlike before, when he was healthy enough to evade them, the situation was different; Eli was not as agile as his body was bruised and damaged, so he had to think of a way to escape and prove this situation to his advantage. Besides him was a bucket of mop water, which had been used by the cleaners to wipe the floor. He knew just what to do and took this situation in his favour. Eli grabbed the metal bucket as the man charged, releasing the soapy water onto the floor in the bully''s path. Unable to slow down, the bulky man eventually slipped, falling head back onto the floor. Eli quickly took this opportunity and got right in front of the fallen man; he then, with the metal bucket, smashed it into the man''s face. "AHHHH, YOU TWERP" He lifted the bucket and again smashed it into the man''s face. "AGH" Again. "Wait" Again. ¡°¡­¡± The man had passed out. The cheerful crowd had become silent; they had just witnessed something horrific. What started as a comedic joke had sent shivers down their spine; Eli''s ruthlessness was beyond expected. Eli had emerged victorious. However, his win was short-lived. All the adrenaline had run out, and his head became blank before he collapsed onto the floor next to his unconscious victim. The guards "What happened here! Arrest them both. Fighting in the recruitment hall is forbidden." A distinguished elderly man, who wore a lavish blue suit and a top hat, approached the crowd with his golden cane. "Wait. Leave the kid." "But sir. He has violated the code of conduct?" "Must I repeat myself?" "No, sir Gremory. Oi, leave the kid and arrest the larger one." The gentleman looked over at Eli, touching his own chin, deep in thought. The corners of his face pointed up in a smile, as if he had found what he was looking for. "Thomas" "Yes, Sir Gremory" "Take him to my house and call for my family doctor." "As you command, my liege" Chapter 3- A Deadman’s Contract "Where am I?" Eli heard laughter and chatter in the distance, angelic voices of kids playing around. "Ah, it must be Madoka playing with the kids." He was in a white cerulean alleyway, walking towards a door that illuminated a warm orange like the sun. The joyous laughter was protruding out of that room. Have the kids eaten yet? I did manage to ransack enough skals to last us for two days. Let me go check on them. I''m sure they are fine." He walked closer and closer, but with each step, the colours shook like electric impulses. They flashed on and off, and the bright, luminous orange started to fade. A sense of panic grew and took root in Eli''s heart; he became frantic, worried, scared and out of breath. "Haaah.Haaah." he took deep breaths like he had been frantically chased or came close to experiencing a panic attack. "Kyaaaa." The Joyous laughter had turned into screams. "No! That was Madoka''s voice." He frantically ran, but the distance to the door at the end of the alleyway didn''t change. "HELP US ELI! WE DON''T WANT TO DIE! PEASE!" "No! Don''t hurt them," Eli cried out in agony. His legs didn''t move, he was stuck in constant motion. "MOVE DAMN IT! MOVE!" he screamed at his legs. The ambience was dark; the entire alleyway became black as night, and the noises disappeared into a void. It was silent. Completely silent. Eli managed to move; his legs worked, and he ran towards the door. Creak! Eli slowly pushed open the door with his trembling hands. Everything was black inside that room; no light could enter or exit. He blinked. The room changed. Red blood splattered around the walls, crimson evaded the floors, and a puddle of melancholy. The black room was stained in blood; Eli gasped for air, unable to breathe. He felt suffocated. Trapped. Strangled. He blinked. "why didn''t you help us, brother Eli¡­" "NOOOOO!" Eli opened his eyes, but all he saw was an ivory ceiling and his hand that reached out. He was lying in a bed. Beep. Beep. BeepThe narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. "what''s that annoying sound? Where am I?" He looked to the left and found a strange machine with a tube that protruded out and was injected into his arm. "Looks like you''ve had a nightmare." An old, raspy voice permeated from the distance. "Who are you" Eli responds with a puzzled but wary gaze. "Just an old man who found a gem that requires polishing" "A gem? There''s no such thing here." "Hm, that might be true for now, but just like your good eyes, I have eyes to see potential where people see garbage." Eli was surprised; he knew he had good eyesight but had never met anyone who had noticed it. He became wary and serious. "What do you want?" Eli asked. "I don''t know, what can you offer?" the elderly man retorted. "Why would I need to offer you anything?" "Because I can offer you what you truly want." "How would you know what I want?" The eccentric elderly man in the blue suit and fancy hat laughed. "It''s simple, a boy abandoned by the world, treated like garbage, forced to swallow the footprints of greedy adults. You want¡­ no, you need power, the power that no one can deny, the power that sweeps and engulfs the foolish that stands in your way, the power that suffocates the world with your presence, that''s what you want." Eli is amazed by the words but scoffs at the ideals the man spouts. "No thanks, I don''t want to be the pet of a rich old man who shouts nothing but ideals. Find someone else to do your bidding." The elderly man responds cunningly, "Did I forget to mention the power to stop your little brothers and sisters from being sold to horrific scum." Eli''s eyes became vicious. He was furious. He readied himself to lunge at the old man, tensing his arms. "Hold on. Hold on. I have no intention of harming children, especially beggars, for that matter. Genuinely, I could give a rat''s ass as to what happens to them." "Then why did you run a background check on me if you couldn''t care about the poor." "Listen, boy, you have something I want." "What could that be?" "Potential" "You see, just as you have your good ''eyes'', I also have good intuition, and I see in you a strong desire to get what you want." "There are plenty of rich kids you could get as your experimental toy, but why me?" "Oh, but they all fundamentally lack the qualities that you possess." Eli looked confused. He pondered what this old man was blabbering and rambling on about. "They don''t know how it feels to survive. They stuff their faces, whilst the one I''m looking for fights for the roadside scraps. Yes. The one who circles around like a vulture. Seeks advantage like a crow and lives like a wolf hiding in a herd of sheep. Yes, ''Eli of the slums, '' what I want is someone of your calibre. No, I want you. It has to be you." "Let''s say I become your subordinate. What''s in it for me?." "Tch.Tch.Tch," the old man clicked his tongue. "Boy, you are getting this wrong; it is you who needs to prove yourself to me. Prove yourself to me, and I''ll give you everything as your sponsor," he said with a sinister snicker. "Everything?" "Yes, everything" This might be the opportunity Eli had been searching for. He initially wanted to make his way up the ranks without any backer. Still, the more Eli climbed up, the harder it would be for him to adjust to the demands of equipment and taking care of his family. In the end, he wanted to move his family and give them a life as soon as possible; the quicker he saved them from the slums and the thugs, the faster he would feel relieved. "What do I have to do to prove myself?" "Get out of the Imp league within a week." This task was a heavy one, a place consisting of over 100,000 players; it would take months to rank up, let alone a week. "You must be thinking that it''s impossible, but that''s only if you lose. If you sign the ''dead man ''contract and win 5 matches in a row, you''ll be ranked up without a worry." "Deadman''s contract?" Eli curiously questioned. "They should have explained it to you already, but fine, I''ll tell you again, the ''Deadman''s contract'' means a player must put their life up as collateral; in return, if they win the match, they take all the skills of their opponents, but if they lose the match, they die in real life, and their body is taken by the Battle Emporium to do whatever they want with it. Truly, it''s the definition of ''Dead men tell the best tales'', a high risk, high reward choice, befitting of someone looking for my sponsorship." "Well, you should be recovered completely now; best make a move as soon as possible, or else you''ll lose my support and also lose your supposed family to the third-rate thugs playing house in the slums." "Thomas, escort Eli out when he''s done." "As you command, sir Gremory." Before the man exited the room, he stopped for a brief moment and spoke out: "Oh, and Eli, don''t disappoint me. What I hate more than someone who''s worthless is someone who''s a disappointment." Chapter 4 – A Fools Pledge The elderly man made an exit. Only the butler and Eli were in the room. Eli pondered whether accepting a complete stranger''s offer was the right choice. "Especially when he was wearing that stupid hat", Eli blurted out. "Pardon?" the butler inquired. "No, nothing¡­ So, um. Your name is Thomas?" "Yes" ¡°¡­¡± "Do you work for that elder?" "Yes" Eli thought to himself about how nonchalant and stoic the butler was; Thomases expression didn''t change at all. But all those thoughts swept over. "Damn. How long have I been out?" Eli gasped. "It''s been 2 days", Thomas responded in kind. Before Eli could rush out. "If you are worried about the children you''ve been protecting, don''t worry. Sir Gremory took the liberty of providing them with some food and water already." "He did that? Why?" "It is not my place to say what Sir Gremory''s intentions are; however, if I may be so impudent, it might be because he doesn''t want you to be worried about anything other than fulfilling your contract." "I see; he''s thorough with everything. "Well, I''ll be off now. I have to check on them with my own eyes to feel relieved, and I have to prepare for this ''Deadman contract'' or whatever." "Yes" "You really don''t like talking except for the important stuff", Eli sighed.Stolen story; please report. "¡­" Thomas stayed silent with a poker face. ~~ The light of the city permeated Eli''s skin, penetrating his pores. It felt like it had been long since Eli rested or took in the scenery. "Damn, the grime of the roads never changes, but at least I have an opportunity now". Eli walked through the alleyways, a maze-like labyrinth where one may get confused at the slightest turn. Still, Eli knew it well as the back of his hand, for this is where he was abandoned and destined to die. The same scenario appeared in that same alleyway. The luminous, warm light vibrating amongst the walls seeped into the tiniest corners of the pathway towards that door. He hesitated. What if that same scene in his nightmare appeared. What if his world went black and choked the light out of him. Just what if it was too late¡­ Faint whispers of crying echoed out of the door in front of him. Without notice, Eli ran towards the door and opened it with his might. "WHAT HAPPENED?" he screamed. "WAAAAHHHH" a child cried, "Brother ELI, Madoka says she won''t let me play." "ELI" gasped a girl, holding her mouth as tears rushed down her eyes. The girl hurried over frantically, tightly hugging Eli. "I''m glad you''re ok! You know how scared I was that something bad had happened to you." "I''m sorry for worrying you, Madoka." Eli comfortingly responded. "Waaaah," the other kids started to cry as well. They came to Eli and hugged his leg. "Tim, Levi, Sarina, Nova, and Orion, I''m sorry for worrying you guys too. I won''t do it again." Eli comforted the little kids and the girl the same age as him, Madoka. ~~ After all the emotional hugging and crying, the kids went to play together. Eli and Madoka sat together at the edge of the room, leaning against the walls, as they were too poor to afford any furniture. "Something''s happened, hasn''t it, Eli?" spoke Madoka. "Yeah¡­" "Is it to do with the money we borrowed from the Bracos for the sick children?" "Yeah" "Those good-for-nothing scum; I knew this would happen! It''s not like we had a choice either; if we didn''t acquire the medicine, the children would have died," Madoka said in a woeful and angry voice. "I know. They are scumbags, but I didn''t think they would be this bad. It makes you really wonder what a horrible place we live in¡­" "Eli¡­ Should we all run away together?" "Run away? Where?" "I don''t know, but somewhere where we won''t be tortured for a spec of food." "You know that''s not an option; that might work for me and you, but the little ones won''t make it; no matter where we go, we will run into scum like them unless we escape from our current state." "Escape from our current state? How?" Madoka questioned. "I''ve entered the Battle Emporium." Madokas''s eyes widened with shock, her hands covering her mouth. "ELI! How could you do something reckless?" "This was the only way." "But¡­" words unable to follow through, her voice cracks and shatters as tears stream down her sullen face. She whispers, "But you''ll die¡­" "I know it''s risky," Eli calmly said while gently calming Madoka with his hand, tapping her back. "You really aren''t going to change your mind?" "It''s too late for that." "Then promise me! Promise me you''ll be fine! Promise me that you''ll survive and return to us!" Eli knew this was an impossible order, primarily as he intended to uphold the promise, he had made to Sir Gremory. Still, nevertheless, he made a fool''s pledge. "I promise". ~~ It was D-day, and Eli had prepared to enter the battle Emporium Arena. He had hardened his heart and stood outside the great hall. Chapter 5 – Preparing for Imp League Battle Eli cascaded into the arena, and in front of him lay different counters. ''Spectators'', ''sponsors'', ''guild'' and ''contracts'' were on top of all the counters, but they weren''t the counters Eli was looking for. At the edge of the room was a very sinister counter; it read ''Deadman¡¯s contract''. "This must be what the geezer was talking about," Eli thought. He made his way towards the counter, and on his way there, a guard approached him. "Hey kid, you gotta line up from the back if you want to enter as a spectator; the line starts over there", as he pointed to the long queue on the ''spectators'' counter. Eli ignored him and carried on walking. "Hey, wait¡­" Before the guard could finish his words, he saw the counter Eli was headed towards. "Surely not¡­" he nodded but soon realised that Eli had indeed been going to the ''dead man''s contract'' counter. Eli approached the counter. A male receptionist was supposed to serve him but was lying on the table, snoring away. "Hey." Eli probed. Snore. "HEY!" "hm. Huh," the receptionist opened his eyes for a brief moment. "The spectator''s line is over there", he insisted before trying to go back to his name. "I am here to sign the Deadman contract", Eli asserted. The receptionist woke up, and his face became serious. "What did you say?" he retorted aggressively. "I.AM.HERE.TO.SIGN.THE.DEAD. MEN.CONTRACT," Eli sarcastically proclaimed. The receptionist''s rugged face changed; his face covered by a smile. "Well. Why didn''t you say so, haha. Place your hand on the scanner".Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Ah, I see. So, you are the one who caused the massive ruckus in the recruitment hall. Well, I see that you have guts." "Thanks, I guess¡­" "Well, the contract is ready; just to confirm, in order for you to rank up from the Imp League, you need to acquire five skills and get around 50 points; a normal contract would get you 1-3 points per win, but with a Deadman¡¯s contract, you get a whopping 10 points per win." "Oh, so this is why Gremory asked me to win five times", Eli thought to himself. "But it''s not as easy; You''ll be paired with adapt players or, worst of all, players that have also signed the dead man''s contract like yourself. I say the worst because those players are always desperate as it''s life or death. Of course, I don''t need to mention a loss is an instant death, so be careful with that, of course, haha." The way the receptionist laughed about death truly shows how cold-hearted and lifeless this place was; Eli thought that, be it this place or the slums, it was no different. "Well, you ready to sign?" "yes" Eli signed the contract, and it was complete. "The match will be held in 1 hour; it is recommended that you go to the waiting room and not wonder around outside, as if you are late, the system will recognise it as forfeiting the match and the engraved system on your arm will fry your brain, killing you instantly. Also, the Battle Emporium will locate your body and claim it as their property," the receptionist emphasised with a deep smile. Eli responded with a subtle "alright" and returned to the main section. The people in the massive line all stared at him. They whispered, "Did you see that?", "that kid just signed up for that infamous ''Deadman¡®s contract''", "he''s looking to get himself killed, I tell ya!" "I kinda wanna see what that kid has in store If he''s so confident". Eli ignored the murmur and headed into the waiting room. ~~ There, he noticed different men sitting in chairs. Some looked nervous, whilst others prepared themselves by wrapping their wrists with fighting bandages. Eli sat himself down, where he found an extra seat. "It''s nerve-wracking, isn''t it?" chatted a middle-aged man who had been sitting two seats away from Eli. "Is this your first match?" he questioned. "Yes," Eli shared. "Well, same here. My name is Mark; nice to meet you!" "My name is Eli." "Eli huh, well Eli, don''t be too nervous haha, it''s all too late to change now", said the man, whilst looking nervous and scared himself, but in front of a kid, he set aside his personal fear. "Truly a na?ve and kind person," Eli thought to himself. Eli notices that Mark is staring at a picture; it is a picture of a little girl smiling. "You see, Eli, this is my precious daughter Isabel. I''ve got to get as much money as possible to help my daughter with her illness. I haven''t been the best father to her; I ignored her and never even played with her because I was damn busy with my work. I¡­ I didn''t even notice that my daughter had been suffering silently until it was very late. I''ve signed the ''Deadman contract'', and I just have to pray that I can live through it, haha." Eli stayed silent; he did not know what to say. No. He didn''t have the words to comfort this man, for he was also in a desperate situation, just like the man had to save his daughter, and the lives of his family were in Eli''s hands. [Announcement: Mark Roberts, I repeat, Mark Roberts, enter the stage] Mark''s face froze, his legs twitched, and his hands trembled, but he clenched his fists and brought himself up. He walked towards the doors, but before he entered, he looked back at Eli, expressing the words, "Good luck, Eli, let''s meet again!" with a faint smile until he disappeared through the doors. Those words felt seldom; they felt like the last goodbyes. This man whom Eli had never known made him feel sombre. He was indeed a good man, and Eli hoped he would triumph. But this hope was shattered; all Eli witnessed on the video projection of the match was Mark''s lifeless, cold corpse, destroyed beyond recognition by his opponent. It was horrific. Chapter 6 – Brutal Reality of the Arena. [Announcement: Mark Roberts, I repeat, Mark Roberts, enter the stage] Eli witnessed Mark leave through the cold metal doors. The trembling man had more courage than anyone he knew in the slums; it inspired him. The cold steel doors clamped together, closing the path after Mark had left inside. An enormous roar of cheers could be heard from beyond the doors; the math had started. There was a large projector on the wall which displayed Marks match. The battle emporium was a significant reality; the players would be transported to this plane, which was real and, at the same time, something akin to a virtual reality. The arena could be anything that the Battle Emporium desired, be it a jungle, an open field or even a city; this was all a virtual plane made in another dimension, where players were transported. Here, death truly meant death, and any injuries were permanent. Announcer: [Ladies and Gentlemen! Oh, how long have you waited for some action? Fear no more! Wait no more! Cry no more! The arena is now open! Let the challengers enter!] The roaring crowd riles up more with excitement and the stadium shakes. Announcer: [ Our first challenger has just arrived! Everyone cheers for Mark, a man looking to provide life support for his only daughter. It is truly a touching scene, but can he survive his opponent?] Mark teleported in; he stood in the open field, nervous and worried. Announcer: [Now the person who will be versing Mark! Drum roll! We have the mighty Krax, an individual with 47 points, truly a veteran, who is close to ranking up to the Basilisk tier] "The match was uneven", Eli thought; Krax was a giant compared to Mark. He weighed twice as much as Mark and towered over the middle-aged man; the only chance Mark would have against this beast was if the theme of the match had something to do with agility, like finding an item. But the worst theme popped up for Mark. Announcer: [Ok, Ladies and Gentlemen! The roulette has been spun, and the matching theme is¡­] "It''s a death match¡­" Eli gasped. The virtual field changed to form a massive battle arena; it shifted its tiles, and electrical impulses surged through the fields. Indeed, it is a spectacular form of technology. Mark stood there, devoid of any hope. His hand shook, his head sweating in fear and panic. His eyes are lifeless like he had signed away his life to the devil. It was tragic. Mark, amid the silence, heard a snicker. Krax had been laughing away, holding his ample stomach. "Hahaha, what an easy damn fight. You will do fine as my 48th point." Mark knew it was too late to panic, so he decided to face his fate and arm himself with a sword stashed at the side of the arena. He clenched the sword awkwardly and pointed it towards Krax. "I don''t know who you are or how strong you are. But. But I have to save my daughter," Mark bellowed with courage as his sword shook with his insecurity. "Oooooo, how touching. Let''s see how long you last", Krax sarcastically retorted. They both entered the stage. Eli was watching, with the intent to learn as much as possible about the Battle Emporium and how it works. He was also intently praying for the man. "Don''t lose, old man", he thought to himself. Announcer: [without further to do, let the match commence] A sudden loud bang penetrated the arena, and the crowd, the match had begun. Mark gathered his strength and gripped his sword, holding his stance. Krax approached, his face maliciously grinning every second. Krax wielded a large club; he was also adorned with small blades hanging around his trousers, "clinking" together as he took his heavy steps.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Mark gathered his strength and ran towards Krax, holding onto his sword. "No, if you rush in like that¡­" Eli Directed. But Mark could not hear him, and it was too late. Clink, Mark, who had closed his eyes as he attacked Krax, opened them; his sword was stuck in Krax¡¯s massive club. He tried to pull it out but could not; it was lodged deeply inside it. Krax lifted his leg and kicked Mark on the stomach, sending him a few feet away. Mark gasped for air whilst holding his stomach in pain. "Haha, come on, then get up", Krax smirked. Mark tried to stand, but he wobbled. His feet were heavy on the floor, unable to lift himself up. All he could hear were the loud, deafening cheers of the crowd and massive heavy steps approaching him. Before he could regain his posture, Krax wielded his large club, hitting him on the head and knocking him over. It was plain to see that this match was over before it had even started. "Surely they''ll stop the match now", Eli pondered, but the game didn''t stop. Krax looked down at Mark; he placed his feet on Mark''s arm, slowly crushing it. "ARGH!" marked screamed in pain. Kraxes face lit up as he heard his opponent scream; he was adorned with ecstasy, "scream more", he ordered. "Is this all you had to offer? Haha, what a fool" Krax had completely crushed Marks''s right foot. He then kicked Mark again a few feet away. As Mark was down on the floor, wailing in agony, Krax preached: "You said you had a daughter, right? Should I go and put her out of her misery?". It was too far; he was adamant about completely destroying and humiliating Mark, so much so that he had bought up Mark''s ill daughter. Eli''s face hardened with anger, and he could hear everything on the screen. Rage boiled inside him; how dare someone not only belittle a person trying his best to save his daughter but threaten them with the death of their child? Eli''s fists made cracking sounds as he clenched them, unable to do anything. "Is this it?" What a let-down, I spent all my money to see this one-sided fight" "Krax, finish him and let''s move on to the next fight!" the crowd chattered. "Worthless scum", Eli, who heard the crowd through the projection, spoke in fury. But to everyone''s disarray, Mark stood up on his broken legs. He held his stomach from the broken ribs he had and staggered towards Krax. He got close to Krax and landed a weak punch on him. "What, did mentioning your daughter make you think you could beat me?" Mark grabbed the knife from Krax''s waist and tried to stab him, but before he could aim for his stomach, Krax placed his arms in front. The knife did not penetrate much of Kraxes heavy flesh, but it was enough to make him bleed. "HOW DARE YOU!" Krax shouted in anger. He took his club and swung it at Marks''s right side, completely destroying his right arm and sending him flying away. He slowly approached him. "STOP THE MATCH!" Eli shouted as he tried to enter the doors, yelling at the guards. The guards all came and grabbed Eli, pushing him to the ground. "Stop the match; it''s already over!" Eli shouted again. "NO. This match is a death match; it''ll only end when one of the opponents dies." Replied the guard. Eli hurdled onto the ground, unable to move, could only twist his head and watch in horror. Mark was lying there as Krax approached. The air became silent. The crowd became stagnant. Thud. Thud. Thud. Every moment, the thuds evaded into everyone''s ears; they permeated into the air and covered the entire stage. Blood seeped out onto the canvas. Eli watched in horror as Krax continuously struck the defeated Mark on the head, bludgeoning him repeatedly. Mark wasn''t alive anymore; his cold, lifeless corpse could not rest as Krax continued to swing his club into Mark''s skull, crushing it into pieces. He finally stopped. Breathing heavily from all the swings he took, he looked at the crowd and raised his hands as if he had just won the most excellent match ever, smiling sinisterly. The crowd cheered ruthlessly for Krax, who turned a boring match into a memorable, entertaining event for them. Only Eli lay there on the ground, completely horrified and disgusted. Words choked; he felt utter sadness for losing his new acquaintance, but he felt something else. "I''ll F****ing kill you!" he repeated in a fit of anger. Seeing Krax laugh and boast made him enraged; he knew that no matter what happened, he would murder him one way or the other. These emotions may seem overwhelming, but for Eli, Mark was someone he respected, someone like himself, trying to save others. He grew to view Mark as an adult, someone unlike all the scum he knew, but his life was taken mercilessly, callously, and coldly. The crowd cheered on as Krax left the stage. The head guard approached the waiting room. "Is it you that''s causing trouble?" remarked the head guard. Eli didn''t respond, his hand still clenched from anger. "Listen, kid, I heard you complained about stopping the match, but if it''s a death match, we cannot. Even then, the player had signed the Deadman''s contract, so even if he had lost, he would have still died". "What will happen to his body?" Eli questioned. "Well, ETHOS, the Battle Emporium system, already took his soul, but the association will use his body for research and experimentation. That''s what happens when you sign the Deadman''s contract. Well, don''t cause any more trouble, kid; your match is up soon", the head guard said before leaving with his guards. Eli sat on his seat; he pondered to himself about how harsh the matches were. He witnessed many matches ranging from a few seconds to a few minutes. What he gathered from all these matches was that each match was different. Some matches were death matches like what Krax and Mark faced, whilst others were things like finding items, capturing flags, entering mazes, surviving fall worlds, tagging and even stuff like surviving from monsters. The matches weren''t also just one-on-one, but there were instances where multiple people would compete in team matches. The dynamic of these matches truly depended on a roulette spun by the ETHOS system; Eli did not know if this was random or if the system was finding which type of match would bring in the most entertainment and pain to the players. With each concluding match, Eli''s match approached; his time was coming soon. "Pfft. Why is there a kid here?" snickered one of the players in the waiting room. "Did Mommy sell you off to loan sharks or something, kid?" he continued to belittle Eli. "Lark, calm down; that kid probably thought he could make quick money doing these matches", retorted another. "HAHA. Stupid kid, this isn''t fun and games," the other brutish player said. Eli was in the zone; he heard them but did not respond. It wasn''t worth responding to these immature remarks, especially not after the guards watched out for him. "StOp ThE MaTch! HAHAHA, did you see the kid cry earlier?" Lark mocked. Lark had pissed off Eli. "you bastard!" Eli retorted as he stood up but before he could go towards Lark. [Announcement: Eli, I repeat, Eli, enter the stage] It was time for Eli''s match.