Chapter 6: Into the Flames

Starting from the Sumar Plateau in the Holy Kingdom of Od, the human civilization in the Aemera world has struggled on for thousands of years. Combat gladiatorial fights are among the few bloody sports with detailed records dating back to the dawn of civilization.

Evolved to its present form, this sport has become an extremely complex and massive competition, with increasingly detailed rules and a growing variety of combat types. There is one unspoken but crucial rule: it must be entertaining. Simply put, the more evenly matched the fight, the harder it is to determine a winner, and the more intense it is, the more successful the event is. Instant kills, victories with a single move, or fights without suspense are all taboos. Today’s audience is far from satisfied with just seeing blood and casualties; cruelty, intensity, and awe-inspiring action are what truly make a fight exciting.

To achieve this, organizers often go to great lengths in private to fully understand the strengths of both combatants and use various methods to ensure balance in their abilities. In such an environment, gladiators like Neo, who have been active in the arena for years without losing limbs or even dying, typically possess astonishing skills in using multiple weapons and armor, including some very rare special weapons and equipment.

It is no exaggeration to say that gladiators are even more suited to the title of “versatile fighters” than mercenaries. Moreover, due to the popularity of team and group combat battles over a hundred years ago, experienced gladiators also excel in teamwork and tactical coordination.

Take Neo, for example. In terms of team roles, he meets the standards of a “versatile fighter”—meaning he can quickly take on any role in a temporary team and perform excellently. However, if he were to choose himself, he prefers to be a frontline fighter, fighting alongside shield bearers while focusing on dealing damage. Specifically, he is a dual-wielding swordsman, though he is also highly skilled with single-handed swords.

Dual-wielding single-handed swords is a path chosen only by those who have great confidence in their reflexes, agility, strength control, and swordsmanship. The most renowned professionals in this field are the elf sword dancers. The strongest among them can attack in a range of over 300 degrees, with a power level comparable to that of ordinary warriors fighting with swords head-on—making them a nightmare in team battles.

Yet, among wolves, those who pursue this dual-wielding style are extremely rare. This is because most wolves possess an innate talent for brutal combat—wild, straightforward, impulsive, and lacking the sensitivity and precise thinking needed for intricate tasks.

In simple terms, most wolves are muscular with strong limbs but average intelligence. On the battlefield, they rely on aggressive and powerful combat techniques to defeat enemies. It is no exaggeration to call them the most brute-force faction among Aemera’s intelligent beings. For them, professions like sword dancers or dual-wielding swordsmen are like asking a brute to embroider—a task where it’s not just about the precision of the needle but also the lack of artistic sense to create something truly excellent.

Compared to his kind, Neo’s childhood, adolescence, and youth were uniquely distinctive. With a werewolf background yet raised in the human world, he led a life different from that of the jungle but still governed by the law of survival of the fittest. Thus, it was not surprising that he possessed both the wildness and ferocity of a werewolf and the delicate thinking of a human.

The human world always gave Neo a sense of being an outsider, but this did not allow him to turn a blind eye and remain at ease when he had the ability to save a human life. Even though nearly half of the residents of Solis City cried out to have his head cut off during the day.

Neo understood their history better than most humans, to such an extent that he was fully capable of working with experts to unravel the unsolved mysteries of that long history. This made him well aware of the purpose of this public trial and who the real instigators and beneficiaries were. He didn’t even truly hate the woman who spat at him, though if given the chance, he wouldn’t mind giving her a small punishment—reason being, “debt must be repaid.”

Using strips of cloth torn from the leather covering his armor, he tied them into ropes and slung the two swords along with their scabbards on his back. He reached back several times to adjust the straps at his waist, feeling more comfortable before finally securing the scabbards in place.

Neo heard the sound of flames burning and sensed the scorching, dry air carried by the wind. There were many fires in the South District, and they continued to increase and spread, indicating that the dark forces were not just engaged in destruction but might even intend to burn the South District to the ground.

“Is it to cover up their true intentions?” With too little information, Neo could only make simple guesses. One thing was certain: dark cultists were active in this area in large numbers.

As he ventured deeper, the threat from the evil fire puppets diminished significantly. The heat from the flames created invisible energy barriers that blocked the puppets’ ability to detect their targets. As Neo had expected, there were many active dark cultists in this area, and they represented the new threat he had to face.

The Frey United Kingdom valued commerce. Although Solis City had a long history, its commercial districts were reorganized every three to five years. The roads were well-connected, and there were numerous shops, all neatly arranged. Coupled with the bright light from the fires everywhere, there were hardly any routes suitable for sneaking or hiding in shadows.

Neo quickly made a decision: he would dress in the clothes of dark cultists to disguise himself and then move deeper into the commercial district. He remembered clearly that the first site of burning was in the core area of the commercial district. After hours of burning, almost everything that could be burned had been destroyed, and what collapsed had collapsed. It had also been looted. Although there were dangers like being trapped in the flames, smoke, and suffocation, it was still a worthwhile option compared to other choices.

The large bonfires also had their uses. As the saying goes, “it’s dark under the lamp.” The light from the flames not only prevented people from seeing far away but also served as a barrier to block vision. Even those with dark vision would see everything blurred due to the heat from the flames, making it difficult to distinguish things.

Wandering on the outskirts of the business district, Neo carefully searched for an opportunity. Eventually, he identified a pair of partners and, through careful observation, determined that they were suitable targets. He then chose a suitable battlefield.

At last…

“Blood Night, password!”

The two Dark Cultists, separated by the flames, saw someone approaching slowly. The flickering light made it difficult to see clearly. One covered his forehead with his hand to try to make out the person’s face, while the other assumed that someone who came boldly at such a time and gave the correct password must be an accomplice. So he casually said, “Extinguish all light!”

“The boss said to hurry up.” The voice echoed, but the person was already gone.

“Where’s he?” asked the Dark Cultist with his hand on his forehead.

“He delivered the message and left.” Then he muttered under his breath, “Urging! Damn it, hurry up…”

The next moment, a figure leaped out of the blazing flames like a cheetah. Immediately afterward, two swords were thrown forward like arrows from a crossbow, aiming at the two Dark Cultists.

Thud! The Dark Cultist who was carrying goods was unprepared. He stared in shock as a sharp sword pierced his throat, emerged from the back, and sent him falling, blood gushing out. The one with his hand on his forehead managed to dodge the slightly high-angled sword by lowering his head, but he still fell into Neo’s trap.

With the twin sword attacks, Neo wasn’t affected by the flames. Seeing that the opponent had indeed lowered his head to dodge the sword, he immediately used his prepared kicking technique, delivering a powerful knee strike right to the Dark Cultist’s head, which hadn’t yet been raised. The front of his kneecap was made of solid black iron. With the full force of the impact, there was a muffled thud—as the Dark Cultist’s head snapped backward, throwing his entire body upward into the air.

In mid-air, exhausted, Neo switched to his other knee. This time, it wasn’t a simple strike but a series of blows using the momentum of his falling weight. Before the Dark Cultist’s body could fully land, Neo’s knee struck again—another muffled thud, this time accompanied by the sound of bones breaking. The Dark Cultist’s chest collapsed, and he spat blood before dying instantly.

Click! To ensure everything was dead, Neo reached out and broke the Dark Cultist’s neck. Turning to look at the other one, who was only convulsing on the verge of death, he extinguished the flames on his body and pulled off the burning cloth attached to the helmet’s brim. Using the helmet’s brim and the cloth, Neo created a makeshift shield to block the light from the flames. This shield effectively reduced the impact of the light on his vision. Neo had seen an assassin wear one by chance and, out of his habit of being curious, figured out its purpose.

Picking up his weapons, Neo quickly cleaned up the battlefield. The Dark Cultists’ clothes could be useful—not just as outer garments. Neo went even further: he took off all his own clothes, threw them into the fire, and then put on one of the Dark Cultists’ outfits from head to toe.

Everyone’s body odor is different, and Neo intended to use the odor of these Dark Cultists to cover his own. Even the leather covering the armor was replaced with the coat of another Dark Cultist. The bodies were cremated, and although there was no good way to deal with the blood on the ground, Neo did his best by covering it with snow and then placing burning materials on top, kicking them away after a while. In the freezing cold, the melted snow would freeze again, and with this ice, the smell of blood would be further concealed.

Before leaving, Neo glanced at the work the two Dark Cultists had done—the wooden cart and the grain sacks. Pulling off a sleeve, he tied it into a knot to serve as a pocket and stuffed some flour in it, while pondering the purpose of the Dark Cultists’ actions. It was easy to assume a grain shortage—so what? Why not simply set the grain store on fire instead of transporting some of it?

“Oh, this isn’t a one-time strike plan. The Dark Cultists and the Degenerates will continue to hide among the people in the future. They need food and drink. Moreover, if this grain is handled properly, it can earn more slaves for the Dark forces, providing food for the harsh winter and lean times. Sometimes, the price of a life is quite cheap.”

Pushing the cart loaded with most of the grain to a less noticeable corner, Neo stirred the still-burning corpses, then quickly left the scene. With his disguise in place, he could act more freely, but he was still far from being out of trouble. Neo had already noticed that these Dark Cultists operated in pairs, and just this detail meant he could only deceive them temporarily. He would use this to take decisive action and eliminate obstacles. Otherwise, giving them time would likely expose him.

Not long after Neo left, the sound of heavy footsteps arose—the Evil Flame Puppet had arrived. After a quick inspection, it stepped onto the frozen snow, letting the flames burn the ground as steam rose. Then it strode into the raging fire, grabbed the charred bodies of the Dark Cultists, and began chewing on them. After that, it stepped out of the flames and stood there for a while, finally fixing its gaze on Neo’s direction before continuing its rhythmic pace in pursuit.