Essence "The Endpoint" 016. (The Mokomiya Family Arc) The Arena and the Road to Survival

The last bit of light on the horizon finally disappeared completely. Night quietly fell. Except for some unknown insects chirping softly among the grass, everything had settled into silence.

The long-neglected iron fence had already grown covered with reddish-brown rust. This corner, long untouched by anyone, was now overtaken in clusters by the tall grass.

"Swish..."

Suddenly, a patch of grass was bent down abruptly, revealing an entrance hidden within. This entrance was at the bottom of the iron fence, completely concealed by the surrounding grass. Moreover, the opening wasn't large, barely enough for a child in their teens to pass through.

After a light, messy sound, a boy with slightly dirty and tangled hair climbed over the iron fence. He straightened up and lightly patted off the dirt and grass from his body. Behind him, two girls of similar age climbed over in the same manner.

It was Qing Yan and her two companions.

Qing Yan felt a little confused. Today's hunting trip had brought many unexpected events. First, at the edge of Shoushan Forest, they unexpectedly encountered a fierce third-tier flaming leopard; then, they were saved by a mysterious girl smaller than herself, who carried a third-tier mighty demon ape with her, and in the end, that third-tier flaming leopard was somehow captured by her inexplicable magical treasure; yet, such a formidable girl could get lost on the small outskirts of Shouri Forest and had no home. What puzzled Qing Yan most of all was that Mukou Xiaoyu, usually the hardest to get along with, had become familiar with the mysterious girl in just a few minutes. On the way back, they chattered endlessly, and she couldn't even get a word in.

Not far ahead was a row of old bluestone houses, carrying obvious signs of history. Shallow moss clung to the corners of the walls, blending seamlessly with the old bluestone. The ground beneath was uneven and full of potholes, but thankfully, since it hadn't rained recently, it was relatively dry.

Following the path and twisting through several rows of old houses, Qing Yan and her companions finally emerged from the old residential area. Before them was a wide-open square. Surrounding it were towering platforms dozens of meters high, now giving off a cold, desolate feeling, entirely abandoned and neglected.“This is the Northern Arena of the Mikami family. The area we just passed was the former prison zone for the battle beasts.”

Mikami Xiaoyu was still behind, continuously introducing things to the mysterious girl. After a pause, he continued, “The Mikami family has a total of four battle zones, and this Northern Arena, being the smallest in area and backed by the Shou Ri Forest, is far quieter compared to the East, South, and West zones. Heavyweight battle beasts rarely choose to start their matches here. Over time, it has become almost vacant, and the beasts in the prison zone have mostly been moved to the other three zones. Since it is rarely managed on regular days, it has become this desolate.”

Would it really continue like this forever?

Qing Yan Yao gazed at the high stands surrounding her, feeling a bit stifled, seemingly already faintly imagining the scene in the near future: this place would be roaring with frenzied crowds.

The Mikami family, known as the “Family of Slaves,” manages a vast industry under such a system: battle beasts, which naturally also carries a strong sense of slavery. The so-called beasts here do not only include monsters but also human slaves; in their eyes, slaves are merely tools, objects. Their value here is just as toys for nobles seeking bloody thrills, not much different from monsters.

Through various channels, both legitimate and illegitimate, they purchase slaves from human settlements and even from some weaker races. In the arena, slaves and monsters engage in life-or-death battles with no rules; only when one side dies is the other considered victorious.

Of course, nobles, in their excessive leisure, are inventive in cruelty. Ordinary life-or-death fights have become unable to satisfy their desire for entertainment. Some extravagant betting had already been somewhat common. In the past two or three years, the Mikami family first introduced an activity called the “Path of Survival,” which drove all the nobles mad.

The Path of Survival is extremely bloody and perversely difficult. Tens of slaves, armed with the most primitive weapons, face dozens of fierce monsters over a period of two days, struggling to survive. Then, all the surviving slaves, with almost no rest, engage in group fights.Finally, the only person who survives in the Colosseum can completely shed the identity of a slave and become an ordinary citizen of Jingdong City.\ This single event greatly tests the intensity of slaves' survival awareness and the resilience of their mental willpower. It brings the nobles a thrill originating from extreme challenges and survival trials, while also giving the slaves a chance to turn their fate and pursue freedom. Of course, this opportunity is almost non-existent.\ So far, the 'Path of Survival' has been held nearly perfectly for three sessions. Each session was almost fully packed with people, making the Mikami family earn profits to the point of hand cramps. The venue has had to expand in area due to the large crowd flow, moving from the Western District to the Southern District, and to the Eastern District Colosseum in the last session. However, even so, the crowd continues to rise sharply. Under such circumstances, a new 'Path of Survival' venue urgently needs to be built.\ Naturally, the best location for this venue is the Northern District Colosseum. Because it backs the mountains and even adjoins the largest Sun-Guard Forest in the Sairi Islands. The prosperity and level of development in Jingdong City are also increasingly high, making this place the best and most cost-effective expansion area.\ In preparation for the next 'Path of Survival' event six months from now, the Mikami family has already finalized the plan and has been busy preparing related matters tightly in recent times. This is also why Mikami Xiaoyu was able to sneak out behind the mountains to hunt under the very eyes of the head of the Mikami family.\ ……\ 'Hey, Xiaoyanzi!'\ Suddenly, a voice with a hint of anger startled Qingyan, who was lost in thought. Looking up, he realized, without knowing when, he had unconsciously walked out of the Northern District Colosseum and was standing in front of the back gate of the Mikami family residence.\ Qingyan scratched his head, chuckled foolishly a few times, paused, and then suddenly remembered something. A heavy seriousness washed over his face as he spoke gravely to Mikami Xiaoyu:\ 'Tomorrow is the fifteenth again. Whether you have business or not, don't come looking for me!'\ 'Okay, got it.' The usually arrogant Mikami Xiaoyu, seeming to have thought of something terrifying, unexpectedly nodded obediently.