Chapter 31: The Arena
Silent gasps came from behind Dutch as he led the trainees into the second-largest area in the facility.
Just like the main hall, a large translucent ceiling hung high above them, showcasing the dark clouds of Tomber.
They were currently standing on a large balcony that circled the entire room. Below them was a wide space that seemed to go lower than the rest of the building.
The trainees slowly spread out as they stared down at the cold, dark floor and walls.
They began to notice that the room seemed less like a room and more like an outside sporting area. Or more precisely, a colosseum.
Arbus's eyes narrowed slightly as he noticed the claw marks lining the walls. From the expression the white Mornans were making, it seemed they noticed it too.
"This is the Arena," Instructor Dutch announced, drawing everyone's attention towards him. "It's probably the most frequented training area in the facility. And for good reason, too."
"What do you mean by that, sir?" Ondee, one of the Bocheanders, asked with interest.
Dutch stroked his chin for a few moments, then nodded as he came to a conclusion. He glanced to the other side of the balcony where a couple of the staff members were sitting. "Bring one out!" he shouted, his voice carrying over clearly.
The Renegades in charge of the room immediately turned in his direction. A couple of them stood up in a hurry, bowing towards him slightly before running off into another door located on that side of the arena.
Several moments passed in silence as the trainees wondered what they were about to see. A few of them, however, already had an idea in mind.
Kriii!!!
A loud screech suddenly echoed through the room as everyone present glanced down.
The ground floor of the arena slowly parted before their eyes as a grotesque monster was lifted out on a platform.
It was a creature that resembled an abominable mixture of a fish and a howler.
The four-legged beast had thick, dark scales in place of skin with fur growing out of them like leaves, a short, fin-like tail protruding from its rear, and a face straight out of a horror film—with one large eye embedded in the center and long rows of teeth lining its open maw. The creature was also twice the size of a howler, far larger than the ones the trainees had caught glances of on their way here.
"As I'm sure you are all aware by now, this is a puppy," Dutch said, just as the creature's enormous eye surveyed the room before looking right at them. "One of the millions of creatures created by the Human, Solaris."
Bang!
Most of the trainees flinched back and screamed when the puppy suddenly jumped at them, only for it to fall back down after smashing its body against the invisible wall separating the balcony from the arena. Whether the creature did it on a whim or upon hearing its master's name was impossible for them to tell.
"About a century ago, Solaris and the current king of the galaxy, Aries Taurus, fought a month-long battle across our entire star system," Dutch continued, glaring down at the monster whose hungry gaze was fixed on him specifically. "Over the course of that battle, Solaris created millions of monsters in an attempt to overwhelm the king. Naturally, he failed."
"These creatures that now plague several planets in our system are descendants of those monsters, who still refuse to permanently die out like their master. Continuously evolving over the years in various ways that scientists are still discovering."
"You will all be allowed to test yourselves against them whenever you want. There's no need to hold back either, since we have a constant supply," he said, signalling for the puppy to be taken back to its cage.
"Tomber holds the record for the largest population of them, after all. So we simply have to take a leisurely stroll outside to get another one."
Several holes suddenly opened up in the walls of the arena, spewing out a green gas that quickly spread across the entire floor. The invisible shield kept it from reaching beyond it, making sure the monster was the only one to feel its effects.
The creature swayed from side to side for several moments, letting out low whimpers before finally dropping to the ground.
Arbus watched the creature with an unreadable expression. Slowly, his eyes narrowed as his gaze sharpened dangerously. ' You're up first.'
Jet leaned over the railing, unbothered by the sudden attack. A small smile crept onto his face as he stared down at the grotesque thing. He glanced towards Arbus briefly before focusing on the puppy again.
Eventually, Dutch turned to face the trainees. "I must warn you, multiple to-be-knights like you have died in this very arena."
Several eyes went wide at his words.
"We do the bare minimum and try to get out those who surrender before they're killed. But it's never guaranteed that we'll be able to," he said in a serious tone. "Once you decide to go down there, your life is ultimately in your own hands."
"But, at the same time, I would advise against ignoring this room entirely. Although... I can't speak about why yet," he said as he adjusted his glasses.
"I suppose this concludes the—"
"Oh, the tour's already over? That's a bit of a shame. Was hoping to spar with a few of the trainees today in the white room." A tall, burly man said with a sigh as he walked over to the group from the other side of the balcony. He had a bottle of Zone in his right hand while his left one rested in his pocket. Arbus had noticed him heading their way after he walked out of the same door the staff from earlier entered to release the puppy.
Dutch frowned as he glanced at the chief of security. "Ty. What are you doing here?"
Ty walked up and stood next to Dutch as he surveyed the trainees. "Came down here when the alarms started blaring and the facility went into lockdown," Ty replied with a shrug.
"I was pretty sure the cause was Solis's unexpected encounter with our newest trainees here," he said, glancing at Arbus with a smile. "But I had to be sure."
Dutch rolled his eyes. "Yes, because you're one to take your job very seriously," he replied sarcastically.
He turned back to the new recruits. "Now then, this concludes the tour."
"You should all head back to the main hall and wait while your rooms are being prepared for you. Based on your gender, of course," Dutch added with a small snort upon seeing a few of the male blue Mornans getting excited.
"Your roommate pairing will also be decided by the head instructor."
Several trainees tensed in reaction to that.
There was possibility of one of them ending up in the same room as Arbus.
"This is not an academy where you're encouraged to enjoy the experience. You're here to go through several months of grueling training to officially become members of the most powerful organisation in the universe."
"I advise you all to take that very seriously."
"That will be all," Dutch said finally, walking past them with a wave as he headed back to the instructor's lounge. "I trust you can find your way back."
The trainees followed behind him, not too keen on watching the sleeping puppy get chained up by the Renegades in gas masks.
The chief of security watched them go with a smile as he took another sip of his drink.
Arbus glanced at him for several moments, then turned to leave last.
"...See you around, kiddo." Ty muttered to himself with a chuckle.