Chapter 6: The rescue

​When the heavily armored soldier entered the armory, he saw a group of children inside. Continuing to scan the room, he confirmed there was no one else present except for a guard who was lying on the ground in a pool of blood. Stepping forward, the soldier confirmed that the guard was indeed dead. He turned to one of his companions, whispered a few instructions, and then redirected his attention back to the children.

​At that same moment, Smith was observing the soldier’s actions. After confirming the death of the guard, the soldier made no further moves. Smith also refrained from making any unnecessary movements; he could not yet tell whether the person in front of him was a friend or a foe. Although it appeared they had come to deal with the arena’s operators, Smith did not lower his vigilance. Even if they were enemies of the arena, he could not confirm if they were a rescue party sent for the children or simply another faction that happened to have a vendetta against the arena’s owner.

​Silence hung heavy in the room as the children huddled toward Smith. After the tense silence persisted for a couple of minutes, a series of hurried footsteps echoed from the corridor. The soldiers at the door parted, allowing a group of elite soldiers and the high ranking figures who had previously blocked the arena’s entrances to step inside.

​Carrying anxious expressions, the newcomers scanned the room. Upon seeing that the group of children was safe, they breathed a collective sigh of relief. Recognizing the adults, the children immediately ran forward, crying as they threw themselves into their guardians’ arms. Seeing this reaction, Smith knew the soldiers were not enemies, but the long awaited rescue party.

​As he watched the scene, the strength in Smith’s body suddenly drained away. He had been running purely on adrenaline due to the desperate circumstances, but now that the children were in good hands and the tension released. The room’s oppressive atmosphere cleared.

​Suddenly, Smith collapsed to the ground. The adrenaline rush had completely faded,making him aware of how severely injured he was. He had sustained far more internal damage than he initially realized, particularly in his chest, where he had been kicked. Waves of intense pain washed over him. Seeing Smith fall, the children rushed over in concern, but he simply waved them off, insisting he was fine.

​Noticeable now that the chaos had settled, the adults finally spotted the extra person in the room. The boy looked miserable and in a very bad state.seeing their children’s concern,one of them instructed one of the soldiers to examine him. After checking Smith, the soldier reported that he was severely exhausted and suffering from internal injuries, though his life was not in immediate danger.

​One of the soldiers carried Smith as the group made their way back to the main arena. Looking out at the center of the arena, Smith saw piles of fallen debris and felt relieved by his earlier choice to flee the area; had they stayed, they would have been crushed to death.

​The group halted near the entrance where the The man who issued the order earlier was standing. Seeing that the children were safe with no life-threatening injuries, the man breathed a sigh of relief.

​At that moment, a woman stepped forward. She had silk like white hair, striking red eyes, and flawless pale skin that seemed almost inhuman. Dressed in a red robe that failed to hide her exquisite figure, she possessed a natural, breathtaking beauty. Smith noted to himself that even compared to the celebrities from his world, this woman ranked among the top three beauties he had ever seen.

​A young girl—who also shared the same white hair and striking red eyes—ran forward and cried out, "Mother!"

​Although the woman had maintained a cold demeanor, her expression softened into a gentle smile as she embraced her daughter. "Don’t worry, my daughter, everything is fine now. I will ensure that everyone responsible for this will pay."

​Watching her smile, Smith felt as though his soul had been stolen for a moment, the sight gave him the illusion of his physical pain to disapper. However, as soon as she finished comforting her daughter, she turned back toward the man. Recognizing the man’s respectful posture, Smith realized that this woman was the true person in charge.

​Her face, previously as beautiful as an immortal, turned chillingly cold. "I want everyone who runs this arena killed on the spot. Everyone involved in this affair will pay with their blood.and even the one who were watching"

​As she spoke those words, her gaze briefly swept past Smith before returning to her daughter. In that fleeting moment, Smith felt as if he had been plunged into a millennial ice cave. His blood ran cold from the sheer lingering aura of her killing intent, even though it wasn’t aimed directly at him.

​The man hesitated for a second, seemingly worried about something. Understanding his concern, the woman added coldly, "Do not worry about the consequences; I will handle them personally.when we return and if anyone demands an answer, tell them to come directly to the palace."

​With those words, the soldiers hesitated no longer and began executing everyone within the arena. It became a complete massacre. Lacking the strength to resist, they were slaughtered where they stood. Blood flowed like rivers down the audience seats and channeled directly into the main pathway of the arena floor.

​The scene sent a chill down Smith’s spine. He now understood that this trial was a death trap from the start. Had any of the children died especially the young girl,this woman would have surely executed him as well, likely assuming he had used the children as a meat shield to survive.

​Realizing that the true objective of the trial was ensuring the survival of the whole group, Smith reflected on his past actions. Every single decision had been critical,Without using the Hedgehog Formation against the wolves, they would have been bitten to death.

​Without initiating the attack in the second challenge, they would have been slaughtered without resistance and without fleeing the arena during the earthquake, they would have been crushed by debris.

​He chose not to dwell on it any further. Coincidence or not, his choices had kept them all alive.

​While the massacre unfolded throughout the underground arena, the children and their guardians remained isolated from the violence, happily chatting about what they had experienced in the arena some where lamenting about their treatment like they were forced to eat pig food or sleep on the cold floor and even someone was boosting about fighting wolves.

Smith rested against a pillar while a medic treated his injuries. After the medic finished and walked away, Smith checked his prompt interface. Seeing that only three days remained on the countdown, he closed his eyes, feeling a sense of relief that he could finally finish this trial in peace.

​Before he could rest, he heard a series of approaching footsteps. Opening his eyes, he saw the red-eyed woman walking toward him, accompanied by her daughter. The coldness on the woman’s face had completely melted into a gentle smile.

​The young girl eagerly pointed at Smith and told her mother, "Mother, he’s the one who saved us from the arena disasters! He kept encouraging us and told us you were coming to rescue us. He’s the reason we made it out alive!"

​Hearing the praise, Smith felt a quiet sense of satisfaction inside. The mother patted her daughter’s head softly. "Alright, dear. Go play with your uncles for a moment. I need to speak with this young man."

​"Okay, Mother just don’t be hard on him!" the little girl replied before skipping off toward the other children.

​Once her daughter was gone the others,the woman sat down on the ground, leaning back against the same pillar as Smith. She didn’t turned her head toward him,but suddenly asked Smith an question.

​" who are you and what was your true purpose for doing all this?" she asked.