CHAPTER 51: ETERNAL COLOSSEUM

Three days had passed since Jack’s dinner with King Eric, three days of carefully orchestrated normalcy while anticipation built in his chest like a caged storm. His family would arrive today and his father Alaric rode with murder in his heart. Though Jack remained blissfully unaware of the political powder keg approaching the capital.

But first, he had other business to attend to.

The obsidian key felt warm in Jack’s palm as he approached his door before sunrise. The palace slept around him, its crystal walls reflecting the faintest starlight like trapped galaxies.

He’d grown stronger these past days, his maxed skills humming with potential, but strength without application was meaningless. Today, he would test himself against the Spire’s deeper horrors.

The key slid into the crystal lock with that familiar sensation of reality bending around him. The door dissolved, revealing not the palace corridor but the yawning entrance to the Tartarus Spire. Jack stepped through, feeling the oppressive weight of ancient malice settle over him like a familiar shroud.

"Well, well! He returns for more punishment!" The God of Death’s voice echoed from the shadows with theatrical enthusiasm. "How’d you sleep on all that silk and gold, knowing you’ve got real challenges waiting down here?"

Jack couldn’t help but grin as he made his way towards the second floor. "Better than I expected. Though I keep thinking about what you said, that the first floor was supposed to be the easy one."

"Oh, it was!" His laughter boomed through the Spire. "Wait until you see what I’ve cooked up for Floor 2. It’s going to be a load of laughs for everyone."

The Emporium of the Damned sat exactly where Jack remembered it, its crystallized darkness walls gleaming with malevolent energy. The God of Death waited at the front door for Jack, still wearing that ridiculous shopkeeper’s apron embroidered with tiny skulls.

"So," He said, leaning forward with obvious interest, "ready to make another purchase? I’ve got some lovely new arrivals. A cursed mirror that shows your worst fears, boots that let you walk on lava, oh! And a particularly nasty little dagger that steals souls with every cut."

"Actually," Jack said, pulling up his system interface, "I want to seal Floor 1. Permanently."

The God of Death raised one skeletal eyebrow. "Seal it? Why would you want to do that? It’s perfect for low-level grinding when you need easy tokens."

"Because I don’t plan on needing easy tokens,"’ Jack replied with quiet confidence. "I’d rather focus on bigger challenges."

"I like your attitude, kid. Stupid, but I like it." He chuckled as he produced an ornate contract from beneath the counter. "Sealing a floor costs 10,000 death tokens. It prevents all spawning, locks out access permanently, and gives you a nice little bonus to boot. Are you sure about this?"

Jack confirmed the transaction without hesitation, watching as 10,000 tokens vanished from his total. The moment the payment was processed, he felt something shift in the Spire’s structure. Floor 1 was done—sealed away like a completed Chapter of his life.

[Floor 1 permanently sealed]

[Bonus: +5% experience gain on all subsequent floors]

[Current Death Tokens: 7,200]

"Excellent!" The God of Death clapped his hands together, the sound echoing through the shop like thunder. "Now, let me show you to your next playground. Fair warning, floor 2 operates a bit differently than what you’re used to."

The God of Death led him to a staircase that definitely hadn’t been there before, its steps carved from what looked like compressed shadow. As they descended, the air grew thicker, carrying with it the distant sound of roaring crowds and clashing steel.

CLANG!!

CLANG!!

YEAH!!

WOAH!!

GUT HIM!!

"Floor 2," Hades explained as they walked, "is special. It’s not just about clearing enemies and moving on. It’s about entertainment, spectacle, and the kind of violence that makes the denizens of Tartarus actually pay attention."

The staircase ended at a massive archway carved with scenes of combat so realistic they seemed to move in Jack’s peripheral vision. Beyond the arch lay something that made his breath catch in his throat.

The Eternal Colosseum stretched before him like a vision from the depths of hell itself. The entire structure was carved from obsidian so black it seemed that it disappeared into shadow above. The arena floor was a perfect circle of polished stone, surrounded by thousands upon thousands of seats filled with creatures that defied mortal comprehension.

But it was the sound that truly overwhelmed him. The crowd’s roar was deafening. A mixture of cheers, screams, and inhuman howls that seemed to come from every direction at once. Jack could feel the noise in his bones, a physical pressure that made his teeth ache.

"Welcome to the show, kid," He said with obvious pride. "Try not to die too quickly. It’s bad for ratings."

Before Jack could respond, the God of Death vanished, leaving him standing alone at the colosseum’s entrance. The massive gates were wide open, but instead of leading directly to the arena floor, they opened onto what appeared to be a registration area.

Tables lined the walls, each one staffed by creatures that looked like they’d crawled out of nightmares. Some were clearly once human, their forms twisted by centuries in the Spire. Others were things that had never been mortal, beings of shadow and flame and crystallized malice.

"First time?" The voice made Jack spin around. The creature addressing him had once been human, but that was clearly centuries ago. His skin was gray as old parchment, his eyes were solid black, and when he smiled, Jack could see that his teeth were made of what looked like polished bone.

"I... yes," Jack managed, still processing the surreal situation.

"Thought so. You’ve got that deer in headlights look." The promoter, for that’s clearly what he was, pulled out a scroll covered in writing that seemed to be in a language he couldn’t understand. "Name’s Vex. I handle new fighter registration. Are you here to compete or spectate?"

"I’m not sure," Jack said honestly. "I was expecting something more... dungeon-like."

"Oh, this is a dungeon all right. Just with better entertainment value." Vex grinned, showing off those disturbing teeth. "See, the thing about the coliseum is that it’s not about grinding through endless corridors. It’s about proving yourself in front of an audience that’s seen everything. Impress them, and you’ll earn more tokens than you know what to do with. Bore them..." He shrugged eloquently.

"What exactly are my options?"

"Simple. You can register as a fighter, step into the arena, face whatever gets thrown at you, live or die by your own skill. Or you can buy a spectator pass and watch from the stands." Vex leaned closer, his black eyes gleaming. "But let me tell you something, kid. The real power, the real rewards? They’re all down there in the sand."

Jack hesitated. This wasn’t what he’d expected from the Spire’s second floor. But then again, expecting the predictable from the God of Death had been foolish.

"What do I need to do to register as a fighter?"

"Just sign here." Vex thrust the scroll toward him. "Standard contract, You agree to compete, we agree not to let you die permanently. Well, mostly. There’s always some risk. Blah, blah, blah. Yada, Yada, Yada. Just sign."

Standard liability waivers, combat rules, prize structures. Before he could second-guess himself, he signed his name with a quill that definitely wasn’t made from any bird he recognized.

"Excellent!" Vex rolled up the contract with obvious satisfaction. "You’re now officially registered. The first fight won’t be for a bit, so I suggest you head to the stands and get a feel for how things work around here. Section C, Row 15. Your seat’s waiting."

Still somewhat dazed by the rapid turn of events, Jack made his way into the colosseum. The scale of the structure became even more apparent once he was inside. The arena floor was easily a hundred meters across, surrounded by seating that rose in perfect tiers. Every seat was occupied by creatures that belonged in legends and nightmares.

[Enemy count detected: 14, 267]

[Warning: Multiple enemies types present.]

Jack’s system picked out details that made his stomach turn. Some of the spectators were clearly once human, their forms twisted by whatever had brought them to Tartarus. Others were beings of pure shadow, creatures of crystallized flame, and creatures with no eyes.

’System, what am I looking at here?’

[Analysis: The spectators are denizens of Tartarus, entities that exist within the Spire’s deeper layers. Most are beyond current analysis capabilities.]

[Recommendation: Do not engage unless you want a quick death.]

Row 15 was about halfway up the colosseum, offering an excellent view of the arena floor. Jack found his designated seat and settled in, trying to process the surreal situation he’d stumbled into.

The air was thick with the smell of old blood and burning sulfur, and the constant noise of the crowd was overwhelming.

"First time?" The voice beside him spoke with an accent Jack couldn’t place. He turned to see who had spoken and nearly fell out of his seat.

The woman, for she was clearly female, at least from the waist up. She was breathtakingly beautiful, her skin was pale as moonlight, her hair was a cascade of midnight black that fell to her shoulders. Her eyes were deep green like a forest, and when she smiled, her lips revealed teeth that were perhaps a touch too sharp to be entirely human.

But it was her lower body that marked her as something other than mortal. Where her legs should have been, a serpentine tail coiled beneath her, scaled in patterns of deep emerald and shadow.

[Entity detected: Melania]

[Rank: ???]

[Level: ???]

[Class: ???]

[Affinity: ??, ??]

[Warning: Analysis insufficient]