Next Day Morning…
A giant black portal, shaped like a spiral of chains and bones, had manifested near the Northern edge of the Heavenly Phoenix Range. Its presence was like a beacon—ominous, ancient, and terrifying.
Rumors danced through the streets.
"Did you hear? That portal is the entrance to a hidden Wild Arena."
"It's not a test… it's a massacre."
"I heard beasts, thousands of them, live inside."
"Seven Nations Syndicate just leaked a note—the next round will only have 1,000 survivors. From five thousand… to one thousand?! That's a bloodbath!"
In the Hanging Pleasure Palaces, the remaining-contestants were roused by spirit butterflies carrying the same message.
"Rest well. Prepare for war. The second round begins at sunset."
Kent King stood by his balcony, staring toward the northern edge of the sky, his eyes half-lidded but calm. Behind him, the faint form of his dragon stirred in his spirit sea, its scales shimmering like thunderclouds.
