Two black armored warriors stood silently in front of the gates. Before Tang San could reveal the token in his hand, a woman with a black muslin mask stepped out to greet him.
“Welcome to Slaughter City.”
The woman’s voice was very pleasant. Stepping aside from in front of Tang San, she made an inviting gesture.
Even though this underground city made Tang San extremely astonished, especially the restrictions on spirit abilities, he maintained a calmly accepting attitude, following that woman through the gates. Perhaps it was because of the identification badge in his hand, but nobody stopped him.
Entering the city, what Tang San saw was a blue purple world. Lanterns were hung on both sides of the street, all of them issuing only these two colors of light. Making him somewhat astonished was that there were no few people here, and nobody paid attention to an outsider like him. Besides everything appearing that dim, what he saw was unexpectedly no different from an ordinary city.
“I’m your guide. You can ask me about anything you don’t understand. Within twenty four hours, I will answer all your questions. After twenty four hours, this is the place where you’ll live, and you’ll formally become a Slaughter City citizen.”
Tang San nodded, saying:
“Slaughter city, what kind of place is it?”
The black masked young woman said:
“A paradise. A paradise of depravity.”
Tang San frowned,
“So simple?”
The black masked young woman nodded agreement.
Tang San said:
“Then how was Slaughter City founded?”
The black masked young woman’s answer this time was more to Tang San’s satisfaction,
“Slaughter City has already existed for a thousand years. According to legend, it’s the domain left behind after a formidable Spirit Master broke through the hundredth rank. Here, all Spirit Master abilities are ineffective, people can only rely on their own instinct and physical strength to survive. Spirit power can be used as a source of strength.”
Tang San looked at the black masked young woman,
“Then what are the rules here?”
The black masked young woman said serenely:
“The rules here are that there are no rules. As a citizen of Slaughter City, you can do whatever you want here. Even if a Title Douluo came here from the outside world, he would still grow weak due to losing his spirit abilities. But under the rule of our Slaughter King, there’s basically no need to fear them. In Slaughter City, as long as you have the ability, you can do whatever you want. But I must warn you, precisely since there are no rules here, you may face mortal danger at any time. In some sense, this is a paradise of crime.”
“Paradise of crime?”
“Yes. There are a lot of people who come here precisely because they can’t exist in the outside world, and have no choice but to enter. After coming here, there’s no need for them to worry about pursuit again. Each citizen of Slaughter City will enjoy Slaughter City’s protection.
Tang San hardly paid attention to this protection. Since he could come here through force of violence, that meant any power could do the same. Even without spirit abilities, there was still spirit power. Title Douluo were still powers among powers here. Were the criminals here really safe?
“Mister 9528. I understand what you’re thinking.”
The black masked young woman suddenly said.
Tang San stared blankly a moment,
“You know what I’m thinking?”
“You’re definitely wondering how Slaughter City can protect its people, yes?”
Tang San’s heart twitched,
“How do you know?”
The black masked young woman said:
“Because every new arrival to Slaughter City will think the same thing. But very soon, they will give up on this idea. Entering Slaughter City requires undergoing the test and slaughter examination. Even though you entered via a peculiar method, you carry sufficient killing intent. Moreover, you defeated the lord dread knight. Therefore you obtained permission to join. However, there’s one thing I must warn you of. Entering Slaughter City is simple, but leaving is practically impossible.”
“Can only enter, never leave?”
Tang San somewhat shocked looked at the black masked young woman. He didn’t believe he would be unable to break out.
The black masked young woman nodded, saying:
“There are special law enforcement teams within Slaughter City. You met lord dread knight Scott, but he’s only one member of the enforcement team. The mighty Slaughter King controls everything here, and the powers of the enforcement team are all Spirit Douluo who the Slaughter King have granted the ability to use spirit abilities. The captain is even a Title Douluo. Once a lot of people wanted to break out, but there are no exceptions to the end result.”
Tang San was shocked. If saying Title Douluo that couldn’t use spirit abilities were still formidable, then Title Douluo that couldn’t use spirit abilities would definitely be unable to defeat Spirit Douluo that could. Furthermore, according to what the black masked young woman said, the captain of Slaughter City’s law enforcement was actually a Title Douluo that could use spirit abilities. No wonder she would say it was impossible to leave.
“Is there no way out?”
The black masked young woman calmly said:
“Not quite. There’s only one way to leave Slaughter City. That is to become the champion of Hell Slaughter Arena, obtaining the qualifications to challenge the Hell Road, and after breaking through the Hell Road, then you can leave Slaughter City. Every power who does so will be bestowed with the title of Deathgod[2]. In Slaughter City’s thousand year history, there has appeared altogether eight Deathgods.”
Eight in a thousand years, what kind of unbalanced figure was that?
“Then if one fails the challenge?”
Tang San questioned closely.
The black masked young woman smiled:
“Slaughter City, has no defeat. Only success and death. This is so for all matters.”
Tang San smiled slightly,
“It seems this place really is worthy of being Slaughter City.”
The black masked young woman said:
“There is no currency within Slaughter City, any food and drink are provided free of charge. Of course, poisonous ones are not excluded. Here, dead people are the most valuable. The number of human skulls each person possess symbolizes their strength. The blood and skulls of the opponents you’ve personally beheaded can be used to trade for other goods.”
A cold light flashed in Tang San’s eyes. It seemed that it was as his father said, anyone here had come by the road of death.
“Fine, bring me to Hell Slaughter Arena.”
Tang San said indifferently.
The black masked young woman stared blankly a moment,
“You’re sure? Entering there, less than one in ten can return alive. That’s the place where it’s the easiest for our Slaughter City population to decrease. Each person will be required to enter Hell Slaughter Arena once each year. As long as they can pass one fight, they can life in Slaughter City for another year.”
Tang San calmly said:
“I’m sure, let’s go now.”
With Purple Demon Eye, Tang San could vaguely see the elegant eyebrows of the young woman’s face wrinkle slightly behind the black muslin.
“Since it’s like that, follow me.”
Finished speaking, the black masked young woman walked towards the center of the city. The pace she kept was very measured, following at Tang San’s side all along, just half a step ahead of Tang San.
Tang San wasn’t urgent about anything either, only calmly observing everything around him.
As they walked, a figure suddenly stood up on the side of the road. He had previously been in a dark corner, and even Tang San hadn’t noticed him.
“Oh, there’s a rookie, it seems there’ll be a new Bloody
mary. Gaga.”
His gaze sweeping this person, Tang San couldn’t help frowning. The speaker’s age couldn’t be discerned, because his stature was really too extraordinary. His entire body didn’t seem to have two liang[3] of flesh put together. If he didn’t have a layer of skin, it might’ve been easy to mistake him for a human skeleton. Moreover, simple observation told Tang San that this wasn’t because he had cultivated any special methods. His qi and blood were both empty, he could die at any time.
“Can people like him also pass the Hell Slaughter Arena battles once a year?”
Tang San asked the black masked young woman.
That skeleton then saw the black masked young woman on Tang San’s other side, and seemed as if he had encountered something terrifying, no longer daring to say anything, and swiftly vanishing into the darkness again.
“Of course not. Not everyone needs to pass the baptism of the Hell Slaughter Arena. After all, the mortality rate here is too high. Besides experiencing a fight in the Hell Slaughter Arena every year, there’s still one other way survive in Slaughter City. That is to contribute two cups of Bloody Mary every month.”
* * *
[1] (杀戮之都) “Slaughter Capital City”, or “Massacre Metropolis”
[2] (杀神) “Killing God” or “Murder God” to be specific, but Deathgod reads better.
[3] 2两 = 100g
Chapter 136: Hell Slaughter Arena
Part 1 (TL by Bagelson)
Tang San had already learned what Bloody Mary was before coming here. Human blood. According to what he saw, that person just now should have had to contribute who knew how much blood in order to become like that. Perhaps he wouldn’t be able to endure much longer.
“When contributing so much Bloody Mary, wouldn’t they get taken advantage of?”
Tang San frowned.
The black masked young woman said:
“No, right now you’re on the outskirts of Slaughter City, it’s not the true Slaughter City. Only the inner city is the truly lawless place. Contributing Bloody Mary and struggling on at death’s door can only be done in the outer city, and casual murder isn’t allowed here. Only those warriors who have survived the Hell Slaughter Arena have the qualifications to live in the inner city. Of course, the pleasures that can be obtained there are greater than outside, but it’s also where you can face the test of death at any time.”
“In other words, Slaughter City is a completely different world. Then what is Slaughter City’s food source? There shouldn’t be anything that grows in a place like this, and nobody to plant.”
As Tang San spoke, his gaze was on that black masked young woman the whole time. His Purple Demon Eye wasn’t a spirit ability, and naturally it wouldn’t be restricted. In this brief time, he had simply experimented. The additional abilities of spirit bones wouldn’t be influenced by the peculiar domain here.
The black masked young woman’s face changed slightly,
“I’m sorry, I don’t know. I’m unable to answer.”
Tang San indifferently said:
“Then doesn’t Spirit Hall know about this place? If they knew, as they’re always posing as righteous, why wouldn’t they come to eliminate you?”
His questions could even be said to lack any politeness, but there was a lot of learning within. Even though Slaughter City was an underground world cut off from the outside, since his father knew about it, and since there were so many people in the tavern outside when he arrived, it showed that there was no lack of guides to this place outside.
The black masked woman laughed coldly,
“So what if they know? Spirit hall wouldn’t move against us to any extent. First let alone the benefits they can gain from this place, there’s not a single advantage to them in destroying Slaughter City. Mister 9528, don’t forget that it’s practically impossible for people who can enter Slaughter City to leave. And to be able to come here, all are humans brimming with depravity and sin. This place doesn’t have any relation to the outside world. Slaughter City is like a special prison, a place helping Spirit Hall to detain convicts whose sins are great. You asked why Spirit Hall doesn’t destroy this place? They’re probably eager to have even more vile people come here.”
Tang San’s face revealed a cold smile. It really was as he thought. The existence of this Slaughter City was established with the indulgence of Spirit Hall. No matter what was said, even if spirit abilities couldn’t be used here, its strength still couldn’t compare to the Spirit Hall that covered the Continent.
As they walked along the street, there were gradually more people to the sides. Practically every face displayed an unhealthy pallor, and even more were emaciated.
No need to ask, these were all people that didn’t dare enter Hell Slaughter Arena, and relied on giving two cups of Bloody Mary each month to struggle on at death’s door.
Tang San’s own experience with drinking that cup of Bloody Mary was still fresh on his memory. He clearly remembered that the cup contained nearly half a jin, making it one jin of blood each month.
One or two months might not be an issue, but continuing like this in this sunless place, how would the body be able to endure?
Tang San though in his heart that, perhaps, this Slaughter City was originally secretly backed by Spirit hall, otherwise, where would a city like this get food from? Where would they get all kinds of goods?
On either side of the streets in the outer city were simple black stone houses, and on even intervals along the road, there would be places to eat. A lot of people stood there in rows, waiting to receive food. The impression they gave was also little more than beggars. As for what was called the paradise of crime, what was called pleasure, there was basically none.
The black masked young woman gave a simple explanation for all of this. Sinners were separated into three, six, nine and so on, and only the truly formidable sinners could find pleasure in paradise. As for useless rubbish, they had no right to enjoy themselves.
The city was even bigger than Tang San had imagined. After walking for more than an hour, Tang San had some familiarity with the outer city, and the black masked young woman had brought him to a city wall.
Compared to the outer walls, this wall wasn’t so high, only ten meters or so at its tallest. Very clearly, behind this wall lay Slaughter City’s inner city.
The gates were wide open, and there were no guards. The black masked young woman indifferently gave Tang San an introduction:
“The inner city doesn’t need guards. The people of the outer city only need to have the courage to enter to walk inside at any time. Of course, once inside, they must endure the unknown of the world inside. You’ve just arrived in Slaughter City, so I suggest you best live in the outer city for a time. Once you’ve adapted to everything here, it’s fine to enter the inner city. After we enter the inner city in a moment, please don’t stray more than five meters from my side, otherwise I won’t be able to guarantee your safety.”
“Is it safe with you?”
Tang San somewhat laughing asked.
The black masked young woman gave him a glance, revealing a not particularly beautiful arrogant light flashing through her eyes underneath the black muslin,
“I’m an envoy of the Slaughter King. In Slaughter City, there is nobody who dares offend the dignity of the Slaughter King. The twelve hours after you enter this world is the rookie protection period, having me at your side is the best protection of your life. After this period, your life and death can only be decided by Heaven.”
There was still a rookie protection period. It seemed that this Slaughter City really had its own system.
Without the slightest hesitation, Tang San entered the inner city together with the black masked young woman.
Only one step into the inner city, Tang San immediately felt an entirely different atmosphere from the outer city.
If the outer city was described as a cold and deathly still world, then the inner city was a luxurious and frantic w
orld. Lights of all colors could be seen everywhere, and there were a lot more people than in the outer city, as different as black and white from the atmosphere outside.
The inner city was extremely chaotic. Everywhere were excited laughter and agonized wails, as well as numerous absolutely horrifying sounds.
As far as the eye could see, in a corner on the left side an extremely tall and sturdy man pulled an ample woman by the hair, his lower body pounding forcefully, unburdening his desire in public under numerous gazes. A crowd stood in a circle around them, cheering him on.
On the other side, three or four people were wildly beating up a young man. Tang San saw one of that man’s arms being torn off, the person who tore it off still holding it and chewing on it with big bites.
“Rather than calling this a paradise of crime, it’s more like a world of beasts.”
Tang San said indifferently.
Light flashed in the eyes of the black masked young woman next to him, speaking in a low voice:
“Do you have the authority to dispute the Slaughter King? If it’s like that, the great Slaughter King will inevitably erase you from this place. Since you’ve come here, you can only comply with the rules.
Tang San looked at her, declining to comment,
“Bring me to Hell Slaughter Arena.”
The black masked young woman was clearly somewhat resentful towards him, and this time didn’t say anything else, rather stepping out into the inner city with large strides.
The inner city could indeed be called an extravagant place, or perhaps rotten. Like the black masked young woman said, at her side, even though a lot of ill intentioned gazes fell on Tang San, nobody stepped forward to harass him.
In this place, Tang San’s heart constantly contracted. In his eyes were reflected too many things he had never seen.
Men and women could be fucking in the streets at any time, there were even some who killed in the middle of the act. Tang San clearly saw a man at the moment of orgasm get his throat cut by a blade the woman below him spit out of her mouth.
And that gaudy woman sucked the scarlet liquid flowing from the man’s throat with spastic jerks.
Douluo Dalu - Volume 20 - Slaughter City Page 4
