"Sir Overseer, it's time," Wendy said, prompting Claude to nod.

"Alright, let's go."

Finally, the day of reckoning had arrived—the day of the mock battle. By now, the participants would be starving and utterly exhausted, having been fed nothing but water and that strange powder for their meals.

Claude strode forward with a confident expression. His destination was a massive arena located within Desmond’s territory—a facility so grand that only a territory as vast as Desmond’s could afford to house such an extravagant structure. The gladiator arena, typically used for battles between slaves, was a rare sight outside of such …