Zeke found himself in front of a particularly large building. His eyes swept over the metallic letters atop the entrance, boldly proclaiming the name of this establishment.
The Lion's Den.
Finally, it was time. The past week had gone by quickly. Zeke had been so preoccupied with gathering intel, watching fights in the arena, and tinkering with his spell, that he almost forgot about his promise. Luckily, he hadn't lost himself completely and still remembered his plan. Today, he was going to join Leo and start his new life as a Rana Samrat.
With determined steps, he opened the front gate and found himself in an elegant courtyard. However, the muffled sounds of screams, shouts, and the clashing of weapons from further inside the complex somewhat marred the otherwise peaceful atmosphere.
The moment Zeke entered, a young woman approached him. She was short, delicate, and most likely not much older than himself. However, her most striking features were the two cat-like ears on top of her head. She had to be a Hybridian as well, just like Rani. And of course, she was a slave. The heavy iron collar around her slender neck seemed comically oversized for a girl of her stature, but Zeke guessed that this was already the smallest size there was.
Morosely, he wondered if they had different models for children. Maybe they would be less painful as well?
"Welcome to the Lion's Den, sir. How can I help you today?" the woman asked.
"I came to enroll," Zeke replied with a smile. "Jai should have mentioned me."
"Jai…" the woman repeated quietly before her eyes opened wide. "Are you talking about Jai Desai? The brother of the Master?"
"Yes," Zeke replied casually. He had finally learned the merchant's full name. "He did mention that his brother was the owner of this place."
"Very well," the woman said quickly. "If you would please follow me."
She turned and led the way into the building. Zeke followed her through the lobby and up the stairs. Compared to most places he had seen in the city, the interior was rather modest.
Zeke had, of course, tried to find out if this place really was as famous as Jai had claimed. Luckily, the guests in his inn had been far more accommodating than the locals. From them, he learned that the Lion's Den was indeed an institution of some renown. Many champions emerged from its halls.
The woman stopped in front of a sturdy wooden door and knocked three times. After a moment of silence, a voice could be heard from inside the room. "Come in."
The woman opened the door and motioned for Zeke to enter, while she stayed outside. Zeke did as he was told and stepped into the room, curiously looking around. The first thing his eyes landed on was the enormous wooden desk that filled up most of the space. Behind it sat a man, engrossed in reading a letter. His feet were resting on top of his desk as he reclined in his chair.
Even without being introduced, Zeke knew who this man was. The resemblance to Jai was obvious. The man looked like a taller and rougher version of his brother, but their eyes were the same.
At that moment, the man behind the desk glanced at Zeke and furrowed his brows. "Who are you, boy?"
"Greetings, Mr. Desai. I came to the city with your brother a few days ago. He convinced me that it would be in my best interest to come to this place if I wanted to compete in the Rings of Samsara. My name is Pete."
There was a hint of recognition in the man's eyes. "Ahh, so you are the other one. Yes, my brother mentioned you. Come, take a seat."
"Thank you," Zeke said as he sat down on the opposite side of the desk.
"So, you want to become a Rana Samrat?"
Zeke smiled bitterly. "I'm afraid there aren't many other ways to gain fame and fortune in this city for someone like me."
The man nodded. "Indeed. There aren't many paths open to outsiders. Unless you have the backing of a substantial power..."
Zeke smiled inwardly. The man was clearly trying to probe him for his background. But how could he outsmart Zeke, who had spent his time in Tradespire negotiating with merchant lords and politicians? He would not give anything away.
"That's true," Zeke replied with a sigh. "Unfortunately, I don't know anybody of importance… in this city."
The man's brows furrowed slightly. That was good. He seemed to have understood the meaning behind Zeke's words.
'Just because I don't have any local support doesn't mean that I am a nobody that can be pushed around. '
The man's demeanor changed slightly. "I see. Well, let's not waste any more time and get down to business." He stood up and retrieved a piece of parchment from a nearby cabinet and handed it to Zeke. "This is my standard contract. Take a look and tell me if there is anything you don't agree with."
Zeke's smile turned predatory as he received it. "I am sure we'll be able to come to an arrangement."
***
Half an hour later, two men stepped out of the office. One was smiling energetically, the other scowling miserably.
"Who knew you were such a fiend, Pete?" the older man said listlessly.
Zeke couldn't hold back a grin. Using Akasha and the extensive knowledge of the laws and regulations he had studied over the past week, he had found several loopholes in the contract. Leveraging this knowledge, he had not only negotiated better terms for himself but also strongarmed the man into amending the terms of Leo's contract.
"Come now, Ravi," he teased. "We both know how much you profited from this."
Zeke wasn't lying. By pointing out all the loopholes he found in the document, he had given the man invaluable advice. If somebody with malicious intentions had discovered them instead, it could have ended in a catastrophe for the Lion's Den.
Ravi understood this as well, and that was also the reason Zeke was now on a first-name basis with him. Fighters were as common as sand, but people who could casually point out delicate nuances in the legal system were not. If it had only been a suspicion earlier, then the owner of the school was now certain that Zeke had to be backed by a foreign power.
Ravi's mood lifted instantly as he thought of all the advice he had received to fix the flaws in his contract. Even though Zeke had taken advantage of him, he had not crossed any lines. Depending on Zeke's performance, Ravi even stood to earn quite a bit of coin. The only clause Zeke had really wanted to change was the one that required him to stay for at least a year. In his new contract, he could leave whenever he wanted, without even giving notice.
"That is true," Ravi grudgingly agreed, "but remember to keep your mouth shut until I've renegotiated my contracts."
Zeke nodded with a smile. It was not like he would gain anything by spreading the word about the loopholes anyway.
Satisfied with his response, Ravi turned to the petite slave girl who was still waiting in front of the door. "Kaaria, bring Pete down to the training ground and introduce him to his instructor."
The girl immediately bowed her head, "Yes, Master. Who will it be?"
Ravi thought for a moment before grinning slyly. "…Ishaan."
The girl trembled imperceptibly when she heard that name, but Zeke didn't miss it. Who was this Ishaan to evoke such a reaction? Was the man trying to screw him over?
"This Ishaan better not be some deadbeat," Zeke warned. "Remember, I can just leave…"
The grin on Ravi's face only widened. "What are you insinuating? Ishaan is the best I have."
Zeke eyed the man suspiciously but it didn't seem like he was lying. "That's good then. Anyway, when is my first fight?"
Ravi smirked. "Eager to get started, are we? The weekly tournament in the beginner's circle starts in three days. That's when you'll make your debut."
Zeke nodded once, before motioning for the girl to lead the way. However, the moment they were out of earshot he stepped up next to her and gave her a meaningful look. "Your name is Kaaria, right?"
"Yes, young Master," Kaaria said. After seeing him banter with her Master earlier, she didn't dare to treat him casually anymore.
"So, what's the deal with that Ishaan guy?"
The girl's furry ears twitched at his words, but she didn't speak. Instead, she only looked at him pleadingly.
Zeke caught her meaning and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, nobody will learn a word of what you say to me."
She hesitated for a moment, turning to see if anybody else was nearby before speaking in a whisper. "Ishaan does indeed produce some of the best fighters, but he… is not a kind man. Also, he is a peculiar choice as an instructor for someone like you."
Zeke raised a single brow. "Someone like me?"
Kaaria nodded. "A human, I mean. Usually, he only trains Chimeroi, and only slaves, as well."
Zeke fell silent, following the girl as he pondered her words. He didn't have a good feeling about this guy. He knew that the true Demi-humans, or Chimeroi as they were called here, were a wild bunch. If the girls said he wasn't kind, that most likely meant he was incredibly cruel. Zeke hoped the man could at least reign in those tendencies when dealing with him.
Otherwise… they would have a problem.
***
Zeke and Kaaria descended to the ground floor and approached a heavy metal door. Even from here, he heard the sound of fighting. But it wasn't the sound of steel hitting steel, or the sound of Magic casting. No, what Zeke heard was snarling and hissing, roaring and bellowing — it sounded like wild animals fighting each other.
Kaaria once again opened the door for Zeke, but this time followed him in. However, when she tried to enter, she bumped into something. She had walked into Zeke's back, who stood frozen in place, staring at the ongoing fight.
The scene he was met with was too chaotic. It seemed like a riot had broken out, with no semblance of order. There didn't seem to be any rules, as the fighters indiscriminately attacked each other in a massive free-for-all.
In the middle of this brutal stage stood a single man, the only human in sight. He laughed uproariously in one moment and cursed furiously in the next. Whenever a fighter collapsed, the man would lash at them with his whip, urging them to get back into the fight. Through this mixture of verbal and physical vitriol, the fighters were driven into a mad frenzy.
This man had to be the infamous Ishaan.
Several fighters were already lying on the ground, unable to get up. On their backs, Zeke saw countless lacerations. Ishaan must have continued to whip them until he was convinced they really couldn't fight anymore.
A deep frown formed on Zeke's face.
He had gotten used to getting beaten up frequently during his early days in the Elementium, but the torturous sight in front of him was on another level. It made his own experience look like some friendly love taps.
He took a closer look at the fighters. So, those were the notorious Chimeroi. They were indeed far less human than the cute and docile Hybridians he had interacted with so far. Most of them were humanoid in shape, but they vastly differed from each other. Some had claws, and some had fangs, scales, horns, furs, or hides. Some had none of those and some had a combination of all of them.
Zeke was intrigued. He watched a man with bluish, scaly skin and curved horns lunge at a giant whose body seemed to be made from rocks. The blue man bit the giant's neck, revealing his snake-like fangs. However, he had miscalculated. His fangs weren't able to penetrate the giant's skin at all. As a result, the blue man took a brutal fist to the face that left him reeling.
Similar scenes could be seen everywhere.
These battles were much more vicious and brutal than the sparring Zeke was used to. It became immediately clear that the Chimeroi were born killers, their feral instincts on full display. For a beast, every loss could mean death.
***
The fighting had come to an end, with bodies strewn all over the ground. Even the 'victors' were so injured they collapsed from pain and blood loss. The sounds of pained whimpers were all that could be heard now. Aside from the heavy breathing from the man standing in the middle of it all.
Ishaan was out of breath as well. He had gone all out with his whip just now. Indiscriminately swinging it at everything and everyone. Zeke wondered what even the point was in fighting so hard if they ended up just the same in the end…
It was then that Ishaan finally noticed them standing at the door. He motioned for them to approach and Kaaria immediately obeyed. Ishaan's eyes were glued to her, there was an eerie light in his eyes as he looked the girl up and down. Meanwhile, he completely ignored Zeke's existence.
"Kaaria, my pretty, what brings you here on this fine day?"
Kaaria shivered under the man's gaze but still responded dutifully. "The Master has sent a new recruit."
For the first time, Ishaan glanced at Zeke but frowned immediately. "Where is his collar?"
Zeke was bristling at this point. He could tolerate a bit of disrespect, but this was going too far. Despite being introduced as a recruit, Ishaan's question had still been addressed to Kaaria, as if Zeke wasn't even here.
Before Kaaria could speak, Zeke took the initiative to answer. "I am no slave. My name is—"
Zeke couldn't even finish his sentence before his words were cut off by a sharp pain that stretched from his hip to his shoulder. An involuntary hiss escaped his lips at the sharp sting. Zeke looked down and found that his robes were torn open. A single, angry red line stretched across his entire front.
Then it slowly dawned on him. He had just been whipped.
Kaaria's eyes were open wide as she watched the scene. Even she hadn't expected Ishaan to act so cruelly. After all, Zeke was no slave and even seemed to be on good terms with the Master. She just hoped that the situation could be resolved peacefully.
Meanwhile, Zeke's eyes landed on the whip. Blood was dripping from the countless black thorns that were embedded along its length — his blood.
His heart was beating furiously, it felt like it might explode at any moment. How long had it been since he last experienced this feeling?
Slowly, ever so slowly, Zeke raised his head, looking straight at Ishaan. The moment their eyes met, his pupils elongated, turning into slits.
There was absolute silence in the room. Even Ishaan didn't dare to act hasty anymore. Cold sweat ran down his back. Those golden orbs were the eyes of an apex predator, and he was nothing but prey.
After a moment of silence, Zeke's voice could be heard once more. However, it was lacking any of its usual warmth. "You like to play with whips? What a coincidence. I am somewhat of an expert on the subject myself…"