Chapter 4, Demon King Arena

If it were only that, it would be acceptable, but this fellow's arms are even more extraordinary

The host should have picked up a stack of speeches, but it is too far away to see clearly

You are being modest; how could you possibly be more attractive than a ghost!

Pei Renli was intently listening when a strong buzzing sound, reminiscent of an air raid siren, interrupted the elegant words of the Demon King. The latter did not continue speaking but instead pointed with a tentacle towards the center of the venue

If I remember correctly, Pei Renli happens to be the new Demon King

Shouldn't there be only one...

The stands to his left immediately echoed with a cacophony of wailing and howling, a sound that could hardly be attributed to human beings.

All the people you see here are demon lords

The beginner level is very easy, and the only concern is the Haunted Castle venue. Based on my experience, surviving safely requires not only courage but also wit and luck

Oh oh oh oh

Humanity

Let us commence today's battle

Oh oh oh oh oh oh

This time, the cheers came from a small group of people in the stands facing Pei Renli, whose appearance... was indeed somewhat difficult to describe.

Due to its towering stature, one must strain their neck to see above the torso, revealing a bull's head with eyes shimmering with a ghastly white light

Are there perhaps too many points of contention

I am the elegant demon king, and I haven't had any communication with newcomers for a long time

Oh no!

Could it be that all these people are time travelers

Let us begin! Let us see how many new demon kings can survive this time. Only by overcoming this challenge will you be worthy to stand alongside the true demon kings and compete for the title of Demon God

The speed of the text rotation begins to decrease and quickly comes to a stop

You are welcome, no need to be polite

I am sorry, but I am not clear about what exactly is happening

It was neither claws nor arms resembling those of a human, but rather several tentacles intertwined together, as if two large octopuses had replaced the arms on the shoulders. The dark purple, moist tentacles seemed as if they could drip slime at any moment. The suction cups, the size of a bowl, twitched in response to the unconscious writhing of the tentacles. Pei Renli also noticed that each tentacle even bore a row of things that could possibly be eyes.

The entire venue once again fell into a frenzy of wailing and howling, as if it were some good news.

Oh oh oh oh, roar roar roar roar

The participants are all newcomers

Pei Renli suddenly had a rather ominous premonition, which mainly stemmed from several key phrases he had heard so far

The text on the curtain begins to rotate once again

His voice is very loud, possibly because he has a microphone or something similar in hand, and even from a considerable distance, it can still be heard clearly

Pei Renli took a moment to calm himself, trying not to look at the writhing tentacles that twisted with the other party's movements. He made an effort to imagine it as a talking cow, treating it as if the cow had become sentient.

Elegant? Is that all?

Elementary

Since this is the Demon King's arena, what is its purpose? Why do I suddenly feel as if I have crossed over for no reason?

I have truly never seen this before

It is uncertain whether the other party is sensitive to gazes; when Pei Renli was scrutinized with a startled expression, the other party also turned their bovine head, slightly bending down to look at Pei Renli

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, the host in the center of the venue casually tossed aside the script

Monsters on the right, raise your hands!

The enormous white cloth that lay in the center of the venue resembled a screen used by a projector. Just as Pei Renli's ominous premonition began to surface, he saw the text on it, which was indistinct and spinning rapidly, akin to that of a slot machine.

First, let us review what has transpired over the past period

As soon as the words on the screen appeared, the entire audience erupted into cheers once again, though the cheers seemed fragmented, suggesting that not everyone was excited about this outcome

six hundred

Indeed

The ability to communicate in itself significantly diminishes the sense of terror, and the tone of voice seems to be quite friendly.

The robust muscles stretched the bluish-gray skin, which evoked an unpleasant feeling, and also supported the various scars of different sizes and shapes that remained on the skin, making them appear even more distorted and deformed

Certainly, one cannot say it this way

For reasons unknown, Pei Renli's ominous premonition grew stronger. At that moment, the "Elegant Demon King" beside him whispered:

In addition to the significantly weakened Bald Eagle Gang, nearly two hundred free demon kings have unfortunately been eliminated, let us cheer!

A cheer erupted throughout the venue, unlike anything heard before, resembling both joy and anticipation for a spectacle, but more akin to a sense of schadenfreude, with a volume that was deafening.

Oh oh oh oh

Pei Renli believes that his capacity for acceptance is quite strong. As you can see, he was not particularly flustered after discovering that he had traveled through time. His ability to accept various bizarre styles is also commendable, as he is a person from the internet age, having witnessed all sorts of storms and waves.

In the central lawn, Pei Renli saw a cylindrical object rising from below, resembling a stage lift, which quickly formed a high platform

What is going on? Is this your first time... oh!

However, there is no need to worry, as there have been quite a few new Demon Lords joining recently, totaling six hundred. On behalf of the Demon Lord Arena, I would like to express my gratitude for your support

Of course, I have not forgotten the criminals behind us, let us get excited!

Oh oh oh oh oh

Wait a moment, just wait a moment!

Pei Renli saw the person in the distance make a turning motion, facing in his direction. In an instant, even the elegant demon king, who had just been conversing with him, began to pound his chest and roar.

As for this place, we all call it the Demon King Arena

"Scum on the left, let me see your malice!"

Good morning, esteemed demon lords

With a snap, he seemed to have snapped his fingers, and a large white curtain, nearly the size of a football field, descended from the sky, inexplicably hovering in the center of the venue. Such a vast area, being white, should have been very conspicuous, yet Pei Renli, who was staring without blinking, surprisingly did not see where it had appeared from, which was quite incredible

In any case, the existence of phenomena such as time travel is already established; the emergence of a giant curtain and the principles behind it are not the most important matters at present

Though it looks terrifying, it seems very warm and friendly. The Klaxxi Tauren waved its tentacles, as if generously waving its hand

Oh oh oh oh

Surprisingly, this fellow's voice is quite magnetic, resembling a slightly astonished baritone.

Haunted Castle

What the hell! What's going on! Even the demon king has to participate in the rat race?!

As soon as the words were spoken, a panicked group of Pei Renli immediately saw a circle of flickering white light illuminate in front of them, the brilliance astonishingly encircling him.

The elegant demon king spoke in a tone as if he had anticipated it

The slight feeling of dizziness he had experienced before reemerged, and in a haze, he heard the elegant demon king beside him say:

Why are you looking at me as if you have seen a ghost

You bastard in front! Have you done something bad today

Arena

Thus, Pei Renli is merely one six-hundredth.

The atmosphere has been completely stirred up, and the person claiming to be the host continued speaking only after the deafening shouts of the crowd subsided a little

But wait

A massive shadow enveloped Pei Renli, as the humanoid creature sitting beside him was nearly twice his height, its towering body resembling a screen.

Especially when this bull-headed figure of the K-style is less than thirty centimeters away, with such close proximity that any slight movement could result in contact, if it were not for some force pinning him firmly to the viewing platform, it is likely that Pei Renli's first reaction would be to jump up and run away, which is indeed quite difficult to endure

The difficulty is ... ... !

It is said to be a humanoid creature, but in reality, the only part resembling a human is the torso. The legs of this being are more akin to those of a sheep or a deer, covered in thick, dark brown short fur, and it has hooves.

After listening to the explanation from the self-proclaimed Elegant Demon King, Pei Renli finally noticed that some individuals in the nearby stands, aside from their peculiar attire, should be human. However, there were also many who appeared bizarre, their oddity on par with that of the Klaxxi Minotaurs, whose arms were tentacles.

The venue is ... ... !

The hourglass on the Demon King system is actually a countdown; when it runs out, it will automatically teleport you here, and the Demon King Arena ... ...

It suddenly realized and explained:

For example, the Demon King Arena, and let us begin today's slaughter...

... ...

Oh oh oh oh ! ! !

The ominous premonition intensified upon hearing his words, and Pei Renli was about to ask why he was saying these things when, before he could even speak, he heard the host shout from the other side:

On the high platform, there stood a figure resembling a human. Due to the considerable distance, and without a telescope, Pei Renli could only discern a rough human silhouette with his eyesight, unable to see any further details

The other party's confusion seemed to deepen, and although its face resembled that of an ox, with eyes emitting a pale, ghostly light, Pei Renli indeed sensed the other party's bewilderment

The place where Pei Renli appears is a very typical large stadium structure in terms of its design, with a lawn laid out in the center and a ring of plastic running track adjacent to the lawn, surrounded entirely by stands

You must be the new demon king, no wonder. I clearly remember there being an empty seat next to me

The area of the haunted castle is quite large, and since it is also at a beginner level, it is not surprising that the participants are selected as newcomers

He waved his tentacles to the sides and pointed to the dense crowd of people sitting in the stands that he had just seen

Regarding these issues, the Elegant Demon King stated

The members of the Bald Eagle Gang have suffered heavy losses, with thirty demon kings killed. This must be the work of the Diamond Gang. I must say, the bastards of the Diamond Gang have done well. I have long found the guys from the Bald Eagle Gang displeasing. Congratulations to all of you for collectively rising twenty ranks!

Welcome to the Demon King Arena, I am your old friend and the host of the arena! Let us continue to compete for the title and status of the strongest Demon King!

Feeling the cheers from the stands (if the howling of ghosts and wolves can be considered cheers), the person in the center of the arena opens their arms

If we have the chance to meet again, I will tell you my name, and I also hope to have the opportunity to learn your name. Wishing you good luck

But upon reconsideration, it is evident that there are no such K-class Minotaurs around me on Earth. By the way, isn't the number of demon lords a bit excessive?

If all the spectators in the stands are demon kings, then the numbers would likely be in the tens of thousands

What place is this? And who are you...?