Stray

This was Oliver’s fourth night in the Withered Castle.

‘There was still hell in this world,’ was the first time he had such thought. There were no complex or ingenious traps, and no sharp blades that made people nervous. Presumably everyone’s mental weaknesses were different. If they were to take them down one by one in a targeted manner, the efficiency of the Gatekeepers would be horribly low.

That method they used was simple and crude—

There was no fresh water.

It was fine to say that there was no lack of food, but if there was no drinking water, people would die very quickly. The Gatekeepers obviously found a countermeasure. After almost three days of sleepless nights, Oliver probably understood why the metal ring at the end of the tag was directly inserted into the clavicle.

A very low amount of magic flowed into his body along the metal, barely restoring his body to a level that could survive, however, it did nothing to reduce his hunger and thirst, which only worsen. He didn’t doubt at all that if someone took off the metal tag at this time, he would immediately fall into a coma due to lack of water.

The Gatekeepers designed it beautifully. The death row prisoners used in battle couldn’t touch a bathroom or any water-related places. All cleaning was done by a magic array, and most of the metabolic functions of the death row inmates were also suspended by the embedded metal ring. Compared to humans, they were more like flesh machines that were being cleaned up at the moment.

There was only a simple magic input and nothing else.

There was also a way to relieve the thirst and hunger that made it seem like one was dying, as long as they win. After defeating an opponent, the Gatekeepers would reward a powerful recovery spell. It would make the human body instantly return to its peak state, and all discomfort, fatigue, and wounds would disappear. Someone once describe its effect like this— One second it was still burning like the fire of hell, and the next it was like lying on a cloud in heaven.