Chapter 113: The Sunken Arena
The buzz of victory from the Labyrinth of Echoes didn’t last long. After a short rest period, the Prime Warden’s booming voice once again filled every corner of the Crucible.
All screens in the champions’ lounge flickered to life, showing a swirling vortex of dark, deep water.
<"Champions!" the voice declared, full of dramatic flair. "The second event will now be revealed! Welcome to... THE SUNKEN ARENA!">
The image on the screen zoomed in, plunging through the watery vortex. It showed a massive, ancient coliseum, bigger than any city Ryan had ever seen, submerged under miles of dark water.
The architecture was clearly Precursor, all sleek lines and impossible angles, but it was old and covered in strange, glowing sea life.
"Deep within this high-gravity environment," the Prime Warden explained, "your task is simple. Descend into the depths, overcome the Arena’s guardians, and be the first team to retrieve the ’Heart of the Leviathan’ from the central chamber.
The crushing pressure and the... local wildlife... will be your primary obstacles."
On the screen, one of the "local wildlife" swam past the camera. It was a huge, shark-like machine beast with glowing red eyes and long, sharp limbs that looked like they could tear through a ship’s hull.
In the lounge, Chris Magnus went a little pale. "Oh, great," he muttered, slumping back in his chair. "Water. Of course, it’s water. I sink in a bathtub. This is going to go great."
Emma was already tapping at a projected screen, her brow furrowed in thought. "High-gravity and deep water. That’s a gear-heavy challenge. We need specialized vehicles. Submersibles with reinforced hulls and powerful engines to fight the gravity."