11 Entering E-class.

The humans and half-borns were kept underground, only emerging when absolutely necessary. They were shielded from the outside world and permitted glimpses of daylight only during arena bouts or while tending to the farming responsibilities assigned to them. Otherwise, their existence remained confined beneath the surface. Underneath the arena, there was an efficient labyrinth of many rooms, similar to how a colony of ants built structures deep within the ground.

Even their training took place in these rooms. It became apparent to Lenny that demons and devils were intelligent beings that possessed an astute understanding of human nature. They knew precisely how to manipulate and exploit their captives. They subjected them to suffering as much as possible, providing only the basic necessities for survival: water, a meager amount of tasteless food, and the opportunity to indulge in illusions of a perfect world.

The hallways were wide and illuminated by wall-mounted lamps, although these lamps were not of the usual kind. One glance revealed that they were not powered by conventional electricity. They cast an oppressive feel on the surroundings and had an eerie nature.

As Potty stubbornly and begrudgingly pulled Lenny along, they passed many rooms like these. Some were slaughter rooms for dissecting farm-raised meat, specifically human meat. Others were designated spaces for nursing human mothers and raising fresh farm animals. There were also areas where humans mated with each other, giving birth to purebred humans, satisfying the demons' preference for the original flavor of humanity. The last room Lenny saw was where demons mated with particular human and half-born women, resulting in the birth of children bearing the taint of demonic blood.

Lenny couldn't help but acknowledge that whoever conceived this arena and its equipped facilities was a genius. Everything seemed perfect. Despite being reduced to the status of a mere farm animal in this place, he admired the mind that devised such an idea from the bottom of his heart.

His former life, characterized by the job he performed, had allowed him to embrace a role that effectively stripped him of his humanity. He had repeatedly killed and dissected people enough times to look at humans the same way demons did. However, his own belief system revolved around punishing humans for their sins and aiding them in finding redemption. To the normal mind, this was undoubtedly twisted, but then again, he was far from normal.

Potty brought him to a locked room with a massive gate labeled "E Class." Lenny watched intently as Potty placed his hand against the locked gate, which then emitted a dark purple glow before dematerializing.

Potty pulled Lenny inside. The first thing Lenny noticed was the size of the cells. They were much larger than the ones in the D-class area, indicating that each cell accommodated at least ten people. Sleeping space seemed to correlate with class even in this place.

Even before they arrived, Lenny could already smell the pungent aroma of sweaty bodies and hear the screams that accompanied heightened morale during fights.

Once they arrived, Lenny's suspicions were confirmed. It was a vast space filled with gladiators from the E-class training all around. Regardless of gender, they were equipped with a variety of wooden weapons. Survival transcended gender, rendering the petty divisions of humanity's past irrelevant, societal values and morals had been reshaped, taking a complete turn of 360 degrees in the fifty years since the apocalypse began.

The space had only two entrances, which also served as exits, each guarded by a demon. While it might seem easy to think that these demons were insufficient in case of an escape. However, even the lowest-ranked demons surpassed the half-borns in terms of strength by a factor of ten. In fact, these demons surpassed even B-class half-borns in terms of strength.

There was a demon assuming the role of an instructor in this area, not to teach them how to fight—something they had to figure out through near-death experiences—but to ensure that the gladiators never ceased their relentless battles. Potty led Lenny to the demon instructor, a frog-like creature with protruding claws at the end of its webbed feet, sharp teeth, and a larger, more muscular build than Potty.

As the two conversed, Lenny surveyed the surroundings. Gladiators fought against each other or wooden dummies in their tattered clothes. The dummies here weren't as massive and robust as those in the D class, but they were still formidable.

Lenny's eyes fixed on a particular gladiator who single-handedly defeated four opponents. Impressively, he dominated the fight using a spear. Despite his somewhat unrefined movements, his technique still delivered devastating blows. Gladiators were not taught martial arts; instead, they learned to wield weapons in their most primitive form, reminiscent of humans from thousands of years ago. Lenny, with his experienced eye, couldn't help but be impressed by the fighting technique on display.

"Hmmm!? Are you sure?" The demon asked Potty. "You mean to tell me that this skinny, wimpy F-class trash managed to bring down a D-class?"

Potty nodded, saying, "So it would seem! Magistri instructed me to bring him here for better training."

At the mention of Magistri's name, the demon's brows furrowed momentarily but then relaxed. Lenny immediately sensed that this demon also held some animosity towards Magistri. Stroking its chin, the demon continued, "If he's that good, then I'll test him myself." Its gaze wandered until it settled on a particular fighter. "E444! Come and test the new kid."

Lenny looked in the direction where the demon had called. It was the same fighter who had just soloed four gladiators.

"E444! Don't go easy on him. I heard he brought down a D-class."

"Shit!" Lenny cursed. He glanced at his HP, which had partially recovered thanks to his demon half assisting with healing, but it was far from ideal for a fight.

<4 10>

His strength hadn't fully returned after battling D4022, and now they expected him to face off against a gladiator he had just witnessed defeat four individuals, all near the size of Olympic bodybuilders. This was not good.