A Lion's Way Home

8. Enter the Colosseum

The training area of Idassar Academy consisted of a circular hall branching off to six paths. The two on the west led to the Colosseum, the other two on the north led to the Meditation Chamber and the Sparring Room, while the rest on the east led to the Hunting Grounds. A guard post stood before each path.

Since his graduation, Leon had only visited the Colosseum. The newbies in the Meditation Chamber often sought seniors to help them meditate properly and travel to their GSs' realms, which would remind him of how his big bro mentored him a decade ago. Moreover, Leon could hardly find a sparring partner for the Sparring Room, while incompetent mercenaries often roamed the Hunting Grounds and ruined someone else's hunt.

There were two types of Colosseum: the Beginners' and the Experts'. Unfortunately, only the Beginners' allowed Leon to fly solo because the foes in the Experts' were too dangerous to be faced alone, or so they said. Even so, the guard post staffers would always stop a lone mercenary and persuade him or her to team up, unless nobody was around or wanted to be in the group.

Mr. Burke really has to change the rule for the Colosseum, the scowling Leon thought as he strode westward. Fighting alone is much better than fighting alongside morons.

"Heyo, Leonhardt!"

Leon recognized that rather thin voice and hissed. If the guard post staffer saw Neil stick around with him, she definitely wouldn't let Leon in until either he and Neil trained together or Neil grew tired and left. Knowing how stubborn this rooster head could be, Leon was sure as hell that the latter wouldn't happen.

Problem is, I'm going on a special mission with him tomorrow. If Neil and I get in a fight and end up with a strained relationship, not only Mr. Burke will be disappointed, but our inability to work together will also screw up everything.

"Let's rock the Experts' Colosseum together!" Walking beside Leon, Neil cracked his knuckles. "Can't wait to kick some mechanical ass!"

"Okay," Leon muttered. Admittedly, Neil isn't that bad as a partner. In combat, he's so noisy that my roar won't affect him.

"Awesome! I'm gonna book the Colosseum for us ASAP!" In a flash, Neil slipped through the wandering mercenaries like a mouse and stopped in front of the guard post.

Leon quietly followed Neil's trail. That rooster head had so much energy that it was annoying, but at least he wasn't just all crow and no peck.

Approaching the guard post, Leon pulled his wallet out of his pants pocket and unfolded it to take out his ID card. Similar to the free meal policy, the guard post staffer had to scan the card to prevent a mercenary from entering the Colosseum more than once in a day.

Sitting in front of a computer, the staff asked with a quirked eyebrow, "Leonhardt? You're finally entering with a partner?"

"Yeah." He handed the ID card to the staffer lady. Wish I don't have to.

The lady smiled. "That's great!" After scanning the card with a handheld scanner, she returned it to Leon. "Mecharex is a dangerous training robot."

"What?" Eyes widening, Neil placed his hands on the guard post counter. "No Mechadominus?"

Mechadominus, a training robot based on Indominus Rex from Jurassic Park, a popular movie series in the other world. Indominus Rex was primarily a T-Rex, but genetic engineering had given it the traits of many other dinosaurs.

"Mechadominus is now restricted to the Hunting Grounds." Leon kept his ID card and wallet. "The rule was changed about two years ago because it caused a number of casualties in the Colosseum. At least in the Hunting Grounds, you can find many hiding spots."