"Freedom? Win 100 matches, be free. Simple. But in 200 years, no one has won. Why? Because freedom is a lie. We fight until we die. That's all." — Xiang Qi, "The Werewolf"
"The final power," said Shadow. "The Lion's Pride Star."
Alperen waited.
"This... is a different kind of monster, my Lord. The Iron Shirt rules with fear. The Hua Clan with money. The Longging Temple with drugs. But the Lion's Pride..."
"With what?"
"With hope." Shadow's voice darkened. "With false hope."
Alperen frowned. "Explain."
"You need to listen to Yılan, sir. 0... went inside. Into the arena. And he found a man. A man who had been there for 27 years."
PART 1: Once Upon a Family
27 years ago. Jade River Village. Night.
Xiang Qi was 8 years old.
A small child. Frail-looking but with bright eyes. A child who always asked questions, who was curious about everything.
That night, he was lying in his bed. He couldn't sleep.
Sounds were coming from the next room. His mother and father were talking.
"We're going to the market tomorrow," said his father. "If we sell the rice, we'll get through the
winter comfortably." "Let's buy Mei some new shoes," said his mother. "Her feet are cold."
"Okay. And something for Qi too. Maybe a wooden sword? He's always wanted one."
Xiang Qi smiled. A wooden sword. He wanted to be a hero. Like in the stories. A hero who defeats the bad guys and protects the weak.
His eyes closed. He fell asleep. Happy
dreams.
His last happy dreams.
Midnight.
The door was broken down.
"WHAT—"
His father's voice was cut off. A muffled scream.
Xiang Qi jumped out of bed. He couldn't see anything in the darkness.
"MOM! DAD!"
He ran into the next room.
And he saw.
His father was lying on the ground. Blood was flowing from his head. He had fainted.
His mother was cornered. Two men stood before her. Dressed in black. Their faces masked.
Little Mei was hiding behind her mother. Her 5-year-old sister. She was crying. Quietly. "Is this it?"
said one of the men. He looked at Xiang Qi.
The other approached. He grabbed Qi's chin. Turned it. Examined
him. "Good bone structure. Sharp eyes. Potential." "The family?"
"Take them all. The father looks strong. The mother is suitable for endurance testing. The little girl... the lab will decide."
Xiang Qi didn't understand anything.
"What... what are you doing?"
The man laughed. From behind the mask.
"We're making you a star, kid." Then... darkness.
When he woke up, he was in a cage.
Iron bars. Cold floor. Darkness.
There were others there too. Children. Dozens of children. All of them scared. All of them crying.
"Mom?" Xiang Qi whispered. "Dad?"
There was no answer.
But sounds were coming from afar.
Screams.
Familiar screams.
His father's screams.
PART 2: Experiments
The first week.
They took Xiang Qi to a room.
White walls. Bright lights. A table in the middle. On the table... his father.
He was tied up. Naked. Tubes were attached to his body.
"DAD!"
He tried to run. He was held back.
"Watch," said the man in the white coat. "Learn."
His father looked at Xiang Qi. His eyes were tearful. But his voice
was calm. "Don't be afraid... son... I... I'm okay..."
He was lying.
The man in the white coat prepared a syringe. It was filled with black
liquid. "Test Subject 47. Power Elixir. Version 12. Test begins."
The syringe pierced his father's
arm. 3 seconds.
Nothing happened.
5 seconds.
His father's face tensed.
10 seconds.
Scream. "AAAAARRRGHHHH!"
His father's body began to convulse. His veins bulged. He turned purple. Blood came from his eyes, nose, and ears.
"DAD! DAD!"
Xiang Qi screamed. He cried. He begged.
No one cared.
The man in the white coat was taking notes. Calm. Professional.
"The veins dilated in 8 seconds. Internal bleeding started in 15 seconds. Interesting." His
father screamed for 2 minutes.
Then... he stopped.
But he didn't die. Not yet.
He lived for three more months.
Every day a new potion. Every day new screams. Finally... his
internal organs melted. Literally.
The last time she saw him, her father no longer resembled a
human being. Just... a piece of flesh.
His mother lasted six months.
They called it the "Endurance Test."
How much hunger could she
endure?
How much thirst?
How much discomfort?
How much pain?
His mother broke the "record" in every test.
"Strong woman," said the man in the white coat. "Her son will be
strong too." Xiang Qi saw his mother once a week. Through the
glass. The first month, his mother tried to smile. "I'm fine, my child.
Don't worry." The second month, the smile was gone. Only the gaze
remained.
In the third month, she began to count his bones. His skin clung to his
bones. In the fourth month, his hair fell out.
By the fifth month, she couldn't recognize
her son. By the sixth month... he was gone.
Xiang Qi wept.
He cried for days.
Then... the tears stopped.
His sister Mei...
Xiang Qi never saw her again.
"Where is my sister?!" he shouted. Hundreds of times.
"Special project," they said. "It's none of your business."
He searched for 27 years.
For 27 years, he couldn't find her.
Maybe she was dead.
Maybe... something worse had happened. He didn't know.
Not knowing... was the worst.
PART 3: The Education Hell
Ages 8-14. Six years.
Xiang Qi was sent to the Arena Academy.
500 children. Six years of training. Finally... the fight for survival.
The first day.
They lined up in a courtyard. 500 children. Aged 6 to 12.
Before them stood a giant man. Lion-like hair. Golden armor. Scars on his face. General Arslan Kaan.
"Welcome," he said. His voice boomed. "This is your home. I am your father. The arena is your
mother." The children trembled.
"The rules are simple." Arslan walked. Between the rows. "The strong survive. The weak die. That is the only rule in this
universe." He stopped in front of a child. A weak child. Trembling.
"Are you strong?" The child couldn't answer.
"ANSWER!"
"I-I don't know..."
The lion smiled.
"Honesty. Good." He turned. "You'll find out in six years. Either you'll be strong. Or..." He cut
his finger. In front of his throat.
"...you won't be."
For six years...
500 children started.
127 children remained.
373 children... "were eliminated."
Some died during training. Accidents. Injuries. Some were deemed "weak." Sent to the lab. Some tried to escape. Killed as examples. Some... just couldn't endure it.
Xiang Qi's first friend: Wei.
A 9-year-old child. He shared the same cell with Xiang Qi. "Were you kidnapped too?" Wei asked. The first night.
"Yes. With my family." "Where is your family?"
Xiang Qi couldn't answer.
Wei understood.
"Mine too... are gone." Silence.
"Shall we be friends?" Wei said. "We'll protect each other." Xiang Qi nodded.
"Friends."
Three years later.
Wei was injured during training. His leg was broken. He was labeled "weak."
He was sent to the lab.
When Xiang Qi saw him for the last time, Wei tried to smile. "It's okay. Maybe the doctors can fix my leg."
Both of them knew it was a lie. Wei was never seen again.
Xiang Qi didn't cry that night.
His tears had long since dried up.
The drug trials began when he was 12.
They called them "enhancers."
The first dose didn't hurt. Just... energy. Strength. Speed.
"Did you see?" said the instructor. "This will make you a champion." But there were side effects.
Some children went mad. Uncontrollable rage. They attacked each other. Some children's hearts stopped. Suddenly. Without warning.
Some children's bodies began to decay. Slowly.
Xiang Qi was one of the "lucky" ones. His life would simply be shortened.
Only.
PART 4: First Blood
14 years old. First match.
The arena was massive.
It held 50,000 people. Stone tiers rose up to the sky. And they were all... full.
People were shouting. Cheering. Betting. Xiang Qi stood in the center.
A sword in his hand. Rusted. Old.
Across from him was another child. 13 years old. Weak. Scared. Just like himself.
"FIGHT!" roared the announcer. "UNTIL ONLY ONE REMAINS!"
Xiang Qi trembled. "I... I don't want to kill." The other boy trembled too. "Me neither..."
But behind them were archers. Ten of them. They were targeted.
"30 SECONDS! IF THEY DON'T FIGHT, BOTH WILL DIE!"
"20 SECONDS!"
"10!"
The other child suddenly sprang into action. He raised his sword. He ran.
"I'M SORRY!"
Xiang Qi reacted instinctively. He dodged to the side. He tripped. The other child fell. The sword... was stuck.
In the other child's throat.
Xiang Qi's own sword.
He didn't even understand how it happened.
The child looked at him. His eyes were wide. Blood was coming from his mouth. "M... mother..."
And he was gone.
Xiang Qi looked at his hands. They were bloody.
The crowd was cheering.
"WEREWOLF! WEREWOLF! WEREWOLF!"
He took that name that day.
Because he had killed like a wolf.
Without thinking. Without feeling. To survive. At 14 years old.
The first murder.
It wasn't the last.
PART 5: Lin Yue
Five years later. At the age of 19.
Xiang Qi had won 50 matches.
"The Werewolf" was now a name. Everyone knew him.
But he was empty inside. He had already died. Only his body was fighting. That year, a girl came.
Lin Yue. "Silver Sword."
17 years old. From the female gladiators' division.
When he first saw her, Xiang Qi's breath caught. She was beautiful. Yes. But it wasn't just that.
There was something in her eyes. Still. Something that had died in the others. Not hope.
Anger.
Pure, burning anger.
Their first conversation.
In the training area. After everyone had left.
"You're a werewolf," Lin Yue said. Not a question. A statement. "Yes."
"Fifty matches. Impressive."
"Just the numbers." Xiang Qi shrugged. "They're all dead. I'm alive. That's all." "Why are you alive?"
The question was unexpected.
"What?"
"Why are you alive?" Lin Yue approached. "Why are you fighting? Everyone has a reason. What's your reason?" Xiang Qi thought.
Why was he alive?
His mother was dead. His father was dead. His sister was missing.
Why?
"My sister," he said finally. "I'm looking for her. One day I'll find her." Lin Yue looked at him. For a long time.
"A beautiful reason," he said. "Mine is revenge. But yours is more beautiful." And he left.
But that night... he entered Xiang Qi's dream.
10 years.
For ten years, they met in secret.
After training. During night shifts. In the storerooms. In empty cells.
No one was supposed to know. Relationships between gladiators were forbidden. It was considered a "weakness." If caught... death.
But they didn't care.
Because when they were together... they felt human. For the first time in 27 years.
Lin Yue's story.
"I was kidnapped too," she said one night, in Xiang Qi's arms. "How old were you?"
"Ten. They raided my village. A mercenary operation. They killed the men. They took the women and children." "Your family?"
"My father was killed. Right in front of my eyes." Lin Yue's voice was cold. "My mother... was sold to the Hua K1an. To the slave market."
"Your brothers?"
"Two brothers. They came to the arena too. Both of them... died. In the matches." Xiang Qi held her tightly.
"I'm sorry."
"No." Lin Yue raised her head. "They didn't die. They were killed. And one day... I will find those who killed them." "How?"
"I don't know. But I will find them. And I will kill them very slowly." That night, Xiang Qi saw the fire in Lin Yue's eyes.
And he realized he loved her. Truly. Completely.
A paradise within a 27-year-long hell.
PART 6: VIP Night
Two years ago. Xiang Qi was 33. Lin Yue was 31.
"VIP Night" was held once a year.
Only the ultra-rich. Only special guests. And their "special requests."
That night, Xiang Qi was sitting in his cell.
Tomorrow would be his 190th match. Ten matches left. Ten matches to freedom.
He knew he couldn't survive. His body was failing. The side effects of the drugs. But maybe Lin Yue...
The door opened.
Two guards.
"Come. The General wants you."
Private salon.
General Arslan was sitting. On his golden throne.
Beside him... the wealthy. About 20 of them. Silk garments. Jewels. Gold. And in the center... Lin Yue.
Chained.
"What—" Xiang Qi lunged forward. He was restrained.
"Calm down," said Arslan. He was smiling. "You came to watch."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!"
"We know about your relationship." Arslan stood up. "We've known for 10 years." Xiang Qi froze.
"We let it go. Because it served your purpose. You both fought better. Motivation." "Then why—"
"Because today..." Arslan smiled. "We have a special guest. And a special request." One of the rich men stepped forward. Old. Fat. A disgusting smile on his face.
"I am Liu Shan," he said. "The eastern region manager of Hua K1an. And I... want the Silver Sword." Lin Yue spat. "Go to hell."
Liu Shan laughed. "Fiery. I like it." "Refuse— " Xiang Qi shouted.
"100,000 gold," said Liu Shan. "And I want a special show." Arslan thought. "What kind of show?"
"Slowly." Liu Shan's eyes widened. "Very slowly. And let him watch." He pointed at Xiang Qi.
The next three hours...
Xiang Qi was forced to sit down.
His eyes were kept open. With a metal frame. And he watched.
He watched what was done to Lin Yue.
First, the whip.
100 lashes. On his back.
Lin Yue didn't make a sound for the first 50. She clenched her teeth. At 50, she screamed.
At 100... her voice was gone.
Then... the nails.
Pulled out one by one.
10 fingernails.
Ten toenails.
Lin Yue trembled with each one. But she looked at Xiang Qi. She spoke with her eyes.
Don't cry. Don't give me this.
Xiang Qi didn't cry.
But inside... something died.
Then... Liu Shan's "special" request. Xiang Qi tried to close her eyes. She couldn't.
The metal frame held her.
And watched.
He watched everything.
Liu Shan was laughing. "You know what, Werewolf? I don't actually like women. But I love watching their memories. ."
He turned to Lin Yue.
"And watching your pain... will be special. Because he's watching." Then he began.
There's no need to go into details.
Let's just say this: for two hours, there was nothing left that wasn't done to Lin Yue's body. Red-hot irons.
Salt.
Vineg ar.
And worse.
Lin Yue's screams... would echo in Xiang Qi's ears forever. At first, she resisted. She tried not to scream. She tried to find strength by looking at Xiang Qi. But the human body has its limits.
And that limit was exceeded.
"ENOUGH! PLEASE! KILL ME!"
But they didn't kill him.
Liu Shan wasn't amused anymore. He was enjoying himself. "Not yet," he said. "There's more to come."
And he continued.
Xiang Qi watched.
Every second of it.
He couldn't close his eyes.
He couldn't turn his head.
He just... watched.
And something inside him broke.
Forever.
Three hours later.
Lin Yue was still alive.
But she no longer resembled a human being. Liu Shan was exhausted.
"Let's finish this," he said. "But make it special." He pulled out a knife.
"The heart. Slowly."
And he did so.
Lin Yue looked at Xiang Qi with her last breath.
His lips moved. No sound came out. But Xiang Qi read it.
I... love you...
And she was gone.
Xiang Qi screamed that night.
For hours.
The guards beat him. He wouldn't stop.
They gave him medicine. He wouldn't stop.
Finally... he passed out. When he woke up, three days had passed.
And the last light inside him... had gone out.
PART 7: The Snake's Observation
Present day.
The Snake had infiltrated the arena's VIP section.
Dressed as a wealthy merchant. Fake ID. Fake gold.
There was a match tonight.
And the main event... The Werewolf.
The arena.
50,000 people.
Cheers. Shouts. Bets. "WEREWOLF! WEREWOLF! WEREWOLF!"
A man stepped out.
35 years old. But he looked like he was 50.
His hair had turned white. Deep lines on his face. Sunken eyes. But his body was still strong. Muscles. Scars. The body of a war machine. The Werewolf.
Xiang Qi.
There were three men in front of him. Young. Strong.
"TONIGHT IS SPECIAL!" shouted the announcer. "WEREWOLF'S 198TH GAME! TWO GAMES TO FREEDOM!"
The crowd went wild.
Xiang Qi felt nothing. "LET IT BEGIN!"
The match lasted 4 minutes.
Xiang Qi moved. Mechanically. Without thinking.
First man: Throat. One cut.
Second man: Heart. One stab. Third man: Spine. One blow. All three fell to the ground.
Xiang Qi was still standing.
Bloodied. Breathless. But still standing. "SAVED!"
After the match.
The snake went underground.
Gladiator section.
He found Xiang Qi's cell.
The cell was small. 3 square meters. Stone walls. Iron door. No windows. Xiang Qi was sitting on his bed. He was looking at his hands.
They were still bloody.
"Who's there?" He didn't lift his head.
The snake entered. "A fan."
"A fan?" Xiang Qi laughed. Dry, cracked. "People who come to watch those who kill me aren't called fans. They're called spectators."
"I'm different."
"Everyone says that."
The snake approached. It spoke in a low voice.
"I'm on the side of those who want to destroy Aslantakım."
Xiang Qi raised his head. For the first time.
His eyes... were empty. But deep down, something stirred.
"Destroy? Who could destroy it?"
"My master."
"Who is your master?"
The snake smiled. "You'll find out soon."
PART 8: Underground
The snake watched. For days.
The surface of the arena was shiny. Gold. Marble. Ostentatious. But the underground... the underground was different.
Laboratory.
Third floor down.
The snake slipped in.
And it saw.
Dozens of tables. On the tables... people. Tied up. Naked. Some were still alive. For now.
Some... were not.
Men in white coats were working. "Version 47, failed. The heart couldn't take it." "Try version 48. Lower dose." "The test subject is finished. Bring in the next one."
A door opened. Two guards brought in a child. Ten years old. "NO! LET HIM GO!"
No one cared.
The child was strapped to the table.
The syringe was prepared.
The snake watched. Silently. It couldn't intervene. Not yet.
Organ storage.
Fourth floor down.
Cold. Very cold.
On the walls... shelves. On the shelves... jars. In the jars... organs.
Hearts. Kidneys. Livers. Eyes. All labeled.
Subject 234. Gladiator. Level 2. Heart - Sound. Subject 189. Female. Level 1. Kidney x2 - Excellent. Subject 67. Child. Potential. Eye x2 - Rare color. Hundreds of jars.
Hundreds of dead bodies.
Fifth floor. The lowest level.
When the snake entered... it stopped.
There were women.
Dozens of women.
All of them were pregnant.
All chained.
All of them... staring with empty eyes.
"The breeding program," said an attendant to another. "We're using the strongest gladiators'... seed. The women aren't volunteers, of course. But the result is what matters."
"What happens to the babies?"
"Training from birth. We raise pure warriors. More efficient than recruiting from outside." "Women?"
"They can have 5-6 births. Then... their bodies can't take it. We send them to the lab. Their organs are valuable." A snake approached a woman. Young. Maybe 20. Her belly was swollen. 7-8 months.
"Are you... okay?" he whispered.
The woman looked. But she didn't see. Her eyes were glassy.
"Am I... okay?" The woman laughed. Cracked. Empty. "Who am I? I'm just... a vessel. A vessel that makes warriors." "How many births have you had?"
"This... is the fourth." The woman looked at her belly. "I didn't even see the first three. They took them away as soon as they were born. Alive? Dead? Boy? Girl? I don't know."
"Don't you want to escape?"
"Run away?" The woman bowed her head. "I have no legs."
The snake looked.
The woman's lower legs... were gone. They had been cut off.
"So they wouldn't escape," the woman said calmly. "I tried to escape the first year. As punishment... they cut them off." The snake felt sick to its stomach.
"But it's okay," said the woman. "I don't feel pain anymore. I don't feel anything." She smiled.
An empty, terrifying smile. The snake backed away.
He had seen hell.
The real hell.
PART 9: General Arslan
The next day.
General Arslan summoned Xiang Qi to his private chamber.
The room was large. Luxurious. Gold and red. Swords on the walls. Shields. Trophies. Arslan sat on his massive throne. "Werewolf." He smiled. "Match 198. Two left."
"I know."
"Are you excited? Freedom is near." Xiang Qi did not respond.
Arslan laughed. "Are you still mad at Lin Yue?" Xiang Qi's hand tightened.
"Don't mention her name."
"Why? She was a beautiful woman. She fought well. And she screamed beautifully." Xiang Qi lunged forward.
Five guards held him back.
Arslan kept laughing.
"You still have fire in you. Good. I need that."
"What do you want?"
The lion stood up. Slowly. "A new mission. Special."
"What kind of mission?"
"Hunting."
"Hunt?"
"Human hunting." Arslan smiled. "A special arrangement for our wealthy clients. You... will be the hunting guide." Xiang Qi froze.
"Explain."
Arslan walked. Slowly. Like a lion.
"We do it four times a year. There's a special forest. Fifty square kilometers. Surrounded by walls. No escape."
"And?"
"We're sending out 20 gladiators. Unarmed. Unarmored. Just... running."
"Are they the prey?"
"Yes. And the hunters..." Arslan laughed. "Our wealthy citizens. On horseback. Armed. With dogs. They hunt for three days." "People."
"Yes." Arslan turned. "Each hunt is worth 10,000 gold. Twenty hunts, 200,000 gold. A nice income." "This... is monstrous."
"No." Arslan's eyes sparkled. "This is the job. And you... will be the guide. You'll cut off the prey's escape routes. You'll find the tired ones. You'll show them to the rich."
"No."
"This is an order."
"No."
Arslan raised his eyebrows. "Are you refusing?"
"Yes."
"Interesting." Arslan approached. "No one has said no to me in 27 years."
"I did."
Arslan's eyes darkened. The smile vanished. "Your sister. Mei. She's still alive."
Xiang Qi's heart stopped. "What... what did you say?"
"Mei. Your little sister. She was kidnapped when she was five. Do you remember?" "0... is she still alive?"
"Yes." Arslan smiled. Again. "And if you serve me... you can see her. If you don't..." He made a knife-like motion. In front of his throat.
"You understand."
Xiang Qi trembled.
The answer he had been searching for for 27 years.
Mei was alive.
But the price...
"What... what are you doing to her?"
"A special project. You don't need to know the details. Just obey. And maybe... one day you'll see."
Xiang Qi knelt down.
There was nothing he could do. "Order... General."
The lion smiled. "Well done. Werewolf."
PART 10: Analysis
Night.
Shadow, Fox, and Snake gathered. Alperen was waiting.
"Lion's Star," said the Snake. "Let me summarize what I saw."
LION TEAM STAR
Leader: General Arslan Kaan
• Age: 130
• Level: Level 3 Silver Vein
• Character: Charismatic, ruthless, manipulative
Structure:
• Arena (public face): 50,000 spectators, gladiator matches
• Mercenary army (hidden face): Dirty wars, operations
• Laboratory: Drug experiments, human test subjects
• Organ Depot: Illegal organ trade
• Farm: Forced production program
• Hunting organization: Human hunting for the wealthy
Military Power:
• lx Level 3 (Lion)
• 150x Level 2 (elite gladiators, mercenaries)
• 1000x Level 1 (ordinary gladiators, soldiers)
• 3000+ slave laborers, test subjects, etc.
Economic Power:
• Annual revenue: 20-30 million gold
• Sources: Match revenues, betting, organ trade, mercenary work, VIP nights
Weaknesses:
Gladiators hate it - potential source of rebellionThe system relies on violence - violence can be reversedIf the "freedom" lie collapses - motivation is lost"Legends" like Xiang Qi - can they be turned?
Alperen listened quietly.
Then he spoke.
"Four powers."
"Yes, sir."
"Iron Cloak: Fear. Hua Clan: Money. Longging Temple: Addiction. Aslantakım: False hope." "Yes."
"All four are making the same mistake." "What mistake, Sir?"
"They're breaking people." Alperen stood up. "Broken people come back one day. They want revenge. They rebel." "But fear—"
"Fear is temporary." Alperen turned. His eyes glowed in the darkness. "Xiang Qi obeyed for 27 years. But do you know what's inside him?"
"What?"
"Fire. Lin Yue's fire. His family's fire. An unquenchable fire."
The Shadow pondered.
"Can we use it?"
"Perhaps." Alperen smiled. "But first... I must listen to the final power. The King and the Death Crows."
"Tomorrow, my lord?"
"Tomorrow."
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