All Chapters of Alpha of the Deadly Arena: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

“Spiders,” Kael hissed.I should have known better. There were no other animals here besides the spiders. They sat at the very top of the food chain. Nothing survived against a pack of giant, venomous, eight-legged monsters.One of them lunged, its mandibles clicking impatiently. In a flash, Kael deflected it and drove his claws straight into its abdomen. He slammed the creature to the ground. It twitched briefly, then went still.It was nighttime. Spiders thrived in cold, damp darkness. This was when they hunted best, especially in groups. They would never retreat after losing one of their own. If anything, they would only grow more aggressive.I pulled out my baton and activated it. Blue light flared as electricity hummed sharply in my ears. One spider rushed forward, and I swung as hard as I could, while Kael lunged in and slashed it apart.Two. Three. Spider carcasses littered the ground, releasing a stench so foul it made my stomach churn. This had to be what hell smelled like.Bu

Part of my idea was accepted by the team leader. We used cedar leaves to mask our scent, while making spears was deemed a waste of time. And yes, they were all Strains with advantages, unique powers of their own. So we moved quickly, pressing cedar leaves over our bodies and securing them with sap from the trees.The sharp resin smell rising from everyone made my head spin.We continued the journey despite the night and the increasingly suffocating air. The oxygen we breathed felt limited, as if it had to be shared with the dense forest around us. I started to feel drained from the lack of air, but I forced myself into a light run, keeping up with the others.The deeper we went, the more pungent the spiders’ nauseating stench became. Even the tree trunks were wrapped in thick webs. When touched, they were sticky and left behind a disgust I knew I would never forget.The team leader, whom I now knew as Fredrick, warned us not to touch the spider silk. The tension in those strands was e

Once we all passed through the gates, a ship was waiting ahead of us. One by one, the participants boarded it. Some collapsed onto the floor the moment they stepped inside. I did not count how many from Team Radon survived, but I knew we had lost many. Too many seats were left empty.My gaze drifted to Kael, sitting alone in a corner. No one dared to sit near him. I stayed beside Ash. The stench of rot, blood, and sweat filled the ship. This was not the smell of victory. It was the smell of delayed death.We returned to Radon territory and were shoved off the ship like livestock being herded back into their pens. Even those who were injured received no concern from the guards.When I glanced at Kael again, his usually firm stride looked unsteady. He forced himself upright, as if pretending he was fine.I supported Ash as we headed toward our cabin, overhearing hushed conversations among the others. After Phase One, every face was marked by trauma. Even speaking felt dangerous. Days of

I pushed the cabin door open immediately and saw Ash lying on the bed. Her pale face wasn’t from any injury, but from exhaustion—and I could tell she was just as shaken as I was.I quickly grabbed a bottle of water and dampened a cloth to wipe her forehead.“Ash, drink this. You need a lot of rest,” I whispered.Ash nodded and looked at me. “I don’t know if I can keep going in this game, Maddie. We almost died. So many people have already died!”“I know. But we can’t stop, Ash.”“Yes, we can,” she said weakly. “I’d rather be shot by soldiers than keep playing and still end up dying anyway.”I held her hand tighter. “No one else is going to die. That’s exactly why we have to work together. Trust me. We can survive.”Even as the words left my mouth, they sounded like something impossible—like a dream spoken in broad daylight. Maybe we could survive the next few phases. But in the end… There would only be one winner. The rest would only become names people remembered.“I’ll always stay w

I walked out of the training room, passing other participants who were rushing toward the dining hall. Curious, I followed them, walking along the pedestrian path without hurrying.The digital announcement board was no longer showing static numbers like it had for the past few days. My heart dropped when I saw the words “Phase Two.”Below it was a list of names, one group consisting of five people. I only focused on finding my name, with whom?Team 5Fredrick Truman – Earth Channeler, Kael Mason – Wolf Shifter, Ash Lehtonen – Aqua Channeler, Damian Bellamy – Avian Shifter, Maddie Lytwin – Unidentified.My eyes widened. Fate was playing with me.At the moment, I was afraid to be near Kael because of our earlier argument. I had to be on the same team with him? Not to mention Damian, who clearly showed his hostility toward me.Great, oh… great!There was a light nudge on my shoulder. When I turned, Fredrick was already beside me.“We’re on the same team,” he said with a smile.“Yeah, I’l