Thus, they could tolerate Wilbur''s visit. Wilbur''s expression did not change at the


    old man''s words, but he found the whole situation rather ridiculous. After all, Hagin was only ''sparing'' him because he did nothing wrong. Hagin would never let him go otherwise.


    Just like the old man had said, the merfolk definitely knew how to hold a grudge. Their demeanor was cunning and ruthless, and Wilbur made up his mind to stay out of trouble with them while he was here, and never to trust them.


    Wilbur had seen how these merfolk could change the way they treated someone so drastically in such a short amount of time. The merfolk at Lake Gelsa had worshipped him one second and tried to attack him the next. Even human beings were not capable of such a violent switch.


    People who switched up so easily were hard to trust. Wilbur had looked through the handbook that the ancestors of Dasha had left behind and knew that the merfolk were a species thatcked trustpletely. It was better not to trust them regardless of the circumstances.


    Wilbur looked around him warily as Hagin brought him and the old man to arge coliseum. The space waspletely empty, and Hagin turned to look at the two men. "We''re here. This is the first checkpoint you have to pass. Now, you must take down three merfolk criminals to advance to the next checkpoint."


    "Three merfolk criminals?" Wilbur frowned at Hagin.


    "That''s right. These three criminals havemitted terrible crimes in the underwater city. All of them deserve the death penalty. The merfolk emperor has spared their lives and made them training targets of this coliseum to sharpen the drive of the younger generation."


    Just then, a loud rumble could be heard from one of the coliseum entrances as the gates staggered open. The next second, a merfolk came out leading another merfolk ten times his size who was wrapped in chains.


    Hagin smiled. "Look, this is the kind of opponent our younger merfolk need to go up against. He will be your first opponent. However, I''ll tell you now that this isn''t the condition he''s going to be fighting you in."


    Hagin seemed nothing but smug as he spoke, waving the scepter in his hand. The merfolk watching over the criminal nodded and then took the chains off the criminal''s body.


    The criminal was covered in injuries then, but the murderous intent in his gaze was hard to miss.


    Hagin raised the scepter in his hand, pointing it at the merfolk criminal. "Listen up, Pullen. You''re going to go at these two humans with all your strength and power. If you even try to escape this space in the slightest, I''ll kill you the second I get my hands on you."


    Pullen fell to the ground on his knees, bowing to Hagin earnestly.


    Hagin smirked, as if satisfied with Pullen''s attitude. The next second, he turned to Wilbur and the old man. "Go on, human cultivators. Your first opponent awaits you."


    Wilbur said, "Let me go, sir!"


    "No!"


    The old man held up a hand. "We can''t let the merfolk look down on us. Let me handle this. I want them to know we humans aren''t weak."


    Wilbur nodded, having no choice but to stand there as he watched the senior head into the arena. Hagin''s smile froze on his face. "What, are you not going to go together?"


    Wilbur turned to look at Hagin. Before he could answer, a loud rumble could be heard. Wilbur''s head whipped around as he scrambled to look, and Pullen was on the ground as the old man patted the dust off his clothes. "Impressive strength, but he''scking in speed. I''ve handled the first criminal, Sir Hagin."