The Bet

The significance of unlocking a skill slot for an Ash Zone Walker went without saying.

And for Xia Lin, and the Indeterminate Shadow class, skill slots were even more important!

Every skill slot unlocked meant a new mutated skill.

And mutations were like a lottery.

They were addictive and captivating!

But there was a prerequisite... he had to acquire a new skill.

That was what Xia Lin most wanted to do when he woke up.

And the secret base where he was now offered plenty of ways to acquire skills.

It was already the next morning.

Xia Lin went to the cafeteria and ate breakfast while discreetly observing the people and surroundings.

There wasn't much to say about the surroundings. They were naturally top-of-the-line.

The music, lighting, food, and everything else were first-rate.

It was only a public cafeteria, yet it had been done up like a five-star hotel.

And this luxurious setting was open to only a select few.

Only three people were seated in the cafeteria, Xia Lin included.

Of the other two, one was a black man, 2.3 meters tall and as burly as a mountain.

Xia Lin knew him.

In fact, Xia Lin knew practically everyone who appeared at this secret base.

Their faces often appeared online and in newspapers.

And this black man was a top-tier Fierce Martial Arts fighter, the King of Fighters, Casimo!

His boxing skills had reached a masterful level. Coupled with his overwhelming physical attributes and ability to take a beating, he was famous even in the Top-Tier Savage Martial Arena, with a win rate above fifty percent.

The other man was Asian, seemingly in his early thirties, with ordinary features and a lean, athletic build rather than a heavily muscled physique.

He was a top-tier Fierce Martial Arts fighter, the Wind-Dancing Dragon, Li Zhengzai.

Perhaps sensing Xia Lin's gaze, Casimo and Li Zhengzai turned to look at him at the same time.

Then they both gave Xia Lin a friendly smile.

"Man, you're one tough bastard. We watched everything you did yesterday from the base. Incredible, really incredible!"

Casimo gave Xia Lin a thumbs-up as he chewed his steak.

Li Zhengzai chimed in, "The North Wind Consortium wasn't a strong one, but it was still a consortium. You brought North Wind down single-handedly. That's a first."

"I have to drink to you."

He raised his wineglass, made a toasting gesture across the distance, and drained it.

Xia Lin smiled and returned their friendly greetings.

Status was earned through fighting.

Xia Lin had brought down the North Wind Consortium single-handedly. It had become his stepping stone and forged his fearsome reputation.

Even though Casimo and Li Zhengzai were both top-tier Fierce Martial Arts fighters, they still regarded Xia Lin as a powerhouse on their level, if not half a step above them.

Xia Lin asked, "By the way, don't Luo Qi and Augustine come here often?"

Casimo shook his head, mumbling through a mouthful of food.

"Not often. Actually, apart from the three of us, nobody stays overnight here."

"Their houses are much bigger than the dorms here, and they're more comfortable too."

Top-tier Fierce Martial Arts fighters received excellent treatment.

Manors and villas were nothing out of the ordinary.

Top-tier Fierce Martial Arts fighters like Casimo and Li Zhengzai, who lived in the dorms, were the odd ones out.

Before Xia Lin could ask, Li Zhengzai spoke.

"Gambling."

"We're both gambling addicts. As soon as we get our pay each month, we head straight to the casino and lose every last bit."

Casimo finally finished his steak. After draining a glass of cold water, he grinned at Xia Lin.

"No wife or kids, no father or mother, and I'm just a lousy arena fighter. Who knows when someone will kill me in the ring... What would I save money for? What's the point of having a house?"

Li Zhengzai laughed. "Exactly, that's the way it is!"

Fierce Martial Arts fighters suffered far too many casualties.

They lived from one day to the next. Those with family ties knew to save money, but those without them naturally lived it up.

And that was how they squandered their money...

But the men themselves didn't care at all.

I don't even know if I'll walk out of my next match alive, and you're telling me to save money? Are you sick in the head?

Xia Lin made no comment on the gambling addicts' attitudes toward life or their values.

He simply chatted with them as he ate.

About half an hour later, the three left the cafeteria together and went to the lounge.

The lounge had sofas, snacks, and a large television.

The television was already on, showing today's Savage Martial Arena matches.

"It's the Advanced Savage Martial Arena."

Li Zhengzai found a spot to lie down and fixed his eyes on the television.

Casimo sat down at a chest fly machine nearby. As he warmed up with a three-ton load, he looked over at Xia Lin and Li Zhengzai.

"Fancy a bet?"

Li Zhengzai chuckled.

"Sure, let's have a bet."

Xia Lin was puzzled, but he quickly caught on.

The two gambling addicts were about to place a bet.

"Xia Lin, are you in?"

Xia Lin smiled. "Sure. We've got nothing better to do anyway. How are we betting?"

Li Zhengzai pointed at the television. "We bet on who wins in the ring."

Just then, fireworks and lights burst across the television screen.

The host's impassioned voice rang out from the television.

"Hello, viewers! Today's Advanced Savage Martial Arena matches are about to begin!"

The Advanced Savage Martial Arena didn't hold matches all year round. Its season was concentrated in the second half of the year, which was the current time of year.

The fighters who dared enter the Advanced Savage Martial Arena all had real skills, as well as aspirations as fighters.

Five consecutive victories in the Savage Martial Arena earned them automatic promotion to the Top-Tier Savage Martial Arena a month later.

And only those who became top-tier Fierce Martial Arts fighters were qualified to compete for the title of Fierce Martial King!

The stages on either side rose automatically.

They revealed two figures, one fat and one thin.

"First to enter, from the Suzuki Consortium, the Valkyrie Under the Moon, Shen Nianci!"

"Aaaah!"

"Valkyrie! Valkyrie!!"

"Nianci, I love you! I love you!!"

The slender, beautiful female fighter waved with a beaming smile. That simple smile and gesture won her countless fans.

Because she really was a great beauty...

Even if her looks were artificial, beauty was beauty. She was about seventy percent as beautiful as Li Peipei had been at her peak.

In the base's lounge, Xia Lin suddenly burst out laughing for no apparent reason, leaving Casimo and Li Zhengzai utterly bewildered.

That was because the other fighter was an old acquaintance of Xia Lin's... Li Peipei, the woman he'd compared Shen Nianci to.

"Next to enter, from Huaxin Technology, the Dragon Warrior, Li Peipei!!"

"Boo~~"

"Get off the stage, fat pig!"

"Ugh! I need to wash my eyes out!!"

To be fair, Li Peipei's weight loss had been fairly effective.

She might have been down to just 1,500 jin now.

Right, 1.7 meters tall and weighing 1,500 jin...

A little imagination was all it took to picture Li Peipei's figure...

She was still so healthy, round, and strong!

Faced with a torrent of boos, Li Peipei's face flushed uncontrollably.

Especially when Shen Nianci wasn't even worthy of carrying her shoes compared to how she had looked in the past!

The contrast made Li Peipei's fat face turn red as she gnashed her teeth.

She had once said she didn't care about her looks, but now it seemed she didn't entirely mean it.

Xia Lin! Xia Lin!

All of this was Xia Lin's fault.

Thinking of Xia Lin, Li Peipei had mixed feelings.

She had seen what happened with North Wind on a news website afterward.

She didn't know whether Xia Lin was dead or had returned.

In any case, the external cheat she had planned to use was getting farther and farther out of her reach.

But as long as there was still a chance of obtaining the Blood Fiend Breathing Technique, she had no choice but to keep fighting in the ring.

Both fighters stepped onto the stage.

And in the lounge, the bet had also been settled.

Casimo said, "I bet Shen Nianci wins... That woman's got some skills. She's among the best in the Advanced Arena."

"Let's bet a million credits, payable when we get paid next month."

Li Zhengzai said, "Ah, I'm betting on Shen Nianci too. The thing is, Li Peipei's too fat and slow. Shen Nianci is a perfect counter to her..."

With that, they both looked at Xia Lin.

Xia Lin rubbed his chin and smiled.

"Then I'll bet on Li Peipei... I can't afford credits, and I don't need them either."

As he spoke, Xia Lin took three rapid healing potions from his potion pouch.

"I'll wager three rapid healing potions against your martial arts. What do you two think?"

Casimo and Li Zhengzai exchanged a glance and nodded in unison.

"That could work, but we need to agree on which martial art beforehand. Our bread-and-butter trump cards can't go on the table."

Oh, gambling addicts have limits too?

Xia Lin smiled and said, "I want a leg technique."

Casimo looked at Li Zhengzai.

Li Zhengzai thought it over briefly and nodded.

"I'll take that bet. If I win, the three potions are mine. If I lose, I'll teach you a leg technique called Gale Blade Leg."

With that, Li Zhengzai smiled faintly.

"It's a B-rank skill."

Xia Lin was stunned.