The Self-Configuration talent was seriously strong!
After delivering his harsh words, Zhou Zhe did not feel the slightest tension of imminent mortal combat. Though he could keenly sense Roxstar's fierce killing intent, it failed to affect his emotions in the least.
Zhou Zhe was relaxed enough for his mind to wander.
At that moment, he found himself missing Zhang Miaoran.
He missed every smile and frown of hers, her adorable long dresses, and the things she had said.
He was also somewhat worried about his mentor, Lin Ye, wondering whether his mentor could survive.
Then, fragments of chats with his two "sworn brothers" from an online game many years ago surfaced in Zhou Zhe's mind.
Gao Lao Zhuang map—
Yan Yan Yan: A Zhe! How should a transformation master allocate stats? I apprenticed myself to Marshal Tian Peng and learned the Thirty-Six Transformations. Now I've turned into a little piglet!
Respect: If nobody's carrying you, go with 1 Strength and 4 Luck. But for someone like you who has people carrying you, just dump everything into Luck.
Yan Yan Yan: But I put everything into Comprehension.
Respect: Bro, are you stupid or what? You're not some immortal child—why put points into Comprehension? You're beyond saving! Just wait for death! Farewell!
Yan Yan Yan: Comprehension is the strongest attribute, bar none! Remember that! One day, you'll acknowledge it!
Penglai Village map—
Qing An Yan: Little Zhe, tell me about the different builds for strongmen. Sacred Heart or Demonic Heart, either is fine. I'm quite interested in these experimental materials...
Respect: Strongmen... there are plenty of stat-build paths. Strength, Agility, and Luck can each be prioritized differently, and there are also off-meta builds that stack Spirit to pull fancy tricks. Let me introduce three mainstream setups—BALABALA (five hundred words omitted)
Qing An Yan: Hmm? Interesting. I plan to try every setup once. Anyway, I can respec indefinitely.
Respect: Big bro, you're awesome! This first-top-up player sheds tears of envy... Come to think of it, it'd be great if reality allowed us to respec like a game...
Qing An Yan: Respeccing and exchanging Strength, Agility, Constitution, Spirit, and Intelligence? Applied to the real world, that kind of setup is far too rigid and lacking in fun. Speaking of which... self-configuration of one's personality would be much more interesting, wouldn't it? With that ability, operating alternate identities and the like would also be quite convenient.
Respect: I was just saying it casually. Don't take it seriously!
Qing An Yan: Taking things seriously is an essential quality for every scientific worker. Beyond that, one also needs a little romance and imagination. Besides, anything is possible.
Qing An Yan: My wife is hungry. I'm going to make stir-fried pork with bamboo shoots. See you!
"Phew..."
Zhou Zhe gathered his thoughts, pressing those two fragments of memory into the depths of his mind. His expression, however, was somewhat subtle.
Obviously, Zhou Zhe had been the player with the ID "Respect."
As time passed, that online game had long since shut down. His two sworn brothers had vanished without a trace, and neither had contacted Zhou Zhe in real life.
Zhou Zhe was not some dull blockhead. With only a slight connection drawn between reality and those memories, he immediately realized...
The talents he had received from the mysterious notebook—Absolute Comprehension and Self-Configuration—were probably inseparable from his chuunibyou eldest brother Yan Yan Yan and his self-proclaimed scientist second brother Qing An Yan.
How could there be such a coincidence in the world?
"Could they both be veteran Cosmic Gladiators who wanted to give me a leg up?"
Zhou Zhe briefly recalled the Earth Humans who had survived Cosmic Arena Combat so far, yet not one matched either of his two friends.
Not their names, appearances, or personalities—nothing matched.
"Or perhaps..."
"These two aren't Earth Humans at all?"
"Forget it."
"As long as I don't die, I'll uncover the truth one day."
With that thought, Zhou Zhe casually swept his gaze around.
One gladiator after another was confined within designated areas by invisible barriers, staking their lives on bloody battles of life and death.
Fists, elbows, teeth, sharp claws, blades...
Anything that could be used as a weapon was put to full use by the gladiators.
"I'm still suffering from inferior innate qualities."
After watching for a moment, Zhou Zhe discovered that of the thirty-five Earth contestants in this match, aside from himself, only one remained alive. That person appeared uninjured, though Zhou Zhe had no idea what method he had used to defeat his opponent.
Thanks to the personality of a battle-hardened killer configured through Self-Configuration, Zhou Zhe felt no negative emotions at the moment. Instead, he calmly observed, analyzed, and considered the mistakes and outstanding performances of the other gladiators.
Learn from others' strengths and avoid the mistakes they had made!
Only then could he maintain constant progress!
True strength had never been mere accumulation of power or an inflated mindset!
"Unfortunately, I can't watch Mentor Lin Ye's match. I wonder how he is now..."
"Are the Bronze Gladiators fighting elsewhere?"
Zhou Zhe lowered his head slightly and sank into thought.
The power of Dao was boundless, likely close to omniscient and omnipotent. Altering laws and creating countless incarnations would be no difficult task, so it could easily host multiple arena combats at once.
Unfortunately, Zhou Zhe was only a novice Cosmic Gladiator. He knew little about battles at higher levels and could only speculate about what might be happening through imagination.
"You damned inferior human!"
Watching the Earth show-off nearby completely ignore him, Roxstar was nearly driven mad with rage!
Was killing an Earth Human really that difficult?
He wanted to see just how difficult it could be!
Wait!
Endure!
Before long, he would be able to tear this hateful little runt apart and devour him, venting the hatred in his heart!
Time ticked away second by second. To Roxstar, each second felt like a year!
At last, the final moment arrived!
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"The grand finale is about to be presented."
Dao's voice suddenly rang out across the vast universe. "This will be a one-sided slaughter unlike any other!"
Earth.
When the "grand finale" began, Zhang Miaoran immediately closed the Myriad Heavens Forum and entered the livestream.
The dense Bullet Comments nearly sealed off the entire scene without a single gap visible. She immediately selected "Earth only."
Yet the overwhelming Bullet Comments still made her eyes swim.
Only after setting the filter to "Hide Bullet Comments from users below social rank 4" did Zhang Miaoran finally see the face that had haunted her dreams.
"A Zhe! Hang in there! Stay alive!"
Silently praying in her heart, Zhang Miaoran's gaze fell upon Zhou Zhe's opponent.
This alien named Roxstar stood three meters tall, like a giant from a novel. Horns rose from his head, and scales covered his entire body. His eyes were crimson as blood, while the teeth in his mouth resembled daggers—sharp and pointed, gleaming with cold light.
A demon!
That was Roxstar's first impression upon Zhang Miaoran.
Could Zhou Zhe truly win against such an enemy?
Amid her panic, Zhang Miaoran instinctively looked at Zhou Zhe.
The tall, slender young adult held a blade in his right hand and clasped his left hand behind his back, standing quietly with an air of calm serenity. Yet deep in his bones was a note of unrestrained ease.
At this moment...
Zhou Zhe looked less like a fighter here to kill and more like a young nobleman enjoying a spring outing in the countryside.
Unlike the other Earth contestants' dishevelment and unease, he possessed only composure that had seeped into his bones.
The livestream's Bullet Comments instantly exploded.
"Holy shit! Earth has someone like this?"
"This guy feels terrifyingly calm. His eyes are making my skin crawl..."
"Dao said this would be a one-sided slaughter. I can barely bear to watch. I dedicate Liangliang to this little brother named Zhou Zhe."
"Sigh! Circumstances are stronger than people! There's no way around it!"
"We've already found this Earth contestant's information. Zhou Zhe, disciple of Lin Ye, master of Swift Wind Pavilion. He cultivates the Wind Riding Blade Technique and the Wind Element Body Tempering Technique, and he is Lin Ye's sole true disciple."
"Bright as the sun and moon held in one's arms, radiant as morning clouds rising high, clear and graceful as willows beneath the spring moon—once seen, never forgotten! So someone in this world can truly grow up looking like this... Are Yan Entertainment's talent scouts in Zu'an City blind? Those parasites who draw wages without doing any work! It's time for a cleanup!"
"Zhou Zhe? How can there be such a handsome little brother? I'm a fan!"
"What use is being handsome? Won't he still die soon? But I've already saved screenshots. When I get plastic surgery later, I'll use this face as the template, Simida!"
"Can you get his temperament through surgery? Dong Shi trying to imitate Xi Shi! What a total F-grade loser! Shut the hell up already!"
"We're all Earth compatriots. I sincerely hope he survives. The people of Germany offer their blessings."
"Zhou Zhe, Lin Ye's true disciple? Why does his aura feel even stronger than Lin Ye's?"
"This guy has the look and bearing of a stage boss. I bet ten spicy strips that he can win!"
"That flag was planted well—the King of Hell will see you early! Bros, don't jinx him! Don't you have any idea how many Earth compatriots you've jinxed to death?"
"Go, daddy from the suzerain nation!!"
"The people of Bear Country offer their blessings to Dawa Lishi."
"Blessings from your Serbian brothers..."
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I heard chapter comments would be enabled today. I wonder whether it'll be in the morning or the afternoon?
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