Catalyst, Variable, Ultimate Iron-Head Baby

Exclusive mission, with the right to refuse?

Hearing this made Zhou Zhe's scalp tingle.

Refuse? What a joke!

Zhou Zhe was quite self-aware.

The "Dao" before him was just like him – a petty, vengeful, and stylish individual!

In the two months of cosmic gladiator live broadcasts, Dao had indeed issued exclusive missions before.

Anyone who refused usually encountered incredibly powerful opponents in their subsequent matches.

Zhou Zhe was certain that if he refused Dao now, he would die in a very creative way in the near future.

"No need to say more, I accept!"

Zhou Zhe stated decisively.

Not accepting would be suicidal!

After disabling the "Cold-Blooded Killer" self-configuration, Zhou Zhe had no intention of dancing with the Grim Reaper!

In front of "Dao," those who dared to be ungrateful usually not only died themselves but could even implicate their entire home planet civilization.

"Intelligent Earthling! I appreciate your understanding!"

Dao said this with the same poker face, showing no emotional fluctuation: "Your exclusive mission is to take on disciples."

"Within two months, cultivate three apprentices whose combat power reaches Black Iron Three-Star."

"Disciple selection criteria: gender, nationality, age, profession, and faction are all unrestricted."

"Simply put – you can take anyone you want."

"Because it's a very simple mission, upon completion, I will reward you with thirty Gladiator Points."

"If the mission fails, you will be deducted sixty points."

"If your Gladiator Points fall into the negative..."

At this point, Dao changed the subject: "Don't worry, for now, I won't easily erase you."

"You are a rare, high-quality [Catalyst] who can live out your natural life and achieve a perfect ending."

"Although you have no inherent value yourself, you contribute to the output of [Variables]."

"However..."

"The deducted points will be calculated according to the rules of your civilization."

"Nine out, thirteen returned; interest calculated daily for overdue payments, compounded like rolling logs."

Success +30 points, Failure -60 points.

They even played the loan shark game.

The considerate "Dao" had truly issued a reasonable and fitting exclusive mission~

Zhou Zhe chewed and swallowed the sarcastic retort that almost escaped his lips, suppressing the urge to become a master of passive-aggression. He nodded with a serious expression and said, "Understood! I will complete the mission with quality and quantity as soon as possible!"

Dao remained expressionless, but a hint of a smile flickered in their eyes.

They slowly shifted their gaze away from Zhou Zhe, their voice echoing across the universe: "Transmigrators, reborn individuals, reincarnators, chosen saviors, ancient bloodline awakeners, system holders, companions of magnates..."

"I eagerly anticipate the performance of you 'Variables'."

"Bloom to your heart's content!"

Hearing this, Zhou Zhe's heart jolted.

Damn it!

Art comes from life, but it's higher than life!

Those sand sculpture webnovel authors were truly not lying to me!

So, the "Variables" that Dao mentioned earlier referred to those guys who might not be Earthlings but could definitely be called "protagonists"?

And what was his role, being called a "Catalyst"?

A stepping stone?

A villain?

The elderly grandpa in the ring, necklace, earrings, and bracelet?

After a brief period of self-reflection, Zhou Zhe sadly realized...

His personality didn't seem suited to being a golden-finger grandpa.

Dao's role assignment for him, or rather, according to his "original destined trajectory," he was 99.9% destined to be a villain!

Moreover, the kind of ultimate stubborn fool who was "full of malice, would crash into a wall without turning back, and would never repent even unto death"!

However...

Analyzing Dao's words, even if Dao hadn't appeared, his original fate should have allowed him to live out his natural life and achieve a happy and fulfilling ending.

Thinking about it, how miserable must Earth's protagonists, or rather, protagonist, have had it?

The Dao's voice interrupted Zhou Zhe's thoughts. "In a thousand breaths, you will be teleported back to the world you were in before. Now, you are free to act."

As soon as the Dao finished speaking, its figure vanished without a trace.

"Free to act" meant that, aside from genuine life-or-death combat, the surviving Cosmic Gladiators could take the opportunity to exchange combat experience, extraordinary equipment, items, and medicine.

No sooner had the Dao left than a group of alien gladiators crowded around Zhou Zhe.

"Zhou Zhe, you're strong! I want to exchange combat experience with you!"

"Your aerial maneuver, that mid-air turn—it can compensate for my lack of fundamental wind-element application. Can you teach me?"

"Heart of Heavenly Tribulation, I've got my eye on it! Name your price! This prince lacks nothing, except money!"

"What kind of idiotic native is this? Selling your entire planet might not even fetch you the Heart of Heavenly Tribulation! That's a magnificent creation, the embodiment of the Dao itself!"

"Mr. Zhou! Can you take me as your disciple? I am sincerely seeking guidance!"

"Even by the aesthetic standards of my Golden Crow Star, Zhou Zhe, you are a top-tier handsome man... Want to come with me, sister? One of my family elders is a Silver Gladiator, and they can support you~"

"Shameless little bitch! Get lost! Zhou Zhe! Come to the Phantom Abyss! I am the third princess of the Molten Titanium Succubus tribe! I've already killed my elder and second sisters! If you come here, I can give you half of the entire Phantom Abyss!"

"The devil's mouth, the liar's ghost."

"I can sign a soul contract! Or even a true spirit contract! Once we form an intimate bond, the Dao won't arrange for us to kill each other in the Cosmic Arena! Although He is a bit... cough... He's still quite humane!"

"Hiss! You're betting that big?"

"If you can't afford to bet, then get lost! This man is worth my wager!"

"Hahaha, your Molten Titanium Succubus tribe isn't carbon-based at all. You're not even related to silicon-based or boron-based life forms. For a man from Earth to be intimate with you is worse than playing with a steel doll!"

"Bitch, get lost!"

Zhou Zhe politely declined the enthusiastic alien ladies with an awkward but courteous smile.

Zhou Zhe, with a cold face, drove away the opportunists who wanted to freeload his skills or lowball him for the Heart of Heavenly Tribulation.

Zhou Zhe, with a smile, placated a few young fans who were showing signs of becoming obsessive fanboys.

Only then did he finally get a moment to breathe.

"Peace and quiet..."

Zhou Zhe sighed.

There were about three hundred breaths left until he would be teleported back to Earth.

Not far away, a group of aliens whose hands were stained with Earthling blood were being treated differently by Zhou Zhe. Their warm advances were met with cold shoulders, and the more they thought about it, the angrier they became, and the more they retreated, the more they felt they had lost.

But what could they do?

They didn't dare to defy the world and gang up on Zhou Zhe—they were afraid the Dao would settle the score later.

They could only stand by and make sour remarks.

"It's just the Heart of Heavenly Tribulation, so what? Is an upper-tier Extraordinary Organ that amazing?"

"It really is amazing."

"No one will think you're mute if you don't speak! Shut up, Your Highness!"

"Don't laugh now, you'll cry later! The 'Absolute Ruler' of Sigma Star is a Gold-Tier Cosmic Gladiator!"

"Hahaha! That's right! Zhou Zhe killed the protagonist of Sigma Star. Even if it didn't reach the level of stifling Sigma Star's future, it at least destroyed a key figure for the entire civilization's next stage of development!"

"The feud has been established. Zhou Zhe is dead for sure!"

Zhou Zhe: Is that all? Is this a nesting doll situation? You beat the younger brother, and the older brother comes. You beat the older brother, and the father comes. You beat the father, and the grandfather comes? Is that all you've got?

Ran Lengguang: Don't... deny me!