An exclusive mission? He had the right to refuse?
Those words made Zhou Zhe's scalp tingle.
Refuse my ass!
Zhou Zhe knew his own limits well enough.
This "Dao" before him was cut from the same cloth as him—a thoroughgoing petty bastard who held grudges like a refined hooligan!
Over the two months of Cosmic Arena Combat broadcasts, Dao had issued exclusive missions before.
Anyone who refused would generally encounter opponents so monstrously strong in their next battles that they exploded on the spot.
Zhou Zhe was certain that if he refused Dao now, he would definitely die in a very creative fashion sometime in the near future.
"No need to say more. I accept!"
Zhou Zhe said decisively.
Refusing was simply courting death!
After undoing the self-configuration of "Cold-Blooded Killer," Zhou Zhe had no intention of dancing cheek-to-cheek with the Grim Reaper!
Before "Dao," those who dared to reject kindness with a slap in the face usually not only died themselves, but might even drag their entire homeworld civilization down with them.
"Wise Earthling! I admire your awareness!"
Dao still wore that deadpan face when it spoke, without the slightest ripple of emotion. "Your exclusive mission is to take disciples."
"Within two months, nurture three disciples whose combat power reaches Black Iron Three-Star."
"Criteria for selecting disciples: no restrictions on gender, nationality, age, profession, or faction."
"To put it simply—you can take whoever you want."
"Since it is an exceedingly simple mission, once you complete it, I will reward you with thirty Gladiator Points."
"If you fail the mission, sixty points will be deducted."
"If your Gladiator Points are deducted into the negatives..."
At this point, Dao abruptly changed its tone. "Don't worry. For the time being, you will not be easily erased."
"You are a rare, high-quality catalyst capable of living out your natural lifespan and receiving a perfect ending."
"Though you yourself have little value to speak of, you are conducive to the production of variables."
"However..."
"Negative points will be calculated according to the rules of your civilization."
"Nine out, thirteen back. Once overdue, interest is calculated daily—donkey rolling, interest upon interest."
Success: +30 points. Failure: -60 points.
And it was even playing the usury game.
The considerate "Dao" had so thoughtfully issued such a reasonable exclusive mission~
Zhou Zhe chewed up the sarcastic words that had nearly slipped from his mouth and swallowed them, forcibly suppressing the urge to transform into a grand master of sarcasm. With a solemn expression, he nodded. "Understood! I'll complete the mission as quickly as possible, with both quality and quantity assured!"
Dao remained expressionless, yet a trace of a smile spread through its eyes.
It slowly shifted its gaze away from Zhou Zhe, its voice resounding throughout the universe. "Travelers, reincarnators, regressors, chosen saviors, ancient bloodline awakeners, system holders, those carrying great magnates with them... from the Endless Planes..."
"I look forward to the performances of you 'variables.'"
"Bloom to your hearts' content!"
Hearing this, Zhou Zhe's heart jolted.
Fuck your mother!
Art came from life, yet rose above it!
Those idiot webnovel authors had not deceived him after all!
So the "variables" Dao had mentioned before referred to those people who might not be Earthlings, yet were absolutely qualified to be called "protagonists"?
Then what exactly was he, the so-called "catalyst," supposed to be?
A stepping stone?
A villain?
An old grandpa living inside a ring, necklace, earring, or bracelet?
After examining himself for a while, Zhou Zhe sorrowfully realized...
His personality did not seem suited to being a Golden Finger grandpa.
The role Dao had assigned him—or rather, judging from his "original fate"—meant that he was ninety-nine-point-nine percent likely to be a villain!
And one of those ultimate iron-headed fools, brimming with baleful intent, who would not turn back even after crashing into the southern wall and would refuse to be redeemed even in death!
However...
Judging from Dao's words, even if it had never appeared, Zhou Zhe's original fate should still have allowed him to live out his natural lifespan and receive a happy, perfect ending.
By that logic—just how miserably were Earth's protagonist, or protagonists, faring?
Dao's voice interrupted Zhou Zhe's thoughts. "After one thousand breaths, you will be transported back to the worlds where you previously resided."
"For now, act freely."
As soon as it finished speaking, Dao's figure vanished without a trace.
Act freely meant that, aside from fighting each other to the death with real blades and real guns, the surviving Cosmic Gladiators could take this opportunity to exchange combat experience, extraordinary equipment, items, and medicine.
The moment Dao left, a crowd of alien gladiators squeezed around Zhou Zhe.
"Zhou Zhe, you're very strong. I want to exchange combat experience with you!"
"That aerial turning technique of yours can make up for my shortcomings in the basic application of wind power. Can you teach it to me?"
"I've taken a fancy to the Heart of Heavenly Tribulation. Name your price! This prince lacks everything except money!"
"What idiot native crawled out from under a rock? Even selling your entire planet might not get you the Heart of Heavenly Tribulation! That is a magnificent creation, the embodiment of rules!"
"Mr. Zhou! Can you take me as your disciple? I sincerely seek your guidance!"
"Even by the aesthetic standards of our Golden Crow Star, Zhou Zhe, you are a peerless handsome man... Want to come with big sister? There are Silver Gladiators among the elders of big sister's Lineage. I can keep you~"
"You shameless little bitch! Get lost! Zhou Zhe! Come to the Phantom Abyss! I'm the third imperial princess of the Molten Titanium Succubus race. I've already killed my eldest and second sisters! If you come, I can give you half of the entire Phantom Abyss!"
"A demon's mouth is a lying ghost."
"I can sign a soul contract! Even a true-spirit contract! Once we form an intimate relationship, Dao won't arrange for us to slaughter each other in the Cosmic Arena! It may be a little... cough... but it still has a human touch!"
"Hiss! You're betting that big?"
"If you can't afford the bet, then get lost! This man is worth my wager!"
"Hehehe, your Molten Titanium Succubus race isn't carbon-based life at all. You aren't even related to silicon-based or boron-based lifeforms. Earth men hooking up with you would be better off playing with steel dolls!"
"Slut, get the hell out of here!"
Zhou Zhe awkwardly yet politely declined the enthusiastic alien young ladies.
Zhou Zhe coldly drove away the opportunists who wanted to freeload skills and purchase the Heart of Heavenly Tribulation at a low price.
Zhou Zhe smilingly brushed off several little fanboys who were showing signs of turning into brainless devotees.
Only then did he finally get a chance to catch his breath.
"Peace and quiet at last..."
Zhou Zhe sighed.
There were roughly three hundred breaths left before he would be transported back to Earth.
Not far away, a group of aliens whose hands had been stained with Earthlings' blood had received distinctly different treatment from Zhou Zhe. Their warm faces had been pressed against cold asses, and now, the more they endured it, the angrier they became; the more they retreated, the more they felt cheated.
But what could they do?
They did not dare to defy the will of the masses and gang up on Zhou Zhe—they feared Dao would settle accounts with them afterward.
So they could only stand nearby, sourly throwing out one remark after another.
"Isn't it just the Heart of Heavenly Tribulation? So what if it's a High-Tier Extraordinary Organ?"
"It really is something."
"No one will think you're mute if you don't speak! Shut your mouth, Emperor!"
"Don't look at him dancing so happily now. Be careful—the bill will be settled later! The 'Absolute Ruler' of Sigma Star is a Gold-Tier Cosmic Gladiator!"
"Hahaha! Exactly! Zhou Zhe killed Sigma Star's protagonist. Even if that does not amount to strangling Sigma Star's future in the cradle, he has at least destroyed the crucial figure for that civilization's next stage of development!"
"The grudge has already been forged. Zhou Zhe is dead for sure!"
Zhou Zhe: Is that it? The nesting dolls have begun? Beat the little brother and the big brother comes, beat the big brother and the father comes, beat the father and the grandfather comes? Is that the level you're at?
Burning Cold Light: Don't... deny me!
Before you continue