Victory or Defeat

The challenge matches had a unique system for determining victory and defeat, judged by the consciousness within the arena.

Surrender was a special case. Under normal circumstances, if one side's injuries exceeded a certain limit or they lost the ability to move, they were considered defeated.

Zhu Huan, who had been sent flying with severe injuries, received no notification that the match had ended. He slammed heavily into the invisible barrier at the edge of the arena, coughing up white blood mixed with bone marrow before falling from the air and crashing onto the ground, his fate unknown.

The front of his body had been struck by Zhang Chen's tail, shattering his bones completely. At the same time, the channels throughout his body had been severed. Without recovery from such injuries, he would likely soon lose the ability to move.

For a time, there was no response from the arena, and Zhang Chen made no further move, merely waiting for the system's judgment.

"Click!" Zhu Huan's finger twitched slightly as he lay heavily on the ground.

For an ordinary person, such a twitch might merely indicate that life still remained, and emergency treatment at a hospital might save them. But Zhu Huan's finger twitch meant that everything would return to its initial state.

Zhu Huan pressed both hands against the ground and slowly rose to his feet. The injuries across the front of his body had completely healed, and the severed nodes within him that Zhang Chen had devoured had been restored to their original condition.

"Thank you, Brother Zhang Chen, for not attacking during that time and allowing me to completely lose my ability to move. Also, please accept my most sincere apology for not having gone all out until now."

Zhu Huan stared at Zhang Chen, who stood