Battle Royale

MMP!

This guy hadn't even come from the Elite Academy. Sure enough, not a word he said could be trusted.

Good thing Dug hadn't trusted him either...

Dug cursed under his breath and asked, "Ninth Brother, weren't you from an Elite School? You even said you'd find a way to transfer me from the Commoner School to an Elite School..."

"Seventh Brother." Feng Jiu looked at Dug helplessly. "I admit it was wrong of me to lie to you before, but this time, I'm truly laying all my cards on the table. You're a good person. I was even planning to cling to you and break into the Simulation Arena's top ten!"

"But I really am from the Commoner School," Dug said.

"Seventh Brother, at a time like this, stop pretending!" Feng Jiu shook his head and smiled, raising the roast chicken in his hand. "What is this?"

"Roast chicken," Dug said.

"Do you want to eat it?" Feng Jiu asked.

Dug shook his head.

"See? You gave yourself away!" Feng Jiu took a big bite of the roast chicken and spoke as he ate. "Commoner School students eat bland, low-oil Synthetic Meals every day. How could they possibly show no reaction upon seeing a delicacy like roast chicken? Only elite students like you, who eat meat and fish every day, would have no interest in the Simulation Arena's food.

"The eyes can't lie. No matter how convincingly a Commoner School student acts, they can't stay as calm as you when faced with food! What Commoner School student who entered the Simulation Arena wouldn't stuff themselves as soon as they got in? I noticed it yesterday when you fed me pastries. You really don't treat food like food at all!"

Holy shit!

Roast chicken counted as a delicacy, and everyone ate Synthetic Meals...

What kind of world was it outside?

Dug had once looked forward to the real world. After all, he had always imagined that the technology of a world capable of creating a game as realistic as the Simulation Arena had to be incredibly advanced.

But at that moment, he suddenly didn't look forward to the outside world quite so much. Reality seemed nowhere near as wonderful as he had imagined. It even seemed harsh...

He also had no idea whether the person whose body he had crossed into was a commoner or an elite. "You elite students already have it good enough, yet you still come here to compete with us. It's not even some important exam. What's wrong with letting us have the top ten? In the end, aren't you the ones who get to enjoy everything..."

Perhaps it had touched a sore spot. Feng Jiu suddenly changed his tone and launched into a long, mournful complaint. But when he saw that Dug had remained silent for so long, he abruptly realized he had vented at the wrong person. He gave an awkward laugh and explained, "Seventh Brother, I wasn't talking about you. You're a good person, willing to sincerely teach me things. I meant those elite students who don't treat us commoner students like people. You're different from them..."

Was the conflict between commoners and elites really that severe?! Dug frowned slightly. It seemed that the Simulation Arena's top ten was more than just an honor—it would determine one's fate.

"Seventh Brother, don't be angry. This is what I wanted to tell you. When you go out into the world, you need to hide your identity properly. Don't be as high-profile as Feng Manor," Feng Jiu said. "Many Commoner School students in the Simulation Arena hate elite students. Even if it means being eliminated themselves, they'll drag you down with them. You look exactly like an elite student. Once you step outside, you'll be a bright, shining target, and it'll be easy for people to plot against you."

"Mm, I understand. Thanks." Dug nodded. If he had previously treated this as a game, then now that he understood the truth of the Simulation Arena, he decided to take it seriously.

He wasn't sure whether his identity outside was elite or commoner.

If he was elite, it didn't matter. But if he was a commoner, then placing in the Simulation Arena's top ten might very well change his destiny.

He certainly didn't want to go outside and eat Synthetic Meals...

"What are you thanking me for? Without your guidance, I wouldn't have grasped the meaning of Taotie. Consider this my repayment to you." Feng Jiu shrugged and smiled. "I'm not an ungrateful person. If possible, I still want to fight for a place in the top ten. I just hope Seventh Brother won't be ruthless enough to kill me when the time comes."

"I won't. Isn't my Keyword preservation?" Dug smiled. "The ultimate preservation is staying true from beginning to end."

"If the Feng Family really captures Simulation Arena contestants, how do you plan to deal with them?" Feng Jiu glanced at Dug. "Don't tell me you'll preserve them too?"

"If I can preserve them all together, then naturally I will." Dug smiled. "There's strength in numbers. Since Commoner School students can't eat good food outside, staying in the Simulation Arena a little longer lets them enjoy themselves a while longer. Why fight and kill? We can unite some people and eliminate others first. As for the final top ten spots, we can settle those internally..."

Feng Jiu swallowed the food in his mouth, looked at Dug, and asked, "Seventh Brother, is that really what you think?"

"Of course!" Dug said. "You said it yourself: Elite School students have everything. Why compete with you for the top ten? I'm different from them. I'm very generous. It'd be best if we could all play together."

Feng Jiu shook his head and smiled. "All right. I'll stay in the Feng Family and clean things up for you. I'll convey your goodwill to the others. If they accept it, then we can all play together. If they don't accept it, or if they harm me, I'll deal with them. You can't blame me then..."

"Mm. I won't blame you." Dug looked completely unconcerned, but a storm had already risen within his heart. His conversation with Feng Jiu had revealed too much, completely changing his understanding of the Simulation Arena.

So this so-called Simulation Arena was actually a cruel selection machine.

It wasn't a competition between elite students and commoner students. Everyone was competing against everyone else, all for the Simulation Arena's top ten...

Three thousand people fighting for ten spots. No wonder those who were eliminated never came back.

Fuck! This was insane!

A thousand troops crossing a single-log bridge.

This was basically Earth's civil service exam!

No wonder the teacher had said, "Don't expose your Keyword." No wonder Feng Jiu had initially tried to set him up. No wonder Feng Jiu was fighting so desperately. Everything fit now.

Dug felt a surge of relief. Fortunately, he had shown Feng Jiu goodwill and gained truly useful information in return.

Otherwise...

With the mindset of treating the Simulation Arena as a game, if he had gone out to roam the world, he would have suffered badly...

"Seventh Brother, do you have any other instructions?" Feng Jiu asked.

"No. Handle Feng Manor however you see fit." Before coming here, Dug had indeed made plans for the Heavenly Demon's future. But after learning the truth about the Simulation Arena, he knew none of those plans would succeed. The top ten spots were a glaring bait that would lure everyone into slaughtering one another.

Rather than waste his efforts on those illusory arrangements, he might as well focus on developing his own Keyword and seize first place in this brutal battle royale...

All right!

He had already taken first place.

Then he would protect the lead he had earned to the very end.

Feng Jiu turned and left. Watching his figure walk away while eating, Dug stood where he was for a long time without moving. He needed to digest the new information.

The Simulation Arena's true purpose had shocked him deeply.

And Feng Jiu was still the same Feng Jiu from the beginning. He had not become an idiot.

He was observant and patient. He had used a chicken leg to test Dug's identity one final time, while hiding his advanced skill...

It was even possible that he had deliberately made himself stink that morning, just so Dug would dislike him enough to let him reasonably remain at Feng Manor instead of taking him out into the world. He couldn't possibly have been unaware that as attributes increased, the five senses would improve.

Even his later show of goodwill might have been another layer of disguise, meant to lower Dug's guard.

After all, he didn't know that Dug was a transmigrator. The information and goodwill he had offered should have been common knowledge, yet he had used them to curry favor! Every move, every step, had been calculated! One Feng Jiu was already this shrewd, and there were hundreds more people like Feng Jiu outside. They were a pack of wolves. One careless mistake, and they might devour him without leaving even bones behind.

Dug silently sighed and reminded himself of his new identity. He had transmigrated. He was no longer that carefree Earthling who never lacked food or clothing.