"The competition's about to start, Mr. Fu. We should get going—ah, your hand!"
The next evening, the Priestess who had come to escort Fu Qian to the arena was once again so startled she covered her mouth and cried out.
Fu Qian followed her gaze and understood why she was shocked.
In just one night, the blue marks had spread from his palm all the way up his arm.
That peculiar smell had grown stronger, too.
What was more, it seemed as though countless tiny insects were gnawing at the flesh beneath every spot covered by the marks.
Fortunately, the corruption hadn't progressed very far yet.
It wouldn't be hard to deal with this. He only had to isolate it and shed a layer of skin.
For Fu Qian, that would be a piece of cake.
But he didn't want to do that.
The reason was simple: today was the day of the finals.
It would be his first attempt to take out Bai Jinting.
This thing would come in handy soon.
"Was there a reason you had to come get me yourself?"
Fu Qian glanced at the Priestess.
"Today's the final."
The Priestess smiled awkwardly.
"If you win, I'll get a bonus, too. I have to show a little enthusiasm!"
"I see. I thought you'd placed a bet on me."
"There is a betting pool, but your odds are the lowest... I bet on everyone else, just to give you a little good luck."
"Not bad. You're young, but you already know how to hedge your risks. You've got a bright future."
As it turned out, the demigod Ebu truly despised grafting limbs.
Fu Qian felt her intense loathing almost as soon as he entered the White Tower.
Once he revealed the marks on his right hand, her