Wager Battle

On October 22, Chen Daolin had just finished training in the Training Camp's replica Gravity Room. On his way back, he saw his senior Zhao Ruo standing by the roadside in front of a yellow-skinned young man with black hair, speaking heatedly to several white Western youths.

Chen Daolin spotted William and Candice among them and couldn't help frowning.

Candice and the others hadn't bothered him since the Black Dragon Ranking in September, but Chen Daolin still remembered Candice threatening him. William had also tried to trick him into challenging someone in the Virtual Space when he'd first entered the Training Camp. He hadn't forgotten that, either.

"Senior Sister Zhao, what's going on?" Chen Daolin hurried over.

William, Candice, and the others had been smiling, but their expressions changed slightly when Chen Daolin appeared.

"Junior Brother Chen, you're here." Zhao Ruo's eyes lit up. She grabbed the rather young and handsome man beside her and said indignantly, "This is Junior Brother Pang Yuanwu, a new trainee from the capital, Kyoto. William and the others just tried to trick him into fighting in the Challenge Room."

The young man behind Zhao Ruo also looked at Chen Daolin with curiosity. He seemed even younger than Pang Yuanwu.

Chen Daolin turned to look at William and the others. "You were all newcomers once, too. Is it really right to bully a rookie with such despicable tricks every day?"

William smiled. "Don't get the wrong idea, Chen Daolin. We just wanted to spar."

"Is that so? Then how about you and I have a match?" Chen Daolin looked straight into his eyes. "By the way, haven't you been wanting to challenge me? I accept. Do you dare to fight me in the Virtual Space?"

William's expression shifted. In the past, he might have agreed. He'd been confident when facing a newcomer who'd just entered the Training Camp. But Chen Daolin was different from the others. In his very first month at the camp, he'd made it into the top hundred. People even speculated that his Combat Power Amplitude had already reached the average level of fourth-year trainees—in other words, that it was excellent, at least 8. William's was only average, around 2 to 4. With such a huge gap, how could he dare fight Chen Daolin?

Chen Daolin watched him coolly, his voice mocking. "What, don't dare? I've been in the Training Camp for less than two months. Maybe I'm not as good as you veteran trainees. Didn't you just say you wanted to spar? Let's have a match. How about a 5-billion bet?"

"You..." William's face turned pale, then flushed, but he couldn't find a reply.

Would he dare take on Chen Daolin?

No.

He knew he would lose. William wasn't stupid enough to take a bet he couldn't win. Even though he could afford 5 billion, that was still an enormous sum for a trainee—comparable to a Beginner War God's annual income if he saved every penny. Losing it would leave even William badly hurt financially.

Zhao Ruo piled on from the side. "That's right. You were so smug just now, trying to bully a rookie. Now that Junior Brother Chen is here, you've gone quiet. Looks like your lot are all cowards who pick on the weak and fear the strong."

Candice's expression darkened as he stepped forward. "Chen Daolin, I'll fight you. How about it? I have the 5 billion, and I'll put it up. If you want a match, I'm in."

Chen Daolin looked at Candice. He remembered that Candice was around seventy-fifth on the Black Dragon Ranking and had spent three years at the Elite Training Camp. He was quite capable even among the veteran trainees, but his Combat Power Amplitude should still be below Chen Daolin's. After all, Chen Daolin's had already passed 9, meeting the standard for a fourth-year trainee at the Elite Training Camp.

In a life-or-death fight in the Virtual Space, their physical attributes would be exactly the same. That meant the outcome would depend on factors like the power behind their punches, their speed, and their Movement Technique.

Combat was hard to predict. When two fighters were evenly matched, one in poor condition might be killed in an instant. A fighter who was slightly weaker but in better shape might end up killing his opponent instead.

Chen Daolin knew he wasn't confident he could beat Candice as things stood.

But it was the uncertainty—and the chance of winning—that made him decide.

"Fine. I accept," Chen Daolin said calmly.

"Junior Brother Chen!" Zhao Ruo stared at him in shock.

Candice had been at the Elite Training Camp for three years. Chen Daolin had been there for less than two months, yet he was betting 5 billion on a fight with him! Zhao Ruo thought it was wildly reckless and irrational.

Pang Yuanwu, the handsome young man with black hair, was also stunned. He looked at Chen Daolin with admiration. He still didn't know who Chen Daolin was or how strong he was, but anyone willing to fight someone for 5 billion had to be extraordinary.

"Excellent. I'll submit the 5-billion wager through the system as soon as I get back," Candice said with a bright smile.

Chen Daolin, you brought this on yourself. Don't blame me.

After Candice and his group left, Zhao Ruo said disapprovingly, "Junior Brother Chen, you used to be pretty level-headed. Why are you being so impulsive today? Candice is a veteran at the Elite Training Camp. He's been training for three years, and you've only just arrived. Even if you're a genius, everyone at the camp is a genius. Do you really think you're guaranteed to win?"

Chen Daolin replied quietly, "Don't worry, Senior Sister. I know what I'm doing." A 5-billion bet would give him a life-or-death fight that pushed him to his limits. If he managed to break through, it would be worth it.

Chen Daolin no longer cared much about money. His greatest goal now was to raise his Combat Power Amplitude to 12 before the New Year.

Zhao Ruo snorted. "That's what you say. If you lose, don't come crying about it."

Chen Daolin introduced himself to Pang Yuanwu, the newcomer from Kyoto in Huaxia, then went back alone to his place in Jiangnan Pavilion. Soon, he received a system notification: someone had challenged him for 5 billion Huaxia Currency. The match was scheduled for ten thirty the morning after next. When he saw that the challenger was Candice, Chen Daolin accepted and transferred 5 billion from his account to the system account. Once the match was over, the winner would receive 10 billion.

Sitting cross-legged in the underground chamber, Chen Daolin closed his eyes and cleared his mind. His breathing gradually grew slow and deep.

News of Chen Daolin's 5-billion bet with Candice spread through the Training Camp and quickly reached its trainees and instructors. The coming showdown between Candice, a three-year veteran of the Elite Training Camp, and Chen Daolin, the camp's most talked-about rising star, drew plenty of attention.

"Chen Daolin... isn't he being a little too arrogant? He actually dares to bet against Candice."

"Candice is seventy-fifth on the rankings, and Chen Daolin is ninety-seventh. There's such a gap between them. The outcome's obvious."

"Chen Daolin's an idiot. He's just giving Candice money for nothing. Fifty billion, tsk. If only he'd challenge me instead."

"I think Chen Daolin might win. He's not stupid."

All around the Training Camp, people talked about the upcoming wager between Candice and Chen Daolin. Most thought Candice would win, though some believed Chen Daolin had a chance. Many planned to go watch.

When Ji Xuan returned that evening and heard the news, she went to Jiangnan Pavilion and found Chen Daolin. They sat facing each other in the first-floor living room, drinking together.

"Do you think you can win the bet the day after tomorrow?" Ji Xuan asked.

Chen Daolin drank his wine. "Fifty-fifty."

"Don't lose."

"Mm."

Shi Jiang and Zhao Ruo had come over together. From a distance, they saw Ji Xuan and Chen Daolin drinking and talking in the living room. They exchanged a knowing glance, then turned and left, leaving the two of them alone.