The fights in the arena had already begun. Roars and cheers rang out, especially clear in the night. And this was with less than a third of the seats filled. One could only imagine what it had been like at the height of the arena's glory.
Chen Rui walked up to the entrance, but two Horned Demon guards stopped him.
"Where's your betting ticket?"
So the betting ticket was the admission ticket. Chen Rui thought for a moment, then asked, "How do I enter the arena fights?"
One of the Horned Demons looked him over and, seeing that he didn't seem very strong, sneered. "A coward like you wants to come here and get yourself killed?"
Chen Rui didn't answer. He simply stepped forward and gripped the iron hammer in the demon's hand. Several dents appeared in the hammer at once.
The display stunned both Horned Demons. Most of the fighters were desperate men, and picking a fight with someone like this would end badly. One of them quickly said, "To sign up, go straight in, then turn left and head upstairs. The room's up there."
Chen Rui nodded and went straight inside. He found the room the Horned Demon had mentioned. It was a large hall, rather elegantly furnished. A table stood across the entrance, with a Servant Demon sitting behind it.
"Is this where I sign up for the fights?"
The Servant Demon lazily pointed to a wooden plaque by the entrance. Chen Rui saw that the rules were written out clearly. Arena fights were divided into three tiers based on strength: the Low-Tier Arena, the Mid-Tier Arena, and the High-Tier Arena. The higher the tier, the larger the prize. Winning streaks and challengers who defeated fighters on a streak also earned higher prizes. There were separate rules for unarmed and armed fights, and at the very bottom, a special note read: You are responsible for your own life or death.
After Chen Rui finished reading, the Servant Demon said, "If you're sure you want to compete, give me your name and strength level. We'll usually schedule your match within three days. Check the notice board outside the arena to see when you're fighting. If you lie about your strength or get cold feet and run, Lord Alaux will punish you severely."
"I'm sure. Sign me up." Chen Rui nodded. His fight wouldn't be scheduled for three days, so he had time to check out the arena first. Besides, he had used an Aurora Blast during the negotiations just now, in addition to the one he had fired during last night's training with the Poison Dragon. That meant he had used up both shots available within a twenty-four-hour period, and he'd need to wait three hours for them to recharge.
"Mid-tier Demon, early stage." Chen Rui thought it over, then dispelled his Breath Concealment.
"Mid-tier?" The Servant Demon studied the "demon" in the cloak, who wasn't particularly tall, and finally perked up a little. He nodded. "The low-tier fights aren't exciting enough, and there aren't many high-tier competitors. Most of the fights are in the mid-tier, but today's schedule is already full. The last match is about to start. And your name?"
"Agulie."
"Agulie... I think I've heard that somewhere." The Servant Demon tried to remember but couldn't. He handed Chen Rui an iron tag. "Your name doesn't matter. Unless you survive at least three fights, it means nothing. Nobody remembers the name of a corpse, either. You're Number 64 from now on. Remember to check the notice board outside the arena. They usually post the schedule two days before the fights, which all start at night. Don't miss yours."
Chen Rui took the tag engraved with the number "64." His gaze happened to pass over an elaborate sculpture beside the sofa across the room, faintly glowing, and he froze. The sculpture stood nearly one and a half meters tall. It was exquisitely crafted in the likeness of a female Greater Devil holding an unusual double-headed scythe.
Chen Rui wasn't looking at the sculpture's artistic value, but at what it was made of: Fluorescent Shadow Stone! A piece of Fluorescent Shadow Stone that big!
"Is that... a sculpture made of Fluorescent Shadow Stone?"
The Servant Demon looked back and said proudly, "It's one of Lord Alaux's favorite works of art. It was carved from a single piece of top-grade Fluorescent Shadow Stone and changes color every hour. Lord Alaux is watching the fights right now. Otherwise, he'd usually be sitting here drinking."
Chen Rui hadn't expected to find such a treasure at the arena. What luck—he'd stumbled upon a piece of top-grade Fluorescent Shadow Stone. Something that size had to be worth several thousand points of spiritual energy, if not more than ten thousand. He needed to figure out how to get his hands on it. But there were other rooms in the hall. Could Alaux be living here? If so, things would get tricky.
Just then, a Lesser Devil came running in, flustered. "This is bad, Lord Qidun! Number 52, who's supposed to fight 'Blood Hand' Langke next, has disappeared!"
"What?" Qidun was startled. "Did he run away because he was afraid of Blood Hand Langke's reputation? Does Lord Alaux know?"
The Lesser Devil hurriedly replied, "Lord Alaux has already gone after Number 52. But the last match is about to start. What do we do?"
The last match was usually the main event, and it drew the most bets. If it was canceled, the arena would suffer heavy losses and lose prestige.
"Lord Alaux never leaves anyone alive." Qidun looked troubled. Then his eyes shifted to Chen Rui, who had just signed up. "Number 64, here's your chance. There's an open spot in the next fight. If you win, you'll get double the prize money!"
Chen Rui couldn't use his Aurora Blast yet. Number 52 had run away, and the fighter who beat him could earn double the prize money. That meant Blood Hand Langke was bound to be formidable. Chen Rui wasn't stupid enough to take on such a terrifying opponent the moment he started testing himself in real combat.
Chen Rui was about to refuse when an idea suddenly came to him. He pointed into the hall. "I don't want double the prize money. I want that."
Qidun followed his finger and saw that he was pointing at Lord Alaux's favorite sculpture. He hurriedly shook his head and was about to speak when a strange voice sounded behind him. "You can have it—if you beat Blood Hand Langke!"
Hearing the voice, Qidun immediately stood up respectfully. "Lord Alaux!" Before Chen Rui could turn around, a burly figure appeared in the room in an instant, holding a blood-soaked head. He tossed it to the Lesser Devil. "Hang this outside. Let it warn anyone else who dares to flee before a fight."
The head belonged to Number 52, who had run away. Just as Qidun had said, Alaux had left him no survivors. The Lesser Devil tremblingly picked up the head and hurried off, while Qidun quickly set about cleaning up the blood on the floor.
"If you sign up for an arena fight, you'd better be ready to die." Alaux was a fierce-looking Greater Devil, his undisguised sharpness radiating from him. His voice was peculiar, like metal striking metal. "I can't stand weaklings!"
The description of Alaux that Shea had given him immediately came to mind. Alaux, one of Joseph's three top aides. Estimated to be a High-Rank Demon in the stable stage. Brave and combative, cruel and ruthless...
"You, hiding your face—if you want that sculpture, bring me Langke's head in exchange! If you don't dare, get out of the arena now!" The Greater Devil's piercing gaze fixed on Chen Rui's face. Fortunately, Chen Rui had put on a metal mask earlier that day, just in case, concealing his identity.
Chen Rui's thoughts raced. In the end, he made up his mind. "When does the fight start?"
Seeing that the cloaked figure didn't back down, Alaux nodded approvingly. "Right now!"
The arena was filled with a rising din of cheers. Blood Hand Langke was already on the platform, but his opponent, Number 52, had yet to appear.
Just then, a Succubus dressed provocatively swayed onto the platform. Using a magic spell to amplify her voice, she announced, "Everyone! We've just received word that Number 52 fled out of fear and was personally slain by Lord Alaux. But the exciting match hasn't been canceled! A mysterious fighter, Number 64, will take Number 52's place and challenge 'Blood Hand' Langke, Number 17, who has already won four fights in a row! All bets already placed will remain valid!"
The audience had already guessed Number 52's fate when they saw a Lesser Devil hang a blood-soaked head from a tall post. Hearing that the fight would go ahead after all, they grew excited again.
Judging by the crowd's cheers, most people favored Blood Hand Langke, who had already won three fights in a row. When Number 64 stepped onto the platform, his comparatively slight build drew even more spectators to Langke's side. Only a small number of people who had bet on Number 52 hoped that the mysterious masked fighter might win.
"Blood Hand" Langke was a powerful Horned Demon with a vicious face. His three consecutive wins showed that he was a seasoned veteran. As the two faced off on the platform, Langke grinned, showing his white fangs. "Kid, wearing a mask to act mysterious? Don't worry, I don't care what you look like. I care about how to make you suffer. I usually break my enemies' limbs first, then dig out their hearts, and finally crush their heads. Are you ready?"
Cruelty and violence had always been the arena's main attractions. In the Demon Realm, where strength was revered, the fiercer and bloodier the fight, the more it fired up the spectators. Langke's words made even more people shout his name.
Chen Rui ignored Langke. Scenes from his training with the Poison Dragon flashed through his mind. The Poison Dragon had always fought fiercely, but had held back. This time was different. This was a real fight to the death. Chen Rui didn't regret his decision. Whether sooner or later, he would have to face real combat. A fledgling eagle had to be pushed off a cliff again and again by its parent before it learned to fly. All Chen Rui had done was push himself off the cliff.
This was not only his first fight in the arena, but also his first true battle since he had been reborn in the Demon Realm.
"Number 64, do you have any fighting words for us?" The flirtatious Succubus held up the hand she was using to cast the voice-amplifying spell and brought it close to Chen Rui.
"What are my odds?"
The Succubus was taken aback by Chen Rui's question, but quickly replied, "Since you're replacing Number 52, and almost nobody bet on Number 52 to win, your odds are now one to one hundred and twenty."
"The odds are that good? So if I bet on myself, I could win a hundred and twenty times my stake?" Chen Rui took off his cloak, dropped it to the ground, and tossed a Black Crystal Coin to the Succubus. "I'm betting one Black Crystal Coin on myself."
The Succubus hadn't expected the mysterious Number 64 to do that. She caught the Black Crystal Coin, unsure what to do, when a voice like striking iron rang out. "Accept the bet!"
"It's Lord Alaux!" The spectators all turned toward the Greater Devil in the VIP seats, their eyes filled with awe.
Number 64's move was undoubtedly a challenge and show of defiance toward Langke, but almost no one believed that this cloaked fighter could beat Blood Hand, who had won four fights in a row.
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