The female Succubus pocketed the Black Crystal Coin and gave a professional, seductive smile. "Since Number 64 is a newcomer, I'll first explain the rules. Barring special circumstances, the match must end within two hours. If neither side has won by then, Lord Alaux will decide the victor. As the challenger, Blood Hand Langke gets to choose whether this match is bare-handed or with weapons."
After Chen Rui placed his bet, Langke's expression grew even more vicious. He sneered. "I love the feeling of breaking my opponents' bones with my bare hands!"
"Very well, this will be a bare-handed match! No weapons allowed, other than your own bodies!" The Succubus cautiously backed several yards away, then shouted, "And now, I declare the match underway!"
The instant the Succubus said "Begin," Langke launched a fierce attack. Chen Rui had grown used to the Poison Dragon ambushing him during special training, so he was prepared. He leaned aside and dodged. Langke's attacks were even more vicious, repeatedly targeting vital spots. Chen Rui blocked a few punches and felt the force behind them. His strength was slightly inferior.
Langke's three consecutive victories in the arena were no fluke. Though he had been boastful before the match, he showed plenty of experience in battle. After a probing flurry of attacks failed, he didn't rush to press the offensive. Instead, he began controlling the pace, keeping Chen Rui on the back foot and giving him almost no chance to counterattack.
Fighting with a mask on felt terribly awkward to Chen Rui, especially because it restricted his vision and made it hard to turn his head. Though he defended carefully, sooner or later he was bound to leave an opening. Langke faked a kick, then swept a claw across Chen Rui's waist as they passed one another. Blood immediately poured from the wound, staining a large patch of his clothes. Seeing Langke's claws, sharp as knives, Chen Rui finally understood why the man was called "Blood Hand." No wonder he didn't need weapons—his hands were the deadliest weapons of all!
After landing a successful blow, Langke's attacks grew even more relentless. The bloody gashes on Chen Rui's body kept multiplying. A heavy punch slammed into his back with a thud, sending pain deep into his bones. Unlike Pagliu, Langke wasn't going to wait for Chen Rui to recover before continuing the fight. He seized the moment while Chen Rui was off balance and unleashed a furious assault.
Under Langke's relentless attacks, Chen Rui struggled to defend himself. At last, the first hint of doubt crept into his mind. Was I too impatient? I can't use Aurora Blast, and this is my first real fight. How did I end up facing such a terrifying opponent?
This wasn't training, where he could try again after losing! It wasn't a game, where he could refill his health at a respawn point! This was a real fight to the death. The loser would die!
In his previous life, he had been nothing but a shut-in, not a martial artist or a special forces soldier. Perhaps he hadn't trained long enough. He shouldn't have rushed into a fight to the death like this.
His hesitation immediately showed in his movements. Langke sensed his fear and showed no mercy. One claw opened a deep gash in Chen Rui's thigh. Then, with Chen Rui's guard wide open, Langke put all his strength into a kick beneath his ribs. Chen Rui was sent flying more than ten meters. A burst of agony flared where the kick had landed. It felt as if two of his ribs had broken, and for a moment he couldn't get up.
Langke strode toward him, continuing to undermine his opponent's will. It was a trick he often used.
"I said I'd break your arms and legs, but I've changed my mind. Before you die, I'll crush your bones one by one!"
Chen Rui's heart lurched, and his chest tightened. Suddenly, he heard Pagliu's familiar shouts from their training sessions echo in his mind.
"The more afraid you are, the faster you'll die!"
"Show some courage, or you'll never become a true strongman!"
At the brink of death, Chen Rui suddenly came to his senses.
Why had he trained?
Why had he come here to fight for real?
Why hadn't he stayed holed up in the laboratory?
Why hadn't he hidden behind Shea or Aldas for protection?
When he had been powerless before, why hadn't he backed down? Why was he afraid to move forward now?
Even if he hadn't come to the arena today, he would have had to face this trial sooner or later. If he kept running away, he would spend his whole life relying on his wits, becoming nothing more than an opportunist surviving in the cracks.
"What will I do when I can't hold on any longer?" Chen Rui suddenly said loudly to himself. "When I feel like I can't hold on anymore, I have to tell myself: Hold on!"
Langke paused. He couldn't understand what his opponent was saying—Chen Rui had spoken in Chinese.
Could it be some kind of incantation? Can this guy use magic?
Langke was an experienced fighter. He knew his opponent still had strength left, and a desperate counterattack from someone on the verge of death was often the most dangerous. He cautiously slowed his steps.
"Do you remember the words on your bedroom wall?" Chen Rui suddenly clenched his fists. "A person can do anything if he believes he can!"
"The road lies ahead of those who aren't afraid!"
He gritted his teeth and, enduring the agony beneath his ribs, pushed himself upright with both hands.
"Chen Rui, tell yourself: What did the biggest sign say?" Chen Rui roared. It was as if he were telling himself—and declaring to the entire arena, to the entire Demon Realm—"Seize fate by the throat and make it sing 'I Surrender'!"
By the time he finished shouting, Chen Rui, who had been lying motionless on the ground, had leapt to his feet. It was just like all those times he had picked himself up after setbacks in life.
Whatever the outcome of this fight to the death, from this moment onward he had taken a crucial step—and successfully surpassed his old self.
Langke was startled, but the strange incantation seemed to have no effect, so he was reassured and picked up his pace. When he met the eyes peering through the mask, however, he found no trace of fear in them. Chen Rui seemed to radiate a menacing aura.
Langke didn't dare underestimate him. He threw a tentative punch, and Chen Rui dodged to the side. Langke's fist jerked, and the claws that shot from it raked across Chen Rui's chest, spraying blood. Chen Rui didn't flinch. He spun and swept out a kick, striking Langke behind the knee and knocking him to the ground.
When Langke rolled over and sprang back up, Chen Rui didn't choose to defend. Instead, he risked closing in, twisted out of the way of a claw, and moved to Langke's flank. He wrapped his arms around Langke's waist and heaved!
Langke's center of gravity suddenly shifted, leaving him head down. He knew he was in trouble, but before he could protect his head, Chen Rui slammed him into the ground with a fierce suplex he had learned from Athena. The stone tiles beneath them cracked.
Chen Rui had undergone a complete transformation in spirit. He had cast aside all his fear and misgivings. No more hoping for luck, no more fear, no more hesitation. A fight meant giving it everything he had!
His strength might not yet make him a strongman, but he already had the heart of one.
Langke felt a sharp pain in his head and neck. Fortunately, Horned Demons were built tough, and he managed to stagger to his feet. Chen Rui stuck to him like a shadow and launched a fierce counterattack. His hands, feet, and even his head became deadly weapons—the brutal fighting style he had learned from the Poison Dragon.
The spectators had thought victory was within Langke's grasp, but the sudden reversal sent them into a frenzy. They shouted themselves hoarse, cheering for Langke. Those who had originally bet on Number 52 were the happiest of all, and began chanting Number 64's name.
Langke took several hits, but he was no weakling. With a roar, he took a heavy punch and kicked Chen Rui in the wound beneath his ribs, forcing him back and finally escaping the pressure.
Langke had won his previous matches for two reasons. First, he had exceptional strength for a Mid-tier Demon at the early stage, along with a talent that temporarily increased his power. Second, he used cruel methods to intimidate his opponents. Now, Number 64 was unfazed, and his overwhelming aura even surpassed Langke's. Chen Rui's wounds throbbed with pain, but his mind was exceptionally clear. His remaining Star Power flowed steadily, adjusting his body into the ideal state for attack and defense. A faint glint appeared in his eyes. He looked like a beast fixing its gaze on prey that was struggling to survive.
That look sent a chill through the heart of the usually cruel "Blood Hand."
"An interesting fellow," Alaux said suddenly from the VIP seats.
A High-Rank Demon's eyes were keen indeed. At a glance, Alaux could tell that Langke's spirit had already been overpowered by his opponent's aura. No matter how much his strength increased, it would be difficult for him to win.
Qidun, Alaux's trusted aide, read his expression and asked in a knowing tone, "Do you mean Number 64, my lord?"
The Greater Devil's gaze settled on Chen Rui. "I misjudged him earlier. Number 64 can have that sculpture."
Qidun asked curiously, "But the match looks evenly balanced now, and Langke hasn't used his Berserk talent yet. Could the situation still change?"
Alaux sneered without answering. Qidun wisely asked no more questions and continued watching the match.
The longer they fought, the more alarmed Langke became. Number 64 had seemed like an inexperienced novice who would be easy to draw into making a mistake. But as the fight went on, his skills became more polished and complete, while his openings gradually disappeared. When one did appear, it turned out to be a trap. His ability to learn and adapt was simply terrifying!
Even more frightening, despite being badly wounded and supposedly weakened, his opponent had astonishing stamina. Neither his physical strength nor his ability to attack and defend had noticeably declined. Langke himself, by contrast, was starting to flag under the effects of his injuries and his own wavering resolve.
"Roaaar!" Knowing he would surely lose if the fight continued like this, Langke hardened his resolve and bellowed. His muscles suddenly swelled to twice their size, and his strength surged.
"It's Berserk! Langke's using Berserk!"
"It's the Horned Demons' mutated talent!"
"Kill that masked man!"
Langke's supporters saw a chance for him to turn the tables and began shouting.
Chen Rui immediately felt the pressure, but this time he didn't panic. Langke's boost probably wouldn't last long; otherwise, he would have used it from the start. Chen Rui immediately changed tactics, focusing on hit-and-run attacks and controlling the pace as he slowly wore down Langke's strength.
"Keep your center of gravity steady!"
"Don't rely on your eyes alone! Use your instincts to judge!"
"..."
Chen Rui kept repeating the Poison Dragon's lessons to himself. In his state of intense concentration, he began correcting the flaws that had resisted his training, one by one. His sense of timing and judgment grew more accurate, and his control of Star Power became more and more refined.
Like a dull blade sharpened against a whetstone, his edge gradually emerged as he battled Langke.
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