War Contract! An Impossible Challenge

If Chen Rui were to enter the status screen of the Super System now, he would see that the translucent human figure had undergone some strange changes, but his entire focus was currently on Langke.

Langke, having entered the Berserk state, appeared menacing, but he was terrified inside. His attacks were often dodged or intercepted by Number 64 before they could land, while the opponent's counterattacks always struck his most vulnerable spots with pinpoint accuracy, leaving him feeling restricted and stifled. Although his power had nearly doubled, it had failed to achieve the expected results and remained under the opponent's control. Number 64 appeared to be on the defensive, yet his rhythm remained perfectly steady, as if he were gathering strength and waiting for a flaw to appear—a flaw that, once seized, would lead to a fatal strike.

What terrified Langke the most was that his Berserk state could not last; it was nearing its end, and he would soon enter a period of weakness where his power would plummet.

"Bang!" Chen Rui blocked a strike and felt the opponent's power rapidly waning. Realizing that Langke's swollen muscles were suddenly shrinking, he understood the situation immediately. He unleashed all the power he had been suppressing and launched a fierce counterattack.

The spectators below were astonished to see that Langke, despite using his Berserk talent, had not only failed to finish off Number 64 but had instead been suppressed and stifled. When Langke's momentum finally collapsed and he was knocked down by a heavy punch, unable to rise again, the last shred of hope for those who had bet on Langke vanished, while the tiny minority who had bet on Number 52 erupted into ecstatic cheers.

After defeating Langke, Chen Rui panted heavily. Although the properties of the Star Body accelerated his stamina recovery, his expenditure had been immense. Fortunately, his wounds were already scabbing over and healing well, though the most severe injury under his ribs would still take time to recover.

Langke lay weakly on the ground, feeling immense pain and exhaustion throughout his body; he tried to crawl up several times but failed. His desperate use of the Berserk talent had been a last resort because he had been too passive under his opponent's control, and Number 64's endurance was beyond imagination. Even without the Berserk state, if the previous rhythm had continued, he would have met the same fate.

Langke had originally intended to use the power of his Berserk state to land a fatal blow on Number 64, but he never expected the opponent to remain completely composed. Instead, he was the one who couldn't hold on, ultimately being defeated in one fell swoop.

Seeing Number 64 approaching step by step, the Horned Demon, known by the fearsome title of "Blood Hand," felt as if he were seeing the very scenes where he usually tortured his own opponents. Trembling in his heart, he hurriedly shouted, "Don't kill me! I surrender!"

In fact, the rules of the arena dictated that a fight to the death must be decided within two hours; unless Alaux agreed, a surrender was invalid. Langke realized that Number 64 was a first-time participant and intended to use his remaining strength to make one last gamble.

Sure enough, Number 64's footsteps stopped. Seeing Langke begging for mercy, the audience began to jeer and shout in unison: "Kill him! Kill him!"

"My lord, spare my life." Langke, disregarding his dignity, slowly crawled over and prostrated himself before his opponent. Number 64 hesitated for a moment and slowly turned away. While begging for mercy, a vicious glint flashed in Langke's eyes. He suddenly lunged upward, his long-prepared claws swiping toward the back of his opponent's head. Before the move could fully unfold, a sharp pain erupted in his throat as he was struck by a fierce hand blade.

Langke's expression turned to one of terror, his throat emitting a "gurgling" sound before he finally collapsed to the ground, never to move again.

Chen Rui might not have been fully clear on the rules of the arena, but he clearly remembered one thing the Poison Dragon had repeatedly emphasized: "In a real battle, the enemy will never show you mercy. To survive, the only path is to kill your opponent."

Langke's sneak attack was tantamount to seeking his own death, making him the first enemy to die at Chen Rui's hands.

The audience fell silent, watching the masked man slowly retract his hand, pick up the cloak from the ground, and drape it back over his shoulders. He stood in silence for a moment before raising his fists in victory. The atmosphere in the arena was instantly ignited, and many people began to shout: "Number 64! Number 64!"

Everyone believed that Number 64 had intentionally baited Langke into a sneak attack, only to end his life with a clean and decisive finishing blow—a truly brilliant display of skill.

Amidst the roaring cheers, Chen Rui felt no sense of triumph. On the contrary, during that moment of silence, he had been struggling to suppress the nausea and discomfort of shedding blood for the first time. He hardened his heart, constantly reminding himself: if he showed any cowardice or negligence in future battles, then the corpse lying on the ground would be his own!

In the instant he raised his hands, Chen Rui had fully integrated into the role of Agulie, and fully integrated into this demon world where the strong were respected and power was supreme. For the sake of survival and to master his own destiny, that heart of a powerhouse that would never retreat would continue to burn in future battles until his life reached its end.

This mental transformation might not allow Chen Rui to break through to the Gang Realm immediately, but it was absolutely a necessary condition for entering the Sha Realm in the future.

Having won, Chen Rui took the money bag handed to him by the female Succubus. It contained his appearance fee for the day and the more than one hundred Black Crystal Coins he had won by betting on himself. Ignoring the flirtatious winks from the Succubus, he tucked the bag into his Storage Warehouse and left the arena.

One Black Crystal Coin had turned into over one hundred and twenty—it was a massive profit. Thinking back, after the Master Challenge, Shea had only rewarded him with five Black Crystal Coins, and the Purple Crystal Coins given by that "generous" Imperial Capital master, Kamp, now seemed insignificant.

The most critical thing now was to obtain the statue of the Fluorescent Shadow Stone; if he could do that, tonight's harvest would be perfect.

Chen Rui arrived at the registration room and saw Alaux sitting on a sofa, leisurely holding a large wine goblet, with the Servant Demon Qidun standing carefully to the side.

"Lord Alaux, I have killed Langke as agreed. Please fulfill your promise."

Alaux stared at the statue for a moment and snorted coldly, "I don't like dealing with people who hide their faces. Take off your mask!"

"Is my lord going back on his word?"

"So what if I am? Besides, I'm not talking about the statue now, but your mask! Do you want me to do it myself?" Alaux's tone left no room for refusal.

Chen Rui grew wary, his thoughts racing as he weighed his options. He said, "Lord Alaux, I can forgo the statue, but as for the mask... please forgive me, it is a vow, and I cannot take it off yet."

Alaux remained unmoved, his aura gradually becoming sharp: "Vows are your business, they have nothing to do with me. I am ordering you now: take off the mask! Otherwise, I will peel this annoying mask off your corpse."

Alaux did not suspect Chen Rui's identity; he simply wanted him to remove the mask based on his own whims. Although the arena had its rules, this was the Demon Realm, where the will of the strong was the law. Reasoning was useless.

Chen Rui's heart sank. Alaux was not someone like Langke; the gap in their strength was too vast. Even fighting to the death would be futile, and even escaping was out of the question. What should he do? Would everything be exposed because of this? Given the grudge between Joseph's side and him, taking off the mask would also mean death.

Qidun, the Servant Demon beside Alaux, was about to add a few threats when he saw Number 64 laughing recklessly. He hurriedly shouted, "Ignorant fool, how dare you defy Lord Alaux!"

Chen Rui had just recalled something from the information regarding Alaux and decided to take a gamble. His laughter stopped abruptly: "Alaux, for that one sentence alone, you are my enemy! I now formally challenge you!"

Alaux raised an eyebrow. Qidun, standing to the side, thought he had misheard. A mid-stage, early-phase guy was actually taking the initiative to challenge a high-stage Greater Devil?

Number 64 said coldly, "I have lost my surname and the glory of my family. I once swore to the Demon God that until I restore the glory that was stripped from me, I will never remove this mask. Anyone who desecrates this vow will be a target I must strike down!"

The Devil Race valued family lineage above all else. To a demon, having one's surname stripped away was, in a sense, more cruel than being executed. Chen Rui's reason could be said to be very "demonic," and generally speaking, the other party would not refuse.

"Lost your surname and glory..." A strange look flashed in Alaux's eyes, followed by a sneer of disdain. "You want to challenge me? It's a pity that your current power is pathetically weak. I only need one finger to completely obliterate you. You don't have the qualifications!"

Chen Rui's mind raced. Thinking of the Poison Dragon being sealed, he immediately found his wording and shook his head: "I have been placed under a seal. Only through life-and-death battles can I awaken my power and combat talents layer by layer. This is the real reason I came to the arena! Although I am no match for you now, give me two months, and I will make that look of contempt disappear from your face forever! If you don't dare to accept the challenge, you can kill me right now and peel the mask off my corpse to satisfy that pathetic curiosity of yours!"

This provocative remark made Alaux raise an eyebrow. He stood up slowly, and an oppressive pressure instantly radiated outward, causing Qidun to tremble in fear. Chen Rui saw that the taunt had worked and became calm instead. He had experienced Shea's "killing intent fluctuations" several times—a terror far greater than this—and had undergone special training with the Poison Dragon, so he was naturally unfazed by Alaux's killing intent, meeting his gaze with firm resolve.

"Very good! A very good look in your eyes! I accept your challenge!" Alaux suddenly laughed, revealing his white, sharp teeth. His laughter remained as clanging as metal striking metal. He nodded, "An interesting fellow. I will give you two months!"

As he spoke, a brilliant light erupted from Alaux's pupils, flickering with raging flames. A parchment scroll wreathed in fire appeared before Chen Rui, with golden characters faintly visible upon it: "I don't know where your confidence comes from. You must be a Greater Devil with a mutated bloodline, but even if you use your combat form, you are not worth mentioning in my eyes. I don't have two forms, but I have a special talent: this, the War Contract. Sign the contract now. If you don't participate in the challenge in two months, I can find you anywhere!"

Chen Rui had been thinking on his feet, using a stalling tactic. He hadn't expected Alaux to have such a special talent. Now, it was too late to back out or ask for more time.