Partners! The Support of the Poison Dragon

Chen Rui's current strength is equivalent to a newly advanced Mid-tier Demon, while Alaux is at least a stable High-tier Demon. That is to say, a beginner Mid-tier versus a mid-stage High-tier; the gap of an entire major realm is nothing short of a chasm.

Although Chen Rui had been turning the impossible into the possible ever since he arrived in the Demon Realm, he had previously relied on wit and luck. Now, however, he was facing raw, unadulterated power!

"Lord Alaux, I remember now!" Qidun, standing to the side, slapped his forehead and spoke up, "This Number 64's name is Agulie, the leader of a small organization in the city called the Cloak Society."

"The Cloak Society?" Alaux nodded, his smile turning even more cruel as he looked at Chen Rui. "Very well! Then you have one more bargaining chip: all the members of the Cloak Society. If you fail or flee, the heads of everyone in the Cloak Society, including your own, will be hung in the arena."

Chen Rui pondered, "I admit, the difficulty of this challenge is immense, so I need emergency special training starting now and do not wish to be disturbed by anyone! I have only one question: after signing the contract, will my whereabouts be exposed within these two months?"

"The contract states it clearly: the time is sixty days later. Within those sixty days, I will be unable to track your existence."

Chen Rui had no other choice. He took a deep breath, bit his finger, and used his blood to write the name Agulie on the flaming contract. The bloody characters transformed into a shimmering golden seal that sank into the flames. Alaux followed suit, completing the signing of the contract.

Qidun watched in a daze, never imagining that Lord Alaux would actually sign a War Contract with a Mid-tier Demon; it was simply beneath his dignity.

With a thought from Alaux, the War Contract vanished. He nodded and said, "Good! But your current strength is nowhere near enough to challenge me. Since you say you want to break your seals between life and death, I will give you a hand! Today's 'Blood Hand' Langke was merely a beginner Mid-tier Demon. Your next opponent will be 'Swift Wolf' Jess, the strongest Mid-tier Demon in the arena. I will give you ten days to recover and train. The match will take place at this time in ten days. Once you fail, I will not repeat the consequences."

"I know," Chen Rui retorted bluntly, "What if it is you who loses in two months?"

In a sense, the delaying tactic and the provocation had succeeded; the rest would depend on true strength. By conventional logic, let alone two months, it would be impossible to challenge Alaux even in two years. But the Super System he possessed was an existence that defied common sense. Not only that, he had Pagliu, and that newly transformed Heart of the Strong.

Just like the battle with Langke today, people are often forced into action. The greater the pressure, the more one's potential is stimulated. Since there was no way to retreat, he might as well give it his all; only by placing oneself in a position of certain death can one find a way to live.

"I will lose?" Alaux acted as if he had heard the greatest joke in the world. Qidun, standing by, immediately seized the opportunity to sneer along, "If you can truly break through your so-called seals step by step and defeat me in two months, this arena, and my life, Alaux's life, will all be yours! However, do not harbor any delusions of escaping. Even if you flee to the edge of the Demon Realm, I will still take your head!"

"A true warrior only dies in battle, not while fleeing from a hunt," Chen Rui said indifferently, then turned and walked away.

"I was just looking for some amusement, so I look forward to personally severing your head in the arena two months from now." Alaux's smile grew increasingly cruel, though a look of appreciation flashed in his eyes. "Wait!"

Chen Rui turned back and saw the Greater Devil wave his hand. The meter-tall Fluorescent Shadow Stone sculpture rose slowly into the air and flew toward him. He quickly caught it with both hands, feeling greatly surprised.

"This is what you deserve!" Alaux ignored him further, sat down, and picked up his wine glass.

The moment Chen Rui left, Qidun gathered the courage to ask, "Lord Alaux, you could have easily killed Agulie just now. Why lower your status to sign a War Contract with such an incompetent person?"

Alaux paused his wine glass. A look of nostalgia flickered in his blood-red pupils, but his voice turned chilling, "Qidun, you are my confidant and have followed me for nearly a hundred years. You should know what should be asked and what should not."

The Servant Demon revealed a look of terror, realizing he had spoken too much, and quickly bowed, "My Lord, please rest assured, Qidun understands."

Although it was already late at night and his injuries were severe, the two-month deadline was pressing. Chen Rui did not linger; he returned to the laboratory, immediately boarded the Wyvern, and flew toward Blue Wave Lake.

On the way, Chen Rui entered the Super System. In the status bar, his experience points had reached 6%. He finally discovered an anomaly in the 3D human model. In a certain lewd area, the light sphere of "Gang" appeared even more radiant. Centered on this, wisps of light filaments appeared throughout his body, like smoke, flickering in and out of existence, faintly constructing a thin skeletal form.

What did this change in the "skeleton" represent? Chen Rui was filled with confusion. After the battle with Langke, he had clearly felt some changes in himself, as if his use of power had become more fluid and intuitive. Pagliu was right; real combat between life and death was the fastest way to improve one's strength.

However, the upcoming trials remained extremely severe. Setting aside the challenge against Alaux in two months, even the "Swift Wolf" Jess in seven days was a formidable opponent. Anyone capable of surviving in the arena was a battle-hardened, experienced expert. Since Alaux called Jess the strongest at the stable stage of Mid-tier Demon, there was certainly no exaggeration in that assessment.

With Chen Rui's current strength equivalent to a beginner Mid-tier Demon, facing Jess in seven days would be even more dangerous than today's battle.

The quality of that sculpture was indeed high. By the time Chen Rui reached the sky above Blue Wave Lake, he had finished converting it completely. Although this item was the root cause of his trouble, the Spirit Energy it provided was substantial—over sixteen thousand points. Now, his total Spirit Energy Value had reached over twenty-one thousand. He could definitely make reasonable use of it, and the Training Ground was the most suitable place for such "consumption."

For now, he needed to hear the Poison Dragon's opinion before arranging an emergency training plan.

After dismounting the Wyvern, he had only taken a few steps when he keenly sensed an anomaly behind him. He tilted slightly, dodging a sneak attack, and suddenly fell backward. As he fell, he threw a hook kick, but the person behind him was faster and grabbed his leg. Chen Rui used the momentum to rise, using his body as an axis to spin in mid-air. The attacker couldn't hold on, and his other leg kicked out during the rotation. The person let out an "Oh," and retreated two steps, avoiding the unexpected strike.

"Strange, you seem to have become stronger." The voice behind him was indeed Pagliu's. "Your strength and reaction have improved significantly, but there was a slight stiffness during the spin. Are you injured?"

"You can even tell that? As expected of the Poison Dragon, your eyes are truly sharp." Chen Rui gave a bitter smile, "I was injured quite badly this time; it seems like two ribs are broken. But you know my body; I estimate I'll be fully recovered in two or three days."

Pagliu frowned, "Who did you fight? How did you get injured?"

After Chen Rui finished explaining the situation at the arena, the Poison Dragon immediately began to curse, "You challenged a High-tier while only at the beginner Mid-tier level? And you signed that damn War Contract? Don't forget that our lives are linked now. Are you trying to drag me down to die with you?"

"I didn't want to either, but the situation was too critical, and I had no choice." Chen Rui shrugged, "Didn't I go to the arena to improve my strength as quickly as possible so I could go to the Gloomy Night Wetland and unlock the Lock of Light and Darkness for you? It's useless to regret it now. Let's formulate an emergency training plan. Within two months, I must at least reach the power of a High-tier Demon."

"Reach High-tier from beginner Mid-tier in two months?" Pagliu's eyes widened, "If it were that easy, the Lesser Devils everywhere would be High-tier! Use your cunning! Think of a way to kill that Greater Devil in advance!"

"Pagliu, listen to me. I think this is an opportunity. Didn't you say that real combat is the fastest shortcut to progress? You saw it yourself; my strength has improved significantly compared to last night. Alaux has it all planned out. The opponent I'm challenging in ten days is a mid-stage Mid-tier opponent. If I can win, he will continue to arrange new opponents, from low to high, until I can challenge him. These battles are all dangerous, but from another perspective, it's as if Alaux is pushing me forward! So, I want to fight—to truly fight."

As Chen Rui spoke, his eyes lit up, "I almost lost my life in the arena today, but the gains were immense. I have truly understood many things. If I lack courage and fighting spirit, then even with the inheritance of a Grandmaster, I will only ever be an opportunist surviving in the cracks for the rest of my life. Can I still go to the Gloomy Night Wetland? Can I still go find the Fairy Dragon Lola? It's not just for you, but for myself. I need power; I want to become a true powerhouse!"

Compared to the many high mountains and steep ridges on the road ahead, Alaux was just a small peak standing in front of Chen Rui. If he couldn't even conquer this peak, how could he cross higher and more numerous mountains in the future?

Although the pressure was immense, it was also his motivation.

The Poison Dragon said disdainfully, "Everyone wants to be a powerhouse, but you can encounter the threat of death at any moment on this path. Very few actually survive to become powerhouses! Aren't you afraid of death? Use your brain and think clearly!"

"Pagliu, didn't you walk this path step by step as well?" Chen Rui remained unshaken, "I have decided. Even if the road ahead is full of life-threatening crises, I will never retreat. I don't want to be a puppet of fate anymore; I want to grab it by the throat!"

The Poison Dragon's gaze gradually settled, carefully observing the human who had never been so serious before, and asked coldly, "You overconfident fool, are you sure you want to do this?"

"We humans have a saying: the cowardly die a thousand times before their actual death, while the brave die only once. I know what you're worried about. Can we find a way to break the Symbiotic Contract? Even without the contract, I would still go to the Gloomy Night Wetland to help you unlock the seal. If you don't believe me..."

"Unless you reach the demigod level, the power of the contract cannot be broken! Besides, with your cunning and greed, I don't trust you; I'd rather maintain the contract!" The Poison Dragon interrupted him irritably, "Since you've already decided, Lord Pagliu will take this risk with you! I want to see how you plan to grab fate by the throat in the future! I've only just realized that you are not only cunning and greedy, but also a complete lunatic! I really don't understand how Lord Pagliu ended up with such a partner!"

"However, since you've decided, you might as well give it a try. If it really doesn't work, I have another way to deal with that guy!" The Poison Dragon added afterward.

Although Pagliu's tone was harsh, he had expressed trust and support. The word "partner" moved Chen Rui deeply; he knew this arrogant dragon had fully acknowledged his courage. Of course, its mouth remained as stubborn as ever.