Someone in the League, but it's the Taiwan Server System

"Of course you can."

Chen Ce smiled and placed the Resistance Army badge back into her still smooth and delicate hand.

"The environment over there is much better and safer than here. I believe you will be able to learn a great deal there, so please, do give some thought to the idea of moving."

Master Ce: I Want to Fight Ten!

Hard.

His fists were hard.

Sett watched the young man, who was roughly his own age, with resentment and fury in his eyes that could almost take physical form—it was just a pity that glares couldn't kill.

Ever since he had stepped out of the bath, he had been listening to Chen Ce chat with his mother.

The relaxed and pleasant atmosphere didn't feel like a conversation between a senior and a junior at all; it was clearly the idle chatter of friends of the opposite sex.

Damn it all...

If he had known, he never would have made that deal with this guy... It was like inviting a wolf into the house...

"Ma'am, you really must take a look at this bracelet... The tone and style suit you perfectly."

Chen Ce took an exquisitely crafted, clearly expensive jade bracelet from his bag and, to Lady Dadana's surprise, placed it on her wrist.

Their hands... they were touching!

"No, no... this gift is far too valuable..." Lady Dadana waved her hands repeatedly. "This bracelet... Xiao Ce, you should give this to Ahri instead!"

"I've already given her a gift," Chen Ce smiled. "A pair of gorgeous gemstones—a gift she had been wanting for a long time."

"Oh, this..." Lady Dadana was at a loss for how to refuse such an overly generous gesture.

Sett, standing to the side, knew exactly what gemstones Chen Ce was talking about—that pair of Imero Stones. They were the ones snatched from his own hands, damn him!

"It's fine, this is just a small token of greeting, nothing too extravagant." Chen Ce gently pressed down on Lady Dadana's hand as she moved to take the bracelet off.

The smooth, delicate sensation made him feel for a split second as if he were touching Ahri's hand.

"This... this..." Lady Dadana still wanted to refuse, but given her somewhat reserved nature, she wasn't very good at turning people down.

Besides... the man's hand also made her feel a bit flustered...

She hadn't touched a man's hand in many years... Even if it had nothing to do with romantic feelings, there was still the principle of "men and women should keep their distance," and this feeling made her somewhat...

Ah... it was almost as if she had returned to her youth...

"Ahem!" At that moment, Sett, who had been sitting to the side without a word, finally took action.

He grabbed Chen Ce's wrist and used his overwhelming brute strength to pull it away.

"Chen Ce means well, just accept the bracelet."

Rather than letting Chen Ce have any more physical contact with his mother, Sett would rather she just accept the favor.

"Mm... well... alright then..." Lady Dadana lowered her hand, looking embarrassed, a faint blush rising on her fair cheeks—she looked just like a young girl. "Then thank you, Xiao Ce..."

"You're very welcome." Chen Ce nodded with a smile, while secretly "contesting" with Sett, before nimbly pulling his hand back a moment later.

He then glanced at the old wall clock and said, "It's getting late, Lady Dadana, I must be heading back."

"Oh, oh, alright... come visit again when you have time~" Lady Dadana waved with a smile, her gentle demeanor striking straight at the heart. "Sett, go see Xiao Ce out."

"That was my intention." Sett stood up with a cold sneer and "escorted" Chen Ce out of the house as if pushing him along.

The latter didn't mind, and just like that, they reached the outdoors.

In an instant, the fake smile on Sett's face twisted into a scowl.

"I warned you... don't go out of your way to get close to my mom!"

Hearing this, Chen Ce just shrugged innocently. "I was merely discussing business with Lady Dadana."

"Does discussing business take this long?! You were chatting from seven in the evening until eleven-thirty! That's over four hours!!"

"I did it on purpose."

"Huh? So you admit it, then?!" Sett clenched his iron fists again.

However, Chen Ce remained as innocent as ever. "I dragged it out on purpose, just to wait for you to return."

"Wait for me to return? What do you mean? You just wanted to show me how close you are to my mom and how good your relationship is, right?!"

"No, I wanted to find you."

"Speak clearly! Stop stuttering and spitting out only a few words at a time!"

"In short, I want to make another deal with you." Chen Ce's tone remained calm. "This matter concerns Lady Dadana's safety—if you are willing to cooperate with me, I will do everything in my power to protect her."

Upon hearing that his mother might be in danger, Sett, who had been furious just a moment ago, immediately lost his steam, a look of worry surfacing in his eyes.

But he still held onto his pride. "I can protect my own mom!"

"Yes, of course you can, and I believe you have the strength to do so," Chen Ce said. "But wouldn't an extra layer of insurance be better? Besides, this is only my first bargaining chip."

"What other conditions? Spit it out!"

"I can help you find... your father."

"...?"

At this moment, Sett completely calmed down.

More than twenty hours later, two familiar figures appeared once again within the Ionia Underground Fighting Pit.

One was the most popular rising star gladiator who had been garnering significant attention in the pit over the past few days—Sett.

The other was the "God of Gamblers," Chen Ce, who had turned a small stake into a massive haul of over five hundred gold coins in the betting pools just a few days prior.

As soon as the two entered, the previously drowsy pit manager immediately perked up.

Due to the impact of the war, business at the fighting pit had been poor lately, and he was counting on these two "figures of the hour" to generate some buzz and draw in a crowd.

"Quick, quick, quick! Get these two the best service!"

The manager urged his subordinates to cater to these two VIPs, terrified that they might leave if they felt the slightest bit slighted.

To that end, he even specifically summoned over a dozen female attendants, all with stunning looks and figures and varying styles, just to ensure the two were well-tended—if they had any needs, a little "special service" wasn't out of the question.

"The 'God of Gamblers' can wait a moment, just seat him in the VIP area, but the fighter must be taken care of!" The manager's frantic demeanor was exactly like a miser seeing a god of wealth.

Yet, his subordinates stood frozen, as if they had encountered some insurmountable difficulty.

Exasperated, he kicked one of them in the backside. "Are you all deaf? Get moving!"

"We want to... but..." The latter clutched his bruised rear, his face full of grievance. "But today, the 'God of Gamblers' and the fighter are the same person..."

"Huh? You dog, have you been drinking today?"

"You can see for yourself..."

Hearing this, the manager swallowed his rage and turned to look at the ring.

The next moment, his fury was replaced by pure shock.

The young man, who didn't look particularly robust—and could even be considered thin compared to the other fighters—was standing on the ring.

He held a long spear, his posture as straight as the weapon itself.

He pointed at the light fixture above his head, his voice ringing out loud and clear:

"I want to fight ten!"

Chapter 50 Sett: Putting on a Show, Are We?

The fighting pit manager stared at the young man on the ring, his eyes filled with shock and confusion.

That guy named Chen Ce... wasn't he just a gambler? Why was he on the stage himself? And holding a long spear, he actually looked the part?

"What is going on here?" The manager shoved his subordinate aside and personally reviewed the night's fight card.

First match...

Chen Ce?

It really was him?

He was actually going to fight?

"Is he crazy? Or did I drink too much today?" Even now, the manager felt the situation was too surreal to be real.

But his subordinates didn't overthink it as much as he did.

"What do we do now?" one staff member asked. "Are we really going to send ten gladiators to fight him?"

"Fight your head!" The manager slapped the back of the staff member's head. "He must be dissatisfied with our pit and is doing this on purpose. Hurry up and take a few people over to talk him off the ring!"

"Oh, oh, right..." The staff member scurried away.

The manager irritably lit a cigar, preparing to reschedule the night's events.

But before he could take a few puffs, the staff member came scurrying back.

"Uh... he said he has no complaints about our pit, he just wants to fight..."

"Huh?" The manager was so anxious he snapped his cigar in half, nearly burning a hole in his precious coat. "You useless fool, how can you not even talk someone down?"

"It's not that... he really wants to fight... he's not just making a scene..."

"Tsk..."

The manager turned his gaze back to the center of the ring, where the young man named Chen Ce still stood proudly, like a king surveying his territory.

At this moment, it finally dawned on him—this man wasn't "throwing a tantrum," he was truly confident in himself and genuinely wanted to fight.

As for his arrogant claim of wanting to fight ten...

"Damn it..."

The manager cursed at the back of the figure, a flash of ferocity in his eyes.

"If he wants to wreck the place, then we'll break his bones!"

Inside the fighting pit, Sett, who should have been standing on the ring waiting for the match to start, was currently standing below it.

He tugged hard on the cage bars at the edge of the ring to grab Chen Ce's attention.

"Hey, is this method of yours really sound...?"

"Rest assured, it's sound." Chen Ce replied with a smile.

"You're even crazier than I am... Even if I'm confident in becoming the strongest fighter here, I can't just play like this, right?"

"For you, trying to defeat all the powerhouses in a single night is indeed a bit difficult."

"Are you acting dumb?"

"No."

"I really want to land a punch on that smug face of yours, Chen Ce."

"Then you might have to get in line." Chen Ce smiled again, then turned his head to look toward the other side of the arena.

A large group of people was walking toward them.

A dozen or twenty people. Perhaps some were attendants, but the remaining hulking brutes with muscles larger than their brains were definitely gladiators.

Yes, he was going to single-handedly topple every powerhouse in this Underground Fighting Pit tonight.

This was the second gift for Sett—helping him rapidly ascend to become the "Underground Emperor" of Ionia.

This was the second reward in his deal with Sett, and also a way to help himself—or rather, to help the Resistance Army.

Once Sett accepted this gift, he would have to use it to work for the Resistance Army.

To work for the Resistance Army or assist them in crushing the warband mentioned in Samira's intelligence.

This could be considered a form of indirect recruitment.

A fair trade.