Death Gladiator Match

Suren had not expected the underground casino in the Green Street District to host a "Death Gladiator Match."

It was an incredibly brutal form of combat. There were no rounds and no points; victory and death were both decided in an instant.

Because these were death matches, the gladiators fought with everything they had, making them exceptionally thrilling to watch.

And because killing moves were often decided in a split second, the outcome was highly unpredictable, stimulating the nerves and making the gambling even more entertaining.

That was why this bloody form of gladiatorial combat was the most popular betting event in the underground world.

Suren followed squad leader Kai into this fighting and betting establishment called the "Scarlet Bunker."

Gangsters had their own presence. Whether people knew them or not, gamblers would instinctively make way when they saw the "Cross Star" emblem on their clothes.

The air was filled with a sweet fragrance. It was a hallucinogenic drug that could put people's nerves into a state of heightened excitement. "Alchemy" was a basic skill for alchemists, and there were people in the black market who specialized in manufacturing and selling these addictive hallucinogens.

"'Skullcrusher,' tear him apart!"

"Oh, 'Entomber,' get the hell up! I bet ten thousand Liso on you! Don't you dare lose!"

"Hahaha, 'Skullcrusher' is going to win! Kill him! Kick that bastard's head apart!"

"..."

The underground second floor was about the size of an indoor basketball court. At its center stood a massive octagonal cage for gladiatorial combat.

Inside the arena, two blood-covered gladiators were fighting to the death.

The battle moved at a rapid pace. After grappling for several exchanges, the powerful gladiator known as "Skullcrusher" snapped his opponent's neck, and a wave of cheers erupted throughout the casino.

Of course, the curses of gamblers who had lost their bets were mixed in as well.

Suren's gaze fixed on the "gray fog" floating above the corpse in the distance, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

Earlier, he had thought his Death Reaper would be useless once he entered the city. Now that he thought about it, joining a gang didn't seem so bad.

Kai noticed the strange look in Suren's eyes and guessed that this was probably his first time attending a gladiatorial match. He also introduced the place to several newcomers. "This is the hottest form of betting in Green Street."

Then he pointed toward the private rooms on the highest level of the stands. "See those? Quite a few of the people in those rooms are big shots from the Inner City. They're the real big spenders."

As Suren listened, his gaze followed Kai's toward the rooms fitted with one-way glass.

Behind those black windows, there seemed to be pairs of eyes watching everything that happened in the arena.

Hearing this, one of the newcomers asked, "Big shots from the Inner City come to the outer city too? Aren't those arrogant bastards disgusted by how filthy and run-down our outer city is? Don't they never set foot here?"

"Heh. Quite a few of them come."

Kai shrugged. He did not seem to hold the people from the Inner City in much regard either. "The Inner City doesn't have matches this thrilling, after all. When those bastards want to have some fun, they have to come onto our turf. But it's also thanks to those big-money backers that we can live so comfortably."

As he spoke, perhaps remembering something, he warned the newcomers again. "Although we and those big shots from the Inner City belong to two different worlds and probably won't have much contact with each other, if you ever really run into one of them, don't provoke them. Otherwise, you'll cause trouble for the boss and the others."

Suren nodded along with the other newcomers. "Understood, Captain."

Kai led everyone around the casino, letting the newcomers familiarize themselves with the place.

"All right, today's mission is done. Go do whatever you want, and remember to bring your communicators."

"Got it, Captain. You're the best!"

"Get lost. Stop flattering me."

The moment Kai announced that they were "off work," the veteran gang members scattered excitedly.

Seeing that several of the newcomers still looked somewhat bewildered, he added, "It's your first day in the gang, so you can go have some fun. Those taverns and pleasure houses we passed earlier are all under the Cross Society's protection. If you're looking for a girl, you can get a discount too."

At this, everyone except Suren wore eager, suggestive smiles.

Wasn't joining a gang all about enjoying a carefree life with alcohol, food, and women?

"Suren, aren't you going?"

"No. I want to stay here for a while."

"..."

Suren did not go to the pleasure houses with the other three newcomers. His attention remained fixed on the arena.

Reason told him that compared with women, increasing his strength was what would allow him to survive in this world.

His awakened Reaper talent focused on growth. As long as he lived long enough, everything he wanted would eventually be his.

In that short while, another gladiatorial match began.

Two new fighters entered the octagonal cage, and another bloody battle to the death began, every punch landing with solid force.

Suren pushed through the tide of gamblers and moved closer to the cage.

To collect Memory Fragments, he had to get close enough.

The gamblers who saw someone pushing his way through initially looked furious and were about to curse him, but when they saw the "Cross Star" emblem on Suren's clothes, they immediately swallowed their words.

The "Iron Cross Society" still held considerable deterrence in the eyes of ordinary people.

Suren paid them no attention and squeezed over to the passageway on the left side of the cage.

If he remembered correctly, this was where the corpses were dragged away.

There were at least several thousand people in the casino, and the place was filled with noise and commotion.

No one would pay attention to where the corpse of a loser was dragged, but Suren was also worried that someone might notice him collecting soul fragments, so he had deliberately chosen this inconspicuous corner.

Just then, a graceful woman carrying a tray pushed her way through the crowd.

With a bright smile, she leaned toward Suren and asked in a soft, alluring voice, "Sir, would you like to place a bet? You can't bet on this round anymore, but you can bet on the next one. Blind guesses come with an extra odds bonus~"

"The Red Side. One thousand."

Having squeezed so close to the front, Suren naturally looked like a fanatical gambler to anyone watching. He casually pulled out a stack of banknotes and placed them on the tray.

The crowd pressed the woman's entire body against Suren. She did not seem to mind in the slightest. After taking the money and tearing off the betting slip, she even threw Suren a flirtatious glance. "I'm sure you'll guess correctly, sir~"

"Mm. I think so too."

Suren smiled faintly.

He certainly did not think his current bald appearance was handsome enough to make a beautiful woman throw herself into his arms.

While observing earlier, he had already noticed that the betting women working in the casino would take the initiative to flatter customers. Gamblers who won their bets were exceptionally generous with tips. Though they had to endure wandering hands, their income in a single night could even exceed that of most of the gambling lords. This job paid far more than working the streets at a brothel, and it was much easier too.

"Kill him!"

"Kill him!"

"..."

Near the cage, a group of gamblers clutching betting slips screamed the names of the gladiators they had bet on. Although Suren had no interest in gambling, he watched the battle with complete concentration.

It was also his first time witnessing such a bloody and brutal fight, and a repressed emotion deep within him began to stir.

The gladiators on the platform taught him his first lesson in otherworldly combat.

Fists howled through the air, and the murderous intent was enough to make one's scalp go numb.

Suren placed himself in the position of the gladiators in the arena, deeply shaken as he watched. No wonder the All-Seeing Eye rated my combat skills as only "Advanced Beginner." If I faced them in the arena, I'd probably be killed in a single exchange.

At that moment, Suren saw the enormous gap between them.

The gladiators' attacks were vicious and sharp, like bullets or daggers. The moment they struck a vital point, they immediately followed up with a killing move, giving their opponents no chance to retaliate.

One strike, one kill.

This kind of combat had no flashy moves. Everything was aimed at killing.

It was completely different from the combat Suren remembered!

This world was gradually revealing its cruel side to Suren, the transmigrator.