The entire team had already endured a long and arduous journey in their search for his parents.
In a situation where he knew the odds were against him, how could he possibly let Lu Sheng go up there again?
"Don't!"
Lu Sheng snatched the registration form back from Xiao Yu and hid it behind his back. "This kind of ruleless fighting is not suitable for water-type talents. You stay on the sidelines and keep Tian Tian company."
"Otherwise, if you get a minor cut, she'll worry so much she won't be able to sleep all night."
Water-based abilities are better suited for prolonged battles at lower levels; they are not suitable for close-quarters combat scenarios where fists and blows are used in a confined space.
Rather than having Xiao Yu perform at her own pace and achieve less with more effort, it would be better for her to finish quickly, wrap up early, and go back to the hotel to sleep.
"How could I, a grown man, let you risk your life in the ring?" Xiao Yu felt guilty all the while.
Zhang Xiaojuan, on the other hand, casually hooked her arm around Xiao Yu's neck and said, "Brother, a man's sense of responsibility depends on who he's dealing with."
"What we should be worried about now is the brat who's trying to steal tickets from Sister Lu. If he falls into someone else's hands, they might be able to put up a fight, but if he falls into Sister Lu's hands, both of his kidneys will be blown out."
Sun Tiantian and Han Rui couldn't help but laugh, and Xiao Yu finally put her mind at ease for the time being.
As they spoke, the arena was already packed.
It was not even 10 o'clock yet, but the venue was already packed with contestants and people from various gambling dens who had come to set up betting odds.
Most of the superhumans who signed up for the competition had already reached the fourth level, and they had all come up through a life of danger, with almost everyone covered in scars.
Lu Sheng and her group of young, fresh-faced girls stood out conspicuously among the group of rough men; they were clearly not the same type of people they were talking about.
A few lewd guys winked and whistled at Lu Sheng and the other girls, but when she swept them away with her cold gaze, they turned their heads away dejectedly.
"Take a look! Small investment, big returns! Ten crystal cores for a bright future!"
Not far away, casino betting clerks were enthusiastically shouting their orders.
Zhang Xiaojuan went over to watch the commotion for a while, then came back and clicked her tongue repeatedly, "These people really have no eyes! My sister Lu's odds are 1 to 40! They'll be crying later!"
"To show my respect for Sister Lu, I bought 100 crystal cores. I'll treat you all to a big spending spree when I make some money."
At this moment, the referee officially appointed by Dongsheng Group has taken to the commentary booth.
A burst of boisterous cheers erupted from the crowded venue.
The ring is located in the center of the entire venue, and is a square with a size of about one hundred square meters.
The entire arena was covered by a protective net made of high-quality steel, with only a small door on the left side that could only allow one person to pass through at a time.
The door could only be opened from the outside of the ring; the inside was bare and didn't even have a handle.
The design of the arena itself reveals the nature of this ring-based gauntlet match.
From the moment you step into the ring, there are only two paths left.
It's either win the game or lose your life.
Although the risks are high, life is not easy in this world, and there are many people who risk their lives to find a way to success.
"A star player has already appeared at the very beginning?"
Seeing the information about the players scrolling on the electronic screen, Zhang Xiaojuan, holding the odds poster she had taken from the betting odds place, introduced them to Lu Sheng and the others as if they were old friends.
"The young man on the left is Lei Yong, a fourth-tier lightning-type fighter. He is quite famous in Qinhuai City and is a popular star in today's competition. His odds are 1 to 1.05."
"The chubby guy on the right is Zhao Tuo, a gold-element expert who just entered Qinhuai City these past two days. I heard that he took down several fourth-level experts as soon as he arrived, and quite a few people are betting on him to win, with odds of 1 to 1.6."
"That's not all! I heard that these two have both taken a liking to the fruit platter girl at the Daokou Bar. It's like rivals meeting and getting extremely jealous. They have both old and new grudges on and off stage!"
The chubby little boy sitting next to Zhang Xiaojuan kept chattering away, gossiping about Lu Sheng and the others in a very familiar manner.
In the apocalypse, there's no need to go to work or school, so everyone is incredibly idle, and even the slightest thing spreads like wildfire.
The audience members were excitedly chanting the names of the two players on stage, all of them having just placed bets and hoping to make a fortune.
Lei Yong and Zhao Tuo entered the arena one after the other.
The official commentator was enthusiastically introducing the two players to the audience when an unexpected incident suddenly occurred right under everyone's noses.
boom!
Suddenly, an explosion was heard on the arena.
As the thick smoke dissipated, a round, bloody ball rolled to the stands near Lu Sheng's side.
Someone mustered up the courage to rummage around, and was so frightened that their legs went weak and they almost collapsed to the ground.
"It's... a head!"
The crowd erupted in uproar, turning their attention back to the arena.
Zhao Tuo stood on the arena carrying a hand cannon, while Lei Yong opposite him was just a headless corpse.
The wound on his neck was charred, and blackened blood dripped down his neck onto the ground.
The venue was silent for a second, then erupted in an uproar.
In those few short seconds of introducing the contestants, Zhao Tuo, right in front of everyone, blew Lei Yong's head off with a single shot!
"Holy crap... what does this mean? A sneak attack? They haven't even given the order to start yet, and you're already making your move?"
"You pulled out a hand cannon on the fighting stage! Don't you have any sportsmanship?! I'll blow up your ancestral graves with a string of firecrackers!"
In the audience, a group of people who had bet on Lei Yong to win angrily protested to the organizers.
Zhao Tuo carried the hand cannon to the edge of the ring, made a mocking gesture towards the audience, and said, "The rules of the competition state that once you enter the ring, the match begins. Lei Yong, that sissy, is brain-dead and deserves to die!"
Even as the voices of protest grew louder and louder.
However, according to the organizer's rules, Zhao Tuo did not violate any rules.
However, everyone had a preconceived notion that, according to pre-apocalyptic standards, the game should only begin after the referee announces it.
Having learned from Lei Yong's experience, those who went on stage after him were extremely cautious.
However, Zhao Tuo's metal-type superpower has advanced to the point where he can modify weapons and integrate them with his body.
Ordinary fourth-tier ability users couldn't gain any advantage against him at all. On the contrary, because their ability activation speed couldn't keep up with the bullet's trajectory, Zhao Tuo quickly found their weaknesses.
In just one hour, the ring was stained with the challenger's blood.
None of the dozen or so challengers survived; they were either killed or maimed.
The few who survived were blasted into the door by a cannonball and were released by officials outside.
"These people are a bit stupid. Have they never played online games before?" Zhang Xiaojuan bought a few popsicles from somewhere and shared them with Lu Sheng and the others. "At low levels, physical damage dealers are the boss, and magic damage dealers can only become powerful in the late game."
Seeing that no one had stepped up to challenge the ring for a full ten minutes, many people in the audience were getting restless.
"Go! What are you waiting for!"
"You don't even dare to step into the ring! I'm betting on you to win!"
Regardless of the discussions in the audience, the remaining people were determined not to go into the ring to cause trouble today.
The tournament lasts for ten days. There will always be times when you can pick on the weakest opponent. It's not worth risking your life on the first day.
Zhao Tuo leaned against the protective netting of the ring, smugly wiping his hand cannon.
Until a slender and graceful figure lightly leaped onto the ring.
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