Chapter 18 The Colosseum: The knife is at your throat in the next second...
Chen Qingxin's movements in the water were quick, but unfortunately, they were still slow in comparison.
She only saw a thick, white fish tail among the seaweed, about the same size as the mackerel.
This... perhaps it's a companion of that mackerel? As for spying, perhaps it's the fish's way of getting revenge; animals that survive at sea are all quite shrewd.
Shen Dixin once encountered a brown bear with a physical fitness level of around 50. It's no exaggeration to say that it was almost like communicating with humans!
Knowing it was just a fish, Chen Dixin stopped thinking about it.
Chen Dixin surfaced, her wet hair clinging to her face, her eyes red and unaccustomed to being submerged in water for the first time.
She straightened her hair and looked up to meet Lu Mingang's anxious gaze.
This man jumped into the sea without warning, which terrified Lu Mingang! Only after Shen Dixin told him before going down did he manage to stay calm.
Seeing that Shen Dixin was alright, he breathed a sigh of relief. Then, he looked away from her, his face flushing red, which puzzled Shen Dixin.
That was Shen Dixin, her face flushed with water, so beautiful it was almost bewitching, a stark contrast to her usual calm and composed demeanor, her beauty radiating a sharp, untamed edge.
Lu Mingang almost never looked directly at Shen Dixin's face, partly because he knew that with his physique and appearance, staring at the opposite sex without concealment would make them feel uneasy, so he developed the habit of not paying much attention to the opposite sex at a young age.
Secondly, Sister Dixin gives people a very reliable feeling. Her slender body is like an unmoving mountain peak, and even in her gentlest moments, she seems like a hidden sharp blade.
It makes it hard to even think about such things; you always feel like a knife is at your throat at any moment.
He calmed down and found a clean towel for Shen Dixin; these daily necessities had been mostly purchased yesterday.
Shen Dixin was completely unaware of his thoughts. She took the towel, dried herself off, and changed her clothes.
My body was covered in seawater, and even after wiping it off, it still felt a bit uncomfortable. After the seawater dried, my skin felt rough, and sometimes salt crystals would appear.
It's difficult to wash clothes with fresh water, as the only fresh water available at sea is drinking water.
Some large islands have freshwater rivers and lakes. Drinking them directly can cause parasites that are difficult to treat and cause continuous blood loss, but they can be used for bathing.
People who want to take a bath or wash things usually bring their own containers, and then have players on the large islands fetch water for them before trading it over. The price is usually not high, and is even less than the cost of signing a contract.
Shen Dixin wanted to take a bath, but washing clothes was out of the question. Currently, the only containers they could use to hold water were pots, so if they wanted to take a bath, they would have to send five or six pots at once to fetch water.
There's a challenge island at noon, but there are usually few challenges that don't require physical activity. I'll get dirty again after showering, so I'll shower again after we get back from the island!
After 12 o'clock, the shadows of many islands could be seen with the naked eye. There was a relatively large island, but unfortunately, the wind was completely against us, so going to the island was not a realistic option. We calmed our minds and continued onward.
Fortunately, they found another suitable island just half an hour later. "This one will do!"
In the distance, the building, almost etched into her very bones, came into Shen Dixing's view, her expression a mixture of emotions.
[Dear player, welcome to Beast Island. You will be automatically registered for the "Deathmatch" upon arrival. Please arrive at the arena within ten minutes, or your level will be reduced by one.]
What? It's an arena!
Although he didn't want to go in again, having been there once, the Colosseum was like a sack of money to Shen Dixin.
In her previous life, she was weak and penniless, yet she still managed to escape. Now, with the protection of a novice and three months of training after leaving the arena, Chen Dixin's situation here is simply a matter of lowering the level of power.
With a long sigh, Chen Dixin led Lu Mingang to the arena.
Before entering the venue, she gave some instructions.
"Don't get too injured during the match. The arena only gives 60 recovery points, no more. Go in first, and don't let anyone know we know each other..."
The staff inside quickly came to greet us. Their skin was deathly pale, as if there was no blood flowing beneath them. If you accidentally touched their bodies, you would find them ice-cold.
After getting to know them better, the players started calling them "white-faced men".
Shen Dixin was already used to all the pale-faced people at sea looking like this, but Lu Mingang's face was rather pale.
There were already more than a dozen players standing inside, their expressions varied, so it was hard to tell if a round had already ended.
Unlike some one-time islands, the Colosseum allows players to stay on the island and continue competing after completing a challenge.
The so-called "life-or-death battle" is, as the name suggests, definitely impossible, at least not now. The merciful system promised that no one would die during the beginner phase!
The rules are simple: choose one person to enter the arena for a duel, and the winner will receive one of the enemy's six material types.
The first invitation from any player cannot be refused. Players must participate at least once to leave the Island of Ten Thousand Beasts; otherwise, their level will drop by one.
Chen Dixin sized up the players opposite him, thinking about which one he could exploit the most.
Those men who looked haggard were clearly not very wealthy, and those who were shifty-eyed and standing in remote positions were probably not very strong.
Before she could find a suitable partner, she was targeted by someone.
"You, it's you! I challenge you to a duel." A shifty-eyed man in a suit walked over.
Lu Mingang turned his head and met his domineering appearance. The man in the suit was visibly intimidated and explained in a low voice, "Brother, I wasn't talking about you, I was talking about that woman."
"This is my very first match, I can't refuse!"
It doesn't matter to me; these are just supplies delivered to my door.
That calm and composed demeanor eventually made the man in the suit realize something was wrong. His clasped hands trembled, his lips moved, and he made a bluffing threat.
"Little girl, judging from your delicate skin, you probably can't withstand a single move from me. Surrender now and you'll suffer less."
Scattered mocking laughter rose from the surroundings, and a tall woman stepped out, covering her mouth and laughing meaningfully.
"Ha, come on, you're still not leaving after losing three rounds? Don't believe him, girl, he's already used up all his chances!"
Shen Dixin nodded obediently, accepting the woman's kindness, and turned to refuse the man in the suit's challenge.
It's a waste to expose your own abilities to such a weakling.
As the man in the suit made his move, many people began to look for targets. Among them were those who, like the man in the suit, had experienced several duels, but most were newcomers who had not yet used their challenge opportunities.
After she calmed down and avoided battle, many players set their sights on her, and she even rejected opponents who had lost three games in a row.
There are only two possibilities: either she doesn't want the remaining supplies left by the man in the suit, or... she's very weak!
At this moment, Shen Dixin, with her eyes lowered and her aura concealed, was clearly the latter. She knew very well how to make herself appear more harmless, just as she knew how to intimidate her enemies.
Some people even fought each other over her.
"I was here first, so she should fight me!"
"There's no such thing as first come, first served. She didn't even agree to you!"
The two men, one tall and one short, one fat and one thin, glared angrily at Shen Dixin, like two enraged roosters.
Before she came in, she had already told Lu Mingang to pretend he didn't know her, otherwise standing next door would affect her finding an opponent.
Although this guy doesn't have much practical combat ability, his base stats are high, so he can wear down the opponent to death.
Shen Dixin wasn't worried about him at all. Even if he lost, he could at most take some supplies. His family's belongings were all on his raft.
"Alright, stop arguing, I'll fight her." The man in the trench coat, with a languid expression, pushed the two apart with an undeniable force.
The two fighting cocks looked at each other, and finally withdrew hand in hand. This man was strong and not to be trifled with.
"How about it, miss?" The man winked at her, his expression both ambiguous and affectionate.
Shen Dixin readily agreed. For no other reason than that this man was neatly dressed, handsome, and even cleaner than Shen Dixin in this godforsaken place of sea survival. He even had a faint fragrance on his body, making him look like a fat sheep!
Upon exchanging blows, both sides immediately became serious, realizing that the person before them was not as easy to deal with as they had imagined.
The man's face darkened, and his every move became much heavier. His attacks were methodical and rhythmic, clearly demonstrating a legitimate purpose.
But Shen Dixin didn't care about all that; she believed that great strength could work miracles! Her strength of 11 points was not something that could be easily countered by ordinary people!
As the man resisted, he inwardly groaned, thinking that he usually took great strength as his advantage, but he never expected to be defeated by such a weak woman.
Oh no, starting today, I'll get angry with anyone who says Chen Dixin is weak!
He realized that the little girl was just pretending to be weak to deceive him, and that his efforts had been unnecessary.
Having figured out the man's strength, Chen Dixin took advantage of his punch and used the force to throw him out of the ring.
"Ouch—"
Her elegant figure crashed heavily to the ground. The man got up cursing, "She has no mercy on a woman! She showed no mercy to my handsome face!"
As he spoke, he actually took out a mirror and a velvet cloth from his pocket and carefully wiped the dust off his face. As he wiped, he began to admire his own beauty.
Only when the pale-faced men appeared on either side of him did he slowly pack up his things, saying, "I know, I know, I won't renege on my debt."
He stood casually in front of Chen Dixin, staring intently at her. What a beautiful face, what a vicious heart!
The man was practically begging for attention, but Chen Dixin was speechless and simply told the pale-faced man next door.
"Choose medicines."
Shen Dixin's medicine reserves have been depleted. Stronger people tend to pay more attention to medicine reserves because they fight more often and there will always be times when they can't keep up.
The person in front of me is quite strong and should be able to acquire a certain amount of medicine, which I probably won't need during the newbie protection period.
The man's face instantly fell, and he said indignantly, "Wow, little girl, are you serious? You only pick the expensive ones. I was even thinking of helping you out of a tight spot. If I had won against you, I certainly wouldn't have been so ruthless."
"I'll talk after you win." Shen Dixin raised an eyebrow; anyone can talk.
Judging from how distressed he looked, he must have gained a lot!
Sure enough, he finally pulled out five medicines. The man looked at his inventory with reluctance, then turned his head and handed them to Chen Dixin.
"Take it, take it! You heartless woman! Are you satisfied now? I will never forgive you!"
Shen Dixin couldn't help but chuckle; this person's words were rather amusing.
Seeing that Shen Dixin was really about to leave after taking it, the man quickly grabbed her, "I told you to leave, but you really are leaving? When you meet a handsome man like me, don't you want to add me as a friend?"
As he spoke, he tossed his hair and struck a pose that he thought was very charming.
To be honest, he's quite good-looking, and these quirky, greasy actions actually make him seem more attractive.
Shen Dixin coldly and ruthlessly shook off his hand and was about to call the pale-faced man over.
"I want to add you as a friend! I think it's okay, you're so good-looking, let's get to know each other."
The man shamelessly leaned closer, looking up at her at a 45-degree angle with tears welling up in his eyes—well, why look up…? He just sat down on the ground.
Shen Di thought about it for a moment. This guy wasn't weak, and he didn't seem like a bad person. Most importantly, he couldn't beat him, so giving him a friend wouldn't be a big deal.
"What's your player name? I'll add you when I get back."
“Qi Mu, the Qi of prayer, and the Mu of wood.”
A note from the author:
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