Chapter 39: The Helplessness of the Working Class

Murderous intent flashed in Lu Li’s eyes as he raised his hand, firing several bolts of lightning. Before they could strike their mark, he fully activated his "Speed" talent!

Lu Li’s figure accelerated sharply, hurtling like a cannonball fired from a barrel, slamming hard into one of the gaps in the formation!

The invisible lizard warrior, busy fending off the incoming lightning bolts, had completely failed to notice Lu Li charging toward him with lethal intent. By the time he realized what was happening, a sharp blade had already sliced across his body.

"Awoo!" the injured lizard warrior howled in pain. Just as he tried to launch a counterattack, he discovered that his movements had become inexplicably sluggish.

"What’s going on? The blade is poisoned!"

The lizard warrior glanced at his data panel and was horrified to see a long string of debuffs attached to his name: "Cursed Toxin," "Corrosive Toxin," "Tearing," "Severe Injury," "Continuous Bleeding," "Wound Decay," "Weakness," "Armor Shred," "Confusion"...

And all that from just a single strike!

Panic seized the lizard warrior. As he struggled to retreat and fumbled to retrieve a potion from his spatial pouch to cleanse the debuffs, Lu Li gave him no such chance.

With a sharp turn, Lu Li executed a sudden reverse strike, his blade-arm instantly piercing the lizard warrior’s chest.

Seeing his comrade fall, the other lizard warrior let out a cry of grief and rage, desperate to rush over and fight Lu Li to the death. However, he was swarmed by a large number of soul soldiers. Even though their individual levels were low, they formed a significant obstacle.

Lu Li didn't even need to charge again; he simply fired several more lightning bolts, reducing the lizard warrior to charred remains.

The battle ended once more.

The audience was deathly silent for a long moment before a thunderous roar of cheers erupted!

"My god, Lu Li is incredible!"

"Using a swarm of trash summons to locate and trap an invisible opponent—why didn't I think of such a brilliant strategy?"

"His combat reflexes are seamless; Lu Li is absolutely a top-tier genius..."

"Is there anyone else? I ask you, who else can defeat this newcomer?"

"It’s in the bag! He can even take down an opponent with an invisibility talent; a hundred-match winning streak is within reach!"

"Hey, where’s that guy who said he’d help me get rich? He must be feeling pretty cold right about now..."

The private boxes were also buzzing with discussion.

In one simple yet elegant box, an old man and a youth stood before the glass, overlooking the arena below. Upon hearing Dio announce Lu Li’s victory, the old man spoke slowly:

"Kou’er, after watching for so long, what is your evaluation of this person?"

The boy, who looked no more than eleven or twelve, smacked his lips and declared:

"He’s quite strong, but his fighting style is reckless, and his mind lacks composure."

"Oh? How so?" The old man glanced at the boy, his tone remaining unhurried.

"At Lu Li’s level, he could easily have made it to the 80th match without taking a hit, yet for the sake of efficiency, he forced himself to take damage."

"Using one's body as bait is a tactic, sure, but in a hundred-match gauntlet, it is far too risky."

"Once he encounters an opponent he cannot handle, he’ll lose his life completely."

The boy’s argument was logical and articulate. However, the old man didn't show any sign of satisfaction; instead, he shook his head with a hint of disappointment. He didn't point out the flaws in the boy's assessment directly but instead asked another question:

"If you were to go down there and fight him, what percentage of a chance do you think you’d have of winning?"

Hearing this, the boy acted as if he had been dealt a grave insult, his youthful face flushing red.

"If I had to go down and fight him, forget ten-tenths—even with nine-tenths, he still wouldn't be a match for me!"

"Setting aside the level gap, just my talent alone puts me three blocks ahead of him!"

"Grandfather, have you gone senile to even ask such a question..."

Faced with the boy’s dissatisfaction, the old man showed no anger, instead chuckling:

"Youthful spirit is untamable! Confidence is a good thing, but it should not turn into arrogance."

The boy retorted, "Our Chen family cultivates the Savage Blade, and the 'Fury' talent we awaken generation after generation is perfectly suited for it. Being confident and arrogant is only natural!"

"Grandfather, you are too timid and cautious, which is why your strength has made no progress."

The old man’s smile faded, though there was still no anger in his eyes. He made a suggestion that took the boy by surprise:

"If you truly believe that, why don't you go down and spar with Lu Li later?"

"Go down and duel him?" A flash of imperceptible fear crossed the boy's eyes, quickly replaced by disdain. "Wouldn't that be bullying? Besides, the arena management wouldn't allow such a large level gap between duelists."

To ensure fairness, the Nexus Arena had a hidden rule: the level difference between two duelists could not exceed ten levels.

The youth, Chen Kou, was already Level 30, a 15-level difference from Lu Li, far exceeding the limit.

The old man feigned realization, tapping his head with a laugh:

"I almost forgot about that limit. Well, to ensure fairness, we’ll just send a blade-slave down instead..."

In another luxuriously decorated box, Little Elf withdrew her gaze from the arena and spoke with a hint of concern:

"My Lady, should I make another trip? I fear the High Heavens has underestimated Lu Li’s strength. If this continues..."

Madam Octopus raised a hand, her voice soft: "No rush. There are still twenty matches left."

"This opponent was merely a test. This boy, Lu Li, is strong, but he has already played his final card."

"If I am not mistaken, the High Heavens will soon send someone to have him sign a contract of indenture."

Sure enough, before Madam Octopus had finished speaking, Dio, who had been lingering at the edge of the arena, suddenly ran toward Lu Li. It seemed he had received instructions.

Seeing the robot referee running toward him, Lu Li found it strange and immediately stopped looting the corpses.

"Lu Li, you’re in luck! Someone has taken a fancy to you and wants to buy you!"

"Buy me? But I don't belong to the arena." Lu Li frowned, not immediately understanding Dio’s meaning. If he recalled correctly, he hadn't signed any indenture contract with the arena. Since he was a free agent, how could he be bought or sold?

Seeing Lu Li’s confusion, Dio immediately explained:

"Of course you don't belong to the arena right now. I’ve come over to have you sign the contract."

"If you sign the indenture, you will be assigned very weak opponents for the remaining twenty matches, helping you easily secure your hundred-match winning streak."

"If you don't sign, the arena will arrange opponents you cannot defeat, and you will surely die."

"Even I can't change that."

Having said this, Dio shrugged helplessly. Although he liked Lu Li and hoped he could successfully finish the hundred matches, the High Heavens had already intervened, and no matter how capable Dio might be, he was ultimately just a referee—a miserable worker who couldn't change anything.

Upon hearing this, Lu Li’s expression turned cold. He hated being threatened!

Moreover, having been reborn, he sought stability, but he would never crawl or beg!

"Forget about the contract. Let the matches continue."