"Mr. Hunter." Although Xu Mo had changed his outfit, he still wore the same mask as last time. The reception lady recognized him and very politely guided him, "This way, please."
"Can you get some clothes for her to wear? I can purchase them." Xu Mo pointed to Bai Wei, who was following behind him.
"Please wait a moment, Mr. Hunter." The reception lady left for a while and then returned with some clothes, which she draped over Bai Wei. Looking at Xu Mo, she said, "It's my honor to assist you, no payment is necessary."
"Thank you." Xu Mo expressed his gratitude, feeling a bit strange. Such high-quality service might be urging you to walk toward your death. After all, once you stepped into the Fighting Arena, there was nearly a 50% chance of dying.
"Are you planning to participate in a fight, Mr. Hunter? I can arrange it for you. Of course, once the opponent is arranged, we will seek your consent." the reception lady said.
"I currently do not accept any passive challenges." Xu Mo said, causing the reception lady to be momentarily stunned, but she still politely nodded, "That's fine."
As a newcomer, it was quite common not to accept challenges for safety reasons. They would opt to observe their opponents first, but no one would outright say it for the sake of their pride. At most, they would refuse challenges from those with high winning streaks.
"May I look around here?" Xu Mo asked again. Since Ryan appeared here, might the others also be here?
"Please feel free, Mr. Hunter." the lady smiled and nodded.
"Thank you." Xu Mo walked to the front rest area.
There were quite a few people seated there.
Like the Casino, the Fighting Arena was not short of gamblers. However, it was more brutal here as people were betting their lives.
Sitting there, Xu Mo felt someone staring at him. He looked across and saw a muscular man even more burly than Sharyol, staring back at him. Despite sitting, he was taller than Xu Mo, resembling a Giant. When Xu Mo looked at him, the man grinned and extended a massive hand, seemingly wanting to crush Xu Mo's head.
"Someone like you, I could crush with one hand. Are you here to die?" the Giant said to Xu Mo, "Why not go home early and enjoy the bed with that chick behind you?"
Bai Wei's expression changed, and she lowered her head. She wasn't used to this kind of atmosphere, like a lamb among wolves.
"Of those who come here, how many are not seeking death?" Xu Mo looked at the Giant and said.
The Giant was taken aback, then burst into laughter, "That's right. This life is one of nine deaths. From your voice, you don't sound very old. Plus, you have a pretty girl with you. If you win enough, just quit. Why be so greedy?"
"Everyone harbors the hope that they can win one more match." Xu Mo responded. The Giant was stunned and stared at Xu Mo, "You're an interesting fellow. If we were outside, I'd consider being friends. I'm Ah Tai, what's your name?"
"Hunter," Xu Mo replied, "Why don't you quit?"
"I want to save money. I have a daughter, she's very cute. I want to get her out of here." Ah Tai looked at Xu Mo and said, "In this cannibalistic Underworld, I don't want her to stay here forever. I want her to see what the world above is like."
When Ah Tai talked about his daughter, a naive smile appeared on his face.
"How much Federal currency do you need to get out?" Xu Mo felt a bit emotional. Not long ago, he saw someone selling their daughter, but in the Fighting Arena, he witnessed someone fighting for their daughter's life.
"I don't know. I heard a pass costs millions." Ah Tai said, "I don't know if I'll have the chance to live long enough to earn it. I'll just keep trying, and if not, I'll give up. Actually, life has already improved now."
"Millions!" Xu Mo was shocked. Even if the appearance fee for one fight was ten thousand Federation currency, it would take over a hundred matches to earn that. Who could survive a hundred battles?
From Ah Tai's tone, it seemed he also had the intention of retiring but always held some hope, wanting to try a bit more, to win one more match.
This was a common psychology among gamblers, until the moment they lost everything...
"Mr. Ah Tai, it's your turn to fight." At this moment, someone walked up and announced.
Ah Tai glanced at Xu Mo and smiled, "Let's have a match later. I won't go all out. If you lose, just go home and don't come back."
"Alright, same to you." Xu Mo nodded.
"It's a deal." Ah Tai laughed, standing up and walking to the backstage.
Xu Mo looked outside. Through the glass, he could see the scene in the Fighting Arena.
When Ah Tai walked onto the Fighting Arena, he put on a suit of armor, while his opponent wore a half-face mask and wielded knives in both hands, a dual-wielding weapon.
Even through the glass door, the deafening roars and music could still be heard, with a hint of vibration.
"How do you think Ah Tai's strength compares to his opponent?" Xu Mo asked the female reception next to him.
"Mr. Ah Tai is on a seven-win streak. He's a strongman, with great strength. However, his opponent is also strong, with the same seven-win streak and very fast sword techniques. His codename is Bone Scissors," the female reception introduced.
Xu Mo didn't say anything more and just watched the Fighting Arena.
"It's starting."
Ah Tai stood about 2.2 meters tall, standing there like a mountain. Bone Scissors circled around him with his body, tightly gripping his dual blades, suddenly charging towards Ah Tai. The flash of the blades, whether in footsteps or speed of the slash, was very quick.
The two briefly collided, and Bone Scissors was knocked back, his steps sliding. However, he left a bloody mark on Ah Tai, with blood dripping onto the Fighting Arena. The armor on Ah Tai did not protect all parts of his body.
The sight of blood made the audience even more frenzied. Ah Tai didn't look at his wound but strode towards Bone Scissors. He needed to finish the fight quickly and couldn't drag it out with his opponent.
Bone Scissors understood this too. He didn't engage directly with Ah Tai, using his footwork to maneuver and occasionally slashing out.
"This is bad." Xu Mo thought to himself, Ah Tai would lose. The sword technique of Bone Scissors was very quick; sooner or later, he would find an opportunity.
"Shhh..." Blood sprayed on the Fighting Arena, and Ah Tai screamed in pain. A blade of light flashed across his eyes, blinding him. He stumbled around in agony, becoming a sitting duck without his sight.
Bone Scissors' dual blades left one bloody mark after another on his body. Scream followed scream, with fresh blood staining the Fighting Arena red.
Bai Wei, behind Xu Mo, let out a low gasp. She closed her eyes, unable to bear watching the bloody scene.
The bloody scene instead stimulated the nerves of the onlookers, their shouts shaking the place. Many stood up to watch the Fighting Arena. Someone whispered, "Bone Scissors is starting to debone. This bastard is really cruel."
"Never fight this guy."
Even the fighters watching were horrified.
Xu Mo couldn't bear to watch. He looked back at the attendant, "Can't it be stopped?"
"Mr. Hunter, once the fight starts, only the fighters in the arena can decide when to stop," the attendant responded.
Xu Mo looked towards the Fighting Arena. Ah Tai had finally fallen but was still twitching in pain.
"Ask Bone Scissors if he's willing to take on the next fight challenge immediately!" Xu Mo stared at the Fighting Arena and said.