"Wow! I see now, so it's the so-called 'unbeatable among B-level and below' from the C-level Talent Warriors, huh?" one of the B-level Talent Warriors mocked with disdain.
Other B-level Talent Warriors joined in with their taunts.
"What 'unbeatable among B-level and below'? Where does this confidence come from? Just because you have better combat skills, you think of yourself as a B-level Talent Warrior? It's ridiculous," a muscular male mercenary scoffed.
A tall and lean mercenary chimed in, "I bet he won't last the first match. You know, Number One is none other than Rek'Maelen, who advanced to B-level just last month."
"Rek'Maelen, the captain of the Giant Bear Mercenary Team? I know that guy. He's incredibly strong, capable of tearing apart armored vehicles. And he recently awakened a new talent, 'Steel Body,'" a middle-aged mercenary marveled.
"This Chu Tian looks like he's in for trouble. He's going up against a one-man tank. I hope he doesn't get his handsome face smashed," a female mercenary commented while looking at Chu Tian on the stage.
However, Chu Tian paid no heed to the comments from the audience. Instead, he closed his eyes and focused on preparing for his first opponent.
Noticing Chu Tian's determination, Norta pushed his way through the crowd and stood at the edge of the arena. But before he could offer Chu Tian some words of encouragement, Rek'Maelen, a burly figure, stepped onto the stage.
"It's you, the one who intruded into our hunting grounds and stole our Giant Praying Mantis," Rek'Maelen said with a stern expression as he glared at Chu Tian. "I didn't expect our paths to cross like this. Although I can't kill you, I promise you'll spend several months in a hospital bed."
Chu Tian couldn't help but burst into laughter at Rek'Maelen's words. "Someone said the same thing earlier, but I knocked him off the stage. I hope you won't be the second one."
With that, Rek'Maelen roared angrily and charged at Chu Tian with his fists raised.
Although Chu Tian was facing the B-level Talent Warrior with the "Mad Bear Strength" talent, he didn't flinch. He raised his own fist and met Rek'Maelen's attack head-on.
With a loud crash, their fists collided, and a bone-cracking sound reverberated throughout the arena. However, it was Rek'Maelen who let out a painful scream, clutching his right arm, which had been shattered by Chu Tian's punch.
This unexpected turn of events left the spectators in shock. Many couldn't believe their eyes, and some even rubbed their eyes to make sure they weren't seeing things.
But when they saw Chu Tian standing unscathed while Rek'Maelen knelt on the ground in pain, they realized that Chu Tian had indeed crippled Rek'Maelen's right arm.
"What... this Chu Tian is really C-level? Could he be a B+ pretending to be a C-level?" The mercenaries who had been skeptical were now filled with disbelief.
"Don't be fooled by his strength; I'm sure he won't make it to the top eight. Remember, the next contestants are all well-known B-level Talent Warriors. It'll be an easy win for them against a lowly C-level like him."
The mercenaries continued to underestimate Chu Tian, believing that losing to a C-level Talent Warrior would be a significant humiliation for the B-level Talent Warriors.
After three consecutive opponents withdrew from the competition, Chu Tian faced his fifth challenger. This time, it was Lin Man, a tall and attractive woman with the "Charm" and "Thunder" talents.
As soon as she entered the stage, Lin Man immediately used her Charm talent on Chu Tian. However, Chu Tian was barely affected and quickly regained his composure.
Seeing that her Charm had no effect, Lin Man unleashed her Thunder talent, sending bolts of lightning towards Chu Tian. However, Chu Tian moved swiftly, dodging the lightning bolts, and closed in on Lin Man. With a single punch, he stopped just three centimeters from her beautiful face.
With her hair blowing in the wind caused by the powerful punch, Lin Man raised her hands and declared, "I forfeit."
This declaration stunned the audience. Five contestants had faced Chu Tian, and all five had either been severely injured or had forfeited. It was clear that Chu Tian's talents were exceptional.
"What kind of talent is this? He's supposed to have an 'Ice' talent, right? But what kind of strength enhancement is this, and why is it so brutal?" a mercenary outside the ring wondered.
"He's even stronger than One-Punch Man! Is he really this powerful?" another mercenary, dressed like the captain from the Death Note anime, questioned in disbelief.
"It makes sense now. This must be the 'Ant Strength,' a ridiculously overpowered talent that can passively enhance a Talent Warrior's strength by 300 to 400 times," someone finally guessed, leading to more contestants hesitating about stepping onto the stage to face Chu Tian.
Now it seemed that close-quarters combat was just handing Chu Tian a victory.