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With the previous accumulation of resources, Alex now had a total of 16.56 million points, 1.86 million merit points, 34 skill points, and 12 super skill points. If he sold off the R-level awakening stones he had earned today, his points would likely increase by another million.
In addition to his growing wealth, Alex's level also saw a significant boost from slaying the numerous snake monsters. The 21 Twin-Claw Serpents earned him 42% experience, while the 23 Red-Crowned Serpents granted a massive 460%. Defeating the boss, the Golden-Crowned Colossus, added another 300%. Altogether, Alex leveled up by eight levels, reaching level 69, with an additional damage bonus of 690 points.
As he was about to allocate his skill points to improve his abilities, a notification interrupted his thoughts:
"Would you like to participate in today's city combat arena event?"
Alex glanced at the message and realized it was already 8 PM. For the past six days, Alex had effortlessly dominated his opponents in the combat arena, eliminating each one in seconds. During this time, he had acquired over ten R-level awakening stones as rewards. If Alex could achieve another five victories today, he would qualify for the global combat arena.
Honestly, he found the easy wins boring. Competing against global powerhouses in the future seemed much more exciting. However, if Emily and the others knew how easily he felt about the arena, they would surely give him an earful.
While Alex cruised through the competition, many others struggled just to survive. By the seventh day, the remaining contestants were all battle-hardened, having fought through fierce battles and overcome countless challenges to stay in the game.
In the first two days of the event, it wasn't too hard for the stronger competitors to win five matches. But as the weak were eliminated after three losses, the remaining players were all highly skilled. With similarly high stats and abilities, the fights became more strategic, pushing participants to refine their skills and tactics to gain any edge. Many players saw significant improvements in both strength and combat experience, making those who were still standing formidable opponents.
Even within Alex's group, only Emily and Liam managed to stay in the competition, thanks to Emily's long-range control abilities and Liam's impressive defense and health pool. Everyone else, including David and the others, had been knocked out. Even so, both Emily and Liam felt the pressure mounting. Each had already lost twice, and another defeat would mean elimination.
Just like before, Quinn Frost and the other guides had set up large screens in the city to broadcast the matches live. By now, it had become a nightly ritual for the citizens, many of whom had been eliminated, to gather and watch the remaining battles. Besides learning from the fights, people found the intense action highly entertaining—especially with so few distractions in this new world. For some, it was a much-needed way to unwind.
For those who had been killed by monsters on the first day, everything seemed surreal. The fact that they could die and come back to life was bizarre enough. The transformation of the world into a real-life "game," filled with monsters running wild beyond the city walls, only added to the disbelief. Some even wondered if they were in some sort of afterlife, where nothing seemed quite real.
But regardless of what people believed, the reality remained unchanged. The survivors of East Sea City had grown familiar with the most powerful figures within the city. Though no one matched Alex's overwhelming strength, many strong players still garnered plenty of attention. Men, women, and even a few monsters participated in the event. Yes, monsters had joined the contest too, as the event was open to all within the city.
As the seventh day wore on, those who had survived without elimination were now recognized by the city's residents. Whenever a familiar face appeared on the screen, the crowd erupted in cheers. One particular match drew the attention of many onlookers, who were quick to point out an unexpected participant.
"Look! That little girl!" someone called out excitedly. "She's from the Sports Arena settlement. Her name's Mia, and even though she's only six, she's insanely powerful!"
Mia was an anomaly, a young girl with incredible abilities, which naturally made her a focal point. As she faced off against a powerful purple Scythe Monster, many newcomers to the event couldn't help but express their concern.
"How is she fighting a monster? Someone help her!" they cried, watching as the massive Scythe Monster charged toward the little girl.
Unlike the panicked newcomers, those who had seen Mia fight before remained calm and confident. One of them, sounding like a seasoned veteran, remarked, "That's an elite Scythe Monster with a lightning scar—it even defeated Jonathan yesterday. But Mia? She's even stronger."
The veteran hadn't even finished speaking when the match started. The towering purple Scythe Monster lunged at the small girl with terrifying speed, causing the audience's hearts to leap. Yet Mia remained eerily calm. Her long lashes fluttered nervously, but she waited until the monster was within ten meters before raising her hand and casting a spell.
With a clear, childlike voice, Mia summoned a ring of fire serpents that erupted from the ground, spinning rapidly before transforming into a massive fire dragon. The purple Scythe Monster barely had time to scream before the blazing fire incinerated it, leaving nothing but ash.
The crowd fell silent, stunned by the little girl's overwhelming power.
"Impressive, right?" someone from the Sports Arena settlement boasted. "Mia's an R-level god with an advanced skill. She played a major role in our resource point conquests!"
Hearing this, students from Yellow Tiger High School couldn't resist chiming in, "Tsk, tsk. As amazing as that is, in front of Alex, it's all just child's play! Though I'll admit, the little girl is pretty strong."
Strangely, when the students from other settlements, like the Sports Arena, People's Park, and Huangpu Reservoir, heard this, they fell silent. The reason? All these settlements had, at some point, crossed paths with Alex—and were swiftly obliterated by his god-like power. To have faced Alex meant they were no ordinary players; their settlements were filled with strong contenders. But facing Alex had been a brutal reality check, as they realized his power was on an entirely different level.
His terrifying strength was enough to make even the most formidable players despair.