TL: Hua
When Ji Xuan returned to the box, the crowd was noisily beginning to place bets.
Shaikh had changed out of the wine-soaked clothes. He now wore a loose black shirt, with the collar unbuttoned, adding more flamboyance and laziness to his look than before. He was propping up his chin and talking to Zephyr; hearing the sound of Ji Xuan entering, he arched his eyebrows with a beam.
The group seemed to have forgotten the previous interlude, but whenever anyone noticed Ji Xuan, their eyes inevitably fixed on his wrist. Mephisto, who had been incredibly unruly in Shaikh’s hands, was now circling someone else’s wrist as obediently and tamely as a piece of jewelry. No matter how one thought about it, it was hair-raising.
“Brother, why were you gone for so long?” Shaikh asked.
Ji Xuan replied coldly, “Why do you think I need to report to you?”
Shaikh didn’t explain or argue. He simply took a glass of wine from a passing mechanical arm and held it out to Ji Xuan.
This drink was different from the bottle Shaikh had used to trouble him earlier; there was hardly any smell of alcohol, and it had been mixed with fruit juice until only a sweet fragrance remained.
Ji Xuan glanced at him and took it nonchalantly.
A dog that likes to bite only learns to be obedient after a little punishment.
Though it might not last long and the dog might soon show its fangs again with great fanfare, Ji Xuan didn’t mind wasting more time to help correct its behavior.
However, his purpose for coming tonight had been achieved. His interest in the snakes in the tank had been completely satisfied by Mephisto, and it was about time to head back.
Just then, a screen flashed, and a new fighter’s name jumped out. The betting ratios appeared again, even more startling than before.
The arena lights suddenly blazed, and the massive roar caused the private box to vibrate slightly.
Ji Xuan leaned against the transparent barrier to take a look, but he had little interest in such scenes of flying flesh and blood.
“What a coincidence today! To actually run into 761 coming out for a match,” Zephyr couldn’t help but exclaim.
Seeing the puzzled look on Ji Xuan’s face, he took the initiative to explain: “761 is the most unique fighter in the Lower City’s underground arena. He rarely appears on the regular fighter lists, and his appearance rate is staggeringly low. But every time…”
The cheers outside grew louder and louder, and the betting data columns on the screen surged frantically.
“Basically, as soon as he appears, the odds are suppressed to the lowest point,” Zephyr said. “However, his opponent today was also an undefeated presence in the Second Galaxy, so it’s hard to say what the outcome will be tonight.”
Ji Xuan lazily granted him an appreciative “not a bad explanation” look.
Zephyr’s eyes lit up instantly.
“Do you want to place a bet too? I still have some chips on hand!” Ignoring the disdainful looks from the others in the box, Zephyr continued to ask.
Not interested.
Ji Xuan was about to reply that way, but in the next second, a spotlight fell upon the fighter tunnel.
The leading Alpha was like a beast unleashed from its cage, muscles bulging in distinct blocks, his skin covered in crisscrossing scars. He raised his arms arrogantly, letting the spotlight hit the glistening sweat on his body. The audience immediately erupted in a mountain-shaking tsunami of screams.
In contrast, the rumored 761, though broad-shouldered and tall, lacked that exaggerated, out-of-proportion muscularity. Even his bearing as he entered the ring possessed a touch of ill-timed nonchalance and relaxation.
Black armor concealed half of his face, and dark goggles shielded his gaze.
Ji Xuan, who was about to leave, stopped in his tracks and looked toward the center of the octagonal cage through the transparent barrier with genuine interest.
“How much for a bet?”
He had been silent for so long that Zephyr thought he was being given the cold shoulder. Startled by the sudden question, Zephyr leaned in and whispered, “Not much, just a hundred thousand star coins. If you’re interested, I can increase the bet for you!”
A countdown appeared on the light screen. The Alphas in the ring did not need to control their pheromones; an agitated, restless aura was instantly swept up and diffused, yet because of the special steel barrier of the cage, it remained trapped within that square inch of space.
“Brother, you seem to be staring quite intently.”
Shaikh’s sinister voice suddenly pressed close. He came to a stop behind Ji Xuan, his smile carrying a faint trace of malice: “Are you very interested in 761?”
“Not exactly, but he feels right. He should win.”
“The fighters here are mostly paupers from beyond the Fourth Galaxy. Some… might even come from the same place as you, Brother.” Shaikh observed Ji Xuan’s reaction as he spoke. “If you’re really interested, you could try having the boss here get in touch to see if he’s willing to be bought by you.”
“Buy him for what? I don’t need a bodyguard.”
“Being a bodyguard is such a waste. Although 761’s grade isn’t clear, he’s still an Alpha; he’d have plenty of uses. If you pay the money, he’ll naturally be at your beck and call, serving you submissively.”
To Shaikh’s surprise, Ji Xuan did not refuse this time. Instead, he tilted his head to look at him: “That’s actually a good idea. Buy him and keep him around to help me deal with those annoying barking dogs.”
Upon hearing this, the smile in the depths of Shaikh’s eyes deepened sharply, as if his interest had been piqued. He leaned in closer, his breath nearly brushing against Ji Xuan’s neck: “Brother’s tastes are truly becoming more and more unique.”
However, despite saying so, Ji Xuan showed no intention of taking action. Instead, he summoned Zephyr again and had him place a bet of three hundred thousand for him.
[Three hundred thousand? Host, we… where did you get that much money?]
Shaikh, who had also overheard the conversation, added, “Brother is surprisingly generous. I heard before that Uncle Ji doesn’t seem to be very responsible for your expenses.”
“I don’t have much,” Ji Xuan said nonchalantly. “But it’s been charged to your friend’s account. My thanks to him for his generosity with his wealth.”
Zephyr was glared at by Shaikh and turned his head away in guilt.
“In that case,” Shaikh laughed, “I can only bet on the other one. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be any fun.”
—
In the end, however, 761 won.
761 was like a wild, untamable leopard, arrogant, flamboyant, and decisive in his strikes. Yet, he possessed a certain streak of malice rarely seen in hunting beasts; a quick resolution was not his goal. He seemed more interested in using the opportunity to vent something, so he was in no hurry to force his opponent into a lethal predicament.
The entire audience was whipped into a frenzy.
Even though the result was obvious.
Ji Xuan paid Zephyr back the three hundred thousand, leaving himself with a good amount of spare cash. Seeing that 761 had no intention of fighting a second match, he ignored Zephyr’s lingering, reluctant gaze and departed cold-heartedly.
Before returning to the military academy, he specifically went to buy an incubator for Mephisto. After all, current conditions were not as comfortable or free as the Demon Realm. The system said that if Mephisto were left to roam the dormitory, he would be taken to the security office before the day after tomorrow.
Mephisto was even more reluctant to leave his wrist than Zephyr had been. Ji Xuan had no choice but to place the incubator on his bedside table to prevent this clingy baby from becoming exhausted by lovesickness during the night.
His roommate, Lance Vaughn, still hadn’t returned for some unknown reason.
According to the system’s speculation, Zhou Lin’s actions during the simulated training today were likely intended to avenge Lance for yesterday’s grievance. However, the sudden change in grouping and Pei Yingye’s interference had led to his total defeat.
[With Lance’s personality, it’s impossible for him to let this go. He might be brewing some new scheme.]
Ji Xuan didn’t particularly care.
An Omega who couldn’t lift a finger and only relied on others to stand up for them couldn’t cause much trouble.
He had met many such people; a little intimidation was usually enough to make them surrender.
Ji Xuan went into the bathroom for a shower. When he came out, he realized for the first time in his life that his own hair was the most troublesome thing in the world. He suddenly felt that Shaikh’s previous suggestion had some merit; at the very least, he could keep someone by his side as a servant to dry his hair.
Thinking of the person in the ring earlier, Ji Xuan let out a light laugh.
A dignified military student going down to the Lower City’s underground arena to compete. He wasn’t sure if the guy’s life was too smooth and he was looking for a thrill, or if there was some other reason.
After finally getting his hair dry, Ji Xuan lay back on his bed.
The bedding had already been replaced by the dormitory robot; a pampered demon lord naturally required the best of everything.
He slept in the soft, light blankets, but perhaps because he had drunk a bit earlier, it wasn’t a restful sleep.
He had a bizarre, kaleidoscopic dream.
It wasn’t a case of thinking by day and dreaming by night but felt more like fragments forcibly shoved in by someone else.
The garbage planet was located at the junction of several galaxies systems, a lawless no man’s land loathed by all. No sun was visible there year-round; the sky was leaden gray, and thick, eternal smog greeted the eyes.
He seemed not to have had a full meal in a very long time. His withered arms were skin and bone, and his skin displayed an unnatural pallor.
A shout came from the distance; it seemed a starship that had just suffered a crash had landed.
So, without a second thought, he rushed forward and joined the swarming crowd.
On the broken hatch of the starship, several mechanical dogs were pawing with rusted claws. Their eyes, decorated with low-quality red bulbs, flickered, and the surroundings were filled with foul odors.
He grabbed something amidst the scuffle, having no time to look at it. He stuffed it into his clothes and turned to run, but the commotion still drew attention. The sound of rapidly approaching footsteps, the howling of hyenas, the dripping of pipe fluids, and the tap-tap of feet hitting puddles in the dark, narrow alleyway intertwined in a savage, chaotic mess.
Fear surged like a tide. The ground began to crack, and the sky began to collapse. He nearly fell into bottomless fissures several times or almost landed in the mouths of greedy hyenas.
Finally, a massive pulling force came suddenly from behind, dragging him completely away—
Ji Xuan snapped his eyes open.
The sun had already risen, its light falling through a gap in the curtains onto Mephisto’s incubator on the nightstand. Dust motes could be seen dancing in the beam of light. The dormitory was silent, save for his heavy breathing, which struck like a drumbeat over and over.
What did you make me dream about?
Ji Xuan pressed against his throbbing temples and questioned.
But the system seemed to have just woken up as well, its voice carrying an uncharacteristic fuzziness: [What? What are you talking about?]
I dreamed about “Ji Xuan’s” experiences on the garbage planet. You didn’t make me see that?
The system’s voice spiked as it repeatedly denied it: [It wasn’t me!]
After a pause, it added: [Could it be a programming error, or perhaps some other reason?]
Is that so?
Ji Xuan was half-doubting, rubbing his right wrist firmly with his thumb, his face somewhat pale.
This feeling of terror that didn’t belong to him gave him an inexpressible sense of losing control, a sensation that was truly unbearable.
But since the system denied it, he didn’t want to waste time digging for the cause. He simply took a breath and got out of bed to wash up.
The first class this morning was Space Communication and Intelligence.
Ji Xuan listened with total confusion, realizing for the first time that he might be illiterate in this world’s terms.
However, before the first class even ended, he received a message from Ji Yan—
The fact that he had tossed away three hundred thousand for an underground fighter in the Lower City yesterday had, somehow, been reported to Ji Jingche.
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