Although her face was concealed, had Morca been present, he would have immediately recognized her identity... Noe Laura, the girl with whom the system had bonded him. The Black Scale Oblivion Dragon.
---
The referee muttered, "Interesting..." as he examined the betting slip. Only two people had wagered on Morca to defect and kill the monster. As for the other bettor, he knew nothing about them.
"The fifteen minutes are over. Now, let me ask, Crimson-Black, will you continue with the challenge? What do you say?" the referee called out, waiting for the eerie young fighter to respond.
Two minutes passed in silence. The figure in the battle ring remained seated, motionless, as if frozen in time. The referee sighed. He had observed this peculiar boy's behavior long enough to know that his silence was as good as a yes. Morca always acted strangely since he first appeared here, and this was no different.
The ground began to tremble violently. Dust and loose pebbles scattered as a cage emerged from beneath the arena. Unlike the previous ones, which had been larger and reinforced, this cage was smaller... 1.9 meters square. The door was constructed from double-barred metallic steel, thick enough to withstand immense pressure. A loud, grating sound echoed through the stadium as the lock disengaged and the steel doors swung open.
From the depths of the cage, a humanoid creature stepped forward. It stood at 1.8 meters, its lean body appearing deceptively human. However, there were striking differences that set it apart from any human being. Two sharply curved horns protruded from its forehead, while its mouth bore two menacingly pointed fangs. An arrow-tipped tail swayed behind it, giving it an appearance closer to a vampire than a traditional monster.
The crowd gasped.
The monsters emerging from the swirling portal rifts, the very creatures responsible for the apocalypse crisis... were not limited to beasts or grotesque hybrids. In fact, they were categorized into three distinct types:
First, the mutated beasts. These were creatures resembling wild animals but with grotesque mutations that transformed them into vicious, nightmarish versions of their former selves. Examples included the bloodthirsty thorn wolves that Morca had battled in the DX 1.5 dungeon, as well as the celestial golden-eyed ape he had killed in this very arena. Mutated beasts were the weakest among the three classifications of monsters.
Second, the hybrid monsters. These abominations bore partial human traits but retained features of their bestial origins. The green-scaled Snakeman Boss, for instance, had a human-like upper body but a serpent's lower half. The azure ghost-wind cheetah monster had a humanoid shape but was covered entirely in sleek cheetah fur, complete with a tail. The razor birdmen, with their avian appendages and razor-sharp talons, were also part of this category. Hybrids were significantly stronger than mutated beasts, possessing both intelligence and deadly physical prowess.
And finally, the royal monsters... the ultimate terror among the three categories. These beings were virtually indistinguishable from humans. They could blend seamlessly into society, masking their monstrous nature until it was too late. Unlike their lesser counterparts, royal monsters possessed intelligence and combat prowess that could rival even the most elite of human warriors. They were the generals of the monster armies, the apex predators of their kind.
The creature now facing Morca was one such being, a 'Bloodstained Vampiro', a high-ranking royal monster.
If one were to compare them using a military hierarchy, mutated monsters were the foot soldiers, hybrids the commanders, and the royal monsters the generals. A single 2-star-ranked mutated beast could defeat a 1-star+ monster or even an awakened expert number in one hundred. A hybrid monster could accomplish twice that. But a royal monster? It could annihilate entire battalions of awakened fighters. Their power was enough to make even the strongest human Saint rank expert tremble.
A shiver ran through the audience as they processed the gravity of the situation. Even silver-core stage cultivators... warriors comparable to saint-ranked fighters, felt an overwhelming sense of dread. If ten silver-core cultivators combined their strength, they still wouldn't stand a chance against a single royal 2-star monster. This harsh reality was the reason humanity had almost succumbed to the monster invasion during the early days of the apocalypse. Had it not been for the intervention of the first awakened humans, and those who had reached the peak of cultivation back then, the world might have fallen entirely.
In the stands, those who had bet against Morca surviving for five minutes were practically jubilant. Their faces lit up as they watched the terrifying scene unfold before them.
"We've won the jackpot! There's no way he'll last five minutes!"
Meanwhile, the ones who had placed their faith, and their money, on Morca's survival were beginning to panic.
"Damn it! How did I not see this coming?!"
"Shit! I just lost my life savings!"
"My wife is going to kill me when I get home."
"Oh my god... The Dark Avengers Club really screwed us over this time."
"I should've known better than to trust them."
However, among the desperate gamblers, a few still clung to hope.
"Please, let my lucky star shine today..."
"I know Crimson-Black can do it!"
"Yes! He will!"
"He's not moving... that must mean he's confident!"
This statement, however, only fueled the fire of the skeptics.
"Confident? Are you blind? He's probably too scared to move!"
A heated argument erupted among the spectators, the tension in the air thickening.
Meanwhile, in a secluded section of the audience, a mysterious young girl listened to the commotion. She exhaled softly, murmuring under her breath, "If I didn't know who he was, I'd probably be just as doubtful as they are. After seeing that monster, who wouldn't be shaken? But just how far will you surprise them, 'Bond'?"
Hidden beneath the mask she wore, a breathtaking smile formed on her lips... only to fade just as quickly. A frown replaced it as she observed Morca's unmoving figure. "But why isn't he moving? What state is he in?"
Elsewhere, a group of five red-masked men stood together, observing the scene with grave expressions. Emmett Lee, the No. 2, wore a deep frown as he fixed his gaze on Morca, who still sat cross-legged in the battle ring. His mind was in turmoil.
"This kid... He's been nothing but trouble since yesterday. I didn't even get any sleep because of him! What is he up to now?" Emmett clenched his fists, growing impatient. "He better get up soon... or else, I won't hesitate to knock him awake myself."
A sigh escaped his lips as memories of his once-peaceful days surfaced. "Those days are long gone, aren't they? Ever since this brat awakened, my peace has been shattered. Maybe it's time to step into the picture myself... Ah, how troublesome."
The battle was about to begin. And whether they believed in him or not, all eyes were on Morca.
Would he rise? Would he fall? Or would he defy all expectations yet again?
---
A/N
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