"It's that guy!"
A Female Guard warrior spoke up, and everyone recognized him—the bare-chested man who had nearly shoved aside the first scout from the opposing force.
Apart from his massive build, Cloud Peak saw nothing remarkable about him.
"I'll go."
Red Hair said this while looking at Xia Bai.
Xia Bai glanced at Ye Zhongming, hesitated, then nodded.
Having spent much time with Red Hair, Xia Bai knew her combat prowess fell slightly short when she wasn’t injured.
Of course, if she were severely wounded, her strength might surpass Red Hair’s by a hair. But factoring in battle beasts—her Nine Treasures against Red Hair’s Undead Dragon-fish—her overall power still lagged.
The gap was minuscule. Sometimes, it wasn’t even fixed, since the two had never truly sparred to the death. There was no proof of who would survive a life-or-death fight.
But Xia Bai knew her power multiplied only after injury. In the early stages of battle, she risked instant death, making her less reliable than Red Hair. That was why she yielded."Don’t worry. I’ve... changed a bit recently."
Red Hair smiled faintly, as if telling everyone she had regained complete life.
With their decision made, Ye Zhongming said nothing more, giving Red Hair a nod.
Red Hair stepped forward, stopping about ten meters from the hulking man.
The space abruptly transformed. Everything else plunged into darkness, leaving only the two combatants bathed in light. Energy strands materialized from the void, swiftly weaving an ornate dueling platform around them.
"First singles match begins. Time limit: ten minutes. The match ends if one party dies or surrenders. The victor may accept surrender or continue fighting until death."
"If no outcome is reached within the time limit, the side with higher remaining constitution points wins."
"If the victor wins by killing their opponent, shorter durations yield higher rewards. Base reward: A9 tier. Each minute saved upgrades the reward by one tier. Victory within one minute grants an S-tier reward. The winning team receives corresponding B9 to B1 tier rewards, capped at A9."
"If the losing party dies, their faction gains no rewards. If they surrender and are spared, the individual receives a D9 tier reward, and their faction gets E9."
"If constitution points determine victory, the winner receives B9 (individual) and C9 (faction). The loser gets C1 (individual) and D1 (faction)."
The reward system left everyone baffled. Letter-graded rewards were cryptic, but one thing was clear: killing the opponent fast yielded the best prizes. Under a minute? S-tier.
Given the space’s wonders, an S-tier reward was likely extraordinary—perhaps gold or even purple grade.
Tempting, but not easily earned. Dominance was required.
Until the fight began, no one could predict the outcome. As the luminous platform formed, tension gripped those hidden in darkness.
"Ahan, crush her!"
A roar erupted from the opposing force, followed by raucous cheers and crude, slang-laden encouragement.
Cloud Peak, fewer in number, was quieter. Only the juvenile corps cheered for Red Hair, their voices drowned out.
On the platform, the giant named Ahan seemed invigorated by his team’s support, entering a frenzied state. He flexed his muscles, roaring at Red Hair.
"Constitution points: Cloud Peak faction, 6789."
The announcement cut through the noise effortlessly.
"Hidden Snake Journey Faction, 4780."
Numbers flashed above the platform.
The cheers from the opposing side faltered.
No one fully understood "constitution points," but it was clearly akin to health stats in games.
6789 vs. 4780—a gap of 2009 points. A delicate-looking woman versus a mountain of a man. The contrast between their physiques and the numbers was almost comical.
"Match begins in ten seconds. 10, 9..."
The two on the platform remained calmer than the spectators, locking eyes. At the countdown, they moved.
Red Hair tilted one hand downward. A crimson spear materialized, and her scaled armor expanded, morphing into full-body plating. The spear fused with her armor, becoming one.
"Cloud Peak faction constitution points: 7131."
An increase of several hundred.
Ahan’s breathing grew heavy. His already-hulking frame swelled further. He plunged his hands into his tight leather pants, pulling out two globs of butter-like substance. Smearing it over his torso, his skin gleamed with an oily sheen, tiny, wriggling particles visible under the light.
"Hidden Snake Journey faction constitution points: 6660."
A collective gasp of delight rose from Hidden Snake Journey’s ranks.
Though still trailing, the gap had shrunk from over 2000 to under 500.
"1, 0... Begin!"
At the command, the two lunged forward.
A crimson spear clashed against bare hands.
It defied belief—the audacity to block a weapon with flesh. Yet Ahan did it. His hands grotesquely enlarged, seizing Red Hair’s spear mid-thrust!