Witch, Fireball and Steam Evil God

Chapter 420 Fish Explosion is Shameful

The cheers for the underground arena grew louder and louder, and the audience was completely absorbed in the upcoming duel.

The clash between veteran champions and recently popular newcomers in the arena is always an eye-catching combination. Perhaps due to the recent arrival of the Autumn Harvest Festival, which has diverted many customers from the arena, the arena has arranged a number of exciting matches to bring people back.

Ethan understood what the audience was thinking. Besides wanting to see the brutal, bloody fights, they were also looking forward to the post-defeat sequence. According to the rules of the arena, the loser would become the victor's spoils, and the winner would have the right to dispose of the spoils in front of everyone.

Clearly, many of these cheering guests hoped to witness the defeat cutscene.

Unfortunately, this is impossible.

Before the match began, as is customary, both sides would exchange harsh words. As the king of the underground arena, Big Guy was in his element here and knew exactly how to please the audience.

Unlike the commoners who were sent here because of debt problems, this place is a paradise for people like him. He was once a bandit leader active in the capital. After being arrested and imprisoned, he was originally going to be executed, but he unexpectedly got the opportunity to "serve" in the underground arena.

He quickly adapted to the environment.

This is a place where you can legally kill, and the more you kill, the better your reputation and treatment will be. Life here is much more comfortable than being a bandit.

"94."

The burly man's voice was amplified and carried to the ears of every audience member: "This is the number of people I've killed!"

He licked his lips, greedily eyeing the fair-skinned red-haired woman opposite him. Such an opponent was quite rare in the underground arena. He was also beginning to look forward to what would happen after this battle. "Don't be nervous. If you cooperate, I'll avoid your pretty little face for a while."

"Oh—! What will our newcomer say in the face of provocation?"

The passionate and energetic host arrived at the other side.

She was met with a bewildered look in the other side's eyes. Her reason for coming here was simple—the black market information brokers in the capital all said that this was the fastest way to make money. The bounty for winning a gladiatorial match was often higher than that for hunting several monsters. The nobles of the capital had no shortage of money. As long as she won a few matches here, she could afford to eat as much as she wanted in the capital. Most importantly, if she made a name for herself here, she could also get tickets to some high-end restaurants catering to the nobility.

"say what?"

Quiet.

Even the host's smile froze on his face.

This newcomer is completely clueless! This is one of the most popular parts of the show with the noble gentlemen, and it's also a perfect opportunity to showcase yourself and increase your visibility. In this place, besides having some real skills, you also need to know how to package and market yourself.

This big guy is one of the best among them.

Higher profile means they get an easier schedule than other gladiators. Only during certain periods will the arena arrange gimmicks like "King vs. King". Most of the other daily gladiatorial matches are for newbies who have just been sent to the arena and have not yet mastered the various weapons.

Most of the opponents who died at the hands of the big guys were of this caliber.

The host maintained a smile on her face, but in her heart she was giving the other side the middle finger. Even if this newcomer was not good at speaking, she at least had a good figure, especially those breasts that made her jealous. If she knew better, she could let them sway a few times to give the noble gentlemen a treat!

Despite her inner turmoil, she still reminded him, "For example, your record, how many people have you killed? Include those before you came to the arena!"

The number 94 is the big guy's proudest achievement. As long as the other side can also report the corresponding number, no matter how many, it can revitalize the atmosphere. After all, the noble lords are relatively more lenient in their requirements for newcomers.

However, it was precisely this simple question that once again plunged the other side into a long period of contemplation.

She rested her chin on her left hand in full view of everyone, looking somewhat dazed, which actually made her look rather cute.

Quiet again.

"...What's wrong with you now?"

The host's eyelids twitched violently a few times.

What's wrong with this newbie? We've already fed her, but she just spit it out.

She was even prepared to slap the other side hard in the chest at the start of the match, as a signature move for him.

"I haven't counted."

After a long time, the other side simply gave up thinking.

How could someone who has been a commander on the battlefield possibly remember such things clearly?
This ambiguous answer made the host gasp. Based on her years of experience, this was definitely an attempt to cover up her mistake, since she hadn't killed a single person.

She glanced at the burly man who was itching to fight, then at the other side. The gladiatorial contest was clearly already decided. Perhaps in just a few rounds, the noble lords would be able to enjoy the defeat they had been waiting for. However, a gladiator like the other side would most likely not be executed on the spot by an old hand like the burly man.

She will sign a contract with the arena as a loser, and will be bound to it forever.

This meant she still had a chance to return to the stage. The host changed his strategy. Since the fame route wasn't working, he would try to gain sympathy by sharing her experiences with the noblemen. Perhaps one of them would take pity on her and redeem her from her servitude.

"So, what is your reason for participating in the gladiatorial combat?"

The host lowered his voice, already laying the groundwork for his later attempt to elicit sympathy.

Her job was to get the noble gentlemen interested in the contestants she introduced.

"For money."

"That's perfectly natural," said the other side in a matter-of-fact tone.

The cost of living in the capital is just too high, especially those high-end restaurants catering to the nobility. She had already spent all the rewards she earned from exchanging monsters when she went to Gear City.

Good heavens, do these nobles' money just fall from the sky?
A meal costs hundreds of gold lions, why don't you just rob someone?

"hiss--!"

The host clenched his fist, reminding himself not to get angry and to remain professional. "What I mean is, why do you need money?"

"For food."

"Have a meal?"

The host's eyes lit up. So, this woman had actually fallen so low that she couldn't even afford to eat? This immediately conjured up a story from the other side of the river—a family struggling to support its members and on the verge of collapse, where the father, the breadwinner, might have lost his ability to work due to an accident, leaving her to secretly come to this kind of place to earn quick money.

Although it's a cliché, there are still quite a few noblemen who are willing to buy into this kind of story.

Her future path is also clear: she will be redeemed by a nobleman who takes a liking to her, and then become his secret lover.

"That's right, let's eat."

Bi'an said honestly, "That Eternal Crown Restaurant is too expensive. A meal costs 500 gold lions and you have to make a reservation in advance. I heard that the portions are very small and you can't get full at all."

Given her appetite, this meal would cost at least 2000 gold lions.

I've heard there are quite a few aristocratic gentlemen here, most of whom are regulars at upscale restaurants. I'd like to take this opportunity to urge these upscale restaurants to lower their prices and become more accessible to the general public.

The third awkward silence.

Even the most experienced host remained silent for a long time.

What kind of food are you eating?
If you don't have money, just don't go to those fancy restaurants, right?
She doesn't deserve any sympathy whatsoever! This is absolutely the most absurd reason she's ever heard since she started working here.

"Let's begin the match."

Bi'an said that she understood that it was the host's responsibility to increase the hype of the competition, so she did not speak ill of the host who was nagging in her ear. However, it was getting late and she was a little hungry.

"If that's the case...!"

The host, Gao Zhen, her right arm trembling slightly, gave the burly man a meaningful look before loudly announcing, "Please enjoy today's death feast!"

Following the host's prompting, the burly man leaned forward and, in the blink of an eye, covered a distance of more than ten meters, appearing directly in front of him on the other side.

"Oh! Here it is, it's the signboard—"

"boom--!"

A loud bang cut off the host's next words and silenced the once-booming venue.

Facing the massive figure so close at hand, the thin-armed, red-haired woman simply raised her right hand and struck the opponent's strongest armor.

A weak and feeble resistance.

However, when people came to their senses, the big man's breastplate, which even a musket could not penetrate, was completely shattered, and he was lying flat on his back in a "T" shape, with a crater several meters deep in front of everyone's eyes.

The big guy opened his mouth wide, rolled his eyes, and blood was seeping out from the corner of his mouth.

The host found herself sitting on the ground without realizing it, and one of her high heels broke due to the sudden incident.

"Miss Host, it's time to announce the winner."

The other side reminds the other party.

The ending was as expected, which is why she didn't want the host to continue. Raising the audience's expectations too much would make the ending seem dull.

"The winner is... the red-haired lady!"

This is the code name the newcomer chose for themselves, which sounds like something they came up with on a whim.

If he were a regular in the arena, they would definitely groom such a promising talent.

"Please, Miss Redhead, deliver your victory declaration!"

The host even started to stutter a little.

The sight of a single punch instantly defeating the king of the arena, and the deep crater created by that punch, was truly visually stunning. In all her years in the arena, she had never seen such a match. Even in the special arenas reserved for the esteemed guests of the First Prince, it was rare to witness such a spectacular scene.

"A declaration of victory, huh..."

Bi'an glanced at the unconscious giant. She had heard that he was the ace of the arena, unlike her who came to make quick money. The giant would still need to make a living here in the future, and she didn't want to ruin his livelihood.

After a moment of contemplation, Bi'an offered a consolation to the unconscious giant, saying, "Don't be too harsh on him; after all, he's only killed 94 people."

……

This was a gladiatorial contest without an execution, and it ended much faster than anyone had expected. So, until the other side swaggered back to the contestants' tunnel, the arena remained silent. Only a man in a black cloak in the audience had a glint in his eyes. He immediately got up and walked towards the backstage of the arena.

The inspection process has been completed.

Just as he had expected, the woman was a survivor of that extinct race.

The big guy was a gladiator handpicked by the Crown Prince. After signing a contract with the arena, they "modified" him in every way, including injecting him with "Fire Seed." This was also the reason why the Crown Prince initially recruited the underground arena. In the Silver Empire, there was no better laboratory than this.

Inject the "spark," and then put these experimental subjects into a battle of life and death to observe the results.

These people were either death row inmates of the empire or civilians who had been forcibly sent here to be redeemed; no one cared what had happened to them.

The big guy is one of the successful cases of the "spark" transformation experiment. He is now completely different from the bandit he once was. However, this successful case was powerless against that red-haired woman!

The Crown Prince needs a henchman like this.

"Miss Redhead".

Inside the contestants' room, someone called out to the other side.

She was packing her gear at that moment. Out of kindness to these native players, she left Oath and Sword of Victory in the lounge and did not equip herself with any armor or weapons before going on stage.

"His Highness the Prince admires your abilities and wishes to meet you."

"That's what the man in the black cloak said."

He carefully observed the expression on the other side, trying to discern her views on the Silver Glow Empire's royal family.

"Your Highness?"

The man felt much more at ease after hearing her question from the other side. At least when the eldest prince was mentioned, there was no hatred in her eyes, which made further contact possible.

“I can see him.”

Surprisingly, the other side was surprisingly cooperative. "However, I have one request."

"You said."

"Since he is a prince, he should be able to come and go from the 'Eternal Crown' restaurant at any time, right?"

?

Bi'an continued, "When I inquired before, the staff there told me that ordinary people had to make an appointment, and the earliest they could see me was next month. If he wanted to see me, he could meet me there."

She refused to believe it; she suspected that those people simply didn't want her to go in for a meal.

Seeing that the man in the black cloak did not answer for a long time, Bi'an waved the newly issued Golden Lion debit card and said, "We can split the bill for this meal, or I can pay."

"That's certainly not a problem..."

The man in the black cloak immediately spoke.

He never expected that the other side would make such a request.

This is an opportunity that most people in the capital dream of, but this red-haired woman only wants to eat at a high-end restaurant.

As expected, that extinct clan consisted of strange individuals.

This red-haired woman seems to be an incredibly gluttonous person.

(End of this chapter)