Chapter 946

“Banc, why are you participating in the Void Arena?”

Su Xiao began trying to chat casually with the insectoid Banc.

“Banc is bored.”

The insectoid Banc raised its arm-blades, slicing them in front of its body at speeds that left afterimages.

“Banc, the Annihilator and the insectoids are friends, right?”

Su Xiao pressed further.

“The Annihilator and the insectoids are not friends—they are neutral. The Annihilator is neutral: the most terrifying absolute neutrality.”

Banc’s words made Su Xiao frown. He had previously defined the Annihilator’s Shadow as Lawful Chaotic—a faction he himself invented—but now it seemed he was wrong.

The Annihilator’s Shadow is absolute neutrality—it does not favor any side. Whoever violates the taboo, the Annihilator’s Shadow temporarily becomes Neutral Evil or Chaotic Evil.

To some extent, absolute neutrality is even more terrifying.

“I suppose my enemies this time are numerous?”

“Banc doesn’t know, but the Mage Sage Sefilia has come to watch the arena fights—she is the Annihilator’s enemy.”

A crucial piece of information: Mage Sage Sefilia.

“Are there any of my own kind here this time?”

Su Xiao was probing something vital: whether any other Annihilator Shadows still existed in the Void.

“Impossible. The age of the Annihilators has passed. Only one is known to exist—and he may no longer even qualify as an Annihilator.”

Banc grew interested. More precisely, since its birth, it had never seen an Annihilator’s Shadow; they existed only in legends.

Now, a legend stood before it—no wonder Banc had trembled earlier.

“I appear before you? Don’t you find that strange?”

“Banc finds nothing strange. The number of Annihilators can only decrease, never vanish—that is a law of the Void. The Annihilator is the overseer of the balance between rules and elements. Within elements, the Annihilator is supreme. The Void will not permit the Annihilator to vanish entirely.”

Banc was a native of the Void and understood its ways well.

Su Xiao had little time—only a few minutes before he had to go to the Arena’s notary office to claim his number.

“Banc is fortunate to be the first to see an Annihilator.”

Banc’s words made Su Xiao freeze. That word—“first”—was dangerously significant.

“You seem… to know I would appear here?”

“Twenty ticks ago, the Arena distributed flyers.”

Banc picked up a biological pouch from beside it—a backpack, a space-item.

Quickly, Banc rummaged inside and pulled out a flyer. Su Xiao took it, his expression grim.

The flyer boldly read: “The Annihilator, vanished for over a thousand years, has reappeared. Will the Void once again face the terror of the Annihilator? All shall unfold at the 5487th Void Arena.”

The slogan was striking, printed in red. Below it was Su Xiao’s photo: he stood beside a dirt pit, smoking, with over a dozen corpses inside.

Not only that—Bubu Wang was in the photo too. The creature held a shovel; the pit was dug by it.

“Wang!”

Bubu Wang barked excitedly: “Master, we’re on the newspaper—Void newspaper!”

But seconds later, Bubu Wang drooped, its shovel-holding pose looking absurd.

Seeing the photo, Su Xiao immediately recalled: it was taken during the fourth game, when he was “fishing” and got snapped.

“Alice…”

Undoubtedly, this was Alice’s doing.

As Su Xiao pondered his next move, the Paradise of Reincarnation’s prompt appeared.

【Rest period over. Hunters must proceed to the Notary Office immediately to obtain their Arena number.】

Su Xiao rose and walked toward the door. The insectoid Banc followed. Having a being who understood the Void and held no hostility nearby brought only advantages.

Stepping out of the rest room, a wide corridor stretched before him. The Void Arena’s style resembled ancient Roman arenas: entirely stone-built, massive yet grand, worn yet majestic.

The entire Void Arena covered a vast area. At its center lay a circular arena, its floor paved with yellow sand. Surrounding it were enormous, exaggerated circular tiers of spectator seats. The main fights had not yet begun, yet the stands were already packed. On the sand, over a dozen female warriors from “Lalatasheng” performed a demonstration match—essentially a group of cute creatures “fighting.” Their moves carried a hint of titillation—not outright nudity or costume-tearing—but paired with the blood-stained sand, they evoked a visceral sense of beauty and beast.

The Arena was divided into four zones.

The Combat Zone: the central sandy ground and spectator tiers.

The Competitor Rest Zone: the smallest area within the Arena.

The Notary Office: where participants registered, were scheduled, and collected their numbers.

The Logistics Support Zone: entirely sealed off by Alice; competitors forbidden entry.

…

Su Xiao’s destination was the Notary Office. He walked down the corridor as sunlight streamed through the windows.

Looking outward from the Arena’s edge, Su Xiao saw countless bizarre shops: magic, tech, mechanical—styles beyond count.

Before these shops stretched a stone-paved path. Pedestrians wore wildly varied attire: some in full armor, others in sleek kinetic exosuits—they were from different planets.

Planetary technological levels varied. Not every planet suited technology; some, due to resource scarcity, remained primitive, yet their natives used alternatives: magic, biology, psionics—each planet had its own unique power system.

Moreover, each planet was governed by factions that strictly forbade cultural invasion.

For example, on a planet where technology was backward but magic flourished, Void merchants could sell only a few exosuits, and only as collectibles. Approval was arduous; use for combat or labor was banned—limited to noble collections.

Technology had many benefits, but drawbacks too. On planets where biology dominated, tech products were strictly forbidden, as they interfered with biological evolution toward higher states.

Each planet had its own character: one might be tribal, the next filled with sky-faring airships. Such wonder was the Void’s essence—and precisely this wonder sustained its prosperity and vastness.

Seeing the diverse pedestrians and strange shops, Su Xiao felt a fire ignite within him. This was merely a tiny scene of the Void—these shops existed solely to serve the Arena’s spectators.

Banc paused near Su Xiao.

“Annihilator, are you from another dimension?”

Banc seemed to have noticed something.

“Perhaps.”

Su Xiao gave no clear answer—he could not reveal the existence of the Paradise of Reincarnation.

Having witnessed the Void’s marvels, Su Xiao felt longing—but he was not eager. He was not yet strong enough; stepping into the Void now would be premature.

Perhaps the Paradise of Reincarnation deliberately let him witness the wonders of the Void—so that one day, he would inevitably enter it. But that day would come only after a very long time, at least once he was powerful enough.

Moreover, obtaining the Proofs of the Strong was not merely about breaking the 80-point attribute barrier—it was also a form of qualification to enter the Void. Otherwise, the method of obtaining the Proofs would not be so unique.

ps: (Stuck on writing today—hence the late update. Tomorrow: four chapters. Will try to update earlier.)