Chapter 264: Small Bets for Amusement

The news of the Life-and-Death Arena spread like wildfire, sweeping through the entire Base like a sudden storm.

Even those Awakened who usually avoided the arena matches like the plague and always kept their distance could not help but be shaken the moment they heard this news.

"What? A Life-and-Death Arena? Are you talking about that incredibly cruel duel where two people step onto the arena, and only one is destined to walk out alive?"

A female Awakened heard her companion's account and was so shocked that her eyes nearly popped out.

In her impression, arena matches had always been about knowing when to stop and ending at a touch; how had this one evolved into a life-or-death struggle?

"Yeming, are you sure you heard that right? Don't tell me you're just repeating rumors and got it wrong?"

"Yeah, a Life-and-Death Arena is something that, ever since our Yanshi City Awakened Association was founded, has happened so few times throughout all these years of ups and downs.

You can count them on your fingers; it definitely hasn't happened more than three times. And if you think about it carefully, those few instances are already old news from several years ago."

"That's right, it's absolutely true!" Yeming was full of excitement, as if he had discovered some earth-shattering secret.

"Don't tell me you haven't checked the group messages yet? The group is already in an uproar, it's completely exploded!

This Life-and-Death Arena business is set in stone, absolutely certain! And you'll never guess who the two opponents in this Life-and-Death Arena are."

"Who is it?" Although the few of them knew Yeming was deliberately keeping them in suspense, their curiosity surged like a tide, and they asked eagerly in near unison.

After all, there were nearly two hundred Awakened in the Association; with so many people, they might not necessarily recognize the names Yeming mentioned.

Yeming seemed to see through their thoughts, gave a sly chuckle, and said, "As soon as I say the name of one of them, you'll definitely know immediately."

"?"

The few of them looked at each other, their eyes full of confusion.

"Yeming, stop keeping us in suspense, who is it? If you don't say it, we're going to check the group ourselves."

"Exactly, stop stuttering, it's killing us."

"Du Hu."

Amidst the urging of the crowd, Yeming finally spat out a name.

"Who?"

The people beside him looked as if they had been suddenly electrocuted, nearly jumping up on the spot.

"Yeming, who did you just say? Du Hu?"

"Yeming, don't play these kinds of jokes on us! Brother Hu is a dignified C-Class Awakened! Experts of his level are busy with affairs every day.

It's already rare for him to find time to fight in the arena once a month; how could he suddenly go and fight someone in a Life-and-Death Arena? This doesn't make any sense."

"No, if I don't say it, you complain that I'm keeping you in suspense, and now that I've finally said it, you think I'm joking with you." Yeming muttered, feeling somewhat aggrieved.

"In your eyes, am I, Yeming, really the kind of unreliable person who likes to joke about such major events? How could I lie to you about something so important?"

The few of them were stunned at first, then thought about it carefully and felt that what Yeming said was indeed reasonable.

A Life-and-Death Arena is no trivial matter; it is a major event capable of stirring up a huge storm and causing a sensation throughout the entire Yanshi City Association.

Moreover, one of the parties is Du Hu, a C-Class Awakened and the President's right-hand man; even if Yeming were given ten times the courage, he would never dare to fabricate such an outrageous rumor.

"Gulp."

The female Awakened who had spoken earlier swallowed nervously, her voice lowering involuntarily as she said, "Yeming, does that mean this is really a Life-and-Death Arena for a C-Class Awakened?"

The people beside her couldn't help but gasp.

There were only a handful of C-Class Awakened in the Association, and they usually seemed to get along well; what could have happened to make both sides go so far as to sign a Life-and-Death Agreement?

"I'm not too sure." Yeming frowned and said, "Because Brother Hu's opponent isn't one of the other C-Class Awakened in the Association, but a newcomer."

"What, a newcomer?"

"A newcomer who just joined our Association?"

"Are you kidding? A newcomer dares to fight a Life-and-Death Arena with Du Hu? Is he tired of living, or is your information wrong?"

"I'm not wrong!"

Yeming said with a helpless, bitter smile.

When he saw this message in the group at the time, he was also stunned for a long time, his mind went blank, and he couldn't believe it at all.

It was only after confirming it many times over that he had to accept the fact.

"You heard right, and I didn't get it wrong; it really is a newcomer who is going to fight Du Hu in a Life-and-Death Arena, and it's said that the newcomer was the one who initiated it."

"!!!"

This news was like a bombshell, once again leaving those around him dumbfounded.

"I heard that the newcomer has some skills, deliberately hid his strength in the arena matches, and even bet all his points on himself, and it actually allowed him to win three matches in a row..." Yeming explained the ins and outs of the matter in detail.

Upon hearing this, his companions all wore strange expressions on their faces.

"Are the newcomers these days all so bold and aggressive? Back when we joined the Association, we all honestly went out to complete missions to earn points, and it's still the same even now."

"Yeah, they say nine out of ten bets are lost; for so many years, how many people who participated in arena betting haven't lost everything and gone bankrupt?"

"This newcomer is really bold and quite black-hearted to come up with this trick. If he really succeeds, how many points would he earn?"

"Fortunately, Brother Hu rejected him. I have to say, Brother Hu is loyal; he's worthy of being the President's right-hand man."

"Exactly!" Yeming slapped his thigh hard. "After the newcomer was rejected, he was so embarrassed that he got angry and insisted on pestering Brother Hu for a Life-and-Death Arena. Brother Hu only agreed because he had no other choice.

It's truly hard to persuade a ghost who is determined to die with kind words. Since this newcomer insists on throwing an egg against a rock, let him try.

Even if Brother Hu doesn't deal with him today, someone else will eventually deal with a guy who doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth."

"That's right."

These words resonated with many people around.

"I heard this arena match starts in ten minutes. Should we go over and take a look? And maybe bet some points to support Brother Hu?" Someone not far away was already eager to move.

"This, that doesn't seem right."

Someone said hesitantly, "Didn't we agree before not to touch things like gambling?"

"Hey, can you call this gambling? This is a sure-win deal!"

"Exactly, for this Life-and-Death Arena, you can tell with your toes that Brother Du Hu will definitely win; that newcomer is purely looking for death and is bound to lose without a doubt."

"Seems that way, so then, should we bet a little?"

"Just bet a little, small wagers are for fun, but big wagers will hurt you."

Upon learning the news, the members of the Association swarmed toward the first floor of the basement.

Even those handling affairs outside, upon seeing the messages in the group chat, could not care about what they were doing and rushed back in a hurry.

Even if it wasn't to place a bet, going to join in the excitement is good too. A newcomer who doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth like this one doesn't even appear once every three to five years.

At the same time, Vice President Chen Yan, who had previously led Lu Yu through the assessment, also noticed the series of messages in the group chat.

"Life-and-Death Arena?"

He frowned slightly, pondering to himself.

Wherever there are people, there are disputes, and the Awakened Association is no exception; using a method like the Life-and-Death Arena to resolve grudges is, after all, a means.

However, when his gaze swept over the name of Du Hu, a look of shock could not help but appear on his face.