Chapter 38: A Summoning Genius Skilled in Close-Quarters Combat?

"Severely wounded yet fighting with increasing ferocity; could this newcomer’s constitution be even stronger than that of a Stone-Skin?"

Supreme Heaven furrowed his brows, pondering for a long time before finally settling on this conclusion.

Just then, a skull inlaid with intricate mechanical structures slowly drifted over and hovered beside him.

"Master, Alf, the boy-toy of Lady Octopus, requests an audience. He claims he has an urgent matter to discuss with you."

"Lady Octopus? Instead of watching the matches, she’s cooking up some new scheme again..."

Supreme Heaven rolled all six of his eyes simultaneously, then waved a large hand dismissively. "Let him in."

A short while later, Alf stood before Supreme Heaven. The blond man gave a slight bow, though his face bore little sign of respect. He got straight to the point:

"Lady Octopus has taken an interest in Lu Li. I suggest you name your price, Supreme Heaven."

"Name a price?" Supreme Heaven was momentarily stunned, then retorted impatiently, "Lu Li may be a gladiator, but he hasn't signed an indenture contract with the arena. I have no authority to decide his fate, let alone name a price for him. Tell Lady Octopus to give up on this."

Under normal circumstances, one would have taken the hint and left after such a rebuff. Yet, Alf remained unmoved, his tone turning into a near-veiled threat: "No one can refuse a request from Lady Octopus. I suggest you find a way, Supreme Heaven."

"You!" Supreme Heaven’s six eyes widened in fury, his temper flaring. But upon recalling Lady Octopus’s background, he swallowed his anger and replied stiffly, "I am merely the manager of the Nexus Arena, bound to operate according to its rules. Even if Lady Octopus is a hegemon of a star sector, she cannot simply trample over the rules, can she?"

Alf nodded slightly. "That is true, but I must fulfill her request. Please, find a way."

Looking at the man’s smug face, Supreme Heaven felt a strong urge to crush him into pulp. After a moment of thought, he said, "Fine. I will see if I can trick him into signing an indenture contract. If I succeed, Lady Octopus's request will be satisfied."

Alf remained relentless. "And if you fail? Lady Octopus must have Lu Li; failure is not an option."

Supreme Heaven’s temper ignited once more. "It will not fail! If Lu Li refuses to sign, I will simply arrange an opponent he cannot possibly defeat! Between signing his life away or dying in the arena, even a fool knows which to choose."

***

After fifty consecutive victories, Lu Li’s opponents became increasingly aggressive. Though they were all geniuses among the newcomers, they were nothing in Lu Li’s eyes. Aside from the continuous drain on his stamina, they posed no real threat. It wasn't until the 80th match that he felt a renewed sense of urgency.

As Dio’s announcement echoed, a gate in the arena opened, but nothing emerged. The space behind the iron gate was empty.

"What's going on? Is the arena empty? Why open a gate to nothing?"

"Do they just hand out byes in Gladiator Mode? Is the arena just giving him a free win because this rookie can't keep up?"

"Fixing the match, are they? Screw this! Give us our money back!"

The stands erupted in uproar. Only a few experienced spectators realized that such a thing as a 'void gate' did not exist in the arena. The contestant entering was simply unique.

Lu Li, standing in the center, clearly understood this. His muscles tightened like a wolf ready to pounce. If something had to come through that gate and his eyes couldn't see it, it meant one thing: his opponent could turn invisible.

Searching through his memories, Lu Li quickly formed a guess. Aside from the Ethereal race’s 'Shadow Spirits,' only the Lizard Warriors of the Iron Jungle possessed such stealth capabilities. If it were a Shadow Spirit, the temperature in the arena would inevitably drop, perhaps even causing breath to frost. But there was no chill in the air. Therefore, it had to be a Lizard Warrior.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, Lu Li sensed a killing intent striking toward him. He instinctively twisted his body, executing an incredibly sharp evasive maneuver, though the clothes on his back were still shredded instantly.

"Holy hell! What’s happening? Why was Lu Li suddenly attacked?"

"It’s a player with an invisibility talent!"

"So that’s it! No wonder nothing came out of the gate. How are you supposed to fight someone you can't see?"

"How? This arena is clearly trying to end this rookie’s winning streak. Lu Li’s life is in danger now..."

As Lu Li dodged repeatedly, gasps of alarm swept through the stands. Many began to worry, believing that this rising star was destined to fall. After all, in the previous eighty matches, Lu Li had already displayed every trick in his arsenal. His melee combat was formidable, but could he create another miracle against an invisibility talent that countered melee fighters so perfectly?

"I thought a hundred-win streak would be a breeze, but they finally sent a troublesome opponent."

Lu Li’s mind stirred, and a vast amount of black mist began to swirl and expand around him!

[Soul Weapon]!

Countless Mantis Blade-Arms condensed, instantly filling more than half the arena!

The gasps in the stands stopped abruptly. Everyone was stunned. After the previous eighty matches, they had pegged Lu Li as a melee genius with off-the-charts attributes—someone whose speed, strength, and constitution far exceeded ordinary players. The red mist he emitted had been dismissed as some magical equipment, and his lightning bolts as mysterious props.

But now? Lu Li didn't even bother with a greeting; he simply summoned enough creatures to fill half the arena? What was this? The 'melee genius' they thought was explosively strong was actually a 'summoner' genius?!

"Good heavens... look at all those summons, I can’t even count them..."

"Instant summoning? Does Lu Li not even need a ritual?"

"He hid his true hand so well! It's just a pity that his opponent has the invisibility talent..."

"Hmph, exactly. No matter how many summons he has, if he can't see the opponent, it's useless."

"And those summons are low-level; they won't be of much use in a real fight..."

Though the audience was shocked, they remained pessimistic. Unless one possessed a Diamond-grade 'Perception' talent, it was impossible to track an invisible enemy. Lu Li did not possess such a high-level talent, yet he still had his own way of capturing his target.

With Lu Li at the center, all his Soul Weapons were arranged in a tight formation. Since the Soul Weapons had physical form, they would inevitably leave gaps in the ranks when they collided with the invisible Lizard Warriors. Using this screening method, he could quickly pinpoint the two invisible combatants.

Before long, Lu Li spotted a disruption in the formation of his Soul Weapons.

"Got you!"