In almost every Kemal Arena across various regions, there is always such a small room. These rooms are usually located in an unassuming corner on the topmost level of the arena. In appearance, they seem like ordinary staff offices, and most of the time, they remain empty.
Most people who see these small rooms are puzzled, unsure of their purpose or why they exist at all. Even the arena staff responsible for cleaning have no keys to these rooms.
Yet, despite appearing abandoned, these small rooms are always meticulously cleaned daily by one or two high-ranking title fighters who treat the task like a sacred ritual, as devout worshippers might.
Moreover, perhaps few notice that whenever something significant is about to occur in the Kemal Arena, a group of usually scattered individuals will gather in this otherwise empty little room.
When Zhang Wen arrived at the Kemal Arena, he didn’t hesitate for a moment. Without needing to ask anyone for directions, he brought the red-haired little girl beside him straight to the small room that seemed unchanged from its usual state.
“Oh! Little guy, you’re here! Come in!” The door opened, revealing a familiar, tipsy face well-known to regulars of the Kemal Arena.
“Hey, old drunkard! What mischief are you up to this time? Iron Mask sent me here in a hurry, and I rushed over the moment I arrived in Casares—didn’t waste a second!” Zhang Wen greeted the old drunkard with a grin. This eccentric figure, one of the “Three Freaks of Casares,” seemed never to take anything seriously. He welcomed jokes and casualness from others, not minding in the least.
“Haha! No problem, no problem! You’ll find out soon enough what mischief we’re up to! Who’s this little girl?” The old drunkard chuckled, his gaze casually sweeping over Xiaoxi.
“As for her… she’s one of my students now,” Zhang Wen replied with a smile.
“Oh! Your student, huh? Hehe… Well, come on in then,” the old drunkard said with a knowing grin, ushering both of them inside.
“You’re here,” Iron Mask, who had been waiting inside, greeted Zhang Wen with a nod as soon as he entered.
Zhang Wen nodded politely in return, then scanned the small room with his eyes. He quickly realized that the bounty fighters present, while not the absolute elite of the Casares Arena, were all “elites” in their respective tiers—fighters whose strength exceeded their bounty level but had not yet officially advanced.
Additionally, the alluring and seductive manager who ran the arena was also present. In fact, this manager, who was the dream lover of over ninety percent of the Casares Arena’s bounty fighters, was another non-bounty fighter with the privilege to enter this small room.
Besides a few acquaintances of Zhang Wen, most of the bounty fighters in the room had never seen his real face before. Upon seeing two unfamiliar faces, the group couldn’t help but stare at Zhang Wen with curiosity, whispering among themselves about his identity.
However, the murmurs in the small room lasted only briefly before settling down. After all, those who could enter this room were all fighters who had earned their reputations in the Casares Arena. Having experienced countless strange events throughout their careers, remaining calm under pressure had long become second nature to these seasoned warriors.
“Hey! Masked guy, been waiting for you a long time,” another of the “Three Freaks of Casares,” the warrior known as Asura, greeted Zhang Wen in a voice low enough for only the two of them to hear.
“Heh! Long time no see,” Zhang Wen smiled slightly at Asura and sat down beside him.
“You seem much stronger than before,” Asura said suddenly, his expression turning serious as he studied Zhang Wen closely.
“Ha! That’s true. I had a bit of an unexpected gain during my trip to the Sandara Forest,” Zhang Wen chuckled, nodding. Then his tone turned serious. “From your perspective, how strong do you think I am now?”
“Hmm…” Asura stared intently at Zhang Wen for a moment. “Judging purely from the battle aura I sense, you’ve only just reached the threshold of a tenth-tier warrior. But… instinctively, I feel your strength goes far beyond that. Still, I think I’m still stronger than you.” For once, the usually taciturn Asura cracked a joke.
Zhang Wen blinked in surprise at Asura’s joke, then playfully nudged his shoulder with his elbow. “Oh? So it seems you’ve had quite a few realizations yourself during my absence in Sandara Forest!”
“Hehe, more or less. But a big part of that is thanks to you. The fights you had with those guys from the Fira Planet gave me a lot of inspiration.”
“Is that so? Congratulations then! It seems like the Casares Arena might soon have a new Saint-tier warrior.”
“With a bit more refinement, I think I’ll be close enough,” Asura clenched his fists tightly. “I’ve been stuck at the Warrior tier for too long. I don’t even know if I’ll ever get a chance to touch the threshold of the Super-tier in this lifetime.”
“There will be a chance,” Zhang Wen sighed, falling silent alongside Asura.
As the group waited in quiet anticipation, a few more bounty fighters entered the room. Finally, when the number of people reached ten, Iron Mask ended his state of meditation. He silently stood up and locked the door to the small room.
“Oh! Is the meeting about to start? Iron Mask, Manager Angeli, what’s the plan this time?” The bounty fighters in the room asked excitedly. Even Xiaoxi, who had been fidgeting restlessly, couldn’t help but perk up her ears.
“Hehe! We specifically gathered everyone here today for one reason only—because Governor Termiso has once again come to us personally, asking for our help with something,” the beautiful manager of the Casares Arena said with a smile.
Given the Kemal Arena’s formidable reputation, many wealthy individuals facing trouble or needing protection for expeditions into the Sandara Forest often turned to the arena’s bounty fighters for help. Therefore, most Kemal Arena managers also served as “arena brokers.” External commissions from outside the arena were an important source of income for both the arena and the bounty fighters.
Manager Angeli occasionally introduced side jobs to the arena’s bounty fighters. Commissions from Governor Termiso were certainly not new to the Kemal Arena bounty fighters.
“Oh… Governor Termiso again,” the bounty fighters chuckled. “Could it be that the governor has heard rumors of an assassination attempt and wants someone to guard him personally?”
“That’s not it,” Angeli smiled and shook her head.
“Hehe, commissions from Governor Termiso are nothing new. Big Sis Angeli, who are these two then? We’ve never seen them before. Are they special envoys from the governor?”
“They… almost forgot to introduce them,” Angeli playfully covered her mouth with a smile. “This is Professor Zhang Wen from the Almeythys Academy. If any of you rascals laugh again, just remember to watch your skin when you step into the ring next time. He’s not an envoy from the governor, but the full representative of the Hermit. The Hermit had some urgent matters and asked him to attend the meeting in his place.”
“Ahh! So he’s a friend of the Hermit Brother…” The bounty fighters who had been teasing Zhang Wen moments ago now looked awkward and uneasy.
The comical expressions of the group of burly, fierce-looking men almost made Xiaoxi burst into laughter.
“Alright, alright, now that everyone’s introduced themselves, we’re all friends. Let’s get back to business,” Angeli smoothly steered the conversation past the awkwardness. Her beautiful eyes scanned the faces in the small room, and she continued with a gentle smile. “If it were just a commission from Governor Termiso, I wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to gather everyone here. But a few days ago, the Casares Arena was ‘graciously’ treated by those bastards from the Fira Planet. If we don’t properly ‘thank’ them in return, people might start questioning our hospitality.”
“Right! We definitely need to thank those bastards properly! Let them know that the people of Casares aren’t to be messed with!”
“Those bastards who ‘cared’ for our Twin Wolves—how dare they get away with it without paying back tenfold?”
Most of the bounty fighters who had carved out their names in the arena were naturally hot-blooded types. Now, with their dream lover using provocative words to stir them up, the bounty fighters in the small room began roaring with excitement.
“Alright!” Watching the fighters vent their emotions with a smile, Angeli lightly clapped her hands, silencing them. “This time, Governor Termiso has commissioned us to teach those bastards from the Fira Planet a lesson. But I think our ambitions should be even higher!”
“Big Sis Angeli, tell us what to do! We’ll follow your lead!”
“Mm.” Angeli nodded in satisfaction. “The team for this mission will consist of all of you here. Of course, Iron Mask and Old Drunkard will stay behind in Casares. So this time, Asura will lead the team to Fira Planet. Everyone meet at the spaceport the day after tomorrow—any problems?”
“No problem!” The bounty fighters nodded firmly.
“And if any of you come back from Fira Planet without having advanced at least one level, you’ll be cleaning the toilets for a month! Got it?”
“Haha! Of course!”
“Then… my boys, go out there and turn Fira Planet upside down!”
“YEAH!” With Angeli’s powerful shout, the bounty fighters couldn’t help but roar with excitement. Even Xiaoxi, sitting beside Zhang Wen, was caught up in the atmosphere, her face flushed with excitement.
“That was so fun… so fun! I want to join too!” As soon as they had left the small room where the bounty fighters had gathered, Xiaoxi couldn’t even wait for the others to disperse before she grabbed Zhang Wen’s arm tightly, shouting excitedly.
“Oh? Little beauty, are you interested in martial arts combat too?” Angeli had somehow appeared behind Xiaoxi, smiling as she looked at the excited red-haired girl.
“What do you mean by that? Are you underestimating me?” Xiaoxi immediately retorted angrily.
“Hehe! How could I? You’re a very mature and capable young lady!” Angeli said with a charming smile.
Being looked at by Angeli’s enchanting eyes, Xiaoxi’s face turned bright red. “Ah… really?” The red-haired girl shyly lowered her head.
“Of course it’s true! My eyes never lie!” Angeli’s eyes twinkled with joy as she smiled. After teasing the red-haired girl until she almost buried her face in her chest, she finally turned her beautiful face toward Zhang Wen and asked seriously, “Zhang Wen, since you brought her to attend our meeting, are you really planning to let her join this mission?”
“Mm.” Zhang Wen nodded slightly, though a bit reluctantly.
Given Xiaoxi’s current state, even if Zhang Wen wanted to leave her behind in Casares, she probably wouldn’t agree. And Zhang Wen certainly couldn’t leave Xiaoxi alone at Almeythys Academy. Therefore, taking her to Fira Planet was his only option.
“I see. Although she’s certainly strong enough for this mission based on her current level, you should know that this mission is different from ordinary arena battles. When dealing with foreign fighters, they’ll use any dirty tricks they can think of. Those guys from Fira Planet won’t hold back at all.” Angeli glanced at Xiaoxi with concern.
“Hehe!” Zhang Wen shook his head and smiled. Xiaoxi also stood tall, wearing a confident smile.
Although Angeli was skilled at judging people, she clearly underestimated Xiaoxi this time. She probably couldn’t imagine that the seemingly harmless red-haired girl in front of her wasn’t some delicate flower from a greenhouse, but rather the younger sister of Agate, the No. 3 Executor of the Syndicate!
“Well then. If you think it’s okay, I’ll get her a membership card for the arena. Good luck, little beauty.” Seeing the confident expressions on Zhang Wen and Xiaoxi, Angeli didn’t ask further. She waved at the two with a smile and left, trailing a faint scent of perfume.
Before Zhang Wen and Xiaoxi left the Kemal Arena, staff had already prepared a membership card for Xiaoxi as per Angeli’s instructions.
Then, the excited red-haired girl began chattering nonstop in Zhang Wen’s ear, proudly showing off her new membership card. This continued all the way back to Almeythys Academy.
Due to the recent terrorist attack and the “mysterious disappearance” of Robert and Linoah, Almeythys Academy’s teaching schedule had fallen into slight disarray. Although the Survival Competition had ended two or three days ago, and most of the three participating teams had returned to the academy, classes had not yet resumed.
Zhang Wen, being one of the key witnesses to the Sandara Forest incident, had been staying at Governor Termiso’s mansion for the past few days, assisting the governor’s secretary, Mishia, and the two female aides of the Eagle Guard in compiling their investigation report. Therefore, this was the first time Zhang Wen had returned to Almeythys Academy since the start of the Survival Competition.
“Oh! So this is Almeythys Academy. It’s completely different from the rural schools back home!” As they walked along the wide academy boulevard, Xiaoxi quickly became captivated by the tall buildings lining the road and the students in Almeythys uniforms passing by.
Similarly, the curious red-haired girl attracted the attention of many passing male students. After all, even in the Almeythys Academy, known for its abundance of beautiful girls, Xiaoxi was still a rare sight.
Discovering that she had become the center of male attention, Xiaoxi felt quite pleased. She smugly chuckled to herself, humming a cheerful tune as she strutted ahead of Zhang Wen.
Xiaoxi’s childish and adorable behavior didn’t bother Zhang Wen at all. On the contrary, he watched her antics with a smile, enjoying the show.
However, although Zhang Wen never stopped her, Xiaoxi’s pride didn’t last long. As they crossed the famous artificial lake within Almeythys Academy, the funny tuft of hair on top of Xiaoxi’s head—jokingly called her “idiot hair” by Zhang Wen—gently swayed as if caught in a breeze.
As the “idiot hair” swayed, Xiaoxi’s previously bright and cheerful expression suddenly turned gloomy. Then, Zhang Wen noticed that the boys coming from the opposite direction no longer instinctively focused their gazes on Xiaoxi. In fact, many of them seemed not to notice her at all, instead frequently glancing behind them as if reluctant to leave.
Before Zhang Wen could figure out what was happening, he heard a familiar girl’s voice.
“Professor Zhang!” Jalete, wearing her full student council president uniform, appeared from the corner of the campus boulevard and walked gracefully toward Zhang Wen.
“Hmph!” Xiaoxi let out a small sound of不服气 and slight jealousy as she looked at Jalete, who appeared as cute as an angel in her elaborate uniform. In contrast, Jalete completely ignored Xiaoxi, not even sparing her a glance, and simply offered Zhang Wen a sweet smile.
“Oh! Jalete. Where are you headed?” Zhang Wen, thoroughly enjoying the sparks flying between the two cute girls, asked with a satisfied smile.
“To the principal’s office. By the way, Principal Jackfret has been looking for you these past two days. Since we’ve met by chance, let’s go together!” Jalete politely smiled and subtly took hold of Zhang Wen’s left arm.
“Hey! Flat-chested girl, what do you think you’re doing? Zhang Wen promised to accompany me to the student center to register!” Worried that Zhang Wen would be pulled away by Jalete, and not wanting to experience that helpless feeling again, Xiaoxi quickly grabbed Zhang Wen’s right arm.
“Flat… flat-chested…” Xiaoxi had struck a nerve, nearly making the cute student council president grind her teeth in anger. However, if it came to verbal sparring, Jalete had never been afraid of anyone. Quickly regaining her composure, she launched a counterattack.
“You need someone to accompany you to register? Are you a child? Oh! Right! I almost forgot! Someone is so clumsy she can’t even tell directions, needing me to guide her through the Sandara Forest! But this is Almeythys Academy—even if you can’t tell directions, surely you could ask someone for help?”
“You… you… I’m so angry I could die! Do you want to fight?” Xiaoxi, clearly outmatched in verbal combat, quickly became furious, waving her fists at Jalete.
Although Jalete was only around seventh-tier in psychic arts and stood no chance against Xiaoxi, who was ninth-tier in physical combat, at this moment, the competitive student council president couldn’t afford to lose face.
“Fight? Bring it on! Who’s afraid of who?” Jalete shouted back without hesitation.
“Ahem!” Just as the two girls were about to come to blows, Zhang Wen, who had been watching the spectacle unfold, finally stepped in.
“Jalete, as student council president, is this how you usually communicate with your classmates?” Zhang Wen asked with a calm smile, his gaze sweeping over Jalete, who was still clenching her fists tightly.
“Ahh! Sorry… sorry!” Jalete immediately snapped back to her senses, hastily withdrawing her fists. “That… Professor Zhang, I know I was wrong. Please don’t tell Principal Jackfret about this,” she said, her angelic face showing a mix of nervousness and shame so adorable it was almost unbearable.
With one sentence, Zhang Wen had defeated Jalete. Then, he turned his smiling gaze toward Xiaoxi.
“What… what are you looking at me like that for?” Soon, Xiaoxi began to feel uneasy under Zhang Wen’s gaze.
“I’m thinking… about what to do with you. After all, your current status is still that of a prisoner involved in Syndicate terrorist activities. I only managed to get Governor Termiso to hand you over to me for supervision because you once worried about me. But the moment I let you off the leash a little, you’re already trying to start a fight. If this continues, you’ll surely cause trouble eventually. Then I’ll have a hard time explaining it to Governor Termiso. So I’m thinking… maybe I should send you back to the dungeon in the governor’s mansion?” Zhang Wen placed his hand on his chin, pretending to seriously consider the idea.
At the mention of the word “dungeon,” Xiaoxi’s face turned pale in an instant.
Before Reim made the final decision to leave Xiaoxi in Casares, she had spent two whole days in the governor’s mansion dungeon. During those two days, Xiaoxi, weakened due to her distance from Zhang Wen, could only lie helplessly on the damp, cold stone floor. That alone would have been bearable. The real problem was that the dungeon, unused for who knows how many years, was teeming with all sorts of disgusting insects!
Every night, those insects would crawl out from the cracks in the floor, crawling all around Xiaoxi. Sometimes, they would even crawl onto her body or past her cheeks! And the helpless Xiaoxi couldn’t even move away.
For a girl who feared crawling bugs more than death itself, there could hardly be a more terrifying punishment in the world. During those two days in the governor’s dungeon, the poor red-haired girl had spent almost every moment in tears. Every time she heard the insects crawling near her, Xiaoxi would cry loudly, desperately vowing that she would do anything to escape this place.
Finally, Xiaoxi had been rescued and managed to leave that dreadful place. Now, Zhang Wen was threatening to send her back…
“No! No! I’d rather die than go back!” Soon, Xiaoxi was shouting desperately, shaking her head furiously like a rattling drum.
“If you don’t want to go back, then behave yourself from now on! Understand?”
“Yes!” Xiaoxi nodded quickly, tears already welling up at the corners of her eyes.
“Great! Problem perfectly solved! No conflict can’t be resolved!” Zhang Wen clapped his hands in satisfaction as he watched Jalete and Xiaoxi obediently hold hands. “Now, let’s first help Xiaoxi complete her enrollment procedures, and then go to Principal Jackfret’s office together.”
“Okay!” The two cute girls nodded obediently in unison and followed Zhang Wen’s steps together.
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