Cat spirits, rhino monsters, tiger demons, one-eyed aliens, two-headed beasts, burly warriors with eight arms, and even a little girl three meters tall wearing a loli-style outfit.
It was like a gathering of goblins described in old Chinese travel notes, or an exhibition of bizarrely shaped aliens. It truly refreshed Blaine's understanding and expanded his perception.
Ziziziziziziziz…
Kaka, kaka, kaka…
Finally, under the crowd's attention and fervent cheers, the two—no, the two monsters—began their true battle with weapons drawn.
The mantis monster was the first to make a move. Its small body made it extremely agile and fast.
Its powerful hind legs kicked off violently, launching its body forward in an instant. The two sharp forelimbs slashed across the stone monster's body like scythes.
The stone monster, on the other hand, did not rush to counterattack. Its hard stone body protected it like armor, making it seem indestructible. At the same time, its bulky form caused it to lose out on speed.
So when the scythe-like arms swept over, the stone monster only guarded its vital areas and allowed the attacks to land.
This seemed to anger the mantis even more. The stone monster's refusal to move while taking hits was the greatest silent provocation.
The mantis then attacked even more fiercely, circling the stone monster and slashing at its body without leaving any blind spots.
The stone monster was not to be underestimated. Pure defense was not always the best option. As a gladiator, it understood the importance of switching between offense and defense.
However, no matter how it prepared its attacks, the opponent easily dodged them. After more than a dozen exchanges, it not only failed to land a hit, but couldn't even touch the mantis's shadow. Worse still, the sound of its heavy breathing grew more pronounced.
Eventually, the stone monster grew clever and stopped attacking altogether, standing still and letting the opponent continue its assault. After all, it wasn't going to be beaten to death.
Clang, clang, ping, ping, ping…
The arena rang with sharp metallic sounds. The mantis's dazzling attacks excited the audience even further, and the cheers from the stands grew even louder.
However, Blaine noticed with his keen eye that the mantis, despite appearing to dominate, was not causing any real damage to the stone monster.
Despite the sparks, the harsh scraping noises, and the terrifying momentum, a closer look revealed that the attacks only left pale scratch marks on the stone monster's body.
Although the stone monster couldn't land a hit, and the mantis seemed to be pressing hard, once the mantis exhausted its stamina, that would be the stone monster's chance to turn the tables. With such a powerful physique, a single solid hit would not be easy to withstand.
Sure enough, just when the audience thought the outcome was decided and the mantis would surely win, the stone monster suddenly threw a punch. This time, the mantis failed to dodge.
It wasn't that the stone monster suddenly became faster—it was that the mantis had nearly run out of strength.
In the end, the stone monster defeated its opponent with a single punch and won the match.
However, judging by the sighs in the stands, the audience didn't seem optimistic about the stone monster. Here, long-lasting and durable gladiators weren't as popular as fierce and bizarre ones.
Of course, it was also possible that many people had bet on the mantis to win, and their sighs were simply because they had lost money.
"Strange?"
"It could've killed it with one punch."
"Why did it stop at the last moment?"
"Did Grandmaster deliberately manipulate it?"
As the saying goes, amateurs watch the spectacle, while experts watch the technique. The audience might not have noticed anything, but Blaine sensed something unusual.
At the moment the stone monster struck, Blaine clearly saw it pull back its strength. That punch could have killed the mantis outright, yet it landed lightly, with no lethal force.
Using Hawkeye, Blaine focused on the two strange gladiators as they exited. Under enhanced vision, their subtle expressions were clearly visible. When they glanced at each other, Blaine saw a faint smile—not hatred, but a knowing one.
For Grandmaster, the more intense and bloody the battles, the more profitable they were. The audience loved violence. Ruling out manipulation, this could only mean that the two gladiators had grown tired of fighting.
"Hmph, never mind."
"Two aliens living like ants."
No matter what tricks Grandmaster was playing, Blaine would uncover them sooner or later.
After the match ended, and with the announcer's introduction, the next bout was about to begin. To Blaine's surprise, the announcer was actually Grandmaster himself.
Standing on the viewing platform, Grandmaster projected his image into the sky above the arena through holography, allowing everyone to see his tall, imposing figure.
"Today, we have a new guest in the arena."
"Though it is his debut, he looks promising."
"Uh, yes—he has some skill."
"He is the glory of the Gods of the North."
"No more words. Let us welcome our defender!"
"He is a creature—how should I say this?"
"He is different, unmatched."
"I feel a mysterious connection to him."
"He is supreme and unrivaled."
"Ladies and gentlemen—"
"He is invincible!"
"Hulk!!!"
After finishing the introduction, Grandmaster casually turned his head and cast a meaningful glance at Blaine.
Blaine pretended not to notice and ignored him completely.
The next combatant was someone Blaine truly looked forward to seeing.
A gate at the edge of the arena slowly rose. Just as it was halfway open, it was smashed apart with a loud bang, bursting outward. It looked less like a doorway and more like a cage.
The Hulk emerged, wearing a cockscomb-shaped helmet, a string of animal teeth around his neck, and wielding a massive sledgehammer-like weapon—essentially an iron rod with a stone tied to it. In his other hand, he carried a giant axe.
Ho ho ho ho…
Ho ho ho ho…
Ho ho ho ho…
As soon as Hulk appeared, he roared at the surrounding audience several times, striking poses like a victorious general.
In an instant, the atmosphere of the entire arena exploded, as if a spark had been thrown into a powder keg.
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