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The heavy iron gates at the edge of the fighting pit opened with a long, grinding screech that echoed clearly over the deafening roar of the crowd.
Alex stepped out first, with a long sword in his hand.
The bright stadium spotlights hit him instantly, making the intricate gold embroidery on his long ivory suit glitter under the night sky.
High above the dirt pit, floating camera drones zoomed in, projecting his live image across the massive overhead holographic boards:
CHALLENGER: VERONICA STERLING
Walking onto a packed, blood-stained dirt arena in three-inch white leather stilettos looked completely insane to the gambling addicts in the stands, but his balance didn't waver for a single second.
Thanks to the martial perfection ingrained in his muscles, he kept his shoulders relaxed and let his hips sway with a slow, hypnotic rhythm.
His short black hair brushed gently against his neck as the cool evening air kissed his skin.
The heavy, metallic smell of old blood, sweat, and raw human excitement flooded his lungs.
With every step he took away from the gate, the sheer volume of noise and violent anticipation from nearly ten thousand screaming spectators crashed into him like a physical wave.
His Void Yin Constitution went to work immediately, devouring the invisible emotional residue hanging in the stadium air.
[ System Alert: Massive influx of Empathetic Energy (Bloodlust / Excitement / Greed)! ]
[ Source Power Increased: +28 Points! ]
[ Source Power Increased: +35 Points! ]
[ Current Total Source Power: 476 Points! ]
[ Feminization Progress: Phase 2/9 (Ecdysis) – 68.1% ]
A sudden, feverish heat spread down Alex's spine, settling low in his belly.
His newly developed B-cup breasts felt tight, and intensely tender against the supportive silk bralette beneath his blazer.
He forced his face to remain cold and indifferent, ignoring the distracting sensitivity pulsing across his chest.
Across the dirt pit, the opposite iron gate slammed open with a thunderous bang.
Abu marched out, letting out a roar that shook the front row seats.
The seven-foot-tall barbarian was a walking humanoid monster, his bare chest covered in old wounds.
He slammed his heavy, double-bladed battle-axe against his reinforced alloy tower shield, sending a shower of bright orange sparks flying into the air.
The crowd went absolutely crazy.
Thousands of people stomped their feet, waving their betting slips like battle flags as they chanted his arena name in a deafening rhythm.
"Gorefang! Gorefang! Gorefang!"
"Kill her!" a drunken mercenary screamed from the front row, pressing his face against the security barrier. "Rip that fancy white suit off her! Show us what she's hiding under there!"
Abu stopped fifteen yards away in the center of the arena.
He lowered his heavy axe, his breathing rough and heavy as his dark eyes locked onto Alex.
Despite his intimidating size and the brutal cheers of the crowd, there was no murderous enjoyment on the giant's face.
He leaned in slightly, his rough, deep voice carrying across the quiet space between them just loudly enough for Alex to hear.
"Surrender right now, lady," Abu said, his jaw tightening with genuine regret.
"Drop your sword and walk out of the ring while you still can, I don't want to fight a woman."
"My master gave me strict orders before the match. If you fight me, I have to tear that suit off your body piece by piece and humiliate you in front of this entire stadium until you beg for mercy."
Abu gripped the handle of his axe tighter, his eyes dropping briefly to the glowing slave brand burned deep into the skin of his thick neck. "I don't get any joy out of hurting a pretty woman, but this collar leaves me no choice."
"If I disobey my master Malakor, the curse will burn my heart out. Don't make me do this to you. Just surrender."
Alex stopped his walk.
He tilted his head slightly, looking the towering man up and down with the same lazy, bored expression.
From the viewing balcony high above, Leo's trembling voice crackled through the tiny, earpiece hidden under Alex's short hair.
"Boss... are you seeing the size of that guy?!" Leo stammered, sounding like he was on the verge of a heart attack.
"That's Abu! He's a legitimate B-Rank professional!"
"Please, just do what he says and surrender! We can find another way to get Liria out! Don't throw your life away!"
A small, cold smile touched the corners of Alex's lips, a subtle, arrogant smirk that the floating camera drones caught in perfect detail and broadcast to every screen in the building.
"Relax, Leo," Alex whispered back, his voice smooth, melodic, and entirely calm as he murmured to himself. "I didn't spend all that source power just to look pretty in a silk suit."
Seeing that the mysterious noblewoman had zero intention of backing down, the betting odds on the holographic screens spiked wildly, locking in at an overwhelming 10-to-1 in Abu's favor.
High up in the announcer's booth, the commentator didn't waste another second.
His booming voice rolled across the stadium speakers, vibrating right through the floorboards.
"Ladies and gentlemen! The special challenge match is officially locked!"
"First blood, incapacitation, or surrender decides the winner! Let the bloodshed begin!"
"I'm sorry, lady!" Watching Alex ignore his warning, Abu roared.
With no other choice left to him, the giant planted his boots and charged straight at Alex.
His seven-foot, armored body moved with terrifying speed, his heavy footsteps causing the dirt floor to literally tremble beneath Alex's shoes.
When he was five yards away, Abu planted his lead foot, twisting his heavy torso to swing his double-bladed battle-axe in a brutal, horizontal sweep designed to crush Alex's ribs and shred his clothes in one hit.
Up on the VIP balcony, Lord Malakor gripped the golden railing, a greasy, triumphant smile spreading across his ugly face.
He leaned forward, ready to watch the arrogant northern bitch get broken in half, beg him for mercy, then get into his bed to warm him up at night.
Down in the dirt pit, Alex didn't even reach for the hilt of his sword.
In fact, he didn't move a single inch.
He just stood there, his hands resting loosely at his sides, watching the large iron blade whistling through the air toward his chest.
To the thousands of spectators watching from the stands, it looked like the delicate noblewoman was completely paralyzed by fear.
"She's frozen!" someone shouted from the stands.
"She's scared to death! Strip her!"
"What a waste of money! Boo!"
Jeers, cruel laughter, and vulgar insults erupted from every corner of the coliseum.
But Alex wasn't scared at all.
Beneath his calm exterior, his mind was spinning with cold, calculating precision.
[ System Alert: Empathetic Energy absorption exceeding standard limits! (Lust / Obsession / Greed)! ]
[ Source Power Increased: +45 Points! ]
[ Source Power Increased: +62 Points! ]
[ Source Power Increased: +88 Points! ]
[ Current Total Source Power: 671 Points! ]
"Why would I finish this fight early?" Alex thought, watching the axe blade draw closer. "Events like this only happen once or twice a year in Iron Creek City. I won't get another chance to harvest this many people at once."
Instead of dodging, Alex silently released the suppression on his newly upgraded Sword seed, to control his mana.
He didn't project it outward as an offensive attack; instead, he channeled the freezing, silvery-grey liquid mana directly into his Pheromone Secretion trait, pushing it into releasing more pheromones.
A warm, invisible pulse of energy rippled outward from his body, riding the evening breeze across the fighting pit and swept towards Abu.
While some of the pheromones tried to leak out of the arena pit, however they were blocked by an invisible barrier.