The Veyran continued staring toward Wuxia even as the final formation surrounding its cage disappeared.
Wuxia remained near the railing, watching those narrow black eyes through Death Perception.
The creature’s soul was different from anything he had examined before, but whatever allowed it to see him was buried too deeply to understand from this distance.
The cage vanished and the Veyran immediately rushed forward.
It crossed most of the arena before the surrounding students could react, one claw sweeping toward Jiang Yue’s neck as dark energy gathered across its fingers.
Her black spear rose between them and knocked the attack aside. Jiang Yue stepped forward with the movement and drove the spear toward its chest, forcing the Veyran to twist away as the blade tore across its side.
Blood scattered across the stage, and the first exchange immediately sent another wave of shouting through the arena.
The Veyran landed several metres away before attacking again. Its claws struck from opposite directions, but Jiang Yue lowered herself beneath the first and blocked the second against the shaft of her spear.
Her foot struck its knee hard enough to stagger it.
The Veyran caught her ankle before she could withdraw and threw her across the stage, but Jiang Yue twisted before landing and recovered almost immediately.
The creature was already following, its claws descended toward her chest as Jiang Yue turned the spear between both hands.
The collision cracked the stone beneath them, and she used the shaft to force the Veyran away before thrusting toward its throat.
The creature barely avoided the blade.
Claws repeatedly struck against the black spear as they moved across the stage, their speed forcing Xingluo to concentrate before she could follow every exchange.
Another wound opened across the Veyran’s shoulder, followed by one beneath its ribs.
The creature roared and the dark markings covering its body brightened. Black energy spread beneath its grey skin, tightening the muscles across its arms as several of its wounds began closing.
Its next attack became considerably faster, one claw passed Jiang Yue’s defence and cut across her cheek before she could completely avoid it.
The surrounding crowd grew even louder and Jiang Yue touched the thin line of blood with her thumb before lowering her hand and tightening her grip around the spear.
The Veyran charged and this time she met it halfway, her spear pierced its palm and continued into the shoulder behind it.
The Veyran roared and tried to pull away, but Jiang Yue twisted the weapon before tearing it sideways and leaving one arm hanging uselessly beside its body.
Its remaining claw swept toward her head, Jiang Yue released the spear, ducked beneath the attack and caught the shaft again with her opposite hand.
The weapon rotated with her body before smashing across the Veyran’s legs and dropping it onto one knee.
She pulled the spear free.
The Veyran raised its head, but instead of looking at the opponent standing before it, its black eyes moved through the audience and settled upon Wuxia again.
He met its gaze and the spear entered beneath its jaw.
The blade passed through the Veyran’s skull and emerged from the top of its head, leaving its raised hand suspended for a moment before the strength disappeared from its body.
It collapsed across the stage and the arena erupted.
Students rose throughout the surrounding seats as Jiang Yue pulled her spear free and shook the blood from its blade.
[Special Combat Assessment completed.]
[Winner: Jiang Yue.]
Xiaorou had already jumped from her seat and joined the cheering around them, while Ruan Mei stared at the dead Veyran with open surprise.
Even Xingluo had expected the fight to last longer.
Jiang Yue had entered more than thirty levels below the Veyran and walked away with nothing worse than a shallow wound across her cheek.
Tianhe remained near the railing as Jiang Yue left the stage. "Strong."
Xiaorou dropped back into her seat and looked at him. "That’s all Senior has to say after watching that?"
"What else do you want me to say?"
She opened her mouth before apparently deciding there was no point.
Workers entered the arena and began preparing the Veyran’s corpse for removal, but Xiaorou’s attention had already shifted back toward the three people beside her.
"Actually, I still don’t know your levels."
Tianhe glanced toward her. "118."
Xiaorou nodded before suddenly stopping. "Wait, Level 118?"
"Yes."
She stared at him for several seconds before turning toward Xingluo. "And Senior Xingluo?"
"Level 99."
Xiaorou slowly looked toward Ruan Mei. "Same."
The pink-haired girl became quiet.
Her gaze moved between all three of them before returning to Tianhe, as though she wanted to confirm she had not heard incorrectly. "Are you three really sophomores?"
Xingluo’s eyebrow twitched. "How many times are you going to ask that?"
"No, no, I believe you."
Xiaorou pushed her glasses higher and turned back toward the arena. "I’ve also decided that I don’t want to know anymore."
Ruan Mei smiled. "That might be the smartest decision you’ve made today."
Xingluo laughed quietly, only for Wuxia’s voice to enter her mind through the Anchor Link.
I want that Veyran.
She glanced toward the workers lifting the corpse from the stage.
The body?
Yes.
Xingluo did not ask why. "Xiaorou, can I get that Veyran’s corpse?"
Xiaorou turned back toward her. "You want the corpse?"
"Yes."
She looked toward the workers and thought for a moment before nodding.
"It should be possible, the arena sells most bodies after the academy finishes checking them, unless a department reserves something for research."
"Then I’ll buy it."
"That’s not the problem."
Xingluo looked at her.
Xiaorou raised her communicator and opened the arena exchange.
"Special dimensional races aren’t normally sold for credits alone. You’ll need academy contribution points, especially for something like a complete Veyran corpse."
Xingluo’s expression changed slightly. "How many?"
"No idea until they finish evaluating it, but definitely more than you have."
"I just arrived."
"Exactly."
Xiaorou scrolled through several sections before showing her the balance requirement beside a few similar materials.
Credits were listed alongside every item, but the contribution-point prices were considerably more troublesome.
Xingluo could afford the credits without much difficulty but her contribution-point balance was currently zero.
"Can I exchange credits for points?"
"No."
Xiaorou shook her head. "Contribution points have to come from the academy. Missions, examinations, rankings, wilderness hunts, arena challenges and a few other things."
Xingluo frowned at the disappearing Veyran corpse, Wuxia floated beside her without saying anything.
She could already tell he still wanted it. "What’s the fastest way?"
That question immediately changed Xiaorou’s expression and a smile appeared across her face.
"Well, since we’re already standing inside the arena..."
Ruan Mei looked at her suspiciously. "Why do I suddenly dislike that smile?"
"Because you don’t appreciate opportunities."
"You mean gambling."
"It’s called betting."
Xiaorou stood and gestured for them to follow.
"The normal matches aren’t worth much because everyone already knows who’s likely to win. If you want a serious return, you need a challenge where the odds are completely ridiculous."
Tianhe rose from his seat. "And where exactly do you expect to find one?"
"We don’t find one."
Xiaorou pointed toward another section beneath the arena seats. "We ask for one."
The challenge counters were quieter than the ordinary betting area, with only a few students standing before the separate desks.
Xiaorou walked between them until she found someone she apparently recognised.
A young man sat behind it with one leg crossed over the other, lazily scrolling through a list of matches.
He looked several years older than them and wore the insignia of a fifth-year student beside the Combat Department emblem.
He glanced up when Xiaorou approached. "Back again, Junior Sister Ji?"
Xiaorou smiled innocently. "Senior makes it sound like I spend all my time here."
"You were here yesterday."
"Yesterday was a completely different day."
The senior laughed before looking toward the three people standing behind her. "New friends?"
"New Seniors." Xiaorou leaned against the counter. "And I’m looking for something interesting."
His attention moved across Tianhe, Ruan Mei and finally Xingluo before returning to Xiaorou. "How interesting?"
"The kind with terrible odds."
The senior’s smile grew slightly. "Now you’re speaking my language."
He opened another section of the arena registry and began scrolling through the available challenges.
"What level?"
Xiaorou hesitated before pointing toward Xingluo. "Level 99."
The senior stopped and looked at Xingluo again, this time considerably more carefully. "First Transition cap?"
"Hmm."
His fingers moved through several lists before he suddenly paused, a strange smile appeared across his face.
"Actually, Junior Sister Ji, I might have something perfect for you."
Xiaorou immediately leaned closer. "What?"
The senior turned the display around.
[Available Special Challenge]
[Ironback Tyrant Ape]
[Level: 299]
[Peak Third Transition]
For several seconds, nobody spoke, then Xiaorou slowly raised her eyes from the screen.
"You’ve lost your mind."
The senior laughed. "You asked for terrible odds."
"I asked for terrible odds, not a funeral."
Ruan Mei stared at the level before looking toward Xingluo, Tianhe’s earlier amusement had disappeared as well.
The difference was exactly two hundred levels, even Xiaorou, who had been searching for an absurd matchup only moments earlier, immediately shook her head.
"No, Pick something else."
The senior leaned back in his chair.
"Why? The academy has been trying to find someone willing to take it for days. It’s non-intelligent, so there aren’t any complications like the Veyran match and the arena barriers can contain it without trouble."
"That isn’t the problem."
Xiaorou pointed toward the display.
"She’s Level 99."
"I can read."
"And that thing is Level 299."
"I can also read that."
Xiaorou looked ready to argue again, but Xingluo had already turned toward Wuxia. He stood beside the counter, staring at the information displayed before them.
Their eyes met and Wuxia gave a slight nod.
Xingluo looked back toward the fifth-year student. "I’ll take it."
Xiaorou froze and Ruan Mei immediately turned toward her. "Xingluo?"
The senior’s smile disappeared for a moment as though even he had not expected her to agree so easily. "You understand the difference in level?"
"I do."
"It’s a peak Third Transition beast."
"I can see that."
Xiaorou stepped closer. "Senior Xingluo, I was joking about finding ridiculous odds. You don’t actually have to fight something two hundred levels above you."
Xingluo kept her attention upon the senior behind the counter. "What are the rules?"
That was enough to tell everyone she had already decided.
The fifth-year student studied her for another several seconds before his smile slowly returned. "Well..."
He turned the challenge screen back toward himself. "This just became interesting."
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