Chapter 81: Chapter 76: The Lone Hero
Countless gazes turned towards Xu Mo.
Murmurs spread one after another, and they gradually fell silent, wanting to know what exactly had happened in the Arena.
The Armored had seized Keith and Ai Xue, apparently wanting them to say something.
But the Arena was too big, they couldn’t hear.
What was the Armored’s purpose in storming the Arena?
The crowd quieted down of its own accord.
As the Arena quieted, the sounds of chaos from outside made their way in.
“Overthrow the Council, destroy the laboratories.”
“Overthrow the Council, severely punish the Councilmen.”
“Rush in.”
Voices and the sound of violent explosions entered the Arena.
“What’s happening?” The Arena was filled with anxious hearts, a riot was occurring outside.
They had previously thought those noises were from outside, cheering for the Star Competition.
But it wasn’t, they were rioting!
What was happening outside?
Xu Mo also heard the outside noises, and he realized that there was a riot going on outside.
It seemed that after he entered the Arena, the outside was not peaceful either.
The events unfolding before him were unforeseen, even by Xu Mo himself.
His original intention was to kill Lindi and the others, take hostages, and leave.
But the situation began to develop in another direction.
In the stands, those influential figures also realized what had happened.
Inside and out, both were spiraling out of control.
City State Guard Captain Thunder God Lei Ting returned, saying, “Councilman Sir, everyone, people outside are storming the Arena, the City State Guard is assembled, and the Heavy Mecha are in position.”
Yimu turned to the people behind him, “The situation has spiraled out of control, shall we leave first?”
The person in charge of the Arena ran over and said, “Councilman, the passage outside is blocked by thugs, we need firepower to fight our way out.”
The faces of those bigwigs here all changed.
What exactly had happened outside?
“Mr. Yi, didn’t you say it was a minor issue?” someone questioned Yimu.
“I’m also here.” Yimu gave the person a glance with a murderous look, prompting them to shut up wisely.
After all, this was the Underworld, where Yimu was the one in power.
“Now is not the time for this discussion.” The Doctor stared in the direction of the Arena.
Yimu nodded and said to Thunder God, “Dispatch a group of people in to ensure everyone’s safety and send several Heavy Mecha through the passage into the Arena to clear the way.”
“Yes,” Thunder God nodded.
“The thugs have hostages, Dr., what is your suggestion?” Yimu asked, looking towards the Doctor and the Arena.
“Open the internal passage of the Arena, let people in, first assist Lindi and the others in eliminating the thugs, and ensure the safety of the hostages,” the Doctor said.
Lindi and Zhu Wan are company people, and importantly, they are key talents being groomed.
The identities of Lindi and Ai Xue are also extraordinary.
They cannot die.
But the Doctor knew too that Ai Xue was in danger now, and her life and death were beyond their control.
He stood up and walked down.
…
Inside the Arena.
Xu Mo lifted Ai Xue up and said coldly, “Speak.”
Ai Xue cried.
Cried from fear.
They came to the Underworld to train, just to bully others.
They practiced their blades on the people of the Underworld, honed their courage.
Practiced the art of killing.
This is what all the elite of the company must experience.
But they had never imagined that they would face such despair, such death.
Her abdomen was constantly bleeding, and Keith also lay on the ground with a ceaseless flow of blood.
All of this reminded Ai Xue that she might die.
Die in the Arena.
“Don’t kill me,” Ai Xue begged with tears, her voice trembling, “those selected in the Star Competition will be sent to the laboratories for memory erasure, brainwashing, to be injected with Gene Evolution Liquid, becoming puppets, slaves.”
“No…”
“This isn’t true.”
Arena competitors, having heard Ai Xue’s words, felt a wave of despair.
Memory erasure, brainwashing.
Becoming slaves.
Is this their hope?
Their goal for which they had been striving.
How ironic, they were some of the finest of the Underworld, having fought to the ultimate battle of the Arena.
Yet fate was mocking them so.
Parasite, Allen, Stephen.
Names that commanded the wind and clouds in the Arena, names that dominated the Underworld.
They looked up at the sea of people above the stands, feeling the world spin, as if unable to distinguish between what was real and what was illusion.
They saw the influential figures still seated there, along with countless faces.
Everything was an illusion.
All hope was false.
The thug—former captain of the City State Guard—spoke the truth; there was no hope in the Underworld.
Even the City State Guard couldn’t ascend.
The entire Underworld was one giant conspiracy.
They saw the Arena surrounded, and the Mechanical Warriors came down.
“There’s already a riot outside, the Council is being overthrown, how you decide to act is up to you,” Xu Mo said to the group from the Star Arena.
Parasite and the others were internally torn.
It seemed a choice had to be made.
“I personally witnessed the former Councilman’s secretary being forced to death, and the City State Guard Captain being put on the wanted list for arrest. Even if they can’t make it up there, are you waiting for charity from those big shots?” Xu Mo continued, “Your fate is in your own hands.”
Xu Mo’s words were impactful.
The former Councilman’s secretary and the City State Guard Captain were just like that.
What about them?
If it had been earlier, they might not have believed it, but the events of the past year and everything that happened today forced them to believe.
What’s more, Xu Mo didn’t teach Ai Xue what to say; he just let her speak the truth.
Was there still room for doubt?
Their gazes turned towards Lindi and the others.
“Don’t seek death.” Lindi threatened coldly, holding the War Saber in hand.
“I guarantee you can make it up.” At that moment, a voice reached the Arena.
The people in the Arena looked up to see a middle-aged figure wearing glasses standing in the nearest spot to the Arena.
“I am the Doctor, in charge of the laboratory.”
The Doctor addressed the people in the Arena, “I guarantee you can go to the world above.”
“Wipe our memories?” someone asked.
“No need,” the Doctor shook his head.
“How can we believe you?” someone challenged.
“You need to make a choice, believe him, fight for the ‘justice’ he speaks of, become enemies with the City State, be exterminated; or believe me,” the Doctor’s voice resonated powerfully, striking at the hearts of the people in the Arena once again.
They were struggling greatly within themselves.
The Doctor wasn’t wrong, believe in Xu Mo, fight for justice.
And then what? Be exterminated. Could they resist?
Or, believe in the Doctor, and have a glimmer of hope.
They clung to this last straw as their convictions crumbled, leaving them feeling hopeless.
But now, it seemed they saw hope again.
Xu Mo looked at the wavering crowd and felt a wave of sorrow in his heart.
Indeed, as long as there was a sliver of hope, humans would prefer to numb themselves.
The people of the Underworld were like this, and so were those who had made it to the Star Competition.
Those big shots probably promised the same to everyone, right?
Human nature is such a sorrowful thing.
“This round in the Arena is over. All of you have made it through the selection, without ranking. Your next mission is to take him down; don’t let him leave the Arena,” the Doctor told the crowd.
Some people were swayed. They took steps towards where Xu Mo was.
With one moving, others were immediately influenced, afraid that someone else might seize the opportunity and they would miss out.
Many people made their move, surrounding Xu Mo.
The Parasite watched everything, still struggling within.
Apparently, there was no choice left.
He was just a pitiful parasite, subsisting in the Underworld.
He had no choice but to go with the flow.
No matter what, he had to survive today.
Of course, he knew Xu Mo was right, and the laboratory obliterated humanity.
But what of it?
Right or wrong, it was already meaningless.
In the Underworld, what was conscience?
In a world devoid of hope, he had to seize this opportunity.
The last chance.
It was then that the passage below opened, and the City State Guard and the laboratory personnel walked in, raising their guns towards the center of the Arena and pushing forward.
The Arena contestants and City State Guard members completely sealed off the Arena.
Xu Mo stood in the middle of the Arena, exceptionally solitary at this moment.
He was like a lone traveler in the darkness, with only his solitary bravery.
The tens of thousands in the Arena looked at Xu Mo, not knowing what exactly happened, but they all felt a sense of desolation.
As if he was at war with the entire world.
But just before, those special invitees were the murderers, they had killed Siba.
When the Armored arrived, it was to kill them.
Why now, did all in the Arena turn their blades towards the Armored?
It seemed somewhat sad.
A wave of sorrow was spreading.
In the middle area of the Arena’s stands, there was a space where the emotion of sadness was overwhelming. Everyone involuntarily felt strong sorrow, some even moved to tears.
Unwittingly, they had been influenced.
In their midst, Mia sat, looking at Xu Mo’s lonely figure.
This time, he seemed even lonelier than a year ago, without anyone beside him.
From her body, a powerful spiritual power radiated outwards.
By Mia’s side was another woman, wrapped in a coat.
Her eyes were beautiful, but now they glowed with a blood-red light.
She wanted to bring slaughter, to kill those who were against Xu Mo.
It was Elsa. Were they arranged to come to the Arena today because Xu Mo was coming?
In the Arena, Xu Mo stretched out his hand. He did not take a hostage anymore, but directly slit Ai Xue’s throat.
Ai Xue’s eyes bulged with tears, she fell down in despair.
She had died here after all.
Xu Mo, who killed Ai Xue, looked at the crowd charging towards him, a hint of sarcasm in his eyes.
It wasn’t clear if his scorn was for the people before him or for the world itself.
“Sss…ssss…” A terrifying surge of electricity flowed, as if descending from the heavens, striking Xu Mo’s body.
At that moment, Xu Mo seemed to be bathed in lightning, like the Thunder God himself.
His War Saber burst forth with the dazzling Thunder Light.
Fight?
Let’s fight then!