Chapter 92: I Bet Another 1 Million!"It's understandable. A kid like him can't possibly stand up to the Brutal Man.""I think so too. Isn't this just a suicide mission?"Big Grundy also looked at Lawrence, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. "Law, if you've changed your mind, you still have time to back out. For Miss Vivian's sake, I can allow it."His tone made it clear that once both fighters officially stepped onto the stage, there was truly no turning back.Lawrence offered a wry smile and shook his head. "No, Sir Grundy, you've misunderstood. I just want to ask if I, as the fighter, am also allowed to place a bet. Is that permissible?""You want to place a bet?" Big Grundy was taken aback. He glanced at Lawrence with renewed interest and replied, "Of course you can. But you can only bet on yourself to win."The rule was a necessary precaution. Otherwise, if a fighter bet a large sum on their opponent and then took a dive or forfeited immediately, they could easily scam the ho

The moment Lawrence committed to the punch, he stopped being a ghost and became a target. A vicious, triumphant grin split the Brutal Man’s face. The "opening" had been a feint, a trap laid by a veteran predator for an eager amateur.Instead of pulling back to defend, the Brutal Man simply absorbed the blow. Lawrence's fist connected with a solid thud, but it was like punching a brick wall. The man’s core muscles were iron-hard, and the punch did little more than annoy him.But the real damage was done to Lawrence's rhythm. For a split second, he was stationary, off-balance, his body extended."That's it! He took the bait!" a voice cackled from the darkness.The Brutal Man’s left hand, which had been held back, shot out faster than a cobra. It wasn't a fist this time, but a claw-like grip that clamped around Lawrence's still-extended forearm with crushing force.CRACK.A sickening sound, not quite a break but a severe strain of tendons and bone, echoed in Lawrence's own skull as a jol

"Money... My one million!" Many viewers were openly wailing, their earlier greed replaced by the cold shock of loss. Just moments ago, they had believed Big Grundy was handing out free money and had even complained that the one-million betting cap was too stingy.Now, they had lost their entire principal, watching it vanish alongside the Brutal Man's unbeaten streak."This 'Law'..." Big Grundy, standing at the edge of the stage, watched Lawrence with eyes that flickered with deep calculation. While Lawrence had technically cost him a payout to Vivian, the sheer volume of bets he had collected from the overconfident crowd meant he had still profited massively, netting over twenty million for himself.Of course, a man of Big Grundy's stature wouldn't lose his composure over a mere twenty million. The true value lay in the fighter himself. Lawrence, despite not appearing overwhelmingly strong, had used some unknown method to defeat his top contender. That mysterious trick, combined with

The limousine seemed to shrink around Lawrence, the luxurious interior feeling more like a confessional booth where world-shattering secrets were being exchanged. Albert’s words hung in the air, dense and unbelievable.You are not the only one.“What do you mean?” Lawrence finally managed to whisper, his voice hoarse. “There are others?”Albert’s calm demeanor had returned, but it was now layered with a grave seriousness. “As of my last intelligence briefing, there have been over eight hundred documented cases within Freedom Country alone. Individuals who, like you, simply vanish from their beds. Some reappear minutes, hours, or days later. Some are found dead, their bodies… ravaged by things we cannot explain. And a small, distinct subset return alive, fundamentally changed.”Lawrence’s mind reeled, trying to process the scale. “Eight hundred? How… how is this not the only thing on the news? This would be a global panic!”A faint, weary smile touched Albert’s lips. “The government, y

A cold knot of fear tightened in Lawrence’s stomach as he watched the neighboring courtyard gate swing wide open. The pack of fish-headed monsters relentlessly swung their clubs, beating the lifeless form on the ground with a rhythmic, sickening finality. He had never seen the man before, but the man’s earlier, slurred words made it clear he was another displaced soul from Lawrence’s world. And he was the complete opposite of Lawrence. Where Lawrence had been hyper-vigilant from his first moment here, this man had been recklessly oblivious, a fact that baffled Lawrence. When he woke up, didn't he see the extreme decay? Didn't he feel the wrongness in the air? Lawrence wondered. The only explanation was that the man was still severely intoxicated, mistaking this nightmare for a drunken hallucination or a bad dream. It was a fatal error. The monsters’ clubs, though less than half a meter long, had round, heavy heads that inflicted devastating damage. Under the relentless pounding from