A rough shove from the butt of a rifle hit Jihan's back. The man stumbled forward, falling to his knees on the octagon's steel floor smeared with fresh blood and leftover flesh from the previous match.The thumb-thick steel wire gate was immediately slammed shut. The sound of the electronic lock clicking echoed, cutting off the only exit from that octagon-shaped hell.Jihan got up slowly, wiping the mud clinging to his palms. His breathing already felt heavy.Up there in the VIP spectator balconies, Luna slammed her hands against the glass railing. Her thin-framed glasses almost fell off. The ice-hearted auditor's face was flushed with explosive anger."Open the gate, you bastards!" Luna screamed at the committee below. "That's murder! He doesn't even have a weapon! You're all crazy!"However, Luna's voice was completely swallowed by the roaring euphoria of thousands of spectators. One of the dragon-tattooed syndicate bosses next to Luna actually burst out laughing, taking a deep dra

The searing heat from the explosion was still roasting the skin on Jihan's face. He lay flat on the octagon's steel floor, which was slick with blood. His lungs greedily sucked in the oxygen, which smelled of burnt flesh and metallic rust. Absolute darkness still imprisoned him. Not a single speck of light entered his retinas, all thanks to that damn system's discount penalty.However, a feral smile was actually etched across Jihan's pale and heavily slashed face."How the hell did you dodge that, you bastard?!" the axe-wielding fighter roaredfrom the twelve o'clock direction. His heavy boots sounded furious, stompingharshly through puddles of blood. "Your eyes are totally dead! You're blind, aren't you?!"Jihan slowly got to his feet. He used his shadow sword as a makeshift cane to stand. His right leg still felt weak, but at least the Manticore poison had beenneutralized."Your axes are too big, boss," Jihan chuckled softly, spitting blood from his mouth. "Your swings are way too

[00:03]The red numbers blinked slowly in the corner of Jihan's retina. Time seemed toslow down, crawling like a dying snail.Jihan hung in the air, pinned by a giant blood spear that pierced his stomach all the way through his back. Blood poured down, soaking the tips of his boots, dripping onto the octagon floor, and pooling over Gideon's hands as he grippedthe base of the spear."How does it feel, Zero?!" Gideon's baritone voice boomed, cutting through thenoise of the cheering crowd. The giant man smirked widely, staring at Jihan'shelpless body. "Hanging like a roasted pig in a slaughterhouse! Come on, cry!.Beg for mercy, Porter!"Jihan didn't answer. His eyes were still blind, trapped in absolute darkness. His body felt as cold as ice. The internal bleeding from the Copper Skin penaltywas starting to explode inside his organs. His lungs were filling with ametallic-tasting fluid. He was dying. Death was no longer a threat, but a reality only seconds away.Up in the VIP stands

The worn-out mirror above the sink in the underground clinic was cracked at the corner. Its surface was cloudy with water stains and mildew, but it was still clear enough to reflect a miserable reality.Jihan stood with both hands gripping the edge of the concrete sink, his breath heavy. His body from his waist to his upper chest was wrapped in a thick layer of white bandages. Dark red blood leaked through the cloth in several spots, marking the remnants of Gideon’s spear wound that had nearly ended his life.Yet, it wasn’t the injury to his abdomen that made Jihan stare blankly into the mirror.His eyes were locked on his own reflection.His skin, once tanned like a hardworking street laborer, was now deathly pale, resembling a corpse in a morgue. His cheekbones protruded from severe muscle loss. Worse of all was his hair, the sides of his temples had turned completely white, leaving patches of gray that made the twenty-two-year-old look like a middle-aged man ravaged by a terminal i

​DING! DING! DING!​The echo of the long bell hadn't completely faded in the air, but Anton was already charging forward. The middle-aged man didn't roar like a monster, nor did he shout threats like a street thug.​He simply ran with a clenched jaw, while tears flowed heavily down the wrinkles on both of his cheeks.​"I'm sorry, kid, I'm sorry!" Anton whimpered with a hoarse voice, swinging his fist wrapped in rough cloth straight at Jihan's face.​THWACK!​Jihan didn't dodge. He crossed his forearms wrapped in dirty bandages to block the punch. Anton's heavy blow pushed him back a step. The bones in his arms throbbed with pain, but Jihan remained absolutely silent.​Zing.​A bright red virtual screen suddenly blinked in front of Jihan's face, blocking his view of Anton.​[FINAL SPECIAL OFFER!][The System detects your reluctance to kill. We offer an 'Instant Execution Credit'. Price: Only 1 Day of Your Lifespan! The target will die painlessly. Accept? Y/N]​Shut your mouth, you dog,