Explosions erupted one after another from between the tightly clenched fangs, each blast causing a bulge to form in the ogre’s chest. When the sounds finally ceased and the smoke dissipated, what stood before everyone’s eyes was an ogre transformed—its body now a bloated, misshapen humanoid monster, facial features all out of place, the mouth gaping uncontrollably and filled with mangled, charred fangs.
Black smoke puffed from its throat from time to time. When all the suffering visited upon it had finally come to an end, its two shriveled, wrinkled eyeballs drooped downwards, etching Baiya’s figure into their gaze. She had become the sole focus of its hatred.
Suddenly, the ogre threw back its head and let out a crazed, hoarse roar. For a moment, most people clutched their ears. Baiya picked at hers, blew on her fingertip, and continued stripping off her equipment.
“A miscalculation, a miscalculation. Is this all the reaction I get? I thought I’d be able to finish it off right here. But I’d already anticipated failure as a possibility, so there’s no need to be too surprised.”
With the armor at her waist unfastened, and the final piece of iron falling to the ground, Baiya now stood before the crowd clad only in a thin white garment. Large swaths of skin and burn scars were laid bare.
Pitiful, isn’t it? At the first sight of that unsightly black and red flesh, anyone with a shred of compassion couldn’t help but feel sorry for Baiya’s misfortune. But the fighter before them was far from ordinary; her dazzling performance had already denied all sympathy.
She had appeared and immediately, with cunning, dealt a heavy blow to a Golden-ranked Ogre. Call it trickery if you like, but the fact remained: a Golden-ranked monster had its life threatened by her, and now bore a deep hatred for her.
“How dare she!” Arthur trembled all over with rage. At the sight of the ogre’s pitiful state, the thought of losing the bet flashed through his mind, dragging up the terror that lurked in the depths of his heart.
At this moment, he hadn’t noticed his two slave girls. When they saw Baiya’s crazed and excited expression, they shuddered reflexively, their eyes meeting in silent understanding—each saw a familiar look of fear reflected in the other.
Shadow Spider remembered the unpleasant memory of Baiya riding atop her and giving her a beating.
Curse Doll recalled the time Baiya, playing dead, suddenly ambushed her and nearly beat her senseless.
In both their memories, Baiya’s most terrifying expression was the same: a look of complete confidence, as if victory was already in her grasp.
And now, as Baiya warmed up in the arena, she wore that very expression—mouth curled in a grin, tiger tooth bared, her face brimming with manic excitement, as though convinced that victory was undoubtedly hers!
“What are you all standing around for? Fight! Take him out while he’s down! Do I really need to teach you such a simple concept?”
Baiya swung her prosthetic left arm, pointing it straight at the ogre, and shouted excitedly. Yet, to her surprise, not a single voice answered her rallying cry.
“I said, you—” Baiya turned around in frustration. What she saw were one pale face after another, eyes lifeless as though their souls had fled.
The excitement faded from Baiya’s face. She admitted to herself that she’d failed to consider their emotional state. The surviving fighters had all witnessed the ogre’s slaughter and cannibalism—after experiencing hell itself, their will to resist had been completely snuffed out.
A young fighter hugged his head and broke down, screaming, “It can’t be done! There’s absolutely no way! How could anyone beat that kind of monster? Get close and you’ll be eaten for sure!”
Those who survived until now hadn’t done so by strength—luck had played the bigger part. For them to muster up the courage to fight was asking too much.
The fear the ogre inspired had already taken root in their hearts, even becoming a demon within them. Subconsciously, they believed the ogre was invincible, and that anyone who attacked it would be eaten.
Baiya looked over at Master Luo and Bladeheart the Lionkin. Both shook their heads in unison. Master Luo said, “A Golden-ranked monster’s vitality far exceeds what people imagine. It may look injured now, but its energy hasn’t diminished much. In other words, it can still unleash power equal to before.”
He said firmly, “Charging in to attack is unthinkable—it’s no different than throwing your life away.”
“You really are hopeless—all you do is shoot people down,” Baiya muttered, ducking her head to avoid a swiping claw as she squatted, sticking her tongue out in mock annoyance at Master Luo.
“It’s already remarkable you managed to injure this beast. I admit I greatly underestimated you. In some ways, you’re even stronger than me. We should take our time and plan things out. Thanks to you, there might be a sliver of hope now. Let’s discuss—Get out of the way!” Master Luo yelled as he realized the crisis Baiya was in.
“Go cool off somewhere else, will you? Let me have my say first.”
Baiya stood with her back to the ogre’s blood-red maw. Amid the terrified cries of a young girl, she reached her left hand backward and snatched a small black orb from between its teeth, yanked off the wire, and tossed it back in.
Just as the ogre’s upper jaw closed over Baiya’s head, a muffled explosion echoed from deep in its belly. The sudden, excruciating pain made the ogre arch back and wail in agony, losing its balance and crashing to the ground.
“Looks like I can’t count on anyone else. This battle belongs to me alone. Listen, kid, you’d better run—get as far from here as you can,” Baiya sighed, walking slowly to the girl’s side and gently patting her hair with a tender expression.
“Big Sister Baiya…” Savoring the rare, comforting touch, the girl closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, tears welled up.
“Hey, hey, what are you crying for? I’m not saying my goodbyes. Didn’t I say it? I’ll definitely save you. I’ll show you right now!”
The girl shook her head stubbornly. She didn’t believe Baiya’s words!
Baiya scratched her hair in annoyance, then turned to the fighters and shouted, “Hey! You cowards who won’t fight! At least you can protect a little girl, right? Right?”
“Of course! Leave it to us!” Master Luo replied through gritted teeth. Yes! He didn’t have the courage to face the ogre! But he didn’t want Baiya to look down on him forever!
Master Luo called Bladeheart the Lionkin to move the girl and the badly injured Tabu into the tunnel blocking the entrance, then ordered the surviving fighters to gather at the cave mouth and gave strict orders to protect the girl.
Under the threat of Master Luo and Bladeheart—the two strongest present—the fighters had no choice but to obey. Resigned to what they believed was certain death, they could only numbly accept it all.
“That’s better! Stay put, don’t move! No matter what happens, don’t leave! Or you’ll die, understand!” Baiya shouted toward the tunnel, then turned around, her face once again ablaze with manic excitement.
With everyone watching, tense and anxious, she felt as though she were the center of attention. She slowly raised her left arm, extended her forefinger to the sky, and at that moment, the nobles suddenly sensed an overwhelming aura from the fighter’s figure.
Atop that forefinger, beneath the cloudless sky.
Baiya drew a deep breath.
“My name is Baiya! I am the strongest player!”
“You can also call me by my nickname, ‘Mad Bai,’ but you only get to say it once in your life!”
“All my fans! Cheer for me!”
The nobles stared in a daze, each one hearing Baiya’s confident and proud voice echoing in their minds. Everyone had heard her proclamation—word for word, not a syllable missed.
It was a transmission spell—when had she learned that?! There was no record of Baiya cultivating any such skill! Ryumion’s face was full of shock. Had she stolen the technique from him somehow?
Just as she’d hoped, everyone was stunned beyond belief—even the two scary little lolis clung to each other in fright. Baiya flashed a deeply satisfied smile, then strode confidently toward the ogre, who was struggling to its feet.
Seeing Baiya draw near, the ogre let out a threatening roar.
Baiya lowered her head and chuckled softly. “A lot of people are afraid of you. But for me, there’s only one enemy. That makes it fair. A duel between individuals—each with their own skills, and victory depends on how well those skills are used and controlled. What do I have to complain about?”
“To shrink back and refuse to challenge an obstacle just because it’s hard—that’s not how a player acts. I love a good challenge!”
Baiya stopped right in front of the ogre, letting its massive shadow swallow her small frame, its terrible breathing rumbling in her ears.
“If, in a contest between individuals, you hold almost every advantage… Then I’ll use every bit of my potential—”
“To surpass you.”
When Baiya looked up, a gleam flashed in her crimson eyes. At the crucial moment, she twisted her body aside, narrowly dodging the ogre’s powerful, long-armed blow that cracked the earth beneath her feet.
To the onlookers, Baiya’s reaction speed was simply beyond belief!
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