Chapter 462: I Must Win! (1/2)
Chapter 462: I Must Win!
The two silver-clad women sat in a tidy room. They looked at the ten-digit number flashing on their communicators, then exchanged looks.
“Quite a lot of money!”
“Indeed!”
“Again tomorrow?”
“Of course. This was the boss’ task for us. What do you think the odds are for tomorrow’s fight?”
“Worse than today’s, I guess. His challenger is really strong.”
“It’s so easy to earn money in the North! That’s good, since we need money when we go back. Heheh… feels good.”
“But do you think he’ll win tomorrow?”
“Of course! He has to.”
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The streets around the Great Conclave Arena were packed tight, even in the early morning. The lines stretched for almost ten blocks. Scalpers prowled the area looking for people desperate enough to buy their criminally overpriced tickets. They were still able to catch a few nibbles, though. Ticket scalpers had been anxious since so few were buying. Electronic tickets were set with the buyer’s name and other info, making them hard to sell, but there were always loopholes.
The waiting crowds chatted amongst themselves, raising the city’s decibel levels. “So which fight are you looking forward to today,” one asked. Another answered sighed.
“Man, I dunno. At least on the books it doesn’t look like there’s anything to get very excited about. But we’ll see! The fight between the Pharmacist and Jiang Yuan might be worth watching. You guys remember that skull Jiang Yuan summoned in the quarter-finals? Someone told me it’s some sort of lizard skull. Lizard my ass, that thing’s like a demon dragon. The Terminator called it something, malcontent or whatever. I dunno if he’ll use it in the next fight, but he’s facing the Pharmacist so I’m interested in taking a look.”
“All you have to do is take a look at the odds to know which one will be worth a watch, silly. The Pharmacist sits at zero point eight, and Jian Yuan is one point two – the closest spread today. That’ll definitely be the fight to watch.”
“The lightning Adept from Group One also has two wins. He beat Qi Mu. Do you think he has a chance against Titan?”
“Pfft, you’re dreaming. Were you asleep for Titan’s fight? You saw how strong he is. Whatever that sparkplug dude things he’s up to, he’s got nothing on Titan. One punch and the fight’s over, that’s my prediction.”
“Hah! Nailed it, one punch. I put five grand on Titan today, even though the odds were only point five. Pocket change for winnings, but still. The masked one is at point four, but who’s going to put any bets on him?”
“Oh don’t even start. I put money on Qi Mu yesterday and then he lost, damn near killed me. I put all the rest of my savings on Titan, so I’ll win it all back when he takes today’s victory.”
“Gambling has a dangerous habit of ruining families 1. Yall should be careful.”
There was an electric buzz and the audience took their seats. Today the final four would be chosen. The revelers outside were indicative of the larger interest; most people were anxious for Group Two, where they would see the Pharmacist and Jiang Yuan go head-to-head.
If Jiang Yuan beat the Pharmacist, and Titan beat Zeus, than the final four would contain two Easterners, a Northerner and a Westerner. The two Easterners already qualified, but they weren’t Avenue representatives. That would be a situation the Great Conclave could accept.
The Terminator sat in a locker room, perched upon a bench that had been specifically designed to hold his girth. He sat across from Titan, whose face looked like burnished metal.
“Stable?” He asked.
Titan nodded. “More or less.”
The Terminator’s voice was low and solemn. “You’ve chosen a very difficult road. But there is nothing impossible in the face of determination.”
Titan replied. “I have faith in my choice. I know it will make it much harder for me to break through, but my Path is all about faith. For that reason I cannot lose, and I will win glory for the North. My understanding, my vision of my Path will become clearer with each fight. Please, master, don’t worry; I will improve. This is not a step backward.”
The Terminator forced a smile. “Well said! But don’t underestimate your opponent – that was Qi Mu’s mistake. That Zeus… there’s a lot to him, he’s no simple Adept. I suspect he’s Jue Di’s disciple. His Discipline isn’t as simple as it looks, either. I haven’t seen him use Jue Di’s other trademark mastery, but handle him with care. Give it everything you’ve got.”
“Yes!”
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Lan Jue was the last one to enter the waiting area. All of the other remaining competitors were already waiting in their respective sofas. Xuanyuan Shishi shot him a thumbs up and beamed a friendly smile of encouragement. Jong Yongye sat nearby, with his eyes closed. Meditating, he suspected.