Chapter 109: The Beast Battle

The beast arena was located underground, carved out to a depth of five or six meters. The entire facility was divided into three circular rings.

Resembling the arenas of Ancient Rome, the center of each ring was designated for the beasts to fight, while the perimeter was reinforced with sturdy iron mesh. These fences were electrified with high voltage to prevent the mist beasts from breaking out and harming the spectators.

The audience seating was arranged in tiered rows surrounding the rings. The main arena was quite impressive in scale, roughly the size of seven or eight basketball courts. Measured by the labor and resources available in Yellowstone Town, it had clearly been built at a tremendous cost.

Suspended above the center of the underground arena, four large screens formed a cube, with flickering text scrolling across them to provide information on the ongoing matches.

Qi Chen and Warm Man had arrived at the perfect time; with only about ten minutes left, they were just in time for the most significant event of the month: the arena’s championship title bout.

"Gentlemen, would you like to place some bets now?" the attendant asked, fawning over them with an obvious ulterior motive.

However, to Qi Chen and Warm Man, the attendant had already served his purpose.

Warm Man pulled a few alliance notes from his coat and tossed them to the attendant. "We don't need you anymore. We can handle the rest ourselves. Get going."

The attendant didn't mind the rude attitude in the slightest. He pocketed the money, offered a respectful nod, and quickly departed, telling them to find him in the lobby if they needed anything else.

But they likely wouldn't have the chance.

"I have a feeling we might discover something during this match," Warm Man remarked, raising an eyebrow as he confidently shared his hunch with Qi Chen.

Qi Chen smiled without responding, his gaze shifting toward a man walking into the center of the main arena holding a microphone.

"Let’s hear what they have to say first."

...

"Distinguished guests, welcome to the Yellowstone Arena!"

A passionate male voice suddenly echoed throughout the arena. The sound from the low-quality speakers was riddled with noise, yet it carried a strange, uninhibited vibe.

"Today is the grandest day of every month in Yellowstone Town! It is Beast Night!"

The host shouted with fervor, and the densely packed crowd in the stands let out piercing screams. A frantic, fanatical atmosphere became the absolute defining feature of this underground space. Even Qi Chen felt his pulse quicken in such an environment.

"This month’s battle for the Beast King title is undoubtedly the most anticipated match in months! The reigning champion, who has held the gold championship necklace for five months, is the invincible mist beast—Scarface!"

In sync with the host's commentary, the four screens above the arena displayed an image of the beast. Qi Chen and Warm Man, along with the surrounding crowd, looked up.

Judging by the image, this mist beast was indeed extraordinary. Its limb structure was very similar to a tiger from the old era, but it was much larger, and the thick muscle contours beneath its taut fur were exaggerated to the extreme.

The mist beast known as Scarface had a truly ferocious face, living up to its name with several claw-like scars running across its left eye. Even in a static image, it exuded an aura of raw power and brutality.

"Whoa! Weighing over three hundred kilograms and nearly four meters long—this guy would definitely be at the top of the food chain in the Mist Wilderness," Warm Man exclaimed, looking at the data projected on the screen.

Qi Chen was equally surprised; these stats exceeded even the most savage lions he had learned about in documentaries from his past life. What kind of creature could possibly be the opponent of such a predator?

"Challenging Scarface is this month’s most dazzling, brilliant, and eye-catching star—Silver Claw! An undefeated newcomer who hasn't tasted defeat for a single month, and whose every fight has lasted no longer than five minutes!"

As the host finished speaking, the screens switched to another image: a mist beast much smaller than Scarface, resembling a fox. If Scarface possessed the domineering aura of a tiger, then Silver Claw, looking like a silver fox, appeared exceptionally delicate and noble.

"Good heavens, is that really a mist beast?" Warm Man was genuinely shocked this time. "If this little thing were taken to one of the alliance's major cities, who knows how high a price the big merchants would bid for it!"

Qi Chen found this completely unsurprising. Sometimes, the value of a single mist beast was higher than the total lifetime earnings of an average citizen in the city. In the Mist Era, this wasn't considered magical; it was simply the norm.

"Audience, please place your bets now! Once the window closes, the championship battle will officially begin!"

The clamor of voices rose in waves, and the four large screens switched to vivid red text, displaying the odds for the two beasts and the real-time betting numbers.

Qi Chen wasn't familiar with these things, but fortunately, Warm Man knew everything and explained it simply.

"Well, I can only say that if you bet on Scarface, you might make a little. But if you bet on Silver Claw, it’s a small risk for a small reward, or a big risk for a big reward!"

It was obvious that most of the audience believed the winner of this match would still be Scarface, the mist beast with a clear advantage in both track record and physical stats.

"Did you come out without any money? I can front you some," Warm Man said, pulling a stack of cash from his coat and waving it at Qi Chen, but Qi Chen shook his head.

"I don't play these games."

Warm Man didn't press the issue and went to place his own bet.

"Who do you think will win?" Qi Chen asked, looking at Warm Man with interest.

"How would I know? But I bought Silver Claw," Warm Man said, flashing a grin. "I just got my bonus anyway, so it doesn't matter if it goes down the drain. If it’s an upset, I’ll make a killing. Are you really not going to bet?"

Warm Man looked at Qi Chen with some confusion. Given what he knew about him, shouldn't a guy like this be keen on something that could make money? Why did he seem so uninterested?

Could it be... that he was afraid of losing money?

Having reached that conclusion, the way Warm Man looked at Qi Chen changed instantly, making Qi Chen feel quite uncomfortable.

"Look, it's starting!"

Glancing strangely at Warm Man, Qi Chen pointed toward the center of the arena.

The host had exited the ring, and the iron cage doors were already shut. With a series of violent clanging sounds, the iron gate on one side of the arena was slowly pulled up, and a pair of bell-sized eyes, glowing with a faint red light, were suddenly revealed.

"Roar!"

A heaven-shaking beast roar erupted, sweeping across the area with a pungent, fishy stench.

The battle of the beasts had begun.