Chapter 264

Ali walked through the steep, stone-cut staircase, each step echoing slightly in the hollow darkness as he descended deeper into the underground. The faint scent of moisture and old iron hung in the air. As he reached the bottom, he was greeted by the sight of a narrow corridor lit by distant, flickering lights.

There, standing at attention like a sentinel, was an older Asian man dressed impeccably in a sleek black suit, the lapel of which bore a barely noticeable insignia shaped like a crescent moon. The man carried an aura of reserved professionalism, his polite smile calm and practiced.

"I will guide you to your arena," the man said, bowing slightly with his hands at his sides, his tone as formal as his appearance.

Before Ali could respond, a voice—playful and oddly energetic—cut through the gloom like a ripple across still water.

"Leave him to me."

The words seemed to materialise from nowhere, and yet they filled the corridor with a confident ease. The older man straightened abruptly and took a respectful step back, his expression now mixed with reverence and slight nervousness.

From behind, hopping casually into view, emerged a small, snow-white rabbit walking upright on its hind legs. In one paw it held a half-eaten carrot, and its tall ears stood at full attention. Its fur glowed faintly under the dim lights, but what stood out most were its enormous crimson eyes—watchful, intelligent, and unsettling.

"Of course, Administrator Toto," the suited man bowed deeper this time before quietly excusing himself, disappearing up the stairs without a sound.

Ali turned toward the peculiar creature with mild amusement and recognition, pulling back his hood to reveal his calm, sharp gaze.

"Shouldn't you be too busy to be my guide?" Ali said coolly, meeting the rabbit's intense eyes with the same level of confidence.

CRUNCH. CRUNCH.

Toto didn't answer immediately. Instead, he took a loud bite of his carrot, chewing thoughtfully as he hopped around Ali in a circle, sniffing exaggeratedly in the air around him.

"What are you doing?" Ali asked, unmoved, his voice dry as he watched the rabbit finish another chomp.

"You're starting to smell worse. You reek of…" Toto sniffed once more and then suddenly turned away, abandoning the sentence. "Never mind," he said, hopping ahead, clearly expecting Ali to follow.

Ali frowned slightly, a rare expression for him. He didn't like ambiguous remarks—especially from beings like Toto. 'Reek of what? Is he talking about Veska?' his mind raced, trying to connect the cryptic comment to something relevant. 'Maybe he can read minds.' Ali's thoughts darkened slightly. He reminded himself just how mysterious and powerful the system administrators were. If Toto was capable of that, it wouldn't even surprise him anymore.

"I was surprised when I heard about this duel," Toto said as he hopped ahead, his fluffy tail bouncing slightly with each stride. "But then, when I saw what you wanted from the wager… I understood."

"Hey Toto," Ali called out, his voice echoing faintly in the corridor. "Remember how much PC you made from my two duels in the arena?"

Toto stopped mid-hop, turning his fuzzy head with interest. "Of course. That was a very lucrative day for me," he said with a fond smile. He opened his interface with a flick of his paw, countless streams of data flying past his glowing red eyes. "OH, well well well," Toto chuckled, biting another hefty chunk from his carrot.

From the long list of names Toto found Ali's name repeating ten times in a row…

"Give me a share this time," Ali said bluntly.

Toto narrowed one eye. He stroked his white whiskers thoughtfully. "No can do. If you want to profit, wager on yourself. But I doubt you'll make much," he added with a wink.

"Sure," Ali replied with a hint of mock indifference as he walked past the administrator, not bothering to hide his disappointment.

Toto hopped ahead once more and led Ali through the dim corridor. As they reached a junction, Toto paused. "It's straight ahead," he instructed, then turned around to leave.

Ali gave him a nod and started down the path.

But before he vanished from view, Toto's voice rang out again, filled with a mischievous note. "Entertain me, and I'll tell you something very interesting…"

His voice echoed and faded like a dream, and then he was gone.

'The great Emperor Ali, fighting to entertain a talking rabbit…' Ali thought with a wry smile as he walked on.

From two opposing dark corridors, two figures emerged, stepping into a large circular arena of coarse sand. The walls of the arena stretched twenty meters high, their surface made of steel-laced stone.

Overhead, powerful lights buzzed silently, illuminating the sand below in stark white. There were no audience stands here—only a glass viewing chamber perched high up in the wall where the control room was stationed, like the eye of a silent god watching over mortals.

Ali strode in first, his black hoodie swaying around his lean yet powerful frame. He bore no weapons in hand, and yet the aura of confidence and strength that radiated from him was enough to command the attention of any witness.

From the opposite entrance came a hulking figure that dwarfed even Ali. Standing at seven feet tall, the man had a golden beard, sharp blue eyes, and a body carved like a marble statue.

He wore only blue military pants, his muscular upper body exposed and gleaming under the light. On each hand were golden brass knuckles inscribed with glowing green runes. Above his head floated a golden dice spinning slowly—his signature.

Ali's sharp eyes narrowed as they immediately noted the two distinct necklaces around the Frenchman's thick neck. 'The gold one is a defensive item from what I saw in his fight. As for the blue one… well, that one is just for me,' Ali thought, his lips twitching slightly.

Philip the Dice Devil stomped into the centre of the arena and jabbed a finger at himself.

"KILL," he said in a booming French accent, his voice like gravel wrapped in steel.

Then he pointed his thick finger at Ali.

"YOU."

Ali's lips curled into a smirk. Without a word, a subtle blast of pressure erupted from his body, kicking up a small cyclone of sand that swirled around him. The Force Push wasn't strong—but it was enough to show he wasn't here to play.

Philip didn't flinch.

"Wait, kids! I have to read the details of the fight," Toto's cheerful voice rang out from the mirrored control room above.

"Back to opposite walls now!" the rabbit called.

Without complaint, the two fighters turned and retreated to their respective sides, standing like statues of war at the ready.

"Player Ali versus Player Dice Devil," Toto began, now projecting with the energy of a stage announcer. "Both players agreed for this to be a private duel without the ultimate cost of one's life—which, frankly, is boring in my opinion…"

"Now for the stakes—ohohooo, now that's a lot of PC right here!" Toto cried gleefully, clearly impressed. "Player Ali has wagered an item if he loses—and Player Dice Devil has agreed to join the Air Guild and follow Tempest Wraith's orders if he loses!"

At that, both fighters locked eyes again. Ali's expression was unreadable. Philip bared his teeth in a wolfish grin.

With a snap of his fingers, the inverted spear of heaven appeared in Ali's hand, the long chain of a thousand miles coiling onto the sand beside him like a sleeping serpent.

Philip's body began to glow with a faint light. His dice hovered above him, slowly turning.

"Now that both players are ready," Toto's voice said with rising excitement, "3… 2… 1… FIGHT!"

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