Sharpening Skills While Earning

Minutes passed quietly, the eerie silence of the plaza deepening. The voice of Snake Sixteen, booming from the loudspeakers, faded into nothingness.

The fewer than a hundred monster employees of the resort wore bitter expressions on their faces. Meanwhile, the tourists were divided in their reactions. Some, aware of the true nature of the task, hesitated, unsure whether to accept it. Others, clueless, were eager to dive into the challenge.

Snake Sixteen's offer for the "training partners" was incredibly tempting. A single match would earn 500 Ghost Coins, a sum not insignificant. Considering Yi Bai's strength, which was only at the Evil Ghost level, this was a good deal. With those below Evil Ghost rank excluded, fewer than 200 creatures remained eligible, and among them, only a handful were at the Li Ghost level. There were no Red Attire monsters at all.

This was the normal reality of the horror game scenario. It was rare to encounter big shots like Yi Bai over and over again.

Eventually, the monsters chosen to "train" with Yi Bai were selected, totaling precisely thirty-six, including resort employees who had no choice but to participate. Many of the monsters shared similar racial traits and abilities, as not all were like the awakened bloodline creatures, whose powers were drastically different.

Snake Sixteen himself was also among the trainers. Yi Bai's goal, however, was to gauge the difference between Li Ghosts and Peak Evil Ghosts.

The crowd of monsters scattered, taking their seats around the plaza. A few moments later, a deep rumble echoed through the ground. From the center of the square, a massive square deathmatch arena began to rise, stretching over a hundred meters in both length and width.

The arena was surrounded by bizarre stones, emitting an icy, sinister aura, and covered in jagged spikes.

"It seems this resort isn't just a simple getaway spot. With an arena like this, they might host some 'underground fight' events," Yi Bai thought, gazing at his surroundings.

"Young Master Yin, should I disperse the spectators?" Snake Sixteen asked, noticing Yi Bai's gaze wandering as if uncomfortable with being watched.

"No need," Yi Bai shook his head, then smirked slightly. "But I assume the arena performances should require an entrance fee?"

Snake Sixteen immediately understood. "Of course! The core of the resort's profits comes from these events. Depending on the strength of the combatants, ticket prices vary. For Evil Ghost-level fights, tickets are usually thirty Ghost Coins. However, with your special status, Young Master Yin, the starting price should be at least fifty, don't you think?"

Yi Bai nodded, his expression pleased with Snake Sixteen's understanding. "Fifty Ghost Coins sounds right; after all, it's not a real deathmatch."

Snake Sixteen smiled. "Understood. Shall we begin right away, or would you prefer some time to prepare?"

"Let's start. Real killing doesn't give anyone time to prepare," Yi Bai said coldly, his presence intensifying, becoming sharper, more lethal.

A deep red light flickered in his eyes, reminiscent of a blood lotus blooming. Snake Sixteen shivered internally, realizing this was no ordinary task. With Yi Bai's bloodline and the power of his contract, what ordinary Evil Ghost would stand a chance against him?

Of course, that wasn't Snake Sixteen's concern. His focus was on keeping Yi Bai safe. If something were to happen to him here, the consequences would be dire.

The plaza surrounding the arena was packed with spectators. Though not many, the sight of a thousand or more monsters stirred unease among the human players huddled in the corners, their legs trembling at the thought of the havoc that might unfold.

Inside the arena, Yi Bai's opponent was a vicious Evil Ghost-grade lizardman. Its foul-smelling saliva dripped onto the dark bricks, releasing a cloud of white smoke. Its sharp fangs, claws, and a whip-like crimson tongue were all weapons in its arsenal.

Yi Bai, using his Insight, immediately spotted the creature's weakness—the underside of its jaw, a small area not covered by the tough scales.

"Are you ready, Young Master Yin?" Snake Sixteen asked once more, double-checking.

"Yes," Yi Bai replied quietly, his focus narrowing on the lizardman as he shifted fully into combat mode.

As a vampire, Yi Bai was born a hunter, his instinct for battle sharper than any other.

"Begin!"

The moment Snake Sixteen's words fell, the lizardman surged forward, its muscular legs propelling it at incredible speed. It wasn't particularly gifted in abilities, relying mainly on its raw strength and the deadly toxins in its saliva.

Its speed was fast, but to Yi Bai's heightened senses, it posed little threat. No one noticed that the shadow of Yi Bai on the arena floor stretched unnaturally long, reaching toward the lizardman.

As the countdown reached its final second, the lizardman was just meters away.

Shadow Strike!

At the pivotal moment, Yi Bai's talent activated. From the shadow on the ground, a dark, clawed hand shot up, striking at the vulnerable underside of the lizardman's jaw.

The attack was so sudden that the lizardman had no time to react or stop its forward momentum. Just as the shadow claw was about to tear through its throat, the claw morphed into a fist, smashing into its chin.

"Boom!" The impact sent the lizardman flying backward, crashing heavily onto the ground, unconscious.

Snake Sixteen exhaled in relief. It wasn't because of the lizardman's death, but because Yi Bai had clearly held back at the last moment. Instead of delivering a fatal blow, Yi Bai had opted for restraint.

This signaled that Yi Bai was here to train, not to indulge his bloodlust, which greatly eased the pressure on the training monsters.