Chapter 216: Golia Regains Her Powers—Golia Is Cutting People Down! [Four Chapters Combined; Please Subscribe!]

The third day.

Lu Chen used his old mech to spray-paint the new one. He chose the classic cyan color for the new armor—the very same hue his scavenging mech had worn back on Rust Star.

The paint job was finished. A perfect coating.

With the scavenging mechanics in the workshop clamoring to help, Lu Chen managed to complete the assembly of his new mech two days ahead of schedule. During the process, he even managed to squeeze in a few hours of sleep. When Ban Yue had first brought those mechanics over to assist, they had been incredibly reluctant. But once they witnessed Lu Chen’s masterful repair and spirit-rune skills, they scrambled to help, hoping to pick up a few tricks.

Unfortunately, Lu Chen’s expertise came from an external cheat that identified faults, and his own identity as a max-level hacker from the game he’d brought with him to this world. Faced with the mechanics’ earnest requests for guidance, he could only maintain an air of mystery and say, "Nothing to it, just practice makes perfect."

The new mech retained a headless, wide-body design. It looked more robust and formidable than its predecessor, shedding much of its previous "lovably goofy" appearance. Standing eight meters tall and four meters at its widest, it featured two layers of internal cargo space that could be partitioned into eight mini-cabins or combined into one giant hold. The cockpit was mobile, allowing for maximum cargo capacity. It was also much roomier than before; two people could sit side-by-side comfortably, and three could squeeze in if necessary, with various comfort-oriented upgrades added.

Beyond that, Lu Chen had modified his fly-drones into "Little Bee" drones to avoid them being recognized as Imperial equipment. The mech’s left arm still integrated violent functions like blasting, cutting, digging, binding, and grilling. The right arm, aside from grasping, was primarily for combat, equipped with a light-saber, laser cannon, and heavy-punch capabilities. The chest and back were fitted with numerous mounting interfaces; besides cargo, they could even carry various missiles and small nuclear warheads. Inside, from the drive runes to the laser runes, everything was of Lu Chen’s own design, specifically engineered to reduce spirit consumption during manual piloting and to enhance stealth compatibility.

Once the paint dried, the fickle Lu Chen couldn't wait to jump out of his "old hag" and into his "sweetheart." To him, even though every part of the new mech was a discarded second-hand piece, the assembly as a whole was brand new.

In the middle of the night, he walked out of the factory to the dock to stretch his limbs, flying through the air in various postures. Finally, he drew his "Unadorned Legacy," a level 50 light-saber. A pale blue blade of light, four point eight meters long, erupted instantly. The interior of the blade vibrated violently, emitting a white, ringing force field. For a twenty-meter-tall Lone Ranger mech, this light-saber might have seemed a bit delicate, but for Lu Chen’s eight-meter-tall new armor, it was devastatingly powerful. As he gripped the hilt, a tremor seemed to run deep into his very soul.

"Perfect!"

Lu Chen was eager to find something to test the blade on, scaring the old man and woman into quickly shutting their doors. "Get down from there! Testing the blade is out of the question; we already recognize your strength."

Lu Chen had no choice but to climb down, having completed the mech testing ahead of schedule. He was excited, but felt unfulfilled... he even had the urge to take the new mech to the mech fighting tournament. Of course, that was impossible.

Ban Yue finally opened the door and stepped out. "Brother Lu, your light-saber looks like the Empire’s latest laser force-field technology. Where did you get it?"

*Well, obviously,* it was a weapon belonging to the Silver Rose Mech Special Operations Team! Lu Chen said proudly, "I am a recipient of the Imperial Hero Medal. Is there any issue with me owning an Imperial light-saber?"

Ban Yue grew thoughtful, connecting the recent news. "Could it be the weapon from the Silver Rose Mech Special Operations Team that took over the Star Beast Herdsmen mentioned in the news? How did you get your hands on it, Brother Lu?"

*If you already know, why ask?* Lu Chen said mysteriously, "A gift from a friend."

"A woman?"

"Who the hell knows?"

"So, it’s a relic, then?"

"..." *You’re quite the detective!* Lu Chen was speechless.

Ban Yue suggested, "Brother Lu, your new mech is quite stylish and its combat power won't be weak. Why don't you give it a name?"

Lu Chen thought that made sense. His previous mech was too low-level and its combat power was questionable; on Rust Star, he’d called it a scavenging mech, and after heading out to sea, he’d called it a treasure-hunting mech. It never had a proper name.

"Ghost Rider. How does that sound?"

Ban Yue brushed the messy hair from his forehead and asked curiously, "Why Ghost Rider? Can it turn invisible?"

Lu Chen’s gaze turned cold, and he suddenly felt the urge to commit murder. "No, I just like the movie of the same name."

"Oh..."

With the new mech ready, Lu Chen didn't want to delay a single moment; he wanted to scrap the "old hag" in the factory immediately. "Let's go! We’re heading to the mech fighting tournament right now!"

Of course, his total assets currently amounted to only a little over 100,000 spirit stones—less than 120,000. A high-end adventure-class deep-space ship equipped with heavy weapons and a cultivation pod cost 150,000. He wasn't planning to sell the Dragon Core; he intended to use it to improve his cultivation. He had to make a few tens of thousands more to afford the new ship.

Ban Yue was slightly stunned. "Mech fighting is very physically demanding. Brother Lu, you’ve been working for three days straight. Won't you rest for a while?"

Lu Chen waved a hand. "No. If I rest too well, I’m afraid I’ll keep winning, and the old mech will never be scrapped."

"Haha, men really are animals who love the new and loathe the old."

"If your new book performs well, would you still go back to writing your failed old books?"

...

Lu Chen moved Golia’s and Ellie’s personal items, as well as the Dragon Core, into the internal cabin of his new mech, *Ghost Rider*. *Ghost Rider* was left temporarily at the Ban Family Treasure House. Afterwards, Lu Chen and Ban Yue piloted the *Lioning*, taking the old mech with them, and took off from the treasure house, merging into the flowing stream of ships.

Crossing the central island and arriving at the space in front of the *White Dew*, they found a brightly lit, bustling medium-sized floating island. The name marked on the navigation map was: Cyber Tavern.

This was a medium-sized floating island larger than the August floating island. In the center of the island was a flat basin, resembling a giant Roman Colosseum. There were spectator stands around it, and on the high ground behind the stands were over a hundred independent open-air taverns. The outermost ring consisted of official shipyards. Even in the middle of the night, the shipyards were packed with ships.

The *Lioning* was forced to hover above the shipyard because the space above was height-restricted, and visitors were prohibited from loitering in the air to watch the matches for free; the free parking spots in the sky were already crowded. Because of this, many people had no choice but to pay to park their ships on surrounding floating islands.

Lu Chen found a spot that had just opened up and brought the *Lioning* to a hover. Then, he drove his mech, and together with Ban Yue, he disembarked. The two walked through an internal passage at the foot of the surrounding mountains, arriving at a basement beneath the mountain.

According to Ban Yue, there were nine basements beneath the circular mountain, each three hundred meters wide and over a hundred meters high. Each basement was home to an agency. To participate in the competition, one had to first contact an agency. There were nine major agencies in total.

Ban Yue led Lu Chen into the ninth agency: *Lanshan*. The owner of *Lanshan* had just taken over the company recently, and there weren't many signed contestants, so the basement wasn't particularly lively. In the massive basement, there were only a few mechs, a dozen contestants in battle suits, and two coaches.

Ban Yue led Lu Chen to the door of the manager’s office and knocked. There was no response, only the sounds of chirping women... Ban Yue had no choice but to shout at the top of his lungs: "Pao-ge! I’ve found a contestant for you who can get rich in a single battle!"

Still no response, only the sound of rapid breathing. *As expected of Pao-ge,* Lu Chen thought.

A while later, a burly middle-aged man with an exoskeleton stabilizer on his upper body opened the door and stepped out. While dressing and fastening his belt, he said resentfully, "Xiao Ban, have you forgotten how much you made me lose last time? If you’re out of material for your writing, you can’t just treat me like a fool!"

The general manager’s name was Shan Pao. He was a sturdy retired boxer wearing a partial exoskeleton battle suit. To Lu Chen, his build resembled the Korean actor Ma Dong-seok, though he had a very shrewd face. Because the contestants signed by *Lanshan* were primarily mech-combat oriented and had a cooperative relationship with the Ban Family Treasure House, Ban Yue was well-acquainted with Shan Pao.

Ban Yue didn't feel a shred of guilt. He raised his hand and patted Lu Chen’s mech, confidently saying, "That’s why I brought my friend to help you win it all back in one fight!"

Shan Pao hadn't paid much attention until he heard the echo of the mech reverberating in the basement, which made him frown. He strode over to Lu Chen’s mech, knocked on its thigh, and pressed his ear against it to listen carefully.

*Thump, thump, thump...*

"Sounds good!"

If it sounds good, it’s a good mech. Shan Pao nodded repeatedly. "With so many junk parts, you can still knock out such a good sound... your grandfather’s craftsmanship has improved again, kid."

Ban Yue was about to explain, but decided against it. "My friend is definitely a master at playing the pig to eat the tiger. I guarantee that this junk mech’s strength exceeds any mech of the same tier. It can absolutely win it back for you in one fight."

Shan Pao didn't believe him so easily. The mech was only one part; the pilot was also crucial—perhaps the most important part. He patted the mech’s thigh again, making it thump. "Brother, come on out and let me see. What’s your name?"

Lu Chen leaped down from the mech. "Lu Chen." He looked at the nearly two-meter-tall Shan Pao. This was a Level 60 Spirit Warrior with an extremely powerful aura; his fists clearly looked like they had smashed mechs before.

Shan Pao was also sizing Lu Chen up, feeling the kid looked a bit too delicate. "The mech’s light-saber and laser cannon are decent, and the beast-bone alloy shell is forged to a high standard, but it’s still not enough... The current mech fighting tournament is extremely competitive. If you want to make big money, the pilot is the most important thing. You’re only Level 35; it will be very tough."

Ban Yue quickly added, "It’s precisely because he’s Level 35 that the odds will be high. Otherwise, how would we make a big score?"

Shan Pao shook his head. He had been burned by Ban Yue many times; the kid was too reckless, always wanting to win big by betting on the ultimate underdog. "You only make money if you win. All participating mechs and equipment must be disclosed, so it’s hard to pull any tricks... In this case, the contestant’s own strength—or more accurately, your cultivation skills—becomes particularly important."

Lu Chen was stunned and asked curiously, "Doesn't mech fighting test piloting and tactics?"

Shan Pao said, "The fighting tournament is different from adventuring. You’re a novice; do you really think you can win on piloting and tactics alone? Besides, veterans nowadays rely on external tricks to win."

Lu Chen thought for a moment and asked, "How about using hacking techniques to break their defense? I’m good at that."

Shan Pao nodded. Most mechs-engineers had a knack for hacking; it was a traditional advantage. "That’s not bad, but as a Level 35 mech-engineer, if you dare to enter the fighting tournament, and with that gentle-looking face, anyone would suspect you’re a hacker. The opponent will definitely pilot the mech manually, and your powerful hacking skills won't be of any use."

"Gentle-looking?"

Lu Chen raised a finger and poked it right through the mech’s thigh. A sudden surge of spirit pressure exploded, as if he hadn't fully contained it, sending ripples through the mech. The spirit runes of the flight control system were affected, and several connected instruments were burned out.

Ban Yue and Shan Pao were left pale and speechless, staring at each other for a long time without a word. Even Ban Yue began to doubt Lu Chen. "This is a Level 40 mech shell... Brother Lu, have you been hiding your cultivation? If this is found out, you’ll be fined!"

Lu Chen pulled his finger out, the tip red. Pretending to be calm, he said casually, "Just a little body-technique trick. It might not be usable while piloting, but fortunately, I have plenty of other methods."

Ban Yue finally believed that the news reports were true. He quickly pulled Shan Pao aside and opened his hand-ring, showing him the various legendary news reports about Lu Chen since he went out to sea. After reading the news, Shan Pao felt he had struck gold and could no longer look down on this cash cow in front of him. "I see. Little Brother Lu is a man of hidden talents, well-prepared... but this cavalier attitude you have toward the mech makes me suspect you’re looking for an excuse to destroy it."

"I’ve already sold the mech to Ban Yue. I’m here to make money to pay for a spaceship. Only by winning can I make money, right?"

"Good, good, good!"

Shan Pao immediately sent people to patch the small hole in the mech’s thigh and repaired the burned-out runes and components. Afterwards, he personally signed a contract with Lu Chen and submitted the detailed information of Lu Chen and his mech to the tournament officials. After a simple process, the audit was passed quickly.

Shan Pao introduced the subsequent competition process to Lu Chen. "Next, you will participate in an internal qualifier, facing off against the Cyber Tavern’s official fighting robot. Only by winning can you officially step onto the stage, where the audience will pick your opponents."

"How is my pay calculated?" Lu Chen only cared about this.

Shan Pao said, "There’s no money for the internal qualifier. For the official match, in the Level 40 mech group, the appearance fee is 1,000 spirit stones, and there’s a 10,000 spirit stone bonus for every win. Besides that, *Lanshan* Agency will place bets for you—only on a win, never a loss. The minimum bet per match is 10,000 spirit stones, with no upper limit. As long as you win with high odds of one-to-three or more, you will get a 10% to 30% share of the profit bonus."

Lu Chen nodded. The rewards were generous, but it all depended on winning as the underdog. "Then I advise you to go all-in. After the first match, I will likely expose my identity, and the subsequent odds will be very low."

Shan Pao asked tentatively, "How much do you think I should go all-in on for the first match?"

Lu Chen thought for a moment and said, "Start with 100,000 spirit stones."

Shan Pao asked calmly, "Your bounty is only 50,000 spirit stones; 100,000 is not a small amount... what if you lose?"

Lu Chen spread his hands and pointed at Ban Yue beside him. "If I lose, make Ban Yue pay you. He recommended me."

Shan Pao was stunned, wondering if he’d heard wrong. After a long moment, he stared at Lu Chen and burst into laughter. "You kid, you’ve got guts. That shows you have a good mindset. Only those who are confident or those who are 'letting it go' have a good mindset. I guess you’re the former. I’ll bet 10,000 in the company’s name... plus 100,000 of my own!"

Ban Yue had originally just brought Lu Chen to see the world and find some material. He hadn't expected Shan Pao to bet so much, and it made him itch to join in. "I’ll bet 10,000 for Brother Lu too... this is all the royalties I’ve earned in ten years of writing. Brother Lu, be careful!"

*Writing really is a dead end,* Lu Chen thought. "Alright, then I’ll make the qualifier look ugly to drive up the odds... this is the only chance to make a killing!"

...

Shan Pao immediately submitted the qualifier application for Lu Chen. Soon, he received approval from the Cyber Tavern. Shan Pao personally led Lu Chen to the central basement, and Ban Yue followed as a contestant observer.

It was a 300-by-300-meter underground fighting arena. Everything around was pure white, like a virtual space. Lu Chen’s qualifier opponent was the Cyber Tavern’s official fighting robot—a Level 40 "Cyber" combat mech. It was an unmanned model, white-bodied, over six meters tall. It was slender and agile, not equipped with laser weapons, but it had a traditional greatsword and armor-piercing shells. Its attack power wasn't too strong, but its defense system was quite good; it was designed to test the contestant’s true strength, and there was no faking it.

Before participating, one had to name the mech so the commentator could announce it during the official matches. Lu Chen named his mech: "Old Hag." It was a yellow shell, so calling it "Old Hag" wasn't too unreasonable.

Shan Pao reminded Lu Chen, "You must take off your storage bag and hand-ring. This qualifier will be recorded in its entirety, and your spirit pressure fluctuations will be monitored. After you win, it will be kept on record, and every opponent you face in future official matches will have the right to view this recording."

Lu Chen nodded and took off his storage bag and hand-ring. Ban Yue volunteered to keep them safe. Fortunately, both were locked, and Ban Yue had no way to open either.

The match was about to begin. Shan Pao and Ban Yue left the arena and went to the lounge outside to watch the live feed.

The match started! "Old Hag" and the Cyber mech were fifty meters apart. The Cyber mech held a greatsword and carried armor-piercing shells, circling "Old Hag" and looking eager to fight. Halfway through the circle... Suddenly! The Cyber mech fired an armor-piercing shell at "Old Hag."

Lu Chen’s mech shell couldn't possibly withstand this Level 40 armor-piercing shell. Fortunately, Lu Chen had anticipated it. "Old Hag" leaped to avoid the shell and cast its light-saber in mid-air, splitting the shell in two. The action was incredibly sharp. The shell split and dropped to the ground with a *thud*, failing to explode.

After that strike, the Cyber mech seemed wary of "Old Hag’s" light-saber and didn't dare to attack easily. Lu Chen switched from defense to offense, firing a laser cannon at the Cyber mech. Unfortunately, it failed to break the defense. Afterwards, he tried to use the mech’s built-in hacking program to breach the opponent’s control system.

He failed again... It seemed the opponent’s firewall was extremely robust.

*Need physical defense-breaking!* But "Old Hag" didn't have an advantage in size or movement; he could only wait for an opening when the opponent attacked at close range to counter-kill. However, the Cyber mech had entered a strategic defense mode. Unless Lu Chen used stealth or unleashed a critical strike, he couldn't break the defense.

Lu Chen didn't want to expose these two skills prematurely. His goal was to drive up the odds as much as possible. Fortunately, the opponent’s firewall was only Level 40, so he could still hack it remotely if he put his mind to it. So, Lu Chen spent a little time figuring out the opponent’s movement and combat patterns. He launched a sudden attack, chasing the Cyber mech at close range to force it into the object-recognition range, figuring out its firewall type and vulnerabilities.

Then, he secretly modified his hacking code’s intrusion method. By using spirit-rune resonance to transmit a signal, he forcibly broke through the outer firewall and invaded the Cyber mech’s control system, cutting off the spirit-pool drive immediately.

The unmanned Cyber mech instantly powered down. Lu Chen was about to move in for the finishing blow—when the staff announced the end of the match!

"The 'Old Hag' mech wins. Time: 5 minutes. Method of victory: Forced hack into the Cyber mech’s control system. Combat Rating: A!"

"I yield." Lu Chen piloted "Old Hag," bowed slightly, and left the central underground fighting arena. Even Shan Pao and Ban Yue were frightened by Lu Chen’s hacking ability... At the same level, who could hack a Cyber mech’s firewall without a physical intrusion? Since he had such hacking skills, why expose them so early?

Back at the ninth agency, Ban Yue sighed helplessly: "I thought you said you’d be low-key in the qualifier? You scored a KO, got an A rating, and now how are you going to get high odds?"

Shan Pao seemed to have guessed Lu Chen’s plan. "No, enemies seeing this video will definitely choose to fight in manual mode to end the battle quickly. Don't let the A rating fool you; hacking skills are easily countered. Audiences only pick opponents based on similar ratings, so his odds will still be very high."

Lu Chen nodded. He lacked cultivation and had a gentle appearance; the enemy would likely guess he was a hacker, but they wouldn't guess he could poke through a mech shell with one finger. "Yes, there’s only one chance to make big money. As long as I win the first match, I’ll never be the underdog again."

"Good!"

Shan Pao immediately registered Lu Chen for the official match, and soon got a response. The first match was always approved quickly. The audience loved new faces.

"There are three matches before yours. You’ll be up in about an hour."

"Mm."

So, the three of them sat on the black sofa in front of the big screen in the basement, watching the live broadcast for free. Shan Pao had his woman bring some melon seeds, snacks, and high-end drinks. Seeing Shan Pao wasn't playing with women, Ban Yue asked curiously, "Pao-ge is watching the match too?"

Shan Pao opened a bottle of red wine and propped up his legs confidently. "Of course. The next match is the Level 50 battle suit sword-fighting group. Our *Lanshan*’s latest ace, 'Twin-Blade,' is about to enter the ring."

...

Not long after, on the big screen, a man walked out of the underground passage in the center of the arena. He was a middle-aged man wearing black shorts and an exoskeleton battle suit. According to the introductory video played by the commentator, the man held twin blades in his arms, and the twin blades could be connected into a greatsword. He wielded them like a storm, dazzling the eye, and could cut through Level 50 mechs like iron through mud.

But Shan Pao didn't look that confident. "Twin-Blade has had five consecutive wins recently. He wins, but he’s always the favorite, and the odds are too low. I can only bet a bit more to make some hard-earned money. If there’s an upset, I’ll lose everything."

Ban Yue suddenly pointed to the big screen and warned, "Hey, Pao-ge, the odds seem to be one-to-two this time. A rare balanced match. It seems the opponent is someone significant."

"Indeed." Shan Pao stared intently at the big screen.

A woman holding a sword walked out of the opposite underground passage. She was wearing a cyan swordswoman’s outfit. Lu Chen was curious and asked, "In the battle suit group, can spirit-sword martial artists also participate?"

Ban Yue explained, "The battle suit group, also called the weapon group, allows for matchups against practitioners holding swords, but this situation is rare."

The camera zoomed in on the big screen, showing the woman’s face. "Wow, this swordswoman is really beautiful... wait, isn't this the woman who lost nine games in a row? What was her name again?"

"Her name is Golia." Ban Yue answered with a smile, then turned to look at Lu Chen: "What a coincidence, Brother Lu."

Lu Chen was also stunned. Seeing the woman’s gait, he felt something was wrong... he didn't expect it to actually be Golia. *Didn't she say she’d quit gambling? She dares to gamble again?*

Shan Pao looked at the woman’s detailed information and finally understood what was going on. "No wonder the odds are balanced. This woman is a Level 58 swordsman, and Twin-Blade is only Level 53. The only reason the odds are balanced is because in the last three years, Golia has achieved the feat of losing nine games in a row in this arena!"

Lu Chen was stunned. Golia was Level 58? She’d jumped twenty levels in three days! Lu Chen had to believe that Golia really was a powerhouse who had been falling in cultivation all along. Otherwise, she couldn't have leveled up so fast. He immediately called Golia. No one answered.

Ban Yue reminded him, "You can't bring hand-rings into the match."

Shan Pao asked Lu Chen, "Is this Golia perhaps your teammate?"

Lu Chen nodded. He quickly called Ellie. This time it went through. The sound on the other end was very noisy, as if she were in the stands. "Ellie, are you with Golia?"

Ellie thought to herself, *Oh no, the captain found out!* "Sister Golia is, is..."

Lu Chen didn't want to make things difficult for her. "I see her. Golia is in the Cyber fighting arena, and you’re in the stands. Didn't she say she’d quit gambling?!"

"Sigh, is the Captain watching the match too?" Ellie looked around and had no choice but to spill the beans. "Sister Golia said she’d been soaking in the hot springs until she was numb, and her cultivation had recovered well, so she came to stretch her limbs. And this time, she didn't place any private bets, so it doesn't count as gambling. She said she’d win, just to take the 2,000 appearance fee and the 10,000 spirit stone winning bonus. Sister Golia also said that after she wins, she’ll give half the bonus to the Captain to buy a spaceship!"

*I thank you so much!* Lu Chen didn't celebrate too early and asked warily, "Did she have you place any private bets?"

Ellie stammered, "Sister Golia did suggest that. She said she wanted to rub off on my good luck, but I remembered the Captain forbade her from gambling, so I didn't agree to it."

"Good job, Ellie!" Lu Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief. Since Golia’s cultivation had recovered to Level 58, crushing a Level 53 Twin-Blade would be a piece of cake. He couldn't imagine any reason for her to lose.

Ellie added, "Yeah, if it’s just a pure fight without gambling, I believe Sister Golia will definitely win..." As she was speaking, Ellie looked excitedly toward the fighting arena. "Wow, Captain, look! Golia has already won!"

Lu Chen looked up at the big screen. Golia, from a distance, drew her sword slowly and slashed at Twin-Blade. It was a mediocre strike. It wasn't even very straight. However...

The sword energy arrived instantly! With a single strike, she split Twin-Blade’s titanium alloy exoskeleton, along with his left hand, left blade, left arm, and left shoulder. It also split the cyan defensive formation surrounding the fighting arena hundreds of meters away. The judge’s stand suffered as well, being split in two. The main judge lost a hand. The other judge immediately declared Golia the loser! The other four assistant judges had no objections.

And so... Golia lost. She achieved an unprecedented ten-game losing streak. Most people wouldn't have the opportunity to participate after losing so many times. Lu Chen was dumbfounded. "How the hell could she lose that?"

Shan Pao’s heart was bleeding, and his tone was no longer polite. "She *had* to lose. Look at the competition rules: hiding cultivation, malicious destruction of the arena, or the judges—she’s guilty of at least one." After saying that, he almost cried. "My Twin-Blade... I’ve been losing for half a year, and I finally cultivated a twin-blade user!"

The arena was in chaos. Fortunately, a rescue ship arrived in time for on-site surgery. The surgery was timely, and Twin-Blade’s left arm was reattached. But whether his sword skills could recover was another matter. The main judge’s left hand was also reattached, but he angrily called for the security ship to arrest Golia and investigate her cultivation. If there was a problem with her cultivation, she would have to pay a massive compensation. Even if there was no problem, her agency would have to pay for some of the losses and she would be stripped of her future eligibility to compete.

Lu Chen was very excited. Golia hadn't just recovered much of her cultivation; her sword skills seemed to have progressed significantly, actually splitting the defensive formation with one strike. However, seeing Shan Pao’s heartbreak, he feigned helplessness and self-reproach, saying earnestly, "Sorry, I chose the wrong teammates."

Shan Pao came back to his senses. Twin-Blade was already damaged; he couldn't afford to lose this cash cow in front of him. "You can’t blame yourself for this. I can only say you need to be cautious about choosing teammates. This isn't the first time Golia has hurt someone, and she loses every time she gambles, owing a mountain of debt to every casino on *White Dew*. Fortunately, she’s contributed quite a bit of money to each casino, so for now, no one is demanding she pay it back—they even keep inviting her to play."

Lu Chen sighed deeply and said helplessly, "I have a headache too. Two months ago, Golia took me out to sea and even gave me the captain’s position. I can't just abandon her; I can only train her well."

Since it had come to this, Shan Pao couldn't say anything more. "Don't be affected by it. You still have to win. As long as it’s a normal move, it’s fine if you hurt your opponent."

"Mm."

Half an hour later, because Golia’s match had saved so much time, Lu Chen stepped onto the stage early. Piloting the "Old Hag" mech, he arrived in the center of the arena from the underground passage. The commentator’s introduction for him was very brief:

"'Old Hag' combat mech. Pilot: A young adventurer who survived two months at sea, Level 35 mech-engineer, first time on the fighting stage, excels at hacking... scored an 'A' in the qualifier, but unfortunately, he met the wrong opponent. Winning odds: one-to-five!"

One-to-five... Lu Chen felt he had hit the jackpot. One-to-five meant betting 100 spirit stones would return 500 spirit stones, a four-fold profit. Shan Pao’s 100,000 spirit stone bet could win 400,000. Even if he took 10%, that was 40,000, plus the 10,000 winning bonus—he could make over 50,000 in one go!

But one-to-five also meant another thing: betting 100,000 spirit stones was basically like tossing 100,000 spirit stones into the water!

Shan Pao and Ban Yue sat in the stands, both excited and solemn. Because his opponent was no ordinary person! It was the king of the Level 40 mech group: the "Black Samurai," who had achieved nine consecutive wins in one month!

On the dust-covered arena, a pitch-black mech slowly appeared on the horizon. The ten-meter-tall black mech had a light-saber hilt hanging at its waist and a red cloak draped behind it. Upon entering, it emitted a deep, masculine voice.

"I used to be a swordsman, too, until a foolish woman—I don't know if she was truly stupid or just pretending—destroyed my right hand. Right where you’re standing now... My hand was reattached, but my sword-heart never returned. Only then did I switch to piloting mechs and achieve some success. I thought I’d never have a chance for revenge in this lifetime. Who would have thought that I’d encounter her precious captain in the mech fighting arena? Is it you? Captain of the Primordial Star-Dome Adventure Team, Lu Chen, please prepare yourself for every torture short of death!"

Lu Chen was rendered speechless. He thought for a long time but couldn't understand the logic, so he could only speak weakly: "No, Big Brother, you couldn't even beat a small crew member of hers, and you think you can win against her boss?"

(End of chapter)