104. The Monster Guilty of the Sin of Gluttony

The white fox slipped back into her clothes, letting out a smug hum at the retreating figure of the fusion monster.

Chen Shang watched the direction in which the fusion monster fled, a smile curling on his lips.

“What are you so happy about?” asked the broadsword man, puzzled.

“I just thought of something delightful,” Chen Shang replied. “It’s been an hour.”

According to the organizers’ schedule, one hour after the start of the match, the cloned hatchling of the Devourer Dragon would be released onto the field.

Sure enough, a “Warning” icon suddenly appeared projected in the sky, dyeing the heavens an eerie crimson.

“It’s coming! It’s coming! It’s here! The match has been going for an hour, and it’s about to appear!” Flavii’s voice quickened, his flower-shaped mask whirring like a fan. “Celebrate! Cheer! The tyrant who once nearly destroyed the last bastion of human civilization, the overlord of devastation—the Devourer Dragon has arrived!”

With a thunderous explosion, the dunes nearby began to stir; a rocky cavern rose abruptly from the ground.

“We should hide,” Chen Shang whispered, quickly ducking into the shelter of a ruined structure.

“Raaawrr—!”

Though they were far away, the earth-shaking roar still made Chen Shang’s eardrums ache.

Moments later, a monstrous dragon covered in oily green scales crawled from the cavern, its wings bristling with spikes slowly unfurling, whipping up clouds of sand.

“It’s him… I know it!” The broadsword man’s hands trembled uncontrollably, red-hot light spilling from his helmet. “Those lunatics from Radiant Bird actually cloned this creature!”

As a weapons manufacturer, Radiant Bird Company always adhered to the philosophy that “anything can be a weapon.” Beyond guns and vehicles, their product line included viral arms and biological cloning weapons.

But for these former frontier hunters, Radiant Bird’s actions deserved to be memorialized on humanity’s column of shame. Hunters risked their lives to slay monsters threatening mankind, to keep humanity safe, and yet the company sought to resurrect these enemies, letting them return to plague the world.

The nearly five-meter-tall dragon opened a massive maw grotesquely disproportionate to its body, rows upon rows of teeth enough to daze the mind. Some young viewers couldn’t handle the spectacle, hastily switching off their televisions.

The dragon set its first post-nesting prey upon the fusion monster team, who were closer.

The three-headed fusion monster sprinted desperately, its heads arguing furiously:

“I told you we shouldn’t eat!”

“But I still want to eat!”

“No eating! Run!”

Their debate was cut short as all three heads felt a powerful pressure and turned in unison.

The enormous flying dragon descended from the sky, four pairs of eyes on its head locked hungrily on the fresh meat below.

Apparently starved for a long time, the dragon opened its jaws wide, intending to swallow the fusion monster whole.

“It wants to eat us!”

“We want to eat it!”

“What a huge chunk of meat—let’s eat it!”

Consensus reached, all three heads gazed greedily at the dragon towering twice their size.

The Devourer Dragon bared its jaws, foul saliva splattering everywhere. The fusion monster, too, opened the gaping mouth in its belly, stretching out its intestine-like tongue to lick its lips.

Crunch!

In a flash, the Devourer Dragon swallowed the fusion monster whole, chewing voraciously.

Yet the fusion monster was no easy meal. Inside the dragon’s mouth, it began to bite into the dragon’s flesh and blood.

“Raaawrr—!” The dragon howled in pain, but its ravenous instincts refused to let it give up its prey.

It continued to gnaw at the mass of flesh in its mouth, blood dribbling from its jaws and its body twitching slightly.

“This is our chance—attack!” commanded Chen Shang, leading his teammates in a charge against the Devourer Dragon.

The fusion monster possessed remarkable vitality and could digest anything; the dragon couldn’t break it down quickly and instead found itself locked in mutual consumption.

Now was the perfect moment to strike.

The broadsword man raised his weapon and charged, bellowing as he brought his sword crashing down onto the dragon’s head.

The Devourer Dragon wailed in agony, its jaws opening slightly. Bloody arms reached out from its mouth, as if trying to escape.

Realizing its prey was attempting to flee, the dragon clamped its teeth and resumed chewing, flapping its wings in a bid to drive away its attackers.

But the broadsword man, hunting instincts sharp, dodged the wings with a roll and brought his sword crashing onto the dragon’s horn.

The tremendous force severed a horn, prompting another anguished roar.

“Impressive… truly a frontier hunter,” Chen Shang mused, lingering at the edge of the battlefield, taking potshots.

After nearly three minutes of fierce combat, the Devourer Dragon finally managed to swallow the tenacious fusion monster. Its belly bulged, but it seemed only more ferocious, not slowed.

The Devourer Dragon threw its head back and let out a thunderous roar, chunks of meat and saliva spraying from its blood-soaked maw.

“Wow! The Devourer Dragon actually swallowed the fusion monster team’s contestant—now only the Phantom Thieves remain alive in the arena!” Flavii signaled the director not to end the match yet. “Do you wish to conclude the competition now, or continue with the hidden challenge?”

A drone flew to Chen Shang’s side. He smiled into the camera and said, “We’ll complete the hidden challenge as well. Wait for us!”

Upon hearing this, many viewers felt a pang of regret for the Phantom Thieves.

They had survived to the last in the competition, yet instead of basking in applause and prize money, they chose to attempt the hidden challenge no one had ever completed.

Were they simply courting danger?

“Incredible! The Phantom Thieves really intend to finish the hidden challenge! But the organizers will respect their choice!” Flavii declared generously. “Audience members, let’s give our most heartfelt encouragement to these brave warriors! Scan the QR code at the bottom of the screen to join the exclusive event. Purchase merchandise valued from fifteen to two hundred yuan on the official website to support the Phantom Thieves. If total support reaches three hundred thousand, participants stand a chance to win a six-hundred-thousand-yuan prize, exclusive limited merchandise, and even a photo op with this year’s champions—if they survive!”

In no time, the organizers received over a million in payments. Flavii tagged the grand prize for internal personnel, distributing thousands of minor prizes at random to lucky viewers and prearranged shills.

Soon, countless posts appeared on social media from winners:

“So lucky! I got the ‘Grand Arena Exclusive Themed Blanket’—come join the event with me! [Event link]”

“Yes! I won the ‘Grand Arena Exclusive Themed Mug’! No shady business here, everyone should try! [Event link]”

“Wow! You really can win—come try your luck! [Event link]”

The competition had reached a fever pitch, and viewers were swept up in the frenzy. They didn’t bother to consider whether this limitless, no-pool lottery was rigged; they simply wanted to spend for a thrill.

Especially when they saw people flaunting their winnings online, their urge to gamble was irresistible.

Within five minutes, the organizers received another million-plus in revenue, successfully clearing out merchandise unsold from previous tournaments.

“The grand prize list will be announced after the match. Until then, you can continue to participate!” Flavii switched the broadcast back to the arena.