The Gentleman at the End
Chapter 405 - Chapter 405 Chapter 404 Hunger and Struggle

Chapter 405: Chapter 404 Hunger and Struggle Chapter 405: Chapter 404 Hunger and Struggle [HUNGER AND FIGHT]

A gigantic sign hung at the end of the street, which yielded to a meaty cavern opening extending downward, pointing to an unknown consumption district.

At the entrance stood two guards with massive abscesses on their backs,

The area they were about to enter was somewhat restricted; only cancer patients whose identity or personal wealth met certain standards qualified for entry.

Miss Oreina, with her cat tail held high, walked ahead, and the guards hastened to make way.

The street scenes they had left behind were no more; replaced by a series of independent competition venues built inside the cave.

A multitude of cancer patients wandered between the different venues with bags of ancient coins, choosing the matches they wanted to watch and placing their bets.

There were many types of competitions, those near the entrance were relatively mild, typically not resulting in serious injuries or death.

For example, a proliferation competition was taking place in a large area,

where the contestants started to proliferate as soon as the starting gun sounded; once the area was completely filled with their proliferating bodies, referees precisely measured each contestant’s “proliferation state,”

and finally, a comprehensive score was assigned based on the volume of the proliferation, the quality and distribution of the proliferated tissues, and the aesthetic appearance from the outside.

There was also a competition called Nutrient Intake, where the organizers would provide contestants with an enormous amount of food, requiring them to complete the consumption within a set time, with the final assessment based on changes in their physique representing the state of digestion and absorption.

The spectacle of these contests left Yi Chen’s scalp tingling, and he even happened to encounter an accident at one of the matches,

where a contestant in a proliferation competition, disregarding the stability of his growth, forcibly expanded his own volume, which eventually led to bursting like a balloon due to being excessively large and pressured from all sides.

The scene was filled with various tissues splattering everywhere, amidst laughter and cheers.

Such accidents were very common; although losing the competition, making the wealthy patrons laugh might even earn more in tips than the first prize.

However, these were all minor competitions, and Miss Oreina did not pay them any heed as she continued deeper into the cavern passageways.

As the scent of blood grew increasingly intense, Jin couldn’t help but ask, “Master, where exactly are we going?”

“We’re heading to the deepest part, the most valuable competition venue, for the biggest gamble; moreover, I’ve already arranged a bet with someone an hour ago.

Shortly, several folks with a status similar to mine will be arriving to partake in an extraordinary slave battle.

From now on, you must not call me by my name, you shall address me only as ‘Master’ until we leave this place.

If we win, I’ll give you 50% of the coins to spend freely, even providing you access to some special consumption channels.”

They descended continuously along the cavern passage that sloped downwards at a 15deg angle, finally reaching the deep layer, corresponding to a fighting arena embedded within the giant meaty walls.

The audience seating, capable of accommodating fifty thousand people, was now full, and the place was filled with constant cheering.

On the arena, the last three bizarrely shaped cancer patients were engaged in their final confrontation, their physical regeneration rate had slowed significantly, and the ultimate victor would soon be decided.

Yi Chen quickly noticed something odd,

from the combat markings on the arena and the remaining blood stains, it was clear that there were more than just these three combatants involved in the battle. Where had the others gone? Were they cleaned up after losing, or…

Yi Chen’s thoughts swiftly connected the dots with the name of this cave area–[HUNGER AND FIGHT]–and as he looked at the remaining three’s swollen bodies, particularly their grotesquely bulging abdomens, a very bad premonition arose.

Miss Oreina landed squarely on Yi Chen’s shoulder with a cat-like leap, telling the two, “Next, you’ll serve as my slaves, participating in a two-person team-based Hunger Duel.”

At that moment, Jin and Yi Chen’s points of focus diverged completely.

Jin couldn’t care less about the competition itself, instead, he pondered back and forth over one question,

“Why did Master choose to stand on William’s shoulder and not on mine?”

Yi Chen, with a troubled expression, asked, “The rules of the competition wouldn’t require eating the losers, would they?”

Miss Oreina lightly pressed William’s lips with her paw and said, “Don’t use such a vulgar term as ‘eating.’ What happens here is called [Hunger Evolution].

All contestants will undergo a ‘withdrawal’ before the competition starts, having all residual food and nutrients in their bodies extracted, fighting in an utterly fasted state.”

By drawing nutrition from the defeated, one can continuously strengthen and even evolve during the battle, ultimately seizing victory,

“This Hunger Duel can awaken the instinct of cancer patients, and it’s one of the biggest entertainments in Cancer Palace.”

“Can I choose not to draw from others, and simply defeat them?”

“Of course, as long as you can do it.”

“Then that’s fine.”

Oreina’s conversation with Yi Chen went on unheard by Jin standing beside them.

“Ah~ Why can Master talk with William all the time, and why is he so gentle? I wish I could be like that.”

At this moment, Oreina leaped onto the circular walkway to the side, raising her cat tail as a signal for the two to follow.

“Let’s go register first, then take a look at the slaves that those guys I bet with brought over. They must be some rather formidable cancer patients.”

While following Oreina to the backstage area,

Jin quietly moved close to Yi Chen, even pressing her entire body against him, the softness under the swollen sac clothing could almost cover Yi Chen’s entire upper right arm.

She pressed so close not for anything else, but to breathe in the ‘Master’s scent’ lingering on Yi Chen’s shoulder.

“By the way, William, what were you talking to Master about just now? Was it about the rules of the game or something? Tell me quickly.”

“Didn’t you hear? It’s like this…”

After Yi Chen’s explanation, a chilling smile split beneath Jin’s mask.

“A Hunger Duel? It really suits the traits of cancer patients, no wonder it’s so popular.

Great, this way I can replenish some original cancer energy for the Red Lotus inside me, and it seems Master is taking this competition very seriously. Our opponents must be excellent nutritional supplements.”

At the registration area backstage,

with Oreina’s introduction, Yi Chen and Jin began to fill in the registration list and make confirmatory signatures, to participate in the Hunger Duel pairs mode.

Jin didn’t even look at the contents of the paper and directly signed her name in blood,

Yi Chen, on the other hand, was rather cautious, reading through the various rules carefully and signing his name as well after confirming that there were no issues,

when suddenly, a bubbling sound came from behind:

“Oreina, are these the human slaves you brought? With such a small physique, can they really take part in the Hunger games?”

A corpulent man wrapped in a black velvet coat, holding a large intestine smoking pipe, with no neck structure due to excessive swelling, walked into the backstage registration area.

His greasy ten fingers each bore rings set with valuable Cancer Crystals of various colors.

The slaves following him openly displayed their Open Source Frameworks, seemingly very confident in their strength.

One had reliefs of a fat ball, the other of a split arm,

Their physiques were huge, one of the giants with arms split into biting structures even had to stoop to enter the registration room.

Upon seeing participants like Yi Chen and Jin, a large amount of saliva quickly seeped from their mouths, eager to taste this delicacy from another world.

Oreina nonchalantly scratched beside her ear with her hind leg, “Giles, I hope you won’t be as stingy tonight as before; bring more money, for I’ve found these human slaves with much difficulty, and the audience will surely be more enthusiastic.”

Giles just rubbed his greasy chin, “I’ll keep to my usual style, you folks take what you want, and I’ll take the middle amount.”

When this person left, Oreina once again jumped onto Yi Chen’s shoulder, deliberately getting close to his ear to whisper:

“What do you think? Judging by the slaves this guy has brought, what are your chances of winning?”

Yi Chen didn’t give a specific percentage, merely nodding slightly, “I should be able to win.”