The Gentleman at the End
Chapter 408 - Chapter 408 Chapter 407 Knight

Chapter 408: Chapter 407 Knight Chapter 408: Chapter 407 Knight [Hunger Duel (Invitational Doubles)]

This will be the final highlight event of this edition of the “Hunger and Struggle” cavern gathering, with all participants being personally recommended by the big shots of Cancer Palace or directly invited by the organizers to certain groups or outstanding individuals.

In the audience area,

Lady Oreina provided participants of noble status and with cancer, having their own exclusive VIP seats–“baskets”

A kind of cyst-like compartment that hangs above the arena and offers the best viewing angle as well as a closed environment free from noisy disturbances.

Before the start of the match, her gaze wandered among the other baskets; besides the ‘nobles’ with whom she placed bets, she saw some unexpected figures.

Three cancer patients wearing slender armors with curvilinear designs paired with flesh skirts, holding weapons in their multiple arms and exuding an extraordinary demeanor, were engaged in intimate conversations in a basket opposite hers.

“Hmm? An underground match like this has actually caught the attention of those above, is the Knight Order short of people?”

Just at that moment, the doorbell of the basket room rang.

“Lady Oreina, the match is about to begin, I need to confirm the amount of your bet once again.”

“Haven’t I said already? Bet all the deposits I have with you and the principal I just brought over.”

“Yes… It’s precisely because the amount is so large that we need to confirm with you again.”

“Come in.”

The attendant with a Back Tumor entered the room with great respect, laying his entire body in front of Oreina, his back tumor revealing a physical indentation.

Once the cat’s paw was embedded into the Back Tumor, verification was complete, and he also vomited a Crystal bead as a ‘receipt.’

“Then, I won’t disturb you further.”

“Wait~ Are those people from the Venerable Tumor Knight Order here just to watch, or is there something else?”

Strangely enough, faced with Oreina’s question, the attendant did not immediately respond, clearly harboring some secret.

Slap!

A bag containing ten Ancient Coins directly landed in front of him.

The attendant immediately swallowed the bag of coins, securely storing this expenditure.

Subsequently, a completely different face grew out of the Back Tumor, and in another voice, whispered quietly: “Our boss tried to send an invitation to the Knight Order a few days ago, and unexpectedly, they actually responded.

They have arranged for two participants as well, supposed to be Apprentice Knights, but the specifics aren’t clear.”

Oreina’s expression turned very ugly, but she did not say much more, a wave of pressure directly frightening the attendant out of the room.

She often frequented this place and watched the matches; such underground contests typically had no involvement from the Knight Orders.

The night should have been a slave betting game between her and other nobles, with each bringing out the strongest Open Source slaves from their ranks to place bets, which would significantly increase participation and double the excitement.

But with the Venerable Tumor Knight Order’s involvement, the nature of the bet completely changed.

Oreina rose from the warm cat’s nest and hurried to the preparation area. Money was of no concern to her, but people were different.

Slap!

The Changing Room door, secured by a Barrier, burst open with the slap of a fleshy pad.

William, who was about to leave with a suitcase, was hit squarely in the face by the door, his nose crushed, the pain was a sour thrill, seemingly invigorating him even more.

“Master!” Jin became terribly agitated, his ten fingers twitching non-stop.

Oreina looked at the two who were completely unaffected by hunger, giving a slight nod: “Not bad~ To quickly adapt to hunger in your first match. I’m here because there has been a change…”

After informing them of the Venerable Tumor Knight Order’s participation, Oreina continued:

“Apprentice Knights are those who have been directly acknowledged by the Venerable Tumor Knight Order, and they have passed the preliminary assessments; it’s only a matter of time before they undergo Feather Transformation.

Their level has surpassed the upper limits of such underground matches.”

“Now you can directly leave with me, or…”

Yi Chen fiddled with his nose bridge with one hand and adjusted his tie with the other, responding indifferently, “It’s okay, as long as we’re not formal members, Jin and I should have no problem.”

Jin quickly echoed:

“Right, Master! We won’t have any problems.

We’ve defeated an apprentice of the Death Plague Knight Order in the human world before, and the opponent was nearly on the verge of breaking through, but in the end, William took him down.

After defeating the opponent, both William and I have grown a lot.

In this competition, it’s not just us; there are other participants on the field to distract the opponent’s attention and wear out their stamina, so we should be able to win.”

“Hmm? You’ve had an encounter with the Death Plague Knight Order?”

“Yeah, William’s suitcase even has other people’s bones in it!”

Oreina was somewhat surprised; she had sensed the death aura from the briefcase earlier but had not asked due to privacy concerns.

By that time, William had his nose bridge back in place and took the opportunity to ask, “Since the opponent is so strong, could you exhibit all abilities except for the Evil Sun, like ‘Death’?”

“Well, the ‘Slave’s’ restrictions aren’t that extensive, as long as you can bring visual pleasure to the audience on site. Besides, William, you also came through the initiation, so just give it your all.

Since you’re determined to continue in the competition, I’ll look forward to your performance.”

“Good.”

After Oreina left the changing room, her expression changed slightly.

Although she had high hopes for talented humans like Jin and William, both were too young and still had much room for growth. Initially, she didn’t think they were on par with the members chosen by the Venerable Tumor Knight Order, at least not without giving them another ten years.

“If they truly manage to defeat the apprentice knights, I wonder what expression those guys in the stands will have.

My slaves outperforming the elites that they’ve nourished with so much effort– if we get lucky, it might even catch the attention of the higher-ups.

The intrigue has already exceeded expectations; I hope you two really can do it.”

As a dull, fleshy clock sound tolled overhead in the venue,

contestants entered from different areas one after another, totaling 64 participants (32 pairs), among whom the two most eye-catching ones were the cancer patients wearing sleek armor with bulging backs.

One had hedgehog-like red hair, a metal face mask covering his mouth and nose with a sawtooth structure, and two writhing biological electric saws crossed on his back.

His back tumor was partially cracked, deliberately displayed for all present to see.

When he spoke, the sawtooth mask actually moved, making his voice tremble and grating.

“Figray, look at these guys, they can’t even control the most basic hunger– I don’t know why they’d have us participate in such lowly underground competitions.”

The apprentice knight referred to as Figray was nearly two and a half meters tall, with a curved spine and his head almost extending horizontally forward.

Four metal-made long scythes, covered in fleshy tendrils, hung behind him at different angles, corresponding to four slender arms to wield them.

He was more modest and cautious than his companion, and from beneath his fully enclosed gold mask emerged a refined voice,

“Your inferiority is showing again, Marseillino.

Respecting every opponent is a basic quality we must possess to become knights.

Moreover, I can smell an aura different from that of cancer patients, and the opponent doesn’t seem to be affected by hunger either–they’re likely to be a formidable enemy.”

Following the scent,

the gaze of both knights locked onto William, whose dress, body shape, and even aura were entirely different from those of cancer patients.

Marseillino, with the electric saw on his back, immediately got excited, “This person has so many scents~ And there even seems to be a mixture of death’s aura… I didn’t expect such a surprise. I wonder which noble has bought this slave. The price must be high, right?

This one is mine to deal with later; make sure you don’t come snatching my meal.”