Chapter 36: Big Head''s Determination


    The battle in the arena grew increasingly brutal.


    After transforming, Big Head''s strength had surged to nearly the level of a second-tier grand warrior. Meanwhile, the six-horned beastman had also transformed into a massive, six-horned monster. Its horns had grown even larger, and its speed had increased unnaturally. Typically, the larger a creature, the slower its movements. But this six-horned beast had become even faster. No wonder Li Chengfeng had said these six-horned beastmen were formidable.


    Transformed, Big Head had become a ferocious beast, his eyes devoid of the optimism and resilience Han Ming had once seen in him. Now, he was a relentless, savage creature, charging at the six-horned beast without regard for its deadly horns. He refused to dodge, even as the beast''s horns slammed into him again and again.


    The six-horned beast''s horns, however, could no longer pierce Big Head''s scaled body. Though they sent him flying repeatedly, they couldn''t inflict serious damage.


    The six-horned beast, unnerved by Big Head''s suicidal attacks, began to falter. It had never seen anyone so reckless. Big Head ignored the horns aimed at his body, charging forward just to land a single bite. Was this beastman trying to take them both down?


    The six-horned beast''s fear affected its movements. It grew hesitant, its eyes widening with terror as Big Head continued his relentless assault. Wounds accumulated on its body, and it thought in despair, *This guy is insane! Absolutely insane!* Big Head had just taken a horn to his right leg without flinching, all to sink his teeth into the beast.


    Though Big Head''s scales were tough, repeated impacts had begun to take their toll. His reckless fighting style had caused several scales to fall off, and blood seeped through the gaps. Yet, Big Head seemed oblivious to the pain.


    "The six-horned beastman is done for," Li Chengfeng declared, noting the fear in its eyes.


    Han Ming saw it too, but he was more concerned about Big Head''s condition. Even if Big Head won, his body would be riddled with wounds. Was this really worth it?


    As Li Chengfeng predicted, the six-horned beast, having lost the will to fight, was finally killed when Big Head bit through its throat. It died with a look of horror on its face.


    "The Busman family wins!" the referee announced.


    In a private box, the head of the Busman family, Bodie Busman, swirled a glass of wine, taking occasional sips. A smug expression adorned his face.


    "Master, if our beastman wins the next match, he''ll have completed three consecutive victories. We promised him the so-called Miracle Flower if he succeeded. But we don''t have such a thing. What will we do then?" the steward beside him asked, visibly worried.


    Bodie Busman took a leisurely sip of wine, a sly glint in his eyes. "The Miracle Flower? How could we possibly have something like that? It was just a lie to keep him motivated. This fool would do anything for that nonexistent flower. Of course, we had to take advantage of that. But he won''t win today. The final opponent is the two-headed beastman from the Woody family. He''s doomed. That old fox Woody isn''t any better than us. He used a beautiful maid to seduce the two-headed beastman, making him fall in love with her. He promised to free her if the beastman won. That two-headed beastman will stop at nothing for the woman he loves."


    The steward''s eyes flickered with pity. He knew Woody well—a cunning old man, truly despicable. But using such tactics to pit two dream-driven beastmen against each other was too cruel.


    Bodie Busman, mistaking the steward''s hesitation for concern, smirked. "Don''t worry. That two-headed beastman is far stronger than our black-scaled beast. He won''t lose. And even if, by some miracle, our beastman wins, that''s even better for us. If he demands that damn Miracle Flower, we''ll just kill him. By then, even if he wins, he''ll be so badly injured he''ll be practically useless."


    The steward''s face remained expressionless as he watched Big Head in the arena. This beastman, whose race he didn''t even know, had been willing to sacrifice everything for a lie. The name "Black-Scaled Beast" was just something they''d made up for him. The steward felt deep sympathy for the beastman and silently lamented his master''s ruthlessness. But he dared not voice his thoughts.


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    "By the way, isn''t young master Kelvin returning soon? I heard a second-tier fire mage has taken an interest in him. That esteemed mage is coming back with him and plans to recommend him to the Magic Academy. Rumor has it that this mage is good friends with Vice-Principal Odonco, the great first-tier fire archmage. Perhaps Odonco will take Kelvin as his personal disciple. If that happens, our family''s status will rise significantly."


    At the mention of his son, Bodie Busman''s face lit up with pride. Yes, his son was truly remarkable—a fire mage, no less. Fire mages held an exceptionally high status in this world, even among all mages, due to their unparalleled offensive power.


    If Kelvin were to become the disciple of Vice-Principal Odonco, the legendary archmage, it would bring immense glory to the Busman family. Every time he thought about it, Bodie Busman swelled with pride. He could already see his family''s future: his son moving to the imperial capital, Fira City, and their weapon shops expanding there. With such an outstanding son, who wouldn''t show them respect? Soon, Wildfang City would be too small for their ambitions.


    The final match, the fifth round, began.


    The last opponent was a two-headed beastman, standing over five meters tall. Each head had a single eye, and its skin shimmered with a bluish hue, looking incredibly tough.


    "A second-tier grand warrior-level two-headed beastman! This is bad," Li Chengfeng exclaimed, visibly tense.


    "Second-tier grand warrior strength?" Han Ming''s heart sank for Big Head. Even after transforming, Big Head was only at the second-tier grand warrior level. And this two-headed beastman was already at that level in its normal form. If it transformed, how much stronger would it become? Big Head had already fought three matches. How much stamina did he have left?


    "Hey, if you win today, you''ll get to marry Miss Fili, right?" Big Head said to his opponent, the two-headed beastman.


    The massive beastman chuckled sheepishly, even blushing a little. "Yeah, hehe. So I can''t lose today. I have a reason to win."


    Big Head nodded. "I can''t lose either. I have my reasons too."


    The two-headed beastman clenched his fists. "Then let''s not hold back. Let''s fight for our dreams."


    With that, the two-headed beastman launched his attack. Big Head, already weakened, could barely stand. Yet, his eyes still burned with determination. He had to hold on. If he won, the Miracle Flower he had sought for so long would finally be his. Mr. Bodie Busman had promised him. Thinking of the Miracle Flower, of the decades-long quest that was finally within reach, Big Head told himself he couldn''t lose. He was going to see his mother again.


    The battle began, and the two-headed beastman dominated, repeatedly knocking Big Head down. At one point, he even crushed one of Big Head''s legs.


    Han Ming''s eyes burned with fury, but he couldn''t intervene. He knew Big Head had his reasons for fighting.


    Now limping on one leg, Big Head struggled to dodge the two-headed beastman''s attacks. His vision blurred from blood loss and exhaustion. At first, he could still manage a few counterattacks, but now even dodging was nearly impossible. This two-headed beastman was different from the six-horned one. His strength was terrifying, each stomp shaking the ground. If Big Head kept fighting recklessly, he wouldn''t survive two more hits.


    The two-headed beastman was like a human chasing a frantic chicken, landing heavy blows whenever he caught up. Big Head''s blood had already stained half the arena. He was barely holding on, sustained only by the effects of the three-leaf poison grass.


    When the two-headed beastman shattered one of Big Head''s arms, Han Ming couldn''t take it anymore. He gripped the windowsill of their box and shouted in anguish, "Give up, Big Head! Give up! Don''t keep going! You''ll die!"


    Big Head, lying bloodied and battered on the ground, couldn''t respond to Han Ming''s cries.


    "Will you surrender? You can''t win," the two-headed beastman said, his voice tinged with pity.


    "Never!" Big Head gritted his teeth. He couldn''t give up, even if it meant death. If he surrendered, he would never see his mother again. This was the dream he had pursued his entire life. He couldn''t let it go.


    The two-headed beastman''s eyes hardened, though a hint of sorrow lingered. He, too, had reasons he couldn''t stop. He respected Big Head, this weak beastman who had fought so desperately for his dream. But reality was cruel. If not for their shared pursuit of dreams, they might have been friends. Now, he had no choice but to kill this brave soul.


    Every beastman fighting in the arena was tragic, driven by the need to survive, to gain freedom, or to fulfill their dreams. They were reduced to entertainment for the wealthy, forced to face life-and-death battles time and again. To the nobles, their struggles were mere amusement, their lives worthless. But how many of these beastmen ever achieved their dreams? No one knew. All people saw were the piles of beast and beastman corpses hauled out after each match. These sacrifices were made solely for human entertainment, nothing more.


    As the two-headed beastman approached for the final blow, Big Head''s face twisted in determination. He pulled out another three-leaf poison grass and swallowed it without hesitation.


    Li Chengfeng gasped in horror. "He''s insane! Taking two doses of that poison will kill him! His body can''t handle the toxicity. Even if he survives, he''ll be crippled for life!"