Chapter 116

Chapter 116: You Can Go Back Now

The expressions of the leading monsters remained unchanged, but the thugs behind them approached, adopting an unfriendly demeanor.

None of the leaders tried to stop them, clearly implying their silent approval.

At this moment, Ji Huan recalled the first time he and Abu went to the decadent district's bar, when Abu had advised him to act more menacing and imposing.

Recalling the praise Abu had given him for his "acting" last time, an image of Abu flashed through Ji Huan's mind.

"Why? No contract?" When he lifted his head again, the aura surrounding him shifted, becoming inexplicably profound and enigmatic.

The young man with his jet-black hair and dark eyes seemed as if he could blend into the shadows at any moment.

The thug-like monsters in front of him were taken aback by his sudden burst of intensity, then, fueled with anger and embarrassment, they stepped closer.

"Hey! What kind of attitude is that—"

Just as the monsters reached for Ji Huan's collar, before Abu could intervene, a fierce shout suddenly echoed from the side.

When that thunderous bellow resounded, no one could immediately identify its source.

It was an indescribable sensation.

All the monsters felt a momentary ringing in their ears.

In that instant, they were plunged into silence. The monster reaching out to grab Ji Huan was the first to be affected. With horror, it saw the black-haired youth before its eyes suddenly split into two, three... A rush of heat surged from its eardrums, and in the next second, it crashed heavily onto the table.

Unconscious.

The remaining monsters' expressions drastically changed!

Almost all the monsters had their eardrums bleeding, and some even had nosebleeds, the condition more severe.

The manager of the Sabujeh Arena was the first to discern the situation, his eyes fixated on the diminutive elderly monster beside the black-haired youth, filled with a sense of vigilance.

"Achoo!" The old monster yawned again, then pulled out a crumpled tissue from his hand and sneezed loudly into it.

"The crowd is too dense, the air isn't good, I can't help but sneeze." With that, he casually blew his nose and tossed the tissue ball onto the head of the monster who had just fainted on the table.

This was a high-ranking Monstrosity —

In an instant, they recognized the creature's identity, and the monsters who had intended to take advantage of the situation took a step back.

"One of you… What are so many of you doing here? Out, out, only a few to serve the tea will do," a supervisor from the arena chuckled, gesturing for the enforcer monsters beside him to retreat, but not all of them. The strongest ones remained.

The same occurred in the other arenas.

Zebzech Arena's supervisor took the lead in sitting down, followed by the others from their respective arenas. Ji Huan and his companions sat opposite them.

A monster brought over a few rolls of tissues, and the supervisors promptly tore off some sheets. Some wiped their ears, while others wiped their noses.

The earlier sonic attack had been devastating, and none of them were spared.

Only Ji Huan and the others, who stood with the old monster, were unscathed.

The old monster plopped down on the chair beside Ji Huan. Immediately, one of the enforcers handed him a roll of tissue with keen perception. The old monster accepted it without a word of thanks, appearing indifferent to everything around him. He sat there like a mere decoration, still inconspicuous as if on his last legs. However, no monster dared to underestimate him now.

Not all supervisors carried contracts on them; people were more reliable than documents. If a substantial bribe failed, force was typically employed – a common practice in the arena business. Nevertheless, under the present circumstances, they had to produce a contract.

While a few managers from the arena jovially engaged Ji Huan in small talk, their subordinates swiftly scurried outside to attend to business. They contacted their colleagues in the office to prepare contracts, send scanned copies, and print them...

The monsters were impressively efficient. Before long, six neatly arranged contracts lay before Ji Huan.

Calmly regaining his composure, he bowed his head and began to peruse each contract one by one.

He was merely buying time.

As everyone's ears rang from the old monster's sneeze, Ji Huan had heard its voice.

"Delay." A single word.

Perusing the contracts, Ji Huan pointed out every clause that seemed unfair. Surprisingly, the other party was amenable, simply agreeing to his concerns. By the time he finished all six contracts, there seemed to be only the terms and conditions left to nitpick.

This was typical for someone considering a contract.

The problem was that Naji had no intention of entering the arena!

"Ahaha, you've finished reviewing the contracts. May I ask your thoughts? If you're not satisfied with the terms, we can negotiate further. After wasting so much time, it would be unbecoming to still refuse, wouldn't it?" Though the monsters across from him still wore smiles, Ji Huan could sense their patience wearing thin.

After so much time had passed, the reinforcements must have arrived by now.

Ji Huan barely turned his head to glance at the old monster.

Right at that moment—

"Oh ho ho ho ho!" A theatrical laughter suddenly echoed from outside the door, followed by a flamboyant female monster swaying her way in, her hair as red as flames.

"I was only away on a business trip with my boss for a few days, but how did this place get so crowded all of a sudden?" The female monster was still dressed in a professional attire, clearly having just left her workplace. "Welcome to my humble abode!"

"Humble abode?" The manager of Dazog Arena immediately recognized her identity – who didn't know, who didn't recognize Mr. Felzahar's top secretary, the subject of many discussions?

How could the monsters they had their eyes on be living in this female monster's house? !

At this thought, the previously composed monsters instantly lost their calm.

"This is our staff dormitory!" The red-haired female monster pushed Abu aside and scooped up Naji for a kiss before warmly sitting down beside Ji Huan.

"Mr. Felzahar, my boss has just successfully acquired Saroya Arena. From now on, we'll be colleagues," she said, her scarlet-painted fingertips gently resting on the black-haired youth's shoulder. Her face held a smile, but her eyes were as serene as water.

"Saroya Arena? How does that relate to our Yumac City?" asked a lanky and tall monster on the spot.

"Indeed, the adorable little creature you're threatening right now..." Laura tapped Naji. "That adorable tiny monster." This time, she pointed at Little Grey.

"And this adorable big guy." It was Abu's turn.

"This...adorable old monster..."

"And the handsome fellow next to me, all of them belong to my boss—Mr. Felzahar~"

"Their previous contracts were all at Saroya Arena. Before they end, you're doing this...tsk! Are you openly challenging my boss?" The female monster raised her chin, looking at the black contract on the table with a flirtatious gaze.

"What!?" Saroya Arena had actually been acquired by an art collector!

The rumors in the news had turned out to be true! These arena operators were now utterly astonished.

There were industries in this world that couldn't be entered just with money, and arena management was one of them. As part of the underworld, this industry had strict rules and territorial boundaries, a hierarchical structure akin to a pyramid, with guilds at the top. No matter how wealthy someone was, without a guild background, it was impossible to enter this field! At most, they could invest some money for a shareholder title, but they would never be able to delve deeper into its operations!

And now, Felzahar, with no connections, had actually acquired Saroya Arena?

The Saroya Arena was a lucrative piece of flesh that any of their bosses would salivate over. In fact, the negotiations were already in progress, only for an outsider to snatch the fruit of their labor?

"The...you're serious?" The monster on the far left asked in a low voice.

The red-haired female monster chuckled.

"Absolutely~ It'll hit the headlines tomorrow morning. I've already thought of the title!"

"Mr. Felzahar, the dream lover of countless female monsters, is now set to become the ideal partner for those of the opposite gender! Successfully venturing into the arena industry!"

"How does that headline sound to you?"

With her red lips slightly parted, revealing her gleaming white teeth, the red-haired female monster smiled.

"Hmph! Not impressive."

In a huff, the arena managers, upon hearing this news, abandoned Ji Huan and his companions without a second glance, storming out of the room.

Left behind were Ji Huan's group and the red-haired female monster.

No, perhaps there were others.

"Aren't we getting rid of this girl?" A figure suddenly leaped down from the rooftop, landing with a dagger poised at the heart of the red-haired female demon.

No one knew when he had been lurking there. His sudden appearance not only stunned the female demon but also startled the little grey demon.

Ji Huan felt himself being embraced by the little grey demon and teleported once more, though the movement was abruptly halted halfway.

"Hey! We're on the same side!" It was another demon who grabbed them, their face concealed by a cloak, leaving no one able to discern their appearance. However, the voice belonged to a woman.

"Adan sent us," another voice spoke up. This person was dressed in a black uniform, similar to the ones worn by the fighters in the arena earlier.

"There's no need to eliminate her. Everything's fine now. You can go back." The old demon, who had remained seated like a statue, waved dismissively. "I'll buy you all drinks later."

With a chuckle, the demons behind Ji Huan and Little Grey vanished instantly, along with the dagger that had been pressed against the red-haired demoness's chest. They had arrived silently and left without a trace.

Those individuals must have been the reinforcements Adan had summoned – a lightbulb went off in Ji Huan's mind.

"Old man, you gave me quite a fright!" The red-haired demoness rubbed her chest, causing an immediate commotion. The males in the room swiftly averted their gazes.

After massaging his chest, the female monster who claimed to be Laura regained her composure and conveyed Ajin's message. She then led Ji Huan and the others out of the mansion, where a car was already waiting for them. After a half-hour drive, they arrived in front of a building that resembled an arena.

"It's not just similar; this is indeed an arena. The owner recently opened it," Laura said.

Following the red-haired female monster, Ji Huan and the others passed through layers of security checks and reached a large black door.

Pushing the door open, they found themselves in a luxurious office, where Ji Huan saw Ajin's face again after several days.

Sitting in a grand high-back chair, Ajin looked pale but composed.

"Sit down," he gestured to a chair beside him.

"I've been busy these past few days, so I had to ask Nibro to show you around. Now that everything's settled."

"I've obtained... Grey's contract."

As he spoke, Ajin stepped out from behind the ornate and heavy desk, holding a stack of papers. The top sheet bore a small handprint with a faint trace of blood. Upon closer inspection, it was evident that someone's hand had been forced into the ink to make the print.

It was indeed Little Grey's contract.

"From now on, you may return home."