Chapter 005

The battle between Marcus and the Anrock Boar is scheduled for three days later, as the Anrock Boar is not comparable to the previous opponents; the fighter needs time to prepare. I remember that day when he went in, we stood outside, listening to the roars of the bear and Marcus's shouts coming from the stone house, feeling as if countless ants were crawling inside me. Instructor Li did not bring his usual punishment tools, but stood calmly at the door with his hands behind his back—what I saw in him was the quality of a true top fighter: the more critical the moment, the calmer he remained! The roars from inside the stone house grew louder and more frequent; Marcus had been inside for thirty minutes, and we all knew the crucial moment had arrived. My hands were trembling, and I glanced at the others. The people from the other dormitory had no connection with us; their eyes were filled only with excitement. The members of our dormitory looked at the stone house with the same anxious expressions as mine. The guy Montoya was shaking all over, even more than I was!

Everyone is convinced that Marcus will achieve fame in the boxing ring and quickly earn a substantial amount of money. We have already started joking about him in the dormitory, saying that if we ever run out of money in the future, we will definitely seek him out. Marcus responds to us with his characteristic, good-natured smile. Instructor Li remains a nightmare for every trainee, including Marcus. He shouts and acts according to his own whims, changing various forms of punishment tools every day, from ancient whips and clubs to the most modern electric collars, leaving no method unused. I strive to complete my training tasks excellently every day, being careful not to provoke him. For a year, we have been puzzled as to why no one has ever visited the houses behind the training camp, except for the instructors. I know Marcus must know, as he has been here the longest, but he does not tell us. Until one day, after a training session, Instructor Li called out Marcus's name, asking him to step forward, and announced that he would enter that row of houses the next day. A flicker of joy crossed Marcus's face, quickly followed by a hint of fear. Instructor Li said no more and left. We were curious, and upon returning to the dormitory, we repeatedly questioned Marcus, who finally told us that those houses are the arena, and as long as one can pass through there, they can become a true boxer.

The next day, similarly, Marcus entered and within less than half a minute, a sound of an animal's lament echoed, and Marcus emerged. Instructor Li looked at him and said, "It seems you are ready to continue to the next round of tests?" Marcus nodded, his dark face resembling one carved from stone. Instructor Li continued, "Alright, prepare well today; tomorrow will not be as easy as today!" That night, our dormitory was unusually quiet; no one spoke, for Marcus sat cross-legged quietly on his bed. We knew he was adjusting his state, striving to be in the best condition for battle the next day! Instructor Li said, "Alright, prepare well today; tomorrow will not be as easy as today!" That night, our dormitory was unusually quiet; no one spoke, for Marcus sat cross-legged quietly on his bed. We knew he was adjusting his state, striving to be in the best condition for battle the next day!

"What is the Colosseum?" I asked. Marcus replied, "It is a place where humans fight beasts!" "What?" we exclaimed in unison. Marcus grimaced slightly, saying, "As long as you can walk out of any of those rooms, you qualify. The first room is the easiest; it contains a Mallorcan male wolf. The next room has a Mallorcan leopard, followed by a Vorn giant python brought from the planet Vorn, and then there is the Anrock quill bear from the planet Anrock!" We felt indifferent about the first few; although the Mallorcan male wolf and the Mallorcan leopard are tough opponents, we should be able to handle them now. The Vorn giant python, however, is on an entirely different level. The planet Vorn is the most dangerous in the Oluk star system, and the Vorn giant python is the ruler of this perilous world. An adult Vorn giant python can grow up to 10 meters long and 30 centimeters in diameter, easily capable of coiling around an adult male lion and crushing its bones. The Anrock quill bear, which comes next, is recognized throughout the universe as one of the fiercest beasts. The quill bear has a ring of long, arrow-like quills around its neck, which contain deadly toxins, and all of its quills can be shot out like arrows. An adult Anrock quill bear can reach nearly 3 meters in height and weigh 600 kilograms, easily capable of smashing rocks and breaking logs several dozen centimeters thick.

Marcus said, "Starting from the lowest level of the Mallorcan male wolf, it depends on your performance to see how far you can go." I asked him, "How far do you plan to go?" "To the Anrock Arrowmane Bear!"

Height: 188 centimeters, Weight: 98 kilograms ... ... Squat: 687 kilograms ... ... Bench press: 363 kilograms ... ... Six kicks per second ... ... In the training area, we formed a circle, and inside, Marcus was conducting his final test—each boxer announces these relevant statistics before a match to provide a reference for gamblers, who place their bets accordingly. Every boxer must undergo such tests before leaving the training camp. We formed a circle, and inside, Marcus was conducting his final test—each boxer announces these relevant statistics before a match to provide a reference for gamblers, who place their bets accordingly. Every boxer must undergo such tests before leaving the training camp.

The next day, Marcus got up early and ran three laps around the training ground. He practiced sweeping kicks and side kicks against the wooden posts at the edge of the field, and did a few push presses. The rest of us gathered at the designated time. Everyone consciously assembled next to the arena, and the instructors and the others no longer reprimanded us. They carefully opened the stone door, revealing an iron cage made of iron bars as thick as a man's arm, which was connected to the stone house. A chilling "hissing" sound emanated from the cage. Marcus took a deep breath and stepped inside.

Marcus's information, when taken out, is sure to attract a lot of attention. The Pirate Alliance clearly has high hopes for him, having hired the best agent for him. Marcus is remarkably outstanding among black market fighters, excelling in both luck and strength

A year later, my morning squats have increased to 300 kilograms, and before the afternoon training, I have also added 200 repetitions of 100 kilograms in bench press. The weight for my morning trail runs has also increased to 80 kilograms. Now, I can kick through a 30-inch wooden stick with one leg, making me one of the outstanding new trainees. Among the veteran trainees, Marcus has become a nightmare in our practical combat training—he can now kick through a 27-inch iron rod, not falling short compared to Instructor Li. Every time I am paired with him for practice, I am knocked down in less than ten seconds. Marcus has become the second strongest in our entire training camp, with Instructor Li still holding the first position.

That creature is enormous! It measures at least 12 meters in length and is 30 centimeters in diameter! If it wraps around me, I would surely be doomed! I only have one chance, which is the moment it lunges at me; I must kick its neck and break it before it bites me! At noon, we returned to the dormitory, and we were too preoccupied to eat, gathering around Marcus to hear him recount the thrilling experience from that morning. "...It bit me three times in a row, but I managed to dodge each time. The creature was clearly enraged, shaking its head violently and charging at me like a madman. I dodged again, and it crashed into the iron cage with a loud bang, sparks flying everywhere!" We exclaimed in unison, "How impressive!" "Of course! You have no idea how fast this creature is!" "Of course! You have no idea how fast this creature is! The last time it lunged at me, I wanted to kick it, but I never found the right moment—then it crashed like that, a bit dazed, and I was right next to it. One kick, just one kick, and I ended the fight—kicked its vital spot and broke it!" We all let out a long sigh of relief, saying, "Impressive!"

Marcus slammed his fist against the wall and said firmly, a dent appearing on the rock-constructed surface. I asked him, "Why? Can't anyone just pass through? Why work so hard?" "Because if I kill an Anrock Arrowmane Bear, I can directly enter the top-tier boxing match, without wasting time in the lower-tier matches!" We exchanged glances, understanding Marcus's intention. Indeed, entering the top-tier boxing match earlier would allow him to earn money sooner, thus enabling him to leave the boxing ring sooner.

We gasped: "What animal are they making you fight?"

The next day, Marcus walked into the first stone house under the watchful eyes of all the trainees. We stood in line outside, waiting, while Instructor Li paced in front of the line with his hands behind his back, wielding a baton. Within a minute, a wolf howl echoed from inside the stone house, and the door reopened, with Marcus stepping out, full of spirit. Instructor Li nodded at him and said, "Very good, Marcus, you have passed the test and can officially become a fighter. Do you wish to continue the challenge?" Marcus coldly nodded. Instructor Li replied, "Alright, you will go back today and continue tomorrow!" He turned to us and shouted, "Continue training!" At noon, back in the dormitory, we eagerly asked Marcus, "How was it? Was it easy to deal with?" Marcus smirked and made a victory gesture, saying, "It was too easy, one punch finished it!" "Oh!" We all cheered for him.