Chapter 006

Like Marcus, after finishing with the Mallorcan Leopard, I did not speak a word that day, quietly meditating in bed to adjust my state. However, when I got up on the fourth day, I did not feel very well. I ran a lap around the training ground and surprisingly felt a bit out of breath. I practiced kicking a few times but could not find the optimal point for my kicks, so I shook my head and stopped practicing. The Fidel Star had risen, and the trainees had already begun to gather. I walked to the front of the third stone house, quietly facing the newly risen Fidel Star and took a deep breath. But when I got up on the fourth day, I did not feel very well. I ran a lap around the training ground and surprisingly felt a bit out of breath. I practiced kicking a few times but could not find the optimal point for my kicks, so I shook my head and stopped practicing. The Fidel Star had risen, and the trainees had already begun to gather. I walked to the front of the third stone house, quietly facing the newly risen Fidel Star and took a deep breath. Instructor Li, along with the trainees, was already walking over here. I looked at the Fidel Star, which resembled a red ball, quietly waiting for that moment to arrive.

On the third day, there was the Mallorcan Thunder Leopard, a creature whose claws carry a voltage of thousands of volts. However, as long as one avoids contact with its claws, there is no problem. The Thunder Leopard stared at me with its round eyes, pacing back and forth in front of me. I dared not let my guard down, keeping my eyes fixed on its movements. Suddenly, it felt as if sand had gotten into my eyes, causing me to blink. The Thunder Leopard lunged at me with a powerful kick of its hind legs, and as I opened my eyes, I smiled—after all, the beast is no match for human cunning; this was my ploy to lure the enemy! I lifted my right foot and delivered a decisive kick, "crack," the Thunder Leopard's skull shattered, and with a "bang," its head fell to the ground. I looked at its face, and its two eyeballs had already popped out.

The three of us walked to the training ground. Xiao Bing took out his boxing gloves and, without saying a word, threw a punch. The guy sneered and dodged, then kicked out. I understood why he laughed; true underground boxing experts primarily use their legs, as they have a longer striking distance and greater power, while those who rely on punches are usually novices. I also smiled, knowing that Xiao Bing was no longer the inexperienced fighter he once was; underestimating this guy would lead to his downfall. Sure enough, as he kicked out, Xiao Bing countered with a kick of his own, intercepting his leg like lightning. With a crack, the guy's calf broke, and Xiao Bing stepped forward, delivering a side kick that struck his chest. I couldn't help but smile again, realizing that Xiao Bing had truly transformed. The guy fell backward and never got back up. I clapped slowly as I walked to the center of the arena: "Not bad, the tactics and techniques were applied quite appropriately! Excellent!" Xiao Bing looked at me and grinned.

I want to continue, because at the very least I want to reach the average level of our dormitory. I dare not think about reaching Marcus's level, but I want to at least be on par with everyone else. Therefore, I have decided to leave here after defeating the Vorn Giant Python tomorrow, and then I can directly participate in the advanced boxing competition. As long as I can win thirty matches, I will be able to enter the top boxing competition. Although it is somewhat troublesome, it is far better than facing the Anrock Quillback Bear with no hope of victory.

The next day, I approached the Colosseum feeling completely relaxed. In the first chamber, there were the Mallorcan male wolves, which were not much different from the wolves on Earth, except they were significantly faster. However, this posed no threat to us. As soon as I entered, the male wolves immediately crouched down, bared their teeth, and circled around me while growling. I knew they were observing me, looking for the weaknesses of their prey. In this regard, they were quite similar to us; we too constantly seek out our opponent's weaknesses in the boxing ring. I stood still, and finally, unable to contain themselves, one of the wolves suddenly leaped from behind, aiming its claws and sharp teeth directly at my neck. I pivoted on my left foot and kicked out with my right leg, and the wolf let out a terrible howl as it fell to the ground. I didn't need to look to know that its bones were all shattered. I walked out easily, and outside, Instructor Li was pacing back and forth with a rhythm I was very familiar with. I approached him and said, "I will continue!" He nodded and replied, "Good, hetushucomcom, tomorrow morning, just like today."

Then there was Biyek, followed by Li, and then Montuo; they all directly entered the advanced boxing matches, but they were all somewhat inferior to Marcus. Finally, after three years in the training camp, Instructor Li called me out: "Tomorrow, it's your turn!" Back in the dormitory, the others gathered around me—every time someone left, it wouldn't be more than a month before someone else would come in—they congratulated me, reminding me of the time when Marcus was about to enter the arena. That night, Xiao Bing found me: "Lie, come out for a moment!" I was puzzled but stood up and followed him outside. He walked ahead without turning back to speak to me, continuing until we reached the third stone house. He stood at the door and said to me: "I remember what you said—leave him to me, you're leaving, and I will deal with him in front of you tonight!" I nodded, and Xiao Bing kicked the door open. The people inside were startled; upon seeing Xiao Bing, they glanced at that guy and lay back down to continue sleeping—the people in the training camp all knew about their grievances and felt it was none of their business, so they wouldn't interfere. "You!" Xiao Bing pointed at that guy: "Come out!" The guy looked at me, and I shrugged: "Don't worry, I won't interfere—just observing!" The guy gave a cruel smile, stood up, and walked out.

Marcus left. The night before he departed, the six of us huddled together on the ground, singing loudly. Our voices were rough and wild, and the songs we sang could surely scare away any creature on this planet. Yet, we paid no mind, singing with abandon until late into the night. The next day, the bed closest to the door, which had been Marcus's, was empty. For a time, whenever we saw that vacant bed, a sense of loss would wash over us. However, this void was soon filled; half a month later, a small boy lay in that bed. I can no longer recall his name, as he stayed for such a short time. He was a young white boy who had just joined the ranks of the pirates, only eighteen years old, even younger than I was when I arrived. He naively believed that boxers could earn a fortune, unaware that such money came at the cost of one's life. Upon his arrival, he greeted us enthusiastically, and on his first night, he lay in bed, chattering about his bright future, convinced he was lucky to be here. However, the training the next day shattered his dreams completely. He went an entire day without eating anything, and it was us who dragged him back to the dormitory that night; Instructor Li's whip was not something to be taken lightly. The following day, he did not train and developed a high fever. The fever lasted a full week before he recovered, and when he felt he could walk on his own, he decided to escape.

After finishing urinating, I pulled up Xiao Bing. He looked at me, then at the guy lying in the urinal, wanting to say something but ultimately refrained. I said, "What I have reserved for you is that if you want to regain your dignity here and earn the respect of others, you must possess strength"

We continued our training, but today Instructor Li was absent. We speculated that he had gone to track down that boy. During lunch, Instructor Li returned wearing sunglasses and driving an off-road vehicle. He stopped the car, jumped out, and his cold expression paired with the sunglasses sent chills down our spines. Behind him, two assistants dragged a corpse from the vehicle, and unsurprisingly, it was that boy. Instructor Li said nothing and walked back to his room to rest, while the two assistants tied the boy's body with ropes and hung it on a wooden post at the main entrance. Everyone seemed to have grown accustomed to this scene. I walked over to look at the boy; his eyes were wide open, defiantly staring ahead. I stood in silence, a twinge of sorrow in my heart. The left side of the boy's body hung limply. I reached out to touch it; it was soft, indicating that the bones on the left side were completely shattered. I immediately thought of Instructor Li's "Battle Axe"!

Less than half a week after the boy's death, a newcomer arrived in that empty bed. He was a mixed-race individual, possessing the skin of an Asian and the eyes of a Caucasian, which made him appear somewhat peculiar. However, in the eyes of some, he was quite "attractive." There were no women in the entire training camp, and the pent-up fighters often resorted to lewd acts in the restroom with the new arrivals. This mixed-race recruit, Xiao Bing, happened to catch their attention. If I hadn't gone to the restroom at that moment, his "virginity" would likely have been lost. I had been here for a year, neither considered an old-timer nor a newcomer, but I was still capable in the ring, and I had the support of my dormitory mates.

Six months later, Hogan left us, his record concluding in the stone house of the Vorn Python. When he emerged from that stone house, he could barely stand. He lacked the courage to challenge the Anrock Arrowmane Bear again, but that was sufficient. He could directly enter the advanced boxing matches, no longer needing to linger in the lower and intermediate levels. Standing at 193 centimeters tall and weighing 120 kilograms, he achieved a squat of 595 kilograms, a bench press of 310 kilograms, and could kick five times per second—these were Hogan's accomplishments upon his departure. However, that was sufficient. He could directly enter the advanced boxing matches, no longer needing to linger in the lower and intermediate levels. Standing at 193 centimeters tall and weighing 120 kilograms, he achieved a squat of 595 kilograms, a bench press of 310 kilograms, and could kick five times per second—these were Hogan's accomplishments upon his departure.

That day, I drank a bit too much water and got up to use the restroom. Just as I reached outside the restroom, I heard a wailing sound from inside. I shook my head; I had seen such things before. Although I found it quite disgusting, it was none of my business. I walked in, and a tall figure had someone pinned against the wall. I ignored it and stood by the urinal, preparing to attend to my own needs. At that moment, the voice that had been struggling and crying out suddenly called to me: "Lie, help me!" I was taken aback and turned around to see that the person pinned against the wall was actually my new roommate, Xiao Bing. I walked over and grabbed the person who was pressing down on him, throwing him out with a forceful motion. I helped Xiao Bing up and asked, "Are you okay?" He nodded shakily, still in shock, and replied, "I'm fine for now... be careful!" I knew that guy was charging at us again. I turned around and delivered a sweeping kick that sent him flying. Ever since Marcus left, I had intensified my training, and now there were few people in the training camp who could match me. I didn't use all my strength in that kick; the guy wouldn't die. He fell into the urinal, and I walked over to continue what I had intended to do earlier. Urine splashed onto him as he struggled to get up. I ignored him, knowing that kick was enough for him to lie there for half an hour.

That night, we were all actually awake; we immediately stirred whenever he made a move. However, we did not move, lying still in bed, listening to him slowly get up, carefully open the door, and then sneak out. Indeed, this environment is not suitable for a child like him; it is better to let him go. Less than ten minutes after he left, alarms sounded outside, followed by the shouts of the instructors. After about half an hour of commotion, everything gradually quieted down. We silently prayed for him, but in truth, it was all in vain. Even if he managed to escape, in such an environment outside, he would still be facing a dead end—he could not operate those two spaceships without the password. The next morning, when we woke up, we saw a hole dug under a section of barbed wire; he must have crawled out from there. It is truly remarkable that he was able to dig such a hole in such a short time; it seems that the will to survive unleashed his astonishing potential.