Hook stands with hands on her hips.jpg
The little girl thought to herself, Now the big brother and sisters will have to look at me in a new light!
She and her pals—Julian the Thousand-Faced, Luka the Iron Arm, the Cunning Child, etc.—were a big deal!
However, she saw Zao Wu trying to stifle a laugh, while Sister Huohua was outright clutching her stomach and roaring with laughter. The last one, Bronya, was completely petrified on the spot.
If they were in the Overworld, she would have angrily declared, "I'm going to stuff the tip of my rifle into your nostril!" But here, in the resource-scarce Underworld, especially in front of the innocent little girl Hook, Bronya couldn't even muster a single thought of rebuttal. On the contrary, any shred of hope she had been clinging to was instantly obliterated. Her mental defenses were completely shattered.
If, in a certain area, even the most innocent children genuinely believe that the Silvermane Guards are the bad guys... then she needed to deeply reflect on whether the Silvermane Guards were truly wrong. And whether Mother Cocolia's decisions were truly wrong.
"Ever-Smiling Huohua the Great, what's wrong with this big sister?" Hook asked Huohua curiously.
Huohua beamed and replied, "Oh, her? She was probably just stunned by the greatness of Pitch-Dark Hook the Great."
"Hehe, I'm not that amazing, really~"
The combination of Huohua and Hook was a perfect match: one dared to say anything, and the other dared to believe it.
Zao Wu cast a concerned glance at Bronya. Only then did she gradually come back to her senses. In response to the boy's concern, she shook her head and said in a low voice, "...I'm fine."
Just then, a hoarse and sharp voice came from not far away.
"Who are you people! What are you doing in our Boulder Town!"
Zao Wu looked up and saw an old man with a hunched back, wearing a gray woolen coat, walking towards them. The old man's eyes weren't just unfriendly; they seemed to be slyly sizing something up.
"Ah! It's Vampire Boss Scott!" Hook took a nervous step back.
"What nonsense are you spouting, you little brat!" Scott huffed, his mustache bristling with anger.
"What does Boss Scott do?" Zao Wu seized the opportunity to ask.
Even though Scott was a resident of Boulder Town, Hook was clearly closer to Big Brother Zao Wu behind the fence. The difference in appearance was one thing, but more importantly, Boss Scott was a vampire who exploited fighters!
"Him? He's the owner of the famous Fight Club in Boulder Town!"
"Dad says he's only out for pictures, insatiably greedy, and has a numb and spicy heart..."
"Pfft!"
"It's 'only out for profit' and 'ruthless,' right? What in the world is a 'numb and spicy heart'~" Huohua thought of spicy chicken feet, and her mouth started watering.
Scott snorted coldly, too lazy to explain.
"Never mind about me, answer my question first!" That is, who they were and what they planned to do in Boulder Town.
Bronya, being a straightforward person, was about to reveal her identity as a Silvermane Guard. But doing so might not be effective and could instead worsen their situation. So, Zao Wu reached out and tugged on Bronya's sleeve. She paused, and Zao Wu took the opportunity to start a conversation with Scott.
"We are residents of a nearby town. We heard that the Fight Club in Boulder Town is very famous, so we wanted to come and join the fun."
"We didn't expect to be so lucky as to run into Mr. Scott right here."
This was a lie. Zao Wu knew he was terrible at lying and would surely be seen through on the spot, but he did it anyway.
Bronya was confused, but Huohua seemed to have a glimmer of understanding. She got it! Zao Wu was using their own plan against them! Because from the very beginning, Scott had been constantly sizing the three of them up. But his gaze was less one of vigilance and more like that of a scout, appraising and discovering.
Discovering what? Their shining qualities, their "selling points"! Could he use them to pull in a wave of popularity for his Fight Club and earn some shiny Winter-City Shields!
Needless to say, she and Zao Wu were a handsome man and a beautiful woman, a match made in heaven! Just standing there, they were a beautiful sight. As for Bronya, well, her looks were average, and her figure was only a tiny bit better, but she had a selling point that others lacked: that Silvermane Guard Captain uniform!
Uniform seduction, get it!
Scott was a shrewd old man. Even if he realized Bronya might really be a member of the Silvermane Guards, he wouldn't miss the opportunity to package and promote her.
Sure enough, Scott's subsequent response proved Huohua's guess. The old man's stern expression vanished, replaced by an eager and charitable one.
"So you're guests of our Fight Club!"
"But instead of just watching the fights, would any of you be interested in participating yourselves?"
"If you are, I, Scott, am willing to open the doors of convenience for you, to open this iron gate. How about it?"
As a profit-driven businessman, Scott was indeed competent. And Zao Wu had used exactly that. Even though he wasn't actually interested in fighting.
But surprisingly, before Zao Wu could give an answer, Bronya had already reached out and gripped the bars of the iron gate, ignoring the cold, and took the initiative to ask.
"I want to confirm, this fighting competition will definitely attract many residents of Boulder Town to watch, right?"
"Naturally!" Scott said with a confident look.
"Our Fight Club is the most popular entertainment venue in the entire Underworld, gathering all the high-society figures of Boulder Town."
"Every fight here is widely watched!"
"And if you can become the champion of our club, I guarantee your name will resound throughout the Underworld."
Bronya's eyes deepened as Scott continued his promotion.
"Alright, I'm willing to participate in your club's fighting competition!"
"That's wonderful!" Scott rubbed his hands together excitedly, like a fly.
Hearing this, Hook's eyes also lit up.
"Big sister, are you good at fighting!?"
Bronya gave a bitter smile and shook her head. Although her rank in the Silvermane Guards was high, in terms of actual strength, she was not as good as Gepard, the Garrison Commander, or Mr. Dunn, the Adjutant.
"I just have a reason why I must do this."
Because changing the Underworld's perception of the Silvermane Guards through normal means was simply too slow. Even taking the first step of "communication" was difficult. So, Bronya chose a more eye-catching method. Whether she won or lost tonight's fight, Bronya would have a chance to convey her message. She wanted to... clear her mother's name and tell the people of the Underworld that the Supreme Guardian had not abandoned them, and the Silvermane Guards had not abandoned them! It was all a misunderstanding born of desperation. Once the Silvermane Guards had flattened the Fragmentum outside Belobog city, they would return to the Underworld and once again become the guardians of its people.
It would definitely happen...
Bronya believed in such a future with an almost naive faith, even though the reality was that Fragmentum monsters were constantly being born, while the number of Silvermane Guards was dwindling. What was even more terrifying was that the Silvermane Guards sometimes encountered their former comrades in the Fragmentum, who had all, without exception, fallen and become mindless Fragmentum monsters. With one side growing and the other shrinking, it was hard not to suspect... that Supreme Guardian Cocolia's ultimate goal was not to pacify the Fragmentum at all, but to send them all to a foolish death!
"Then, I'll participate in this fighting competition too."
"Is that okay, Mr. Scott?" Zao Wu chose to support Bronya's decision. Firstly, because they were temporary companions and should share hardships. Secondly, Zao Wu could also use this fight to quickly spread the news of his presence in the Underworld, so that Sister March 7th, Sister Stelle, and Brother Dan Heng could find him. If he happened to get some news about the Stellaron, that would be even better.
"Of course! Absolutely!" Scott's first choice had always been Zao Wu's appearance, wanting to make him the most famous "Pure Beauty Fighter" in the club! He believed that once the "Pure Beauty Fighter" was launched, he would instantly capture the hearts of fans of all ages and genders in the Underworld! Regardless of his strength, Scott had the ability to use capital to package him into an invincible superstar of the Fight Club! He would just have to try to avoid that foolishly naive kid, Luka. You know, even Svarog's iron-clad subordinates could be swayed by a few barrels of engine oil, but that kid refused to be bought by Scott's money.
So one can imagine what a pleasant surprise it was for Scott that Zao Wu was willing to voluntarily join the Fight Club and get in the ring. He had made the dumplings just for this vinegar. As for Bronya, well, a big dumpling that willingly jumped into the pot was also very nice.
Huohua immediately raised her hand.
"Me too, me too!"
"I want to give it a try too!"
"It's no big deal if I lose. Maybe someone will recognize me?" The girl also wanted to use Scott's club to search for her lost memories.
Everyone was on the same page. Scott immediately opened the iron gate with a wide grin, welcoming Zao Wu and the others to the backstage of his Fight Club, treating them to good food and drinks. The reason he didn't let the three of them go on stage immediately was because Scott still needed to quickly put together their respective promotions. The methods of communication in the Underworld were limited, with the fastest being distributing posters and word-of-mouth. But on the other hand, because the entertainment options in the Underworld were even more limited, once Scott came up with a new gimmick, the residents of Boulder Town and the scavengers who heard the news would immediately flock to the club, packing the arena.
For example, a while ago, Scott discovered a monster fighter wearing Fragmentum monster armor, which attracted a lot of attention. But he hadn't appeared in the club for a few days recently. Besides regretting that the "monster armor" gimmick hadn't been fully utilized, Scott couldn't care less whether that fighter was alive or dead.
Also, just before the club owner Scott said his goodbyes to Zao Wu and the others, he suddenly turned back and asked.
"You all shouldn't mind if I slightly exaggerate the facts for the sake of the club's ratings, right?"
"What do you mean?" Bronya asked warily.
"Just some gimmicks to attract people to buy tickets. For example, Zao Wu's unparalleled beauty! I plan to write that on the poster."
"Eh..." Zao Wu blushed. He obviously didn't think of himself that way, but he couldn't stop others from thinking it.
Bronya, after blushing and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, said in a low voice.
"...Isn't that the truth? Feel free to write it."
"Including my real identity as a Silvermane Guard, please don't hide it." Bronya was already prepared to face all the rumors and hostility.
"Me too, me too!" Huohua was more excited and came up with a character persona on the spot. "The abandoned orphan, the cursed girl, the last of the puppet clan... whatever version the Underworld likes, this lady has it! Just make it up!"
"Then, I shall respectfully oblige." Scott left with a smile, stroking his beard. In all his years in the business, he had never seen contestants so cooperative with the club's promotion.
While Zao Wu, Bronya, and Huohua were resting and waiting for the match to begin, the Fight Club's printing press was running at full speed. Soon, posters and news of "The Knights of Beauty vs. The Ugly Mechanical Army" spread throughout the Underworld.
Everything went as Scott had predicted. The existence of Zao Wu and the others caused a huge sensation, making the popularity of their first fight match that of the club's superstar, the twenty-eight-time consecutive fighting champion, Luka "the Iron Fist Kid"!
That night, inside and outside the Fight Club in Boulder Town, the crowd was in an uproar. The discussion about the "Knights of Beauty" was intense, and the audience's enthusiasm was pushed to a new high.
"Did you hear? The boy participating in this fight is a member of the legendary Knights of Beauty!"
"Do you really believe that sci-fi novel about the Knights of Beauty crossing the stars to find the Star God they believe in?"
"If not, why would a noble lady from the Overworld, a Silvermane Guard, run away to the Underworld just to follow his beauty?"
"For real!?"
"Isn't that what it says on the poster? The pure beauty boy's teammates are the rebellious Silvermane Guard lady who ran away for love, and the undead girl who returned from the Fragmentum with a curse."
"I'll be [Underworld curse], I have to see this now!"
"My goodness, this is too explosive!"
"I have to see who this pure beauty boy is!"
"The rebellious guard girl who would rather give up the glory of the Overworld to follow the boy, this is the pure love I ship!!"
"I think the undead girl who returned from the Fragmentum with a curse is more valuable."
"No, I have to go get Dr. Natasha!"
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