Chapter 411: Immortal

Inside Box 9, Darius’s expression twisted into pure fury.

He slammed his fist against the table.

BOOM!

The glassware shattered.

"That brat!"

His roar echoed through the booth.

"She killed him! She killed my best fighter and humiliated me in front of the everyone!"

His chest rose and fell as he glared at Polly in the arena.

"I’ll make her pay for this!"

A man standing near the entrance simply watched calmly as his boss throw a tantrum.

Darius turned toward him.

"Gather the crew. I want every available fighter ready to move the moment we leave this place."

His eyes burned with murderous anger.

"I want that girl’s head on a platter."

The man bowed his head.

"Understood, Captain."

He turned and hurried out.

Darius remained standing, his fists clenched at his sides.

He had come to the Grand Exchange expecting to leave with a Mythic-class artifact. Instead, he’d lost his champion, suffered a public humiliation, and gotten insulted by a teenage girl.

He wasn’t going to let that stand.

Not ever.

...

Back in the hall below,

Nobody spoke.

For several seconds, the entire amphitheater was quiet.

Then a whisper rose from somewhere in the audience.

"She... won...?"

Another voice followed.

"That was an SS-rank Pioneer."

"No way..."

"I heard Raze was at level 72. And she just defeated him like he was nothing?"

The whispers spread.

People leaned toward one another, speaking in hushed, disbelieving tones. The girl standing in the arena had just defeated a fighter whom almost nobody had dared challenge.

And she had done it with frightening ease.

There had been no drawn-out struggle. No desperate exchange of abilities. No indication that she had needed to exert herself.

Raze had attacked.

She had stopped him.

And then she had killed him.

Jayden sat still in his seat, completely stunned. He had a feeling the girl would win, but never in his wildest dreams did he think it would be this quick and easy. She had taken down an SS-Rank Pioneer with barely any effort.

Even he wasn’t sure he’d win a fight against Raze without proper preparation and use of his Lycan transformation.

Kyle leaned forward beside him.

"Okay... I wasn’t expecting that," he murmured. "Looks like all that bravado she had wasn’t for nothing."

"Hm," Jayden hummed softly. He watched Polly turn away from Raze’s corpse and casually pull out an handkerchief to clean her bloody hands.

He had struggled against S-rank Pioneers. And this girl had made someone significantly stronger look like an easy target.

Whatever she was, she wasn’t ordinary.

The host finally recovered enough to lift his microphone.

"P-Participant 033 is the victor!"

He nervously cleared his throat.

"Does anyone wish to challenge her for the artifact?"

For a moment, nobody moved.

Then—

RING!

A bell chimed from one of the lower VIP booths.

The audience turned in surprise.

A holographic projection appeared above the seating section, revealing a woman dressed in an elegant silver gown. Her dark hair was arranged in an elaborate bun, and a collection of expensive jewellery glittered at her throat and wrists.

She sat with one leg crossed over the other, a mischievous smile playing across her lips. Beside her stood a burly man with a thick neck and a prominent scar running across his left eye.

The woman lifted her identification tag.

"I’d like to make a bid."

A murmur passed through the hall.

The host glanced at the screen.

"Participant 014 has registered her interest!"

Just then, another bell chimed.

Then another.

And another.

The audience began to stir as more bidders raised their tags.

Some were seated in ordinary sections. Others occupied private booths.

Within moments, the arena’s identification screen began filling with numbers.

Jayden looked around, confused. He turned toward Kyle. "Why are they challenging her?" he asked. "They just watched as she tore a man’s heart out through his back. What makes them think they stand a chance?"

Kyle chuckled, leaning back in his seat. "Strength isn’t everything in the Grand Exchange, kid. Status and politics matter just as much. There’s a life outside this arena, and people would rather not get on the bad side of big shots and crime lords just because of a stupid artifact. No one challenged Darius earlier because of his status. The man’s got his own fleet, his own army, and enough influence to make life miserable for anyone who crosses him."

He gestured to the arena.

"But now that his fighter is dead, there’s nothing stopping the other bidders from trying their luck. Because unlike the pirate captain, this girl is just a blind nobody. Challenging her won’t have any consequences even after the event. If they lose, it’s fine. And if they win, they get to walk away with a Mythic-class artifact worth four million credits."

Jayden scoffed lightly. "So they don’t care if they die?"

Kyle laughed. "To these people, life is a gamble. When an opportunity presents itself, you take it, even if it kills you." He pointed a finger at Polly in the arena. "And that right there is a golden opportunity."

Jayden didn’t say anything. He already understood the logic. He continued watching the event with a newfound interest in the blindfolded girl.

After a while, the identification numbers of the challengers were displayed above the arena.

The host raised his microphone.

"Alright! It appears we have ten interested participants!" he announced. "Participants 014, 021, 029, 034, 041, 052, 064, 070, 076, and 082! Please present your fighters!"

The arena gates began to open.

But before the competitors stepped forward, their respective bidders passed across several warnings and instructions.

"The girl’s ability is clearly suited to close-combat. Do not engage her directly! Use long-ranged attacks and keep your distance!"

"She was just lucky in the first fight. Raze underestimated her. That’s all. He went in carelessly, and she exploited the opening. Don’t make the same mistakes!"

"Exploit her lack of sight! Maintain your distance at all times! Use your brains well, and don’t lose to a blind girl!"

"Work with the other opponents if you have to. Kill the girl first. Once she’s down, you can settle things among yourselves. Because the longer she remains standing, the worse your chances become."

And just like that, an unspoken agreement formed among the challengers. They might be competing for the same artifact, but for the moment, they shared a common objective:

Eliminate the blindfolded girl first.

She was the greatest obstacle standing between them and the Celestial Starlight Lotus. And none of them intended to let her defeat them individually.

Astrid heard enough of those conversations to understand the danger. Her hands tightened around the bidder’s tag. She looked toward the arena.

Polly stood alone in the middle of the platform, her blindfold concealing her eyes and her hands resting loosely at her sides.

She appeared utterly unfazed.

She’ll be fine, Astrid thought, trying to convince herself that there was nothing to worry about.

But her unease refused to disappear.

Because ten dangerous people were about to enter the arena. And every single one of them intended to take Polly down.

From where he sat, Jayden watched the final fighters prepare to enter. He had heard the instructions given by the bidders. He understood what they were planning.

They weren’t going to take turns fighting Polly. Not after seeing what she had done to Raze.

They would surround her, attack from multiple directions, and try to overwhelm her with numbers.

A coordinated assault.

Ten fighters against one.

Jayden frowned. He wasn’t particularly sympathetic toward people who willingly entered a death match. They knew the rules, and they understood the risks.

But there was something about the situation that bothered him.

And it wasn’t because Polly was blind, or because she was outnumbered.

It was because he had a feeling the people preparing to fight her had absolutely no idea what they were getting themselves into.

After less consideration, he decided to see for himself just how powerful she was.

He activated Dragon’s Eye.

——————

Name: Apollita Solaria

Age: ???

Level: ???

Ability: ???

HP: Error (Undetermined)

——————

Jayden was dumbfounded. The interface returned virtually nothing. Only her name was visible; her level, age, and ability were entirely blank. Even her Hp read as Undetermined.

He had encountered missing stats before Penelope and Aileen.

But this was different.

He couldn’t tell whether she was hiding her information deliberately or whether his system was simply incapable of reading her.

Luna, he called out inwardly. Why can’t I read her stats? Is she blocking me somehow? Also, what does ’Undetermined’ mean?

[The girl isn’t using a cloaking device. You can’t see her stats because just like with Penelope, her power exceeds the system’s current capabilities] Luna replied. Then she added:

[As for her Hp being undetermined, I believe it’s either because the system cannot comprehend the actual value of her health pool, or... she’s an immortal."

Jayden raised a brow. Immortal? What does that mean?

[It means she cannot be killed by conventional means. And... she is far more dangerous than anyone else in this place]

Jayden eyes widened.

If she can’t be killed then....

He looked at the ten challengers entering the arena.

The first was a towering brute carrying a massive hammer. The second wore a long coat lined with metallic plates. The third had a pair of energy pistols strapped to his thighs.

The others were equally varied, each equipped with weapons or abilities suited to the brutal competition.

They spread out around Polly.

Some kept their distance. Others positioned themselves at angles that would allow them to attack simultaneously.

None of them looked particularly concerned about the possibility of fighting an immortal.

They didn’t know.

They couldn’t know.

To them, she was merely a powerful girl who had defeated one formidable opponent.

They had no idea she was a monster.

A monster none of them was capable of defeating.

They’re all going to die, Jayden thought.

For the first time since arriving at the Grand Exchange, he found himself genuinely eager to see what happened next.

The host raised his microphone.

"Ten challengers! One victor! The Celestial Starlight Lotus belongs to the fighter who can survive this battle! Fighters, prepare yourselves!"

The arena gates slammed shut.

The challengers readied their weapons and abilities.

Polly remained motionless. She stood quietly among them, seemingly unbothered by their number.

Above them, the countdown appeared.

THREE.

TWO.

ONE.

The host raised his arm.

"BEGIN!"