Chapter 458 I’m No Longer the Same Person as Before
Macaque looked at the man in the fox mask. “What are your thoughts?” he asked.
Although Bryce had mentioned Elise’s identity to him, no one could break the arena’s rules just because of their status. Macaque might be visibly asking the man in the fox mask for his opinion, but in reality, he was hoping that the man would agree. After all, Elise was gutsy enough to hit Bryce. Macaque was actually worried that if Fox-Mask didn’t go along with her wishes, then she might rain wrath down on the arena—no, the entire black market.
The man’s mask only obscured the upper half of his face. Under everyone’s watchful gazes, his lips pressed together into a smile. Then, he spoke. “Let’s do as they wish. I don’t mind fighting against two opponents at once. It will all end the same way anyway—one side will still fall in the end.”
That arrogant challenge of a statement successfully piqued the crowd’s fervor. All of them smacked their tables or got on their chairs as they began to yell and cheer for the man in the mask.
Elise paid no attention to the racket as she turned to help Alexander up. Without giving away her emotions, she felt for his pulse. It was only after she felt his pulse fluttering under her fingers that she sighed in relief. Fortunately, the poison was a weak one. It would be easy to neutralize.
“Looks like I’ve embarrassed you,” Alexander said half-jokingly.
Elise smiled while shaking her head. “You suffered in my place.”
If it hadn’t been for him, Elise would have been the one poisoned instead and rendered unable to fight.
Alexander knew what she actually meant, but he couldn’t help revealing a bitter smile on his lips. He should have been able to hold out for a few more rounds for her.
Danny dashed over to the ring as well. Elise handed Alexander to him. “Wait for me in the stands,” she ordered.
“Hey, are you two done with your tender romance scene already?” the man in the fox mask asked impatiently, his arms folded across his chest.
Elise coldly glanced over her shoulder before she patted Alexander’s hand comfortingly. She watched as Danny helped Alexander down and out of the ring.
Once both men had left the ring, all expression on Elise’s face vanished without a trace. She turned around, a deadly gleam shining in her pretty eyes.
“Whoa, is the pretty lady angry now? What, is your heart already aching just because I hurt your boyfriend a little?” Fox-Mask mocked in a sinister tone.
Elise was in no mood for jokes. Pulling a face, she stated coldly, “Let’s begin.”
The referee rang the bell.
Fox-Mask’s smile disappeared in an instant. A terrifying aura cloaked him, as though he was a completely different person.
It was strange. It was just an instant, but Elise felt an inexplicable feeling, especially when she gazed at the fox mask. It felt like she might have known this man, but nobody who fit this man’s profile came to mind.
Before Elise could carefully analyze this feeling, however, Fox-Mask suddenly changed his tactics and struck first. He was already horrendously fast when he dodged Alexander’s attacks earlier, but his speed when he was initiating the attack was on a whole different level.
All Elise felt was a gust of wind to her face. By the time her eyes narrowed slightly, Fox-Mask was already in front of her. She knew this man was holding back his true power when he was battling Alexander. That was how he was able to get in that finishing blow right at the most crucial moment. Thus, she wanted to see just how strong the man actually was.
And so, the fight in the ring turned into a game of cat-and-mouse.
Fox-Mask was the cat. His movements were both fast and powerful. Anyone could tell with a glance that he had been trained well. Meanwhile, Elise was the mouse, her small body swift like the wind. One kept chasing his opponent while the other constantly dodged her pursuer. Their movements were like a constant series of pictures. One moment, they would be on one side of the arena. By the time the audience caught sight of them again, they had actually already changed positions quite a few times.
The audience was in a daze by the constant movements. They themselves couldn’t even compare to those two fighting in the ring right now.
“Hey, girl, fight back already. Why do you only keep dodging?!”
“I thought she’s a lioness, but it turns out that she’s just a meek little mouse. The arena isn’t a place for you to practice your dance moves. Stop showing off. If you can’t beat him, just admit defeat and beg for mercy!”
“What a bunch of idiots. Don’t look down on her just because she’s a woman. Haven’t you guys noticed that the dude in the mask still hasn’t even touched a single strand of her hair?”
“That’s my thought too. Let’s see who actually wins!”
“That skill of hers is kinda like the arena queen’s!”
“You mean that woman that no one has been able to dethrone at the arena? How’s that possible? Isn’t that just a legend?!”
“Legend, my foot! It’s true, okay? I saw one match of hers with my own eyes back in the day! That lady was brutal! Not like this softie chick here!”
“I’m going to tell you this…”
The audience’s discussions got more and more heated. The fighters in the ring didn’t slow down either as Elise once again dodged yet another blow. They stood on the left and right sides of the ring respectively, each claiming half of the ring.
Fox-Mask let out a breath. He was getting impatient now. “Is the queen of the arena reduced to mere dodging now?”
“You know who I really am?” Elise narrowed her eyes, but she soon composed herself again. Her lips curved up into a cold smile. “Looks like I can’t continue keeping a low profile!” With that, she deliberately smacked the floor of the ring and charged toward the man in the mask.
Fox-Mask stood his ground unflinchingly. When Elise neared him, his lips quirked up into a mocking smile. Then, he reached for his mask and pulled a few silver needles from under it to fling at Elise.
“Holy crap! That guy had been feinting!” Danny yelled in response to the man’s move.
Elise’s expression froze. At last, he’s shown his hand. She swiftly avoided the needles, dodging to the side and lowering herself to the point that she was almost pressed to the floor.
While she was dodging the needles, Fox-Mask quickly darted forward. He stopped right in front of Elise and lashed out with a kick.
Elise’s arms shot out to block his kick, but she still ended up colliding into the pillars by the side of the ring from the sheer force. She rebounded and crashed to the floor. With one hand supporting her weight, she kneeled there, panting heavily.
“Damn that son of a b*tch! He should just fight her fair and square! How dare he pull such a dirty trick!” Danny was beside himself with fury and worry. He wished for nothing more than to go into the ring and fight in Elise’s place, but he knew he would just humiliate her if he went in now.
The audience had already begun celebrating Fox-Mask’s victory in advance.
Taking advantage of this opening, Fox-Mask gathered himself and once again began his assault on Elise.
Elise’s speed gradually dropped as she took more hits. By now, the fight had devolved into a one-sided beating, and she was the one getting pummeled.
Alexander’s eyes were narrowed slightly as he followed Elise’s figure closely.
Being chased around the ring and getting beaten so easily wasn’t like her.
Just as Alexander had thought, as Fox-Mask was about to attack her once more, Elise quickly whipped out a silver needle from her sleeve and charged straight at him. The man hadn’t seen this coming, and he now had a needle jabbed into his throat. The next moment, he collapsed to his knees.
“You… It can’t be. I’ve gone through all your arena records. You don’t know how to fight with silver needles at all!” Fox-Mask cried out in disbelief.
“That’s right… I didn’t know how to wield silver needles then,” Elise said breezily. “But I’m no longer the same person as before…”
