14. Hell

“Bipeds? Caught from the surface?” Ruka could hardly believe her ears. But she still confirmed again. “You mean these people?”

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Nikolai repeated without impatience. “Not people. Bipeds. There are many on the surface.”

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Hearing him say such chilling words as if they were nothing, in such a calm tone, Ruka’s eyes widened with agitation. But she tried hard to control her emotions.

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“So Paradise residents who disappear are actually captured underground? Could the Them we’ve been facing all along be humans living underground? Who is the military fighting? How do the corpses fit in?”

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Countless questions surfaced in Ruka’s mind. She still held hope for Heaven. “No. Maybe they are also innocent. Brainwashed with wrong information. They don’t know the surface situation. Heaven must have administrators. They are the ones behind this.”

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But Ruka was only human. Had emotions. She tried her utmost to analyze the situation. Guessed Heaven might not be as hopeless as she imagined.

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Yet Ruka no longer dared hope the underground residents would help Paradise. The priority was to find a chance to return to the surface. But even if she could return, could she still view everything with her former happy thoughts? Knowing the secret of Them, how could she face Paradise?

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“Ah. I remember now. The surface pollution is severe. So humans moved underground. And the remaining Bipeds stayed on the surface.”

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To continue hiding her identity, Ruka agreed. She guessed the underground people deliberately called the humans who had not fled underground “Bipeds” to distinguish the two identities. If Nikolai knew she was also from the surface, it would be dangerous.

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Hearing Ruka slightly recover her memory, Nikolai smiled again. “Haha. I told you seeing this would definitely make you remember.”

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As the bell rang, the two in the arena began their warm-up match. In the dark venue, all spotlights fell on the arena. All Heaven citizens were highly excited. Only Ruka pretended to be excited.

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Why could they watch so righteously? In their eyes, the two in the arena were just animals. Just two head of livestock that merely looked like themselves.

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Though the two only sparred lightly, the fear in their eyes was palpable. The real match to come would be far beyond this.

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For Ruka, who knew the truth, every second was unbearable.

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“Now it’s just beginning. Which side do you think will win?” After the warm-up, Nikolai was deeply engrossed. Continued analyzing to Ruka. “Look at the data on the screen above. Their height and weight are clear.”

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Why was he so invested? Because this was the biggest gamble. Besides data, real-time odds were displayed according to on-site betting. Citizens decided their bets based on the warm-up performance. Deducting directly from their personal quota without chips.

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“This is simply insane. What do they take humans for?” Ruka came from the surface. Knew these Paradise residents had once lived as happily as she had. She naturally looked troubled. But there was another thing that worried her more. She did not belong to Heaven. How could she have a Heaven account to bet directly?

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Seeing her grave expression, Nikolai guessed she might be worried about insufficient quota. He patted her hand and comforted her. “Don’t worry. If you favor a side, just tell me. I’ll bet for you. If you win, it’s yours. If you lose, you don’t have to pay.”

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Fortunately, Nikolai still had not discovered her. Ruka breathed a sigh of relief. Pretended to analyze the data. Made her choice. “Red. He looks less muscular than the opponent, but heavier. His muscle density must be high. And I can see his fighting spirit in his eyes.”

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“Not bad.” Nikolai was secretly pleased. Even he had not noticed that detail. He kissed his fingertip. Placed it on the machine beside his seat. Betting by fingerprint. “Then I’ll choose him.”

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After a commotion, betting closed. With the “ding” of the bell, the two officially began their duel amid the cheers of Heaven citizens. Compared with the warm-up, they were clearly more committed. Punching hard. Full of ruthlessness.

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“Red! Punch him!” “Dodge, Blue!”

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Ruka watched calmly. But noticed that when they threw punches, they occasionally glanced at the audience. In their eyes, amid hatred, there was unexpectedly a trace of hope. As she watched intently, she noticed Nikolai, who was also glancing sideways at her, was equally calm. Completely different from the other excited spectators.

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Because of guilt, Ruka feared Nikolai would discover her. So she struck first. “What’s wrong? Aren’t you nervous about the result? Or do you feel sorry for the Bipeds fighting?”

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“Ha. Compared with Bipeds, I prefer watching you.” Nikolai stared at Ruka. His eyes as if seeing through everything. “So you’re also like me, watching without feeling? I thought this would stimulate you.”

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Nikolai’s words pierced Ruka’s heart. Had he really discovered her? Ruka could not imagine her fate. She forced calm. Continued explaining. “A little. I’m just focusing on observing. After all, I need to verify my judgment. Was I always this accurate before?”

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“Who knows?”

Nikolai sneered. Seeing Ruka put her gaze back on the arena, he watched along with her.

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Watching the two desperately throw punches, Ruka felt terrible inside. After five minutes, the bell rang. Ending the first round. Both had different degrees of cuts, bleeding, and bruises. They each went to the wall to wipe themselves and drink water. Seizing time to rest. At the same time, a weapon rack appeared beside each of them. Filled with different weapons. It was easy to predict the second round would be even more intense.

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Taking advantage of the break, Ruka took the initiative to speak. “I was right, wasn’t I? Red looks less injured and is breathing less heavily than Blue.”

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“Then do you want to add a bet?” Nikolai stared at the odds on the screen above the arena. They continued to change with everyone’s bets. He was already prepared to bet for her.

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Betting on her own kind was of course unwilling for Ruka. But she thought if she helped Nikolai win, it might help later actions. So she pretended not to care and replied, “You decide. The odds are pitifully low now anyway. Betting Blue might earn more. I’m more curious how we make the Bipeds obediently fight desperately.”

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“Didn’t you favor Red? I only believe you, Ruka.” With that, Nikolai added another bet on Red. Because what he wanted to win was not chips but Ruka’s trust. “As for your question, most people wouldn’t care at all. But I appreciate how eager to learn you are. It’s actually very simple. Luckily I know people at the casino. Come. I’ll tell you.”

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Nikolai signaled Ruka to lean closer. Then whispered by her ear, “Hope. Bipeds are creatures that have motivation when they have hope and a goal. Tell them that if they win one match, they can live and no longer fight. Directly becoming Heaven residents. Enjoying all kinds of wealth and glory.”

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“And the losing side?”

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“Of course they’re slaughtered.” Nikolai answered almost immediately. As if he had already anticipated Ruka’s question. “Then made into food and fed to other Bipeds. A simple food chain. This is a life-or-death fight. They naturally go all out. Occasionally you see them use tactics like ambushes. Or dramatically throw the match for various reasons. All the unpredictable factors caused by their interaction are allowed by the casino.”

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Seeing Nikolai’s slight excitement as he explained, without a trace of pity, Ruka lamented how terrifying the information Heaven instilled in its citizens was. They truly did not regard the surface people as their own kind. This was not Heaven. But Hell.

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As the bell rang, the break ended. The second round began. Red raised a long spear. Blue held two daggers in reverse grip. Clearly this round would decide both victory and life or death.

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