Chapter 297: Chapter 297

“I want you to add one more condition—”

“If I win… you and I will have a life-or-death battle.”

These words were spoken slowly, causing the entire Mask Master's Shop to fall into an eerie silence.

The young customer looked at Jiang Ye with a strange expression.

The Mask Master himself was even more shocked and hesitant, his expression gradually turning serious.

His originally kind demeanor slowly furrowed into a frown.

After a brief silence, he asked in a deep voice:

“Life-or-death battle…”

“Do you mean a battle for survival, or a battle to the death?”

Players who completed ten consecutive wins could activate the "life-or-death battle" mode on the battle simulator.

Before, Jiang Ye didn’t understand it.

But now, with all the memories he had gained, he naturally knew—

The normal mode of the battle simulator was designed for new players, only allowing them to earn game coins and win consecutive victory rewards.

The life-or-death battle mode was the true contest among the strong.

Within this mode, there were two situations—battle for survival and battle to the death.

The battle for survival was a match where survival points were wagered.

The loser would lose the survival points they bet.

This survival battle mode was very similar to the normal mode for new players.

The only difference was that the currency wagered changed from game coins to survival points.

The battle to the death mode was easier to understand—

It was a fight for superiority and life itself!

The losing side would truly die and lose all survival points.

Of course, there were some resurrection methods that could save players defeated in a death battle.

Jiang Ye guessed that the Mask Master was wealthy enough to have means to survive death battles.

Mainly because the survival battle mode and the normal mode were too similar.

He had killed Wu Ying, who disguised himself as Jiang Ye, in normal mode.

But that did not trigger the transformed clone effect.

Obviously, because virtual battles were not true kills.

Therefore, the survival battle mode probably could not trigger clone kills against clones.

But death battle mode was 100% real combat.

In this mode, clone kills against clones should be possible.

So Jiang Ye’s thought was quite optimistic, and he calmly replied with two words: “Death battle.”

However, the Mask Master’s expression visibly soured because of those two words!

To be honest, it was extremely difficult to get a permission player like the Mask Master to agree to a death battle.

The reason was simple.

Jiang Ye only learned after gaining Zhou Qiming’s memories—

That identities with “permission domains” generally followed an unspoken rule.

That rule was: inside the permission domain, the domain master was invincible!

The domain master was the owner of the permission domain.

For example, the Mask Master’s Shop was the Mask Master’s “permission domain,” and the Mask Master was the “domain master.”

Of course, “invincible” did not mean the Mask Master was omnipotent inside his shop.

But like the apartment administrators, he could “erase” players who actively attacked him!

In fact, the Mask Master’s permission was even higher than the administrators’. He could freely move inside the permission domain.

And that movement was like a spatial ability—

Almost instantaneous teleportation with a single thought!

Therefore, killing such a shop owner was far more difficult than killing an apartment administrator.

In theory, wearing the Madman Mask should allow three minutes of illegal time, ignoring the domain master’s erasure effect on illegal players inside the permission domain.

But the problem was...

The Madman Mask was also a mask.

Playing masks in front of the Mask Master was like brandishing a big blade in front of Guan Yu himself.

Moreover, the shop rules stated that customers entering the shop were not allowed to wear masks, or the Mask Master could dispose of them at will.

So generally, killing the domain master inside someone else’s permission domain was almost impossible!

The domain master was almost immortal as long as he stayed inside his own permission domain!

So Jiang Ye wanting to have a death battle with the Mask Master was like asking apartment administrators to have a PK battle among themselves.

He naturally resisted it to the extreme!

Even if he did have a method to revive from a death battle defeat.

But even if revived, all survival points would still be lost!

Especially since the Mask Master was not stupid.

He knew very well that Zhang Minghan was not clueless.

If he didn’t have enough confidence, how could he recklessly make such a demand!

To be honest, after the psychological game with Zhang Minghan before, the Mask Master couldn’t help but overthink—

Was Zhang Minghan deliberately making a request so hard to accept, hoping to make him doubt and retreat out of suspicion?

Just like an empty city stratagem.

The weak pretended to be confident, fooling the strong...

At this moment, the Mask Master felt as if he was having another psychological game with Zhang Minghan.

Because the “Today’s Specials” psychological game had forced him to overthink.

No matter how he thought about it, he always felt he was being led by the nose by Zhang Minghan.

He thought Zhang Minghan was on the first layer, he himself on the second.

But after reaching the second layer, he suspected Zhang Minghan was on the third...

Layer after layer, making his head dizzy.

In the end, the Mask Master abandoned Zhang Minghan and thought from two other angles—

First, with Zhang Minghan’s strength, could he beat this “War God” in the Extreme Battle Arena?

Second, with Zhang Minghan’s strength, even if they really fought a death battle...

The Extreme Battle Arena forbade item use.

But death battles allowed items.

The Mask Master was powerful and controlled the entire mask shop’s wealth...

Would he lose to just Zhang Minghan?

In the most normal logic, the Mask Master was gradually leaning toward accepting Jiang Ye’s request.

Then Jiang Ye suddenly added fuel to the fire:

“If you agree, I can return the Nomadic Merchant Mask to you first, and after everything settles, we can decide who it belongs to.”

Saying that, he actually flipped his hand and took out the Nomadic Merchant Mask!

The Mask Master was startled and blurted out: “You… aren’t afraid I’ll keep the mask and not return it to you?”

“You should know how much I care about this mask, right?”

Jiang Ye smiled calmly: “Of course I know.”

“Precisely because I know, I trust you.”

“You care so much about this mask, yet you still gave it to me as agreed.”

“Although you later tried some tricks to win it back, that was a ‘legal’ normal method.”

“So I believe, at least in this shop, you will keep your promise.”

Saying so, Jiang Ye truly handed the Nomadic Merchant Mask back to the Mask Master.

The Mask Master took the mask with a complicated expression.

He couldn’t help but speculate what Zhang Minghan’s true intention was.

Was it continuing the empty city stratagem to force him into doubt and retreat?

No! He had already figured it out and would not retreat! Check latest chapters at novel~fire~net

After a moment of silence, the Mask Master nodded solemnly: “Fine, I agree.”

He then took out a spiked mask and was about to explain its oath effect.

But Jiang Ye suddenly waved his hand: “Regarding the additional agreement, I hope you use another contract-type item.”

“After all, you are the Mask Master. If you use a mask, I can’t feel at ease.”

The Mask Master understood and exchanged it for a contract paper.

He signed a personal contract stating that as long as Jiang Ye defeated Xu Jing in the Extreme Battle Arena, the Mask Master must agree to Jiang Ye’s life-or-death battle within ten minutes.

Xu Jing was the customer’s name.

After all agreements were reached, the customer removed two drum balls from the Extreme Battle Rattle.

One drum ball was used to record Zhang Minghan’s black history.

Then he handed the other drum ball to Jiang Ye:

“The bet takes effect only after being recorded in the drum ball.”

Jiang Ye nodded, recorded the Nomadic Merchant Mask, and then returned the mask to the Mask Master.

After that, the drum balls were reattached to the drum strings.

Both duelists grabbed the drum strings and pulled them down together.

The drum surface, now missing the two drum balls, suddenly expanded greatly.

Although there were no drum balls striking it, a deep drumbeat still resounded.

Soon, the huge drum surface enveloped both holding the drum strings.

Jiang Ye felt his consciousness flash, and he appeared in a ring space.

Above the space, after three drumbeats “Dong—dong—dong—” sounded,

It meant the duel had begun!

Jiang Ye gained a lot of information from Zhou Qiming’s memories and was somewhat familiar with the Extreme Battle Arena.

The word “Extreme Battle” had meaning.

Players on the arena fought purely based on combat awareness.

Therefore, neither side could use items.

Even combat power would be equalized.

Even without synchronizing Zhou Qiming’s memories, Jiang Ye was quite familiar with this duel mode.

His mindset was very relaxed.

However, he quickly noticed—

Xu Jing across from him was even more relaxed.

This guy had changed his attitude, smiling warmly, showing no intention to attack.

He no longer looked at “Zhang Minghan” with the undisguised contempt and mockery he had shown in the mask shop.

Instead, there was a bit more sincere appraisal.

That was understandable.

After all, he had mocked Zhang Minghan on purpose for this duel.

Now that they were on the arena, there was no need to pretend to look down on him anymore.

After this appraisal, Xu Jing smiled quite sincerely.

But this sincere smile was more hurtful than the mocking smile made to provoke.

Although the smile wasn’t obvious, Xu Jing’s words clearly expressed his attitude:

“The confidence you show truly makes me take notice.”

“There’s a saying, right?”

“Why do some people, though so ordinary, can be so confident?”

“You’ve really broadened my horizons :)”

With that, Xu Jing laughed heartily.

His laugh was sincere, like a chivalrous hero with no tricks.

Jiang Ye couldn’t help but laugh too.

Xu Jing seemed in a good mood, still not making a move, and raised an eyebrow pleasantly to ask: “What are you laughing at?”

Jiang Ye raised his eyebrow and casually quipped:

“Nothing, I just thought of something happy.”

Xu Jing looked relaxed, even unguarded, and asked like chatting with an old friend: “What happy thing?”

Jiang Ye answered with a happy memory:

“I just remembered a scene from the Three Kingdoms…”

“When Boss Cao laughed heartily, what was he laughing at?”

“Oh right, he laughed at Zhou Yu’s lack of strategy and Zhuge Liang’s lack of wisdom… hahaha…”

Jiang Ye laughed even more joyfully as he spoke.

Xu Jing narrowed his eyes and suddenly snorted:

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking…”

“You must be thinking the truly ordinary but confident person is me, right?”

“Then come on, attack me with your strongest move. I’ll show you who really is ordinary but confident!”

Saying that, Xu Jing stood openly, as if truly unafraid of any of Jiang Ye’s methods.

Jiang Ye raised a brow, a bit surprised.

He thought, does this guy really have strength matching that confidence?

But with combat power equalized…

No matter how strong the combat awareness, it shouldn’t beat cheating by clone fusion.

So he casually fused a powerful mirror clone.

Then he raised his hand, wielding the fourth-tier Glyph Pattern Ability Gluttonous Body’s Entropy Reaper!

That scythe, like a black hole condensed, swung at Xu Jing at a speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye.

Facing that conceptual scythe capable of destroying the apartment itself…

Xu Jing showed no fear at all!

He still stood unmoving!

When the Entropy Reaper struck him, he indeed transformed into light particles.

The arena did not announce Jiang Ye’s victory!

Not long after, those light particles condensed back into Xu Jing’s form!

He looked completely unharmed, still confident!

“As expected, something’s fishy! The combat power you show doesn’t match the equalized combat power we have in the arena at all!”

“Is that your confidence? It means nothing to me!”

“You’ve lived a long time, haven’t you heard of the name ‘War God’?”

Xu Jing stood with his hands behind his back, like a firm pine tree.

His upright posture radiated an indomitable aura.

This simple stance seemed to crystallize into four characters—War God Unbeaten!

Jiang Ye had indeed caught the name “War God” from Zhang Minghan’s memories.

He heard a myth circulated about the battle simulator in Doomsday Apartment.

All battles on the arena, the War God had never lost!

Of course, Zhang Minghan’s journey was rough, and after growing stronger, he focused on exploring the secret realm tower.

He didn’t have much knowledge about the War God in the battle simulator.

At this moment, Jiang Ye naturally heard from Xu Jing’s tone:

“You mean to say… you are the undefeated War God on the arena?”

Xu Jing raised a brow: “Still think I’m ordinary despite my confidence?”

“I can tell you clearly—”

“As long as I’m on the arena, I will never lose!”

“That is an iron law, a rule! No one can break it!”

“And you, not even knowing I’m the undefeated War God… aren’t you just ordinary and confident?”

“Boss Cao laughed at Zhou Yu’s lack of strategy, laughed at Zhuge Liang’s lack of wisdom…”

“But history proved the truly unstrategic and unwise one was Boss Cao!”