Two cages were rolled out from openings on opposite sides of the arena.
Inside the iron cage, the silverback gorilla was covered in jet-black fur, muscles bulging all over its body, and arms far longer than its torso. It looked about one and a half meters long, but weighed a solid 120 kilograms.
Its eyes were icy cold, claws gripping the iron bars as it panted heavily. Even from the distant stands, you could see the hot breath streaming from the silverback gorilla’s mouth.
Sensing all eyes on it, the silverback gorilla pounded its chest with both fists, letting out a series of thunderous roars from inside the cage.
On the other side, the brown bear in its cage looked even bigger than the silverback gorilla, measuring two meters long and standing 1.2 meters at the shoulder.
The brown bear’s head was large and round, its body muscular, with a hump at the shoulders and thick brown fur all over. Its powerful forearms ended in sharp, protruding claws.
The brown bear stared at the silverback gorilla in front of it, baring its sharp teeth in a menacing grin.
“Both these beasts look fierce—who should I bet on?” The crowd hesitated as the silverback gorilla and brown bear appeared.
“I think the silverback gorilla is stronger—its muscles are solid, and those arms look thicker. It should be even stronger than the bear,” someone said.
“The bear’s got to be tougher—look at those claws! If it swipes the gorilla, can it even take the hit?” someone else argued, watching the brown bear from afar.
The crowd couldn’t agree.
“Your Excellency, who should we bet on this time?” Shawn Shi was stumped.
The silverback gorilla and the brown bear were evenly matched, making the choice even harder.
Evan Lin fell silent for a moment, and Chester Zhang and Yvonne Zhu also looked to him.
No matter what, Evan Lin had called the last two rounds perfectly.
“Can you bet on a draw?” Evan Lin asked coolly.
“No, you can’t. The Beast Arena only lets you bet on one side—either the silverback gorilla or the brown bear,” Shawn Shi replied, shaking his head.
“A draw? You’re kidding, right? I’ve been to the Beast Arena dozens of times and never seen a tie. How could that even happen?” Chester Zhang scoffed, shaking his head.
He’d just lost twice in a row and only had ten points left.
He’d been thinking about following Evan Lin’s bet this round, but didn’t expect the guy to suggest a draw.
The only way for a draw was if both the silverback gorilla and the brown bear died at the same time.
The odds of that were way too low.
Besides, the Beast Arena didn’t even offer that as a choice!
“I’m betting on the silverback gorilla!” Chester Zhang gritted his teeth and placed his wager.
Shawn Shi glanced at Evan Lin, hesitating.
“I’m sitting this one out.”
After Evan Lin spoke, he said nothing more.
Yvonne Zhu glanced at Bryce Gu, who pondered for a moment, then nodded: “I’ll sit this one out too.”
Shawn Shi and Tony Dong also gave up betting on this round.
“Bets are in—let the cages open!”
Luke Lu announced coldly.
The cages swung open.
The silverback gorilla dropped to all fours and charged at the brown bear, which reared up and suddenly seemed much taller.
The brown bear swung a massive paw at the charging silverback gorilla.
The silverback gorilla didn’t dodge or flinch, taking the hit head-on and pounding the bear’s chest with its fists.
Roaring, the brown bear lunged and bit the silverback gorilla’s neck, while the gorilla locked its thick arms around the bear’s throat.
Blood splattered everywhere.
The brown bear refused to let go, and the silverback gorilla kept its grip tight.
They were locked in a deadlock in the center of the arena.
“Who’ll die first?”
“It’s got to be the silverback gorilla! Its neck is already snapped!”
“Bullshit, it’s definitely the brown bear! The gorilla’s grip is strong enough to choke the bear out for good!”
Spectators watched the scene unfold, faces tight with nerves.
“Die, brown bear, die!”
Chester Zhang couldn’t help but stand up, peering down with excitement written all over his face.
More than ten minutes passed, and nothing had changed in the pit.
“Are they... really going to die together?”
Yvonne Zhu was startled by the scene, glancing at Evan Lin, who sat calmly beside her.
Not a trace of emotion could be seen on Evan Lin’s face.
Luke Lu, standing beside the arena, shot a cold look at the beasts, then at Evan Lin in the stands, a barely visible sneer curling his lips.
“First time here and you think you can walk off with my best prize? What a joke. Even if you nailed the last two bets, if you wagered this round, you’d lose for sure!”
“Besides, the Drunken Cloud Plum is already reserved. I only put it out as a gimmick.”
Luke Lu sneered to himself. Once the timing felt right, he beckoned to one of his men.
“Send someone down to check on the gorilla and the bear. If it’s a draw, the house takes it all.”
Luke Lu let out a cold laugh.
“Yes, sir!”
The staff hurried down to check on the two beasts.
It didn’t take long for the inspection to finish.
Someone announced loudly.
“Both the silverback gorilla and the brown bear are dead. It’s a draw!”
“A draw! Holy crap!” The crowd was stunned.
“No way! Damn, a draw! I’ve been to the Beast Arena dozens of times and never seen a draw!” someone cried, slapping his thigh in regret.
“A draw? I... I lost again!”
Chester Zhang stood frozen, eyes wide in disbelief.
“It really was a draw!” Yvonne Zhu muttered, her expression odd.
Bryce Gu glanced at Evan Lin, his eyes unreadable.
Shawn Shi and Tony Dong both breathed a sigh of relief. It had taken them forever to scrape together twenty points, and if they’d bet, they would’ve lost it all.
“Your Excellency, you really are something else!”
Shawn Shi was genuinely impressed by Evan Lin.
Meanwhile, Luke Lu glanced at Evan Lin, feeling smug, when someone hurried over and whispered in his ear.
“He didn’t bet?”
Luke Lu froze, then his gaze turned icy as he stared at Evan Lin.
Evan Lin glanced back at Luke Lu, his eyes calm and deep as a still well.
“Looks like I’ve run into a real tough customer this time.”
Luke Lu narrowed his eyes.
Right now, Evan Lin had 160 points. If he won three more rounds, he could exchange them for the Drunken Cloud Plum.
The points required for the Drunken Cloud Plum were set high on purpose—Luke Lu’s doing.
Word had gotten out recently, and people from Medicine King Valley had already approached Luke Lu to buy the Drunken Cloud Plum. The price had been settled.
Now, an unexpected challenger had appeared.
Luke Lu pondered the situation.