Clack, clack!
Two consecutive thuds echoed as Yun Ruoxi lightly landed on the ground, casually twisting 0001’s arm with ease.
Her bare feet barely lifted off the floor.
She lowered her posture, tilting her head slightly to the side like a wary cat, listening intently for any movement.
Though drenched in sweat from the pain, 0001 far off was still clutching onto this rare moment of respite.
His mind raced to analyze the battle situation.
He knew that if he didn’t find a way to break the deadlock soon, defeat would be inevitable.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t accept losing, or falling from his position as 0001.
But the one thing he could not tolerate was losing to someone who blatantly trampled on the rules.
“No vision, yet able to push the other senses to their limits… Is this some kind of Gifted Talent unique to 2195?”
0001 thought quietly to himself, “No, just that alone wouldn’t suppress me. She also has a terrifying Combat Instinct, combined with those extraordinary senses—this is what caused the qualitative change.”
“To break this stalemate, I must also develop my Five Senses… and speed up my insight and analysis!”
In an instant, 0001, seizing the breathing space, almost saw through the essence of Yun Ruoxi’s newfound strength.
He exhaled lightly, his purple eyes flickering, deliberately suppressing his reliance on sight and spreading his attention across his other senses.
At that moment—
Swish!
Yun Ruoxi caught the sound of 0001’s breath and pounced with all fours on the ground like a wild beast!
0001 dodged to the side, blocking with one hand.
The two tangled once more in combat.
Despite the dangers, 0001 restrained his instinctive reliance on vision and kept focusing on his other senses.
Just like that—
He gradually began to grasp a hint of the “Synesthetic World” meaning behind Yun Ruoxi’s eyes.
His movements became sharper and more agile, as if adapting to Yun Ruoxi’s rhythm.
The previously tilted battle situation slowly steadied.
After several rounds of exchanges, the two pulled apart again.
“Good, very good, just like this!”
0001’s heart swelled with excitement.
He had glimpsed the path to her strengthening.
His own Five Senses were being developed.
And because he still retained his vision, even if his development of the “Synesthetic World” wasn’t as advanced as 2195’s, if he just improved a little more, he would soon be able to rival her.
After all, her own “Synesthetic World” development had only just begun!
Combined with his vastly superior physical abilities, as long as he could hold on, victory’s dawn was certain to come!
Trusting his own judgment utterly, 0001’s lips curled into a faint smile.
That composure befitting one who sat on the throne returned to him.
Watching 2195 charge at him once again, he calmly formed a single-handed fist guard, taking the defensive position of the weaker party and preparing to counterattack.
“Come on, come on! 2195, I will devour your Gifted Talent and make you the fuel for my evolution!” 0001 roared silently.
Such a terrifying combat Gifted Talent should not belong to someone who breaks all the rules.
So he would seize it and make it his own—
Slap!
A heavy thud and scrape against the ground abruptly shattered all his thoughts.
0001 froze and lowered his arm in disbelief, staring at the blue-haired girl collapsed mid-charge.
Yun Ruoxi writhed in pain on the arena floor, bright blood pouring steadily from her eyes, ears, mouth, and nose.
Suddenly, she spat out a large mouthful of blood with a “waaah,” her life visibly fading at an alarming rate.
“How… how can you fall here?”
Once again, his deductions were utterly destroyed.
The veins on 0001’s temples throbbed wildly, his mind in chaos.
He staggered over to Yun Ruoxi.
Victory was so close, yet no joy of triumph appeared on his face.
Only uncontrollable rage.
Just two more exchanges…and he could have turned the tide, wiped away his earlier disgrace, and taken victory fairly and squarely.
He could have devoured 2195’s Gifted Talent, evolving his combat ability.
But now… everything was ruined!
The trainees would only remember how miserably he was suppressed.
They’d believe he won only because 2195 couldn’t hold on, a lucky win.
No one else would know that if only one more minute had passed, he could have defeated 2195 outright, proving to everyone he had the power to uphold the camp’s rules!
Such a victory, handed over by Yun Ruoxi’s mercy, was more cruel and humiliating than losing.
He would rather lose than win like this!
0001 had once wished to eliminate 2195, but now 2195 had reversed that and broken his heart instead.
Whether intentional or not, 0001 no longer cared to think.
His burning fury consumed his reason.
He trembled violently and kicked Yun Ruoxi hard in the abdomen, sending her rolling across the ground for several meters.
“Get up! I haven’t beaten you yet, haven’t devoured you! How can you just fall like this?!”
He roared, lunging forward and grabbing her ocean-blue hair, yanking her head up forcefully.
“You—get up! You’re faking it, right? You were so strong just now, how could you suddenly collapse?”
He screamed.
In the latter half of his words, as if clutching a lifeline, his tone grew determined and his expression gradually calmed.
“Yes, that’s right! You’re faking it! You saw yourself losing, so you’re using this trick to disgust me, aren’t you? You’re the worst, the most despicable woman I’ve ever met in my life!”
“You’ve toyed with everyone! Now, you still have one chance—to confess your crimes to everyone with your own mouth!”
“Speak! I want you to speak!”
Bang!
0001 slammed Yun Ruoxi’s head hard against the ground; blood trickled down her temple.
He roughly pulled her up again.
A faint moan, barely audible like a mosquito’s buzz, escaped her lips.
0001 froze and tilted his head close.
“What are you saying?”
“Pain… so… much… Mama… it hurts…”
The girl slowly raised her right hand, as if trying to touch something.
Her right eyelid twitched weakly, opening and closing intermittently, the pupil inside already dead and empty.
She hadn’t regained consciousness from the impact, but seemed to be unconsciously begging due to unbearable pain.
“You… you’re saying you’re in pain?”
0001 muttered, then suddenly burst into laughter.
The suppressed rage flared anew.
And this time, it completely consumed his reason.
0001 lost control entirely.
Before nearly ten thousand trainees, the camp’s senior leaders, and hundreds of millions of hyperspace spectators, he became a demon, brutally tormenting Yun Ruoxi.
Such conduct was appalling.
Not only did the barrage of live comments explode at that moment, but the audience also erupted into chaos.
“Damn it, 0001, are you even human? Stop it! I’m telling you to stop!”
“You damn production team, what the hell is wrong with you? Designing such a dark plot?”
“The highlight lasted just three minutes, then back to torture? This is even crazier than the anime, I’m cracking up!”
“I’ve been following anime for years, seen plenty of tragic stories and abused heroines, but little Xi is so strong, hardworking, and gifted, yet gets tortured every episode—I can’t take it.”
“I’m going to leave a scathing comment on the anime’s official site. It’s only episode three! So many more to go—how much more will little Xi be abused?!”