Since Odis was a newcomer, Gales arranged for him to fight the first match...
His opponent was a towering man nearly two meters tall. He looked down at Odis with relaxed arrogance.
"Tim, you've hit the jackpot."
Tim was the name of Odis's opponent.
"Nothing worth watching in the first match."
"..."
Amidst the clamor, the referee outside the ring announced the rules: "When one party is knocked unconscious, surrenders, or leaves the competition area in any form, the other party wins."
After announcing the rules, he said, "Ready, begin!"
The gamblers shouted for Tim to quickly finish off the rookie before him.
Tim took the initiative, throwing a powerful punch forward.
Odis deftly dodged and seized the opportunity to step in, then delivered a palm strike with his full strength to Tim's Adam's apple and chin, sending him flying.
*Thud!*
Tim crashed heavily to the ground, knocked out cold.
The surroundings fell silent instantly...
Seated high above the ring, Simon took a deep drag of his cigarette and asked the stunned manager Gales, "You said he's from the Backlund Fighting Club?"
Gales snapped back to reality, "Y-yes."
"Go investigate further tomorrow."
"Yes, yes, yes."
In the ring, Odis turned to the referee and asked, "Is there a countdown?"
Only then did the referee regain his senses and perform a perfunctory count before declaring Odis the winner.
"I can fight another match right away," Odis said with a smile.
The crowd finally reacted, buzzing with discussions as they speculated about the newcomer's background.
The referee didn't respond immediately, but went to consult Simon. When he returned, he agreed to let Odis continue immediately.
Then he announced, "The second match's contestant, Toby! Come face this newcomer!"
The crowd erupted in a collective "Ooh~", many wearing knowing smiles.
A man roughly Odis's height removed his hat, overcoat, and shirt. Then he warmed up outside the ring.
Odis studied his opponent carefully...
Though not particularly tall, Toby had compact and well-defined muscles. He could also throw quick punches. Judging by the crowd's reaction, Toby was clearly a top fighter in this underground arena.
As Toby warmed up, betting for the second match began.
Odis lounged casually on the wooden railing, overhearing that most still bet on Toby to win.
After all, his previous victory had been too swift. Few among them were true combat experts... So they were unable to discern the finesse behind Odis's strike.
Unaware that his win was no fluke, they placed their bets based on prior assumptions.
Soon, the second match commenced...
Toby focused intently on Odis, fully aware that he was facing a formidable opponent.
Odis also took this match more seriously, adopting a standard combat stance.
The crowd erupted again:
"Toby, drive his nose into his stomach!"
"Toby, make him beg on his knees!"
"Toby, I've staked my entire fortune on you!"
"Start already, you damn bastards!"
"..."
The two fighters locked eyes for over ten seconds until Toby finally broke, launching a probing punch.
Odis reacted instantly. He deflected Toby's strike before surging forward to force him down.
Fortunately, Toby's attack had been tentative, allowing him just enough room to leap back, though somewhat clumsily.
Seeing things take a bad turn, the spectators roared:
"Go Toby! Don't fight like a woman!"
"Toby, what are you doing? Punch, man! Punch!"
"..."
Believing he'd gauged his opponent's style, Toby switched to leg attacks. In his view, Odis relied on closing the distance rapidly to attack. As long as he prevented that, he could bide his time for an opening.
After evading several attacks from his opponent, Odis seized his chance. Ducking low to avoid a kick, he suddenly straightened, driving his right shoulder into Toby and lifting him clean off the ground before hurling him away.
*Crash!*
Toby landed on a table behind the gamblers, crying out in pain before losing consciousness.
Silence reclaimed the arena.
This time, the referee recovered faster: "The newcomer wins! The newcomer wins again!"
The crowd buzzed with renewed discussions, utterly baffled at how this seemingly slender and less muscular rookie had defeated two opponents consecutively.
Odis held up three fingers and said, "I want a third match."
The referee consulted Simon again before returning: "The third match will be three against one. Are you sure you want to continue?"
Odis noticed Simon's sly grin in the distance. Then he shrugged and calmly said, "Sure."
The crowd fell silent once more...
"This rookie is a lunatic!"
One gambler's exclamation ignited louder debates... some condemned the rookie's arrogance, others were convinced he had the skills to back it up.
As the three opponents warmed up, betting commenced for the third match. This time, the stakes were nearly even, with half betting on Odis, and half against.
The third match began...
Odis found himself surrounded as his three opponents launched coordinated attacks. They didn't swarm in blindly, but strategically. Two attacked, while the third directed and covered gaps.
Odis relied on agility to narrowly escape their encirclement repeatedly. After sizing up his opponents, he prepared to counterattack, when he spotted a familiar face among the gamblers.
A gaunt middle-aged man with a distinctive scar by his left eye.
Suddenly, Odis remembered that Enoch had reported this man on Monday. He was an informant for the 'Mandated Punishers', and someone was paying to track him down...
In that split-second distraction, an opponent seized the chance, landing a full-force punch to Odis's cheek.
Amidst the roaring crowd, Odis's ears rang from the blow. But a Beyonder's physique far surpassed ordinary humans. After staggering back, he shook his head and the discomfort faded rapidly.
His opponents pressed the advantage. The strongest one sneaked up behind him and locked his shoulders in a firm grip.
The fighter who had punched Odis now aimed a vicious kick at his midsection.
Struggling briefly to no avail, Odis used the brute behind him as leverage to leap up, scissoring his legs around the oncoming attacker.
A sharp twist sent his opponent spinning into the railing, collapsing unconscious.
The moment Odis's feet touched the ground, he sprang up again, still carrying the hulking opponent on his back, before flipping backward to slam down hard.
The impact forced the brute to release his grip, leaving him dazed on the mat.
Odis sprang up to engage the third opponent, only for the man to panic and jump outside the ropes, effectively forfeiting.
Silence descended once more.
Odis turned to the referee: "And?"
The referee stammered: "N-newcomer... wins."
Odis vaulted over the railing to collect his earnings and winnings from Simon...