At the au site oher side of Luo City, the event had long cluded. News crews, arriving te, missed the two extravagant bidders who’d spshed astronomical sums on virtual gear, along with their bold fir. The reporters had no choice but to turn their cameras and mi aueer Peter and the sparse audience, digging for details about these mysterious legends. But they uhed little of value.

  After fending off the media, Peter could finally clock out. As he left the au hall, he couldn’t resist muttering to his assistant, “I keep feeling like number seven—the guy with the sungsses—looks familiar. I’ve definitely seen him somewhere, but I ’t pce it.”

  The assistant nodded knowingly. “A sharp, stylish guy like him? Anyone would think he’s familiar. His vibe could rival a Hollywood star.”

  “It’s not that,” Peter grumbled, shaking his head, though he couldn’t pinpoint why. After a quick goodbye to his assistant, he slid into his car and drove home, rag his brain for the man’s face. A few blocks ter, a massive Extreme Olympics billboard caught his eye, and it hit him. Smming the steering wheel, he excimed, “It’s Dumas! That lunatic, the biggest nutcase in the world!”

  But then doubt crept in. Since when did Dumas go without his signature aquamarine amulet? Puzzled, Peter settled on a vague clusion: Probably just someone who resembles that maniac Dumas.

  The muticipated Ultimate Hunt was about to begin. If the battle for the All-Around King of Riders was the climax of the Extreme Olympics, then the fi of the Ni All-Around, Ultimate Hunt, was the peak of that climax! Though criticized and boycotted by many iional groups, it reigned as the highest-rated event every games, embodying everythireme sports stood for: style, dahrill, gore, and risk. It tested every human limit—guts, strategy, psyche, posure, skill, stamina, patience. A duel of intelled physique, it was the rawest, most brutal life-or-death showdowween petitors!

  Like Russian roulette, it started as an underground, illegal extreme sport, ofteo gambling ang disputes. It inated with mob flicts—when rival gangs faced a stalemate but couldn’t afford an all-out war, they’d settle it this way. Each side sent a champion, armed, into a remote, enclosed area—an abandoned isnd or dipidated church—to hunt each other down. The st oanding won victory for their fa. Less costly than a full firefight, it became a go-to for underworld resolutions. Later, it spread quietly among hardcore extreme fans, evolving into a bloody betting game or a reckless thrill-seeking test.

  Of course, when it joihe Extreme Olympics, the cruelty, gore, and inhumanity were stripped away. With lifelike eleic simution tech, riders didn’t o kill or die to feel the rush of Ultimate Hunt. Audieoo, could witness near-real age through the same tech. Perhaps humanity’s ihirst for blood and savagery expined why—despite protests—it undeniably overtook st tury’s top sport, soccer, as the highest-rated extreme event on TV.

  Xia Feng prepared for this final test. Though tless cameras were trained on him, his mi drifting to his rock climbing loss. He’d been the first to summit the Federal TV Tower, but he hadn’t anticipated the women’s bonus points, which pushed Jasina’s total score seven points ahead. That left him at a steep disadvantage now. In Ultimate Hunt, each kill earned one point, with eleven oppos total. To win, he’d need ht kills—not just that, he’d have to stop Jasina from sg too. An almost impossible task, unless he took her out first!

  After a final check of his firearm, Xia Feng fired seven shots at a fifty-meter eleic target. The s fshed his results: five bullseyes, two hat score could medal in an Olympic shooti, but Xia Feng shook his head, dissatisfied, sing in a fresh magazihese eleis were unily realistic—weight, grip, recoil, and sound mimig a real Kovac pistol perfectly. The only differeno bullets. A puter calcuted impact points to determis.

  After two more test magazines, he set the gun down. Staff quickly fitted him with a skintight eleic suit, like sharkskin, c everything but his eyes, mouth, nose, and ears—a sed skin. If aronic shot hit it, the suit delivered a numbing jolt at the impact site, mimig the pain and weakness of a real wound. A strike to a vital spot? Lights out—you’d pass out like you were dead.

  Layering his petition gear over the suit, Xia Feng stood quietly, awaiting the small door to the arena. What y beyond? How big was it? Any cover? Added hazards? None of the petitors knew—not a map or hint provided. He suddenly recalled a childhood game, Battle Royale, but even that had tips, maps, overpowered ons, and endless ammo. Not here—just two magazines, fourteen rounds total.

  Beep! Beep! Beep! After three buzzes, the arena door sprang open. Xia Feng charged out without hesitation. Caution wasn’t an option—he had to take Jasina down before she scored, or the was out of reach. Ultimate Hunt wasn’t about survival time; it was about kill t—one poiakedown. Like modern soccer favored offehis event rewarded aggression.

  Beyond the door y a dim, rundown underground parking garage. Xia Feng darted forward, varying his speed to dodge aim, sing the yout fast. It wasn’t rge—scattered with a dozen cars and a few load-bearing crete pilrs, perfect for cover. But they’d do him little good. Luring foes as bait was his only py now.

  A gun barrel poked from behind a pilr. Xia Feng dove, sliding forward on momentum. By the time the shooter realized Xia Feng was at his feet, Xia Feng’s gun fired. The man clutched his forehead and crumpled—a fatal hit!

  No time to grab the fallen on, Xia Feng rolled under an SUV. Gunfire erupted around him like popping beans. Ft on the ground, he peeked out, spotting a pair of feet exposed under a car chassis nearby. One shot, and the figure colpsed; a sed to the heart finished him.

  Rolling out, Xia Fe onto a car roof by the wall, fully exposing himself! The move caught everyone off guard—they froze for a split sed. In that instant, his gun barked again, dropping a petitor twenty meters away who’d carelessly peeked out—one shot, lethal!

  “This kid’s a born killer!” A heartfelt excmation shattered the room’s silehe hand with the pink diam ched tight, its owner fixated oV wall with mounting tension. The s split into nine feeds, overhead angles exposing nearly every pyer, but only hree, Xia Feng, held the aze.

  “Brilliant!” The er figure chimed in. “Fast moves and surprise tactics to seize the initiative, bold strikes to create openings—I’d bet his rea speed’s under 0.1 seds!”

  The slender, pale hand sprang into a, fingers dang over a keyboard like a virtuoso pianist. Moments ter, Xia Feng’s ret moves fshed on-s, his fastest rea clog at 0.087 seds!

  “God! Unreal! Hoeople in the world reader 0.1 seds?” The hand froze midair, its owunned.

  “I know of two: Dumas and Jasina!”

  “Why not mention yourself?” The hand lowered as its owner rexed. “Though I know you don’t care about physical prowess—you value willpower and spirit more.”

  The er figure ighe fttery, saying coolly, “I think you’ve already got your top pick. He’s a genius warrior and killer!”

  The owner chuckled, “You know me well, just as I know you!”

  “Let’s not decide yet—you haven’t seen Jasina perform,” the er voice replied. No sooner had he spoken than the s erupted with a game-ging twist.