Throne Of Supreme

Chapter 271: Is There Anyone Else?

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An eerie silence enveloped the ring. Then, two seconds later, a massive uproar erupted.

"Master Hoffman lost?"

"What just happened? Why did Master Hoffman suddenly fly off the ring? I don't understand any of this."

"Did Master Hoffman throw the match?"

"Don't be ridiculous! Master Hoffman would never do such a thing!"

"Master Hoffman seemed to say something to that person just now. Did anyone catch what he said?"

"Master, what's going on?"

The noise around him stirred Hoffman from his daze.

"Master Aoki is a truly formidable individual. I am far inferior to him. Moreover..."

His voice grew louder, commanding attention.

"The steps are covered by an invisible layer of pressure that directly acts on the limbs and internal organs. The higher you climb, the greater the pressure. If you're unprepared, you won't make it past the third floor.

Additionally, the arena itself is shrouded in an even stronger pressure, far greater than that of the tenth step!"

The crowd fell silent, and Hoffman's words quickly spread.

"Pressure? So that's what it was. No wonder the previous challengers stopped climbing."

"If there's pressure in the ring, then that means..."

"Exactly! Master Aoki has been enduring the most intense pressure all along. Who was the fool claiming that Master Aoki took advantage of his rest and that the fight was unfair? Hah! It is unfair, but unfair to Master Aoki!"

"Heh, judging a gentleman by your own petty standards, huh?"

"Those people don't think. Master Aoki willingly accepted the round-robin challenge. How could he stoop to such tricks?"

"People always struggle to comprehend things beyond their understanding. They're used to playing dirty themselves, so they assume everyone else does the same."

Amid the crowd, a rotund man and a wiry fellow turned pale, their faces alternating between red and white.

They had been the loudest complainers just moments ago, but now the situation had turned against them.

Next to them, a kindly-looking older man chuckled softly, saying nothing. The two troublemakers fled in disgrace.

However, apart from those nearby, no one paid them any attention anymore.

All eyes turned to the ring, where three new challengers had stepped forward. They were identical in appearance.

A man with braided hair ran a hand through his locks and said, "Oh, it's the three Green brothers. This should be interesting."

Someone nearby, unfamiliar with the situation, asked, "Are the Green brothers really that strong?"

The man with braids smirked. "It's not about strength. These three are a special kind of shameless—despicable and vulgar bastards, to be exact!"

"Master Hoffman, what's your take on this?" someone asked.

Hoffman replied calmly, "You'll understand soon enough."

In the ring, the scarred, burly man spoke up. "Heh, Master Aoki, my brothers and I always fight together. Is it okay if we attack as a team this time? After all, this is the rule you set!"

"No problem," Aoki replied with a faint smile. "Not only can all three of you attack at once, but you're free to use the poison in your sleeves, the guns hidden in your arms, and the bombs in your pockets as well!"

The Green brothers froze, their faces paling in unison.

In a flash, Aoki appeared in front of the scarred man.

Scarface's pupils contracted as his hand darted toward his pocket.

Before he could act, Aoki delivered a punch straight to his stomach.

Scarface's eyes bulged, his mouth opened as if to speak, but no sound came out. Slowly, his body crumpled to the ground.

"Brother!" the other two screamed, their eyes bloodshot.

Aoki turned his gaze toward them.

Moments later, he grabbed one in each hand, effortlessly lifting them before tossing all three brothers out of the ring.

The audience was utterly silent.

If the fight between Aoki and Hoffman earlier seemed puzzling, it was because outsiders simply could not see the subtle mysteries behind it.

This battle, however, left everyone with a clear sense of Aoki's power.

After a few seconds, someone finally came to their senses and glanced to the side.

"Didn't you say there was something fun to watch? Where's the fun?"

The man with braids stroked his hair, muttering, "How was I supposed to know he was this strong?"

Even without resorting to those shameless moves, the three Green brothers were no pushovers. The very fact that they could step into the ring was proof enough of their strength.

Who could have expected the three Green brothers to be completely defenseless?

"So strong! No wonder he dares to set up a ring!"

"Really? Is no one seeing the real point here? He's super handsome!"

"…? Do you even understand what the word 'focus' means?"

"How can an outsider be allowed to act so arrogantly in the imperial capital without anyone able to deal with him?"

"Wake up, everyone! He's slapping us in the face!"

"Just wait. The imperial capital has many hidden dragons and crouching tigers. He won't be this arrogant for long."

[Note: I don't want to hear anything about this in the comments]

People argued fiercely—some supported Aoki, while others eagerly awaited his defeat.

Aoki, however, was happy to see this unfold.

Where there is debate, there is attention. Where there is attention, there is dissemination. The more widely the news spreads, the greater his fame will become.

Glancing at the system, Aoki was pleasantly surprised to find that his task progress had reached one percent.

While the progress itself was insignificant, the important thing was that it proved his method was effective.

"Then I'll add more fuel to the fire!"

Aoki looked around the crowd and said in a calm tone, "Is there anyone else?"

Many people looked visibly irritated.

"Dammit! Isn't that too arrogant?"

"Is there no one who can teach him a lesson?"

Before long, someone stepped forward.

"I'll do it!"

Having witnessed the earlier battles, everyone knew that anyone willing to step onto the battlefield now was no ordinary person.

The challenger rushed onto the ring in one breath, faster than Hoffman and the three Green brothers.

"Okay, okay!"

"Come on! Come on! Come on!"

"Beat him!"

A few seconds later, the cheers stopped abruptly. The challenger flew out of the ring, blood spurting from his mouth.

"Anyone else?"

Aoki's voice wasn't loud, but it rang out clearly across the crowd.

Many faces flushed red with anger.

"I'll do it!"

Another person stepped forward.

He rushed into the ring, and moments later, he was carried out, defeated.

"I'll do it!"

…

Boom!

A woman in tight clothes was sent flying out of the ring, landing hard on the ground. She struggled to get up, looking at Aoki's figure on the ring with awe in her eyes.

The area around the ring fell into silence.

Whether they were Aoki's supporters or those who were hostile toward him, no one could say a word.

A young man in elegant clothes stood frozen, his face pale, his eyes filled with despair.

"How is this possible? Why is he so strong? In the thousand-year-old imperial capital, is there not even one person who can last more than ten seconds against him?"

The woman in tight clothes was the seventh consecutive challenger.

Excluding the time they spent climbing the stairs, the total time all seven challengers had spent on the ring was less than a minute.

Some people began to feel mentally defeated. They no longer hoped for someone to win; they just wished for a challenger who could last a little longer against Aoki. Yet even this small dream remained unfulfilled.

"It's getting late. That's all for today!"

Aoki decided the timing was perfect and chose to let the news simmer.

"I'll be waiting here again tomorrow morning. Everyone is welcome to challenge me!"

He picked up the golden box and disappeared.