Reluctance, helplessness...
Facing Mi Yao's mockery and ridicule,
Although Chen Kong struggled to push off the ground and get up, the intense pain in his body made his efforts futile.
Unyielding willpower could only seize that one-in-ten-thousand chance but could not change the remaining ninety-nine hundredths of the 'fact.'
Mi Yao's strength was already superior to his own, and now with a three-fold power amplification, a casual strike was enough to render Chen Kong completely immobile.
Therefore, despite his unwillingness, Chen Kong ultimately collapsed to the ground.
Looking at Chen Kong, who finally failed to get up, Mi Yao's tone lost its previous mockery and smugness, replaced by complexity and regret.
"Looks like this game has no continuation."
He bent down to pick up the Martial Arts Badge that had fallen from Chen Kong, waved his hand, and said, "...Let's leave it at that, Kong. It seems you're not as extraordinary as someone claimed. I overestimated you."
As the words fell, Mi Yao turned to leave the martial arts arena.
However, before he could take a few steps, footsteps came from the other side.
Tap!
The footsteps at the entrance of the passage were light, yet they instantly caused Mi Yao, who was about to exit the arena, to halt, his expression freezing.
That instinctive reaction, ingrained in his bones, made him look like he had encountered a final boss in a game. The ease and leisure on his face completely vanished, replaced by a vigilant stare toward the passage.
"Play a game with me too, Mi Yao."
Tendo's voice drifted from the passage entrance, carrying a casual chuckle.
He walked in the lead, the hem of his black trench coat sweeping the ground. Behind him followed the expressionless Caroline and the complex-eyed Gon.
Sunlight streamed through the skylight, landing on him. Though he wasn't intentionally releasing Star Energy, the air in the entire arena seemed to solidify.
At this moment, Mi Yao even felt that his Star Source was instinctively slowing its operation, following Tendo's pace.
He didn't know if it was his illusion or a psychological effect.
Tendo, at this moment, seemed to him to be covered in a unique filter, as if the spotlight of the entire world was focused on this guy.
And while Tendo hadn't said anything and his tone was relaxed,
Mi Yao treated him as a formidable enemy.
"Play what?"
He didn't refuse, because Mi Yao understood he had no choice.
After all, Tendo never cared about other people's thoughts.
Since he said he wanted to play a game with him, he had to comply.
If he refused, the consequences... were often very severe.
Ignoring Mi Yao's extremely serious expression, Tendo walked past Chen Kong, who was still sprawled on the ground, and stopped not far in front of Mi Yao.
After a moment's thought, he smiled and said, "Let's play High-Card (Bigger or Smaller). You should carry playing cards with you, right? The two of us will each draw one card randomly. The person with the higher card wins, how about it?"
"..."
Mi Yao was silent for a moment, then skillfully took a brand new deck of cards from his pocket and held them in his hand.
"What's the stake?"
"Very simple, we'll bet the Martial Arts Badge you just won."
"And if you lose?"
Tendo gave Mi Yao a strange look, saying with a tone of course, "Why do you think I would lose?"
"What if, just in case."
Mi Yao's gaze was very serious, clearly not joking.
After all, playing games was his forte, and the so-called 'games' didn't just include 'video games.'
Poker was also a part of his games.
In response, Tendo shrugged and said, "What do you want?"
Mi Yao thought for a moment and stated his idea.
"I want all your Martial Arts Badge. I know the one who collected all the badges is, and can only be, you."
Hearing that, Tendo smiled.
"Fine."
Without any hesitation, Tendo waved his hand casually.
The next second, the stable sub-space node in the arena suddenly split open with a zipper-like tear.
Then, a multitude of Martial Arts Badge spilled out, exactly ninety-nine of them.
Undoubtedly, the mysterious person on the Heavenly Person Ranking who had obtained 'ninety-nine Martial Arts Badge' was indeed Tendo.
Not only Mi Yao, but even the Dimension Viewers had known this the moment the [Heavenly Person Ranking] was revealed.
Thus, the so-called mysterious person... was never mysterious at all.
Looking at the 'chips' Tendo threw out, Mi Yao took a deep breath and tossed the poker deck into the air.
Instantly, all fifty-four cards floated mid-air as if losing gravity, face down.
"You draw first, or I draw first?"
Tendo smiled. "You go first."
Seeing Tendo treat him with such disregard, Mi Yao gritted his teeth and randomly drew a card from the floating deck.
He kept the card face down, intending to wait for Tendo to draw before turning both over.
However, Tendo said nonchalantly, "Turn it over. Because no matter what you draw, the winner will ultimately be me."
Tendo's words were like an echo of what Mi Yao had told Chen Kong not long ago—that he would never lose.
But this arrogant behavior from Tendo was undoubtedly an insult in Mi Yao's eyes.
He never denied Tendo's strength, but that didn't mean he would admit his own weakness.
And this was the attitude of most of the Prequel of the Stars toward Tendo.
They were indeed inferior to Tendo, but they were definitely stronger than the vast majority of people other than Tendo.
Therefore, they possessed their own pride.
With this thought, Mi Yao revealed the poker card he had chosen.
[Poker Card: Joker (Small)]
Looking at the card, Tendo joked to Caroline beside him, "Caroline, this guy Mi Yao actually drew the Small Joker. Do you think I can still win?"
Caroline glanced calmly at Mi Yao, data streams flashing rapidly in her eyes.
"Data analysis: In a 54-card deck, only the Big Joker can secure victory. Excluding the revealed Small Joker, you have a 1 in 53 probability of winning the game."
"However, considering Mi Yao's own Star Source characteristics and his personality, the probability of him tampering with the cards is 100%."
"Therefore, the data analysis result is... your theoretical win rate, Tendo, is infinitely close to 0."
"Only infinitely close, huh? Then it seems my chances are not small."
To this, Caroline actually nodded.
"Indeed. Although theoretically you are difficult to win, based on my understanding of you, Tendo, your probability of winning is 100%."
"Oh? Why? You know I don't intend to tamper with them."
Caroline did not answer this time, merely giving Tendo a faint look.
Silence spoke louder than words.
Because her second conclusion was completely unsupported by data, relying entirely on 'intuition.'
And intuition was the most 'counter-intuitive' thing for a Mechanized Star Emissary.
Because what they pursued was to replace 'intuition-like sensibility' with 'absolute rationality.'
Yet, the current Caroline was increasingly trusting her 'intuition.'
And to a certain extent, this trust surpassed her confidence in 'data.'
She never once considered that Tendo would lose, and this confidence was even stronger than Tendo's own.
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