Xiao Dou wasn't having a great time in America. She had come all excited to tag along with Jing Shu, dreaming of big meals and new sights, but reality hit hard. America wasn't anything like she had imagined.
She couldn't just follow her owner around and eat whatever looked tasty on the street. It had already been three days, and the food here wasn't even as good as the high-quality grain she got back home. Worse, her unreliable owner expected her to find food on her own in this wasteland.
On top of that, Xiao Dou had recently become obsessed with hatching over her eggs, so she wasn't exactly thrilled about the whole competition thing Jing Shu kept talking about. Even when Jing Shu promised her an extra chicken leg if she won, she just wiggled her feathered butt lazily, showing no interest in the fight.
"It's actually fine if you don't win," Jing Shu said softly, leaning down toward the crate.
If chickens had ears, Xiao Dou's would have perked right up at that change in tone.
"It's just that if you lose, you will, uh... die. Sorry, Xiao Dou. I signed you up for a Ten-Match Death Battle. If you don't make it to the end, you will get eaten by the other contestants. But if you win, you can eat whatever meat you want.
Isn't that your dream? Didn't you always want to try tiger meat, crocodile meat, maybe some leopard too? Win this and you can have them roasted, fried, stewed, however you like!"
The moment she heard that, Xiao Dou's feathers puffed up until she looked twice her size, like she had been electrocuted. She flapped her wings frantically and clucked in loud, sharp outrage, drawing a few disgusted looks from nearby competitors in the prep area.
If she could talk, she would definitely be screaming, "Holy shit, you're screwing me over, you're screwing the chicken!"
Every day, countless professionals and amateurs came to these pet battle arenas. Some brought vicious creatures they had caught in the wild after the apocalypse, while others showed off rare beasts raised by nobles before the fall. The fiercer the pet, the more famous it became, and the more people bet on it. Unknown or untested pets couldn't even get a seat in the gambling ring.
Of course, there was another way in; the Ten-Match Death Battle. Win, and you would become a champion. Lose, and you would die. It was a high-stakes game loved by the black market. Jing Shu had bet on Xiao Dou to win all ten rounds.
If Xiao Dou made it to the end, the payout would be massive. The profit from one full winning streak was basically what the entire arena earned in a day. Jing Shu knew that if you didn't show strength, people would bully you. But if you did, like she intended to now, no one would dare challenge you.
Right now, no one knew who Xiao Dou was, so no one was betting on her to win the streak. But once she revealed her strength, everyone would pile their money on her, which meant almost no profit for the house. That was why Jing Shu said they only had one shot at this.
As for the risks; she had already thought it through. It wasn't blind faith in Xiao Dou, but in herself. In the few days since she had arrived in America, her control over the Cube Space had grown stronger. After everything that had happened, she could feel herself on the verge of breaking through another barrier. She was confident Xiao Dou could beat them all.
The Ten-Match Death Battle wasn't a daily event. Only the truly strong, or the frauds running rigged fights, dared to join. And those frauds? They were usually Chinese businessmen. They would hype up fake matches, plant shills in the crowd, and lure gamblers to bet big on guaranteed wins. Then they would flip the tables and walk away rich. The black market didn't interfere; either they had been paid off, or they saw no reason to stop something that funneled money right back to them.
You had to admit, Chinese folks could survive and thrive anywhere.
Jing Shu and Xiao Dou were escorted to Arena Zone 3. The dueling pit was a raised platform, about seventy or eighty square meters wide, enclosed in a massive cage streaked with rust, filth, feathers, and dried blood. The smell of rot alone could make you gag.
"Ladies and gentlemen, at this thrilling moment, I announce today's Ten-Match Death Battle challenger! A lady named Jing, and her... chicken. A very powerful battle chicken! Let's give them a big hand!"
Xiao Hei translated the host's booming words from behind.
Jing Shu gave a brief nod and nudged Xiao Dou, who was sulking inside her metal armor, lying flat on the ground. The crowd murmured, unimpressed. Some snickered, clearly thinking this was another rigged match destined to fail. Xiao Hei whispered, 'They're betting ten coins that you will be out in the first round. Someone even wagered a hundred, saying they won't fall for the scam this time.'
Jing Shu's lips curved slightly at the corners.
In the VIP Lounge, the atmosphere was different.
"Hey, I remember that woman," a man murmured, his hand wandering up Peggy's thigh as they sat on the velvet sofa. "Isn't she that witch everyone has been talking about? Look, she brought her chicken to fight. Think she will use magic?"
Peggy half-closed her eyes, smiling lazily at the screen. "Yeah, that's her. A really fascinating Chinese woman. Check her bets; she has put two thousand black market coins on herself winning all ten rounds."
"Babe, should we bet with her then? If she is that capable..."
Peggy chuckled softly, then whispered in his ear, "We can't let her win. If she does, the black market loses at least two hundred thousand. Bet ten thousand that she wins nine times, and we will end her streak on the ninth. Oh God, imagine how much we will make then."
"As for magic?" She smiled, sipping her wine. "She won't be able to use it."
"Alright, Miss Mirror, please bring your pet into the arena! Let's see who her first opponent is... Oh! It's the hyena! You guys remember this one, right? It beat a leopard last time! Though it's still injured, looks like its gambler owner doesn't know when to quit, huh?"
"Place your bets! Two minutes before each match begins, the earlier you bet, the higher the odds!"
"Ha! I'm betting everything on the hyena! I saw it fight before, that thing is terrifying!"
"Same here! No matter how tough that chicken is, it's still just a meal for the hyena!"
"Hahaha! That chicken is about to become dinner!"
Jing Shu let Xiao Dou step into the large cage first. The hen strutted around, found a comfy corner, then flopped down and went to sleep. Jing Shu sighed. "Sir, my pet is allowed to bring weapons or gear, right?"
The host burst out laughing, the sound echoing through the speakers. "It's a death match! Of course you can bring weapons! If your chicken can handle a gun, I will give her all ten wins myself—if she can actually hit anything! Hahaha! But maybe wake her up first, she is about to be someone's lunch!"
"Hahaha!"
Jing Shu smiled politely, her eyes calm. "Thanks for the reminder. You might not know this, but my chicken is not like the others. Maybe she really can use a gun."
The betting closed with a final bell. The hyena limped in, chained and snarling. It bared its yellow teeth and locked its eyes on its prey, drool dripping onto the sand as it caught the scent of delicious, juicy chicken. It was its favorite meal of all. The gate clanged shut with a heavy, metallic sound. From that moment on, only the winner would walk out alive.