Chapter 102 She? Beat Rocky?
As Amelia descended the staircase, the cheers and screams of the crowd grew louder with each step, like waves crashing one after another.
Just a wall apart.
Under the dim glow of the wall lamps, the dark steps led deep into the underground abyss.
Outside, the world was filled with bright lights and lively parties; inside, it was dark, hot, dangerous, and mysterious.
Stepping off the last stair onto the ground, Amelia looked up and asked Milo, "What is this place?"
"Girl," Milo grinned at her question, "You don't even know where you are and yet you're a contestant? And you just followed me in here?"
Amelia frowned slightly, "Contestant?"
"This is River City's only underground fight club, a place where people gamble with their lives."
"I don't know how you got here, but now that you're in, you can't just walk out without fighting."
Underground fight club?
Amelia took a deep breath, finally understanding the smell of blood in the air and the driver's words about people being carried out covered in blood.
Underground fights, or unofficial boxing matches, exist in many countries around the world. They're a dark, hidden industry unknown to the general public.
Spectators buy tickets on the spot to watch these fights. Since there are no broadcast revenues or advertising fees for these illegal matches, the main income comes from gambling.
People bet on the contestants' wins and losses, with varying odds.
It's more of a brawl than a boxing match. Most fighters are bare-chested, and the atmosphere is wild and violent, giving the audience a visceral thrill.
A more fitting term would be "gladiator pit."
However, this kind of place wasn't unfamiliar to Amelia.
In her previous life in Novaria, she had participated in the famous Abyss Underground Fights.
One fight every night for seven consecutive nights, all for the final reward.
"Follow me to the waiting room; someone will come for you," Milo explained as he led Amelia forward.
They walked through a long, narrow corridor. As the door opened, the blinding white light made Amelia squint.
It was a world completely different from above ground.
Amelia stood on a high platform. Looking down, she saw an arena layout far larger than she had imagined.
In the center of the hall was a large round fighting ring, surrounded by several circles of coarse ropes as barriers. Crowds of people gathered around the ring, almost too many to count.
At that moment, two burly men, bare-chested, were fighting in the ring.
When the fighter in red landed a heavy punch on the blue fighter, knocking him to the ground, the crowd erupted in loud cheers, everyone going wild.
Amelia squinted to get a better look.
Above the ring was a large high-definition screen showing close-up shots of the fight, so even those far from the ring could see the action clearly.
The top right corner of the screen displayed two lines of numbers: the first line showed the odds for the two fighters, and the second line likely showed the audience's support rate for each fighter.
Generally, the greater the difference in support rates, the higher the odds. After all, it was rare for the underdog to win when the entire crowd believed in the favorite.
Milo, clearly a long-time worker here, didn't even glance at the ring as he led Amelia to a room.
This must be the waiting room he mentioned.
Milo told her to wait there and then left.
Three minutes later, a boy who looked no older than fourteen or fifteen named Mason walked in.
He looked well-mannered, carrying two items in his hands, and spoke with a slightly youthful voice.
"Hi there, ma'am. My master sent me to find you."
"These are for you."
Mason's hands were clean, with a few calluses.
However, when Amelia saw what he was holding, her pupils contracted sharply.
Two items.
The first was a letter, and the second was a black half-face mask with an embroidered dark red rose at the corner.
A rose design.
Not any other pattern, not any other flower, but a rose.
Amelia took a deep breath and opened the letter. The first word made her clench her fist.
[Rosie: It's been years. Long time no see.]
This rare herb dealer in the black market was indeed Pearl!
Only he would call her that and use such an infuriating tone, making Amelia's blood boil.
[Although I don't know how you found me, the moment I saw the message, I knew it was you.]
[mugwort and all that were just excuses; you just wanted to find me and see me, didn't you?]
[If you want to see me, win a match for me first. If you win, I'll consider meeting you.]
Amelia gritted her teeth, resisting the urge to tear the letter apart, and asked Mason directly, "Where is he now?"
Mason shook his head, "Ma'am, Sir said you need to win a match first, then he'll consider meeting you."
This must be what having a nemesis feels like. Just hearing Pearl's messenger made her want to kill Pearl.
Closing her eyes for three seconds, Amelia opened them again, expressionless, "When do I fight? Tell me the process."
Fifteen minutes later, Amelia walked back to the fight club.
The two burly men were still in the ring, exchanging heavy blows.
The crowd erupted in cheers, shouting, "Kill him! Kill him!"
Both men wore headgear, but it only protected the upper half of their heads.
The red fighter named Jack landed an uppercut on his opponent's jaw, knocking him to the ground. The screen showed the opponent's teeth, wrapped in bloody foam, flying out of his mouth.
After knocking him down, Jack straddled him and continued to pummel him until the opponent was nearly dead. Only then did the referee step in to declare Jack the winner.
These underground fights are officially forbidden from killing, but accidents are inevitable. Fighters sign waivers acknowledging the risks.
They're like daredevils, valuing money over life.
As the results were announced, the crowd's reaction was mixed. Winners were ecstatic, while losers looked devastated.
Quickly, several staff members came in, expertly placing the unconscious blue fighter on a stretcher and carrying him out, unfazed by his condition.
Next up was Amelia's turn.
The screen displayed: [Rocky VS Pearl powder]
The audience was puzzled and began to murmur.
Everyone knew who Rocky was, but this was the first appearance of Pearl. No one knew if Pearl was male or female or how skilled they were.
And the name was odd! Pearl powder? Ground-up pearls?
In the VIP viewing room, a bald man in a suit named Alvin Jordan was also puzzled.
Alvin looked at the handsome man beside him, Pearl, who was squinting at the screen, "Pearl, is this the person you found to fight Rocky?"
"Yes," Pearl nodded with a smile.
As expected of Rosie.
The name clearly showed her desire to kill him.
"Maybe the name isn't intimidating, but they must be skilled!" Alvin reassured himself, picking up his teacup.
The next second, when he saw Amelia in her school uniform step into the ring, his eyes widened, and he spat out his tea.