Infinite flow, but I submit myself

Xiu Wei Yi couldn’t remember when exactly he began to feel jealous of Tang Mo Bai.

From a young age, he had always been an ordinary person. He wasn’t as lively and attention-grabbing as other kids, nor as smart to earn rewards from teachers. He wasn’t one of those children who would cry and make noise to stand out. He was just the overlooked, average kid—neither at the top nor the bottom.

But that was fine, he thought, at least he had his parents.

An only child from a typical working-class family, no matter what he did, his parents always thought he was the best, the one they loved most, and the one whose opinions they always listened to.

—That was, until they were expecting a second child.

In truth, he didn’t remember much about that time, as he was only five years old, but his grandmother had repeatedly nagged him about it, forcing him to remember.

Yes, he was sent to his grandmother’s house… after he pushed his younger brother down the stairs.

As he grew up and learned, he initially felt uneasy and guilty about what happened. He repeatedly apologized to his brother and his parents, and they forgave him. Everything seemed to have passed, and he grew up. However, all the friends he made during his growing years were people who were either worse than him or people he could easily be superior to. If someone exceeded his expectations, a small argument would occur and they’d part ways.

But that was normal. Not every friendship lasts forever. Even his grandmother said that he didn’t do anything wrong.

In a civilized society, jealousy is ugly. Only naive children can act on such ugly desires, and normal adults aren’t allowed to express them—saying it aloud is a crime.

But here, everything was different.

“…Tang Mo Bai, why was it you who were chosen?”

After learning from Yan Wuzhen that Tang Mo Bai had someone behind him, it seemed to explain all of his changes. But this also made Xiu Wei Yi’s jealousy reach a point where it almost twisted his personality.

At that moment, he suddenly realized that the demon who had pushed his brother down the stairs had always been there.

He was just hiding.

Why you?

Why not me?

After failing the novice trial, he had tried hard to find a way out, desperately trying to please others, putting his dignity beneath his feet, but all he got in return were mockeries. He wasn’t even unattractive, and yet…

Jealousy, like venom, corroded his heart, and he had to pretend that everything was fine in front of Tang Mo Bai. In reality, he could do nothing but suffer, but here, it became his source of power and his lifeline.

There was one thing he didn’t tell Tang Mo Bai. During the meal with Yan Wuzhen yesterday, almost immediately after Yan Wuzhen spoke about the original sin fate, Xiu Wei Yi instantly understood his own desire.

It was to kill Tang Mo Bai.

Swish!

In deathmatch mode, using weapons was allowed, but the gladiators needed to exchange coins for them. Xiu Wei Yi didn’t have extra coins, but he paid a price to receive a gift, and the sharp, blood-grooved short blade in his hand was the result.

However, the downside was that he had never learned cold weapon combat. His thrusting moves were stiff and mechanical, so even a rookie like Tang Mo Bai could easily read his attack trajectory.

But it was hard to avoid—Xiu Wei Yi was just too fast!

When Tang Mo Bai’s reaction nerves sent out a warning, the sharp blade was already advancing toward his chest. He tried to dodge in advance, but the sharp knife still scraped through the front of his shirt.

Gulp.

He stepped back repeatedly, swallowing involuntarily. Something was wrong…

Since when did Xiu Wei Yi become so strong?

No, wait, if you’re that strong, why are you still jealous of me??

But he couldn’t shout out, as Xiu Wei Yi’s attacks were fast and ruthless. If one strike failed, he swiftly turned and attacked again, the sharp blade like a silver snake darting toward Tang Mo Bai. Although the trajectory was as clear as ink on a blank sheet of paper, the speed was just too much, and while Tang Mo Bai’s mind could keep up, his body couldn’t!

In just a few minutes, several cuts appeared on his body, each narrowly avoided.

In the audience stands, Seth, who had watched the first round of the match, had come to observe. His eyes were covered with bandages, and Yan Wuzhen sat next to him. “The medical room didn’t fully heal you?”

“It’s not that,” he replied. “I requested it. After all, I no longer take your orders.”

Yan Wuzhen looked at him in surprise. “Can you even see like this?”

“Mostly, I can sense people’s positions through infrared. If you could repeat the battle situation for me, that would be great.”

“I charge for that service!” Yan Wuzhen retorted, rolling his eyes. Then, he smirked. “Unless you want to trade your thoughts on your first gladiatorial match with me.”

“Fine.”

Yan Wuzhen briefly summarized the current situation, with Xiu Wei Yi at the advantage. “…As expected, this is classic jealousy enhancement. He’s definitely the type of man who’s easy to see through.”

【Hiss, what’s up with this batch of newcomers? First, there’s an underdog, and now another one?】

【Yeah, and is this new guy that strong? Why didn’t we notice this before?】

【Before, you wouldn’t understand. Jealousy fate is like this, when it targets the right person, it makes one invincible.】

【The classic case of jealousy—against the rich, the smart, the strong, or the beautiful. After their desire awakens, they get the ‘original sin’ boost, and their combat power becomes enhanced when they face those they are jealous of. If the original sin enhancement also fits with their true self talent, they become a killer for those specific groups!】

【Well, ‘sewer killers’ is more accurate, especially if they’re jealous of a specific person. After killing that person, the original sin boost is no longer effective, so if they’re just jealous of a specific trait, that’s one thing, but if it’s of a specific person, their growth in the later stages can’t compare to other demonic paths.】

【After all, jealousy is synonymous with ‘narrow-mindedness’】

【Sigh, this underdog is really unlucky—he’s provoking a jealous person, and now he’s specially targeted. How is he going to fight this?】

In the casino, Tang Mo Bai’s original odds of winning were 133, but after Xiu Wei Yi’s original sin was revealed, his odds began to drop, while Xiu Wei Yi’s odds skyrocketed.

Clearly, the casino knew what it meant to face someone with a jealousy fate targeting them in the early stages. Gamblers who had bet on Tang Mo Bai were cursing under their breath—this kid’s luck was just terrible!

That’s right, Tang Mo Bai’s luck was really bad. But on the other hand, Xiu Wei Yi felt that fate was on his side.

【Name: Xiu Wei Yi
True Self: Fate 7 · The Weak → (Fate 6 · ???)
The Weak Effect: Bully the weak, grow stronger when facing the weak. Gains a boost in all basic attributes +5 when targeting weaker opponents.

Original Sin:
Jealousy (Born from the desire to kill Tang Mo Bai, the original sin grants a temporary boost of 15 to strength and speed, and a 5% increase in critical hit chance when targeting Tang Mo Bai directly.)】

The boost to Xiu Wei Yi’s physical stats from jealousy against Tang Mo Bai, combined with the conditions of Fate 7, further strengthened him.

This is why he dared to challenge Tang Mo Bai. No, he should say he had to follow his own desire to kill him. Only by doing this could his true self further evolve, only by doing this could he gain the strength to survive here!

Sorry, after all, you’ll die in three days anyway—might as well die by my hand.

Xiu Wei Yi kept trying to convince himself, suppressing the last remnants of his conscience. His knife strikes became sharper and more concise, each one targeting vital spots like the neck and chest.

Tang Mo Bai was forced to retreat step by step. Xiu Wei Yi’s speed and strength had increased dramatically, and he could barely hold his ground, lifting his arms to protect his vital areas. Blood quickly stained both of his forearms, soaking through his clothes and draining some of his stamina.

The feeling was completely different from the pressure of bare-handed combat. If fist-to-flesh fighting was a thrilling rush, cold weapons carried a romantic allure of blood, and the arena’s ground had been designed to be soaked in it from the moment it was built.

Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, Xiu Wei Yi didn’t have many coins—was it Yan Wuzhen being stingy? In close combat, short weapons couldn’t compare to long ones. If it had been a spear or a staff, Tang Mo Bai would likely have been knocked down by now, but it was a dagger, which was better for grappling techniques.

Although Tang Mo Bai was covered in blood, none of his vital organs had been injured. He looked terrifying, but he was still holding on.

“This kid’s putting in some effort.”

009 turned and saw their companion in the same black robe and ghost mask sitting behind them.

Their masters, the ones who owned the slaves, never mixed with the slaves. Instead, they sat in the virtual stands, carefully avoiding overlapping with the audience.

“Your slave?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s rare. You’ve never watched gladiatorial matches before, not even when it’s your chosen slave participating.” The voice of 016, from beneath the mask, carried a hint of surprise. “Is there something special about him?”

009 hesitated for a moment. “Just a little curious.”

“Curious about what?”

009 didn’t answer immediately. 016 had grown used to their indifferent attitude and wasn’t expecting a response. After two or three seconds, 009’s voice pierced through the crowd’s cheering, softly reaching her ear. “Curious about one answer.”

What they were curious about, perhaps even he himself wasn’t sure.

It was just that when he saw those eyes in the medical room—clear, confused, and with a hint of naive foolishness—they didn’t belong to a demon.

He was truly curious, when the fear and despair of death began to seep in, whether this person would regret not fully falling into depravity?

Soon, loud boos filled the arena and the live-stream comments.

However, this time, the boos weren’t directed at Tang Mo Bai. They were aimed at Xiu Wei Yi!

As the match entered its later stages, the familiar scene started to repeat itself: Tang Mo Bai, who had been under constant pressure, was now quickly adapting to Xiu Wei Yi’s attack patterns. This was partly due to Xiu Wei Yi’s cautiousness. Though his physical strength, speed, and power had surpassed Tang Mo Bai’s, he was still holding back.

He was too greedy. He desperately wanted to take over everything that Tang Mo Bai had, so he had to perform even better, securing a crushing victory. That way, he could avoid injuries and flip the previous downward trend, attracting more attention with Tang Mo Bai’s corpse!

But this also meant that his attack patterns were becoming more rigid, and even more predictable than the first match with Seth, making it easier for Tang Mo Bai to adjust.

And as for Tang Mo Bai, he didn’t care about how clean the fight was. He aimed for the vulnerable spots without hesitation. Whenever he saw an opening, he would deliver a powerful kick to Xiu Wei Yi’s lower body. Xiu Wei Yi narrowly avoided several hits, his face contorted in pain.

No man can stay unmoved when something threatens his most vulnerable area. Not to mention, Xiu Wei Yi had already been jealous of Tang Mo Bai, and now, he was filled with hatred to the point that it seemed to boil.

If the original sin buff could be given based on the size of the jealousy, Xiu Wei Yi was sure he could finish him right now.

He had originally thought that Tang Mo Bai’s backing was the only problem. But now, to his horror, Tang Mo Bai was fighting dirty, using every tactic to survive. How could anyone still stand to watch this?

Why did he always have to end up in such situations? Why was he always the one left behind?

What right did he have to flaunt his talent in front of him? Why didn’t he show his true strength during the novice trials? Why did he have to endure being chased and hunted, living like a coward? If Xiu Wei Yi had known he was a genius, he would have latched onto him earlier!

The most complicated jealousy in the world isn’t just fearing your brother’s suffering, but also fearing that he might get a luxury car.

For someone who had always been overshadowed by the gifted, Xiu Wei Yi had already accepted his position. After all, what could he do? Rather than letting jealousy distort his mind, wasn’t it better to walk away? There were so many geniuses in the world, but instead of envying those in the newspapers, people tend to get jealous of the kid next door.

He couldn’t hold back any longer. Even if it meant getting injured, he had to eliminate him quickly to prevent any future threats!

Xiu Wei Yi steeled his resolve, focusing intently on Tang Mo Bai’s movements. When Tang Mo Bai exposed a flaw, he didn’t hesitate to pounce, aiming for his chest with the dagger. However, Tang Mo Bai dodged, and the dagger instead found its way into his abdomen, twisting viciously inside.

The intense pain contorted his face, and he involuntarily spat out blood, but he didn’t retreat, nor did he push Xiu Wei Yi away. Instead, he clung tightly to his shoulder, using his arms to apply a deft hold that wouldn’t let go.

A strangling technique again? Xiu Wei Yi’s mind instinctively flashed back to the first gladiatorial match he’d seen, where Tang Mo Bai’s strangling technique had left a deep impression. But what good was that? Before he could be knocked out, Xiu Wei Yi would plunge his dagger into his heart!

This was the last thought that ran through his mind, just before Tang Mo Bai, disregarding the agonizing pain in his abdomen, pressed himself close to Xiu Wei Yi’s body. With a swift motion, a small, toy-like pistol slipped from Tang Mo Bai’s sleeve and into his hand. He flicked off the safety, aimed it at Xiu Wei Yi’s temple, and then…

Bang!