"Here to hang out with you? Coach Stelle, how are you so close with literally everyone!"
Stelle shrugged. "I'll just text her directly."
"Directly ask… Are you guys really that tight?"
Not only was Carmella stunned—Luka was genuinely envious. "Coach, remember to teach me next time—how to build that kind of network that spans both sides of the law!"
[Hahaha, one tournament and the entire lineup is just old acquaintances.]
[Big shot self-cultivation.]
[With Firefly it's beyond 'acquaintance'—it's straight-up intimate!]
[Become a Nameless, embrace the will of Trailblaze, and suddenly everyone around you is an old friend.]
Stelle opened her phone and immediately messaged Firefly, even sending a photo along with it.
Firefly took one look—way too round, definitely not her doing.
Right now Silver Wolf was also hanging out on the Luofu—maybe she did it?
Silver Wolf nearly died laughing before confirming it wasn't her.
In the end the whole misunderstanding cleared up. Stelle gave Luka only one order: "As long as it doesn't kill him—beat him to within an inch of his life!"
"Understood!"
— —
Scene shift—they're already on the ring.
Three figures dressed like King of Fighters characters stood before Luka.
They were Unit No. 1, Unit No. 2, and Unit No. 3.
[Old miHoYo, still can't let go of your EVA, huh.]
[So Firefly is Unit-00? Sure, very Rei Ayanami.]
[miHoYo is straight-up possessed.]
Of course, the three only looked ridiculous and intimidating—their actual strength was, well… hard to describe kindly.
In the end they were defeated quite easily.
Next came the second qualifier opponent.
It was actually Mr. Tail?
Though Tail was Luka's die-hard fan and was obviously thrilled Luka had regained his spirit, he still wasn't fully at ease and wanted to test him personally one more time.
Tail didn't go all out, but he gathered enough information.
Luka's heart was now unbelievably strong!
Halfway through the match, he naturally surrendered.
Because the time Cold Raven had allowed Mr. Tail to let his only son go out was almost up.
Everyone thought things were settled—but the next invitation match would later be sealed as one of the classic moments.
The story of Dan Wheel Temple carried an indescribable feeling.
[The Dan Wheel Temple plot feels a bit wasted here. It could have been its own standalone movie.]
[Putting it here really does feel like a shame. This story is genuinely great.]
[Actually, this story is just very realistic.]
...
Once everything was settled, Luka had earned enough points.
Time to get fired up!
In the waiting room.
Luka crossed his arms over his chest. "After this match, I'll step onto the 'Skysplitter Title Defense' ring to face Yanqing.
I thought I'd be super nervous—but right now I'm not nervous at all! Or rather… not exactly nervous… How do I describe it? Abnormally calm!"
Carmella nodded in agreement. "I get it! Back when I went through the 75th round of Interastral Peace Entertainment interviews, I felt exactly the same!"
"Seventy-five rounds… See? Good thing we didn't join the IPC system—otherwise we'd be suffering like that right now."
[There's still more elites?]
[75 rounds? As expected of Star Rail.]
[Used to it by now.]
[Actually there's still an elite!]
— —
After some light teasing, Luka and Stelle headed toward the ring again.
However.
When the opponent appeared, even Stelle's voice trembled. "Pitch-black iron arms… Lord Hook?"
"It's you, Hook??? I never would have guessed!" Luka was equally shocked.
Hook stomped her foot. "W-What! The Drill Machine isn't some 'iron arm'! Big brother Luka is so dumb!"
"Hahaha, just kidding. Since you're here, that means the 'Independent Contestant • Iron Arm' identity…"
Before Luka could finish, Owlbert jumped in with the introduction. "The two contestants on the ring right now are remarkably similar in every sense! One is the contestant from Belobog—'Iron Arm' Luka!
The other is… also from Belobog—'Iron Arm' Svarog!"
At the same time, Svarog walked with heavy steps to the center of the ring, exuding overwhelming pressure.
Even Stelle couldn't deny that facing Svarog back in Belobog had been an extremely tough battle.
[It really is Svarog.]
[Same here—I thought it was some metal golem or something.]
[Luka: Me vs. Svarog? For real?]
[Didn't Svarog already beat Luka up once? Can Luka win?]
[Relax—when Svarog does things, those who understand, understand.]
"I must apologize to you, Luka—I participated in the Martial Exhibition Ceremony anonymously without telling you." Svarog looked down at Luka.
"You didn't believe I could win, so you entered too—to increase the chances of Belobog's representative team winning, right?"
Svarog shook his head and delivered something even more piercing. "This has nothing to do with 'belief,' Luka. This is rational calculation—from a mathematical probability standpoint, your chances of victory are very low. But Belobog needs this victory.
So I entered. That way, no matter which of us wins, Belobog gains prestige."
"Haha." Luka smiled to ease the awkwardness. "A little hurtful. But I can understand. Lord pitch-black Hook—be honest, did you know all along?"
Hook pouted. "Mmm… sorry! Svarog said if we told big brother Luka, it would make you sad, so Hook didn't tell you…"
[Hook is so sensible.]
[Hook is super sensible.]
[Hook is such a good girl.]
[Hook will be a good wife someday]
— —
But familiarity aside—only by going all out could there be any chance of advancing.
A battle was still unavoidable.
What followed was an exhilarating, all-out fight.
The process was fist meeting metal—Luka's iron arms clashed against Svarog's metallic body, sparking in a unique way.
While other contestants bled across the ground, Luka's matches produced sparks and fire—quite the spectacle for the audience.
The duel didn't last long. Under Stelle's training and after facing so many opponents, Luka's inner strength—and his actual combat power—had improved tremendously.
In the end Svarog came up just short. Luka's iron fist stopped right before it could hit Svarog's head.
For a moment, the arena fell silent.
Owlbert was the first to speak. "Player Luka! The man who creates miracles!"
"By the Amber Lord! What a magnificent clash between 'iron arms'! I declare! The winner of this match—and the one who now has the chance to challenge the title defender—is—'Iron Arm' Luka!!!"
Svarog: "Luka, do you hear the cheers? You won."
"Svarog boss, you didn't hold back, right?"
"No, I did not hold back. You just defeated me at full power. Rest well. Next you will face the Luofu's title-defending swordsman."
Before leaving, Luka still asked the question weighing on his mind. "Svarog boss, according to your 'rational calculation'… do you think I have a chance against Yanqing?"
"My calculation result is not important to you. You should step onto that ring and experience the battle for yourself—that matters far more."
"Understood. I'll give it everything!"
[Svarog's EQ is actually pretty high.]
[Translation: No chance at all.]
[Low EQ: Can't win even a little.]
[So did Svarog hold back or not?]
[I feel like he did.]
[I feel like he didn't.]
[So Luka really has become the strongest person in Belobog?]
[Svarog definitely held back—just very naturally. A robot constantly playing freeform boxing with Luka obviously never used missiles, bombardment, or giant iron hands.]
[The Martial Exhibition Ceremony probably wouldn't allow that kind of large-scale destructive weaponry anyway.]
[So he held back very naturally. In pure hand-to-hand, Svarog probably can't beat Luka—but if Svarog went full firepower, Luka ultimately wouldn't stand a chance.]
— —
The next day.
After preparing everything, Stelle, Carmella, and Luka gathered in the waiting room.
Carmella was extremely excited. "Whoa—my source just told me: for the upcoming 'Skysplitter Title Defense,' General Jing Yuan will personally attend to watch!"
Luka was a bit overwhelmed. "Huh? The General is so busy and he's still coming to watch a small fry like me…"
"Player Luka! Please adjust your self-perception! You're no longer a small fry! The most popular extraterrestrial contestant in the Martial Exhibition Ceremony is challenging his own beloved disciple—of course he has to come watch~"
Luka rubbed his chest. "The pressure is real… I can't lose Belobog's face in front of General Jing Yuan! I feel like my heart is about to jump out of my throat!"
"Mm… too much tension affects match condition. How about a bottle of Sweet Dream Sparkling Beverage?"
Stelle quickly reached out to stop her. "No no no!"
"Yeah… better not."
"Ah! How about this instead! Let's go watch someone else's match? According to the schedule, the match happening right now is… right now it's…" Carmella checked her phone. "It's Boothill challenging Yanqing!"
"Oh?" Luka raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Now that I actually want to see."
"Then let's go! Good chance to get out and move around! Staying cooped up in the waiting room will only make you more nervous."
Luka, straightforward as ever, said watch and immediately went. He jogged all the way to the edge of the stage to watch.
Host Owlbert was still passionately commentating.
"What an intense battle! If I had hands that could sweat, they'd be drenched right now!
But strangely—why did Mr. Boothill suddenly holster his gun and forfeit?
Is he afraid of Yanqing's sword? Or is the IPC bounty hanging over his head forcing him to leave?
Regardless—let us announce! The winner of this match is—the Luofu's home-team title defender, Player Yanqing!"
Hearing the broadcast, Luka instantly understood—the match was already over. "We came too late… what a shame. Guess we'll have to watch the replay later…"
"He's got a leg—this kid is strong!" Boothill holstered his gun, and with his peripheral vision caught sight of the arriving group.
"Heyo—you all came to watch my match? Too bad—the company's little cuties are onto me, gotta bounce quick."
Boothill deliberately glanced at Luka's iron arm. "Mm~ Still looks better when it's your original iron arm.
But even with limited time, there's enough for a goodbye. Before I go—I'd like to treat you to a cup of tea. There's a Du's Tea House in Aurum Alley—their stuff is precious."
"Their 'tea' can be a bit strong." Stelle's mind recalled some unpleasant flavors.
"Strong is exactly what we want! Mature men need it strong! Intense!"
Carmella suddenly cut in. "No way—you're an IPC wanted criminal! How can I let you take him to drink some 'tea'!"
Boothill flashed a row of sharp teeth. "Camera—I don't even mind that you're the company's little cutie, and here you are minding me."
Luka quickly played peacemaker. "Alright, it's fine. Coach, Miss Carmella—I trust Mr. Boothill means no harm. No need to worry. I'll go have a cup of tea and be right back."
Stelle was relatively reassured about Boothill's character. "Luka—don't drink any 'tea' you shouldn't, okay!"
— —
Fifteen minutes later…
Aurum Alley, Du's Tea House.
Boothill and Luka found a seat.
At that moment Boss Du came out from inside to welcome them, wiping dust off the table. "Boss Bo—you're here~ Please take a seat~
Oh my—this isn't the 'Iron Arm' Luka everyone's talking about on the streets right now! Both of you are honored guests! What would you like to drink—just say the word~"
Boothill furrowed his brow, thought for a moment. "I'm leaving the Luofu soon. Give me a send-off with a single-malt strong tea only found on the Xianzhou—no vintage, just the 'Qiongqi Blood.' As for him… he's got a tough fight coming up. Mix him a cup of… 'Eternal Hero's Spirit.'"
"Got it. Please wait just a moment, you two."
Luka looked around the surroundings. "The vibe here actually feels a lot like Belobog."
"Haha, glad you like it. Today I'm treating you to tea for two reasons. First—I want to apologize.
My original intention was to test your resolve… but threatening a match opponent with life-and-death stakes was indeed going too far.
I apologize! Sorry! If you drink this cup of tea from me, consider it your forgiveness!"
"That match against you helped me grow a lot—I should be thanking you."
"Fine, as long as you don't hold it against me. Now the second thing—I want to advise you to withdraw."
"Impossible. Just like when I faced your gun—I won't run away mid-battle."
"I'm leaving not just because time is tight—there's also the title-defending swordsman." Boothill spoke earnestly. "That kid may be young, but his strength is extraordinary. Facing him would take too long—and there's no guarantee of winning. It's not worth getting planted by an IPC dog just for one win or loss.
You're different. You always have the choice to walk away. The entire galaxy already knows you and your Belobog—your goal is already achieved.
Withdraw now—no one will blame you. But stepping onto that ring right now is just going to get you beaten. Understand?"
Luka's heart was actually crystal clear. Even a data-driven guy like Svarog had only dodged the question—Luka already knew the answer deep down.
But so what?
"I understand." Luka looked at Boothill with resolute eyes. "But I still have to step onto that ring and throw a punch. Because victory or defeat isn't the entirety of battle."