With less than a minute remaining, including any added time, and holding a two-goal lead, a comeback was impossible for the opposing team.
The three chosen participants had lost all will to play, lacking any desire to continue. After restarting the game, they kicked the ball past the halfway line and made no further effort to play.
Then...
Time expired!
Bai Ye and Jin Sha high-fived with smiles.
It was done!
A white light appeared, enveloping everyone. After about thirty seconds, the white light gradually dispersed, and Bai Ye and Jin Sha found themselves back in the main hall of the Glory Arena.
"Steel Slime," Jin Sha said to the attendant at the counter, firmly requesting the Steel Slime as her reward. She then looked at Bai Ye and asked, "Haven't you decided yet?"
Bai Ye scratched his head. He didn't want the Floating Beast or the Gemstone Body. The former was a beast companion, and Bai Ye felt his Gengar and Goodra were sufficient; he wasn't a pure beast tamer. Collecting Gemstone Bodies was troublesome, and while each gem offered a different, versatile effect, they lacked distinctiveness. Versatility was a positive trait, but it could also signify mediocrity.
Bai Ye desired the Power of Stars and the Red Rose of Demon Breaking.
He had witnessed the power of the Power of Stars in his previous life. As for the Red Rose of Demon Breaking, it was easier to collect. A weapon of Red quality, while not having as much potential as others, greatly boosted immediate combat effectiveness.
"I want the Steel Slime too!"
After a moment of deliberation, Bai Ye made the same choice as Jin Sha.
Jin Sha smiled, "I thought you'd choose something you were familiar with."
"I did consider that," Bai Ye replied, shrugging. "But the Power of Stars needs to grow, and the Steel Slime needs to devour. Both are gambles on the future. Since that's the case, I want to try something I don't know. Sometimes, the unknown is also a kind of fun."
Jin Sha smiled, "That makes sense!"
Soon, the attendant handed two transparent glass cases to the duo.
Bai Ye held up his glass case and looked inside. It contained a lump of black, muddy substance, or rather, a paste-like object that constantly squirmed.
Steel Slime (Item) (White): A rare mutated slime that can devour anything, fuse with its properties, and transform. Effect: Devour (As it continuously devours, the Steel Slime's magic will strengthen, thereby increasing its quality.)
Bai Ye glanced at the Steel Slime's effect on the screen, then prepared to open the glass case. "Let's see how this little guy actually works."
But at that moment...
Jin Sha nudged Bai Ye with her elbow and gestured forward with her chin.
Bai Ye looked up and saw the three chosen participants they had faced in the Death Football match.
Yes, three of them...
The one Bai Ye had tackled was still receiving treatment.
The Glory Arena's protection mechanism only prevented death, not injury.
The three approached Bai Ye. One of them gritted his teeth and said, "Kid, don't you have anything to say?"
Bai Ye smiled, "What should I say?"
One of the chosen participants said coldly, "Using such despicable and shameless means..."
Bai Ye interrupted him directly, "Did I commit a foul? If I had committed a foul, I would have been disqualified. Since I wasn't disqualified, it means everything I did was permissible, right?"
The three were speechless. This was indeed an irrefutable point.
"Enough with the nonsense," one of the chosen participants pointed at Bai Ye and said, "One-on-one duel, dare you?"
Bai Ye thought for a moment, then smiled and shook his head. "I dare not."
"You..."
The three were immediately exasperated. Even if he refused, why so bluntly?
And he sounded so righteous in his refusal!
"Forget it!" another chosen participant sneered. "He's a coward anyway. There's no point in arguing further. Besides, why bother with a wimp?"
The other two participants echoed him with cold laughter.
The one who had wanted to duel Bai Ye pointed at him and said, "Remember not to cross my path again. Let's go!"
After speaking, the three turned and walked out of the Glory Arena.
Watching them leave, Jin Sha looked at Bai Ye and said, "This doesn't seem like your style."
Bai Ye looked at Jin Sha. "What is my style?"
Jin Sha replied, "I thought, with your temper, you definitely wouldn't refuse to duel them."
"It seems you don't know me at all," Bai Ye said with a smile. "Am I that kind of person? I'm so gentle, friendly, benevolent, and peace-loving."
Jin Sha looked Bai Ye up and down. She found it hard to believe.
Bai Ye chuckled. "In any case, the matter is settled, and I should be going."
"Alright, goodbye." Jin Sha high-fived Bai Ye. As Bai Ye walked away, she suddenly remembered something and called out to him, "You have an invitation ticket, you can teleport back directly..."
Unfortunately, Jin Sha called out too late.
Bai Ye had already walked out of the Glory Arena's entrance.
...
Beast Taming Area, Pallet Town.
Pallet Town was the location of the Glory Arena and a neutral zone. Leaving Pallet Town meant entering the Beast Taming Area.
After leaving the Glory Arena, the three chosen participants immediately exited Pallet Town.
Their destination was the gym in Cerulean City.
There were still two days left before the Death Football match officially ended. Obtaining another ticket within two days was clearly not an easy task.
However, given the circumstances, the three decided to try their best, regardless of the outcome.
"It's all that damned guy's fault," one of the chosen participants cursed. "If he hadn't used such underhanded tactics, we wouldn't have lost."
Another chosen participant sighed, "Forget it, stop cursing. It's useless. What we can do now is to hurry to the gym, complete the mission, and get three more tickets. It's a bit tight on time, but that gym has been extensively explored. If we work hard, there's hope of completing the gym mission within a day."
"That's all we can do!"
The first chosen participant agreed but still seemed resentful. He cursed Bai Ye once more in frustration, venting his emotions.
Then...
Bang!
A gunshot suddenly rang out. Immediately, a spray of blood bloomed from the chosen participant's head. His eyes widened, then gradually unfocused, and his body swayed before collapsing forward.
The blood stained the surrounding grass a deep crimson.
A faint scent of blood wafted through the air, slightly pungent.
...