Chapter 15: Demon Arena (13)
Xiu Weiyi could no longer remember exactly when his Envy toward Tang Mobai had begun.
Ever since he was a child, Xiu Weiyi had been… ordinary. He wasn’t as lively or noticeable as other kids, not as smart as the ones who earned the teachers’ praise, and not as pitiful or attention-grabbing as the ones with visible flaws. He was the kind of kid people’s eyes just slid past — the invisible middle ground.
But that was fine, he thought. At least he still had his parents. An only child in a typical working-class family — no matter what he did, his parents always said he was the best, always loved him the most, always listened to his opinions.
—At least, until they conceived their second child.
To be honest, his memory of that time was blurry — he had been only five, after all — but his grandmother’s constant retelling of the story forced it back into his mind.
Yes, he had been sent to live with his grandmother… after pushing his younger brother down the stairs.
As he grew older, learned more, and matured, Xiu Weiyi did feel guilt — at first. He apologized over and over to his brother and parents, and they forgave him. Life went on. He grew up. But somehow, every friend he made afterward was a little bit beneath him. Or rather, he only chose friends who were weaker, slower, or less capable. And whenever someone started to outshine him, small arguments would naturally appear, and the friendship would end.
But that was normal, right? Not every friendship lasts forever. Even his grandmother said he hadn’t done anything wrong.
In a civilized world, Envy is shameful — an ugly thing. Only innocent children act out that ugliness so openly. Adults are supposed to suppress it, pretend it doesn’t exist. To even speak of it aloud feels sinful.
But here, everything was different.
“…Tang Mobai. Why were you the one chosen?”
After learning from Yan Wuzhen that Tang Mobai had someone powerful backing him, all of Tang Mobai’s changes suddenly made sense — and that understanding made Xiu Weiyi’s Envy twist his entire soul.
Only then did he realize: That demon who once pushed his little brother down the stairs had never gone away. He had merely grown up.
Why you? Why not me?
After failing the rookie trial, Xiu Weiyi had also struggled to survive. He flattered others, humbled himself, even threw away his dignity — yet all he got in return were sneers and mockery. He wasn’t ugly, he wasn’t weak… and yet…
Envy corroded his heart like venom, but he still forced himself to act calm around Tang Mobai. In the real world, that emotion could only bring pain — but here, it became his power, his one and only lifeline.
There was one thing Xiu Weiyi hadn’t told Tang Mobai. Yesterday, during his meal with Yan Wuzhen — the very moment Yan Wuzhen mentioned Original Sin Fate — Xiu Weiyi had instantly recognized his own desire.
The desire to kill Tang Mobai.
*
In a Death Match, weapons were allowed — if a fighter used soul coins to exchange for them. Xiu Weiyi had none to spare, but he had paid another kind of price for a “gift.” The sharp, blood-grooved dagger in his hand was the result.
The problem was — he’d never learned to fight with melee weapons. His stabs were stiff and mechanical. Even Tang Mobai, a novice, could read his movements—
—But he couldn’t dodge them.
He was too fast.
By the time Tang Mobai’s reflexes screamed a warning, the blade was already darting toward his chest. He twisted away just in time — the knife sliced through his shirt front.
Gulp.
Tang Mobai staggered back, swallowing hard. No, something’s off…
Since when was Xiu Weiyi this strong?!
Come on, man — if you’re this strong, what are you jealous of me for?!
He couldn’t even say it aloud before the next strike came. Xiu Weiyi’s attacks were relentless; when one failed, he spun and lunged again. The dagger flickered like a silver serpent. The patterns were simple — anyone could see them coming — but the sheer speed made them impossible to block.
Within minutes, Tang Mobai’s body was covered in thin, bleeding cuts — each one barely avoided in time.
*
In the spectator seats, Seth — the fighter from the first round — had come to watch. A strip of bandage covered his eyes. Yan Wuzhen sat beside him.
“The medical bay didn’t heal you completely?” Yan Wuzhen asked.
“No. That was my request. I don’t take orders from you anymore.”
“Oh?” Yan Wuzhen tilted his head. “Then can you even see like that?”
“Roughly. I can sense body heat through infrared. But if you could describe the match for me, that’d help.”
“I charge for commentary,” Yan Wuzhen said dryly. Then his eyes gleamed. “Unless you trade me your thoughts on your first match with him.”
“Deal.”
Yan Wuzhen summarized briefly. “As expected — classic Envy Enhancement. Easy to read, but very effective.”
*
[Sheesh, what’s up with this batch of newbies? First a surprise dark horse, now another one?]
[Yeah, how’s this guy so strong all of a sudden? Didn’t seem like it before.]
[You don’t get it — that’s how the Envy Fate works. When it targets the right person, it’s insanely overpowered.]
[Exactly. The archetypes are always the same — envy of the rich, envy of the strong, envy of the beautiful. Once the “Original Sin” awakens, the fighter gets a temporary stat buff against the object of envy. If their innate talent synergizes with it, they become literal one-target killing machines!]
[Yeah, but it’s limited. Once they kill the person they’re jealous of, the buff vanishes. It’s useless afterward. That’s why Envy fates grow weaker in the long run.]
[Right. Envy is narrow-minded by nature.]
[Sucks for the dark horse this time. He drew a hyper-focused jealous freak. How’s he supposed to win now?]
At the gambling tables, Tang Mobai’s odds of victory had been 1.33. But after Xiu Weiyi’s Original Sin was revealed, the odds plummeted — and Xiu Weiyi’s skyrocketed.
Everyone could see what that meant: fighting someone whose Fate literally targeted you was practically a death sentence. Some bettors who’d wagered on Tang Mobai were already cursing under their breath.
Yes — Tang Mobai’s luck really was terrible. But on the other hand, Xiu Weiyi felt that fate itself was finally on his side.
Name: Xiu Weiyi
Ego Path: Fate 7 – The Coward (Fate 6 – ???)
Effect – The Coward: Bullies the weak, grows stronger when facing weaker foes. Basic stats +5%.
Original Sin:
Envy — born from the desire to kill Tang Mobai.
When targeting Tang Mobai specifically, temporarily increases strength and speed by 15%, and critical hit rate by 5%.
The power boost that came from the sin of Envy enhanced Xu Weiyi’s physical attributes specifically against Tang Mobai. On top of that, it also activated the condition for his Fate Path No. 7 – The Coward, granting him another level of strengthening.
That was why Xu Weiyi dared to challenge Tang Mobai.
No — it wasn’t courage. He simply couldn’t resist the compulsion of his own desire: to kill Tang Mobai. Only by doing so could his ego grow further. Only by doing so could he gain the power to survive in this place.
Sorry, he told himself. You’ll die in three days anyway. Better to die by my hand.
Xu Weiyi kept hypnotizing himself, suppressing the last trace of conscience in his heart. His knife strikes grew sharper and cleaner, each blow aimed for Tang Mobai’s throat or chest — every strike a killing one.
Tang Mobai was forced to retreat again and again. Xu Weiyi’s speed and strength had both jumped a full tier higher. Tang Mobai had to fight with everything he had just to avoid an immediate defeat. He lifted his arms to protect vital spots; both forearms were soon covered in shallow cuts. Blood soaked through his clothes and spread down his sleeves, draining his stamina bit by bit.
The pressure of this fight was completely different from a bare-handed brawl. If fists meeting flesh carried the thrill of heat and vigor, then cold weapons were the romance of blood. The arena’s ground, from the moment it was built, was meant to be soaked in it.
Fortunately—or unfortunately, depending on perspective—Xu Weiyi didn’t have many coins left. Or maybe Yan Wuzhen had been stingy when giving him resources. In close-quarters combat, short weapons were no match for long ones; if he had a spear or a staff, Tang Mobai would’ve already been knocked flat. But he had only a dagger—good for grappling practice, bad for reach.
Though Tang Mobai’s body was covered in blood, none of the wounds were fatal. It looked gruesome, but he could still hang on.
“That kid’s really hanging in there,”
009 turned his head to see his black-robed, mask-faced companion sitting a few rows behind him.
Slave-masters never sat among their slaves. They scattered through the illusionary audience, careful not to overlap or “collide” with the projections of spectators.
“Your slave?”
“Mn.”
“Rare. You never watch gladiator matches, not even when your own pick’s fighting.” “What’s special about this one?”
009 hesitated. “Just… curious.”
“Curious about what?”
He didn’t answer right away, and 016 didn’t expect him to—she was used to his cold silence. After a few seconds, 009’s low voice slipped through the roar of the crowd, soft but clear:
“Curious about an answer.”
Even he wasn’t sure what answer he was looking for. He only remembered those eyes he’d seen in the infirmary—clear, bewildered, almost naïve. Eyes that shouldn’t have existed in a place full of monsters.
He wondered… once those eyes were stained by fear and despair, would their owner regret not having fallen completely before?
Soon, a wave of boos filled the stands and the scrolling chat—but this time, the jeers were aimed not at Tang Mobai, but at Xu Weiyi.
As the match entered its latter half, a familiar pattern re-emerged: the once-overwhelmed Tang Mobai was quickly adapting to Xu Weiyi’s attack rhythm. And it wasn’t unrelated to Xu Weiyi’s own caution. Even though his physical abilities now crushed Tang Mobai’s, Xu Weiyi still held back.
He was greedy. He wanted to take everything Tang Mobai had, to seize it all perfectly. He needed an overwhelming victory without a scratch to his body—to use Tang Mobai’s corpse to reverse his prior disgrace and draw more attention.
But that greed made his movements predictable, even more than Seth’s in the first match. Tang Mobai took full advantage. He didn’t care about looking elegant or “sportsmanlike.” He struck wherever it hurt most.
He kicked Xu Weiyi between the legs. Hard.
Xu Weiyi nearly screamed as his expression twisted in pain.
No man could remain calm when something threatened his family jewels—especially not one who already hated Tang Mobai to the core. If Sin buffs scaled with the intensity of Envy, Xu Weiyi figured he could’ve one-shot Tang Mobai right there.
It wasn’t fair. Tang Mobai had a patron. Fine. But to fight so dirty, to still be admired even then—why? Why would people look up to him and not to Xu Weiyi?
Why did everything good fall into that man’s lap? Why?
If you were so talented, why didn’t you show it in the rookie trial? Why did you struggle like the rest of us, running and hiding? If I’d known you were a genius, I’d have clung to your leg from the start!
The most twisted form of Envy is this: You don’t want your brother to suffer, but you also can’t stand him doing better than you.
Xu Weiyi had long accepted that he wasn’t one of those “chosen” prodigies. What else could he do? There were geniuses everywhere, and people only envy the ones close enough to touch—like the neighbor’s kid.
He conveniently forgot that this wasn’t the real world. Physical attacks barely worked here. Even the strongest brawler could only die with dignity.
He couldn’t hold back any longer. Even if he got hurt, he had to end this now—to cut off all future trouble!
Xu Weiyi steeled himself, eyes locked on Tang Mobai’s movements. The instant he saw an opening, he lunged. The dagger was aimed straight for Tang Mobai’s chest—but Tang Mobai dodged, so it plunged into his abdomen instead. Xu Weiyi twisted the blade viciously.
Tang Mobai’s face contorted in agony, a mouthful of blood spraying out. But he didn’t retreat. He didn’t push Xu Weiyi away. Instead, he wrapped his arm tightly around Xu Weiyi’s shoulders, using leverage to keep him trapped.
A chokehold? flashed through Xu Weiyi’s mind. He’d seen Tang Mobai use one before—it had been impressive. But what good would it do? Before Tang Mobai could choke him out, he’d drive the dagger through Tang Mobai’s heart—That thought was the last one Xu Weiyi ever had.
Ignoring the pain in his gut, Tang Mobai pressed closer. A small, toy-like pistol slid from his sleeve into his palm. He flicked off the safety, aimed at Xu Weiyi’s temple, and—Bang.
Author’s Information:
Fates have seven stages. From Fate 7 to Fate 1, the ego can sublimate seven times. These are related to desires, not the ego. For example, because Xiu Weiyi’s only desire is to kill Tang Mobai, and this desire stems from envy, he embarks on the Envy Fate.
Upon awakening a desire, he gains a Sin Amplification, which aids in fulfilling that desire. Envy of Tang Mobai grants him the ability to target Tang Mobai specifically, a target that has no effect on others. The Sin Amplification stacks, and further desires can only be awakened after the previous one is fulfilled. Each awakening of a new desire generates a new Sin Amplification. By the time you reach Fate 1, you’ll have six stacking buffs. This means that if the Envy Fate focuses on a specific individual, the amplification will be nullified upon their death, resulting in one less amplification than in other Fates. It’s a rather extreme Fate.
Thank you for reading 🙂 I hope you all liked my translations. If you enjoyed my work, please consider buying me a Ko-Fi 😉
