21: Chapter 21 Show me your full strength and please me!

"Replay..." The Old Chief's deeply lined face grew even more worried. He shifted restlessly, glancing frequently at the Gods Arena, as if trying to peer through the golden barrier to see what was happening inside.

"Chief, don't worry. Karin will definitely be fine... Even if that Shen Mo gets punished, it has nothing to do with Persia! Shen Mo contacted us himself; we didn't force him." Someone said dismissively.

"Foolish!" The Old Chief was so angry his beard bristled. "Is there any such thing as a free lunch in this world? Since Persia chose to cooperate with Shen Mo, we are grasshoppers on the same line! None of us can escape!"

"What do you think the Gods Arena is?"

"It is an arena created by the deities! The deities are inviolable, and they are also fair and just..." The Old Chief's voice was stern, and the person who had spoken earlier hung their head in shame.

Baru said in a muffled voice, "Persia will not abandon its friends! If Shen Mo is punished, then Persia will just be punished with him. Karin's choice is Baru's choice."

The Old Chief sighed.

Sigh...

Yes, Persia will not abandon its friends, but this is a war of national destiny, child. Your decision is not yours alone to bear; the whole nation will bear it with you...

Everyone guessed and discussed.

But their eyes involuntarily turned toward the Gods Arena, waiting for the final result.

...

Meanwhile, inside the Gods Arena.

Shen Mo looked innocent and spread his hands. "So what?"

The Referee's icy voice rang out: "You directed others in purchasing pieces, which has disrupted the fairness of the game, allowing the original country to acquire strength that did not belong to it. Therefore, based on the Referee's deliberation, we have determined..."

"Wait!" Shen Mo laughed in anger. "Hey, Referee, right? I'd like to ask, what do you mean by 'acquired strength that did not belong to them'? How do you define that? I have a fever today and my condition is poor; does that count as unstable performance?"

"If I'm lucky today and the dealer gives me a winning hand, does that count as me using strength that doesn't belong to me? You just flap your lips and decide I'm cheating? That's ridiculous!" Shen Mo was furious.

So what if it's the Referee!

If I lose this game, Dragon Country's points could drop below -200, and it would just mean the destruction of the nation. Since I'm dead either way, am I not even allowed to speak? At a time like this, who cares about you damn deities!

"You are just arguing sophistry..." The Referee's voice was laced with a hint of anger.

Shen Mo sneered. "Calling me a sophist, are you? Fine! Let me give you another example! You think that because I told others the lineup, they displayed powerful strength, right!"

"In that case... I want to ask!"

"What lineup are Sakura Country and the Korean team using now! Is the lineup they are currently using one they developed themselves? Is this their true strength!"

"You are the Referee, you are the deities! You represent absolute fairness and justice, so! Now, please place your hand on your heart and tell me! The lineup they are using! Is it not a copy of my lineup from the last round!"

"As long as you can say that! What would it matter if I, Shen Mo, admitted defeat!?"

Shen Mo's words were resounding, every word like a thunderclap!

The Referee was stunned.

Hiss... That actually makes some sense!

If the competition must be based on self-developed lineups, then Shen Mo did indeed cheat, but Sakura Country and the Korean team, who reported Shen Mo, are also cheating!

You copied Shen Mo's lineup from the last round and used it openly.

Isn't this just a thief crying "stop thief"?

It's just that one was actively shared by Shen Mo, and the other was plagiarized by you, but the essence is the same. The core is that the current lineup does not belong to your country itself; it is an external force.

The Referee was silent for a moment, then turned his gaze toward Sakura Country and the Korean team.

It seemed he was considering whether to just punish everyone.

Kim Soo-jun and Yotsuki Kami were both dumbfounded!

No!

I'm the one who reported it!

Kim Soo-jun hurriedly said, "Lord Referee, we are not copying the Dragon Country person's lineup. This lineup is..."

"Is what?" Shen Mo suddenly interjected. "Kim Soo-jun, have you considered the consequences of lying in front of the Referee? I advise you to think carefully and straighten your tongue before you speak..."

Kim Soo-jun froze!

He was just used to it. It's the tradition of the Korean team: as long as something is unfavorable to them, they refuse to admit it to the death! Conversely, if something is favorable, they want to claim it all for themselves—it's a wonder they haven't claimed that the entire Blue Star was invented by the Korean team.

But he seemed to have forgotten, this is the Gods Arena!

He wasn't facing the public or officials he could easily bamboozle; he was facing deities!

The deities are inviolable!

A cold chill instantly soaked his back!

Kim Soo-jun was trembling all over. He remembered the past, the fear of facing death: "Lord Referee... I misspoke. This lineup is indeed a copy of the Dragon Country person's..."

The Referee's cold gaze swept over, flashing like the edge of a blade, as if a butcher's knife would descend the next second!

After a long while.

The Referee coldly said, "Dragon Country contestant, what is your opinion?"

Was he asking if he wanted everyone punished?

Or... had the Referee already accepted his argument and wanted to ask for his opinion on how to handle the situation?

Shen Mo thought for a moment, then suddenly chuckled. "Lord Referee, the reason you created this Gods Arena is for the competition, right! And we have an old saying in Dragon Country: 'War is the art of deception!'"

"Using any means necessary for victory is inherently a self-preservation measure for humanity when facing disaster. If victory were easily obtained, there wouldn't be any exciting duels."

"In my opinion."

"Whether it's copying lineups or forming alliances, these are all the exciting parts of this game!"

The Referee pondered.

Shen Mo sighed.

"Actually, you wouldn't understand. I never imagined that one day I would stand here, representing a nation all by myself."

"In the past, the country didn't need me. I was just an ordinary worker. Although I complained about work and hated my bosses... but reality is so bizarre; here I am, standing here!"

"Representing Dragon Country, battling against Sakura Country and the Korean team!"

"Hahahaha!!!"

A look of excitement appeared on Shen Mo's face.

His tone suddenly became somewhat morbid.

"So!"

"Lord Referee... let go of those rules! Whatever lineup copying, whatever alliances—as long as they want to use them, let them use them! Bring out all your strength! Use it!"

"There will only be one winner!"

"The path to the throne is paved with bones!"

"And I!"

"Will stand upon that throne, looking down at all of you!"

"Remember this clearly: this round is not the end, but the beginning!"

"Next..."

"Show me your full strength! Bring out all your tricks!"

"Come, amuse me!"

"This game..."

"I... am still! Not! Done! Playing!"