Man With Super Medical Skill (Matthew)

In the dimly lit expanse of the Life-and-Death Arena, Matthew stood resolute, his posture commanding as he faced Dominic, who now appeared more a shadow of himself than the proud man he had once been.

"You should never-under any circumstance-have insulted my wife," Matthew stated, his tone glacial. His piercing gaze bore into Dominic's, the weight of his words cutting deeper than any blade.

Dominic, once known as Redrod, was utterly devoid of his former arrogance. Blood seeped from the corner of his lips as he struggled to lift his head. The defiance that once burned in his eyes had been replaced by desperation. Swallowing hard, his voice trembled as he spoke.

"I was wrong... I shouldn't have crossed you," he croaked. "I'll call you my boss. I'll follow you. Just... spare my life!"

A faint, almost mocking smile touched Matthew's lips. He took a deliberate step closer, his tone steady and ice-cold.

"Do you even know where you are?" he asked, gesturing toward the earth beneath them. The dark, crimson-stained ground told its own grim story, a silent witness to countless battles fought to the bitter end.

The realization dawned on Dominic like a thunderclap. This arena, where he had once reveled in violence, was now poised to become his grave. Despair flickered across his face, but madness soon consumed it. Snarling, he glared at Matthew, his voice rising in a desperate roar.

"I'm a member of the Viper Crew! If you touch me, they'll never let you live! We have millions of members-each of them could drown you with a single spit!"

Even as the threat left his lips, Dominic's expression shifted again. His eyes widened, and a flicker of hope ignited within them. A crooked smile crept across his face as he pointed toward the platform above.

"Matthew, look! My people are here!" he shouted, his voice hoarse with excitement.

Matthew's gaze followed Dominic's gesture, his expression calm and unwavering. On the elevated platform, a group of figures emerged, their commanding presence silencing the crowd. At their forefront stood a young man, sharp-eyed and resolute, his stance firm as he addressed the arena.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the man's voice boomed through the speakers, reverberating across the arena, "today, the Viper Crew will purge its filth before all of you!"

Confusion swept through the spectators like a ripple.

"Purge its filth? What do they mean?" one gambler muttered nervously, his eyes darting to Dominic.

Another man, clearly distraught, gripped the edge of his seat. "What's happening? They should be helping Dominic, not this!"

Oblivious to the crowd's murmurs, the young man on the platform continued, his words laced with righteous fury.

"Dominic, once a leader among us, has failed the Viper Crew at every turn. Instead of leading, he indulged in unspeakable cruelty-murdering hundreds to feed his grotesque obsession with his garden of

flowers."

A collective gasp rippled through the arena as the speaker's voice grew louder, resonating with raw anger.

"He didn't stop there. Dominic slaughtered our own, his comrades, with reckless abandon. For his actions, I now declare him expelled from the Viper Crew!"

The crowd erupted into stunned whispers. Dominic's once-unshakable image now lay in ruins. The young man's gaze burned with contempt as he looked down at Dominic.

"And if he survives this day, he will face the Crew's severest punishment-three blades, six holes, and three hundred sixty strikes."

The declaration sent a chill through the audience.

"What does that even mean?" one man asked, his voice trembling.

Another paled visibly. "It means... death by a thousand cuts."

Amid the chaos, Orla sat serenely, her veiled face unreadable save for the faint smile that played on her lips. Her erimson lips parted as she spoke her voice barely above a whisper yet carrying an air of authority.

"A giver and a taker... What a delightfully sordid little drama," she remarked, her tone almost amused.

Beside her, Toliver remained silent, his face blank but his eyes betraying resignation. For him, Matthew's ability to overturn impossible odds had long ceased to be surprising.

"Toliver," Orla said, her voice soft but

laced with purpose, "this show is nearing its curtain call. It's time we handle the restless ones." Her gaze

shifted briefly. "There are three tnoveldrama

people in the third row behind n

right in the middle. Deal with them."

MS

Toliver's expression hardened as he inclined his head in deference. "Understood. I'll take care of it immediately."