Systemless in a Parallel World

The management didn't actually want to pay out his rewards. That was something Zayn noticed pretty quickly.

Of course, he didn't really care what the management wanted and what they didn't want. They had to pay him, otherwise, a single call to the government would be enough to close the entire business of the Colosseum in a matter of hours.

The staff bowed to him multiple times, apologizing for the inconvenience. After all, they were not at fault for being unable to access the treasure vault and retrieve the money he was waiting to receive.

"Manager Tilan, are you not planning to pay me?" Zayn asked Manager Tilan with a faint smile on his lips.

He didn't even think of showing a sign of malevolence toward the Manager, whose eyes glared sharply at him.

If looks could kill, Manager Tilan's eyes would have slain Zayn on the spot. He felt like he was being watched by a monster. However, Zayn didn't avoid eye contact with the Manager. He knew that there was no need to be afraid of Manager Tilan.

A small smile formed on the manager's face after a few seconds.

"Of course, we will pay you!" He said, the corners of his lips twitching as he retrieved the key to the treasure vault. He handed the key to one of his staff members while continuing to look at Zayn.

'Are you thinking of a way to kill me? Or to earn back your fortune?' Zayn wondered as he kept watching the middle-aged man as well. Manager Tilan was definitely planning something, and Zayn sincerely hoped that his plan was to send the crippled Chimera into the ring.

But because he couldn't be sure that the Manager would face an internal crisis, Zayn added a particular comment, "Do you think I should continue with my winning streak? If I continue like this, I might be able to empty the treasure vault of the Colosseum and become the wealthiest Normie in the entire central region, don't you think so too?"

Manager Tilan's forced smile crumbled and his expression turned blank for a short moment. The blank expression was quickly replaced by an expression of utter anger and rage but that too disappeared in the blink of an eye.

A genuine smile blossomed on the manager's lips as if he recalled something.

"Does that mean, you plan on continuing to participate in the Colosseum Challenge?" Manager Tilan asked. He was much calmer than before, which Zayn took as a good sign.

"I think I will participate in the Colosseum's Challenge one more time," He responded while stressing on the last three words.

Zayn planned to put some pressure on Manager Tilan, reminding him that he had only one more chance to kill Zayn, make up for the losses, and ensure that they wouldn't face more losses in the third and final Colosseum Challenge.

Manager Tilan's brows furrowed for a few seconds when he heard what Zayn said but he nodded his head after a while.

"Are you interested in a different type of bet for your last Colosseum Challenge?" Manager Tilan asked straightforwardly. He was currently not able to use his deceptive skills to fool around with the Challengers. Thus, he chose a different tactic that should work best on the teenager Normie in front of him.

"I have a proposal for you."

'A proposal? What are you planning, you old scammer?' Zayn asked himself as he analyzed the body language, expressions, and change in behavior of the manager.

"What proposal?" He asked out loud after a few seconds.

"If you win your next challenge again, I will allow you to pick one Artifact from the Museum of the God's Era," Manager Tilan proposed while carefully adding, "Of course, by accepting this special bet with me, you won't be permitted to make a bet at the Colosseum's Gambling Ceasaria!"

There was a time in the past when the Gods supported their followers with powerful Artifacts from a long-forgotten era. These Artifacts were usually stronger than the Artifacts that could be produced by blacksmiths.

After all, the blacksmiths were mere mortals with limited knowledge and power. The craftsmanship of the Gods was considered unfathomable.

That was also why Zayn couldn't help staring at Manager Tilan for a few seconds with a disbelieving look.

'Is he planning to make sure that I will never bet the 5000+ gold coins that I'm about to get? He really wants to kill me for good, this time...that's pretty good!'

Zayn made it seem as if he was baffled and utterly dumbfounded. That didn't even require him to act too much. In a way, he was actually baffled that Manager Tilan could make such a proposal.

"An Artifact from the God's Era Museum?!?" Zayn repeated.

"Of course, the next challenge would be more dangerous than your last challenge. I cannot use my connections without gaining anything in return. Are you willing to face a more dangerous challenge in exchange for the possibility of earning an Artifact of the God's Era Museum?" Manager Tilan asked with a devious grin.

Zayn frowned deeply.

"What kind of monster would I have to face? Don't tell me that you want me to defeat a monster with three Soulrings!?" He asked, acting as if he was frazzled.

Manager Tilan faked laughter while shaking his head.

"Of course not. You would have to face a monster with two Soulrings. It's quite powerful even after it has been crippled in the past," He answered.

Zayn's heart skipped a beat when he heard the manager's reply.

"What monster are you talking about?" He asked, sensing that things were slowly coming his way.

Manager Tilan eyed Zayn for quite a while. He faked a cough, hoping that Zayn's greed would cloud his rationality.

"The Colosseum's most popular monster; the Chimera!" Manager Tilan revealed, causing a sudden silence to shroud the two of them.

Zayn had to use his entire willpower to not grin from ear to ear.

'Got you, bastard!'