Warriors will die if they charge.

The structure of the rift is similar to that of the Roman Colosseum, with the stands surrounding a depression about ten meters in diameter.

Residents who have finished work sometimes come here to try their luck and see which man is proving himself tougher in the arena because his wife is having an affair.

This is an arena for entertainment, a court for judgment, and also an execution platform.

Forty years ago, the silver mine was depleted, and the abandoned workers and slaves lived around the former unloading dock. Linhe Town had no mayor to plan for the future, no nobles of ancient lineage, and no written laws. People lived as if in a tribal era, relying on experienced and wise elders to mediate all problems.

If the elders' mediation fails to resolve unpleasant issues such as humiliation and land disputes, men who feel their self-esteem has been insulted will bring their fed fighting roosters to the ravine and entrust the roosters to act as knights to resolve the disputes.

In most cases, the men accept defeat in cockfighting, and only in very rare circumstances do they resort to knives and guns.

But this doesn't mean the men in the town are gentle and easygoing. On the contrary, every year there are several cases of cockfighting that get so intense that the eyes of the participants are pecked out.

A ceremonial trial of cockfighting is not about cocks fighting in an arena while people cheer them on from the sidelines.

Both sides must bring their fighting cocks into the arena for close-quarters combat, with people fighting people and chickens fighting chickens, which usually ends up as a mixed battle between people and chickens.

This is a kind of ritualistic custom that replaces the law, and it is rarely used.

The match that Kuran arranged with the outsiders was a fairly normal cockfight, with outside betting and odds set, and the gamblers cheering and shouting their hearts out for the roosters they were betting on.

When Kuran walked into the rift with his enormous red claw, he was not greeted with the cheers he had imagined; instead, people sat in the arched stands whispering among themselves.

"Hey, don't look so dejected. Anyone who doesn't know better would think I lost." Kuran waved to a group of young people in the stands, raising his steady red claws high to show the fierce gaze of this fearsome fighting rooster.

"Look at it, how beautiful it is. Only a fool who treats fighting cocks as tools would starve it for two days, thinking that it will win."

Marcus, standing in the corridor, was observing Kuran's opponent, a young man of seventeen or eighteen, wearing a short-sleeved robe inlaid with silver thread, his hair as warm as the sun, his handsome face full of confidence, and a large wooden cage at his feet.

The invincible fighting cock, crowned in its palace, awaits only its master's command. Its sharp beak will peck out the eyeballs of its opponent to satisfy its ravenous stomach.

According to Kulan, this young nobleman from the upstream town came to Linhe Town to do some small business in timber, but unexpectedly developed a love for cockfighting.

The young master spared no expense to buy the crown from Stowe, the best chicken trainer in town. He then combined it with the traditional animal training techniques of the Griffin Kingdom, using commands, hunger, and medicine to make the already fierce fighting cock, Crown, fearless. Despite being covered in wounds, it never retreated an inch and won many battles in a row.

Marcus found the outer betting area, waited in line for a while, and people piled their silver and bronze coins onto the wooden tray for the crown winner. When it was his turn to place his bet, Nelson, who was in charge of keeping accounts, looked up and raised his eyebrows:

"Hey, what a rare guest, Marcus. Ever since you said you were saving up to get married, you haven't been to this lousy place. Is it because you're not satisfied with the women you picked up and want to try your luck with me for a better one?"

"Don't even mention it, Nelson. Women spend money like water. Once they're broke, they might just run away in a few days," Marcus casually agreed, rummaging through his pockets.

He had left his money pouch at home and only carried two gold coins and three silver coins with him. After pondering for a while, he inquired about the specific odds:

What are the odds?

"Crown 1 to 1.2, Red Claw 1 to 4."

"I see most people are betting on the crown to win, won't you lose money?"

"Business has its ups and downs. Just because we can't guarantee a win for the crown this time doesn't mean the betting market will close. How much are you betting?"

"Two gold coins, bet on the red claw."

Nelson, who was engrossed in preparing to keep accounts, suddenly looked up, stared at Marcus for a moment, and a subtle smile appeared on his face.

This made Marcus think to himself, "As expected, if we win this game, Nelson, Curran, and Stowe will all be rolling in gold and silver."

Marcus took out his money, accepted the chip list from Nelson, and sat down in a sparsely populated section of the stands.

In fact, he lacked any real interest in gambling.

After being kicked from my gambling addiction by Trish's awful card skills for half a month, I feel like winning or losing doesn't matter anymore.

But when the match began, the two fighting cocks, with their different physiques and temperaments, clashed in the arena. Marcus stepped on the railing, raised his fist, and shouted:

"Red Claw, kill it! That stinking outsider dares to beg in Linhe Town?"

"Don't charge, you fool! You're a fighting cock warrior, you'll die if you charge!"

In terms of vocal volume, Marcus, with his theropod respiratory system, naturally had the largest lung capacity among the audience, overwhelming the spectators who were cheering for the crown with his sheer power.

Even Kuran, who was directing Red Claw's attack, was drowned out by his voice.

"Red Claw, use your aerial pounce! Scratch that beast's head!"

"Crown, be careful, be patient."

Two fighting cocks were locked in a fierce battle in an arena with a diameter of six meters. It is often said that fighting cocks have personalities similar to people: some are fierce, some are steady, and most are just ordinary.

Red Claw's attack was fierce. With a flap of its wings, it took off into the air and its sharp claws slashed forward, tearing off clumps of down from the crown's chest, leaving streaks of blood.

Its attacks grew increasingly fierce, roaring and howling like a terrifying dinosaur amidst the shouts of Marcus and Kuran, never missing an opportunity to attack.

Suddenly, feathers flew everywhere, and the damp, sweltering heat of the evening seeped into the ditch. Realizing something was wrong, the onlookers imitated Marcus's actions, stepping on the railings to cheer for the crown.

"Don't let me lose money! Kill that red-haired bastard, quick!"

"If you lose, your young master won't leave Linhe Town alive!"

Threats, insults, and intimidation made the young master, who had been sitting quietly on the edge of the open space, stand up.

He raised his right hand and snapped his fingers, commanding the crown, which was struggling under the onslaught of the red claws:

"Let them know who the real king is!"

Unfortunately, the crown seemed to have been starving for too long, its legs became weak, its eyes were lifeless, and it did not respond to its master's commands. It numbly flapped its wings and was defeated step by step by the red claw's fierce attack.

Finally, Kuran shouted, "Use Comet Impact on it! Red Claw!"

Upon receiving instructions, Red Claw took advantage of the momentum to run, its fleshy crest, shaped like a fan, stood tall on its head, and the wind that rushed in from the walkway swept over its body, causing each of its magnificent feathers to tremble in the wind.

At this moment, it is not a chicken, but...

A true warrior chicken!

Red Claw leaped up, flapping its wings, and landed on the back of Crown. Its steel hooks and sharp claws gripped the blood-stained feathers to steady itself, and the chicken raised its head high, announcing the arrival of victory.

It thrust its head forward with a fierce thud, its sharp beak piercing the back of its opponent's head. With a hiss, a finger-thick hole was drilled into the crown's head, and its body collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Red Claw stood atop its opponent's warm corpse, head held high and chest out, welcoming its victory.

The entire arena fell silent. No one could believe that the invincible Crown would be so easily defeated by Red Claw's chaotic biting. Suddenly, a voice echoed in every corner of the rift.

Marcus stood with his feet on the railing, arms outstretched, waving wildly in celebration of this hard-won, great victory:

"Comet impact, awesome!"

"Winning money feels so good! I haven't won in half a month, haha~"