Chapter 32: Hongling’s Little Schemes

This was the assassin’s classic combo—Shadow Assault followed by Bone Piercer. Kong Zhe recognized it at a glance; clearly, the opponent’s class was Assassin. Using the swiftness of Shadow Assault in tandem with the high attack of Bone Piercer to unleash explosive damage was a signature move for assassins.

Yet, faced with this assault, Kong Zhe merely turned, flipped gracefully in midair, and escaped both Zhang Hao’s and Zhang Qiang’s attacks at a marvelous angle.

Landing, Kong Zhe didn’t hesitate for a second, meeting their onslaught head-on. He clashed with the two of them simultaneously, showing no fear.

A flurry of metallic clangs rang through the hall.

The rest of the onlookers could only gape in astonishment at the scene unfolding before them. Mouths hung wide open, for this was something they thought could only happen in martial arts dramas—and yet it was taking place before their very eyes.

What astounded them even more was that the young man, fighting two opponents at once, showed no sign of being at a disadvantage. In fact, he almost seemed to have the upper hand.

Though none of them were experts, and their eyes struggled to keep up with the trio’s speed, they could at least discern the general flow of the battle. They’d all believed Zhang Qiang and Zhang Hao were sure to win. After all, they’d seen the brothers slay magical beasts together—creatures that could barely withstand a few rounds against their combined might. The young man’s own magical beast wasn’t even participating.

In their minds, there was no way the brothers could lose. Yet now, it looked as though the young man was in control.

A wave of confusion swept through the group, especially Hong Ling. She already possessed some magical power, which had sharpened her dynamic vision compared to before, so she could see more clearly than the others.

This wasn’t merely the young man having an advantage—he was dominating the two, pressing them hard, all while remaining unruffled and barely winded. He was clearly holding back.

She didn’t know much about the levels or attack power of these Awakened, and she’d looked down on Kong Zhe before, mainly because Zhang Qiang had called him weak. But now it seemed Zhang Qiang’s judgment had been seriously mistaken. This young man might very well be one of those hidden masters. If that was true…

Hong Ling’s beautiful eyes lingered on Kong Zhe, taking in his handsome, refined features. Compared to Zhang Qiang’s rough, swarthy face, she began making new calculations in her heart.

“Maybe following this young man wouldn’t be too bad… certainly better than sticking with Zhang Qiang…”

Zhang Qiang had no idea what she was thinking, nor would he have cared if he’d known. He was already in dire straits. He’d suspected the young man wasn’t simple, but he’d never expected him to be this formidable. And what was with his attacks?

Zhang Qiang inwardly wailed. After blocking the first strike, his hand had gone numb and pain shot through his palm—he didn’t even need to look to know the skin between his thumb and forefinger had split. Each subsequent blow was even fiercer, each one packed with terrifying force. The young man’s ghostly speed made it look like the fight was evenly matched, but Zhang Qiang knew the truth: neither he nor his brother had so much as grazed the young man’s clothes. Every time they tried to use a skill, it was as though the young man could anticipate their moves, dodging effortlessly. His health remained untouched.

Zhang Qiang was nearly in tears. This was just unfair! Was this guy an agility main or a strength main? No matter which, his stats were far beyond normal.

Zhang Qiang himself specialized in strength. With high base attributes and all his points dumped into strength at every level-up, he’d reached a strength of twenty—enough to punch a hole in the wall. Yet even so, he was being completely overpowered.

Kong Zhe wielded his long blade with ease, countering the brothers’ attacks. He was only level two, and had distributed his points as evenly as possible, so his strength was far lower than Zhang Qiang’s and his agility less than Zhang Hao’s. His overwhelming performance was due to magical augmentation.

If one could look through a pair of magical eyes, one would see a thick blue aura swirling around Kong Zhe.

This was the application of magic. Beyond casting skills, magic could bolster combat directly—infusing a punch with magic for extra force, channeling it to the feet for increased speed, or layering it across the body at the moment of impact for protection and reduced damage.

The more magic one invested, the stronger the effect.

Kong Zhe was using exactly these techniques. Every move he made crackled with magic. With no active skills available and his intelligence as high as twenty, he could unleash magic without restraint, greatly amplifying his strength and agility.

As for evading skills—this was child’s play for Kong Zhe. In his previous life, he’d fought countless battles. He was intimately familiar with the basic classes, their skills, casting gestures—he could recognize them all at a glance. The brothers’ attacks were anything but subtle; he could predict their every move. Dodging their skills was effortless.

Amidst the blades’ and swords’ flashes, Kong Zhe’s health remained untouched, while the brothers’ health steadily dropped. Though facing two at once prevented him from going on the full offensive, he could still land a wound every two or three strikes. Individually, these attacks were nothing special, but accumulated, they began to add up.

“We can’t go on like this, or we’re dead for sure,” Zhang Qiang thought, parrying Kong Zhe’s attack and shooting a look at Zhang Hao.

The moment Zhang Hao saw his brother’s signal, he understood. He rolled away from the fray and sprinted toward Little Lei at the far end.

As much as he hated to admit it, they couldn’t win this fight. Their only hope lay in using the chaos to seize the girl and turn the tables with a threat.

Seeing a menacing figure rushing her way, Little Lei panicked. But the kobold stepped between her and Zhang Hao, shovel raised, growling fiercely, resolutely carrying out its master’s command.

Little Lei never expected that the creature she had once feared so much was now her sole protector.

As Zhang Hao drew near, the kobold could hold back no longer. With a howl, it leaped at him.

A heavy clang rang out as shovel met dagger. Both Zhang Hao and the kobold were level three—well matched. The collision sent both weapons flying from their hands.

Weaponless, the kobold didn’t falter. Landing, it pounced again. As a beast, it was even better suited to a fight without weapons. Seizing the moment as Zhang Hao staggered, it brought him to the ground, jaws snapping at his throat.

“Damn it!” Zhang Hao cursed, hastily drawing a baton from his belt, bracing it with both hands to fend off the kobold.

The baton had been his weapon back when he worked as a security guard. He hated using it—it reminded him of his old, humble life—but in a fight for survival, he had no choice.

He’d managed to hold off the kobold for now, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw his brother’s predicament growing critical. Without his support, Zhang Qiang was being thoroughly beaten one-on-one by the young man.

They had to seize the woman quickly, but the kobold had Zhang Hao firmly pinned; he had no hope of breaking free in the short term.

Desperate, Zhang Hao shouted to the gathered crowd: “What the hell are you all standing around for? Get over here and grab the woman!”

Yet after yelling, he saw no one move. Their faces were filled with hesitation. Fear of the brothers kept them from defying orders, but the situation was too uncertain. If the brothers lost and they’d attacked, their fate would be sealed.

“Damn it! They’re all letting me down at the crucial moment!”

Zhang Hao could guess their thoughts from their expressions. He couldn’t blame them; if he were in their shoes, he wouldn’t risk it either—unless the reward was irresistible.

Time was short. He shouted again: “Whoever grabs the woman for me, I promise you an escort spot!”

At this, the crowd’s eyes lit up. Some were clearly tempted, shifting their feet, but none wanted to be the first to act. No one wanted to be the bird that caught the hunter’s bullet. If the young man won, the first to move would be marked.

Hong Ling felt restless. All she wanted was safe passage to the secure zone. If capturing that seemingly helpless girl would guarantee her an escort spot, it was a tempting deal.

But, in truth, she now hoped the young man would win. He was powerful, good-looking, and from the way the girl acted around him, clearly treated her well—never a word or blow. In the apocalypse, a man like that was the perfect partner.

Quick calculations raced through Hong Ling’s mind. If the young man wasn’t burdened by the girl, the brothers would have no chance of turning the tables. If she wanted to ensure the young man’s victory, there were only two options. The first was to protect the girl herself; that way, the young man would be grateful and would surely take her with him when they left.