Killing You Will Take Some Effort
"Hmm, I'm no match for him."
"First, the gap in strength, agility, and constitution is a bit too big."
The effect of attributes followed a linear curve, so a difference of a few points shouldn't have created a huge gap.
But one thing couldn't be overlooked: Xia Lin's attributes were very, very low... His strength, agility, and constitution were all nine points, none exceeding the human limit.
With such poor base attributes, a difference of four or five points was already enough to create a crushing advantage-basically the difference between an elementary schooler and an adult.
"Then there's technique. I'm way behind there, too."
Li Wenzhang's short-step punch might have looked simple, but there was a great deal to it.
Where to strike, how much force to use, and so on all mattered... but Xia Lin knew nothing about any of it.
Across both his lives, Xia Lin had never learned any fighting techniques.
"Finally, there's North Wind Heavy Punch. It might be the lowest-level fighting technique in Fierce Martial City, but having experienced it firsthand, I have to say there's something to it."
North Wind Heavy Punch was known for its imposing momentum and heavy force.
Having experienced it firsthand, Xia Lin figured North Wind Heavy Punch had boosted Li Wenzhang's punching power by at least twenty percent or so—a remarkable increase.
In that moment... he thought about a great many things.
He didn't even pay attention to the threat of the second move in the two-hit chicken-killing combo: the soccer kick.
He even had time to get slowly to his feet, then vigorously brush the dust and unidentified grime off his clothes.
A heavy thud sounded ahead of him as someone hit the ground, and Xia Lin looked back at Li Wenzhang.
"Huff... huff..."
Heavy panting.
And... clothes that had burst apart, rolls of fat sprawled out, and a pair of bewildered eyes...
Rapid Nourishment!
From the very first punch, Xia Lin had already experienced the strength of a reserve Fierce Martial Arts fighter.
Once Xia Lin was sure he couldn't win, he didn't want a beating, didn't want to be beaten to death, and certainly wasn't a masochist. What else could he do?
He could only hit him with Rapid Nourishment while he was flying backward.
The sudden surge in weight threw Li Wenzhang off balance.
Anyone who had trained knew that in high-level competitive sports, even the slightest change in physical condition could affect a technical movement, let alone a sudden jump from 100 kilograms to 1,000!
As a result, Li Wenzhang not only failed to deliver the soccer kick, but also lost his balance and landed on his backside...
And once he fell, he couldn't get back up.
His strength attribute of 13 wasn't enough to support such an enormous weight.
The sudden rise in blood pressure from gaining so much weight blurred Li Wenzhang's vision, leaving him unable to speak for a moment.
He didn't even understand what had happened to him, merely staring blankly as Xia Lin sauntered over to him.
At that moment, Xia Lin looked around.
The alley was narrow.
So narrow that a 1,000-kilogram fatty blocked it completely.
"There's no way through..."
Xia Lin spread his hands, somewhat helplessly.
Then he lowered his head again and smiled at Li Wenzhang.
"Senior brother, you're in my way, in every sense."
"So, how should we deal with chicken giblets that get in the way?"
Thud.
A heavy punch struck Li Wenzhang squarely in the cheek.
Then came the soccer kick!
By the end of the combo, Li Wenzhang was dazed.
But Xia Lin was weaker, and Li Wenzhang could take a beating, so he didn't die.
Xia Lin put his hands on his hips and sighed.
"I don't have your skills, senior brother."
"Killing you will take some effort. It won't be as easy as killing a chicken."
"Please..."
Li Wenzhang stumbled over the word, only to see Xia Lin take a switchblade from his pocket.
"Killing you is going to be at least as hard as slaughtering a pig."
He smiled and got to work.
Skin and flesh split apart.
Blood and flesh spattered.
[Backstab effect activated.] [You backstabbed your affiliated faction: North Wind Martial Arts School. Effect assessed as: very severe.] [You have gained 3 points in all attributes.] [Current attributes] [Strength: 12] [Constitution: 12] [Agility: 12] [Spirit: 16]
There was a lot to the Backstab skill.
It determined the attributes Xia Lin gained based on the strength of the faction and the impact he caused.
Just like this time, when Xia Lin killed Li Wenzhang, the senior disciple of North Wind Martial Arts School...
Did that count as a backstab?
Of course it did.
Was the impact significant?
Very!
Because Li Wenzhang was the only fighter left at North Wind Martial Arts School who had the strength to fight in the Savage Martial Arena.
And tonight, Xia Lin had killed their one remaining prospect.
Yet causing an impact like that had only earned him the same attributes as when he fattened up Li Peipei and backstabbed Iron Rain Base.
-That time had been extremely insulting, but it hadn't done much damage.
The difference was that North Wind Martial Arts School was far weaker than Iron Rain Base.
"It's good to have a big tree to shelter under."
Every faction Xia Lin had ever belonged to, belonged to now, or would belong to in the future: Is that really an appropriate thing to say about Backstab?
Xia Lin thought it was very appropriate.
Another notification sounded in his ear.
[Advancement mission completed.]
Two of Li Wenzhang's attributes were above ten, so naturally he could help Xia Lin complete the advancement mission.
[Congratulations, you have become a level 2 Ash Zone Walker.] [Second skill slot unlocked. Attribute cap unlocked.]
The important part was that the second skill slot had unlocked.
Thinking of that, Xia Lin muttered, "It's time to get a couple of new skills. Otherwise, getting into the Savage Martial Arena will be easy, but getting out won't."
Fierce Martial City was far from peaceful.
Especially the lower city.
There were no surveillance cameras or robotic police here. Vagrants and gangs ran rampant, and people dying was an everyday occurrence.
So when Xia Lin arrived at North Wind Martial Arts School the next day, the school still didn't know Li Wenzhang was dead. They simply assumed he'd taken leave to deal with something.
Nobody paid the matter any attention, and nobody could tell Li Wenzhang what to do.
Xia Lin, meanwhile, began his journey into fighting as though nothing had happened.
To be honest, Fierce Martial City, an S-rank Ash Zone, was very difficult for Xia Lin.
There were too many monsters in the Savage Martial Arena. Even the Fierce Martial Arts fighters in the low-level arena were a bunch of monsters with attributes above ten, and powerful fighters with attributes above twenty might even show up.
On top of his lack of skill and experience, Xia Lin's current attributes made it unrealistic for him to compete against these people in the arena.
That was why getting into the Savage Martial Arena was easy, but getting out was hard.
But Rapid Nourishment... wasn't a skill he could use lightly.
It was too strange and sinister. If he used it in full view of the public, it would very likely draw the attention and covetous interest of some major players.
"I still need to build up my foundation."
How?
When in Rome, do as the Romans do: practice martial arts.
Learning some fighting techniques couldn't hurt.
Xia Lin also needed to perform well and try to secure North Wind Martial Arts School's slot in the Savage Martial Arena.
While he was at it, he could pick up a couple of skills from the school-skills from disciplines like martial arts and immortal cultivation could be mastered through study.
Then he would consider backstabbing certain factions to farm attributes. Only after that would he complete the main mission of fighting three matches in the Savage Martial Arena.
In short, he had to take the road one step at a time, and eat his food one bite at a time.
He raised his head and looked ahead.
In front of him, the veteran instructor Guo Yu spoke in a deep voice.
"Fighting techniques are killing techniques!"