Ruthless Hands

22:00 sharp. Lights out.

Only the dim lights in the corridor remained.

Chu Fei closed his Human Mechanics book, stood up, and used the faint residual light to feel out a Spring Dagger.

He had bought it from Captain Huang. Its blade was 8.5 centimeters long.

The marked price had been 15 yuan. Chu Fei bargained it down to 12, leaving him 2 yuan in debt.

Chu Fei focused. He had accumulated two drops of Wisdom Dewdrop.

"Use one drop."

The next moment, Chu Fei's mind became clearer and more agile than ever before. Knowledge from Human Mechanics, Human Engineering, and more flashed through his mind.

He held the dagger in his right hand, calculating as he practiced.

He found no secret martial arts techniques, but the scientific achievements of Human Mechanics were no less impressive.

Still, turning scientific knowledge into combat power would require a great deal of hard work.

Chu Fei tried again and again, his movements growing ever nimbler.

After only an hour and a half, the effects of the Wisdom Dewdrop began to fade.

Chu Fei took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

After an hour and a half of frenzied exercise, he was drenched in sweat.

But the gains were gratifying.

Even more surprising, practicing with Wisdom Dewdrop neither made him feel tired nor caused muscle strains or the like.

The price was that the Wisdom Dewdrop's effect lasted half an hour less.

Chu Fei flipped his fingers, and the dagger whirled like a butterfly.

An hour and a half of effects had nearly matched more than two months of grueling practice.

"But tonight's results were so good not only because of Wisdom Dewdrop, but also... knowledge!

The mathematics, physics, Human Mechanics, and other things I learned before provided enormous help."

After drying off his sweat, Chu Fei went to sleep with a smile. At five in the morning, he rose on time.

Habits were not formed in a day, but they could be destroyed in one.

Thinking of Jiang Shaohu, who had been beaten to death last night, and the girl who had jumped off the cliff, Chu Fei had no mood to sleep in.

Learning was like rowing upstream: if one did not advance, one retreated; and if one retreated... one got beaten.

That morning, Chu Fei ran and studied as usual. When the time came, he headed toward the cafeteria.

But when Chu Fei had only climbed halfway up the stairs, a burly figure blocked his path.

Huang Dapeng!

Huang Dapeng stood at the top of the stairs, looking down at Chu Fei. His eyes narrowed, his face twisted, and his mouth split into a grin that revealed ghastly white teeth. Danger radiated from his entire body.

Chu Fei immediately used his last drop of Wisdom Dewdrop, entering a state of absolute rationality.

He steadily retreated, backing onto the plaza.

Huang Dapeng sneered as he advanced step by step, then stood before Chu Fei and laughed coldly.

"Brat, your Brother Huang is back!

Do you know how I spent these past three days?"

Chu Fei was silent for a moment before saying faintly, "Eating chicken legs with sauce, or saliva chicken with rice mixed with sand."

Huang Dapeng exploded on the spot and raised his hand to slap him.

"Fuck your mother!"

The next moment, Huang Dapeng froze.

He saw a pair of utterly emotionless eyes, like a machine.

He also saw a Spring Dagger plunged into his chest.

Coldness, stabbing pain, and endless terror exploded in his soul.

Chu Fei twisted his right hand. The blade scraped against bone with a teeth-grating sound.

Blood sprayed out, soaking Chu Fei's clothes.

Huang Dapeng hunched over and crouched down.

Chu Fei pulled out the Spring Dagger and stabbed it toward Huang Dapeng's temple.

"Stop!"

A furious roar rang out as Cao Liwen charged over like a madman.

Chu Fei stopped, but the blade remained pressed against Huang Dapeng's temple. Then he leaped up and kicked the handle.

The blade sank in to the hilt, and Huang Dapeng slowly fell.

Cao Liwen rushed before Chu Fei, seized him by the throat, and lifted him into the air as he roared, "I told you to stop!"

Chu Fei struggled to breathe, but still forced out in a hoarse voice, "I stopped."

Cao Liwen: ...

More people arrived, including Captain Huang.

Captain Huang looked at Chu Fei, then at Huang Dapeng on the ground, whose limbs were still twitching slightly, and said nothing.

Cao Liwen held Chu Fei by the neck until Chu Fei's face began turning blue, then threw him to the ground.

Chu Fei gasped wildly and coughed.

Cao Liwen gritted his teeth. "Do you want to die?!"

Chu Fei answered calmly, "I don't want to die, so I killed him!

And yesterday's code of conduct never said killing was forbidden."

Cao Liwen froze.

It fucking didn't!

Captain Huang spoke. "Instructor Cao, I've killed people before too.

This is the apocalypse. Instructor, don't go saying that taking one step back opens up boundless seas and skies.

Of course, if you're willing to take one step back, I'd be more than happy to... press my advantage."

Cao Liwen finally snorted coldly and turned to deal with Huang Dapeng's corpse.

Captain Huang looked at Chu Fei and smiled. "Good kid! Can you still walk?"

Chu Fei shook his head slightly.

He had used too much force when kicking the dagger handle just now, severely injuring his right foot.

But even if he had another chance, Chu Fei would still do it this way—go all out and cut off all future trouble.

Captain Huang helped Chu Fei to the medical room.

Chu Fei thanked him. Captain Huang said leisurely, "You still owe me two yuan!"

Chu Fei: ...

The treatment was quick, and Chu Fei even caught the tail end of breakfast.

Seeing Chu Fei covered in blood, everyone edged away slightly, not daring to approach him.

The cafeteria cook, however, beamed. "Impressive, impressive. One move, and you took down a Quasi-Awakened."

"Quasi-Awakened? What's that?"

"It means an elite whose value is infinitely close to 7.8 and could break through at any time.

All right, next."

Chu Fei ate calmly, then returned to the dormitory just as calmly. After washing up, he began reading.

Time slipped by quietly. As the effects of Wisdom Dewdrop faded, the calm in Chu Fei's eyes rapidly vanished, and his body began to tremble.

The lingering fear, excitement, terror, and other emotions of killing someone for the first time surged into his heart.

But with two hours and Wisdom Dewdrop serving as a buffer, Chu Fei soon calmed down and seriously reflected: this plan had been crude, and its success somewhat lucky.

When the blade pierced Huang Dapeng's chest, the resistance had been far greater than he had imagined. Fortunately, Chu Fei had prepared a sharp Spring Dagger in advance.

He had last night's observation to thank: Jiang Shaohu had clawed at Captain Huang's arm without leaving so much as a scratch, which had put Chu Fei on guard.

Though Huang Dapeng had not broken through 7.8, he was infinitely close to it. Some "abnormal signs" had already appeared on his body: he was exceptionally muscular, his skin and muscles tougher, and he had begun to differ from ordinary people.

"Reading really can change one's fate!"

Chu Fei continued reading.

Until someone knocked on the door.

It was Captain Huang.

After the door opened, Captain Huang said blandly, "The academy just held a meeting to discuss your punishment.

Killing a Quasi-Awakened has caused the school enormous losses.

But considering that Huang Dapeng provoked you first, your punishment has been reduced.

From now on, all your punishments will be doubled.

Until your potential breaks through 7.65!"

With that, he turned and left.

Chu Fei sucked in a sharp breath.

This was supposed to be a reduced punishment?

Thinking of Jiang Shaohu, who had been beaten to death alive, Chu Fei growled, "Huang Dapeng provoked me first. Why didn't the school intervene?"

Captain Huang said blandly, "I heard your initial potential was only 7.5587.

And Huang Dapeng was a Quasi-Awakened infinitely close to 7.8. That made him nobler than you.

If you don't accept it, then break through 7.8!"

Watching Captain Huang's retreating back, the anger on Chu Fei's face gradually turned solemn.

"Starting tonight, after lights-out, I'll meditate for at least an hour."