Although the advanced skills had become much stronger, their levels had been reset to zero, all becoming lv1. They needed Skill Experience to level up again.
I checked my Skill Experience. Although I hadn't been idle these past few days and had been constantly busy, I had only accumulated 110,000 Skill Experience in total, enough to raise just two skills to level 10.
After thinking it over, I chose Advanced Shooting and Advanced Swordsmanship.
Advanced Shooting could steadily increase my firearm damage, while Advanced Swordsmanship was the specialty skill of sword-type super warriors. The higher its level, the greater the damage dealt when wielding a longsword. Although the description on the panel didn't state it, everyone knew this hidden mechanic.
After I poured in a large amount of Skill Experience, both skills flashed repeatedly!
Before long, the two Tier 2 skills, Advanced Swordsmanship and Advanced Shooting, had both reached lv10. They each gave me another 6 points of Strength and Agility. This was what made advanced skills so good: as long as you had enough Skill Experience, you could level them all the way to Tier 9 lv10 and gain a total of 54 attribute points. It was practically broken!
Unfortunately, the vast majority of players couldn't possess a god-tier passive like Practice Makes Perfect. They could only gain Skill Experience through repeated use, so most skills could never reach level 10. Even in the late game, most people would only choose to max out their class specialty skills. Auxiliary skills such as shooting, throwing, programming, and repair were already considered quite good if they could reach max level at Tier 3.
I left the mission map.
Whoosh~~~
A flash of light passed before my eyes, and I reappeared in Creek City's night. But the entrance had changed. I had somehow appeared in Creek City's Central Park, standing amid a patch of woods.
Just one meter ahead of me, a young couple was hiding in the darkness, cuddled together on a stone bench and whispering sweet nothings.
"Will you always love me?"
"I will. I'll only love you for the rest of my life. No other woman will ever enter my heart."
"Swear it!"
"I swear on my honor that I'll love only you for the rest of my life."
"Mm... your hand..."
The air around us began to heat up.
Meanwhile, I felt incredibly awkward. If I didn't do something now, they were probably about to do something!
"Ahem, ahem..."
"Ah?!"
The couple jumped in fright.
"Sorry, I was just taking a dump. Didn't mean to disturb you. Please continue, please continue..."
As I spoke, I mimed pulling up my pants, then whooshed out of the woods, leaving the startled couple anxiously searching the ground for the nonexistent crap.
Central Park wasn't too far from where I lived, but I had to pass through the Old City District.
I took out my phone and remembered Lu Xiaobei's messages.
"Are you still there?"
"What time do you think it is?"
She replied instantly, sending an angry emoji. "Good thing I can eat. I've been eating this whole time. I'll send you my location. Come over, and if you're lucky, you can still catch some food."
"Sure."
I really was a little hungry.
The location Lu Xiaobei sent wasn't far away. I quickly arrived after passing through the center of the Old City District. It was a night market near Feiyang Internet Cafe. It was honestly rare to see a girl like her wandering around outside this late at night. Wasn't she afraid something might happen?
My stomach rumbled like thunder.
I sprinted all the way, passing through countless dark alleys.
I checked my phone. The night market where Lu Xiaobei was waiting was only a hundred meters away. I could even see the light at the end of the dark alley already. I definitely had to eat more later. Fifty lamb skewers, minimum, right?
Buzz—
Just as my mind was filled with lamb skewers and grilled dried fish, the air around me suddenly froze. An indescribable sensation enveloped my heart. The next second, I could no longer see anything around me, hear any sound, or smell anything. It was as though all five of my senses had vanished at once!
Sizzle!
A sharp pain suddenly shot through my chest and abdomen. A black spike pierced out through my chest. When I tried to struggle, pale arms reached out from every direction and seized my limbs, skin, and hair, pinning me completely in place!
This was bad!
I had never experienced this feeling before. An intense sense of oppression overwhelmed my mind.
[Please note, you have been controlled by Nightingale's (Blue BOSS) skill Psionic Cage!] [Comparison of both sides' Mental Power—Nightingale (Blue BOSS): 125 points. You: 68 points. Your Mental Power exceeds 50% of hers, granting you a judgment opportunity. Judgment result: control duration is 4.5 seconds!]
Not only had I been controlled, but she had also unleashed countless spikes that continuously pierced my body, making my health bar plummet!
"833!"
"799!"
"812!"
"903!"
In the blink of an eye, my health bar had fallen to around 50%!
Rustle...
A woman with a slender, graceful figure slowly emerged from the darkness of the alley. She wore a gray robe and high heels. Her face was concealed beneath a hood, but under the dim light in the distance, I could vaguely make out her cold, beautiful features. Her lips were painted bright red, and her eyes brimmed with mockery.
"033, did you think you could escape Dark Tide's grasp?"
A vicious look flashed in her eyes as she sneered. "You and 066, those two traitors, not only betrayed Dark Tide but also killed Instructor Lakuri. Hmph, Lakuri may have been an idiot, but killing a superior is an unforgivable crime!"
She tilted up her face slightly, her expression full of disdain. "I am Nightingale, Psionic Officer of Dark Tide's special operations unit. By General Vega's secret orders, I infiltrated Creek City. Don't think that escaping into this neutral city means you're free from the law. If Dark Tide wants to kill the two of you, it won't take the slightest effort!"
A ding-dong ringtone sounded in my ears.
[Psionic Cage control duration has ended. You have regained your freedom!]
This mechanic...
I frowned. Only now did I understand how important Mental Power was. If my Essence Furnace, skill levels, and equipment hadn't been so powerful, my Mental Power would never have reached half of hers. In that case, I probably wouldn't have had any ability to fight back and would have been controlled to death by this Dark Tide Psionic Officer named Nightingale!
"Why aren't you talking? Are you already dead?"
Nightingale slowly approached, her lips curled in mockery. "Don't die too quickly. Big sister hasn't had enough fun yet."
Yet the next second, when Nightingale saw my eyes, she immediately panicked!
Bang!
Three Essence Points exploded, transforming into the radiance of Explosive Charge as I instantly pierced through Nightingale's body!
I spun around. Vanguard Bee Sting gleamed with chilling light as a basic attack + Dragon Blade + basic attack + Ground Spike Slash + basic attack five-hit combo landed directly on Nightingale. Together with the damage from Explosive Charge, it delivered six rapid attacks in an instant!
"612!"
"404!"
"1624!"
"401!"
"2412!"
"403!"
My luck was quite good. Both Dragon Blade and Ground Spike Slash, my main damage skills, had landed critical hits. I instantly dealt more than 5,800 damage to Nightingale. Although she was also a level 20 Blue BOSS, her health bar wasn't as thick as the Armored Ground Worm's. Psionicists were mage-type classes with weaker health growth, and she only had 10,000 HP. In an instant, she was down to 40% health!
"You bastard!"
Nightingale let out a shrill roar. As she retreated, she waved her hands, sending Mind Blast and Psionic Burn howling toward me. My health bar immediately began to decline continuously!
I didn't hesitate. Hesitation meant death. I directly used Step Slash to sustain my health while slashing Nightingale again and again, maintaining close combat and giving her no chance to concentrate on launching stronger psionic skills!
Damage from basic attacks flew everywhere, and Nightingale's health bar was nearly empty in the blink of an eye.
"033, you treacherous bastard!"
Nightingale's eyes were filled with venom. Suddenly, she raised both hands, and a crushing mental pressure descended from above, enveloping my entire body!
[Please note, Nightingale (Blue BOSS) has used Mind Control on you. Due to the difference in Mental Power between both sides, this skill's success rate has been determined to be: 19%!]
Mind Control, a Tier 2 Psionicist skill!
"MISS!"
In an instant, a blood-red MISS rose above my head!
"How is this possible?!"
Nightingale was shocked. She hurriedly raised her hand and cast another Psionic Burn on me. Blue psionic energy seeped into my body like alcohol, then began to scorch my flesh, dealing continuous damage. My health bar could no longer hold out and fell directly below 30%!
[Please note, you have entered the Lightly Injured state. All attributes and attack power reduced by 35%, all skill effects reduced by 50%. You have entered a health-lock state!]
This was my first time being beaten into an injured state, and it felt terrible. Not only was my mind clouded and heavy, but waves of sharp pain coursed through every part of my body. This was only Lightly Injured. If I were Severely Injured, wouldn't I pass out immediately?
However, Nightingale only had a sliver of health remaining as well.
I endured the agonizing pain. My lv10 Advanced Swordsmanship became exceptionally flashy. After several swish, swish, swish streaks of cold light, I sliced open Nightingale's abdomen, thigh, and throat, taking away her final trace of health.
[Battle Notification: You have killed Nightingale (Blue BOSS), gaining 200,000 character experience. Essence Furnace extraction gained 100,000 Experience Points!] [Congratulations, you have killed Nightingale (Blue BOSS) and obtained item: BOSS Ability Crystal ×1!]
Before my eyes, Nightingale's body twitched continuously. Her skin rapidly turned purple as the psionic energy within her kept burning. In the blink of an eye, she was reduced to a pile of ashes, cremating herself on the spot!
Her mission had probably failed, and she feared leaving behind any clues. That was why this had happened.
When the wind blew, nothing remained except a few bloodstains on the ground.
With a thud, I collapsed heavily against the base of the alley wall. Strands of blood still flowed down through my damaged clothes.
Beep~~ Beep~~ Beep~~~
My phone kept ringing.
Lu Xiaobei had sent many messages on WeChat.
"Ding Han, where are you?"
"Why hasn't your location moved?"
"Did something happen?"
"Don't move. I'm coming to find you now."
Perhaps because of the blood loss from my injuries, I felt unbearably cold and sat there without any strength. When the early winter wind swept through the alley, it felt as if my whole body were about to freeze solid.
Just then, a figure approached beneath the dim streetlight. She had long hair, wore a wool coat and winter boots, and was breathtakingly beautiful. She lowered her head to look at me, her face full of worry.
Before you continue