You Just Experienced a Battle

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Su Tu stopped in his tracks. Sweat poured down him like rain, and he panted as he drained the entire sports bottle in one gulp.

The system prompt arrived right on schedule.

You completed a thoroughly satisfying run. Body Strengthening Proficiency +15

Body Strengthening (Beginner): 175/300

He sat down on a nearby bench to steady himself, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

Visible improvement brought an indescribable sense of accomplishment.

"Whew. At this rate, Body Strengthening will reach Mid Grade in just a few days."

Proficiency rose quickly when a skill was at Beginner level, but once it reached Mid Grade, it would be like Spiritual Wisdom—crawling along like a turtle.

The improvement to his body was not especially obvious. It did not feel as intense as the previous time, when he had gained fifty Proficiency points all at once.

But he knew full well that his body had indeed grown stronger.

The improvements brought by skills were immediate. Every increase in Proficiency made him stronger.

"It takes an hour of running to gain fifteen Proficiency points, yet throwing a few Straight Punches during the day gives me ten."

"Besides the extra Proficiency bonus from participating in activities, martial arts improve Body Strengthening far more than simple exercise."

Su Tu calmed himself as he pondered.

He thought of the business card Lin Feiyang had "accidentally" dropped on the ground during the day.

"Maybe martial arts are the fastest way to improve Body Strengthening. Moon Stepping Martial Arts Hall... I'll go take a look in a few days when vacation starts."

As he thought, the corner of his eye happened to catch sight of the ground not far away.

"Whose bag is that? Good thing it ran into a kindhearted person like me, or they'd definitely never find it again."

A white Makeup Bag lay on the ground some distance away. He got up, walked over, and picked it up, gathering the Cosmetics that had fallen out and putting them back inside.

There was a Public Security Bureau downstairs from his apartment complex. He could hand it in directly on his way back.

Su Tu did not mind doing this sort of good deed in passing. He could treat it as building up good karma.

But the instant Su Tu picked up the Makeup Bag—

His body went utterly rigid.

Thump! Thump! Thump!!!

His heartbeat, which had already calmed, suddenly began pounding wildly again. Su Tu could clearly feel a gaze brimming with malice fixed upon him.

That gaze was greedy and wicked, overflowing with the most primal desire, like pairs of cold, damp tentacles reaching for him from all directions.

The surroundings became incomparably desolate, while rustling sounds echoed in his ears.

Ever since Spiritual Wisdom reached Mid Grade, his intuition had become exceptionally keen. He could almost be certain that something terrifying was lurking in the shadows, coveting him.

His fists clenched on their own, every muscle in his body fully roused at that instant. At the slightest disturbance, he could retaliate immediately.

After mastering the Combat skill, his flexibility, battle awareness, and muscle coordination had all received tremendous boosts.

The Youth's gaze turned cold. He slowly picked up the bag from the ground and rose as though unconcerned, but his eyes swiftly swept over every corner of the surroundings.

This was the entrance to an old residential compound. The battered security booth stood empty, and the surrounding surveillance cameras had become a Paradise for spiders.

There was almost nowhere around here for anyone to hide, yet that feeling of being watched with greedy intent clung to him without pause.

Gulp.

The sound of something swallowing rang out. It was murky and filthy, and an indescribable damp, slick sensation instantly spread through everything around him.

Su Tu exploded into motion. He clenched one hand into a fist and assumed the stance of the only punching technique he knew: the Straight Punch.

This punch was Su Tu going all out. He did not even look in the direction he struck; instead, his instincts guided him, telling him to surge forward and drive his long punch straight down!

Bang!!!

The punch even produced an explosive crack through the air. This was the first time since activating Straight Punch that Su Tu had thrown a punch with such seriousness, such utter commitment.

Every muscle in his body exerted force. Like a Beast breaking free from its restraints, this punch roared with savage ferocity!!!

The Straight Punch shot toward the shadow beneath the streetlamp before him, but there was nothing there.

His punch had struck empty air.

As the punch fell, that feeling of being watched with greedy intent vanished as well.

Nothing happened around him, as if everything had merely been his illusion.

You completed a full-force Straight Punch. Combat Proficiency +10, Body Strengthening Proficiency +5

Combat (Beginner): 110/300

Body Strengthening (Beginner): 180/300

A faint night breeze rose, and the streetlamps swayed. This was nothing more than the entrance to an utterly ordinary old residential compound.

"Could I have been too tense?"

"The possibility of martial arts being included in the college entrance exam is too significant. Maybe it made me anxious, and the surroundings triggered a sense of fear."

Su Tu relaxed his fist and lowered his gaze slightly. Just as he was thinking—

Beep beep!!

A piercing horn sounded behind him, followed by a blaze of dazzling light.

Su Tu turned around, shielding his eyes with one hand as he looked toward the source of the light.

It was a black New Energy Hovercar with its high beams on.

"Little Su Tu, it really is you. What are you doing out here in the middle of the night instead of sleeping? Don't tell me you're puppy-loving!"

"If you are, I'm telling your aunt!"

A teasing voice reached Su Tu's ears.

A voluptuous figure leaned half her body out of the car. Her ample assets were even more outrageous than those of some Island Nation Teachers. Her delicate little face was captivating without a trace of makeup, and she wore a Little Camisole that exposed half a shoulder.

"Sister Zhang?" Su Tu looked at the familiar face.

"What Sister Zhang? Call me big sister! You're making me sound old. Someone who didn't know better would think I'm seventy or eighty!" The woman stepped out of the car and shot Su Tu a look with her seductive Fox Eyes.

She wore black hot shorts and Red-Trimmed Black Stockings, which made her already fair thighs appear even more alluring.

Sister Zhang, full name Zhang Meng, lived in the same building as Su Tu and was also his aunt's childhood friend. Though she was clearly of the same generation as his aunt, she insisted on making Su Tu call her big sister. Her greatest hobby was teasing Su Tu.

"Sister Zhang, what are you doing here?" Su Tu asked.

"I just finished a Class Reunion and happened to be passing by. I haven't even asked you yet—what are you doing here?" Sister Zhang crossed her arms and looked at Su Tu as though interrogating him.

"Don't tell me you really are puppy-loving?"

"I went for a night run before bed. Just exercising," Su Tu replied.

Zhang Meng looked at Su Tu with curiosity, then stepped forward and squeezed his arm, her face filled with surprise. "Damn, Little Su Tu. You look so skinny, but you've actually got quite a lot going on under there."

Feeling Su Tu's strong arm, Zhang Meng opened her mouth in exaggerated astonishment. "Good at studying and built this well too. If I were in your class, I'd take you down immediately!"

Su Tu had long grown accustomed to Zhang Meng's teasing. Ever since their first meeting, she had teased him plenty. As Su Tu had grown older and more handsome over the years, the teasing had only increased.

"Women only slow down the speed at which I draw my sword!" Su Tu said solemnly.

At that, Zhang Meng immediately straightened up and flaunted her impressive assets. "What the hell do you know about women? How about coming to my place tonight? I'll let you learn what 'drawing a sword' really means."

"Cough, cough. That really won't be necessary."

"Hahaha, all right, I'll stop teasing you. Come on, get in. I'm heading home too."

By then, the strange and dangerous feeling from before had long disappeared.

After what had just happened, Su Tu no longer had any mood to exercise. He got into the car with Zhang Meng, and with the engine roaring, the hovercar sped away.

Inside the car, Su Tu was clearly somewhat absent-minded.

Everything that had happened just now replayed before his eyes. He lowered his head and looked at the Makeup Bag in his hand.

"Was it really just an illusion?"

Just as he was thinking—

The system prompt abruptly appeared before his eyes.

You just experienced a battle. Combat Proficiency +50, Body Strengthening Proficiency +50.

Body Strengthening (Beginner): 230/300

Combat (Beginner): 160/300

As he looked at the System Panel prompt, Su Tu's dark eyes sank slightly.

At the same time, at the entrance to the dilapidated residential compound, shadows stirred beneath the dim lights. A tall figure crawled out from beneath the ground. It cocked its head toward the direction Su Tu had left, greed in its eyes nearly taking physical form.

"Damn Hairless Monkeys." Its voice was venomous. Its chest was visibly caved in, a massive fist imprint branded upon it as brown blood seeped from the wound.