Xiao Hen left the building in satisfaction. Now that the contract had been signed, he was officially an instructor at Chen's Martial Arts School. His working hours were very flexible, and he could tell from the contract that the supposed recruitment of instructors was merely a pretense. Chen's Martial Arts School mainly wanted to hire a skilled expert to compete in the upcoming City Martial Arts School Competition.
Chen Xinyu told Xiao Hen the truth, and at the same time, the Shuttle issued a Side Quest.
Side Quest: First Show of Skill Participate in the City Martial Arts School Competition and take first place.
Normally, the Shuttle only issued Main Quests and Side Quests when he traveled to another world. Main Quests revolved around repairing the Shuttle, while Side Quests were related to the Plot. From the missions in the previous two other worlds, Xiao Hen had managed to analyze some patterns. Yet this time, the Shuttle had actually issued a Side Quest in the Real World. This was the first time.
"Shuttle, I want to ask something. Will this Side Quest conflict with the time I need to enter other worlds?" This was Xiao Hen's main concern. The reason he had insisted on flexible working hours as a martial arts instructor was because he needed to take part in the Shuttle's repair missions.
"It won't delay your travels to other worlds to carry out missions. Don't worry."
The Shuttle's answer put Xiao Hen at ease.
"That's good. But if I complete this Side Quest in the Real World, I'll get a reward too, right?" Xiao Hen leisurely rode his electric bike home as he asked in his mind.
"Yes. Most rewards for completing Side Quests consist of Enhancement Potions, though other rewards may occasionally be issued as well. Please continue working hard, Host."
The Shuttle spoke calmly.
"Huh? Where do all these rewards come from?" This was something Xiao Hen had been wondering about. The Shuttle was already badly damaged, yet it still contained so many reward resources. It truly could not be underestimated.
"As I told the Host before, before it was damaged, the Shuttle had always been a tool used by the Kroatia civilization to explore other dimensional planes. Its internal space still contains many resources left over from the past. The rewards the Host receives for completing missions all come from those accumulated resources."
"So there are a lot of powerful things in there?" Xiao Hen's eyes lit up.
"Of course. However, those items will not be given to the Host for free. If the Host wants them, they must be obtained through missions."
"Ah." Xiao Hen sighed. He knew those benefits would not be so easy to acquire. Still, those resources were hidden inside the Shuttle. Once he gradually repaired it and gained complete control over it, they would sooner or later become his personal property. The resources obtained by an immensely powerful cosmic civilization from countless alternate worlds could not possibly be simple.
As he pondered, Xiao Hen rode into Mingyue Residential Area. He was thinking that he would definitely need his own force in the Real World someday. Otherwise, he would not even have the money to buy the things he needed to prepare before entering another world. That would not do.
Joining Chen's Martial Arts School was only a temporary measure, a stopgap solution. Once he became stronger in the future, the Plot worlds he would have to face would become even more terrifying, and the supplies he needed would only increase. Take the firearms and ammunition Xiao Hen had already used up—he had no way to replenish them. Buying guns and bullets in the Real World required connections.
Once I complete this Side Quest and finish the next Story World, I'll start building my own force. It'll be much more convenient to buy supplies then.
Having made up his mind, Xiao Hen's electric bike was nearly at his building. Not far ahead to the right, a White Hyundai Sedan was parked in a space, and several people inside seemed to have their eyes fixed on Xiao Hen as he approached.
"Boss, is that him?"
"That's right. He looks exactly like the photo!"
"Let's go together!"
"Fine, but watch yourselves. Just cripple him. Don't kill him!"
"Don't worry, Boss. Heh heh."
"Hmm?" Xiao Hen's combat instincts were now incredibly sharp, and he had a peculiar sensitivity toward people staring at him. He braced himself with his left foot and looked up.
All four doors of the white sedan opened at once. Several burly men in short-sleeved shirts emerged with vicious grins, holding clubs and steel rods as they approached Xiao Hen step by step. Four men surrounded him. Their leader was a bald man. Calling them burly men was generous—they were really just a group of fat young thugs who had eaten too well.
"Gentlemen, what is this supposed to be?"
Xiao Hen calmly stopped his bike, put down the kickstand, glanced around at the four men, and asked.
The four exchanged looks. The bald, overweight man tilted his neck. A thick gold chain hung around it, and dark blue tattoos covered his arms. His undershirt concealed most of them, so it was impossible to tell what strange designs were tattooed there.
"Kid, I heard you're pretty tough. Someone hired us brothers to teach you a lesson!" The bald man chuckled and swung a steel pipe at Xiao Hen. The other three sneered as well, bringing their wooden clubs and steel bars down toward Xiao Hen's arms and lower back.
Someone wants to deal with me? Xiao Hen's mind raced, but he could not think of anyone he had offended in the Real World. Could it be the Coach Xu he had Challenged earlier today?
That did not seem right either. These four were nothing more than ordinary street thugs. In terms of strength, forget four of them—even eight or ten would not be a match for Coach Xu. Would Coach Xu really send these four small-time punks after him?
Impossible!
Xiao Hen immediately dismissed the thought. That left only one person who bore a grudge against him: Zhang Quande.
The whistling of clubs and steel pipes slicing through the air reached his ears. Xiao Hen curled his lips into a smile and shot out both hands, snatching the steel pipe from the bald man and the wooden club from the short, stocky man beside him. With a flick of his wrists, the two ordinary weapons became formidable in his hands, turning into two blurred shadows that struck the backs of the hands of the two attackers behind him.
"Ahh..."
Two screams rang out. The two men behind Xiao Hen stumbled back several steps, clutching the backs of their right hands. Their entire hands had gone numb as they stared in horror at Xiao Hen, who stood calmly in the middle of the scene.
Smack! Smack!
Xiao Hen did not pause. He had dealt with the two behind him, but there were still two in front. With a light thrust of both hands, the club and steel pipe struck the bald man and the short, stocky man in the chest. Their chests tightened, then numbness spread from where they had been hit. They staggered back several steps. When the numbness faded, it was replaced by searing, heart-wrenching pain.
"Ah, it hurts!" The short, stocky man clutched his chest, bent over, and cried out.
The bald man, clearly the leader, also held his chest, his expression ugly. He gritted his teeth and endured the agony in his chest. What frightened him even more was that this young man, who clearly did not look very old, had defeated all four of them so effortlessly. They had barely made a move, without even getting the chance to show what they could do, and they had already been taken down. What terrible luck!
"Go! This guy knows martial arts. We've kicked an iron plate. Get out of here!" The bald man backed away a few steps and growled, preparing to leave.
With a casual throw, Xiao Hen sent the steel pipe smashing into the back of the bald man's knee, knocking him face-first onto the ground.
"Did I say you could leave?"
Did I say you could leave? Hand over your recommendation votes before you go, everyone! Right?
Before you continue