The Second Skill

"It looked like I'd gotten myself into big trouble!"

Qin Ran said lightly.

But there was a hint of probing in his words.

His experiences making a living had long taught Qin Ran never to trust anyone completely.

Especially when life and death were on the line!

"It's not just you in big trouble—it's us! There were quite a few people there last night! Those guys will definitely run off and report everything just to kiss Vulture's ass! Once he learns that we took out two of his men, starting tonight, Vulture will send every subordinate he has to find us! Only by killing us can that bitch maintain his reputation!"

Colin said through gritted teeth.

"My food will last two days at most. What about yours?"

Colin raised her head and looked at Qin Ran.

"About the same as you."

Qin Ran openly unzipped his backpack, letting Colin clearly see the two remaining cans inside.

Faced with Qin Ran's candor, Colin did not hide anything either. She quickly walked to a corner of the storeroom and took a can and a packet of biscuits from beneath a shelf.

"Even if I ration it, it'll only last another day or two!"

Colin looked at the food in her hands and frowned deeply.

Clearly, she did not want to do that.

Neither enduring hunger nor waiting here to die was what Colin wanted.

"How many people can you deal with at once?"

Colin looked at Qin Ran and asked seriously.

"If they're unarmed or not carrying guns... two or three people!"

Qin Ran instantly understood what Colin intended and answered in an equally serious tone.

Although he had carried out a perfect ambush against two gun-wielding thugs yesterday, Qin Ran knew just how much luck had been involved.

If not for Colin's help, he would have already become another victim of gunfire.

Moreover, the limits of his [Stamina] remained fresh in Qin Ran's mind.

Once [Stamina] reached its limit, never mind fighting—he would probably be left waiting to be butchered.

"Do we have to face them head-on?"

As he considered his own strengths and limitations, Qin Ran made a suggestion to Colin.

"What do you mean? You're planning an ambush?"

Colin froze for a moment, then immediately understood.

"Yeah. They have numbers and guns, while there are only two of us. If we fight them head-on, we have no chance at all! An ambush is our best choice!"

Qin Ran nodded and analyzed the situation for Colin. "Didn't you say they originally operated around Sixth Avenue? They probably don't know this area as well as you do. And if they want to find us, they'll have to spread out their men. Even if they have a lot of people, there won't be many in each group!"

"Colin, don't tell me they have several hundred people!"

By the end, Qin Ran's tone had become considerably lighter.

"Several hundred? How could that be possible? They're not an army! Vulture only has around twenty men! If he really had several hundred, with how arrogant that guy is, he would've attacked the Rebel Camp long ago!"

Perhaps infected by Qin Ran's relaxed attitude, Colin began joking as well.

But she quickly wiped the smile from her face.

She looked at Qin Ran. "Vulture's people aren't familiar with this place, but you came from another district. You aren't familiar with it either!"

Qin Ran did not deny it and merely shrugged.

"Also, you're very good with a dagger, but are you sure someone I spotted so casually can pull off an ambush?"

Colin continued.

The scrutiny in her gaze made Qin Ran feel somewhat embarrassed.

Qin Ran knew she was referring to last night.

When the two sides had faced off, he had stepped on a piece of broken wood while backing away and made a sound.

"That was an accident! I guarantee it won't happen again! Besides, we have no other choice. I don't want to keep hiding here until we starve to death or Vulture's men find us!"

Qin Ran explained, doing his best to persuade Colin again.

He did not want anything to go wrong with the plan he had settled on.

Qin Ran did not mind fighting Vulture's group!

If he were only facing ordinary thugs or survivors, Qin Ran would choose to avoid them, because he could not be sure whether they had anything worth taking.

But Vulture's group was different.

One look at the guns hanging from their waists was enough to tell him that this gang of thugs would definitely "drop" equipment.

Although he did not know the value of those guns in the Underground Game, that did not stop Qin Ran from wanting to collect as many as possible. After all, he had entered this game for money.

Simply put, as long as the rewards were sufficient, Qin Ran was willing to take risks!

More importantly, he had already provoked Vulture's group yesterday, and he still had to survive here for another six days before clearing the game.

Rather than living in constant fear over the next six days, it would be better to strike first and eliminate the threat.

Qin Ran was absolutely not someone who passively accepted his fate or acted cowardly.

After living with Genetic Virus Syndrome for three years, Qin Ran's will had become extraordinarily resilient, and so had his character. His mind, in particular, was far more mature than that of others his age.

He knew that some things could never be solved by running away.

Rather than waiting for disaster to strike at the last moment, it was better to take a gamble early.

Just like how he had chosen to enter this Underground Game with no protection whatsoever.

The same was true of facing Vulture's group now.

Of course, if possible, Qin Ran would not mind giving himself greater odds of success.

There was simply too little information about the Underground Game in reality. Even after exhausting every effort, he had been unable to find anything valuable that could help him.

But facing Vulture's group was different.

From Colin's tone, Qin Ran could tell that she was very familiar with Vulture's group. She had probably dealt with them before—and been screwed over by them.

Otherwise, she would not be so furious.

Combined with her familiarity with the surrounding area, she was an excellent helper.

Naturally, Qin Ran did not want to give up such support.

"Of course, I don't want to keep hiding here until we starve to death or Vulture's men find us either! I agree with your plan, but I think it needs to be improved a little more!"

Colin said.

"How?"

Qin Ran asked directly.

"Like I said yesterday, I'm very good at Dodge. I think I should teach you some techniques so you'll have more options when facing those guys! Unfortunately... I'm not very good with guns!"

Colin shook her head regretfully.

Without a sufficiently strong body and the necessary technique to support it, guns were always the choice of most people.

When someone who had studied fighting techniques for ten years faced someone who had learned to use a gun for three months, as long as the latter was smart enough to keep some distance, the former would definitely lose.

"Are you willing to learn Dodge techniques from me?"

Colin asked the next moment.

[Colin wishes to teach you Dodge techniques. Learn? Yes/No]

At the same time, a game notification appeared.

Skill instruction? A beginner skill instructor? Or had some hidden favorability requirement been met?

But Qin Ran immediately answered aloud.

"I'd be delighted!"

For Qin Ran, who had undergone a complete transformation from possessing just one skill, he desperately wanted more skills. As a former power-leveler, Qin Ran knew very well that without specific levels, attributes and skills were clearly among the standards used to measure strength.

Moreover, the two definitely complemented each other.

What happened next confirmed Qin Ran's guess.

After Qin Ran gave an affirmative answer, Colin immediately began explaining Dodge techniques and demonstrating them herself. Once the demonstration ended, the system prompt appeared as expected.

[Agility has reached F. Requirements for the Dodge skill have been met...]

[Skill learned: Dodge]

[Name: Dodge (Basic)]

[Related Attribute: Agility]

[Skill Category: Support]

[Effect: You understand how to evade in battle. Dodge increased by 10%.]

[Cost: Stamina]

[Learning Requirement: Agility F]

[Note: You can use techniques such as sidestepping and rolling to evade an opponent's attacks!]

Sure enough, attributes and skills complemented each other!

After comparing the system notifications with his two existing skills, Qin Ran reached a definite conclusion.

He also formed a further guess: perhaps improving a skill would improve the corresponding attribute as well.

But there was too little information right now for Qin Ran to be completely certain.

"How is it? Have you got it?"

After finishing her demonstration, Colin saw Qin Ran standing there in a daze and could not help reminding him. Her brows had drawn together slightly.

Clearly, she was dissatisfied that Qin Ran had actually gotten distracted while she was demonstrating.

"I should have grasped the basics!"

Qin Ran noticed her dissatisfaction. To ensure that their later plan went smoothly, he immediately used practical actions to dispel it.

He easily performed left and right sidesteps, forward and backward rolls, and two consecutive one-handed cartwheels.

The sight left Colin dumbfounded.

"Did you study gymnastics?"

Colin asked.

Having once been a member of her school's gymnastics team, Colin knew that reaching such a level required at least two or three years of training. A beginner might not even be able to perform a proper forward or backward roll, much less difficult moves like consecutive one-handed cartwheels.

"No, but I usually like fighting techniques, so I guess I'm fairly flexible!"

Qin Ran gave an answer that could explain it away.

Although the Underground Game did not restrict Qin Ran from keeping his identity as a player secret, he would have to be out of his mind to say something that would make people think he was insane in such an almost real game.

"So that's how it is!"

Colin clearly accepted the explanation.

But Qin Ran became distracted again.

His gaze fell on the [Stamina] entry in his attribute panel.

His Stamina, originally at 100, had dropped to 80.