Lin Yi felt the explosive power surging inside him and looked at the black-robed man before him again.
Apart from the description, everything else was still question marks.
He could sense that the black-robed man before him bore little ill will.
He should be an NPC handing out a big gift pack!
After being unlucky for so long, I've finally caught a break!
But Lin Yi was somewhat dismissive of the great opportunity the man spoke of.
There was no love without reason in this world, nor hatred without reason.
The gifts bestowed by fate had long since had their prices marked in the unseen.
A great opportunity?
You rotten old geezer, you're up to no good!
Like hell I'd believe you!
Getting this 10% EXP is already a great deal!
This guy is covered in question marks. He's nothing but a riddler!
Based on the effects of [Eye of Illusion Breaking], the man's combat power was at least a thousand times his own!
He had still had a 0.078125% chance of beating the [Nightmare Giant Dragon] earlier, but against this black-robed man...
His chance of winning had been 0 from the very start!
No amount of studying would let him win!
Rather than stay here and let him toy with me, I might as well kill myself!
Lin Yi raised his right hand, about to slam it into his own forehead!
"Wait, young friend!"
Seeing Lin Yi's movement, the black-robed man immediately panicked and cried out in alarm.
Lin Yi paused for a moment and looked at the black-robed man in confusion:
"Senior? Do you have anything else to say?"
"Please hurry up. I'm in a rush to die!"
The black-robed man gave two light coughs and said, somewhat embarrassed:
"Young friend, there's really no need for this!"
"My requirement isn't for you to defeat me. You only need to inflict damage on me, by any means."
"This is also a minimum requirement for obtaining the great opportunity!"
Lin Yi spread his hands, looking somewhat helpless:
"You must be joking, Senior. With my meager combat power, how could I possibly hurt you?"
"You've given me a rare EXP worm today, Senior, so we've already forged a good connection."
"I already... want nothing more!"
Hearing this, the black-robed man tried coaxing him again:
"Oh, come now!"
"How could I possibly use my full strength!"
"How about this!"
"I'll adjust my movement speed and combat power to match yours, and I won't attack!"
"Surely that should put you at ease?"
Lin Yi was slightly taken aback. He activated [Eye of Illusion Breaking] again to inspect the black-robed man's stats.
[???] Type: ??? Grade: ??? Level: ??? HP: ??? Combat power: 100000000 Talent: ??? Skills: ??? Description: Rumored to be the guardian of a top-secret treasury. His word carries immense weight, and he never breaks a promise.
The black-robed man stood in the rain with a relaxed posture, and the oppressive aura around him slowly dissipated.
His drenched black robe clung to his body. Rainwater dripped from its hem, forming little puddles on the ground.
Though he looked completely unguarded, the composure he unwittingly revealed kept others from underestimating him.
Even the surrounding air seemed to grow lighter as he relaxed, and the tense atmosphere gradually faded.
The rain began to soften. No longer a torrential downpour, it became a persistent drizzle, as though even the sky felt relieved by the man's relaxation.
Half a meter behind the black-robed man, the Mountain Greatsword stood quietly embedded in the mud, its blade looking especially lonely in the rain.
Its tip was driven deep into the ground, while its hilt tilted slightly.
Rainwater slid down the blade, and its edge reflected a faint gleam in the rain.
The surrounding scenery became clearer under the rain's cleansing, and the washed leaves grew an even brighter green.
Distant mountains appeared and disappeared in the rainy mist. The entire scene resembled a freshly completed ink painting, peaceful yet full of life.
Lin Yi scratched his head and gave an honest smile, but towering waves surged through his heart.
The black-robed man before him seemed full of openings, but in truth, he had none!
Yet Lin Yi's combat instincts told him...
I can only befriend this man!
I absolutely must not make an enemy of him!
Once I attack, this briefly maintained, uncertain goodwill might vanish in an instant!
Rather than chase that elusive great opportunity, I'd be better off working to befriend the black-robed man before me!
In a sense, this counts as a different kind of great opportunity too!
"That's where you're mistaken, Senior!"
"Even if your movement speed and combat power matched mine, your combat awareness would still be far beyond me!"
"I won't make a fool of myself by showing off before an expert!"
"Otherwise, I'd only... make myself a laughingstock!"
Lin Yi took two steps toward the black-robed man, paused briefly, then extended his right hand and said with a hearty smile:
"Rather than fighting and killing, I'd much rather make your acquaintance, Senior!"
"Even if you had troubles, someone at my level wouldn't be able to get involved!"
"But if there's ever anything I can help with, just say the word, and I'll spare no effort!"
A handshake!
A handshake!!
A handshake!!!
If I can shake hands with someone this important, I'll have made a powerful connection!
Just a little slipping through his fingers would be enough for me to rake it in!
Even if opportunities don't rain down on me afterward, it'd still be better than struggling out there alone!
Life has many turning points!
Having a benefactor willing to lend you a hand could spare you forty years of detours!
Seeing Lin Yi's outstretched right hand before him, the black-robed man felt somewhat puzzled:
"Young friend, what does this mean?"
Lin Yi paused slightly, then gave a warm smile and said:
"In my hometown, shaking hands is a form of etiquette!"
"It shows respect for the person before you!"
"The other person extends their hand too, and the two clasp hands to show that they share the same ideals!"
Hearing this, the black-robed man nodded thoughtfully and replied with an equally warm smile:
"An interesting custom!"
With that, the black-robed man extended his right hand as well, slowly reaching to clasp Lin Yi's.
Dark clouds!
Raindrops!
The dragon's corpse!
The greatsword!
The world seemed to fall silent for an instant!
Time seemed to stop for an instant!
Smack!
-1!
Lin Yi exerted force with his right hand, sharply knocking the black-robed man's approaching hand aside with a crisp smack!
And inflicted one point of forced damage!
After successfully landing an attack on the black-robed man, he suddenly grinned, his eyes fixed firmly on the man before him:
"Sorry, I..."
"Won!"
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