Chapter 1077
Chapter 1077 - 163 Appetizer
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At the moment the gunshot sounded, Lu Ping’an realized that this fight was entirely different from the previous ones.
"No killing intent, but the resolution to kill, huh..."
The theme of this battle had been set, determining both the victor and the life-or-death stakes.
"Domineering Three Faces."
The phantom of the Two-headed Snake flickered and vanished, its savage Tentacles whipping everything in the vicinity.
If there was a routine to fighting, then this widespread whipping, creating a vacuum area named "Domineering Three Faces," was now Lu Ping’an’s favorite opening move.
And if it were imbued with the soul of the Two-headed Snake, its power was incomparable to what it had been in the past.
"One, two, three..."
Lu Ping’an counted under his breath, though his feet didn’t stop moving.
He repeatedly probed and scanned these "rabbits"... but the next moment, he realized that his efforts were futile as their number and speed exceeded the limits of his focused attention.
"Shrink Land."
Clenching his teeth, Lu Ping’an took another step, completing a short-range Teleport.
This time, the "Shrink Land distance" was at least four times the previous... turning one step into four might not be an essential change, but it meant that "low-level Shrink Land" could evolve from a mere "evasion technique" into a "mobility skill."
This wasn’t a leap that could be achieved by sheer effort; it was a passive increase in spatial control capability that came with Lu Ping’an’s transition from a third-tier Runner to a Decree-level Runner, an all-around enhancement granted by advancing in his Profession.
And just as he landed, Lu Ping’an felt that Shrink Land was ready to use again.
The all-around enhancement brought about by the tier upgrade to a Fourth Order Runner was significant, overcoming most of the limitations of first-tier abilities, especially since Lu Ping’an’s Runner Profession was of the spatial system.
"...Shrink Land."
Continuing to use the ability, he rapidly increased the distance with consecutive Shrink Lands.
On one hand, understanding why those high-level Runners seemed like specters, fast as train engines, Lu Ping’an truly didn’t dare to stop.
In fact, he already had a huge advantage, whether it was the Eye of Truth or the Blessing from Domineering Three Faces relating to "trajectory," they allowed him to easily capture those "rabbits," but...
Another assault came from below, burrowing out of the ground, completely disregarding any reasonable rules of trajectory, constantly changing its pattern of movement as if it were a living creature.
Lu Ping’an made an evasive maneuver, trying to dodge, but another wave of attacks was already upon him.
He knew he couldn’t avoid it.
"Get lost."
The dancing Tentacles automatically defended, the augmented energy absorption skin took the brunt of the impact, and Lu Ping’an still spat out blood, having just survived this segment of the assault.
Prior intelligence gathering and hands-on combat experience allowed Lu Ping’an to confirm that the enemy’s ability characteristics were exactly as the briefing had described.
Loter’s fighting style was extremely blunt and straightforward, controlling the "Twenty Rabbits" he fashioned from his own fingers as "automatic homing ammunition" for attack.
Tamer? Fighter? In the end, they were just augmenting that one brutal and straightforward ability.
As ammunition, they received all sorts of Profession buffs from the Tamer.
As fingers, even if detached, they could still be manipulated as external limbs by the Fighter.
Accurate to the intelligence report, he had mastered these two paths to their peak.
But only when the actual fight broke out did Lu Ping’an realize something was off about the intelligence; each piece of seemingly identical "ammunition" was actually very different.
Some moved underground like dragons, others flew in curves like Elves, and some even Teleported in mid-flight... these lifeless objects exhibited traits of living beings and clearly possessed extraordinary abilities.
"Intelligence half true, half false... Damn!"
Lu Ping’an had another burst of action, using a ring of fire to push back an approaching "Explosive Rabbit."
The opponent’s ability was indeed extremely simple, just the control over those Twenty Rabbits, and the weakness was obvious... getting close to his actual body, he naturally couldn’t cope.
But as long as one got close, those "rabbits’" aggressiveness and the power of their extraordinary characteristics clearly increased.
It seemed that, like puppets on strings, the closer they were, the stronger the control.
Lu Ping’an feared that it was only by getting up close that he would experience their full strength... and so far, he had only seen twelve rabbits. He feared the remaining "rabbits" were still in the opponent’s hands or guns, and Lu Ping’an was not confident he could withstand a barrage of their full firepower.
"...It’s a bit suffocating."
This was the first... the second time in this trial that Lu Ping’an was completely on the receiving end of the beating, even unable to fight back.
What upset him the most was that he clearly understood the opponent’s ability and even knew how to respond, yet due to the inability to react or to reach, he could only passively take hits.
The opponent’s abilities and combat mode were simple and direct, yet this "directness" brought a level of strength that left one helplessly responding.
"If it were outside..."
If it were outside, Lu Ping’an could easily come up with a dozen ways to respond, but now his Career Ability was even more limited, and he could do nothing but resist forcefully.
"Twenty Rabbits" indeed taught him a lesson; there was no need for a variety of characteristics, no need for multiple Career Ability combinations, just these "simple" and "high-speed" basic abilities alone were enough to accomplish a massacre.
Lu Ping’an was hit once again, this time directly on the forehead, and the opponent’s "Armor-piercing bullet" was not very effective against Lu Ping’an’s biological armor.
Along the way, Lu Ping’an was once again put under pressure, demonstrating the level of combat power expected of a Peak Commandment Level, but...
𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶
"...What’s going on, how can it be so hard, and why is it that even when hit, it’s as if there is no feeling?"
But now, Loter, who seemed calm and composed, was far from peaceful inside.
It was the first time he had seen anyone who dealt with his magic bullets as if they were peanuts... If there hadn’t been a breach in defense or if the bullets hadn’t hit the flesh, he could have explained it, but these shots clearly hit critically, and yet the opponent only seemed as if he was punched, leaving Loter with some regret.
"Ah, this is really not easy money... I should have asked for a higher price."
And before he could change his tactics, the one who first showed a surprised expression turned out to be himself.
"You... what did you do? Why is my ’middle finger’ gone!"
"Hehe, guess."
And Lu, who was just testing the waters, gradually found a way to counter.
First, he needed to be on the same level as the opponent’s "speed," at least not to be left too far behind.
"...Tiger Fury, Life Overload!"
The Tiger Fury characteristic from the Breathing Technique originally enhanced the body’s Reflex and Burst Power, similar to a fireman’s Herculean strength.
But due to their extremely high physical expenditure, Lu Ping’an had not used them many times in the past.
Now, after Lu Ping’an advanced to a Fourth Order Fighter... this meant that he had obtained his first fourth-tier "Battle-profession."
One of the features of the Battle-profession is that often one of its core Professional Skills is the Breathing Technique, and after Lu Ping’an made up for this aspect, many of his low-level abilities, their effects, costs, and limits, were greatly optimized.
Previously, Tiger Fury Life Overload was measured in seconds, and he would be exhausted after a brief use. Now, he could do it for a minute or two, and Lu Ping’an didn’t feel anything at all.
His life essence once again underwent a leap... Lu Ping’an felt most clearly that many of his previously inefficient, highly restricted abilities could now be used casually.
But Lu Ping’an was blasted away again.
Clearly, he was not fast enough, not agile enough...
"...Tiger Fury second stage, activate."
Blood-silk were already dense in his pupils, and the past lethal-level "body acceleration" was, at this moment, easily withstood by Lu Ping’an.
In that moment, those once again accelerated "magic bullets"
He understood why the Breathing Technique was the core of a Battle-profession; indeed, it had provided warriors with everything they needed most.
— End of Chapter 1077 —