Question: If you're caught committing robbery, and someone sees right through all your tricks, what should you do?
Qin Ming froze for two seconds, and then the answer came to him—simple, flip the table and run!
He gripped the table, bellowed with all his strength, and tossed it upwards, hoping to block Mary's view and buy himself time to escape.
But he'd clearly forgotten he was facing a fighter, a true expert in street combat.
The moment he moved, Mary's sharp reflexes kicked in. She leapt from her seat, landing a high kick that stomped the table back down, pinning it in place.
Seeing this, Qin Ming quickly switched tactics, aiming a side kick at Mary's chair to try and throw her off balance. But the quick-footed Mary changed positions with flawless agility, dodging his kick and instead launching a counter—an arc-like kick that struck Qin Ming square in the chest.
With a heavy thud, Qin Ming stumbled back, while Mary landed gracefully and cracked her knuckles as she sized him up.
"Oh? That's a hard body you've got there!" she smirked. "Looks like I've caught a tough one who's brave enough to rob a gold shop here in South Town. Well, no need to hold back!"
With a battle cry, Mary lunged, launching a swift kick. Qin Ming raised his arms to block, but each impact rang out in rapid succession as they exchanged a barrage of blows in the restaurant. Though he tried to fight back, Mary's superior speed and skill had her dominating the exchange.
With her opponent in check, Mary leaped, her legs clamping around Qin Ming's neck as she grabbed his arm, aiming to pull off her finishing move—the Back Drop, meant to shatter his shoulder.
Her move was swift, deadly, and precise—almost too fast for him to react. But just as she locked him in, Mary let out an unexpected shriek.
In desperation, Qin Ming had done the unthinkable—he bit down on her thigh!
Feeling a sharp, searing pain in her inner thigh, Mary's eyes widened, and she glared at him with disbelief.
"Are you some kind of dog? Who bites in a fight?!"
To her, Qin Ming's move seemed like a desperate struggle. She expected that, at best, he'd be left humiliated by her takedown. But as she was about to finish her sentence, Mary suddenly felt something strange—her strength was waning.
It wasn't poison... but...
Eyes widening with shock, she watched as Qin Ming's body swelled with power, his limbs growing visibly stronger.
Skill activated: Essence Absorption!
With an enraged roar, Qin Ming drained 5 points from Mary's stats, bolstering his own. Now brimming with power, he forcefully swung his arm. Though Mary still clung to him, he used his enhanced strength to whip her against the floor with a loud crash, shattering tiles upon impact.
Mary's hold loosened as she hit the ground, stunned.
Her attributes drained, her strength was now a full gap below Qin Ming's, whose own power surged to a staggering 38 points. As she struggled to get up, she felt Qin Ming's iron grip on her ankle.
With a violent swing, he tossed her across the room. She crashed into a nearby pillar, her body curling from the impact, but she barely had time to breathe before she was hurled again, this time knocking over several tables as she landed.
Gasping for air, blood trickling from her mouth, Mary clenched her teeth. She hadn't expected this simple case to turn into such a nightmare.
Before she could rise, the air whistled. She glanced up, wide-eyed, as she saw Qin Ming hurling a flurry of air blades her way.
Skill activated: Sonic Hand Blade!
"Oh no!"
Quickly, she sprung up, narrowly dodging two of the whirling blades. She flipped and twisted, evading as the remaining blades whizzed past, chipping the stone pillars around her. Using one for leverage, she leapt into the air, shooting toward Qin Ming.
Skill: Spiral Drop!
Her powerful legs kicked apart his guard as she spun, locking her thighs around his neck and flipping him to the ground with a thunderous crash. The floor split beneath them as she clenched her legs tighter, pummeling his chest with one fist after another.
But as her fists rained down, she suddenly froze.
Qin Ming had reached into his coat and was now pressing a revolver directly against her forehead.
The room fell silent. Holding her last punch mid-air, Mary's entire body tensed.
"Go on," Qin Ming smirked. "Go ahead and keep squeezing. Let's see who wins."
"...Using a gun in a fight isn't fair," Mary said, finally breaking the silence.
"It's fair enough in a robbery," he countered, jabbing the gun into her temple.
"I think... we might've misunderstood each other a bit!" Mary's smile grew stiff.
"Well, I don't think so."
With effort, Qin Ming peeled her legs from his neck and sat up, rubbing his throat, which was red and sore.
This woman's legs weren't limbs—they were iron clamps! He barely managed to pry them apart with 38 strength. If it were an ordinary man, she'd have crushed his skull in an instant.
As he massaged his neck, he shot Mary a fierce glare, his revolver aimed at her the entire time.
Mary, still seated on the ground, slowly raised her hands, her face colored with reluctant humor.
Neither moved; Qin Ming was well aware that his revolver couldn't kill her, even though it was aimed directly at her. The best he'd manage would be to injure her, at which point she'd go berserk, making their fight truly one to the death.
He wasn't about to risk that.
As the two continued their standoff, the sound of hurried footsteps came up the stairs. A group of officers arrived on the scene, drawing everyone's attention.
Qin Ming quickly lowered his weapon, stowing it in his coat.
Relieved, Mary jumped up and immediately pointed at him, shouting, "Police! He's the jewelry store thief! Arrest him!"
The officers exchanged glances, then, with a synchronized nod, cuffed Mary and led her away... for destruction of public property.