1:04 PM
The crowd finally calm down, but it was because they were all quite tense. The result of the fight was already prepared. They were only waiting for the manager's voice to call throughout the room.
The manager stood firmly in the middle of the ring and cleared his throat.
"I shall now announce the winner of the match!" With a deep and loud voice, he exclaimed.
"With 313 points, just two points higher than the other, the winner for today is...!"
﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏ ﹏﹏
﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏ ﹏﹏
﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏ ﹏﹏
"If I have actually increased my strength back there, maybe I won't lose..."
Liam was wandering around in a certain street while thinking about the result of the match earlier.
'Well, it's too late for regrets.'
The manager said that he should take a break and go home, believing that he was already very exhausted from the fight he just have. But Liam wasn't really that much tired enough, he just accepted the request since it would be suspicious if he said he wasn't that much exhausted.
Because his endurance was much higher than before it also decrease the depletion of his stamina. Liam could actually still go for a few rounds before he started feeling tired.
He walked for a bit before he found himself near a small restaurant. He decided to rest there and simply fill his stomach.
'Hm... About that, I still can't think of a method about how to properly use the essence of my endurance...'
He took a spoonful of fried rice in his mouth...
'But anyway, what skill should I level up? I recalled that I still have 10 skill points.'
...And another spoon...
'Oh, yeah. Dull Time is the most valuable skill out of all the ones I have, but Stealth is also useful, and Blade Hands is quite strong...'
...And one last swallow of the food before he was completely full.
"I'll just have to use this free time to gather my thoughts."
Skill Menu.
﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏
[Skills]
(1) Passive Skills:
> Health Recovery
> Firmness {CD 10 min}
> Regeneration
> Immunity
> Hyperthymesia
> Warrior's Will
- [Techniques]:
> Hand Fighting Techniques Lv. 1
> Assassination Techniques Lv. 1
> Strength Control Lv. 1
(2) [Active Skills]:
> Mesomorphic Lv. 3 - {5 MP, 1 mins CD}
> Crystal Vision Lv. 1
- {5 MP, 30 sec CD}
> Accurate Throw Lv. 2
- {1 MP, 1 sec CD}
> Appraisal Lv. 2
- {0 MP}
> Mental Boost Lv. 1 - {5 MP, 30 sec CD}
> Discerning Eye Lv. 1 - {5 MP, 30 sec CD}
> Absorption Lv. 2 - {0 MP, 20 mins CD}
> Stealth Lv. 1 - {5 MP, 1 mins CD}
> Dull Time Lv. 1 - {10 MP, 25% STA, 9 hrs CD}
> Blade Hands Lv. 1 - {5 MP, 10% STA, 15 mins CD}
> Fiery Punch Lv. 2 - {9 MP, 5% STA, 30 mins CD}
> Arm Strengthening Lv. 1 - {3 MP, 1 mins CD}
Skill Distribution Points: 10
﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏
'It's been a while since I last saw my skills.'
And it still puts a smile on his face.
A moment of his evaluation, he went into conclusion.
"If I were to level up the Stealth, I barely know how useful it could be..."
Perhaps the duration of its use would be longer adding an enhanced concealment of his presence, his shadow vanishing, or just making his moves swifter.
Unlike the other two, he didn't know exactly how much better the skill could get useful after leveling it up.
Only two skills left for him to decide.
The Blade Hands was easy to predict since it's a physical attack skill. As always, the conditions will decrease like the cooldown or the needed stamina, the duration will increase, and it would get more stronger, faster, and deadlier.
And the last one, the Dull Time. Slowing down time was possibly one of the most needed things in one's life.
Liam believed that it won't go anymore slower and the most possible case it would be after getting leveled up was the same as the others - the decrease of the cooldown and the increase of the skill duration.
While it was simple to say in words, its use after that would be fruitful.
"Presumably, it could increase the duration by ten seconds and decrease the cooldown by two or three hours at most..."
The Blade Hands was an offensive skill that would easily subdue a group of enemies. At worst case, he could also kill if he focused it at one man.
On the flip side, the Dull Time could mainly be considered as a defensive skill since he could escape a life-threatening attack with it. For example, avoiding a bullet, or escaping after getting cornered as he did in the hospital.
Just by thinking all the things he could do with the skill made his heart flutter a bit.
"I have decided. Killing someone is still uncomfortable and somehow disturbing... Even if it's those filthy people..."
﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏
Dull Time Lv. 1 → Dull Time Lv. 2
Skill Distribution Points: 10 → 0
﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏ ﹏
'Accept.'
Ding!
『 Dull Time leveled up by 1. 』
『 Dull Time's condition has been revised. 』
『 Dull Time - 30 seconds duration, 7 hours cooldown time.』
'As expected...'
Liam formed a faint smile before he tried to grab some money, which he got from his manager who gave him his advance payment.
He left it at the table as he stood up.
But then...
"KIYAAAA-!!!"
A shriek so loud that it pierced through one's ear although it obviously came from afar.
Liam, who was just about to walk and leave the restaurant, heard the cry of a lady and instantly felt troubled.
While he thought that he should go there and check, the atmosphere inside the small restaurant changed. It was suspicious because...
There's not one reaction from the people in here...?
All of the customers were silent. Not the reaction of them worrying about the shriek like normal people would expect.
Liam had an urge to question about their unusual reaction, but he stopped himself when he finally have an idea about the cause of it.
'I just realized that...'
...This part of the town was a place where thugs usually resides, making it their base, or a battleground when other gangs wanted to take over.
"If that's the case, then I really have to go there..."
Without having any more second thoughts, he left the restaurant and went towards the direction of the shriek.
With his Hyperthymesia skill to vividly remember the location, his high perception that enhanced his senses and made him conceive the presence of others, and last was his dexterity which made him easily go from place to place if he went at full speed...
...In only a dozen seconds, he arrived at his destination.
In the middle of a narrow alleyway, Liam saw a group of three guys encircling a lady who seemed to stumble forcefully on the ground.
His eyes twitched and released a cold glint. He lowered his head before he coughed slightly.
The thugs turned their heads towards Liam and made a confused expression.
"Who the fuck is this guy?" One of the thugs questioned as he threw his cigarette away.
Liam raised his head, glanced at the thug, and in a calm manner, he spoke.
"I'm sorry, it seems I was lost... But..."
He averted his gaze towards the helpless who was also looking at him. She seemed to be quite hurt as she kept mumbling something. Like...
...'Help'.
"I noticed you guys were doing some shady things."
"Huh?! So what? You're gonna come here and beat us? You know it will turn out be the opposite, right?"
Another one of the thugs talked, he seemed to be pissed off by Liam's way of talking.
"I mean, you guys doing all that made me remember something that I don't want to remember."
Liam took a step.
"And it's a bad thing for you I guess..."
"Don't come here, you sunovabitch!"
"You know, if I compare you three to some guys which I'll never forget..."
At that moment, a cold aura shot up from his body as he continued to step forward.
"You're nothing but just some school bullies in the form of your limp gangster-like bodies."
"W-What...!?"
"Should I call you street bullies? Or street bully gang honorable members?"
With a habit-driven intention to piss off the guys, Liam succeeded. One of the thugs ran towards him and immediately attacked with his fist but it was dodged.
He made two more attacks but it was also avoided so he decided to give it his full strength.
After that, he almost tripped and fell after striking the empty air. His enemy was already gone in front of him.
Pak!
He looked back just to see the other thugs in their beat up state.
"Keurk! P-Put me down!! Ack!"
The other guy was already kneeling on the floor with saliva continuously flowing down from his mouth as he held his stomach, while the last guy was being held in the neck leaning on the wall.
The guy who saw all this trembled in fear.
"M-Monster... Y-You monster...!"
Soon, his eyes met with Liam's intense and cold glare, making him step back and fall on the ground.
Liam then released the guy from his gripped after seeing him unconscious before he turned his body towards the only thug who haven't lost his senses.
He once again shot his fearful aura as he opened his mouth.
"Run."
Hearing that, the last thug eyes quivered. He zoned out for a moment before he forcefully moved his body to stand up and ran away while intensely catching his breath.
Liam saw the guy's body disappear from his sight, he decided to leave as well. Putting his hands in his pocket, he began to walk towards the direction where he last came from.
"T-Thank you!"