When Han Ya called up a Level 4 Kickboxing Fighter to spar with Chen'an, he knew his next match would be a more challenging one.
However, what surprised him wasn't the strength of his opponent but their endurance.
The trainee Han Ya had addressed as Niu Yanghui had been practicing kickboxing for more than a year. His fitness was far above that of Liu Zihao.
Chen'an's reflexes and attacks were swift, but Niu Yanghui had the resistance to withstand his punches.
He struck out again.
[You have attacked Kickboxing Fighter Niu Yanghui. His current Lifeblood: -8]
The damage was far from satisfactory, but they were both wearing protective gear, and unless they went so far as to incorporate elbows and knees into their attacks, it was difficult to deal high levels of damage at once.
At the start, Niu Yanghui had had 100 drops of Lifeblood. Before entering the arena, he had lost 20 drops to Chen'an's attack. Nearly ten minutes into the match, he had been on the receiving end of seven or eight punches, and still had more than 10 drops left.
However, being attacked by Chen'an made Niu Yanghui angry.
When Chen'an's fist swung again, Niu Yanghui chose to meet his attack head-on, before responding with one of his own. His punch collided with Chen'an's head.
They each took a punch, but Chen'an recovered first. Before Niu Yanghui could stabilize himself, he met with another of Chen'an's blows.
[You attacked Kickboxing Fighter Niu Yanghui and hit him in the head, inflicting critical damage. His current Lifeblood: -15]
[Congratulations on defeating Kickboxing Fighter Niu Yanghui. You have gained 20 experience points and 20 gold coins.]
Chen'an's expression brightened. His experience points were now 498/500–two points till he could level up!
Niu Yanghui, who had taken two punches in a row, held onto the rope enclosing the arena and regained his balance.
"Is this really your first day learning kickboxing, boy?" he asked helplessly. "I hardly feel like a match for you."
[Your rapid improvement has dealt a blow to Kickboxing Weakling Lu Mincai. His current Lifeblood: -10]
[Your rapid improvement has attracted the attention of Level 5 Kickboxing Photographer Hao Wu. He has marked you as someone to keep an eye on.]
Chen'an nodded at Niu Yanghui before turning his gaze to a proper-looking man in the crowd. Their eyes met, and Hao Wu offered him a friendly smile.
"Alright, that's enough." Han Ya stood up, not daring to let Chen'an continue sparring with anyone else. If this went on, only a coach would be a match for him. Unless they lost too, in which case Han Ya had little faith in the survival of their kickboxing club.
With the sparring drawn to a close, everyone quickly dispersed.
Han Ya came to Chen'an's side and gave him a heavy pat on the shoulder. "Not bad, kid. You've made me proud today," she said with a smile.
Chen'an coughed dryly. "Only because my master taught me well."
"You sure know how to pile on the flattery. Go sit aside and rest first. If you want to eat something, go to the front desk; you can buy snacks there. Put it on my tab." Han Ya pointed to the rest area.
Chen'an was a little hungry, so he followed her instructions and bought two loaves of bread and a bottle of milk, which he ate at the rest area.
The dungeon simulation had been ongoing for almost two hours, with no signs that it was about to end. Clearly, it wasn't set in stone how long dungeons remained open; classes in school usually lasted for 45 minutes, so the simulations would end then. But the kickboxing club didn't close until 10pm–if its closing hours were anything to go by.
It was now 2pm, so he had 8 hours more!
Even if he didn't stay that late, he could afford another hour or two in this place. Plus, he could use the time to verify a few things. Namely, whether anyone who entered the club while it was open would be automatically marked as a monster.
If so, wouldn't that mean he could choose an even more crowded location, with potential victims aplenty?
Chen'an had his double EXP card at his disposal, but, unfortunately, he was supposed to be taking a break, and his audience had dispersed. It wouldn't be easy to find another monster to kill.
As he was thinking, a faint fragrance wafted into his nose from beside him.
Chen'an looked up and saw the beautiful middle-aged woman–the one who had smiled at him earlier–seated in a chair.
"Are you a student at Shangke High, handsome?"
Chen'an studied her, and her name came back to him: Chen Guifen.
From her demeanor, he could tell it wasn't her first time in such a situation. He had to admit, she paid a respectable amount of attention to her appearance; her skin was fair and rosy, and her face was absent of wrinkles. Her figure was even more eye-catching.
Eying the 'Level 4 Kickboxing Fighter' title over her head, Chen'an replied politely, "I am."
Chen Guifen giggled. "Looks like my memory didn't fail me. I thought that was a Shangke High uniform you were wearing earlier. Which year of high school is it for you?" She was wearing a sports vest with a loose collar, and her breasts rippled along with the vibrations from her laughter.
Chen'an held her gaze and replied flatly, "I'm in my third year. I'm a senior."
Chen Guifen's eyes lit up. "Meaning, you're 18 years old?" That was excellent–he was considered a legal adult!
"I noticed you weren't panting even after punching for so long, handsome. Your stamina is impressive." She reached out to touch his arm.
Startled, Chen'an pulled away and coughed. "I just ran 1km in school today. If there's nothing else, Auntie, I'd like to rest."
[Your inappropriate address made Kickboxing Fighter Chen Guifen's blood rush to her brain. Her current Lifeblood: -20]
Her smile froze.
Auntie?
If it weren't for the fact that she had placed Chen'an high in her sights, she would have taught this unchivalrous brat a lesson.
She sucked in two sharp breaths, suppressing her indignation. "Since you want to rest, I won't disturb you. Can you leave me your phone number so we can stay in touch?" She straightened, giving him a clearer view of her chest–a temptation no teenage boy could refuse.
But Chen'an's answer surprised her.
"I'm sorry, Auntie. I don't bring my phone to school because my mother doesn't allow me to use it there."
[Your inappropriate address made Kickboxing Fighter Chen Guifen's blood rush to her brain–again. Her current Lifeblood: -25]
[Kickboxing Fighter Chen Guifen recognizes your clumsy lie for what it is, severely wounding her confidence. Her current Lifeblood: -30]
[Congratulations on defeating Kickboxing Fighter Chen Guifen. You have gained 14 experience points and 14 gold coins.]
[Congratulations on leveling up. You have gained 1 potential point. Please allocate it as you see fit.]
[Congratulations on your achievement: behaving worse than a beast. You actually rejected the subtle invitation of a delicate beauty. How monstrous of you.]
[Achievement points: +2]