The underground expanse of Takeda Saito's mansion was not vast, but its design mirrored the style of Zaun, with narrow pathways that twisted and turned relentlessly.
Amid the intricate Ionian architecture on the surface, the underground walls were predominantly crafted from metal grates, segmenting the space into narrow chambers.
Except for some residential areas, most of these cramped rooms were filled with various glassware and devices dedicated to the study of alchemical technology.
As a Chem-Baron of Zaun, Takeda, despite his Ionian warrior lineage, couldn't resist delving into the realm of alchemical research.
Li Lin, armored and armed, plowed through the underground, vandalizing alchemical apparatuses he encountered. He engaged fearless warriors and enhanced individuals, thoroughly modified through extensive alchemical augmentation.
However, whether warriors or enhanced beings, it seemed they were all fiercely loyal to the Takeda family.
Li Lin captured several individuals alive, even offering to spare their lives in exchange for information on Takeda's whereabouts. However, none were willing to divulge Takeda's location.
Helplessly, he roamed aimlessly like a headless fly.
In case he reached a dead end, he used his vibration blade or electric shock cannon to cut through the metal walls, creating new paths.
Finally, when his life points displayed on the system panel dropped to just over three hundred, he reached the end of the narrow underground passage.
With the heated blade effortlessly slicing through the iron door in front of him, Li Lin found himself in a spacious area.
It was a hall with Ionian aesthetics, adorned in golden hues. Four stone pillars were dispersed in the hall's corners, each engraved with statues of Ionian spirits.
A massive portrait hung on the wall directly facing the entrance, depicting an elder and a youth sparring with katana swords.
Beneath the painting, a majestic chair crafted from ancient wood, resembling a throne, rested on a platform.
In this hall, both the overall color scheme and other decorations were a world apart from the complex and intricate tunnels Li Lin had traversed.
Li Lin squinted, focusing his gaze on the center of the hall.
Seated there was a figure clad in a black Ionian traditional robe, surrounded by a vast area covered in a magical array with numerous mysterious and intricate runes. It emitted a black-green glow.
[Name: Chifu]
[Race: Ionian]
[Occupation: Novice Mage (Spiritual Magic)]
[HP: 1065/1065]
[MP: 583/1954]
[Combat Power: 34]
[Mastered Skills: Chaos (inflict chaotic debuffs), Divination (predict future fortunes), Psychic Storm (cause mental impact, reducing percentage-based HP and MP)]
Chi Feng even possessed divination skills; no wonder Takeda had set up an ambush in advance.
A chill ran down Li Lin's spine.
Under the influence of [Data Mind], through battles with numerous warriors and alchemical augmentation-enhanced individuals, he deduced that most people's combat power fluctuated between 20 and 30. Only a few enhanced individuals approached a combat power of 40.
From this, he roughly speculated the system's categorization of combat power:
Combat power from 1 to 20 was roughly the level of an ordinary person, with 20 being an average value.
Beyond a combat power of 20, it represented well-trained individuals or enhanced individuals with exceptional strength.
For example, his invention, the Infinite Power Armor, had a combat power of 48.
However, as for the upper limit within the human category, how much combat power figures like Jax, the Grandmaster at Arms, or Yi, the Wuju Bladesman, could reach...
Li Lin had just upgraded his skills and could now see combat power, but he had yet to encounter someone with such an extraordinary level of strength.
Perhaps, in the future, he could gauge the combat power of Rek'Sai, the Void Burrower.
Yet, the person before him, Chifu, a mage proficient in spiritual magic, achieved a combat power of 34 with only three skills.
It definitely wasn't the first two skills.
"The 'Psychic Storm' that inflicts percentage-based damage... this should be his ultimate move."
Li Lin didn't intend to give this person any time to amplify his strength, especially when Takeda, the cunning serpent, could be hiding somewhere. Time was of the essence.
After a brief contemplation, he immediately unleashed his shoulder cannon.
Amidst the clash of steel, Li Lin keenly detected a sharp sound tearing through the air alongside a fierce shout, "Ha! Gale Slash!"
He didn't evade, allowing the assailant to strike him.
"You've suffered a heavy blow from Chem-Baron Saito Takeda, Infinite Power Armor - 496, health reduced."
Li Lin swiftly reacted, swinging his high-frequency vibration blade towards the assailant's side.
Saito, sensing danger, promptly executed a forward flip, evading Li Lin's melee range.
Following this, Li Lin fired several energy balls in quick succession, but the agile opponent dodged them with ease.
This guy is more formidable than the Chemtech-augmented individuals...
Li Lin's expression turned stern as he immediately checked his opponent's panel attributes.
[Name: Saito Takeda]
[Race: Ionian]
[Occupation: Chem-Baron, Samurai, Swordmaster]
[Health: 2936/2936 (2437)]
[Mana: 203/234]
[Combat Power: 43]
[Mastered Skills]
[Gale Spirit Swordsmanship: Greatly enhances katana proficiency and increases damage for all sword techniques.]
[Chemtech Augmentation: Significantly boosts health, strength, and agility.]
[Alchemical Elixir Enhancement: Temporarily increases health, strength, and agility.]
[Swift Dash: Rapidly charges forward.]
[Meditation: Accelerates mana recovery, enhances swordsmanship insight.]
[Phantom Swift Steps: Continuously consumes mana, greatly boosts agility.]
[Spiritual Path - Void Breaking Slash: Rapidly slashes with the katana, causing devastating damage to a single target.]
"Phantom Swift Steps?!"
Seeing this skill, Li Lin visibly hesitated.
Significantly boosting agility, no wonder he could dodge my electrical shockwaves...
Truly worthy of an Ionian, a bit of magic always clings to them.
Li Lin had no intention of prolonging the fight with Saito. He immediately raised his hand, targeting the side where Chifu, who had stopped casting the 'Chaos' mental spell and was preparing to escape, was.
"Chifu, be careful!"
Seeing the situation, Saito immediately rushed to Li Lin's side, delivering a slash to his left arm to cover Chifu's retreat.
However, in the next second, a deep blue light flashed on Li Lin, activating the fully charged 'Overload Energy' skill, significantly boosting his speed.
"You just don't know when to quit!" Li Lin swiftly sidestepped, and the blue afterimage from the charged crystal on his body vanished.
Saito's katana sliced through the air, and his body, unable to control the forward momentum, tilted forward, his expression changing drastically.
how did this bastard's speed suddenly surpass mine...
Before he could adjust his posture after landing, Li Lin, who had flashed behind him, thrust his right arm.
The high-frequency vibroblade effortlessly pierced through the cylindrical Chemtech augmentation device on Saito's back, penetrating his chest.
"Ugh..." Saito widened his eyes, emitting an unclear moan.
"Don't act so arrogantly now that you're dead." Li Lin disdainfully withdrew the blade, casually tossing the lifeless body aside.
Immediately, he shifted his gaze to the distance, where Chifu was attempting to sneak away through the hidden passage.
With a swift move, Li Lin dashed to his back, granting him no chance to react, and pierced through his chest with a single strike.
Simultaneously, the system panel delivered notifications:
"You have killed Chem-Baron Saito Takeda, gaining 1 skill point."
"You have killed Chifu (Elite), gaining 1 skill point."
"Congratulations! Your level has increased to 12, gaining 1 skill point."
"Remaining skill points: 10."
(End of this chapter)
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