In the early hours of the morning, the city of Tianfu still shimmered with neon lights as countless men and women indulged in the nightlife, unable to extricate themselves. This was also the peak time for criminal activities. Amidst this city filled with desires, a mysterious hunter emerged.
In a dark corner, a towering six-foot giant leaned against the wall, clutching a spiked club. His menacing face was covered in cold sweat, reflecting fear. "Who are you exactly? We have no past grudges or recent enmity; why do you want to kill me?"
Before him, a figure half a head shorter than him lurked in the shadows like a ghost, wearing a panda mask that only revealed a pair of eyes filled with coldness and disdain. In his hand, a broadsword was brought down with a force that seemed to shake mountains and split seas.
Boom! The clash between the broadsword and the giant's spiked club produced a thunderous sound, the impact so great it split the giant's palm, causing the bloodied club to fly out of his grasp.
The giant groaned, his terrified eyes flashing with madness. "I'll fight you to the death!"
Without a weapon and devoid of any last resort, the giant's ferocity was ignited. Roaring, his bear-like frame lunged at the shadowy figure.
The black figure remained calm, the broadsword in his hand vanishing in an instant. He murmured lightly, "Random Fists!"
In the next moment, a flurry of punches enveloped the charging giant.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Punches rained down on the giant's body, yet his flesh turned as hard as ancient bronze. "Hahaha—! I have the Golden Bell Shield protecting me; you can't kill me!"
The giant laughed wildly despite being pummeled by the shadow, seemingly unaffected by the blows. Oddly, despite not fearing the attacks, the giant did not retaliate.
As the saying goes, 'even the most patient will eventually slip.' After more than ten minutes, the giant's face gradually turned red, then purple. His brow bone was broken, blood trickled from his nostrils, and his body was bruised all over, swaying amidst the storm of fists.
"Random Fists proficiency reached 100%, upgrading! Congratulations, Host, Random Fists has advanced to Intermediate level.
Random Fists (Intermediate 0%): Beat the master with random punches. Attacks are unstructured, leaving the enemy at a loss. Strength increased by 20%, speed increased by 20%, lasts for 30 seconds, no cooldown, consumes 10 True Qi points per use."
The voice in his mind was melodious. Li Nianlong checked his remaining True Qi, which happened to be exactly 10 points. What was there to wait for?
"Random Fists!"
With the first punch landing on the giant's face, the giant finally let out a scream. But this was only the beginning. Accompanied by a series of thuds, the giant was pummeled relentlessly for the next half-minute until he was unrecognizable, collapsing to the ground, blood spurting from his mouth and nose.
"This can't be..." The giant spat out a mouthful of blood, staring at Li Nianlong in utter horror. "You... Your punches are even heavier, your speed even faster. You... Who exactly are you!?"
"The dead don't need to know much." Li Nianlong's broadsword reappeared in his hand, swinging down upon the giant. Blood spurted, and the head rolled, the giant's eyes wide open in death, unseeing.
"Killed the Gang Leader of the Vajra Gang, Experience +3500, Money +25000, obtained Steel Spiked Club, obtained the 7th Level of the Golden Bell Shield. Due to the heinous crimes and notorious reputation of the target, experience is quadrupled, Experience +14000, Experience Points are full, leveling up!"
Accompanied by a golden glow of leveling up, Li Nianlong's overall condition reached a new pinnacle.
Enjoying the thrill of leveling up, Li Nianlong did not forget to allocate all remaining points to True Qi. This change in attributes further enhanced Li Nianlong's strength.
Li Nianlong: Level 13 (17330/18200)
Strength: 90
Speed: 75
True Qi: 166
Intelligence: 95
Remaining Points: 0
Talent: Auspicious Avoidance: Innately possesses the power to sense fortune and misfortune, easily avoiding calamities.
Skills: Random Fists (Intermediate 0%): Beat the master with random punches. Attacks are unstructured, leaving the enemy at a loss. Strength increased by 20%, speed increased by 20%, lasts for 30 seconds, no cooldown, consumes 10 True Qi points per use.
Stealth (Basic 45%): Upon activation, enters an invisible state, with speed reduced by 50%. Automatically cancels upon disturbance. Lasts for 1 minute, cools down in 10 minutes, consumes 20 True Qi points each use.
Money: 41250
Equipment: Omitted...
Special Items: The 7th Level of the Golden Bell Shield
Life Occupation: Architect (Advanced 58%): Proficient in constructing any building up to six stories.
Pressure Point Specialist (Basic 0%): Relaxes the body and alleviates illnesses through pressure point stimulation, equivalent to a top-tier masseur.
Authority: Level 1 - Shop.
Ever since absorbing Yuexi's special ability and rocketing up to Level 12 in one go, it had become increasingly difficult for Li Nianlong to level up. Just a few days ago, he hadn't encountered any gang clashes during the early hours, and picking off some small fry had only earned him less than two thousand experience points. However, today his luck had turned, and taking down a notoriously evil gang leader had netted him 3,500 experience points, significantly more than what Chen Zongrui had offered initially. The quadruple experience boost had allowed Li Nianlong to successfully level up, and he was now just shy of a thousand points away from the next level.
That aside, what Li Nianlong was most concerned about was the addition of a new category, 'Special Items,' in his status. 'The 7th Level of the Golden Bell Shield'? Wasn't this the technique of that giant? And it was the seventh level at that!
The holographic image of the Golden Bell Shield was that of a blue-bound thread-sewn book. The words 'Golden Bell Shield' were written on the cover with robust vigor, reflecting the essence of the martial art itself.
Li Nianlong reached out and took the Golden Bell Shield in his hands, and immediately an introduction flashed across his mind.
Golden Bell Shield: Upon usage, instantly learns the 7th level of the Golden Bell Shield. When activated, the body becomes as hard as iron, akin to a golden bell protecting the body, making it resistant to swords and blades. The drawback is that movement is not possible after activation; any attempt to move automatically cancels the effect. (Can be used on designated individuals, but not by the host.)
The initial part of the description thrilled Li Nianlong. A seventh-level Golden Bell Shield that could be learned immediately upon use was impressive,though its limitation of immobility during activation was obvious. It explained why the giant didn't retaliate despite being pummeled—he couldn't. Nonetheless, under certain circumstances, the Golden Bell Shield was a life-saving technique, a rare treasure indeed.
But...
"Dragonfly! Come out!" Li Nianlong called out angrily.
Dragonfly appeared, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "What are your orders, Host?"
"What's the deal with this?" Li Nianlong shoved the Golden Bell Shield in front of Dragonfly, demanding in frustration, "Why can't I use it? Does the system look down on me, its host!"
"Please calm down, Host," Dragonfly's smile faded somewhat, reverting to her usual service-oriented grin. "Skills created by Earthlings are considered low-grade to the system. If the host were to learn these skills, it would be an insult to the system!"
Dragonfly's response quelled Li Nianlong's anger momentarily, leaving him thoughtful.
"Moreover..." Sensing Li Nianlong calming down, Dragonfly's smile brightened. "At Levels 1, 10, 20, 30... all the way up to 100, the host will automatically comprehend a skill. Any of these skills would be considered absolute divine abilities on Earth. Host, all you need to do is patiently increase your level, and in the future, you will naturally comprehend more, stronger, and more wondrous skills. Why get hung up on these inferior Earth skills?"
This explanation extinguished the last bit of Li Nianlong's anger. He patted the Golden Bell Shield in his hands with a tinge of reluctance. "You call it a garbage skill, but to my former self, it was a life-saving technique I could only dream of."
Dragonfly fluttered onto Li Nianlong's shoulder, her tiny hand playfully tweaking his earlobe while her lips whispered close to his ear, "No matter how powerful the Golden Bell Shield is, can it withstand bullets? Even if the seventh level could, what about armor-piercing rounds? Artillery shells? Or even nuclear bombs?"
Li Nianlong was taken aback. Did Dragonfly's words imply...
Just as he was about to confirm his thoughts, the distant wail of police sirens grew closer. Li Nianlong's gaze sharpened, and he promptly activated his Stealth skill, swiftly vacating the scene.
Hardly had Li Nianlong left when several police cars arrived, sirens blaring. Doors flung open, and a dozen armed officers spilled out, swiftly cordoning off the area.