In the early hours of the morning, Gao Teng unlocked a new ability: [Strength Enhancement], boosting his ranking to 80th in the D-rank. In just one night, he surpassed many others.
The ability [Ice Element], which he acquired the previous morning, hadn't increased his overall strength, but it significantly expanded his combat techniques and made life more enjoyable.
"It's already past midnight. If Liu Zan plans to take revenge, it'll probably be around this time," Gao Teng yawned, feeling slightly drowsy.
"If you're tired, go ahead and sleep. If Liu Zan shows up, I'll take care of him. He's only recently awakened his ability, so he can't be that strong," Fang Meng said confidently, doing handstand push-ups with relentless intensity.
Gao Teng felt embarrassed. Without even trying, he had already surpassed Fang Meng, who was training so diligently. The gap between them would only grow, and soon, she might never catch up.
This didn't feel right.
It was like trampling on someone else's hard work.
"Sigh…"
Gao Teng sighed inwardly. To make Fang Meng's efforts count, he decided he'd have to be as lazy as possible.
Lying down on the sofa, he closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep.
"Nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-eight… Nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine… Ten thousand."
After completing 10,000 handstand push-ups, Fang Meng finally stopped. An enemy was approaching, and she needed to be in peak condition, not worn out like usual.
Her clothes were drenched in sweat, and a pool of water had formed on the floor beneath her. These efforts weren't wasted—they would become part of her strength.
"Zzz…"
Gao Teng's soft snores echoed in the room, and Fang Meng couldn't help but rest her forehead in exasperation. He had actually fallen asleep, completely disregarding the mission at hand.
Suddenly, Gao Teng sat up abruptly. He had sensed something—a vague danger approaching.
The sense of crisis wasn't overwhelming, indicating that the enemy wasn't particularly strong, but still, it wasn't to be underestimated.
"The enemy is coming."
Gao Teng's expression turned serious.
"The enemy's coming?" Fang Meng looked surprised. She hadn't sensed anything.
"Are you still half asleep?" Gao Teng rolled his eyes. "You'll see soon enough."
…
Under the moonlight, two figures quietly entered Fuli Community.
One was a burly man wearing a black fisherman hat, his scarred face hidden in shadow. The other was a younger, nervous-looking individual glancing around anxiously—Liu Zan, who was wanted by the Security Bureau.
While on the run, Liu Zan had crossed paths with Zhou Sheng, a member of the notorious Black Fire Organization, an anti-social group of considerable size.
Desperate, Liu Zan accepted Zhou Sheng's offer to join the organization.
"Brother Zhou, I thought we were going to that drug den in Jiulong Mountain to steal the formula for 'Mad Blood.' Why are we here in Fuli Community?"
Zhou Sheng's mission was indeed to find the den where counterfeit drugs were produced and retrieve the recipe for 'Mad Blood.'
'Mad Blood' was a new drug that temporarily enhanced an individual's ability affinity, amplifying their powers several times over. After the drug hit the black market, the Black Fire Organization had recognized its immense value, but they had no information on the manufacturer. Zhou Sheng had worked hard to finally uncover a lead.
When he discovered that the drug came from a den producing counterfeit drugs, he was astonished but also opportunistic. The den's staff were mainly ordinary people with a few weak ability users. Faced with this situation, he decided not to report the discovery to his superiors. Instead, he intended to take the recipe and present it directly to the leader, hoping for a promotion.
"We're here to kill Zhang Jianming first. I need you to get used to killing before we go to the den. If you freeze up when it matters, you'll just be dead weight."
After meeting Liu Zan, Zhou Sheng saw potential in him, even though he had just awakened his abilities. He figured Liu Zan could still be useful, better than going in alone.
As for sharing the credit... well, once the mission was done, Liu Zan wouldn't live long enough to take any.
"Kill Zhang Jianming?" Liu Zan's face turned pale, his voice trembling.
"What's the matter? You're not scared, are you?" Zhou Sheng grinned, the scars on his face contorting, making him look even more menacing.
"I…"
Liu Zan was indeed terrified. He had accidentally killed his landlord's family when he first awakened his powers. Overcome by uncontrollable emotions, he had caused a fire that consumed the entire building.
Every night, he dreamed of the landlord's family standing before him, waking up drenched in cold sweat.
"Didn't you say Zhang Jianming is the reason you ended up like this? Now's your chance. Don't you want revenge?"
Liu Zan gritted his teeth. Yes, Zhang Jianming was the reason he was in this mess. The man's constant bullying had driven him to quit his job at the electronics factory. When the landlord refused to refund his deposit, mocking him in the process, his anger had ignited, leading to the tragic accident that awakened his powers.
"Kindness is useless in this world," Zhou Sheng said, patting Liu Zan's shoulder. "Today's the day you leave your old self behind."
Liu Zan hesitated for a few seconds before nodding. There was no turning back now. All he could do was keep moving forward, even if the path ahead led to a dead end.
They took the elevator to the seventh floor, stopping at apartment 702.
Just as they arrived, the door opened.
A handsome young man stood in the doorway.
Liu Zan frowned. He didn't recall Zhang Jianming having children.
"Who are you? Did you get the wrong place?" Gao Teng asked, feigning confusion.
Zhou Sheng was momentarily thrown off. He shot a questioning glance at Liu Zan. "Are you sure this is the right place?"
"Impossible!" Liu Zan replied, raising his voice. "I've wanted to throw feces on Zhang Jianming's door countless times. I could never forget this old bastard's place…"
As he was talking, Liu Zan caught sight of the photos hanging on the wall.
"This is Zhang Jianming's—"
Before he could finish, Gao Teng's fist flew forward, striking Liu Zan square in the chest and killing him instantly.
Zhou Sheng's expression changed drastically. He quickly retreated, staring at Gao Teng in shock.
"You… you're an ability user?"
"I'm alright."
"Gao Teng, let me handle him."
Fang Meng emerged from behind Gao Teng, her gaze locking onto Zhou Sheng with deadly intent.
Gao Teng hesitated for a moment.
Zhou Sheng ranked 320th in the D-level, while Fang Meng was 632nd. In a one-on-one fight, she might not have the upper hand.
But before Gao Teng could say anything, Fang Meng rushed forward, engaging Zhou Sheng in battle.