Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Unlocking Affinity
Time passed quickly.
[Fourth trial, begin!]
The Female Soldiers stood ready.
Zhao Chi squinted into the fog.
He needed to identify the enemy at first sight and quickly tell them the strategy.
BZZZZZZZ~
CRACKLE! CRACKLE! CRACKLE!
Hm?
’Why is there a dull buzzing sound mixed with sharp crackles?’
The fog dissipated.
Not far ahead, 40 humanoid vortexes were arranged in a horizontal line.
They were nearly the height of a person, grayish-white in color.
They looked like a mix of white and dark clouds, constantly churned by the spinning wind into gourd-like shapes.
On either side of each vortex’s main body were two smaller vortexes, like a pair of arms.
As the wind spun, arcs of electricity flashed constantly, accompanied by loud, crackling pops.
The women stared, dumbfounded.
Gu Qing asked in surprise, "Sir, what are these things? How do we fight them?"
Zhao Chi frowned. "These are Thunder Elements. Why are there Thunder Elements in the fourth trial? And 40 of them?"
Tang Ruan couldn’t help but ask, "Sir, my face feels really itchy. Can they use Magic?"
It wasn’t just Tang Ruan; the other women also felt their bodies starting to itch.
At the same time, their hair began to fluff up.
A large amount of static electricity seemed to have built up in the air, constantly pulling at their hair.
Soon, their black hair was standing on end.
The women all looked like they had gotten afros.
Zhao Chi shouted:
"Everyone spread out! Don’t bunch up, and don’t let these Thunder Elements gather either.
"Get moving and kite them around. Their speed isn’t too fast, so don’t worry.
"When you get close, they’ll use a Thunder Spiritual Technique.
"Judging by their size, these Thunder Elements are relatively weak. One or two shocks won’t be Deadly. If you get hurt, be sure to take your medicine immediately."
"Every time they use a Spiritual Technique, it consumes their Spiritual Power. This will make them weaker and weaker, and once they’re weak enough, they’ll dissipate.
"Before a Thunder Spiritual Technique is cast, dark clouds and a static field will appear overhead. You should be able to dodge it completely."
Gu Qing asked, "Can we throw our Wooden Spears?"
"No. You have to bait them into using their Thunder to consume their Energy. It’s hard to drain much of their Energy with ranged attacks. We’re not strong enough right now, so we don’t have many options. This is the only way."
Gu Qing repeated Zhao Chi’s orders: "Did you all hear that? Don’t bunch up, kite them, bait out their Skills, and take medicine if you’re injured!"
"Understood!"
The women responded loudly, scattering in all directions.
The 40 Thunder Elements floated, quickly locking onto their targets.
They split into several groups and drifted out.
Wherever they passed, blades of grass fluttered and dirt scattered.
Some Thunder Elements chased a single Female Soldier, while others, in groups of ten or more, ganged up on one.
Zhao Chi, afraid the Female Soldiers might not fully understand, decided to demonstrate himself.
He charged toward a Thunder Element.
Gu Qing said nervously, "Sir, don’t go! Let us draw their aggro."
Zhao Chi waved his hand as he ran. "It’s fine. Just watch carefully."
He got closer and closer to the Thunder Element.
The Thunder Element gave up on the Female Soldier it was chasing and turned toward Zhao Chi instead.
But Zhao Chi continued to approach.
Soon, the Thunder Element stopped, raising its arms above its head.
The vortex of its body spun faster, and the Thunder crackled.
Zhao Chi felt his surroundings become extremely quiet.
A sound like tinnitus rang in his ears.
More than ten meters above him, a thin mist appeared.
The mist rapidly thickened and darkened until it became a deep, dark gray.
Zhao Chi yelled, "Watch closely! Now!"
The next moment, Zhao Chi leaped away as the Thunder crashed down.
CRACK!
The white light of the Thunder flared.
A small crater was blasted into the ground where Zhao Chi had been standing.
The grass there was sheared off, and a wisp of white smoke rose from it.
The Thunder Element that had cast the Skill, originally the height of a man, was now a head shorter and a size smaller.
Zhao Chi shouted, "Did you see that? That’s how you do it!"
The Female Soldiers responded one after another:
"We saw, Sir."
"I understand, Sir! Please pull back quickly!"
"We can handle wearing them down!"
"So it’s stop and go. Got it."
Soon, the sound of thunder echoed from all directions.
The Female Soldiers were dodging and running everywhere.
But a few Female Soldiers were still struck by Thunder. Their statically-charged afros now looked like they had truly exploded.
"Waaah!"
"Ow, it’s so numb!"
"No, no, I’m losing feeling in my leg!"
"Take your medicine, quick!"
"Okay, I’ve recovered! Let’s keep going!"
The Female Soldiers hopped and skipped about, shaken but not seriously harmed.
Gu Qing watched for a moment, then charged directly toward a cluster of thirteen Thunder Elements.
From the looks of it, she wasn’t trying to scatter the Thunder Elements, but to bait them into discharging all at once.
Zhao Chi saw what she intended.
He yelled anxiously, "Gu Qing, get back here! If they discharge together, their Power will increase! Lure them one by one!"
Gu Qing said, "It’s okay, Sir! I’ve watched them for a long time, I’m confident I can dodge it! This will drastically shorten the time it takes to clear the trial!"
Zhao Chi roared, "Get back here! The clear time means nothing! It’s not worth you taking such a risk!"
You could tell Zhao Chi was genuinely angry.
Gu Qing’s steps faltered.
"Sir, aren’t you being tested? The shorter the clear time, the higher the score, and the better the rewards."
Zhao Chi was already in front of her.
He grabbed Gu Qing and started pulling her back.
He couldn’t help but roar, "Listen to me, and remember this! You are the most important thing. The clear time, the ranking, the rewards—none of it is as important as you. While you’re looking out for my interests, you also need to protect yourself for me. You are what matters most to me, understand?!"
Gu Qing was stunned. "You want me... to protect... myself... for you?"
"That’s right! With those thirteen Thunder Elements together, the lightning field will be very strong, and it will greatly enhance the Power of their Thunder Spiritual Technique. Do you get it?"
Gu Qing wasn’t listening to Zhao Chi’s explanation at all.
She was still lost in his previous words.
She wanted to smile, but her nose began to sting.
Her eyes couldn’t help but grow moist.
When Zhao Chi saw her expression, he thought his harsh tone had upset her and made her feel wronged.
’After all, she was just thinking of my interests. Shouting at her just now... my attitude really was a bit too impatient.’
So, Zhao Chi explained again.
"I didn’t mean to yell at you just now. I was just too anxious. Your Attributes are strong, but you can’t take risks like that. One mistake and it would all be over."
Gu Qing nodded, tears in her eyes. "I know. I’m not upset that you yelled at me. I’ll protect myself for you. From now on, I’ll just lure them one by one, okay?"
Zhao Chi nodded. "Right. That way, even if you make a mistake, you can withstand a hit, and you’ll have time for medicine and Treatment."
Gu Qing smiled gently. "Silly, we’re not talking about the same thing."
Zhao Chi was taken aback. "Huh? Silly? How are we not?"
Gu Qing said softly, "It’s nothing. I’ll go draw them away now. You be careful too, Sir."
"Alright!" Zhao Chi nodded.
This time, Gu Qing didn’t act rashly. She obediently lured the Thunder Elements away one by one before baiting them into using their Skills.
Zhao Chi was relieved and also began looking around for a target.
But suddenly, a notification came from the system.
[Gu Qing’s "Affinity" has been unlocked. Current Level: "Pulse Pounding"]
[Pulse Pounding: Tier One Affinity. When using Skills on her, the Effect is increased by 20%.]
’Affinity unlocked?’
’Why?’
’Didn’t I just scold her until she cried? How could that unlock Affinity?’
’Could she have a streak of Sadomasochism?’
’...No, that can’t be it.’
’So, was she moved just now because I showed concern for her?’
’...That would make sense.’
This affinity didn’t just unlock for nothing; it even comes with a Bonus.
This Bonus is similar to Zhao Chi’s initial Talent, "Female Scholar," as both increase the Effect of his Skills.
From now on, when I use Skills on Gu Qing, their Effect will be increased by an additional 20%.
’That’s not bad at all.’
Gu Qing was continuously baiting the Thunder to strike, seeming to be filled with boundless Power.
