Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Peerless Genius
The atmosphere in the dilapidated alley was tense.
Fang Can met the four thugs’ furious gazes without a hint of fear.
The men opposite him, however, were not in such a good mood.
’Hand over your valuables... and your clothes...’
’He... he stole my lines! Who’s robbing who here?’
The thug who had just scrambled to his feet was struck by a sense of the absurd.
"What, was that too difficult for you to understand?"
Fang Can cracked his neck impatiently. He saw nothing wrong with robbing the very people who had dared to rob him.
Even though there were five of them, they were just a pack of emaciated, low-life thugs. How could their physical condition possibly compare to his, maintained by a good diet and regular exercise?
’Besides... before I transmigrated, I was a special-class esper who had at least reached the County-level.’
’Now I’m just dealing with a few petty thugs. What’s there to be afraid of? There’s no way these losers could actually kill me.’
’I’ll deal with these guys quickly, then I can go study that white panel,’ Fang Can thought. He sidestepped, dodging a slash from a thug wielding a rusty dagger.
’Oh, they have weapons?’ A hint of satisfaction appeared in Fang Can’s eyes. ’After all, once I take them down, this will be mine.’
"Get him! Kill him!" the leader of the thugs shouted, clutching his cramping stomach and pointing at Fang Can.
At his command, the thugs pulled daggers, sickles, and other weapons from their belts and charged at Fang Can.
A mere scratch from the rusty metal could cause a long, easily infected wound. A strike to a vital point could even trigger an instant kill.
’In that case, I just have to not get hit, right?’
As the thought surfaced, Fang Can felt his body undergo a tremendous change.
At the same time, in the description field of the hidden panel, a long string of text began to appear.
Description:
Host detected in an extremely hostile environment. Talent 1 [Blessing in Disguise] has been triggered.
Corresponding hidden attributes increased (Comprehension↑, Aptitude↑, Luck↑, Intuition↑, Willpower↑, Logic...↑)
...
In a mere instant, Fang Can felt as if he had undergone a massive metamorphosis.
The entire world seemed to simplify before his eyes, becoming easy to understand. The difficulty of the game of life switched from Hell to Easy Mode.
Forced by the crisis, the mortal body he had inhabited for over a decade instantly broke out of its cocoon like a butterfly.
The leap was like upgrading a basic cell phone to a computer equipped with a 4090T. This transformation, from the inside out, gave him a sense of omnipotence.
Different disciplines have different names for this sensation.
Taoism calls it becoming one with the Dao, while Buddhism calls it enlightenment.
Terms like ’the Zone,’ Genetic Lock, sixth sense, Sword Heart Clarity, Unity of Heaven and Man, and God’s Domain, though they manifest differently, are all descriptions of this power.
In layman’s terms, it was the state of an unparalleled genius!
’It’s finally flowing out... This mental enhancement, brought on by the threat of death... I haven’t felt this in years.’
Looking at the enemies just a few steps away, a thrill of pleasure at returning to his ’genius’ state flashed in Fang Can’s eyes.
With his talents enhanced, many things that were once impossible became effortless.
He could use his muscles with such efficiency that his power output increased significantly. He could instantly recall countless combat techniques he had ever witnessed. His intuition for danger allowed him to react without thinking...
There was no need to think. Or rather, defeating these losers wasn’t even worth wasting brain cells on.
Fang Can’s right hand shot out, grabbing for the incoming dagger.
’You’re courting death!’
Seeing that outstretched hand, the thug with the dagger felt a flash of triumphant excitement. The fool actually dared to try and snatch a blade with his bare hands.
But in the next instant, a searing pain shot through his wrist.
With the faint CRUNCH of shattering bone, Fang Can’s hand clamped down on the thug’s dagger arm, twisting it around and viciously plunging the blade into its owner’s shoulder.
SQUELCH—
The blade tore through flesh and blood, its tip bursting out from the thug’s shoulder blade. Fresh blood stained the dagger red.
One hand holding the dagger fast, the other gripping the thug’s waist,
The next moment, Fang Can’s muscles tensed, each one standing out in sharp relief as a ferocious aura erupted from within him.
Amidst the thug’s agonized screams, Fang Can hoisted the man’s body clean off the ground.
Using the man’s body as a human shield, a vicious glint flashed in Fang Can’s eyes as he charged the others in the alley.
"Quick... Get out of the way!"
The leader of the thugs tried to shout as he watched the pair charge toward them like a wild bull.
But in the narrow alley, there was nowhere to dodge.
SQUELCH. With another agonized cry, the dagger protruding from the first thug’s shoulder blade plunged into another man’s body.
With a muffled grunt, the two men were skewered together on a single dagger and pinned to the brick wall of the alley.
Releasing his grip, Fang Can fixed his gaze on the three remaining thugs, a warm smile spreading across his face. "You could have done this the easy way, but you chose the hard way. Now, there are only three of you left."
"Y-You, stay away!"
Watching their companions wail in agony, the three remaining thugs wished they could run as far away as possible.
But behind them was a dead end, a stone wall. There was no escape. They could only watch helplessly as this monster approached them, step by step.
...
「Two minutes later」
Five thugs, beaten so badly their own mothers wouldn’t recognize them, lay scattered in the dead-end alley.
But Fang Can frowned as he looked down at the fallen thugs, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.
The buff empowering him had diminished significantly, but it hadn’t vanished completely.
’Now that I’ve taken them down, the danger should be gone. Could there be another hidden threat nearby?’
Fang Can scanned his surroundings. As he looked up, he seemed to see a magnificent, powerful tiger perched atop the wall.
His focus wavered for a moment, and then he saw a powerfully built man standing on the wall, staring intently at him.
’My intuition didn’t sense anyone nearby?’
The moment their eyes met, Fang Can felt as if he were being targeted by a prehistoric predator. His skin prickled as if jabbed by needles.
The same intuition that had failed him moments ago was now screaming at him about the danger this man posed.
"Hmph." Suddenly, the corner of the large man’s mouth curled up. He leaped lightly from the wall, landing without a sound, his movements utterly effortless.
"You’ve never trained in martial arts." Looking at Fang Can, the burly man stated it as a fact, not a question.
"Is that a problem? And who are you?"
As he spoke, Fang Can sized the man up.
The man stood one-point-nine meters tall, with a brawny build and chiseled features. His well-tailored long robe couldn’t hide his bulging muscles, and the exquisite embroidery of a tiger was faintly visible on his lapel.
"Li Fengtian, Hall Master of the Tiger Slaughter Sect," the man stated matter-of-factly, offering no explanation for the Tiger Slaughter Sect, as if it were common knowledge.
"Tiger Slaughter Sect... Never heard of it," Fang Can said honestly.
’Never heard of it...’
Li Fengtian faltered for a moment. He glanced at Fang Can’s anachronistic clothes and short black hair. "Looks like you’re not from around this county, kid."
"Why so many questions? And you’ve been peeking from the sidelines this whole time. You’re not thinking of getting revenge for them, are you?" Fang Can smiled, jerking a thumb toward the five unconscious men on the ground.
"Who cares about trash like them? Right now, you’re the one I’m interested in." As he spoke, Li Fengtian’s gaze locked onto Fang Can.
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