Chapter 51: Proficiency Up
The two teenagers sprinted back to the temporary camp, their feet barely touching the ground.
From a distance, they saw Xia Wanqing carrying a giant axe taller than herself on her shoulder, squatting by the bonfire examining beast marks.
Standing aside was a young man in a black hoodie and baseball cap, hands in pockets, eyes cold. It was Lin Yan from Gusu City.
Around the fire lay three wounded members with arms wrapped in rags, faces pale from blood loss.
"Boss Xia! Boss Lin!"
"We found the Outpost!" One of the teenagers threw himself in front of Xia Wanqing.
"Oh?!" Xia Wanqing's eyes sharpened. She stood up abruptly, slamming the giant axe onto the ground with a dull thud. "Lead the way!"
"But... there was sword energy! It shaved the forest bald!"
"And... and there were so many beast corpses!"
The two narrated what happened at the Outpost, talking over each other.
"High-level Awakened?" Lin Yan frowned.
"Impossible. None of the students participating in the training exceed Mid-Trainee rank."
"But someone who can release that kind of sword energy..." He pondered for a moment. "Could it be that SS-Class Talent, Chen Chen?"
Xia Wanqing shouted over her shoulder, "Who cares! The little ones need treatment quickly."
"I'll punch him flying when we get there. Lead the way!" Xia Wanqing raised her fist, urging the two teenagers.
Lin Yan shook his head helplessly and followed. He could teleport, so if things went south, he would just run.
........
Drip... drip...
The sound of water droplets falling echoed in his ears.
Chen Yu's consciousness was like a boulder at the bottom of a lake, dragged to the surface by the sound.
He opened his eyes and found himself lying on a cot. Jiang Qingye and the others were looking at him with curiosity.
"You're awake?" Ling Yue looked worried. "Are you okay?"
Chen Yu rubbed his throbbing head. "I'm alright. Just overused my abilities. I've recovered."
"You..." Jiang Qingye swallowed hard after hearing Chen Yu. "Are you a monster?"
Li Mufeng nodded in profound agreement.
"..."
Chen Yu wanted to say yes, but in fact, his current state was far more serious.
That sword strike that killed the masked man had nearly emptied his mana bar.
He could use Conqueror's Haki, but he couldn't effect physical reality with it right now.
If Ling Yue had another rampage, they were done for.
Fortunately, under extreme pressure, the proficiency on his character panel had skyrocketed.
[Rank: Trainee (Low)]
[Physique: 5989 → 6110]
[Spirit: 4900 → 5166]
[Observation Haki: Lv2/5 | Proficiency: 0 → 25/100]
[Armament Haki: Lv2/5 | Proficiency: 0 → 34/100]
[Conqueror's Haki: Lv1/5 | Proficiency: 60 → 88/100]
[Azure Dragon Fruit: Lv2/5 | Proficiency: 36/100]
(Current Effect: Enhanced control of Wind, Thunder, Fire, Clouds. Body length 300m. Next Level: Body length breaks 500m, unlock Hybrid Form.)
[Swordsmanship: Lv3/5 | Proficiency: 47/100]
(Current Effect: Sword Qi. Next Level: Flying Slash Attacks.)
[Sword: Ace | Repair: 7/100]
The extreme squeeze had increased his Conqueror's Haki proficiency by nearly 30%. It would level up soon.
"The masked man's body?" Chen Yu asked.
"We found this on him." Jiang Qingye handed a jade pendant carved with a carnation to Chen Yu.
"This is..." Chen Yu took it, but couldn't make heads or tails of it. "Forget it, I'll ask Uncle Ling when we get back."
Just then, in his Observation perception, a group of people appeared outside the Outpost.
"More people are coming."
Xia Wanqing, Lin Yan, and their group arrived at the perimeter. The air still smelled of charred wood and blood.
Xia Wanqing immediately saw the corpse of the masked man lying in the clearing. The deep, bone-exposing wound on his chest was black—obviously caused by a powerful sword energy.
There were also several Third Order beast carcasses, all with fatal sword wounds.
"Murder?!"
"So many Third Order beasts! Who is this fierce?!"
"Holy crap, doesn't this disqualify them?!"
"Quick, report it! Will he kill us too?!"
"Why aren't there any Surveillance Snails around here?!"
The candidates behind Xia Wanqing became agitated.
"Are you stupid! That masked man is obviously too old to be a candidate!" Xia Wanqing shouted them down.
"A sword master..." Lin Yan frowned. He teleported to a tree, looking down at the entire Outpost range. "No one outside?"
He flashed back to Xia Wanqing.
"Scouts said a few days ago that Chen Chen also gathered a group."
"But it's empty here. It shouldn't be Chen Chen's group."
Xia Wanqing's eyes lit up. "This is a real expert!"
At this moment, a figure appeared, leaning against the iron gate of the Outpost.
"Oi! Who are you?" Xia Wanqing shouted.
"I am Li Fei... cough, I am Chen Yu." Chen Yu almost mixed up his aliases.
Lin Yan frowned. "Chen Yu?"
The famous trash of Lanjiang City? He killed these beasts?
Rumor has it he's at odds with the Chen family. Was that masked man... sent by the Chen family?
A small family like the Chens dares to tamper with military training?
Judging by the scene, Chen Yu seemed very different from the rumors.
They had besieged a Third Order (Low) beast days ago and seriously injured several brothers to kill it. Chen Yu seemed to have... solo killed them!!
"Hiss... this..."
Lin Yan instinctively felt this hypothesis was impossible.
Xia Wanqing, however, shouted, "We have wounded. We want to go in for treatment!"
Chen Yu's Observation Haki took in their expressions. Xia Wanqing was smart; she didn't ask about the body.
"That was an assassin. Private grudge." Chen Yu spread his hands. "Come in."
Xia Wanqing immediately ordered her subordinates to help their own wounded to the wall of the Outpost. Then she walked to the tower door and pushed it open a crack.
In the dim light, she saw stacked supply boxes. "First Aid," "Compressed Food," and even crates of Energy Supplements.
"Perfect!" Xia Wanqing's eyes shone. She turned to call people to move supplies.
But suddenly, an arrogant voice interrupted her. "Xia Wanqing, before moving other people's things, shouldn't you ask the owner?"
The gaze swept over Xia Wanqing's wounded with contempt.
Behind the speaker, people directly blocked the Outpost door, adopting a "this road was opened by me" stance.
Xia Wanqing froze and looked at Chen Yu. "You guys are together..."
Hearing this, Zhao Hu's mouth curled into an arrogant smile. "Don't know me? Doesn't matter. You'll remember today."
"I am Zhao Hu. The Action Captain under Brother Chen—our boss, Chen Chen, who formed the Training Alliance."
His voice rose, deliberately loud enough for everyone to hear. "You know our Brother Chen, right?"
"The only SS-Class Talent in the Eastern Alliance! A few days ago, Brother Chen solved a Third Order (Low) beast by himself! The price was merely a single arm!"
Hearing this, the faces of the teenagers behind Xia Wanqing turned strange.
They glanced inadvertently at the corpse pile behind them.
There are at least three Third Order beasts lying there.
Then look at Chen Yu... he seems perfectly fine.
But Chen Yu's expression turned solemn.
"You mean Chen Chen from the Lanjiang Chen family?!"
Zhao Hu smiled disdainfully. "Scared?"
Chen Yu pressed, "You've seen him?"
Xia Wanqing and others were puzzled seeing Chen Yu care so much. Is Chen Yu afraid of Chen Chen too?
Zhao Hu, seeing the reaction, became more smug. "Hmph, Brother Chen just gave me orders. Surrender now."
Holy crap, not dead?!
Burned into a mummy and not dead? I hit him that hard and he's alive?!
Seven Star Sword possession? No, how can a mummy be possessed?
Author, you're trolling me!
Zhao Hu's eyes landed on Chen Yu, whose face looked like he ate a rock. "Kid, stop pretending."
"We're taking the supplies in this Outpost."
"Not to brag, but everyone here is trash in front of Brother Chen."
He took a step forward, his shadow covering the door. "If you know what's good for you, take your people and Xia Wanqing's cripples and obediently submit to Brother Chen."
"Follow Brother Chen, and your pass is guaranteed. You'll even get Beast Cores."
"If you refuse..."
The five youths behind Zhao Hu stepped forward, hands on weapons, eyes fierce. "We'll take the Outpost, and the supplies stay."
Q
"Either roll into the forest and feed the beasts, or don't blame us for cleaning up 'trash'."
Xia Wanqing gripped her giant axe, the blade gleaming in the firelight. "On what grounds?! Call him out to fight me! Winner takes all!"
"On what grounds?" Zhao Hu sneered. "On the grounds that Brother Chen can kill a Third Order beast!"
"You think this is playing house at school? Here, the strong make the rules, and the rules are set by Brother Chen!"
Lin Yan moved silently to Xia Wanqing's side and whispered, "I know Zhao Hu. A-Class Cat-Cat Fruit, Tiger Model. Beginner Rank (High). Not weak."
"And they have six people, all full status. We only have you and me combat-ready. A hard fight isn't worth it."
Just then, Chen Yu suddenly laughed. "Killed a Third Order beast and lost an arm?"
"He sure can blow hot air."
He dusted off his hem. His gaze swept over Zhao Hu and his men.
He made peace with it. He'd just kill him again.
"Tell me where that thing is?"
Conqueror's Haki quietly spread, locking onto Zhao Hu's group. "Let me witness your Brother Chen's strength."
"Tell me, where is he? I promise to screw his head off."
.....
(To be Continued)