Shi Feng brushed past Nie Yan, yet still failed to notice him.
Damn it, where the hell is that kid hiding." Shi Feng muttered to himself, not yet realizing he had been exposed."
Nie Yan followed behind Shi Feng, his gaze locked onto Shi Feng's back.
The dagger in his right hand was swift as thunder, stabbing toward Shi Feng's back.
Shi Feng felt something was off behind him, but it was too late; Nie Yan's dagger plunged into the back of Shi Feng's heart.
Pfft, the dagger easily tore open a wound, dealing 31 damage to Shi Feng. Shi Feng's defense clearly wasn't very high.
Attack and being attacked, both players' stealth effects dissipated simultaneously.
Shi Feng spotted Nie Yan, turned around, and swung his dagger in a sweeping arc.
Nie Yan took a step back, and Shi Feng's dagger grazed past his cheek.
His dagger seemed just a bit short, merely a finger's breadth less.
"Vital Strike！"
Nie Yan's dagger carried a gleam of cold light as it slashed across Shi Feng's neck.
System： Vital Strike completed, attack position deviated by 3%, granting additional attack check damage bonus.
Shi Feng's remaining 79 HP was finished off by Nie Yan in one go. He looked as if he'd seen a ghost, his eyes full of disbelief as he fell to the ground.
The whole process took only a few seconds, and Nie Yan was still at full health.
Nie Yan curled the corner of his mouth slightly. Fighting a level-two novice Ranger had no technique to speak of.
The two returned to the audience seats at the same time.
The seven hundred bucks in Shi Feng's card automatically transferred to Nie Yan's account.
"Shi Feng, what happened？"
"Yeah, how did you come out so fast？"
Those few guys gathered around Shi Feng and asked. The battle screen they saw showed Shi Feng and Nie Yan's fighters exchanging blows after their stealth effects wore off, but it was so fleeting that they couldn't see clearly what was happening. In the blink of an eye, Shi Feng had fallen to the ground.
"He's so fast." Shi Feng recalled the previous exchange. Nie Yan had only made a few simple moves, but they were executed at peak speed, and they were lethal, striking the vitals directly. Although virtual games have skills that regulate a player's movements, reaction ability, attack awareness, and such—these are all the player's personal abilities. In real life, if Nie Yan had a knife in his hand and the two fought, Shi Feng found it hard to imagine what the consequences would be.
Looking at Nie Yan, Shi Feng remembered how they used to bully him, and how Nie Yan was always timid and submissive, swallowing his pride. If Nie Yan had been faking it all along, that was terrifying. Thinking of the dagger in Nie Yan's hand, a chill ran down Shi Feng's spine.
“I lost.” Shi Feng dared not refuse to admit defeat at this point. The facts were right before him, and he had lost the courage to face Nie Yan again.
Arrogant and domineering people aren't scary; their tough exterior is just a weak disguise. Shi Feng was that kind of person, and what they feared most were those who were both strong and extraordinarily resilient.
Shi Feng thought of Lei Laosi, who ran a restaurant in Mentou Village. Lei Laosi was a simple, honest man. A gang of ruffians used to hang around nearby, often going to his place to freeload and trash it, and Lei Laosi always swallowed his pride. That time, Shi Feng went with a dozen or so of those guys to freeload at Lei Laosi's restaurant, and they happened to run into Lei Laosi's daughter coming home. Lei Laosi was ugly as sin, but his daughter was pretty and delicate. The guys couldn't resist getting handsy with her.
Lei Laosi begged for mercy, but the ruffians wouldn't stop. They started tearing off Lei Laosi's daughter's clothes. In a rage, Lei Laosi grabbed a kitchen knife and chopped down three thugs, killing them on the spot. He even sliced off Boss Yin's arm, covered in blood, but calmly told the customers nearby to call the police. Shi Feng was so scared he almost peed his pants.
Lei Laosi was sentenced to six months for excessive self-defense. After that, no one dared to cause trouble at Lei Laosi's restaurant anymore, and no one dared to lay a hand on his daughter.
People who endure silently are the scariest, because once they snap, they show their fangs and are crueler than anyone. Thinking back to that scene, Shi Feng felt a chill all over.
After that incident, Shi Feng did behave himself for a while, but then he started hanging out with Wei Kai again. After what happened today, a chill ran through him. If one day they pushed Nie Yan too far, would Nie Yan, like Lei Laosi, pick up a knife and slash their throats?
“We should stop messing with that guy from now on. He’s definitely not easy to deal with.” Shi Feng said to the few people beside him, a solemn warning.
“Shi Feng, you’re not chickening out just because you lost one round, are you? Don’t say you know me from now on！” A guy next to him cursed, while the others also showed looks of contempt.
“I’ll pay you back the money. Let’s call it quits since we lost.” Shi Feng said. He suddenly understood that messing with others all the time might feel good, but one day, payback would come, just like with Lei Laosi. Yin Laoda lost his hand, couldn’t be the boss anymore, and could only scavenge for a living, while the three thugs who got slashed lost their lives.
“Screw it, get lost.”
Nie Yan stopped paying attention to Shi Feng and his group, and looked at the match on the field. The competition between Tang Yao and Wei Kai had entered its second round. Since it was a plains map, Tang Yao completely lost his advantage and was cut down by Wei Kai’s sword.
Match after match went by, ten in total. Tang Yao won two, Wei Kai won eight, and Tang Yao lost twelve hundred.
“Damn, that bastard Wei Kai learned a new skill too, the Berserker’s Anti-Magic Aura. It’s so frustrating to fight against.” Tang Yao said sullenly. The Anti-Magic Aura could increase a player’s magic resistance. A Berserker with the Anti-Magic Aura was practically a nightmare for magic-based classes.
“To be honest, the Anti-Magic Aura only reduces a tiny bit of damage. In PK, an Arcane Mage needs fast footwork first, stable output second, and quick reactions third. Plus, your timing for casting spells during a fight is off.” Nie Yan said. In terms of skill, Tang Yao’s Arcane Mage was way stronger than Wei Kai’s Mad Swordsman. The reason Tang Yao lost wasn’t that Wei Kai was that much more skilled—it was that the Arcane Mage relied heavily on technique. A skilled Arcane Mage could easily toy with a same-level Mad Swordsman, while a crappy one could get chopped down by one just as easily. Classes like the Mad Swordsman—heavy-armor melee DPS—didn’t require that much finesse.
“Damn, you actually know your stuff.” Tang Yao said admiringly. Thinking back, what Nie Yan said did kind of make sense.
Over there, Wei Kai and his group pushed the door open and came in, with Shi Feng trailing behind them. He shot Nie Yan a complicated look.
“Master Tang, your buddy here is really stepping up lately. He actually beat Shi Feng.” Wei Kai’s willowy eyes narrowed as he looked at Nie Yan. Nie Yan had always been a quiet punching bag, but today, he really was different. Both his demeanor and his aura had changed a lot.
Wei Kai switched the big screen video to the scene of Nie Yan taking down Shi Feng, then played it back in slow motion. The whole fight was over in three seconds, and Nie Yan’s movements were flawless—no openings at all.
After watching the video, Tang Yao stared at Nie Yan in disbelief. When had his buddy gotten this strong？
“Did you really fight Shi Feng just now？” Tang Yao still could barely believe that the person in the video was Nie Yan.
“Just a little spar. He’s too weak.” Nie Yan replied without a care in the world.
Wei Kai shot a look at the guy in the floral shirt beside him.
Nie Yan caught all this in his eyes. That guy was called Li Yang, Wei Kai's lackey.
“Kid, don’t be so cocky. Believe me, I’ll fucking smack you.” Li Yang came right up and kicked at Nie Yan. Though he was a year or two younger than Nie Yan, he was much more solidly built.
Nie Yan was really quite short, plus he was somewhat malnourished, making him look very thin and weak.
Nie Yan let out a cold sneer, dodged Li Yang’s right foot, and stomped directly down on Li Yang’s left ankle joint. He was no longer the boy who let himself be pushed around.
His skill was now no less than that of an amateur second-degree wrestler; it was just that his physical strength was still a bit lacking. But handling a few thugs was more than enough.
Ow! Li Yang let out a piercing scream and staggered backward, falling.
This scream sent a chill through everyone present.
That was exactly the kind of ruthlessness. Shi Feng remembered Lei Laosi; he suddenly felt how fortunate it was to be a good student at school.
“You’re asking for it.” A few people behind Wei Kai wanted to rush up and beat Nie Yan to a pulp, but Wei Kai stopped them.
Li Yang’s move just now was just a test from Wei Kai. He was also surprised that Nie Yan, who had always been timid and fearful, actually had such skills. He had only seen that kind of speed in a few people. Fighting ability wasn’t something you could improve in just a few days; it required long-term training. Could it be that Nie Yan’s previous cowardice was all an act？
Nie Yan today just seemed off, no matter how you looked at it.
Wei Kai didn’t even glance at Li Yang, who was curled up on the ground clutching his leg and wailing. He walked up to Nie Yan and said, “Young Master Nie, care for a game？” He had changed the way he addressed Nie Yan. Having spent so long in the underworld, he knew which people you could mess with and which you couldn’t. The move Nie Yan had just shown had completely intimidated him.
"Playing a couple rounds is fine, but if the stakes are too low, I won't play." Nie Yan was surprised—Wei Kai was quite a character. Many scheming underworld bosses showed astonishing talent at a very young age. He heard that in his previous life, Wei Kai had been quite prominent for a while, until he got into serious trouble and disappeared.
"One thousand per round. I've got three thousand here." Wei Kai said, pulling out all his money.
"This isn't fair. A lv3 Berserker fighting a lv2 Wind Thief—don't you think that's too bullying？" Tang Yao complained. One level difference, heavy-armor DPS against light-armor DPS, the outcome was obvious.
"Three thousand per round." Nie Yan interrupted Tang Yao and said to Wei Kai.
"Fine, I'm game." Wei Kai said. He didn't believe a lv2 Wind Thief could turn things around.
"Nie Yan, you've lost your mind！" Tang Yao said anxiously. A lv2 Wind Thief against a lv3 Berserker—unless it was an ungodly-tier master, it was a guaranteed loss.
"I only have fourteen hundred here. Lend me sixteen hundred." Nie Yan grinned.
"Damn it. You lose, and I get dragged down with you." Tang Yao grumbled angrily.
"I'll pay you back when we get back." Nie Yan said. Although Tang Yao's dad was rich, Tang Yao didn't have much allowance, and most of it came from part-time jobs. Modern high-end elites generally raise their kids like this—to be self-reliant.
"Bullshit. If you lose, you lose. Who wants you to pay it back?" Tang Yao swiped his card and transferred sixteen hundred to Nie Yan.
"Thanks." Nie Yan said. Tang Yao was the kind of person who was sharp-tongued but soft-hearted. If Nie Yan lost, Tang Yao definitely wouldn't ask for the sixteen hundred back.
In his previous life, Nie Yan had received too many favors from Tang Yao, but Tang Yao never expected repayment. That was what a true brother was.
"Help Li Yang up, we're leaving." Wei Kai said, and the group headed toward another compartment of the private room.
"How did Nie Yan suddenly get so good at fighting? Fuck, it hurts like hell. Next time I'm definitely going to find someone to beat the shit out of that little bastard." Li Yang sat on the sofa, lifting his pant leg to reveal a large bruise.
"Save it. He didn't use much force, or your leg would've been broken by now. Remember this from now on—don't mess with Nie Yan. Stay far away when you see him. If any of you bring me trouble, don't blame me for being ruthless！" Wei Kai said. The school offered courses in taekwondo, boxing, and martial arts, and he could tell that the moves Nie Yan had just used were standard fighting techniques, but much more vicious than what was taught at school—every blow was lethal. Just who the hell was this kid?
Thinking back to Nie Yan's formerly timid and submissive demeanor, this guy had been deep enough to hide it for so long. A chill ran down Wei Kai's spine.
"Are we really just letting this go？" Li Yang asked resentfully.
"What else can you do? Do you think you can beat him? Go to your taekwondo classes properly from now on, and you won't lose so badly！" Wei Kai said.
"Boss, it's about to start." A young guy next to him said.
Wei Kai put on his helmet.
In the other compartment, Tang Yao looked Nie Yan up and down and finally said, "I was stunned just now and forgot to ask. Pretty impressive, kid. When did you get this strong? You took Li Yang down in one move."
"I've been training at home for a while. More than enough to deal with them." Nie Yan said. This body was too weak, or else his strength would be even greater than this. Li Yang and his thugs were all show and no substance; only Wei Kai was slightly tougher, but still no match for him.
"Kid, you really make me see you in a new light. I was still wondering if you're the same Nie Yan I've known since we were kids." Tang Yao said with deep emotion.
"No matter how I change, you'll always be my brother," Nie Yan said. In his past life, even at his lowest point, Tang Yao had always treated him like a brother. A long road tests a horse's strength, and time reveals a person's heart.
"For that line alone, we're having a good drink when we get back." Tang Yao punched Nie Yan on the shoulder.
"Wei Kai's already waiting inside."
"Do you really have confidence in this？" Tang Yao asked with concern.
"Relax, just watch and see. You're not worried I won't be able to pay you back that sixteen hundred, are you?" Nie Yan joked with a smile.
"Screw that, money's just a damn bastard. Losing isn't a big deal either. But you don't get much pocket money each month. If you lose that fourteen hundred, you'll be eating plain rice for a month, won't you?"
"Just a level three Berserker. Watch how I toy with him！" Nie Yan said with a confident smile.
"Alright, kid, getting cockier by the day." Tang Yao laughed and cursed.
The two put on their helmets and entered the game.
When Nie Yan appeared again, it was on a grassland terrain—an endless expanse of green plains, with thick grass about knee-high.
What rotten luck, grassland terrain. Nie Yan frowned to himself. But even on the plains, he had his own tactics. The green backdrop of the prairie created excellent conditions for a thief's stealth. The only downside was that the dense green grass on the ground would expose a thief's movements.
"It's plains terrain. If you think it's unfair, you can change it," Wei Kai said. In a single match, there was a lot of randomness. Different terrains suited different classes. Grassland terrain favored charging warrior classes like Berserkers.
Though Wei Kai was just a thug, he was still straightforward.
“No matter, a grassy plain terrain it is then.” Nie Yan held his dagger in reverse and entered stealth, his opinion of Wei Kai having changed quite a bit.
A gentle breeze blew, bending the grass in one direction as Nie Yan’s figure slowly faded away.
Was Nie Yan really this skilled？ Wei Kai calmed down, his expression turning serious, because even with focused observation, he couldn’t locate Nie Yan, and the grass on the ground showed no signs of anything unusual.
Nie Yan definitely had some tricks up his sleeve. Wei Kai gripped his greatsword and slowly approached—the closer he got, the easier it should be to spot Nie Yan.
Nie Yan’s steps followed the wind’s direction, constantly shifting his footwork. Even when stepping on the grass, the direction it bent matched the wind.