Forge a path to success.

Chapter 8 Gliding Glimmer
Ring ring ring ring!

The urgent ringing of the alarm clock sounded like a death knell, and a few seconds later a trembling hand slapped it shut. Ji Huaisu, who had just gotten up, was still sleepy-eyed, his hair a mess, and his movements as he got out of bed were as slow as a golden-haired zombie that had just been unearthed.

She dragged herself to the bathroom with a life-saving gait, splashing a handful of cold water to wake herself up. As she tied her hair into a ponytail, she glanced at her watch; it was exactly 7:35.

Wow, what a luxurious sleep I had... This is the first time this month I've woken up after 5:30!

Yesterday's downfall of Hugos was a rare good thing recently, nearly halving the amount of work on her to-do list, allowing her to sleep in comfortably. She yawned widely and changed and washed up in a wonderful mood. After getting ready, Ji Huaisu looked out the window. Her room was one floor above a certain newcomer's, and with a little effort, she could jump to the rooftop of the opposite room.

The window of Chu Hengkong's room was open, and the morning breeze blew across the empty bed.

"...Where did that guy go?"

Chu Hengkong was on the roof of the dormitory building. He turned to the side with his right half facing forward, his lower body in a horse stance, his right arm bent at the elbow to support him, and his left arm slightly retracted, as if he were pulling a fist and placing it on his waist.

This seemingly awkward stance is the Liangyi Zhuang (Two Forms Stance) from Bajiquan (Eight Extremities Boxing). Even a seasoned master who has practiced the art his entire life would find it extremely difficult to maintain this stance for 40 minutes, yet Chu Hengkong has been standing for an hour. He usually likes to relax his mind and body in this way, but the longer he stands, the more conflicted he feels.

"Hey, slacking off while standing in the stance, my left hand keeps moving."

Before the person arrived, the sound preceded them; a clear laugh came from behind. Simultaneously, a kick came from a tricky angle, the visitor's toe hooking directly at Chu Hengkong's ankle. Chu Hengkong didn't dodge, taking the kick head-on, his lower body remaining completely unmoved.

He turned to look at the girl behind him: "Not bad. You've been kicked by Mr. Ji a few times before?"

Those who have practiced martial arts would likely find this scene amusing. The first lesson in most traditional martial arts is stance training. For the more demanding students, it involves balancing a bowl of water or an apple on their head; for the less demanding students, it means standing under the scorching sun. While the students tremble with fear, the master strolls by with his hands behind his back, his eyes sharp as an eagle's. If he's particularly strict, he'll immediately grab anyone who dares to move, no matter how tall or strong they are, and send them sprawling.

Ji Huaisu had clearly suffered similar hardships, and as he spoke, he seemed to recall unbearable past events.

"Don't even mention it... It took me two years to even stand properly like this. Even my dad, who's known for his inclusive approach to education, has to admit I'm not cut out for martial arts." She sighed. "How could someone as experienced as you make such a basic mistake?"

Chu Hengkong's tentacles had been moving constantly while he was practicing his stance, sometimes slightly adjusting their position, sometimes changing their length—this was the reason Ji Huaisu joked. He stopped his stance and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

"I'm not used to my new arm yet, so I'm adjusting my center of gravity."

The tentacles were slightly lighter than Chu Hengkong's original left arm, and the body's center of gravity would subtly shift as the tentacles extended and retracted to different lengths. These minor changes could be gradually adapted to through standing meditation, but the truly serious problem lay in the differences in "shape" and "hardness."

The biggest difference between tentacles and human hands is that they lack fingers, bones, and joints. Without five fingers, they cannot perform actions such as stabbing or grabbing; without arm bones, they cannot effectively defend themselves by raising their arms; and the loss of the elbow joint is even more fatal, meaning that powerful strikes such as elbow thrusts and smashes are completely unavailable to the left arm.

Last night's failed Iron Mountain Lean attack served as a wake-up call for Chu Hengkong. His retractable tentacles, effective at mid-to-long range, became a hindrance in close-quarters combat. If he couldn't quickly overcome the disadvantage of his new arms, he would inevitably stumble because of them. However, new fighting styles couldn't be developed overnight; what he needed now were contingency measures… such as a suitable weapon or concealed weapon…

"I earnestly advised you to cut off your arm last night, but you wouldn't listen. Now you regret it, don't you?" Ji Huaisu said with a gloating look. "Let's go! Let's finish breakfast quickly and set off."

"Okay, Captain, who should we chop up today?" Chu Hengkong responded enthusiastically.

"Please have some self-awareness as a law enforcement officer and stop acting like a thug... although I know you are a high-level thug." Ji Huaisu sighed. "On your first day of work, instead of going to work, I'll take you to the workshop to get the relics you care about most."

Ji Huaisu walked towards the stairwell on the side, while Chu Hengkong paused for a moment, quietly moving his ankles.

He acted as usual during the conversation, but inwardly he was taken aback. Ji Huaisu's hook was far more powerful than it appeared; he almost thought he had been tripped by the demonized Hugos. Such immense strength, disproportionate to her size, was inexplicable by common sense, unless she was born with extraordinary talent.

If someone like that is considered to have no talent in Mr. Ji's eyes, just how high are the requirements for warriors in this other world? He suppressed his doubts and quickly followed the captain, a sense of excitement rising in his heart.

I need to find an opportunity to have a good fight with her.

·
Their breakfast consisted of goose meat buns and soy milk. Captain Huaisu, eating as they walked, led him into a peculiar "elevator." This elevator was located deep within the headquarters building, at the end of a narrow corridor. A faint sandalwood scent filled the air, and the surrounding brown walls had a rough texture, displaying grain patterns reminiscent of raw wood. Its ascent was incredibly fast, reminding Chu Heng of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. It was once the world's tallest building, a money tower constructed by oil-rich sheikhs with their extravagant wealth. Its elevators were also once the fastest, reaching the top floor in less than a minute.

The headquarters elevators were significantly faster than those in the Burj Khalifa, and they had been standing in one for over two minutes. If it were Chu Hengkong's first time going to the "upper level," he would have been astonished by the height figure he had mentally calculated. Now, however, he was simply amazed by the seemingly unfathomable technology behind it.

This is his second time here.

The elevator stopped silently, the overhead panel swung open, and the whistling sound of clashing swords swept across the sky. The water curtain and the tide of weapons, so close they seemed almost within reach, appeared before Chu Hengkong once more; he had returned to the place where he had been summoned. Chu Hengkong immediately prostrated himself on the ground after exiting the elevator, mirroring Ji Huaisu's actions.

"Is there a normal road here!" Chu Hengkong shouted. He had to shout; the noise of the weapon tide was too loud.

“They used to exist, but they were all destroyed after the war!” Ji Huaisu called out, handing over a small, somewhat heavy cloth bag. “Don’t wander off, come with me!”

Ji Huaisu knew the "safe route" well. The two crept forward for about ten meters, then stood up and crouched slightly higher in the tide. After another ten meters or so, they crouched down again, and stood up completely at the edge of the platform. Ji Huaisu unfolded the cloth bag; it contained a simple hang glider that had been rolled up.

"Is this also a relic?" Chu Hengkong deftly organized his equipment. The small glider was made of a triangular cloth with a magic circle drawn on it and a few wooden sticks. Its safety was beyond worry and resembled a portable suicide device.

"Standard equipment for the Resurrection Unit; just grip the tripod and it's ready to go." Ji Huaisu gave a thumbs up. "A new recruit is leaving. If you fall off here, you'll become the biggest joke in the whole unit!"

She took two steps back, unfurled her rudimentary, toy-like hang glider, and burst into the air with a cheer. Professional athletes on Earth would probably have a stroke from seeing that. Chu Hengkong tightened his tentacles around the support frame and, mimicking Ji Huaisu, leaped into the wind.

His vision instantly turned pure white, the raging wind high in the sky almost depriving him of his hearing. For a moment, he thought he had jumped into a crevice between heaven and earth, a place empty except for endless loneliness and falling. Then, a touch of gold appeared in the pure white world—the girl's swaying ponytail. Her delicate face turned in the wind, her bright, amethyst eyes shimmering like ripples on water.

“Light,” she said.

Light indeed appeared; two faint golden spheres formed, completely enveloping the two people in the air. Chu Hengkong immediately felt a lightness in his body; the noise and wind pressure seemed to disappear as if they didn't exist. The magic array on his wings emitted a faint light, transmitting a strange thrust and lift, allowing him to move steadily forward in the air.

He subtly adjusted the angle of his wing surfaces, curving himself closer to the girl. The two orbs of light merged as they approached, like two luminous raindrops merging into one in the high sky.

Ji Huaisu winked at him: "The professional assassin's first gliding performance wasn't very good."

"I was already in control when you made your move." Chu Hengkong's face was tense.

"Really?" the female captain drawled.

"Just one second later," he admitted helplessly. "Is that your ability?"

"It's a little trick. Now look back at what's behind you, and you'll be able to recognize the place pretty much at a glance."

Chu Hengkong slowly turned around, and a towering brown wall crashed into his view. From a distance, he realized it was actually a magnificent tower, and where they had been was its top floor. Following the tower's contours downwards, he could see hundreds of thick, sturdy "branches" extending from its brown, bark-like surface.

The branches intertwined and twisted, stretching far into the distance, each cluster supporting a small island-like piece of land, upon which stood gray workshops and stone towers. Dozens of these "empty islands" were arranged in concentric circles, resembling a gray canopy covering the city. No, not just "resembling," they were genuine branches and leaves.

The giant tower is a huge tree that reaches the sky and stands upright.

"Now it's time for the captain's friendly science lesson." Ji Huaisu whistled. "Huilong City is a three-dimensional city, divided into three levels. These sky islands are the top level area, the 'workshops' for salvaging, appraising, and selling relics. The loot you're most interested in is on one of the workshop islands. When we get there, stay close behind me and don't wander off."

But Chu Hengkong paid no heed, completely forgetting about his spoils. Compared to such a magnificent and even grand spectacle, mere relics seemed like dust.

A long-lost sense of youthful joy welled up within the assassin; he was once again amazed that he had truly arrived in another world. He was heading towards the workshop on the sky island, with a blonde girl who could manipulate light beside him.

(End of this chapter)