Nightmare Despair

Chapter 23 Little Ma

You have come into contact with a mysterious ancient martial art and have gained some insight into it.

You have acquired the skill: Falcon Slash!

The high-intensity training almost completely drained Zhou Kai.

Exhaustion overwhelmed him like a dam bursting.

This "Falcon Striking Technique" was even more difficult than he had imagined. With the buff, he spent two whole hours painstakingly studying it before he could finally understand its basic structure.

On the panel, although the skill bar shows "Falcon Slash Lv0 (0/1)", it is not Lv1 and cannot be considered a beginner.

However, the tougher the bone, the more worthwhile it is to extract its essence.

Even a single level up in such a high-value skill can bring about a complete transformation.

On the other side, Chen Ping, who was watching Zhou Kai exercise, finally softened his tense features.

Looking at Zhou Kai, who looked like he might collapse at any moment, he finally felt a sense of peace.

This kid has finally reached his limit...

I thought it was a perpetual motion machine disguised as a human.

After all that, it turns out he's still just a human being.

You should know that Chen Ping himself hadn't slept for almost forty hours. Even as a true martial artist, his eyelids were starting to droop.

If Zhou Kai's stamina could truly surpass his, then this world would be far too unreasonable.

"Stop. The stance is almost perfect, and you're just one step away from mastering it."

Chen Ping walked over to Zhou Kai with his hands behind his back.

"Remember, your talent is a double-edged sword. Don't squander it just because it's sharp, and don't be too eager for quick success, or you'll break yourself."

"Tonight, and tomorrow."

"Go back to sleep, clear your mind, and don't think about anything."

Zhou Kai was so tired that his scalp tingled.

"Thank you, senior brother, I understand."

He understands the logic... but sleep? Empty his mind?
Why don't you try it yourself?
He has something even more important to do at midnight tonight.

Although my body felt completely drained, I could instantly recover as soon as I returned to the fireplace and let the warm firelight warm me for a few minutes.

Zhou Kai refocused his gaze on the panel in the void.

[Character: Zhou Kai]

[Status: Erosion, Exhaustion]

【技能：综合格斗lv2（19/25），轻盈步伐lv3（3/50），索拉卡剑术lv1（3/15），神秘学lv1（0/15），隼击术Lv0（0/1）】

[Items: Residence permit, bloodstained axe, rusted chef's knife, Morning Star Notebook, Moonlit Orchid Seed (full), nearly dried-up oil lamp, rusty two-handed sword]

[General Experience Points: 7]

The fight with Wang Jinquan last time, which wasn't really a direct confrontation, actually gave me some experience in mixed martial arts, raising my level from eighteen to nineteen.

"Good news." Zhou Kai's heart skipped a beat.

This means that the remaining seven experience points are just enough for him to level up Falcon Strike to level one and MMA to level three.

"Two level three skills, three level one skills... five skills should be enough to handle this..."

The thought had barely crossed his mind when he nipped it in the bud.

Born in sorrow and died in happiness.

Indeed.

Besides its original meaning, it also has another layer of meaning.

Living is full of worries, and dying is no different from euthanasia, even though there is no peace in dreams.

He took a deep breath, and the tingling and numbness throughout his body gave him a sense of fulfillment.

"Add points to Falcon Strike."

[You used one point of general experience; Falcon Striking skill experience +1]

[Falcon Striking Technique lv0→lv1]

In a flash, Zhou Kai's brain felt like it had been filled with a rushing river.

The phantom pain of countless claw strikes, wrist twists, and tearing ripped through his nerves.

The next second, the torrent subsided and transformed into the most primal instincts of the arms and fingers.

The soreness in my palms instantly intensified tenfold, and the muscles in my arms swelled up as if they had been inflated.

This intense discomfort actually invigorated him.

He could clearly feel that his wrist and finger strength had reached a whole new level.

This improvement is more than one level above Soraka's swordsmanship!
Zhou Kai was overjoyed and subconsciously clenched his fist, pondering what to try it on.

He vaguely remembered watching an anime where a character used exaggerated finger strength to crawl out of prison like an insect. "You don't need to come in this afternoon, and you're given the day off tomorrow too," Chen Ping's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Come straight here the day after tomorrow, I've got some good stuff for you."

Zhou Kai's eyes lit up, and the words "secret medicine" that Wu De had mentioned instantly popped into his mind, igniting a surge of excitement within him.

He didn't ask Chen Ping why he wasn't giving it to him now.

This senior brother has already done more than enough for him; there are some procedures that must be followed.

……

"That's it? Xiao Kai, you're amazing!"

Lu Yan hopped and skipped around in front of Zhou Kai like a rabbit, waving her little fists in the air, even more excited than Zhou Kai himself.

"That Wang Jinquan, with his pointed face and monkey-like features, is clearly no good! He boasted that he had studied for several months, but what happened? He can't even compare to you after a week!"

She chattered excitedly, her cheeks flushed.

"Alright, alright, Sister Yanzi." Zhou Kai rubbed his rumbling stomach helplessly. "Let's find somewhere to fill our stomachs first."

"I haven't eaten a single bite of food since last night, and I'm starving."

Lu Yan then realized what was happening, nodded heavily, and said seriously, "Yes! Eat! No matter how important the matter is, we have to eat first!"

On the other hand, Ma Yifan eventually withdrew from the course.

He had no intention of staying at the Falcon Wing Martial Arts School any longer.

He initially came because of Chen Ping's reputation and believed the nonsense that "everyone is treated equally and everyone has a chance to learn the secret ancient martial arts."

The results backfired.

He couldn't swallow his anger and decided to go somewhere else.

At noon, he followed Zhou Kai and Lu Yan, and the three of them left the martial arts school together.

Just as Zhou Kai and Lu Yan were about to flag down a car on the roadside, Ma Yifan finally stopped hesitating and said directly, "Brother Kai, Sister Yan, how about... I give you a ride?"

Zhou Kai glanced at him and readily agreed, "Sure."

Two minutes later, Lu Yan sank into the leather seat in the back of the luxury car, looking up at the dazzling "starry sky" on the roof, her tongue almost tied in knots.

"Star...Starry Sky Top?"

"A dedicated driver?"

"You little rascal, you've been keeping a low profile all along, so you're actually a rich guy!"

Ma Yifan gave a stiff smile, clearly still not fully calmed down.

He whispered an address to the driver before saying somewhat dejectedly, "My parents... earn a little money by themselves."

This is now completely confirmed.

Zhou Kai laughed: "Brother Ma, you've kept it well hidden."

Ma Yifan's face turned even redder, and he said awkwardly, "Brother Kai, please don't make fun of me."

His eyes darted around, as if he had remembered something, and he casually extended an invitation: "Since we're going to eat anyway, how about... we go to my house? Uh, it's a restaurant my family owns."

Zhou Kai and Lu Yan exchanged a glance, their eyes simultaneously conveying two words.

Freebies?!
Who could refuse this?
The two said in unison, "It would be impolite to refuse!"

Ma Yifan's restaurant is located in the mid-floor of one of the skyscrapers in Xishan City's CBD.

This place doesn't accept walk-ins, only reservations, and it doesn't even have a sign.

"Cool! This place is so stylish!"

Unlike the cyberpunk-style buildings outside, this place features authentic Western classical decor, with everything from the oil paintings on the walls to the candlesticks on the tables exuding an old-money elegance and sophistication.

"Can I take a picture?" Lu Yan pulled out a point-and-shoot camera from somewhere and pointed to an Impressionist landscape painting in the corner.

Ma Yifan nodded. Because of his soft jawline, his smile always had a pleasing quality: "Please make yourselves at home... We were in a rush today, so I could only bring you here. Please forgive any shortcomings in our hospitality."

Zhou Kai waved his hand and patted his shoulder: "Not at all, we've learned a lot from you."

He winked at Lu Yan: "Ignore her, my sister is a complete country bumpkin."

Lu Yan was snapping photos of a crystal chandelier when she heard this, and she suddenly turned around, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Hmm? What are you whispering about behind my back?"

Ma Yifan finally laughed out loud. The gloom in his heart had completely disappeared under the teasing of the two.

The dishes served, whether it was pea stew with mutton, cheese pizza, or vegetable stew, were quite different in flavor and texture from the local dishes in Akasei.

Zhou Kai and Lu Yan were so engrossed in their meal that they devoured everything in a flash.

Lu Yan's drinking urge kicked in again, and she insisted on having a couple of drinks.

Zhou Kai couldn't refuse her, so he opened a bottle of semi-sweet red wine.

Lu Yan took a few sips, a captivating smile spreading across her face.

(End of this chapter)