Chapter 48: Mutual Destruction

This was because to increase Random Strikes' proficiency, it was necessary to land hits on enemies after activating it; empty swings earned no proficiency points, resulting in slow leveling up. However, Stealth was different – every activation increased its proficiency. The sole drawback was its high True Qi consumption.

Over the past month, in order to hone Stealth, Li Nianlong had spent almost all his money on Qi-restoring pills. Whenever his True Qi dipped too low to use Stealth again, he would promptly consume a pill and continue to practice, burning through his funds to elevate the skill to its current level.

The aftermath was severe, as evidenced by the meager 5 yuan remaining in his account. Li Nianlong felt so desperate that he even considered working at a... less reputable establishment.

It was at this point that Li Nianlong truly understood why Qingting had urged him to allocate his remaining points to True Qi. The amount of True Qi consumed by Stealth, learned at level 10, was already staggering. As he approached level 20, with new skills on the horizon, the True Qi consumption would likely be astronomical!

Since level 10, Li Nianlong had been allocating his 10 attribute points per level-up entirely to True Qi, and still found it barely sufficient. Had he stuck to his initial distribution ratio of 1:1:7:1, he would have been even more strained.

When he queried Qingting about resolving this issue, the response was, "It'll get better after level 30."

Level 30...

Alright! It had taken nearly two months just to reach level 19, and progression was only getting harder. To hit level 30, with bad luck, he might not make it until year-end.

With several level-ups over the past month, Li Nianlong's daily workload had unknowingly escalated, resulting in daily earnings exceeding 4000 yuan. This explained why his Architect proficiency had advanced faster than anticipated.

Arriving home after collecting his pay, he noticed a luxury car parked outside his house, guarded by two burly men in black suits, veins bulging at their temples and eyes sharp like lightning, vigilantly scanning the surroundings.

Frowning, Li Nianlong was about to park when the men approached, demanding, "Halt!"

"Hmph!" Annoyed at being treated thus at his own doorstep, Li Nianlong parked, stepped out, and activated Random Strikes. Whistling winds and blurring fists instantly enveloped the two guards.

"Brat!" Seeing Li Nianlong's sudden aggression, the men's eyes flashed with fierce light. They combined punches and kicks in an attempt to subdue him. But as they raised their arms to block, Li Nianlong's powerful blows struck their limbs with such force that they were stunned by the sheer impact. Their planned counterattacks were instantly disrupted, leaving them with no choice but to raise their arms in defense against Li Nianlong's relentless assault.

At level 19, Li Nianlong possessed formidable Strength at 125 and Speed at 105. With Random Strikes' Advanced level bonus of 30% increase to both attributes, his combat prowess was terrifying. Although the guards were skilled, they were completely overwhelmed by Li Nianlong's relentless and heavy-hitting attacks, their arms numbing and sweat beading on their foreheads.

This kid... Such strength! Such speed!

The men felt immense pressure, but...

Half a minute later, Random Strikes wore off, causing a minuscule 0.1-second pause in Li Nianlong's actions. 0.1 second was fleeting; none of his previous opponents had been able to capitalize on this brief window. Chen Zongrui came closest but still fell to Li Nianlong's blade.

Yet, these two guards seized that 0.1-second lull, roaring in unison as one launched a punch at his face and the other a kick to his chest.

The immense force sent Li Nianlong flying, crashing onto the ground as he spewed out a mouthful of blood.

Horror gripped Li Nianlong. For the first time in many battles, someone had countered his Random Strikes. The stark contrast left him with a profound sense of defeat.

This was the downside of having never tasted failure. If Li Nianlong could overcome this setback, his mindset would mature and strengthen. But if he couldn't...

"Kid, who are you?!" Seeing Li Nianlong on the ground, spewing blood, the two men stepped closer. One of them planted his foot on Li Nianlong's chest and declared arrogantly, "If you don't give me a satisfactory answer, I'll kill you!"

Humiliation! Utter humiliation!

From childhood to this moment, when had Li Nianlong ever been trampled upon like this? His tiger-like eyes turned bloodshot instantly, and a fierce aura erupted from him as he roared, "I'll kill you!"

His left hand shot out like lightning, grabbing the thug's ankle tightly, and his right fist swung out, "Random Strikes!"

A vengeful, heavy blow landed on the thug's calf, accompanied by a sickening crunch. The thug screamed, "Ah! You're asking for death, kid!"

The thug was ruthless too. Despite his broken leg, he swiftly bent his other knee and thrust it into Li Nianlong's stomach. This mutually destructive exchange was witnessed by a woman who had just emerged, her face showing shock.

In that fleeting clash, the thug suffered a comminuted fracture, while Li Nianlong took a heavy hit to his abdomen. It felt as if his intestines were being twisted apart, and cold sweat instantly drenched him as he rolled on the ground, clutching his stomach, his stomach churning violently. His breakfast and lunch came back up in a violent retch.

"Gah... Ah..."

The thug was in a worse state. He knew his leg was completely shattered, and even if it healed, it wouldn't recover to its former strength, reducing his combat effectiveness by at least thirty percent. Such a tremendous loss was beyond his wildest nightmares.

Compared to him, the other thug was far luckier and more composed. He hadn't stepped on Li Nianlong, inadvertently avoiding a similar fate. After his companion's injury, instead of attacking Li Nianlong, he rushed forward to stabilize his friend's broken leg, examining it briefly before saying sternly, "Bear with the pain."

The injured thug nodded,he endured excruciating pain, and clamped a handkerchief between his teeth.

The composed thug firmly grasped the broken leg, and with a sickening crack, reset it, causing the injured man to break out in a cold sweat, tremble uncontrollably, and breathe heavily through flared nostrils.

"What's happening?" Inside the villa, seeing the woman frozen at the door, Nalan Ruyue and the Yue sisters were puzzled. Then, they heard pained cries and groans.

Their faces changed. Ignoring propriety, they shoved the woman aside and rushed out. The pushed woman stumbled but said nothing, her eyes flashing with excitement as she saw Li Nianlong vomiting.

This little guy... is ruthless!

"Gah... Ah..."

As the three girls burst out of the villa, their first sight was of Li Nianlong curled up on the ground, vomiting. Nalan Ruyue's eyes widened, and the Yue sisters exclaimed, "Big Brother!" rushing towards him.

"Big Brother, are you alright?" The Yue sisters reached Li Nianlong, anxiety etched on their faces.

Li Nianlong was in terrible shape. That brutal knee seemed to have ruptured his stomach, causing internal bleeding. He couldn't stop vomiting, and his gut was wracked with excruciating pain.

Though the Yue sisters were espers, they weren't doctors and had no idea how to handle the situation. They were as restless as ants on a hot stove.

In fact, Li Nianlong's condition could be remedied with a single Rejuvenation Pill costing just 1000 yuan. Although his account balance was insufficient, he had just received over 4000 yuan in wages, enough to buy one. However, the intense pain left his mind blank, unable to make a rational decision.

Watching Li Nianlong suffer increasingly, Yuexi broke out in a sweat, tears brimming in her eyes, feeling his pain as if it were her own.

Seeing Li Nianlong continue to vomit, even expelling blood, Yuexi could wait no longer. She extended her slender fingers and inserted them into Li Nianlong's mouth. "Big Brother, suck!"