Chapter 33 :- Accidentally Advanced

This is the first instance where Yan Yun witnesses Lu Yu single-handedly battling monsters. The sight takes her by surprise. 

Previously, when Lu Yu descended the stairs with the rest of the group, he merely followed along, not displaying any significant combat prowess. However, the current situation is vastly different.

Yan Yun has observed the formidable defense provided by the scales on the lizardmen's heads and backs. 

Even a bone chopping knife would struggle to penetrate these scales in a single strike. Yet, Lu Yu managed to pierce the head of a lizardman, whose defense was evidently superior to that of ordinary lizardmen, with his sword.

The lizardman writhed in agony, its body contorting and its powerful tail lashing out wildly. Advanced lizardmen are significantly larger than their normal counterparts, and consequently, their strength is also greater. 

Lu Yu could have certainly killed it by holding it down, but that would have drained a considerable amount of his physical strength.

To conserve energy, Lu Yu made a swift decision to leap forward, evading the lizardman's attack. As he did so, he twisted his sword, pulled it out, and quickly vacated the area. 

The lizardman, no longer restrained by the sword, rose abruptly, hissing fiercely. Its brain had been attacked, sending it into a frenzied state. It began to assault its surroundings with its forelimbs and tail, knocking over all the tables, chairs, and benches. 

Even two junior lizardmen, who had arrived to assist upon hearing the commotion, were slain by its indiscriminate attack.

Fortunately, Lu Yu had stabbed it in the head. Its frantic attacks didn't last long. After about ten seconds, the lizardman collapsed heavily onto the ground. 

As more blood flowed from its brain, its body movements slowed until it lay motionless.

Approaching cautiously, Lu Yu prodded it with his sword. Seeing no response, he stabbed it twice more. The sword was extremely sharp, and even without exerting much force, it could easily pierce the lizardman's body. 

After stabbing it a few times and confirming that the opponent was indeed dead, Lu Yu couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Just then, three lizardmen who had failed to catch their prey came into view - two beginners and one intermediate. 

Seeing this, Lu Yu didn't have time to ponder. He quickly shouted at Yan Yun, who seemed to be in a daze, 

"Stupid woman, why are you standing there? 

Hurry up and help me find............…"

Before descending, Lu Yu hadn't anticipated encountering high-ranking black iron lizardmen. Therefore, he hadn't made any arrangements to search for the crystal nucleus. But it wasn't too late to make arrangements now.

"Looking for? 

What are you looking for?" 

Yan Yun, still somewhat dazed from Lu Yu's shouting, was even more confused upon hearing his words. They hadn't rehearsed this part before.

"A thing with a special energy that looks like a pearl or a gem…" Lu Yu didn't have time to explain in detail and spoke quickly.

"Something like pearls or gems? 

In its head?"

"I…I don't know either, you…you look for it first!" 

Lu Yu quickly instructed, "Ding Feng, hurry up and cover!"

"Coming!"

Are there pearls or gems in the heads of the lizardmen? 

Upon hearing Lu Yu's words, Yan Yun was completely dumbfounded. But at this time, she didn't have time to think too much. She hurriedly ran in the direction of Lu Yu.

The group led by Liao Dong had been scattered by the monsters. Lu Yu had anticipated this. There were so many monsters on the street outside before, and many had rushed into the hotel. 

With just a dozen or so people from Liao Dong, it would have been nearly impossible to rush downstairs on the first day.

Seeing all the monsters rushing upstairs, Lu Yu didn't attempt to rescue the survivors. Instead, he hid with Ding Feng and Yan Yun for the first time. 

After the lizardmen were almost dispersed, he emerged with the two of them.

After killing the high-level lizardman, Lu Yu was actually quite speechless. He only knew that monsters above the black iron rank might have crystal nuclei. 

But he really didn't know where the crystal nucleus was. So he could only use the routine in his memory to ask Yan Yun to search for the position of the lizardman's brain.

Lu Yu's azure sword was bronze, and its power was much stronger than that of black iron. It was originally a sword to pierce its head, but now it was very easy to break its head. 

It didn't take much effort, just stepped on the lizardman's head, reinserted the sword, and pulled it in the opposite direction. The lizard's head was broken in half.

The lizard people looked horrible and disgusting. Ordinary girls wouldn't be able to stand the sight of it. But Yan Yun was the heroine, and she was different. Seeing the three lizardmen running over, Lu Yu and Ding Feng bravely fought to kill the enemy.

She took a deep breath, then plucked up her courage, fighting back her nausea, and stretched her hand to the lizardman's head. 

It's just that she originally thought that her hands would be dirty and disgusting with the blood and brains of the lizardmen. But the moment she touched the lizardman, there was a white halo on her hand that she didn't even notice. 

Then at this moment, she seemed to understand something.

Yan Yun quickly retracted her hand and looked at her flawless fingers. She was surprised and said something with certainty, "There shouldn't be what you're looking for here."

Lu Yu had stabbed the middle-level lizardman's head with a sword from his chin and turned his head. You've finished looking for it so soon?"

"I…I did look for it, but there is nothing please believe me?"

Hearing this, Lu Yu subconsciously looked at Yan Yun. Seeing the other party's serious, yet extremely anxious expression, he seemed to realize something.

"Okay, Ding Feng, let's go!"

Not every monster can have a crystal nucleus. After the high-level black iron, the higher the level, the greater the chance of nuclei appearing. 

Without the life of the protagonist, Lu Yu can't force it. He had no choice but to rush downstairs with his sword to protect Yan Yun. 

Ding Feng kicked over a lizardman who was approaching and quickly followed.

There is no reward for killing monsters, and there is no need to find the core. They naturally don't need to kill all the monsters. 

Kick it away. Everyone ran all the way, and all the lizardmen they encountered were kicked over. The kicked lizardmen did not chase after Lu Yu and the three after they got up. 

Instead, they ran quickly to the lizardmen who were killed by Lu Yu and began to devour their corpses. As if the allure of these corpses was greater than the allure of the living.

Lu Yu paid little heed to the surrounding monsters. As Ding Feng sprinted toward the corridor entrance, Lu Yu swiftly shut the door behind him. 

The monster outside was effectively trapped, and Lu Yu exhaled, his gaze shifting to the sword in his hand.

The Qingshou sword's inscription revealed its current state:

Weapon Grade: Bronze (Energy Value 54/100)

The encounter with the black iron mid-level monster had yielded intriguing results. For each such adversary defeated, 

Lu Yu's energy value increased by two points. When facing a black iron high-level monster, the gain was even greater—three points. 

This symbiotic relationship between the monster's strength and the sword's energy absorption provided Lu Yu with a sense of reassurance. 

It seemed that their efforts were rewarded in proportion to the risks they took.

However, there was an unexpected development. 

After the recent battle, Lu Yu discovered that his physical strength had unknowingly advanced to the middle level of black iron. 

Was this an accidental breakthrough?

Name: Lu Yu 

Age: 21 

Height: 180

Weight: 136 Pound

Vitality: 20 (normal adult male value is 10)

Mental strength: 25 (normal adult male value is 10) 

Strength: 21 (10 for a normal adult male) 

Agility: 19 (10 for a normal adult male) 

Enhancement Level: Dark Iron Intermediate

The power level remains constant. However, there's an increase in mental strength by 5 points, and the other three attributes have seen a rise of 4 points each. This raises questions about the progress of this enhancement. 

According to the system, the enhancement level is determined based on the 'vitality' value among the four attributes. If the vitality value reaches 20 points, regardless of the values of other attributes, it is considered a mid-level black iron enhancer.

Lu Yu, pondering over this, queries the system, "Can humans evolve independently without the use of a crystal nucleus?" 

The system, capable of answering questions about Lu Yu's body or itself, responds to Lu Yu's query. It explains that cosmic storms can awaken some special powers in humans, but initially, humans cannot fully adapt to these powers. 

Continuous usage of these abilities can improve the usage and proficiency of said abilities.

This implies that humans can indeed evolve independently, but the strength of this evolution is quite limited. Lu Yu comprehends this explanation. The awakening of special abilities is akin to consuming a special pill. 

Once these special pills are consumed, the body can feel the effects of the pills. However, the human body is complex, and it requires a certain amount of time to fully absorb the power of these pills. Regular exercise can shorten this time.

This suggests that if one keeps fighting, their attributes should still increase, albeit the value may not be significant. 

Lu Yu estimates that if each attribute increases by 5-8 points, it should be the limit. Yan Yun interrupts Lu Yu's thoughts, asking him what he was thinking about. 

Lu Yu, glancing at the relatively safe corridor, takes a deep breath and dismisses her question, urging them to move on.

Most of the monsters on the first and second floors had gathered on the third floor to chase the survivors due to the noise. Hence, there were no monsters in the corridors of the first and second floors.

Lu Yu moved from the third floor to the first floor without encountering any obstacles. After killing two junior zombies and three lizardmen, Lu Yu took two pot lids from the kitchen on the second floor to use as shields. The three of them cautiously made their way to the first floor and closed the hallway door.

Lu Yu led the two to the checkout counter, used it as a cover, and glanced at the current situation on the first floor. 

The hall on the first floor was in ruins. Tables, chairs, and benches were scattered, and shards of glass were everywhere. There were no lizardmen in sight. There were only two middle-level black iron zombies and two sickle mantises that had evolved to a high level after they were full. 

The Scythe Mantis did not attack living zombies, and the zombies didn't attack the living sickle mantis either. This was a very strange phenomenon.

Lu Yu didn't have time to think about this. He glanced at the distribution of monsters and whispered to Yan Yun to give him the crossbow. 

Yan Yun obediently handed over the crossbow and arrows. Lu Yu put the green sword aside, took out the crossbow, and aimed at one of them. 

He continued to whisper to Ding Feng, instructing him to handle the two zombies and to be careful not to get bitten. 

Ding Feng grinned, raised the lid of the pot in his hand, and whispered that with a shield, it wouldn't be easy to get bitten. Lu Yu nodded in agreement.

Although the pot cover is not a real shield, it is sufficient to help block the attack of the zombies and buy a little time. For Ding Feng, who had strengthened his physique, this time was enough for him to kill the two zombies. 

Doing the same thing, he aimed the arrow at the back of one of the praying mantises. 

Lu Yu took a deep breath and prepared to attack.

The two sickle mantises had evolved to the high-level black iron, and their size was larger than the general sickle mantis. 

But it was also because of this that Lu Yu found it easier to target them. The two sickle mantises had bulging stomachs, and it looked like they were hungry. 

Lu Yu even wondered if these guys would evolve to the bronze level after digesting the food in their stomachs.

Fortunately, at this time, the two sickle mantises had shut their eyes and resting in the hall, completely letting down their guard. Lu Yu didn't hesitate either. 

After aiming at the back of the opponent's head, he directly pulled the trigger of the crossbow. The arrow hit the head of one of the sickle mantises with a sound of breaking through the air. The sickle mantis was in pain and immediately became manic. 

Lu Yu didn't have time to think, and quickly retracted his head back to the silver table, and handed the crossbow back to Yan Yun.

The roar of the sickle mantis attracted the attention of another mantis. At this moment, Lu Yu took a deep breath and rushed out from the bar. 

Without further ado, clenching the long sword and facing the other mantis with a wind blade. The mournful wind blade carried a huge gust of wind and went straight to the sickle mantis. 

Due to the high speed of the wind blade, the mantis was attracted by the screams of its companions and did not respond for a while.

Even if it was a high-grade black iron, it was caught off guard by Lu Yu's wind blade at this moment. The wind blade slashed its body and blew it away. Ding Feng took the opportunity to rush out and met the two zombies. 

And the praying mantis that was shot in the head by Lu Yu's crossbow arrow did not die immediately. It shook its head, forcibly supported its body, and flew towards Lu Yu. 

But because it still had an arrow stuck in its head, and its stomach was too full, it thumped twice and fell from the air.

Lu Yu, with a smirk on his face, quickly moved to its side with the help of the flexibility of human feet. He swung his sword hard. 

The bronze-level green scorpion sword went straight to the neck of the sickle mantis with a terrifying aura. A head with disgusting mucus rolled not far from Yan Yun. 

The Scythe Mantis was shot in the head by Lu Yu's arrow. Coupled with eating too much, the speed has slowed down a lot. So it was beheaded by Lu Yu with a sword.

Lu Yu didn't have time to take a closer look, and quickly met another praying mantis that was slashed by the wind blade but was not fatally injured. 

Because the vitality of the being black iron high-level monster it is very tenacious. Lu Yu's wind blade's power is very limited now. 

Therefore, even though this sickle mantis is bleeding and its wounds are ferocious and terrifying, its combat effectiveness is still very strong. A mantis with a high level of black iron, the serrated sickle in his hand is at least 1.2 meters. And it is extremely tough.

But Lu Yu is not false at all. After dodging an attack from the other side, he slashed the azure sword in his hand towards the right front limb of the sickle mantis. 

The serrated sickle on the right forelimb collided with the green sword, and it broke into two without any suspense. Seeing that Lu Yu cut off the sickle of the sickle mantis with one sword, Yan Yun was stunned again. 

Is Lu Yu sword so sharp that it can cut mantis in two parts? 

Before this moment, Lu Yu had already dispatched the formidable lizard monster using the same sword. Now, he faced a new challenge: the sickle mantis. 

Its serrated blade was notorious for piercing flesh and severing bones, yet remarkably, Lu Yu's sword had managed to sever it.

Yan Yun observed Lu Yu's actions and couldn't help but see him as a warrior. His voice echoed in her ears as she focused on the remaining mantis a creature now devoid of resistance in the face of Lu Yu's prowess.

Undeterred, Lu Yu continued his assault, methodically chopping off two more hind limbs. 

Then, seizing an opportunity, he thrust his sword into the mantis's head from behind. 

Yan Yun reacted swiftly, rushing toward the lifeless mantis head.

Meanwhile, Lu Yu stole a glance at Ding Feng, who had successfully dispatched two zombies. Relief washed over him. 

But before he could finish off the mantis, Yan Yun reached into its brain, manipulating it deftly. Moments later, she extracted a transparent crystal adorned with black lines.

Turning to Lu Yu, she inquired if this was the very crystal he sought.

A/n :- Dear readers, I welcome your suggestions and feedback in the comments section below. Your support through Power stones will be greatly appreciated.

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