Chapter 15: Interested in Joining Schicksal?
"Inch Power, Open Heaven!"
"Inch Power, Mountain Collapse!"
"Ora ora ora!"
Lu Yu's current feeling can be summed up in one word: amazing!
With the power of the Eight Extreme Fist internal skill, his attacks hit the mark every time. Fortunately, these Honkai beasts were similar to the Oddities, and facing this non-power-type Honkai beasts, Lu Yu could easily take on three of them at once with the combat abilities he just purchased.
"A bunch of weaklings, scram!"
With a beautiful flying kick, Lu Yu sent all three Honkai beasts flying several meters away.
Lu Yu really didn't expect that the 2-star ability would be so useful. It allowed him, as a mere mortal, to fight against Honkai beasts!
He didn't have any weapons in his hands; he was purely relying on his fists to battle the Honkai beasts. Moreover, he was taking on three pathetic Honkai beasts at the same time. Master Li Shuwen, you're amazing!
Lu Yu was well aware that his physical constitution didn't experience any growth. The 2-star Eight Extreme Fist Remnant only brought him the essence of the Eight Extreme Fist. As for the Twenty Hits Strike, it was a skill that was closer to the Noble Phantasm of a certain elderly master on the moon.
In reality, the Twenty Hits Strike was not a similar skill; its true meaning referred to the fact that Master Li Shuwen was so powerful that he could defeat enemies with just one strike, without the need for a second move.
Steel Fist, Twenty Hits Strike, Master Li Shuwen's Godly Spear!
On the moon, the old master's invincible record was elevated to a Noble Phantasm-like ability. The one Lu Yu just purchased was a weakened version of this Noble Phantasm, the Twenty Hits Strike.
[Twenty Hits Strike activated. The remaining uses for this skill today are about 1.]
The middle-aged man's family, who had already hidden in a corner, was completely stunned when they saw Lu Yu fighting the Honkai beasts.
Who was this young man?
Facing these monsters, others could only panic and flee. The man remembered that even the ordinary guards armed with firearms couldn't effectively harm these monsters. However, this young man, he, was able to use his fists to send these monsters flying?!
Who was this immortal like being?!
After the shock, the middle-aged man and his wife exchanged glances, and both saw excitement in each other's eyes.
They were saved!
They were really saved!
With such a divine person protecting them, what were these three monsters? Their family had truly encountered a benefactor this time.
"Wife, you see, I told you good deeds will be rewarded!"
His wife usually blamed him for wasting emotions by helping strangers, but this time, it was precisely because of his kindness that their whole family's lives were saved.
"Daddy, who is that big brother? He's so amazing! Is he daddy's friend?"
The little girl named Xiu Xiu poked her head out and curiously looked at Lu Yu, who was currently battling the Honkai beasts outside.
"He is our benefactor! Wife, Xiu Xiu, remember to thank this big brother later, got it?"
"Okay, okay, okay," the little girl nodded.
...
However, the battle situation wasn't as one-sided as the middle-aged man had thought.
With each fist thrown, Lu Yu gradually realized a problem. The Eight Extreme Fist combined with the Twenty Hits Strike was indeed powerful, but it seemed that he couldn't directly kill the Honkai beasts!
The incomplete version of the Eight Extreme Fist only allowed Lu Yu to learn the form of the martial art but not cultivate the internal energy like Master Li Shuwen. As a result, he could only knock the Honkai beasts away with his punches but couldn't deal any actual damage to them.
The Honkai beasts had thick skin and strong vitality; even if they were knocked away, they would get back up.
However, Lu Yu was just an ordinary human with average physical attributes and strength. If he continued fighting this way, he would eventually tire out and be killed by these three weak Honkai beasts!
No wonder the schicksal organization had to develop Stigmata and so many large-scale destructive weapons. Normal physical means could indeed suppress the Honkai beasts, but it was impossible to kill them completely!
Honkai beasts were tough creatures; either you pulverized them entirely, or they would keep coming at you. Once they latched onto someone, either the Honkai beast or its opponent must die.
He had underestimated the situation!
As his stamina decreased, Lu Yu's speed slowed down, and he was bound to get hit. These Honkai beasts weren't large or heavy, so he could endure a few hits, but if he took too many, he wouldn't be able to handle it...
"Ah, where are the sisters from Schicksal? Why haven't they arrived yet!"
Estimating the time, based on the broadcast, the support from Schicksal should be arriving soon!
They said about three hours, but couldn't Schicksal hurry up a bit? Do they have to clock in to work on time?
Kiana, Bronya, Mei, Himeko, hurry and save me!
...
At this moment, on the battleship Hyperion, Himeko, as the captain, was deploying the next operation plan for the attack on Longsky City.
"This Honkai outbreak in Longksy City is a small-scale disaster. Our team's primary objective is to rescue people. If you encounter enemies, don't engage them in prolonged combat. The task of eliminating enemies will be handled by other teams. Understood?"
"Understood!"
"Understood!"
Due to the urgency of the Honkai outbreak in Longksy City, even the reserve-grade Valkyries were mobilized for frontline duty this time. Himeko glanced at her team members.
Kiana Kaslana: Reserve-grade Valkyrie, but she had performed well in actual combat, and her strength was already on par with a B-grade Valkyrie, though she hadn't officially advanced yet.
Raiden Mei: Also a reserve-grade Valkyrie, her strength was similar to Kiana's.
Fu Hua: An A-grade Valkyrie, the class monitor in her teaching class and currently the only formal Valkyrie in the team.
There were a total of four members, two A-grade Valkyries, and two B-grade Valkyries. In terms of lineup, they were already quite formidable. As long as nothing major went wrong, this mission shouldn't be too difficult.
"Himeko Captain, we have arrived over the target location!"
"Let's go!"
The four Valkyries jumped down from high altitude, and their parachutes opened simultaneously. A few minutes later, they landed in an empty street.
"We're still too slow..."
Bloodstains, corpses, and the miserable scene all around them made the mood of the four Valkyries become solemn.
It wasn't the first time they were on a mission against the Honkai, but anyone seeing such a scene would feel uncomfortable, even if they were Valkyries.
"Kiana, Mei, you two will accompany Fu Hua to search for any possible survivors."
"Himeko-sensei, what about you?"
"I will start from another direction. We arrived too late, and the chances of finding survivors here are almost zero."
"Understood."
With the strategy decided, the four Valkyries quickly separated to carry out their tasks.
Fu Hua was an A-grade Valkyrie but also a student. Himeko felt she lacked some experience, so she arranged for Fu Hua to be accompanied by Kiana and Sakura.
As for herself, there wasn't much to say. She had been a Valkyrie for several years and naturally had the ability to act alone.
After searching for more than ten minutes, Himeko's expression became more and more serious. So far, she hadn't found a single survivor!
"Damn it..."
Indeed, they were too late. How could ordinary people resist the Honkai? It had been three hours since the incident occurred, and this was still the epicenter of the disaster. The probability of finding survivors here was almost zero.
Just when Himeko was full of self-reproach, she suddenly heard some noise from a distance.
"Is there a sound?!"
Himeko hurriedly ran over.
There should be survivors! She had to hurry over!
Accelerating, Himeko started to run at full speed. The rescue was too late, and there were almost no survivors. She had to seize any possibility to save those she could.
However, when Himeko arrived in the residential area, she saw a scene she never expected.
A young man who seemed to be about the same age as her was actually fighting the Honkai beasts barehanded.
"Come and see the ultimate secret of the Eight Extreme Fist!"
[Twenty Hits Strike activated. The remaining uses for this skill today are about 0.]
In Himeko's shocked eyes, the man's punch sent the three lowest-level Honkai beasts flying about five meters away!
Eight Extreme Fist?!
Was this man a master of martial arts from Shenzhou, just like Fu Hua?
No, this wasn't the time to be surprised. Himeko, who had been battling Honkai beasts for a long time, instantly realized the man's problem. Although his martial arts were powerful, they couldn't effectively harm the Honkai beasts.
Himeko took her greatsword from her back and quickly rushed over.
"You, come behind me!"
Himeko stood in front of Lu Yu, her gaze fixed on the three Honkai beasts.
"That... I'm quite capable of fighting too."
"Without a weapon, you can't inflict damage on the Honkai beasts. Stay back."
Ah, this...
Well, indeed, how could he smash these three chickens without any weapons?
"And, this is how you deal with Honkai beasts. Watch closely!"
After saying this, Himeko swung her greatsword, and in less than a minute, all three Honkai beasts were smashed into a pulp.
Lu Yu: "..."
Himeko, your attacking style is so violent! So the greatsword is for smashing? In the game, your attacks weren't this brute!
"This is the correct way to deal with Honkai beasts. Do you understand?"
After dealing with the Honkai beasts, Himeko put away her greatsword and turned to look at the extraordinary man who could send the Honkai beasts flying with his fists.
"Understood, understood."
"What's your name?" Himeko glanced at Lu Yu.
"I'm Lu Yu."
"You are from Shenzhou, right? I heard you mentioned the Eight Extreme Fist."
"Yes, I'm from Shenzhou."
In his heart, Lu Yu added a sentence, but not the Shenzhou from here.
"Do you have any other survivors around?"
Everyone shook their heads.
"In that case... Follow me, I'll take you to a safe place."
Lu Yu's group followed Himeko's lead and began to move. As they walked, Himeko noticed something strange about Lu Yu.
"Have you practiced something? I always feel like you disappear as we walk, but when I turn around, you are still behind me."
Lu Yu: "Ah?"
After thinking for a moment, Lu Yu understood—the suppression of his aura!
"Um, I've practiced a type of Qi Gong from Shenzhou. It helps me better conceal my aura."
"I see."
Hearing Lu Yu's words, Himeko seemed thoughtful. She had naturally heard about the martial arts from Shenzhou; Fu Hua, the class monitor, was also from Shenzhou. However, Himeko had only seen Fu Hua's martial arts; this was the first time she encountered such a miraculous technique from Shenzhou.
Himeko became interested in Lu Yu.
"By the way, why did you end up fighting the Honkai beasts? With your abilities, it shouldn't be difficult for you to escape."
"This... it's a long story."
Lu Yu told Himeko about his experience with the man who helped him, then he heard Himeko laughing.
"Haha, you're quite an interesting person. You fought with Honkai beasts just for a hundred-yuan bill?"
Well, it was because he had the Eight Extreme Fist and felt a bit overconfident, but of course, Lu Yu wouldn't say that.
Lu Yu nodded seriously, "A drop of water in need is worth more than a cartful of gold at ease."
"Well said, Lu Yu, right? I can tell you are quite skilled. Are you interested in joining Schicksal and fighting the Honkai with us?"
Lu Yu hurriedly shook his head, "No."
Himeko patted Lu Yu's shoulder and smiled, "I knew someone like you would want to join Schi..."
"Huh? Did you say no?"
Just kidding, Lu Yu was indeed interested in joining Schicksal and being with these lovely Valkyries, but going to the frontline to battle Honkai beasts? No way!
I, Lu Yu, absolutely refuse to work and will just slack off!
(A/N: Today's content was originally planned to be divided into 2000 words, but it would sound very incoherent that way, so let's just go for a massive 4K chapter.)