Chapter 109: Second Survival Mission
At the moment, Zhou Ning had 118,000 experience points remaining. It was still far too early to create an advanced profession, so there was no need to hoard experience. He could use some of it to raise his profession and skill levels to strengthen his combat ability.
His current level as a Wandering Gunslinger was 5, with a cap of 30. Zhou Ning spent a total of 80,000 experience points to raise it from level 5 to level 7.
[[Wandering Gunslinger]increased to Lv7. Agility +3 (with an extra 0.5 from the Extraordinary Physique specialization), Stamina +1, Spirit +1. You have gained 2 free attribute points.]
These 2 levels gave Zhou Ning a total of 7 points in Agility, 2 points in Stamina, and 2 in Spirit. With just over 30,000 experience points left, Zhou Ning looked over his skill list and decided to invest in [Ripple Shot] and [Observation Haki]. Since these two skills couldn't be fused, they offered excellent value. The 30,000-plus experience points were just enough to raise both to the Intermediate level.
The intermediate-level Observation Haki made his senses even more acute—the effects were immediate and obvious.
He could feel a moist breeze drifting in from afar and could vaguely sense birds gliding past the window. All of his sensory input had been significantly amplified.
He still had 9 free attribute points remaining. He threw 5 into Agility and the remaining 4 into Stamina.
After all this, Zhou Ning's total level reached 20. His personal combat power had risen another notch. Without even donning the Phoenix Battle Suit, his power level had climbed to 3192—comparable to King Piccolo before the Namek Saga. Just kidding.
His rapid strength growth left Zhou Ning very satisfied. His Agility had now skyrocketed to 70 points, and his lethality was off the charts.
At this rate, by the time players entered the game, what they would encounter was a version of Wayne Sturwell whose power would be nearly at boss level—truly worthy of being called the Child of the Plane.
After tidying up his desk, Zhou Ning took a few minutes to rest. Then he glanced out the window. The sky had already darkened as if it were nighttime, and a light drizzle fell outside.
"This damn rain still hasn't let up," Zhou Ning grumbled.
By evening, Zhou Ning was ready to head out again—this time to No. 52 Wooden Gate Street.
Wearing the newly purchased black hat, he left 135 Academy Street, picked up some clothes from the Trade District, then walked to No. 52 Wooden Gate Street in the East District.
It was a large house with a lawn and garden, quite spacious. Given the East District's proximity to Vick University, a house like this probably cost at least 3,500 Vecktas. Outside the house, Zhou Ning spotted Charles Scott already waiting for him.
With graying hair, a thick beard, and deep nasolabial folds, he was indeed the old book vendor Zhou Ning had met in the underground market last time.
"Good evening, Mr. Sturwell," Charles Scott greeted him as he approached. "The seller has been waiting quite a while. He has three tomes from Wendegoon. I hope you've brought enough money."
Zhou Ning nodded. He was fully prepared to pay a steep price—if someone well-off was willing to stand in the rain waiting for a deal, it definitely wasn't going to come cheap.
He followed Charles Scott into the house. It had two stories and was lavishly decorated—Scott's wealth was clearly greater than Zhou Ning had expected. The carved furniture in the hall was the same kind found in ducal estates—at the very least worth 200 Vecktas. Strange. Why would someone like this need to sell old books in the underground market?
Zhou Ning quickly evaluated the situation but didn't pause, continuing to follow Charles through the elegantly adorned front hall.
But when they entered a portrait-filled drawing room, Zhou Ning suddenly halted. A surge of danger washed over him, raising goosebumps across his skin.
[You have triggered the Survival Mission: "Deadlock"!]
[Mission Hint: A force from the darkness has targeted you. You've walked into a death trap. Stay on guard.]
[Mission Objective: Stay alive!]
[Reward: Unknown.]
Another damn Survival Mission?
Zhou Ning immediately recalled the incident with Elvis. His expression turned grim as he raised his eyes to the hall.
On a couch sat a black-haired, gaunt young man who stood up the moment he saw Zhou Ning, his gaze brimming with malice.
At that moment, footsteps echoed behind him. When Zhou Ning turned around, he saw the familiar figure of Harrison Rivers already standing at the doorway.
Zhou Ning: …
With his Observation Haki, he should've sensed danger before even entering the house. Someone must've used a supernatural method to cloak the threat, making him the prey walking into a trap.
Utterly absurd!
As soon as his eyes locked with Harrison Rivers', Zhou Ning's Phoenix Battle Suit enveloped his body. He stomped his left foot down and leapt backward.
Bang!
A crimson bullet tore through the air, traveling less than ten meters toward Harrison Rivers.
But just as it was about to hit, Harrison's icy blue eyes dimmed.
"Mental Lash!"
Snap!
A black ripple suddenly appeared midair, cracking like a whip. The bullet was deflected on contact. Even though Zhou Ning had already leapt back, the Mental Lash still hit him squarely. It felt like a massive hammer had smashed into him.
-76!
One-third of his health was instantly gone. But Zhou Ning rolled to the side with his momentum, using a couch for cover to put distance between him and Harrison Rivers.
While dodging at high speed, he caught a glimpse of the gaunt young man's body rapidly encasing itself in gray-white stone. His form expanded to over three meters tall, transforming into a stone giant. Two dark red lights burned where his eyes should have been. He charged toward Zhou Ning with such speed that Zhou's eyes almost couldn't keep up.
An Earth-element superhuman?
Zhou Ning's scalp tingled. This was far more serious than he'd expected. Earth-type superhumans this strong were rare in the game. At this stage, there could only be one—
Alva Roskin, one of the Curse God Cult's ace supernaturals in the future. Countless players would die at his hands. His skin was tough as steel, and his damage output was high. Even national supernatural teams found him troublesome.
And Earth-element supernaturals, with their terrifying defenses, were a nightmare for long-range damage dealers like Zhou Ning. Ordinary bullets couldn't even scratch them.
At that moment, a scene flashed through Zhou Ning's mind:
"Alva Roskin suddenly accelerated and appeared in front of him, throwing a punch straight at his body."
A sudden, unreliable premonition from his Observation Haki!
Zhou Ning didn't hesitate. He trusted his instinct and immediately slid sideways, sharply changing direction. Using the couch as cover, he pulled two Medium Mechanical Puppets from his inventory and activated them.
Boom-boom-boom—the stomping sound rattled his eardrums. Alva Roskin moved like he was teleporting, charging straight at Zhou Ning. He twisted mid-stride and threw a punch.
But it missed. His fist crashed into the wall beside the couch.
Boom!
The impact pulverized the bricks and plaster, forming a spiderweb-like crater. The whole house trembled.
The resulting shockwave stirred Zhou Ning's hair, but he didn't counterattack. Instead, a mist spread through the room as two intermediate mechanical constructs materialized. They leveled their guns and opened fire on the stone giant.
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