Chapter 67: Killing Above His Level
An extremely strong sense of crisis washed over him. With Zhou Ning's current Observation Haki, it was impossible for him to be mistaken.
The enemy must be stronger than me, or I wouldn't be getting such a dangerous feeling. And this enemy must be lurking nearby.
Zhou Ning quietly scanned his surroundings with his peripheral vision. This was the main road in front of the entrance to Vick University, so most of the passersby were students and teachers. There was no one suspicious in sight.
Taking a deep breath, Zhou Ning quickened his pace, his senses on high alert.
Leonardo, confused by the sudden change, followed closely behind him.
As Zhou Ning walked past a shop window, he suddenly saw the reflection of a man's face in the glass. Without hesitation, he drew his gun and fired.
"Bang!"
The shot was followed by the sound of shattering glass and a deafening buzz that felt like a physical blow to Zhou Ning's head. The next second, he found himself in a completely unfamiliar world.
Everything here was distorted. The light, the stones, the buildings—it was as if the entire world was constructed from irregular, shifting blocks. He looked back but saw no exit. He could, however, still see the real world, including a bewildered Leonardo searching for him outside.
Not far away, a brown-haired man stood with his hands spread wide. "Welcome to my world."
"Elvis Bart?"
Zhou Ning was shocked. For a moment, he almost thought the man was a time traveler. And this pixelated style looks a lot like Minecraft, which I used to be addicted to...
This bastard had to be the source of the crisis he'd sensed. Although Elvis had been injured in their last battle, it was only because of Sherlock's assistance. This man's true magic level was definitely over 40. He was now a suspect in the assassination of Charles VI, with a bounty of 1,000 victars—the equivalent of 10,000 roschen.
Zhou Ning took a silent breath and held out his hand; a pistol materialized in his palm. He pulled the trigger, sending a bullet reinforced with Armament Haki streaking toward Elvis.
But in the next instant, a lethal premonition gripped his heart, and he threw himself backward. A familiar flaming bullet shot down from above, slamming into the ground where he had just been standing.
What's going on?
Sweat beaded on his palms as he took in the bizarre scene. He sensed danger again and spun around just as a huge blood-sucking worm erupted from the ground and lunged at him.
Zhou Ning sidestepped and activated [Dodge Shooting], instantly appearing behind the creature. He pulled the trigger twice, but the bullets materialized from a completely different direction and missed their target.
A mocking smile spread across Elvis's face. "Don't you understand? In this twisted world, bullets are useless. You never know where they'll come from. But my magic, and my companions, can always hit you."
He raised his right hand and snapped his fingers. Startled, Zhou Ning immediately dropped and rolled forward.
CRACK!
A bolt of lightning struck the ground he had just vacated, accompanied by Elvis's unhinged monologue.
"I am giving you a chance to live. Join us. Worship the one true god, Naiastra, and you will escape your mortal coil. Soon, the true god will descend, the earth will become a divine kingdom, and we shall become angels!"
`[Elvis Bart, a high priest of the Curse Cult, invites you to join the Curse Cult. Do you agree? Yes/No.]`
`[Note: After joining the Curse Cult, your reputation in the Six Nations will become hostile, and your faction will become Chaotic Evil.]`
"Sorry, not interested," Zhou Ning said, curling his lip as he decisively chose no. What's the point of becoming an angel? So I can open my arms and use my wings to protect you?
"What a shame."
Elvis shook his head in disappointment. At his unspoken command, more blood-sucking worms burst from the ground, surrounding Zhou Ning. More than ten of the massive creatures lashed out at him like whips. With extraordinary agility, Zhou Ning rolled, jumped, and lunged, dodging the attacks of three consecutive worms. He then activated a dodge skill to slide backward, drawing the ornate rapier Charles VI had given him and unleashing [Divine Avoidance].
A brilliant flash of sword light cut through the air, cleaving at least two of the blood-sucking worms in half. But in the next moment, the rapier groaned and snapped in two.
That's it?
Zhou Ning was momentarily dumbfounded. Seeing his stamina draining rapidly, he decided without hesitation to use the item he had kept hidden in his inventory for so long.
`[Epic Vampire·Zhou Ning Character Possession Card]!`
`[The character possession card has been used and will soon disappear.]`
Suddenly, Zhou Ning's eyes took on an ancient and profound depth.
He stopped dodging and charged forward. His right hand shot out like lightning, grabbing the neck of a blood-sucking worm with impossible accuracy. The creature tried to struggle, but its throat was caught in an unbreakable grip. With a grunt, Zhou Ning hurled it through the air. The sheer force of the throw created a shockwave that sent three or four other charging worms flying. The remaining creatures froze, intimidated by a single glance from Zhou Ning, and quickly retreated back into the ground.
Elvis's eyes practically bulged from his head.
What is going on? All the intel I saw and my own experience from yesterday indicated that Wayne Stewell was a firearms expert with weak close-combat skills. What is this?
Could it be some kind of explosive power-up? It must be! A state like this can't last long.
The more Elvis thought about it, the more convinced he became. He quickly chanted an incantation, and crimson firebirds materialized, locking onto their target and converging on Zhou Ning.
Boom! Boom!
The firebirds struck true, and flames erupted into the sky.
A direct hit!
But a moment later, the smug smile on Elvis's face froze. He watched, disbelieving, as Zhou Ning walked out of the fire completely unharmed, holding his hat. He calmly lowered his hand and met Elvis's gaze.
A single drop of cold sweat traced a path down Elvis's forehead.
One moment Zhou Ning was standing still; the next he was directly in front of Elvis, swinging his fist.
Elvis only had time to open his mouth in a silent scream.
A powerful psychic shockwave erupted from his body, rushing toward Zhou Ning. But against an attack that would have turned an ordinary person into a drooling imbecile, Zhou Ning didn't even blink. He leaned in and drove an uppercut into Elvis's face.
Blood gushed from Elvis's nose as he let out a strangled groan. The ice armor covering his body shattered into countless fragments. He staggered backward, his eyes wide with terror. He was certain that if not for the armor, that single punch would have killed him.
Why didn't the mental shock even affect him?
Gritting his teeth, Elvis dodged backward, reappearing on a nearby stone. A transparent, colorless spiritual flame ignited on his arm as an iron-black fireball began to condense between his fingers. But before he could unleash it, Zhou Ning appeared on the stone beside him like a shadow, fist swinging.
One punch—just one—shattered the ice armor Elvis had re-formed. A merciless rain of fists followed.
After taking several blows, Elvis's body began to swell, transforming into a huge, bloated monster. He waved tentacles covered in profane symbols, trying to resist, but a single punch sent him crashing to the ground. Soon, he fell completely still and reverted to his original form.
…
`[You have defeated Elvis Bart (lv44 Fire Mage), a high priest of the Curse Cult, by killing a higher-level opponent. You have gained 31,500 experience points.]`
`[You have killed a target above level 30, gaining a 300% experience bonus. You have gained 94,500 experience points.]`
`[You have completed the survival mission [Survival]. You have gained 65,000 experience points and received a temporary template card.]`
159,500 experience points—that was his reward for killing Elvis. Combined with the tens of thousands he'd already saved up, it should be enough to fuse the remaining skills for his new class.
Zhou Ning pulled out his pocket watch. There were still three minutes before the main account went offline. He quickly searched Elvis's body but shook his head in disappointment. The mirror wasn't on him. He did, however, find a key attached to a tag: Room 304, Green Shade Hotel.
He pocketed the key and dragged Elvis's body toward the entrance of the twisted world. Through a shimmering, translucent barrier, he could see Leonardo still waiting, now surrounded by a large group of guards and police officers. The familiar face of Sherlock was among them.
Zhou Ning took a deep breath, clenched his fist, and punched. A crack instantly spread across the barrier.
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