城市猎人：系统升级之王

Chapter 15: Immense Harvest

Having ascended to Level 4, Li Nianlong's strength and speed surpassed their previous encounters. The duo, who had barely managed to fend off his attacks before, now found themselves purely on the defensive, unable to retaliate.
However, true to their elite status, after enduring a barrage of his Wild Punches, the two leaders astonishingly remained conscious, despite their battered bodies. It seemed their misfortune compounded with Li Nianlong's consecutive level-ups, which not only gifted him an additional 10 points of true qi but also replenished his reserves upon leveling, leaving him with 29 points of true qi even after one round of Wild Punch. Adhering to the principle of not wasting resources, a second wave of Wild Punches swiftly followed.
This proved to be their undoing. Within half a minute, the leaders of the Golden Snake Gang and the Wild Wolf Gang were bleeding profusely, yet their indomitable spirits kept them standing as they gritted their teeth, parrying Li Nianlong's onslaught with their weapons.
Their weapons were the primary reason they hadn't fallen yet. The Golden Snake Gang leader's mysterious gold whip caused Li Nianlong to grimace and his fist to swell with pain upon impact, while the Wild Wolf Gang leader's gleaming machete deterred any direct hits. Consequently, Li Nianlong resorted to evading their weapons with his speed, but with their vital areas guarded, his strikes elsewhere failed to deliver fatal blows.
"You've shown remarkable resilience to withstand two rounds of my Wild Punch," Li Nianlong scoffed inwardly delighted. Let them hold on! They'll only help me improve my skill.
With 24 points of true qi remaining, he could execute four more rounds. To prolong their resistance, he intentionally avoided their vitals, targeting their shoulders, backs, and abdomens instead. Surprisingly, they withstood these non-lethal blows for four rounds, but by then, they were on the verge of collapse, drenched in blood, and slipping in and out of consciousness.
Just as Li Nianlong was about to finish them off with his watermelon knife, his true qi conveniently replenished by 1 point, bringing him to 5 points and allowing another round of Wild Punch.
"This isn't personal; it's just that your ill deeds have drained your karma," Li Nianlong empathized with their bad luck yet showed no mercy. His fists rocketed towards their heads.
The clanging of flesh echoed, and when the dust settled, the leaders' heads resembled burst melons, blood spurting everywhere, marking their definitive end.
"Experience +300, Experience +300.
Acquired Money: 3000
Acquired Items: Golden Snake Whip, Machete.
Golden Snake Whip (Durability 320/500): Damage +30, Reach 5m, forged from high-quality steel, extremely durable. Coated with chili water, inflicting 500% pain, excellent for torture.
Machete (Durability 334/510): Damage +100, Armor Penetration +10, made of sturdy steel, sharp and heavy, causes severe lacerations resulting in continuous bleeding until death."
Li Nianlong wiped his bloody fists on the corpses, then crouched, dry-heaving. Killing hadn't bothered him, but the aftermath churned his stomach. Fortunately, the nausea passed without vomiting.
After composing himself, he casually wielded a watermelon knife and delivered the final blow to each fallen combatant.
"Experience +20, Experience +20, Experience +25..."
An unexpected bonus, he found over twenty still clinging to life among the hundred, adding another 400 experience points to his total.
"Don't blame me; blame your red names," Li Nianlong muttered, soaked in blood, disappearing into the night.
To evade detection, he detoured through alleys before plunging into a river, letting its waters wash away any trace. Even police dogs would find no scent.
Heading upstream for 500 meters, he climbed ashore and returned home safely.
It was past four in the morning when he arrived. Scaling the rope to the third floor, he tossed his wet clothes into a basin with detergent, took a quick shower to wash away the stench of blood, and let the clothes soak.
Half an hour later, he washed and spin-dried them before hanging them on the balcony to dry. Dawn broke as he completed these tasks, marking the end of a long night.
Relaxing in bed, Li Nianlong exhaled deeply, reflecting on the night's events. He realized he was different now. Lifting his fists, he marveled at how they had felled two gang leaders and dispatched scores with a watermelon knife.
He felt no guilt; he had only slain the wicked. Someone once said, "Killing one villain saves ten good people." Li Nianlong didn't aspire to great altruism; his goal was avenging Uncle Guan.
Thoughts of Uncle Guan's remains buried in the wilderness of Longcheng ignited a surge of resentment within him. "Long Zongheng! One day...one day, I will claim your head and avenge Uncle Guan!"
Closing his eyes, he delved into his mind, greeted by a vastly improved status.
Li Nianlong: Level 4 (1435/2000)
Strength: 27
Speed: 27
True Qi: 34
Intelligence: 27
Unused Points: 20
Gift: Fortuitous Escape: Innately possesses the ability to sense and avoid misfortune.
Skill: Wild Punch (Novice 13%): Unpredictable strikes that leave enemies baffled. Enhances strength by 10% and speed by 10% for 30 seconds. No cooldown. Costs 5 true qi per use.
Money: 3855
Equipment: Brick (Durability 1/1): Garbage, unassuming, weak, but painful when used. 1% chance to stun for 3 seconds when hitting the head.
Fine Watermelon Knife (Quantity 3): Damage +10. Sharp, causes bleeding for 15 seconds, with damage varying based on wound size.
Steel Fist Gloves (Durability 17/20): Made of steel, durable. Damage +15. 10% chance to inflict a 2-second stun.
Golden Snake Whip (Durability 320/500): Damage +30. Reach 5m. Steel-made, unbreakable. Coated with chili water, inflicts 500% pain. Ideal for torture.
Machete (Durability 334/510): Damage +100, Armor Penetration +10. Heavy, sharp, causes severe lacerations resulting in continuous bleeding until death.
His core attributes had significantly improved, his wealth had tripled, and his equipment had multiplied, especially with the addition of the Golden Snake Whip and the Machete, which could rival blue-grade items in games. However, the Dream System lacked detailed categorizations for equipment or host attributes, suggesting it was more of a flawed product than the powerhouse Li Nianlong had hoped for.
Yet, flawed or not, if it could aid his quest for vengeance, Li Nianlong deemed it a worthy system.
With 20 unused attribute points from his double level-up, he thoughtfully allocated them according to the 1:1:7:1 ratio across his four attributes. This further bolstered his stats, raising strength, speed, and intelligence to 29, while true qi soared to an impressive 48. This allowed him to unleash nine consecutive Wild Punches, a stark improvement from managing only two or three just hours prior.
The advancements in level, attributes, and the acquisition of ample equipment and currency filled Li Nianlong with such exhilaration that he couldn't lie still. Sitting on the edge of his bed, he picked up a photo frame from the bedside table. Gazing at the alluring image of Li Ying, he tenderly traced her hair, forehead, cheeks, lips, and slightly rounded chin with his finger, his eyes brimming with tenderness tinged with sorrow.
"Mum, I killed people today, over forty of them. It doesn't feel good, my heart raced, my legs trembled, and afterward, I felt so sick I almost threw up. But I told myself to endure, for Uncle Guan's sake, I must become stronger and resilient."
"Mum, do you know? I'm no longer the same person. I'm powerful now. Given time to grow, in five years, I will surely slay Long Zongheng and offer his head to honor Uncle Guan's spirit in heaven. That day is not far."