9 Chapter 9: The Transformation and the Bloodbath
In a towering 23-story edifice, the intermittent sunrays partially obscured the rooftops, momentarily casting the world below into shadow.
The hooded figure crouched in a place shrouded by darkness, staring intently at a specific building.
"It seems you made it, Jin," the figure remarked with a captivating and pleasing chuckle.
She narrowed her eyes at the structure below, but then arched her eyebrows and curled the corners of her mouth in astonishment.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you there are still more of them, but I believe you can handle it. Good luck."
With that last word, her figure vanished, along with her playful tone.
...
On the second floor of Luminous Sky Lounge, Jin was seen crouching down near the long bar counter.
A mysterious and soothing feeling spread through his body like a gentle tickle, eradicating the ugly-looking scars and reforming the layers of his skin.
His expression was one of shock, with his pupils widening in disbelief as he observed the gradual transformation that was healing his scars.
The once bald head that shone under the slip of sun rays was now slowly growing familiar, messy strands of hair, shielding his scalp from the sun's warm rays.
"This is..." Jin muttered.
Within seconds, the transformation was complete, and the once-ugly, monk-like appearance had been replaced by that of a handsome young man.
As he gazed into the mirror's shard on his hand, he began touching his jawline and eyebrows.
A wide smile formed on his lips as he read the transparent screen before him.
[Regeneration(Passive): The user's wounds heal faster, allowing them to recover from injuries more quickly. The user regenerates 5% of their maximum health every 10 seconds, allowing them to sustain themselves in battle]
…
"With my strength already at 20 points, and coupled with this regeneration skill, close combat is not a problem anymore...."
Suddenly he shuddered with a chill and a warm breeze slipped between his muscular stomach.
It was only then that he remembered his clothes were in tatters.
Basically, he was naked at the moment.
...
A couple moments later, having dressed well and chewing some leftover food that he found in a drawer, he reached for his shotgun, and reattached the ammo pouch to his worn-looking belt, which had many holes in it.
GROWL-!
The growling sound from his stomach resounded again.
It might be due to the small amount of food; it still didn't resolve his main problem.
Jin shook his head and smiled wryly.
"At least, I'm not desperately in need of food like before," he muttered.
The slit pupils began scanning the shadows where the sunlight could not reach.
Soon enough, pairs of ferocious red creatures emerged.
"Are there still more Blood Slaves?" he thought inwardly.
He thought he and Li Mei had cleared all of the Blood Slaves on the second floor.
GRRR-!
Like usual, Blood Slaves were actually smarter than zombies; they were just more greedy.
They jumped from the shadows and entered the range of sunlight.
Burning white fire enveloped their pale, translucent complexions.
But it didn't hinder or stop them from advancing toward him.
With white fire already enveloping it, one was lunging and suspended in mid-air, its crimson eyes glaring at him.
Drool dropped to the floor, creating a trail.
And lastly, two sharp, elongated fangs bared from its mouth at him.
"Let's test what 20 points of strength looks like," he muttered, his slit pupils shrinking.
By lifting his front heel, he instantly extended his leg, pushing his hips and shoulders forward with bone-crushing force.
BANG-!
The impact sending shockwaves through the air.
The Blood Slave, suspended mid-air, was struck square in the chest, causing its bones to shatter.
It convulsed in agonizing pain as it was blasted back into the realm of shadows.
Searing white flames engulfed its tormented body, and it groaned in pain, blood continuously flowing from its mouth.
"Hmm... so this is the strength of 20 points," he muttered, approaching the groaning Blood Slave sprawled on the ground.
The technique he had used was the renowned Muay Thai move, the Teep or push kick.
Under normal circumstances, it would have merely shocked his opponent, but this time it had far exceeded expectations.
Lifting his rear heel slightly off the floor, he pivoted on the ball of his foot, generating a surge of explosive power.
With his kicking leg raised, he bent it at the knee, keeping his shin parallel to the ground.
BANG-!
Another thunderous filled the air as his leg extended with lightning speed, resonating with bone-shattering impact.
The force of the kick collided with the Blood Slave's head, sending a resounding blast that echoed throughout the room.
The sheer power behind his strike blew through his messy hair.
But it didn't end there...
Utilizing the momentum of the kick, he allowed his leg to swing across the Blood Slave's head.
[You have successfully killed a Tier 0 - Level 0 Blood Slaves!]
The forceful rotation of his leg added an extra layer of devastation to the strike.
What followed the transparent screen was the head of a Blood Slave rolling on the floor.
Just after he finished off this Blood Slave, several pairs of similar red eyes looked at him from afar, coming directly from the direction of the stairway leading to the first floor.
"Good...more test subjects," he calmly stated, his slit pupils quickly analyzing the situation.
GRRR-!
Driven by lust, they charged at him simultaneously as Jin retreated to the safe haven where the sun rays were shining.
Soon, the first Blood Slave lunged at him.
Its skin or whole body was enveloped in white fire as it entered the range where the sun's rays shone upon the area.
SWOOSH-!
The slit amber eyes shone in the light as Jin bent his left arm and positioned his leg to the front, dodging the sharp nails to the side as the attack passed his chest.
BANG-!
Taking a short moment, and using the rear of his hand from above, he threw an overhand punch as the Blood Slave's body passed him, hitting accurately at the abdomen of the Blood Slave.
SPLASH-!
Blood gushed out from the mouth of the Blood Slave and stained the floor behind it, but it soon burned away by the sun's rays, leaving the blood dried instantly.
Its body, enveloped in white fire, groaned in pain on the ground.
Following after, a wave of sudden heat came from his left as another Blood Slave ambushed him.
His waist rotated as his legs raised as high as above his head.
Without needing a moment, his body hovered in mid-air and delivered a spinning kick.
BANG-!
The twenty points of attributes were no joke.
The moment his leg's temples hit the head of the Blood Slave, it instantly slammed down and was buried in the floor, breaking the hard cement into spider-like cracks.
[You have successfully killed a Tier 0 - Level 0 Blood Slaves!]
[You have successfully killed a Tier 0 - Level 0 Blood Slaves!]
Coincidentally, the first Blood Slave that had attacked him finally died under the burning fire from the sun's rays.
But just as Jin stood and had his body bathed under the sun's rays, he noticed a change.
"Finally using your heads?" Jin muttered.
The Blood Slaves began circling him in the darkness, not daring or foolish enough again to step into the range where the sun shone.
Stretching his arms and legs, Jin waited while keeping an eye on the circling Blood Slaves.
Then, he saw a blurry figure with a pair of red eyes charging at him.
Taking a firm stance and bending both of his legs, the Blood Slave that entered the sun's rays was soon enveloped in white fire.
But then, simultaneously, from all directions, numerous burning Blood Slaves recklessly entered the range of the sun's rays.
Their bodies were enveloped in flames as they charged at him with relentless determination.
...
Several moments later, white fire surrounded him from all sides.
It lasted for a moment before dying down, revealing many glints of magic crystals.
He had killed 15 Blood Slaves and obtained 15 magic crystals.
At this time, Jin, taking deep breaths to calmly regulate his breathing, was more engrossed by the screen before him.
[Your body has been slightly injured by the Blood Slaves and infected by an unknown parasite!]
[Your wounds have been healed!]
[The parasite has been eliminated!]
[You have acquired another 1x Tier 0 Magic Crystals!]
[You have acquired anothe….]
[An item has dropped!]
"Item...so I'm basically immune to infection now?" Jin muttered.
His lips curled up and his eyes were forced to squint.
The gains were so great that words felt useless to express his gratitude.
Then, glancing down at the surrounding magic crystals, the 'item' he searched for was easily spotted under the shining light from the sun.
[
Name: Vest of the Dark Knight
Type: Armor
Rarity: Uncommon
Effect: Increases wearer's physical defense by 15%. Adds +5 to Strength stat. When hit by a critical attack, the Vest will release a shockwave, dealing 10% damage to all nearby enemies.
Requirements: Minimum strength attribute score of 20 or higher.
Description: The vest's inner lining is made of a special material that can absorb the impact of critical hits, allowing the wearer to counterattack with a devastating shockwave.
[
The Vest was a black leather armor piece with blue trimmings along its edges.
The leather looked worn, suggesting it had been used in battles before.
On the back of the vest was an emblem of a roaring tiger, symbolizing strength and courage.
The vest's inner lining was made of glossy black material, indicating its high quality.
"What good armor…" Jin's eyes lit up with excitement as he read the armor description.
Putting on the armor, he instantly felt a surge of tremendous power enter his body.
[
• Name: Jin Tianyi
• Class: -
• Level: 8
• Race: Human
• Health: 90/119.4
• Mana/Stamina: 93/93
• Attributes: Strength: 25.9| Agility: 8.6 | Intelligence: 6.5 | Dexterity: 11.5 | Luck: 20 | Charisma: 20
]
[Free Attribute: 6]
+25 points of strength... 6 free attribute points... And his health was continuously regenerating...
"It looks like I won't die easily," Jin muttered.
