Chapter 00054: Who is the True Professional of the Sewers
# Who is the True Professional of the Sewers?
Chapter 54
Novel: Above Destiny
Chapter 54: Who is the True Professional of the Sewers?
In an instant, the entire training room fell into silence.
Only the sound of Ji Jue's jaw hitting the ground broke the stillness.
"Ah?" he began to doubt his own ears.
"Did I not make myself clear?" Old Zhang responded with a puzzled expression, "Running means to escape, in the language of the Empire, it’s 'RUN!', and in the language of Qiantao Island, it is '逃げろ!'"
Seeing Old Zhang continue to explain in various languages, Ji Jue hastily waved his hands: "No, no, no, I understand what running means, but I don't understand... why we have to run?"
"Because we can’t win the fight."
Old Zhang's words were direct and to the point, sinking Ji Jue's eager heart.
The Chosen Ones of the Ember System were well known as weak fighters, their abilities focused more on production and creation rather than combat.
To put it plainly, they were not combat professions at all!
Even though others were also not traditional fighters, only the larger factions had specialized skills in killing and setting fires.
But without a doubt, if there was to be a ranking, Ember would be a strong candidate for the last place!
Second only to Ether!
With the Ether path, they could sense your killing intent from eight hundred meters away.
It's possible that when they wake up in the morning, they might casually draw a fortune or toss a card, predicting a bad day, and decide not to step out at all.
When encountering enemies, Tian Yuan would say, "I can crush him with telekinesis; Bai Lu would say,"I will wait and strike with certainty;"Huang Xu would assert,"If you can't break my defenses, I will break yours."Wō was like an indestructible cockroach; Jing could hide and change forms; Xin Shu could control enemies directly... even the transmutation system had its signature control skill, 'Soul Shock.' What did Ember have? Should he tell his opponent to wait a moment while he lights the furnace to demonstrate some alchemy? Brother, both the flowers and the corpses are cold now! The strength of the Chosen of Ember lay in their ability to borrow external materials to enhance their power. However, this was also their weakness—relying too heavily on their environment. Once caught off guard, they would be isolated and helpless. Being too reliant on their surroundings and conditions, even if a craftsman had absolute authority in their workshop, once they left it, they would become the weakest of the weak."Do not hesitate.
Unless you are in your own workshop, where you are fully protected, outside, once you encounter an enemy, you must run immediately, create distance, and call for support to preserve yourself!"Old Zhang said seriously, repeating,"If you find yourself alone and unprepared against an enemy and cannot escape immediately, then you can only wait for death!
Over the years, I have seen too many Ember craftsmen meet their end this way.
To be precise, those with Ember abilities should be wary of ambush tactics!"There was no choice. Who asked that your skills add nothing to combat? Even Ji Jue was the same. His only advantage was being in Cliff City, surrounded by mechanical equipment to borrow from. But even in Cliff City, there were no guarantees. Too many restrictions. He really should move closer to a military base; otherwise, if the south wind didn’t blow strong enough, Ji Jue would just be waiting for death."Of course, once you reach a higher level, things may not be like this anymore.
High-level Chosen of Ember usually carry various equipment with them, from life-saving items to teleportation for escape and counterattacks or curses...
Even a large faction's Chosen could face unexpected challenges."Old Zhang said slowly,"In the early stages of the Ember Chosen, the best defensive tool you can use is a gun!""Ah?"Ji Jue continued to look dazed."The gun! GUN! 銃!"Old Zhang continued his multilingual lesson,"Call it out, transform, regenerate, rise above—throughout the twelve levels of the original stage of the Chosen, until the end of the transformation phase, they are still mere mortals.
Without defenses, even the strongest Chosen can be taken down with a single headshot.""So, you must learn how to use a gun.""Team Leader Wen said your shooting skills are decent, so I won't teach you how to practice it; you brought it today, right?"Upon hearing this, Ji Jue hesitated for a moment, glancing at the bag he had placed in the corner. There was indeed a gun there. Though he had returned Lu Feng's sidearm long ago, during the time he had it, he had managed to improve his shooting skill to a proficient level, which could be considered a specialty."Excellent."Old Zhang nodded in satisfaction, saying,"So, our next training is to help you develop the habit—how to draw your gun and shoot in the shortest time during an encounter, empty the magazine, and run to create distance!""Ah?!"Ji Jue was once again speechless, staring wide-eyed. No, brother, that's not right! Shouldn’t you listen to what you are saying?"It’s fine, this place is bulletproof, it won't hurt anyone else.
And even at this caliber, if it’s not an alchemical bullet, I can withstand it."Old Zhang smiled as he helped Ji Jue unlock the safety, chamber a round, and handed him the gun butt first:"Next, we’ll simulate the encounter scene.
At the moment I make a move, use the skills I just taught you.
Enhance your muscle speed, quicken your draw and aim.
Then, using Bai Lu's emblem, enhance your legs for explosive speed while running to create distance.""However, if you can’t run quickly…"Old Zhang paused slightly, his seemingly frail hand tightened and a flash of golden light appeared. His wrinkled face broke into a silent but profound smile:"Hehehe."In that moment, everything turned dark for Ji Jue. The chilling dread mixed with the old man’s iron fist rushed at him, accompanied by sharp, eerie laughter!!! The entire morning, noon, and afternoon, the training field was filled with desperate screams and cries, mixed with pitiful pleas that made Tong Hua feel like sitting down on a little stool and unwilling to leave. It was so relieving! Although he had made a mistake first... But watching someone else's misfortune was truly enjoyable! Even Wen Wen couldn't help but stop and listen for a while."Such intensity."She sighed,"Old Zhang hasn't had so much fun in a long time, huh?""Mm-mm."The boy who had dropped out of school and was playing games in the hall nodded in agreement:"Because every time Sister Hua trains, she cries, and Old Zhang doesn't know what to do.
Hmph, tactical, despicable!""Where's the despicable? Knowing when to plead for mercy is also a kind of wisdom, okay?!"Tong Hua glared:"And it really hurts! I still have nightmares about that shoulder throw!"Bang! In the midst of the shrieks, a figure burst through the training room door, landing in a heap, eyes locking onto Wen Wen in the distance, suddenly ecstatic."Wen Jie, save me, save me!"Ji Jue cried, crying rivers:"I’ve bled for North District, I’ve done good for the Safety Bureau, I...""Jekjekjek, young man, our training isn't over yet.
Where are you going?"The thin and haggard figure of Old Zhang appeared behind him like a ghost, grinning widely, with a spent bullet stuck between his teeth. He hoisted Ji Jue by the collar, still using a gentle tone:"Don't worry, things like fighting can be scary at first, but later it won’t hurt.
If you find it enjoyable, you might even get addicted.
How about this, I’ll give you a shot first, and after that, your head will be full of thoughts of fighting.
Once you're used to it, you may come looking for me eagerly every week."Smack! The already precarious door swung shut again. The hallway fell silent. Tong Hua and Wen Wen exchanged glances, Tong Hua’s cheeks flushed red."It feels like the situation inside is getting worse, Wen Jie..."She covered her heated nose, her smile becoming increasingly unsettling:"But I really like it!". It wasn't until around five in the afternoon that the screams in the training area finally ceased. To be precise, by three o'clock they were already too exhausted to scream... but now, instead, the sound of skeletal joints grinding was the only thing heard. Crack! Crack! Crack!"Ooh-ooh, easy, easy,"Ji Jue groaned weakly:"Too much pressure, I can’t take it... ooh-ooh-ooh!!!"Accompanying his words was a pair of rough, calloused hands gripping his neck, tightening suddenly, the sound echoing sharply in his skull. —Crack! As Old Zhang let go, Ji Jue collapsed to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut, a pile of mush devoid of strength. But strangely, after that violent, overpowering adjustment that felt like it would completely break him apart and piece him back together, Ji Jue surprisingly felt an unbelievable relief. It was as though he had shed dozens of pounds. His body flushed red, dripping with sweat. Bruises and swelling swiftly faded, his legs, which had grown numb from prolonged use of physical enhancement, regained their sensation. His back, which had become stiff from bending over for long periods, felt completely opened, and even his neck, which had made cracking sounds, moved smoothly and surprisingly. It felt like a rebirth. He even suspected that Old Zhang had stealthily peeled off a layer of his skin, applying D40 to his joints, otherwise why would it feel so smooth?"Being too damp is bad for the body, young man; you should exercise more.
Studying is important, but being healthy is important too!"Old Zhang, done with the task, wiped his hands with a towel and asked with a grin:"How was my bone adjustment and massage?"Ji Jue, sprawled on the floor, content, had no desire to speak, merely lifting his hand to give a thumbs up. No need to say! It was absolutely amazing! A business card then appeared in front of him, and upon opening his eyes, he saw 'Zhang’s Massage' written on it!"Spent half my life fighting with no real skills, but this massage technique is passed down through generations! Now that I'm retired, my daughter and grandkids are managing the shop.
If you have time, do come back and support the business!""Of course, of course!"Ji Jue agreed without hesitation, knowing that this craftsmanship was exceptional and that he should definitely get a membership card for it; he'd take Lu Ma and the others to try it out one day. Yes, once he earns money! It’s a pity that while the demand was so close, the opportunity to earn was still high in the distance... Thinking about his mounting credit card bills, which seemed to grow higher with every installment, Ji Jue couldn’t help feeling disheartened. His skills and abilities had indeed improved over these months, but so had his expenses, and they were bound to increase even more in the future. The hole was hard to fill, and the trend was only getting larger. He even vainly thought about asking Xiao Niu to bring a chicken leg to work with him. Let alone the water and electricity bills, he was about to struggle with the feeding costs! Moreover, this personal debt was still minor, with many more expenses not yet accounted for. Not to mention that the student loans had gone from being a mountain that once seemed insurmountable to just a drizzle now; adding up the alchemical studies and material costs covered entirely by Professor Ye, Ji Jue would find himself in debts that even loan officers at Cliff City Bank would want to hang themselves over! Life was tough. There was no real income, truly. Recently, Sister Laila seemed to be calling him constantly, asking if he wanted to take on some side jobs, with good prices to negotiate. But thinking about the price list that Lu Feng had given him, Ji Jue felt a pang of morality. Should he give it a try... Maybe? He hesitated, unable to regain control of his gradually slipping thoughts, and turned over to see Old Zhang's smiling face illuminated by the fluorescent light."Have you rested well?"Old Zhang extended his hand,"Shall we try again one last time?"He said:"A formal, practical simulation.""Alright!"
Ji Jue gripped his hand tightly and stood tall.
(End of Chapter)