Chapter Thirty-Two: Application Is the Key
When dealing with the uncanny or battling against hostile uncanny walkers, even the slightest mistake will accumulate over time, ultimately erupting into far greater negative consequences.
At this very moment, Qi Chen deeply understood this truth.
His left leg, struck by the Beggar’s Heart, had completely lost its strength. Now it couldn’t even serve as support; he was barely holding himself up with the power of his right leg. Anyone who has tried to stand on one leg knows it’s only a matter of time before it fails.
Qi Chen was no soldier king, his physical abilities were only a notch above the average in this mist-shrouded world. With restricted movement and insufficient range for projection, his disadvantages were glaringly obvious.
Yet, the fire of rage burned fiercely in his heart. Qi Chen seemed utterly unconcerned about his dire circumstances. He raised a hand and, from a distance, provocatively beckoned the old beggar with a finger:
“You ungrateful old wretch, today I’ll teach you what it means to be human!”
The influence of the Overlord intensified, and Qi Chen’s behavior diverged more and more from his usual self.
His provocation was met instantly by the old beggar’s response!
Whoosh!
A pale phantom shot out from Qi Chen’s shadow at incredible speed. The skeletal shadow, seemingly unstable and liable to fall apart at any moment, nevertheless gripped the beggar’s bowl firmly as it lunged at Qi Chen’s other leg!
Trying to completely destroy his ability to move?
“Overlord!”
With an angry shout, the Overlord floating at Qi Chen’s side raised his leg and stomped fiercely on the skeleton. Simultaneously, his hands swept under Qi Chen’s armpits and performed a move the old beggar had never anticipated.
Qi Chen was hurled directly toward him!
“Damn!” The old man had never seen a rookie uncanny walker with such guts. As Qi Chen soared through the air toward him, the old beggar hurriedly scrambled to the side in a clumsy escape.
He knew he must not enter Qi Chen’s uncanny projection range. With the power and speed the Overlord had shown, he could reach him in an instant and kill him outright!
“Beggar’s Heart!” The old beggar barked hoarsely, his gaze fierce as he commanded his uncanny.
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Qi Chen had barely landed before the skeleton attacked again. It was as annoyingly persistent as a fly, leveraging its ability to move instantly through shadows—even the Overlord struggled to catch it.
The uncanny bowl, capable of forcibly seizing body parts, swept toward different regions around Qi Chen, pinning him in place.
Raging anger scorched every corner of his body. Qi Chen’s form began to tremble from the intensity of his fury, and the longer the battle dragged on, the greater the Overlord’s influence on his mind.
This old beggar was without a doubt the most difficult enemy he’d faced so far—far more formidable than the child who could only alter people’s perceptions.
“Come again!” Yet, thanks to the Overlord’s exceptional three attributes, Qi Chen was still able to intercept the skeleton’s attacks while repeatedly hurling himself closer to the old beggar.
The beggar could only run with his legs, whereas Qi Chen didn’t even need to exert himself. If it became a battle of endurance, victory would surely be his!
But…
Qi Chen glanced down at his left leg, now nearly translucent.
Who knew if, even after defeating the old beggar, he could restore his leg to its original state?
He had to change tactics!
Quickly surveying his surroundings, he saw that the area around his villa was deserted. He’d returned after his test at a time already close to midnight; not a soul was on the street.
He wasn’t looking for people, but rather anything he could use.
His eyes lit up. Qi Chen willed the Overlord to alter the direction of his next throw—not aiming for the erratically moving old beggar, but for a shop entrance where a scaffold had been left.
In the blink of an eye, he was hurled beside the scaffold. The burly Overlord responded immediately, one hand still suppressing the attacking skeleton, while the other formed a chopping blade and hacked at the scaffold with ferocious roars!
The steel pipe frame was swiftly reduced to individual long rods.
“Pin him down for me!” Qi Chen’s face was aflame with anger. The Overlord let out a thunderous roar, snatched a steel pipe from the ground with one hand, and hurled it violently toward the old beggar!
Whoosh!
The steel pipe, empowered by A-level strength, made the very air cry out, and the distant old beggar’s eyes nearly popped from his head as he desperately rolled away.
But he was just a fraction too slow. The steel rod, charged with brute force, skimmed his back and then stabbed into the ground with a ringing clang, leaving a shocking bloody gash across his back—his skin seriously abraded.
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Qi Chen’s own projection range was limited, but with the Overlord’s unmatched strength and the aid of tools, his killing range was multiplied.
The Gentle Giant’s advice echoed faintly: uncanny walkers should never fight by the book. True strength comes from developing one’s uncanny powers in myriad creative ways.
Stinging pain radiating from his back, the old beggar felt defeat in his heart. There was no need to finish Qi Chen tonight; taking his leg was already a major prize.
With this thought, the old beggar bit his lip and commanded the skeleton uncanny to emerge again—not to harass as before, but to pounce fully from the shadow, aiming straight for Qi Chen’s chest.
The Overlord, about to throw another steel rod, immediately shifted to defense, launching both fists in an offensive guard. The uncanny and the walker’s minds were tightly bound; if the uncanny suffered significant damage, the wielder’s spirit would be equally wounded.
Mental wounds were not as easily healed as physical injuries. One could easily be broken for good, or even spiral into madness and become uncanny themselves.
The old beggar would never risk that. His full attack with the skeleton uncanny was simply to restrict the Overlord from throwing steel rods, buying himself time to retreat.
With a mental command, the skeleton uncanny instantly moved through shadows again—not to Qi Chen’s shadow this time, but to a distant utility pole, flashing quickly between different shadows, finally returning to the beggar’s side.
“Farewell, good-hearted soul.” With a mocking gesture, the old beggar moved swiftly toward a wall, trying to cut off Qi Chen’s line of sight and make his escape smoother.
“Dream on!” Rage erupted to its peak; Qi Chen and the Overlord’s emotions were perfectly aligned. The Overlord, like a towering pale iron colossus, picked up two steel rods, muscles bulging with brute force!
Whoosh, whoosh!
Two steel rods, launched with precise anticipation, shot toward the wall where the old beggar had disappeared. In a flash, two booming holes were blasted through the wall!
A pig’s scream of agony echoed from the other side.
“Hmph! Trying to escape?!”
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