The path upwards is always harder, especially for a swordsman with a broken leg.
But faced with instructions from behind, Ah Fei still did not hesitate, stepping up the stairway that was almost half-blocked.
Even though, on the shining blade, the shadow reflected grows ever more abstract—
The attire, however, remains quite formal, with the hat perfectly worn, exuding an intellectual’s demeanor.
Yet the tentacles extending from the back are excessively eye-catching.
The intense contrast between front and back heightens their impact even more.
And the ends of the tentacles are entwined around weapons even more brutal than the saw-toothed blade, vividly showcasing curiosity and slaughter.
Of course, even this structural part doesn’t pletely lack the air of a researcher.
For example, the space at the end of the tentacles is cleverly utilized to avoid collisions, arranging weapons in overlapping patterns based on shape and size.
Yet, from the small section extending from the back, you can see each angle between them maintained with significant consistency, showcasing true craftsmanship.
Moreover, even as the latter steps up the stairs, the stability of the armory while moving rivals a swivel mount.
It’s evident there is highly ingenious control, allowing frontline fighters to see clearly at any moment for tactical replacements.
In such a bizarre place, this type of logistical support undeniably warms the heart.
Not to mention the little hand extending from an eye socket that sways while holding a shiny fake eye, seemingly observing the surroundings.
Perhaps not entirely in alert mode, but it even provides a sense of fort—no, wait, there are two eyes.
For a moment, Ah Fei’s steps paused, seemingly scrutinizing the image reflected.
And just as he arrived under a light, thanks to better visibility, it became apparent the small hand held two eyes.
Besides the shiny one, there’s a clear blood flesh creation.
With the rhythm of the fingers, they rotate around each other, as if a pair of walnut-like beads.
"Don’t get distracted."
Unfortunately, having no time to appreciate the allure of the craft, he already received the reminder from behind.
...
As a swordsman, the biggest taboo is the lack of focus.
The key to honing one’s skills is maintaining relaxation even when focused.
But, alas, Ah Fei seems still too young in this aspect.
Despite inherent talent, facing the worldly society of the Inverted Lake still poses challenges.
Sss—
Almost immediately after Fu Qian’s reminder, a touch of crimson appeared in the dim light.
The damage came from Ah Fei’s neck.
His body is already deformed, leading that part’s skin to be almost transparent.
With dense green veins beneath, it’s a sight so shocking that it seems an absolute weak point.
And the attack, sudden and cunning, truly chose that spot as the target.
Even though there’s only one wound, it changed everything in an instant, with the light almost spraying blood mist.
And this was after receiving the reminder and instinctively evading; otherwise, there might have been a decapitation.
Clang—
Amidst the red mist, the first sound wasn’t a wail but a crisp metal clash.
Instead, Ah Fei, upon being attacked, immediately swung the saw-toothed curved blade.
Even though such a fierce reaction failed to hit anything, it merely shattered a nearby column.
Then the lights dimmed abruptly; the lamp illuminating the blood mist flickered out.
Of course, it wasn’t an oil lamp originally hanging on the pillar that went out by association.
Fu Qian, observing clearly from behind, saw Ah Fei, after missing the initial strike, acting without pause and, almost without hesitation, shattering the wall lamp.
And after destroying public property, the figure retreated back into the shadows in the corner, stopping only then to try and staunch the bleeding.
The method to stop bleeding was primitive, with one hand pressing directly on the wound, pinching the torn flesh together.
...
Not bad, lacking worldly experience perhaps, but definitely promising material.
Watching the entire process, Fu Qian stepped over the blood mist spray while giving praise to Ah Fei’s performance.
In places full of danger, distraction is a major taboo, but the subsequent reactions demonstrated substantial hunter instincts.
Especially when the attack came, reacting by countering instead of evading speaks volumes.
Moreover, Fu Qian doubted Ah Fei had truly identified the attacker; the blade’s swing seemed more an instinctive response to his physical damage.
At this barely Middle Tier level, had he thought it through, the swing might have been slower, thus nearly pure battle instinct.
Though he didn’t hit the target, subsequent actions clearly represented tactical intelligence.
Double darkness beats being visible to the enemy in pitch black, and failing with one strike reduces the necessity of similar attempts; opting for defense maximizes the difficulty of further attacks.
Extinguishing the light and then hiding in the dark follows, with bleeding attempts surprisingly effective.
When Fu Qian reached Ah Fei, the blood had nearly stopped flowing.
It wasn’t because of thug-like vitality, merely his grip was exceptionally strong.
The wound scene was unbearable to look at, with the skeletal hand acting as steel pliers, forming a genuinely gory clump.
Luckily, possibly due to the twisted nature of the original body, this chaos didn’t lead to further collapse.
"They’re there... I heard sounds."
Even facing Fu Qian’s scrutiny, his voice, though hoarse, still had municative capacity.
And upon speaking immediately, Ah Fei wasted no time on saying "I’m okay," instead swiftly sharing intelligence.
Oh? That I didn’t hear.
With such a demonstration, Fu Qian naturally felt satisfied, turning his gaze to the empty stairs.
He certainly saw the earlier attack; otherwise, he wouldn’t have issued a warning.
Yet, to him, it had returned to silence, with no particular movements now.
If Ah Fei’s information was true, it meant something he could hear but Fu couldn’t—excellent.
Instead of doubting its authenticity, Fu Qian found such a result quite gratifying.
As mentioned earlier, grooming Ah Fei wasn’t out of idle curiosity; he represents Fu Qian’s attempt to sniff out further corruptions in a finer manner.
Now, it seems new discoveries are already emerging at the start.
"They?"
His gaze fell on the dark points along the wall, casually confirming for a moment.
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