Chapter 13: Which skills to pick?

As Sun Jing ventured into the room, he was taken aback by the mesmerizing sight before him - a forest, teeming with life. Its verdant canopy, basking in the morning sun, emanated an aura of serenity and peace. Nevertheless, Shao Qiang, his intended partner in this game, was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a mysterious figure stood before him, draped in shadow. The figure's androgynous form left Sun Jing unable to discern any defining features. The figure's build was vastly different from the strapping, brawny physique of Shao Qiang, but Sun Jing harbored the notion that this was his intended companion, as they were both in the same room.

Intriguingly, a system interface promptly materialized, elucidating the game's guidelines. "You are given the privilege to choose three skills from this list to challenge your opponent," the system conveyed. "The victor shall claim all three of their chosen abilities, while the vanquished shall retain only one."

Sun Jing attempted to initiate a conversation with the obscure figure, but to no avail. Acknowledging the futility of his efforts, Sun Jing's attention turned towards the list of available skills. Regrettably, the options were quite limited, as there were merely four abilities from which to select: "Stealth," "Illusion," "Boost," and "Rain."

Sun Jing had witnessed the likes of Yi Lin and Huang Fu Yu utilizing the "Boost" skill in previous battles, allowing them to surge forward with incredible speed. "Stealth" was self-explanatory, and he suspected that the elderly man had implemented this tactic during their prior encounter. As for "Illusion," Sun Jing surmised that it could create a mirage of either himself or the cross, though he could not be entirely certain as the mechanics of the skill were left unexplained. Yet, Sun Jing was particularly drawn to "Rain," which sounded like an offensive move. His primary objective was to enhance his offensive capabilities, and after much contemplation, he opted to select "Illusion," "Boost," and "Rain" as his chosen abilities.

Sun Jing had deduced that Shao Qiang would also surmise his identity, and thus decided to employ skills that he would unleash after the current round. Shao Qiang had asserted his position as a police inspector, and with his robust physique, Sun Jing was cognizant that he would be outmatched in terms of sheer brawn. Nevertheless, Sun Jing was brimming with confidence in his combat skills, having honed them through learning various martial arts during his formative years.

With a steely gaze, Sun Jing removed his glasses and locked eyes with his adversary, who had also completed their skill selection. Subsequently, a ten-second countdown materialized on the interface. Upon reaching zero, a ten-minute timer was initiated, signaling the commencement of their battle. The pressure was on as they were aware that failure to defeat their opponent within the stipulated timeframe would result in both parties being adjudged losers.

Despite their shared apprehension, neither combatant was willing to initiate the first move and instead chose to intently observe their adversary. However, the dark silhouette broke the tense stalemate by hurtling the cross towards Sun Jing. Unfazed, Sun Jing effortlessly sidestepped the projectile, utilizing his detect skill to decipher its trajectory.

Seizing the opportunity, the shadowy figure charged towards Sun Jing, who deftly countered by hurling his own cross. In an unexpected turn of events, a brilliant blue aura radiated from the silhouette, enabling it to nimbly evade Sun Jing's attack and amplify its speed, subsequently delivering a formidable right punch.

Reacting with lightning speed, Sun Jing invoked his detect ability to sidestep the oncoming strike and retaliated with a right hook. However, as he detected the silhouette raising its left hand, Sun Jing immediately halted his punch mid-swing.

Seizing the moment, Sun Jing activated his Boost skill, engendering a vibrant blue aura that emanated from his body. Swiftly backing away from his opponent, he tilted his head just in time to witness the cross that the silhouette had thrown earlier hurtle past him and return to its grasp.

Unperturbed, the silhouette deftly deflected Sun Jing's returning cross before it could reach its intended target, causing it to ricochet back into his own hand. Both combatants exhibited impressive reflexes and quick thinking during the intense exchange.

After their first exchange, the silhouette paused for a moment as if analyzing the situation. Suddenly, the blue aura surrounding its body intensified, and it charged at Sun Jing with the cross in hand. Sun Jing knew the silhouette was aiming for close combat, but he didn't back down. Boosting his own abilities, he met the silhouette head-on, clashing their crosses in a furious and explosive battle. However, Sun Jing soon realized that he was outmatched in terms of raw strength, as the silhouette's blows became faster and stronger with each passing moment. Sun Jing's keen detect skill allowed him to perceive that the silhouette's attacks had doubled in power and speed, leaving him with no choice but to back away and look for an opportunity to strike.

As the intense battle continued, Sun Jing's combat skills were put to the test as he fought against the formidable silhouette. Utilizing his surroundings, he made use of the trees as cover to wear down the silhouette's stamina. However, the silhouette was not one to be underestimated and soon disappeared from sight, having activated its stealth ability. Sun Jing quickly utilized his detect skill, scanning his surroundings in hopes of catching the silhouette before it could attack.

In a split second, Sun Jing's senses were alerted as he detected movement behind him. The silhouette charged towards him, its cross cutting slightly into Sun Jing's shoulder before he quickly deflected the attack with his own cross. However, the silhouette continued its onslaught, launching a barrage of heavy blows towards Sun Jing, hoping to take him down while he was still injured. "Blocked!" Sun Jing activated his skill and effortlessly blocked each attack. The silhouette realized that its attack was fruitless and decided to retreat. Sun Jing seized the opportunity and hurled his cross towards the silhouette. Quick on its feet, the silhouette deflected the cross and increased its distance from Sun Jing, hoping to find another chance to strike. Undaunted, Sun Jing activated his "Ride" skill and he jumped on top of deflected cross and hovered towards the silhouette at breakneck speed. With a blue aura emitting from the cross, Sun Jing closed in on his opponent, who realized too late what was happening. In a flash, the cross sliced the silhouette in half from behind, ending the fight decisively.

After Sun Jing emerged victorious, he calmly observed the three newly acquired skills that appeared before him, and his level indicator above his head increased to 6, despite his true level being 9. As he checked his status, he noticed that his previously sustained injuries were now completely healed.

He then found himself in a hallway where the other participants were appearing one by one. Shao Qiang was staring at him from the corner with anger in his eyes. "Looks like you have won, brother Jing," Shao Qiang said in a questioning tone. Sun Jing smiled humbly, "It was a close match. I think luck was on my side again." Long Tao and Hao Ren soon joined them. "Why did you defeat me so quickly? I haven't had a chance to test out my new skills yet," Long Tao complained to Hao Ren. Hao Ren shook his head, stating that he didn't fight Long Tao and only saw a silhouette, making it impossible to determine who it was. However, Hao Ren did manage to win his match, leaving Long Tao to suffer a defeat against his opponent. "We entered the same room, so you must have been my opponent!" Long Tao exclaimed, but Hao Ren simply ignored him. As the dust settled, Hao Ren emerged as the highest-leveled member of their team, at level 8, with Sun Jing and Shao Qiang trailing at level 6 and Long Tao still being the lowest at level 3.

"Brother Qiang actually lost to brother Jing." Long Tao exclaimed in surprise tone. Sun Jing chuckled and corrected him, stating that he was certain his opponent was not Shao Qiang, as he knew that Shao Qiang was far stronger. After leaving the hallway, the group found themselves inside a magnificent colosseum, standing in the audience area. Their eyes were drawn to the arena where two familiar figures were engaged in combat - none other than Jiang Wen Hao and Huang Fu Yu.

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