Chapter 11: Those with red sneakers and those who don't
Initially, the formidable stature of the combat chicken appeared quite daunting, as they stood at the same height as an average adult human. However, as time progressed, the plump and rotund form of the birds brought forth amusement, inducing mirth in the onlookers. Amidst the chuckling, Long Tao lost control, succumbing to fits of laughter, only to be met with an unexpected retaliation from the avian creature. The chicken charged towards him with such remarkable speed that before Long Tao could even react, it had already collided with him, propelling him towards the wall, causing him to crash into it. The trio's attention swiftly shifted towards Long Tao's direction, observing him cautiously as he slowly stood up, proclaiming that he was unharmed. The appearance of a health bar atop Long Tao's head, displaying 3/4 full health, left everyone bewildered. It soon became evident that the health bars would only manifest when the individuals had incurred injuries.
"I will offer my assistance at the earliest convenience," exclaimed Hao Ren as he faced his own opponent. His foe was a level 3 chicken, slightly leaner in appearance than the preceding level 2 avian creature. Without hesitation, Hao Ren hurled his cross towards the chicken, only for it to evade the projectile effortlessly with its impressive agility, darting towards Hao Ren with alarming speed. Sensing the chicken's incoming charge, Hao Ren deftly directed his cross back towards his opponent. The chicken evaded the weapon again, however, "Enlarge!" the cross instantly expanded, slicing the chicken neatly in half, causing its remnants to vanish into thin air as Hao Ren was notified of his triumphant defeat of a level 3 Combat Chicken, granting him a nominal amount of experience points and 10 bronze coins, equivalent to 100RMB.
As Hao Ren prepared to lend a hand to Long Tao, a powerful gust of wind caught him off guard, signaling the arrival of his assailant from the right. He pivoted towards the sound, only to be met with a swift kick to the face by the chicken, sending him hurtling backwards into the wall with a resounding thud. A deep gash tore across his cheek, its crimson contents beginning to trickle down his face.
Hao Ren's face contorted in pain as he clutched his bleeding cheek. "Watch out, guys," he gasped. "These level 3 chickens are tough. And even if we beat them, they'll just keep on coming."The team rallied together, each member now more cautious and alert than before, understanding that defeating their current opponents might not be the end of the fight. Jia Le's eyes widened with realization. "It's like a video game," he exclaimed. "We have to keep fighting until we find the chicken carrying the key to the next area. That's our way out of here." One of Jia Le's team members stepped forward. "Jia Le, we'll keep those chickens busy while you get ready to attack. You're our only level 3 member, so we're counting on you." Jia Le nodded gratefully, then took a deep breath and prepared himself for the coming battle.
As his teammate dashes towards the chicken, he hurls his cross at the creature, but it nimbly evades the projectile and rushes towards him in a charge. He chuckles and sidesteps the chicken's charge at the last moment. Long Tao is awed by his teammate's agility, even though it's not as impressive as Yi Lin's, but he manages to avoid the chicken's attack with ease. While observing Jia Le's team, Long Tao notices that everyone is deftly dodging the chicken's attacks with minimal effort, despite all being level 2. "They reached the goal in time," Sun Jing informs Long Tao. Continuing to watch Jia Le's team, Long Tao observes that each member is wearing the same pair of sneakers, which must have been the reward for reaching the goal in time. He also notices that most level 2s are struggling to keep up with the chicken, except for the ones wearing the red sneakers. Sun Jing now comprehends why the lady mentioned that he could use the excuse of accidentally killing the creature in the test. It's because most of the level 2s actually accidentally killed the creature.
Yi Lin cast a curious glance towards Yu Mu, who was effortlessly dodging the chicken's swift kicks, and then, with an agile flick of his cross, sliced it down after it had missed its attacks. That was his third kill, and he had reached level 4. Assured that Yu Mu could manage on his own, Yi Lin turned her attention back to her own opponent, who, now that she had levelled up, was a formidable level 6 combat chicken with darker feathers, a more imposing presence, and the key that Yi Lin needed dangling from its waist. Steeling herself, Yi Lin took a deep breath and got into a fighting stance, the chicken taunting her to make the first move with its gloves.
Without hesitation, Yi Lin hurled her cross at the chicken and charged towards it. "Boost! Iron Fist!" she shouted, as a brilliant blue aura radiated from her body, enhancing her speed and strengthening her fist to the hardness of iron. To her surprise, the rooster dodged her punch and tried to retaliate with a kick. But Yi Lin, with her boosted speed, managed to swing her left arm downwards just in time to block the attack. The impact sent them both flying backwards, but the chicken's leg was injured, causing it to hobble towards the left. Yi Lin seized the opportunity and launched her cross. "Ride!" she cried, as she vaulted onto the cross and charged towards the limping chicken. Despite its attempts to dodge, it couldn't move fast enough to evade the deadly blow, and it was sliced clean in half before vanishing from sight. Yi Lin leapt off her cross and retrieved the key that had fallen from the chicken's body.
As Yi Lin glanced towards her teammate Yu Mu, she observed how he deftly avoided the level four chicken's feather attacks with the help of his coveted red sneakers. The chicken changed tactics and lunged at him with its razor-sharp kicks, but Yu Mu remained nimble and continued to dodge its blows. Suddenly, an opportunity presented itself, and with a swift cry of "Boost!" Yu Mu was imbued with a burst of speed, which he used to dodge the chicken's attack and slice it cleanly in half with his trusty cross. The key that was hanging from the chicken's waist fell to the ground, which Yu Mu quickly picked up.
Yi Lin's attention is drawn to Ya Hui and Mei Zhen's struggles. Despite Mei Zhen's unassuming appearance, she is a top sprinter on their high school's Track and Field team and her nimble footwork, complemented by the red sneakers she wears, has enabled her to evade the chicken's relentless attacks. However, her attempts to land a hit on the chicken have thus far proven fruitless. Ya Hui, on the other hand, is a bodybuilder, and while running is not her forte, she's easily capable of running two kilometers under 15 minutes. As she runs towards the goal, the system alerts her of the thunder gargoyle's attacks, repeatedly warning her to dodge. As the system's warning alerts becoming particularly bothersome, with a surge of frustration, Ya Hui comes to a stop and hurls her cross at the thunder gargoyle with all her might. "Enhance unlocked!" the skill augments the speed and strength of the cross. The thunder gargoyle is taken aback and swiftly bisected by the powerful blow. Ya Hui emerges victorious against two level 3 chickens and sets her sights on her third. Sensing an opportunity, Yi Lin calls upon Yu Mu to aid Ya Hui. Yu Mu springs into action, causing the chicken to focus its attention on him. Seizing the moment, Ya Hui unleashes her cross upon the distracted chicken. "Enhance!" The chicken is caught off-guard and sliced in two. With that, Ya Hui attains level 4 and accepts Yu Mu's key, enabling their team to progress.
While his teammates are engaged in fierce battles, Sun Jing's opponent, a level 2 chicken, seems hesitant to attack him. It appears to be fixated on a level 2 hovering above Sun Jing's head, while he feigns a fighting stance and watches the others fight. Shao Qiang notices Sun Jing's predicament and offers to quickly take care of his opponent and assist him. However, Sun Jing suggests that Shao Qiang instead aid the struggling duo. Long Tao, who has been injured, is limited in his movement and is valiantly defending himself by hurling his cross relentlessly, preventing the chicken from charging at him once more. Meanwhile, Hao Ren is endeavoring to discern an opportunity to aid Long Tao, yet thus far, he has not had any success. On the other hand, Shao Qiang appears to be thrilled to be facing a level 5 combat chicken that is carrying a key around its waist. Sun Jing is intrigued by Shao Qiang's abilities and watches in anticipation.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone