Chapter 84 - 81 The Monster of Huqiu Mountain

Chapter 84: Chapter 81 The Monster of Huqiu MountainXiao Jie didn’t have dinner at home tonight because he had been staying at home for too long, and as soon as it got dark, he simply went out to clear his mind and incidentally found a nice restaurant to have a big meal. Firstly, it served as a small celebration for having defeated a strong enemy and making a tidy profit today. Secondly, it was to improve his diet and nourish his body. Ever since his Constitution Attribute increased, his digestive ability improved too, and with the rise in his Strength Attribute, his muscles grew, leading to a greater consumption of energy. The direct result was that Xiao Jie’s appetite also kept growing. It appears that the attribute points lead to an all-around transformation of the body, not just a simple increase in strength. He ordered four dishes and two large bowls of rice in one breath and sat alone in the restaurant’s private dining room, devouring his meal. After having eaten his fill, Xiao Jie took out his phone and started browsing the news while digesting. It had been a long time since he enjoyed such an ordinary daily life—every day he was either playing games or organizing information about the games. Now that he could finally relax, this was life in reality—plain and yet comfortable. Huh? What’s this— Xiao Jie’s hand, which was scrolling through the news, suddenly stopped on a piece about a thug attacking people on the street. In Jiutai City, Anxi Province, there was a vicious street assault incident where a suspected individual with a mental disorder attacked passersby with a weapon and was shot dead by the police upon arrival. It’s Ximen Wuhen! Although the news photo was quite blurry and the face wasn’t clear, Xiao Jie subconsciously thought so. He looked at the news content more carefully and found that aside from the attacker, there were no casualties among the passersby. What Black Windbreaker had said was indeed correct—mere low-level martial arts are of no practical use in reality. At most, they could be used to compete in a tournament, but against modern weapons, there would only be a bitter end awaiting. Even for Advanced Martial Arts, capable of wall-climbing and using flying leaves as weapons, they don’t stand much chance in front of modern technology. But what about Spell? What would the scene look like when confronting modern weapons? He recalled that he hadn’t heard any similar rumors in the past. Was it because those who practiced immortality were restrained and wouldn’t make trouble even in death, or were all such instances suppressed? Or perhaps Magic profession practitioners had strong survival abilities and wouldn’t easily perish? This question was destined to remain unanswered for now, but Xiao Jie felt that maybe all three were true. After resting for a while, Xiao Jie paid the bill and left; he didn’t go straight home but instead went back to Huqiu Park. Now that he had reached Level 7 and his attributes had substantially improved, he needed to properly experience his new physical quality. Strength is not just about constant growth, but also learning how to use it to truly assimilate into oneself, and although Xiao Jie felt that there didn’t seem to be any danger in reality, this kind of passion for becoming stronger is something every man possesses. And he was no exception. After exercising on the plaza at the foot of the mountain, Xiao Jie could feel that his state was completely different; his body felt light, and his energy was abundant, not at all like before when he would be panting after a run. His muscles had also firmed up a lot; the muscle lines were very clear, and even the six-pack abs were visible. With a Strength of 15, his muscle strength was at least much better than that of an ordinary person, and it was in no way inferior to those who regularly work out. An Agility of 22 brought him the flexibility and nimbleness of a professional athlete. An Endurance of 15 meant his energy level was about that of a construction worker moving bricks on a work site. And a Constitution of 20 gave him amazing recovery ability, or in other words, he was tough. Let’s see just how strong his physical quality was now. After warming up, he ran up the mountain trail. At first, he held back a little, but he soon felt his energy was seemingly endless, and he abruptly started to speed up, running wildly on the winding road. I ran the whole circuit in one breath and, after stopping, although I was breathing heavily, I didn’t feel the same gasping for air as I did at the beginning. I even felt I had plenty of energy left to continue running, and as long as I didn’t sprint all out, I guess running a marathon would be no problem. My physical fitness now had definitely reached an athlete’s level. If I trained properly, I could even have a chance to win a prize on the international stage. This feeling of vitality was something I never experienced while being a professional player, that utter depletion after staying up all night has completely vanished now. The feeling of being full of energy made me truly enjoy the present moment for the first time. Ha-ha, awesome! Xiao Jie suddenly did a Hawk Roll, followed by a backflip, completing a rotation and landing effortlessly. Even without deliberate practice, an Agility of 22 allowed me to perform such movements with ease. Continuing to jog along the mountain road, when I got near the stairs leading to the mountaintop, I subconsciously glanced over. Those stairs led all the way to the summit, where that black cat would always lie, like a king guarding the national gate. But this time, the black cat wasn’t there. I felt a bit disappointed, and I patted my pocket; I had even prepared a packet of dried fish specially for it. Just as I was about to leave. "Meow." A cat’s meow from behind made me turn my head. It was that black cat, hiding behind the guardrail on the other side of the road, peering out at me nervously through the gap in the bushes. "Meow, meow-meow." I focused my spirit and finally understood the meaning in that meowing. "Hey, over here, I’m here," I said, walking over and asking curiously, "What are you hiding here for? Why aren’t you staying in your territory?" "Meow, I’m no longer the king; I’ve been defeated. A terrible beast has invaded my territory. It said it would eat me if I dared to come close again." Now I noticed the black cat’s fur was messy and dirty, giving it a somewhat disheveled look. I couldn’t help but laugh, "What kind of thing beat you up like this, a Golden Retriever or a Husky?" No wonder I guessed this, as there simply weren’t any wild animals in the city; the most common were cats and dogs. Moreover, in Jiangbei City, it was not allowed to keep large, aggressive dogs, so the most likely possibilities were gentle large breeds like Golden Retrievers and Huskies. "Meow, are you looking down on me? How could trash like Golden Retrievers or Huskies defeat me? I am the killer in the darkness, the sovereign of shadows. If an ordinary dog encounters me, just one swipe! And it would bleed," the black cat declared, fiercely waving its paw, which, quite frankly, looked rather sharp. "No, it’s a terrifying monster like none I’ve ever seen before, a true wild beast. I’ve never seen such a fearsome enemy, not even I can match it. You, big dumb cat, you’d better stay away from that mountain, or you will die," it warned. This made me even more curious. Really, that exaggerated? But then it reminded me of something from "Unnamed Taoist Scripture: True Word Chapter"—different creatures see the world differently. A pet that seems ordinary to humans could be a terrifying monster through the eyes of cats and dogs, right? Yeah, most likely, that’s it. Else, it couldn’t possibly be a tiger entering the city or a wild animal escaping from the zoo, could it? But this only piqued my curiosity. What exactly was the black cat talking about? I looked back over my shoulder at the mountain shrouded in the night, suddenly feeling a surge of desire to uncover the truth and the impulse for a real-life adventure. In the game, I’m not afraid to kill monsters. What’s there to fear about a mere real-life animal? I said eagerly. "Take me to see it. Let’s see what kind of monster it really is. Maybe I can help you take back your territory."