Chapter 134: A Personality of Pride and Insecurity

Chapter 134: A Personality of Pride and Insecurity

During their time in the Abyssal Battlefield, Lu Heng's level rose to 24, further enhancing his combat power.

Upon returning to the main world, Lu Heng first checked his personal attribute data:

【Name: Lu Heng】

【Race: Human】

【Level: 24】

【Health: 520/520】

【Source Energy: 530/530】

【Attributes: Strength 52, Agility 66, Physique 52, Spirit 53, Sensory 52】

【Talents: Graceful Dragon, Divine Evolution, Demon Hunter】

【Combat Class: Shadow Walker】

【Source Essence Abilities: Shadow Traverse, Rift Slash】

【Skill Slots: 4】

【Skills: Thunder Jail, Shadow Clone, Gale Step Stab, Bullet Time】

【Martial Arts: Swordsmanship (Intentional Level), Combat (Proficient Level), Body Skills (Subtle Level)】

【Secondary Profession: Tempering Master】

【Mechanical Companion: Robotic Beast 101】

【Equipment: Aurora Blade, Mental Resistance Ring】

Since Robo Tiger 101 was Lu Heng's personal mechanical companion, its attribute data was not visible to others.

Lin Zeyu, curious, asked, "What level is this big tiger, and what's its attack power?"

"A-rank, with an attack power of 350," Lu Heng casually reported the data.

Lin Zeyu furrowed his brows, thinking for a moment before saying, "It doesn't seem to have an explosive attack power, but it's still an A-rank."

Su Muyu glanced at him and reminded, "You're not mistaking your sniper rifle's attack power of 540 for its actual attack power, are you? Bullets lose power when fired, and when they hit their target, they only deal around 300 attack power, which is similar to this big guy's attack power. Moreover, it just scratches with its claws and doesn't consume bullets."

350 attack power was enough to instantly kill Ability Users below level 20 with a single slap, and those above level 20 wouldn't be able to withstand many hits either.

Therefore, this attack power was already very high.

Moreover, the Robotic Beast had another crucial characteristic—liquid metal.

The liquid metal carapace was almost immune to bullet fire.

If hit by a barrage of machine gun fire, the bullets would embed themselves in the liquid metal, causing no effective damage to the Robo Tiger.

Thus, with its liquid metal attribute, the Robo Tiger was immune to most bullet damage.

Additionally, there was an even more powerful aspect.

Lu Heng smiled and said, "Well, it has three skill slots."

"Three..."

Lin Zeyu's eyes widened in surprise. He had never expected this Robo Tiger to have skill slots. "Really? Isn't it just a machine? How can it have skill slots?"

Lu Heng shrugged and said, "Anyway, it does."

Lin Zeyu raised his thumb and said, "Alright, this big guy is indeed impressive. I'm even more envious now."

He quickly checked his data panel and said, "Good thing I got an additional skill slot. What do you think I should learn with this new skill slot?"

"It depends on the situation. Your current skill set is quite comprehensive. It's up to you whether you want to further increase your attack power or enhance your survivability," Lu Heng analyzed the skill combination options.

"I'm not sure which ability I should improve either. What type of skill do you think I should learn?" Lin Zeyu was deep in thought but had no clear direction.

"If it were me, I'd decide based on skill effects. If I come across a skill with good effects, I'd acquire it first, regardless of whether it's an offensive or defensive skill. As long as it aligns with the direction of firearm enhancement and has strong effects, it's good enough," Lu Heng considered the issue from a team perspective.

A team needs both strong offensive capabilities and defensive abilities to protect the team.

Ideally, the most suitable person should learn each ability.

For instance, spiritual and sensory skills would naturally be best utilized by Su Muyu, allowing her to bring out their full potential.

As for Lin Zeyu, he mainly chose skills that enhanced his firearms.

Lu Heng added, "As for skill levels, they aren't the most important factor. The key is to have skills with good effects."

Lin Zeyu nodded in agreement, "Understood."

Since Lu Heng possessed the Divine Evolution ability, he could unlock skill locks and use divine energy to enhance skills.

Therefore, even if he learned a D-rank skill, he could still use divine energy to improve its level.

Consequently, a D-rank skill with unique effects was also a great choice, and there was no need to specifically seek out higher-ranked skills.

After discussing skill combination ideas, Lin Zeyu stood up and said, "Then I'll go and see if there are any useful skills. If I find any, I'll send them to you guys."

"Sure. Keep an eye out for metal enhancement and defensive skills too," Lu Heng pointed at the Robo Tiger.

"Got it. Our team has gained a new combat unit," Lin Zeyu understood the Robo Tiger's significance.

It was clear that the team had gained a new member, and this member didn't even occupy a team slot.

Moreover, this new member had three skill slots.

It was worth noting that Lu Heng initially had only three skill slots"

This time, in the Abyssal Battlefield, Lu Heng didn't roll the option to increase skill slots, and he had previously used a Skill Slot Expansion Crystal Core, so he currently had four skill slots.

Su Muyu and Lin Zeyu, having completed the world quest, both had the option to increase skill slots as one of their three rewards. As a result, they now had six and five skill slots, respectively, placing them among the top Ability Users.

Having just experienced an Abyssal Battlefield, the trio wanted to go home, see their parents, and have a meal together.

Before parting ways, Lu Heng reminded them, "By the way, we obtained 2,400 points of divine energy, which can be used to upgrade skills."

So, when you have time, practice your skill proficiency."

Lin Zeyu waved his hand and headed downstairs to get the car. "I know, my second skill proficiency will be maxed out soon."

Lu Heng and Su Muyu, on the other hand, returned to Building 2 and took the elevator.

Lu Heng, thinking of Su Mu Yu's mother's concern for her daughter, asked, "Is your aunt adjusting well to her new home?"

"Don't worry. My mom is strong, and although she was a bit uncomfortable the first couple of days, she's fine now. She just feels that such a nice house needs to be spotless, so she mops the floor every day. I've been teaching her how to use the floor cleaning robot these days, but she thinks it doesn't clean well enough." Su Muyu spread her hands.

When they arrived home, it was already past 1 a.m.

Lu Heng quietly opened the door, not wanting to wake his parents, but to his surprise, he found them sitting in the living room, staring at the door.

"Not asleep yet?" Lu Heng asked nonchalantly.

Li Xiuyun, without asking about Lu Heng's experience, stood up and asked, "Are you hungry? Do you want a late-night snack? Noodles or dumplings?"

"Hmm, I am a little hungry. Let's have dumplings," Lu Heng considered his stomach's current preference, which seemed to lean towards dumplings.

Lu Mingli's face lit up with joy and relief at seeing his son return, but he said nothing.

After a moment of staring at each other, Lu Mingli stood up and said, "Alright, since you're back, I'll go back to sleep. It's past 1 a.m., and if I don't sleep now, when will I wake up tomorrow?"

He turned and walked back to his room, hands behind his back.

After the dumplings were cooked, Lu Heng carried a bowl of dumplings back to his room and said, "Mom, you should sleep too. I'll wash the dishes after I finish eating."

"No need to wash, just leave them in the kitchen. I'll wash them in the morning," Li Xiuyun said, taking off her apron and washing her hands before heading back to her room.

Lu Heng carried the bowl of dumplings back to his room, and then he heard a knocking sound coming from the balcony window.

The Scout Eagle circled outside the balcony.

Lu Heng walked out onto the balcony, looking towards the neighboring balcony.

Su Muyu was standing on her balcony, waving and asking, "Want a late-night snack? Silver ear peach jelly soup."

Lu Heng held up the dumplings in his hand and asked, "Dumplings, want some?"

"Share some?" Su Muyu suggested.

"Sure."

Lu Heng pointed to the terrace connecting the two rooms upstairs.

On the terrace, Su Muyu brought a large portion of silver ear peach jelly soup and two bowls. She divided the dumplings and soup into two portions, and they sat together, slowly enjoying the food.

"The dumplings taste great. Did your aunt make them?" Su Muyu asked after taking a bite, praising the dumplings.

"My mom doesn't make them this neat, and they're all the same size. Clearly, they're store-bought," Lu Heng said, not giving his mother any face.

Su Muyu smiled and said, "Then try the soup. My mom made this herself."

Lu Heng took a sip and nodded, "Hmm, it's delicious. You could open a shop with this."

Su Muyu raised a finger and said, "Ice fruit! My mom used to sell this soup on the streets, pushing a cart. Later..."

"What happened later?" Lu Heng asked casually.

"Actually, now that I think about it, I was quite naughty when I was little. In elementary school, on my way home from school, I'd pass by my mom's soup stand. Later, my classmates found out, and they laughed at my mom for selling soup on the street. I cried for an afternoon..."

Su Muyu paused, lowering her head, and continued, "After that, my mom stopped selling soup and started working in a clothing factory."

Someone who didn't know her might think she was too fragile.

In reality, Lu Heng knew she was too sensitive and self-deprecating, but deep down, she was also very proud.

This was a very contradictory personality, both proud and self-deprecating.

She was proud because she was indeed smart, consistently ranking in the top three in her class since elementary school and often in the top ten in her grade.

This kind of achievement would make any family proud.

However, she was also self-deprecating because her family's financial situation was not good, and she lacked everything others had, from clothes and food to toys.

When she was little, other girls could wear pretty dresses, but she couldn't.

Later, her mother started working in a clothing factory and bought fabric to make her a red dress.

However, the dress she made was not the trendy lace dress the other girls wore, and she rarely wore it.

Additionally, other girls often bought celebrity posters and albums, discussing which celebrities were the most attractive and which groups were the best.

Su Muyu never joined in because she couldn't buy celebrity merchandise, posters, or albums, and couldn't relate to the other girls.

This made her seem very aloof in class.

On top of that, her excellent academic performance and frequent praise from teachers made her a target of jealousy from other students.

When these students learned that her mother sold soup on the street, they mocked her relentlessly.

Her self-deprecation and pride were shattered at that time.

To spare her daughter's feelings, her mother stopped selling soup and chose to work in a clothing factory instead.

When Su Muyu was in elementary school, she thought that not having her mother's soup stand on the street would make her feel better.

However, as she grew older, she felt she had been too weak, letting her mother bear too much, and she regretted it.

"Wasn't it the sugar water stand at Wuliqiao? I used to go there with my mom when we went shopping, and we often had sugar water there on hot days. If I had met you at the stand back then, we might have become friends earlier," Lu Heng said, flashing her a smile filled with memories.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end