Chapter 4: Rare Skill, Shadow Clone!

Chapter 4: Rare Skill, Shadow Clone!

The Shadow Demon's claws pierced through Gong Chusheng's abdomen, lifting him off the ground.

Gong Chusheng's face was filled with terror as he turned his head towards Lu Heng, struggling to call out, "Save... save me..."

Upon seeing the Shadow Demon, Lu Heng instantly realized the origin of Gong Chusheng's rare skill.

It must have been obtained from this very Shadow Demon.

However, this time, things took an unexpected turn. Gong Chusheng, in his panic, fled without caution and collided with the Shadow Demon, resulting in his abdomen being pierced by its claws.

The Shadow Demon's power increased significantly during the night, requiring careful handling.

Lu Heng tightened his grip on the Han Sword and activated the Lightning Weapon skill.

A burst of blue lightning surged along the blade, illuminating the surrounding area.

The Shadow Demon, averse to bright light, flung Gong Chusheng aside and charged forward, its pitch-black claws glinting menacingly as it lunged at Lu Heng's chest.

Lu Heng took a step back, evading the claw attack, and swiftly countered with a horizontal slash.

Clang!

The sword's lightning-infused strike cut into the Shadow Demon's body, creating a large gash that nearly split it in two.

The Shadow Demon did not dissipate; instead, its body split into two, transforming into two identical Shadow Demons.

Witnessing this, Lu Heng recognized the use of the Shadow Clone skill.

One of the two Shadow Demons had to be the clone.

Both the original and the clone possessed offensive capabilities.

Thus, Lu Heng had to deal with the attacks of both Shadow Demons simultaneously.

The two dark figures let out shrill shrieks and attacked from the left and right.

Lu Heng focused intently, utilizing his innate talent, Agile as Dragon, which granted him enhanced agility. He dodged the attacks while discerning which was the clone.

After several rounds of combat, Lu Heng seized an opportunity to counterattack, slashing the Shadow Demon's shoulder with his sword. He could feel the impact of striking a hard object.

With this strike, Lu Heng identified the original body, confirming the other as the clone.

Although the clone possessed offensive power, its ability to withstand damage was relatively weak.

After evading another attack, Lu Heng seized the moment and executed the Seven-Segment·Mountain Stabilization technique, cleaving the clone with his sword.

The clone exploded with a loud bang, its energy vanishing instantly.

With the clone no longer aiding the Shadow Demon, its combat strength diminished significantly.

Lu Heng intensified his assault, dodging the Shadow Demon's pounce and employing the Dust Return technique. With a swift motion, he spun and slashed at its back, severing the demon in half and sheathing his sword in one fluid motion.

His movements were graceful and seamless.

[Demon Hunt: Absorb 30 points of Demon Energy.]



[Demon Energy Absorption: Essence Energy level increased to 3, boosting all Attributes by 1 and Agility by an additional 0.3.]



After the Shadow Demon's demise, the remaining energy condensed into a walnut-sized dark purple crystal core.

Lu Heng picked it up and held it in his palm.

[Shadow Clone Core: Absorbing the core's energy grants a chance to learn the Shadow Clone skill.]



[Shadow Clone: Consumes 60 Essence Energy to create a controllable shadow clone that can attack. The clone dissipates upon receiving a heavy blow. Skill Cost: 60 Essence Energy. Skill Rank: A-Rank.]



Indeed, this was the very skill! A rare A-Rank skill that appeared during the early stages of the Abyssal invasion, its rarity immeasurable.

In his memories, only one person had acquired this skill in his previous life.

And now, that person lay on the ground, barely clinging to life.

Gong Chusheng struggled to crawl to the wall, managing to lean against it and sit up.

His abdomen, pierced by the Shadow Demon's claws, had his intestines spilling out, mixing with the blood that covered the ground.

Despite the severity of the injury, no vital organs were damaged. If he received immediate medical attention, there was still a chance for survival.

He pleaded for his life, "Save... save me... I'll give you money... my father will even gift you a mansion..."

Lu Heng looked at Gong Chusheng, lying on the ground and begging for his life, feeling a surge of emotion.

In his previous life, Gong Chusheng's possession of the rare A-Rank skill, Shadow Clone, from the very beginning, coupled with his wealth, had secured his position as one of the top ten metahumans in Bay City.

In his past life, he possessed formidable strength that commanded attention, ruling over Bay City with an iron fist.

But now, he could only beg for survival, a far cry from his previous life's glory.

It was hard to imagine that this humble and pitiful person was the same as his past self, who had once stood tall and mighty.

Lu Heng looked at the man's dirty appearance and raised the Shadow Clone Crystal Core in his hand, crushing it with force.

Energy flowed into his body through his palm and condensed into an energy ball in the second skill slot.

[Absorbing the Shadow Clone Crystal Core, you have learned the skill 'Shadow Clone'.]



Lu Heng felt the changes in his body and then glanced at his attribute panel.

[Name: Lu Heng]



[Race: Human]



[Level: 3]



[Vitality: 90/110]



[Essence Energy: 60/130]



[Attributes: Strength 11, Agility 14, Constitution 11, Spirit 13, Perception 12]



[Talents: Agile as Dragon, Divine Evolution]



[Skill Slots: 3]



[Skills: Lightning Weapon, Shadow Clone]



[Martial Arts: Swordsmanship (Mastery), Body Movements (Beginner), Combat Skills (Beginner)]



...

Gong Chusheng was still struggling to survive. He reached into his pocket and took out a Demon Crystal Core.

This crystal core was something he had purchased.

However, he didn't use it immediately due to his noble status. He wanted to wait for his family's metahuman to test the crystal core's effects and confirm there were no side effects before using it.

Now, he couldn't afford to wait. He wanted to crush the crystal core and become a metahuman.

Lu Heng saw his action and directly swung his sword, sending Gong Chusheng to his death. He then picked up the Demon Crystal Core.

After doing all this, Lu Heng set a fire to burn the four bodies, leaving no trace.

Su Muyu stood there in a daze, her entire world view shattering before her eyes.

Especially when she witnessed Lu Heng fighting a black shadow, everything exceeded her comprehension.

It wasn't until Lu Heng pulled her aside that she let out a startled cry and took three steps back.

She had never experienced anything so terrifying, and when she looked at Lu Heng, a hint of fear appeared in her eyes.

After all, Lu Heng had just killed four people, and it would be abnormal not to feel scared.

But she knew in her heart that Lu Heng had saved her.

Her emotions fluctuated intensely, and her lips trembled as she said, "You should leave now. I'll stay here and turn myself in. I won't give you up."

Lu Heng propped up the motorcycle and threw a helmet at her, saying, "Put it on and sit behind me."

Su Muyu, despite her fear, obeyed his command and sat behind him on the motorcycle.

Lu Heng glanced back at the raging flames behind him and then started the motorcycle, speeding away.

Before leaving, he used his skill to leave behind a Shadow Clone.

The shadow clone remained at the scene to clean up and create an alibi.

...

It was almost 11 o'clock when they returned to the budget hotel.

Lu Heng pulled Su Muyu into the room, pressed her hand against the wall, and spoke sternly, "Remember every word I say. If the Enforcement Team comes looking for you, follow my instructions..."

With her wrist pressed against the wall, Su Muyu's face turned red, the blush spreading from her cheeks to the back of her ears.

She wasn't sure if she understood, but she nodded, agreeing to everything.

After Lu Heng finished his instructions, he pointed to the bed in the room and said, "You can sleep here tonight. If you're tired, go ahead and rest. I'm going to take a shower."

"Okay," Su Muyu nodded, standing still.

Lu Heng picked up a towel and went into the bathroom to shower.

After experiencing the recent battle, he was covered in dirt, sweat, and a hint of blood.

After his shower, Lu Heng dried his hair while walking out of the bathroom.

Su Muyu, who had been sitting on the edge of the bed, quickly stood up upon hearing the sound of the bathroom door opening.

Lu Heng sat on the bed and pulled out a hairdryer from the bedside drawer, asking, "Do you want to take a shower?"

Earlier, at the abandoned factory in the western suburbs, Su Muyu had also gotten covered in dust and dirt, so she nodded.

As she nodded, her whole body trembled. Being under the same roof, she didn't know what would happen after taking a shower, so she was both afraid and nervous.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end