Chapter 524: The Summons
Chapter 524: The Summons
In a training hall somewhere in Hongsheng District, Su Wei was shirtless, relentlessly striking a human-shaped target. With each blow, his entire body tensed, and sweat flew with the force of his strikes. Yet, despite the immense power, not a single mark was left on the target, demanding an incredibly precise control of his Fa Jin.
Ever since arriving in Central City, Su Wei had been on standby, but he received a monthly salary.
The amount wasn't substantial, but it was enough for him to live in Central City, and he didn't have to work for it—something he never dared to imagine before.
Aside from essential living expenses and training supplies, he sent all the remaining money to the families of his injured and fallen teammates.
In Su Wei's eyes, Central City was a paradise for cultivation, not only because he could find some martial arts forums but also because he didn't have to constantly worry about his Active Index or defend against hostile adversaries who bore him ill will.
Of course, this didn't mean that Central City was entirely safe; it was just that, as a Third Limit Combat Solver, ordinary people posed little threat to him.
Moreover, the dangers in Central City paled in comparison to those in the Convergence Zone. In the Convergence Zone, everyone had to hide within the city at night, too afraid to venture out. In contrast, he could go anywhere at any time.
As Su Wei was engrossed in his training, his Jie Ping suddenly rang. He immediately stopped and checked the call. "Captain?"
Chen Chuan's voice came through the Jie Ping, "Su, I need to see you."
Su Wei's expression turned serious. "Where should I meet you?"
His Jie Ping then displayed a location.
"Meet me here," Chen Chuan instructed.
Su Wei checked the location, which was also in Hongsheng District, about an hour away and not far from his current position.
"I'll be right there," he replied.
After ending the call, he quickly washed up, changed into clean clothes, and headed out to catch an electric tram. In about twenty minutes, he arrived at the designated spot.
The place turned out to be a long-abandoned commercial area, devoid of the familiar neon lights. Instead, graffiti, weeds, and a few wandering vagrants and mumbling individuals roamed the area, occasionally accompanied by stray cats and dogs.
As Su Wei surveyed the surroundings, his Jie Ping rang again. "Su, come this way."
Following the direction indicated by his Jie Ping, he spotted a half-built, abandoned high-rise with a weathered look. He made his way through the gravel-covered path and entered the building, looking up before climbing the bare stairwell to reach the rooftop.
Chen Chuan was already waiting there. "Su, the surveillance in Central City has been tight lately. Every move is being watched, not just by the officials but also by the major companies keeping an eye on Combat Solvers. It's more convenient to talk here."
Su Wei, not being a native of Central City, wasn't sensitive to its current situation. Still, he immediately understood the implication of Chen Chuan's words—something was up.
He recalled that, indeed, city patrols had been frequently checking the apartment building where he lived. He remembered that it wasn't like this when he first arrived in Central City.
"Captain, please tell me what's going on," Su Wei said solemnly.
Chen Chuan didn't immediately get to the point but instead looked at Su Wei and said, "Speaking of which, I recruited you, Su, without ever testing your skills. I'd like to see what you can do today."
"Yes!" Su Wei replied, his expression serious. Despite Chen Chuan being younger, the day he used his Jie Ping to judge the number of enemies and their combat methods, he had proven his exceptional abilities.
Moreover, upon arriving, Su Wei felt an oppressive aura from Chen Chuan, causing him to tense up involuntarily, clearly indicating that Chen Chuan was superior.
The rooftop offered a spacious area, and the building was empty, allowing Su Wei to fight freely.
He stepped back a bit and glanced at Chen Chuan, who showed no sign of initiating an attack. Su Wei took a step forward, and the floorboards shook violently, instantly cracking open a large circle beneath his feet.
As he approached, he threw a punch.
Chen Chuan stood still, merely raising his arm to block the punch.
At that moment, Su Wei's entire body was leaping in mid-air. When they made contact, the power he had been holding back within his body burst forth.
This was a Two-Stage Power attack.
This combat style was widely known outside, but few could execute it well, and Su Wei was one of the best.
His goal wasn't to defeat Chen Chuan with a single blow but to crack the floorboards beneath their feet, as they couldn't withstand the combined force of their attacks. If Chen Chuan lost his balance, Su Wei might not defeat him, but he would certainly find a better opportunity to strike.
However, to his surprise, Chen Chuan firmly withstood the force of Su Wei's attack without even a wobble. Moreover, the floorboards beneath him didn't show the slightest sign of cracking.
Su Wei immediately realized that Chen Chuan's Aberrant Tissue had skillfully absorbed and redirected the power, a highly advanced technique.
Seeing that his first attack didn't succeed, Su Wei, still in mid-air, followed up with a kick, seamlessly connecting with his previous punch and showcasing his body's remarkable coordination.
Chen Chuan reached out and once again blocked his kick with a pat.
Su Wei finally landed and charged forward without hesitation, launching a fierce offensive against him.
Chen Chuan didn't take the initiative to attack and stood still, using only one hand to neutralize Su Wei's offense.
The more Su Wei fought, the more he was impressed and shocked. The fact that Chen Chuan could keep up with his attacks so calmly proved that Chen Chuan's speed and strength far surpassed his own.
After trying dozens of moves, Su Wei realized the futility of continuing and retreated, saying, "Captain, this is the extent of my skill in unarmed combat. I need to use a weapon now."
Chen Chuan nodded and said, "Go ahead, Su. Feel free to use it."
Su Wei drew a dagger from his waist, although his specialty was actually twin short spears. However, without a weapon license, he couldn't carry such an eye-catching weapon around, so he didn't have it with him today. But a dagger would do just as well.
After a quick adjustment, Su Wei took a powerful step forward and thrust the dagger.
Chen Chuan didn't let the dagger pierce him. This time, he used both hands to intercept and block the dagger, and instead of just defending, he accurately blocked the dagger while sending a burst of power back into Su Wei's body.
Su Wei's offense was greatly restricted by this counterforce, and his moves couldn't connect, making his threat minimal.
Realizing he couldn't match Chen Chuan's strength, Su Wei changed his style, making his attacks more deceptive and unpredictable. He executed some feint moves with hidden killing intent, but none of them worked.
Although Chen Chuan didn't deliberately use his psychic power, his field naturally emanated outward, allowing him to clearly sense the fluctuations in the field. Therefore, no matter how Su Wei executed his feints, they were all clearly displayed before Chen Chuan, and none of them succeeded.
Despite this predicament, Su Wei didn't give up. He suddenly leaped backward, then stamped his foot heavily, causing a crack to extend from under him toward where Chen Chuan was standing. The floor beneath them began to collapse.
Chen Chuan leaped back, but as he was still in midair, Su Wei suddenly threw the dagger in his hand, using the force from his previous stomp to leap up. In midair, he flipped and threw another dagger he had never used before, and this second dagger arrived a step ahead of the first one, reaching Chen Chuan's front.
Chen Chuan saw that this dagger was extremely fast and had excellent penetration power. Although he could withstand it, this was just a friendly spar, and there was no need to do so. So, he turned his body, sidestepping to evade the dagger.
However, just as he made this move, the dagger that had landed behind him suddenly accelerated forward!
Oh?
Chen Chuan immediately realized that this was a two-stage power attached to the dagger, forming a set of front and back feint and real attack combination techniques. Furthermore, it wasn't just that; a figure flashed behind, and Su Wei's entire body seemed to follow the dagger, kicking towards Chen Chuan.
Chen Chuan hadn't landed yet. He watched calmly as the dagger slowly approached, and it seemed that the next moment, the weapon would pierce his between the eyes.
Su Wei was startled, and the kick he had just made didn't aim at Chen Chuan anymore. Instead, he lifted his leg high and slapped the dagger away with a loud 'pa' sound. However, due to the sudden use of force, his body lost balance, and he had no foothold, causing him to fall downward.
At that moment, a hand reached out from above and grabbed his wrist with a 'pa' sound, suspending him in midair. Below, the floorboards rumbled with a series of loud noises as several layers were pierced, leaving a gaping hole underneath.
Su Wei looked up and saw Chen Chuan standing on the rooftop railing, his gaze falling on him. Then, with a light pull, Chen Chuan brought Su Wei up.
Using the momentum, Su Wei leaped up and landed beside Chen Chuan. He thought for a moment and sighed, "It seems my last move was unnecessary, Captain. I guess I didn't need to help you after all."
Chen Chuan smiled and said, "Su, it was just an instinctive reaction."
Su Wei's strength was now roughly understood by Chen Chuan. Compared to Qin Qingque and Yuan Qiuyuan, Su Wei's foundation wasn't as solid as theirs, possibly due to the unique environment of the Convergence Zone. However, Su Wei had extensive experience in combat, and if it came to a life-or-death battle, the other two might not be able to suppress him.
After all, Su Wei had grown up in the Convergence Zone, and those who couldn't make it would have been eliminated long ago.
It's worth mentioning that, aside from his instinctive reaction at the end, Su Wei never tried to go around Chen Chuan to attack him from behind. This was likely because he knew it wouldn't be effective, and on the other hand, it might be due to his personality.
But this persistence should only be directed at teammates, and he probably wouldn't be so rigid when facing enemies.
Chen Chuan looked beyond the rooftop towards the distant urban area and said, "Su, there will be some developments in the Central City soon. We may be involved in a mission at any time, and I'll need your help then."
Su Wei had been idle for so long that he felt uneasy. But now, hearing the order, his heart finally settled. He raised his hand and saluted with a slightly stiff posture, saying solemnly, "Yes, Captain!"
...
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(End of Chapter)
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