40: Chapter 40 Rank B Talent: Steel Body

The moment the referee blew the whistle, the screams on the arena stage had yet to cease.

Wang Teng stepped one foot onto his opponent's twisted and deformed calf, his alloy combat boots grinding against the shattered bone, making a crunching sound. That unlucky fellow from the Third High School had already passed out from the pain, but Wang Teng clearly had no intention of stopping.

"Who else?"

Wang Teng looked around, his eyes filled with a web of bloodshot veins, his chest heaving violently. He was in a state of high excitement—so high it was somewhat abnormal.

The audience stands were deathly silent; no one dared to breathe loudly in front of this madman.

The first round of the group stage ended.

Lin Fan, Su Qingxue, Chu Yaoyao, Wang Teng, and Zhang Hao—everyone advanced.

[Eye of True Sight], activate.

In his gray-white vision, the meridians inside Wang Teng's body appeared in a strange purplish-red color. Violent spiritual energy, like a runaway horse, was frantically overdrawing his life potential.

At his dantian, a mass of black medicinal power was burning, forcibly pushing his aura to the threshold of an eighth-grade, or even ninth-grade, Martial Apprentice.

"A forbidden drug that overdraws potential."

Lin Fan stood in the shadows of the preparation area, unconsciously rubbing his fingers.

This kind of drug couldn't be bought on the market; it only circulated in underground black markets. To win, the Wang family had completely cast aside their dignity.

"Bro... Brother Fan."

Zhang Hao shrank behind Lin Fan, watching the injured being carried away. His rolls of fat were shaking. "Did this bastard take the wrong medicine? He’s acting so ruthlessly. If I run into him in the finals tomorrow, this kid won't play dirty with me, will he?"

The fatty's strength wasn't great; he had barely managed to advance from the group stage, so he was still a bit afraid.

This was normal.

Although Zhang Hao's current C-Rank Talent [Hardened Skin] had decent defense, it could only withstand attacks from an ordinary sixth or seventh-grade Martial Apprentice. Facing Wang Teng, who was drugged and wielding a C-grade alloy combat saber, the fatty’s meat would only last a few slashes.

"Afraid of dying?"

Lin Fan withdrew his gaze and glanced at the fatty.

"I'm... I'm afraid." Zhang Hao swallowed hard. "But I'm even more afraid of embarrassing you."

Lin Fan was stunned for a moment.

This damn fatty, though cowardly, could really be counted on at critical moments.

"No need for you to be cannon fodder."

Lin Fan patted Zhang Hao's shoulder with heavy force. "Don't sleep too soundly tonight. Since you're my number one spokesperson, the product quality must be top-notch. A C-Rank Talent? That's too pathetic."

"Huh?" Zhang Hao looked completely bewildered.

"Go back and wait."

Lin Fan didn't explain and turned to leave the gymnasium.

The current fatty was his facade, the living advertisement for his god and demon blind box stall. If the fatty was crippled by Wang Teng in the finals, it wouldn't just be the fatty's reputation at stake, but Lin Fan's own brand.

For tomorrow's press conference, he had to go "restock."

...

The night was as dark as ink in the Wasteland Zone outside Jianghai City.

The gale whipped sand and gravel against his face, causing a stinging pain.

Lin Fan, dressed in a black combat suit, trekked through the wilderness alone. This time, he didn't linger on the outskirts but instead, like a sharp blade, plunged deep into the Rift Zone.

Five kilometers.

Eight kilometers.

Ten kilometers.

The surrounding air began to turn thick, and the smell of blood was so strong it was nauseating. This was an active area for E-rank or even D-rank exotic beasts, a forbidden zone that ordinary Wasteland Hunter teams dared not venture into lightly.

But in Lin Fan's eyes, this was a massive, free warehouse of raw materials.

"Roar—"

A dull roar made the ground tremble slightly.

A hundred meters ahead, a mountain-like shadow slowly rose.

Iron-Back Earth Dragon.

C-grade Boss Monster.

This thing was thick-skinned and tough, its back covered in a layer of scales comparable to alloy; ordinary bullets couldn't even strike a spark off them. Even an elementary martial artist would have to take a detour upon encountering it.

"You'll do."

Lin Fan licked his lips, his eyes devoid of fear, filled only with the shrewdness of assessing a product's value.

"A boss-level corpse should be able to produce a B-rank, or even potentially an A-rank blind box."

The Earth Dragon discovered the intruder.

A flash of brutality crossed its pea-sized eyes, and its thick limbs suddenly exerted force. Like an out-of-control heavy tank, it rumbled forward, crushing everything in its path.

The ground cracked, and gravel flew everywhere.

This kind of impact was enough to turn an armored vehicle into scrap metal.

Lin Fan didn't dodge.

He took a deep breath, the blood in his body surging like mercury.

A-rank Talent [Glazed Golden Body], fully activated.

His normally colored skin instantly took on a dull golden sheen, and his muscle fibers tightened like steel cables.

"Come!"

Lin Fan shouted fiercely, advancing instead of retreating.

He like a golden cannonball, he met the charging Earth Dragon head-on.

Boom!

Two figures, one large and one small, collided violently.

The air was compressed until it exploded, forming a visible shockwave that spread outward.

The Earth Dragon's massive body actually came to a dead stop. The immense counterforce made it let out a cry of pain, and the bones in its forelimbs made a crisp cracking sound.

While Lin Fan only took half a step back.

A deep crater exploded into the rocky ground beneath his feet.

"So this is the defense of the Glazed Golden Body combined with 4,000kg of punch force..."

Lin Fan shook his somewhat numb arm.

A direct clash with a C-grade Boss Monster—a complete victory.

"While you're down, I'll take your life."

Lin Fan kicked off the ground and leaped high into the air, landing on the Earth Dragon's back.

The Iron-Back Earth Dragon shook its body frantically, trying to throw this damn bug off.

Lin Fan gripped a protruding scale with one hand and raised his right fist high, a dull golden light condensing on his knuckles.

One punch.

Scales shattered, and flesh and blood flew.

Two punches.

Its spine snapped, and the wailing stopped abruptly.

Three punches.

The massive head slumped down weakly, completely devoid of life.

Lin Fan jumped down, looked at the massive corpse, and nodded in satisfaction.

"System, time to work."

[Ding! Detected C-grade Boss Monster "Iron-Back Earth Dragon" corpse. Integrity: 85%. A high-quality blind box can be crafted. Proceed?]

"Craft."

Black light enveloped the corpse.

A few seconds later, the corpse disappeared, and a heavy, dark yellow box appeared in Lin Fan's hand, its surface textured like rock.

[Earthen Blind Box (High-Quality)]

[Description: High probability of obtaining Earth-attribute defensive talents or combat techniques. Extremely low probability of obtaining the Earth Dragon bloodline.]

"Done."

...

3:00 AM.

The window of Zhang Hao's house was knocked on.

The fatty opened the window groggily. Before he could see the figure clearly, a heavy box was tossed into his arms.

"Bro... Brother Fan?"

Zhang Hao looked at the blood-scented figure outside the window and shuddered. "Did you go kill someone or commit arson?"

"Cut the crap."

Lin Fan jumped into the room and poured himself a glass of water. "Open it."

Zhang Hao looked down at the box in his arms.

The box emitted a heavy sense of pressure; just holding it felt weighty.

"This is..."

"Renewing the subscription for your cheat."

Lin Fan sat on a chair, wiping the blood from his hands. "Your C-Rank Talent won't be enough for tomorrow. I just got this box from deep within the Rift Zone—a C-grade Boss Monster."

Zhang Hao's hand shook, and he almost dropped the box.

Deep within the Rift Zone?

A Boss Monster?

Looking at Lin Fan's bloodshot yet frighteningly bright eyes, a warm current surged in his heart, and his nose felt a bit stingy.

Brother Fan had gone to risk his life in the middle of the night for him.

"Brother Fan, I..."

"Swallow those sentimental words," Lin Fan interrupted him. "Open it. If you don't get something good, you'll be going on stage butt-naked tomorrow."

"I'll open it, I definitely will!"

Zhang Hao took a deep breath, his gaze becoming determined.

He suddenly flipped open the lid.

Hum.

A thick, earthy yellow light instantly filled the entire room.

The light dissipated.

Inside the box lay a still-beating heart, only the size of a fist, yet as hard as rock, its surface shimmering with a metallic luster.

[Earth Dragon Heart (Rare)]

[Effect: After consumption, it significantly strengthens physical defense and has an extremely high probability of prompting the advancement of Earth-attribute/Defensive-attribute talents.]

"Eat it."

Lin Fan spoke concisely.

Zhang Hao didn't hesitate; he grabbed the heart, closed his eyes, and stuffed it into his mouth.

Fishy, bitter, and hard.

But in the next second, a violent heat flow exploded in his stomach.

"Ahhh!!!"

Zhang Hao let out a miserable scream, his whole body arching like a cooked shrimp.

Pain.

Every bone in his body felt like it was being crushed by a millstone and reorganized. Black impurities began to seep from his skin, and his loose fat was becoming firm at a rate visible to the naked eye, taking on a layer of gray-white rock-like patterns.

This pain was worse than being killed.

"Hold on."

Lin Fan's voice sounded in his ear, cold yet powerful. "If you make it through, you're a tank. If you don't, you're scrap metal."

Zhang Hao gritted his teeth so hard his gums bled.

He couldn't embarrass Brother Fan.

He couldn't be a damn fatty for the rest of his life.

I want to become strong!

Roar!

Half an hour later.

Zhang Hao suddenly opened his eyes and let out a low growl, his clothes bursting apart.

The previously flabby fat was gone, replaced by a body of muscles as hard as granite. Although he still looked bulky, the sense of power was now completely different.

[Talent Advancement Successful!]

[C-Rank Hardened Skin → B-Rank Iron Body]

[Traits: 50% physical damage immunity, pain reduction, 30% strength increase.]

Zhang Hao looked at his hands and smashed his fists together, producing a metallic "clang."

"Brother Fan, I did it!"

Zhang Hao excitedly wanted to pounce over and hug Lin Fan's leg.

"Stop."

Lin Fan took a step back in disgust. "Go take a shower, you stink."

Watching the fatty rush into the bathroom, the corners of Lin Fan's mouth curled up slightly.

A B-Rank Talent.

Plus the fatty's suicidal fighting style.

In tomorrow's finals, that counterfeit product Wang Teng who took drugs will probably have his teeth shattered.

"Next..."

Lin Fan looked at the system panel at the return rewards refreshed by his previous actions.

[Ding! Host gifted a blind box and assisted the target in completing talent advancement. Triggered hundredfold critical hit return!]

[Obtained: A-rank Talent Advancement Card × 1, A-rank material: Earth Dragon King Spine × 1.]