Chapter Seventeen: The Power of Pure Strength

Late at night, in a narrow alley of the western district.

A shadow dropped silently from the wall, nimble as a wildcat. A dagger plunged straight down into the head of a soldier, who immediately convulsed wildly, his legs going weak as he sank to his knees.

His companion drew his blade in fury, but the shadow delivered a powerful kick. Limbs and joints—hands and feet, elbows and knees, shoulders and hips—moved as one seamless whole, coordinated perfectly, with the strength of a fierce tiger.

The tall soldier’s solid frame was blasted away like a cannonball, crashing heavily against the wall. He pressed against it for two or three seconds before slowly sliding down like a painted figure, his eyes glazed and mouth agape, gasping helplessly as life slipped away.

Both men died instantly.

Jiang He casually picked up a bow and arrow and stepped away, thinking to himself: “Hands and feet aligned, elbows and knees together, shoulders and hips unified—this is the ‘Bright Force’ described in Mountain Spear Technique.”

“This kind of skill exists independently from the Origin game, similar to Dr. Ryan’s bomb zombies and the current Garuda mode; all are special applications of power.”

“Bright Force mobilizes the entire body’s strength, applied through fists and feet or even to weapons, delivering thousand-pound force. But it demands complete focus and exhausts me after just twenty or thirty moves.”

“Mastering Bright Force has broken through my marksmanship level, yet my player stats still show Level 7. Indeed, this kind of consistent extra damage is precious.”

Jiang He practiced Bright Force, steadily deepening his proficiency. This technique stemmed from his insight during a mission teleportation, when a strange energy swept through every inch of his body evenly and tightly, subtly revealing the sensation of Bright Force.

According to Dr. Ryan, the combat class is the rarest among players, almost nonexistent, because advancing from beginner to master requires not just skill points but conditions that cannot be directly obtained—only grasped through deep understanding, enigmatic and profound. To reach higher mastery, one must undergo another trial.

For combat players, the leap from beginner to master is a great hurdle. Skill points alone can’t compensate for a weak foundation, making progress difficult. After reaching Level 9 as a beginner, it’s wiser to shift focus to shooting, bombs, or traps.

Currently, the mainstream player mindset favors active skills over passive ones. Active skills grant power swiftly and decisively, allowing faster use of extraordinary strength—quick steps lead to faster steps—essential for seizing the initiative in the new era.

Jiang He cared little for such debates. His immediate priority was to find a place to rest, as mastery of Bright Force had drained much of his energy.

Fortunately, he had eaten three bags of raw white rice and a hundred pounds of meat before setting out; otherwise, finding food would have been quite the challenge.

...

Late at night, rain fell.

On the streets, the Green Army had begun a brutal slaughter.

Three soldiers positioned at the front, middle, and rear, herded over a hundred people into an open area. Any resistance was met with blows from the butt of a sword or outright execution. Despite overwhelming numbers, no one dared flee.

These were wealthy families. The lead soldier began torturing a portly middle-aged man for information. Women were bound with long ropes around their necks, lined up like strings of pearls. Their bound feet made their steps unsteady; when they fell, they were dragged through the mud, their clothes filthy.

The streets were littered with abandoned children, trampled under horse hooves or crushed beneath boots—a gruesome scene of carnage. Cries of anguish filled the air. In ditches and ponds, bodies piled high, limbs intertwined, blood seeping into the murky water, filling and choking the ponds with the weight of the dead.

On a nearby eaves, Jiang He shrouded himself with a black cloth, half asleep.

He heard the middle-aged man begging for mercy, followed by the clash of swords and knives, then silence.

Moments later came the women’s screams of rage, followed again by the sounds of blades slicing flesh, then quiet once more.

Both were dead.

A soldier dragged a young woman beneath a large tree. She clung desperately to her swaddled child, but the soldier angrily snatched the infant away and violently threw it into the mud.

Another soldier ordered all the women to strip off their clothes. The bound women, eyes filled with fear and sorrow, offered no resistance.

Just as the three soldiers began to revel, an arrow streaked through the air, veering slightly off target. It struck the back of the soldier beneath the tree, piercing through his white armor with a sudden release of Bright Force power, shattering his lower back and side.

The other two soldiers tried to flee but were struck by arrows in quick succession—one died instantly, the other’s right leg was shattered.

Jiang He stepped down from the eaves, drew a butcher’s cleaver, finished off the wounded soldier, and cut through the thick ropes binding the captives.

“You can run now.”

Nearly a hundred people remained silent.

Amid the soldiers’ war cries, the street echoed with wives calling for husbands and parents for children, creating a cacophony that contrasted sharply with the eerie silence in this spot.

A young woman sat dazed on the ground, her face expressionless, muttering repeatedly, “We’re going to die… we’re going to be killed…”

A half-grown boy glared with hatred at someone, wailing, “You beast! You were right there! Why didn’t you save my parents? Why?!”

A half-naked woman beneath the tree rushed over, pounding on someone’s back frantically. “You killed the soldiers! You’re condemning us! They’re everywhere! Where else can we hide?!”

Upon hearing the words “condemning us,” a dozen pale-faced people slipped away, thinking it better to live a little longer.

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