Chapter 35: One Iron Plate
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Upon seeing them arrive, the man stood up slowly, casually surveying them. His eyes were as clear as a lake, his face handsome, and his figure agile and elegant. The overall contour of the man was so perfect it resembled a work of art.
“Morse mentioned that there would be an interesting person this time. I thought I could look forward to it, but the number of people who have come to me is even fewer than before,” the man remarked.
His voice was pleasant, with a faint and cool undertone, like the thin mist in a mountain forest.
However, the undisguised disappointment in his tone made it less beautiful.
The thirteen individuals stood still, instinctively sensing danger.
Zhou Yunhui silently prepared a spark in his hand, “Do you think this is a challenger sent down from upstairs, or an NPC specifically guarding this level?”
He Lu reminded, “We’ve come all the way, have you seen any NPCs?”
No, all the rules were conveyed through the owl, and all challenge level contents were automatically triggered.
Zheng Luozhu asked, “So, it’s a challenger?”
Nan Ge: “I don’t think challengers are this handsome.”
Tang Lin squinted. He had mentioned that the number of people coming to him was fewer than before. It was evident that this wasn’t the first time the man had guarded this challenge level’s end, and he might even be the fixed boss of this level.
But why wasn’t there any mention of him when they gathered the information? Whether it was the information Fan Peiyang gathered outside or the details provided by Worn T-shirt, there was not a single word about this man.
Even if they all missed it, wouldn’t the major organizations know about the situation at the end of the challenge level?
Tang Lin took a few steps forward, weaving through the group from the rear to the middle, discreetly observing everyone’s expressions. Almost every pair of eyes showed some degree of surprise and instinctive vigilance when faced with the unknown.
“Morse…” Tan Hua suddenly repeated the name the man had mentioned, “that’s the God of Fear in Greek mythology…”
Monk frowned, “Why is Greek mythology popping up again? Haven’t we been dealing with Norse mythology all along?”
Indeed, the entire journey had revolved around Norse mythology, and there had been no encounters or events related to “Morse” until now.
However, the man claimed that Morse had told him there was an interesting person here.
Who is Morse?
And who is this interesting person?
Tang Lin thought that reaching the end of the subway would bring clarity, but instead, the mist thickened.
Hold on.
Tang Lin lowered his gaze, quickly recalling. It wasn’t that they hadn’t encountered any Greek mythology; in the square, the sudden “Riddle of the Sphinx” was a story from Greek mythology…
Before he could make sense of it, the man spoke again, “I’ll only explain the rules once, so you better listen carefully…”
His voice remained steady, carrying an inherent sense of superiority, along with a faint disdain and impatience. The carriage lights were cold, and his gaze even colder.
“I am the final arbiter of Level 110. You can call me Tyr. Next, each of you will face me one-on-one in order. Disposable stationery is not allowed; you must use your own stationery tree. Whether you can pass the challenge level, the judgment is in my hands. As for the criteria…” He approached the thirteen individuals, finally stopping in front of He Lu at the forefront of the group, “it’s me.”
He was roughly the same height as Fan Peiyang, but the sense of looking down from a height in his gaze was much stronger than the actual height difference.
“I think whoever can make it, will pass. I think whoever can’t, will die.”
The air froze completely, and the carriage fell silent, resembling a tomb.
Suddenly, standing slightly behind He Lu, Guan Lan raised his hand, appearing as innocent as a student in a classroom, and asked innocently, “What if, during the one-on-one, we kill you?”
Tyr silently looked at him for two seconds, revealing a smile that seemed to stretch across the endless night. That smile dispersed the cool mist in his eyes, momentarily stunning in its beauty. “It seems Morse was right. Maybe tonight won’t be as boring as I thought.”
“If you want to kill me, feel free. There are no punishments, and there’s even a reward.” Tyr gestured to the empty spaces on both sides. “Now, find a place to sit, wherever you like.”
With the situation of the formidable opponent still unclear, no one dared to break the rules recklessly.
The thirteen individuals took seats nearby. The six members of the Strawberry Sweet Doughnuts sat on one side, while the three team leaders and VIP occupied the other. They faced each other across the aisle, with Tyr standing in the middle.
Tyr raised his hand slightly, and a holographic interface appeared in midair. It displayed candid snapshots of the thirteen individuals from their previous challenge levels. Guan Lan was eating a lollipop, Tan Hua was racking his brain, Nan Ge was screaming, Tang Lin was scraping “Twilight of the Gods,” and Zheng Luozhu was hanging upside down.
Zheng Luozhu：“……”
Even candid shots from a roller coaster at an amusement park look better than this.
Tyr lightly tapped the projection screen, and the thirteen photos immediately flipped over. The backs all had the same pattern, like playing cards. After a dazzling and chaotic rearrangement, these photos were now arranged in four rows in a “4-4-4-1” pattern.
Now, no one knew where their own photo was.
Apparently, Tyr was also unclear, as the interest flickering in his eyes resembled the anticipation of an unknown lottery.
“The first one to appear, let me think…”
Tyr pondered with a sense of importance, seemingly finding more pleasure in selecting photos than in the battles themselves.
“Let’s go with you.” He clicked on the last row, that lone picture.
The photo unfolded: Zheng Luozhu.
All twelve people turned their gaze toward him.
The winner remained indifferent: “Used to it.”
His data was simultaneously displayed on the screen—
Intelligence: B
Stamina: A
Attack Power: C
Defense Power: A+
Comprehensive Danger Level: B+
Stationery Tree: [One Iron Plate]
Zheng Luozhu was surprised. He distinctly remembered his defense being A in the elevator, but now it had become A+.
Tyr’s gaze fell on him, impatiently saying, “Do I have to ask you to stand up?”
Zheng Luozhu snapped back to attention, immediately standing up, his muscles gradually tensing, readying himself. “How are we doing this?”
The floating screen in mid-air disappeared.
Tyr said, “I told you, no rules.”
Before the words settled, the man had already advanced, moving at an incredible speed.
Even though he wasn’t holding any weapons, Zheng Luozhu distinctly felt the intent to kill. Almost instinctively, he dodged to the side to avoid a direct attack while summoning [One Iron Plate].
The one-meter-square iron plate instantly shielded Zheng Luozhu, with Nan Ge, who had originally been sitting beside him, now behind it.
Initially concerned about potentially harming others during the confrontation with Tyr, Zheng Luozhu realized, as he dodged to the side, that an invisible “transparent wall” now separated him from the others still seated.
“Bang—”
Due to Zheng Luozhu’s dodge, Tyr’s punch only hit the edge of the iron plate. However, with just this one blow, the edge of the iron plate was directly dented and deformed.
Feeling the damage inflicted on his armor, Zheng Luozhu was acutely aware that if Tyr aimed at the same spot again, he could break through the iron plate with his bare hands!
“This is the A+ Defense Power?” Tyr withdrew his fist, sneering. “It seems like the rating criteria need some adjustments.”
Zheng Luozhu forced himself not to be provoked, focusing his energy to reinforce the iron plate. Tyr turned his wrist and said, “This time, I’m aiming for your heart. You better protect it well.”
Zheng Luozhu looked into the eyes of the opponent over the edge of the iron plate.
There was a cold and indifferent expression, devoid of any emotion, as if he were looking at an ant. Zheng Luozhu suddenly understood.
With Tyr’s speed and agility, he could easily bypass the iron plate, launching a side attack, yet he chose to confront the iron plate head-on.
Because the opponent simply didn’t regard him or his armor as a threat.
The man attacked again, with the same punch and a disdainful lack of variation. Zheng Luozhu gritted his teeth, standing still, focusing all his attention on the steel plate, pushing it to its limits of strength.
With a massive impact, he was pushed back, and his back slammed into the invisible wall. Pain radiated from his spine throughout his body.
However, the attacker’s fist wasn’t withdrawn. In the instant he collided with the invisible wall, his fist went straight through the iron plate!
“Crack!”
Tyr’s fist broke through the iron plate, hitting Zheng Luozhu’s chest. Zheng Luozhu was in so much pain that he could hardly breathe, unable to make a sound.
Fortunately, the iron plate absorbed some of the force of the punch. If it weren’t for the iron plate, the consequences for Zheng Luozhu would have been dire.
“Worthless.”
Tyr withdrew his fist from the iron plate, without bothering to say more. In a flash, he rushed for the second punch, aiming at the hole in the iron plate.
Everyone outside the invisible wall held their breath. Even if Zheng Luozhu managed to quickly repair the hole in the iron plate, it would only result in a repetition of the previous outcome. Tyr’s fist would break through the iron plate again, striking him in the same spot on the chest. Having already taken one hit, Zheng Luozhu would undoubtedly be unable to withstand a second one.
Zheng Luozhu also understood this truth. No, he understood it even better than everyone else. He had already seen the Grim Reaper.
It was an unprecedented, overwhelming force. In the face of such power, even fear seemed insignificant.
“Shrink the iron plate!” came the fierce shout from behind by Fan Peiyang.
Zheng Luozhu responded almost reflexively to the boss’s command. Before his mind could process it, he had instantly shrunk the iron plate to the size of a palm.
The iron plate became smaller, and Tyr’s fist arrived. In this life-and-death moment, Zheng Luozhu finally understood Fan Peiyang’s intention. He exerted all his strength to protect the iron plate over his heart.
The human spirit is limited, and the armor has various aspects of effectiveness. “Defensive area” is one, and “defensive solidity” is another. If you invest your mental power in the area, the solidity will naturally be weakened, and vice versa.
Zheng Luozhu concentrated all his mental strength, originally supporting a large area of the iron plate, onto its “toughness.” The thickness of the small iron plate instantly increased several times. Despite the precise aim of Tyr’s punch, it landed squarely on the iron plate with a resounding “clang,” causing a palpable tremor. Backed against the transparent wall, with no room to retreat, Zheng Luozhu forcefully took the punch, even experiencing a brief pause in his heartbeat.
But this time, the iron plate didn’t shatter. It couldn’t shield him from the pain, but it protected his vulnerable heart. Tyr withdrew his hand and gently blew air onto the back of it, saying, “Consider yourself passed. Remember for next time, controlling your Stationery Tree requires brains. Those without brains usually die miserably.” The transparent wall disappeared, and Zheng Luozhu slumped directly to the ground. Does this mean he… passed?
Tyr didn’t bother looking at him. Instead, he raised his eyes and glanced at Fan Peiyang. “I don’t think I mentioned that spectators are allowed to speak.”
Fan Peiyang leaned back in his chair, crossing his right leg over the left, looking as relaxed as if he were in his own boss’s chair. “You didn’t mention that it’s prohibited either.”
Tyr nodded. “Well, it’s prohibited now.”
Fan Peiyang also nodded. “Fine.”
The interface in mid-air appeared again.
Tyr raised his hand, then suddenly looked at Fan Peiyang again. “It would be best if I could pick you.”
“Good luck.” Fan Peiyang’s encouragement lacked sincerity.
Zheng Luozhu shuffled back to the bench, his chest still throbbing with pain. But he couldn’t afford to linger; he immediately warned Fan Peiyang, Tang Lin, and Nan Ge, “He’s really strong. Be extremely extremely careful later.”
He emphasized each word heavily, using “extremely” twice because any slight negligence could mean death.
“Understood.” Nan Ge stared at Tyr intently, an unprecedented seriousness in her gaze.
Tang Lin gave Zheng Luozhu a reassuring look, essentially responding on behalf of Fan Peiyang.
However, he knew in his heart that Fan Peiyang would surely pass, but as for himself…
All he could use was the Stationery Tree. Did he really need to fight? He’d obediently let Tyr take his head at this rate.
Suddenly, his hand was held.
It was Fan Peiyang.
Tang Lin turned his head.
Fan Peiyang didn’t look at him, staring at Tyr looking at the empty screen like Nan Ge. However, the grip on his hand was extremely strong, causing Tang Lin pain.
The second photo was revealed: He Lu
Intelligence: A
Stamina: A
Attack Power: B
Defense Power: A+
Comprehensive Danger Level: A
Stationery Tree: [Abide by the Rules]
As a team leader, He Lu’s overall level is A, which is normal and not considered high. However, his Stationery Tree has piqued the curiosity of everyone, including Zhou Yunhui and Cui Zhan, who are relatively familiar.
Upon closer inspection, from the platform to the train carriage, and now here, it seems that no one has seen He Lu use his Stationery Tree.
Tang Lin remembered seeing He Lu using armor during the key-grabbing melee in the train carriage. At that time, he thought that was He Lu’s Stationery Tree, but now he realizes it was probably a disposable armor. Moreover, judging from the expressions of Zhou Yunhui and Cui Zhan, He Lu didn’t easily reveal his abilities before the challenge level. The more low-key, the more mysterious.
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