Chapter 36: Passing Through One After Another
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The screen projection disappeared.
Tyr turned around.
Without waiting for the other person to urge him, He Lu took the initiative to stand up, and walked over to him. His expression resolute, ready to face the challenge calmly.
Instead, Tyr didn’t rush to make a move. He said slowly, “I think you need to introduce your stationery tree to me first.”
The twelve spectators: “…”
It seemed the final boss didn’t have an omniscient perspective either.
But this question was silly. In a life-and-death battle, who would tell you their abilities…
He Lu said, “Actually, you can tell from the level of my attack and defense that my stationery tree leans towards defense.”
He told him.
The spectators no longer worried about Leader He. They thought, just do your own thing.
“Oh,” Tyr’s eyebrows relaxed, “Abide by the Rules, setting rules for others.”
He had basically guessed it, but the details were off.
“Not for others,” He Lu corrected, “for everyone within the stationery range, including myself.”
“How large is the range?”
“With me at the center, a radius of two meters.”
“Can you set any rule?”
“No, the more specific the rule, the easier it is to succeed. The more general, the easier it is for the stationery to reject it. There are no clear limits, only experience to rely on.”
Tyr’s curiosity was satisfied. He took two steps back, increasing the distance from He Lu, his tone slightly rising, sounding pleased, “I’m going to attack now, set a rule and let’s see.”
He Lu took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. His whole demeanor became calm as he entered a state of intense concentration.
Next, everyone heard his rule clearly—
“No attacking.”
Tan Hua blurted out, “Isn’t that too broad?”
With just four words, it meant that within his stationery range, the possibility of “anyone attacking in any form” was completely eliminated. Though he couldn’t attack either, in terms of defense, this was practically invincible.
No one responded to him because all eyes were on Tyr.
The true power of He Lu’s stationery tree would soon be revealed.
At this moment, Tyr was no more than a meter away from He Lu. After hearing the rule, he almost immediately raised his fist, clearly intending to attack.
He Lu neither dodged nor evaded, remaining calm and composed.
Tyr’s expression froze as he felt some external force. That force connected to every nerve, from his limbs to his heart and brain, all signaling “stop attacking.”
For the next few seconds, he maintained his poised-to-punch stance, slightly tilting his head, savoring the sensation.
Outside the transparent wall, faces were filled with confusion.
Cui Zhan: “Is this working or not?”
Zhou Yunhui: “It must be, don’t you see Tyr can’t throw his punch?”
Monk: “But his expression doesn’t look like he’s struggling with the stationery.”
Melancholic center-parted hair: “Yes, he seems to be enjoying it.”
Only Fan Peiyang, Tang Lin, Guan Lan, and Air Sniper watched quietly without saying a word.
Zheng Luozhu quietly asked, “Boss, what’s going on?”
Fan Peiyang replied calmly, “Tyr is trying to break this rule, like it’s a game.”
Zheng Luozhu: “So what is he doing now…”
Fan Peiyang: “It’s his first time encountering this kind of stationery tree, and he finds it quite novel.”
He didn’t understand the perverse nature of experts…
But with the boss’s perspective, Zheng Luozhu indeed made a new discovery when he looked at the battlefield again.
He Lu wasn’t at ease.
His gaze remained unwavering, but there was sweat on his forehead. From the moment he announced the rule, he had to use his mental power to support the continued effect of the stationery.
In contrast, although Tyr was prevented from attacking, he didn’t look the least bit embarrassed.
“Quite a good stationery tree.” He lowered his hand, seeming as if he had completely given up the idea of attacking.
However, in the next second, he swiftly retreated beyond the two-meter range, somehow holding a short sword.
Zheng Luozhu’s breath caught.
He had been misled by the “no attacking” rule. This rule didn’t guarantee absolute safety within two meters of He Lu; it merely prohibited anyone from attacking within that range.
So, once outside this range, the rule no longer applied. Tyr could easily use long-range attacks against He Lu!
And that’s exactly what Tyr did.
The short sword was thrown with great force, moving at high speed and cutting through the air with a deadly trajectory.
“Change—All weapons are automatically disarmed!”
He Lu shouted loudly.
The new rule immediately replaced the old one, and the short sword came to an abrupt halt.
The sword tip was already at his eye. Another 0.1 second delay and his eye would have been ruined.
“Clang—”
The short sword fell to the ground.
The next second, Tyr was right in front of He Lu, giving him no time to catch his breath, landing a punch squarely on his chin.
The new rule prevented weapons, not hand-to-hand combat.
But Tyr didn’t give him any time to react, closing the distance immediately, as if he had anticipated what rule He Lu would change to.
His overwhelming strength was chilling.
He Lu’s whole body flew backward, hitting the ground hard, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
Tyr, with a cold expression, was in front of him again in an instant.
He Lu’s breathing was unsteady, but his voice remained firm: “Change—Attackers will suffer the same attack!”
The people outside the transparent wall were on the verge of panic.
Bald Head: “Why not just transfer the damage directly? Why does he have to get hit first before making others feel the same pain?”
Zhou Yunhui: “If it were me, my first rule would be ‘Anyone who attacks me dies.'”
Cui Zhan: “This is stationery, not a wishing box.”
Melancholic center-parted hair: “Didn’t he say that he has to follow the rules himself too? So the rules can’t target specific individuals, right?”
Tan Hua, who had been confused earlier, now started to understand: “The limitations of the rules are probably more than we imagine.”
He Lu wasn’t stupid.
He had definitely researched and explored what rules could maximize the effect of his stationery tree. What outsiders could think of, the owner of the stationery tree would have thought of more and further.
The fact that such rules weren’t set could only be for two reasons—either the stationery didn’t allow it, or his ability couldn’t reach that level.
Tyr’s second punch landed hard on He Lu’s abdomen.
He Lu tried to grab Tyr’s wrist but missed, ultimately clutching the hit spot and gasping for breath.
Everyone immediately looked at Tyr.
He had hit He Lu, and according to the rule, he should suffer the same attack.
Tyr withdrew his hand, looked down at his abdomen, his gaze calm.
His clothes shifted slightly, as if something had pressed against them, but to say he received a punch of equal force to He Lu’s was definitely impossible.
A massive sense of pressure spread through the compartment.
The rule affected Tyr, but its impact was greatly diminished, as light as a feather.
Tyr stood up, casually shaking his hand, “Your physical condition is decent, good for taking hits.”
He Lu, being the direct controller of the stationery, felt it more clearly and directly than anyone else. The defensive power of [Abide by the Rules] was less than a layer of paper in front of Tyr.
Yet he struggled to his feet, his eyes unwavering, still in a full combat stance: “Change—”
“Don’t change it.” Tyr interrupted impatiently, “Remember, the best defense is offense. With such an interesting stationery tree, don’t always set those boring rules.”
He Lu was taken aback, then understood.
His first rule, “No attacking,” and his second rule, “All weapons disarmed,” were purely defensive. It wasn’t until the third rule, “Attackers will suffer the same attack,” that there was a hint of retaliation.
Could it be that Tyr’s original goal was to force out his “attack”?
“Next.” Tyr had already brought up the projection screen again.
He Lu knew he had passed but couldn’t help asking, “What if I couldn’t set any rules with an offensive nature?”
Tyr, focused on selecting the third photo, replied, “Then you’d be a corpse by now.”
He Lu had no doubt he was telling the truth.
Not being able to set offensive rules wasn’t a failure of the stationery tree but a failure of the controller.
“Almost forgot,” Tyr’s hand paused over the selected photo, but instead of tapping it, he suddenly turned to the just-seated He Lu and said, “In the future, don’t answer everything you’re asked. That’s not called being straightforward; it’s called being stupid.”
The third photo flipped open: a short, dog-eared hairstyle, a carefree youth when relaxed, and an Einstein lookalike when frantic—Tan Hua.
Intelligence: A+
Stamina: B
Attack Power: D
Defense Power: D
Comprehensive Danger Level: C+
Stationery Tree: [Photographic Memory]
VIP and the three group leaders: “…”
The king of imbalanced skills had arrived.
Strawberry Sweet Doughnuts was quite aware of the “composition” of his teammates. The nearest monk patted him on the shoulder with a sense of tragic heroism: “Good luck.”
Tan Hua stood up suddenly, deciding to rely on himself rather than others: “Tyr, as you can see, my stationery tree isn’t combat-oriented. You can’t test me with the same method you used earlier; it’s unfair. If you really want to test my ability to control my stationery tree, give me a book to memorize, even a dictionary.”
Tyr glanced at him: “Are you done talking nonsense?”
Tan Hua thought for a moment: “No further comments for now.”
Tyr tapped the projection screen.
The image on the screen suddenly changed to a panoramic photo.
It showed a labyrinth of dark alleys, dilapidated houses of varying heights, gloomy lighting, hurried pedestrians, and a massive food transport pipe extending from the top right of the photo. A crowd was fighting over the pipe.
It was the underground city.
Tyr tapped the screen a second time.
The panoramic photo disappeared, returning to the previous interface.
He looked at Tan Hua unhurriedly and asked, “How many people were in the photo just now?”
Damn, he’s really testing me. Couldn’t he at least give a warning bell?
Tan Hua was speechless. The brief moment he had to look wasn’t enough to take in the details.
He closed his eyes, focusing all his attention on replaying the fleeting glance he had, frame by frame, in his mind.
Once wasn’t enough, so he tried twice. Twice wasn’t enough, so he tried four times…
At the food pipe… one, two, three… sixty-seven people.
On the street and in the alleys… twenty-one people.
In a few windows of the dilapidated houses, he could see people inside… four people.
Sixty-seven, twenty-one, four—ninety-two people in total.
The answer circled around in his mind again and again, but Tan Hua still didn’t relent.
Tyr was definitely not the kindly type who would let you retake an exam.
There was only one chance; if you answered wrong, it meant death.
Once more.
Tan Hua kept his eyes closed, silently taking deep breaths. This time, he went through the entire scene in more detail, almost frame by frame…
Food pipe, sixty-seven.
Broken house windows, four.
On the streets and in the alleys… no, not twenty-one, but twenty-two. Damn it, there was a manhole cover slightly raised, and there were eyes inside!
Tan Hua broke out in a cold sweat.
If he had answered just now, he wouldn’t have let that bastard in the manhole cover off even if he become a ghost.
“Ninety-three,” he said, opening his eyes and giving his answer.
Tyr remained silent, a slight frown between his eyebrows.
A chill ran through Tan Hua’s heart. “Is it wrong?”
“It’s correct,” Tyr said, “but I don’t understand the significance of this stationery tree.”
“It’s much more significant,” Tan Hua could allow insults to his combat abilities, but he couldn’t tolerate questioning the power of knowledge, “On the platform, if you don’t remember the five animals on the World Tree, the subway won’t even come. In the last carriage, if you don’t remember Norse mythology, who knows how to open the door. What is memory? Memory is a reservoir of knowledge. What is a reservoir of knowledge? That is… ugh…”
Tyr punched him.
Tan Hua went silent instantly, clutching his stomach, the pain making his mind go blank, covered in cold sweat.
“You’re just not worth a hit,” Tyr’s eyes showed no emotion, “You’d better recognize reality sooner.”
Gritting his teeth, Tan Hua said intermittently, “To exist… is to be reasonable… If this… if this ability is useless… you motherf*kers… wouldn’t… have given it to me…”
This argument makes sense.
The stationery tree was given by this world of challenges, and Tyr is the guardian of the checkpoint. They come from the same source, and it’s not acceptable to question the usefulness of the stationery tree.
However, Tyr clearly had no intention of having a soul-searching conversation with Tan Hua about the meaning of the stationery tree.
He glanced again at the two “D”s in the data, with a hint of mockery. “Here’s some advice for you: stick with good companions, don’t fall behind.”
Advice given, does that mean he passed?
Tan Hua suddenly felt that taking this punch was totally worth it!
As for Tyr’s advice… he didn’t need to say it; he’s stuck with Strawberry Sweet Doughnuts for life.
Tyr moved on to select the fourth challenger.
In fact, this wasn’t really a duel, just a test. Tang Lin pursed his lips. Tyr was the final selector of this checkpoint. Although they looked at them as if they were ants and exuded impatience, his tests still followed certain principles.
This principle was the use of the stationery tree.
Zhuzi, following Fan Peiyang’s reminder, understood “shrinking the defense area and focusing on defense intensity” and passed.
Tang Lin lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on the owl pattern on his arm.
The fourth photo was flipped open: Monk
Intelligence: B
Physical Strength: A+
Attack Power: B
Defense Power: A+
Comprehensive Danger Level: A
Stationery Tree: [Wind and Rain Sheltering Crystal House]
The fifth photo: Whole Wheat
Intelligence: B
Stamina: A
Attack Power: A
Defense Power: A+
Comprehensive Danger Level: A
Stationery Tree: [Don’t Touch Me]
The sixth photo: Cui Zhan
Intelligence: B+
Stamina: A+
Attack Power: A+
Defense Power: B
Comprehensive Danger Level: A
Stationery Tree: [Fast as Flying]
The next three people, two Strawberry Sweet Doughnuts team members, and one leader of the Ten Societies, all have a comprehensive danger level of A, and even their experience with Tyr is similar – difficult.
Monk’s Crystal House broke three times and reformed three times, his clothes soaked with sweat, he suffered countless blows before finally, on the fourth attempt, creating a “single-room crystal coffin” of sorts that finally passed.
Tyr’s evaluation was ruthless: “In terms of stationery trees, your defense is far superior to [One Iron Plate], both in range and defense strength, but in terms of brains, you’re both the same.”
Zheng Luozhu watched the match calmly, but even he could be hit.
Whole Wheat’s situation was better than his. He was also the only one among the three who balanced offense and defense. His stationery tree, [Don’t Touch Me] was exactly what He Lu wanted to set up but couldn’t manage—it rebounded damage.
Anyone approaching him with intent to attack would be immediately repelled upon contact.
At the station, when Zhou Yunhui tried to stop Whole Wheat while boarding the subway, his hand just touched him and he was immediately sent flying, tracing a rather graceful arc in the air. If he hadn’t had protective gear, he might have been maimed if not killed.
Despite controlling such a well-balanced offensive and defensive stationery tree, Whole Wheat was still knocked down by Tyr. His rebound effect was similar to He Lu’s rule, but when applied to Tyr, its effectiveness was significantly reduced. The best Whole Wheat managed was to reduce this effect from 0.5 to a final reduction.
“Don’t think the effectiveness of a stationery tree is solely dependent on the controller.” Tyr’s words were for everyone, but happened to come right after he knocked down Whole Wheat, so he gave him a couple of kicks while he was down.
Cui Zhan’s situation was more brutal than the previous two, but it had nothing to do with Tyr. It was entirely Leader Cui’s own pursuit.
The first time he knocked someone down, Tyr rarely nodded his head. “You maximize speed for attack, not waste on useless defense. That’s good.”
Leader Cui stood up in a staggered way, and spit out blood. He smiled fiercely. “I’ll definitely hit you again.”
It’s not a knockout, just a blow. Cui Zhan’s pursuit is clear: hit Tyr once, that’s it.
Tyr did not object
Cui Zhan attacked again, fell down again, got up again, and attacked again, repeating this cycle.
In the end, even Strawberry Sweet Doughnuts couldn’t bear to watch anymore. He asked He Lu and Zhou Yunhui, “Does he have a problem?”
He Lu said, “Defending his own dignity is worthy of respect.”
Zhou Yunhui rolled her eyes and said, “Could you please turn off your iron-blood filter and look carefully at his expression?”
After Sky Lantern Leader reminded them, everyone noticed that there was no dignity or solemnity in Cui Zhan’s eyes; they were all filled with excitement. He was simply a battle fanatic.
“Come on again—” For the last time, Cui Zhan, covered in wounds, wiped the blood from his face and spoke provocatively.
Tyr smiled. There was no mockery or disdain in his tone, just an unusual calmness. “I like your fighting spirit.”
Then he kicked him away with one foot.
Leader Cui collapsed in the corner of the carriage, only waking up after several people had passed.
Having fought all six of them one-on-one, all six had more or less injuries. Tyr’s sleeves were flowing gracefully, not a hair out of place.
The seventh photo was opened: Nan Ge.
Intelligence: A-
Stamina: A-
Attack Power: A
Defense Power: B
Comprehensive danger level: a-
Stationery tree: [Mandela’s Scream]
As Tyr turned over the photo, he was surprised. Clearly, he had not noticed this person among the thirteen before.
Or rather, to him, all thirteen were just the same, and there was really no need to differentiate.
But this one was indeed different.
Tyr’s gaze fell on Nan Ge, openly showing interest. “Crossdresser?”
Nan Ge stood up, smiling gracefully. “Sorry I couldn’t satisfy your hardcore tastes.”
Tyr was even more surprised. “A woman?”
Nan Ge tucked her hair behind her ear. “The real deal, but I’m not planning to invite you to verify that.”
Tyr’s eyes towards Nan Ge were distinctly different from how he looked at the others earlier. It wasn’t the eager gaze of a man looking at a woman, but more like seeing something novel and intriguing, filled with curiosity and interest. “So there are women in the underground city. I thought…”
What did you think?
Tyr didn’t continue.
Except for Nan Ge and the still dazed Leader Cui, everyone else was dying of curiosity.
It’s unethical to stop talking halfway!
“Yes, there are women, so can we start now?” Nan Ge was not interested in discussing gender ratios in the underground city with him here.
Tyr brought his thoughts back. “Pass.”
Nan Ge was caught off guard. “Why?”
Tyr: “I don’t fight women.”
Nan Ge: “Before this, you didn’t fight women? You let all the women get through to the final stage?”
“You have too many questions.” Tyr’s voice returned to its previous indifference.
Nan Ge looked at his expression and cautiously asked, “Can I ask one last question?”
Tyr: “No.”
Nan Ge: “Since you’ve decided not to fight women, what if I fight you? Will you fight back?”
Tyr: “……”
There was no more caution, and the expectant look on the questioner’s face could no longer be hidden.
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