Chapter 48: Battle (1)

No matter what, defeating the enemy before him was the most important thing. All Le Kai needed to do now was recover his strength and then challenge once more. Long before setting out, Le Kai had stored some dried meat in his wristwatch. Though the space wasn't large, it was sufficient for several days’ worth of food.

After recovering, Le Kai opened his wristwatch again, intending to eat something before the next battle. Yet when his spiritual sense probed inside, he was momentarily stunned, then overjoyed. He hadn’t expected that after just three days fighting wild boars and one day facing King Kong, the storage space in his wristwatch had more than doubled. Where before it could only hold a small case, now it could accommodate a large suitcase.

The professor had explained that this dimensional space, though created with wondrous technology, depended on the user's mental strength to open. Only with sufficient mental power could one access the corresponding space.

So, his mental strength had doubled in just a few days?

This result thrilled Le Kai most, for the professor had often said that in this age, physical abilities could be enhanced with advanced technology and medicine, but mental strength was rare and could only be cultivated through relentless effort and years of accumulation. In the “Unified Mind Technique,” the ancestral acupoint was the origin for storing mental strength, while the dantian merely housed true energy. Thus, breaking through at the ancestral acupoint was especially difficult.

Over the past two days, the changes in true energy were obvious, but the mental strength within the ancestral acupoint seemed almost unchanged. Le Kai had thought he hadn’t made any progress, but now it was clear he was mistaken. It seemed that, whether it was true energy or mental strength, each time they were exhausted and restored, there was a certain expansion—the more they were used, the more active they became.

This deepened Le Kai’s fighting spirit. When it came to battle, he was nothing short of a madman.

Rested and brimming with vigor, Le Kai once again set out to challenge King Kong. Though he was still not strong enough to defeat King Kong, every battle brought him something beneficial, and that was far more important than victory itself. Just as when he first met the professor, he thirsted for new experiences and eagerly absorbed the knowledge he needed.

For someone just stepping onto the threshold of martial arts, it was as if he had opened a door to knowledge and entered a boundless sea of stars. Everything within captivated and enchanted him. He desperately needed to learn to swim, so he could roam freely in the vast ocean!

Each increase in strength, each insight, brought him joy and satisfaction.

That damned human is back again!

If King Kong could speak, he would surely have cursed the heavens and earth by now. Sensing Le Kai’s presence, he leapt furiously down the mountain, roaring as he charged, determined to slaughter his prey this time.

Le Kai, now thoroughly familiar with King Kong’s speed, strength, and movements, commanded his own virtual “chessboard” like a grand general, maneuvering with ease. The terrifying storm of attacks was effortlessly evaded, his graceful movements exuding a certain noble aura.

His mastery of the “Unified Step” technique grew more relaxed and spontaneous. Though the technique had endless variations, all things returned to one. With his keen spiritual sense as the foundation, he devised flawless strategies that never failed. The dangers were only apparent, and he emerged unscathed. Compared to his first battle, he was much more at ease.

Unfortunately, his strength was still insufficient to truly harm King Kong. If he poured all his true energy into a single strike, he might injure King Kong, but then he’d have almost no energy left. If King Kong didn’t fall, he’d have no chance to escape. Le Kai wasn’t willing to take such a risk.

For now, he treated King Kong as the perfect sparring partner, refining his “Unified Step” and his self-developed “Chess Tactics.” His mind moved even faster than his body: each movement and change was the result of instantly selecting the optimal plan from several options.

What seemed incredible to others was second nature to Le Kai.

He was highly satisfied with this round of combat. He had extended his endurance from twenty minutes to half an hour. When he sensed his remaining true energy was just enough to use the “Unified Step” to retreat, Le Kai laughed heartily, decisively backed away, and ran off at full speed. His smiling face made him look less like someone fleeing for his life and more like a child at play.

King Kong was so frustrated he could spit blood, pounding his chest angrily and stamping his feet on the ground. He leapt, his eyes glowing with a fierce red light, clearly enraged to the extreme.

Le Kai didn’t notice anything different about King Kong. He retreated to the hillside as usual and stood outside the safe zone, calm and collected. According to past experience, no matter how unwilling King Kong was, he would never cross the “safe zone.” Even if Le Kai stood right in front of him, he would be safe.

But, to Le Kai’s utter surprise, this time things seemed different.

When he stopped and loudly provoked King Kong, the creature charged like a rampaging tank, showing no intention of stopping. Its crimson eyes flashed with a terrifying murderous intent.

What was happening?

A warning flashed in Le Kai’s mind—something was wrong.

Without hesitation, he bolted. Though his true energy was exhausted and he couldn’t fully utilize the “Unified Step,” even a basic application of the technique remained mysterious and profound.

King Kong didn’t stop at the safe zone but roared and lunged straight at him. This time, it was clearly determined to kill Le Kai.

Without the support of true energy, and having hesitated for a moment, the distance between King Kong and Le Kai rapidly closed. He could hear King Kong’s heavy breathing and smell the nauseating stench.

The sense of danger grew stronger. Le Kai was horrified—he hadn’t felt such a deadly threat in a long time. Thanks to his abilities, he was usually able to sense danger early and devise countermeasures. Sometimes things appeared perilous, but only he knew everything was under control. Now, however, things were spiraling out of control.

King Kong wasn’t following the invisible rules as before, and Le Kai hadn’t anticipated this situation. Such a fatal miscalculation had plunged him into limitless peril.

Clearly, nothing in the world is absolute—those words were truly wise!

Since there was no escape, he would fight!

Le Kai never feared battle!