WEF - Chapter 17
Chapter 17: Are We Going Together Tomorrow to Get Beat Up?...
Through the windshield, they could see Iron Face racing toward them like a cannonball.
"Still planning to turn around?" Wang You asked nervously. "If you floor it, Iron Face shouldn't be able to catch us."
The suggestion was perfectly reasonable, just a little too humiliating. If they were sitting in the car fleeing in panic now, the persona Ning Dali had just built would shatter into pieces.
Ning Dali covertly ground her back teeth, but her eyebrows rose in arrogant defiance. Her tone was dismissive, as though Wang You had merely hallucinated the suggestion to turn back.
"It's just a rebound. Do you think I can't fight?"
Don't be ridiculous. She had healing and defensive skills... Besides, she could see the ambulance and the doctor in the white coat.
The professionals were all here. Ning Dali had no need to worry about killing herself with her own reflected damage.
This was more than a turf war. For Ning Dali, it was a precious opportunity for an experiment.
She had too little experience in real combat and knew too little about abilities. She needed to test herself and confirm whether the idea in her mind could truly be realized.
A subtle mixture of misgiving and worry crossed Wang You's face, but seeing how certain Ning Dali seemed, she obediently pressed the brake.
The elegant Rolls-Royce stopped in front of Iron Face. Its scissor doors opened, and after Ning Dali stepped out, it whizzed to the safest spot beside the ambulance.
The smile vanished from Iron Face's face the instant she saw Ning Dali get out.
Her gaze rose, and when she met Ning Dali's eyes, she could not help but exclaim, "Good heavens. There really are people beautiful enough to be a waste of food."
"Iron Face," Ning Dali said, pretending not to have heard her, and extended a hand for a handshake. "I've long heard of you."
"The same goes for you," Iron Face said, reaching out.
Their hands clasped in what looked like a friendly greeting. Iron Face's palm was icy, as though it really were made of iron.
Ning Dali tightened her grip. Almost at the same moment, the color of her Shield dimmed by one part in a thousand.
Wang You's information had been accurate. Iron Face really could reflect damage, but... Ning Dali looked down at the creases Iron Face's palm had acquired beneath her grip.
Being able to reflect damage did not mean Iron Face could not be hurt.
She could reflect only part of the damage. The rest still had to be borne by herself.
If she could reflect unlimited damage at 100 percent, she could not possibly have only a Three-Character Ability.
As long as she could still be hurt, she was not invincible. That meant she could fight!
Ning Dali had her answer.
She released Iron Face's hand in a flash, then swiftly patted her shoulder.
Iron Face bared a row of clean white teeth in a grin. Without making the slightest move to dodge or defend herself, she shouted cheerfully, "Ah, good! I love a fight without any useless talk!"
So happy? Had Ning Dali misjudged? Did this woman receive some benefit from being beaten? Could she, like Ning Dali, break through the limits of imagination? The more she was hit, the better she could take it?
A string of thoughts raced through Ning Dali's mind, but they did not slow her attack.
Ning Dali's hand fell lightly on Iron Face's shoulder.
Pat. Pat. Pat. Three blows in quick succession.
The Shield surrounding Ning Dali visibly dimmed, though it did not vanish completely.
Iron Face's shoulder collapsed inward. Half her body became a bloody ruin, and dark blue blood sprayed everywhere.
Ning Dali's gaze lingered on the dark blue blood for a moment. Then, imitating the otherworldly expert from a martial arts film, she said with delight, satisfaction, and approval, "You held up against three attacks from me. Not bad."
Iron Face's feet remained stubbornly planted in the ground. Half her body sprayed blood like a ruptured pipe, and her face twisted as she gasped for air. After three seconds, she had recovered enough to respond without losing face. "You can hit me this hard. You're not bad yourself."
The two of them exchanged a few bloody pleasantries, probing the depths of each other's abilities. Neither moved to continue.
Iron Face was using every moment to adjust her condition and recover as quickly as possible so that she could keep taking the hits.
Ning Dali was waiting for Iron Face to recover, observing her and trying to determine the effects of her ability.
Of everyone present, the doctor protected by [Shield] was the most relaxed.
She whistled at the bleeding Iron Face, then turned to the frowning Zhao Jin. "It feels like a long time since I've seen Iron Face get hurt. What a rarity."
"That's because you never leave the base and never scramble for airdrops." Zhao Jin said calmly. Through the ambulance's window, the corner of her eye remained fixed on Ning Dali.
Others might not know the details of Iron Face's ability, but Zhao Jin knew them fairly well.
One of the effects of [Hit Me?] was as follows:
When attacked, Iron Face could trigger a reflection effect, returning 60 percent of the damage she received along its original path to strike the attacker precisely.
In other words, when Ning Dali attacked, Iron Face bore 40 percent of the damage, while Ning Dali had to bear 60 percent!
Iron Face, who was known for having a defensive ability, was now bloody and barely able to stand. Yet Ning Dali, who had taken more damage, remained composed, smiling, and talking as though nothing were wrong.
Zhao Jin quickly assessed Ning Dali's strength from the injuries she had witnessed. What she had seen with her own eyes was far more terrifying than hearsay, and the more she watched, the more alarmed she became.
Ning Dali's attack power was comparable to that of a user of a two-character attack-type ability, or even slightly greater. Those weightless slaps seemed to have no limit; she could land as many as she liked.
Her defense was even more horrifying. Attacks struck her like stones sinking into the depths of the sea, making it impossible to gauge the limits of her strength!
"Truly terrifying." Zhao Jin's voice had gone dry. "Have you made a preliminary diagnosis yet? You've been staring at Ning Dali for five minutes."
"Ning Dali has a concept-type ability." The doctor calmly used [Precise Diagnosis]. "Neither her attacks nor her defense come from her own strength. Both rely on outside power."
"Her weakness is an inability to fight for long. Every attack and every defense consumes what she accumulated in the past."
The doctor calculated for a moment. "She still has quite a few attacks left, but as for her defense... Wait. After two more hits, her true limits will show."
Some of Zhao Jin's tension eased. "You are certain your diagnosis has no problems?"
"I can't say for certain." The doctor shook her head. "If her ability had a one- or two-character name, my diagnosis would be badly mistaken."
"But a user of a One- or Two-Character Ability would never take Iron Face, who has a Three-Character Ability, as an opponent. Since Ning Dali has neither, my diagnosis cannot be wrong."
To speed up the fight and verify her judgment as soon as possible, the doctor secretly used several skills on Iron Face, shortening the break between rounds.
Iron Face, who had been panting heavily, suddenly looked much better. The blood flowing from her wounds also stopped.
She turned toward the ambulance, raised her little finger, and called out in a strong voice, "I didn't ask you to heal me, and I'm not paying the medical bill!"
Without waiting for the doctor's response, Iron Face pounded her chest with a fist, preparing to make some bold declaration about continuing the fight.
Ning Dali had already moved.
In truth, almost none of her Shield remained. There was no time to start telling lies on the spot.
Her Shield came mainly from three great lies spread online: "I eat beef three meals a day," "My ability is [Strongman]," and "A teammate drooled at my arm."
The first two were no longer lies and could no longer provide her with a Shield.
The remaining lie had not spread nearly as far, though. The value of her Shield was still rising, but far too slowly.
If she attacked Iron Face twice more, her Shield would vanish completely and her defense would break.
Ning Dali still lightly stamped one foot against the ground and conducted a covert experiment.
A ring of invisible force erupted beneath her feet, its energy spreading outward in every direction like a wave.
Iron Face felt the ground shudder beneath her feet. The next thing she knew, she was flying backward, entirely beyond her control.
Bang.
Several seconds later, she crashed into the ground. At the same time, 60 percent of the damage rebounded onto Ning Dali.
As expected, she could change the form of her attacks; she was not limited to patting someone on the shoulder... Ning Dali thought.
She did not stop. Her Shield had already grown so thin that it was almost imperceptible, yet she still brought her hands together and carelessly clapped once.
A crisp crack rang out. Instantly, twice the energy erupted from her joined palms. The air vibrated at high frequency, and the resulting pressure struck everyone's eardrums.
Diiing...
Everyone except the doctor covered their ears at once. A sharp ringing burst from deep within their ear canals, making every sound shrill and indistinct.
Iron Face rolled on the ground with her hands over her ears.
Ning Dali had given her special attention, dealing her more than ten times the damage the others had received. Her ears were injured, and wounds of varying severity appeared all over her body.
A metallic taste welled up in Ning Dali's throat, and a piercing noise filled her ears.
Her face was pale as paper. Her organs and ribs were suffering the backlash of the reflected damage, waves of agonizing pain sweeping through her body, yet her eyes burned with excitement and anticipation.
She could still keep attacking, but her body had reached its limit.
Then... now.
[Strongman] Skill Three: I Have Fed Myself Well! Activate!
The flow of time seemed to stop for one second.
In an instant, Ning Dali felt a tremendous surge of power flood her body. During that "stopped" second, her shattered, bleeding organs healed rapidly, while her broken ribs knitted back together with faint sounds of growth.
Her body no longer hurt. The noise in her ears subsided. Sunlight bloomed across her skin once more, and the familiar strength returned to her palms.
These changes seemed to require both time and a process.
Yet under the skill, they seemed to require no time at all, taking effect in the space of a single thought.
I have fed myself well.
Skill effect: once every 24 hours, refresh the user's condition, clear all negative effects, and forcibly restore the user to their optimal state.
The optimal state meant the thickest Shield and the greatest number of attacks available!
"[Strongman], I offer my heartfelt apologies for taking you lightly when I first gained you. I was too young to understand what made you so good..." Ning Dali said to herself.
She glanced at Iron Face, who was lying on the ground and unable to crawl to her feet, then turned. With a perceptive sweep of her gaze, she looked straight at the doctor.
The doctor protected by [Shield] took a step backward in fear.
She reached to one side as if looking for something to lean on, then lowered her head and saw that everyone else was on the ground, clutching their ears and too busy to help.
Ning Dali walked toward the doctor one step at a time until she reached the ambulance.
She raised a hand and lightly tapped the transparent window.
"What is Iron Face's diagnosis?" Ning Dali asked.
The doctor's eyes widened in shock. In a panic, she said, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Ning Dali has a concept-type ability."
"Her attacks, her defense, none of them come from her own strength..." Ning Dali repeated the doctor's and Zhao Jin's words, word for word.
"..."
Was the ambulance's soundproofing really that bad? Could Ning Dali have some kind of eavesdropping ability that captured every sound in the surrounding area? Why was this person so guarded?
Ning Dali gave a smile that was not quite a smile and tapped the glass again.
Repeating the conversation did not require any ability, because Ning Dali could read lips.
The doctor had been standing in exactly this spot when she made her diagnosis.
Ning Dali had seen every word the doctor had spoken.
This world actually had someone who could diagnose other people's abilities and conditions.
Even Ning Dali's weakness and exactly how many more hits she could take had been diagnosed so clearly... Anxiety crept into Ning Dali's heart, but her fingers continued tapping the glass as she threatened the doctor.
"What is Iron Face's ability diagnosis?" Ning Dali asked again. "If you don't tell me, I will tell everyone your secret. Then everyone will know that you have been secretly diagnosing their abilities. Your Fertile Base can prepare to shut down."
"..."
If she had not been protected by [Shield], the doctor would already be crying.
"You have half a minute left," Ning Dali said impatiently. "Everyone around you has tinnitus. What are you afraid of?"
How thoughtful of her.
"The attack methods you use were copied from Ying. I have seen injuries like this. If you do not want others to know your secret, then you had better keep mine." The doctor's voice suddenly hardened.
Ning Dali gave the doctor a strange look. "Who said this was my secret?"
"Ying made a special trip to give me attack methods. What a moving display of friendship. I can hardly wait to tell the whole world."
The doctor's eyes went wide, but she struggled to recover. "I don't believe that."
"If you don't believe me, then you absolutely must spread it everywhere."
Ning Dali placed great hopes in the doctor, thinking that this time she could exploit the Shadow King's fame to spread a little lie and have herself beaten by the Shadow King. When that happened, she would have both Shield and attacks. She could become strong again.
The doctor realized in despair that Ning Dali had turned her own words into something wonderful.
This person truly was not afraid of her spreading the so-called "secret." Far from being afraid, she seemed to be looking forward to it.
"If you still do not tell me what I want to know..." Ning Dali took out her smart device and waved it threateningly in front of the doctor, "I will post the effects of your ability online."
"One of the effects of Iron Face's ability that you just heard is damage reflection."
"The other two are that every time she suffers a serious injury, she can increase her own defense. The greater the damage, the greater the increase."
"The last is that she can sense anyone who has ever inflicted a serious injury on her once that person comes within two kilometers of her."
Ning Dali's heart skipped a beat. "No way. You know the effects of her ability this clearly?"
Then she remembered something else. Anyone who wanted to join Fertile Base had to register the name of an ability, and Fertile Base had a way of checking whether the name was correct.
"Given the name of an ability and a diagnosis, you can learn the effects of other abilities?" Ning Dali narrowed her eyes, and a flash of murderous intent passed through them.
"I am a doctor, not a fortune teller. It is not that mystical."
The doctor spoke with weary frustration. "Do you think Iron Face's effects are difficult to guess? As for damage reflection, there is no need to explain it. Everyone who has fought her knows it. As for how her defense strengthens the more she is hit, anyone who spends a little time with her can discover that."
"As for the last one, sensing within two kilometers... Iron Face told me herself after receiving the anesthetic. She was not in her right mind, and she grabbed my hand while telling me!"
"I do not know everyone's abilities this clearly." The doctor said it with obvious concern for her own survival. "Iron Face is an exception."
Ning Dali clenched her fingers, suddenly wishing she had a Truth Crystal.
She still wanted to ask more, but Zhao Jin had already climbed back to her feet, positively green with envy.
Ning Dali calmly closed her mouth.
Blood was still flowing from Zhao Jin's ears, yet she stubbornly continued working.
She first looked at Ning Dali with awe and respect, then arranged for her colleagues to carry the battered Iron Face outside and load her onto the ambulance.
This was all the doctor's handiwork... Zhao Jin shoved the dazed doctor and pointed to her ear.
The doctor's facial muscles twitched, and she instinctively looked at Ning Dali.
Ning Dali did not even blink. "Why are you looking at me?"
The doctor drew a deep breath and, with a deep sense of frustration, began treating every person's tinnitus without charging a fee.
Base staff carried Iron Face to the ambulance on a stretcher.
Having taken Ning Dali's attacks directly, Iron Face was still conscious. After the doctor performed a few simple treatments, Iron Face rose straight to her feet from the stretcher.
"Boss." Iron Face limped over to Ning Dali and strained onto her toes. After Ning Dali permitted it, she leaned close to her ear and quietly issued an invitation. "The doctor just whispered to me that you can copy the Shadow King's attacks. What a coincidence. Shall we go together tomorrow to get beat up?..."
On another stretcher in the ambulance, Ke Jian, who had finally come around, opened her eyes.
She glanced vaguely to one side and saw her ironclad friend with an arm slung around Ning Dali's shoulders, calling her "boss."
"..."
She toppled backward.
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