Chapter Eighteen: The More You Fight, the Stronger You Become

With a snap of his tail against the ground, Zhou Tian instantly sprang away from his spot, causing the attacks meant to kill him to strike nothing but empty earth. Knowing his position was already exposed, Zhou Tian didn’t bother with the stealthy tactics he’d used before. Eyes narrowed, he swept a glance over the beastmen, and in the next instant, channeled the spiritual energy at his command to empower himself.

His Deadly Venom ability, the most formidable weapon in his arsenal, was the first thing Zhou Tian thought to enhance. Pouring vast amounts of spiritual energy into it, his serpent venom underwent a triple leap in potency.

…Level 7, Level 8, Level 9, Level 10. The moment Zhou Tian raised his venom skill to its peak, he didn’t have time for further upgrades; the relentless pursuit of the beastmen forced him to close the system store and launch a counterattack even as he fled.

Mouth slightly agape, Zhou Tian unleashed a stream of venom at one of the beastmen before they could even reach him. Typically, a snake injects its venom when it sinks its fangs into prey, so the beastmen, though wary of Zhou Tian’s venomous bite, were wholly unprepared for this sudden spray of deadly liquid. Taken completely by surprise, the targeted beastman failed to dodge; the venom struck him squarely.

Full-strength venom was no idle threat. Even before Zhou Tian had reached this level, few survived his bite. Now, with his ability maxed, the toxicity of his serpent’s venom had grown exponentially. As with any power, the gains became more astonishing with each increase in level, and Zhou Tian’s venom was no exception. Its lethality was now multiplied severalfold. At this stage, even a casual exhalation could be fatal to lesser creatures.

With a sinister hiss, the beastman hit directly by the venom’s blast turned ashen in an instant, collapsing dead before he could utter a word. The venom’s destructive force did not end there. As the body hit the ground, flesh dissolved into a puddle of poisonous water, which began to evaporate, releasing a toxic vapor. Several beastmen nearby, caught unawares, inhaled the vapor and fell clutching their throats, dead within moments.

Even Zhou Tian was startled by the lethality of his own venom. Though he knew the Deadly Venom ability would be formidable at full strength, he had not imagined it would become so terrifying. The number of beastmen slain was not great, but the effect was profound. Even the bravest among them shrank back, unwilling to risk such a gruesome demise. Having witnessed the dreadful power of Zhou Tian’s venom, the surviving beastmen halted their advance, fearful of coming any closer.

Taking advantage of their hesitation, Zhou Tian hurriedly reopened the system store and bought a potion. “Body Enhancement Elixir, price: one thousand spiritual energy. (Effect: Constitution +10; diminishing returns with multiple doses.)” Zhou Tian had intended to use a more potent elixir to strengthen himself, but given the urgency of his situation, he had no choice but to prioritize survival, even if it meant some waste.

He downed the potion in one gulp, and his one-and-a-half-meter-long body instantly swelled to two meters, as if inflated. The beastmen stared in astonishment; Zhou Tian had already transformed three times in the span of a short battle. If this continued, they could scarcely imagine how powerful he might become.

Whether out of vengeance for their fallen comrades or fear that Zhou Tian would soon outmatch them entirely, the beastmen, after a moment’s shock, surged forward to attack once more. Zhou Tian lashed out with his tail, sending one beastman flying, but as he did so, another seized the opportunity to slash at his side with a blade.

Hissing in pain, Zhou Tian retaliated, biting his attacker’s shoulder and injecting venom. The beastman died instantly. Zhou Tian’s performance was impressive at first, but in truth, his original strength was too meager. Even with three enhancements, he remained only on par with the beastmen. Despite Mu Zhan blocking the strongest foes and a squad of elves providing cover fire, Zhou Tian still found it hard to keep up under assault.

By his own strength, Zhou Tian could never have held out long against the encircling beastmen. Fortunately, his venom was a powerful deterrent, keeping his enemies at bay. Still, disparity in strength was clear. No matter how cautiously the beastmen engaged, as Zhou Tian accumulated wounds, his endurance began to wane.

“Damn it! Why haven’t I leveled up yet?” Normally, any negative condition would be instantly healed upon leveling up, so Zhou Tian had hoped to recover by gaining another level. But he had overestimated himself; his experience bar was only halfway filled, while his wounds were already hampering his movement. He could hold out a little longer, but if he didn’t heal soon, he risked being finished off by the next lucky strike.

No amount of spiritual energy mattered if he lost his life. Reluctant to waste resources but fearing for his safety, Zhou Tian made a decision. After slaying another beastman and seeing his foes hesitate, he quickly opened the system store and exchanged for a new item.

“Healing Sentinel, price: two thousand spiritual energy. (Effect: All allies within fifty meters continuously recover from minor wounds.)”

(Thanks to “Novice Wordsmith” for the 200-point donation. My sincere gratitude.)