Exotic Battlefield: I Can Activate Dual Talents
Chapter 80 - 78, miss in one strike, retreat away swiftly.

Chapter 80: 78, miss in one strike, retreat away swiftly.

"Who’s there!"

"Come out!"

"I’ve already seen you!" Lu Lin shouted loudly, cautiously looking around.

Suddenly, a vicious gust of wind swept by, and Lu Lin quickly turned his head.

He saw a short arrow fly past his ear.

Lu Lin quickly dropped to the ground, cautiously looking in the direction the arrow had come from.

There was no one, and no sound.

When the short arrow landed, Lu Lin cautiously went to inspect it, crouching low, trying his best not to expose himself to the enemy’s line of sight.

Luckily, the basketball court was overgrown with weeds and littered with garbage. As long as Lu Lin was careful, he wouldn’t be easily spotted.

The short arrow on the ground was only as long as Lu Lin’s palm and made entirely of iron. It had three blood grooves on the arrowhead. One could imagine that once this arrow penetrates the body, it would not only create a bleeding wound but also prevent the injured Martial Artist from quickly sealing it. This short arrow is not simple.

Lu Lin didn’t dare grab it with his bare hands, fearing it might be poisoned. Slowly adjusting his position, he observed his surroundings.

He had learned about such things in school. The range of a short arrow wasn’t very far, usually within 30 meters. Even with a powerful crossbow, lethal force could not be guaranteed beyond 30 meters. Of course, short arrows had their advantages: the launching equipment was small and easy to hide. Secondly, short arrows had a high launch speed and strong penetration. If poison was applied to a short arrow, it was truly a matter of life and death.

An effective shooting range of 30 meters.

Lu Lin narrowed his eyes and scanned his surroundings. Sure enough, he spotted something.

A figure was squatting within a clump of weeds. That must be the person who ambushed me.

Lu Lin cautiously approached the other party. He currently had no long-range Star Skills, so close combat was his only option.

He drew closer. Ten meters, five meters... Lu Lin could now clearly see the other party’s camouflage uniform and matching face towel. Indeed, it’s not easy to spot them amidst the weeds.

What was more surprising was that from the spot where Lu Lin was attacked to his current proximity to the ambusher, the person hadn’t moved an inch. He wasn’t sure if the person genuinely hadn’t seen his movements, or was pretending not to see, waiting for me to get closer so they could strike with another arrow.

A layer of Stone Skin already covered Lu Lin’s body, his muscles tensed, ready to react to an enemy ambush at any moment.

Just then, an idea popped into his head. Don’t I still have the Star Skill Roar? Rather than cautiously guarding against the enemy’s sneak attack, it’s better to actively disrupt their plan.

Lu Lin smiled faintly and yelled at the figure, "Come and get me!"

The ambusher squatting in the grass hadn’t expected Lu Lin to use such a tactic. Caught off guard, a sudden, invisible force pushed him right in front of Lu Lin.

Their eyes were gloomy and vicious.

All Lu Lin could see were those eyes. As the other party clumsily adjusted their aim, Lu Lin leaped into the air.

Ten Steps Kill.

Seize the Gap.

SWISH! His knife slashed out.

Lu Lin’s attack, however, didn’t touch the opponent at all.

At the critical moment, the other party somehow managed to leap into mid-air, evading Lu Lin’s sure-hit move.

Then, they turned and fled.

Lu Lin hadn’t expected the attacker to be so decisive. Compared to the artist who preferred a head-on confrontation, this person seemed more like an assassin.

"You..."

Lu Lin rushed forward quickly, wanting to capture the person. But that person seemed to know the terrain around the basketball court very well. After several turns, Lu Lin could see the person just a short distance ahead but still couldn’t catch them.

Bending down, Lu Lin picked up a brick from the ground and hurled it fiercely at the person.

Hearing the whistling wind, the person likely thought Lu Lin was attacking again. They tried to dodge but the brick struck their lower back, causing them to stagger.

Great opportunity, Lu Lin thought, picking up another brick and hurling it at his opponent.

This time, however, the man was prepared. Hearing the wind, he adjusted his position and evaded Lu Lin’s attack.

It didn’t matter. While his opponent was dodging the brick, Lu Lin had already sprinted forward and was about to reach the man.

Suddenly—

BANG!

A muffled sound erupted.

A thick cloud of smoke suddenly rose before Lu Lin, obscuring his vision. The smoke not only blocked Lu Lin’s sight, but he also unintentionally inhaled some.

"COUGH, COUGH, COUGH..."

Lu Lin felt as if his throat was on fire and coughed violently. He knew that this was the most dangerous moment.

Lu Lin coughed a few times, quickly held his breath, and dropped to the ground. He silently prayed that his opponent wouldn’t take this opportunity to attack him.

However, he didn’t know that the man had already fled far away.

Reaching the back gate of Lishui Bay Community, the man removed his camouflage and face towel, stuffing them into a pre-prepared schoolbag. With the bag slung over his right shoulder, he limped back into the Lishui Bay Community.

He muttered to himself, "This son of a bitch Lu Lin sure is difficult to deal with."

Soon after, his figure merged into the crowd entering the community, his destination unknown.

Lu Lin waited in place for ten minutes but heard no unusual sounds. But he didn’t dare to reveal himself. The attacker had clearly demonstrated proficiency in ambushes and possessed commendable patience. If he stepped out recklessly, he might be hit by another of the attacker’s arrows.

The smoke cleared.

Lu Lin cautiously raised his head and looked around.

There was no movement. The chirping of insects came from the surrounding bushes, and he could see wild sparrows flying down to look for food.

Safe. I should be safe now.

Lu Lin used his Perceive Star Skill to carefully scan his surroundings. Only when he was certain no one was left did he stand up.

He walked over to the spot where the man had been hit by the brick and instantly realized the attacker had already fled.

However, Lu Lin didn’t feel relieved in the slightest.

This time, I was vigilant because I noticed the missing basketball hoop and was able to react. If this had happened in an unfamiliar place, the attacker might have succeeded. The entire confrontation, from start to finish, had only involved the man shooting one arrow and Lu Lin throwing two bricks. But only I knew the true danger involved.

Sweating profusely, Lu Lin had lost all interest in practicing his Ten Steps Kill at the basketball court.

He didn’t know why, but he felt a sense of disharmony with this basketball court. Was it because I cut down the basketball hoop while practicing the Ten Steps Kill?

Lu Lin didn’t want to dwell on it, so he called Guan Yue to ask about nearby Cultivation Rooms.

Guan Yue answered the phone instantly, as if she had been waiting for his call.

After understanding Lu Lin’s needs, Guan Yue said she knew a place run by a friend of hers. If Lu Lin wanted to go, she offered to drive him.

Lu Lin couldn’t dissuade Guan Yue, so he had no choice but to agree to meet her at the community entrance.

「Half an hour later, Lu Lin got out of the car.」

"Frenzied Kill Boxing Gym."

This was the place Guan Yue had introduced to Lu Lin: a boxing gym that served as a fitness center, a place for cultivation, martial arts instruction, and sparring.

A bald man in a men’s tank top stood at the entrance. Seeing Guan Yue, he quickly came forward to greet her.

"Miss, you’re here."

"Hmm, where’s my Dad?"

"Miss, the Gym Master is on the arena on the second floor, sparring with a young man. I’ll take you up right away."

"No need."

"Lu Lin, let’s go."

Guan Yue waved her hand impatiently, hooked Lu Lin’s arm, and led him up to the second floor.

From the outside, the Frenzied Kill Boxing Gym didn’t seem particularly large, but the inside was unexpectedly spacious.

The first floor housed a fitness area and a yoga area, with many coaches leading students through workouts. Neat rows of fitness equipment were spread across the floor, where plenty of muscular men were sweating profusely.

But to Lu Lin, it was nothing special.

Ordinary people, before their Talents awakened, could only slowly and inefficiently absorb the surrounding Star Power Factors using their Star Core. Even if they practiced for a lifetime, their strength could never surpass that of a Star Core Warrior, let alone their reaction speed or agility.