My Monster-Derived Skills Are the True Power
Chapter 2: Fighting with a Ball

The two worst scenarios for a temporal walker’s traversal:

Arriving in a desolate area like a desert or ocean, completely uninhabited.

Appearing directly in a densely populated location.

Unfortunately, Li Ye’s debut fell into the second category.

He materialized in the middle of what seemed to be a gathering. The ground under his feet was oddly soft—if his senses weren’t mistaken, he was stepping on a person.

What the hell?!

How could he get such a cursed start? No wonder the mortality rate for temporal walkers was so high…

Scanning his surroundings, Li Ye found himself in a spacious cave. Torches lined the walls, illuminating the place as brightly as daytime.

Directly ahead stood a ragged beggar leaning on a cudgel, staring at him in shock. Around him, a group of martial artists, armed with swords and knives, appeared frozen, their eyes locked onto Li Ye.

Li Ye swallowed hard.

Bad news: He seemed to have landed in a martial-arts world and was now surrounded by locals.

Good news: His dramatic entrance had stunned everyone, giving him a little time to think.

Bad news: That time wouldn’t last long.

In an instant, the moment for contemplation vanished.

The beggar snapped out of his daze, pointed his cudgel at Li Ye, and barked, “Who are you?”

“An immortal,” Li Ye replied with feigned calm, quickly checking his remaining belongings: a tactical knife, a gold ingot, and the football club badge—the one item guaranteed not to be lost in the spatial turbulence. Everything else had been scattered.

To ensure a temporal walker’s safety, they were outfitted with ample supplies before traversing: guns, glow sticks, emergency food, medical kits, and so on. However, while the demonic energy ensured the walker’s survival, it didn’t protect the items they carried. As a result, most supplies were typically lost during traversal. Ending up with two or three usable items was already considered lucky.

If only he still had his assault rifle, Li Ye wouldn’t be sweating right now.

“An immortal?” The beggar hesitated, his earlier confidence faltering. His hand instinctively moved to lower the cudgel.

Before he could act, a voice interrupted, “Immortal, my ass! His aura is unstable, his gaze shifty, and even his hair is fake. He’s nothing more than a charlatan using tricks to appear among us!”

The statement caused an uproar.

In an instant, the crowd shifted from astonishment to fury, weapons raised.

“Take him down, Old Hu!”

“Could he be from the Scarlet Flame Sect? Old Zhang was trampled to death by him!”

“We can’t let him escape, or all our plans will be for nothing!”

Damn it!

Li Ye glanced at the enraged crowd blocking his escape route and the distant, unreachable cave exit. He couldn’t help but curse silently.

At this point, his understanding of this world was still a blur. The only useful clues he had were the mention of the "Scarlet Flame Sect" and the fact that this group seemed to be plotting something. Beyond that, he knew nothing.

At least the locals’ language sounded like a southern Chinese dialect, so communication didn’t seem to be a problem. Language barriers were typically the greatest obstacle in traversing, but data from other walkers suggested some subtle connection between Earth and other universes, reflected in shared languages and human-like appearances.

Otherwise, the techniques brought back from other worlds wouldn’t work on Earth either. This anomaly was why exploring the link between worlds was an additional hidden task for temporal walkers.

As for Li Ye’s traditional garb, it was the result of collective experience from other temporal walkers. Dressing in period clothing made it easier to blend into martial-arts worlds, and in technologically advanced worlds, removing a wig would suffice to pass off as a cosplayer.

But who could’ve guessed that the "perfect disguise" would be seen through immediately in Li Ye’s case?

Facing the hostile crowd, Li Ye tightened his grip on the football club badge. His survival now hinged on this demon artifact.

Before his departure, the Demon Capture Office had analyzed the badge’s potential:

Unity, Perseverance, Progress, and Glory—those were the four directions experts believed could activate the artifact’s abilities.

Looking at his current situation, none of these seemed applicable, except maybe perseverance…

Surrounded by enemies, perseverance didn’t seem like the best option either. Even if these people weren’t martial arts experts, just a group of armed thugs, he didn’t stand a chance in a direct fight.

“Everyone…” Li Ye began, attempting an explanation, but the crowd gave him no chance.

The beggar lunged forward, swinging his cudgel at Li Ye’s head. A burly man behind him simultaneously rushed in, throwing a punch aimed at his back. Their movements were swift and decisive, leaving no room for mercy.

The surrounding fighters shifted positions, their weapons raised, cutting off any possible escape routes.

Sh*t!

The cudgel loomed large in Li Ye’s vision, hurtling straight for his skull. His intended explanation was forcibly swallowed back.

At that moment, all thoughts of unity, progress, and perseverance evaporated. Instinctively, Li Ye stumbled backward, only to trip over the body beneath him—the poor soul likely killed by the spatial turbulence.

As he staggered, his right foot stepped on the corpse’s head.

Suddenly, a series of soccer dribbling techniques flashed through Li Ye’s mind.

At the same time, a warm surge flowed from the badge into his body. Without thinking, Li Ye’s right foot hooked and flicked, sending the corpse’s head rolling away.

With another flick, the head flew between the beggar’s legs, allowing Li Ye to pivot sharply to the left with astonishing speed.

Whoosh!

The cudgel swept past his shoulder, smashing heavily into the ground. The punch from behind also missed its mark.

The beggar, clearly skilled, instantly adjusted, redirecting the cudgel toward Li Ye’s side. Li Ye reacted by dropping low, sliding smoothly as if channeling a kung-fu monk, and kicking the beggar’s shin with precision.

Crack!

A sharp snap echoed.

The beggar’s leg bent at an unnatural angle. With a scream, he collapsed, clutching his leg and writhing in agony.

Li Ye stood up, firmly planting his foot on the decapitated head. He scanned his surroundings and quickly identified escape routes amidst the chaos.

So this is what it feels like to have demonic energy coursing through you?

The rush was exhilarating.

Though basic soccer moves, when enhanced by the demonic energy, Li Ye’s actions were blindingly fast and shockingly effective. The head and body separated cleanly with minimal effort, far sharper than any blade.

The beggar’s broken leg was another shock. Li Ye hadn’t used much force, yet the leg snapped like a twig.

A mix of excitement and dread bubbled within him. The demonic energy not only replenished his stamina but also strengthened his physique.

No wonder the walls of the Demon Capture Office are covered with warnings. The allure of demon artifacts is dangerously addictive. Without restraint, it’s only a matter of time before one succumbs.

“Old Hu!”

The burly man, seemingly the beggar’s friend, roared in fury. With bloodshot eyes, he charged at Li Ye, fists aimed at his temples. “Die, scum!”

At the same time, a swordsman thrust his blade toward Li Ye’s chest.

Being consumed by demonic energy might lead to losing one’s humanity, but who cared about that when survival was at stake?

Sensing the punch behind him, Li Ye instinctively lashed out with his heel, striking the burly man squarely between the legs.

Thud!

A dull sound rang out as the man was sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground.

Li Ye’s foot continued forward, sending the decapitated head hurtling toward the swordsman’s face.

The swordsman dodged, but in that split second, Li Ye closed the distance, slamming his elbow into the man’s nose.

Crack!

The swordsman collapsed in a daze, clutching his broken nose.

In mere moments, Li Ye had incapacitated three opponents. He placed his foot back on the head, spat on the ground, and surveyed the crowd like he’d done this a thousand times before.