Chapter 6

Putting aside the subjective factors of being beaten and losing face, objectively speaking, accepting this special mission is indeed a highly profitable venture—there are rewards for completing the task, no punishment for failing, and all Xu Dong needs to do is endure some beatings, which won't even cause serious injuries. Under such circumstances, why not accept it?

Xu Dong, who had been abstinent for a year, chose to accept the mission with the speed of a man who suddenly sees a naked top-tier beauty on his bed and pounces on her madly.

Special Mission: North Corner Big Bear's Punch

Mission Description: In the Great Chen Empire, martial arts are prevalent, and sparring and practice are ubiquitous, sometimes even serving as important means for resolving disputes. North Corner Big Bear is the village constable, and he is very curious about how you managed to kill ten guard dogs. Thus, he has developed a desire to test you. Please endure ten rounds under North Corner Big Bear's attacks, with each attack counting as one round. The more rounds you endure, the higher the mission evaluation.

Mission Completion Reward: Agility Talent Skill

Mission Failure Punishment: None

After reading the mission description, Xu Dong knew there was no way to cheat. Once he left the range of Big Bear's attacks, it wouldn't count as "enduring." However, the only good news was that "dodging" seemed to be allowed during the sparring.

With his experience from completing previous special missions, Xu Dong's thoughts naturally expanded. He couldn't help but ponder: This agility talent skill would certainly be crucial for his future development. Should he choose to "dodge" and adapt, or should he stick to "defending" and go all the way?

In an instant, Xu Dong had made up his mind. He nodded forcefully and said, "I'm more than willing!"

North Corner Big Bear became the constable partly due to his flesh armor strength and partly because his combat skills were unmatched in the village. When he competed for the position, North Corner Village was not the desolate place it is now but was populous and prosperous. The praise of being unmatched in the village was quite significant.

After Xu Dong prepared, North Corner Big Bear took a deep breath and said, "Be careful, I'm going to attack!"

As he spoke, he crouched and twisted his waist. The muscles on his bare upper body and waist bulged as he channeled his waist strength, arm strength, and wrist strength into his fist, creating a powerful surge. Instantly, a whooshing sound came, and Xu Dong felt as if someone was swinging a baseball bat with all their might, creating immense pressure!

It was only at this moment that Xu Dong realized his body had been significantly enhanced since he came to this world. In the past, he would have been unable to track the trajectory of the punch, but now he could vaguely see a trace. He instinctively twisted his body to dodge, but a scene from his previous life flashed before his eyes. He gritted his teeth and suddenly swung his hand, as if swatting away a fly, towards the trace of the incoming punch.

Xu Dong's move was somewhat lucky, and he managed to "slap" Big Bear's arm with a "pa" sound, redirecting the punch with a "four ounces moving a thousand pounds" effect, defusing the attack without much trouble.

Although he only used "four ounces" of force, Big Bear's strength was not something to be trifled with. It was real and hard-earned. Even though their arms only "brushed" past each other, Xu Dong felt the skin on his arm burn, and he saw a large, red, swollen area when he glanced at it, which was very noticeable!

Xu Dong swallowed hard, thinking that if the punch had hit his shoulder...

North Corner Big Bear's eyes lit up, and he roared, "Good block! Let's go again!"

The punch missed, but Big Bear showed no regret. As he quickly retracted his fist, his other fist shot from his waist towards Xu Dong's abdomen, giving the impression of being silent and lightning-fast. The angle and speed were perfect, leaving Xu Dong no room to dodge.

Knowing he couldn't dodge in time, Xu Dong quickly squatted in a horse stance and crossed his hands in front of his abdomen. Just as he finished these actions, the other's fist hit him heavily.

A dull thud echoed, and Xu Dong involuntarily spat out a mouthful of saliva. He felt as if he had been struck by a massive iron hammer, and his feet were dragged back, leaving two trails on the ground as he moved back three steps.

The power of the punch was terrifying. Xu Dong felt his intestines, bladder, and prostate twist and cause intense pain. However, a look of madness flashed in his eyes—

He had blocked it! He had blocked the second punch as well!

Just as he successfully blocked the second punch, North Corner Big Bear's third attack arrived.

He stepped forward, fingers together like a sword or a knife, and with a whoosh, he chopped down towards Xu Dong's shoulder, accompanied by a fierce wind.

Thud!

Xu Dong couldn't react in time and could only tense his muscles to reduce the damage. The moment the hand struck, he felt a sharp pain followed by a burning sensation, as if a red-hot iron rod had pierced him. The pain spread rapidly.

In fact, he felt as if half his body was numb, starting from the point of impact and spreading to his left arm, then his torso...

North Corner Big Bear knew nothing about holding back. After the hand strike, he was about to punch again, this time from left to right, aiming for Xu Dong's face, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

If hit, Xu Dong imagined the common scene in boxing matches where a boxer is struck and saliva, snot, and sweat fly in all directions.

In such a situation, how could Xu Dong dare to block and take the hit? Compared to strength, North Corner Big Bear's attack speed was much slower, which allowed Xu Dong to catch a trace of it with his eyes.

At this moment, Xu Dong completely forgot about his plan and, without any dignity, ducked his head and leaned to one side. This action reminded Big Bear of a turtle retracting its head into its shell when attacked, and he couldn't help but smile, his punch slowing down slightly.

Even so, the punch still grazed Xu Dong's hair, and the contact produced a swishing sound, causing a sharp pain as if his hair had been yanked.

Originally, Xu Dong thought completing this special mission wouldn't be too difficult. After all, Big Bear was just a human, and even though he was physically strong, and Xu Dong had been enhanced, the gap between them wasn't as large as it seemed. However, in reality, each of Big Bear's attacks was more powerful than a heavyweight boxer's full-force punch!

Thinking of the term "flesh armor warrior," Xu Dong suddenly realized that Big Bear had likely surpassed the limits of a normal human and entered a new realm! In other words, his judgment had been extremely off. Whether he could complete the mission was now uncertain.

As this thought crossed his mind, another violent and relentless attack came.

Xu Dong, groaning, struggled to dodge the attack but was still hit on the shoulder by the second attack, causing him to fall sideways as if pushed by an invisible force. If Big Bear had continued his assault, Xu Dong would have been knocked out.

After enduring the fifth round, Xu Dong couldn't help but want to raise his hands in surrender. His stomach hurt, and his arms were numb. Honestly, how could he continue? However, he had a stubborn streak, and the more critical the situation, the stronger his desire to overcome it.

This time, he advanced instead of retreating, charging forward with a roar.

A fist loomed in front of him, and Xu Dong, who was prepared, suddenly ducked, bringing them within arm's reach.

The sixth round ended!

Xu Dong gathered his breath and punched upward in a hook.

Slap! His speed was too slow, and North Corner Big Bear, with a faint smile, quickly struck his upper arm, easily nullifying the attack. He then swung his arm and hit Xu Dong's chest with the bottom of his fist, causing him to fall backward and roll on the ground.

The seventh round ended!

Xu Dong's face turned red, a sign of disordered blood flow.

Unexpectedly, he forced down a mouthful of air, got up on all fours, and charged again. The same punch, with the same angle and speed as before, was easily blocked, and he was tripped and pushed, falling in a daze.

The eighth round ended!

Xu Dong's face was now purplish-red, as if he had drunk three liters of high-proof vodka. He still got up, but his speed was noticeably faster. The faster speed meant he reached the attack point sooner, and the timing of his punch was slightly advanced.

He quickly inhaled, lowered his shoulder, and punched! As he punched, he immediately activated the offensive talent skill he had obtained the previous day: Power!

Power: After activating this skill, the power of your next attack will increase by 50%.

It felt as if a drop of warm water had landed on his hand and slid down his skin, and a mysterious heat flowed into his fist. The speed of his punch remained the same, but the power was significantly different.

North Corner Big Bear instinctively tried to block the attack. Unfortunately, due to Xu Dong's calculations, he had advanced the timing of his approach and the timing of his attack. Most crucially, Big Bear had not noticed the 50% increase in Xu Dong's strength!

Before Big Bear's hand could strike, Xu Dong's fist hit his abdomen with a heavy thud.

The fist and the abdomen made intimate contact, producing a dull sound.

Big Bear's face suddenly changed, and his eyes showed disbelief. The immense force from the abdomen felt like a small tornado, causing his internal organs to spasm and resulting in excruciating pain!

With a successful hit, Xu Dong's eyes gleamed with joy, and he pummeled Big Bear with a flurry of punches.

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