Chapter 61

**Two-in-One Exclusive Skill Upgrade Task: Scavenger**

**Task Introduction:** Before registration, collect three certificates of successful adventurer qualification exams.

**Task Completion Reward:** Talent skill enhanced, Devour +1 level.

**Task Failure Punishment:** Deprivation of survival rights.

When the task information appeared, Xu Dong finally understood the meaning of the idiom "chilled to the bone." He felt a strong chill surge from his tailbone, tracing up his spine to the back of his head, making his scalp tingle! This feeling of falling into an icy pit was extremely uncomfortable, and even more unbearable was the fact that the punishment for failing the task was death.

Xu Dong's reaction was like that of a defendant in court for indecently assaulting an old woman, who, as the judge's gavel fell and the death sentence was loudly read, would immediately collapse in a heap, overwhelmed by the sudden crisis. Those with weaker nerves would break down and fall to the ground.

Fortunately, the main talent skill, "Quick Steps," was not included in the upgrade task, otherwise, the task difficulty would have been even greater!

At a critical moment, Xu Dong forced himself to calm down and began to think of a strategy. After a long while, his face slowly lifted from the ground, the panic gone, replaced by an extraordinary strength and composure.

After letting Iron Fist go, Xu Dong did not rush into action. Throughout the day, both his mental and physical energy had been greatly drained. On the surface, it seemed to have no effect, but he feared that at a critical moment, his body might not keep up and fail. Therefore, he asked the innkeeper to bring two buckets of hot water and began to bathe.

In the bathroom, with the steam swirling, Xu Dong could see his own body. At the beginning of his journey, his body had been somewhat strengthened, and through constant battles, his physical functions had been further developed. After consuming the Divine Power Fruit, this development had been fundamentally enhanced.

At this moment, his body was free of any excess fat, his muscles firm and natural, his skin tight and resilient. Looking at himself in the mirror, Xu Dong felt like a mature leopard, ready to tear through the calm veil of the forest and reveal its brilliant light!

After cleaning his body, Xu Dong put on his clothes and went to bed.

For Xu Dong, this night was peaceful and sweet. When he let go of all his mental burdens and allowed every cell in his body to enter a state of dormancy, the newly acquired Blood Armor power continuously strengthened his body, making his functions more compatible with the enhanced Blood Armor power.

The next morning, when the first ray of sunlight shone on Xu Dong's bed, he woke up. The moment he opened his eyes, a dazzling light seemed to flash in his pupils. With a full spirit and a well-rested body, he felt as if he contained boundless vitality.

Xu Dong clenched his fist, and a confident smile involuntarily appeared on his lips: "I like this feeling of being full of power."

Stepping out of the door, the inn was quiet, so quiet that a pin could be heard dropping. The rooms upstairs were silent, and it was unknown whether they were occupied or empty. Xu Dong didn't care and walked directly to the counter to order a hearty breakfast.

After finishing his breakfast, he was about to leave when the innkeeper called him, "Sir, the city is under martial law starting today. You should be careful when you go out."

Xu Dong thought for a moment, asked some questions, and received satisfactory information before slowly walking out of the inn.

On a normal day, Blood Helmet City would be bustling with people at this time, with vendors and merchants already open for business. Today, however, the wide streets were desolate, not even a ghost in sight. The occasional footsteps were those of residents who had to go out quickly.

As for the candidates, not a single one was seen.

They say don't speak of people during the day and don't speak of ghosts at night. Just as this thought crossed his mind, the door of the opposite inn creaked open, and a thin man stepped out. This man was dressed in a low-key, dark outfit, seemingly ordinary, but there was a faint, unpleasant aura of Blood Armor power emanating from it.

Clearly, he had been carefully dressed, with his face hidden in a large hood, making it impossible to see his true appearance.

Upon seeing Xu Dong, the man's body stiffened slightly, instinctively placing his hand on the dagger at his waist. Facing Xu Dong, he cautiously moved along the wall, clearly worried about a fierce battle early in the morning that could weaken his combat strength.

However, Xu Dong ignored his actions. For now, he did not intend to alert him. Instead, he preferred to plan before acting. This man's attire also reminded him that concealing his appearance would be more advantageous in the current situation.

The man quickly left. Xu Dong's gaze returned from him, and he felt some pressure.

Why did he feel this way?

Because the man's strength was not weak. Based on Blood Armor power, he had already reached 150. According to Xu Dong's calculations, when all the skills of a one-star Awakened were successfully upgraded, his Blood Armor power should be around 200, officially entering the two-star Awakened stage.

Judging from the man's expression and reaction, he was likely a candidate who had not passed the entrance exam. If a 150 Blood Armor power Awakened had not passed the exam, then how powerful must those who had passed be?!

Putting on a cloak, Xu Dong walked down East Street and approached a building.

This building had a prominent symbol, a shield with the emblem of the Blood Helmet City Lord's family. This symbol clearly indicated the protection of the city's order. The building was called the Order Shelter. In modern terms, it was a police station. What was in a police station? Police and captured criminals.

Patrol teams of five people flowed out of the Order Shelter, merging into the city's streets. Some were bringing in criminals from outside. Each captured criminal had special shackles on their hands and feet, which primarily restricted the Blood Armor power in their bodies.

Xu Dong also noticed that the patrol teams were equipped with basic configurations of sword-and-shield wielders and crossbowmen. He had heard that these weapons were not ordinary but made from the skin, flesh, and bones of rare beasts, capable of activating certain Blood Armor power. In other words, these weapons could pose a significant threat to armored soldiers.

At this moment, a patrol team emerged from the Order Shelter, possibly having just captured an adventurer candidate who violated the order, earning a substantial bonus. The five members were very excited, ready to take action.

When they entered the effective range, Xu Dong used the Insight skill.

A series of information appeared:

**Race:** Human

**Name:** Patrolman

**Level:** None

**Description:** Patrolmen are social roles that maintain order in Blood Helmet City. They are elites selected through multiple layers of screening and have undergone a series of training. They have excellent teamwork and almost every one of them possesses peak physical fitness.

**Equipment Abilities:**

**Giant Bear's Strength:** Gloves made from the fur of a savage gray bear allow the patrolman to exert immense strength beyond that of an ordinary person.

**Hawk's Eye:** A helmet made from the tail feathers and cornea of a gray-tailed falcon ensures the patrolman has sharp vision.

**Wild Fox's Foot:** Boots made from the fur of a blood-footed wild fox allow the patrolman to achieve astonishing speed when running and jumping.

This series of information surprised Xu Dong. Especially the three equipment abilities, if used simultaneously, these patrolmen, who were not even armored soldiers, had combat power comparable to a newly awakened Awakened!

Upon closer reflection, their ability to capture rule-violating armored soldiers also demonstrated their strength. After all, the gap between armored soldiers and ordinary people was too great. Even a newly awakened Awakened was not something five ordinary people could capture.

After using Insight, Xu Dong's initial plan was suppressed. He did not act immediately but followed the team from a distance.

After three hours, Xu Dong finally understood that the seemingly random patrols actually had fixed routes. They generally patrolled along the streets and only took shortcuts when they were about to return to their patrol points. This was why Xu Dong was never discovered. Naturally, this discovery made Xu Dong very excited.

Finally, on the sixth time he followed the patrol team, when they reached their patrol point and were about to enter another area and take a shortcut, Xu Dong, who had been lying in wait, suddenly attacked.

He descended like a large bird, landing directly in the middle of the patrol team. He did not use weapons because he dared not kill, but that did not mean he did not use his full strength. The moment he landed, the Ancient Armor was fully activated.

The patrol team, indeed, lived up to their reputation as order maintainers who had undergone rigorous training. A sword-and-shield wielder in the middle subconsciously swung his shield at Xu Dong and shouted, "Ambush! Crossbowmen, retreat!"

Almost simultaneously, the five-person team quickly assumed their roles. The two crossbowmen agilely retreated, and as they did, the crossbows were cocked. When they stood still, the crossbows were aimed at Xu Dong.

On the other side, the other two sword-and-shield wielders raised their sturdy shields with one hand and swung their swords at Xu Dong with the other. At the same time, the Giant Bear's Strength took effect, and the large cleaver whistled sharply, capable of splitting a bull in two!

The moment Xu Dong landed, he felt the shield coming down. He calmly exhaled, his feet scraping the ground, and bent over, diving into the gap between the shields, colliding with the opponent's chest and delivering a hook punch to the nose. With the Strong skill activated, he broke the opponent's nose, and blood spurted out violently!

The Quick Steps skill was activated!

With the Quick Steps skill, Xu Dong's speed was astonishing. After dealing with one person, he took three quick steps, narrowly avoiding the crossing blades, and appeared behind the two sword-and-shield wielders in the next second.

A kick to the back of one sword-and-shield wielder's waist sent him flying like a runaway carriage, crashing and rolling three meters before he could no longer stand up.

The last sword-and-shield wielder felt the wind from behind, his expression changing drastically, and he swung his sword horizontally. However, he missed!

In the next second, he felt a heavy pressure on his head, as if something had stomped on it. When he came to, he realized that Xu Dong had leaped into the air and lightly tapped his forehead, using the momentum to launch himself toward the two crossbowmen.

In mid-air, he was a live target. The two crossbowmen, determined, pulled the triggers. Two crossbow bolts shot through the air, the whistling sound making the hair on the back of one's neck stand up!