Chapter 4

However, Du Yu couldn't help but wonder if he was the only one feeling afraid. The fear in Black Viper's heart seemed just as intense.

Despite his serious injuries, Liu Monkey Lu Dayou had shown mercy by not killing Black Viper earlier. However, during their encounter at the gate of Mount Hua, Liu Monkey had retaliated fiercely. He not only kicked Black Viper's knee but also broke his leg, causing several fractured ribs, one of which had pierced his heart and lung, resulting in severe internal bleeding.

If Black Viper were an ordinary person, he would have already succumbed to the internal bleeding. The only reason he could still persevere and lay an ambush for Du Yu was that his body was digitized. As long as his health wasn't cleared, he could cling on.

Nevertheless, his injuries were severe, and his health was depleting rapidly. Despite his critical condition, he desired to ambush Du Yu because he saw him alone and believed it to be an opportune moment, typical behavior of an underground boxer.

To his surprise, Du Zhan was extremely vigilant, turning the ambush into a duel. What caught him off guard was the fact that this seemingly gentle young man drew a large knife and unleashed fierce slashes, exacerbating his injuries further.

Even though the damage inflicted was only a mere 3 points, Black Viper couldn't afford to underestimate it. With a dagger and a large knife, the two adversaries faced off against each other.

Sensing the return of the six monkeys and fearing their retaliation, Black Viper let out a low growl. He aimed the dagger towards Du Yu's lower rib, attempting to strike. In a hurried dodge, Du Yu narrowly avoided the attack. This brought a long laugh from Black Viper as one of his strikes landed on Du Yu's ribs.

Collapsing to his knees, Du Yu clutched his abdomen as blood gushed out like a spring. Black Viper, experienced in combat, quickly discerned that despite the young man's bravery and possession of a large sword, he lacked the experience to effectively face an opponent. Exploiting this weakness, victory was within his reach.

Du Yu was aware of this as well. The Black Viper was a formidable fighter, capable of killing with a single kick. Du Yu acknowledged that he was far behind in martial arts skill, mental acuity, and experience.

His mind raced with thoughts. 

Black Viper sprang into action, his movements swift and nimble like a rabbit. His figures cut through the air, making it difficult to track his precise location.

Suddenly, Du Yu exclaimed, "Senior Brother Six! You're here!"

Black Viper materialized on Du Yu's left side, his dagger poised to strike. However, Du Yu's gaze turned in the direction of his eyes, knowing that Black Viper might suspect a deception. Despite the realization, the pain inflicted by Lu Dayou had left a deep mark, triggering an instinctual response causing Black Viper to look away.

To Du Yu's advantage, he seized the opportunity and fiercely slashed at Black Viper's neck with his sword. 

The injury-for-injury tactic ensued.

Du Yu had already discerned that he was no match for Black Viper, especially considering his injuries. His only advantage lay in his relatively superior physical strength. If he allowed Black Viper to continue slicing through his flesh with the blunt dagger, he would lose his sole advantage.

In order to survive, Du Yu knew he had to risk injury.

Unaware of Black Viper's remaining health, Du Yu made a gamble. His attack left Black Viper stunned. He hadn't anticipated that a mere young man would have the courage to exchange injuries with a desperate criminal like himself.

The large knife slashed at Black Viper's neck, resulting in a pool of bright red blood and a deep wound. "You dealt 18 damage to the enemy!" echoed in Du Yu's mind.

Du Yu, still perplexed by the discrepancy in damage dealt, didn't have time to ponder further. Black Viper retaliated, driving his dagger into Du Yu's chest. Fortunately, the blow had been weakened due to the earlier strike by Du Yu, causing Black Viper to lose focus and miss his intended target—Du Yu's heart. However, the attack still inflicted 10 points of damage.

Without hesitation, Du Yu swung his large knife at Black Viper once again. The wounded criminal rolled away, evading the strike, and fled to the rear. Although his neck gushed blood and only a thin strip of skin connected his head and body, he somehow clung to life, leaving Du Yu astonished.

"Bastard! You'll pay for this!" Black Viper gritted his teeth, limping away with a vow of revenge.

Having sustained two heavy blows from Du Yu, Black Viper teetered on the brink of death. When a person's health drops below 10%, they enter a dying state, experiencing various weaknesses and even shock.

Now regretting his earlier decision to ambush Du Yu, Black Viper realized that such a formidable opponent couldn't be allowed to roam free. A powerful and vicious adversary like Black Viper had no place in this world.

Du Yu picked up his large knife, clutching his own chest, and pursued Black Viper. Ordinarily, the nimble Black Viper would have easily evaded Du Yu's pursuit, but with his leg still injured, escape seemed unlikely.

Gasping for breath, Black Viper turned his head, his fierce pupils bloodshot, resembling a cornered beast. "Come on!" he yelled.

Du Yu smiled slightly, picking up a stone from the ground and hurling it at Black Viper. Weakened and disoriented, Black Viper was struck in the head by the unexpected projectile.

"Fool!" he burst into anger. A master of black boxing, and he was hit by a stone?

Seizing the opportunity, Du Yu turned and fled, capitalizing on Black Viper's weakened state. The once desperate and fearless criminal now displayed the characteristics of a wretched street brawler.

Black Viper's vision flickered with golden stars as he struggled to his feet, continuing his pursuit. A sharper stone struck the back of his head, momentarily disorienting him. Though the damage inflicted by each stone was only 1 point, his health was on the verge of depletion. If the stones continued to chip away at him, his demise was certain.

Black Viper had never fathomed that he would meet such an ignominious end in the world of black boxing—crippled, stoned, and defeated. He fought with all his might, but Du Yu managed to keep his distance, ensuring a safe twenty-meter gap between them.

Gasping for breath, Black Viper turned and fled once more. His neck bled profusely, his head hanging precariously from a thin strip of skin, yet he clung to life against all odds.

"Bastard! You'll regret this!" he cursed as he retreated with a limp.

Black Viper had been hit twice by Du Yu, pushing him to the brink of death. When his health dropped below a certain threshold, he would enter a dying state. Weakened and on the verge of death, his body was gripped by various afflictions, even shock.

Now the tables had turned. If Du Yu didn't seize this opportunity, allowing Black Viper to survive would pose a perpetual threat

 to everyone.

A powerful and ferocious opponent like Black Viper had no place in this world.

Du Yu tightly gripped his large knife, clutching his wounded chest as he pursued Black Viper. Despite his skill, Black Viper couldn't outpace Du Yu due to his injured leg.

Gasping for breath, Black Viper turned and rushed toward Du Yu like a bull. 

"Is his leg healed?" Du Yu wondered, only to realize that although Black Viper still limped, his speed was astonishingly fast. Having witnessed Black Viper's fighting prowess before, Du Yu knew he was fast, but not this fast!

In an instant, Black Viper's grinning face loomed before Du Yu.

"Boy! I'll show you my trump card, and you'll die!" Black Viper declared, thrusting his dagger into Du Yu's lower abdomen. As he withdrew the blade, Du Yu cried out in pain, feeling the dagger's serrated edge scrape against his intestines.

"Warning! Your health has dropped to 3 points, below 10%, and you are in a dying state."

"Warning! You are on the verge of death. Please use a potion immediately or disengage from battle."

Was this the end for Du Yu?

Gazing into Black Viper's contorted and furious face, a surge of resentment and rebellion swelled within Du Yu's chest. It was as if he had transformed into a rebellious and tenacious wolf, howling against the injustice of fate.

I control my own destiny!

Summoning his strength, Du Yu swung his sword at Black Viper's neck with all his might.

The last image burned into his mind was the look of terror in Black Viper's eyes.

Then, Du Yu lost consciousness.

After what seemed like an eternity, Du Yu slowly regained consciousness.

"Am I dead?" he questioned, opening his eyes only to be met with the sight of a bloodied human head.

Black Viper stared back at Du Yu with fierce eyes, unable to comprehend that his life would ultimately be claimed by the very hatred that consumed him.

Du Yu had taken another person's life for the first time. Though panicked, he found solace in knowing it had been an act of self-defense.

Recalling that Black Viper would stop at nothing, even killing others, to seize the treasure of adventurers, Du Yu reached into Black Viper's pockets, discovering a blood-red key.

Space prompt: "No. 197621, you killed No. 197617 and obtained his bloody key."

"As this is a novice storyline, you are guaranteed to receive the opponent's treasure."

"Do you want to use the key?"

Du Yu chose to proceed.

A treasure chest materialized within Black Viper's body and slowly opened, revealing three treasures.

The first was Huang Mao's fine steel dagger. A blank weapon with a lethality of 1-3, it boasted a 5% chance to cause bleeding damage of 3 points per second for 3 seconds. It was slightly stronger than Du Yu's broadsword.

The second treasure was the [truffle chocolate] looted from the girl. It restored 15 health points within 3 seconds, but could only be used when not engaged in combat.

Du Yu had always wondered why Black Viper hadn't consumed the chocolate to restore his health during their intense battles. The answer became clear when Du Yu used it outside of combat. Black Viper cherished his own life and intended to save the lifesaving treasure for a critical moment. However, upon encountering Du Yu, circumstances forced him to abandon his plan, resulting in his demise without utilizing the treasure.

Having learned from past experiences, Du Yu wasted no time and consumed the [Chocolate Truffles]. With every bite, a smooth and sweet sensation filled his mouth, gradually restoring his health from a mere 3 points to 18 points. As his life force replenished, Du Yu felt a sense of relief.

The final treasure was a pair of leggings.

【Coach Leggings】: Personal equipment of adventurers. Increases the wearer's movement speed by 10 points for 30 seconds. Can be used up to three times per world, with the current usage count at 2/3.

The accompanying explanation read: "This is a gift from the beloved mentor, No. 197617, on his deathbed. He cherished it dearly and never let it leave his side. There was a message inscribed on it: 'Li Qiang, come and see me once you obtain the championship belt.'"

Realizing the significance of these leggings, Du Yu understood that they were the ultimate trump card mentioned by Li Qiang, the Black Viper. With a 10-point increase in movement speed, equivalent to a 5-point boost in agility, and combined with Black Viper's already remarkable speed, it was a perfect match. Despite his limp, the blessing of exceptional speed would allow Black Viper to continue posing a deadly threat.