Volume One: Emerging Greatness Chapter 113: What For? Why, To Poach Talent, of Course!

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, Wan Qianshan’s gaze landed on a certain spot.

A lone figure was locked in a fierce struggle with two Night Panthers.

"Hiss—roar..."

The two Night Panthers let out continuous, sharp screeches. Their speed was astonishing, their razor-sharp claws lashing out incessantly. The figure, however, was dodging with fluid agility, remaining locked in combat with the two beasts.

"Wang Jue!"

Wan Qianshan’s voice boomed, filled with a scoffing laugh: "Heh, to be this slow even when killing two Night Panthers—you really disappoint me."

No sooner had the words left his lips than—

*Rip!*

*Rip!*

Two sounds of blades slicing through flesh rang out.

With lightning speed, Wang Jue’s longsword lunged twice. Both Night Panthers tumbled to the ground, struggled for a moment, and then fell still.

"How could this guy’s speed suddenly become so fast?!"

Seeing this, Wan Qianshan was startled, a jolt running through his heart. *Not only was his swordplay crisp and decisive, but he struck the vital points of the Night Panthers directly. Even I couldn't manage such a feat with such ease.*

Before seeing him in person, Wan Qianshan had been inevitably arrogant and conceited. Now, witnessing Wang Jue’s true strength with his own eyes, he had to admit that Wang Jue was not to be underestimated.

"Sigh... I wanted to play with you a little longer to hone my footwork."

Wang Jue shook his head and sighed, looking at the carcasses of the two beasts. He muttered to himself, "Too bad that guy is so annoying. I don't want him watching me train my footwork and sword techniques."

Habitually carving off the ears of the two Night Panthers and tossing them into his backpack, Wang Jue didn't even glance at Wan Qianshan. With a sudden *whoosh*, his silhouette flickered and vanished in an instant.

...

Meanwhile, the slaughter within the ruined city continued unabated.

Some candidates, injured during their first encounter with Star Beasts, had no choice but to press the distress button on their communication watches, forced to accept failure. Others were left deathly pale with fright after killing their first beast. Still others, the more formidable ones, became exhilarated and crazed with excitement after their first kill...

These scenes were being broadcast across numerous surveillance screens in a large building, where those seated before them watched everything unfolding in every sector of the city.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Such raw, inexperienced combat."

Inside the room, a middle-aged man sat drinking with a burly, rugged man. On the wall, a large screen displayed the carnage in the city. The burly man sighed, "Watching these youngsters fight against Star Beasts reminds me of our own youth. I wonder how many will actually make it through."

"Indeed. Look at them; most are barely twenty, in the prime of their youth. The youngest is sixteen—the most inexperienced of them all."

The middle-aged man also sighed with nostalgia: "Old Niu, it’s hard to believe how old we’ve become in the blink of an eye. Back then, we were the rising stars of Peace Town. Now, you’ve left and become a branch master of the Martial Arts Association in another town; you’re quite the big shot yourself."

"Hahaha..."

The burly man laughed heartily: "It sounds as if your status is lower than mine, Old Tian. Of the seven ranks of Adventurers, you must be close to the Cyan rank by now, right?"

Adventurers were divided into seven ranks: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue, and Purple. Improving one's rank wasn't about completing missions, but about slaughter—specifically, the slaughter of Star Beasts.

Even the burly man’s current rank was only Yellow, still a long way from Green. As a branch master, he didn't have much time to hunt Star Beasts, so his slow progress was understandable.

However, the man he was talking to was on the verge of becoming a Cyan-ranked Adventurer. In terms of status, he actually outranked a branch master of the Martial Arts Association! Although Adventurers were also part of the Martial Arts Association, they operated as an independent, elite organization.

"Still a bit to go. I’ve been busy with this assessment, but I plan to make a push for it once it’s over."

The middle-aged man suddenly looked at the screen in surprise, his shock growing by the second: "Eh? Old Niu, look at that."

The wall screens showed footage from various parts of the city. Because there were many cameras recording, the images frequently switched.

"Hmm? Why did it switch away?"

The middle-aged man frowned, immediately pressing a fixed-line phone nearby and ordering, "Lock onto the candidate filmed by Camera 999 just now. Remember, keep him locked."

"Yes, sir!" a crisp, powerful voice replied over the phone.

The burly man looked at his good friend in confusion: "Tell me, Old Tian, what exactly did you see?"

"Don't be impatient, Old Niu. You'll see in a moment." The middle-aged man gave a mysterious smile.

No sooner had he spoken than the footage returned to the screen.

In the image, five dark shadows were relentlessly attacking a single candidate. The shadows were five Level-2 Night Panthers, and the candidate holding the longsword appeared very young—it was Wang Jue!

"Eh..." The burly man’s eyes lit up.

"What do you think? This kid is impressive, isn't he?" The middle-aged man clicked his tongue in wonder: "Tsk, tsk, tsk. I never expected this kid to use the practical assessment as a free training session for his footwork! And look closely at his footwork—it’s incredible..."

"Is that... Micro-level, beyond Perfection?!" The burly man’s eyes glowed as he stared intently at Wang Jue, who was surrounded by the five Night Panthers.

On screen, Wang Jue’s movements were minimal, yet each one was perfectly timed to evade every attack from the beasts. That sense of strolling leisurely through danger completely conquered both of these seasoned veterans!

To reach the Micro-level of footwork was something many at their own level couldn't achieve. Even if Wang Jue’s footwork was merely based on standard foundations, breaking through from Perfection to the Micro-level was no easy feat.

Prodigious talent and immense effort—neither could be dispensed with.

"That’s right, it’s the Micro-level!"

"Hiss... Good heavens, I can’t believe this kid’s footwork has reached the Micro-level! It’s truly incredible!"

The burly man gasped: "I’m at a loss for words. This kid is only sixteen! Footwork isn't like physical fitness; you can have innate talent for strength, but footwork requires the accumulation of experience through countless battles, building a solid foundation, and only after reaching Perfection can one gradually step into the 'Micro-level'."

"Wait, what? What did you say? How do you know the kid is only sixteen?"

The middle-aged man was startled: "Old Niu, do you happen to know him?"

"His name is Wang Jue, registered at the Peace Town branch of the Martial Arts Association."

The burly man gritted his teeth: "That bastard Ning Chuan really hit the jackpot. This Wang Jue is only sixteen, and not only is his physical condition top-tier, but his footwork is even more staggering! Micro-level at such a young age—what will he become in the future?"

It was common knowledge that many high-level experts never even reached the Micro-level. One could imagine how terrifying it was to reach that level of footwork. In real combat, physical fitness was only one aspect; footwork, combat techniques, and situational awareness were equally critical.

*Thwack!*

The burly man slammed his hand on the table: "No, I can't let that bastard Ning Chuan have all the luck! Such a genius can't be snatched up by their branch. The time for talent recommendations is coming soon; if I don't act, he’ll have the monopoly!"

"Lucky for me, I came here to drink and saw this footage. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known this kid was such a prodigy!"

"Haha, so you have ideas?" The middle-aged man chuckled. "Tell me, what do you plan to do?"

"Don't ask stupid questions. What do I plan to do? Poach him, obviously!"

The burly man glared: "Poach him right out from under that bastard Ning Chuan’s nose. Ning Chuan probably doesn't even realize how staggering this kid’s footwork is yet. I have to find a way to bring him over. When luck strikes, you can't stop it—I have to say, to have such a brilliant kid emerge from this year’s batch... compared to him, that Wan Qianshan from our branch is a hundred and eight thousand miles behind!"

"Hahaha, aren't you afraid Ning Chuan will fight you to the death over this?" the middle-aged man laughed.

"Hmph, fight to the death? Would I be afraid of him?"

The burly man scoffed: "The time to send talent to the main branch is coming soon. As long as I secure this kid, our branch won't be lacking in resources."

As he spoke, the burly man seemed to remember something and quickly added, "Oh, right, Old Tian, could you make a copy of this footage for me?"

"No problem, small matter." The middle-aged man nodded with a smile.

"Thanks," the burly man said gratefully.

As they spoke, both men kept their eyes fixed on the screen. The burly man’s eyes grew brighter with every passing second, while the middle-aged man’s expression grew increasingly astonished...

...

At that moment, Wang Jue, focused on honing his footwork, had no idea that every move he made was being watched in a distant room.

Time trickled by.

Soon, it was five in the morning.

As the sky began to gray, in a dilapidated residential area within the ruined city, Wang Jue was being besieged by two Tusk Mastiff Wolves, three Night Panthers, and two Rampage Boars.

It had taken a great deal of effort for Wang Jue to lure these seven Star Beasts together.

"Not bad."

"Very good."

"Come again."

"Just like that."

Wang Jue remained as calm as if he were taking a walk. Sometimes he stepped left, sometimes right; sometimes he retreated, sometimes advanced; sometimes he twisted his waist, sometimes he crouched...

With these subtle, minute movements, he ensured that all seven Star Beasts couldn't even touch a hair on his body.

"Roar..."

Suddenly, a beast’s cry came from behind him.

Wang Jue dodged the attacks of the three Night Panthers, his peripheral vision catching another Tusk Mastiff Wolf appearing behind him, lunging at him without hesitation.

To his surprise, the seven beasts around him seemed to have coordinated, launching their attacks simultaneously.

Wang Jue analyzed the situation, shifted his feet, and moved with a flickering grace. Like a butterfly weaving through flowers, he dodged the encirclement of all eight Star Beasts.

"Not enough, still missing something!" Wang Jue thought to himself, feeling a hint of frustration.

Seeing their attacks failing, the Night Panthers rushed at Wang Jue with terrifying speed, their claws nearly raking across his body.

Just as he reached a point where he had nowhere left to dodge, a bizarre sight occurred.

Wang Jue’s body shifted sideways by exactly five centimeters—just enough to evade the claw...