C23 Fortune Is Strong

The notion wasn't entirely misguided; they hadn't shown any capability to retaliate. Yet, Lee Kai overlooked the fact that they were all part of the platform. While they might not be particularly powerful, those with a stroke of luck could still have an ace up their sleeve.

Take the man currently before Lee Kai, for instance. His face was etched with panic, and the terror in his eyes was unmistakable. Sitting on the ground, his limbs were limp, his legs flailing as he scooted backward. The blood seeping from his wounds bore testament to the severity of the mastiff's bites.

Before Lee Kai revealed himself, the man had been on the brink of despair. But upon Lee Kai's arrival, it was as if he'd been jolted into action. He managed to quell the panic in his eyes and, with a shaky arm, pointed directly at Lee Kai. Despite his leg being clamped in the jaws of the mastiff, he remained steadfast, clenching his jaw and fixing Lee Kai with a glare of intense hatred as he approached rapidly.

"You beast, you're going to die!" Lee Kai sensed the distance was close enough; there was no escaping now. He let out a bellow, and the surrounding mist coalesced. Moisture in the air turned into snowflakes that descended from above as a chill wind blew. Lee Kai, still in mid-sprint, came to an abrupt halt and began to backpedal swiftly.

Frostbolt: A spell that releases a Frostbolt to strike the target, inflicting 20 points of damage and slowing the target by 20%. It consumes 30 Mana points.

This was the skill the man had acquired in the first world. Due to his physical condition, his intelligence was a mere 5 points, meaning he would need a considerable amount of time to reuse the skill after casting it. That's why he had kept it hidden. But now, facing death, concealment seemed pointless. His most fervent desire was to see the end of the despicable individual who had ambushed him. If the damage were quantified, 20 points would deplete a quarter of Lee Kai's Health Points, bolstered by his 8 points of attribute.

However, this wasn't a matter of numbers. If it were, Lee Kai wouldn't need to dodge; he could simply endure the blow. A quarter wasn't lethal, but the platform had made it clear from the start: the data served merely to help them better understand their own attributes.

The mastiff charged wildly towards Lee Kai at his beckoning. Truth be told, the Frostbolt wasn't particularly fast, yet it wasn't something Lee Kai could simply sidestep by retreating. As the Frostbolt neared, Lee Kai leaned back and fell to the ground.

The excruciating pain twisted the man's features, his eyes revealing a mix of mockery and a perverse thrill. "Think you can avoid my attack by lying down? Impossible. Even in death, I'll drag you to hell with me!" Normally, once a skill is cast, it can't be controlled. However, if you spend half the Mana required for the skill, you can redirect it.

For the man on the brink of death, the remaining Mana was pointless, except as a last-ditch effort to strike at his enemy—a golden opportunity. He redirected the Frostbolt, now hurtling towards Lee Kai, who had just lain down.

As the Frostbolt was about to strike Lee Kai, the man's face flushed with an unhealthy excitement. "Hahaha, die, you fool! You think you can kill me? Come join me in the depths!"

Suddenly, a figure appeared above Lee Kai, their agile form drawing the attention of both men below.

"No, you cursed dog, no!" the man screamed in vain, unable to prevent the mastiff's arrival. The Frostbolt pierced the figure that had leapt over Lee Kai, leaving him unharmed.

Just as Lee Kai breathed a sigh of relief, a dull scalpel came into view, slashing down with frightening speed. His eyes bulged, his pupils shrank, and his body seemed to petrify as death loomed ever closer.

His mind was numb, incapable of coherent thought, yet Lee Kai's body instinctively moved. His head dodged to the side, his hands rising. With a 'pfft,' he caught the scalpel-wielding hand that had stabbed into the earth.

"Thank goodness for the boss's training. Even when my mind can't keep up, my body instinctively responds to an attack. Otherwise, I'd have been in serious trouble," he thought, his mind snapping back into focus. Looking up at his assailant, he saw a face no longer recognizable as human, mangled by the mastiff's vicious bites.

Releasing one hand, he threw an upward punch at Yu Li's head. The angle meant he couldn't put his full strength into it, so even though the punch landed, Yu Li merely shook his head without any further reaction.

Beneath the blood-soaked hair that hung limply, a pair of bloodshot eyes fixed on Lee Kai below. If not for his other arm being incapacitated by the mastiff's bite, Yu Li would have struck back already. He realized his end was near; with such grave injuries, even if he managed to take down Lee Kai, his former allies wouldn't spare him. He shared the same resolve as the man who had cast the Frostbolt: if he was going to die, he'd take someone with him.

The severity of his wounds seemed to have clouded his thinking. While his frustration was understandable, he needed to recognize his limitations. In his current state, how could he possibly contend with Lee Kai, who was still unscathed?

Lee Kai, whose previous punch had been futile, suddenly flexed his waist. His legs shot up like a folding chair snapping open, his feet striking Yu Li's shoulder with the force of the wind and the earth, sending him tumbling away. Lee Kai quickly rolled to his feet, grabbed an iron rod, and swung it with all his might.

The rod struck Yu Li's head with a vengeance. This blow wasn't just disorienting—it smashed into his nose and mouth, sending blood streaming from his parted lips.

Without wasting words, Lee Kai charged, leaped, and drove his knees downward onto the immobilized Yu Li. Accompanied by the sound of cracking bones and Yu Li's contorted body, Lee Kai delivered a heavy slap to his face, blood spraying through his fingers and onto his shoulder.

With a slight exertion of his arm, Lee Kai pushed his opponent to the ground and stood up, turning his gaze to the three men who had been torn apart by the mastiffs nearby. He let out a soft breath, "My combat skills still need work. If I make it back, I'll have to seek further guidance from Mr. Zhao."

Afterward, he glanced at Yu Li, who was still spitting blood. His ribcage was shattered, and his organs were likely crushed from the knee strike. His abdomen was visibly sunken in—a clear sign he wouldn't last much longer. As Yu Li's eyes slowly dimmed, Lee Kai reflected once more, "It's survival of the fittest. Without strength, you're as good as dead."

Regaining his composure, Lee Kai prepared to resume the chase. The remaining three individuals had fled into the dense fog, but as long as they stayed within its confines, it would be a simple task for him to finish them off, especially with four robust mastiffs at his disposal.

Yet, as he took a step forward, he halted, glancing down at his feet with a slight frown. "Why is there so much water here?"

One of the mastiffs approached Lee Kai, nudging him gently, then dashed off into the fog. Lee Kai promptly followed and, after covering a distance of over twenty meters, he stumbled upon the three individuals sprawled on the ground. Drenched and spitting blood, they were a pitiful sight. Lee Kai couldn't help but smirk at their misfortune.

"Talk about bad luck, running into those two maniacs. It must have been an accidental injury; otherwise, those two wouldn't bother with such weaklings." Since they had fallen right into his path, Lee Kai had no intention of sparing them the chance to earn three attribute points. He remained on high alert, cautiously approaching the trio. The mastiffs quickly outpaced Lee Kai, leaping onto the unfortunate souls and tearing into them.

Lee Kai's actions weren't out of cruelty; he was simply wary of potential traps. After all, nothing in this place could be taken for granted, could it? Watching the mastiffs fatally wound the three, he didn't approach them. Instead, he called the mastiffs back and turned his attention to Bai Ya and Wang Han, who were locked in combat.

"Once they're dealt with, the platform's threat will be neutralized."

Meanwhile, the clash between Bai Ya and Wang Han had intensified. Having broken free from Bai Ya's influence, Wang Han had switched to long-range combat, relentlessly launching hidden weapons and lower-level Shadow Arts. His special energy value, Chakra, was distinct from Lee Kai's, a unique power from the Naruto universe.

Wang Han's first learned skill was Water Release – Veil of the Mist, and he had since undergone comprehensive shadow warrior training in this world. Despite the oddity of a shadow warrior engaging in open combat, a fully realized Class was akin to a Divine Weapon for someone new to the platform. Without any reservations, he had embraced the training.

Substitution (Active)

Water Release – Veil of the Mist (Active)

Water Release – Water Clone (Active)

Water Release: Chaotic Tides (Active)

Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique (Active)

Soundless Killing Technique (Passive)

These were all abilities Bai Ya had acquired in the world of Naruto. His claim of good fortune was well-founded, as he had also gained a unique bloodline there: the Transparent Escape. This bloodline allowed him to erase his presence and render his body invisible. To him, the scarcity of such a bloodline seemed almost laughable. His innate talent was named Battle to the Death.

Battle to the Death: When the special energy value (Chakra Value) is depleted, it enables the forceful unleashing of any chosen skill. Once the skill has been executed, energy restoration within this world is prohibited.

This is precisely why he could perform the Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique (Active), a skill he couldn't normally manifest, even with his Chakra at full capacity.