Chapter 26: Be More Careful Next Time

Guo Yanfeng did not mind at all: "A dying struggle? Then I shall grant your wish!"

"Xue! You can't..." Zang Zexin wanted to say something anxiously, seizing the moment to glare at Guo Yanfeng.

"I'm fine, don't worry. This is just a game; I won't actually die. Just let me try," Xiao Ningxue said in a low voice.

It was only because she was in a game that she dared to test her own body against a beast-transformed Orc. After all, in reality, the slightest mistake would cost her her life.

Zang Zexin opened his mouth, but eventually dragged the furious Feng Jingxuan away.

"Try your best not to get hurt." Orcs were a race that craved excitement and bloodshed, and the pain sensation in the game was set at one hundred percent.

Xiao Ningxue nodded gently, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly. She had chosen her roommates well.

Once the two had withdrawn, Xiao Ningxue refocused her gaze on Guo Yanfeng and said calmly, "Begin."

Guo Yanfeng let out a loud shout: "Good! That’s the spirit! Take my fist!"

His physical attributes dictated a straightforward fighting style; he swung his iron-like fists and charged. Without the momentum of a sprint, his running speed was actually not very fast.

Xiao Ningxue stood rooted to the spot, maintaining a Tai Chi stance, watching him charge. Just moments ago, when Xiao Ningxue had been sent flying, Zang Zexin and Feng Jingxuan had been filled with worry. Seeing her standing still now, they desperately wanted to rush in to push her out of the way or beat Guo Yanfeng to a pulp so that Xiao Ningxue wouldn't have to fight herself.

"Xue! Get out of the way!" Zang Zexin was truly frantic. Zang Shuying, who had been watching from the sidelines, cast a strange look at Zang Zexin.

Seeing Guo Yanfeng right before her, Xiao Ningxue finally moved. Her hands moved slowly in a peculiar rhythm to meet his fists. Though the movements appeared sluggish as she drew several circles around his palms, in the blink of an eye, she grabbed his arm and pulled. Guo Yanfeng felt a surge of tremendous force, helplessly following her momentum as he was pulled past her. His forward momentum carried him even faster than his initial charge.

"Boom!" Unable to control his body, Guo Yanfeng crashed, causing the ground to tremble.

The silence that followed was in stark contrast. Guo Yanfeng’s two teammates stood dumbfounded. One poked the other: "Did you see what happened?"

The other shook his head: "It didn't look fast, did it? Why did my eyes deceive me?"

Zang Zexin and Feng Jingxuan seemed frozen in place. "Did you see that?" Feng Jingxuan’s jaw nearly hit the ground, his eyes darting between the slender Xiao Ningxue and the hulking Guo Yanfeng to ensure he wasn't hallucinating.

Zang Zexin shook his head, his expression stiff. Had he been distracted by pulling Feng Jingxuan?

Xiao Ningxue changed her stance, lifting one arm and holding it with a twist of her body.

"What move is that?" Guo Yanfeng felt as if he had punched a pile of cotton, yet this scrawny boy possessed such immense strength—it was unbelievable. His strength was his greatest pride!

Xiao Ningxue’s breathing remained steady, a complete departure from her previous playful provocation: "A family inheritance."

"Hmph! I was careless just now. Watch this!" This time, Guo Yanfeng was mentally prepared, already imagining how he would beat the "stinking male" Xue.

With a simple guiding motion, Xiao Ningxue neutralized his charge and delivered a shoulder check. A man of Guo Yanfeng’s massive build was sent flying by the scrawny Xiao Ningxue!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Unable to control his momentum, Guo Yanfeng stumbled three times before steadying himself. This was absurd! Yet, the facts were right before their eyes; it was impossible to deny.

Having been thrown twice by such a small male, Guo Yanfeng lost face, his eyes reddening with fury. "Damn it! I don't believe it!"

Tai Chi was a method of using "four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds," but the prerequisite for that was possessing those four ounces of strength. Guo Yanfeng’s race was truly a top-tier Orc lineage. After deflecting this blow, Xiao Ningxue’s limits were being reached. Once Guo Yanfeng entered a berserk state, his power would multiply, and she would stand no chance of resisting.

Though her mind raced, Xiao Ningxue maintained a serene expression, as if preparing for his next attack. Since she currently held the upper hand, no one suspected she was considering a strategic retreat.

"Roar!" Guo Yanfeng bellowed, adding his full strength to this charge. It was clear he was truly enraged.

Just as he was about to reach her, Xiao Ningxue suddenly turned, sprinting toward Zang Zexin and Feng Jingxuan. She pulled out a laser gun from nowhere and fired two shots at Guo Yanfeng's remaining companions. The shots hit their marks; before their expressions could even change, they vanished into thin air, leaving behind two loot boxes.

Xiao Ningxue then pulled Zang Zexin and Feng Jingxuan away from the spot. No one noticed that for a split second, her gun had been aimed at Zang Shuying, but remembering Zang Zexin, she refrained from firing.

Consumed by rage and with an anger-fueled boost to his speed and power, Guo Yanfeng did not hold back, never imagining that Xiao Ningxue would dodge. As she side-stepped, he lost control and punched the tree behind her. Before he could turn around, he received the system notification that his teammates had been eliminated.

He hurried to look back and saw the boxes left by his teammates. Blood rushed to his head, and his eyes turned a deep, blood-red.

"Ahhhhh! Xue! You just wait!!"

Hearing the roar filled with fury, Xiao Ningxue, now far away, felt her scalp tingle. "Did I cause trouble?" She asked, cautiously eyeing her two companions while staying hidden.

Feng Jingxuan crouched in the bushes, looking at her with pity: "Guo Yanfeng's biggest traits are... being bellicose and holding a grudge."

Bellicose and vindictive? Oh no! Either one was lethal, let alone both combined.

Xiao Ningxue sighed: "I originally wanted to keep a low profile." Who knew things would escalate this far?

Feng Jingxuan scoffed: "You? Low profile?" He honestly couldn't see it. Wood-elemental abilities, rejecting females, provoking Guo Yanfeng—any one of these would be enough to trend on the forums. And she called that a low profile? Xiao Ningxue must have a misunderstanding of the term.

Xiao Ningxue reflected on her actions since arriving in the interstellar age and fell silent. It didn't seem related to keeping a low profile at all. But it hadn't been intentional! How could she be blamed? She was so well-behaved!

Unable to argue, she looked at Zang Zexin for support. Zang Zexin, while keeping watch, noticed her gaze and comforted her: "Be more careful next time."

Xiao Ningxue turned to stone. That wasn't what she wanted to hear!