Chapter 163
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Chapter 163: The Backboard
Just as Shi Jin was about to be sent flying like those unfortunate souls, she activated Ephemeral once more, ignoring the sharp pain in her head from overusing her abilities.
Time around her slowed down again, as if the world paused just for her.
Before several gusts of wind could gather and form an impenetrable wall, Shi Jin swiftly moved out of the attack range.
She created distance towards the side and rear, keeping a close eye on her opponent’s hand movements.
However, she soon realized her mistake.
Although her training had noticeably improved her physical condition, merely sparring with boxers was not enough.
Feeling the rhythmic throbbing at her temples, Shi Jin suddenly noticed a troubling fact:
The man opposite her, with bronze skin and well-defined muscles, hadn’t even started to breathe hard yet.
In contrast, she was already panting like a pump inflating and deflating.
This highlighted a significant difference in physical fitness, and Shi Jin understood that if it continued like this, she would only end up getting worn down.
The immediate priority was to figure out a way to break free. Shi Jin’s mind raced as she refocused her attention, dodging a jabbing punch and a sweeping swipe.
The gusts of wind created by those two punches were like thrusts and slashes, continually closing off Shi Jin’s escape route.
This time, she chose not to retreat. Gritting her teeth, she stepped forward, using her ability to slip through the gap that had not yet been covered by the attack, her body hovering in an unusual position for a brief moment.
As her power time ended, Shi Jin stumbled slightly, taking two steps back to regain her balance.
At that moment, the gust had already swept across the other side of the arena, and her stumble did not cause her any harm.
The bronze-skinned “Gale” displayed a moment of surprise, then lowered his body and shouted,
“Again!”
—
In the stands, Fresnel observed the battle below, showing more interest in “Gale” than in Shi Jin.
It would be wonderful if such a capable team member could join his squad for reinforcement.
Unfortunately, that was not going to happen; someone would seek revenge on him.
“If it were any of you facing him now, what would your plan to break through be?”
Beacon, who served in an auxiliary and coordinating position, quietly withdrew from the discussion about combat with humans.
Puppet Master pondered for a few seconds and said,
“Seize the initiative and control him; there is only one chance.”
“What if you fail?”
“Stay in the life pod and wait to die.”
“A wise choice!”
Fresnel had also learned to speak with a hint of sarcasm.
He glanced at Wang Xiao, a reliable adult man with an air of dual citizenship, who thought for a moment before saying,
“At three meters, his punch wind doesn’t hurt me enough.”
“His reactions in close combat shouldn’t be faster than mine; I’m confident I can win.”
Fresnel finally nodded in satisfaction.
He wasn’t particularly excited about this fight; he simply wanted to outshine that seemingly unreliable Captain’s subordinate.
Even if it was just talk.
But as time went on, Fresnel’s initial disdain for Shi Jin began to shift.
“It’s been a minute; is she still on the stage?”
He muttered to himself.
In the arena, despite Shi Jin’s best efforts to dodge the gusts of wind coming from all directions, she was still being pushed back.
In a moment of clarity about her spatial awareness, she suddenly realized:
One more step back, and she’d be off the stage!
Remembering how she had been defeated countless times in training this way, and recalling the instructor’s mixed words of encouragement and jealousy, Shi Jin also thought about the glimmer of hope she had found in her many failures.
As another gust rushed in, Shi Jin slightly arched her body, and as she leaped into the air, she activated her ability.
Her body traced a near-horizontal line through the gust, and then she rolled forward, landing close to her opponent.
A grim determination crossed her face as she seemed ready to trade blows with her opponent.
“Ha!”
The muscular opponent showed no mercy, quickly raising his foot to deliver a kick to this rolling target.
Unexpectedly, in the next moment, Shi Jin’s fierce expression vanished. She maintained her roll and continued forward, crossing the gust and entering a relatively spacious area.
Before figuring out a solution, Shi Jin had to keep dragging this out!
“Not bad.”
Unknowingly, Fresnel nodded, tilting his head to glance at his teammates, realizing that the remaining three were intently observing the seemingly one-sided battle below.
“What do you think?”
“She’s more agile than I imagined; her stamina is decent.”
Wang Xiao’s evaluation was still practical.
“And you all? Any thoughts?”
“I think we should raise Shi Jin’s ranking. If the Captain isn’t interested in that glowing one, then she would indeed be a better choice for reinforcement.”
“Yeah, Captain, that glowing superpowered individual would complement you well.”
Fresnel shook his head:
“That superpowered individual’s energy density is too low; even if I pushed my abilities to the limit, I’d just be a big flashlight.”
“I’m the Captain; you don’t have to think of me specifically. Just tell me, do you think Shi Jin fits our team?”
“After some training, it won’t be a problem.”
“If she can work well with us, it won’t be a problem.”
“If she can carry my body and escape, it won’t be a problem.”
“Okay, then let’s go with her; I see the rest are also…”
“Odd fruits.”
“Just need some training…”
“But Captain, look at that Captain’s expression; he seems eager as well.”
As Shi Jin held her ground longer, Fresnel noticed the growing satisfaction on the “Gale” Captain’s face.
Is this good? This isn’t good.
“It’s fine.”
Fresnel displayed a reassuringly devious smile:
“We have a higher rank.”
“Left jab, right whip kick, left front kick.”
Shi Jin silently repeated in her mind.
The next second, the opponent indeed executed those three moves as she had anticipated.
Prepared in advance, Shi Jin performed a roll, dodging the attack without even activating her ability.
Just as expected!
She felt a surge of joy as she observed for two minutes, unraveling her opponent’s attack patterns.
Some superpowered individuals focus on developing a specific method of attack, stabilizing and surpassing the inherent effects of their abilities through high proficiency.
Shi Jin had now grasped her opponent’s offensive rhythm.
The serious young man chose different attack combinations at varying distances from his opponent, trying to seal off all possible escape routes.
Understanding the pattern, Shi Jin restrained the urge to smile and, filled with newfound courage, charged forward with large strides.
