Chapter 39: Combat Sports

Zhu Ning went home to change her clothes before heading to the Cleaning Center.

She had to continue her training today, which meant continuing to be beaten by the Hunter. After processing a contaminated zone yesterday, she had to face the very opponent who had been pummeling her for the past three days.

Is this what life is?

Her situation, to put it mildly, felt like pulling an all-nighter playing video games only to have to sit for an exam the next day. It was all her own doing. However, ever since she received the genetic serum, Zhu Ning’s physical constitution had undergone a qualitative leap, making her much more resilient to fatigue. By the afternoon, aside from a slight headache, she felt no other side effects.

As soon as Zhu Ning walked into the training base, she saw Li Nianchuan looking excited. "Zhu Ning! I passed."

Zhu Ning replied, "Congratulations."

Li Nianchuan urged, "Hurry up. Once you qualify, we can go out on missions."

Zhu Ning: "..."

Was there no justice? How had she failed to pass for so long? She had handled two C-level contaminated zones, yet she was stuck on the combat course in training. Although Xu Meng and Li Nianchuan were teammates she knew, after just one night, they felt somewhat unfamiliar.

Li Nianchuan asked, "What did you do yesterday? You look terrible."

Xu Meng also looked over.

Zhu Ning yawned. "Played games all night."

Li Nianchuan: "..."

Is this what a top student is like? Playing games all night and still coming in for combat training the next day?

Xu Meng tapped on the interface. "Zhu Ning, the combat session is starting. Try to pass this time."

Zhu Ning tilted her neck. A fair number of people had gathered around the combat arena. They weren't there to laugh at her, but rather for the spectacle. Zhu Ning was clearly strong, but every time she showed strength, her opponents became even stronger; the top ten ranked fighters in the guild had all come to challenge her. With experts suppressing her, she hadn't been able to get back up for days.

Some people by the arena were placing bets on whether Zhu Ning would lose for the fourth day in a row. Li Nianchuan, ever the contrarian, bet on Zhu Ning to win; they were on the same team, and if they were going to lose, they shouldn't lose face too. It was worth noting that this time, Xu Meng also bet on Zhu Ning.

Li Nianchuan secretly glanced at Xu Meng. "Captain, I thought you didn't participate in betting." Xu Meng carried an air of integrity, and he had assumed the captain wouldn't stoop to such messy activities.

Xu Meng replied, "Opportunities to make money shouldn't be wasted."

Li Nianchuan: "..." Wait, what did the captain mean by that? Did she really think Zhu Ning would win? Li Nianchuan was just supporting a friend, but Xu Meng genuinely acknowledged Zhu Ning’s strength.

"Zhu Ning, take the stage," the combat instructor said. "Who is challenging?"

"I will."

It was him again. A hulking, muscular man stood up. He was probably two meters tall, and his presence alone was oppressive. Standing opposite him, Zhu Ning looked like a frail little chicken. This muscular man was Huang Xiong; he had been suppressing Zhu Ning for three days, and she was already very familiar with him. Unlike Chu Ling, she couldn't win against him with small tricks or maneuvers; his strength was simply overwhelming.

Having been beaten by the same person for three days—starting with high spirits and ending the third day with her spirit utterly crushed—Zhu Ning had been getting pummeled by him just yesterday. Logically, a loser should fear an opponent they cannot surpass. In the combat arena, once you feel fear, you have already lost.

Perhaps because she had just killed a professional assassin last night, when Zhu Ning faced him this time, she felt incredibly calm. There was no anxiety at all.

"Start!" the instructor commanded.

Zhu Ning moved first. As she sprang into action, a cheer erupted; Zhu Ning had always been on the receiving end, and the day before, she had been chased all over the arena by Huang Xiong. This was the first time she had taken the initiative against him. Everyone felt that Zhu Ning was different; she seemed to carry a murderous aura. It wasn't the kind children play at, but the genuine lethality of someone who had returned from a real battlefield.

Zhu Ning threw a punch. Huang Xiong, a combat expert, raised his arm to block, and her fist landed only on his left arm. Before he could react, Zhu Ning swept her leg, and a second move followed instantly. The onlookers felt a surge of tension. Zhu Ning launched five active attacks, but all five were blocked by Huang Xiong. Although it was different from being pinned down, it didn't look like she had a chance of winning.

The match lasted only ten minutes, and three had already passed; Zhu Ning couldn't even break through Huang Xiong's defensive perimeter.

"You don't understand combat," Dr. Fu's words echoed in Zhu Ning's ears.

Zhu Ning took a deep breath. Amidst his moves, she could only hear the sound of her own breathing. "You know the techniques, but you don't understand combat," the doctor had said.

Zhu Ning had been beaten for three days by different Hunters, and she was clever enough to quickly learn their techniques. But when both sides knew the techniques, the key was the individual's aura. Since her rebirth, Zhu Ning had always felt a sense of unreality. Now, she felt the reality of the world and the reality of the danger.

Previously, Zhu Ning had been afraid of Huang Xiong; as soon as he moved, she wanted to dodge, and once he exerted force, she was forced into a defensive posture. She took a punch to her left cheek, a blow to her abdomen, and a hammer-like strike to her back. She nearly stumbled out of the arena.

There were only two minutes left. If anyone else had been hit like this by Huang Xiong, they would have collapsed already. But Zhu Ning didn't fall; she remained standing.

If Zhu Ning had any new realizations after killing the assassin last night, this was it: This wasn't a sports arena; this was a battlefield. If you fall, you die. The Wasteland is a real world, just like the zombie world; it is not a gentle place. Zhu Ning couldn't afford to be a slacker—the law of the jungle applied everywhere.

In Zhu Ning's eyes, Huang Xiong was no longer just a colleague from the Cleaning Center. In that instant, he became the embodiment of all the difficulties she faced. Her unknown past, her defective body, the assassins hunting her—at this moment, they all became Huang Xiong. She couldn't rely on system items every time. When all her resources were exhausted, Zhu Ning had to rely on true, life-saving abilities. Real abilities that could protect her for a lifetime.

"One minute remaining."

Zhu Ning was covered in pain. Huang Xiong roared and threw a punch; Zhu Ning narrowly dodged it by shifting her body. It was close. The crowd gasped. "Hit her again! Go, Huang Xiong!"

Li Nianchuan, indignant, shouted, "Don't back down, Zhu Ning! Go for it!"

"Is she about to give out?" a spectator asked.

Zhu Ning had been punched in the left cheek; she poked at it with her tongue, nearly having a tooth knocked out. Combat is a sport that requires facing conflict head-on. Many beginners spend months trying to overcome the instinct to dodge. Blood began to flow from beneath Zhu Ning's nose, and the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.

She adjusted her breathing. *Inhale... exhale...*

She could see that Huang Xiong wasn't as calm as before; he was becoming irritable. This was a look she hadn't seen three days ago. For the first three days, Huang Xiong had finished her off in under six minutes. Now, the time was nearly up, and Zhu Ning hadn't collapsed. Huang Xiong was probably wondering what had happened to her—had she been coached by some master? Why was she so different after only a day?

There is an information gap between a novice and a veteran. Zhu Ning could watch Huang Xiong's matches to understand his inherent strategies. She had been beaten for three days, allowing her to summarize his patterns. But Huang Xiong couldn't do the same, because Zhu Ning was a wildcard who fought differently every day. Once Huang Xiong hesitated, a weakness would emerge.

A weakness.

Zhu Ning suddenly performed a side kick. She had used this move many times; it was how she had played dirty against Chu Ling. Many people didn't recognize the result of that match, believing Zhu Ning had no real strength and was just relying on petty tricks, wasting her 1,200 mental value. Huang Xiong thought the same. As a veteran fighter, he could usually predict an opponent's moves. Seeing her technique, he instinctively blocked low.

The opportunity. This was it. Zhu Ning feinted, then struck again, smashing a fist into Huang Xiong's face.

*Bang!*

A stunned Huang Xiong collapsed to the ground. Standing nearly two meters tall, he hit the floor with a heavy thud. This time, it was more direct than the incident with Chu Ling—there was no debate about who hit the ground first or whether Zhu Ning had cheated. Huang Xiong had landed first, and Zhu Ning remained standing.

Zhu Ning stood in the center of the arena, her expression unreadable. No joy, no contempt, no disgust—she simply stood there. A silence fell over the arena. No one even spoke.

Zhu Ning was the first to break the silence. "Did I pass?"

The instructor finally reacted. "...You passed."

"Zhu Ning passes!" the instructor announced formally again. It was a resonant declaration, clear enough for everyone to hear.

Li Nianchuan was even more excited than she was; he let out a whistle and shouted, "Zhu Ning, you won!" He looked like he wanted to jump down and hug her. "You won!"

People around them clapped and whistled. They were even more excited than when Zhu Ning had won the shooting competition. Shooting was her forte—a genius in that field, but a mediocre talent in the arena. A mediocre student who had suddenly broken through overnight to defeat an opponent she could never have beaten before. There was no better show than that.

Zhu Ning stood in the center of the arena, calmly accepting the praise and cheers. She knew exactly how much of a stir she had caused and how much attention she had attracted; that was the effect she wanted. There was no need to hide. In the face of unknown dangers, only the weak hide; the strong display their power.

She scanned her surroundings. There were many Hunters watching; some clapped, while others looked on with disdain. She couldn't tell who among them wanted to kill her. By causing such a scene, someone was bound to lose their composure.

To live, one must be high-profile.

Zhu Ning's right hand was still throbbing with pain; Huang Xiong was too bulky, and she had hurt her own hand when she punched him. She put great effort into managing her expression. She reached out to pull her opponent up; as a former athlete, she still maintained some sportsmanship.

Zhu Ning shook Huang Xiong's hand. "You were truly strong."

Huang Xiong replied, "So were you."

Zhu Ning felt incredibly light; the previous gloom had been swept away. This was the validation of a worthy opponent.