Chapter 38: Entangled Battle, The Scavenger Squad!

Wang Chen had not expected to encounter him here. He thought to himself with a sigh—what a small world this is!

“So you still remember me, kid? Good, that means there’s someone to blame, debts have a master. If you end up a ghost, don’t hold it against me.” Huang Ba sneered.

Wang Chen frowned. His conflict with Huang Ba was nothing more than the rivalry for Na’er’s affections—how had it escalated to such violence? These people truly were unreasonable and bloodthirsty.

But perhaps it was for the best; it meant he need not hold back when fighting.

“Old Huang, why bother talking to this kid so much? Let’s just kill him and be done with it,” the bald brute glared at Wang Chen. “Today, I’m taking your head to avenge my brother.”

He swung his blade again, but Wang Chen dodged easily. After his battle with the skeletal giant serpent, its extraordinary speed had attuned Wang Chen to rapid combat—his reflexes now operated at a heightened threshold.

The bald brute’s heavy blade felt sluggish in comparison.

Still, Wang Chen did not dare underestimate him. He asked, “You speak nonsense. What did I do to your brother?”

The bald brute’s eyes flashed with murderous light. “Don’t tell me you don’t know what you did, or are you too cowardly to admit it?”

“My brother followed you in the wasteland and died of dehydration. It’s all your fault!”

He lunged with his blade again.

Wang Chen suddenly understood—the brother he referred to must be the tracker Wang Chen had suspected earlier. He hadn’t expected that man’s mishap to prove fatal.

Yet hearing the bald brute’s accusation, Wang Chen almost laughed. These were truly bandit material—always twisting logic, blaming others for their own actions. They chose to follow him, and now blamed him for their losses. Unbelievable.

But Wang Chen had no intention of reasoning with him; this was merely a tactic to stall.

He spun the Forest Gale staff in his hand.

“Power of Swiftness (Reversed)!”

A white brilliance flared at the staff’s tip, its stagnant ripple flashing. The bald brute’s movements slowed.

He yelled at Huang Ba, “Old Huang! Didn’t you say this kid’s a Life Shaman? I remember tenth-level Life Shamans don’t have slowing skills!”

Huang Ba was startled by the shout and hurried to explain, “Maybe it’s because of some extra skill from his equipment. Don’t worry, a Life Shaman’s own skills are pretty useless!”

“When we were spying outside, didn’t we see him use Healing Wave to heal himself? He must be a Life Shaman!” Huang Ba added.

“So that’s why you ambushed me before my magic scroll’s protection had worn off?” Wang Chen laughed. “You assumed I was a useless Life Shaman? What if I’m not?”

Huang Ba retorted sharply, “Don’t bluff, kid. I heard you say you’re a Life Shaman, and saw you use healing skills!”

Wang Chen shook his head slowly. “I never said I wasn’t a Life Shaman. What I said is, I’m not a useless Life Shaman.”

He raised his hand.

Lightning crackled around the tip of the Forest Gale staff.

Huang Ba scoffed, “Pretending again? Isn’t that just a Life Shaman’s defensive skill? Turtle shell, perfect for a beating.” He mocked, “But your shell doesn’t seem very tough, does it?”

Wang Chen ignored the clown, releasing the lightning.

“Lightning Barrier (Reversed)!”

Three spheres of electricity linked by flashing chains spun outward, striking Huang Ba. The electricity danced violently, shocking him into a frenzy of screams.

Huang Ba, arrogant as ever, had let his guard down and was easily hit—he truly believed Wang Chen incapable of attack as a Life Shaman.

“This is bad! He’s not a Life Shaman!” the bald brute cried out.

He did not know why he felt such fear, for Wang Chen’s attack was not powerful enough to terrify him. It was simply that when plans go awry, the worry is not just about a minor deviation, but the major upheaval it might bring.

From the temple entrance, a figure approached, erupting in manic laughter.

“I told you this kid wasn’t so simple! Life Shaman? Have you ever seen a tenth-level Life Shaman with attack skills? Serves you right! You should have listened to me!” Everyone turned to look.

The one laughing was Fu Yunsheng.

He laughed for a while, then sat to the side, apparently content to watch the fight between Wang Chen and the scavengers rather than participate.

The bald brute’s face turned from pale to flushed. He had only just become leader, and already made a grave error in judgment. He now felt the weight of leadership.

“But now, there’s no choice but to press on.”

The blade flashed in his hand.

“Frenzied Blade Double Slash!”

Suddenly, his heavy sword moved with surprising speed, whistling through the air!

“Still too slow…” Wang Chen watched the blade’s arc, nimbly sidestepping.

Unexpectedly, after dodging the first slash, the second came immediately—he couldn’t evade and was struck!

The tranquil water shield rippled violently, waves spreading in endless succession.

Wang Chen retreated, startled—he hadn’t seen the origin of that second strike!

The bald brute felt no joy at landing a hit, for in his mind, this skill was always certain to connect.

It was his skill, “Frenzied Blade Double Slash.”

It allowed him to strike once, then deliver a second slash along the opposite trajectory, so swift and unpredictable it seemed two people attacked in succession.

“But your water shield is far too resilient—a silver-tier magic scroll is truly tough!” the bald brute shouted, preparing to close in for melee combat.

Wang Chen lifted the staff and aimed it at himself.

“Power of Swiftness (Unreversed)!”

White radiance danced with lightness, and Wang Chen felt his body grow much more agile.

He easily dodged the bald brute’s assault, rushing instead toward the other scavengers who lurked, ready to ambush him.

Dark energy enveloped the staff’s tip.

“Life’s Benediction (Reversed)!”

Barbed chains of death shot forth, transforming into a black-red stream that pierced the group, rebounding wildly!

The scavengers were bound, their bodies lashed repeatedly by the death chains, howling in pain.

Now Wang Chen had the capacity to deal with the bald brute. He turned, raising the Forest Gale staff, mist swirling at its tip.

“Nature’s Diagram…”

Just as he was about to channel the water into a mighty jet, a chilling rustle stopped him in his tracks.

The bald brute heard it too, especially since the sound came from behind him. He leaped away, widening the distance between himself and Wang Chen, then looked back.

He saw it!

In the sea of fire where the skeletal giant serpent had been buried, a wavering shadow began to rise.