"Boss?" Xiao Wu blinked her big, curious eyes, a playful smile spreading across her face. "That sounds like you're supposed to be pretty tough, right?" Two shallow dimples appeared on her cheeks, adding to her charm.
"You'll find out soon enough," Huo Feng grinned, and without another word, he summoned his Spirit. "Huo Feng. Spirit, Iron Sword. Let's see what you've got."
Hearing those familiar words, Wang Sheng, who had been watching excitedly, couldn't help but gulp. That was the exact same thing Huo Feng had said right before beating him. "Uh, boss," he whispered nervously, "don't be too rough on her. She's just a girl." He knew firsthand how strong Huo Feng was.
"Are you really going to fight me?" Xiao Wu asked, tilting her head.
"A friendly spar when you join is the rule of Dormitory 7," Huo Feng replied with a nod.
"Okay, let's go!" A flicker of excitement lit up Xiao Wu's face. Before Huo Feng could even brace himself, she bent her right leg and shot forward like a spring. In a blur of motion, the tip of her foot was aimed straight for his nose. Her speed was astonishing.
Huo Feng leaned back sharply, dodging the kick by a hair's breadth. But a second kick was already on its way.
Clang!
He raised his sword just in time to block it. The moment her foot connected with the blade, a powerful force sent them both flying back. Xiao Wu did a perfect backflip and landed gracefully a few meters away. Huo Feng, however, was knocked back a full step, and a jarring vibration ran up his arm. The palm of his sword hand was slightly numb.
She's incredibly strong, he thought, surprised.
Before he could recover, Xiao Wu was airborne again, launching another kick straight at his face. The other students in the dorm watched with wide eyes, not wanting to miss a single detail. The power these two first-years were displaying was enough to make the older students feel ashamed. Were all the new kids this monstrous?
Huo Feng raised his iron sword to meet her attack.
"Wait..." Wang Sheng muttered, confused. From the angle Huo Feng was holding his sword, there was no way he could block Xiao Wu's kick properly.
Clang!
Sure enough, Xiao Wu's kick sent Huo Feng's sword flying from his grasp. Her right foot landed squarely on his shoulder. Without a moment's hesitation, she used it as a pivot, swinging her other leg up and over. Before anyone could process what was happening, Xiao Wu had wrapped her legs around Huo Feng's neck in a perfect scissor lock. Leaning back with her palms on the ground for support, her legs were coiled like springs, ready to throw him across the room.
"Soft Skill!"
Huo Feng knew exactly what this move was. In the original story, this was how Xiao Wu had defeated Tang San. But unlike Tang San, who had been caught by carelessness, Huo Feng had allowed this to happen on purpose. He knew that if he fought her head-on, especially after using up so much of his spirit power against Wang Sheng, it would be a long and difficult battle. But if he could get her to make physical contact, things would become much, much easier.
[Ding!] [System has detected physical contact with Shrek Seven Devils member, Xiao Wu. Main quest triggered!] [Mission: Sacrifice Xiao Wu!] [Note: As Xiao Wu is a 100,000-year-old spirit beast in human form, the sacrifice will have a minimal effect. It will only induce a three-second state of weakness.] [Mission Reward: Exclusive Charm Value +99.] [Sacrifice Point Reward: +200 points.] [Does the host choose to sacrifice Xiao Wu?]
A three-second window? That's more than enough!
The information flashed through Huo Feng's mind in an instant. Ignoring the strange, smooth feeling of her skin against his neck, he gave his command without a shred of hesitation.
"Sacrifice Xiao Wu!"
[Ding! Sacrifice of Xiao Wu successful!] [Exclusive Charm Value +99, Sacrifice Points +200.] [Main Quest "Sacrifice the Shrek Seven Devils" progress: 2/7.]
At that exact moment, a triumphant smile appeared on Xiao Wu's face as she tensed her legs to execute the throw.
Buzz!
Suddenly, a strange, electric sensation shot through her legs. The power in her waist, the core of her strength, vanished, replaced by a slight numbness. Her legs, which had been clamped around Huo Feng's neck like a vise, went limp, and she slid awkwardly down his body.
The sudden reversal left everyone in the room completely stunned. They had all thought their new boss was about to lose, but the tables had turned in the blink of an eye.
"He didn't even have his sword..." "What just happened? Did you see?"
The students whispered among themselves, utterly confused.
It took exactly three seconds for Xiao Wu to land on the ground. For a moment, she felt like she was in a trance, her body completely unresponsive. As feeling returned, she pushed off the floor with her legs, trying to stand up and fight again.
Swish!
An iron sword with a cold, metallic glint was suddenly resting in front of her face. It was perfectly still.
"I lost..." Xiao Wu's pretty face flushed red. She blinked her large, charming eyes and looked up at the boy who had defeated her. For some reason, he looked different now. There was a certain confidence, an undeniable charm about him that wasn't there before. It's normal to lose to someone like him, she thought, silently making an excuse for herself. It's not because I was careless.
"You're amazing, too," Huo Feng said, his voice calm and even. He dismissed his Spirit and offered a hand to pull her up from the ground. A faint smile played on his lips, making him look surprisingly friendly.
"Boss, was that a spirit ability you just used?" Wang Sheng asked, running up to them with a look of pure admiration.
Huo Feng simply shook his head without offering an explanation. Wang Sheng looked over at Xiao Wu, who also shook her head, just as confused as he was. He's that powerful without even using a spirit ability? Wang Sheng was floored. These new work-study students were on another level. He was already a sixth-year, and these two were first-years who could probably wipe the floor with him.
"Spirit ability? What's a spirit ability?"
A voice came from the corner of the room. Tang San, who had been lying on his bed, was now sitting up, watching them intently. He had seen the entire fight. Although he hated to admit it, he knew that if he had been in Huo Feng's position, turning that situation around would have been impossible.
"Boss, what's your current spirit power level?" Wang Sheng asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. "I could feel your power during our fight. It was really strong." Wang Sheng himself was at level nine, which was already the highest among the work-study students. He was eager to know how he measured up to their new leader.
"I have innate full spirit power," Huo Feng said, his tone as casual as if he were talking about the weather.
"What?" "Innate full spirit power!" "You mean you're already at level ten?!"
The room erupted with exclamations of shock. Wang Sheng's jaw dropped. "Boss, you really have the legendary innate full spirit power?!" He had only ever heard stories about it.
"Is it that rare?" Huo Feng asked, feigning ignorance.
"Of course it's rare, Boss! Someone with innate full spirit power is a one-in-a-million genius!" Wang Sheng answered, his face flushed with excitement.
"Is that so?" Huo Feng said with a thoughtful expression. He then glanced over at the corner of the room. "Tang San has innate full spirit power, too."
Tang San, who had just been about to lie back down, froze.