Chapter 73: The Fist King
[Name: Ian Thorne]
[Age: 17]
[Lifespan: 73]
[Martial Arts: Boulder Crushing Fist Technique (Not Learned)]
[Cultivation Arts: Abyssal Dragon Jaw Forging Technique]
[Martial Stage: First-Stage of Dragon Jaw Forging Technique]
[Prosperity Points: 15]
[Prosperity Shop]
[Notifications]
[External Members: 4/20]
Standing in the heavy, freezing rain, Ian pressed on the ’Boulder Crushing Fist Technique’ option. A new window immediately popped up in front of his face.
[Boulder Crushing Fist Technique]
[Description: A brutal, heavy-handed technique focusing on downward hammer fists and devastating horizontal hooks.]
[It leverages the extreme density of the cultivator’s skeleton. By throwing the sheer physical weight of their steel-like arm bones into a strike, the attack hits with the force of a falling anvil. It is designed to literally shatter solid stone pillars, cave in heavy iron shields, and crush enemy defenses through pure, unstoppable mass.]
’I expected nothing less from this stupid System. It just gave me a basic description and absolutely no instructions on how to actually get strong and use the technique,’ Ian thought, closing the System window and looking at the silent avatar standing in front of him.
"At least now I know that I should be wary of heavy hooks and downward punches," Ian muttered, wiping the rain from his eyes as the avatar prepared to move again. "And I should also try using those specific punches on him. Maybe I can get the basic idea of how to use the technique by copying his movements."
The avatar started moving, smiling widely. Ian immediately started stepping backward, trying to keep a safe distance between them in the slippery mud.
Suddenly, while the avatar was rushing forward, it casually swung its leg and violently kicked the severed head of Ian’s previously dead body right at him!
"Whaattt!!!" Ian yelled, completely startled. He hurriedly dodged to the right side to avoid his own flying head.
But it was a trap. The avatar was already dangerously close to him. Sliding through the wet mud, the avatar perfectly used its sliding momentum to deliver a brutal spinning kick directly to Ian’s chest, sending him flying backward until he violently hit a nearby tree.
’Aaaahhh... what the hell is wrong with this guy?!’ Ian thought, groaning in extreme pain.
He looked up through the rain and saw the muddy avatar, its wet clothes clinging to its body, casually standing back up. Then, it rushed at Ian again.
Seeing the avatar about to reach him, Ian desperately rolled to the side.
CRACK! Missing Ian by inches, the avatar drove its knee directly into the thick trunk of the tree behind Ian. A massive, splintered indent was left deep in the wood.
’What the hell is with this raw strength?!’ Ian thought in terror, staring at the cratered tree.
Before Ian could even try to stand up, the avatar dashed over to where he lay in the mud and violently stomped down, completely crushing Ian’s right foot.
"Aaaaaaaahhhhh!!!!!" Ian screamed in pure agony as his bones shattered.
The moment the avatar heard his scream, it started laughing hysterically, grabbing its own wet hair and pulling it like a complete psychopath. Then, still laughing, it ruthlessly stomped down and crushed Ian’s other leg.
CRACK! "Aaaaaahhhh!!!" Ian screamed again, hot tears of pain mixing with the freezing rain flowing down his face.
The moment it heard another piercing scream, the avatar started laughing even louder. It aggressively touched its own face all over, completely reveling in the sound of Ian’s suffering. It was truly enjoying itself.
’Is this even training anymore?! This is more like torture!’ Ian thought, his vision blurring from the excruciating pain in his shattered legs. ’Is this avatar some kind of a total psycho?!’
Then, suddenly, the avatar stopped laughing. It slowly leaned down until its face was inches from Ian’s, staring deeply into his eyes with a twisted, entertained smile.
It raised its left hand high into the rainy sky, balling it into a tight fist, ready to deliver a fatal punch. Ian immediately crossed his arms over his face to desperately block the incoming blow.
But then, the avatar’s smirk widened. It didn’t punch. Instead, it slowly dropped onto its knees beside Ian’s chest.
Suddenly, Ian felt cold, wet, muddy hands wrap tightly around his neck, pressing down hard.
’What?! Is this guy seriously gonna choke me to death?! This round, it didn’t even use the Boulder Crushing Fist technique at all!’ Ian thought, his eyes wide with shock as he stared up at the smiling avatar.
Ian started frantically scrambling in the mud, wildly punching and scratching at the avatar’s arms, trying desperately to find a way to stop it. But the avatar didn’t even budge an inch. It just kept on squeezing tighter and tighter.
Ian’s vision started to go dark. His eyes turned bloodshot, and he began showing the final signs of suffocating to death.
Just as he was about to pass out, the avatar’s smile suddenly disappeared. Looking visibly displeased, it lifted its hands slightly, releasing the heavy pressure on Ian’s throat.
"Cough!! Cough... hack!" Ian gasped wildly, sucking in freezing air and violently coughing nonstop. ’It didn’t let me die... why?’ Ian thought weakly, looking up at the avatar’s deeply annoyed expression.
Without warning, the avatar’s crazed smile returned, and it aggressively squeezed Ian’s throat again!
It choked him right to the absolute brink of death, stopped just in time to let him take a single agonizing breath, and then choked him again.
This horrific cycle kept on going for more than an hour. The violent choking, the desperate gasping, the terrified coughing.
Finally, after an hour of endless psychological torture, the avatar felt it was getting bored. Standing up, it casually raised its fist and punched Ian in the head, instantly squashing it into a bloody paste.
[YOU HAVE DIED]
[RESPAWN IN 3... 2... 1...]
Ian immediately appeared back on the starting spot, as always. But this time, he was completely silent. He dropped to his knees in the mud, his hands violently shaking as he remembered what he had just experienced.
"What the hell was that?! Is this the so-called ’training’ the System was talking about?" Ian gasped, looking back at his headless body lying in the muddy puddle. It had deep, dark red, sore markings completely wrapping around its neck.
He felt genuinely terrified as he slowly reached up and touched his own unharmed neck.
Suddenly, a blue panel appeared directly in front of him.
[TO ANSWER THE HOST’S QUESTION: YES, THIS IS THE TRAINING OF THE TECHNIQUE.]
[THE SYSTEM DOES NOT JUST COPY THE RAW PHYSICAL TECHNIQUE OF THE FOUNDER. IT ALSO PERFECTLY COPIES THE FOUNDER’S PERSONAL BEHAVIOR, BATTLE HABITS, AND CHARACTERISTICS TO MAKE THE SIMULATION AS REALISTIC AS POSSIBLE...]
[THIS IS DONE TO HELP THE HOST TRAIN TO BECOME TRULY STRONGER.]
’The System just answered me, even though I didn’t verbally ask it. Did it actively sense that I was getting genuinely scared and uneasy with this?’ Ian thought, staring blankly at the floating blue text. ’Should I just quit this whole thing? Should I just return to reality and die to that massive Orc? I have died many times here anyway death from being cut by a sword is better than this.’
Then, sudden memories flashed through his mind. Memories of Emma’s bright smile, Emily’s quiet strength, and his mother’s gentle face.
’Yeah, those guys... if I die out there, who is gonna take care of them? I’m the only one who can actually provide my family with the strength to survive. If I die here, even Adam will eventually die from that wicked curse. And if Adam dies, my uncle will completely lose his mind and might even commit suicide.’
Ian’s thoughts then shifted to his cousin. He let out a dry, tired smirk. ’As for Isaac... he would be totally fine. I bet he would just think my death means fewer problems for him and his mom.’
Ian took a deep breath and slowly stood back up on his feet, letting the freezing rain wash the mud off his face.
"So... I guess I really can’t afford to die here after all huh," Ian muttered.
Just as Ian said that, the silent avatar standing a few feet in front of him slowly began to smile again, dropping into a stance, completely ready to fight and torture him once more.
’Haaaah...’ Ian exhaled tiredly, clenching his fists. ’That smile really is creepy.’