Chapter 011: The Ignorant Know No Fear

Yet despite all that, after dodging several attacks and attempting a few tentative counterstrikes, the Axe Man immediately felt a surge of dread and the urge to retreat. He was only a level 5 Transcendent Warrior, with a maximum reserve of about 25,000 degrees of super vitality in his body.

He had already spent a considerable amount just now trying to break through this Nova kid’s “multidimensional ultra-high-activity bio-energy shield.” Now, with his opponent unleashing his power, the level of super vitality within him was skyrocketing at an exponential rate, forming a shield at least twenty times thicker than his own!

In other words, even if the other boy just stood there and let him attack, with the little super vitality he had left, he wouldn’t be able to break through that defense—not in a hundred lifetimes.

While he could just barely hold his own thanks to combat experience and fighting technique, if the Nova kid—now so much faster and stronger—landed even a glancing blow, he’d be dead for sure. The sheer difference in output would be enough to obliterate him, leaving not even a trace of his remains.

But could he really leave just because he wanted to?

“Done fighting, now you want to run?” came the mocking voice. “You’ve had your fun, but I’m not finished yet!”

Bai Yuxi, his white T-shirt now soaked and stained dark red with blood, swiftly appeared in the path of the Axe Man’s retreat. His swollen, battered face was rapidly healing, revealing once more his delicate features—though they were smeared with blood, making him look grim and almost savage.

With a casual gesture, Bai Yuxi tore off the shredded remains of his T-shirt, exposing a ribbed, bony chest. Yet before the Axe Man’s eyes, his muscles began to ripple and swell at a visible speed, making him look far less weak and gaunt.

He glanced down and touched his now-bulging pectorals. Even though Bai Yuxi still didn’t understand what was happening to his body, the answer had ceased to matter.

“Come to think of it, I should thank you for that thorough beating you gave me,” he said, his voice oddly light. “I didn’t understand a word of what you were babbling about, but if you hadn’t put in so much effort, I wouldn’t have awakened to this strange new power.”

He fixed his gaze on the Axe Man, who gripped his weapon like a cornered beast, watching Bai Yuxi’s every move with utter wariness.

“Really, I ought to just kill you now—so I don’t end up like those villains in the movies who talk too much and get themselves killed…” Bai Yuxi chuckled softly at the thought of such a dramatic reversal.

“Like what just happened to you—thinking you’ve won, only to have the tables turned at the last moment.” He let out a small laugh. “But now, I finally understand why villains in movies can’t help but monologue at crucial moments. This feeling of standing above your defeated enemy, savoring the victory… it’s intoxicating! No wonder those villains just can’t help showing off.”

He clenched his now-muscular fist, knuckles crackling with power. “Maybe I should show off a bit too. Let’s see if you can pull off another comeback.”

Cold sweat began to bead on the Axe Man’s forehead. If Bai Yuxi had charged him in a fit of rage, he might have seized the moment to escape. But now, despite the fury in Bai Yuxi’s eyes, he was eerily calm, simply standing there and leaving not the slightest opening for escape.

Just moments ago, the Axe Man had been toying with this Nova kid, cat-and-mouse, relying on his higher level. But now, with this overwhelming speed advantage, no trick would save him.

“Hey, buddy…” he stammered, forcing a dry smile. “What if I said that beating you up was for your own good? To awaken your potential. Would you believe me?”

“Of course!” Bai Yuxi replied, grinning. “But stop backing away. You’re thinking of running down the mountain trail to somewhere crowded, hoping I’ll be afraid to follow you, aren’t you?”

The Axe Man froze, his intentions laid bare by someone who knew the terrain.

“Honestly, your plan isn’t wrong. I made a mistake myself, running toward Mount Jialuo instead of staying downtown. If I’d stayed in the busy streets, maybe you wouldn’t have dared attack.”

He looked steadily at the sweating Axe Man. “I still don’t understand what the hell is going on, but since I’ve never heard of people like you before, I figure you must keep a low profile. Maybe you have some taboo or restriction that stops you from revealing your true nature or powers in front of ordinary people.”

“But I’m different, you know?” Bai Yuxi’s smile was almost serene. “I don’t know a damn thing about your rules. If you people have restrictions, that’s your problem, not mine. Even if ordinary people see me and the police haul me off to some lab to be dissected, I don’t care!”

He smiled peacefully. “You can run—even if you run all the way to the police station, I’ll still kill you today.”

Now, real fear began to flicker in the Axe Man’s eyes. He had never considered that Bai Yuxi was a newly awakened rookie, entirely ignorant of the world beyond the ordinary.

The ignorant fear nothing, and the fearless are the most dangerous of all. Even the most hardened gangsters fear the greenest new recruits—those who don’t know enough to be afraid, those who strike hardest because they don’t yet understand the cost.

“Come on, man! We’re both reasonable people—let’s solve this like civilized folks,” the Axe Man pleaded, a brittle smile on his lips. “How about I tell you about the rules of our world? In the supernatural community, revealing your powers in front of ordinary people is a serious taboo…”

“Want to talk? Sure!” Bai Yuxi nodded calmly. “Lie down and let me give you a beating! I was just a regular student, minding my own business, and somehow your mess dragged me into this. All I did was run into some weird event on my way home, and suddenly I’m chased here and beaten half to death. Not even my own mother has hit me like you did! You tell me, how is that fair?”

He gestured at the Axe Man, mimicking the earlier blows. “I’ll hit you just like you hit me. I won’t be satisfied until I’ve paid you back in kind!”

“You’re new to all this, so you don’t understand how the supernatural world works,” the Axe Man said, dropping his false smile and letting his voice turn cold and vicious. “But you need to know—the laws of the ordinary world don’t apply to us Transcendent Warriors!”