Si Chen looks him straight in the eye, his expression flat and unimpressed. He tells the bully simply not to come bother them ever again.
That is all the excuse Gong Cheng needs to snap. He swings a massive wood-armored fist toward Si Chen's head, determined to put the unawakened loser back in his place.
A loud crack echoes across the court as the punch connects — but not with its intended target. Si Chen punched straight into the giant wood-armored fist, stopping it dead in its tracks. It is a counterattack on a whole different level. The impact sends a jolt of pain through the bully, forcing him to stumble back in agony.
The crowd is stunned into silence, their eyes popping at the sight. No one can believe that an unawakened nobody just blocked a direct hit from Gong Cheng.
Si Chen stands his ground, looking completely unfazed by the exchange. He watches the bully struggle to find his footing, his mind already calculating the next move.
Gong Cheng's face twists in rage. Unable to accept that he was just pushed back, he cannot understand how an unawakened weakling could possibly challenge a ranker like him.
Si Chen raises his hand and a job-switching notification appears in the air. He decides it is the perfect time to test out his new system on this loudmouth. The interface flashes: job switch complete. As his stats are updated, he is now a level one Lightning Assassin, and bolts of lightning begin to dance across his skin.
Ma Long is absolutely losing it, his jaw hanging open as he watches his friend transform. He has never seen anything like this, especially not from someone who was supposedly powerless.
Si Chen stands wreathed in crackling yellow electricity, looking every bit like the SSS-rank killer he used to be. The air around him hums with lethal energy.
Gong Cheng refuses to back down and activates his indestructible demon armor. His wooden arms grow spikes and thicken into a much more defensive, heavy form. He charges forward again, throwing what he calls his killer jab. The sheer size of the armored fist dwarfs Si Chen as it closes in for a finishing blow.
Si Chen does not even flinch, leaning into the attack with a blur of motion. He weaves through the punch with the ease of a veteran fighter who has seen much worse. With a crackle of lightning, his fist connects squarely with Gong Cheng's jaw.
The force of the blow shatters the bully's defense in an instant. Gong Cheng is sent spiraling through the air, blood spraying from his mouth as the impact carries him away. He crashes hard into the pavement, tumbling like a rag doll.
The spectators are completely speechless, their faces frozen in pure disbelief. They just saw the school's notorious bully get handled in a single move. Ma Long can only stare in shock, his mind racing to make sense of what just happened. His friend is not just different — he is a completely different monster.
Si Chen stands calmly in the middle of the courtyard, his silhouette glowing with the fading remnants of his lightning. The entire campus is in an absolute frenzy over the sudden turn of events unfolding right before their eyes.
Gong Cheng grovels on the ground, clutching his broken face while spitting out insults. He tries to claim it was just a sneak attack, refusing to admit he was outclassed. Desperate and humiliated, he screams at his buddies to stop standing around and help him. He wants Si Chen dead for making him look pathetic.
One of his lackeys looks on with a trembling jaw, unable to move a muscle. The sheer pressure coming off Si Chen is enough to keep anyone from stepping forward. Si Chen looms like a dark god, his eyes glowing with an intense golden light. He looks ready to tear through anyone else foolish enough to challenge him.
Gong Cheng ignores his fear and lunges again, screaming that he will kill Si Chen. He puts everything he has into one final, desperate strike with his remaining strength.
Si Chen catches the massive armored arm with ease once again. The lightning crackling from his fingers begins to eat away at the wood-like armor like it is nothing. With a sudden surge of power, he crushes the armored forearm, the sound of breaking wood and bone filling the air. Gong Cheng's scream of agony echoes across the campus.
Si Chen stares him down with cold, glowing eyes, telling him plainly that he is just too weak. To a former SSS-rank, this guy is not even a challenge.
He delivers a final lightning-charged punch that explodes against Gong Cheng's chest. The shock wave of electricity and force is absolutely devastating. Gong Cheng is blasted backward, his body smoking as he is sent flying once and for all. Si Chen watches him fall, the fight over before it ever really began.
Gong Cheng is left embedded in the bleachers, his body nearly collapsing into the crater made by the impact. He slumps against the cracked concrete, blood streaming down his face as he coughs and gasps for air.
Si Chen stands in the center of the yard, looking completely bored as the other students watch from a distance. Ma Long can only kneel nearby, stunned by the sudden display of power. His brain is struggling to process what he just saw, his eyes wide and sweat pouring down his face.
Si Chen stares at the blood on his knuckles, his expression as cold as ice. Ma Long cannot help but wonder when his friend became such a monster.
Si Chen scans his system window, noting his level and his flat stats of one hundred across the board. He is starting to piece together how his old abilities have translated to this new life. Crackling yellow lightning begins to dance around him as he tests his Lightning Assassin state. He realizes he can tap into this power whenever he needs to. Even at level one, his basic physical stats are enough to handle a low-ranker like Gong Cheng. It is clear that his current grade is far beyond an E, though the system will not confirm it yet.
But there is a catch that Si Chen has not figured out yet. He narrows his eyes, focusing on a problem that does not show up in his status window. He looks back at the beaten Gong Cheng, confused as to why his stats have not budged after the victory. Lightning sparks in the palm of his hand as he contemplates the lack of progress. Something about the way he is gaining power in this timeline is different.
Ma Long and the others are in a state of pure panic, yelling for Si Chen to stop before things get even worse. Si Chen does not listen, grabbing a terrified Gong Cheng by the throat while bolts of electricity arc across his arm. His eyes glow with a lethal yellow light as he wonders if the method for gaining experience is the same as in his past. He raises a fist, the air humming with high-voltage energy as he prepares to deliver another brutal blow.
A woman in a sharp blazer and black skirt approaches, her heels clicking against the pavement as she calls out to him. Ling Yu, the vice president of the student council, steps in with a playful but firm smile. She tells Si Chen that Gong Cheng has had enough and that it is time to stop. She leans in with a wink, promising that the bully will not be bothering anyone again after a beating like that.
Si Chen stands over his victim, his silhouette dark against the setting sun. As Ling Yu watches him closely, he meets her gaze with a flat stare, wondering why the student council is so quick to step in for a guy like Gong Cheng.
As he walks away with Ma Long, Si Chen knows that mere deterrence is not enough for people who do not know their place. If they are not completely broken, they will just keep coming back.
Gong Cheng's lackeys cower in a corner, paralyzed by fear. They do not even dare to look Si Chen in the eye, whispering to each other about how terrifying his expression was.