It's so painful! So hard! So difficult!

"Can I... get in?" Fei'er pointed at herself and asked Bai Lin.

Bai Lin nodded affirmatively, "No problem. Now that I hold the Knight's Medal, the guards should be lenient if I only bring one person in."

-

"We don't have the kind of commission you're looking for right now. For one thing, there aren't many commissions available within the city. Furthermore, the security in Camitlan is quite good. Once any unusual situation is discovered within the city, the authorities will dispatch personnel to resolve it."

Inside the office, Kong was flipping through a booklet and explaining to Bai Lin seriously,

"As for jobs like finding pets to do hard labor, the lowest-level adventurers might be able to get some. Obviously, instead of earning this little money, you might as well find another part-time job. Let me see..."

Kong flipped to the last page of the book, and just as he shook his head and closed the book, he suddenly seemed to remember something and said to Bai Lin,

"I almost forgot. You just arrived in the city, and there's something you might not know. In the past two years, Camillan has been promoting a policy of developing underground areas. After all, the population is expanding, and expanding the territory is obviously unrealistic."

"So, regarding the excavation and renovation, there have been official announcements. It's said that they'll first build a 'Sage's Room' specifically for knowledge storage, debate, and experimentation. If you have time, you can go there part-time and earn some pocket money."

"Among the sages"? Bai Lin didn't quite understand the meaning of the term, but she probably knew she wouldn't have much use for it. After all, the main subject of discussion in this world was obviously magic, and she definitely wouldn't be able to get involved.

Although modern weapons like guns and bombs play a prominent role in some works about traveling to other worlds, Bai Lin is not proficient in this area and only has a rough understanding of the basic models. Even if he had the conditions to test them, he would only be able to use some small weapons at first. I'm afraid that it would consume a lot of resources and would not be able to penetrate the defenses of most monsters, which is really unrealistic.

So now Bai Lin is only thinking about how to improve her own strength. She shook her head. If it was about doing odd jobs, she had no interest at all.

"Forget it then. When I need money, I'll just work in a tavern."

Kong looked at Bai Lin's serious expression and couldn't help but feel puzzled.

"Why, weren't the dividends and salary the cafe gave you yesterday enough? Instead of working here, you want to go to another pub?"

"Um...I don't want to wear cat ears, okay?"

Even Bai Lin would be shy sometimes. She wasn't so short of money now, so she would rather spend her time improving her strength. Kong folded his hands, smiled mysteriously, and said to Bai Lin,

"You look really good in cat ears, so please come more often when you have time. Even though your performance yesterday was terrible, you still have a lot of good things to say about you. It's hard to find a job in the city that pays that much per hour."

"Next time for sure." Bai Lin said casually, and before Kong could speak, he added,

"I haven't taken over yet... No, I still owe you some work. If I have time, I'll take care of that first."

Glancing at Fei'er who had been standing beside him in silence, Bai Lin almost forgot about her, and the word "maid" was almost on the verge of coming out. Kong also nodded thoughtfully.

"That's right, but on my side, the magic props I promised you will take some time to prepare. After all, this kind of thing takes a lot of time to make."

Bai Lin didn't know whether it took time to make it, but she obviously believed in Kong. So Bai Lin nodded and continued to speak.

"Well, let's leave it at that for now. Since the stewardess is so well-informed, I'd like to ask if there's any training ground in the city that can improve combat capabilities, or if you could recommend some combat enthusiasts who enjoy actual combat?"

After hearing Bai Lin's words, Kong's expression remained unchanged. She shook her head slightly and replied,

"As for whether I know him or not... I do know him, but if you want to improve your strength, it's really not appropriate to go looking for that kind of person. How about..."

A trace of evil suddenly flashed in the corner of Kong's eyes. Although she immediately narrowed her eyes, Bai Lin still felt a clear sense of malice. And after that, Kong's words also gradually revealed that malice.

"Why don't you come to me when I'm free, and I'll train you. I'm probably free in the mornings these days, and the payment can be determined later."

When Kong said this, Bai Lin clearly realized that something was wrong. Although she didn't know what Kong's specific strength was, she... had once killed that Xifa with one punch. That was just one punch!

Chapter 296: Got Beaten Again

"Uh... If I train with you, I'll just be beaten unilaterally... Forget it."

Bai Lin is a person who is very self-aware. She believes that the martial arts she currently possesses are based on the basics, and can only be gradually improved through repeated practice.

The reason she chose actual combat was because her ability to master various martial arts allowed her to gradually grasp the advantages of her opponent's moves and steal what she could. For example, Bai Lin might not be able to use Xifa's supersonic slash, but simply borrowing his sword-swinging method to wield a one-handed sword was more than enough.

On the one hand, you can learn other people's moves, on the other hand, you can train your own and strengthen your awareness of actual combat. For Bai Lin, this is much faster than learning one move at a time from others.

As for actual air combat... I'm afraid the effect will be different. I'm afraid the ability to resist attacks will increase rapidly.

Kong's smile became even brighter, and the danger index also increased. She lowered her voice and said to Bai Lin in a very gentle tone,

"How could that be? I will definitely control my strength. My greatest strength is my gentleness."

Every word that Kong said was like the sweet talk of an old fox trying to lure a little white rabbit. Although it was sweet and tempting, Bai Lin clearly felt that it was a trap.

But Bai Lin thought again, why would Kong want to torture him for no reason? She didn't look like the type of person with sadistic desires, otherwise he would have suffered a lot. Although she was very powerful, she obviously offered to spar with him out of kindness.

At most, it's just a little bit of suffering. If you can't die, go ahead. Sora is different from some of those blonde, pointy-eared pleasure-takers. She's definitely not the kind of person who would kill just because she can't die.

Bai Lin mustered up her courage and decisively crossed off the Knights Templar from her schedule for the day. She slammed her hand on the table with great authority and said,

"Okay, let's get started now!"

-

Fei'er held the drink but couldn't take a sip because her hands were shaking and the corners of her mouth were twitching continuously.

The battle between Sora and Shiro Rin was indeed a bit Chanyeol-like. Although Sora did seem to hold back as she said, the latter's body... was already covered in various injuries.

Common burns, frostbite, blows, etc. There are also special ones, such as unidentified dark matter with corrosive effects, and special bites caused by creatures called phosphorus fire beetles.

According to Bai Lin herself, after arriving in this other world, this was the first time she had seen every type of spell she could imagine cast on a single person. Kong's spells were varied and similar to Katie's, but clearly more varied.

Although her spellcasting mainly involves standing and reading the bar and doing some strange behaviors, every time Bai Lin wants to get close, Kong can use his more outrageous melee ability to block the approaching Bai Lin while continuing to complete his spell.

After such a long fight, Bai Lin finally grasped the martial arts that had tormented her for so long. Her movements were primarily based on ancient martial arts techniques, but her footwork was more modern, making her movements unpredictable. Perhaps it was simply that Bai Lin couldn't keep up with her speed.

This martial art is actually quite simple, but it is quite good at defending and keeping distance. It only throws necessary punches and rarely uses large-scale follow-up punches or combinations that can make the opponent breathless.

Bai Lin was panting heavily, supporting the gun in her hand, her legs trembling, and she was trying to stand unsteadily for a short rest.

Yes, not long after the battle began, she tried to use the Dragon Spear. Although the spear would cause some damage to her, if she simply used the blade, she would probably have difficulty even blocking Sora's attack.

This was the first time Bai Lin had been able to use the spear so smoothly since Kronostia possessed it. This was because Bai Lin was not only outputting energy herself, but the spells she cast would also collide with the external energy, which actually reduced her burden.

Bai Lin also understood that in order to use this spear well, she had to swing it as much as possible to prevent the dragon spear from eroding inward. Even if it put a great strain on her body, she had to do it.

"Do you want to continue?"

Sora asked, standing there in a relaxed manner. Her maid outfit, which she hadn't changed, wasn't wrinkled at all, and not even a speck of dust.

A maid who didn't look like a maid, yet she performed elegant tasks with the most perfect posture. Every spell she cast, every incantation, was perfectly suited to her, except for—

Every time she used her fist to knock Bai Lin away, she seemed to be quite happy. Although her smile was very real and beautiful, it always made Bai Lin feel an inexplicable feeling, a feeling of shattered dreams.

On the other hand, Bai Lin's reaction revealed just how miserable she was. It was probably because Bai Lin charged forward time and time again, and if she could withstand one or two attacks, it was considered a good performance. Three attacks could be considered an exceptional performance, and four attacks could be considered a complete failure. She was repeatedly sent flying, and the scars accumulated one after another. Even the self-healing armor was already scarred.

"Come!"

Bai Lin gasped for breath, her face covered in scars, yet she remained full of heroic spirit. During her battle with Kong, she felt she had gradually grasped something. Martial arts comprehension was like inspiration for composing music; if she gave up on it this time, she might not be able to grasp it next time.

With the gun head pointing downwards and his back hand raised, Bai Lin focused all his attention on the tip of the gun on the sandy ground that had been destroyed into a mess.

Closing her eyes slightly, listening to the sound of the wind brushing past her ears, Bai Lin already knew exactly where Kong was. What she needed to see now wasn't Kong's almost unchanged position, so she chose to close her eyes.

In the completely dark world, Bai Lin immediately imagined the distance between the two of them, which was only fifteen meters. Even if Bai Lin could jump over the distance in one step, she would still carefully separate them.

In that instant, she had to unleash three shots, perhaps even more in a row, with sufficient force. One shot was used to negate some of the effects of the empty spell, and the remaining three shots were to leave her no chance to breathe, aiming for a hit. Given the weight of the gun, it was nearly impossible, but...

Bai Lin suddenly opened her eyes. The circle obviously had no effect on the air, so she did not use it. She just moved her body simply.

She leaped into the sky, like a meteor breaking through the air, and directly arrived three meters in front of Kong.

Chapter 297 Shadow World Scythe

Although humans are vulnerable in the air, especially when their speed and strength are inferior to their opponents, Bai Lin is well aware of this. However, she has her reasons for making this choice.

The human body has a self-protection mechanism. Sometimes, although the muscle strength may be enough to lift a heavy object, if lifting it would cause your bones to break and your muscles to dissolve and collapse, your body will not allow you to lift it.

In battle after battle, Bai Lin repeatedly struggled on the brink of life and death. Her protective mechanisms had gradually begun to change. In many situations, landing a powerful enough attack was the only way to save her life; simply protecting her limbs was no longer that important.

Bai Lin was currently attempting to break that shackle in a more natural way, allowing himself to sustain minor injuries to compensate for his lack of strength and speed, much like overclocking a computer.

Her shoulder blades locked tightly, maintaining as much muscle contraction as possible to maximize resilience at the moment of unleashing her energy, preventing her body from shattering under the unbearable weight. She took a breath mid-air and launched an upward slash, slicing through the blazing spray from her bare hands. The aftermath of the two streams of fire ignited a crater in the ground nearby, and the roaring sound made Bai Lin's head tremble.

However, that didn't affect Bai Lin, who was now completely focused on the tip of her spear. She suddenly opened her eyes, her entire body radiating a fierce aura, from the tip of her spear to every corner of her body, as if she was ready to tear anyone apart.

Dragon flames burned fiercely, surging from beneath Bai Lin's body. In that moment of preparation, Bai Lin, using the heavier tip of his spear, subtly adjusted the speed to a positive value. A single thrust, carrying dragon flames that threatened to drag him into the abyss, smacked his lips in the air. The roar of a mighty dragon awakening, with a force that threatened to shatter the heavens and crackle the earth, began to disrupt the air currents within the entire space.

A beautiful blow. Fei'er judged so. Even if the store owner Kong was very strong, he might be surprised.

Overclocking his body, resonating with his weapon. Bai Lin had perfected every detail he could. From a martial arts perspective, this was the hallmark of a master martial artist: every move was perfect, a step above the rest.

A large hexagonal patch of pale blue light shone from Sora's side. She calmly raised her hands within the hexagonal shield. She took a slight step forward, twisting her waist. Was she planning to collide with the spear with her fists?

As expected, the light wave engulfed the two men's figures and vision. Centered on a small, dark fire, the flames surged forward, like a rocket taking off, impacting and challenging the atmosphere.

Fei'er, sitting nearby, immediately cast a shield spell. Her eardrums were already severely worn; if exposed to this kind of sound for a moment longer, she'd probably bleed from both ears. The light waves continuously impacted the shield, leaving even Fei'er somewhat bewildered. She could only sense the leaked broadcast washing over the ground. If it were a normal venue, it would easily flatten a field the size of Yue Lingluo's residence in an instant.

Kong's shield was completely destroyed, and the flames from the spear tip were fleeting, likely canceling each other out. Just as Kong was about to re-energize, passing through the flames and striking back at Bai Lin, a sense of danger shot through the back of her neck like an electric current, shocking her whole body.

Kong took a step back on the spot, only to see Bai Lin's gun falling from the sky and deeply embedded in the ground. The heat wave that swept over made Kong hurriedly put her hands in front of his eyes to avoid blindness.

Impossible, how could she suddenly be so fast? Could it be that her previous attack had only used the energy to break his shield, without using the weapon itself?

The entire earth began to crumble, cracks rapidly spreading to every corner, and then erupted with intense heat. This was Bai Lin's third shot. Even as she landed precariously on the ground in a spinning position, her hands remained tightly gripped on the gun handle.

Because this was only the third shot.

Modified Dragon Tail Spin

As soon as Bai Lin's toes touched the ground, he expertly shifted his unstable center of gravity in that direction without reservation. With one giant stride, he passed by Kong and simultaneously swung his spear backward, striking him squarely in the heart.

As everyone knows, most of the loud and powerful attacks are just feints. Kong would definitely not fall for a feint that lacked the quality and intimidation. Therefore, Bai Lin used all her strength in every strike, completing what was, for her, a maximum combo in just two breaths.

The numbing sensation in her arm and Kong's muffled groan echoed simultaneously. Bai Lin didn't hesitate, but having reached her limit, she needed a moment to catch her breath. She turned around, regrouped, and fired again.

The impact of the flames erupted from behind Kong, rushing straight into the surrounding solid barrier, leaving many scorch marks on it. It was obvious that the wall was also made of special building materials. And after the flames, what appeared in front of Bai Lin was still...

The air was completely intact. Even her clothes looked hopeless, without a trace of mess. She slowly grasped the two-meter-long pure black sickle that rose beside her. The darkness, devoid of any reflection, completely swallowed up every bit of light, seemed to mirror Bai Lin's gaze, a despair that could not see the light.

But having come this far, how could he just give up without even trying? Bai Lin forcibly raised his hands, which were already in extreme pain, and gathered his energy again, ready to draw his gun -

With a pia sound, like slapping a mosquito to death, Bai Lin's body flew directly towards the wall behind her, hit it, fell to the ground, and fainted. The sickle in her empty hand disappeared, she exhaled, and lifted her hair.

"Although I haven't exercised for a long time, I think I went a little too far... Never mind, this injury is just a minor one for Bai Lin anyway."

Sora stood there, muttering to herself. She could still tell what injuries Bai Lin had. The only significant dent in Bai Lin's sternum from the last blow was the dent. Otherwise, given her physical strength, she was more than capable of carrying out daily activities.

Chapter 298 A Sudden Conversation

"Next... let's talk a little."

Fei'er, who had just stood up, preparing to go and help Bai Lin, froze in place upon hearing the voice. The next moment, her hands were filled with her own blades. With a sullen expression, Fei'er slowly turned sideways. Her blades pointed toward the ground, and her presence began to fade in the empty space. Clearly, she had already entered combat mode.

Kong sighed slightly, then leisurely took out a chair from the air, slowly sat down, and crossed his legs.

"You don't have to be so hostile. I understand your main fighting style very well. It's just that its special nature has no effect on me."

"Besides, I have no ill will towards you. I just really want to talk."

Compared to the cheerful and approachable state when dealing with Bai Lin, Kong now seems more career-oriented. His words and actions do not give people a friendly feeling, but instead reflect an invisible sense of oppression.

Hearing this, Fei'er sheathed her blade and gradually revealed herself. Kong casually offered her a chair, and in the spacious room, with its pristine white walls and dusty floor, the two sat facing each other.

"What do you want to talk about?" Fei'er asked softly, but her tone was still as quiet as always.

"Your past, and your future," Sora replied calmly.

Those simple eight words sounded like a formidable enemy to Fei'er. She clenched her fists, but Kong seemed to have not noticed at all and continued,

"What kind of person a person becomes depends entirely on his experiences. You've been carrying too much on your shoulders. Although you've now found someone you can rely on."

Kong glanced at Bai Lin, who was lying unconscious on the ground, and folded his hands.

"She was like the sun of your world, shining into that dim house. She fought and worked hard before you. And you, curious about why someone could be so selfless and stand at the forefront, became more and more willing to interact with her."

"But you also know that it's impossible for a person to get over the past immediately. It's possible that they will never get over it."

Fei'er slowly unclenched her fist. She knew full well that if the woman before her wanted to kill her, it would be easy as pie. The weight of the facts that came out of Kong's mouth was enough to make Fei'er gradually feel powerless.

“…I understand.” She said slowly.

At least, Fei'er could clearly feel that Kong probably didn't have any ill will towards her now. It was just that she was more friendly when facing Bai Lin. Perhaps Kong himself was just like this.

Kong Jianfei's answer was quite certain, and he continued to speak in a steady tone.

"Perhaps you just saw a familiar shadow in her. But there is one thing I want to tell you."

"You weren't mature enough back then, but Bai Lin hasn't grown to the point where he can stand on his own either. If you continue on this path... or in other words, as long as you remain in this world, one day, something special will happen."

Sora's tone grew increasingly harsh, and her gaze grew fiercer. She was merely sitting there, but the oppressive feeling was already welling up in Fei'er's chest, tormenting her heart.

"By that time, can you guarantee that you won't make the same mistake again?"

"Bai Lin is only a young person, and she has already accumulated various burdens because this is her fate. The road she has to walk will be a muddy and difficult one. She can't just live happily like this, let alone live in peace and stability."