Qing Ling hung upside-down in midair, impaled through the chest. She didn't even cry out in pain.
As the monstrous "black stinger" retracted from her body, blood gushed out, flowing downward with gravity, quickly staining her pale neck, face, and forehead crimson, soaking her long hair.
The hair monster reveled in the sight of Qing Ling's locks being dyed red with her own blood. It repeated in a tone both intoxicated and mournful, "Hair... such beautiful hair... all mine... all mine..."
"Ah!" The moment the first drop of blood dripped from Qing Ling's hair, the monster shuddered as if in ecstasy. Its black tendrils spread wide, converging toward Qing Ling, rapidly entangling and consuming her.
The other three could only watch helplessly.
I can't just let her die like this!
I have to save her! I have to do something!
Gao Yang closed his eyes.
[Entering System.]
[Warning! You are in extreme—]
—Luck points.
[Current Luck Points: 70... 71.]
—Awaken a talent. Skip confirmation prompts.
[Awakening...]
[Awakening...]
[Awakening...]
[Awakening successful.]
[Talent: Flame. Sequence No.: 26. Rune Type: Elemental.]
[Level 1 Flame: Can summon fire elements through hands. Max temperature: 280°C. Burn radius: 1 meter.]
[Level 1 Flame permanent stat bonus: Stamina +20, Endurance +20, Spirit +50, Charm +10.]
—Does Spirit affect elemental damage?
[Every 10 Spirit increases elemental damage by 1%.]
—All remaining Luck points into Spirit.
[Allocation complete.]
[Stats updated.]
[Stamina: 47 | Endurance: 48]
[Strength: 17 | Agility: 39]
[Spirit: 199 | Charm: 57]
[Luck: 132]
[Exiting System.]
Gao Yang opened his eyes. With a thought, a strange, scorching energy surged between his fingers. He twisted his hands and grabbed the dense black hairs binding him.
"Flame!"
"Whoosh—" His hands ignited. The black tendrils burned from his palms up to his forearms, snapping apart with faint crackling sounds, like crushed insect shells.
The remaining hairs instantly recoiled, fleeing his body as if they could feel pain and fear.
Freed from the restraints, Gao Yang, still hanging upside-down, began to fall. Reacting swiftly, he grabbed Officer Huang below him with one hand and pressed the other against the man's chest.
"Flame!"
Officer Huang's chest burst into flames. Gao Yang controlled the heat and range carefully. The black hairs, sensing danger, retreated. As Officer Huang dropped, Gao Yang planted a foot on his chest and kicked off, launching himself toward Fatso three meters away.
Midair maneuvers were incredibly difficult. Despite his boosted agility, Gao Yang was no acrobat.
He fell short, barely managing to grab Fatso's thigh. The sudden "attack" made Fatso shriek. "AHHH! Don't kill me—!"
Fatso opened his eyes and realized he wasn't dead—Gao Yang was clinging to his leg.
"Gao Yang?! You—"
"Hold still."
Gao Yang raised his hand and slapped it against Fatso's plump buttocks. "Flame."
"Whoosh—" Fatso's rear end caught fire.
"Hiss—" The black hairs recoiled from the flames, rapidly retracting.
[Congratulations! Flame has leveled up.]
[Level 2 Flame: Can summon fire elements through hands. Max temperature: 580°C. Burn radius: 3 meters.]
[Level 2 Flame permanent stat bonus: Spirit +100, Fire Resistance +60, Charm +10.]
As the system's voice echoed in his mind, a surge of energy flooded Gao Yang's body, euphoric and invigorating.
Fatso's bulky frame had been wrapped in far more tendrils than the others, and they couldn't retreat instantly. Gao Yang extinguished the flames, then seized a cluster of fleeing hairs. The returning strands acted like a rope, yanking him—a human kite—straight toward the monster's skull.
The hair monster, mid-feast on Qing Ling, was interrupted by Gao Yang's assault. It paused its consumption to deal with him.
It severed the clump of hair Gao Yang had grabbed, but it was too late—he was already airborne, arcing toward the skull.
Three new "black stingers" formed instantly, thrusting at Gao Yang from the front, left, and right. He spread his arms, aiming at the left and right stingers.
"Flame!"
"BOOM—! BOOM—!" Twin jets of fire erupted from his palms, engulfing the two stingers.
The third stinger, coming head-on, was unavoidable. Gao Yang twisted his body, praying to evade a fatal hit.
"Swish—!" At the last second, a Tang blade sliced through the stinger.
Qing Ling's [Metal] talent! Still bound and hanging upside-down, her face was smeared with blood, her eyes half-lidded but locked onto Gao Yang.
She was on the verge of death—yet she hadn't given up!
A surge of determination burned in Gao Yang's chest. He spread his arms and let gravity pull him toward the skull.
Three meters!
Two meters!
One meter—within range!
"FLAME!" Gao Yang roared, channeling every ounce of energy into his palms.
"BOOM—!" Twin firestorms merged into one, swallowing the hair monster whole.
"SCREEE—!" The monster shrieked in agony—but it wasn't enough. One second of fire couldn't incinerate all its hair, let alone destroy the hardened skull.
Gao Yang was powerless now. Gravity yanked him downward, his flames already drifting away from the target.
Then—his foot landed on something solid.
He looked down. It was the floating Tang blade!
The blade lifted, propelling him upward another half meter.
This time, Qing Ling had exhausted every drop of her spirit. Her eyes closed, her arms went limp.
In truth, after being impaled by the black stinger, her [Metal] talent had abruptly reached Level 3. That final boost was the only reason she'd held on this long.
[Level 3 Metal: Metal perception range: 50 meters. Control range: 10 meters. Weight limit: 60 kg.]
"FLAME!" Gao Yang, now airborne again, couldn't afford to waste this last chance. He wished he could expend every ounce of energy in his body at once.
But the brief delay had given the monster time to recover. The skull jerked backward, evading the flames.
Gao Yang could only watch, helpless.
At the same moment, a black stinger thrust toward his back from behind.