Chapter 25: Third Master’s Lap Pillow!

Everything that happened on the ground was witnessed by Mikasa, who sat atop the beam. Although she already knew that Sikong Xu’s strength would be formidable, she was still astonished; surrounded by seven giants, he managed to break through in just a few dozen seconds and even killed one of them. Such ability—she herself…

“Slaying a normal giant, reward: five credits.”

The cold voice echoed in Sikong Xu’s mind, making him smile faintly. Credits were linked to the power of students in the Dimensional Academy; the more credits one had, the greater the strength they could wield.

“There are six left…”

Sikong Xu licked his cracked lips, dry from lack of water. These small giants served as the perfect whetstones for him. His trembling muscles and pounding heart spoke of his excitement—he could distinctly sense the change within himself.

It was not a change in strength, but in temperament. He had once retained a trace of scholarly gentleness from his previous life as a university shut-in. Now, though, Sikong Xu looked more like a ruthless warrior; a subtle killing intent flowed through his eyes. Now, he seemed more like a true adventurer of a fantastical world, more like a student of the Dimensional Academy!

“Well then… I hope you’ll give me a good challenge.”

With murderous intent flashing in his eyes, Sikong Xu glanced at the six small giants now encircling him. Then he looked up at Mikasa on the beam and gave her a mischievous smile, as if to say: These weaklings—I could deal with them in minutes.

Swish!

Sikong Xu moved again. He knew not to let himself fall into the giants’ encirclement; after all, his physical strength was far inferior to theirs. If he were surrounded, even with his “Limitless Martial Refinement,” he would not escape being eaten.

That ability could only enhance his combat skills and mental state, not his raw power. So Sikong Xu constantly avoided direct clashes with the giants; he knew his weaknesses and strengths well.

The giants advanced steadily, smarter this time, slowly closing in on Sikong Xu without rushing him, wary of being outmaneuvered again. Clearly, Sikong Xu’s prowess had instilled instinctive caution in them, altering their attack patterns.

“Do you really think this will work against me?” Sikong Xu sneered coldly. Then he moved, swift and agile as a hunting leopard.

Small giants, though somewhat smaller than their ordinary counterparts, were nearly as fast. By the time Sikong Xu realized their encirclement, all his routes of retreat had been blocked.

At the sight, Sikong Xu quickly focused. While not panicking, he found the situation quite tricky.

“If there’s no way out, I’ll carve one myself.” His lips curled into a smile, a gleam in his eyes. Gripping his two special steel blades, he selected one small giant and charged toward it.

“Uhh—hah—”

The giant facing Sikong Xu was puzzled to see him charging straight ahead. But, lacking intelligence, it simply followed instinct and raised its foot to stomp him.

The giant’s foot, though not as huge as an ordinary giant’s, was still comparable to a large door panel. With the giant’s force, a direct hit would be fatal or crippling—even a glancing blow would spell disaster.

The stomp was fierce!

Feeling the wind slicing past his cheek, Sikong Xu showed no hint of retreat. Instead, under the pressure, his fighting spirit burned brighter.

He sprang up before the giant’s foot could come down, leaping like a compressed spring, reaching the level of the giant’s ankle.

“Ha!”

As he soared, Sikong Xu’s blades flashed like twin crescent moons, gleaming meteor-like in the dim basement, leaving deep streaks through the air.

Swish!

He darted past the giant’s ankle, his blades cutting through the tendons at the most precise angle and closest range, severing them cleanly.

Landing—blades sheathed!

His movements were not flashy, nor showy—just honed to perfection!

At that moment, Sikong Xu’s delicate features were strikingly handsome, his slender figure graceful and dashing. If his pose were seen by others, it might have won him many admirers. Yet—his gaze flicked backward.

Just her alone is enough…

Bang—

The giant whose tendons had been severed stomped down out of inertia, but without tendons, its ankle could no longer bear weight. As expected, it collapsed.

Steadying himself, Sikong Xu didn’t even glance at the fallen giant; instead, he dashed forward. Though it was the perfect moment to kill the downed giant, doing so might have trapped him amid the others.

He glanced back at Mikasa on the beam; she nodded slightly, and Sikong Xu smiled.

Mikasa understood his intent: he would incapacitate the giants, and she would deliver the final blow. It was a pity, though, to miss out on the credit rewards for killing them.

With their tactics set, Sikong Xu felt much more at ease. He used his agility to entangle the remaining six small giants, seeking opportunities to sever their tendons.

Whenever Sikong Xu crippled a giant, Mikasa would descend like a shadowy assassin, swiftly finishing it off before returning to the beam with her maneuvering gear.

With Sikong Xu constantly drawing the giants’ attention, Mikasa’s movements went unnoticed.

Repeating the process, the two of them quietly eliminated all six giants.

“Whew—this is exhausting…”

Seeing the last giant dispatched by Mikasa, Sikong Xu dropped his weapons and lay on the chilly basement floor.

“You worked hard,” Mikasa said, kneeling beside him with a gentle smile.

“All that’s left is to deal with those upstairs and refill our gas—then we can rest for a bit.”

Sikong Xu blinked, then promptly used Mikasa’s round, full, and soft thigh as a pillow. Mikasa blushed, but didn’t resist.

A thigh pillow—a thigh pillow! One of my greatest wishes in life has finally come true! Ha! The goddess Mikasa’s thigh pillow is mine—how many shut-ins would envy me? Ha!

In high spirits, Sikong Xu rubbed his hair against Mikasa’s soft thigh. She rolled her eyes at him and pushed his head off.

“We should hurry upstairs.”

“All right.” Sikong Xu smiled wryly to himself; it seemed Mikasa was rather shy, too.

Just then, a cold voice echoed in Sikong Xu’s mind once more, making him pause in surprise.