Chapter 45: I, Gao Wen, Am an Actor!

In the distance.

Amid the ruins.

Keluo pried open the wooden planks crushing him and stood up dazedly.

Who am I? Where am I? What happened?

After instinctively asking these three philosophical questions, Keluo looked up at Gao Wen and saw the same bewildered expression on his face—Keluo’s mouth twitched involuntarily:

“So this insane strength was your hidden trump card all along?”

Keluo suppressed the churning blood in his chest and gave a look of complete understanding:

“But strength means nothing before my speed!”

“...”

Gao Wen was momentarily speechless.

He had been worrying about how to explain things without crushing Keluo’s hope entirely—now he realized he’d been far too narrow-minded.

A suitable leek must master self-deception!

Besides, this strike finally made Gao Wen understand just how extreme the boost could be when the system’s nearly doubled overall stats were perfectly harmonized.

Pure strength growth was far more than a simple doubling—it was an instantaneous burst that had increased his power by three or four times.

Only then could he have knocked Keluo flying so casually!

Remember, he’d only used five-tenths of his strength!

If he’d gone all out, Keluo would’ve been unable to stand after that blow.

This made Gao Wen instinctively rein in his own power.

In the distance.

Keluo rubbed his aching shoulders and flexed his fingers, confirmed his injuries wouldn’t hinder his movement, then bounced lightly on the spot—next instant, he vanished into thin air.

For a moment,

Only Keluo’s flickering silhouette remained, even the fire’s flames tilting wildly from the wind he stirred.

Whoosh!

Flames flared.

The familiar sight reminded those nearby of comrades once crippled or killed by this move—they instinctively stepped back.

Yet halfway, they were stunned to find no extra scratch marks on the ground.

“Wrong!”

“Keluo has truly, truly mastered Shao Si!”

“We no longer need to fear being accidentally hurt!”

Xia Mu turned his head, staring in astonishment at the scene before him.

The stone slabs beneath Keluo’s feet shattered continuously, yet his silhouette vanished completely from sight.

“Keluo’s speed is even faster than before!”

Zan Gao let out a cry of shock.

Previously, when Keluo used Shao Si, he could still glimpse a blurred shadow—now he saw nothing at all.

This could only mean Keluo’s speed had been pushed to another extreme!

Faster!

Stronger!

For a moment,

Everyone’s gaze toward Gao Wen carried a hint of concern.

With this speed, can Captain Gao Wen still keep up?

That previous strike may have been powerful, but if your speed can’t match, it’s useless!

“Won’t he be okay? After all, even with Keluo’s speed, the captain still reacted, right?”

As Buzhi the cat-man’s words offered the group a sliver of reassurance, a sharp whistle pierced the air from afar…

Hss!

Everyone turned to look.

A tear suddenly appeared on Gao Wen’s leather armor—perhaps due to luck, no blood showed.

Their hearts instantly tightened.

“Even the captain can’t keep up?”

“What do we do?”

“Should we really follow Keluo?”

Xia Mu dug his fingers into his hair.

Without having experienced everything in Uygar Harbor, he might still have accepted his old life—but now, nothing could go back.

Buzhi and Zan Gao clenched their fists, silently sweating for Gao Wen.

Only Jin raised an eyebrow, glancing at Gao Wen and asking skeptically:

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“Last time the captain punched me, he wasn’t even this strong?! Is he holding back because of his bond with Keluo?”

“Damn it!”

“I’ll surpass you, Keluo!”

“I’ll become Captain Gao Wen’s most capable subordinate!”

As Jin was mentally convincing himself, Gao Wen’s clothes gained several more cuts, and his face wore a look of utter constipation.

He had to suppress both his urge to strike and the instinct to let Guanshi Zhengzong slash through…

I’m suffering so much!

But Keluo, charging ahead like a wild boar, was laughing hysterically.

“Of course!”

“Once I’ve raised my speed to another dimension, even your neural reaction speed can’t keep up with me!”

“Hahahaha!”

Keluo’s triumphant laughter echoed around them, pressing an inexplicable weight on everyone’s hearts.

Jin clenched his fists tighter, screaming inwardly:

“Captain Gao Wen!”

“Even kindness toward subordinates has its limits!”

“You’re going to get seriously hurt at this rate!”

On the battlefield,

A strange state emerged: Keluo relentlessly attacked with speed, leaving multiple cuts on Gao Wen—but none broke skin.

After more than ten minutes,

Gao Wen felt it was enough, and gave Keluo a look of knowing everything:

“I’ve found your weakness, Keluo!”

Next instant,

A silver blade’s glow appeared along Keluo’s path—but flipped at the moment of impact, the edge turning to the spine, which slammed hard against Keluo’s chest…

Boom!

Same spot—Keluo crashed into the ruins again, struggling to rise, his hands utterly drained of strength.

Feeling the pain coursing through his body, Keluo knew his limits had been reached.

Yet he felt no despair—this time, he sensed the gap between himself and Gao Wen had narrowed significantly.

No longer as hopeless as before!

“Next time, I’ll defeat you!”

“Gao Wen!”

“I’ll be waiting for you on the captain’s seat!”

Gao Wen nodded, then feigned heavy panting as he walked over, pulled Keluo up, and grinned triumphantly:

“Looks like I’ve got the upper hand!”

“Hmph.”

Keluo snorted, but a faint smile crept onto his face:

“Arrogant bastard.”

The battle ended.

Cheers erupted instantly around them.

The banquet, paused by Keluo’s sudden challenge, resumed.

The cat-brothers and Zan Gao excitedly danced in circles around the fire, drawing laughter from the crowd.

The pirate crew’s musicians began playing a familiar tune.

Relieved and energized, Gao Wen’s crew sang along—off-key, forgetting the lyrics, but pouring every ounce of emotion into it:

“Yo hohoho~ yo hohoho~”

“Yo hohoho~ yo hohoho~”

“Bring Binks’ wine to your side~ like the sea wind, wild and free~ riding the waves~”

……

Amid the crowd’s singing, even Keluo was infected, draining mug after mug of ale and raising his cup in toast with Gao Wen.

Seeing the smile on Gao Wen’s face, Keluo blinked in slight surprise:

“How the hell hasn’t he broken a sweat?”

“Impossible!”

Keluo shook his head:

“I must’ve been mistaken—I still have hope!”

“If I push just a little harder, I can defeat Gao Wen and reclaim my seat as captain!”

Jin sat quietly to the side, his gaze flickering occasionally toward Keluo, a cold sneer in his heart:

“Watch closely—I’ll defeat you and become the captain’s most trusted subordinate!”

Gao Wen looked at Keluo, his spirit burning with fierce determination, then glanced at his system panel—his smile refused to fade.

Yes.

Keep pushing harder—I’ll reach the peak of my life, punching the Four Emperors and Seven Warlords, kicking the Marine Celestials!

(End of Chapter)