Chapter 524: Getting Beaten Up

Although Xia Qing is not a speed-type enhancer, she is a high-level enhancer with strong overall physical conditioning. After half a year of effort, she raised her running speed to the level of a third-level enhancer.

However, because she had taken Yi Element Stimulant half a month ago, the Yi Element in her body was heavily depleted. Even though she had been working hard to make up for it during this period, her combat ability had only recovered to eighty percent of what it was before taking the stimulant.

Five minutes after Yanlong accelerated, Xia Qing began to feel the strain. After Yanlong sped up again, she could no longer keep up.

When they reached the training spot on the second peak of Mountain Fifty, Xia Qing's lungs felt like they were about to burst from running, but Yanlong didn't call a halt. Instead, she had her and Tan Qi run back and forth around a few large trees at the base of the slope.

When Xia Qing's ears were ringing, her eyes were seeing stars, and she was stumbling and falling, Yanlong finally called a stop. She had the two switch from running to a slow walk. After two laps, she let them stop and rest for twenty minutes.

Nine-year-old third-level speed enhancer Tan Qi was in even worse shape than Xia Qing, lying motionless on a rock.

Yanlong addressed Xia Qing's issues first. "Your running posture is wrong. You're lifting your back leg too high. You must correct this, or your speed will never improve. To fix this point, the key is the timing of when you pull up your foot..."

Luo Pei had once mentioned this issue to Xia Qing. She thought she had already corrected it, but she hadn't realized she was still lifting her leg too high.

Xia Qing immediately stood up and, under Yanlong's demonstration and correction, fixed her incorrect movements.

Then... they kept running, until her posture and breathing rate met Yanlong's requirements.

Tan Qi's running style had been taught by Yanlong, so she had no issues in that area. Her special training today was in combat. Because her practice opponent was Yanlong, the combat turned into getting beaten up.

After Xia Qing finished her running drills, she also started getting beaten up.

Yanlong stated very clearly: "You are a sniper. Within range, a sniper is the reaper of the enemy and the guardian of teammates. Normally, you won't be on the front line, but you must be prepared to handle special situations."

"If you have no teammates, or your teammates are already injured or dead, and the enemy has charged right up to you, the sniper rifle becomes useless. At that point, it's close-combat ability that matters."

"Running and reaction speed are your weak points. While working hard to compensate for your weaknesses, you must seize the openings when the opponent attacks you, and use your strength to take them down in one move..."

Listening intently, Xia Qing quickly summarized the close-combat points that suited her: first, you have to be able to take a beating; second, quickly find the opponent's opening, use your strength advantage, and finish them in a single strike.

After being beaten by Yanlong for a whole day, Xia Qing was covered in bruises, black and blue, and could barely walk without limping, but she was still very happy, because she had gained a great deal.

After entering the territory, Xia Qing suddenly felt drained of all energy. She sat on Gao Po and called out to her companions.

"Boss, boss..."

Sheep Boss came clip-clopping out of the greenhouse, hurried to the north gate, and saw Xia Qing sitting in a sorry state just inside the door. He bleated anxiously. Sick Wolf was also very worried, circling around Xia Qing.

Xia Qing forced open her eyelids, which were about to close, and discussed with her companions, "Boss, I'm fine, just tired. Will you carry me home? Lao Er, can you help me carry my pack?"

Carried home by Sheep Boss, Xia Qing soaked in a hot bath, ate a few snake-meat stuffed buns she'd prepared the night before, and collapsed into the recliner in front of the fireplace. With immense heartache, she told Sheep Boss, "Boss, Lao Er, I miss our spinach so much. If I could eat spinach right now, I'd definitely feel a lot better..."

Fresh high-Yi-Element spinach is quite effective at treating external physical injuries.

Xia Qing had swelling-reduction and pain-relief potions, but she couldn't use them now. Because she needed to prepare for soaking in a body-injury healing potion, she couldn't use any medication during this period.

Fortunately, she still had premium nutrient solution.

As she talked, the exhausted Xia Qing fell asleep.

She didn't know how long she'd slept when Xia Qing was kicked awake by Sheep Boss. Groggy, she sat up and asked, "Boss, what's wrong, are you hungry?"

Sheep Boss looked distinctly unhappy and kicked the stainless steel basin on the ground. Only then did Xia Qing notice that the stainless steel basin beside her actually contained half a basin of freshly pulled spinach, covered in mud and ice crystals, in a complete mess.

Looking at the unhappy Sheep Boss, the worried Sick Wolf, and then at the mud on her two companions' hooves, paws, and mouths, Xia Qing's heart melted completely. "Boss, Lao Er, did you two dig these up for me to eat?"

Sheep Boss narrowed his eyes unhappily, and Sick Wolf opened his mouth wide: "Hahaha!"

"I'm so touched!" Xia Qing raised her arms and hugged her two companions' necks tightly. Sheep Boss shook his head unhappily, flung her arms off, and kicked the basin again, sending several stalks of spinach flying out.

"Alright, I'll go cook the spinach, and the three of us will eat together."

Xia Qing took the basin into the kitchen and, watched by her two companions, washed the spinach clean. The parts that had been dug up or bitten to pieces were chopped up—half used to mix with concentrate to feed Sheep Boss, half boiled into spinach chicken soup for Sick Wolf; the intact leaves were used to stir-fry with eggs, for herself.

The morning special training on the second day was still running and combat (getting beaten up). In the afternoon, Xia Qing's sparring partner switched to Tan Qi. Although the nine-year-old girl's strength couldn't match Xia Qing's, her speed was extremely fast. Sparring with her could improve Xia Qing's reaction speed.

Although Xia Qing wasn't as fast as Tan Qi and had received less professional training, the vicious, lethal moves she had honed over ten years of disaster also enriched Tan Qi's combat experience.

Yanlong stood nearby watching the two rookies pecking at each other, promptly pointing out the weaknesses in both their moves and correcting them on the spot. That day, Xia Qing reaped a great harvest, wasn't beaten too badly, and after going home even did laundry and prepared breakfast.

The third day's special training was Tan Qi and Xia Qing teaming up to fight Yanlong, and they couldn't stop until the two of them could leave qualifying attack marks on Yanlong.

Because they failed to leave qualifying marks, the three fought all day, and the two teammates were beaten very badly. Tan Qi was carried back by Yanlong; Xia Qing crawled back on her own.

On the fourth day, the fifth day, the sixth day, the coordination between power-enhancer Xia Qing and speed-enhancer Tan Qi grew increasingly seamless, and they finally managed to leave qualifying attack marks on Yanlong.

To reward them, on the seventh day, Yanlong took the two of them to Mountain Fifty-One to hunt and eat roasted meat. Unfortunately, the three of them had bad luck—the eight rabbits and five wild chickens they caught were all red-light.

On the eighth day, Xia Qing simply carried a whole slab of green-light pork ribs to the special training.

During the noon break, the three built a fire in the Evolution Forest to roast meat. This made the little girl Tan Qi ecstatic. "Sister Qing, can I trade points for two jin of meat?"

Tan Qi was born in the second year of the disaster, when supplies and food were terribly scarce. Her upbringing and the education she received were completely different from before the disaster. Seeing Xia Qing take out precious green-light meat, her first thought was: if you want to eat meat, you have to trade supplies or points for it.

Xia Qing didn't say anything about treating her and not needing points. She went straight to naming a price: "I can trade you two jin of green-light pork at 150 points per jin, but I don't want points. You'll need to trade me green-light or yellow-light wheat harvested from your territory next year."

"Okay, thank you, Sister Qing."

Stars shining in her eyes, Tan Qi happily jumped up. This was precious green-light meat. She only took a small bite, then divided the rest into two portions—one for her dad, one for Aunt Yan.