Chapter 20: The Amazing Combo of Grave Digging and Stunning Club

Amidst Ston's doubtful, tense gaze, Ji Ming's face showed a hint of regret and pain.

Her curse hasn't actually been fully resolved; the evil power exerted through her bloodline still affects her, it's just been temporarily suppressed this time.

In the next two days of next month, she likely will have an episode, and each month she will be repeatedly tormented.

Until we completely solve this problem, or AdaiEr dies.

The panel indeed shows that only this instance's effect was removed; AdaiEr's bloodline curse still exists, merely turned gray after losing activation.

Ston's old face, which had just revived, turned back into a big bitter gourd.

Good heavens… do you have any feasible plan?

Things having come to this, Ji Ming stopped playing tricks and spoke frankly.

Think positively; that probably means my scroll can suppress the curse, delaying the worst outcome.

But if possible, why not try to resolve it completely?

After all, no one knows what will happen later; you and I might have a chance, but does AdaiEr really have to stay in Sunshine City forever?

Having urged Ston to keep looking for a practitioner who can cure the curse, Ji Ming returned to the clinic under the Wolf Pack Squad's pick-up and drop-off service.

He locked the iron door, leaned on the sofa, and began tallying today's gains.

After his morning shopping spree left him with only three silver coins, Daske and Ston's generosity raised his assets to fifty.

If things continue at this pace, rent, debt, and the money for buying a battle shield won't be big problems.

Science and technology truly are the primary productive force.

If he kept selling those twenty‑copper miracle potions as before, it would take a year of the monkey and a month of the horse to save this much money.

Besides that, the most important thing is that Ji Ming finally leveled up again.

Treating a young adventurer gave ten XP, treating AdaiEr gave forty XP.

His experience bar now stands at third level (20/120), and under the influence of the apothecary profession, his Wisdom has successfully broken through to ten.

The effect of Charm is hard to say, but the effect of Wisdom is still quite obvious.

Ji Ming closed his eyes to recall the tumultuous past few days in this otherworldly life, finding his memory and observation had improved considerably.

As usual, he allocated the attribute points from leveling to his biggest shortfall, Vitality, and Ji Ming began considering how to spend his skill points.

This mission and leveling each gave him a bit of income, expanding his operational scope considerably.

After scrolling through his chaotic skill list, Ji Ming thought it best to take a gamble.

【Please wait】

【Congratulations on obtaining the life skill: Grave Digging】

【Grave Digging: You will become highly skilled at using a shovel and master various grave‑digging techniques】

【Introduction: Ancient wisdom – a clever quack will expand his business when needed to better secure his livelihood】

【Note: To better support the host in using this skill, a shovel has been automatically granted】

With a clang, a large and a small shovel really fell into Ji Ming's bosom.

……

"Damn!"

He threw the shovel to the ground, and Ji Ming slapped his own forehead.

He dares say that if he rolls again now, the system will surely draw a 【Farewell Technique】.

So he can blow a Chinese shawm to cheerfully send off patients, fully undertaking all funeral services in Sunshine City.

So Ji Ming didn't fall for that, instead directly allocating his skill points to his sole combat skill, 【Stunning Club】.

【Please wait】

【Upgrade successful】

【Stunning Club Lv. 1 → Lv. 2】

【Now, when facing an apprentice‑level opponent, you also have a 50% chance to trigger this effect】

Ji Ming's vision instantly went dark.

Although it's just as he imagined, adding this level to the judgment range, but the probability of triggering the effect is eerily high.

For someone with bad luck like an African, in this world there's only hit or miss; probabilities are just the manufacturer's lies!

Moreover, I'm just a third‑level noob; which apprentice expert would let someone ride his neck and beat him hard?

……

When seeing patients?

Expanding the scope of painless surgery, right? Thinking about it, it actually seems useful.

Ji Ming felt a mix of laughter and tears, then stood up and glanced at the window where the sky was gradually turning dusky.

The day after tomorrow he'll go adventuring out of town with the Iron Rope Squad; beforehand he must make thorough preparations.

He needs to brew two more bottles of Rejuvenation Elixir and stock up on several more packets of Blood Coagulating Powder……

Saying it, doing it—he immediately sprang into action.

But before he'd taken a few steps, he heard a loud thud underfoot.

Looking down, he realized he'd stepped on the two shovels thrown on the ground.

The system rarely drops gear; since it's something, we might as well store it properly……

The thrifty fellow picked up the long‑handled one, hefted it instinctively, and suddenly felt it was especially easy to wield.

Its center of gravity was right, length moderate, and even the grip felt comfortable.

Gazing at the finely forged iron, sharp‑edged black shovel head.

His heart stirred, he exerted his legs, and the long‑handled shovel in his hands began to swing skillfully.

Amid the sound of breaking air, he stepped forward a few paces, then thrust hard at the counter; a cold flash sliced through, and the discarded empty crystal bottle on the table shattered with a bang.

In disbelief, Ji Ming stared at his own arms, reopened the panel, and carefully read through the effect of Grave Digging Technique once more.

So that's what "skilled in use" means!

In his delight, he put down the long-handled shovel and picked up the small shovel beside him.

If we categorize according to the ride-and-slash setting, the long-handled shovel counts as a polearm, then the small shovel is a one-/two-handed weapon.

Its size is somewhat similar to an entrenching tool from another world; it's mainly used with one hand, but can also be gripped with both hands when needed.

Although it is not a modern multi-tool, but rather a basic design from World War I.

However, the simpler something is, the more reliable it tends to be; Ji Ming swung it twice in the air and found it just as easy to handle.

It can chop, slash, block, and thrust; most importantly, changing its orientation turns it into a blunt weapon, fully capable of triggering Bludgeon.

The two skills combined with the weapon have greatly enhanced his combat ability.

Isn't that better now?

At least he's gone from being unable to truss a chicken to being able to fight off a pack of dogs—a qualitative leap!

Ji Ming never expected that the biggest gain from this card draw would be the seemingly useless Grave Digging Technique; he quickly stored the two shovels as treasures behind the counter.

Holding a bundle of materials, he entered the alchemy room, released the giant black rat that had rested for two days, and began a new round of the Rejuvenation Elixir experiment.

Breaking ten in attributes seemed to be a hurdle; Ji Ming found his thoughts for this alchemy session unusually clear and agile.

Even as he watched the mortar he used to pound the Blood-Coagulating Powder, a bold idea sprang to mind.

Why can Stone Dragon use powder, while the black centipede must use an entire maxilla?

Is it possible that I ground everything up inside?