The Great Oni
Volume (1) Benoni Chapter (6)
Li Fan blurred forward, slid around to the boxer's flank, and drove a punch straight into the liver.
"Thud!"
"Aaaargh!"
The boxer's eyes bulged; he crashed onto his backside, hands clutching his side, shrieking in agony.
Physiologists say a solid liver shot hurts almost as much as a kick to the groin. Judging by the way this former middle-school boxing champion looked ready to die, the experts were right.'
Jiao Nin and his cronies stiffened.
"When did this mutt learn to box?" Jiao Nin wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, then signaled his men. Three of them flanked Li Fan.
Even elite fighters struggle when attacked simultaneously from three angles—someone almost always lands a blow.
Of course, that assumes everyone involved is merely human; none of them knew Li Fan now carried god-level stats inside a teenager's frame.
He didn't wait for their charge. Smiling, he struck first.
Jiao Nin barely registered the movement before Li Fan's fist hammered into his ribs and launched him backward.
"Aaaah!"
Jiao Nin howled like a kicked dog.
The two remaining thugs recovered and attacked from behind—one punched, the other kicked. Li Fan gave a lazy grin, tilted aside as if he had eyes in the back of his head, caught the punch on his forearm, spun, and whipped a kick of his own.
"Crack!"
He had used only a small amout of his power, yet the attacker's shinbone splintered. The boy dropped, wailing like a wounded dog.
The last thug froze in panic, turned to flee—saw only a blur—and took a jaw-shattering blow. He collapsed unconscious.
"Jiao Nin, was it you who promised to break my ten teeth?"
Li Fan advanced one step at a time, smiling like a demon. Jiao Nin, doubled over and gulping air, tried to crawl away.
"Li Fan, w-wait! This is school property. If you go too far they'll expel you!"
"Heh-heh."
Li Fan only chuckled, grabbed Jiao Nin by the collar, and drove a short uppercut into his stomach.
"Thud!"
"Gaaah!"
Jiao Nin gagged, but Li Fan held him upright by the shoulders.
Another body-blow followed, slightly harder.
"Thud!"
Blood spurted from Jiao Nin's mouth, staining his uniform bright red.
Li Fan showed no mercy. A third shot crashed into the same spot.
Jiao Nin retched blood again and slumped, finally slipping into unconsciousness.
This was the same Jiao Nin who, backed by his family's vast conglomerate, had bullied classmates for years—blacklisting parents from jobs at his grandfather's companies, destroying small family businesses, even driving a few students to suicide. Li Fan felt no urge to hold back.
"Hmpf. Worthless Bitch." He tossed the boy aside and turned.
The bespectacled study nerd stared at him, trembling.
Li Fan offered a single reassuring smile, then strolled out, rinsed the blood from his knuckles, and headed back to his parents.
After completing enrollment, Li Fan went through the entire day as usual, and evening finally arrived.
The family trip wouldn't start for another two days, so he was now meditating, trying to keep his mind calm.
"Whew."
He opened his eyes and glanced at the clock.
"I wonder what they'll throw at me tonight," he muttered, expression flat.
All day he'd weighed the trade-off: a few hours of agony for a lifetime of supernatural power. He'd decided it was worth it.
"Nothing to worry about. A bit of pain and I'll get even stronger," he told himself, forcing a smile.
With ten minutes left before nine, he brushed his teeth and washed his face at a normal speed.
He crawled into bed, pulled the blanket up, and the moment the clock struck nine a translucent blue screen appeared.
> [No. 1 – Pass the Buffalo King's Trial]
> Difficulty: Hell
> Reward: Psychic Power
> Psychic Power – Control every living and non-living thing around you with your mind. The stronger your will, the stronger the power. No upper limit.
> [No. 2 – Pass the Twin-Rack Trial]
> Difficulty: Nightmare
> Reward: Demon Energy Master
> Demon Energy Master – Absorb anything from others—strength, life force, intelligence—and also inject it back. Limitation: because this is demonic energy, you will suffer intense pain whenever you absorb.
> [No. 3 – Pass the Gem-Cutter's Trial]
> Difficulty: Pain
> Reward: Handsome Appearance
> Handsome Appearance – Accept this and you instantly become handsome; every past photo of you will change, and everyone's memories will regard you as a good-looking guy. Limitation: none.
"Buffalo King's trial again. Psychic power is awesome and useful. But Demon Energy Master is even better—and way more practical," Li Fan reasoned.
"And what's with 'Handsome Appearance'? Are you low-key saying I'm ugly?" he grumbled.
His former weakness—narrow eyes—was gone; he was at least a decent-looking guy already.
He blew it off and focused on the top two options.
"With Demon Energy Master I can suck other people's life force—and give some back to my parents."
His eyes gleamed.
"There are plenty of scumbags in this world. I'll just drain them. Then I can live practically forever," he thought, pleased with himself.
So fixated on the power, he barely registered the words "Twin-Rack Trial" and the torture implied.
Taking a deep breath, fingertips trembling, Li Fan selected Demon Energy Master.
If possible he didn't want to suffer something that cruel—but there's no free lunch, and he had no other choice.
The instant he pressed the choice, darkness swallowed him.
When he came to, he found himself strapped flat on a massive altar.