Chapter 0045: The Power of Combined Skills

"Flame Empowerment."

This time, Di Ping decided not to dodge. He was ready to face the boar head-on, eager to see the damage output when combining his slashing strike with the Flame Empowerment skill.

With a quick shake of his sword, flames immediately enveloped its blade. Di Ping surged forward, charging directly at the mutated wild boar. As the two were about to collide, the immense force of their impact shattered everything in their path.

"Slash!"

With a fierce yell, Di Ping propelled himself forward with a surge of power. The force sent his sword cutting through the air with increased speed. The blade, now accompanied by blazing flames, left a red trail as it sliced through the air with a high-pitched shriek, as though the very air was being torn apart.

"Whoosh... Crack..."

The sound of the blade cutting into flesh and bone echoed, causing a chill to run down anyone's spine.

"Roar!"

The boar's roar was abruptly cut short as its head was cleaved in two by the overwhelming power of the strike. The force not only split its skull but also slammed it into the ground, causing blood to splatter in all directions. Di Ping stood, sword in hand, staring down at the motionless boar, which lay in a pool of its own blood. He exhaled deeply, finally able to relax.

"Ding... Soul energy detected, received 10 points of soul energy!"

At that moment, the boar's heart ceased beating. A small orb of deep green soul energy, roughly the size of a ping-pong ball, rose from the carcass and shot toward Di Ping. The system's prompt echoed once again, but this time, the energy didn't immediately enhance him; instead, it was stored away.

Di Ping didn't take the time to examine this further. He looked toward the two remaining boars, both of which were still alive despite the injuries they had sustained. He could see their hearts still beating. He wasted no time and raised his sword again, swiftly striking them down. After the two sharp "ding" sounds, Di Ping collected another 20 points of soul energy, bringing his total to 30. However, he had no idea yet how to utilize this energy, so he decided to investigate further once he found a safer place.

The battle had drained him both mentally and physically, and he knew he couldn't linger here for too long. The noise and bloodshed would attract mutated creatures, and staying here would only invite danger. He quickly packed up and made his way out. True to his expectations, within five or six minutes of his departure, a few mutated dogs had gathered, drawn by the scent of blood.

After walking for about another kilometer, Di Ping found an empty cargo truck parked by the roadside. He opened the back door and climbed inside to rest for a while. Although he hadn't sustained any significant injuries, the mental and physical exertion of the battle left him drained. Without a break, he knew he wouldn't be able to handle any further danger.

He pulled out a bottle of water from his backpack and took a few sips, then reclined inside the truck, reflecting on the battle. Summarizing his experiences after every fight had become a habit of his. It helped him grow faster by analyzing both his successes and failures. Today's battle had made him realize that, although his strength and speed far exceeded those of the boars, he had still been overwhelmed by them. It had taken much more effort than expected to defeat them, which wasn't right.

He reflected on how the combination of his skills had been incredibly powerful. The boar's tough hide, which his sword couldn't penetrate before, was easily split in two once he combined his skills. It was clear that the proper application of his skills could drastically enhance his combat effectiveness.

During the battle, the charging skill had been particularly potent, but he hadn't used it as effectively as he could have. After his first successful charge, a brief moment of hesitation had caused him to lose the initiative. If he had continued with the charging skill, he would have likely been able to severely injure one of the boars, leaving the last one easy to defeat. It seemed that his lack of experience and delayed reactions had hindered him. Furthermore, he realized that he hadn't fully mastered controlling his strength. He had wasted energy at times, leading to unnecessary fatigue.

This reflection made Di Ping more aware of his weaknesses. As he continued to gain combat experience and learn from his mistakes, he believed that his future battles would see better results. He was determined to improve with every fight.

The outside world was eerily silent, with not even the sound of insects. After resting for about half an hour, drinking some water and eating two sausages and a country-style boiled egg, Di Ping felt his strength mostly restored. He climbed out of the truck and continued his journey toward the city.

The next day, his goal was to rescue over a thousand people trapped in an underground shopping mall. To reach the small gathering place, he would need to travel along the main road toward the city and then follow the outer ring road eastward. Exploring more of the route today would help him prepare for tomorrow's journey.

Another kilometer passed, and to his surprise, Di Ping had not encountered a single mutated creature. The world around him was unnervingly still. The longer he walked, the more agitated he became, feeling as if he were the only one moving through the dense forest.

The sun had already begun to set, and it was past four in the afternoon. Di Ping considered turning back. He had already covered three or four kilometers, and if he kept going much longer, it would be dark. Night was the domain of wild beasts, and while he was a professional warrior, he wasn't invincible. Caution was still necessary.