Obtain Thousand Strikes Manual

But he didn't stop there. With an even colder tone, he added, "If you refuse this cooperation, we will take forceful action."

His hand moved to his waist, drawing his large sword in a calm yet threatening motion. At the same time, the white-skinned soldier beside him began to change. The muscles in his legs tensed and lengthened, appearing stronger and more powerful. His sharp gaze locked onto the middle-aged man and the two armed youths behind him.

"Make your decision within one minute," Rio said.

The superior's orders were clear—no wasting time, no mercy for those who refused.

The middle-aged man remained silent. His smile was bitter, like someone who knew there was no real choice in his favor. His gaze fell to the ground, his mind seemingly racing for a way out.

The two young men behind him whispered quietly, trying to offer suggestions, but the man simply shook his head.

Seconds passed in suffocating tension.

Finally, he lifted his head, looking at Rio with restrained anger in his eyes.

"We agree," he said, his voice heavy. Reluctant.

Rio grinned in satisfaction, like a merchant who had just won a major negotiation. "Good… you've made the right choice."

He sheathed his sword, then glanced behind him at the woman holding documents.

"Give them the letter and forms. Do it quickly."

"Understood!"

The female soldier immediately moved, her steps quick and firm toward the middle-aged man still standing in front of the fish store. Without unnecessary words, she extended two sheets of paper.

"Take these. One details the cooperation agreement—rental fees, duties, and regulations. The other is the gang registration form," she said in a flat tone.

The middle-aged man took one of the sheets, skimming through it before handing it to the two youths behind him. His hand then halted on the other form. His eyes narrowed as he read the title at the top: West Jakarta Alliance.

"How many gangs have joined so far?" he asked while filling in the requested information—gang name, leader, headquarters address, number of members, number of evolutionaries, and the types of abilities they possessed.

"Sixty-eight, as of this afternoon," the female soldier answered lightly, as if the number was insignificant.

The middle-aged man gave a small nod, then closed the form after finishing it. "What's the current state of the city?" he asked again, this time with a hint of interest.

The female soldier took the completed form, folded it neatly before storing it away. From her uniform pocket, she pulled out a handheld radio and handed it over.

"Use this to get real-time information from headquarters," she explained in a formal tone.

The middle-aged man accepted the radio, turning the small device in his hand before looking at the female soldier as if asking for more details.

"The situation outside the city is completely destroyed. All civilians have been evacuated," she continued. "The forest and coastal areas have been designated as restricted zones."

After delivering the information, she turned and walked back toward Captain Rio, leaving the middle-aged man still holding the radio with a contemplative expression.

Shortly after, Captain Rio and his squad returned to their vehicles. Without wasting time, they moved on to another area, searching for more evolutionaries to recruit.

***

Adam's eyes were fixed on the notification blinking on the black panel before him.

[Main Mission: 1000 Kicks]

He let out a long sigh, relief flooding his entire body. Beads of sweat dripped from his chin, falling onto the dusty concrete floor. His exhausted body nearly collapsed.

"Finally… it's done," he muttered weakly. Unable to hold back any longer, he allowed himself to slump onto the floor.

But before he could enjoy his moment of rest, a new notification appeared on the panel.

[Main Mission Complete] [Host has acquired (Skyfall Thousand Strikes Manual)]

Adam froze for a moment, narrowing his eyes as he read the words.

"Manual?" he murmured in confusion. He had expected to receive a skill directly like before.

Suppressing his exhaustion, Adam forced himself to stand. The muscles in his legs throbbed in protest, but he ignored them. With unsteady steps, he approached the only table in the factory room, quickly opening the drawer.

Sure enough, inside was a transparent box containing an old, weathered book. The pages were yellowed, the corners curled as if they had endured decades of neglect. Adam carefully opened the box and retrieved the book. It was no larger than an ordinary notebook, but it carried a distinct antique and mysterious aura.

"Quite different from its name…" Adam thought with a sigh.

He had imagined a grand martial arts tome brimming with sacred energy. Instead, what he held in his hands now looked more like a discarded school notebook.

Curious, he flipped open the first page. However, all he found was a blank sheet—no text, no illustrations, as if there was nothing to be learned from it.

As confusion settled in, a panel suddenly appeared before him.

[You will absorb the book (Skyfall Thousand Strikes Manual) - First Page. Are you sure? Yes/No]

Adam narrowed his eyes. "Absorb? First page?"

He recalled the time when Serina read the Book of Comprehension—a strange process that directly poured knowledge into the mind. Could this be the same mechanism?

"Confirm," he said internally.

As soon as he made his choice, the first page of the book began to change. Words and illustrations slowly emerged from the once-empty paper. A faint image started to form, depicting a man in a stable stance, his fist poised to strike forward.

As Adam stared deeper, something happened.

The visuals in the book weren't just static images. Slowly, a projection in his mind played, like a video unfolding directly in his consciousness. He saw the illustrated man standing firm before beginning a basic movement. The first punch shot out swiftly, followed by the second, the third, and so on, increasing in rhythm. His target was a sturdy training dummy standing before him.

Boom!

After a barrage of relentless strikes, the dummy shattered into pieces.

Adam blinked, snapping out of the vision. He raised his hands, feeling the technique embedded in his memory.

"Wow… so this is how it works?" he murmured, still in awe.

Though the man in the vision was incredibly fast, the attack's effect wasn't particularly flashy. The dummy was destroyed, but not with a single devastating blow—rather, through continuous, unyielding strikes that gradually wore down the opponent's defenses.

"So simple…" Adam thought. "But there must be more to it."

His curiosity peaked. Before he could try the technique himself, another notification appeared.

(Skyfall Thousand Strikes Manual) A martial arts manual emphasizing relentless, uninterrupted attacks. Only those who temper their body and willpower to the extreme can grasp its secrets.

Level: 1

Skills:

- Skyfall Fist (Active)

- Tempest Kick (Unlocks at Level 2)

Adam carefully read the panel. His eyes landed on the second skill.

"Unlocks at Level 2?" he pondered.