Chapter 20: Something Seems Off

It is well-known that fighting with weapons and unarmed combat are entirely different disciplines. In unarmed situations, one might risk taking several hits to deliver a critical strike. However, with weapons, every strike must be considered for its potential to cause irreversible damage.

Feng Xue was aware of this, and so were the chain-wielding, bat-swinging punks in front of him. When flames erupted in his hands, the previously noisy scene fell silent instantly.

Remembering the son of the disciplinary head from the "School Bullying" node, who had shown a willingness to communicate, Feng Xue maintained his composure and asked:

"Who's the boss here? Step forward and talk."

"How, how can you think you're so great just because you know a bit of architecture?" a man with flamboyant golden hair, resembling a Super Saiyan, spoke up with a tone that had noticeably less bravado. Taking advantage of the situation, Feng Xue's mind quickly pulled up the professional dialogue skills he had unlocked earlier.

Although his predecessor's dialogue was filled with odd lines like "You wouldn't want this…" "If you don't tell me, I can't guarantee what will happen…" and "You have ten fingers, I have ten questions, what a coincidence," it had to be said that these lines were quite effective when he had the upper hand.

Slightly adjusting his stance to appear more relaxed, Feng Xue played with the fireball in his hand. While maintaining the fireball through his field of vision to keep it stable, he casually said:

"Kill me? You can try, but think about it first—do any of your underlings have the guts to die rushing at me?"

Feng Xue appeared nonchalant as he toyed with the fireball, even playfully altering its shape to resemble a restless beast spitting out flames occasionally.

These young thugs' courage is often fueled by hot blood, and in the heat of the moment, they might indeed rush forward recklessly. But if he could intimidate them before that fervor cooled, their naturally bully-averse nature would take over.

As the bravado of the group visibly waned, Feng Xue extinguished the flame in his hand and said, "See? What's the point? You earn a few bucks a month and risk your lives. What do you want with me?"

Just as Feng Xue spoke, a bulkier punk surged forward, swinging a studded bat directly at his head while shouting, "Motherf***er! You mess up our turf, and now you come asking…"

"Oh!"

Seeing someone charge at him, Feng Xue, who was already prepared, stared coldly at his attacker. Calculating the distance in his mind, he engulfed the attacker in flames the moment he stepped into his G·I field range.

The man didn't instantly turn to ash; the natural burning inflicted pain and terror, eliciting a scream that echoed under the sky. The other punks, already of weak resolve, collapsed on the ground, and those who thought of escaping showed commendable spirit.

Feng Xue maintained the flames on the man, slightly raising an eyebrow, pondering:

"My G·I field's range has increased. Is it because of my real-world training, or simply because the body within this node has grown?

"Also, initially, the fire only ignited his clothes. It seems I can only ignite what's directly on him until he realizes he's burning. Does that mean I can't ignite him until he's aware of it?"

Feng Xue's thoughts suddenly drifted back to the previous discussion about physical constants differing from country to country, and he had an epiphany.

"So this is the role of 'will' and 'belief'?"

Although he had acquired relevant knowledge from the shop, it was only through actual use that he truly understood its implications.

While he could manage minor weather changes and create fire within his G·I field, these were fundamentally environmental manipulations. If the target was a sentient human, a weak imagination was merely intimidating.

A strong belief in "I can definitely set him on fire" is necessary to penetrate the barrier of someone's belief in "I cannot be ignited."

"This guy is just a clueless punk. If it were an enemy with similar architectural knowledge, this wouldn't work…"

As Feng Xue internally critiqued himself, the node collapsed once again, and the familiar settlement screen appeared:

"Combat ended, perfect tactics."

"Node settlement: +2 phantasms."

"Item drop in progress…"

"You have obtained 'Modern and Contemporary Popular Art History' (Blue)."

A blue item!

Seeing the result, Feng Xue perked up, though the name didn't sound like any kind of powerful weapon. But who knows, maybe it's deceiving by name?

Title: "Modern and Contemporary Popular Art History"

Category: Professional Tool

Quality: Blue

Effect: Unlocks one art-related skill or upgrades one art-related skill by one level (up to professional).

Description: A book broadly outlining the development of contemporary popular art forms, perfect as an introductory text for those interested in art appreciation.

Upon seeing the words "art-related," Feng Xue was somewhat dismayed. However, as he read the book's effects, he nearly jolted awake from shock.

Because within the category of art-related subjects, sports was included!

"What kind of nonsense is this, how is sports classified under art? And lock-picking, artificial aging, tomb-raiding… survival art is also art, huh?"

Scanning the myriad of options available in the book, Feng Xue felt an old rant building in his throat. Yet, rather than complain about the golden finger's categorization, it was better to consider how to maximize the value of this one-level upgrade.

Firstly, the only art-related skill he currently possessed was "War Architecture," and upgrading it would likely offer the best cost-benefit ratio, especially since it was designed for combat effectiveness.

However, on the other hand, the risky nature of training in War Architecture—a misstep without guidance could lead down a path of no return—was always a concern.

His gaze drifted aimlessly over the list of skills—music, fine arts, etc., all ignored. But then he noticed something.

The skills offered by the professional tool didn't seem to be restricted by his predecessor's knowledge.

This sparked a new train of thought in him.

As ideas surged, the bookshelf automatically sorted through its contents, quickly bringing a particular skill to the forefront—

"Architecture."