Chapter 33: We Stat-Monsters Sure Have Incredible Mechanics

Leon stretched his neck and shoulders, exhaled a long breath, and charged toward Higgins once more.

Seeing this, the blonde man’s expression turned increasingly grim. With a mere wave of his hand, invisible gusts of wind swept up gravel from the ground, firing it toward Leon like bullets.

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*

Watching the debris hurtling toward him, Leon did not dodge or weave; he chose to take the onslaught head-on. In the blink of an eye, countless shards of stone raked across his body, yet they left behind only faint traces, failing to even break his skin.

Under the combined augmentation of [Physical Strength 3.2], [Reverse-Origin Innate], and [Triple Reverse-Life], such attacks were no different from a gentle tickle to Leon.

Higgins’s pupils constricted at the sight. Only then did the esper realize that his opponent’s defense was terrifyingly strong.

*'What exactly is his profession!?'*

That was the only thought racing through Higgins’s mind. Before he could ponder it further, the young man—his clothes tattered to reveal pristine, pale skin—had already surged before him.

Facing his enemy at point-blank range, Leon thrust out his right hand, aiming directly for the man’s throat. Wind rushed between his splayed fingers. Just as Higgins was about to be seized, an invisible pressure manifested out of thin air, suddenly enveloping Leon and forcing his movements to stutter.

Seizing the opportunity, Higgins scrambled to put some distance between them. The blonde man touched his neck with lingering fear, and only after confirming he was uninjured did he gasp for air. "That was... too close."

In that split second, he had truly caught the scent of death.

"Raymond..."

Higgins had barely opened his mouth to call for backup when he was interrupted by Leon, who had already appeared before him again.

Watching the fist swing toward his face, Higgins’s expression twisted into a snarl. "Leon! Do you really think I have no way to deal with you!?"

As the words left his lips, a shrill, piercing whistling sound erupted around the blonde man. Invisible wind transformed into sharp blades, beginning to tear incessantly at Leon’s body.

"Aaaah!"

A roar of agony tore from Higgins’s throat as blood began to stream from his eyes and nose. This was his trump card—draining his own mental energy to force a massive surge in his psychokinesis. The cost, of course, was immense; he would be unable to use his psychic powers for a considerable time after this. But if it meant taking down Leon, it would all be worth it.

Under the full force of his supernatural ability, dense clusters of tiny lacerations instantly appeared all over Leon’s body.

Seeing this, a distorted smile spread across Higgins’s face. "Leon! You..."

His voice cut off abruptly. The blonde man stared with a vacant expression at what was unfolding before him. His attack had certainly landed, and Leon had indeed been wounded.

But the problem was...

Instead of blood flowing from the various wounds on Leon’s body, pure white energy was dissipating from them. Most crucially, the wounds were knitting themselves shut at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"How is this possible!?"

Leon looked at the shell-shocked expression on Higgins’s face and couldn't help but grin. "Never seen this before, have you?"

As he spoke, he delivered a blow that sent the blonde man flying like a dead dog, tumbling across the ground several times. The esper class was clearly defined by high offense and low defense; Higgins obviously lacked the exaggerated durability Leon possessed. Consequently, a single punch left him half-dead.

Seeing that his opponent had lost the ability to fight, Leon exhaled deeply. Feeling the energy in his body significantly depleted, his complexion turned slightly pale. To be honest, the drain over just those few moments had been intense; after all, the final attack Higgins launched had covered his entire body. Repairing wounds of that magnitude was a heavy burden for [Triple Reverse-Life], which had only just reached the [Proficient] level. It was only thanks to his superior base defense that Higgins’s scattered attack had resulted in nothing more than superficial flesh wounds.

Leon walked slowly toward Higgins, finding the blood-drenched blonde man glaring at him with bloodshot eyes.

"Hah... hah..."

"Leon..."

A weak, resentful voice drifted from Higgins’s lips. Before the fight, he never imagined he would end up in such a state. In the Public Security Bureau, even if his strength wasn't among the absolute elite, he was still far above the average.

And Leon? A mere prisoner who hadn't joined the Bureau for long.

Furthermore, the intel hadn't mentioned that Leon possessed this level of self-healing capability. Had he known, Higgins would never have been arrogant enough to face him alone.

Ignoring the loser's whimpering, Leon stepped down and snapped his limbs. At that moment, a notification popped up on his profession panel:

[Engaged in combat using Qimen Dunjia, skill experience +11.]
[Engaged in combat using Triple Reverse-Life, skill experience +114.]

It was the first time Leon had seen Triple Reverse-Life grant so much experience at once. He looked at Higgins, slightly puzzled, and muttered, "Are you actually this strong?"

Hearing this, Higgins’s eyes widened, a few choked whimpers escaped his throat, and then his eyes rolled back as he fainted.

Leon hadn't intended to provoke him; he was genuinely curious. However, he soon realized that a portion of the experience likely came from his full-power operation of Triple Reverse-Life to repair his body.

Realizing this, a thought flashed through his mind:

*'Too bad I'm not a masochist...'*

Just then, Raymond and Danika, who were fighting nearby, noticed the situation. Seeing Higgins lying on the ground unconscious, Raymond’s face darkened, and he cursed, "Federal garbage!"

"Higgins, you useless piece of trash!"

The smuggler [Artisan] never expected that the usually haughty Higgins would end up kicked aside like a stray dog on the street. Remembering the intel Higgins had given him before the battle, Raymond felt more and more that the man was a clown.

He couldn't let this continue. The strength of the woman he was facing already exceeded his expectations. If that kid from over there joined in, Raymond felt there was a high probability he wouldn't be leaving today.

Thinking this, the lean, grease-stained middle-aged man’s eyes darted around as he began to shift his footing, searching for a chance to escape.

On the other side, Danika felt a hint of surprise after seeing Leon resolve the fight with Higgins so cleanly and efficiently. She hadn't expected him to win so quickly and easily. Since she had often acted as a sparring partner for Leon recently, she had a rough estimate of his strength. In her view, even if Leon could defeat Higgins, it wouldn't be in this state... with barely a speck of dust on his clothes.

Wait...

Danika froze, noticing something unusual.

*'How come there isn't a single wound on Leon!?'*