Chapter 17: The Barbarian

Chapter 17: The Barbarian

Chen Shouyi snapped out of his daze, his spirits instantly lifting. This time, he met the opponent’s gaze directly, his feet instinctively executing the Basic Step as he advanced, his sword thrusting forward with swift precision.

The Female Instructor’s blade lightly parried, deflecting his strike before countering with a thrust of her own. Her speed was deliberately slower than before, giving Chen Shouyi ample time to react.

Chen Shouyi swayed like a willow in the wind, effortlessly evading the thrust. Without pause, he slid forward, his body gliding like a fish as he unexpectedly shifted to the Female Instructor’s right side.

Unfortunately, such tricks were useless against her. She had already retreated a step, her sword darting toward his waist like a venomous snake.

Chen Shouyi twisted aside, narrowly avoiding the attack.

Back and forth they went, the only sound the sharp hiss of blades cutting through the air.

Under the Female Instructor’s deliberate guidance, Chen Shouyi improved at a visible pace. His Swordsmanship and Basic Steps gradually merged into one seamless whole, no longer rigidly separated but naturally intertwined.

By the time the session ended, he still felt unsatisfied, craving more.

……

After class, he exchanged a brief greeting with Guo Qianqian. Under Lin Feng’s wary gaze, he didn’t linger and soon left the Youth Martial Arts Training Center.

Today, he planned to visit the bookstore to purchase a few books about the Otherworld.

For one, he had always been fascinated by the Otherworld. For another, ever since his younger sister passed the Martial Apprentice Examination, he had made up his mind.

He intended to abandon the college entrance exam and focus entirely on preparing for the Martial Arts Apprentice Assessment.

The bookstore was about six or seven kilometers from the Youth Martial Arts Training Center. In just over ten minutes, Chen Shouyi arrived at his destination.

Sundays were peak hours for the bookstore, and the place was packed.

Following the signs, Chen Shouyi quickly found the section he was looking for.

"Chen Shouyi? You’re here too?"

"Class President, what a coincidence. Are you also interested in books about the Otherworld?"

Chen Shouyi turned to see Zhang Xiaoyue, the class president.

She had a slender, delicate frame, with small yet subtly alluring eyes. Dressed in a white T-shirt and a short skirt, her legs were pale and slender, her waist narrow, and her chest full.

Truth be told, Chen Shouyi had stolen glances at her more than a few times—though only in the Memory Space.

"Yeah, I heard there are mysterious creatures there. Besides the barbarians, there are giants as tall as mountains! Haven’t you watched The War of the Divine Pantheon?"

This was the second time Chen Shouyi had heard someone mention this TV series. It must be really popular.

"No, I’ve been too busy studying lately. Unlike you, Class President, who easily ranks first or second, I have to work harder to keep up," Chen Shouyi said.

In the past, facing Zhang Xiaoyue would have left him flushed and nervous, his heart racing. But perhaps because he had seen her so often in the Memory Space, he remained remarkably calm and composed.

Zhang Xiaoyue covered her mouth with a light laugh, her soft, glistening eyes gazing at him.

"You’ve changed so much. I never heard you talk like this before."

"Maybe I was just keeping a low profile."

……

As they were speaking, the crowd suddenly erupted into chaos. Chen Shouyi turned to look and saw a disheveled, unkempt man clutching a bag wrapped in what looked like a bedsheet, frantically stuffing books from the shelves into it. Everyone around him scrambled to avoid him.

The man appeared extremely wary and anxious, constantly glancing around. The moment anyone approached, he would bare his teeth like a nervous animal.

Chen Shouyi’s first thought was that this man was robbing the place. His behavior and mental state were completely unlike that of a normal bookstore customer.

But soon, he realized something was off. After all, no sane person would rob a bookstore—it would make more sense to just rob the cash register.

Moreover, the man’s T-shirt was actually clean, just worn inside out—the label was clearly visible on his chest.

Beyond that, Chen Shouyi was surprised to notice that the man was extraordinarily handsome. Even the grime on his face couldn’t hide it.

His pitch-black eyes radiated a mesmerizing charm. Chen Shouyi had seen plenty of pretty boys on TV and the internet, but none had features as flawless as this man’s.

So perfect, it was almost unreal—as if he had stepped out of a painting.

How could someone like this exist in reality?

The crowd around them grew larger, and many seemed to have noticed his striking appearance, secretly snapping photos with their phones.

But this only made the man more agitated.

A low, beast-like growl rumbled from his throat, as if in warning.

Finally, a security guard arrived.

"Sir, please stop damaging the books. Cease your actions and come with me to the security office."

The mysterious man froze, and the books in his hands clattered to the floor.

Perhaps it was the uniform, but the man seemed terrified—his body began to tremble slightly.

Yet for some reason, Chen Shouyi felt a chill crawl down his spine, as if he were facing a vicious beast.

"Something’s wrong with this guy. Let’s go!" Chen Shouyi muttered, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He tugged at Zhang Xiaoyue’s sleeve and spoke urgently.

Zhang Xiaoyue was confused but decided to follow his lead.

They had only taken a few steps when disaster struck.

A dull thud echoed, accompanied by the eerie sound of something snapping—like sugarcane breaking. Then, Chen Shouyi felt something wet rain down on his head.

He wiped his face and was horrified to find his hand covered in blood. He couldn’t help but glance back.

The security guard’s body was now slumped against a bookshelf, limp and motionless.

Bright red blood streamed down his legs, pooling on the floor.

The crowd fell silent for a moment—then screams erupted as people fled in all directions.

A shiver ran down Chen Shouyi’s spine. He grabbed the stunned Zhang Xiaoyue and sprinted away with the panicked crowd.

Behind them, the man let out a deafening roar—a bestial sound so loud it felt like thunder, rattling Chen Shouyi’s eardrums even from over 10 meters away.

Then the man's tone became rhythmic, his voice filled with intense anger, as if he were cursing loudly in some mysterious language.

"It's a barbarian! A barbarian!" someone in the crowd screamed in terror.

Yet those words only intensified the panic. People were shoved to the ground, and soon countless feet trampled over them—some never rose again.

Fortunately, Chen Shouyi was strong and sturdy, gripping Zhang Xiaoyue tightly so that neither of them was dragged down by the surging crowd.

Behind them came another deafening boom, a sound so horrifying it chilled the blood.

Wooden splinters and torn pages of books filled the air, mixed with splatters of blood and flecks of flesh.

The barbarian seemed to have gone berserk. With a furious roar, he began attacking the crowd indiscriminately.

As a creature living under three times Earth's gravity, his strength was terrifying. Every strike he unleashed produced a thunderous explosion.

Fragile human bodies were no match for such force—limbs were torn apart, blood and viscera flying in all directions.

Chen Shouyi even saw a severed intestine draped over the head of a man in front of him, yet the man seemed oblivious, his face twisted in terror as he desperately shoved through the crowd.

Luckily, they were on the first floor of the bookstore, only a few dozen meters from the exit. Half a minute later, Chen Shouyi and Zhang Xiaoyue finally squeezed through the frantic mob and stumbled out the door.

"How could there be a barbarian in the bookstore?" Zhang Xiaoyue muttered, her face pale with fear.

Chen Shouyi exhaled in relief. "Don’t think about it now. Let’s just get away from here first."

This barbarian bore little resemblance to humans—his features were far rougher, and like most of his kind, he was short but powerfully built, likely due to the crushing gravity of his homeworld. Yet this mysterious barbarian had clearly used supernatural means to alter his appearance.

There was no doubt—he had come with a special purpose. Perhaps to steal Earth’s knowledge, or to gather intelligence.

Whatever the case, he was no ordinary barbarian.

But before Chen Shouyi could finish his thought—BOOM!—a deafening explosion shook the bookstore.

Cracks spiderwebbed across the wall.

Then, with a thunderous CRASH, the entire wall burst apart, sending dust and debris flying in all directions.

Through the swirling cloud of dust, a figure charged out of the bookstore.