Chapter 74: Out of Reach

“Start by running ten laps to warm up.”

The two of them walked to the center of the field. Ten laps weren’t an impossible task for Lin Mu now, so without saying anything, he started running.

Fu Jingmo followed leisurely behind him, the two forming a line, one in front of the other. Both wore white short-sleeved T-shirts and camouflage pants, their tall and upright figures creating a pleasing sight.

In the last two laps, Lin Mu slowed down a bit, but he gritted his teeth and persevered to the end.

“Walk a few steps and take a rest.”

Fu Jingmo pulled up his bent-over body and reminded him.

He trained in the most elite combat skills, where every move was lethal or severely injurious—teaching Lin Mu was more than within his capabilities.

“Release your vines. Right now, you’re only facing zombies. But what if it’s humans? They’ll resist. What if they’re people with combat skills?”

Fu Jingmo bent down to re-tie his shoelaces and casually re-tied Lin Mu’s as well.

Watching the top of Fu Jingmo’s black hair, Lin Mu was momentarily stunned and awkwardly pulled his foot back a little.

“Let’s begin.”

Fu Jingmo stood up without noticing anything. The hem of his shirt was tucked into his pants, highlighting his broad shoulders and narrow waist, outlining a body of solid, well-proportioned muscles.

In contrast, Lin Mu, standing opposite him, had a slightly thin and slender figure.

The vine was tightly clenched in his palm. Lin Mu stepped back half a step with his right leg, his cold gaze turning serious. Lately, he had used the vine frequently and felt that his coordination with it had improved significantly.

With a slight flick of his wrist, Lin Mu swung his right hand forcefully. The vine shot out, slicing through the air, but before it could get close to Fu Jingmo, it was intercepted by a black blade—or rather, a black shield. It wasn’t sharp; it merely blocked the vine.

Lin Mu turned and threw out several more vines, but no matter the direction or angle, they were all easily blocked. He couldn’t even touch Fu Jingmo. In fact, he felt as if Fu Jingmo could predict the vine’s direction better than he could.

As soon as the two started sparring, they attracted a lot of attention, drawing a crowd around them. Some came with the intention of watching a good show, but upon seeing the fight, they were stunned by the duo’s abilities.

“Whoa, the black one looks so cool! It’s like watching a movie.”

“That whip is pretty awesome too. If it hit a zombie, it would probably smash several heads in one strike.”

“But, the guy with the black one hasn’t even used his full strength. Who is he?”

“…”

The surrounding chatter inevitably distracted Lin Mu, causing a slight flicker in his gaze.

In that split second, Fu Jingmo bent down, powered up his legs, and, with a speed beyond what ordinary people could achieve, instantly closed the distance between himself and Lin Mu.

Breaking through the defensive range woven by the vines, Fu Jingmo instantly closed in on Lin Mu, leaving him no chance to spin around and retreat.

Lin Mu felt a sharp pain in his wrist as it was forcefully gripped by Fu Jingmo’s single hand.

“Focus! Even the slightest distraction can give others an opening.”

Hot breaths brushed against Lin Mu’s neck, and Fu Jingmo’s face was uncharacteristically serious and stern.

“Again,” Fu Jingmo commanded softly as he stepped back, “Close combat, so use all your strength.”

Without using his abilities again, Lin Mu retracted his vine whip. He had not received any formal training and relied entirely on the reflexes he had developed through trial and error during this period.

In Fu Jingmo’s eyes, Lin Mu’s movements were disorganized and could be easily neutralized.

But Lin Mu kept attacking relentlessly, and his jaw clenched tightly, revealing sharply tensed lines as he bit down hard, not daring to relax even a little.

When his hand was blocked, he kicked at Fu Jingmo’s knee. When that was restrained, he struggled with his elbow, twisted his body, and delivered a fierce kick. Faking a move, he lowered himself, bent forward, and swung his fist with a strong gust of wind.

Fu Jingmo calmly sidestepped, Lin Mu’s punch barely grazing his stray hair. Then, Fu Jingmo swiftly grabbed his wrist, trapping Lin Mu in front of him within just two moves.

“Nice!!”

“Amazing, bro!”

The crowd erupted in exclamations of amazement, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.

Fu Jingmo, however, showed no sign of joy. He glanced coldly at the people forming a circle around them. “What are you looking at? Want to give it a try?”

The people who had been jeering scattered in an instant.

Lin Mu’s hands were still pinned behind his back by Fu Jingmo. His forehead was covered in a fine layer of sweat, and his stray hair stuck to the sides of his face.

He knew Fu Jingmo was formidable, but only by experiencing it firsthand did he realize he had no chance of winning—not even the slightest chance of landing a hit.

All his reactions, experience, and movements occurred in a split second, yet Fu Jingmo could anticipate every move the moment Lin Mu barely began to act.

This was the gap between them—a gap that Lin Mu could not hope to bridge.

“Let go!”

Lin Mu turned his head and said. Fu Jingmo, who was half a head taller, looked down, and his gaze landed on Lin Mu’s pale neck. He paused for two seconds, inexplicably feeling a bit dry in his mouth.

Fu Jingmo’s facial features leaned toward a mischievous look, and even his smile carried a bit of a roguish charm. Suddenly, he leaned in close to Lin Mu and teased, “Mumu, this won’t do.”

The two had just finished a round of sparring, and their bodies radiated heat, even their breaths were scorching. Lin Mu instantly broke out in goosebumps, and the heat trailing down his spine.

Sensing that if the teasing continued, Lin Mu might get angry, Fu Jingmo released his wrist.

“Your abilities have enhanced your reflexes, your strength, and other aspects, but what if you face another ability user? Then these wouldn’t be your advantages.”

He pointed out some simple yet effective power techniques and movements to Lin Mu, and they went through a few more rounds. They kept at it until Lin Mu was drenched in sweat, collapsed on the ground, too exhausted to even move a finger.

Meanwhile, Shen Rangchen, who had been dragged away by Ji Huaizhi, had already returned. He had been squatting on the side watching for quite some time. Compared to Lin Mu’s hard work, Shen Rangchen seemed like he was just out for a leisurely stroll.

Lin Mu turned his head, and sweat dripped from his cheeks onto the red rubber track.

“Rangchen, what did you train today?”

“Didn’t train.”

“Hmm?”

“He wanted to draw my blood. I don’t like needles, so I used a talisman to immobilize him.”

Shen Rangchen’s voice was calm and indifferent.

Lin Mu gave him a thumbs-up and sat up from the ground.

Fu Jingmo pulled him up, and the three of them went together to find He Ze.

——

As the sky grew darker, thick clouds obscured the last bit of sunlight, plunging everything into darkness.

The moon hung high, its cold light casting an eerie, chilly glow over the safe zone.

The four of them walked home side by side. Lin Mu was on the far left, his gaze slightly lifted, looking into the distance.

He Ze was next to him, gesturing animatedly, “Whoa, Mumu, did you see me today? I was on fire, just like this—BIU, BIU BIU.”

He bent one leg forward and extended one hand, fingers together in a mock gun pose.

“Just like that, I punched right through that iron plate. Oh man, water dripping through stone, grinding an iron rod into a needle—hard work pays off!”

“If there were a horde of zombies in front of us right now, I’d be slicing through them like vegetables—meet gods, slay gods!”

Fu Jingmo looked at He Ze as if he were a fool, genuinely unable to fathom how someone like Lin Mu could have such a naive and silly friend.

After a tiring day, they quickly dealt with dinner, and Lin Mu took a shower and went straight to bed.

Fu Jingmo sat on a chair, practicing his abilities for a while. His ability gauge was nearly full, suggesting that he would level up soon!

When he opened his eyes, he saw Lin Mu asleep, with half his head buried under the blanket. Even though it was quite warm, Lin Mu seemed to prefer sleeping wrapped in the blanket.

Fu Jingmo climbed into bed and moved a little closer. Lin Mu’s long eyelashes cast a slight shadow under the light, and he was sound asleep, hugging his pillow.

Fu Jingmo reached out and poked Lin Mu’s fair cheek. It was very soft. He recalled that Lin Mu rarely got angry, but if woken up in the morning, he would sulk for the whole day. Fu Jingmo quickly withdrew his hand, deciding not to push his luck any further.

Then, in the middle of the night.

Both of them were jolted awake by the loud alarm blaring.

“Everyone on alert!! Everyone on alert!!!”