The Small Enhancement Potion went down her throat.
System rewards were indeed extraordinary. Instantly, Hibiscus's heart pounded wildly, pumping scalding blood as her entire body emanated substantial magic power that distorted her vision. Her senses were unprecedentedly acute, strength abundant with unknown limits—ready for battle.
She dared brave the dragon's den and tiger's lair because of the potion. Worst case, she'd fight the enemy desperately. Today she absolutely had to clear the Storm Gang dungeon.
Li Tian's expression moved emotionally as he murmured: "Wrong, this isn't fusion technology!"
"There's much you haven't seen."
"No matter. You and Jin Ruochu will both die here. I no longer need hostages."
The next moment, the crystal giant disappeared from his original position. The schoolgirl rubbing her eyes to observe suddenly saw a tall shadow before her, a fist carrying the sound of breaking air like a cannonball roaring forth. However, it was firmly caught by an arm midway, then the black-masked customer swung a high-end uppercut precisely hitting Li Tian's jaw. The crystal shell shattered with the sound, and the two-meter giant flew backward, crashing through three walls and falling into the dance pool, scaring away countless customers.
Hibiscus's arm sent piercing pain—she had barely managed to take the blow head-on and fractured a bone. She bit her teeth and adjusted the bone by feel with a crack, finally feeling somewhat better.
"Still don't understand the situation? I can't protect you. Don't drag me down—leave on your own, or we'll die together."
"...Home is dangerous too."
"Though I don't know your family situation, one thing's certain: you're definitely present at crucial moments, never missing any opportunity. Otherwise, when family affection falls apart, you'll be at a loss. Go home quickly, or first stop briefly at that harbor. Jin Ruochu, goodbye."
The schoolgirl was slightly stunned, then nodded solemnly. This wasn't the time to get entangled, and even though she really wanted to ask her savior's name, she had to swallow it.
"Don't forget I still owe you two million in cash."
Seeing this, Jin Ruochu didn't linger and ran away decisively—quite sensible at the crucial moment.
Li Tian sneered: "Seems you really are Changfeng's lackey. Too bad—I'll kill you as a battle standard."
"Feel free to try."
Hibiscus stretched her muscles slightly, feeling her internal injuries had recovered. Worthy of enhancement potion's comprehensive combat power boost, but time was limited—at most 5 minutes estimated. Must fight quickly and decisively, or be trapped and doomed.
She had just tried direct eye contact Hypnosis Technique without effect, and the constantly active Levitation technique couldn't weaken impact either. Sure enough, once in serious combat, it was useless.
The crystal giant roared and charged forward, speed like a cannonball thunderously smashing the wall, bending steel reinforcement. However, darkness appeared before him—at the critical moment, Hibiscus dodged and covered his face with her coat. With a boom, the caught-off-guard Li Tian flew backward. The explosion covered the crystal with fine patterns before shattering, forcibly protecting the flesh from fatal injury.
Only armor-breaking with limited damage—such tenacious defense! Hibiscus couldn't deliver attacks comparable to dozens of grenade explosions.
"So you're the amateur. Haven't you learned about Disaster Beasts from processed TV programs?"
"Anyone who's seen them would understand how weak weapons are. My little defense doesn't compare to even one percent of theirs. Of course, attacks are even more exaggerated."
Before finishing, the crystal body disappeared and punched directly at the target's face. The wind pressure was almost suffocating, but instantly Hibiscus reacted, dodging sideways and grasping the arm, crossing her legs and stepping down hard.
One grappling move carrying full body momentum countered the opponent with a thud to the ground.
The two directly smashed through the floor and rolled into the basement.
A mere small bar building couldn't withstand such large-scale destruction from both sides. Customers and staff fled in panic, the tremendous noise like fireworks shaking the entire block. Police already watching the Storm Gang quickly received news. Shrieking sirens raced from afar—all fully armed anti-terrorism armored vehicles.
Ordinary civilians stayed far away, not knowing what monster the usually villainous gang had provoked to this extent, but keeping respectful distance was never wrong.
Crack!
In the dim basement, a crystal blade pierced Hibiscus's abdomen, blood flowing freely, whole body in agony.
She hadn't expected Li Tian's crystal covering could change shape slightly, resulting in a successful sneak attack. Even a body with all attributes over one hundred could hardly support this.
However, it wasn't as immobilizingly painful as imagined. The girl retreated several steps covering her wound. For some reason, power surged more violently, as if resonating with something. The world had never been so clear, with a strange clarity in her mind that made her forget the injury.
Li Tian gasped and staggered up from the ground.
Having cushioned the fall, he certainly felt terrible. The kicked shoulder was already fractured and hanging at his side, greatly reducing combat effectiveness. But the opponent who took a stab was worse—blood loss alone could be fatal. Dragging it out, victory would still belong to him.
But crowd noise and sirens made Li Tian increasingly anxious. If he didn't resolve the battle quickly, he might not escape—mantis catches cicada while oriole waits behind.
"If you don't get treatment, you'll die—"
Before finishing, he saw the black-clad figure tilt back her head and drink a bottle of crimson liquid. Immediately, the wound healed at visible speed, and conversely, her aura was stronger than before.
Hibiscus had already used one Small Enhancement Potion and one Small Health Recovery Potion. With sunk costs at this point, she had to break through the Storm Gang. The moment after drinking the red liquid, the girl's form flickered as she closed in. Li Tian tried to react but couldn't in time. One foot drove into his abdomen that had lost crystal protection, churning his organs and making him spit blood. It wasn't over—another punch hit the previously kicked spot, completely crippling his left arm.
Terrible, very terrible. Speed too fast to see, each punch fiercer than the last, pain preventing him from maintaining consciousness.
"Get away!"
Li Tian roared, crystal all over his body shattering into tiny fragments that sprayed omnidirectionally without blind spots, each piece capable of tearing steel. At zero distance, Hibiscus had nowhere to hide. Deadly chill flowed through her body. When the first fragment pierced her body, the world was dyed gray-white.
All phenomena before her stagnated as if frozen, only she remained unharmed. Space filled with threads of silver sand like a river flowing to unknown destinations—beautiful and dreamlike.
Magic, Sands of Time.
A name rose in Hibiscus's mind, and she immediately understood its initial characteristic: time stop.
—But it was the most useless kind.
During time stop, touching any object would lift its frozen state with unchanged inertia. For example, the first crystal fragment still entered her body. Taking and giving freely while the world was stopped would be leaving—this was just isolating herself from the normal flow world, another kind of loneliness.
The true meaning of Sands of Time was extending the occurrence of tragedy to leave opportunity, like the moment she hoped family breakdown would come later.
"Touch to lift, but the inertia of exerted force continues to apply." Hibiscus murmured to herself. Her body cried out from various places, indicating magic was nearing its limit. The great power of stopping time would soon end.
In the final miracle moment, one index finger touched Li Tian's unprotected forehead between his eyebrows.
Bang!
The world regained color. In the sky of blood rain, a headless corpse fell.