Chapter 101

Anna got a major boost of inspiration from Helen, and in just one night, she came up with her own unique fighting style.

The next morning, when Richardson and the crew saw Anna in action, their jaws practically hit the floor.

"Whoa, are you really Anna?"

"No way, this can't be the same Anna we know!"

"Seriously, did you and Helen swap bodies or something? Anna, spill it!"

"This fighting style is nuts! How did you even think of this?"

Their reactions said it all—pure shock.

"I’m still me," Anna said, awkwardly wiping sweat from her forehead, looking a bit overwhelmed by their reactions.

It was just a new fighting style, right? Why was it so hard to believe it was still her?

So, what did Anna mean to them before this?

"Amazing, I can't even find the right words to praise you, Anna. This technique is just too powerful! Using compulsory healing energy to break the enemy's self-defense and force healing on them, with over-healing acting like a negative buff—you're a genius!" Richardson kept clapping, and as he broke it down, Lily quickly caught on to Anna's new technique.

Her face lit up with disbelief.

"Richardson, the more you explain, the more I think this isn't Anna! No way! Did you get some witchcraft, or are you an alien from the future?" Lily's wild guesses made everyone laugh.

"Guys, cut it out! Besides this forced control technique, Anna has also developed a combat move specifically for battles. We call it the scalpel!" Helen said, getting a bit anxious as everyone joked around.

They hadn't even shown the scalpel yet, Anna's secret weapon!

"Show us already!" Richardson said, getting serious at the mention of something even more powerful.

Just like Iris always said, there were no wasted talents in magic, only wasted Sorcerers.

Special abilities were the same. Everyone's abilities were different, but with enough effort, any ability could be pushed to its peak performance. Every special ability, when fully evolved, had limitless potential.

That's why Richardson always pushed Anna and Karen to strengthen their primary abilities.

But when it came to his own development, Richardson felt a bit embarrassed.

His telekinetic power, a special ability that others had maxed out, was something he used pretty superficially. Mostly as a lazy tool or a quick way to control opponents.

But really, just the telekinetic power alone had so much room for growth.

For instance, when he first got the ability, Richardson could only manage short flights. Now, with his increased mental reserves, he could fly for long periods.

But he hadn't focused much on it.

So, his telekinetic power development stayed pretty basic."Alright, check this out," Anna said, placing a metal kettle on the table. She took a deep breath, focusing her mind. A layer of sparkling green light appeared on her scalpel. In the next moment, under the effect of the green light, the kettle was neatly split open without any resistance.

The whole team fell silent after watching Anna's performance.

No applause, no cheers, just stunned silence. No one spoke first.

Seeing their reaction, Helen quickly figured out what was going on and slapped her forehead.

"Oops, I forgot. The weapon Karen forged for Anna is already super sharp, easily cutting open this kettle. Dang it, Anna, we don't need weapons. Just use a hairpin to show them." Helen was quick to catch on.

The scalpel Karen made for Anna was already razor-sharp, effortlessly slicing through the metal kettle. Even with her healing ability, it just looked like a special effect, making it hard for others to see the true power of the scalpel.

After a few seconds of contemplation, Iris spoke up, "Helen, Anna, are you trying to use the healing ability to break through self-defense mechanisms and turn it into an offensive tool? Like that muscle freak Amon, whose body strength is unbeatable. But Anna's healing ability can easily break through his defense like a scalpel effortlessly cutting through his body. Wait, if that's the case, you're not just mastering healing. You're introducing a new concept: breaking defenses!"

Iris's analysis made everything click for the few who were still confused.

Especially Richardson, who knew the pain of being unable to break through an opponent's defense.

If Anna's scalpel could truly break through any defense, the team had a powerful weapon, capable of posing a deadly threat to any opponent at any time.

Anna had transformed from a healer to a terrifying assassin who could take down anyone!

"Am I going to be out of a job?" Lily pouted, her cute remark breaking the serious atmosphere once again.

But Anna's demonstration wasn't over yet.

Following Helen's instructions, she removed the hairpin and attached her healing ability to it.

Then, she gently leaned it against the already split metal kettle.

Without any resistance, the hairpin effortlessly split the metal kettle, just like a scalpel cutting through skin, with ease and grace.

"Oh my god! So, the strongest attacker in the team is actually Anna, who we've been protecting all along! This twist is just too big, isn't it?" Monroe, the newest member, sighed, unable to believe it.

Just yesterday, Anna, who had been protected in the center during battles, had become the most powerful offensive presence in the team in just one night.

"Yeah, the contrast is huge. Let me think. If Anna's scalpel isn't used for close combat, would it be more effective? Helen, have you tried detaching the weapon and using it for long-range attacks?" Richardson's suggestion made Helen's eyes light up instantly! Indeed, he was the master! He hit the nail on the head with his suggestion.

"Why didn't I think of that? Using the scalpel for long-range attacks can keep Anna, who's not the strongest in combat, from getting counterattacked, and it can also increase her attack frequency! Let's try it now!"

Helen jumped up, looking at Anna, who still seemed a bit puzzled.

"Long-range attack? Like throwing the hairpin?" Anna asked, trying to reattach the healing energy to the hairpin before flicking it out with her wrist.

But as soon as the hairpin left her hand, the green light on its surface vanished. It didn't split the metal kettle again but bounced back and fell to the ground.

Seeing this, Richardson shrugged helplessly.

Finding loopholes in the rules wasn't going to be that easy.

"I almost lost my job," Iris joked, trying to lighten the mood. She mimicked Lily's earlier remark, making everyone chuckle.

But she wasn't wrong. If Anna could use the scalpel for long-range attacks, Iris, as an archer, might really be out of a job.

"Wait a minute, since you called this method a scalpel, have you thought about the healing ability being like a needle and thread for stitching wounds? If Anna connects the end of the throwing knife with a thread, and as long as the thread is continuous, her healing energy wouldn't be considered detached, right?" Karen suggested, her idea sparking a lightbulb moment for Helen.

Was this human wisdom? How did they all seem like sages?

"Use this!" Iris said, pulling a long strand of hair from her head and eagerly handing it to Anna.

Karen's proposal made perfect sense! If Anna's healing energy could be likened to a scalpel that could cut through anything, why couldn't it be a thread for stitching wounds, used for long-range combat?

As long as the end of the weapon was connected to the thread, it would solve the problem of the healing energy detaching.

"Will this work?" Anna wondered.

Iris wrapped her nearly 3-foot-long hair around the hairpin, and Anna reattached the healing energy, covering the hair as well.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Anna threw the hairpin again!

And then, they witnessed a miracle!

This time, due to the involvement of the hair strand, the hairpin didn't fly too far and quickly bounced back. But the healing energy didn't disappear!

The hairpin stayed in scalpel mode the whole time!

"Oh my god, it worked! If Anna uses a suitable thread, any enemy within her attack range could be instantly killed with one strike! It worked!" Richardson exclaimed, leaping to his feet in excitement.

With Richardson's laughter, the team started hugging and cheering!

This was the first time they truly understood and explored a special ability at its core.

Although Helen came up with the idea, it was everyone's participation that made it a reality.This sense of achievement was beyond words.

And Anna's 'scalpel' had the power to change the tide of battle!

"Thank you all! I can finally fight alongside everyone now!" Anna said after the celebration.

In response, all the girls flipped her off.

No need for thanks!

The next day, Richardson's team was back at it, descending into the commercial building. Their mission was simple: kill zombies and gain experience.

Whether it was Amon or the six-time mutated Red Cloak Zombie, it was clear their current five-time evolved combat power wasn't enough to take them down.

Even with Richardson's ability to stop time, they were still outmatched by these formidable foes.

To avoid any unexpected mishaps, the best course of action was for the team to keep fighting and boosting their overall strength.

They needed Richardson to evolve for the sixth time as soon as possible, or for the entire team to reach the power of five evolutions.

"Why do we have to go to Avery High School? Even if that zombie is strong, can't we just avoid provoking it?" Lily asked before they entered the building.

Anna looked at Richardson, clearly waiting for his answer too.

"Avoiding it could work, but in a city where humans and zombies are like gladiators, kept by the creators, mutual killing is our ultimate fate. It's better to deal with the Red Cloak Zombie now than wait for it to get stronger and harder to handle," Richardson sighed, explaining his theory again.

He had gone over this with the team before.

The simplest method for genetic evolution was to confine a group of organisms in a closed environment and let them kill each other. The surviving organism would absorb and possess the characteristics of all the others, becoming the strongest!

Wasn't Earth just a place where the creators' organization bred and nurtured organisms?

"Plus, there's Amon. The apocalypse has reached this point; even with satellite surveillance, the creators' organization can't monitor our entire planet one hundred percent. This means Lord Dragon definitely has information gaps about our team."

"But releasing Amon back to the Battlefield World would essentially hand over our information to Lord Dragon. If he confirms the existence of the Little Black Dragon, there's a real risk he might abandon everything and rush to Earth. At that point, none of us might survive," Richardson explained to Lily.

He was also reminding everyone why they had to work so hard.

Monroe, who almost lost her life due to consecutive evolutions last time, lowered her head slowly after hearing Richardson's words.

Biting her lip, she looked towards the building ahead.

Now, she understood.

"Let's go, let's get in and keep improving ourselves. Then we can quickly return to school to confront Amon and the Red Cloak Zombie, and settle things with them!" Iris said, rubbing Monroe's head and taking the lead towards the commercial building.

The zombies here were in for a bad day!