Chapter 24 – I Actually Quite Liked It
Do not be deceived by Dudley's crazed appearance, his wild words, or frantic movements. In truth, he was calmer inside than anyone else.
After only a brief exchange, he clearly knew that if it came to a real fight, he was no match for Hagrid.
That earlier punch had not used Ripple, yet Dudley understood that even with Ripple Qi Gong, he could not defeat Hagrid head-on. The difference in race was one factor, but his shallow cultivation time was another.
Hagrid's magical level was not high—after all, he had been expelled—but his true combat strength far surpassed ordinary wizards.
Think about the pets he kept: fire dragons, acromantulas, and the three-headed dog. The first two were XXXXX-class top-dangerous magical creatures. The three-headed dog's danger rating was not recorded, but it could not be low.
Even the blast-tailed skrewt, which looked weakest, was bred from a manticore (XXXXX-class) and a fire crab. It was said that during his later teaching years, Hagrid even sought a chimera egg—still 5X-class.
To live among such XXXXX-class creatures, even forcing a manticore to mate with a fire crab—how much weaker could he be?
To defeat Hagrid, one had to win through surprise.
And it had to be fast. No time could be given for him to react, only a quick decisive strike.
Dudley launched a fierce assault on Hagrid's legs, his punches landing on the weak points of the joints. First, restrict his speed.
The system's life skills covered nearly everything; aside from magic, there were almost no flaws. With wide knowledge, Dudley understood joints well. Even a half-giant was still human, and the positions of the joints were the same.
When Hagrid reached out to grab him, Dudley slipped away, dodging like an eel and agile like a monkey. He knew he must never be caught—if he was, it would all be over.
Seizing an opening, Dudley drew a potion from his shoulder bag, bit off the cork, and drank it down.
The first potion: Enhancer (Inferior), which strengthened the effects of other potions.
The second potion: Skele-Gro (Inferior), able to heal bones quickly, even regrow those lost.
His fists had been damaged earlier, so they needed quick recovery. Ripple Qi Gong could heal, but not at his current level. Even weak joints were too tough, wounding the enemy by one thousand but harming himself by eight hundred.
The third potion: Blood-Replenishing Agent (Inferior), needed after the earlier tearing-bite move that caused heavy bleeding. Without it, he might collapse from blood loss.
The fourth potion: Essence of Dittany (Inferior), for treating and healing injuries.
After swallowing all four, Dudley's complexion looked better. That earlier move had been handsome, though painful. Yet pain carved memory deeply.
He then pulled out another four bottles.
This time, he hurled them at Hagrid.
The fragile vials shattered, releasing clouds of yellowish gas.
All four were Slowing Potions, making the opponent's reactions sluggish.
They were still inferior, of course. Dudley was self-taught, with no formal system training. To brew usable products at all was already genius—at this age, even Snape could not independently brew finished potions.
He also had a potion called Confusion Seasoning, but it drove the opponent into madness. Dudley had no wish to face a berserk half-giant, so he withheld it. Unfortunately, the kinds of potions he could brew were still too few. Otherwise, he would surely let Hagrid know what it meant to stack endless buffs.
Potions may not be as wondrous as spells, but they can achieve what spells achieve.
As expected, Hagrid's reactions and speed visibly slowed. Unfortunately, as a half-giant, his constitution was unlike ordinary humans. The potion made him sluggish, but not to the degree Dudley had hoped.
Still, it was better than spells. Giants had absurdly high resistance to magic. Even so, this slowing was already enough.
Dudley picked up the rifle from the ground. This time he did not fire it, but gripped it in reverse. Ripple Breathing surged through his body, the warm energy filling him, gathering in his hands, and flowing into the weapon.
The rifle itself showed no real change, only flashing with arcs of golden lightning from time to time. In daylight, it would be nothing, but at night it was glaringly obvious.
Dudley no longer cared about concealment. He swung the rifle like a club and smashed it with all his strength against Hagrid's kneecap.
With a boom, Hagrid's mountain-like body crashed to the ground again. This fall was far worse than before—his bone had broken.
But Dudley's assault was far from over. He tossed aside the shattered rifle, strode forward, spread his legs, and sank his weight like a martial stance. His breathing steadied once more.
This was his final trump card, the highest-level and most powerful skill in his arsenal.
Level Five Iron Mountain Lean! A move from Bajiquan, the simplest, fiercest, and most violent strike.
Improved by the system, its might surpassed the original. The only flaw lay in its awkward posture.
Dudley pressed close, inhaled deeply, and drove Ripple through his blood. Energy spread through his body and gathered in his lowered shoulder. Then, with explosive force, he thrust upward at a forty-five-degree angle.
Hagrid felt an unimaginable force slam into him. The violent impact seemed to shift his organs, a power even greater than his own. Helplessness spread through his body.
This brute was actually this strong? But it was not over.
Level Five Iron Mountain Lean was a combo technique.
Dudley's shoulder sank again, and he rammed downward at a forty-five-degree angle.
"Iron Mountain Lean—I always liked it!"
Another impact struck. Dudley's body surged up and down at a rapid rhythm, like a pile driver gone wild.
One, two. One, two. One, two.
The terrifying might of a level five skill burst forth.
The next moment, a shocking sight unfolded. Hagrid's massive, ton-heavy body was actually lifted into the air.
Not only Hagrid—even Dudley was stunned. He gained a new respect for the level five skill.
So strong. So terrifying. So delightful!
It looked like simple collisions, but in truth, it contained many techniques of power release and redirection. Most importantly, Dudley suffered no injury at all.
Force always produced equal counterforce.
At the start, Dudley had hurt his own fists striking Hagrid. But Iron Mountain Lean had no such backlash.
It was the perfect battle skill.
Hagrid's enormous body smashed through the door and fell heavily outside.
Dudley gripped the door panel, standing tall and looking down at him.
"You are not welcome here. Get out!"
(End of Chapter)
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