Monument, Achievement

Night had fallen, shrouding the increasingly dilapidated Old City District.

The broad streets nestled within it were steeped in quiet, with only the occasional brightly lit corner preserving a trace of liveliness.

Qin Shi returned to his seven- or eight-square-meter bedroom, which served as both his sleeping quarters and study.

The window was covered with old newspapers. The writing desk was chipped and peeling, and to its right stood a mountain of books, mostly extracurricular reading.

On the left sat a picture frame containing a yellowed photograph of a family of five. The woman looked gentle and refined, while the man was handsome and sturdy. Both wore dark blue work uniforms.

Eldest Sister stood in the middle, while the other two children sat on their parents' laps.

Click!

Qin Shi gently pulled the light cord, and the cramped, low-ceilinged room instantly sank into darkness.

Lying in bed with his eyes open, staring at the wooden boards overhead, the panel's black border appeared again.

[Energy replenished for the 17,536th time]

[Growth Value +1]

[Insufficient nutrition]

[Low training intensity]

[Growth Value slightly increased...]

[Overall evaluation: F]

Three synthetic meals a day, twenty to thirty thousand steps every day, then push-ups and sit-ups when I get home—and I'm still undernourished? Not exercising enough?

You useless piece of junk, why don't you do something useful for once?

Qin Shi swept his gaze over the meaningless text, then touched the money hidden beneath his pillow. His heart settled slightly.

He had originally planned to work a summer Part-time Job for two months and save enough for the registration fee for the Sports Academy teacher's training class.

After all, intensive gym workouts and the Martial Arts Class's Physical Training were both effective ways to develop Life Force.

But most of them were expensive, and their effects varied from person to person.

His best friend Zhou Ning came from a reasonably well-off family. Throwing tens of thousands into something that might amount to nothing was barely tolerable for him.

But Qin Shi could not bring himself to casually spend the hard-earned money his Eldest Sister had made through endless toil.

The Sports Academy is still an option. Uncle Zhou said the Old Factory Street Cadre School used to be incredibly prestigious.

Qin Shi had some impression of it. Back then, before the Tai'an Metropolitan Area had developed, the vast Harbor Region centered around Dangyang and established enormous industrial parks.

Those parks then gave rise to all kinds of industries closely tied to food, clothing, housing, and transportation.

Considering the special nature of military factories, as well as the booming Great Pioneer Movement, the higher-ups learned that many senior workers fighting on the Frontline worked nearly year-round without rest and struggled to care for their families.

After on-site investigations, the factories took the lead in establishing a Cadre School in Dangyang District that was neither public nor private.

Administratively, it was under the factories' leadership, while professionally, it was guided by the Tai'an Education Commission.

At its height, the Cadre School had eleven branch campuses, including elementary, middle, and high schools.

Every student enrolled was the child of a local worker.

A long, long time ago, the Hengzhou Education Commission released its list of the ten strongest schools in Hengzhou.

Old Factory Street Cadre School, then still known as Dangyang No. 11 Middle School, had been prominently listed!

It had even been more famous than today's New No. 1 Middle School!

Unfortunately, as the roaring tide of the times rolled onward, the Dangyang factory Cadre Schools gradually dwindled from eleven to five.

Now, only three remained: an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school.

Those old campuses were like the military-green work uniforms worn by the students' fathers. What had once represented the glory of labor had become a symbol of laid-off and unemployed workers.

Patched and mended time after time, they had eventually become too tattered to save and were mercilessly swept into a corner.

In any case, I'll raise my Life Force first, pass the rank assessment, and think about the rest afterward.

Having made up his mind, Qin Shi closed his eyes and fell asleep.

As his consciousness entered its deepest slumber, blurry streams of text drifted softly past.

[Deep Sleep for the 5,572nd time]

[Growth Value +10]

[Progress: 100%]

[Achieved...]

[Loading...]

[Monument unlocked!]

That sleep felt amazing!

Morning light seeped through the cracks in the newspapers pressed against the window, waking Qin Shi from his dreamless, peaceful slumber.

He opened his eyes, and his first sensation was utter refreshment.

Surging vitality, like a violently shaken bottle of cola, seemed ready to burst forth at any moment.

He turned his head to check the alarm clock on the bedside table. It was 7:12.

What's going on? I've never had such a wonderful experience. It's like I took some incredible tonic!

Qin Shi was baffled.

He pushed himself up with both hands and rolled out of bed.

Compared with usual, even his movements seemed several degrees lighter.

Something's wrong. Very wrong—ten, maybe twelve kinds of wrong!

Qin Shi frowned deeply.

Where had this strange feeling of emerging transformed after ten years of secluded training come from?

It was like the protagonist of an Old Era martial arts novel suddenly opening the Ren and Du meridians, feeling incomparably comfortable from head to toe.

Could my Life Force have increased?

Filled with confusion, Qin Shi almost instinctively summoned the transparent panel with its black border.

Sure enough, the displayed information had completely changed!

[Anchor: Qin Shi]

[Growth Stage: Embryo]

[Progress: 0.008%]

[Monuments: 1]

[Description: A carbon-based lifeform so incredibly frail that its body naturally ages, it is highly susceptible to disease, possesses far too many fatal weaknesses, and cannot even withstand damage from cold weapons or firearms. It relies on inefficient eating to maintain basic activity. The fact that such a species has not gone extinct is truly a miracle of the universe!]

What does that mean? I remember that once an Amateur Level fighter reached Rank One, they could block large-caliber bullets with their body and tear apart alloys with their bare hands.

Only after advancing to Professional Level could they adapt to the environments of most planets and fear neither radiation nor mutation...

Qin Shi froze. He had watched plenty of old Stellar Cup match videos.

As Eastern Xia's premier martial arts event, the Stellar Cup was broadcast across the entire galaxy every year, and its viewership consistently ranked among the top three.

During the grand opening shows of past tournaments, those famous Martial Artists would all display their strength.

Some could even charge through Frontline positions covered by artillery fire without wearing exoskeleton armor.

Qin Shi recalled one thrilling and explosive scene after another.

With nothing but flesh and blood, they withstood simultaneous strikes from the ground and air before assaulting defensive fortifications forged from steel.

The sight made audiences boil with excitement, shouting and cheering!

No wonder Martial Artist had remained one of the hottest professions for so many years!

Even a Professional Rank One with Life Force above one hundred can't withstand a battleship's main cannon! What kind of species can ignore firearms while still in its embryonic stage?

As Qin Shi pondered the Monument's assessment and let his thoughts wander, the text changed again.

[Basic achievement activated—Deep Sleep]

[Deep Sleep: Being young is wonderful. You fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow. Every lifeform's growth stage requires adequate rest, especially an embryonic seed like you that is still developing.]

[Traits: You will permanently gain high-quality sleep, which can eliminate fatigue, restore energy, and slightly improve disease resistance and immunity.]

[Advancement path: Maintaining a healthy routine is essential. If you sleep early and rise early for seven consecutive days, getting more than eight hours of sufficient sleep, you may upgrade and unlock corresponding skills.]

So this is what a Monument does?

His gaze passed over the black border, and Qin Shi vaguely saw a gray stone monument, like a small mound rising from a deep, shadowy background.

A faint number was carved upon it.

(1/7)

Clear-headed, mentally sharp... The benefits of Deep Sleep are truly remarkable.

Qin Shi suppressed the excitement in his heart. Deep Sleep was also called "golden sleep." If this continued for a long time, his body would certainly grow better and better. It was like being in peak condition every day.

It was like receiving a buff!

Sleeping early and waking early for a week shouldn't be a problem.

If I keep it up for months, even years, maybe my Life Force could improve too!

I remember Zhou Ning mentioning that top students in the Elite Class hired private Meditation Masters to help them fall asleep and achieve Deep Sleep.

Qin Shi could not help but look forward to it.

After all, even a half-point increase in Life Force required grueling training, sufficient nutrition, and personal talent working together before one could steadily improve.

Growing stronger through sleep alone was so absurd that even Health Supplement companies that blanketed the world with marketing would not dare boast about it.

Yet with Deep Sleep, it was entirely possible.

Unfortunately, I don't have any testing equipment on hand, so I can't determine whether my perception is right or wrong.

Qin Shi felt somewhat regretful. To precisely determine a person's Life Force value, a comprehensive examination was required.

The medical wristbands sold in pharmacies often had large margins of error. The scanning machines commonly found in training halls were somewhat more accurate.

At last, there's something to look forward to.

Qin Shi put away his joy, made the bed, and got dressed.

The living conditions in the shantytown were all much the same: simple houses that had stood for many years.

Just as he lifted the thick bedsheet serving as a door curtain, he saw Qin Lan, the youngest, walking in with breakfast.

There were several smoked meat flatbreads and two steaming bowls of mutton soup.

"Brother, you slept so deeply yesterday. I called you twice, but you didn't even move."

"Really? I didn't snore, did I?"

Qin Shi asked as he washed up.

"No. Brother, you work so hard at your Part-time Job. I don't want the computer anymore."

Qin Lan pouted, her ponytail swishing back and forth.

"I always keep my word. Since I promised you, how could I take it back? Appeal denied. Original ruling upheld!"

Qin Shi sat down at the table and casually rubbed Qin Lan's head.

"Keep it up, little sis. I'm still waiting for my sister to become Engineer Qin."

"Then let me try driving a mech too."

Qin Lan giggled.

"Sure, Brother! If I get into Yangchen Museum at one of the Four Great National Universities, I'll join Santan Heavy Industry after graduation and build divine machines!"

"Haha, sounds good, Engineer Qin. I'm heading to the Sports Academy later, so I'll handle lunch myself."

Qin Shi laughed as he gulped down the mutton soup.

Once the cozy warmth spread through his body, he wiped his mouth, got to his feet, and headed outside.

His far-from-slight figure swiftly blended into the bustling street beyond.