Morning sunlight spilled over the Slum District once more, gilding the shanties in pale gold.
Lin Fan stood at the doorway of the shack and slowly exhaled a breath of Turbid Qi. He had cultivated through the night and slept only three hours, but the nourishment of his Proficient Level Basic Breathing Technique had already dispelled most of his fatigue.
He summoned the Status Panel.
[Name: Lin Fan] [Realm: Unranked (Initial Qi Sensation)] [Strength: 12 (+0.2)] (The figure in parentheses is the bonus from fist technique proficiency) [Defense: 8] [Speed: 9] [Spirit: 12] [Vitality: 98/100] [Technique: Basic Breathing Technique (Proficient 105/500)] [Martial Skill: Basic Fist Technique (Proficient 367/500)] [Skill Points: 0] [System Integrity: 4.0%]
His Strength had risen from 11 to 12.
The increase had come naturally after he hauled ore yesterday afternoon and pushed his Strength Proficiency past the second 100-point mark. As for the "+0.2" in parentheses, that was the 10% Strength bonus from his Proficient Level Basic Fist Technique. Ten percent of 12 Strength was 1.2, but the system seemed to display only one decimal place.
His actual Strength should be 13.2.
"According to the prompt, my punching force is around 140 kilograms, and my Weightlifting Capacity is 120." Lin Fan clenched his fist, feeling the power surging through his body. "I'm stronger than I was yesterday."
He looked at his younger sister. Lin Xiaoyu was still asleep. Her face remained pale, but her breathing was much steadier. The half-tube of Nutritional Paste had helped.
Lin Fan left the remaining three and a half tubes of Nutritional Paste beside his sister's pillow, along with a White Flour Bun covered by a scrap of cloth. Then he slipped quietly outside.
Today, he would test two things.
First, would his improved Strength make him more efficient at physical labor? Second, could fighting... really earn him more proficiency?
At the dockside freight yard, the morning sun had just risen.
Foreman Wang stood with a cigarette dangling from his lips, watching the workers arrive. When he spotted Lin Fan, his eyes lit up and he waved him over. "Kid, over here!"
Lin Fan walked over.
"We've got a new shipment today." Foreman Wang lowered his voice. "Still Black Iron Ore, but it's purer. Each piece weighs at least fifty pounds. The pay's gone up, too—0.15 Credit Points per piece. You in?"
"I'm in." Lin Fan answered without hesitation.
Fifty pounds was one and a half times yesterday's load. Based on his previous experience, heavier objects might earn more proficiency when carried. The system hadn't said so outright, but Over-level Challenge gave extra bonuses, and the same principle should apply to physical labor.
"Good!" Foreman Wang patted him on the shoulder. "Same rules as always. Know your limits, and don't push yourself just to show off."
The whistle blew to start work.
Lin Fan went over to the new pile of ore. The pieces were darker in color, their surfaces gleaming with a cold metallic sheen. They were a size larger than yesterday's. He bent down and put his arms to work—
The ore felt heavy in his hands. It really did weigh about fifty pounds.
But for Lin Fan, whose actual Strength now exceeded 13, the weight was... just right.
He lifted it steadily and strode toward the pile.
[Strength Proficiency +1]
A prompt appeared.
Just like yesterday, he'd gained only 1 point. So increasing the weight hadn't directly improved his proficiency gains. Unless...
Lin Fan set the ore down and returned to the freight car. This time, instead of lifting it with both hands, he tried gripping its edge with one hand. His arm muscles tightened as he put force into his core—
The ore rose off the ground. It wobbled a little, but he held on firmly.
[Overload labor detected (one-arm transport of an object heavier than body weight)] [Strength Proficiency +2]
Just as he'd thought!
Lin Fan understood. The system's criteria weren't simply "physical labor"; it was "effective training." When an action became more difficult and put a greater strain on his body, he earned more proficiency.
It was like practicing punches. A regular punch only earned 1 point, but if he added footwork, proper technique, and coordinated breathing, one practice might count as a "complete movement" and earn him more proficiency.
"Then what if I try carrying something heavier..." Lin Fan looked into the distance.
Several flatbed carts stood at the edge of the freight yard, covered with tarpaulins. Now and then, a worker would lift one corner and carry something out, revealing silver-gray metal ingots that reflected the sunlight with a hard, cold gleam.
Refined Steel Ingots.
They were the ones Foreman Wang had mentioned yesterday. Each one weighed over a hundred pounds and required two people to carry.
Lin Fan's interest stirred, but he quickly suppressed the impulse.
It wasn't time yet.
His Strength had improved, but carrying a steel ingot that weighed over a hundred pounds required more than strength. He also needed stability, balance, and the ability to react to the unexpected. If he lost his grip, the consequences would be unthinkable.
"Build a solid foundation first." Lin Fan turned his gaze away and continued carrying ore.
This time, he deliberately varied his methods. Sometimes he carried a piece with both arms, sometimes he gripped it with one hand, and he even tried carrying some on his shoulder. Depending on how much strain each posture put on him, the system awarded anywhere from 1 to 3 points of proficiency.
By the end of the morning, he had carried sixty-seven pieces of ore.
[Strength Proficiency: 87/100] (Second round of proficiency)
The afternoon sun beat down even harder.
Several workers collapsed from heatstroke and were carried into the shade to drink water and rest. Lin Fan also felt parched, but he didn't stop. He simply adjusted his breathing and wove the Basic Breathing Technique into his labor. Every burst of effort came with a short breath; with every lift, he let his vitality circulate through his body.
He kept his fatigue to a minimum.
[Basic Breathing Technique Proficiency +1] (Maintaining the circulation of vitality while working) [Strength Proficiency +2]
A double reward.
At three in the afternoon, they finished unloading the second cart of ore.
When the count was settled, Lin Fan's haul stunned everyone: 134 pieces.
At 0.15 Credit Points per piece, he earned 20.1 Credit Points. Added to yesterday's 10.9, he now had 31 Credit Points in total.
Five thousand still seemed a long way off.
But Lin Fan noticed a new change on the Status Panel:
[Strength Proficiency: 187/100] (Full; can be converted) [Convert 100 points of Strength Proficiency into 1 point of Strength?]
He focused his thoughts and chose "Yes."
[Strength Proficiency -100] [Strength: 12→13] [Prompt: current punching force is approximately 150 kilograms; Weightlifting Capacity is approximately 130 kilograms]
His Strength had increased again.
The remaining 87 points of proficiency stayed with him, ready to serve as the starting point for the next round.
"At this rate, if I can earn around 200 points of proficiency from labor every day, I'll gain 1 Strength every two and a half days on average." Lin Fan did the math. "That's 4 points in ten days and 12 in a month... By then, my base Strength could exceed 20, four times that of an ordinary person."
That was far faster than normal cultivation.
But it depended on having labor strenuous enough—and... enough nutrition to support it.
Lin Fan felt the 20.1 Credit Points in his pocket and decided to buy some food.
At dusk, in the Outer City.
Stalls lined both sides of the street, selling food, household goods, and cheap weapons. The calls of vendors rose and fell amid the crowds. Lin Fan threaded his way through them and stopped at a stall selling Meat Pies.
"Meat pies, 3 Credit Points each! Add extra meat for 5!" The vendor was a fat woman with a greasy face.
After hesitating, Lin Fan bought two Meat Pies with extra meat and spent another 2 Credit Points on a Bamboo Tube of clean water. Twelve Credit Points in all—nearly half his money, gone in an instant.
He took the pies to a quiet alley and sat down to eat.
The pies were greasy, and there wasn't much meat, but for a body that had been malnourished for so long, they were a rare source of energy. Lin Fan ate quickly, but chewed every bite thoroughly. It was a habit he'd picked up in his Previous Life, and it helped with absorption.
After the two pies, warmth spread through his stomach. He could feel the fatigue fading quickly and the soreness in his muscles easing.
"High-calorie food really does help with recovery." Lin Fan glanced at the Status Panel. His condition had changed from "Moderate Fatigue" to "Mild Fatigue."
After finishing the pies, he got up and prepared to return to the Slum District.
But as soon as he stepped out of the alley, three men blocked his way.
The man in front had a scar across his face. He was in his thirties, wore a dirty leather vest, and had a vicious look in his eyes. Two lackeys followed behind him: a Tall Thin Man and a Short Fat Man. Both looked like lowlifes.
Lin Fan recognized them.
They were a notorious gang of thugs in the Slum District. Their leader was known as "Scarface Li"; no one knew his real name, but everyone called him Li Si. They specialized in collecting protection money and extorting people in the Slum District, and had seven or eight men working under them.
In the Original Owner's memories, his father had once been beaten by these men for refusing to pay their "stall fee." They'd backed off somewhat after his father became an apprentice Martial Artist. But after his father died, they'd started making trouble again.
"Kid, I hear you made a pretty penny today?" Li Si grinned, showing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "That job with Fatty Wang pays well, huh?"
Lin Fan said nothing. He simply watched him calmly.
"What, gone mute?" The Tall Thin Man stepped forward and reached out to shove Lin Fan's shoulder. "Brother Li's talking to you!"
Lin Fan stepped back half a pace, avoiding his hand.
"Hey, you're pretty nimble." The Short Fat Man sneered. "Kid, you know the rules? You work on our turf, you pay a 'management fee.' Looks like you made over twenty points today. Hand over half, and we'll keep you safe from now on."
Lin Fan glanced around.
People came and went at the alley's mouth, but no one looked their way. A few passersby noticed them, then immediately lowered their heads and hurried off. Clearly, the gang had a rotten reputation, and no one dared cross them.
"I don't have any money," Lin Fan said in an even voice.
"No money?" Li Si narrowed his eyes. "Search him."
The Tall Thin Man and the Short Fat Man closed in from either side.
Lin Fan backed up again, putting his back against the wall to avoid being surrounded. He quickly assessed the situation: there were three of them. Li Si looked as if he'd learned a few crude fighting tricks and was probably stronger than an ordinary person, but likely wasn't a 1st Grade Martial Trainee. The two lackeys were just ordinary thugs.
As for Lin Fan, he had 13 Strength—13.3 in actuality—and his Proficient Level Basic Fist Technique gave him a 10% bonus. His Combat Experience... was almost nonexistent.
But with the system, he needed to test how fighting earned proficiency.
"Last chance. Are you handing over the money?" Li Si had lost patience. He pulled a short wooden club from his belt and weighed it in his hand.
Lin Fan took a deep breath and settled into the starting stance of the Basic Fist Technique.
It was precise and unadorned.
Li Si froze for a second, then burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Look at him, thinking he's gonna fight us! He's practiced a few Farmhouse Moves and thinks he's somebody now?"
The two lackeys joined in.
Through the laughter, the Tall Thin Man charged first and swung a punch at Lin Fan's face.
His movements were crude, full of openings.
Lin Fan shifted to the side, dodging the punch. At the same time, his right fist shot out from his waist—the most ordinary Straight Punch in the Basic Fist Technique.
No flourishes, no feints.
Just one punch.
His fist slammed squarely into the Tall Thin Man's chest.
"Ugh!" The Tall Thin Man cried out. His whole body flew backward, smashed into the opposite wall, and slid to the ground. Clutching his chest, he gasped for breath, his face deathly pale.
The scene fell silent at once.
The smiles froze on Li Si's and the Short Fat Man's faces.
They'd seen it clearly. Lin Fan's punch had been... fast, accurate, and vicious. The Tall Thin Man weighed at least 130 or 140 pounds, yet a single punch had sent him flying two or three meters!
How much strength did that take?
[Combat Log updated] [Defeated ordinary adult male (no martial cultivation)] [Basic Fist Technique Proficiency +5] [Combat Experience +1]
The panel's prompts flashed before his eyes.
Lin Fan's heart jolted.
Just as he'd thought!
Combat earned far more proficiency than practice. A regular practice was worth only 1 point, yet defeating an ordinary person had earned him 5! Killing a Demonic Beast was worth 10, according to the system. What about defeating a Martial Artist? What about an Over-level Challenge?
He looked at Li Si, a hint of... anticipation in his eyes.
"Damn it, we picked a tough one!" Li Si spat and tightened his grip on the wooden club. "Get him together!"
He and the Short Fat Man tried to flank Lin Fan, attacking from opposite sides with the club and a fist.
Lin Fan shifted his feet—Proficient Level Basic Footwork.
It was only the most basic evasive step, but with its 10% Speed bonus, he moved just a fraction faster than his opponents.
The Short Fat Man's fist grazed past his shoulder.
Li Si's club swept toward him.
Lin Fan didn't take it head-on. Instead, he ducked, surged forward, and closed in against Li Si's chest.
Another Straight Punch.
This time, however, he brought his whole body's strength to bear—legs, waist, back, shoulder, arm, each link of power flowing into the next until it converged at his fist. This was a technique he'd naturally mastered after reaching the Proficient Level in Basic Fist Technique.
His fist struck Li Si in the stomach.
"Ugh!" Li Si's eyes bulged as his stomach churned. His body doubled over like a shrimp, the wooden club slipped from his grasp, and he dropped to his knees, retching.
The Short Fat Man was terrified. He stood frozen in place, fist raised.
Lin Fan turned to look at him.
"I-I was wrong! Please spare me, big brother!" The Short Fat Man dropped to his knees with a thump and kowtowed frantically. "The money, I'll give you all the money! Please don't hit me!"
Lin Fan ignored him and looked at the Status Panel.
[Combat Log updated] [Defeated someone with basic fighting skills (approaching 1st Grade Martial Trainee)] [Basic Fist Technique Proficiency +10] [Combat Experience +2] [First Over-level Challenge (actual strength higher than opponent)] [Extra Reward: Skill Point ×1]
Defeating Li Si had given him a whopping 10 points of proficiency! And 2 points of Combat Experience!
More importantly, "First Over-level Challenge" had also rewarded him with 1 Skill Point!
Lin Fan suppressed his excitement and looked at the three men on the ground.
The Tall Thin Man was still groaning and wouldn't be getting up anytime soon. Li Si was on his knees, his face deathly pale and cold sweat pouring down his forehead. The Short Fat Man kept kowtowing until his forehead split open.
"Money." Lin Fan held out his hand.
The Short Fat Man froze, then hurriedly pulled out all the money he had on him—a few crumpled bills, adding up to about seven or eight Credit Points. He then searched Li Si and the Tall Thin Man's pockets, scraping together around fifteen points in total.
"T-that's all we have..." The Short Fat Man offered it up with both hands.
Lin Fan took the money and counted it. There were 22 points in all. Added to the 19 he had left, that gave him 41 Credit Points.
He looked at Li Si. "From now on, don't let me see you around here."
"N-no, we won't..." Li Si said with difficulty, enduring the pain.
Lin Fan said no more and turned to leave.
As he walked out of the alley, he heard the Short Fat Man's tearful voice behind him. "Brother Li, where did that kid come from...? That punch—I felt like he could've killed a bull..."
Lin Fan didn't look back. He simply quickened his pace.
***
By the time he returned to the Slum District, dusk had settled.
Lin Fan didn't go straight home. Instead, he circled behind the shacks to an abandoned stone mill, where no one usually went. It was a good place to practice.
He called up the Status Panel to check what he'd gained from the fight.
[Basic Fist Technique (Proficient 382/500)]
In one fight, he'd beaten three men and gained 15 proficiency points in total (5+10). Combined with what he'd accumulated practicing during breaks from work, he was now only 118 points away from Mastery Level.
At this rate, if he could get into one or two fights like this every day, his proficiency would accumulate several times faster!
More importantly, he had that 1 Skill Point.
Lin Fan didn't hesitate and put it straight into Basic Fist Technique.
[Skill Points -1] [Basic Fist Technique Proficiency +100] [Current Proficiency: 482/500]
Just 18 points more, and he'd break through to Mastery Level!
And Mastery Level meant a 20% increase in power. By then, his punching force might exceed 180 kilograms, bringing him to the threshold of a 1st Grade Martial Trainee (a thousand catties of force was about 500 kilograms; the standard for a 1st Grade Martial Trainee was a punching force of over 200 kilograms).
"Combat really is a faster path to growth." Lin Fan took a deep breath. "But it's risky, too. The ones I ran into today were just thugs. What if I run into a real Martial Artist, or a Demonic Beast...?"
He needed to raise his strength as quickly as possible.
Not just his power, but also his defense, speed, and combat skills.
Although he'd won today's fight, it hadn't been a perfect victory. Faced with three attackers, he'd panicked a little, relying on his strength and fist technique to plow through them. If they'd worked together better, or had weapons, things might have turned out differently.
"I need to train my footwork and my reflexes, too," Lin Fan murmured to himself.
He settled into his Boxing Stance and began practicing.
But this time, he didn't simply throw punches. He combined them with footwork, circling the stone mill as he simulated dodges, lunges, and counterattacks.
One punch, one step.
[Basic Fist Technique Proficiency +1] [Basic Footwork Proficiency +1]
Training two skills at once was a little less efficient, but it was closer to real combat.
After practicing for about half an hour, Lin Fan was drenched in sweat.
He stopped and used Basic Breathing Technique to recover.
[Basic Breathing Technique Proficiency +1]
His vitality slowly returned, and the fatigue gradually faded.
Just then, the Status Panel trembled again.
[Detected: Bound individual completed 'First Real Combat' and 'Overcame the Stronger While Weaker'] [Milestone 'First Battle Victory' completed] [Reward: Combat Experience +5, System Integrity +0.5%] [Current System Integrity: 4.5%] [Unlock progress for pending function 'Task System': 45%]
Another milestone!
Lin Fan's spirits lifted.
System Integrity had risen to 4.5%, and the Task System's unlock progress had reached 45%. At this rate, one or two more milestones might be enough to activate it.
According to its description, the Task System would issue main, side, and daily quests, with rewards like Skill Points and resources.
That would be another leap forward.
"But triggering a milestone seems to take more than just 'doing something.' There's got to be some kind of standard, too," Lin Fan mused. "'Day and Night Without Rest' required high-intensity labor combined with continuous training; 'First Battle Victory' required a first real fight and overcoming someone stronger while weaker. So what will the next milestone be?"
He looked at the Status Panel. Apart from the two completed milestones, several other entries in the milestone list were grayed out:
[Path of the Martial Disciple (Locked)] - Requirement: officially enter the 1st Grade Martial Trainee realm. [Skill Master (Locked)] - Requirement: raise any skill to Mastery Level. [Survival Expert (Locked)] - Requirement: survive independently in the Wilderness for 24 hours.
"Mastery Level..." Lin Fan's gaze fell on Basic Fist Technique. "I'm only 18 points away."
With extra practice tonight, he should be able to break through.
He was about to continue when he suddenly heard footsteps in the distance, along with hushed voices.
"...You sure this is the place?"
"Yeah. That's what Li Si's bunch said. That kid lives around here."
"Damn it, picking a fight with someone from the Green Wolf Gang? He must be tired of living..."
The Green Wolf Gang?
Lin Fan furrowed his brow.
He vaguely remembered that there were a few small gangs in the Slum District. The Green Wolf Gang was one of them, a little more organized than Li Si's bunch of thugs. Supposedly, they had the backing of some minor Lineage in the Outer City. Li Si and the others seemed to be peripheral members of the Green Wolf Gang.
"They've come looking for me." Lin Fan's gaze sharpened.
The footsteps drew closer. From the sound of them, there were at least four or five people.
He quickly assessed the situation: they'd come prepared, they had the numbers, and they might be actual gang members. Some of them could even have trained in martial arts.
A head-on fight wouldn't be wise.
Lin Fan glanced toward the shack. His younger sister was still inside.
He took a deep breath and made his decision.
Before you continue