Add Points!

Before long, they had eaten and drunk their fill.

The living room was still bustling.

His father and second uncle lounged on the sofa, talking animatedly about the ups and downs of the business world.

His mother held a handful of sunflower seeds and stared unblinkingly at the palace-intrigue drama on TV, engrossed in every moment. From time to time, she even sighed along with the plot.

Xu Feng made an excuse about needing to do his homework and hurried back to his room, locking the door behind him.

He steadied himself, and with a thought, the Attribute Panel appeared clearly in his mind:

[Name: Xu Feng]

[Breakthrough Points: 15]

[Iron Wire Fist: Not Started (+)]

"Breakthrough Points... breaking through... Could they be used to break through martial arts levels?" Xu Feng's voice trembled with excitement. "Does that mean I can become a great hero like the ones in those old TV dramas, capable of hurting people with a plucked flower or a flying leaf, and walking across snow without leaving a trace or scaling walls and rooftops?"

Every time he witnessed a monster being slain with his own eyes, his Breakthrough Points inexplicably increased.

But he had been trying to figure them out for ages and still couldn't guess what they were for.

Now that the mystery had been solved, Xu Feng felt his heart pounding wildly in his chest.

But his excitement didn't last long before a bucket of cold water doused it.

He sighed dejectedly. "Even if I really could master a great hero's skills, I'd probably only be able to deal with E-Rank and D-Rank monsters, right?"

"But..."

He changed his tune, a glimmer returning to his eyes. "Even so, that's still better than being completely helpless as I am now.

"At least I'd have the confidence to protect myself and my family!"

Thinking of his seemingly peaceful life, which could be shattered at any moment by dungeon monsters, Xu Feng's gaze sharpened. He had made up his mind.

"Iron Wire Fist, add points!"

The instant he spoke, the Breakthrough Points on the panel dropped by one.

The text in the [Iron Wire Fist] row began to flicker faintly.

In the blink of an eye, it refreshed.

[Iron Wire Fist: Beginner]

A warm current surged from his heart and slowly coursed through his limbs. Xu Feng felt warmth spread throughout his body, so pleasant he nearly let out a sigh.

At the same time, a figure identical to him appeared in his mind, practicing Iron Wire Fist move by move. Its fists and feet cut through the air with powerful force.

The figure practiced more than a hundred times. Xu Feng felt as if he had gone through all those repetitions himself. Every technique for generating force and shifting his stance was etched into his bones, and he performed them with the ease of someone who had practiced for months.

He clenched his fist instinctively and tensed his arm slightly, feeling a surge of strength unlike anything he had felt before.

He casually picked up the wooden stool beneath him and lifted it with ease. It felt much lighter than before.

"My strength really did increase!"

Xu Feng's eyes shone as he looked himself over. His once-frail body seemed a little sturdier, no longer so sickly.

Just reaching the beginner level had boosted his strength by at least ten percent!

He was still weaker than his father and second uncle, who spent all day on the move, and even weaker than an average adult. But the sudden change was already enough to fill him with joy.

"The future looks bright!"

"Add points! Keep adding points!" Xu Feng could barely contain his delight as he shouted in his mind.

[Breakthrough Points -2]

[Iron Wire Fist: Minor Achievement]

[Breakthrough Points -4]

[Iron Wire Fist: Major Achievement]

His Breakthrough Points rapidly dwindled as his Iron Wire Fist level soared.

As his level broke through, the muscles on Xu Feng's body began to swell. His formerly loose school uniform shirt grew tight, the lines beneath the fabric brimming with explosive strength.

But just then, an overwhelming hunger struck. It surged from his stomach through his entire body, engulfing all his senses.

"Hungry... So hungry..."

Xu Feng clutched his stomach. Fine red veins crept uncontrollably across his eyes, and a desperate growl rumbled in his throat.

He stumbled over to his desk and reached for the cabinet beneath it, hoping to dig out the snacks he had stashed there.

But the moment his fingertips touched the cabinet handle, a force far beyond what he expected burst forth.

With a sharp crack, he ripped the solid-wood handle right off.

Xu Feng had no time to feel bad about it. He hurriedly opened the cabinet and pulled out all the pickled chicken feet and braised chicken legs inside.

The sound of him tearing open the packets came one after another. He didn't even bother spitting out the bones, stuffing meat and bone into his mouth and gulping it down.

At last, he crushed a few packets of crispy instant noodles and poured them into his mouth. They were so dry they made him choke, so he grabbed the cold water nearby and gulped down a few mouthfuls, forcing down every last bit of food.

Only when a touch of warmth spread through his stomach did the ravenous hunger finally subside.

"Xiao Feng? What are you doing in there?"

His mother's voice suddenly came from outside the door. She had clearly heard the cabinet banging just now.

"N-nothing!" Xu Feng hurriedly stuffed the wrappers into a drawer and called back, "I was looking for my last exam paper and accidentally knocked over some books!"

"You really ought to learn to keep things tidy..." His mother's voice carried a touch of helpless nagging.

Before she had even finished speaking, Xu Feng had already found a looser long-sleeved shirt and pulled it on. He grabbed his schoolbag and yanked the door open.

"Mom, my pens have run out of ink. I'm going to the supermarket downstairs to buy a few!"

Before his mother could reply, he rushed downstairs like a gust of wind.

His mother watched his hurried retreat and shook her head helplessly, muttering, "That boy's always rushing around..."