Exchange and Cultivation

Walking along the familiar tree-lined avenue once more, the training grounds were already visible in the distance. Taking advantage of this time, Noah opened the shop panel.

[You have selected the Six Powers: Kami-e skill scroll (Intermediate) and the Taijutsu Training Acceleration Card (7 days), totaling 1200 points. Do you wish to redeem?]

He chose "Yes" without a moment's hesitation.

A notification popped up confirming the successful exchange. The Intermediate Kami-e was now mastered, while the Taijutsu Training Acceleration Card was placed in his inventory, requiring manual activation.

It seems skill-based items cannot be stored, but other props can be redeemed and kept in the inventory to be used when the time is right.

After clarifying the difference between the two, Noah turned his attention to the basic attribute list. Every attribute was followed by a "+" symbol, identical to the RPG games he played in his past life, which felt very familiar.

The attribute points required for Intelligence and Charisma were too high; he couldn't afford them at the moment.

So, among the first three basic attributes, which one should he invest in?

After much hesitation, Noah finally made up his mind. He spent all four thousand points he had obtained from Bell-mère, clicking the "+" sign next to Stamina twice in succession.

The reason for choosing Stamina was simple: he was currently in a phase of closed-door training. A significant boost in Stamina would maximize his ability to conserve energy during training, allowing him to perform extra drills with higher efficiency.

Combined with the newly redeemed Taijutsu Training Acceleration Card, it was a perfect match, complementing each other flawlessly.

Furthermore, the physical improvement brought by Stamina was the most subtle; it wouldn't cause suspicion from others like a sudden, overnight surge in Strength or Agility would.

Watching his Stamina attribute jump from "9" to "11," Noah didn't even have time to feel the sting of losing his points before he clearly sensed a raging Bloodline Power burning within his body, as if a hot current were surging through his internal organs and blood vessels.

"Hmm?"

Noah moved his joints slightly and found that his body, which had been somewhat exhausted from a day of hellish training, was in significantly better condition. It even gave him the illusion that he could continue training until tomorrow morning without ever collapsing from fatigue.

"At least fifty percent stronger than before..."

Feeling the surging, boundless strength within his body, Noah couldn't help but grin, his mood brightening considerably.

He had possessed a unique constitution since childhood, and his Stamina alone was top-tier even within the Elite Camp of the Headquarters. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to persist with extra training every night after completing his daily training tasks.

Now, after adding two points to his attributes, he was confident that among the two hundred people in the same batch at the Headquarters Elite Training Camp, not one could surpass him in Stamina!

If I keep focusing on Stamina, will I turn into a monster even harder to kill than a cockroach like Luffy...

Noah thought happily, If I accidentally run into Kaido one day and shout that I'm going to be the King of the Marines, he'll be furious and hit me with a Raimei Hakke. Huh, didn't one-shot me? He hits me with another club, and I'm still alive and kicking...

Thinking of Kaido's stunned expression, it sounded quite amusing.

Of course.

This was just a fleeting fantasy. Noah also knew that if he only focused on Stamina, the points required would likely double and skyrocket soon, so he would eventually have to supplement his Strength and Agility as well.

In the blink of an eye, he reached the end of the tree-lined avenue. Noah didn't linger; he opened his inventory, used the "Taijutsu Training Acceleration Card," and strode directly into the training grounds.

The night was gloomy, with dark clouds obscuring the sky and the starlight dim. Fortunately, a few streetlights remained around the training grounds, preventing the area from being too dark.

At this moment, there were already a few figures in the training grounds working hard on their cultivation. This was about the entire group from the Headquarters Elite Camp who persisted with daily extra training.

After all, the regular training arranged by Zephyr was already exhausting enough. Most people were worn out before sunset and simply didn't have the energy to give up their evening rest to continue torturing themselves.

Noah found a corner, hung his jacket on the wall, took a deep breath, and began running laps from the outermost perimeter.

One lap of the Headquarters Elite Camp training grounds was about two thousand meters. For an ordinary Marine soldier, thirty or forty laps would be half a day's training load; those with poorer stamina would collapse on the ground after finishing, needing a long time to recover.

Yet, Noah ran a full hundred laps, and this was merely his warm-up before the actual extra training.

About an hour and a half later, the laps were finished.

Drenched in sweat, Noah rested for only a few minutes, replenished his fluids, and began his strength training.

The first item was five thousand one-handed push-ups.

Every thousand reps or so, he would change his point of force and posture to ensure that his arm, core, and abdominal muscle groups were all exercised. Then, amidst the constant repetition of muscle tearing and fiber reconstruction, he felt the taste of getting stronger, bit by bit, through the pain.

"Four thousand six hundred and one, four thousand six hundred and two..."

Sweat soaked a large patch of the ground beneath him. Noah's entire body was taut like a bowstring. While breathing slightly, he silently counted the reps in his mind.

The increase in his Stamina attribute now allowed him to display a huge difference compared to before.

Before tonight, even when his energy was at its peak, he would be panting like an ox toward the end of his one-handed push-up routine, his entire body aching unbearably, ready to collapse at any moment.

But now, even though he had already exhausted most of his energy from a full day of training, he was still in quite good condition, even able to control his breathing rhythm steadily and evenly.

It seems the increase in Stamina isn't just a simple boost in physical energy.

Noah was high-spirited, staring at the ground that moved closer and further away. In that case, let's see where my limit is now.

That said, after passing five thousand, the pressure and pain brought to his body by approaching his limit arrived as expected. Noah gritted his teeth and persisted with all his might, having no intention of giving up.

Pain has three levels: first, you must feel the pain; then, you accept the pain; and finally, you understand the pain.

Noah was not among them; he had long since carried a bag of rice and dashed to the rooftop. His state had already reached the highest level—enjoying the pain!

"Six thousand nine hundred and thirty-five, six thousand nine hundred and thirty-six..."

When the seven-thousand mark was within reach, Noah finally hit the limit his muscles could bear. His right arm suddenly gave way, and he collapsed onto the ground with a thud.

"Refreshing."

Even though his whole body was limp and weak, and he couldn't even stand up, Noah wore a satisfied smile.

He rolled over, sprawled out in the shape of a character, and looked up quietly at the deep, pitch-black night sky.

Although no system notification popped up, he could clearly feel that after using the Taijutsu Training Doubler Card, his training efficiency had increased by an amount visible to the naked eye.

If he were to focus his main energy on taijutsu training for the next few days, he estimated that in a single week, he would achieve at least two months' worth of previous training results.

The physical limits he had struggled to break through in the past finally seemed to have loosened, as if a bottleneck had been cleared, allowing him to continue improving through diligent practice.

This time, he rested for a long while before bracing his hands against the ground to stand up.

As he rubbed his slightly sore wrists and pondered how to test out Intermediate Kami-e, a slender figure hesitated for a moment under the black streetlamp before suddenly walking straight toward him.