For the Honor of a Knight, a Duel!

Resting on the bathroom vanity was Don Quixote's somewhat grimy razor, its blade covered in yellowish scale and rust.

Clearly, a man like Don Quixote, who turned long sleeves into short sleeves and short sleeves into underwear, would never be willing to spend money on replacement blades.

Yet, even a partially rusted blade could easily slice through the skin of a rough face and draw blood.

Li Wei picked up the razor, removed the blade, and drew it lightly across his own arm.

A sensation of toughness traveled from the blade, as if it were not slicing through human flesh, but rather some substance with a higher tensile strength—like a steel cable.

Li Wei started with a light touch, then gradually increased the pressure, but he could still only leave shallow white marks on his forearm.

However, Li Wei felt this was likely his current limit; if the blade were any sharper or the force any greater, it seemed he could still sustain minor injuries.

But this seems to be only a bronze-level physique, Li Wei suddenly recalled the mythological settings from the extracurricular books he had read. Are there higher-level things like silver or golden physiques later on?

Just as he turned around, he accidentally knocked over the razor and toothbrush standing on the vanity.

Yet, the moment they tipped over, he reacted with lightning speed, catching both the razor and the toothbrush with one hand each before they could hit the floor.

"Is this what 1.4 agility and 1.5 spirit feel like?" Li Wei looked at the two items in his hand in surprise. "My agility increased by 0.2, and my neural reaction speed improved along with it."

After reassembling the razor, Li Wei was already looking forward to the results he might see at the gym tomorrow morning.

The next day, Don Quixote woke up early as usual and headed out, heavy-hearted.

Li Wei, however, had slightly adjusted his schedule, moving his morning part-time job to the afternoon so he could meet Michael at the gym to work out together.

Around 10:15 AM, when Li Wei arrived at the gym after finishing his chores, he was surprised to find the place much more crowded than usual. The front desk was empty, and Michael was squeezed into the outer circle, peering toward the center.

He walked up and tapped Michael on the shoulder.

"What's going on?" he asked, pointing toward the center. "Why is it so crowded today?"

"Oh... Li Wei, you're here. There's an event today," Michael said, turning to greet him. "A bench press competition for cash and protein powder."

Li Wei looked toward the area Michael indicated and saw a group of burly men surrounding the power rack. A Black man weighing over 110 kilograms, with arms thicker than Li Wei's thighs, was attempting a 160-kilogram bench press.

"How much is the first-place prize?" Li Wei asked Michael.

"500 dollars, plus a tub of hydrolyzed whey protein," Michael said, looking at the power rack with envy. "They're so strong. I wonder if it's possible to reach their level without using gear."

"Probably tough," Li Wei said casually. "I heard them talking about their 'cycles' last time."

"Forget it, I want to be a doctor, not an athlete... By the way," Michael thought for a moment and pointed to a young Black man near the front of the power rack. "Aren't you trying to join the Franklin High School football team? Look at his build. That's their defensive tackle, and he's up next."

Li Wei shifted his gaze and saw a giant of a man, roughly his height but weighing at least 130 kilograms, warming up and raring to go.

"Contestant number 14, Manu!"

Manu from the Franklin High School football team cheered and stepped onto the platform.

He had a mature, fierce face that didn't match his age at all, looking like an underdeveloped silverback gorilla.

Hearing the referee's signal, he roared, had his friends slap his back, and walked to the bench press rack to attempt 165 kilograms.

"165 kilograms! A successful opening lift! Manu is currently in first place!"

As Manu pushed the record to 165 kilograms, the atmosphere in the room instantly heated up, and the crowd cheered for the promising high schooler.

"Manu, at this level, you could definitely make the NCAA, right?" his companion laughed while hugging him. "Which university are you heading to?"

"If I can, I'm definitely going to Ohio State. It's the top football school in America, after all," Manu laughed proudly. "If I'm lucky, maybe I'll even make the NFL in a few years."

Outside the power rack, Li Wei watched Manu enjoying the cheers and suddenly turned to the gym receptionist. "Can I still sign up? I want to win that 500 dollars too."

It wasn't entirely to show off; he actually wanted the money and the protein powder.

Most importantly, he felt he could push more than 165 kilograms.

"I mean, you could..." the receptionist looked at Li Wei as if he were a scrawny little chick. "But... what's the point of signing up now? Can you even bench 165 kilograms?"

Hearing the conversation, a bearded Latino man nearby shouted exaggeratedly:

"Look who wants to challenge Manu? This is a bench press competition, not a math test or a break room for Panda Express! Bruce Lee, did you take a wrong turn?"

A burst of laughter erupted around them.

"Hey! Screw you!" the white receptionist glared at the man, then apologized to Li Wei. "Listen, buddy, I can sign you up if you really want, but... it's pointless. You're not going to out-lift Manu."

After hearing that, Li Wei completely abandoned his original intention of keeping a low profile.

"Sign me up," Li Wei shrugged. "Is 165 kilograms really enough to be the best in this gym? I thought I walked into a women's gym."

Li Wei's words clearly offended everyone. A chorus of angry shouts filled the air, especially from the bearded Latino who had provoked him; if his friends hadn't held him back, it felt like he would have jumped right over.

As if to add to the excitement, the system popped up at that moment, issuing a mission:

[Mission Received: Duel!]

[A knight's dignity allows no one to desecrate or insult it. A true knight must defeat his opponent squarely in their area of expertise. For the honor of a knight!]

[Mission Reward: Strength +0.1]

"Shut the hell up, everyone!"

The receptionist roared, silencing the crowd.

He looked at Li Wei with resignation. "Fine, buddy, since you're insisting on signing up... Number 15! Li Wei!"

"Li Wei... are you sure..." Michael tried to persuade him. "Didn't you say you could only bench 110 kilograms last time?"

Li Wei simply handed his large water bottle to Michael. "Fill this up for me, thanks. I'm taking it home to drink."

He walked forward nonchalantly and sized up the 165-kilogram barbell Manu had just lifted.

"How much do you want to add?" the referee asked as he walked up. "If you lift 165 kilograms as well, your lower body weight would make you the winner."

Li Wei scanned the crowd, his eyes lingering on the bearded man who had provoked him, and suddenly, he flashed a smile.

"Hey, Beardy," he said. "If I can bench 240 kilograms, will you run outside with your ass bare?"

"Little monkey! If you can bench 240 kilograms," the bearded Latino shouted defiantly, "I won't just run outside with my ass bare, I'll be jerking off while I do it!"

"But if you can't, you run out there bare-assed and shout that I'm a homosexual the whole way. How about that?"

"Did you all hear that?" Li Wei said to the crowd before turning back to the referee. "I'll make you believe it. Set it to 240 kilograms! Everyone get your phones out; someone is about to go viral on TikTok!"