The Gym's "Monster Newcomer"

The glass doors of the community gym were fogged over. The moment he pushed one open, the smell of sweat mixed with disinfectant hit him. Deafening rock music blasted from battered speakers, pounding against his eardrums. Lin Mo stood at the entrance, holding a brand-new monthly membership card. Its plastic edge pricked his fingers slightly—he had paid thirty dollars for it yesterday. According to Ted, the gym's owner used to be a weightlifter. The equipment was old, but sturdy enough.

"New here?" The plump girl at the front desk chewed gum and pointed toward the lockers without looking up. "Grab your own key. We don't cover lost stuff." Her eyes landed on Lin Mo, then suddenly lit up. "Are you the guy who helped Aunt May get her eggs back?"

Lin Mo froze for a moment, then nodded. "That was me."

"My mom was there that day too. She said you moved like lightning." The plump girl smiled, revealing two little canine teeth. "I'm Lily. Ask me if there's anything you don't understand."

"Thanks." Lin Mo picked up a key and headed toward the lockers. The changing room was thick with a damp, moldy smell. Several shirtless musclemen were showing off to each other. One bearded man had arms thicker than Lin Mo's thighs and was practicing poses in front of a mirror, sweat running down the grooves of his chest.

Lin Mo quickly lowered his head and changed into workout clothes. He wore a loose gray hoodie and deliberately chose stretchy sweatpants—when he had tested his jumping in the basement last time, ordinary pants had nearly split apart. The wristband clung to his wrist, and he could feel its faint heat even through the fabric. The synchronization rate had risen to 20%, and a small check mark had appeared beside the Dynamic Vision skill, displaying [Activated].

When he reached the equipment area, Lin Mo's attention was immediately drawn to the bench press rack in the corner. The machine looked older than he was. Its steel frame was covered in rust, and most of the paint on the weight plates had peeled away, exposing a silvery-gray metallic sheen. A sign beside it read, "Maximum load: 200 kg," but judging by how rickety it looked, Lin Mo doubted it could even handle 100 kilograms.

"New guy, first time using it?" A trainer in a black tank top walked over. An eagle with spread wings was tattooed on his arm, and his pecs were as solid as slabs of stone. "I'm Jason. Need some guidance?"

"No, thanks. I'll try it myself." Lin Mo smiled and declined. He did not dare let a trainer guide him. If he failed to control his strength and sent someone flying, that would be trouble.

Jason raised an eyebrow but did not insist. He turned to instruct an elderly woman lifting dumbbells, though his eyes kept drifting back to Lin Mo. The kid looked skinny and weak, with arms as thin as bamboo poles, yet he dared challenge the bench press rack. He probably had no idea what the machine could do. Last week, some cocky college student had insisted on pressing 80 kilograms. The barbell had dropped onto his chest, and he had nearly stopped breathing.

Lin Mo took a deep breath and walked up to the bench press rack. He first tried lifting the empty barbell. The bar was cold, but much lighter than he had expected. Normally, he could press at most 30 kilograms. Today, he wanted to try 50 kilograms—heavy enough to test the effects of his physical enhancement without being too outrageous.

He asked a young man nearby who was playing on his phone to help load the plates. Without even looking up, the young man hung a 25-kilogram plate on each side. The metal clanged sharply. Lin Mo lay down and gripped the barbell, the rough texture pressing against his palms.

"Ready?" The young man finally put down his phone and stood beside him with his arms folded, wearing an expression like he was waiting for a show. In his eyes, this skinny newcomer probably could not even lift the barbell.

Lin Mo said nothing. He merely adjusted his breathing and pushed upward with both arms—

The instant the barbell left the rack, a familiar surge of power flooded through him, stronger than it had been in the basement yesterday. Fifty kilograms felt as light as a foam block. His arms instinctively jerked upward, and the barbell shot toward the ceiling with a whoosh, stopping only inches from the hanging light before crashing heavily back onto the rack with a deafening clang.

It felt as if the music throughout the gym paused for a second. Everyone turned to look. The elderly woman lifting dumbbells jolted, and one dumbbell dropped with a thud onto her toes. Yet she did not even seem to notice the pain, only staring at Lin Mo with her mouth wide open.

"Damn..." Lin Mo lay on the bench press rack, his heart pounding wildly. He had clearly only used thirty percent of his strength. How had it been that powerful? Had his strength increased along with the synchronization rate?

Jason hurried over, his face dark as he inspected the rack. When he saw a crack at the connection point, he sucked in a cold breath. "Brother, take it easy! This thing's an antique—it can't take that kind of abuse!" He pointed at the crack, his voice trembling. "Do you know how much it'll cost to repair this? Enough to buy ten monthly memberships!"

"Sorry, sorry." Lin Mo hurriedly got up and apologized repeatedly. He had not expected that one lapse in control would crack the equipment. If the owner found out, he might have to pay until he was broke.

"How much did you press?" Jason looked him up and down, his eyes filled with disbelief. The force behind that move had been at least 150 kilograms. This kid looked skinny, but he had that much strength hidden away?

"Fifty kilograms..." Lin Mo's voice grew softer and softer as he scratched his head guiltily.

"Fifty kilograms can crack the rack?" Jason clearly did not believe him. He walked over to the barbell and tried to lift it, immediately frowning. "These plates are fake, aren't they? Why are they so light?" He picked up one of the 25-kilogram plates and effortlessly raised it with one hand. "Damn it! The owner's using this cheap garbage to fool people again!"

Lin Mo froze, then understood—it was not that he was too strong. There was something wrong with the plates. Those plates labeled 25 kilograms probably weighed less than 10 kilograms in reality. No wonder they had felt so light. He held back a laugh as he watched Jason storm off to argue with the owner, relief filling his heart.

"Man, you're fierce." The young man who had helped load the plates came over and handed him a bottle of water. "I've been working out here for half a year, and nobody's ever managed to crack that bench press rack. What did you train in before?"

"I never trained. I just fix things normally, so maybe I'm a little stronger." Lin Mo accepted the water and unscrewed the cap, taking a sip. The cold liquid slid down his throat and eased some of his earlier tension. His Dynamic Vision had automatically activated when the barbell crashed down, clearly capturing the path of the rack bending. He could even see the faint vibrations of the metal molecules—this skill really was useful.

"Fixing things gives you that kind of strength?" The young man clearly did not believe him, looking him over. "I'm Mike, a PE teacher at a nearby middle school. With your ability, it'd be a waste not to train in weightlifting."

Lin Mo smiled but did not respond. His gaze fell on the treadmill beside them, and he suddenly wanted to test his speed. That treadmill looked newer than the bench press rack. The numbers on its screen still worked, and its maximum speed was marked at 16 kilometers per hour—fast enough for ordinary people, but perhaps only a warm-up for him now.

He stepped onto the treadmill and pressed the start button, beginning at 8 kilometers per hour. The belt began to move, carrying his steps forward at an even pace. It felt as easy as taking a walk. Mike beside him kept shaking his head, probably thinking the speed was too slow.

Lin Mo took a deep breath and slowly raised the speed with his finger—10, 12, 14, 16... When the number reached 16, the treadmill began to hum, its belt spinning so fast it was almost a blur. A muscular man jogging nearby opened his mouth in surprise, dropping the towel in his hand.

"Man, are you trying to take off?" The muscular man stammered slightly. He had trained for three years, but the highest he could manage was 12 kilometers per hour, and he could not sustain it for five minutes.

Lin Mo ignored him and kept raising the speed. The wristband's synchronization rate climbed rapidly: 21%, 22%, 23%... When the speed reached 20 kilometers per hour, the treadmill frame began shaking violently, as if it might fall apart at any moment. His hair streamed backward in the wind, yet there was not a single drop of sweat on his face. His breathing was as steady as if he were strolling.

Dynamic Vision allowed him to clearly see every tooth on the belt. He could even count how many rotations it made per minute. The sense of control was strange and wonderful, like riding a galloping wild horse—thrilling, yet reassuring.

"Enough, enough! If you go any faster, the machine's going to explode!" Lily came running over at some point, clutching a fire extinguisher as she stared nervously at the treadmill. "This piece of junk only goes up to 18, and you've already gone past it!"

Only then did Lin Mo realize what was happening. He quickly lowered the speed until the treadmill came to a complete stop. He stepped down, and the moment his feet touched the ground, he heard a crack—the treadmill belt had actually worn through, lying there like a dead snake.

"I..." Lin Mo looked at his feet, then at the ruined treadmill, so embarrassed that he wanted to crawl into a crack in the ground. He had only been at the gym for half an hour and had already destroyed two machines. The owner would probably blacklist him.

"Monster..." The muscular man muttered to himself, then suddenly remembered something. "Are you that guy who can walk through walls? I heard from my mom that there's a guy in Queens who can pass through walls and is crazy strong."

Lin Mo's heart skipped a beat. He quickly shook his head. "Not me. You've got the wrong person." He picked up a towel and wiped away sweat that did not exist, turning to slip away.

"Wait!" Jason suddenly ran over holding a stopwatch, excitement gleaming in his eyes. "I just talked to the owner. Those two machines are on him—you don't have to pay. But you have to race me. A 400-meter sprint. What do you say?"

Lin Mo froze for a moment. Seeing Jason's eager expression, he suddenly felt tempted. Racing a professional athlete would be the perfect way to test his limits. "Sure." He nodded.

There was a small track behind the gym, paved with rubber. It was uneven and full of potholes, with clumps of weeds growing out of it. Mike volunteered to be the referee, holding a starting pistol that was supposedly used by the owner in competitions back in the day.

"On your marks—get set—go!"

The instant the starting pistol fired, Lin Mo felt the power inside him erupt like a flood. He did not even see how Jason started before he had already shot forward. The rubber track squeaked beneath his feet, and the scenery on both sides stretched like rubber bands, racing backward.

Dynamic Vision let him predict the dips and bumps in the track ahead of time, so every step landed in the most stable spot. When he crossed the finish line and looked back, Jason had only reached the halfway point, standing there with his mouth open and staring at him in disbelief.

"How many seconds?" Lin Mo asked Mike.

Mike held up the stopwatch, his hand still shaking. "F... four point eight seconds..."

The entire track fell silent. Running 400 meters in under five seconds—what did that even mean? It was nearly ten seconds faster than the world champion! The towel in Jason's hand fell to the ground as he muttered, "That's impossible... Absolutely impossible..."

Lin Mo was shocked too. He knew he was fast, but he had not expected to be this fast. Five times the speed combined with Dynamic Vision could actually achieve this? He looked down at his wristband. The synchronization rate had risen to 25%, and a new prompt appeared below: [Skill unlocked: Burst Sprint (Short-distance speed increased to 8 times that of an ordinary person, lasts 10 seconds)].

"You're not human..." The fire extinguisher in Lily's hand crashed to the ground. Her eyes were wide as saucers. "You're a monster! The gym's Monster Newcomer!"

The title "Monster Newcomer" quickly spread throughout the gym. Wherever Lin Mo went, people pointed and whispered. Some were curious, some envious, and some openly hostile—the muscular bearded man kept staring at him, his eyes full of defiance.

"Kid, dare to compete with me in bench press?" The bearded man walked up to him and deliberately bumped his chest against Lin Mo. "Real plates. Loser buys."

Lin Mo did not want trouble and was about to refuse when Mike suddenly walked over. "Compete! I'm betting this guy wins!" He patted Lin Mo on the shoulder. "Show him what real strength looks like."

The bearded man sneered and walked to another bench press rack that looked sturdier, signaling for someone nearby to load the plates. "I'll press 100 kilograms to warm up first." He lay down on the rack and easily pushed the barbell up, a smug expression on his face.

When it was Lin Mo's turn, he hesitated. One hundred kilograms was no different from ten kilograms to him now, but he did not want to draw too much attention. "I'll do 80 kilograms," he said.

"Eighty kilograms? What are you, a woman?" The bearded man scoffed. "If you don't dare, just say so. Don't waste everyone's time."

Lin Mo frowned. He hated it when people spoke in that tone. "Then 150 kilograms," he said calmly.

Everyone sucked in a breath. One hundred and fifty kilograms—even professional athletes might not be able to press that. This kid actually dared to boast like that?

The bearded man's face instantly turned dark. "If you can lift that, I'll kneel and kowtow to you!"

Lin Mo ignored him and had Mike load 150 kilograms onto the barbell. He walked to the bench press rack, took a deep breath, and activated Burst Sprint—though he was using it on his arms, his strength did indeed increase considerably.

Gripping the barbell with both hands, he gave a gentle push, and it rose steadily. He even deliberately paused, then lowered it slowly. The entire process was as effortless as lifting air, and not a single expression crossed his face.

The bearded man's face instantly went deathly pale, as if every drop of blood had been drained from it. He watched Lin Mo set the barbell down easily, then suddenly turned and ran, even forgetting to take his jacket.

"Coward!" Mike burst into laughter and slapped Lin Mo on the shoulder. "Man, you're incredible! From now on, you're the boss of this gym!"

Lin Mo smiled, but inside, he was thrilled. With this physical ability, he would no longer need to run through walls whenever he encountered street punks! He could even imagine sending them flying with one punch. He would never again have to hide behind walls and tremble in fear like before.

As he left the gym, Lily slipped him a free monthly membership card. "The owner said that as long as you go easier on the equipment from now on, this card will always be free." Her cheeks were red. "Also, my mom asked me to ask you whether you want to come over for dinner tomorrow. She made your favorite roasted chicken wings."

Lin Mo froze for a moment, then nodded. "Sure."

When he walked out of the gym, the sunlight was a little blinding. Lin Mo narrowed his eyes and saw Ted squatting on the steps across the street, holding binoculars and sneakily peering this way. "Why are you here?"

"I came to see whether you really turned into a monster." Ted hid the binoculars and rubbed his hands excitedly. "Mike texted me. He said you ran 400 meters in 4.8 seconds and pressed 150 kilograms! Damn, Mo!"

Lin Mo smiled and punched him, carefully controlling his strength this time. "Don't listen to their nonsense. I just got lucky."

"You got lucky and snapped a treadmill belt?" Ted clearly did not believe him. He pulled Lin Mo toward home. "Come on, tell me. What's up with your physical ability? Did the wristband give you another new power?"

Lin Mo hesitated, then nodded. "Something like that." He looked around and lowered his voice. "Beast's physical enhancement. Strength, speed, reflexes—they've all improved."

"Beast? That blue-haired guy?" Ted's eyes widened like saucers. "Then will you grow blue hair too?" He reached out to touch Lin Mo's hair and had his hand slapped away.

"What are you thinking?" Lin Mo said irritably. "It's only physical enhancement. I won't change how I look."

"That's good." Ted sighed in relief. "Blue hair would be ugly. You'd look like a monster." He paused, suddenly remembering something. "Oh, right. Aunt May said she's making dumplings tonight and told you to get there early."

"Okay." Lin Mo nodded, warmth spreading through his heart.

On the way home, Lin Mo looked at his hands and suddenly felt grounded. This physical enhancement had brought plenty of trouble—like destroying the gym equipment—but more than that, it gave him a sense of security. He was no longer the coward who could only hide behind walls. He was the "Monster Newcomer" capable of protecting himself and the people around him.