Exercise

Green was deep in sleep when a gentle shaking woke him. He did not know how long he had slept. Still groggy, Green pushed himself up before his eyes had even opened, only to hear Old Green's familiar, slightly hoarse voice.

"What happened, Green? Why are you so exhausted? Don't tell me you were so excited that you stayed up all night."

Hearing Old Green's voice, Green instinctively opened his eyes. Old Green was standing beside his bed. Last night, Green had stayed awake until late in the night to record knowledge into the chip. Combined with the immense mental effort of recording it, he had overslept.

"Yeah, I was a little excited when I found out I could train yesterday, so I didn't sleep." Green went along with Old Green's words and used them to explain his exhaustion.

"If that's the case, hurry up and wash up. We'll begin training after breakfast." Old Green did not suspect anything. After giving Green a concerned look and confirming that he was merely tired, he said a few words and left Green's room.

After Old Green left, Green opened the window in his room and took several deep breaths. The slightly cool morning air flooded into his lungs, making him a little more alert. Once he felt his mind becoming active again, Green went to the next room to wash up.

However, looking at the washing tools, Green still felt unaccustomed to them. In this medieval-like world, there were no toothbrushes or toothpaste. There were only two pieces of cloth before him. One was for washing his face. The other was for dipping in salt water and wiping his teeth. Yet even these two simple items were considered extravagant luxuries by ordinary commoners.

After tidying himself up according to his memories, Green hurried downstairs to the dining room. Old Green had already finished eating and had gone somewhere unknown.

Green sat down at the table and began enjoying today's breakfast, no longer wolfing it down as he had the night before.

[Establishing white bread model. Detecting components.]

Green ate the breakfast on the table while having Truth analyze the composition of the white bread.

[Analysis in progress...]

[Analysis results as follows: Wheat flour 70%, water 20%, milk 4%, eggs 2%, yeast 2%, sugar 1%, salt 1%, trace amounts of various spices.]

Looking at the chip's analysis results, Green could not help nodding in approval. He had some memories of making this bread, and those were indeed the ingredients. At the same time, he began to look forward even more to the chip's analytical abilities.

After breakfast, Green pushed open the front door, intending to ask Old Green how they should begin training. Improving his physique was his top priority now.

Before Green had taken more than a few steps, he heard Old Green calling from behind the warehouse.

"Green, come over here. I've already set up the training grounds for you." Hearing Old Green's voice, Green rushed toward the back of the warehouse.

When he arrived behind the warehouse, he found that the once empty space now contained three targets and a huge humanoid wooden dummy. Various stone-made training equipment had been placed beside them.

Even the ground had been cleared. The scattered stones and uneven patches that had once covered it had either been picked up and tossed aside or filled in.

Looking at the small training ground, Green turned toward Old Green. Though it was small, it must have taken considerable effort to build. Old Green had likely risen even earlier than Green had imagined.

Green's heart filled with gratitude, but sometimes words had limited power. Actions proved everything better. For Old Green, Green persisting with this training would be the greatest repayment.

Taking a deep breath, Green looked at Old Green beside him.

"Let's begin training!" Green's tone was resolute, without the slightest hesitation.

Green's determined voice left Old Green briefly dazed. However, Old Green quickly recovered. The smile vanished from his face, replaced by a stern gaze as he looked at Green.

"Good. We'll start with exercise."

"..."

The sun hung high in the cloudless blue sky, its scorching rays pouring mercilessly over the land as though they intended to bake everything beneath them. Heat waves filled the air, and the sun-bleached ground reflected a blinding glare. The surrounding fields and trees trembled faintly in the heat, as if sighing beneath the oppressive weather. Yet amid this blazing world, a solitary figure ran down a country road.

The person running was Green. Old Green had not allowed him to begin knight training directly. Instead, he had Green start with the most basic exercises. Green's body did not yet meet the required standard. Forcing knight training now might leave hidden injuries, so building a solid foundation was most important.

"Haah... haah..." As he ran, Green tried his best to control his breathing rhythm. The chip had thoroughly analyzed Green's physical condition and devised a training method perfectly suited to him.

Feeling sweat constantly emerging from his forehead and about to seep into his eyes, Green wiped the sweat from his head with one hand. Then he looked at the blue data continuously refreshing in the lower-right corner of his vision.

[Green]

[Strength: 0.9] (muscle strength, explosive force)

[Speed: 0.9] (movement speed, agile reactions)

[Constitution: 1] (recovery ability, tolerance for stimulation)

This interface was a unique calculation method formed by the Truth Chip after gathering Green's current physical data and comparing it against external data. In this system, a value of 1 represented the physical standard of an average adult.

Green's body was only sixteen years old. Thanks to his privileged living conditions, he had already approached the average physical level of ordinary humans in this world at his age.

[Maintain a 3-kilometer run for one week. Speed can increase to 1.0.]

[Maintain thirty throwing exercises per day for one week. This can improve bodily coordination. Strength can rise to 1.0.]

What people feared most in training was receiving no positive feedback. Green could constantly see his body improving. He had deliberately brought up the physical changes beyond the third decimal place, and the continuous rise in those values gave him endless motivation while training.

[Running posture distortion detected. Correct immediately. Keep your head upright. Do not lower your head.]

With the chip, Green's training efficiency was extremely high. Every movement was textbook-perfect and could thoroughly stimulate every muscle group in his body.

The tedious training began, and Old Green urged Green to train day after day.

Running, weighted running, weightlifting, long jumping, throwing stones, riding horses—these activities became Green's daily routine.

Ever since he began training, Green's appetite had increased dramatically. Fortunately, Old Green held a special position in the castle, and money was not a problem for him. He could easily support Green's training.

As time passed, word of Green's training spread throughout the entire territory.

Whenever Green ran past the commoner districts, countless commoners looked at him with envy. To these ordinary people, Green was undergoing knight training in advance. He belonged to an entirely different class from them.

Moreover, the fact that Old Green possessed a breathing technique was no secret within the baron's territory. Green's current training was likely preparation to learn that breathing technique.

Even the castle guards looked at Green with envy.

Those guards from the castle did not live badly either, but without a breathing technique, they could never rise in class. Their limits were already set. Green was different. As long as he could learn the breathing technique, he could become a knight apprentice. He would possess strength beyond that of ordinary people and gain a special status throughout the territory.

Green ignored those looks and simply continued training in silence. Whether rain or shine, he persisted in completing the training plan Old Green had set for him.

When winter arrived, Old Green finally had Green stop those exercises. The northern winds brought heavy snow, covering the entire baron's territory in silver. The snow sealed every road. Aside from the main roads, which the baron had people clear, all the smaller paths were buried beneath the snow.

Old Green cleared the empty space beside his cottage and moved the three targets and humanoid wooden dummy from behind the warehouse to the open ground beside the cottage.

Old Green looked at Green's skin, once pale but now somewhat darkened from long-term training. His hands were covered in calluses. A trace of heartache appeared on Old Green's face before he immediately became stern again.

"Green, after these past few months of training, your physique has basically reached the standard. Now we'll begin swordsmanship training. I will only teach you the most basic techniques. Most deeper sword techniques were created in conjunction with the breathing technique itself."

"The knight who taught me the breathing technique back then did not teach me the corresponding swordsmanship. My swordsmanship was formed on the Purple Thorn Battlefield through constant fighting and refinement. It may be extremely suitable for me, but it does not suit your physique."

"After you learn the breathing technique, Green, you must use these basic sword techniques to develop swordsmanship that belongs to you. The breathing technique itself has guiding properties, so this process will not be overly difficult."

Green strongly agreed with Old Green's words. Swordsmanship could only teach someone the basics at most. True powerhouses continuously refined their swordsmanship through battle, allowing it to fully integrate with their own physical foundations.

However, Green knew that with the Truth Chip, he could simulate millions of battles in a single day. Once he learned the breathing technique later and combined it with its characteristics, he could easily develop unique swordsmanship from the basic techniques.

"I understand. I'll study seriously." Green smiled.

Old Green nodded as well, then picked up a wooden sword and began demonstrating for Green.

"Even the most basic training is difficult for ordinary people to complete." As Old Green spoke, he gripped the sword with both hands.

"Whoosh." Standing nearby, Green felt the air stirring. The sword strike Old Green swung caused the surrounding air to surge. Green felt his hair blown faintly backward, and the chip hurriedly gathered Old Green's data as row after row of information refreshed before Green's eyes.

[Old Green]

[Strength: 1.7]

[Speed: 2.0]

[Constitution: 0.7–1.5] Special injury. Normally maintained at 0.7. Can reach 1.5 in combat state. Sustaining combat state will cause permanent damage to constitution.

Green sucked in a cold breath. Aside from the reduction in constitution caused by hidden injuries, Old Green's data completely crushed Green's own. Even in Old Green's current state, he could easily defeat Green.

[Green]

[Strength: 1.2]

[Speed: 1.3]

[Constitution: 1.2]

Old Green's data surpassed Green's in every aspect, and Green's model was not linear. It increased on a curve. The farther one progressed, the more even a difference of 0.1 in strength became an enormous gulf.

With Old Green's speed of 2.0, he would likely run three or four times faster than Green could now. They were simply not on the same level.

Before Green could continue marveling at Old Green's data, Old Green had already begun explaining the key points. Green hurriedly suppressed his amazement and watched Old Green's demonstration with full concentration.

"These are the key points of a chopping strike. Gather the strength of your entire body together. The power must originate from your feet, be transformed through your waist, and finally reach your hands. You also need to control the distance. Use the front half of the sword to attack your opponent and maximize the force. In theory, the sword tip can inflict the greatest damage, but it also places tremendous pressure on the blade. If the opponent wears armor, it can easily damage the sword and cause the whole blade to break. So use the area slightly below the tip."

Old Green began demonstrating each move one by one. Chopping, thrusting, horizontal slashing, upward strikes, blocking, dodging—he showed Green every basic movement of swordsmanship.

Although Old Green was only using a wooden sword, his demonstrations still carried immense intimidation. Like a tiger hunting prey, every move was filled with intense offensive intent.

Through Green's vision, the chip thoroughly recorded Old Green's movements. It continuously analyzed them and began applying them to Green's body. Once the data was nearly complete, Old Green stopped demonstrating and set the wooden sword in his hand aside.

"How was that? Did you remember the movements? Though the movements are simple, you must perform them strictly according to the standard. If the movements become distorted, they can damage your muscles and joints, easily creating hidden injuries and affecting the condensation of the life seed. So there cannot be any mistakes."

Hearing this, Green nodded slightly, indicating that he had remembered the movements.

At the same time, he opened the chip interface.

[Movement recording complete. Please name the current data.]

[Basic Swordsmanship]

Green silently named it in his mind.

[Naming complete.]

The basic swordsmanship summarized from Old Green's techniques had already been perfectly matched to Green's physique. Only after confirming there were no problems did Green say to Old Green, "Most of it should be fine. I'll demonstrate first. See if there are any issues?"

Old Green naturally did not believe Green could remember these movements so quickly. Back when Old Green himself had learned basic swordsmanship, it had taken him more than ten days just to perform the movements to standard.

Old Green simply thought Green was young and hot-blooded and had made a boast. In any case, Old Green would watch over him from the side, so nothing unexpected would happen.

"Then demonstrate here first. I'll watch from the side and correct your movements."

Old Green walked over to a stool, brushed away the partially melted snow on it, and sat down. He then gestured for Green to begin training.

Green picked up the wooden sword Old Green had set aside and weighed it slightly in his hand, a faint smile appearing on his face.

Although the biological chip could not directly make Green's movements perfectly standard, Green had trained for several months. Combined with the chip's adjustments and the yoga training Green did at night, his bodily coordination had already reached an extremely high level. With just a little practice, he would quickly master these basic movements.

[Beginning movement correction. Chopping practice begins.]

Green silently spoke in his heart, then raised the wooden sword and prepared to chop down heavily.

[Forearm and upper arm angle distortion detected. Power loss: 20%.]

Hearing the chip's prompt, Green smiled. With the chip's help, he could correct errors anytime and anywhere, and the movements would always be the most perfect and suitable for his body. After adjusting the angle between his upper arm and forearm as instructed, Green fiercely chopped down with the wooden sword.

[Instantaneous movement distortion detected. Insufficient waist rotation. Power transmission impaired. Increase waist rotation by 3%.]

During the following movements, Green continuously adjusted his form. As the repetitions increased, the degree of distortion grew lower and lower.

When the overall movement distortion dropped below 3% during one strike, Green could clearly feel power coursing through his entire body. An incomparably smooth sensation flowed into Green's mind.

Old Green, sitting nearby, was already dumbfounded. Green's movements had initially been full of flaws, but after only several chops, those flaws had been rapidly corrected. In an extremely short time, Green had reached a highly standard level. Watching Green improve at such astonishing speed, Old Green felt that the first half of his life had truly been nothing special.

After Green finished demonstrating one movement after another, Old Green, who sat to the side, was already certain that Green was at least a top-tier genius in swordsmanship. Deeply shaken, Old Green watched Green immerse himself in constantly correcting his movements, then silently entered the room.

Green did not notice the changes around him. He remained immersed in that comfortable sensation of exerting force. After completing all the movements once more, Green looked at the chip's statistics.

[Training results assessed. Basic Swordsmanship is beneficial for exercising all muscle groups. Estimated after 3,000 full-power repetitions: Strength +0.2, Speed +0.2, Constitution +0.2.]

The chip had also analyzed the effects of these movements on Green.

Three thousand repetitions isn't much, but doing them at full power will be troublesome, Green thought silently.

When exerting full strength, his control would continuously decline, and the degree of movement distortion would become very high.

For now, I can only practice the movements first, ensuring that I can complete every one successfully. Then I'll gradually increase my strength until I can perform them at full power.

After setting his plan, Green began practicing each movement.

With the chip's powerful assistance, Green understood his body almost completely. Any weakness would be addressed by him.

As Green continued swinging and increasing his strength, the wooden sword cut through the air with only a faint movement of air, and the sound grew quieter and quieter. This meant that Green's every movement had reached the most standard level, because only when the sword tip presented the smallest contact surface to the air would no turbulence form and produce loud sounds.

As for the tremendous commotion created by Old Green, that was purely because Old Green's attributes were so high. Even with extremely standard movements, he would still create a huge disturbance.

Green became increasingly absorbed. Combined with the standardization of his movements, he even felt that his body had begun to develop familiarity with them. Even in a dangerous situation, he should be able to use such swordsmanship.

During the training, the chip even stopped reporting distortions in Green's movements and began adjusting the transitions between his moves.

Just as Green was immersed in this training, Old Green suddenly appeared before him and interrupted him.

With a complicated look in his eyes, Old Green said to Green, "Today's training is enough. Training any further will damage your body. Don't be so eager for quick results."

Only then did Green come back to his senses and emerge from that absorbed training state. At this point, Green discovered that his entire body was flushed red and drenched in sweat. Even in winter, more than half of his clothes had been soaked through.

However, the chip in his mind had not indicated that he had reached his limit. He should still have been able to continue training.

Green did not continue training. Not every session had to reach the limit, and with Old Green stopping him, Green ended the training as well and returned with Old Green for a meal.