New equipment

Zhao Xiaowen had changed into a long-sleeved tracksuit. When the door opposite opened and Lin Hao emerged again, her expression turned slightly odd. Then she cautiously asked,

"Does it fit?"

"It fits."

Lin Hao remained expressionless, ignoring the subtle look in Zhao Xiaowen's eyes.

Her Yoga Outfit now occupied the upper-body and lower-body slots in his equipment slot. The agility bonuses from two pieces of equipment with identical attributes stacked, and they did indeed make his body feel a little lighter.

Still, they were only white equipment, so the effect was hardly dramatic.

Zhao Xiaowen, unaware that Lin Hao had an equipment slot, thought he had put them on underneath his clothes.

The Yoga Outfit was certainly stretchy, and she herself was tall. This particular set was also high-quality, but wouldn't women's yoga pants pinch his ammunition?

Wouldn't the drawbacks outweigh the benefits?

Originally, Zhao Xiaowen had only intended to give Lin Hao the top. She hadn't expected him to want both pieces.

That left her feeling a little strange. Losing equipment with attributes didn't particularly bother her; wearing it herself hadn't done all that much.

Mostly, she couldn't help wondering whether he had done something with her intimate clothing. All sorts of wild thoughts filled her head.

"These are very useful to me. Thanks."

Lin Hao nodded solemnly to Zhao Xiaowen.

The Yoga Outfit didn't just add a few attributes. It also gave his skin a little extra protection, as though a layer of the outfit's material had been applied to the skin of his torso and legs, covering them completely.

It was nothing compared with his right arm's protection from the iron pot, but it was still better than nothing.

"No, no, don't mention it. It's really hard for me to survive alone in a world like this. All I ask is that you lend me a hand when you can. I don't eat much, and I still have plenty of chicken breast and protein powder...

"I also have a trainer's certification, so I can guide you through some workouts. I know how to massage tight muscles, too...

"I graduated in nursing. With the right tools, I can handle basic wound cleaning and suturing. Oh, right, I also placed third in the women's thirty-pound, twenty-meter category at the city's amateur compound bow competition. If we find a suitable weapon, I can help out."

Hearing Lin Hao thank her, Zhao Xiaowen waved her hands repeatedly, then launched into a rapid-fire sales pitch for herself. She looked at him pleadingly, seemingly terrified that he would refuse.

These past few days had already forced Zhao Xiaowen to accept the apocalyptic world around her. The madmen blocking her door earlier had made her vulnerability painfully clear.

She didn't know how Lin Hao had dealt with them, but anyone capable of handling two madmen, and brave enough to venture outside, undoubtedly had the courage and ability to suit this environment better!

Zhao Xiaowen also knew how attractive she was. His earlier reaction suggested he wasn't immune to women's charms, but in a time when no restraints remained, he hadn't done anything to her. He hadn't even robbed her of her food. Such "character" was even rarer than ability!

So she wanted to gamble-gamble for her chance to survive in this world!

When she finished and caught a flicker of hesitation on Lin Hao's face, Zhao Xiaowen hurriedly added,

"Just give me a hand whenever it's within your power. If there's danger, you can leave me behind. I've got a few pounds of flesh on me, at least. That could buy you some time. Please."

Zhao Xiaowen pressed her palms together. Although she had changed into a loose tracksuit, the movement of her arms still made the pomelos at her chest bulge.

Lin Hao glanced at them, then nodded.

"If you trust me, you can stick with me for now."

His hesitation before heading out earlier had made him realize that even with his cheat, he still needed someone to help him at a time like this.

Having someone lend a hand with miscellaneous chores would certainly help, too.

In fact, Zhao Xiaowen's abilities complemented his quite well.

He had already planned to get some proper exercise. He wasn't confident about blindly training on his own, so having her assist him would naturally be welcome.

Besides, at least so far, Zhao Xiaowen had shown good judgment. She knew when to advance, when to retreat, and where the boundaries lay.

Her personality was completely unlike those he had seen online. She was pretty, too, and didn't rub him the wrong way.

If she intended to cling to him as her pillar of support, he could indeed extend her a measure of trust.

We can take it slowly and see how we get along...

"Thank you!"

A trace of delight appeared on Zhao Xiaowen's pretty face. She had thought he would demand this or that in return; she hadn't expected him to be so agreeable!

Still, considering this hellish environment, apart from those who had given up and simply wanted to vent, anyone hoping to survive probably wouldn't have much interest in that sort of thing before securing some stability. That also showed he was more dependable.

A woman's intuition told Zhao Xiaowen that she had to seize this rare opportunity. She couldn't let it slip away.

"Oh, right, I have another piece of equipment here. If you want to do strength training, you can use it."

Something else occurred to Zhao Xiaowen, and she mentioned it.

"What is it?"

Lin Hao's eyes brightened slightly. He had so many empty equipment slots that another piece would naturally be more than welcome.

She really is a lucky star. Is this what an online streamer brings to the table?

Then Lin Hao watched Zhao Xiaowen get down and reach under the bed, her backside sticking up. After fumbling around beneath it, she dragged out a dumbbell.

"I have a few dumbbells, but only this one, the one I use most, has attributes. I haven't actually used it yet, though, so I don't know exactly how well it works."

[Dumbbell Substitute (gray)]

[Value: 12 wish power]

[Weight: 10 kg]

[Additional modifier: increased strength-training effectiveness (gray)]

[A dumbbell used by a beautiful streamer during her live workout sessions. Because it frequently pressed against certain intimate areas, some fans fantasized about taking its place.]

A divine artifact!

Lin Hao's pupils contracted slightly, and excitement spread across his face.

Although it was only a piece of gray equipment, for him right now, it absolutely deserved to be called a divine artifact!

"This is very useful to me. Thank you. Let me have it."

Lin Hao reached out and took the dumbbell, feeling its heft the moment it landed in his hand.

Holding ten kilograms in one hand put a noticeable dragging strain on his arm.

After a pause, Lin Hao looked at Zhao Xiaowen and said earnestly,

"As long as you don't do anything to hurt me, Xiao Wen, I'll do everything I can to help you survive in this world."

"Huh? Hehe, don't worry. I'll definitely pull my weight and be good support."

Zhao Xiaowen didn't know

why a piece of gray equipment had prompted a stronger reaction than the Yoga Outfit, but she still nodded quickly.

Meanwhile, dumbbell in hand, Lin Hao hurried back into his room again!

He switched his equipment, moving the iron pot from his right hand to his left, then equipping the [Dumbbell Substitute] on his right hand.

Its ten-kilogram weight was almost at the limit of what Lin Hao could currently equip on one hand.

For him right now, a weapon's weight mattered more than its modifiers!

Although weapons in Romance of the Three Kingdoms routinely weighed dozens of jin, in reality, most people probably couldn't even hold a ten-kilogram iron rod straight out with one hand!

The dumbbell's center of gravity stayed over his wrist, but a ten-kilogram iron rod's center of gravity lay in the middle. Holding it straight and steady would be extremely difficult for an ordinary person.

Even the two-handed sledgehammers used to knock down buildings at demolition sites weighed no more than that!

Yet now he could add that mass to his right arm, and to any weapon he held!

Whoosh~

He swung the ruler again. The extra weight imposed as a penalty had also reached one kilogram, making it considerably more taxing to swing, but it was still quite fast. It even produced a faint whistle as it cut through the air!

It was much faster than a demolition worker swinging a sledgehammer with both hands!

"The weight of two five-hundred-milliliter bottles of water. It affects me a little, but as long as I don't attack too many times, it shouldn't be a problem..."

As for the corresponding increase in power...

Lin Hao lashed out with the ruler. Bam!

The composite-wood desk broke cleanly in half!

"Hiss!"

Tingling all over, Lin Hao stamped his feet. His body was still a little too weak. Although his arm had absorbed most of the recoil, what remained still left him slightly numb.

"If the weight penalty is one-tenth, then maybe the recoil I take is also one-tenth. But the impact is too strong. Even one-tenth puts a considerable strain on me..."

Still, the equipment slot's weight limit clearly hadn't appeared arbitrarily. It indicated that he could handle this much, rather than easily injuring himself whenever he attacked.

He just had to be careful when attacking and avoid being too reckless.

Besides, his left hand now had the iron pot that had originally been on his right. His ability to protect himself had undoubtedly improved enormously!

He listened briefly for movement in the living room. Zhao Xiaowen hadn't come over because of the noise from his room, and Lin Hao nodded inwardly.

With an angel investment like this, as long as he had meat to eat, she would never go without a share of the broth...