"Leaving Her to Die"

Fang Yuan maintained his Star Power circulation as he ran all morning. He had no idea how many laps he had done. Finally, he collapsed on the track in exhaustion, gasping for breath.

After his run, the agility value on his attribute panel was still 18.

However, Fang Yuan had an innate sensitivity to calculations involving speed and attributes, and he could feel that he had made considerable progress through today's training.

Converted into a numerical value, it should have amounted to an increase of 0.5 agility.

However, the attribute panel did not display decimal values, so the change was not visible.

Compared with raising his attributes using Rage Points, training hard seemed to accomplish little, but that was not actually the case.

Fang Yuan could clearly feel that Rage Points did indeed raise his attributes, but his body was initially unaccustomed to those increased attributes.

He needed to train to develop muscle memory and adapt to his stronger attributes.

Beyond that, there was another, more crucial reason why Fang Yuan could not abandon cultivation entirely.

That was his Star Power level.

Rage Points could raise his strength, agility, constitution, and spirit, but they could not raise his Star Power level.

To raise his Star Power level, he needed to cultivate his Star Power.

Establishing Star Power circulation within his body according to a Star Power model was, in fact, a form of Star Power cultivation.

Over the course of the morning, Fang Yuan had not only exhausted his stamina but also depleted his Star Power by continuously maintaining Advanced Agility Enhancement.

Under normal circumstances, both stamina and Star Power could only recover naturally through rest.

Of course, if he wanted to recover quickly, taking a Star Power potion was an option.

However, drinking too many Star Power potions would place a certain strain on his organs.

There was also a gentler recovery method: drinking energy drinks. They did not work as quickly as Star Power potions, but their advantage was that they had no side effects.

However, energy drinks were not available in ordinary stores, and they were expensive.

In any case, Fang Yuan had never had one in his life.

For some reason, Fang Yuan suddenly really wanted to taste an energy drink.

After school let out, Fang Yuan went to the Star Power mall near the school.

The Star Power mall primarily sold goods related to Awakeners.

Its main products were energy drinks, equipment to assist cultivation, and various Star Power technology products.

As for things like Star Power potions, those were controlled goods that ordinary people could not buy.

Fang Yuan entered the Star Power mall and looked along the energy drink counter.

Dozens of energy drinks were displayed on the shelves, at a range of prices.

However, even the cheapest energy drink cost eight hundred yuan a bottle.

As for the expensive ones, their prices were rather outrageous.

Some cost seven or eight thousand a bottle. Commercials for these energy drinks frequently aired on television, claiming their effects rivaled those of Star Power potions.

However, anyone who had paid attention in high school chemistry knew that energy drinks could not possibly compare to Star Power potions.

Fang Yuan had watched an experimental video about energy drinks.

The team behind the video had bought every energy drink available on the market, tried them all, and then compared their effects.

Their conclusion was that Dimethyl Blue Energy Drink, at 800 yuan a bottle, offered the best value for money.

Fang Yuan bought a bottle of Dimethyl Blue Energy Drink and took a sip. Its flavor was very mild, like mineral water with a little baijiu mixed in.

After drinking it, he did indeed feel his stamina and Star Power recovering a little faster.

The increase was not particularly noticeable. Fang Yuan estimated from how he felt that the improvement was somewhere in the teens percentage-wise.

Holding the energy drink, Fang Yuan sipped as he walked down the street, heading back to school to prepare for his afternoon martial arts class.

To save time, he took a shortcut through the old town.

The buildings in the old town were rather dilapidated, most dating back to the previous century.

The people living there were a mixed lot, and some Black people who had entered the country illegally also rented homes there, so public safety in the area was not very good.

Although public safety in the old town was mediocre, it did have one fairly appealing attraction: Deshenglong Snack Street.

The snacks there were good and cheap. He had heard that some shops even sold skewers made from Star Beast offal.

Of course, the ingredients did not come through legitimate channels, so the prices were naturally much lower than at star-rated restaurants.

Whether anyone dared to eat them was another matter.

Aside from that, the old town had a street basketball court, one of the few public facilities that had been kept in relatively good condition.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Munching on two beef skewers, Fang Yuan crossed the snack street and rounded the alley entrance. As he neared the basketball court, he heard the thumping of a basketball.

Once he got closer, he also heard a woman shout, "What are you doing?"

After emerging from the alley, he saw three street thugs cornering a girl.

The leader of the three street thugs wore an ear stud, another wore a hoodie, and the last was actually a Black man.

"Brother Donkey, this chick's wearing a No. 1 High School uniform. She's so hot-could she be their school belle?" The hoodie-wearing man held a basketball under his arm, his face sleazy.

The leader with the ear stud braced one hand against the wall and licked his lips. "Know why they call me Brother Donkey?"

"N-no." The girl shook her head.

Three men were blocking one girl.

Fang Yuan walked past as though no one else were there, his steps steady and unhurried. He even took a sip of his energy drink along the way.

The three street thugs also watched silently as Fang Yuan passed them.

The scene seemed to freeze, becoming utterly bizarre.

Just then.

The girl suddenly shoved the ear-stud man's arm aside, rushed over, and hid behind Fang Yuan. "Fang Yuan, help me!"

The girl was none other than his classmate, Shen Lina.

The three street thugs immediately surrounded them.

Their leader, Brother Donkey, put on a vicious expression and asked, "Kid, what's your relationship with this chick?"

Fang Yuan glanced at Shen Lina and replied, "I barely know her."

Shen Lina's eyes widened, and she snapped, "Fang Yuan, we're classmates, at least! You're going too far!"

As soon as she got angry-

Fang Yuan was instantly delighted, because his Rage Points had increased by 10.

"I don't think we've ever spoken at school. We really don't know each other well. Nothing wrong with what I said."

"You... you!" Shen Lina's delicate brows shot up in anger.

His Rage Points increased by another 10.

To be fair, Shen Lina really was very pretty. If not for Han Youwei, she would have had a very good chance of competing for the title of class belle.

However, Fang Yuan did not have a very good impression of her.

Especially during that martial arts class when he had arm-wrestled Li Weilian, Shen Lina had cheered so enthusiastically for Li Weilian that Fang Yuan had thought she had already transferred to Class One.

Besides, only a bastard would pass up a chance to earn Rage Points. Naturally, he would keep "leaving her to die."

Brother Donkey was a little bewildered. Unable to figure out what Fang Yuan meant, he threatened, "Kid, get lost if you know what's good for you, or I'll make sure you don't leave this street!"

Fang Yuan glanced at him and replied, "I don't know how to roll away. Why don't you demonstrate?"

"Oh-ho! Getting feisty, are we?" Brother Donkey glared and pulled open his denim jacket, revealing the kukri at his waist.