In this world, practicing martial arts at various dojos is akin to Taekwondo gyms on Earth, serving more as a means of physical fitness and cultivation rather than lethal combat. While there are rankings and levels, aside from the higher tiers, most are for show without much combat effectiveness, serving primarily to exercise the body and for aesthetic display.
For families, these martial practices are like music and dance, part of a well-rounded education meant to make children more versatile and talented.
Galon, like all other students, dispersed one by one according to their rankings. Standing before him was the same girl from last time.
The girl was of average appearance with a slim waist but somewhat flat-chested, her silver short hair turning slightly reddish in the sunset light: "Number 15, Delice."
"Number 16, Galon."
They stood face to face, announcing their rankings and names.
"Begin!" Shamanla called out.
Galon and the girl focused solely on each other, ignoring everyone else.
The basic fighting techniques taught in the gym didn't include any combat moves, only simple exercise forms and power-explosion techniques. In Galon's memory, there were no specific routines for sparring, just a reliance on past fighting experience, with the martial arts' power techniques making their moves appear stronger. This was also the gym's intention, to have students engage in strength contests.
With this in mind, Galon wasted no time and charged forward, aiming a punch at Delice's left shoulder. He hadn't added any attribute points yet, wanting to gauge his own physical condition.
His punch was still mid-air when Delice dodged to the right, then she countered with a strong shoulder bump into Galon.
Neither was quick, and Galon could easily react, also turning to shoulder bump her back.
With a loud thud, they both stepped back before charging at each other again, engaging in a full-on scuffle. It was the same as before: a flurry of punches and kicks without any technique.
Previously, Galon had struggled for a while before fatigue set in, and he lost to Delice, a girl.
This time, after tangling for a bit, Galon took advantage of a moment when both were catching their breath to focus his attention on the five attributes below, pausing on the strength attribute.
Pop!
A sound seemed to emanate from his mind, and Galon felt his muscles suddenly swell, feeling as if he had grown larger.
Looking at the strength attribute, the number had jumped from 0.31 to 0.41.
"Just a 0.1 increase? And yet such a noticeable physical sensation?" Galon was slightly startled. He then turned his attention back to Delice, who was panting heavily across from him.
Without saying another word, he charged at her again. This time, as he pushed off the ground, Galon distinctly felt his speed increase.
The transformation of strength into explosive power made his approach unexpectedly swift.
Delice, unprepared for Galon's sudden acceleration, was caught off guard and struck hard on the shoulder by him.
Pop!
Delice spun half around, ending up sitting on the ground, unable to rise. She looked up at Galon, gasping for breath, her eyes filled with surprise.
"You actually have… such strength…"
Galon, feeling the changes in his body, was pleased yet puzzled. He didn't linger on Delice's condition but turned to report his results to Shamanla.
Shamanla had noticed Galon's sudden burst. Although he had a poor foundation, he was one of the five students she had been watching. After recording his number, she smiled slightly at Galon, nodding: "Go take a rest for now."
"Thank you, Instructor Shamanla." Wiping sweat with his sleeve, Galon sat down to rest, waiting for the others to compete. Nearly half were like him, waiting for their turn.
Observing the remaining students spar under the shade, Galon keenly felt his newfound strength.
He lifted his slender arm and was surprised to find faint muscle contours instead of just skin and bones.
"Just a strength increase has made such a difference; my strength has increased by at least a third, making me stable at rank 15 among the students. Though I'm probably not competitive beyond that, it's a significant improvement over before. If a mere strength increase can have such an impact, what about agility, constitution, intelligence? If they can be enhanced as well…"
Galon was filled with anticipation: "It seems I need to carefully investigate the source of this potential increase… If I can continually enhance my strength, constitution, and speed, I might meet the gym's standards for real recruitment. This could mean a substantial income at the gym."
The increase in strength didn't significantly change Galon's school life, except he ate more than before. His focus was entirely on studying the attribute symbols.
To continue collecting potential percentage, he began paying attention to the jewelry and accessories worn
by girls, and after school, he pretended to shop for jewelry in the city's stores.
After visiting every jewelry store in the district, Galon only found items that could increase his potential in a second-hand jewelry resale shop: a sapphire and a tiny red diamond on an earring, which boosted his potential percentage to 89%.
Regrettably, he found no more special jewelry afterward.
Galon also discerned a pattern: only ancient jewelry seemed to offer absorbable potential.
"Galon, want to go to Bi Bo Lake this weekend?"
On the rooftop, several male and female students leaned against the railing, looking down and chatting casually.
The morning sunlight was cool and pale, providing little warmth.
Galon stood among the boys, leaning on the railing with Caledo and two other boys he had recently met, Fein and Jek Leres, and Aifi and two other girls friends of Fein.
The seven had become familiar with each other over the week.
"Bi Bo Lake? Where's that?" Galon asked Caledo.
"Near the paper mill in the suburbs. I've been there once; there are unusually many swans, along with various other birds. And you know…" Caledo glanced towards the girls, who were chatting happily, and smirked suggestively.
"The point is, it's secluded enough…" Jek chimed in. Despite his mature appearance, red hair, and dark skin, he was known for misleading girls with his looks.
"So it's easier to make a move…" Galon added, and they both chuckled.
Caledo signaled Fein: "Don't say I didn't invite you guys. It's not just these few girls going; Fein's girl friends from last time are also coming."
Galon shook his head; he had seen Fein's other female friends.
Fein came from a good family, and indeed, his female friends were beautiful. But during their last outing, those girls kept to themselves, clearly not interested in mingling with them, poor students.
Even Fein's attempts at mediation made no difference.
"If it's going to be like last time, count me out," he casually remarked. "Besides, I'm short on cash and not interested in joining the crowd. You guys have fun." Recently, Galon had gained some muscle, no longer looking as frail as before, which made him appear more attractive.
"No worries, I'll cover you. How much could it be?" Caledo said offhandedly, slapping Galon on the shoulder. "It's more fun when we all go together. What's the point of doing things alone? If we don't stick together, we'll drift apart. You're not planning on ditching us, are you?"
"You covering for me again…" Galon sighed.
"Let's just settle it then. We'll meet at the school gate tomorrow morning at nine and head out together, okay?" Caledo set a time.
"Sure." "I'm in."
The other two had no objections. Galon was reluctantly roped in by Caledo's enthusiasm, seemingly with the undertone that not going would lead to a fallout, leaving him no choice but to agree.
After setting the time, they discussed it with the girls, who all had their plans and didn't commit.
Aifi, with her red ponytail, stood atop the rooftop, her right hand pressing down on her black and purple miniskirt. The wind was stronger where she stood, causing her skirt to flutter up, making her press down on it awkwardly to avoid revealing too much. Even with tights, the skirt flipping up was intolerable for a girl.
Hearing the invitation to Bi Bo Lake, Aifi instinctively looked at Galon, having felt a kinship since the sheep's milk incident.
"Are you going?" she asked unconsciously.
"No choice…" Galon chuckled bitterly. "Fein promised to show me his family's jewelry collection if I go… You know my hobby."
Aifi nodded, frowning slightly. She had been keeping an eye on Galon, finding him mature and stable, and their family situations somewhat similar: "Doesn't that mean your sister will be home alone?"
"She's practicing archery at the club, aiming for some competition. Not great at studies, but she's good at other things," Galon explained. He had to go; he knew Fein's family had an ancient piece of jewelry, similar to the black pearl he first absorbed.
To further enhance his attributes, he had no choice but to agree.
The last strength enhancement secured him a stable 14th place in the Baiyun Gym. After further exploring the potential-absorbing jewelry, Galon began to suspect the world might not be as simple as he initially thought…