19:00, Ethan Chen returned home. As soon as he stepped through the door, he was greeted by a delicious aroma—his mother, Clara Lee, had prepared his favorite dish: braised prawns in oil.
"You're back!" Clara Lee smiled warmly.
His father, Jack Chen, and younger brother, Colin Chen, also rose from the sofa. Ethan knew they were waiting for him to start dinner. The cozy home was his sanctuary, a place no one could disturb.
The family sat around the dining table, enjoying this warm moment together. During the meal, Ethan briefly updated them about being admitted to the Hongzhi Class due to his martial skill. He also mentioned that tonight would be his last home-cooked meal before the college entrance exam. For the next 119 days, he would reside in the Martial Arts Room assigned by the school, focusing entirely on preparing for the exam.
Living on campus would save commuting time each day, allowing him to fully concentrate. Only those with a Life Strength of at least 6.5 could be admitted to Huangshan University of Martial Arts. Every day moving forward would be critical; there could be no slacking off.
Although his parents and brother felt a little reluctant at the thought of him leaving, they were overwhelmingly proud and congratulatory. For an ordinary family like theirs, the college entrance exam was one of the rare opportunities that could change a person's destiny.
After dinner, Ethan quickly packed his belongings and returned to school.
22:00, Ethan sat quietly on the floor of Martial Arts Room 001, holding the instruction leaflet for the Thunderforce Vitality Pill in his hands:
[1: Take one pill daily; ten consecutive days make one cycle][2: Maximum three pills at once per day; ten consecutive days make one cycle]Note: Taking three pills simultaneously causes five times the pain of a single pill[3: Regardless of taking 1–3 pills at once, the effect lasts for 30 minutes][4: After 3–5 cycles, resistance begins to appear, gradually reducing efficacy]
These four points were the only text in bold black font on the leaflet. The rest contained chemical compositions and complex formulas that Ethan could not understand, nor did he need to.
The endurance test at the store had caused pain equivalent to 50% of a single pill. For Ethan, such pain was nothing—he didn't even break a sweat.
"If I take three pills at once, the pain will be ten times the store test… should be fine," Ethan thought. Without hesitation, he picked a blister pack of Thunderforce Vitality Pills, popped out three pills, and swallowed them directly. The pills were small enough that no water was needed.
Sizzle! Strong electric currents surged through Ethan's body, as if millions of ants were gnawing at his muscles and bones. Veins bulged on his forehead, his hair stood on end as though struck by high voltage, and even his breath steamed in the cold air.
"This?" Ethan let out a disdainful low growl, his voice steady and composed. His body had already endured countless life-or-death trials inside the Crystal Space—being torn apart, eaten alive, crushed into blood spheres, or roasted into char. Each experience had felt like genuine death. Moreover, through the Ruins Immortal Visualization Technique, he had once stared down a Super Giant in his consciousness, reshaping his spirit in continuous destruction, making it ever stronger. Compared to those torturous experiences, the Thunderforce Vitality Pill, infamous for causing excruciating pain, was trivial.
The powerful electric current traveled through Ethan's meridians, each second a torment—but one he was completely unshaken by. His gaze was unwavering, as focused as ever.
"Phew…" Ethan exhaled slowly, sweat beading across his forehead. He grabbed a tissue and wiped the sweat from his face.
[Congratulations, host. Life Strength increased from 5.2 to 5.3]
The familiar notification sound echoed in his mind, bringing a faint smile to his face. Every drug develops resistance over time, gradually reducing its efficacy until it's only 10–20% effective, or completely useless. The first dose is usually the most effective. Ethan had only ever used Vitality Milk before and had never tried any other high-potency vitality medicine. Ironically, poverty had now become the factor that pushed the drug's effect to its peak. Outstanding!
"Great! Another step closer to 6.5 Life Strength!" Ethan thought. If he could maintain this speed of improvement, he planned to reject the early recruitment path—not because the other universities were bad, but because he wanted to develop within the Seventh Ecological Zone.
Originally, he planned to use three boxes over a month, but now it seemed he could only manage ten days. Based on his current balance, he could sustain 55 days. That meant, in the Hundred Cities Championship on March 17, he had to reach at least the top two—or his funds wouldn't support further growth.
Physically weakened by the Thunderforce power, Ethan sank his consciousness inward. If the body was exhausted, there was still the mind! If Life Strength couldn't improve, he would enhance his Spiritual Power!
Super Giants, here I come!
00:21[Congratulations, host. Spiritual Power increased from 6.3 to 6.4]
Ethan lay on the floor like a dead dog, blinking weakly. The notification sound in his brain barely registered, and drowsiness crashed over him like a tide.
If the mind is fatigued, there's always Crystal Space! If Spiritual Power can't improve, he would train martial skills in the Crystal Space! In the next moment, Ethan fell asleep.
Upon waking, he found himself in the Crystal Space, shrouded in pale, thick mist. No matter his condition when entering, he was at full strength here. Earlier, he had fought the Greenfire Giants to recover energy for afternoon class—but failed to kill a single one. Not for lack of power, but due to insufficient intelligence.
The green patches on the giants were neither curses nor birthmarks—they stored healing energy. Any injury, even a heart puncture, could be healed using this energy. To kill them, there were only two methods: continuously inflict damage until the stored energy was depleted, or destroy the green patches to prevent regeneration. In truth, these Greenfire Giants weren't particularly skilled or fast, but their healing ability and thick skin made them difficult to kill. Ethan had fought them repeatedly, but none were killed. Eventually, he was overwhelmed and captured by two giants, ripped apart, and consumed—a pain far worse than the Thunderforce Vitality Pill.
03:12Ethan opened his eyes after being stepped on by a giant. His sharp gaze showed no fatigue. He rose and headed to the Gravity Zone for basic training.