After registering with the caravan's manager, Li Ke and Roche finally learned that the caravan's ultimate destination was the De Los Empire. The reason they weren't taking a maritime route was simple: they needed to stop by several mountain villages along the way to sell their goods.
As a result, this caravan would head toward Elvengard, where they would rotate out guards and caravan staff. This was exactly why Jialina had asked Ruohua to help get Li Ke and Roche on board. The journey was short, it offered plenty of learning opportunities along the way, and the adventurers returning from escorting caravans were generally reliable, sensible veterans. If Li Ke wanted to scout for future companions, this was an excellent place to look.
Furthermore, it wouldn't take very long. At most, it would be a one-week trip with the caravan. If they were traveling without the heavy wagons, they could make it back to Hendon Myre in just two or three days.
However...
"Aside from that, Tangji also asked me to give you some guidance and help you condition your body."
Ruohua looked at Li Ke and couldn't help but shake her head.
"Just one look at you and I can see why. You've never undergone any actual physical training, have you? You've just picked up a bit of combat experience recently. She told me your stamina is absolutely terrible, so you need a proper workout."
Examining Li Ke's frame, Ruohua delivered a very accurate assessment.
"That's true enough," Li Ke nodded, though he felt a bit embarrassed.
Never trained—Ruohua wasn't wrong about that. He truly had never received any proper physical conditioning. The only reason his soft belly had disappeared was entirely due to starving and doing manual labor in the 7 Days to Die world.
As for Tangji saying his stamina was terrible...
That was purely because Tangji's stamina was way too high. Li Ke and Tangji had only gone at it once or twice, yet over the past few days, he felt like his lower back was on the verge of exploding. If he tried to forcefully keep up with Tangji's pace in bed...
Without the stat boosts from the 7 Days to Die world, his frail office-worker physique wouldn't hold up for long.
In fact, just this morning, he had already noticed his legs and feet feeling slightly weak.
"So, I will be coaching you during this trip. Here, these are the weights you'll need, along with some supplements to consume during your training. I bought them from Norton, so you don't have to worry about them being toxic."
With that, Ruohua pulled a package down from one of the carriages. When Li Ke opened it, he found metallic bands identical to the ones worn by the female Fighters on the streets. It was an accessory Li Ke had seen on almost every single female Fighter.
"This dial allows you to evenly distribute weight across most of your body's muscles. Each notch adds 20 kilograms, with a maximum cap of 200 kilograms. And this switch right here turns it on and off. Before a fight, you just flip this switch, and it instantly removes the weight pressing down on your body."
The female Fighter pointed to the armband he had pulled out and demonstrated how it worked. Only then did Li Ke realize this was actually a piece of training equipment.
And a highly advanced piece of weight-training gear at that.
Generally speaking, it was the kind of high-tech item that ordinary people would neither need nor be able to get their hands on.
"Oh?"
Li Ke took the armband. Mimicking her actions, he snapped the band onto his arm and pushed the power switch.
The next second, the armband automatically locked itself securely onto his arm. Miraculously, it didn't compress his blood vessels or muscles at all. Instead, Li Ke instantly felt his body sink as an invisible force distributed weight evenly across every single part of his body.
Although it only added twenty kilograms, he could distinctly feel how much heavier his body had become.
"Uh, is this gravity magic?"
Before Ruohua could answer, Roche chimed in with her own critique.
"It's nothing that terrifying... It's just a basic application of gravity magic. If it were real gravity magic, your brain, blood vessels, and internal organs would be turned into mush in an instant. This is just simple weight-bearing magic; it's nothing fancy. True gravity magic isn't this gentle. Even the most basic spell would instantly wreck your body's microcirculation. Your eyes and retinas would literally be torn to shreds."
Ruohua nodded in agreement.
"Though I don't understand magic, Miss Roche is absolutely right. This is just a standard model. High-end weight-bearing armbands can target specific muscle groups and look a lot more stylish. But for us martial artists, every single muscle needs conditioning, so this model is actually the best fit. The only downside is that the weight modifier isn't very high. You'll have to buy a more advanced one yourself later."
With that, Ruohua handed the bundle over to Li Ke.
"Inside, you'll find medicines to relieve muscle fatigue, rapid nutrient supplements, stamina restoratives, and healing potions. There are also some formulas to regulate cardiovascular pressure, which will stop your blood vessels from bursting under high-load stress. I've written the prices and effects directly on the bottles. They aren't expensive. Once you run out, you can buy more from Norton or from the caravan merchants. Over the next few days, I'll teach you when and how to use them."
"..."
Staring at the various packets and bottles inside the bundle Ruohua had handed him, Li Ke looked around at the medieval-style buildings and clothing of the surrounding area, then scratched his head.
Honestly, hearing all this modern-sounding sports science terminology from Ruohua, combined with performance-enhancing training supplements, gave him a profound sense of absurdity.
But on second thought, it made perfect sense. A Fighter's training obviously required more than just eating meals and punching air to build stamina. Specialized medicines and equipment were absolutely mandatory. That was true even back on Earth. In a world powered by magic and Nen, using enchanted gear and alchemical potions to optimize physical conditioning was practically the baseline.
Even if Roche refused to call it real gravity magic.
"I see. Roche, is magic cultivation the same way? Do you need a ton of potions and materials too?"
Li Ke felt like he was asking the obvious, but he wanted to hear the specifics anyway.
"Yes, except it's many times worse," Roche sighed helplessly. "Even for someone like me who trains with Chasers, my magic-related expenses run at least dozens of gold coins every single month."
Earning enough to cover basic living expenses was a breeze for someone of her strength. But that was exactly where the problem lay. If she spent her hard-earned cash on food, she wouldn't have enough left for her magic and martial arts training.
Yet, if she cut back on food to fund her magic training, she wouldn't have the physical energy required to actually train.
It was a vicious, penniless cycle. Which meant that when faced with Li Ke's previous financial propositions—
Roche had absolutely zero resistance.