Chapter 3: The Cat that Speaks Human Language
Li Ge rode his bike to school, while Xue Jing took the bus. After parting ways, Xue Jing got off the bus three stops later and walked a few hundred meters to get back home.
He greeted the security guard, entered the community, and made his way to his apartment building. Taking the elevator up to the ninth floor, he unlocked the door and stepped inside.
Tossing his bag onto the sofa, Xue Jing stretched his body before heading into his 'gym.'
What he called a gym used to be a storage room. After awakening his skill panel, Xue Jing cleared out the clutter and purchased various fitness equipment, transforming the space into a miniature gym. He had almost spent all his monthly living expenses on this endeavor.
Fortunately, in this life, he wasn't an orphan like in the multiverse orphanage. Instead, he had both parents, and an older sister who had started university last year. While they weren't wealthy, his family life was happy.
The only issue was that his parents were often away on business trips due to their busy work schedules, and his sister, Xue Wan, had been studying away from home since last year. This left Xue Jing mostly by himself.
Xue Jing started with some stretching exercises before stepping onto the treadmill and setting it to a speed of 12km/h for a ten-minute warm-up run.
As he ran, his thoughts wandered.
"At noon, I got more experience points from running the 1000-meter dash during the physical test than I usually get from running the same distance..."
"So, this 'participation in specific events' is the key to quickly earning more experience points?"
That's why Xue Jing had agreed to Class Teacher Du Shiwei's request to participate in the school sports meet—to confirm this hypothesis.
If this was indeed the way to earn more experience, then a regular physical test like today's could increase his experience gain. Participating in an official competition would likely yield even better results.
...
An hour later, drenched in sweat and panting heavily, Xue Jing opened a 500ml bottle of mineral water and chugged it down in one go.
He then opened his skill panel.
[You have completed a strenuous workout. Fitness Experience +98]
[Fitness Lv2 (356/500)]
After catching his breath, he took a moment to sense the changes in his body.
Hmm, based on feeling alone, he couldn't discern any noticeable changes.
However, he knew that his physical attributes had improved once again.
The changes in skill experience values were reflected in real-time and not limited to upgrades.
"This 'Fitness' skill," Xue Jing mused, "requires a lot of time investment, which might not be worth the payoff."
From what he had learned so far, the "Fitness" skill could comprehensively enhance all aspects of his physical condition, making it incredibly useful. As a result, it had become one of his primary targets for experience grinding.
But this skill didn't necessitate dedicated gym time.
Based on his observations, the way this skill gained experience was through 'any activity that physically exerted the body.'
For example, when he ran, he gained experience in both the "Running" and "Fitness" skills simultaneously.
Therefore, engaging in other physically demanding activities would also increase his "Fitness" experience without needing to spend extra time in the gym.
Like... martial arts.
The world of martial arts in this universe was far more developed than in his previous life.
He had witnessed online videos of martial artists kicking their opponents dozens of meters away, leaving a human-shaped dent in the wall.
Their speed was incredible.
Xue Jing wanted to learn martial arts, but he didn't know where to start.
Soon after his skill panel awakened, he had searched for videos and secret manuals online and followed their instructions diligently. Yet, up until now, his panel remained silent.
Skill activation wasn't as simple as blindly practicing; it required genuine knowledge and understanding. Otherwise, he would have acquired a plethora of skills by now.
There were a few martial arts gyms in Sunny City, but their fees were exorbitantly high. He couldn't afford them and didn't feel comfortable asking his parents for money, as the costs were truly excessive.
"As long as I can get my foot in the door, with my unmatched talent and extraordinary wisdom, I'll be able to cultivate an unrivaled and overpowering divine skill with ease."
However, no matter how strong his talent or wisdom was, without a master to guide him, he was like a skilled cook unable to prepare a meal without rice.
The skill panel could take him from level 1 to 100, but it couldn't help him start from nothing and reach level 1.
Xue Jing rested for a while before getting up and heading to the bathroom.
...
After washing his hair and rinsing his body, he filled the bathtub and soaked for fifteen minutes, relieving his sore muscles, which still felt a bit sore.
In the bathroom, Xue Jing looked at his reflection in the mirror.
He had an elegant appearance, intellectual and ascetic, cold and indifferent when expressionless, but a simple upward curve of his lips was like a warm sun on a winter day, not blazing but a gentle warmth that permeated the heart.
His slender frame didn't appear bony, and thanks to his dedicated skill training over the past few days, beautiful muscles had begun to form. Because the skill enhanced his physical qualities comprehensively, these muscles were perfectly coordinated and well-proportioned.
He glanced downward... hmm, a bit of a belly there.
Tugging on his shoulder-length black hair, which didn't quite reach his eyes, Xue Jing dressed and left the bathroom, intending to go out to buy some groceries and household items.
Changing into his shoes, he stepped out of the house, exited the community, and walked towards the nearest supermarket.
It was now 7:30 in the evening, and the sky had darkened. Most people had finished their dinners, and there were many pedestrians on the street.
While waiting to cross the street at a traffic light, Xue Jing suddenly heard a few screams from nearby.
Curious, he looked in the direction of the noise.
On the other side of the street, he spotted an elderly man with a receding hairline, wearing a classic sleeveless white tank top, maneuvering a manual wheelchair with both hands. The man skillfully navigated through the crowd, his hands spinning the wheels on both sides, causing the wheelchair to speedily weave in and out.
Was he... drifting?
It was bizarre; the old man was clearly using a manual wheelchair, yet his technique was impeccable. He spun and dodged with agility, and despite the multiple drainage channel turns, he managed to give off a sense of smoothness akin to a professional figure skater, sleek and graceful.
As the wheelchair glided by, it stirred up the wind, lifting the skirts of female students walking by, eliciting screams. The wheelchair-bound old man even took the time to whistle at the girls, earning him angry rebukes laced with playful complaints.
Watching the old man's cool drifting silhouette disappear into the distance, Xue Jing fell into deep thought.
If wheelchair drifting was considered a skill, that old man would probably be at Level 10.
It had certainly been an interesting encounter.
Shaking his head, Xue Jing crossed the street when the light turned green and entered the supermarket.
He bought some beef and pork, vegetables, eggs, ham sausage, plain noodles, scallions, ginger, garlic, spices, and some condiments that were running low or had run out. He also grabbed some snacks and fruits before heading to the cashier to pay. Carrying a large bag, he left the supermarket.
On his way back, as Xue Jing passed through a dimly lit alley, he suddenly paused.
"Hmm?"
A small black cat with four white gloves on its paws jumped down from somewhere and blocked his path.
The cat didn't have a collar, but there was a platinum-colored metal ring on the tip of its tail, perhaps a decoration put on by its owner or a prank played by a passerby.
Its body was dirty and disheveled, with bald patches where its fur had been torn out, likely from fighting with other cats. There were also dried bloodstains on its coat, indicating it had endured a hard life.
The cat jumped down and wobbled over to Xue Jing. It looked up at him with emerald-green vertical pupils, then turned and collapsed on its side.
"Are you trying to scam me here?"
Xue Jing couldn't help but chuckle.
However, the cat looked pitiful, and he felt a sense of connection with it. He squatted down, intending to feed it a few sticks of sausage.
Just then, the cat, in its half-conscious state, unexpectedly opened its mouth and spoke in human language, mumbling, "I never thought... the world of stray cats... would be so cruel..."
With that, it closed its eyes and passed out.
...
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
