Chapter 3: The Working Class Takes the Stage

After completing a full set of physical training, Luo Feng began his footwork exercises.

Once he finished, he picked up a replica Blood Shadow Series II battle blade from the nearby weapon rack. This was the weapon he was most familiar with.

*Whoosh! Whoosh!*

The blade whistled, carving out afterimages, each strike carrying enough force to split stone. Luo Feng was not learning any complex blade techniques at the moment; he was merely practicing the basics. However, the natural and proficient posture he displayed while wielding the blade made it clear that his mastery of the fundamentals was rock-solid—the result of immense, painstaking effort.

Deep within Luo Feng, Bai Chen could only observe through Luo Feng’s perspective. Though he couldn’t stand to the side to watch the training in full, the whistling sound of the blade and the flickering afterimages gave him a visceral sense of what a warrior’s power truly meant.

Luo Feng believed him to be a mysterious powerhouse from another world, but Bai Chen knew the truth: had it not been for the fusion of his "golden finger" cheat, he would have been nothing more than an ordinary person.

"So cool," Bai Chen thought, watching Luo Feng wield the blade with a hint of envy.

...Two hours passed.

Luo Feng was gasping for breath, drenched in sweat, yet he continued to push himself. When his arms could no longer swing the blade, he moved on to footwork; when his legs grew too sore, he turned to core training. He did not stop until every muscle in his body ached and his stamina was completely depleted.

"Agh!" Luo Feng let out a roar, struggling violently to complete his 303rd weighted push-up. His arm muscles trembled uncontrollably, and sweat poured off him like rain.

Just as Luo Feng felt he had reached his absolute limit and that the push-up was impossible, a surge of fresh energy welled up from deep within his body, allowing him to complete the repetition.

[Ding!]

[Current Task: Complete a physical limit-breaking workout] (Status: Completed)

Hearing the voice in his mind, Luo Feng finally collapsed, unable to hold on any longer, panting like an ox.

Within Luo Feng’s body, Bai Chen had also successfully completed his first "theft" of special energy. In the void, Bai Chen’s soul form watched as wisps of white energy swirled around his palm. This was the special energy he had "stolen" by influencing the outside world while Luo Feng completed his task. Looking at the wisps, Bai Chen couldn't immediately tell if it was a large or small amount.

"Let’s test it," Bai Chen thought, activating his other ability—[Creation].

[Creation: "A lollipop that can increase Luo Feng’s strength by one kilogram without side effects."]

The next moment, a portion of the white energy in Bai Chen’s palm was consumed, and a lollipop, exactly as he had imagined, floated before him.

"It consumed about one-fiftieth of the special energy." After sensing the expenditure, Bai Chen nodded, satisfied. A single limit-breaking workout from Luo Feng yielded enough energy to increase the user’s strength by fifty kilograms. This felt like a worthwhile trade. After all, it wasn’t Bai Chen who was doing the sweating... *Ahem.*

To better categorize the energy, Bai Chen decided to set "a lollipop that increases strength by one kilogram" as one unit of special energy. This meant he had successfully stolen fifty units.

"Ten percent of the energy will go to Luo Feng as a task reward, leaving him to decide how to use it, while the remaining ninety percent will be saved so I can decide how to best help him in the future." After some deliberation, Bai Chen reached his decision.

He had thought this through carefully. Until he could gain his freedom from Luo Feng, these reserves would essentially be investments in his host. He might use them to create techniques or treasures from other fictional worlds, or to save Luo Feng during a life-or-death crisis. He had no idea what would happen to his own existence as a parasitic cheat if Luo Feng were to die. Would he be set free, or would he perish along with his host? Bai Chen didn't dare gamble.

Although according to the original timeline, Luo Feng wouldn't perish, Bai Chen’s arrival was like a butterfly causing a storm; who knew if he had already changed Luo Feng’s fate? These stored energies were, in a sense, a "reserve fund" for them to weather unknown risks. Though, while Luo Feng was still growing, most of it would likely continue to be spent on him.

Once Bai Chen made his decision, Luo Feng finally recovered enough strength to shakily stand up.

"Bai, I’ve completed the task," Luo Feng communicated silently, his heart filled with a mix of nerves and anticipation. He didn't know if he had passed. To be honest, this kind of limit-breaking training was torture for both mind and body. Even a person as diligent as Luo Feng rarely pushed himself to such extremes, fearing that such intense training might cause hidden injuries that would hinder his future potential or shorten his lifespan. Moreover, he didn't have the money for precious recovery potions.

"Yes, I saw... your task reward is in your backpack," Bai Chen replied from the void, a playful glint in his tone.

Luo Feng blinked in surprise, looking at the backpack on the chair with curiosity. He walked over and opened it, finding, beneath his water and energy bars, something that definitely shouldn't have been there... lollipops?

Five lollipops, each a different color.

"Bai, my reward is... lollipops?" Luo Feng asked, feeling stunned and confused. Was 'Bai' playing a prank on him?

"These are no ordinary lollipops. These are strength-enhancing lollipops that can increase your power without any side effects!" Bai Chen scoffed in his mind, feigning annoyance at being doubted. What was wrong with lollipops? They were delicious and made you stronger—what could be better than that?

As expected, upon hearing Bai Chen’s disgruntled response, Luo Feng quickly apologized. He eagerly picked up a blue lollipop and asked tentatively, "How much strength will this one give me?"

"One kilogram."

One kilogram? Luo Feng’s first instinct was that it was a bit low, but he immediately realized—five lollipops meant five kilograms. He had only spent two hours of effort on this limit-breaking session. At his normal rate of progress, it would take nearly a month to gain five kilograms of strength. Even if he only completed one limit-breaking task a day, the efficiency was more than twenty times faster than training on his own.

After weighing the effort against the reward, a smile blossomed on Luo Feng’s face. "Bai, can you keep issuing tasks for me?"

Though he was exhausted, the promise of such exceptional rewards made the pain bearable. He couldn't waste the rest of the day; he had to complete at least three more limit-breaking tasks! As for the risk of hidden injuries? He felt sure that 'Bai' would find a way to handle it. And even if not, he had already reached the standard for a prospective warrior. Once he passed the assessment and became a true warrior, he would be able to earn money. By then, buying nutritional supplements and recovery potions would be easy.