"Too conservative."
Nao realized he had underestimated the extent of his abnormal physique.
After a brief consideration, he increased the gravity to six times the normal level.
With this adjustment, he found the perfect balance between efficiency and safety during his training exercises.
The true power of the gravity field became evident through repeated experimentation.
Under its influence, his heart, lungs, spleen, and even the blood vessels and bones throughout his body were subjected to a form of weighted training.
If he could endure this regimen over time, the benefits to his physique would far surpass traditional methods like ankle weights, iron balls, or barbells.
"Let's stick with this for now."
Exhaling deeply, Nao did a light warm-up before diving into his familiar daily training routine.
"Once I fully adapt, I'll gradually increase the threshold!"
Step by step, layer by layer.
With the dual buffs from the training boost card and the gravity field, Nao eagerly anticipated the day he graduated, curious to see how much gravity he could endure—and just how terrifying his physical strength would become.
He started with a jog around the spacious training room. As he gradually adapted to running under increased gravity, he picked up the pace.
Within minutes, he was sprinting at over ten meters per second while maintaining steady breathing and rhythm.
And this was merely the warm-up.
Next came the usual push-ups, along with practice of the Six Powers and other martial arts techniques. Though it might seem monotonous to outsiders, Nao thoroughly enjoyed it.
—The sensation of gradually becoming stronger, bit by bit, was simply exhilarating!
Previously, he had thought that flirting with beautiful girls might become his favorite pastime. In hindsight, that was clearly an illusion.
Intense training was his true passion!
"Three thousand and one, three thousand and two, three thousand and three…"
Sweat poured down like a waterfall, soaking the floor.
While testing how many one-handed push-ups he could do under the multiplied gravity, Shiryuu and Rosinante appeared in the spacious training room.
They glanced at the sweat-drenched Nao, said nothing, and each found an empty corner to begin their own training in silence.
Were they motivated by him?
Noticing this, Nao couldn't help but smile silently.
These two, who had exhausted themselves yesterday, should have been resting in their rooms after breakfast like the other recruits.
Yet here they were, showing up early to train. It seemed their declarations in the dining hall about striving harder weren't just empty words.
What a pity...
Recalling Shiryuu's morning vow to reclaim the top spot, Nao couldn't help but feel a bit regretful.
With the gravity field—a game-breaking tool—even if he only trained two hours a day, his friend, who should have comfortably held the top position among their peers, would never catch up...
In this elite training camp, Nao was destined to dominate every assessment!
For Nao, joyful training sessions always flew by.
Before he knew it, night had fallen.
Outside the porthole, darkness enveloped the sky. Except for brief trips to the dining hall and restroom, Nao had spent the entire day diligently training in the room without pause.
Shiryuu and Rosinante stood at the doorway, initially intending to wait for Nao to finish so they could return to their quarters together. However, after standing for a while and yawning repeatedly, they saw no sign of him stopping.
"What's going on?"
By the time Shiryuu lit his seventeenth cigarette, he finally raised an eyebrow and spoke impatiently:
"It's already ten-thirty. No matter how much extra training you do, there should be a limit, damn it. Do you still plan to wake up on time tomorrow morning?"
"Maybe the legend of Nao waking up at five-thirty will finally be broken tomorrow," Rosinante added wistfully.
"Don't go around giving people nicknames, you brat!"
Nao unceremoniously gave Rosinante a flick on the forehead, causing the latter to clutch his head and wail. Then, turning to Shiryuu, he shrugged:
"You guys go ahead. Lately, I feel like my stamina has increased significantly. Maybe I won't need to sleep every night anymore."
In truth, he could go three or four days without sleep just fine, but he couldn't say that outright. He needed to give his roommates some time to adjust.
Not sleeping anymore? Is that even possible?
Shiryuu and Rosinante were both taken aback. After exchanging a glance, they seemed to reach a mutual understanding, nodded at each other, and then turned to Nao.
"What?" Nao felt a bit uneasy under their intense stares.
"We won't sleep either!"
Shiryuu abruptly stubbed out his cigarette and declared emphatically:
"It's not just about fearing a talented rival; it's about fearing one who works too hard. Just thinking about you, the top recruit, intensifying your training even after securing first place, makes it impossible for me to sleep peacefully!"
"Same here!"
"…We're friends, not competitors."
"Bullshit! Trying to confuse me with that talk again? I, Shiryuu, am no fool!"
"Same here!"
"…"
Watching the two of them echo each other, Nao was speechless for a moment. Finally, he nodded, acquiescing to their decision.
"Alright, if you think you can handle it, suit yourselves."
"Just remember to know your limits. If you end up drowsy all day tomorrow, this all-nighter will have been for nothing."
With that, he waved his hand and returned to his training area.
Shiryuu and Rosinante stood side by side, arms crossed, sneering with disdain.
—Tch, who does he think he's underestimating? Telling us to know our limits, as if we've never pulled an all-nighter before.
Three hours later.
In a quiet corner of the training room, the two lay sprawled on the floor, fast asleep.
One snored thunderously, while the other had a bubble of snot forming and popping repeatedly under Nao's watchful gaze.
"Pathetic."
Glancing at the wall clock, Nao noted it was only 1 AM, and he didn't feel tired at all.
"Tch, a couple of big talkers."
Shaking his head in exasperation, he walked over, flicked the half-smoked cigarette from Shiryuu's mouth, and draped jackets over both of them before returning to his martial arts practice.
By 4 AM, his stomach began to growl.
"Should I head to the kitchen for something to eat?"
Nao paused his training and looked at the pitch-black night outside. After a moment's hesitation, he dismissed the idea.
At this hour, the kitchen would be empty. He couldn't very well rummage through supplies and cook a meal for himself.
That would be too much trouble. Besides, with his cooking skills, he might end up like T-Bone, turning into a human fountain and collapsing from exhaustion.
"Guess I'll…"
He silently opened his backpack menu and clicked on the "Unlimited Luosifen" icon.
Without a sound, a large bowl of luosifen appeared before him.
The familiar pungent aroma wafted up—sour bamboo shoots, wood ear mushrooms, pickled beans, and other toppings filled the bowl, garnished with greens, peanuts, and snail meat. The vibrant colors made it look quite appetizing.
"Not bad, better than expected."
Raising an eyebrow, he took a big sip of the broth before slurping the noodles, soon revealing a satisfied smile.
"Hmm, the spiciness is just right, and the flavor's pretty good."
With meat, carbs, and vegetables all present, it was a well-rounded meal. For someone famished in the middle of the night, this was pure bliss.
It seemed those 8,000 points were more worthwhile than he had imagined.
The sour and spicy flavors stimulated his appetite. He devoured six large bowls in one go, even drinking the broth clean, before contentedly patting his stomach and temporarily disabling the "Unlimited Luosifen" function.
"Back to training!"
Rising to his feet, Nao felt a warm sensation throughout his body, invigorated and ready to continue.
Laughing heartily, he slightly increased the gravity field to 6.3 times and immersed himself once more in his rigorous training.
So focused was he that he failed to notice, as he had been enjoying his meal, the two sleeping in the corner—Shiryuu and Rosinante—began to frown deeply. Their faces contorted in discomfort, as if trapped in a dreadful nightmare...