Chapter Twenty: The Training Begins

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Until today, Qin Anyi had only occasionally done push-ups and sit-ups during gym class, if at all. All his other time was consumed by studying and part-time jobs, leaving him with no energy or opportunity to exercise his body. So, although Qin Anyi’s body had been repaired and reconstructed,

Chapter 21: The Training Begins

"I’d love to speed up, but you have to be able to go fast to do that!" Qin Anyi rolled his eyes and cursed inwardly. The further he went, the heavier his arms felt, as if they were filled with lead. By the time he had finished his thousandth push-up, half an hour had already passed, and his arms had begun to tremble uncontrollably.

“A man must not only have endurance, but also speed. You cannot lack either. Your current pace is far too slow,” Qilin remarked, perfectly calm as it watched Qin Anyi’s look of utter misery.

“Pffft!” Qin Anyi let out a breathless gasp. His arms gave way, and he collapsed flat on the ground, his gaze empty as he looked at Qilin. With a dark line forming on his forehead, he asked, “Where did you learn things like that…”

Though Qin Anyi was still a virgin, he was no stranger to such innuendos and instantly caught Qilin’s implication. What he didn’t know was whether Qilin understood the undertones or if it had just spoken by coincidence.

“Get up immediately and continue. When your body is at its limit and utterly exhausted, that’s the best time to break through yourself!” Qilin’s voice rang loudly in Qin Anyi’s mind.

“I know what extreme training means, but isn’t it true that extreme training often brings a lot of side effects?” Qin Anyi scratched his head, speechless, and asked tentatively, “So… will there be any side effects from using this semi-finished injection?”

“There is no experimental data for reference, so the side effects are unknown.”

“Fine… you win!” Qin Anyi bared his teeth, then threw himself back into push-ups with renewed speed, as if intent on venting all his frustration through exertion.

When the clock pointed to 11:15, Qin Anyi finally finished his last squat and collapsed onto the bed as if drained of life, too tired even to waste energy on breathing. Even as Qilin’s beautiful, naked projection flickered before his eyes, he had no response. Qin Anyi believed that, in this moment, even if the world’s greatest beauty tried to force herself upon him, he would not have the strength to comply.

“Training overtime by fifteen minutes and twelve seconds. Still within the estimated time. You have one week to adapt. After a week, your training time must be within the required limits. Now, go to sleep immediately. Do not waste time on empty, wandering thoughts.” Qilin’s voice sounded again, and at once Qin Anyi felt his mind grow hazy, as if Qilin were soothing his spirit. Soon, he slipped into sleep…

Qin Anle usually helped their parents with handwork until around 11:30. He and Qin Anyi shared the standard bunk bed found in most school dormitories. When Qin Anle returned to the bedroom, Qin Anyi was already on the top bunk, snoring thunderously. It was the first time Qin Anle realized his older brother snored in his sleep, and he was somewhat stunned. Then he guessed his brother must have been too tired these days, and that was why he had started to snore. Feeling somewhat guilty, Qin Anle gingerly supported himself along the edge with both hands, carefully moving his unfeeling legs bit by bit, afraid that any abrupt movement might wake his brother from his deep sleep.

Unseen from Qin Anle’s vantage point, strange changes seemed to be taking place in Qin Anyi’s body in the top bunk. Faint red light began to glow along the network of blood vessels just beneath his skin, spreading rapidly throughout his body as his blood flowed. The once withered muscles within him seemed to be nourished, gradually becoming full of vitality…

“To become stronger, you must steadily push your body to its true limits. Unlocking the genetic lock is only the first step… Keep striving, Master…” Qilin’s projection gazed at Qin Anyi, its eyes filled with a complex emotion unknown to others, utterly unlike the mechanical detachment with which it had supervised his training earlier.

The only reply was Qin Anyi’s steady, resounding snores.

“Hoo… rrrr… hoo… rrrr…”

The night grew deep…