NOVEL SIMPLE CHAPTER 43
Chapter 43: Forging Strength
Lu Ming’s request for a week’s delay caught Wang Xiong off guard. Here he was, simply offering a restocking trip, and Lu Ming seemed overly apprehensive. It was just a round trip to a known location with plenty of food. As an Awakened himself, Wang Xiong wasn’t worried about zombies, and Lu Ming’s strength was enough to take down a hunter with ease. So what was the cause of this hesitation?
Sensing Wang Xiong’s bewilderment, Lu Ming offered a rare explanation. “Brother Wang, you know my ability is unique—I get stronger every day. Honestly, I’m unsure about the situation outside. Though I’ve killed many zombies, I think it was mostly due to the advantage of my location. It’s hard to say what I might encounter or what sudden dangers might arise. One wrong move could be fatal.”
Wang Xiong was at a loss for words. He wanted to assure Lu Ming that the outside world wasn’t that perilous, but Lu Ming continued, “That’s why I need a week to prepare. I think with another week, venturing out won’t be a problem.”
His primary goal was to boost his three core attributes—Strength, Physique, and Agility—to around 50 points each. With such stats, Lu Ming would feel a sense of security when venturing outside.
Wang Xiong remained silent until Lu Ming finally added, “As for food this week, I’ll take care of it all.”
Considering everything—being his personal trainer, even helping clean the streets—covering their food for a week seemed like a fair exchange. Wang Xiong readily agreed. “Since that’s how you feel, Brother Lu, we’ll stay for another week.” There was little room for argument when food was on the table.
Following this, everyone returned to their tasks. Wang Xiong and the others continued with zombie collection and research, while Lu Ming focused on farming his archery proficiency at home.
The next day, the 23rd day of the apocalypse, dawned bright. At eight o’clock in the morning, Lu Ming, Zhang Chengcheng, and Wang Xiong assembled in the empty space before Lu Ming’s house, ready to begin their daily exercise routine.
Lu Ming was the main focus, Zhang Chengcheng would assist with her superpower, and Wang Xiong acted as their guide.
“Today’s exercise,” Wang Xiong began, “starts with a warm-up. But considering your physical condition, Brother Lu, I think we can combine your warm-up with some endurance training.”
With that, he handed Lu Ming a jump rope and a weighted suit. The suit weighed 30 kilograms, designed not to restrict movement but to add a significant load. The real benefit, however, came from the combination of the weighted suit and Zhang Chengcheng’s gravity manipulation ability.
After Lu Ming donned the weighted suit and picked up the jump rope, Zhang Chengcheng activated her power, cranking the gravity up to ten times normal.
Lu Ming launched into his jumps, the rope whipping through the air. As he jumped, Wang Xiong explained the benefits. “Jumping rope is a great warm-up exercise. While it might not be superior to running in terms of pure warming up, it excels at training your body’s coordination and balance.”
“If you find regular two-footed jumps monotonous, you can try some fancy variations to boost the training effect,” he added.
Lu Ming was a pro at basic jumping rope, but fancy variations were new territory. Luckily, with Wang Xiong’s guidance, he was able to switch between regular and fancy jumps within minutes.
His attributes began to inch upward, and his Fitness skill proficiency saw a similar rise. After ten minutes, Lu Ming felt his body loosen up, perfectly warmed up. Still, he continued jumping without stopping, waiting for Wang Xiong’s signal.
Twenty minutes passed, and beads of sweat began to form on Lu Ming’s forehead. Wang Xiong remained silent.
Thirty minutes in, Lu Ming was panting heavily. He glanced at Zhang Chengcheng across from him, noticing the strain on her face as she maintained her power. “Still not stopping?” he questioned, wondering if they’d be jumping rope all day.
Wang Xiong’s expression remained stoic. “Continue.”
Lu Ming pressed on. Forty minutes. Fifty minutes. Finally, after a grueling hour, the command came.
“Stop!”
With that, Lu Ming immediately ceased jumping. Relief washed over him. Zhang Chengcheng’s legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground. But wasting no time, she fished a Level 1 zombie crystal from her pocket and popped it in her mouth.
Noticing Lu Ming’s curiosity, Wang Xiong offered an explanation with a smile. “Zhang Chengcheng’s power level is still a bit low. It can’t sustain your training for long stretches. Last night, we experimented and discovered that corpse crystals can replenish an Awakened’s physical fitness and power reserves.”
This was excellent news for Lu Ming.
“You should rest as well,” Wang Xiong instructed, “but not completely. Even without the superpower, keep jumping as a form of active recovery.”
Lu Ming nodded in agreement. He adjusted his strength and continued jumping, though, without gravity manipulation, the intensity felt like a casual exercise to him.
Ten minutes later, Zhang Chengcheng rose to her feet, her energy visibly restored.
Wang Xiong outlined the next routine. “Fifteen times gravity, variation jump rope. Jump once per second, ten times in a row, followed by a minute of jumping as fast as possible. Then, slow down for thirty seconds and repeat the fast jumps for another minute. I’ll guide you through the rhythm, just follow along.”
Lu Ming acknowledged the instructions with a simple “Okay.” Compared to the grueling hour of basic jumping rope that served as a warm-up, the intensity of the variation jumps took things to a whole new level. Under the crushing weight of fifteen times gravity, Lu Ming’s athletic performance was barely above that of an ordinary person. With the added burden of the weighted suit, every high-speed jump felt like his heart was about to burst out of his chest.
After half an hour of this relentless exercise, Zhang Chengcheng reached her limit once more, collapsing from exhaustion. Lu Ming himself was no better, panting heavily and unable to straighten his back.
“Don’t rest,” Wang Xiong commanded. “Keep jumping, stop only when I so. You're still recovering while doing it.”
Wiping away sweat, Lu Ming complied. Ten more minutes passed before he moved on to strength training, still under the brutal fifteen times gravity. Squats, lunges, explosive push-ups, twists, and sit-ups—the routine continued for a grueling forty minutes. Sweat drenched his clothes, leaving him utterly spent.
Zhang Chengcheng resorted to the corpse crystals again, replenishing her energy as she caught her breath. Meanwhile, Lu Ming saw Wang Xiong standing before him, his fists clenched in a fighting stance.
Lu Ming’s brow furrowed in confusion.
Wang Xiong offered a smile. “Time for some practical sparring. Of course, I’ll need a bit of an edge. You’ll be in the weighted suit under ten times gravity, while I won’t be weighed down.”
“Is this part of the fitness plan as well?” Lu Ming inquired.
Wang Xiong gave a firm nod. “Sparring is one of the most effective training methods. It pushes your stamina, explosive power, reflexes, and more to their limits in a real-world combat scenario. Additionally, your muscles need to endure impact to truly grow stronger.”
He added with a playful jab, “Besides, aren’t you curious about mixed martial arts?”
Lu Ming’s interest was piqued, to say the least. Despite the exhaustion, he stretched his limbs and responded with a determined nod. “Please teach me.”
The sparring session wasn’t a brutal brawl, but rather a controlled demonstration by Wang Xiong. He focused on defense, not offense, guiding Lu Ming’s movements and pointing out areas for improvement in his strength and technique. It was clear that Wang Xiong was an exceptional instructor.
Lu Ming’s intense morning workout yielded impressive results. His fitness level soared thanks to a significant boost in his Fitness skill proficiency. Additionally, his unarmed combat skills sharpened under Wang Xiong’s guidance, reaching a new level.
[Fitness Skill Proficiency increased significantly.]
[Unarmed Combat skill leveled up!]
[Overall strength and agility improved.]
Lu Ming’s dedication is paying off! He’s becoming fitter and more capable with each training session.
End of Chapter 43