NOVEL SIMPLE CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 6: The Power of Skills
At 1:00 PM, Lu Ming’s lunch break came to an end. He awoke, refreshed from his nap, and enjoyed a light snack of fresh fruit. Having already maxed out his attributes for the day, he opted for something more leisurely—a ten-minute stroll on the treadmill. Overexerting himself at this point would be counterproductive.
With the walk complete, Lu Ming returned to the reading area on the second floor and powered on his computer. Revisiting the slingshot marksmanship video he’d watched earlier, he prepared to dive deeper into the nuances of using the weapon.
The video, while informative, lacked engaging elements. But despite its dullness, Lu Ming absorbed the knowledge intently. Armed with this new understanding, he retrieved his slingshot and a bag of small glass marbles—the perfect practice ammunition.
The fitness area on the second floor was expansive, occupying 80 square meters of the 100-square-meter space. While filled with weights and equipment, a long, narrow section remained free, designed for activities like slingshot practice. At one end of this 10-meter walkway lay the reading area, while the other end featured a foam archery target—Lu Ming’s makeshift slingshot range.
A self-proclaimed doomsday prepper, Lu Ming had always considered weapons as essential. Whether for hunting or self-defense, long-range weapons were key in any survival scenario. Given China’s strict gun control laws, he had stockpiled three viable options: bows, crossbows, and slingshots. However, his expertise was minimal, and with the arrival of the apocalypse, he realized that even within the safety of his home, mastering these weapons was crucial.
"Plus," he pondered, "I need to see if using these weapons can trigger new skills like Fitness did yesterday."
With the rest of the afternoon stretching before him and no pressing tasks at hand, Lu Ming took up his slingshot, ready to test his theory.
Achieving precision with a slingshot proved far more difficult than he anticipated. Its simple design offered no built-in aiming mechanism, and the ammunition lacked consistency. Glass marbles were far from perfect, with each projectile offering a different trajectory depending on wind resistance.
Lu Ming loaded a marble, pulled back the rubber band, and aimed at the target.
"Snap!"
The shot veered off course, smashing into a barbell nearby. The glass marble shattered into dust.
"Well, that was rough," he muttered with a grin. "Let’s try again."
"Pa!"
The slingshot fired again, the projectile missing the target once more. Undeterred, Lu Ming adjusted his stance, hand position, and shooting technique, practicing relentlessly. The soundproof walls absorbed the noise, ensuring no attention would be drawn to his activities.
It wasn’t until his 20th attempt that Lu Ming’s efforts bore fruit. The marble struck the target, landing in the second ring—far from perfect, but it was a start.
Eagerly, he accessed his attribute panel:
Name: Lu Ming
Age: 25 years old
Strength: 6.4
Physique: 6.8
Agility: 6.7
[Skills]
- Fitness (Lv1 50/100)
- Slingshot (Lv1 1/100): You have mastered the initial shooting technique of the slingshot. Agility increased by 0.1 points.
A surge of excitement ran through him. Skills could increase attributes! His agility had gone up by 0.1 points thanks to his slingshot practice. This opened up a new avenue for growth—one that could multiply his daily gains. The potential was undeniable.
"Time to farm!" he declared, newfound enthusiasm driving him forward.
Each bullseye he hit earned him 1 point of proficiency in the Slingshot skill, and landing a perfect ten-ring shot gave him 2 points. After half an hour of practice, the foam target was shredded from the barrage of marbles. More importantly, Lu Ming’s Slingshot skill had leveled up.
- Slingshot (Lv2 5/200): You have acquired the basic shooting technique of the slingshot. Agility increased by 0.3 (+0.2) points.
The skill’s Level 2 upgrade had added 0.2 points to the initial 0.1-point agility boost, bringing the total to 0.3 points. And all this within a little over thirty minutes of practice.
"This isn’t slow progress at all," Lu Ming thought, impressed by the steady improvement.
Another shot rang out, the satisfying "Snap!" of the marble striking the center of the target.
- Slingshot (Lv2 7/200)
"Moreover," he noted, "there doesn’t seem to be a daily cap on skill proficiency gains."
Although there was no limit on proficiency itself, Lu Ming soon felt the physical toll. Despite his increased fitness, using a high-tension slingshot required significant strength, and his wrist ached from the repetitive strain.
Deciding to call it a day, Lu Ming returned to the reading area and massaged his wrist, reflecting on his progress.
"I’ve unlocked another skill," he thought, a sense of accomplishment washing over him. "And it’s clear that skills can boost attribute growth."
With this realization, Lu Ming knew that adding skill practice to his daily routine would be essential for maximizing his gains.
Idle time was dangerous in the apocalypse. Without focusing on attributes or skills, he’d have nothing left to do but stare at walls or watch old movies on his computer. Physical and skill development was his path forward.
"The more skills I acquire," he reasoned, "the faster my core attributes will grow."
With this in mind, Lu Ming swapped targets. He picked up his crossbow, loaded a bolt, and aimed at the archery target at the end of the range.
Unlike the slingshot, the crossbow had a sight scope, making aiming far easier. He squeezed the trigger. "Snap!" The bolt flew straight and true, landing a perfect bullseye.
Lu Ming immediately checked his attribute panel:
Agility: 7.0
- Archery (Lv1 1/100): You have mastered the basic use of a bow. Agility increased by 0.1 points.
"Interesting," he mused, noting the difference in proficiency gain compared to the slingshot. With the slingshot, a bullseye awarded 2 proficiency points, but the crossbow only gave 1.
After some reflection, he concluded it made sense. The sight scope provided a major advantage, making the crossbow inherently easier to use.
Reloading, Lu Ming fired again. This time, the bolt landed in the seven-ring, earning no additional proficiency.
"Perhaps the short range is a factor," he theorized. "Crossbows have a longer effective range, so it’s easier to hit the target from close up."
Unfortunately, the limited space in his safe house meant he couldn’t test the theory.
Undeterred, Lu Ming continued practicing with the crossbow, firing thirty bolts in total, two of which broke in the process. His efforts paid off when his Crossbow skill finally reached Level 2.
- Archery (Lv2 0/200): You have acquired the basic shooting technique of the crossbow. Agility increased by 0.3 points.
His Agility had now risen to 7.2 points, but progress halted. The close proximity and ease of use meant the crossbow no longer provided a challenge, limiting further proficiency gains.
Unfazed, Lu Ming switched targets once again. This time, he picked up his bow and arrows. With the fifth arrow striking the target, he checked his attribute panel once more:
- Slingshot (Lv2 10/200): You have mastered the initial shooting technique of the slingshot. Agility increased by 0.1 points.
Like the slingshot, hitting the bullseye with a bow awarded 2 proficiency points, and hitting the target earned 1 point.
Rather than continuing archery practice, Lu Ming turned to a new challenge. Sitting down at his computer, he pulled up a pre-downloaded tutorial on basic hand-to-hand combat.
"If ranged weapons can trigger skills," he reasoned, "then hand-to-hand combat should work the same way."
"Since ranged skills boost Agility, hand-to-hand combat might improve Strength and Physique."
With a silent nod of appreciation for the internet's vast knowledge, Lu Ming downloaded a collection of combat tutorials. After diligently studying the techniques, he immediately put them into practice. His efforts paid off sooner than expected, with the attribute panel displaying a new skill:
- Unarmed Combat (Lv1 1/100): You have acquired the basic essentials of unarmed combat. Strength and Physique increased by 0.1 points.
End of Chapter 6