Chapter 344 341: Strength Harvest (Part 2)

After entering university, Lu Ke's physical fitness had hit a plateau, but his technical abilities were still developing and had significant room for growth.

After the system appeared, all his technical skills were digitized into corresponding stats, and he gained a "fast-track" for improvement through basic attribute points. Because of this, the actual growth from his training couldn't keep up with the rapid addition of these points. Before his real-world skills could reach a certain level, the attribute points had already forced a qualitative leap through sheer quantity.

That was why the quantitative and qualitative changes in Lu Ke's technical skills were never apparent. Perhaps, with more time and accumulation, they would eventually manifest.

It had taken nearly half a year for his physical attributes to show their first change. And since Lu Ke had always focused on allocating his points to technical skills, the results from his actual training would inevitably require even more time to accumulate and become noticeable.

However, after this breakthrough, his physical attributes would once again enter a process of quantitative accumulation, building up to the next qualitative leap. One thing was certain: as long as he persisted with his strength and yoga training, the related attributes would surely continue to grow. Moreover, the rate of improvement would be much more efficient than it had been over the past year.

Whether it took a month, two months, or even longer, his hard work was bound to pay off. Lu Ke believed this with unwavering conviction.

'Now I finally understand the meaning of that saying: "Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." But that one percent of inspiration is the foundation for everything to begin,' Lu Ke couldn't help but reflect. But it was only for a moment. The past year's experiences had taught him that:

Now that he had his one percent of inspiration, the remaining ninety-nine percent of perspiration was up to him. So, he had to work hard, work hard, and then work even harder.

He brought his focus back to the Attribute Panel. 'Seventeen—no, eighteen basic attribute points. How should I make the best use of them?'

First, there was Tactical Awareness. The score was already at eighty-two. In the past few weeks of games, it had become the deciding factor, the very thing that tipped the scales between victory and defeat. This proved once again how crucial tactical acumen was in the professional games of the NFL. Even someone as physically strong as Cam Newton couldn't lead his team to victory if he was lagging behind in his understanding of the playbook.

So, Lu Ke decisively invested further into this skill. He added eight points in one go, and in the blink of an eye, the score became ninety. This was the first of Lu Ke's skills to break the ninety-point threshold.

After allocating the points, just as Lu Ke was about to distribute the rest, his head began to swell. It felt as if someone were trying to stuff an elephant into his skull—he couldn't tell if they were shoving it through his ears, nostrils, or straight through his brainstem—but his brain suddenly felt incredibly cramped, as if it were about to explode at any moment.

The sensation was even more painful and agonizing than the last time he'd upgraded his physical attributes. Lu Ke's face contorted, and his hands instinctively gripped the massage table, but he couldn't muster any strength. The weightless feeling of dehydration and oxygen deprivation was truly unbearable. Worse yet, he couldn't even manage to vomit.

Now Lu Ke finally understood what it must have felt like in *Harry Potter* when Voldemort tore his soul to create seven Soul Artifacts, and why such a spell was called Dark Magic.

"Lu Ke, Lu Ke? Are you okay?" Lucas was clearly startled. "What's wrong? Was it something I did with the massage?"

The wave of pain surged in an instant, and receded just as fast.

Fortunately, the pain came and went quickly. As the swelling sensation gradually began to fade, Lu Ke closed his eyes. "No, no, Lucas, it's not your fault. I'm just a little dizzy. It's probably too hot in the room. I'm sorry, but could you please get me a glass of water?"

'Next time, I should do this while I'm in an ice bath. At least I'll be in my own private space, and there's no chance of giving myself away.'

'More importantly, after that gut-wrenching experience from upgrading my physical attributes, I didn't even learn my lesson. I should have split the point allocation into two or three batches. I guess I was so overjoyed at getting so many points at once that I overlooked such minor details.'

Lucas walked over, poured a glass of water, and handed it to Lu Ke. Seeing the sweat beading on Lu Ke's forehead, he asked, "God, are you sure? How about I call the team doctor over right now?"

"Lucas, I'm serious. I'm fine," Lu Ke said, waving his hand dismissively, a wry expression on his face. Although his brain still felt a bit swollen and dizzy, the worst had passed. "Yes, I just need a glass of water."

"Water? Are you sure?" Lucas gave him a look of utter disbelief.

For people in the United States, drinking plain water was an almost unimaginable concept. Even when it came to mineral water, they tended to prefer sparkling water—something like club soda, with a bit of a taste. In their daily lives, Coke, beer, and soda were the normal choices.

"Yes, mineral water. The kind with no bubbles," Lu Ke repeated, his tone relaxing slightly as he let out a soft chuckle.

Lucas breathed a sigh of relief as well. "Alright, let's call it a day for the massage. You get some rest and relax. If the muscles in your throwing arm still feel sore, use the technique I showed you to massage it a bit. Come by the facility tomorrow or the day after, and I'll personally work on loosening up those muscles for you."

"No problem." Lu Ke nodded in agreement and sat up straight. After watching Lucas leave, he twisted open the cap of the water bottle and chugged more than half of it in one go. Only then did he finally feel completely settled.

He opened the Attribute Panel again, his eyes landing on the ninety-point Tactical Awareness. The recent ordeal had been worth it. This was bound to become his trump card on the field. But excellent Tactical Awareness still required the corresponding skills to be executed; otherwise, it was all just theory.

After carefully weighing his options, Lu Ke chose two attributes: Observation Field of View and Short Pass Accuracy.

Observation Field of View was at seventy-five. After adding five basic attribute points, it now stood at eighty. Short Pass Accuracy was also at seventy-five. After adding the final five basic attribute points, it too became eighty.

With just two simple allocations, all the basic attribute points were gone. Just as Lu Ke was about to close the system, finished with his upgrades, he noticed a new attribute had appeared on the Attribute Panel.