Chapter 15: Amateur Level 3 Darts

An hour of morning practice didn’t turn Chen Jue into any kind of Martial Arts Master.

He discovered that this simplified version of the Tai Chi Twelve Forms was clearly geared more toward health and well-being. After he finished, besides breaking a light sweat and feeling a bit more energized, there weren’t any other changes.

Even the soreness in his muscles was only partially relieved thanks to the points he’d added to his Constitution.

As for the miraculously effective fighting techniques of Traditional Martial Arts that were hyped up online, Chen Jue didn’t feel anything of the sort.

Perhaps it was because he had just reached Lv1. The Skill Level of his Tai Chi Twelve Forms was still a bit low, so the effects weren’t very significant.

’If just an hour of practice was enough to get into a ring for a fight, it wouldn’t be Traditional Martial Arts, it’d be a divine technique!’

However, Chen Jue was still very satisfied to have learned a new Skill that could raise its Skill Level and grant attribute points.

After leaving his complex and grabbing breakfast, Chen Jue strolled over to Wangdao Park.

It was just 9 AM, so most of the shops in Wangdao Park weren’t open yet. Only the gym and a few breakfast spots had opened their doors.

Chen Jue’s gym trial pass still had a few days left on it, and not wanting to let it go to waste, he decided to come a bit early.

However, he wouldn’t be able to do a normal workout today.

His right arm and both legs hadn’t fully recovered, so only his left arm was in any condition to exercise.

When the young woman at the front desk saw Chen Jue arrive so early, her eyes lit up.

She remembered Chen Jue, the client who had come in for a trial class. In her experience, people who came back after the first trial usually became members.

If Chen Jue paid for a membership, she would get a nice commission.

So, the moment he walked in, the young woman at the front desk greeted him enthusiastically. "Sir? You’re back again? Would you like me to get a coach for you? Coach Li isn’t on duty today, but we have another coach, Coach Lin."

"Oh?"

"No, that’s okay. I’ll just work out on my own! No need to trouble you!" Chen Jue said, waving his hand dismissively.

His trial pass was only for seven days, and it would expire next Monday. He had no intention of buying a membership here.

Taisheng Finance was on the verge of collapse, so Chen Jue couldn’t even guarantee that he’d still be in the Jianye Park area for much longer.

’Getting a gym membership now would be a complete waste of money!’

’Besides, I already got one trial session for free. Asking for more help would be shameless, like taking a mile when they’ve given an inch.’

Seeing Chen Jue’s refusal, the young woman at the desk didn’t press the issue.

Knowing the right amount of pressure was crucial in the service industry. She was afraid that being too enthusiastic might scare off a potential customer like Chen Jue.

After all, everyone has a different personality, and all sorts of people came to this gym.

There were social butterflies who loved the enthusiastic service, but there were also plenty of introverts who just wanted to be left alone to do their own thing.

With his glasses and pudgy build, Chen Jue looked like a typical nerdy introvert.

...

Chen Jue filled his water bottle with some warm water from the dispenser, then took a walk around the gym.

He spotted a female coach with a killer figure training a scantily-clad female client, but he quickly averted his gaze after a couple of glances.

He looked down, pulled out his phone, and after a moment’s thought, he typed out the panel’s "prompt" from last night into a message for Coach Li Chaoyun, asking for advice.

He figured the coach was off-shift and resting, as he didn’t get an immediate reply.

Chen Jue went to the recreational room, picked up some Darts, and started throwing.

"THUD~"

"THUD~"

"THUD~"

The sound of the Darts hitting the target on the wall echoed throughout the recreational room, clearly audible even in the workout machine area on the other side of the glass.

After a night’s rest, the strength had returned to Chen Jue’s left hand.

Plus, with his Darts Skill now at Darts Lv2, his understanding of the sport had deepened. When Chen Jue threw the Darts again, nearly every throw earned him a "Standard" or "Excellent" evaluation prompt.

’Skill Level +2! +3! It was soaring! It was like he’d used a double XP scroll!’

Moreover, while practicing Darts in the early morning, Chen Jue found his mind was free of distractions. His head felt clear, and his focus was sharper than ever.

In this incredible state, he started hitting the bullseye more and more often.

After less than an hour of practice, just as the muscles in his left wrist and forearm were becoming unbearably sore, a familiar notification popped up on his panel.

——————

[Ding~]

[Skill Level reached 100%. The Skill Level has increased.]

[Darts Lv2 (500/500) → Lv3 (1/2000)]

[Your understanding of the sport of Darts has increased significantly. Your throwing motion has become more standard, and you have already reached the level of an amateur player.]

——————

[Ding~]

[After a period of exercise, the muscle groups in your left hand and forearm have grown slightly.]

[Strength Attribute +0.01]

——————

After the two notifications scrolled past, Chen Jue put down the Darts and shook out his sore left hand.

Such high-intensity, continuous practice had pushed Chen Jue’s body past its limits.

’Luckily, the effort paid off!’

Not only had his Darts Skill leveled up, but his Strength had also increased by a small amount, reaching 0.80.

’Level 3 is considered amateur level! But to level up again, it actually requires 2000 Skill Level?’

’At this rate, I’d have to throw for more than four hours straight just to grind out enough!’ Chen Jue calculated the time and effort required and began to feel daunted.

And that was only because he was in good form this morning; he’d managed to grind out 500 points of Skill Level in just over an hour.

If he wasn’t in good form, the training time would probably be even longer.

Besides, Chen Jue’s stamina wasn’t infinite. When his wrist and arm got tired, he’d have to take time to rest and recover.

He figured that to level up his Darts to Lv4, it would probably take him a week, or maybe even ten days.

’The progression is fast at lower levels.’

’Once the Skill Level requirement gets higher, the leveling speed will slow down.’

’These attribute points are probably the same way. The gains are fast when your base is low, but they should slow down later.’ Chen Jue was reminded of the fitness influencers who had recently gone viral for documenting their disciplined workout routines.

When these influencers first started making videos, they were all severely overweight. With a high starting weight, they could drop a dozen pounds or more after just a few days of disciplined effort, an insane rate of progress.

But the lower their body fat percentage dropped, the less effective their daily weight loss became.

After all, body weight is a number with both a floor and a ceiling.

If you lose too much, it can easily lead to a variety of illnesses.

...

Just as Chen Jue was shaking out his arm to relax, his phone buzzed.

It was a reply from Coach Li. "Mr. Chen, what you described—an increased appetite and better nutrient absorption after exercise—is actually very common."

"I looked at your fitness assessment report yesterday. Your basal metabolic rate is at a normal level, just 1,640 kcal."

"Among the members I’ve worked with who have a similar body type to yours, most of them get up to 1,800 kcal after a period of training."

"That’s when you need to increase your nutritional intake. If you want to build muscle, it’s best to eat more high-protein foods like eggs and beef. At the same time, you need a balanced diet, so eat more vegetables for vitamins, dietary fiber, and minerals. And remember to drink more water! An increased metabolism also means your body uses up water faster!"

"Professional coaches like us, and professional athletes, can’t rely on a normal diet alone. Some of us also supplement with whey protein, otherwise we can’t get enough nutrients."

Seeing how patiently Coach Li had replied, Chen Jue sent back a few ’thank you’ stickers in a row.

After seeing unfamiliar terms like ’muscle,’ ’exercise,’ ’aerobic exercise,’ and ’anaerobic exercise’ frequently appear on the panel, he had vaguely suspected that its notifications were based on real-world knowledge of the human body.

Chen Jue was new to sports and fitness. Besides his lack of experience, he was also completely in the dark about all this physiological knowledge.

Having a professional provide one-on-one guidance to clear up his confusion would allow him to grasp these fitness-related concepts much more quickly.

...

Just as Chen Jue was staring at his phone, wondering how he could squeeze some more free fitness knowledge out of Coach Li...

The female coach with the killer, curvy figure pushed open the door to the recreational room. "Were you the one throwing Darts just now?" she asked, her voice light and curious.