Chapter 9: Exercise in Moderation

Name: Chen Jue

Strength: 0.78

Constitution: 0.93

Spirit: 1.05

Skill: [Level 1 Stone Skimming (5/200)]

Assignable Free Attribute Points: 0.01

(Character Evaluation: A perfectly ordinary corporate drone. Your body is in a severely suboptimal state of health.)

——————

"My Attributes went up!"

Chen Jue was thrilled as he looked at the notification on his panel.

This trip to the gym had been exhausting, but it hadn’t been for nothing.

Not only did he learn a lot about fitness, exercise, and the human body, but he also got a physical assessment that gave him a rough idea of his body’s current state of decline.

But the most important part was the 0.02 attribute points he’d gained.

After his Strength increased by 0.01, he could faintly feel his leg muscles swelling with power.

It was a very subtle sensation, but Chen Jue could clearly perceive it.

As for that one free attribute point, Chen Jue immediately added it to Constitution.

His Constitution Attribute increased from 0.93 to 0.94.

After finishing five sets on the seated leg press, Chen Jue’s stamina was completely drained. As he slid off the machine, he felt his legs trembling uncontrollably.

If not for the boost from that point in Constitution, he probably would have collapsed onto the floor.

’So tired!’

’It hurts so good!’

’I feel more wiped out than if I’d jacked off three times in one night!’ Chen Jue gasped for breath, one hand resting on the handle of a nearby machine.

Seeing his state, Li Chaoyun quickly squatted down and squeezed Chen Jue’s thigh muscles.

"Very good. The effect is excellent."

"This is a great result for your first time." Li Chaoyun offered a few words of praise, clearly perplexed by Chen Jue’s sudden burst of strength.

"Coach Li, should I do more?"

"I feel like I can’t even walk." Chen Jue caught his breath and forced an awkward smile.

He finally understood why the fitness influencers in those self-discipline videos always looked like they were wearing masks of pain while exercising.

’This stuff is seriously intense!’

"Normally, our personal training sessions are 45 minutes long, with a 15-minute break, so the actual exercise time is about half an hour."

"Since this is your first time, your body hasn’t adapted to this high-intensity exercise yet. You should probably stop for today."

"You need to progress gradually. Your ankles and leg muscles will likely be very sore for the next few days. That’s just excess lactic acid buildup, which is a normal reaction, so don’t worry too much."

"Go home and apply a warm compress. Come back after you’ve gotten some proper rest."

Li Chaoyun patiently guided him, explaining in detail all the things a beginner should pay attention to after their first workout.

He even concluded by telling Chen Jue about cases of people who trained recklessly, didn’t understand the dangers or exercise moderation their first time, and ended up with rhabdomyolysis from overexertion.

A chill ran down Chen Jue’s spine as he listened.

He seemed to recall scrolling past such cases on the news more than once; a few of them popped up every year.

...

"Thanks for the guidance, Coach!"

After the free trial session ended, Chen Jue thanked Li Chaoyun.

By now, the gym was starting to fill up.

The row of treadmills was completely occupied, seemingly by people warming up and burning fat.

Of course, there were also those who were clearly seasoned athletes, immediately seeking out Li Chaoyun for personal training sessions upon arrival.

Seeing that he was busy teaching, Chen Jue scanned a QR code on the wall to add Coach Li on WeChat, then began wandering around the gym on his own.

He was walking slowly to relieve the soreness in his legs.

Based on his experience "wrecking" his right arm with Stone Skimming last night, his legs were going to be in agony by tomorrow.

Following Li Chaoyun’s advice, it was best not to sit down immediately after intense exercise. Instead, one should walk slowly to speed up blood circulation.

Sitting flexes the joints in the lower limbs, which increases resistance to venous blood return and obstructs circulation in the lower body.

This actually slows down the oxidation of lactic acid in the muscles, causing it to build up even more.

In severe cases, it can even reduce blood flow back to the heart and induce shock.

’I never realized there was so much to working out.’

’I wonder how long I’ll have to train to reach their level.’ Chen Jue shuffled along, observing the other gym members as he wandered.

He noticed that these regulars, regardless of age or gender, all had a vibrant and healthy appearance.

From their complexions and physiques to even the way they sat and stood, they were all more upright than the average person.

After years of sitting in front of a computer for work, Chen Jue had long since developed an anterior pelvic tilt and a herniated lumbar disc; his posture was unnaturally curved whether he was sitting or standing.

Add to that smoking, drinking, and frequently staying up all night, and his complexion was nowhere near that of the other members.

After taking a look around, Chen Jue couldn’t help but think, ’No wonder that body assessment machine said my physical age is three years older than I am. The difference is huge!’

His trial pass was good for another week, so Chen Jue decided he would wait for the muscle soreness to fade before coming back to train again in a few days.

He definitely couldn’t train anymore today, since his legs and right arm were practically useless. Only his left arm could still move freely.

Just as Chen Jue was about to drag his exhausted body home, he discovered a small, glass-walled room in the gym that held various recreational items like card and board games.

Hanging on the wall was a black-and-white circular disc.

’What’s this?’

’A game room?’

Chen Jue pushed the door open and went inside, taking a closer look at the disc on the wall.

In addition to its black and white base colors, the disc was marked with a conspicuous ring of numbers from 1 to 20, scrambled in a specific pattern.

The board also had clearly divided red and green sections, as if for some kind of game.

’Is this for Darts?’

’I think I saw people playing this back in school!’

Chen Jue found a corresponding box on a nearby shelf.

Inside were an instruction manual and two sets of sharp-tipped Darts, one red and one green.

He unfolded the manual for a look and was surprised to find that this game was actually considered a sport, and even had international competitions.

Seeing that it wasn’t even 10 a.m. yet, and since his left hand was still functional, Chen Jue followed the rules from the manual. He stood at the throwing line, picked up a dart, and gave it a test throw at the board.

THUNK~

The red, fletched dart embedded itself in the target.

Having just read the manual, Chen Jue knew the section he hit had a point value.

The closer to the red bullseye at the center, the higher the score.

His throw had only hit the outermost section.

But the moment the dart landed, Chen Jue froze!

The pixelated box in his vision had, once again, displayed a notification!

[DING~]

[Action meets requirements]

[Skill Activated: Darts]