Yeah. In the apocalypse, where he was running for his life. Not on an empty street with nothing chasing him. His motivation back then had been fear and desperation. Right now, he had none of that.
[Lotus: You’re moving like an elderly man on his way to buy vegetables.]
Haoyu wheezed. "Shut—up—"
[Lotus: No. In fact, let make this worse for you.]
A new notification popped up.
⸻
[Optional Challenge: Race Against Ti]
• Complete the run within 20 minutes
• Penalty for failure: Embarrassnt and sha
• Bonus reward: 1 Agility, 100 Survival Points
⸻
Haoyu stared at the screen, horrified. "Are you kidding ?!"
[Lotus: Either you finish in ti, or you accept the fact that you’re a disgrace to humanity.]
Haoyu groaned but forced himself to push harder. His legs scread in protest, his breath ca out ragged, but he refused to fail.
He passed by a few early risers—so joggers, an old man walking his dog, a couple having breakfast at a café. A few people threw him weird looks when they saw how much he was struggling.
"Don’t look at like that," he muttered under his breath. "I’m fighting for my life out here."
[Lotus: No, you’re fighting against your own bad decisions and lack of stamina.]
He ignored that.
The second kiloter was pure suffering. Every muscle in his legs burned, and his brain scread at him to stop. But the thought of failing and having Lotus mock him for it was worse.
"Just one more—just one more—"
By the ti he neared the end, he was running on sheer stubbornness. His breath was ragged, his arms pumped uselessly at his sides, and he was pretty sure he had stopped running properly and started flailing.
[Lotus: Congratulations. You look like a dying fish.]
"Lotus—I swear—"
[Lotus: Don’t stop now. You have 40 seconds left.]
Haoyu cursed, gritted his teeth, and forced his legs to keep moving.
The mont his fitness tracker beeped to indicate he had hit three kiloters, he nearly collapsed onto the pavent.
"Done—" he gasped. "I—"
[Lotus: Challenge Completed. You live to suffer another day.]
A new notification appeared.
⸻
[ 1 Agility, 1 strength, 1 stamina, 300 Survival Points]
Haoyu laid on the ground, chest heaving. "I hate you."
[Lotus: No, you hate running.]
"Sa thing."
Despite the pain, a small part of him felt... accomplished. He hadn’t been sure he could finish, but he did.
"Alright," he muttered, slowly sitting up. "What’s next?"
His legs ached, but it was a good kind of soreness—the type that reminded him he was making progress. Still, his throat was parched, and the sun wasn’t doing him any favors.
Spotting a small vendor stand selling fresh coconuts, he wasted no ti in grabbing one. The cool, mildly sweet liquid soothed his throat instantly. He sighed, rolling his shoulders as he finished the drink.
The mont of peace didn’t last long. The system chid again, pulling up his next task.
[Task 2: Weapon Familiarization (Self-Defense Basics)]
• Practice knife handling for 30 minutes
• Basic combat drills
Rewards: 1 Dexterity, 100 Survival Points
Haoyu glanced around. There was no way he was about to whip out a knife in the middle of the city—not unless he wanted to be mistaken for so lunatic.
He needed sowhere more isolated.
After walking for a while, he finally found an ideal spot—a secluded, overgrown lot at the edge of an abandoned construction site. The place was quiet, shielded by a half-built wall and rusted tal fencing. Weeds grew between the cracks in the pavent, and there were no security caras, no wandering pedestrians.
This was perfect.
As soon as he stepped into the space, his system interface flickered. A familiar weight settled into his grip as the training knife materialized in his hand.
Testing the balance, he adjusted his stance. It wasn’t just about gripping a weapon—it was about knowing how to use it efficiently. He had a long way to go, but if he wanted to survive, he’d start by mastering the basics.
Haoyu twirled the knife between his fingers, testing its weight. The blade wasn’t sharp—it was a training weapon, after all—but it had enough weight to simulate a real one.
Before he could start fumbling through random movents, Lotus’s voice rang in his head.
[Lotus: Try not to embarrass yourself too much. Follow these steps.]
A translucent blue interface popped up in front of him, displaying a set of basic knife-handling drills.
⸻
Step 1: Proper Grip
• Hold the knife firmly but not too tight.
• Thumb rests on the side, not over the grip.
Step 2: Basic Slashes
• Practice downward diagonal slashes.
• Keep your wrist flexible.
Step 3: Reverse Grip Transition
• Flip the knife into a reverse grip smoothly.
• No fumbling, no hesitation.
Step 4: Targeted Stabs
• Aim for imaginary vital points.
• Quick and controlled.
⸻
Haoyu exhaled, adjusting his grip. "Alright, let’s do this."
He started slow, making sure his fingers weren’t too stiff. The first few slashes felt awkward—his movents were clunky, and he nearly fumbled the transition into a reverse grip.
[Lotus: You look like a child trying to use chopsticks for the first ti.]
Haoyu scowled. "Can you not?"
[Lotus: I’m just setting expectations.]
Ignoring the system’s sarcasm, he focused on repeating the drills. Slash, grip transition, stab—again and again. The more he practiced, the more natural it felt. His muscles adjusted, movents becoming sharper.
Lotus remained silent for a while, watching.
[Lotus: ...At least you’re learning. Try increasing your speed now.]
Haoyu nodded, tightening his stance. This ti, he moved faster, pushing himself to keep up with the flow of attacks. The imaginary opponent in his mind shifted and dodged, forcing him to react accordingly.
His breath ca a little heavier, his grip steady.
By the ti the thirty minutes were up, a notification popped up.
[Task 2 Complete!]
• Rewards: 1 Dexterity, 100 Survival Points
Haoyu exhaled, stretching his fingers. His hands weren’t shaking anymore. The knife twirled smoothly between his fingers now, his grip instinctive.
Maybe he wasn’t completely useless after all.
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