The next day, at seven in the morning.
The rising sun arced across the city skyline.
A sliver of light pierced the gray expanse of the sky. Lu Chao, dressed in a clean black t-shirt and loose-fitting casual pants, walked into the familiar breakfast shop downstairs from his building.
"Boss, I'll have a steamer of buns and two bowls of hot noodle soup."
"And please add some extra beef."
His voice cut through the low din of the shop. A crowd of commuters jostled near the entrance, weaving between the tables.
"You got it."
The owner answered without looking up, busy lifting the lid of a steamer basket. A cloud of white steam billowed out instantly.
After ordering, Lu Chao walked straight to an empty seat by the wall near the entrance.
The yellowish-brown wooden table was old, its surface covered in a sheet of clear plastic that felt greasy and tacky to the touch. A silver, stainless steel chopstick holder stood off to the side.
"Well, what do you know. You've got some heart after all, kid."
"I was half-expecting you to treat me to a synthetic meal."
Zhao Yuanqing, sitting across from him, clicked his tongue. He then waved to the busy owner and ordered two sodas.
Synthetic food had long since permeated every corner of Ring City, and indeed, the entire Alliance Country.
It was not only bland and low in nutrition, its only virtue was its price—less than half that of an equivalent amount of real food.
But since he was the one treating, Lu Chao naturally wasn't going to be stingy.
After all, he now had an extra five thousand yuan, which he had borrowed from Zhao Yuanqing.
He was truly grateful for this and committed it to heart.
Zhao Yuanqing's situation wasn't much better than his own; he was also shouldering the pressure of a welfare loan. To him, this sum of money was no small amount.
"I'll pay you back once I'm on my feet."
Lu Chao's smile vanished, his expression turning serious and solemn.
He desperately needed this money to scrape together the martial arts hall tuition and to afford adequate nutritional supplements for the near future.
After thinking it over and over, he knew Zhao Yuanqing, his best friend, was the only one who could truly help him.
"Just use it for now. I've still got some cash, and Old Dong is still paying me a wage."
Zhao Yuanqing waved his hand. He'd changed into a clean black work uniform, but the faint smell of engine oil still clung to him.
His gaze on Lu Chao turned serious, a mix of concern and questioning.
"What about you, though? The cost of practicing Martial Arts is no joke. Have you really thought this through?"
Meeting his gaze, Lu Chao nodded without the slightest hesitation.
"You need talent for Martial Arts. It'll take months before you see any results. If you don't make it... Ah, never mind."
"Still, it's good to give it a try."
Zhao Yuanqing opened his mouth, but ultimately, he didn't press the issue.
'Hadn't he had similar thoughts himself?'
But just as he'd been thinking, the path of Martial Arts required both talent and resources—neither could be lacking. For most people in the Iron Ring District, this was a heavy shackle, an insurmountable obstacle.
Not wanting to crush his friend's resolve, he took the sodas the owner handed him and tactfully changed the subject.
"Which martial arts hall are you planning to join?"
"I heard Wu Yuntao has become a core disciple at Thunder Extreme Martial Arts Hall. Why don't you try there? Maybe he'll look out for you a bit."
The Wu Yuntao he mentioned was one of a trio, along with Chen Junhao, known privately by many from the orphanage as the Three Prodigies of Iron Ring.
However.
"I'll pass."
Lu Chao shook his head, having no intention of choosing that place.
Thunder Extreme Martial Arts Hall was a famous and massive institution throughout Ring City. It had countless disciples, and the tuition was exorbitant—at least twenty thousand yuan.
Although this Wu Yuntao was exceptionally talented, he had rarely returned to visit after making a name for himself, as if intentionally creating distance. Lu Chao didn't feel he would receive any special treatment by going there.
"Fair enough."
Zhao Yuanqing seemed to understand and didn't press the matter.
Their noodles arrived, followed by the steaming hot buns.
The two fell into a tacit agreement not to mention the martial arts hall again, instead chatting about trivial matters from the repair shop as they ate.
In the middle of their meal, a commotion started outside. A blue and white patrol car pulled onto Factory Street, stopping in front of the low-rent apartment building across the way.
Three or four patrol officers in blue uniforms stepped out. Some had holstered pistols bulging at their waists, while others held metal batons. They entered several street-front shops, questioning people one by one.
"What happened?"
"You didn't hear? Someone in Building Seven got robbed last night. Apparently it happened around two or three in the morning when they were coming home from work."
"I heard that too. It was Old Wang's kid, I think. They say his kidneys were harvested. He's still in surgery, fighting for his life."
"Who knows who did it. There are too few security cameras around here, and it's pitch-black at night... *Sigh*, I doubt they'll ever solve the case."
Other diners in the breakfast shop murmured in low, worried tones.
Across the street, a crowd of onlookers gradually gathered at the base of Building Seven, along with several tattooed men, who looked like gang members, being stopped for questioning.
"More trouble."
Pausing in the middle of eating their noodles, Lu Chao and Zhao Yuanqing exchanged a look, their expressions grim.
The rent on Factory Street might be cheap, but public safety had always been poor.
Despite spanning nearly a kilometer, most of its infrastructure was a relic from a bygone era. Surveillance cameras were few and far between, and with the frequent water and power outages, public order was naturally a notch below.
In the year they had lived here, they had already witnessed numerous vicious incidents like theft, extortion, and organ harvesting. They had even heard the shouts and gunshots of gang fights late at night.
'Strength…'
'It's true. Only strength is the currency that lets you stand on your own two feet.'
As he thought to himself, Lu Chao's desire to practice Martial Arts grew even more intense.
Then, he subtly glanced at his panel.
The Potential Progress bar hadn't changed at all, confirming his suspicion from the previous night.
The difficulty of accumulating potential had increased dramatically. The nutritional energy from ordinary food was limited and likely no longer of any real use.
Without letting anxiety overwhelm him, Lu Chao quietly set his new goal.
They hastily finished their breakfast and paid the bill.
Lu Chao parted ways with Zhao Yuanqing, turned, and strode quickly in the opposite direction.
The boxing hall he had in mind was only a few kilometers away.
The most urgent task was to set foot on that path as quickly as possible.
...
"You want to learn a Fighting Skill?"
Things went more smoothly than Lu Chao had anticipated.
Half an hour later, when he arrived at the northern end of Factory Street, he simply stated his purpose and was promptly shown to a guide.
It was an abandoned elementary school. Two iron-barred gates stood half-open, and an elderly, gray-haired gatekeeper sat inside the guard post to the left.
Rough concrete walls stretched out from either side of the gates, enclosing a sizable empty lot. Looking past them, one could see two low-slung concrete buildings and several large, leafy trees with thick, sprawling branches.
"My name is Zheng Wu. You can call me Senior Brother Zheng."
"Come on, I'll show you around."
The man who greeted him looked to be about twenty-five or twenty-six. He had layered, longish hair and wore a white training tank top.
The top wasn't loose on him; he was brawny, standing about one-eighty, with a powerful chest and arms as thick as an average person's thighs.
The plaque for Jinshi Boxing Hall hung on the gatepost beside him. It had gold lettering on a blue background, giving it a rather classic, old-fashioned feel.
"Okay."
"Then I'll be in your care, Senior Brother Zheng."
Without hesitation, Lu Chao nodded his thanks and followed him in.
Jinshi Boxing Hall was his destination.
Unlike the other large martial arts halls in the city proper, this one, though relatively remote, charged a much lower fee: only ten thousand yuan.
It looked a little run-down, like it had simply taken over the abandoned elementary school, a setting that seemed somewhat at odds with the concept of 'Martial Arts'.
However, this boxing hall had a considerable reputation in the Iron Ring District, and the key to it all was the hall's master.
An ordinary adult man's Life Energy was typically around four to five points, varying slightly depending on constitution, health, and other factors.
Every single point of increase after that required a great price. Only after developing it to twenty points could one break through the first barrier and step into the Fighting Level.
Some patrol officers from the Patrol Department, powerful gang enforcers, and renowned fitness instructors were mostly stuck at this stage.
But this hall master, respectfully addressed as Master Luo, was rumored to be a former Wilderness Hunter with an extremely high Life Energy—supposedly over sixty points!
He was a true combat expert, someone for whom battling ferocious beasts and punching through steel was no difficult feat. He had only opened this boxing hall here in the last couple of years.
He shook himself from his thoughts and kept walking.
Lu Chao followed Zheng Wu into the abandoned school. The scene inside was much clearer than it had appeared from the outside.
Dozens of figures in T-shirts and shorts were currently training on the gray concrete athletic field, honing their physiques.
Some were running lap after grueling lap, performing high-intensity frog jumps and deep squats, while others punched the air with dumbbells in hand.
Every single person was drenched in sweat, relentlessly pushing their own limits.
A cacophony of sounds came from all directions, mostly the unyielding kiai shouts of exertion.
"They're just ordinary students, not disciples of the boxing hall."
"Master Luo only teaches them some simple fighting techniques and conditioning methods. It's mostly physical fitness training. While it is effective for increasing Life Energy, the effects don't last."
Zheng Wu explained frankly. Lu Chao nodded, unsurprised.
He had done his homework before coming and already knew some of this.
Ordinary students only needed to pay a tuition of two thousand yuan.
Through boxing instruction and physical conditioning, they had a chance to raise their Life Energy by three to five points in a short time.
It was a short-term method that squeezed out one's potential, but it came with certain drawbacks and risks of injury. Furthermore, while at the hall, they were required to act as sparring partners for the official disciples for a set number of sessions, which made getting hurt a frequent occurrence.
Many people knew of these drawbacks but still chose this path.
For most people in the Iron Ring District, it was one of the few accessible opportunities they would ever get to increase their Life Energy.
"Of course, Junior Brother Lu."
Changing the subject, Zheng Wu led him toward one of the low-rise buildings.
"You should already know the rules. The tuition fee to become a disciple is much higher. If you pay, you'll be an official disciple of the hall for the next three months—completely different from them."
"Master Luo will teach you a true Martial Arts Fighting Skill, periodically guide your techniques, answer your questions, and you'll also be provided with a special nutritional meal every day at noon…"
As they spoke, the two had already crossed the concrete field and approached the low-rise building.
The ordinary students glanced over at Lu Chao, their gazes filled with a mixture of curiosity and envy.
"He must be loaded, heading to the training building."
"I just saw Senior Brother Lin leave yesterday. It was the first time I'd ever seen him cry. He failed to break the twenty-point barrier. Three months of expenses, tens of thousands of yuan, all down the drain."
"A Fighting Skill… it's not that easy to master…"
Lu Chao vaguely overheard the low-voiced discussion behind him.
Zheng Wu, beside him, remained expressionless and continued to lead the way.
"They're telling the truth. A Fighting Skill is extremely difficult to master, and the follow-up expenses aren't cheap. Some of them out there tried it before, only to give up later."
"Nobody's money grows on trees, so the tuition fee is something to be considered carefully. Besides, the Master has other instructions. You'll find out when you meet him."
As he finished speaking, the two of them arrived in front of the concrete building.
Looking through the wide-open doors, he saw a spacious ground-floor area where twenty-odd figures were active. Some stood in a horse stance, holding hundred-plus-pound iron balls in their arms, maintaining a peculiar posture.
Others threw punches and kicks, sending punching bags swinging with heavy THUDS that seemed to shake the very floor.
Suddenly, as if sensing his presence, pairs of eyes turned to look at him.
A wave of extraordinarily fierce, searing energy washed over him. Lu Chao felt like he had just walked into a den of wild beasts; goosebumps erupted all over his skin in an instant.
And beyond that, he saw an aged figure standing in the center of the room.
He had short, graying hair and wore a white, traditional martial arts robe, with his hands clasped behind his back.
His stooped frame looked frail and diminutive compared to everyone else, but the moment the man's gaze fell upon him,
Lu Chao's heart seized, and his eyes began to sting.
He felt as if he had been locked on to by a ferocious beast of prey.