10 kilometers

Mu Lan had just removed the helmet from his head, as he couldn't enter the game at the moment. He would have to wait two days before he could log in again.

Shortly after, Beng Zeng also took off his helmet and asked Mu Lan, "Mu, what's your name in the game?"

Mu Lan looked at Beng Zeng and said, "God Slayer."

"Wow, Mu, so you're going to be God Slayer. That name is so authoritative. Let's hope nothing bad happens to us in the game."

"Oh, come on, Beng, what could possibly go wrong? By the way, what's your name in the game? I hope you picked a good one, something that suits a paladin."

"My name in the game is 'Bounty Hunter.' Pretty cool, right? Maybe not as much as yours, but still a badass name."

Mu Lan was suddenly surprised when he thought about the name Beng Zeng used before. He knew that in his previous life, Beng Zeng hadn't used this name. Since he didn't play as a paladin in his previous life, he thought this might be a small butterfly effect. He was certain that the name Beng Zeng used in his previous life was "Manly Man."

"It's a great name. With 'God Slayer' and 'Bounty Hunter,' we'll be number one on the server. No one will be able to stop us, and we'll 'Defy the Gods.' What do you say?"

Beng Zeng was taken aback for a moment. Defying the Gods was a big deal. Could they even gather all those scrolls? And even if they did, could they defeat Him? It would take them years.

Like everyone else, Beng Zeng had read the main storyline of the game. He had seen the information about Defying the Gods. The person with the required 100 scrolls could challenge the God. The story didn't reveal anything about the God. Only the person with the 100 scrolls would be able to see information about Him. This was a mystery.

"By the way, Mu, do you know which stats we should allocate in the game? I've read a bit, but as a paladin, I have no idea what would work best. You're an archer anyway, so maybe you have some idea since you made me choose this character."

Mu Lan immediately replied to Beng Zeng, "You should always allocate to defense stats. Leave the extra stat gains to me. I'll make you immortal; you won't need to deal much damage. I'll take all the damage." After saying this, he fell into thought, "He really did choose the paladin class. Having a friend like him was truly amazing."

Mu Lan turned to Beng Zeng, "Alright then, since we have nothing else to do, let's start practicing the martial arts we've learned. It'll strengthen our bodies and get us in shape for the martial arts. Then we can set an alarm for 5 AM, get up, run 10 kilometers, take a shower, and head to school."

"Okay, Mu," said Beng Zeng, and they started training.

After working out for another 1-2 hours, their bodies were drenched in sweat, and their clothes were sticking to their skin because of the moisture. As soon as they finished their training, they took a shower and went to sleep, knowing they'd need to work on their conditioning early in the morning.

At 5 AM, the alarm they had set began to ring. Although it was a bit annoying, it was perfect for waking them up. As soon as they got out of bed, they started washing their hands and faces. In the hallway, they sleepily made eye contact with each other, but they felt extremely tired. The techniques they had been practicing were at the highest level. Right now, if they went back to bed, they could sleep for two days straight.

"Good morning, Mu."

"Good morning, Beng."

After washing their hands and faces, Mu Lan and Beng Zeng headed to the cupboard and grabbed a light snack. Then they sat at the table and ate their snacks.

"Mu, I'm feeling extremely tired right now. I hope we can manage to run 10 kilometers. If I die from exhaustion, engrave 'Real Man' on my tombstone."

Mu Lan immediately responded to Beng Zeng, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, Beng. Pain makes a man stronger. A real man is strong."

Mu Lan's final words matched Beng Zeng's motto, filling him with energy.

"Come on, Mu, haven't you finished that yet? We've got 10 kilometers to run."

Beng Zeng's sudden shift in attitude, after having just complained, brought a smile to Mu Lan's face. Thanks to Beng Zeng's words, he quickly finished the snack in front of him.

Mu Lan and Beng Zeng went outside and headed to the park to run. At this early hour, there was no one around, except for a few people who had come to exercise, just like Mu Lan and Beng Zeng.

Wasting no time, Mu Lan and Beng Zeng took their positions and began running. They started applying the knowledge about running they had read in the book. Since it was their first run, they were exhausted after just 1 kilometer, but this didn't make them give up. They had 9 kilometers left. They could do it; they had to do it.

They ran 2 kilometers. They were exhausted, but they didn't know the meaning of giving up.

When they reached 3 kilometers, they could barely stand. Their legs had given out, but their minds hadn't. They believed they could do it, and so they continued.

4 kilometers…

5 kilometers…

8 kilometers…

10 kilometers…

They had run 10 kilometers in exactly 2 hours. As much as they wanted to follow the book, they would have to continue running with breaks until their bodies adjusted. Even if their bodies couldn't keep up with their conditioning now, the road to victory was paved with hard work. Beng Zeng and Mu Lan were drenched in sweat. They had to go home, take a shower, and head to school.

Beng Zeng felt like he had lost 3 to 4 kilos at that moment. He was shedding his excess weight, while Mu Lan felt like he had lost 1 kilo compared to Beng Zeng. He didn't have much fat to lose.

After showering at home, they set off for school. The school was only two blocks away from where Mu Lan was staying, so getting to and from school wasn't difficult for them.