Chapter 13: The Egoistical Blake

June 23rd, Blake Bai woke up early.

He found a nearby pharmacy and bought some sprays and medicines to reduce bruises and swelling, as well as a dozen medicated plasters. This was in preparation for his martial arts training. Seeing Guo Hao getting injured by another student yesterday, Blake thought it necessary to be prepared.

Then, Blake bought some well-known tonics, such as ginseng, lingzhi, and yam. He didn't buy anything particularly expensive; ordinary items were fairly affordable.

Next, he considered buying supplements but found out that it wasn't necessary. To get vitamins, he could drink orange juice; for calcium and other nutrients, milk would suffice. Eating more meat every day would be more than enough.

After all, this was a modern society where many things were easily accessible. The threshold for practicing martial arts had significantly lowered.

9:55 AM, at the entrance of Bai Niao Martial Arts Academy.

Blake, wearing black sportswear and carrying a blue canvas bag, walked slowly from a distant street corner. Chewing gum, his nose filled with the scent of mint, he glanced across the street. The newly opened dance training institute had its doors wide open, revealing a group of girls in various dance outfits, chatting and laughing. The dance outfits, though different in style, all had fitted waists and open backs, revealing smooth, swan-like bodies.

It must have been break time since their lively chatter about celebrities, entertainment, novels, and movies could be heard even from outside. This was hardly surprising. The boys in Blake's martial arts class typically talked about games, novels, esports, and sometimes combat sports. When Blake was around eighteen or nineteen, it was the same for him.

"Thinking about it, Blake Tang, the younger brother of the original Blake, really stands out. Interested in mechanics since middle school, and by high school, he was already tinkering with electronics. He got into a top university and joined like-minded peers to participate in national robotics competitions. While others his age experienced first love and infatuation, he was immersed in circuits and machine oil," Blake thought.

He walked into the Bai Niao Martial Arts Academy, changed into his gray training suit in the locker room, and headed to the second training hall. As soon as he stepped on the mat, several eyes turned toward him. The two girls who were often with Guo Hao, chatting and laughing, glanced at him. Guo Hao and his follower, the freckle-faced He Hao, also looked his way. Though not outright staring, their attention was evident. Blake quickly understood why.

It was just teenage boys competing for attention in front of girls. Li Xuefei's friendly approach towards Blake yesterday must have unsettled Guo Hao, who had just graduated high school. Blake, understanding this, remained indifferent and joined the line. He knew Guo Hao's mindset but had no intention of resolving any misunderstandings or easing his jealousy. Blake was self-focused, concerned only with things that mattered to him. He ignored other trivialities, just as he had ignored Li Xuefei's further attempts to connect. Unless Guo Hao directly obstructed him, Blake would simply disregard him.

Moreover, attracting attention, be it admiration, jealousy, or resentment, was inevitable as one grew exceptional. If Blake attended to each one, how would he have time to refine his martial arts skills?

At 10:00 AM, the training resumed.

First, warm-ups and reviews. Then, Coach Zhang demonstrated moves, and the students imitated and then practiced freely. The faster learners paired up for pad work or went to practice on the punching bags.

In the training hall, Blake trained for a while before activating his "Pure Heart" talent. This talent isolated all external distractions, making the training hall feel like an empty exercise room with only him inside. Punching and retracting, sweating, and feeling his blood gradually boil.

Swoosh!

The "Pure Heart" effect ended, and Blake gasped for air.

He looked ahead, his vision flickering.

[Your skill "Sanda" has gained +10 experience!]

[Your occupation "Fighter" has gained +2 experience!]

The Fighter occupation panel displayed:

[Occupation: Fighter LV.1 (13/100)]

[Skill: Sanda Proficiency (40/200)]

"This won't do. The Sanda skill is progressing quickly enough, but the Fighter occupation experience is advancing too slowly. Only two or three points at a time... At this rate, it'll take a month and a half to level up. And who knows how many levels there are for the Fighter occupation?" Blake Bai thought, frowning slightly.

With this pace, it would take ages to ascend in his occupation and gain the occupational enhancements. The more he used the Pure Heart talent, the more he realized its importance. It's crucial.

However, the duration of the Pure Heart talent was not long enough, significantly reducing his efficiency in gaining occupational experience. If the Pure Heart talent could become stronger, it would undoubtedly benefit all of Blake's occupations, including any future ones.

So, this next part was very important.

[Below is the occupational enhancement precursor for the main occupation, Fighter]

"Enhancement 1: Talent Evolution (The Pure Heart talent will evolve with each level-up, gradually enhancing its effects)"

"I must speed up the acquisition of experience for the Fighter occupation..."

Blake thought intensely, his eyes focused and serious.

"The best way is to acquire more Fighter skills."

"Just having Sanda as a skill isn't enough."

"Boxing, Jiu-Jitsu, Kickboxing, Wrestling, and so on..."

"Maybe it can work."

He quickly formed a plan and intended to put it into action.

As time passed, it was already 3:30 PM.

With Coach Zhang announcing the end of the class, the students headed to the locker room. Only Blake stayed behind, not in a hurry to leave the academy.

He waited until most people had left, then approached Zhang Hongtao.

"Coach, are there any other classes for boxing and Jiu-Jitsu at Bai Niao Martial Arts Academy? I feel like I didn't learn them well before and want to retrain. Is that possible?" Blake asked earnestly.

Zhang Hongtao, dressed in black training clothes and holding a thermos, was momentarily stunned before he smiled. It had been a while since he had encountered a student so passionate about martial arts.

"There's no need for that much trouble. If you're genuinely interested, I can send you the instructional videos we use for internal coach training. You can follow those step-by-step at home and combine them with what I've already taught you. If it's just about solidifying the basics, self-study is completely fine..."

"Here's the deal, after the training classes end at 3:30 PM, I usually stay for a while. If you have any questions about other courses, you can ask me directly. I'll also check if you're practicing correctly to prevent any mistakes in form that might cause injuries..."

Zhang Hongtao said, taking a sip of his tea.

"Thank you, Coach!"

Blake expressed his gratitude on the spot. Given his situation, self-study was the best approach. He could compress his delivery hours by one or two hours if needed. Or he could mix in some boxing practice during his free training.

"Alright, you can go now."

"I have your YY contact. I'll send it to you."

Zhang Hongtao tightened the lid of his thermos and started organizing some equipment and gear.

Blake didn't leave right away but stayed behind to help with the cleanup. After ten more minutes, he headed to the locker room.