Chapter 11- Body Strengthening and Bone Forging Realms
The hostages gathered on the ground with fear and uncertainty etched on their faces. The air was filled with tension as they waited for whatever shitstorm was coming next.
Liam scanned the crowd, his eyes landing on the five commanders. Something was off. Thunder Palm's face was bruised, a dark purple mark stark against his skin. Lin Xueya, on the other hand, seemed to be holding back laughter, her composure barely intact.
'Hold up,' Liam thought, his brows furrowing. 'Did Crimson Shadow beat the crap out of Thunder Palm?'
Lin Xueya stepped forward, her voice clear and commanding. "Your next task is to reach the first stage of the Muscle and Bone Realm."
The hostages exchanged nervous glances. Reaching the first stage of the Muscle and Bone Realm was no easy feat, especially under their current shitty conditions.
Lin Xueya didn't provide a deadline, but Stone Ox grunted, adding, "You have one week."
A collective gasp echoed through the crowd. One week was barely enough time, even for those who were already on the brink of breaking through.
Liam's eyes narrowed as he received the same quest on his system, with an added reward of 1 AP.
[Quest Received: Reach the first stage of the Muscle and Bone Realm.] [Rewards: 1 RP, 1000 XP, 1 AP.] [Deadline: 1 week.]
'Just fucking great,' Liam thought, his voice flat. 'More pressure.'
The hostages began to disperse, their faces a mix of determination and despair. Liam turned to Hye Rin and the others, who had stuck close to him.
"So, any of you know how to reach the first stage of the Muscle and Bone Realm?" Liam asked, his voice laced with sarcasm.
Hye Rin shook her head. "I've heard it's about strengthening your body and senses, but I don't know the specifics."
"We've seen our father do it," Joon Seok said. "But we were too young to understand the process."
Soo-Min looked up at Liam and said, "I…"
Liam sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Alright, let's figure this out. We can't afford to fail."
As they walked back to their chambers, Liam's mind raced. He knew he had to find a way to break through to the first stage of the Muscle and Bone Realm, and fast.
[You're screwed if you don't figure this out.]
'Thanks for the reminder, asshole.'
Liam glanced at the others.
"First things first," Liam said, his voice steady. "We need to gather as much information as possible. Ask around, see if anyone knows anything. We can't afford to waste time."
Hye Rin nodded, her expression serious. "Agreed. We'll split up and ask around. Someone has to know something."
Joon Ho and Joon Seok nodded in unison, their faces set in determination. "We'll find out whatever we can."
Soo-Min looked up at Liam, her eyes filled with trust. "I'll do my best too."
Liam then checked how many quests he had completed so far and looked at his RP. Five.
[You've completed 5 quests so far. Not bad. You completed five quests in a span of a day.]
'No need to praise. I can complete two quests at a time but you blocked one temporarily by adding the second quest.'
[It was you who triggered that quest. Well, need some help?]
Liam pondered for a moment before responding, "Yes."
[Well, well, look who's suddenly humble. What happened to your massive ego?]
Liam sighed. "I can't win against you. My priority is to complete ten quests and go back to the real world."
[About that. Even if you go back to the real world, you'll end up here again once you sleep. So, that shouldn't be your end goal. Deal with the consequences, get rid of whatever stands in front of you.]
Liam frowned but nodded. "Fine. What do you suggest?"
[Open the XP store and look through it. You might find something useful for your next quest.]
Liam opened the XP store and scrolled through the list. His eyes landed on an item named 'Diary of a Horny Cultivator.' It was expensive—1000 XP—but he decided to buy it.
Liam checked his total XP. He had earned 4300 XP so far from completing quests and killing the three guards.
[Purchase successful. 'Diary of a Horny Cultivator' added to your inventory.]
[XP- 3300]
'Hope this is worth it,' Liam muttered as he opened the diary. It had an index and dozens of different types of cultivation techniques. He was delighted with the value for money purchase, but his excitement was short-lived. When he tried to access the body strengthening technique, it asked him to pay another 1000 XP.
[You need to pay an additional 1000 XP to access the body strengthening technique.]
'Are you kidding me? I already paid 1000 XP for this!'
[Consider it a subscription fee, except it's one-time-payment. Quality content isn't free, you know.]
Liam gritted his teeth. 'Fine, take the damn XP.'
[1000 XP deducted. You now have access to the body strengthening technique.]
Liam sighed, hoping the purchase was worth it. He began to read through the diary, his eyes scanning the various techniques. The other techniques remained locked, but he focused on the body strengthening section.
'Let's see what kind of crap is in here,' he muttered as he flipped through the pages.
The body strengthening technique was laid out in a straightforward manner, divided into three realms focusing on skin and muscle enhancement.
Body Strengthening Realms:
1) Skin Tempering Realm:
⇒Description: The first realm focuses on toughening the skin to withstand external impacts and environmental hazards.
→Techniques:
-Iron Skin Meditation: A daily meditation routine to enhance skin resilience.
-Cold and Hot Baths: Alternating between cold and hot baths to improve skin adaptability.
-Sand Rubbing: Rubbing the body with coarse sand to increase skin durability.
2) Muscle Foundation Realm:
⇒Description: The second realm concentrates on building a strong muscle foundation, essential for further advancements.
→Techniques:
-Basic Calisthenics: Daily routines of push-ups, squats, and lunges to build core strength.
-Weighted Carries: Carrying heavy objects over long distances to enhance muscle endurance.
-Sprinting: Short, intense sprints to improve muscle explosiveness.
3) Muscle Endurance Realm:
⇒ Description: The third realm aims to enhance muscle endurance, allowing for prolonged physical exertion without fatigue.
→Techniques:
-Long-Distance Running: Regular long-distance runs to build stamina.
-Climbing: Scaling mountains or steep terrains to improve muscle resilience.
-Repetitive Lifts: Performing high-repetition lifts with moderate weights to increase muscle endurance.
Liam read through the techniques, his eyes widening with each realm. 'This is actually useful,' he thought, a rare sense of optimism creeping in. 'Maybe I can pull this off after all.'
[Looks like you've found something worthwhile. Don't screw it up.]
'Thanks for the vote of confidence, asshole.'
Liam's mind already raced with plans. He knew he had to start immediately, pushing his body to its limits to reach the first stage of the Muscle and Bone Realm within the week.
'Alright, let's do this,' he muttered, standing up with renewed determination. 'Time to get stronger.'
As he continued flipping through the diary, another chapter caught his eye: 'Bone Forging Realm.' Without a second thought, he bought it using 1000 XP.
[Purchase successful. 'Bone Forging Realm' added to your inventory.]
Liam checked his total XP. He had 1300 XP left after the purchase.
'Hope this is worth it too,' he muttered, opening the chapter. The bone-related technique was also divided into three realms.
Bone Forging Realms:
1) Bone Density Realm:
⇒Description: The first realm focuses on increasing bone density to withstand greater impacts and pressure.
→Techniques:
-Bone Meditation: A daily meditation routine to enhance bone density.
-Weighted Strikes: Striking heavy objects with fists, elbows, and knees to strengthen bones.
-Impact Training: Repeatedly striking and being struck by blunt objects to increase bone resilience.
2) Bone Flexibility Realm:
⇒Description: The second realm concentrates on improving bone flexibility to prevent fractures and increase agility.
→Techniques:
-Dynamic Stretching: Daily routines of dynamic stretches to improve bone flexibility.
-Yoga Poses: Holding various yoga poses to enhance bone elasticity.
-Joint Rotations: Regular rotations of all major joints to increase range of motion.
3) Bone Regeneration Realm:
⇒Description: The third realm aims to enhance the bone's ability to regenerate, allowing for quicker recovery from injuries.
→Techniques:
-Nutrient-Rich Diet: Consuming a diet rich in nutrients essential for bone health.
-Sunlight Exposure: Regular exposure to sunlight to enhance bone regeneration.
-Bone Healing Meditation: A specialized meditation routine to accelerate bone healing.
Liam read through the bone forging techniques, his eyes widening with each realm. 'This is perfect,' he thought, a grin spreading across his face. 'I can practice both techniques simultaneously.'
[See? You shouldn't cheap out if you want quality things.]
"Why don't you provide it for free, or at least at less price, then?"
[I am not the one who sets the price.]
Liam began to strategize how to integrate both techniques into his daily routine. He decided to start with the basics, combining the meditation routines from both realms.
Combined Training Routine:
⇒ Morning Meditation:
-Iron Skin Meditation (Body Strengthening)
-Bone Meditation (Bone Forging)
⇒ Mid-Morning Exercises:
-Basic Calisthenics (Body Strengthening)
-Dynamic Stretching (Bone Forging)
⇒ Afternoon Training:
-Weighted Carries (Body Strengthening)
-Weighted Strikes (Bone Forging)
⇒Evening Activities:
-Long-Distance Running (Body Strengthening)
-Yoga Poses (Bone Forging)
⇒ Nighttime Routine:
-Cold and Hot Baths (Body Strengthening)
-Bone Healing Meditation (Bone Forging)
Liam nodded to himself, satisfied with the plan. 'Alright, let's get started,' he muttered. 'Time to become a freaking powerhouse.'