Chapter 16: Practice Makes Perfect

"Four hundred ninety-eight, four hundred ninety-nine, five hundred!"

After a slight adjustment to his breathing, Feng Xue stood upright, grabbing the water bottle from the table and taking several gulps.

"This body is in much better shape than I imagined; five hundred squats without breaking a sweat. In my past life, I'd have been floored after just fifty…"

Muttering to himself, Feng Xue showed no signs of fatigue. He lay on his bed and began doing sit-ups.

Five hundred reps per set—he followed the sit-ups with another five hundred push-ups, then pull-ups on the bars, followed by dragon flags and dips on the bed frame…

Although his cell afforded limited space for exercise, he made do with what was available, performing the most intensive exercises possible within the constraints. Exercises like lat pull-downs or bench presses, which required equipment, weren't an option; the most challenging being the dragon flags.

Feng Xue wasn't a fitness enthusiast in his previous life; the knowledge of these exercises was largely due to tips from a fitness enthusiast acquaintance.

The guards didn't seem to mind his regimen. In fact, the time after dinner and before lights out was designated as free time. According to the prison laws, most prisons would schedule activities like ideological education during this period. However, in a high-security facility like the Hornet's Nest, such programs were absent.

Exercising in prison wasn't an impulsive decision by Feng Xue. Firstly, the physical demands of being an architect were significant; secondly, with nothing else to occupy his time before the reset at midnight, and considering the decent quality of the food provided—at least in his case—it made more sense to maintain his physical condition than to let this body deteriorate from inactivity.

Yet, the physical condition of his former self was indeed extraordinary. After about half an hour's rest post-dinner, Feng Xue had been exercising non-stop. Even as the lights dimmed, he felt nothing more than a slight heat and swelling in his muscles, lacking any real fatigue.

This could be due to the newness of his exercise routine; whether it was due to his body's resilience or the sudden intensity of the workout, muscle soreness in the following days would be the true indicator.

Noticing the guards beginning their rounds in the corridor, Feng Xue prudently ceased his exercises and returned to his bed, waiting for midnight…

…

As the grogginess of sleep faded and his consciousness cleared, the icon of the pigeon game appeared anew, signaling the arrival of midnight.

Opening the refreshed game interface, the ethereal voice echoed once again:

"The stars have faded, and all is cloaked in darkness. On the eve of dawn, everything seems engulfed in silence."

The first node of the first level was still the routine combat scenario, "Snowy Night Orphan." After a risk-free completion, the settlement page appeared:

"Combat concluded, flawless tactics."

"Node settlement: +2 Phantasms."

"Item drop drawing…"

"You have obtained a Clever Bird (Blue)."

"A blue drop?" Feng Xue, momentarily lost upon exiting the node world, perked up at the sight of the drop, directing his attention to the item—a seabird resembling a seagull.

Name: Clever Bird

Category: Multifaceted Oddity

Quality: Blue – Fine

Effect: Reduces the impact of 'wind' on oneself.

Note: This is a bird that, even if thrown into a storm from a supersonic vessel, can seize that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to survive.

"What is this?" Feng Xue looked at the bird encircled in blue, puzzled but somewhat reconciled by the label "Multifaceted Oddity." After all, having seen a "bullet-stopping frying pan," encountering a "Clever Bird" or a "Three Hundred Stone Bow" seemed not so far-fetched.

The only downside was the item's niche utility. While the cover of "wind" was extensive, encompassing all weather-related phenomena and even magical constructs like wind blades or shields, Feng Xue hadn't yet encountered any scenarios involving wind in the game.

"It's purely a situational card."

Turning his attention away from the bird, Feng Xue considered his next move. The upper path marked the familiar "Firefight with Herculean Strength," while the lower path offered an unforeseen encounter.

"It seems that experienced combat scenarios become known, while unforeseen encounters remain hidden risks."

With this in mind, Feng Xue decisively chose the familiar firefight. Had the lower path been a known combat scenario, he might have explored it for novelty, but facing a potential pitfall like the "Hero Game" without full preparation seemed unwise.

"Survival or death, that is the question."

The opening statement vanished, and Feng Xue found himself once again in the familiar office setting. With no hesitation, he initiated his G·I field.

A gentle rain began to fall around him, easing the oppressive heat as he stepped out of the office. Unlike before, he didn't flee along his previous escape route but instead ran towards the sounds of crying.

With several successful uses of his architectural skills, Feng Xue was beginning to grasp the essentials. While conjuring something from nothing in his mind was challenging, having a tangible aid made the mental construction significantly easier.

At that moment, the damp sensation of his clothes helped maintain his illusion of a downpour. This minimal effort was surprisingly more manageable than creating raindrops ex nihilo.

"Apparently, the range of my G·I field centers around my brain, extending about three meters in radius. Is this the limit of my current body's capability, or just the start?"

While liberating part of his mind from the imagination task, Feng Xue didn't waste any time. He kicked open doors, assessing the span of the rain curtain falling from above.

Though the raindrops and puddles he left behind would vanish once they exited his G·I field, within that three-meter radius, the heavy rain washed away not just the heat but also any hint of stuffiness.

Moreover, the intensity of the downpour meant that Feng Xue only needed to maintain a simple impression of "rain," and his brain would do the rest, fabricating a torrential downpour based on sensory inputs like sight, sound, and touch.