บท 4: Attributes Improvement (I)
The gym was a big room filled with rows of machines and weights. There were treadmills for running, bikes for pedaling, and benches for lifting. Mirrors covered the walls, reflecting the sweat and effort of those who had worked out. The air was thick with the scent of disinfectants as flashing lights illuminated the covering darkness.
Sigh...
"I will do whatever it takes, so let's get started," Arnold was beginning to understand the system's perspective. This system wasn't just here to help him grow stronger, it was ready to guide him to the top.
[Agility Improvement Training has commenced.]
[Agility refers to the ability to quickly change direction, speed, and movement. Improving agility requires a combination of high commitment and consistency.]
[Firstly, you should perform a zig-zag run using plastic cones, jump hurdles with a run, and then climb ladders to the top to beat a fixed time.]
Arnold shrugged. "How long am I going to do this?"
[You are going to keep up with it until your Agility score is improved.]
Arnold's Agility was currently scoring 3 points, and if he were to apply some mathematics, it needed two points to be added to make it five. He had four attributes, and to make his overall attributes points 20, he would have to improve all of them to 5.
"That shouldn't be too hard," Arnold grinned and said.
He started by collecting some plastic cones from the equipment store at the corner and lined them up with a meter gap. The gym was pretty large, so there was enough space for him.
After lining them vertically, Arnold started a zig-zag run around the cones, moving left and right, and making sure he was at his best training performance.
"I can't believe I never tried this before, I might have been doing the wrong things lately."
Although this kind of training was unique, Arnold felt that this might just be the best way he could actually improve his physical fitness. Even though it wasn't taught by the university's physical fitness trainers, it looked quite promising to Arnold.
Soon, Arnold was having tiny liquids on his face. He repeated this move a couple of times and wasn't ready to stop. As he continued, he felt his speed especially advancing. The improving rate in which he switched to the next direction was becoming noticeable, however, it felt like he still needed to keep up with the zig-zag run.
Twenty minutes came passing in a blur, and Arnold didn't stop. He was determined to achieve a remarkable improvement and made sure he made good progress.
For another twenty minutes, he was still on it, and this time, he was sweating all over. His red armless shirt had been soaked, revealing a hint of his not-so-big chest and tiny range six-packs.
"One more minute..."
Arnold had the urge to continue for a little while. His limbs were already becoming so heavy for him, and he was getting exhausted, but one more minute wouldn't hurt, right?
After finally deciding to stop, he shuffled to a bench at the corner and sat down, gasping roughly.
"I think this should be okay to earn me two points for my Agility, right?" Arnold questioned the system.
[Unfortunately, host. You haven't gained any points after this. If you had gained any, I would have notified you.]
Arnold's brows furrowed.
"After an hour of zig-zag runs without resting?" Arnold clenched his teeth in frustration. "I thought you have some system cheat intelligence or whatever?"
[It wasn't as if you haven't made any progress, it's just that the progress isn't enough to earn you a point.]
The system was calm, and even if Arnold's heart was burning in anger, its words made it quench.
"How long can I keep trying, is it going to take so long even after my last exam match?" Arnold asked nervously.
[ I don't think so, host. You can improve your Agility if you put in more effort. Try doing the hurdle jump or ladder climbing. There would be a fixed time for you to beat, and this can help you improve quickly.]
"Fine," Arnold nodded and walked into a different room in the same building with the gym. Here, few hurdles and ladders could be seen at the corners, and casting a first glance at them, their appearance only explained one thing.
No one had ever come here to train before. The room had an odd lonesome aura, with cobwebs covering almost all ceiling edges.
"It kinda smells bad here, I should have taken some hurdles and ladders to the gym room, but there wouldn't be enough space there," Arnold regretted.
Without wasting a second, he made a long range of twenty hurdles. This room had a pretty massive space and was able to contain it even if Arnold added ten more.
[Task: Run to the end point while jumping the hurdles and come back to the starting point the same way.]
[Time: 30 seconds.]
Arnold didn't react to the time as this was the first time he was doing it. He only heaved a sigh and was ready to begin.
[The count starts... Now.]
Arnold quickly sprinted towards the first hurdle and jumped it over. He was giving off his fastest running and jumping performance and hoped it could really help.
However, Mr Max Fury only finished the first lap with twenty-one seconds, and when he was back, the time record was already at forty-two seconds.
"Ah, shit! That was horrible," Arnold was disappointed in his effort.
[You did a great work there. If you can keep up with it and try to increase your continuation speed after jumping a hurdle, you can beat the time.]
Arnold took this as a motivation and started repeating the running and jumping race, trying to beat the time.
It was more like a burden as the system had said, and Arnold was finding it quite hard to beat the time after several repeats.
[Forty seconds...]
[Thirty-eight seconds...]
[Thirty-seven seconds...]
[Thirty-five seconds...]
[Thirty-five seconds... Try again.]
[Thirty-four seconds...]
[Thirty-five seconds...]
[Thirty-three seconds...]
Max Fury committed his body and soul to this task, repeating the race without taking a second to rest. Every disappointing word he heard from the system turned into phrases of motivation, and he kept with the jumps, increasing his continuation speed rate.
After what seemed like an eternity, a bunch of words made him stop as he let out a smile of victory.
[Thirty seconds. Time beaten.]
[You have gained one point to your Agility.]
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