Chapter 22: Hypothetical Enemy

Chapter 22: Hypothetical Enemy

With the newfound agility, Lu Yuan felt noticeably more "relaxed."

His muscles in the arms and legs became more toned.

The slight sense of "bulky" from the increase in strength vanished at this moment.

He took a ruler from the drawer, tied a thin thread to one end, and hung it along the edge of the desk.

Due to the smooth surface of the ruler, the thread, under its own gravity, continuously slid upwards, struggling to break free.

Lu Yuan placed two fingers on either side of the zero mark on the ruler, not looking at the thread but focusing on the ruler.

At the moment the thread completely detached from the ruler, as it descended, Lu Yuan caught the falling ruler with pinched fingers.

"Less than two centimeters."

Lu Yuan checked the test result and understood.

"Improved reaction speed significantly."

This had extraordinary significance.

In a track and field competition, Lu Yuan could dash out of the starting line a step faster upon hearing the gunshot.

In hand-to-hand combat, it meant he could react faster to an opponent's punch, dodge, and counterattack.

"Tomorrow, I'll test how much my running speed has increased and the improvement from the two points of strength."

Lu Yuan took off his shirt, walked to the bedroom mirror, and examined himself.

With the addition of two points of strength, his muscles in the arms, chest, abdomen, lower back, and thighs all became fuller.

Defined contours and smooth lines made him look robust.

Before adding agility, he resembled those fitness enthusiasts on the internet, but now he looked much better – muscular without clothes and slim with them, aligning with Lu Yuan's aesthetic preferences.

Who would have thought that a month ago, the young man in the mirror was a "skinny dog" without an ounce of muscle?

"The strength at 11 points has doubled my power compared to when it was at 9 points. Easily breaking wrist bones and sending a grown man flying like a sandbag for several meters. I wonder how strong my punches have become. I'll test it at the gym tomorrow."

Reflecting on the battle in the alley, Lu Yuan couldn't forget the exhilarating feeling of overpowering the group of raincoat-wearing men.

It was like an adult fighting a group of children, where absolute strength compensated for any lack of skill and experience.

"Oh, right!"

While admiring his physique, Lu Yuan suddenly remembered.

"I still have three skill points unused!"

With a pile of basic professional skills, he had been hesitant to use them despite steady experience gains. Now, with 3 points accumulated, he couldn't resist using them any longer.

"Only basic grappling is left to reach level 3 in the four basic combat skills. Once I raise basic grappling to level 3, the prerequisites for unlocking the core skill of the 'Fighter' profession should be met."

Lu Yuan had been anticipating this for half a month.

He had decided to try unlocking it tonight, especially after the intense battle in the alley strengthened his determination.

"Upgrade, basic grappling."

One skill point added to basic grappling immediately elevated it from level 2 to level 3, preserving the existing experience points.

Just like when he tried to directly enhance the physical subjects under the 'Student' profession.

After spending the skill points, Lu Yuan immediately felt a surge of fragmented memories flowing into his mind.

These were scenes of him diligently practicing basic grappling.

These images merged into Lu Yuan's body, deeply imprinted in his muscles.

As if he had truly undergone a long period of "intense training" and raised basic grappling from level 2 to level 3.

"Not only did I master the techniques of existing grappling thoroughly, but I also comprehended several new techniques that Cheng Peng never taught me. It's like magic."

Lu Yuan effortlessly performed a few basic grappling moves, marveling at the magic of the professional panel, and then eagerly checked the panel again.

"It really appeared!"

As expected, to Lu Yuan's delight, a gray dot appeared on the 'Fighter' professional panel.

Focusing on it, he immediately received a prompt—'Unlockable core professional skill.'

Unlock? Of course!

Without hesitation, Lu Yuan applied his skill point.

Soon, the gray dot on the panel lit up.

A brand-new skill completely revealed itself—

[Core Skill: Imaginary Enemy (Active)]

[Effect: Constructs opponents in consciousness, deducing the course of battle]

Lu Yuan looked at the description of this core skill, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

"Imaginary Enemy."

"Fantasy combat."

Seems interesting.

"If it works as I imagine, maybe it can compensate for my shortcomings in actual combat."

To find out the specific effects, he needed to try it.

As usual, Lu Yuan took out his training mat, this time laying it out in the bedroom instead of the living room.

The prolonged exercise had stained the old mat with dark brown sweat marks, impossible to remove even with vigorous scrubbing.

Lu Yuan paid no attention, arranging himself comfortably on the mat.

"Since it's a battle in consciousness, I should probably close my eyes."

Lu Yuan thought, closed his eyes, and silently activated the skill.

"Come on, my imaginary opponent! Activate, Imaginary Enemy!"

"Whoosh—"

Rain, pouring rain.

Lu Yuan abruptly opened his eyes.

To his surprise, he found himself in a narrow alley.

Endless torrential rain fell from the night sky, drenching him entirely, yet without any sense of cold.

"Splash—"

Two beams of orange light shot straight from the front.

Lu Yuan instinctively squinted, seeing a figure standing quietly between the beams.

Although unable to discern the person's appearance, he was certain.

The figure must be the middle-aged man he had just fought with an hour ago.

"So, I returned to the rain alley of an hour ago."

"The imaginary enemy constructed in my consciousness. It's him again!"

Lu Yuan took a deep breath, gently wiping the rainwater that flowed from his forehead to his chin.

"Then, bring it on."

He twisted his neck, flexing his limbs.

After adding two points of strength, his already more muscular physique gave a feeling of mechanical extension during this process.

"Let me defeat you again!"

A blaze of fighting spirit ignited in Lu Yuan's eyes. Pushing off with his right foot, he charged toward the figure in front of the car lights.

The increased agility made Lu Yuan feel a noticeable boost in sprinting speed.

"It seems that my abilities in the conscious world completely reflect reality."

This reassured Lu Yuan, intensifying his determination.

Because he had defeated the opponent once before, encountering him again didn't bring the same nervousness and anxiety as in the alley.

It was more of a verification.

To verify what level his current strength could truly be considered!

Facing Lu Yuan's charge, the figure in front of the car lights also moved.

"Bang!"

Two figures collided fiercely, and countless splashes of water exploded from the center of impact.

(End of this chapter)