Chapter Five: Advanced Student-Picking Up Attributes in Swallowed Star(Braised Pork Rice Bowl)

Luo Yuan wandered around the Happy Monster Pet Park, gleefully collecting attributes, lost in the delight of picking them up. One day slipped by as he roamed, and Dong Lanlan, who had been helping deal with monster attacks, went from intrigued at first to increasingly impatient. She began to suspect that the man before her was not quite right in the head; everyone else came here to choose a pet, yet this man was running wild throughout the park.

"Alright, esteemed guest, you've been here all day. Have you decided which pet you'd like to purchase?" Dong Lanlan suddenly blocked Luo Yuan, who was still busy collecting attributes, her tone somewhat terse.

"Uh, it's already past six in the evening. Sorry, I really love this Monster Pet Park, but I haven't chosen a pet yet. Maybe I'll come back another time when I'm free," Luo Yuan replied, a little embarrassed. He felt he could frequent this place often—it would be useful for him until he reached the threshold of a martial practitioner’s strength. But he had no intention of buying any pets; he had little interest in them, and they were expensive here. If he picked one now, he’d lose the excuse to come and stroll in the future.

Whether the staff looked down on him for this, Luo Yuan didn’t care; to him, his dignity paled in comparison to tangible improvements in strength.

With a light step, Luo Yuan left the Monster Pet Park, feeling refreshed. Dong Lanlan, who had accompanied him all day, rolled her eyes behind his back. Her performance bonus was gone—she thought she had found a big client, only to discover he was a lunatic.

Taking the bus, Luo Yuan returned to his rented apartment in South Shore Community. Night had fallen. He opened the door and found the room shrouded in darkness, silent. He realized that the cold, glamorous woman had gone out again, mysterious as ever, with no clue what she was up to.

He quickly made some egg fried rice, eating as he checked his attribute space. Numerous attribute bubbles floated within, giving him a sense of satisfaction. He finished eating, took a shower, and locked himself in his bedroom.

Luo Yuan sat cross-legged on his bed. With a thought, the attribute bubbles in his space began to burst, and prompts flashed before his eyes.

"Strength +1."

"Speed +1."

"Defense +1."

"Spirit +1."

…

"Ah—"

Perhaps he had absorbed too many attributes this time. A wave of intense pain hit him, making him writhe on the bed. He clenched his teeth so hard that tears welled in his eyes, yet he endured silently. He grabbed a corner of his pillow and bit down, feeling somewhat better, but the pain persisted until he finally blacked out.

The next morning, at six sharp, the alarm rang.

Luo Yuan habitually slapped the alarm with one hand.

A loud bang startled him awake; he leapt from the bed, only to find the alarm clock and nightstand reduced to fragments. He stared at his palm, bewildered.

"Who the hell is demolishing the house so early? Can't anyone sleep in peace?" An angry voice, perhaps from an upstairs or downstairs neighbor, rang out. Luo Yuan raised his eyebrows, ignored it, and dared not move further.

He focused his mind and opened his personal attribute panel.

"Name: Luo Yuan
Strength: Apprentice Level (Advanced Trainee)
Strength: 800 kg
Speed: 22 m/s
Defense: 800 kg
Spirit: 500 kg
Technique: None
Skill: None"

Looking at his personal attribute panel, Luo Yuan could hardly believe it: he was now an advanced trainee, all in just two days. And now he had spirit among his attributes—able to control 500 kg of weight, which was the level of an intermediate trainee. No wonder his head felt like splitting last night while fusing attributes; now he felt energetic and his mind was much clearer.

"I ran too fast yesterday, and didn’t fuse the attributes, so there was no prompt. It seems I need to make time to visit again. I wonder which monster gave me the spirit attribute," Luo Yuan muttered.

Though he was now at the strength of an advanced trainee, his excitement lasted only a moment before he calmed down quickly. His rapid progress was due both to his diligence in collecting attributes and the fact that he was still weak—the attributes he’d need to pick up in the future would be vast.

Luo Yuan still hadn’t figured out the conversion rate between attributes and strength; his golden finger gave no explanation, so he could only explore on his own. The ratio felt fuzzy—perhaps he'd experiment when he had the chance.

"Wait, today is Monday—there’s class, and a morning study session. If I go now, I’ll probably be late."

Luo Yuan was suddenly jolted awake, recalling his homeroom teacher’s sharp gaze, which made him shudder inwardly.

"Damn it, I’m already an advanced trainee, why should I fear that balding guy? To hell with the college entrance exam," Luo Yuan thought. He calmed himself—though he had only been in this world for five days, it felt remarkably real.

After washing up and tidying his room, Luo Yuan took the bus to the Extreme Martial Arts Hall. He intended to register as an advanced trainee, so he could collect attributes openly.

Arriving at the entrance, he was stopped by armed soldiers.

"This is the Extreme Martial Arts Hall. Please show your credentials."

"Hello, I’m here to register," Luo Yuan quickly explained.

"Registration is through the channel on the right; this is the exclusive channel for trainees."

Luo Yuan’s lips twitched, a bit embarrassed—he thought there was just one channel. After thanking the guard, he entered the registration channel and found he wasn’t alone. Most of those registering were sixteen or seventeen, all queuing quietly.

When it was Luo Yuan’s turn, he handed over his identification card. The staff at the desk examined it, then checked his information on the computer.

"Luo Yuan, eighteen years old, senior at Yian Third High School, orphan. Why are you only coming to the Extreme Martial Arts Hall at eighteen? You’re starting rather late," the staff member suddenly asked.

"Uh, I used to be poor. Just making ends meet was hard, let alone having the time or resources to practice martial arts. Now I’ve saved up a bit, so here I am. By the way, how much is the tuition here?" Luo Yuan explained. The staff member pursed his lips in response.

"For ordinary people, the Extreme Martial Arts Hall charges twenty thousand Huaxia coins a year. You can use the equipment freely."

"But I heard some people attend for free and even get subsidies?" Luo Yuan asked curiously.

"Heh, that kind of treatment is reserved for outstanding martial arts talents. If everyone could train here for free, this place would become a marketplace. Now hurry up and sign and pay, don’t hold up others," the staff member urged impatiently.

ps: Honored readers, please reward, vote, and bookmark. Luo Yuan bows in admiration.