018 Endless

Bai E alternated hands to move forward.

He was also nearing his limit, his grip strength alone insufficient to secure the rope; he could only wrap the hemp rope twice around his palms and forearms with each step he took.

The coarse hemp rope rolled over his arms, abrasive enough to cause a burning pain on his skin with each forceful tug.

However, compared to the aching all over his body, this pain seemed insignificant.

It was like the not-so-deep pale pink cut on his arm, which, soaked by his sweat, probably had already been marinated.

This was a wound Bai E had intentionally inflicted on himself earlier when climbing through the thorny path, for the purpose of testing his true genetic trait—rapid recovery.

It was better to test its effectiveness during training rather than hoping for a miracle on the battlefield.

[Your body is rapidly repairing the injury, don't worry! Warrior!]

[Injury repair progress 70%, Rapid Recovery (unlocked) progress 1%.]

One can only say... it's somewhat useful, but not greatly so.

The cut wasn't deep, but to still have a gash after so much repair, a slight stretch of the muscle caused a burning pain.

In battle, one could receive a minor injury, and before it healed, they might not even be left in one piece.

Bai E instantly lost any expectations for the unlocked ability.

In the end, it was the basic attributes that were effective, a mere difference of 0.3 allowed him to still not reach his limits so far.

In "Galaxy Online," the calculation of basic attributes was extremely simple; every point of strength was a 10% enhancement over the previous point.

12 points of strength were 110% of 11 points, which in turn were 110% of 10 points.

If someone with a physical strength of 10 points could lift a 100-pound object and move freely, then a person with 12 points could lift and move freely with a 121-pound object.

Being stronger by 1 point is significant; being stronger by 0.3 points also matters.

To be strong is just that—strong, no frills attached.

...

"Which line's android is this?"

The young military officer looked sideways at his adjutant nearby and asked.

The adjutant, upon hearing the question, nodded and responded, "Just a moment."

"Line 95."

Yue Ying said softly from aside.

Her eyes narrowed, her gaze cutting across space like that of an eagle.

The metallic lettering on the chest badge of that android, glittering occasionally amidst his movements, indicated his origin—95B27.

She also had a clear view of the android's face. Was he the soldier inclined towards the archer specialty that had registered last night?

The young military officer glanced at Yue Ying with a hint of surprise before murmuring softly to himself.

"The one with orc genes? That might... not be so... strange."

Why did he have to excel at an unusual time, right after his own boastful claim?

"Bring his file over and check if he executed any mission last night?"

The adjutant's military boots clicked crisply, "Yes!"

...

"He executed a 'patrol' mission last night?"

The young military officer leafed through the record, as if talking to himself but clearly enough for others to hear, "Then it's no wonder. Perhaps he had already improved during last night's mission, and then made progress again in the recent training... This soldier's potential may be quite notable."

"Look, he is about to stop."

Weslin was somewhat relieved; everything was still going as planned, "Get someone to catch him, don't let our most excellent soldier get injured."

"Yes!"

...

"Reached the limit?"

Bai E desperately wrapped his arms around the hemp rope, feeling his strength supporting his body was entirely drained, his legs being pulled down as if weighted with sandbags.

He was about to lose the posture necessary to continue climbing upwards, even though the end of the slope was within sight.

But...

One more step!

Another step!

The breakthrough of fundamental attributes arises from pushing beyond the limits, a perpetual truth in Galaxy World.

To progress, one must reach rock bottom.

Feeling his body about to give way, Bai E mustered the courage to release his right hand below his left and attempted to grasp the rope section above.

He had finally hit bottom, and even if he fell at this point, it would still be considered achieving the effect of training beyond his limits.

He thought to himself somewhat relieved.

Suddenly, an abrupt notification from the panel appeared—

[Feedback from the commission, your physical strength +0.1.]

Player???

"Fuck!"

Even someone as steady as Bai E couldn't help but swear inwardly when he heard the unexpected message from the panel.

The next moment, strength surged like a fountain in every corner of his body, and his limbs, sore to the extreme, felt as if they were brushed by a cool breath of air, regaining some vitality.

"..."

Li Zaigan, a demon or a god?

Having hustled all night without rest, now you're working harder than us soldiers in the early morning?

Is this how other players play the game these days? No wonder I could never beat these try-hards when I played.

Of course, Bai E didn't mind the player who took on the task striving for greatness; it was just that the timing wasn't quite right.

It was not easy for him to have entirely drained every ounce of his strength, as bottoming out was not a wonderful process.

The human body is like a sponge full of water. At the beginning, a light squeeze is enough to release water, but when only a little water is left, it's hard to say how much effort is needed to wring out the last reserves.

This last moment of self-extraction is extremely painful, requiring the gathering of strength from every inch of skin, every strand of muscle. Bai E had managed to reach the end with great difficulty, and then someone immediately poured a little water back into his sponge...

Damn...

But what could he do?

Having come this far, to not continue extracting from himself would be to waste all his previous efforts, wouldn't it?

Taking a deep breath, Bai E gripped the rope tightly again and braced his combat boots against the slope.

Charge!

...

"How is this possible?"

At the base of the mountain, he involuntarily dropped his crossed arms, staring in stunned disbelief.

Even You, who had been composed throughout, couldn't help but feel genuine admiration for the will and talent of their new teammate, her delicate lips parting slightly in surprise.

Ying looked on with a vacant gaze, softly sighing, "Bai...is pretty fierce."

The new teammate had given them an unexpected surprise.

Bai E had just shown signs of faltering, but now he had regained the momentum to move forward, a feat that couldn't be explained without another breakthrough in physical ability.

To progress this madly during the first training session was beyond what most artificial human warriors, including himself, could achieve.

There had been such exceptions before, but those miracle-making predecessors had since been transferred to other institutions to serve the city.

Perhaps Bai E was the one in countless warriors.

...

"Veslin, how common are such exceptions among your soldiers?"

The young military officer, faced with Yueying's gentle inquiry, had no choice but to smile wryly and shake his head, saying, "Naturally, they're not common."

"What's their future development like?"

"It varies, some progress fiercely and then become average, and many have also perished young. Only those fortunate enough to grow are transferred to other departments to continue contributing to the city in different ways."

As he spoke, the young officer paused, his eyes brightening as he found another point to showcase human superiority, "Of course, relying solely on their initial genetic gifts, it's difficult for them to go much further. But our city can stably produce large quantities of 'Gene Optimization Solution', and even these artificial humans, if they perform well, have the chance to receive 'Gene Optimization Solution' and directly elevate their life levels and potential. If these recruits perform well in the great battle two days from now, they might just get that share. Miss Yueying, if you have a need in this regard, perhaps I can try to apply for a dosage of medication that suits you."

"No need..."

Yueying shook her head, pausing for a moment before adding a sentence.

"Thank you..."

What she was more curious about now was just how far this human artificial human, who had left a bit of an impression on her, could go?