Working Out and Entering the Dimension For a Second Time

Walking the streets, I took in a breath of air.

It was by no means clean or pure but it smelt like home. I'd grown up in New York in both my lives, so this smell...well, it had been ingrained into me.

Watching the people passing, I felt like I was in some kind of movie - they were all wearing clothes I hadn't seen people wear unless they were in movies--

Speaking about movies, don't I have like a year until Terminator comes out? The only good film that comes out this year would be Scarface...next year would also have Ghostbusters and Indiana and the Temple of Doom. Some pretty good films. Some of my favorites at least which will be nice to see on their release dates.

I should look out for a part-time job so I actually have the money to get a ticket...

Such thoughts came to an end as I turned into an alleyway and saw a few unsavory types standing around smoking. Looking down at a digital watch, I saw that it was around 6, so I had to say I was surprised such low-lives were up this early.

But I guess even scumbags have to work, huh?

Not at all intimidated by the big men and the obvious guns they had on them, I walked into the tight corridor of brick. When I got in front of them, I looked up at the one nearest to me. He was a lanky man, with next to no muscle but with enough of a frame to look intimidating. His greasy black hair was slicked back and even with the cheap cologne he was wearing, he smelt like crap.

He looked at me before smirking cockily, "Why you looking at me like that kid? You a fag* or something?" he said, earning a laugh from his two friends.

(*A/N - Sorry if this sort of language offends someone but this is 1980s New York. People weren't exactly PC back then.)

"Excuse me, I'd like to get through," I said, not wanting to deal with this as I had better things to do.

But all my manners got me was laughter, his stinking breath on my face and some stray spittle on my forehead.

Tapping my finger against my leg, I patiently waited for him to step aside but he never did, instead making himself more of an obstacle, "Hey, Charlie, come look at this kid! He has the accent but he ain't got that New Yorker way of dealing with people!" he said, looking and motioning a shorter, more rotund man over.

The man looked like the opposite of the lanky man in front of me; short, fat but still with the same greasy black hair that had been slicked back. Even that shitty cologne was the same.

The tapping of my finger quickened as the fat one hobbled over.

"Kid, I'll give ya some advice - don't always be so polite to people, yeah? You look like you can handle yourself, so don't be such a pussy, yeah?" he spoke and despite my finger tapping at my leg with a machine gun pace, I just nodded. Seeing my nod, they moved and I just walked passed them. I heard some kind of derogatory statement thrown my way but I ignored it.

I wasn't a child, so I wouldn't lash out at every single thing that annoyed me.

...But that doesn't mean I won't beat the shit out of them if they're here by the time I get back. Especially the lanky one.

Exiting the other side of the alleyway, I got on my way.

Soon enough I got to the abandoned gym so prevalent in my new memories for the past few months. Quickly walking around the back, I got inside and looked around. Disorderly and dusty would be the best words to describe all this.

But there had definitely been movement in here. I knew both by the movement and lack of dust on certain weights but also because it was me who'd been here.

Walking over to a bench, I sat down on it and held out my index finger. The nail quickly lengthened and morphed into a claw and I brought up my other hand, pressing the claw against it. I pressed down with enough strength to break my skin before the refinement and found that not even a mark could be left on the skin.

I kept increasing the pressure I put on the skin until finally the edge broke through and a thin line of blood came out and dripped onto my tracksuit pants.

"Hmm," I hummed as I brought the claw away and retracted it.

The increase in skin strength wasn't just 40%. It was much more. If it took 10% of my strength applied through a claw to cut my skin, then now it took around 60%. An increase of six times, with each 10% adding more defense than the last. It didn't do much for my strength but it definitely meant that I could punch harder things and not break or bruise my skin as easily as before.

I wonder what the next 60% will do to my skin? I actually can't wait for the time I next enter the Hunting Dimension. This time, however, I won't be caught off guard by what I assume to be a green wolf's wind blade.

I also have claws now, so killing the rabbits should be easier.

...It genuinely feels like I'm becoming more like a predator the more I think about it.

But with my power set and the Hunting Dimension, I guess it was inevitable for me to start thinking like that. All I can try to do is not lose my humanity in the process, right?

Chuckling to myself, I stood up, the bleeding on my palm having already stopped and the scab being made bit by bit, second by second. This healing was definitely a little quicker than I was used to but as long as it's not a disadvantage, I'm not gonna complain about it.

Walking to the nearest pile of weights, I began to collect the biggest and heaviest ones before putting them in a pile. Then I went off to find the strongest and heaviest bar they had in this place.

It didn't take too long to find one and enough tape to wrap the weights in because I ran out of room on the bar. Basically, I just duct taped weights onto the weights and it somehow stayed together.

With around 1300lbs to 1400lbs, I was guaranteed to get a good work out in.

The bar creaked and bent a little but it held stable enough for me to begin working. Squats, mainly. I even began running (power walking, really) around the dusty gym, working my core, back and legs. Bicep curls once I'd done that as well.

I was doing this to see if I could go further - to see if I could improve. It was much too early to see if that were the case, so I'd have to come back for the next few weeks.

Putting the bar down with a clatter, I started stretching my body as I began to walk toward the exit of the gym. Once outside, I made my way down the streets of New York. I had like five dollars on me and that'd be enough for a few hotdogs. I was hungry after all, and the bowl of porridge I had simply wasn't enough to power my enhanced body.

A slight downside, but oh well. I like food anyway.

. . .

It was now night. I'd spent an entire day out, playing and sight-seeing. I'd seen all these places before, don't get me wrong--but it was the 80s! Everything just felt different.

Like I said, it was like being in an 80s movie.

Nostalgia aside, I was back in my bedroom after having had something to eat with my family.

It was a Sunday, so I did have school tomorrow which did suck ass, I'll be honest. But who cares? I could probably ace every single test they had and even if for some reason I lose half my IQ in the next 12 hours, I could probably still fake my grades if I find out where they store them or whatever.

It's only the 80s after all. Nothing too tech heavy is around just yet.

Falling back against my bed, I closed my eyes as I waited for the time to come where I'd enter the dimension again. To make things simpler, I just forced myself to sleep and through the magic of sleeping, the time I experienced until I entered the dimension vanished and I woke up in the dimension.

Looking at the grassy plains, I smiled as I hurried flipped myself up onto my feet. Kicking off my shoes, I extended both the claws on my feet and the claws on my hands before I broke out in a run.

The claws on my toes helped me get a better grip by digging into the ground, so my speed was even faster than last time I was here.

I began searching around for the rabbits while staying well away from the 2m high grass where the green wolves were very apparent. It didn't take me long to find a similarly sized rabbit as yesterday. Crouching down, I kept myself as low as possible as I snuck toward the rabbit. Something about this was very satisfying to my instincts and I couldn't help but wonder whether my mutant power was indeed actually somewhat like Sabretooth just without the healing factor.

Anyway, it didn't take long for me to get within lunging distance of the rabbit and I didn't waste time as I launched myself at it.

Sadly, I seemed to have underestimated it's reaction speed as it spun around and away from me, not forgetting to land a hind leg hit on my outstretched hand.

Grabbing ahold of the ground and pulling myself toward it, stopping my lunge, I felt the bones inside my hand shivering back and forth from the impact. It really fucking hurt. But it was better than what it would have been yesterday - without the stronger skin to take the hit, it would've broken my hand just now.

I kept myself posed before I stood up and entered a open-handed fighting stance, keeping my eyes completely focused on the rabbit.

It bared it's teeth, the sharp fangs you wouldn't see on a rabbit glinting under the sun above.

It charged at me and I took the same actions as last time and side-stepped the rabbit before rushing at it from the side as it was in mid-air. But instead of getting it in a chokehold, I formed a spear shape with my hand, my own claws glinting under the sunlight, and thrust it at the rabbits neck.

It obviously sensed the danger as it tried to move it's neck out of the way but it was far too late and with a wet squelch, my claws cut straight through it's fur and skin, through it's flesh and into it's blood vessels.

I carried on through them, though, and severed it's throat completely. My claws were followed by a trail of ruby-colored blood and the rabbit dropped weakly to the ground. It kicked for a while, gurgling blood, before it went still and quickly evaporated into little particles of light.

Picking up the two red orbs it dropped, I quickly dashed away from where I was, making my way to my next hunt.

. . .

"Fuck...!" I harshly whispered as my eyes shot open in the real world. Pain wracked my entire body like I'd been set on fire.

Because I had been set on fire and turned to ash, which is how I died tonight.

But seriously, what the hell was one of those Lions doing there in the beginner area?! Isn't this like a Lv100 Veteran Player bullying Newbies in the Beginner Village?!

Grunting, I fought through the pain and sat up before leaning my sweat covered brow on my hands. The pain took longer to go away this time, and even when it went away, the feeling of being burned alive and the pain it caused was still burned deeply into my mind.

How the hell did Lu Ze put up with this?! Was he secretly a Masochist or something?

...No wonder he said some pretty weird stuff in the novel. He'd had his marbles cracked by dying over and over again.

But like I assumed it always did, the pain and the memories of it soon faded and I let out a breath of relief as I looked into my red orb storage in my mind. I saw 19 red orbs, all glinting with explosive and dense energy, and I couldn't help but crack a wide and happy smile. But the smile soon soured, "If only it weren't for that goddamn Lion I could've had so many more orbs...!" I said, lamenting about being kicked from the dimension.

My hunting method was extremely effective against the rabbits. A single slice to the neck and they were down. Any times I did miss the arteries, I learnt from my mistakes and didn't make them again.

Just like Lu Ze, I was becoming a proficient Rabbit Hunter!

...God, dying was really straining my sanity.

Kicking off my pajama bottoms and then taking off my pants, I picked up the towel I brought into my room when I came to bed. Laying it across the floor of my room, I got off my bed, took off my t-shirt and then sat down on the towel, butt-naked.

Why was I doing this? Because washing impurities out of your clothes is hard as hell.

Questions aside, I started my cultivation for the night by consuming a single red orb. The same violent energy as yesterday flooded my system and I quickly began sweating just like yesterday.