Level 3 Darts at an Amateur Level

An hour of morning exercise hadn't transformed Chen Jue into some martial arts master. He realized that this simplified version of the Twelve Forms of Tai Chi leaned far more toward health preservation. After finishing the practice, aside from a light sweat and feeling a bit more energetic, there were no other changes. Even the soreness in his muscles was only slightly eased thanks to the attribute points he had added to his constitution. As for the miraculous fighting techniques touted on the internet, Chen Jue felt nothing of the sort. Perhaps it was because he had just reached Level 1 and the "Twelve Forms of Tai Chi" skill was still too low to show any real effect. If practicing for just an hour could make him ready for a boxing match, then it wouldn’t be martial arts—it would be a supernatural power!

Still, having picked up a new skill that could boost both his proficiency and attributes, Chen Jue was more than satisfied. After leaving his apartment complex and grabbing some breakfast, he strolled leisurely to Wangdao Park.

It was just after nine in the morning, and most of the shops in Wangdao Park weren’t open yet—only the gym and a handful of breakfast diners had already unlocked their doors. With just a few days left on his gym trial card, Chen Jue didn’t want to let it go to waste, so he had come a bit earlier than usual.

But today, he wasn't able to do his usual workout routine. His right arm and both legs still hadn’t fully recovered, leaving only his left hand in shape for exercise. When the girl at the gym’s front desk saw Chen Jue arrive so early, her eyes lit up. She remembered him from the trial class. Most people who came for a trial session and then returned would usually end up signing up for a membership. Once Chen Jue paid for a membership, she’d get a decent commission. So the moment he walked in, she greeted him warmly, “Sir, you’re back again! Would you like me to call a coach for you? But it’s not Coach Li on duty today—it’s Coach Lin.”

“Huh?”

“No need, I’ll just practice on my own! Don’t trouble yourselves,” Chen Jue replied, waving his hand.

His trial card was only good for seven days. Once it expired next Monday, he had no intention of renewing his membership. With Taisheng Financial on the verge of collapse, he couldn’t even be sure if he would remain in Jianye Park. Signing up for a gym card now would just be a waste of money! Besides, he’d already scored a free trial class; to ask for more would be shameless.

Seeing him decline, the receptionist didn’t push further. In the service industry, it was all about knowing your boundaries—too much enthusiasm could scare off potential clients. After all, every gym-goer was different: some relished enthusiastic service, while others, especially the more introverted types, just wanted to be left alone. Chen Jue, with his glasses and slightly chubby look, was clearly the solitary, reclusive kind.

Filling his own bottle with warm water from the dispenser, Chen Jue took a stroll around the gym floor.

He glanced briefly at a curvaceous female coach guiding a scantily clad student through exercises, then quickly averted his gaze. Pulling out his phone, he thought for a moment and sent the “panel prompt” he’d seen last night in a message to Coach Li Chaoqun for advice. Since the coach was probably off duty, there was no reply.

Chen Jue then headed to the recreation room and picked up some darts.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

The sound of darts striking the wall-mounted target echoed through the recreation room, so loud it could be heard even from the equipment area outside, despite the glass partition. After a night’s rest, Chen Jue’s left hand had regained its strength. With his “Darts” skill now at Level 2, his understanding of needle darts had deepened considerably. Each throw now earned him a “standard” or “excellent” rating from the system’s prompts.

Proficiency points soared, +2, +3 at a time—it was as if he’d consumed a double-experience potion! Practicing darts early in the morning, Chen Jue found his mind clear and free from distraction, his focus sharper than usual. In this almost magical state, he began hitting the bullseye more and more frequently.

After less than an hour of practice, when his left wrist and forearm were nearly exhausted, the familiar system prompt appeared.

———

[Ding~]

[Proficiency has reached 100%. Skill level up.]

[Darts Lv2 (500/500) → Lv3 (1/2000)]

[Your understanding of needle darts has greatly improved, your throwing form is increasingly precise, and you now possess the skill of an amateur competitor.]

———

[Ding~]

[After a period of training, your left hand and forearm muscle groups have grown slightly.]

[Strength +0.01]

———

After those two prompts rolled by, Chen Jue set down the darts and shook his sore left hand. Such high-intensity, sustained practice had already pushed his body past its limit.

But his efforts had paid off! Not only had his “Darts” skill leveled up, even his strength attribute had increased a little, reaching 0.80.

“Level 3 counts as amateur level! But now it takes 2,000 proficiency to level up again?” Chen Jue did some quick math and realized he would need to practice for over four hours straight just to fill the next proficiency bar. That was only possible because he was in top form this morning and managed to rack up 500 points in a little over an hour. If he were in worse shape, he’d need even longer.

Plus, his stamina wasn’t limitless—when his wrist and arm tired out, he’d need time to recover. To reach Level 4 in “Darts,” he guessed it might take him a week, maybe even ten days. “The early levels go by quickly,” he thought. “But as proficiency requirements rise, the pace of improvement slows.” He suspected the same applied to attribute points: fast gains at first, slower as the basics improved.

Chen Jue thought of the self-disciplined fitness vloggers who’d become internet sensations lately. When they started, many were severely overweight; the large initial numbers meant that with just a few days of discipline, they could drop several kilos right away. But as their body fat decreased, daily weight loss slowed to a crawl. After all, there were limits to how much weight one could safely lose—overdoing it could lead to all kinds of health problems.

Just as Chen Jue was flexing his arm and taking a break, his phone rang.

Coach Li had replied: “Mr. Chen, what you described—feeling hungrier and absorbing more nutrients after exercise—is very common. I reviewed your body composition report yesterday. Your basal metabolic rate is normal at just 1,640 kilocalories. Most members with similar builds to yours, after some training, usually reach 1,800 kilocalories. At that point, you’ll need to increase your nutrition. If you want to build muscle, eat more high-protein foods like eggs and beef, but maintain a balanced diet—get plenty of vegetables for vitamins, fiber, and minerals, and don’t forget to drink more water! As your metabolism increases, your body will consume water more quickly. For us professional coaches and athletes, diet alone isn’t always enough—many of us supplement with whey protein, otherwise we’d fall short on nutrition.”

Impressed by Coach Li’s patient and thorough reply, Chen Jue sent several thank-you emojis in response. Seeing the system panel frequently referencing terms like “muscle,” “training,” “aerobic exercise,” and “anaerobic exercise,” he suspected that the information was drawn from real-world knowledge of human physiology.

Having just started his fitness journey, Chen Jue was not only inexperienced, but clueless about most of these concepts. Having an expert guide him one-on-one would help him quickly master key points about exercise.

Just as Chen Jue was pondering how to glean even more fitness knowledge from Coach Li, the curvaceous female coach from earlier pushed open the recreation room door. With a light, inquisitive voice, she asked, “Were you the one throwing darts just now?”