Nightmare Despair

Chapter 4 Boxing Gym
The sky is slightly bright.

Zhou Kai's gaze fell on his system panel, where two new entries had appeared in his previously empty skill bar.

Light Steps lv0 (Upgradeable)

[Occultism lv0 (Upgradeable)]

Both lines of suffixes clearly indicate that points can be added.

Beep beep, beep beep...

On the bedside table, a cell phone, as hard as a brick, was vibrating.

Zhou Kai glanced at it, let it ring for a while, and then slowly reached out to pick it up and answer it.

"Hey sis, I just woke up..."

The person on the other end of the phone was Zhou Kai's sister, Zhou Qing.

"Just woke up?" Zhou Qing's voice was soft, but she spoke quickly. "I heard that you went to the boxing gym for half a day yesterday, and then left in the afternoon... Are you feeling unwell again?"

"If all else fails, take it slow. Don't rush to find a job. Getting your health back is the most important thing."

"Don't worry about money, your health is the most important thing, understand?"

Listening to the rambling on the other end of the phone, Zhou Kai's tense shoulders slumped for a moment.

He didn't speak, but simply reached out and twirled the faded family photo on the table.

Compared to the despair in a nightmare, the warmth of family is like an anesthetic, temporarily numbing the pain, but unfortunately, it can't cure the illness.

The problems now go far beyond just health and work...

It's not about how to survive those awful nightmares, but how to stay alive.

Thinking of this, Zhou Kai took a breath and made his voice sound more energetic: "I feel much better today, sis. I'll go to the boxing gym later."

I have to go to the boxing gym.

To survive in your dreams, you have to become stronger.

Zhou Kai is confident that he can hone any skill to perfection once he gets the hang of it.

Just like now.

Zhou Kai, barefoot, stepped onto the creaky spring bed in the bedroom and practiced the "light steps" according to the techniques in the manual.

The core of this technique lies in adjusting the body's center of gravity, the force of landing, and the coordination of breathing and exertion.

The barrier to entry is very low; it's not difficult.

Zhou Kai tried it for more than twenty minutes. When the spring mattress changed from a creaking sound to a soft hum, a line of subtitles flashed before his eyes.

[You have completed a skill training session. Light Steps experience points +1]

[Light Steps lv0→lv1]

Zhou Kai stopped what he was doing and looked at the panel.

[Light Steps lv1 (0/15): Common stealth technique]

Fifteen experience points are needed to level up, but he only has eight general experience points.

Investing now will have little effect.

"It's time to go out."

Zhou Kai splashed cold water on his face and did more than twenty push-ups.

The relief that his physical condition wasn't deteriorating gave him a renewed sense of vitality, and he felt much more energetic.

……

This year is 2027.

The Red Star Republic recently signed a peace agreement with the neighboring Lyle Federation, ending a localized hot war that had lasted for several years.

The desolation brought by the war quickly faded, and a jubilant atmosphere spread from the border all the way to Xishan City where he lived.

Zhou Kai came down from the tenement building and stepped out of the narrow alley on the wooden planks used to keep out the water.

Suddenly, everything opened up before me, and the muffled sounds around me became clear instantly.

The area where the urban village meets the newly developed zone is bustling with traffic, and posters promoting peace and development are plastered all over the walls.

Zhou Kai glanced at it a few more times, and his mood did improve.

For ordinary people, the word "war" carries too much weight.

The old tenement building was crammed with nearby office workers.

The rent here is cheap, and the transportation is relatively convenient. It is close to the subway station and less than nine kilometers away from the CBD of Xishan City.

During rush hour, men and women jostle shoulder to shoulder, making subways and buses as crowded as sardine cans.

Zhou Kai deliberately went out during off-peak hours.

It's 9:30 now, and the crowd has thinned out considerably.

He easily snagged a seat on the bus.

Throughout the journey, Zhou Kai gazed out the window, lost in thought.

He hadn't noticed it before, but lately, the more he looked at Akahoshi's urban construction style, the more awkward he felt.

The building facades are as ostentatious as third-rate online game advertisements, with color screens so low-resolution they resemble mosaics, and brightly colored posters plastered all over the building. Cars, buildings, even streetlights seem to be pursuing a cheap metallic texture, shimmering silver, creating blinding light pollution.

Occasionally, solid colors like pale yellow or magenta appear, which seem out of place.

As Zhou Kai watched, a word popped into his head, and it was quite accurate.

"Retro-futurism".

Drop drop, drop drop.

The square phone, with half a screen and half buttons like a scientific calculator, rang again.

Zhou Kai swiped the screen, and a bunch of red dots appeared in the chat software. The one that was flashing was a profile picture with the nickname "Sister Yanzi".

"Xiao Kai, are you coming again today? I had to beg and plead with your sister to pay your tuition. I was looking for someone to keep me company, but you're even lazier than me."

"You haven't come for the past two days, and I'm so embarrassed I could dig out a whole Forbidden City from your face..."

Lu Yan and Zhou Qing were college classmates. Before graduation, they were almost inseparable. Lu Yan is three years older than Zhou Kai and they have known each other for five years.

I dragged Zhou Kai to practice boxing with me, partly to get him moving around more and prevent him from getting moldy in the rented room.

Secondly, perhaps they wanted to use him as a tool to scare off those hormone-fueled beasts.

Zhou Kai replied with two words: "On the way."

He then turned off his phone screen and closed his eyes to rest.

……

Falcon Wing Boxing Gym.

With her hair tied in a ponytail and a slightly chubby face, Lu Yan wore light makeup and sportswear. When she saw Zhou Kai from afar, she squeezed out from a group of members and quickly walked to his side: "You look great today!"

As she spoke, she reached out to pinch Zhou Kai's cheek.

Zhou Kai raised his hand to block the attack easily: "No, I had a good sleep."

Dying four times in the nightmare caused his physical condition in reality to deteriorate from sub-health to near death.

I finally escaped and even built a safe house, giving me a moment to catch my breath.

Oh, and a fireplace.

Next time we go in, we'll have to find some fuel and light it.

Zhou Kai's attitude towards Lu Yan was lukewarm: "Sister Yanzi, it's time to rejoin the team."

"Oh... I heard they're selecting official trainees today."

She verbally agreed, but like a sparrow, she chirped incessantly around Zhou Kai.

Zhou Kai and Lu Yan joined the line together, their gazes drifting over the partition to the student area, which occupied two-thirds of the boxing gym.

It's free there, and the environment is actually better than those who pay. The training is also different; it's more like being an inner disciple in a traditional martial arts school.

Coach Chen Ping, tall and with thick eyebrows, glanced at Zhou Kai, his eyes devoid of emotion.

After all, it's ridiculous for a man to let his body break down to this extent without any reason.

Ha, whether it's innate or acquired, it has nothing to do with the word "martial arts".

He wouldn't bother glancing at members who weren't valuable.

Anyway, as long as the money is paid, that's fine.

Once all the members had arrived, Chen Ping pulled out the worst-performing young man from the adjacent student area; his name was reportedly Du Feng.

When Zhou Kai registered the day before yesterday, Chen Ping was talking about exerting force.

Yesterday's trial lesson was about horse stance... all the most basic techniques imaginable.

But today was different; he showed some real skill to Du Feng.

"Do you know why you can't do it? Your punches aren't fast enough! Your legs aren't stable enough! Your muscles and bones aren't flexible enough!"

As Chen Ping cursed, he raised his palm, his five fingers together, the fingertips like a bird's beak, and quickly aimed at Du Feng's vital points.

Each stab was accompanied by a sharp, tearing sound as it pierced the air.

At first, Du Feng could barely hold his own, but as Chen Ping increased his strength and speed, the composure on his face gradually turned into panic.

"Wait, Senior Brother Chen... I can't keep up!"

"Don't use the Falcon Strike Technique... This... This is too dangerous..."

Du Feng's eyes widened.

Almost simultaneously, the moment Chen Ping poked him in the side, he let out a muffled groan, his strength vanished, his legs gave way, and he knelt down.

All of this happened in a matter of seconds, swift and decisive, with swift and fierce moves.

Zhou Kai and his group of lay members watched intently.

Chen Ping, his face cold, shouted at Du Feng on the ground, "Get up!"

Du Feng's face contorted in pain, but he still forced himself to stand up: "Yes, Senior Brother Chen."

He first bowed to Chen Ping in apology, then turned to the members and said with an embarrassed expression, "As is customary, I will spar with you all in mixed martial arts later. Those who can withstand ten moves from me without falling will become formal students, exempt from tuition fees, and will be able to learn our school's Falcon Striking Technique and Wing Breaking Style."

(End of this chapter)