Chapter 9: The Second Upgrade
"Eating meat can increase potential points?"
The question flashed through his mind.
Unable to believe it, he checked his attribute panel again. The points had indeed risen from 0 to 0.1.
The earlier system notification still lingered in his vision:
"This world underwent an unknown mutation. After the transformation, both plants and animals evolved into more formidable forms. It follows that consuming their meat would enhance human physiology."
He silently connected this to the Wei brothers’ claims about beast meat improving physical fitness.
"So when I eat beast meat, the system directly converts it into potential points. Accumulate enough, and I can upgrade my body."
The logic solidified as he dwelled on it.
He hastily grabbed another slice of meat. His mother’s knife skills were impeccable—every piece uniformly thin.
[+0.1 Potential Points]
The notification reappeared. With each swallow, his potential points climbed.
Chen Guodong and the woman exchanged knowing smiles as they watched Chen Fan devour his meal. Clearly, the boy was starving.
Yet Chen Guodong’s brow furrowed. Without the Wei brothers’ archery skills, trapping would be their only hope for catching prairie hares. But traps were unreliable at best...
Exactly ten pieces of meat later: 1 potential point gained.
Chen Fan’s eyes gleamed at the panel. Originally, he’d need until tomorrow evening to earn 2 points for an upgrade. Now, thanks to the beast meat, he could reach Level 2 tonight—boosting not just his strength but also making tomorrow’s archery practice easier.
No—tonight!
"Xiao Fan, still hungry?" His mother pushed two meat slices from her bowl into his.
He feigned a belch and returned them. "I’m full, Mom. You eat."
Before she could protest, he stood and addressed Chen Guodong: "Dad, I’ll practice archery at Uncle Zhang’s. Leave the door unlocked tonight."
"What?" Chen Guodong blinked.
The woman stared, bewildered, while their younger son remained clueless.
"Without Uncle Wei’s archers, hunting will be tougher. If I master this quickly, I can help sooner," Chen Fan insisted.
Chen Guodong flushed with paternal pride. "Your intention... is enough."
Chen Fan vanished into the night.
"He’s grown up overnight," Chen Guodong murmured to the woman.
Her expression tightened—proud of his maturity yet terrified of the dangers he’d face hunting. But she knew his eventual participation was inevitable.
"About an hour left," Chen Fan noted, checking his panel.
Ahead, firelight revealed a limping man roasting rabbit meat over a bonfire.
"You’re here." The man glanced up. "Want some?"
"If you’re serious, Uncle Zhang." Chen Fan eyed the golden-brown meat.
"Just politeness." The man blocked his view and jerked his chin toward a nearby bow.
Suppressing an obscene gesture, Chen Fan gripped the weapon. Familiarity flooded him—muscle memory aligning perfectly.
He resumed his daytime drills.
The limping man observed lazily until the twentieth arrow. "Quit while you’re ahead, kid. Your arm’ll be useless tomorrow."
"Just a bit longer," Chen Fan replied.
"Suit yourself." The man retreated indoors, leaving instructions to tend the fire.
Status Panel
[Basic Archery: Lv1 (16%)
Traits: Robust Physique Lv1, Arm Strength Lv1, Deliberate Aim Lv1]
At this rate, Level 2 by noon tomorrow—if my arm holds.
But time was critical. He checked his panel: 2 potential points. A glowing + hovered beside his level.
Upgrade.
The surge hit like a drug—heat radiating from his core, bones crackling softly, skin tautening. When it faded, he felt eerily revitalized.
Realm: None
Level: 3 (0/4)
Constitution: 9.8 (+0.98)
Strength: 8.7 (+0.87)
Agility: 7.7 (+0.77)
Spirit: 5.5 (+0.55)
Potential Points: 0 (1/day)
10% stat boost. My body now rivals an average man’s.
More remarkably, his practice-induced fatigue—the arm soreness, mental exhaustion—had vanished.
Upgrades reset fatigue?
The realization thrilled him. With strategic timing, he could train relentlessly—dawn to dusk, like a machine.
