Chapter 217

Thinking of the embarrassing situation where he fainted directly when adding points last time, Natsume Chikage absolutely dared not take risks in public places like the street or school.

At this moment, his sister was not at home, which was the safest and most private time.

He must improve his physique as soon as possible to completely get rid of the uncomfortable "perceptual delay" caused by his high mental attribute.

That feeling of subtle disconnection between his thinking and physical reaction was like wearing an ill-fitting, heavy coat, constantly reminding him of his imbalance.

His pace unconsciously quickened.

He passed through the familiar alley and pushed open that slightly old door.

The familiar three-mat room quietly came into view.

The air was filled with the faint, reassuring scent of home.

He took off his shoes, placed them neatly in the entryway, and then stepped onto the cool tatami.

Without hesitation, he walked directly to the center of the room and lay down slowly.

Face up.

The texture of the tatami fibers came through his thin shirt.

The lesson of fainting directly last time was still fresh in his memory; adding points while lying down could at least avoid bumping into the corners of tables and chairs if he fainted.

Safety first.

Deep breath.

Once, twice.

He settled his chaotic thoughts and suppressed the excitement and expectation in his heart.

He focused his mind on the flashing light point.

"Add points."

A silent command fell in his heart.

【Available attribute points: 1 → 0】

【Physique: 5 → 6】

Just at the moment the value jumped—

An unprecedented, purely physical, massive, sharp pain swept through his whole body without warning, like a tsunami!

It was not the void pain of mental tearing, but a real torture where every cell was screaming.

It was as if countless invisible carving knives were cutting and dissolving every inch of his muscle fibers from the inside, and then instantly reorganizing them crazily into a more efficient and perfect structure.

His muscles squirmed and bulged uncontrollably, rising and falling under his skin, as if something alive was galloping inside.

A series of dense and crisp "crackle" sounds came from deep within his bones; that was his support structure being adjusted and strengthened more reasonably, the density increasing, and the form being fine-tuned to adapt to the new balance.

Sweat—a large amount of sweat—gushed out from every pore almost instantly.

In an instant, it soaked his clothes and spread dark wet marks on the tatami beneath him.

The sharp pain came violently, but it also subsided unusually quickly.

Like the sharpest blade passing by, the pain receded rapidly like a tide the moment after it climbed to its peak.

What was left was a strange sense of loss, as if he had been completely hollowed out and instantly filled with brand-new power.

"Haa—!"

Natsume Chikage opened his eyes wide, his chest heaving violently, gasping for air.

Sweat beads on his forehead and temples gathered into streams, sliding down his cheeks and neck, dripping and making sounds.

After several seconds, his wildly beating heart slowly calmed down.

Immediately after, an indescribable sense of comfort, like a clear spring, emerged and spread from the depths of his limbs and bones.

The previous stagnation and delay of thinking quickly but physical feedback being "half a beat slow" had completely disappeared!

The invisible barrier between mind and body was broken, returning to a harmonious, unified, and smooth state.

As soon as a thought arose, his body's reaction was synchronized.

This feeling of mind and body being one, as if using his arm, was so beautiful that he wanted to sigh.

Natsume Chikage was pleasantly surprised, completely not expecting that this time it only took one or two seconds to complete the physique increase, without fainting for almost a whole class period like last time.

But it made sense.

Physique improves the body.

And spirit improves the soul.

The two are essentially completely different!

The soul is more difficult to improve than a simple material shell.

Natsume Chikage tried to move his fingers and clench his fists.

The sense of power was clearer, and the control was more precise.

But the changes went far beyond that.

Natsume Chikage was surprised to find that his vision had become clearer than ever before.

The sub-health that had existed due to long-term desk work and nutritional problems seemed to be completely wiped away by an invisible hand.

He could even clearly see the tiny printed font on the seasoning bottle in the kitchen several meters away, with every stroke having sharp edges.

The colors also seemed more vivid and layered.

He closed his eyes and focused his mind.

His hearing also became unusually sharp.

The faint sound of traffic on the distant street, the blurred sound of the TV in the apartment building next door, even the rustling sound of tree branches being blown by the wind outside the window...

These background sounds that were once ignored were now pouring into his ears in layers; although very subtle, it was enough to prove that his hearing had been strengthened a little.

Not only that.

His sense of smell could distinguish more subtle layers of odor in the air—the smell of old book paper, the fresh scent of tatami grass mats, and even the slightly different metabolic scent in the sweat he had just secreted.

His taste buds seemed to be eager to try.

His sense of touch...

He could perceive the texture of every straw of the tatami beneath him more clearly, as well as the subtle temperature difference brought by the air flowing over his skin.

The comprehensive improvement of his five senses made Natsume Chikage pleasantly surprised!

However, when he tried to sit up, he felt a strange, tight, and sticky touch on his skin.

Looking down, he was stunned.

He saw that his skin on his neck, arms, calves, and other exposed areas was covered with a thin layer of gray-black substance, similar to oil or dead skin cells.

With a light rub, this layer of substance rolled up and fell off, revealing underneath...

Natsume Chikage's pupils shrank.

"This is... the impurities discharged?"

He stood up from the tatami and entered the small bathroom.

He quickly took off his clothes that were soaked with sweat and stained with dirt.

The mirror reflected his current appearance.

Natsume Chikage was stunned.

His figure, which was originally just well-proportioned and thin, had undergone visible changes.

Although he didn't become a muscular man with bulging muscles.

But the muscle lines all over his body became clear and smooth, as if they had been sculpted with the greatest care.

The outline of his chest became solid, the prototype of abdominal muscles appeared clearly on his abdomen, the deltoids of his arms and shoulders outlined beautiful curves, and the lines of his legs became more slender and powerful.

Overall, he looked like a slender figure full of power, between a thin boy and a lean young man, well-proportioned and coordinated.

"This effect is too..."

Pleasantly surprised, he hurriedly turned on the shower, and the warm water washed away the residual dirt and sweat stains on his body.

After carefully washing, he stood in front of the mirror.

In the misty water vapor, the brand-new self was clearly presented.

Natsume Chikage couldn't help but look carefully again.

The change was not just in his figure.

His face shape also seemed to have undergone extremely subtle but crucial adjustments.

The originally superior bone structure seemed to have been optimized—the arc of the jawline was clearer and smoother, the connection between the cheekbones and the jawbone was just right, and the outline of his whole face added a bit of sculptural exquisiteness to his handsomeness.

The most obvious was his skin.

The skin that was originally white but occasionally revealed fatigue or subtle flaws was now brand new.