Back in reality, Shen Xingyan extracted the rabbit meat from his Star Map and immediately headed to the kitchen, where he divided it into several portions. He then cooked a part of the meat, supplementing his lunch with ordinary home-cooked side dishes. Although Shen Xingyan's culinary skills weren't particularly outstanding, the quality of the rabbit meat itself allowed even simple cooking methods to create an aromatic and delicious dish, which naturally whetted his appetite.
Thoroughly savoring every bite, Shen Xingyan nodded approvingly, feeling a pleasant sensation spread throughout his body. His whole body seemed to become lighter, and a feeling of complete satisfaction gradually encompassed every cell.
This feeling of fullness was different from the usual. Previously, after eating, Shen Xingyan only felt a temporary satiation of his stomach, but now his entire being seemed to be overflowing with contentment.
Noticing this change, Shen Xingyan reflected: "Although my body has already gone through the Awakening and passed the stage of rapid base growth, the prolonged training has kept it in a state of constant nutrient deficiency. That's why I get hungry so quickly after training or returning from the Star Source world—ordinary food simply couldn't provide enough nutrients. Now, with this meat, not only will my bodily functions improve, but the speed of natural stamina recovery will increase, which in turn will accelerate future attribute growth."
Analyzing the situation, Shen Xingyan allowed himself to daydream a little about the future prospects.
After eating, it was clear that time was pressing, so Shen Xingyan quickly changed and rushed to the training hall for today's strength and agility exercises. Thanks to the sufficient energy supply, Shen Xingyan didn't hesitate to set the maximum difficulty for both workouts, surpassing his previous records. His approach embodied the principle of "train to the limit, if you don't die."
He even skipped the usual breaks between exercises, which should have been taken during a normal workout, maintaining an intensity far beyond the ordinary. Even people with high attributes usually train according to the principle of alternating load and rest, but Shen Xingyan seemed not to know what rest was, creating the impression that he was wildly venting his energy. This made the onlookers genuinely think that something had upset him and he was letting off steam. After all, such people were numerous—in an era where everything was determined by strength, suffering an emotional blow was commonplace.
But Shen Xingyan, completely dedicated to his training, paid no attention to them. Today's hour-long excursion into the wilderness had shown him just how weak he was and what a disadvantage it put him in.
And that was only in the Star Source world, where, in the worst-case scenario, he wouldn't be able to log in for a few days. For Shen Xingyan, whose skeletons controlled the field, this only meant a delay in the crop harvest, with no serious consequences.
But what if a similar situation were to occur in the real world? One mistake would be fatal—an experience he wanted to avoid at all costs. Thinking about the wilderness in the Star Source world, Shen Xingyan drew parallels with the outside world beyond the base. To ever cross those boundaries, he needed far greater strength. Like back then, when he easily defeated the Level 1 giant rabbits, overwhelming superiority left the opponent no chance.
"With enough strength, any accident ceases to be an accident!" Shen Xingyan mentally encouraged himself, continuing his intense training.
This regimen lasted until the very end of the allotted time, and even then, Shen Xingyan, emerging from this state, looked as if he wanted to continue. Normally, by this point, his stamina would have been severely depleted, but today, thanks to the nutritious rabbit meat, it was recovering almost as fast as it was being spent, so his overall exhaustion was not so significant.
Although he didn't want to stop, he decided not to continue training—in the real world, he needed to maintain a normal routine befitting an ordinary professional. Checking his attributes and finding no increase in Strength or Agility, Shen Xingyan wasn't overly upset. Both attributes had increased by one point just yesterday, and even with today's intensive training and morning practice of the Dragon and Elephant Fist, a new increase would take time.
Shen Xingyan approached the administrator's desk to return the timer. Taking it, the female employee looked at the young man with a certain admiration for the first time—Shen Xingyan's enthusiasm today had impressed her. She didn't dwell on the reasons for such behavior—she liked anyone who channeled their energy into training, as real strength was the foundation of survival.
Seeing her goodwill, Shen Xingyan smiled and nodded in response, then left the training hall and headed to the school to meet his sister after class.
…..
Soon, the brother and sister returned home. Shen Xingyan immediately went to the kitchen, prepared more rabbit meat, supplemented it with ordinary dishes, and served the meal.
"Wow, we have meat today! Brother, you must have spent a lot of money," Shen Xingying exclaimed happily, emerging from her room and seeing the rabbit meat. But then her brows slightly furrowed, and she added, "You're so wasteful with money! This meat must cost over a hundred copper coins. We just started getting some money, and you're already being so extravagant."
As she spoke, she pouted, expressing her displeasure.
Seeing this, Shen Xingyan smiled gently: "Don't we earn money so we can spend it? Eat your meat, replenish your strength. Don't worry about the money; we can afford it now. It's okay to treat ourselves to meat sometimes."
Shen Xingyan simply stated a fact, without going into unnecessary explanations.
Seeing her brother's response, Shen Xingying felt a certain helplessness, but deep down, she understood the truth of his words in the current era—the best use of money was to increase one's own strength.
Realizing this, Shen Xingying began to eat with a good appetite. Previously, they could only afford such a meat feast on birthdays or special holidays, so she particularly cherished this luxury.
"Mm, it really is delicious!" In the end, Shen Xingying couldn't escape the 'Law of True Taste,' and a bright smile, appropriate for her age, bloomed on her face.