Panlong's Worton

Chapter 2 Panel

Before dawn, a pale gray light seeped in through the cracks in the wooden window.

Walton opened his eyes, lay still for a while, and listened to the sounds. The whole house was quiet, with only the occasional bird call in the distance. He gently lifted the covers, stepped barefoot onto the floor, and silently walked to the door, pressing his ear to it.

No one is present.

He retreated to the center of the room, took a deep breath, and then lay down.

A two-and-a-half-year-old doing push-ups is a comical sight. His arms are thin, his belly round, and he trembles the first time he pushes up. He counts, "One..."

His arms were sore and numb, but he didn't stop.

"……two."

By the third attempt, his arms went weak, and his face nearly hit the floor. He paused for a few seconds, gritted his teeth, and managed to push himself up for another one.

[Basic Physical Fitness: Upper Body Strength (Initial Systematic Training)]

[Proficiency: 0.05%]

[Effect: Slight activation of muscle fibers, but extremely poor stability]

[Tip: Daily adherence can improve neuromuscular coordination]

The panel popped up. The numbers were pitifully small, but Wharton felt a little more at ease staring at the line "Daily Insistence".

He finished five squats and lay on the ground panting, a thin layer of sweat on his forehead. After resting for a minute, he rolled over and sat up, then began to try squats.

This one is even harder. I couldn't maintain my balance, and on the third try, I landed on my bottom with a thud.

Walton froze immediately, holding his breath to listen to the sounds outside.

There were no footsteps.

He got up and continued.

By the time he finished ten sets of basic exercises, the sky outside the window was already getting a bit brighter. He was covered in sweat, his arms and legs felt like lead, but several new entries were flashing on the panel:

[Basic Physical Fitness: Upper Body Strength]

[Proficiency: 0.18%]

[Basic Physical Fitness: Lower Body Strength]

[Proficiency: 0.12%]

Body coordination

[Proficiency: 0.07%]

It's rising slowly, but it's definitely moving.

Walton wiped away his sweat with the towel he had kept by the bedside the night before, changed back into his pajamas, and tucked the towel under the mattress. Then he lay back down on the bed, closed his eyes, and pretended to be asleep.

About half an hour later, Ciri's footsteps could be heard outside the door.

"Young Master Wharton, it's time to get up." Ciri pushed open the door and came in. Seeing Wharton rubbing his eyes as if he had just woken up, she smiled. "How are you feeling today?"

"Okay." Walton sat up and stretched—a movement that aggravated his sore muscles, but he refrained from grimacing.

Linley was already there for breakfast, quickly finishing a plate of oatmeal and two slices of bread. Hogg was also there, an account book spread out in front of him, his brow slightly furrowed.

"Father, I'm done eating." Lin Lei put down his spoon.

Hogg looked up: "Don't be late for class this morning. Before training this afternoon, memorize the history we learned yesterday."

"Yes." Linley nodded, and as he stood up, he patted Wharton on the head. "Eat well."

Walton, with bread stuffed in his mouth, mumbled an "uh-huh."

After Hogg left, only Wharton and Ciri remained in the dining room. Ciri, clearing away the plates, casually asked, "What does young Master Wharton want to do today? Read again?"

"Play," Walton said.

Ciri was a little surprised: "Play? Sure, what do you want to play?"

"In the yard," Walton slid off his chair, "run around."

Ciri laughed: "Okay, I'll go with you. But you'll need to wear a jacket, it's still a bit chilly in the morning."

Actually, Wharton wanted to observe the terrain. The backyard of Baruch House was large, and the area near the old houses was rarely visited. There were several partially collapsed walls and piles of rubble, which would be perfect for hiding and practicing some stealth techniques.

Ciri moved a small chair and sat under the eaves to bask in the sun, while Wharton "played" in the yard. He first ran around a few laps like a normal child, chased butterflies for a while, and then slowly approached the abandoned area.

"Young Master Wharton, don't go over there. There are too many rocks; you might slip and fall," Ciri warned.

"Just one look," Walton said, already disappearing behind a broken wall.

This place was even more suitable than he had expected. It was surrounded by crumbling walls on three sides, and the ground was covered with a thick layer of dead leaves, making it soft to walk on. From Ciri's angle, unless someone deliberately walked over, they couldn't see what he was doing at all.

Wharton began reviewing the morning's movements.

He did six push-ups this time. He did twelve squats. He also tried high knees, but quickly became out of breath.

[Basic Physical Fitness: Cardiopulmonary Function (Initial Stimulation)]

[Proficiency: 0.03%]

The panel faithfully records every bit of progress.

After practicing for about twenty minutes, he heard Ciri's voice approaching from afar: "Young Master Wharton? Where have you been hiding?"

Walton immediately stopped, grabbed a dry twig from the ground, and pretended to poke at the dirt.

Ciri's head peeked out from behind the broken wall: "Hey, what are you doing here? Isn't it dirty?"

"Look for bugs." Walton held up a branch, which did indeed have some mud on it.

Ciri shook her head helplessly: "Come out, it's time to wash your hands. You still need to learn a few words this morning. Weren't you quite interested yesterday?"

Walton obediently followed him back.

The literacy lesson was still based on the same book, "The Illustrated Compendium of Warcraft." Ciri taught him to recognize "Velociraptor" and "Earth Dragon," and Walton secretly traced the characters on the table with his finger as he read along.

[Literacy Recognition (Tracing Reinforcement)]

[Proficiency: 0.31%]

It grows faster than physical strength. After all, this doesn't require physical development; it's purely a matter of the brain and memory.

When Lin Lei returned for lunch, he had an excited look on his face.

"Father, Uncle Hillman said my 'Qi Gathering Stance' has improved again," Lin Lei said while eating. "He said if I practice for another six months, I might be able to catch up with the standard of a ten-year-old."

Hogg nodded: "Don't be arrogant. People from the Dragonblood Warrior family already have a higher starting point than ordinary people. You must live up to this bloodline."

"Yes," Lin Lei replied, but his eyes still shone.

Wharton listened quietly, silently noting down the term "Qi Gathering Style." It sounded like some kind of basic training method.

After lunch, Hogg went for his usual afternoon nap, while Linley pulled Walton into the living room: "I'm going to training this afternoon, do you want to come watch?"

Walton nodded immediately.

He wanted to see. Not just out of curiosity, but also because he needed to observe what the training system of this world was like, what the movements and key points were. The panel could assist in learning, but only if he knew what he should learn.

The training ground was at the east end of town, a patch of compacted dirt ground surrounded by wooden stakes. When they arrived, there were already dozens of children there, divided into three groups according to age. Hillman stood at the front, wearing a sleeveless shirt, his exposed arms showing clearly defined muscles.

"Linley, move to the middle line," Hillman said.

Lin Lei jogged over and stood in the group of about ten-year-olds, his back ramrod straight.

Walton was being held by Ciri, standing under a large tree at the edge of the training field. From this angle, they could see the entire field.

"Let's start with the 'Qi Gathering Pose' today," Hillman's voice boomed. "Same as always, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, hands at your sides. Concentrate and breathe naturally."

The children on the field all struck a pose in unison.

Wharton stared intently at Linley. He saw the degree to which his brother's knees bent, the position of his hands clasped loosely, and the slow rise and fall of his chest. There were many details, and he tried his best to remember them all.

[Observation and Learning: Basic Combat Techniques - Qi Gathering Style (Initial Analysis)]

[Proficiency: 0.08%]

[Result: Initial understanding of the key points of the posture, but lack of body awareness]

[Note: Actual imitation is required to establish neural memory]

The panel popped up again. Wharton had a sudden realization—so observation also counts as learning, and the panel can automatically analyze it?

He continued watching.

Some of the younger children soon began to sway, but Lin Lei stood firm. Ten minutes later, many children collapsed to the ground, and Lin Lei's forehead was covered in a fine sweat, but his posture remained unchanged.

Hillman moved through the group, occasionally correcting a child's movements. When he reached Linley, he paused, nodded, and said, "Keep it up."

A few minutes later, Linley also began to tremble. Wharton saw him purse his lips, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white, but he still held on.

When Lin Lei finally collapsed, he slowly sat down, supporting himself with his hands, instead of falling directly to the ground.

Hillman walked over and patted him on the shoulder: "Not bad."

Lin Lei was panting, but he had a smile on his face.

The next training session involved weight training. The children took turns lifting stone weights of varying sizes to do squats and presses. Lin Lei was assigned a stone weight that was smaller than the others for his age, but he performed the exercise with extra care, striving for perfect form in every movement.

As Walton watched, he broke down the movements in his mind: keep your back straight when squatting, keep your core stable when pressing, and coordinate your breathing with your power exertion...

[Observation and Learning: Basic Strength Training (Movement Breakdown in Progress)]

[Proficiency: 0.15%]

Information is accumulating.

The training lasted for more than an hour. At the end, the children were all covered in sweat, but in high spirits. When Lin Lei ran over, he was soaked through, but his eyes were bright.

"Are you tired?" Wharton asked.

"Tired, but exhilarating." Linley wiped his face with his sleeve. "Uncle Hillman said that being tired now will increase our chances of survival on the battlefield later."

Walton looked at him but didn't say anything.

On the way back, Linley was still immersed in the training mood, practicing several powerful movements as he walked. Wharton, being held by Ciri, was reviewing everything he had just witnessed.

During dinner, Hogg inquired about the training session. Linley replied briefly, his words few but tinged with satisfaction. Hogg then looked at Walton: "You went to watch today?"

"I've seen it," Walton nodded.

"What did you understand?"

Wharton thought for a moment and said, "My brother is amazing."

Hogg seemed to chuckle briefly: "Want to live like that from now on?"

"think."

"Then grow up quickly." Hogg said, then continued eating with his head down.

That night, Walton lay in bed, not falling asleep immediately. In the darkness, he slowly assumed the "Qi-gathering" posture—legs apart, knees slightly bent, hands tucked to his sides.

His muscle memory hadn't been established yet, and his posture was awkward. But he persevered, silently counting his breaths.

one two Three……

By the twenty-seventh count, his legs started to tremble. He gritted his teeth and held on until the thirty-fifth, then slowly relaxed.

[Basic Combat Technique: Qi Gathering Style (Initial Imitation)]

[Proficiency: 0.06%]

[Results: Significant postural errors and disordered breathing rhythm]

[Note: Details need to be corrected and consistent over the long term]