Chapter 58: Laziness and Diligence
“The True Heretic King Eyes has seen through everything that is fake in this world. No matter how glorious and attractive it is, it cannot sway the Resolve of the King. If you remain obstinate about this, the moment this battle begun, you were destined to suffer a tragic fate!”
As Shi Xiaobai used his Crab Steps, he turned his head back three times for every step he took. Just as he was about to turn into another street, he would stop, turn around and point at the tall building. He said, “Game arcade, you can’t tempt This King!”
After Shi Xiaobai finished saying that, he felt a sensation in his throat. His eyes blazed with intense desire, as his body could not help but take a few steps towards the building.
“What a powerful enchantment. How can this be? The Heart of the King has been a fibrillated by 0.003 millimeters.”
As Shi Xiaobai gritted his teeth, he hurriedly turned around to not look at the signboard that said “Virtual Competition Battle Arena Cafe”. His shoulders trembled slightly as he said hatefully, “Damn it. If not for having other matters to tend to, This King would definitely fight an astounding battle of three hundred rounds with you!”
Shi Xiaobai struggled as he finally let out a long sigh. “That darn Absolute Choice, is this your true goal?”
…
The current Shi Xiaobai hated the “Absolute Choice” absolutely. Last night, the Absolute Choice had caused Kali to end up as his girlfriend, and this morning, after he woke up, he received a new Absolute Choice.
[ Choice 1: Within seven days, increase flash motion technique “Crab Steps” to the “Dominating Refinement” realm (Reward: B-level) ]
[ Choice 2: Within seven days, increase Psychic defense skill “Wavelet Shield” to the “Familiarized Proficiency” realm (Reward: E-level) ]
(Gentle Reminder: This choice is considered a “daily-style choice” where there is only one opportunity after choosing. Successfully completing the choice’s mission will yield a reward, and failure will lead to punishment of the same level.)
When Shi Xiaobai heard the words “make your choice, youth” while brushing his teeth, he nearly crumbled. He actually heaved a sigh of relief after reading the choices. He was glad that it was a daily-style choice.
After summarizing the Absolute Choices that had appeared up to now, Shi Xiaobai had a general idea that there were temporarily three kinds of Absolute Choices.
The first kind was the unpredictable choice back when he rescued Little Fatso. This kind of Absolute Choice reflected the choices in Shi Xiaobai’s heart. Save, escape or watch by the sidelines. However, after the appearance of the Absolute Choice, Shi Xiaobai had to complete the choice he made to end the repeating mechanism of time.
Choices that tested one’s will and beliefs were usually the hardest to complete, such as saving Little Fatso. In contrast, the choice of abandoning one’s beliefs was easy, such as escaping. The Absolute Choice made him experience defeat after defeat, making him repeat it every time, so as to force him to give up on his original resolve. The moment he changed his choice, he would become subject to the darkness in his heart.
Hence, Shi Xiaobai was most afraid of the unpredictable Absolute Choice, but thankfully, it had only appeared once up to this point.
The second Absolute Choice was a malicious kind of Absolute Choice. It included asking Hisith for his underwear or first kiss, or mocking Kali’s flat chest or professing his love for her. The biggest difference between the malicious choice and the unpredictable choice was the difficulty needed to complete the stipulation of the unpredictable choice, whereas the difficulty posed by the malicious choice was to make the choice itself.
The malicious choice was considered executory. The stipulation just needed to be executed, and the difficulty wasn’t too high, and as such, there was usually no reward to it. However, it was very difficult to choose between the choices provided. The stipulation of each choice would usually cause him to curse out loud, making him rather feel like “choosing death”.
These two choices could be said to be extremely toxic poison, and compared to them, the third Absolute Choice was like a bowl of chicken soup.
As if by Heaven’s pity, the daily-style choice did not have the mechanism of resetting time. There was only one chance at choosing, hence, there was only success or failure. The stipulation in each choice was relatively normal in difficulty but the rewards were extremely good and it was like a warm spring breeze in the middle of winter!
In the last daily-style choice, Shi Xiaobai had easily earned 100,000 cash. After he obtained the D-level reward, he attained the “Grasped Basics” proficiency with Crab Steps. It had the feeling of completing a quest in a game and the accomplishment of being rewarded for the task.
Hence, for the appearance of this Absolute Choice, Shi Xiaobai had hesitated for several seconds. The difference between an E-level reward and B-level reward was too great, so as he immediately ignored the possibility of receiving a punishment of the same level if he failed, he resolutely chose the first choice.
Within seven days, increase “Crab Steps” to the “Dominating Refinement” realm!
But when Shi Xiaobai used Riko’s computer to check the Internet to understand what it meant to be at the “Dominating Refinement” realm, he was completely dumbfounded.
One’s adeptness in offensive skills, defensive skills and movement techniques were usually differentiated into seven realms—Grasped Basics, Familiarized Proficiency, Exemplary Mastery, Dominating Refinement, Crest of Perfection, Bold New World, Arhat Oversoul.
The difficulty associated with each leap in realm increased by several times. If one spent a year to go from Grasped Basics to Familiarized Proficiency, then to go from Familiarized Proficiency to Exemplary Mastery would take five years or more, much less Dominating Refinement or Crest of Perfection. Those not only needed a long period of accumulation and extraordinary perception, one needed to have Heaven-defying insight to achieve that.
When Shi Xiaobai searched for information regarding “Dominating Refinement”, many pieces of information appeared. They were all regarding how “XXX only used seven months to increase YYY offensive skill to the Dominating Refinement realm, labeling him a human sensation!”
Alright, seven months was already considered a sensation.
Then, wasn’t cultivating Crab Steps to the Dominating Refinement realm in seven days just fool’s talk?
“If sensations are not enough, then This King will create a miracle!”
Shi Xiaobai spent thirty seconds to restore his confidence. After packing up slightly, he immediately went out the door and rushed down the steel-paved roads and began practicing his Crab Steps.
Since Dominating Refinement meant the proficiency in the technique, then the most direct method was to keep repeating it. Constantly, without stop, he would repeat Crab Steps!
With this thought in mind, Shi Xiaobai began his plan of using Crab Steps to circle Steel City.
“Sleep, resting, or panting, all laziness can be put to death. This diligent King would show you what is a miracle!”
Shi Xiaobai felt fearless as though there was a brave lion in his heart.
Desiring power was not just issuing empty words, he had to persistently work hard.
Even if he was exhausted or stressed, even if he wanted to stop, he had to hold on for a second, and then another second. He had to take one step, and then another.
Sleep? Just closing his eyes for a while would do!
Sleeping and eating? He could complete those while running with Crab Steps!
Rookie training? So what if he played truant for seven days!?
Shi Xiaobai kept hypnotizing himself and used Crab Steps to circle Steel City once using the whole morning. He then saw a tall building with its front door open. People would enter and exit from time to time. There were all sorts of pretty computer graphics posters plastered on the walls that wrote “Virtual Competition Battle Arena Cafe” high up on the door.
Isn’t this a…game arcade?
Shi Xiaobai recalled Riko introducing the game arcade to him before. Wasn’t it here?
“Shall I go in and have some fun? Just for a little while?”
Shi Xiaobai felt his resolve waver at that very instant.
“No, no, to create a miracle, This King cannot be lazy!”
Shi Xiaobai finally understood the deep malice in the daily-style choice. The difficulty of this choice was a torture.
Shi Xiaobai turned back his head back thrice for every step he took and went pass the game arcade with great reluctance. He constantly struggled in his heart, as he could not help but decelerate his Crab Steps. His Crab Steps slowed down and finally, after a long period of time, he managed to walk past the street.
“Demons of laziness can’t beat this diligent King after all. The enchantment this game arcade uses is still lacking. Ha…Ha…Ha!”
Shi Xiaobai laughed in a manner uglier than if he were crying. He did Crab Steps on the spot and turned to look at the corner at the end of the street. Just a slight turn and he could see the game arcade once again. Just another slight turn, and there would be another choice presented to him.
Shi Xiaobai could not go round the corner or turn his body, but he was quietly waiting. He did not know what he was waiting for either. Perhaps, he was waiting for the disappearance of the last strand of laziness in his heart?
At this moment, on the other end of the corner, a panting voice shouted.
“Wait a moment, crab youth!”
Translator’s Note: Note that the translations of the proficiency realms go from G to A in ascending order of realms.
Grasped Basics
Familiarized Proficiency
Exemplary Mastery
Dominating Refinement
Crest of Perfection
Bold New World
Arhat Oversoul