Chapter 368: 366 The Choice of an Irrefusable Task
Oxygen-Free Mount Everest Climb, unprotected crossing of Tharp Debold, trekking across Lop Nur…
Bi Fang felt that either he had woken up incorrectly or he had accessed the system incorrectly.
Anyway, another sleep.
Just as Bi Fang lay down with a headache, a series of knocks on the door interrupted his thoughts. When he opened the door, a stranger appeared before him.
White-whiskered, lean, neither tall nor short, the familiar figure overlaid with memories made Bi Fang uncertain for a long time before he tentatively asked, “Chieftain?”
Completely different from the down-and-out appearance he had before, the old man, having tidied up after a rest, actually looked quite handsome. The bush of white whiskers not only did not make him look old, but also added to his dignity, making Bi Fang almost fail to recognize him.
The old man laughed heartily, “It seems Mr. Bi still remembers me.”
Bi Fang bitterly smiled twice, “We just met yesterday. Is there something you need from me, Chieftain?”
Hask also laughed, showing his brightest smile in a year. It was only after having lost and then regained something that he truly understood what was most precious.
Facing his lifesaver, Hask’s smile faded, as he took a respectful step back and then knelt on one knee, expressing his gratitude deeply, “Mr. Bi traveled thousands of miles to our country and risked his life to save mine. I, Hask, will forever bear in mind this great kindness. If Mr. Bi has any requests, I will do my utmost to fulfill them!”
“There’s really no need!”
Bi Fang was startled by Hask’s actions and hurriedly pulled him up from the ground. Poor Hask wanted to insist, but how could a small old man who had been trapped for over ten days and was malnourished stand against a young man who had just added points? He was picked up as easily as picking up a chick, and now it was not quite appropriate for him to kneel again, so he could only scratch his head awkwardly.
“Since Mr. Bi insists, I won’t press the matter. However, I would like to arrange a dinner to properly thank you and Mr. Matthew. I hope you can grace us with your presence.”
After considering, Bi Fang thought there was no issue. It was just a dinner, and he wasn’t likely to leave right away anyway, so he agreed on the spot.
Watching Hask’s retreating figure, Bi Fang rubbed his chin, his eyes narrowing slightly.
He always felt something was amiss. He had originally thought Hask was just some minor chieftain of a local family, otherwise, he wouldn’t have been captured by a mere local gang.
But the way things were, it was clear there was an air of authority about him, far beyond what a small clan leader would possess. It wasn’t an exaggeration; Bi Fang had wandered around and met many people. Some big shots who have been in high positions for a long time do have a certain imposing presence, the kind that stands out in a crowd.
But if he had such an important background, how could he have been captured so easily?
Isn’t that contradictory?
Even after thinking it over for half an hour, Bi Fang couldn’t figure it out, so he shook his head and closed the door.
What did it have to do with him? He was just a small-time wilderness broadcaster, occasionally wrestling with a bear and incidentally saving a few people. It wasn’t anything significant.
Approaching the bed, Bi Fang reopened the system and found that the three tasks were still the same, not a single change, which confirmed for him that he wasn’t hallucinating.
However, what he was most concerned about was not the difficulty of the breakthrough tasks given by the system, but the fact that he could not add points. The system hadn’t changed at all; the only difference was the color.
[Unique Binder: Bi Fang]
[Growth Age: 25]
[Height: 183.7cm]
[Weight: 78.4KG]
[Strength: 15]
[Physique: 15]
[Agility: 15]
[Spirit: 15]
[Status: Good]
[Enhancement Points: 0]
[Wilderness Points: 83]
Orange Tree Crown: Wilderness Traveler lv1.
Purple Tree Trunk: Advanced Yoga lv1, Special Recon Soldier lv2.
Blue Tree Trunk: Pilates lv3, High-altitude Parachuting lv3, Tai Chi Traveling Dragon lv2, Archery lv1, Rock Climbing lv1, Biological Identification lv3, Swimming lv1.
Green Tree Trunk: Cross-country Hiking lv5, First Aid lv5, Calisthenics lv3, Running lv3.
Special Talent: Beastly Instinct.
Spoils of War Skills: Wolves King’s Sense of Smell, King Fish’s Stomach, Biological Sensing.
Looking at the gray panel, Bi Fang frowned deeply.
Why can’t he add points anymore?
Had his limit been locked?
Having the limit locked was not good news; it was downright terrible news.
As if his queries were heard, suddenly a piece of information was again infused into his mind, and he finally understood what was going on.
The limit hadn’t been locked, or to be precise, it was only temporarily locked, and the conditions to unlock it were simple: there were two ways to do it. One was to give up the limit-break task, and Bi Fang could immediately add the remaining Enhancement Point. The other was to complete the limit-break task.
After completion, the limit would unlock, but differently, as the effects of adding points would change.
Did normal people, through crazy training, only reach the limit that the system panel rated as fifteen?
Of course not. Fifteen was far from the limit, yet it was a threshold. Bi Fang’s previous enhancements were all within this threshold, but now he had reached its end.
The human body is a finely tuned whole, pull one strand and the whole body moves.
What would happen to those who trained their strength crazily?
The answer, of course, was becoming muscle-bound, exchanging muscle mass for ultimate strength, but in doing so, while gaining strength, they almost inevitably lost speed and flexibility.
By giving up on the limit-break task, Bi Fang could naturally continue to add points, but the consequence would be that his other attributes might slip! And his physique would undergo substantial changes!
Was there a solution?
Yes!
Complete the limit-break task!
Prove that he deserved it!
The limit-break task was a choice of one out of three, unchangeable, non-editable—only these three, but completing any one would be considered mission accomplished.
Task completed, threshold broken!
Why did some people have greater strength with the same muscle mass?
Why did some people become world champions with the same training routine?
The gap in talent really existed and couldn’t be changed later.
Bi Fang clenched his fists. Was he going to give up?
The thought was laughable.
The only question now was, out of the three tasks, which one should he choose?
Mount Everest, a challenge from the limits of physical strength, the world’s highest peak, with extremely dangerous terrain and complex conditions. Even normal climbing had a death rate over 10%, while the mission required oxygen-free climbing—a feat that throughout history, only a handful had achieved.
Lop Nur, a challenge of the spirit of adventure, known as the Sea of Death. Through the ages, countless explorers ventured into it, risking their lives, earning it the title of “Devil’s Triangle” of the Asian continent. Many were found to have died of thirst just a short distance from water sources, both bizarre and mysterious.
Tharp Debold Cave, a challenge of courage and wisdom, located seventy-five meters deep in the ocean where sunlight cannot reach. The dark environment, the silent seabed, the unknown directions, all magnified your fear of the dark to the extreme, spreading to every corner of your body. A small cave, yet more than three hundred people had died, making it resemble an underground graveyard!