Lin Chen remained in the apartment for the remainder of the afternoon. He did not leave the room until the following morning. The pain in his ribs had decreased marginally during the night, shifting from sharp stabs to a constant, low-level pressure. He took one of the prescribed painkillers with a glass of water at 7:00 a.m., waited thirty minutes for it to take effect, then prepared to go out.
He dressed in plain gray sweatpants and a loose black hoodie to accommodate the sling on his left arm. He placed the remaining painkillers, the instruction sheet, and his cracked phone in the hoodie pocket. Before leaving, he stood in front of the mirror for two minutes and practiced the copied straight punch form five times with minimal effort. The motion required less conscious adjustment than the previous day.
He locked the door and descended the stairs at a measured pace. The descent took longer than the ascent the day before due to caution. At street level, the morning air carried the smell of exhaust, frying dough from nearby vendors, and wet concrete from overnight cleaning trucks.
Lin Chen walked toward the central commercial district, a fifteen-minute route on foot. He chose this direction deliberately because it contained a higher concentration of people engaged in varied activities: office workers, street vendors, fitness enthusiasts in public parks, and occasional martial arts practitioners who trained in open spaces during early hours.
He maintained a steady walking speed of approximately four kilometers per hour to avoid aggravating the injury. His eyes remained forward, but he scanned peripheral vision for anything worth observing. He did not stare or linger.
At the first major intersection, he paused at a crosswalk. A group of three young men in tracksuits stood on the opposite side, performing light warm-up movements while waiting for the light to change. One of them executed a series of quick side kicks—low to mid height, with sharp retraction and balanced landing. The technique appeared trained, likely from a taekwondo or kickboxing background.
Lin Chen focused on the lead kicker's form: hip rotation, chambering of the knee, extension of the leg in a straight line, snap back to stance, weight distribution remaining centered.
Copy.
The panel materialized immediately.
[Copy Successful]
[Acquired: Basic Side Kick Sequence (Combat Proficiency Level 2)]
[Effect: You now possess the precise hip torque, knee chamber height, leg extension angle, retraction speed, and balance recovery pattern of the observed technique. Output restricted by current physical condition and lack of leg conditioning.]
Lin Chen crossed the street when the light turned green. He did not test the kick. He continued walking.
Two blocks later, he passed a small public park bordered by high-rise residential buildings. Approximately twenty people exercised in scattered groups. An older man, perhaps in his fifties, practiced slow tai chi forms near a bench. The movements were deliberate: ward off, roll back, press, push, single whip. Each posture held for several seconds with visible control of breathing and weight shifting.
Lin Chen slowed his pace slightly as he walked past. He observed the sequence from ward off to push: arms forming a circle, body turning at the waist, weight transferring from back leg to front leg, palms pressing forward in alignment with the shoulders.
Copy.
[Copy Successful]
[Acquired: Tai Chi Push Hands Form – First Section (Internal Proficiency Level 1)]
[Effect: You now possess the exact posture alignment, weight transfer mechanics, breathing coordination, and intent flow of the observed segment. No external force generation possible at current stage; primarily enhances balance and sensitivity.]
Lin Chen kept walking without pause. The park receded behind him.
Further along the route, near a busy shopping street, he encountered a street performer. The man balanced on one hand while holding a simple handstand position for thirty seconds, then transitioned into a planche lean. Spectators had gathered in a loose semicircle. Lin Chen stopped at the outer edge of the group for one minute.
He observed the performer's handstand entry: fingers spread wide, shoulders depressed, core engaged, legs pressing together and extending upward in a controlled pike.
Copy.
[Copy Successful]
[Acquired: Basic Handstand Entry and Hold Technique (Gymnastic Proficiency Level 1)]
[Effect: You now possess the precise finger placement, shoulder depression angle, core activation pattern, and leg extension control required for entry and static hold. Current upper-body injury prevents safe execution.]
Lin Chen turned away from the performer and continued in the direction of a quieter side street. He had acquired three new techniques in under forty minutes without drawing attention. Each copy had taken only a single focused observation and one mental command.
He found a bench in a small shaded area near a convenience store. He sat down carefully, keeping his injured arm supported on his lap. The pain level had increased slightly from the walking, but remained manageable.
He reviewed the acquired abilities in sequence:
1. Basic Intravenous Adjustment Technique
2. Basic Shadowboxing Straight Punch Form
3. Basic Side Kick Sequence
4. Tai Chi Push Hands Form – First Section
5. Basic Handstand Entry and Hold Technique
None required immediate testing. All were stored as complete knowledge sets, ready for use when conditions allowed.
He remained seated for twenty minutes. During that time, he observed passing pedestrians without copying anything further. A woman walked by carrying a heavy shopping bag in one hand; her posture remained upright despite the load. A delivery rider on an electric bike navigated through traffic with smooth lane changes. An elderly couple practiced breathing exercises while standing still.
Lin Chen noted these observations but did not initiate any copies. The panel's earlier warning regarding overuse lingered in his thoughts.
At 10:45 a.m., he stood up and began the return walk to the apartment. The route back took forty-five minutes due to reduced speed. Upon arrival, he climbed the stairs, entered the room, locked the door, and sat on the bed.
He removed the hoodie and inspected the bandages. No visible bleeding or swelling increase. He took another painkiller with water.
He lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The morning's activities had not produced dramatic changes in his physical condition. The copied techniques existed in his mind as additional tools, waiting for the day when his body could support them.
The end of Chapter 3.