Starting to Gain Experience from Push-Ups Chapter 1239 - 601_2
Previously on Starting to Gain Experience from Push-Ups...
A violent wave of dizziness surged from the depths of his mind.
The brilliant golden sun within his consciousness flickered erratically, its light abruptly dimming to an almost imperceptible faintness.
Simultaneously, the scenery before him began to whirl uncontrollably, his vision rapidly succumbing to encroaching darkness.
This fragile body, having earlier channeled an immense surge of power far exceeding its limits in a fit of extreme anger, was now completely depleted.
As the immediate danger subsided and his spirit finally relaxed.
The profound fatigue nested within his muscles and bones erupted like a relentless tsunami, instantly overwhelming every defense his physiology possessed.
Fang Cheng opened his mouth, intending to utter a few words.
But before any sound could escape, his legs gave way entirely, sending him toppling forward.
"Fang Cheng!"
"Hey! Fang Cheng, what's wrong?"
"Everyone, come here quickly, he looks like he's fainted!"
Amidst the panicked shouts of Zhou Ming and Wang Lan, Fang Cheng's consciousness succumbed entirely, plunging into an unfathomable abyss of darkness.
His body seemed to instantly shed all sensation of weight, plummeting rapidly through a spiraling, funnel-shaped black vortex.
The surrounding emptiness twisted and churned.
There was no wind, no discernible gravity.
Only a relentless cascade of distorted, grotesque imagery flashed by from the inner walls of the vortex.
Fragments of ancient bones, writhing masses of dark flesh, and faces bloated from prolonged immersion in dark water flickered past.
These spectral visages turned in unison, their stiff necks creaking as they fixed their vacant stares upon the descending Fang Cheng.
"Cackle, cackle, cackle..."
A high-pitched, piercing laughter echoed, seemingly originating from the deepest recesses of the vortex.
The sound, both near and distant, scraped ferociously against his nerves, akin to countless rusty iron nails.
His descent quickened, plunging ever deeper.
Until every shred of his awareness was utterly consumed by the suffocating blackness.
.........
"Whoosh——"
Fang Cheng's eyes snapped open abruptly, a long, ragged breath escaping his lips.
The terrifying black vortex was gone, replaced by the glaring pure white light of LED beams overhead, causing his pupils to constrict sharply.
He panted shallowly, his vision slowly sharpening.
He found himself surrounded by walls covered in sound-dampening grey foam, a faint scent of disinfectant lingering in the air.
The low hum of the central air conditioning resonated in his ears.
This was the interrogation room designated for interviews by the Special Search Team.
A deluge of memories, like a dam bursting, surged back into his mind, shattering the fabricated cognitive barrier.
The recollection of 'Fang Cheng' as a mere middle school student rapidly receded, the true identity of Candidate 'Fang Cheng' No. 263 reasserting its dominance.
"Take deep breaths, relax your muscles, and gradually acclimatize to the sensation of reality,"
A young examiner clad in uniform approached, reaching out to unfasten the heavy metal helmet from Fang Cheng's head.
He then meticulously removed the electrode patches, tidying up the equipment with practiced efficiency.
Fang Cheng leaned back against the cool metal chair, catching his breath, grappling with the stark contrast between the two realities.
Seated opposite him at the long table was Chief Examiner Chen Bingzhong.
His gaze fell upon the timer displayed on the tablet before him. He uncapped a fountain pen and began to write on the examination sheet:
"Candidate 263. Illusion Realm endurance duration: Twenty minutes and fifteen seconds. Rating: Excellent."
Having finished writing, Chen Bingzhong looked up.
His sharp eyes scanned Fang Cheng, a subtle hint of disappointment betraying his inner thoughts.
He had harbored significant expectations for this candidate, recommended by his old friend.
While twenty minutes was indeed an impressive duration for an ordinary candidate, it fell short of the extraordinarily outstanding.
He recalled how Shi Chengyi had spoken so highly of this young man, proclaiming him a once-in-a-century martial arts prodigy with the potential to rival the esteemed Li Guizhen, former chief and foremost expert of the Special Search Team.
As a genius, his spiritual fortitude should not have been lacking.
A performance of at least thirty minutes would have been a more fitting benchmark.
"What kind of abnormal phenomenon did you encounter within that world? And how did you strategize your response?"
An array of thoughts flickered through Chen Bingzhong's mind before he posed the routine inquiry in a formal, business-like tone.
Before Fang Cheng could reply, the young examiner beside him, glancing at the computer screen, couldn't help but interject:
"Your physiological readings were truly erratic just now. The brainwave patterns were exceptionally chaotic, with your heart rate spiking to 180 beats per minute."
"The most peculiar observation was your elevated body temperature, flushed skin, and profuse sweating – as if you were subjected to intense heat within a steam chamber."
Fang Cheng consciously calmed his spirit and looked down.
He noticed his shirt was completely drenched in sweat, clinging damply to his back, and a faint wave of heat still emanated from his skin.
The echoes of his classmates’ cries still reverberated in his mind, as if every scene remained vividly before him.
Fang Cheng lifted a hand, wiping the sweat from his forehead and calmly explaining,
"I encountered a group of shadow-like anomalies lacking physical form. In order to rescue companions who were being possessed, I resorted to close-quarters combat."
"Perhaps the sheer intensity of the combat, coupled with excessive emotional agitation, triggered an extreme physiological response within my body."
Fang Cheng reasoned that they must possess some form of monitoring indicators or special assessment methods, so he decided to conceal nothing.
Chen Bingzhong nodded slowly, his pen scratching faintly against the paper, producing a soft sound.
"The Illusion Realm used in the examination directly interfaces with subconsciousness. Under conditions of extreme anger or fear, the physical body in reality exhibits sympathetic nervous system excitement – a normal physiological feedback."
He then closed the folder, folded his hands on the desk, and his tone reverted to a standard official intonation:
"Very well, Fang Cheng, your interview segment is now fully concluded. Please remain reachable after you return and await the detailed score notification patiently. You are permitted to leave now."
Fang Cheng pushed off the armrests of his chair and stood, offering a salute towards the examiner before nodding.
He then turned, opened the thick soundproof door, and strode out.
The bright lights in the corridor seemed excessively glaring.
An atmosphere of oppression and tension permeated the hallway.
Dozens of other candidates, awaiting their turn for interviews, were seated on chairs; some muttered to themselves, while others nervously jiggled their legs.
A few individuals, having just emerged from their respective examination rooms, stood with pale complexions, leaning against the walls near the trash receptacles, retching violently.
It was evident they had also experienced scenarios comparably intense to Fang Cheng’s Illusion Realm.
Over by the water dispenser ahead, Ma Donghe gripped a crumpled paper cup, spitting saliva as he loudly boasted to the slender Hou Peng.
"Back in the day, down on East Capital Road, I was a formidable figure who could chase down dozens single-handedly! A mere Illusion Realm scenario like that, could it possibly intimidate me?"
Hearing the door open, Ma Donghe turned his head, his eyes immediately brightening. He tossed aside the paper cup and eagerly strode forward.
"Fang Cheng, you’ve finally emerged!"
Ma Donghe clapped Fang Cheng heavily on the shoulder, inquiring with evident concern,
"So, how did it go? How long did you manage to last?"
"Twenty minutes and fifteen seconds,"
Fang Cheng replied casually.
"Incredible! That’s a full minute longer than me; I barely lasted nineteen."
Ma Donghe grinned broadly, his face alight with relieved delight,
"That confounded Illusion Realm is just too insidious. Once you enter it, everyone seems to forget their original selves, like having their memories completely wiped clean."
"Fortunately, upon my return, my memory of everything was restored."
He said this as he plopped down onto an available chair nearby, flinging his arms wide and raising his voice in a complaint,
"Fang Cheng, let me tell you, I was transformed into a forty-year-old bald security guard, on duty patrolling a morgue at the stroke of midnight."
"Thank goodness the Illusion Realm assigned me the identity of an adult male, possessing sufficient strength to handle any potential dangers."
"I heard that in the adjacent fourth examination room, some unfortunate soul was turned into a crawling infant, only to wake up after suffering a fall from a bed not even half a day into the simulation."
"And even more bizarrely, a large, burly man was transformed into a woman, collapsing in sheer terror before any kind of monster even made an appearance!"
Ma Donghe became increasingly animated as he relived these accounts, gesturing wildly in the air,
"Fang Cheng, can you guess what I ended up encountering?"