Swallowed Star Chapter 4 — Luo Feng’s skill

Translator: Translation Nation

Editor: Translation Nation

Following dinner, Luo Feng's parents took Luo Hua out for a stroll, while Luo Feng headed to his tutoring session.

By around 6 PM, darkness was on the verge of fully descending.

“This tutoring gig won't last much longer.” Luo Feng moved like a nimble leopard, weaving swiftly through the narrow alleys. A dead end blocked the path ahead, yet Luo Feng launched his body into the air, soaring over two meters high. His left hand brushed lightly against the wall's top, allowing him to drop gracefully into the neighboring alley.

Sprinting served as his pre-tutoring warm-up.

At that moment, Luo Feng clocked 15 meters per second—equivalent to 54 km per hour—which fell short of his maximum velocity. Still, it perfectly suited a warm-up.

[Light panting]

“Just one more month until the exams, then I can drop the tutoring. I've pocketed twenty thousand dollars from half a year of these sessions.” Bearing the 'Elite' title made snagging a tutoring job a breeze, especially for basic instruction.

The pay came to 100 dollars an hour.

Tutoring one hour daily, five days weekly, netted him roughly 2000 dollars monthly.

“Dad toils all day for just 2-3 thousand dollars a month. I tutor one hour and out-earn him... That's the gap between an ordinary person and a titled individual! Becoming a 'Fighter' would make the disparity even more staggering!” Spotting a cargo truck obstructing the road ahead, Luo Feng didn't slacken his pace. He vaulted up 2-3 meters, dashed two steps along the wall, then descended to resume his forward sprint.

However, Luo Feng didn’t slow down at all. He suddenly jumped up to a height of 2-3 meters high and then ran two steps on the side of the wall. He then dropped back down and continued running forwards.

After that──

Luo Feng had reached the outskirts of a serene residential district.

“Here is where Mom and Dad should be living.” Luo Feng halted, surveying the scene before him. Homes here stood sparser, featuring artificial ponds amid abundant greenery. Every building level boasted its own garden, even on upper floors.

Beyond high-rises, villas dotted the landscape.

Note that──

China currently boasts six primary bases, forming its six great cities, each teeming with massive populations. Take Jiang-Nan city, nearing 200 million residents. Land scarcity is rampant, rendering villas rare luxuries at sky-high prices. Sprawling mansions demand even vaster fortunes.

“I’m going to #1801 of the 18th building,” Luo Feng informed the gate guard.

“Hold on,” the guardsman replied, dialing a video phone and aiming the camera at Luo Feng. A voice crackled through: “That’s Feng, let him through.”

“Right away, sir,” the guardsman said, granting entry.

……

An hour later, Luo Feng exited the complex.

“Tutoring wrapped up. Time to hit the dojo and check my strength gains.”

※※※※※※

The ‘Dojo of Limits’, earth’s premier dojo, forged by the mightiest warrior ‘Hong’.

Dojos dot the globe.

[Di]

Luo Feng scanned his student ID and stepped inside the dojo.

A single ‘Dojo of Limits’ resembles a colossal beast sprawled across the land, dwarfing even high schools in scale. Its grand entrance accommodates ten vehicles abreast. Within, three massive silver-white edifices evoke airship grandeur.

“Brother!*”

*This brother is one used in respect, not blood related. All the “brothers” for the rest of the chapter will be like this too.

“Greetings Brother”

Dozens of dojo members lounged on the inner lawn, spotting Luo Feng’s ‘Elite’ badge on his chest and offering respectful nods.

The dojo’s three buildings divided by tier: beginners in one, intermediates in another, elites in the third.

The elite building’s ground and second floors housed vast lecture halls, capable of seating thousands. Dojo instructors lectured there. This branch counted 30-40 thousand members.

Membership began at 16; past 30, entry was barred to conserve resources.

Elite students numbered a few hundred, mostly in their twenties.

Luo Feng, though, was merely 18.

“Greetings Brother”

Greetings echoed as Luo Feng proceeded to the elite building’s third floor, exclusive to elites.

Spanning hundreds of meters in length and width, the third floor formed a sprawling training arena, currently occupied by dozens.

“Crazy*”

*Not the “mad” kind of crazy. This is just a nickname incorporating the Feng of Luo Feng (crazy = Feng Zi)

“Hey, come here Crazy.”

Elite members in the vast hall welcomed Luo Feng with enthusiasm.

“Brother Wang, Brother Yang, Sister Li,” Luo Feng called back cheerfully. Warmth filled him gazing at these twenty-somethings. The Zhi An ‘Dojo of Limits’ elites exceeded a hundred total, but most skipped sessions sans instructors.

Only the resource-strapped frequented this hall.

Wealthy elites trained privately.

Thus──

Nearly all here rented modest digs. As fellow strugglers, they bonded tightly. Luo Feng earned ‘Crazy’ after furiously besting three affluent elites in a row.

“Curious how much my strength has grown these past half-month.”

Luo Feng approached the corner’s ‘Fist Strength Tester Machine’—two units stood tandem. From novice to elite, all tested punch power. Even ‘Fighter’ qualification demanded it.

*All strength tests refer to fist strength.

Luo Feng drew a deep breath, loosening his frame entirely. Abruptly, his eyes sharpened. Muscles coiled like a rousing lion, spine arched taut as a bowstring. Legs anchored his core, empowering his right fist. It rocketed forth in a curving trajectory like a cannon blast──

[DA]

Luo Feng’s fist collided with the device.

The machine shuddered fiercely.

Moments later, the screen lit up── “809 kg”

“Impressive, Crazy. You’ve crossed 800 kg!” boomed a lean, muscular man over 1.9 meters tall, face scarred ruggedly, laughing and slapping his back.

“Brother Yang,” Luo Feng grinned, “that’s peanuts next to you. Brother Yang, mind firing up the ‘Speed Tester Machine’ for me?”

“Brother Yang, or Yang Wu, ranks top three among elites here. Lacking only speed, he’d have aced ‘Fighter Preliminary Exams’ ages ago.

Elite to Fighter demands two trials──

First: ‘Fighter Fitness’ or Prospective Fighter exam, confirming bodily prowess meets ‘Fighter’ standards, earning ‘Prospective Fighter’ status.

Second: ‘Fighter Combat’ exam.

Fitness alone doesn’t suffice; slaying a real monster in combat clinches ‘Fighter’ rank.

“Speed test? Sure.” Yang Wu chuckled, activating the machine.

[KA]

Lights flared as it powered up.

Luo Feng steadied his breath on the 60-meter track beside it.

He burst forward!

[WHOOSH]

Instantly maxing velocity, feet pounded relentlessly, propelling him arrow-straight down the lane amid whipping winds. He blurred through the testing zone, then decelerated to a halt.

“What’s the time?” Luo Feng asked, grinning toward the display.

“Heh, Crazy, you’ve edged up since last. Solid gains!” Brother Yang gaped at the readout. “See for yourself.”

Luo Feng checked:── “23.8 m/s”

“Decent.”

Luo Feng stayed composed; the Prospective Fighter exam gauged strength, speed, and reflexes. His reflexes, innate gifts, just scraped Fighter threshold.

Yet──

Prospective Fighter benchmarks: strength── 900 kg!

Speed── 25 m/s! Or 100 meters in 4 seconds.