Chapter 125: The Devil’s Training Program

After a hearty meal, Du Yun returned to her cabin, clutching her rounded belly. She no longer dared to harbor the naive belief that her cabin was a sanctuary or that her own strength was sufficient.

Without a moment’s delay, she shoved a massive cabinet toward the ventilation duct, wedging it until the remaining gap was too narrow for a human to squeeze through. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief. Deep down, Du Yun knew this was a futile gesture. Ji Yun, that perverted high-level zombie, could tear through inch-thick steel as easily as a child tearing paper; a mere cabinet was nothing to him. Yet, she could not help but try.

It seems my strength is still lacking, she thought to herself. The brush with life and death had provided her with a sobering realization. Now, she had to translate that insight into action, bolster her combat prowess, and do everything in her power to survive.

Could she simply hide away in her home on Green Field Planet and live out her days? Clearly not. The maps of fallen planets that Douzhi had shown her clearly indicated that if the zombie plague continued to spread unchecked, Green Field Planet would become a world of the undead in a few years, endangering everyone she loved.

In other words, if she cared only for her own life and hid like a tortoise, she might be safe for a short time, but within a few years, it would not be just her life at stake—it would be the entire Du family, the entire Lotus River region, and the entire Green Field Planet.

Could she abandon the family she had fought so hard to find, letting them become flesh-eating, blood-drinking zombies in a few years? Naturally, she could not. Thus, she had to move forward without retreat. If she could find the mastermind behind this zombie transformation and cut them down before they reached Green Field Planet, her family would be safe.

Even if she failed to reach such heights, strengthening herself would at least allow her to gather her family and friends when the time came and transport them to a safe planet aboard a starship. Was that not a viable alternative?

Everything hinged on Du Yun becoming strong enough. This was the goal she was now striving toward.

"It seems absorbing energy crystals must become part of my daily routine," Du Yun remarked, her heart racing as she gazed at the ruby-like energy crystals filling her storage compartment. She hoped her efforts would truly make a difference in a few years.

Du Yun pursed her lips, and with a thought, a small, fragmented energy crystal appeared in her palm. Closing her hand and shutting her eyes, she began to absorb it. She had often compared this process to the cultivation novels she had read, where practitioners absorbed spirit stones—both involved extracting energy from a stone and making it one's own. The difference was that energy crystals were solidified energy that vanished upon absorption, whereas the spirit stones in novels left behind gray, brittle husks once the spiritual energy was drained.

Absorption was a slow process. It took Du Yun two full hours to exhaust the small fragment. Whether it was related to the absorption or not, she felt her previous exhaustion and discomfort swept away, leaving her body brimming with newfound vitality.

"Whew, that feels good!" Du Yun sighed, collapsing onto her comfortable bed to rest. Even though she felt energized, the act of sleeping remained a luxury. Before drifting off, she reminded Douzhi to design a training regimen tailored to improving her combat skills.

When Du Yun woke the next morning, she felt as if she had an endless supply of energy.

"Douzhi, how is the training regimen coming along?" After washing up, she stood by the cabin window, stretching as she gazed out at the vast cosmos. Countless points of light—stars from different galaxies—twinkled, creating a breathtaking, kaleidoscopic display.

"Based on your current mental and physical state, I have designed a plan that progresses from shallow to deep. We start today. It is estimated that reaching Grade 1 in both physical fitness and mental acuity will take three months, and Grade 2 will take a year," Douzhi’s voice was filled with excitement as he detailed the growth plan.

"Wait, wait—what do you mean by Grade 1 in both, or reaching Grade 2?" Though Du Yun did not fully grasp the grading system in Douzhi’s database, "Slim" had previously explained the standards used on Imperial Star. By those metrics, her potential should have been at least Grade 2. Why was she failing to even meet that standard here?

"The standards of Imperial Star are far below my requirements," Douzhi retorted, cutting off her question. Du Yun was left speechless, feeling thoroughly belittled.

"Come now, young lady, let’s get moving!" Ignoring her internal protests, Douzhi projected a detailed plan directly into her mind.

"Ah, this much on the first day?" Du Yun looked at the plan and felt a wave of nausea. This was no training regimen; it was demonic torture.

"This is merely a start. Green Field Planet will fall in four years. If you cannot reach the Double-S grade within that time, how do you expect to defend your home? Hmph!" Having spent so much time with her, Douzhi knew exactly where her weakness lay, and his strike hit home.

"Fine, I’ll do it!" Du Yun gritted her teeth. For the sake of her beloved family, she would endure any hardship!

"Excellent! Let the drilling begin!" Douzhi’s cheerful voice echoed in her head, though it sounded like pure malice to her.

As she reviewed the list of tasks, she couldn't fathom what kind of entity Douzhi was to devise a plan that pushed her body to such absolute extremes. When she finally executed the plan, she realized just how perverse it was. By the time she finished every item, she had just enough strength left to crawl into bed; she couldn't even manage a shower.

Yet, when she woke up, she found that aside from some muscle soreness, she felt completely refreshed. The plan had calculated her physical limits and recovery speed with terrifying precision.