Chapter 266: Muscle Strain

Chapter 266: Chapter 266: Muscle Strain

Seraphina Sinclair definitely appreciated this kind of trading partner. The deal was completed moments after she put up her item.

With the jacket in hand, Seraphina Sinclair admired it for a moment. After confirming there was nothing wrong with it, she carefully put it on.

Now that her equipment was sorted out, there was no reason not to continue her training.

Seraphina Sinclair took a deep breath. Feeling that her stamina had mostly recovered, she entered the Wind-carved Fissure once more.

Perhaps due to her fatigue, the Wind Blades tore more gashes this time. One even grazed her waist, nearly slicing her open.

Her final exit was even more pathetic; she practically leaped out, chased by the Wind Blades.

Propping up her exhausted body, Seraphina Sinclair finally had a moment to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

Half of it was from exhaustion; the other half was pure, fear-induced cold sweat.

The Wind Blades didn’t play by any rules. Getting hit meant split skin and exposed flesh. The pain was real, regardless of whether the wound would heal.

Seraphina Sinclair was no masochist; she had no desire to get hit.

She sighed and flopped onto the floor like a pancake again. She didn’t want to move any part of her body, only her fingers, which she used to open her panel and check for any changes to her attribute points.

After seeing the number next to Speed, she couldn’t help but sigh again.

’I worked myself to the bone, and it didn’t even budge!’

Seraphina Sinclair complained internally, but she knew the reality all too well: if a mere hour of training could increase an attribute by a full point, that Traveling Merchant would have demanded a king’s ransom for the info, and other survivors would probably unite to sue the system for being "unfair."

Increasing attribute points was never something that happened overnight.

Seraphina Sinclair closed the panel, feeling the deep, aching fatigue in her muscles. That tangible sensation couldn’t be faked.

Although her Attributes hadn’t changed on paper, she could clearly feel that her control over her body—especially that subtle sense for dodging at her limits—had become a fraction more practiced.

"Too bad the panel only shows whole numbers."

Seraphina Sinclair muttered to herself. If she could see the exact decimals, she’d be much more motivated to train.

After lying there for a little while, she abruptly sat up and began kneading the muscles in her legs with both hands, trying her best to recover as quickly as possible.

It wasn’t until eight o’clock at night that Seraphina Sinclair finally left the Wind-carved Fissure, dragging her practically falling-apart body back into her mobile cabin.

She didn’t even have the energy to wash up. She collapsed onto the simple bed and was asleep almost instantly.

She slept so deeply that night that she didn’t even dream.

She wasn’t woken by her biological clock until a little after seven the next morning.

The first thing she felt upon waking was a pervasive soreness, especially in her legs. They felt as if they’d been run over by a truck, and the slightest movement made her grimace in pain.

And this was *after* stretching thoroughly yesterday. If she hadn’t...

Seraphina Sinclair didn’t dare to imagine what a miserable state she’d be in this morning.

She sat on the bed for a while, questioning her life choices like a deadbeat who’d given up on their dreams, before pushing herself out of bed with her hands.

With every step, the muscles in her thighs and calves screamed in protest, forcing her to suck in a sharp breath.

Leaning against the wall, she shuffled to the storage area in an incredibly awkward posture. She rummaged around for a muscle rub she’d stockpiled and carefully applied it to the sore spots.

The warming liniment brought a hint of relief, but the deeper ache remained stubborn.

She sighed. She knew high-intensity Speed training was probably out of the question today.

Overtraining would be counterproductive and could even lead to injury.

"Looks like I need to balance work and rest," Seraphina Sinclair muttered.

She decided to stay away from the Wind-carved Fissure today and let her body recover properly.

The Navigation Card wasn’t a one-time-use item, but the Mist Beacon was. Therefore, Seraphina Sinclair didn’t plan on leaving the Wind-carved Fissure for the next few days.

The payoff from yesterday’s hours of training was significant: her Speed attribute had increased by one point, leaving her only two points shy of her target of 29!

With the goal so close, there was no way Seraphina Sinclair would leave now.

Even though she couldn’t train today, there was no way she would stay idle.

Enduring the soreness, she quickly washed up and tore open a meal voucher.

This time, she summoned the waiter to have all the E-level and D-level fish she had stockpiled in her Silver Moon Earrings processed.

For the next few days, she wouldn’t be eating the delicious but ordinary meals the waiter usually brought.

She was going to focus on eating fish! She would raise her Constitution attribute through diet! Combined with her Speed training, she would meet the requirements for the Skill Book within days!

Seraphina Sinclair was well aware of the difference between ideals and reality. Take her legs, for example. If she relied solely on that basic liniment and natural recovery, it wouldn’t just take a day—it would probably take several days before they were back to normal.

She needed something that could treat muscle soreness.

Realizing that this also counted as a form of treatment, Seraphina Sinclair’s brain stalled for a second. Then, with a ’might as well try’ mentality, she took out the Advanced Medical Kit.

’Isn’t muscle soreness a kind of affliction?’

’And if it is, why can’t it be treated?’

The more Seraphina Sinclair thought about it, the more sense it made. By the time she opened the Advanced Medical Kit, she was already thinking it would be stranger if it *couldn’t* treat her. And indeed, the Advanced Medical Kit did not disappoint!

A soft blue beam instantly shot out, quickly scanning Seraphina Sinclair’s entire body before finally focusing on her legs.

A panel immediately popped up in front of her.

[Analyzing injuries...]

[Target diagnosed: Moderate muscle strain, significant lactic acid buildup, localized minor tears in muscle fibers.]

[Commencing treatment!]

Seraphina Sinclair was overjoyed as she read the notifications on the panel.

’This Advanced Medical Kit is amazing!’

The kit emitted a faint hum. The treatment was the same as before; Seraphina Sinclair felt a warm, tingling sensation spread through her legs. Her sore, stiff muscles felt as if they were being massaged by countless gentle hands, the pain rapidly fading away, replaced by an indescribable sense of relaxation and comfort.

A moment later, the Advanced Medical Kit displayed a notification about its remaining supplies, then automatically returned to its original state.

Seraphina Sinclair tentatively moved her legs.

The soreness was almost completely gone!

Only a slight post-workout fatigue remained, which didn’t hinder her movement at all. In fact, her legs felt even lighter and stronger than before!

Overjoyed, Seraphina Sinclair bounced around the mobile cabin like a monkey. Coincidentally, that was the exact moment the waiter arrived.

"Gue... Guest...?"

The waiter stood inside the mobile cabin, holding a tray. His gentle smile froze for a second as he watched Seraphina Sinclair bouncing around energetically, a stark contrast to her usual self. A flicker of unconcealed surprise flashed in his eyes.

Hearing his voice, Seraphina Sinclair froze mid-bounce. She cleared her throat in embarrassment and, as if nothing had happened, quickly reverted to her usual, slightly aloof demeanor.