"What? Overdrawing my life potential!" Feng Lin was shocked. His genes were strengthened, his vitality soaring, and he felt better than ever before.
Now the optical brain was telling him he was overdrawing his life force—how could he accept that?
He quickly asked, "Then how do I resolve this overdrawn vitality?"
"Aside from supplementing with large amounts of nutrition, there's no other way!" the optical brain replied mechanically.
"How much nutrition do I need?" Feng Lin pressed.
"Unable to calculate precisely. The more, the better!" the optical brain answered.
Seeing he couldn't get more answers from it, Feng Lin thought for a moment and asked again, "So the incomplete activation of genetic potential is also related to a lack of nutrition?"
"That's correct! According to mythical gene theory, genes govern life's structure and require nutrition to construct various life substances. Your current strength comes from consuming the nutrients accumulated in your body. Based on observation and scientific testing, your gene enhancement has been strengthened, but you lack the nutrition to transform yourself. So if you continue cultivating like this, you'll soon deplete your body, ruin it, and shorten your lifespan! This also limits your life growth. Logically, with your level of gene enhancement, your vitality shouldn't be just 1.5!" the optical brain answered.
"Then what should it be?" Feng Lin's heart stirred. This involved the key to his own strength, so he had to take it seriously.
"At least 4!" the optical brain replied.
"What?" Feng Lin was astonished.
His current vitality was only 1.9, yet the optical brain said it should be at least 4. How could the gap be so wide?
It was completely unreasonable!
But the optical brain was essentially a lifeless object; it wouldn't joke with him.
"Why is that?" Feng Lin asked again.
The optical brain gave the answer.
"Genes are the core of life; they govern the essence of life. Once genes awaken, they control hormones and nutrients in the body to begin expression, creating new cells and organs. That's the principle behind vitality growth through gene enhancement! But the prerequisite is sufficient nutrition. If genes are the blueprint, life is the building, and nutrition is the bricks. Without materials, the building can't be constructed. Similarly, without enough nutrition, no matter how powerful your genes are, your vitality won't increase. According to geneticists' calculations, one point of basic gene enhancement can increase vitality by at least 0.1! But that's under extreme nutritional deficiency." Feng Lin's heart sank—wasn't this exactly his situation?
He quickly asked, "And with sufficient nutrition?"
The optical brain gave an answer that stunned him, "Infinitely close to 1! The more nutrition, the greater the increase!"
"1!" Feng Lin was shocked. That was ten times his current amount. He realized he had been thinking too simply.
Gene development wasn't that easy. It required not only continuous enhancement but also ample nutrition for the genes to function.
He only gained 0.1 vitality per gene point enhanced, while others could gain so much more.
Although 1 was just a theoretical value, approached infinitely with nutrition but never reached, if someone gained even 0.5, that was five times his own—unimaginable!
He had long wondered: those who challenged the virtual martial arts tower were hailed as geniuses in his class, with fewer gene enhancements than him, so why were their vitalities stronger?
It was a nutrition problem.
This was the downside of having no guidance. If not for the optical brain's warning, he would still be clueless, unaware.
Just figuring this out made the trip to the virtual martial arts tower worthwhile.
But supplementing nutrition required star coins, and that was a problem.
Feng Lin knew his family's situation well. They couldn't afford nutrient-rich food; he only ate the cheapest nutrient fluids.
These low-grade nutrient fluids filled his stomach but provided too little nutrition to build up his body.
To continue cultivating, he needed better food—mid-grade nutrient agents, high-grade nutrient fluids?
No, that wasn't nearly enough.
He needed higher-grade supplements: super proteins, cosmic beast meat, energy potions...
But all of that required money, star coins!
Feng Lin suddenly realized that his poor family background was limiting his development.
But he wouldn't complain.
As the saying goes, the heavens move vigorously, and a gentleman strives to strengthen himself unceasingly.
The path of cultivation was immensely long. Relying on others wouldn't get him far; he had to depend on himself.
So next, he had to find a way to earn money.
Without nutrition, continuing to recklessly strengthen his genes, draining the pond to catch the fish, was playing with his life and his cultivation.
Understanding this, Feng Lin wouldn't be so foolish. He silently resolved not to rashly enhance his genes again until he replenished his nutrition.
After a while, when his body had somewhat recovered its strength, Feng Lin stood up wearily and walked out of the training hall.
By then, other students had also come out one after another, all exhausted, clearly having fought hard battles.
The homeroom teachers were handing out bottles of nutrient potions.
Feng Lin looked closely and saw it was the latest Green God-3 nutrient agent, said to be made from various rare cosmic plants, rich in energy and multiple nutrients. One bottle cost thousands of star dollars, enough for ten days.
"Take it!" The female homeroom teacher tossed a bottle of nutrient potion over from a distance.
"Teacher, this..." Feng Lin caught it quickly but hesitated. It was too valuable.
"The virtual martial arts tower consumes a lot of energy. This is the school's compensation to help you recover. What are you waiting for? Drink it!" The female homeroom teacher glared.
Feng Lin found her sudden change in attitude strange.
But with such a benefit, he naturally couldn't pass it up.
Feng Lin wasn't one to be pretentious. He took it and said, "Thank you, teacher!"
With that, he turned and walked outside, not noticing the cold stares fixed on his back.
After leaving, he headed home.
Looking at the Green God-3 nutrient fluid, Feng Lin felt increasingly hungry, a gnawing emptiness in his stomach, as if he could eat a whole cow.
The tempting aroma was pure torture. Eventually, he couldn't bear it anymore. He opened the cap and gulped it down in one go.
As the nutrient fluid reached his stomach, he immediately felt a warmth spreading through his entire body, heat penetrating every part of him.
Every cell in his body writhed, like starving ghosts released from a dungeon, encountering food and devouring it frantically, never satisfied.
A look of contentment crossed Feng Lin's face, but waves of hunger kept surging up.
He wanted to drink more!
This bottle of nutrient fluid was enough for an ordinary person for ten days, yet aside from some changes in his body, Feng Lin felt no different from having drunk nothing.
It showed just how depleted his body was.
Earning money to supplement nutrition was urgent.
A sense of urgency rose in Feng Lin's heart.
"Stop!" Just as he was about to leave the school gate, a group of people suddenly surrounded him. The leader was tall and handsome, but his arrogant expression marred his fine features.
It was Zhao Kai, the top student in Feng Lin's class.