12: Chapter 12 Human Limits

Zhao Hu seemed prepared, or perhaps the topic of breaking the human body's limits was a necessary subject for any Guard Team member.

In a situation where the Extraordinary was out of reach, the only way for ordinary people to improve their physical condition was to break through the human body's limits.

He seemed to organize his thoughts for a moment before speaking. "The human body has its limits. Before the Infinite Building descended, apart from star athletes and the elite among special forces, normal people rarely reached this limit in terms of strength, speed, endurance, reaction time, and so on that surpassed ordinary humans. Even those elite individuals only touched this limit in one or two specific areas. Back in the Old Civilization era, I think it was called the Guin-whatever Records."

Wang Ting asked aloud, "Is being able to break through the human body's limits now related to the Infinite Building?"

Zhao Hu nodded. "Humanity in the old era made breakthroughs in genetic research through the Infinite Building. Besides seeking pathways to the Extraordinary, they were constantly tapping into the innate potential of the human body. After the Infinite Building fully descended, Extraordinary factors became integrated into our surrounding environment, and the human body underwent a certain degree of evolution. On top of ordinary human baseline, humans can break through the body's limits twice to unlock the full potential of this physique."

Wang Ting listened even more intently, and he wasn't the only one; Fu Xing, Ding Yu, and the others were also paying close attention. Although Fu Xing had stayed in Copper Valley Town, it hadn't been for long, so he didn't know much about breaking human limits.

'The boss of Scarecrow Town is probably from Jumu City.'

Fu Xing had a bold conjecture in his heart. Only those who came from large cities would understand such a relatively complete system.

"The first level we call Instinct Awakening, also known as Wild Instinct. Methods like life-and-death crises or pushing your body to its training limits can allow you to master this instinct, awakening your body's power and rapidly boosting your physical capabilities. At this stage, combined with training, you can reach roughly four to five hundred catties of strength."

As he said this, Zhao Hu looked at Wang Ting. "The state you were in after fighting the Scarecrow to the death was very likely the first type, except you probably haven't fully awakened Wild Instinct yet. Otherwise, your combat wouldn't have looked so clumsy."

The awakening of Wild Instinct is essentially a beast-like talent—controlling one's body with the mastery of an apex predator, unleashing the powerful force it ought to possess rather than imposing self-restrictions.

However, Wang Ting was completely dumbfounded right now.

Damn it, isn't this just making the adrenaline stress response permanent, removing physical limits, and thus continuously unleashing immense power?

But all of this was built upon the continuous influence of Extraordinary factors on human bodies in the wasteland era.

Half a month ago, he was still on Earth in his past life. Where would he get Extraordinary factor exposure, let alone the residual effects of genetic technology from old-era humans? Meaning it was practically impossible for him to truly awaken this power.

'I'm not jealous, I'm getting the Scarecrow Physique.'

Wang Ting comforted himself inwardly. The Scarecrow Physique was no worse than those who broke their physical limits.

Meeting Zhao Hu's gaze, he shook his head and said, "I might not be. I don't feel anything like that."

"No, you should be. The growth in your physical attributes proves there's a high probability you broke through your limit for the first time, otherwise you wouldn't have such immense strength."

Wang Ting: ...

"Your combat skills are terrible, but as long as you keep honing them, Wild Instinct can be trained out."

'Whatever floats your boat.'

Wang Ting didn't reply, but another thought arose in his mind: 'It's fine if he misunderstands. At least my anomalies have an explanation for now.'

"What about breaking the limits a second time?"

"Half-step Extraordinary."

Zhao Hu was silent for a long moment before saying, "An extraordinarily powerful physique, formidable combat instinct, reaching a thousand catties of strength in normal state alone. If punching with explosive force, it's even greater. In a sense, it's already reaching the pinnacle of the human body. But this is too far away for both you and me. Let's begin training. Wang Ting, spar with me."

He took off his outer jacket, revealing a worn-out but clean tank top underneath.

His robust muscles looked as if cast from iron, marked with various scars left by unknown monsters across those large muscle groups.

Nobody expected that underneath his jacket, Zhao Hu actually hid such a terrifying build.

His aura suddenly shifted, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous glint, looking like a tiger hunting in the jungle.

At this moment, everyone realized his change and truly faced the Wild Instinct that comes after breaking through human body limits.

'So he's just hyping everyone up?'

Wang Ting suddenly realized that when Zhao Hu was introducing the human body's limits, wasn't he also dangling a carrot before these newcomers and the Guard Team members in his squad?

"Come at me."

Zhao Hu pounced straight toward Wang Ting.

Wang Ting's eyes narrowed, and he also lunged straight toward Zhao Hu.

He didn't know combat techniques; he only knew that if he didn't want to lose too embarrassingly, he had to use the same method he used against He Chong.

Just as Wang Ting approached Zhao Hu, Zhao Hu grabbed him by the collar. Terrifying brute force surged over instantly as Zhao Hu flipped him with one arm and pinned him straight to the ground.

It was true that Wang Ting possessed immense power, but possessing power and wielding power effectively were two entirely different things.

Right now, Wang Ting tried to struggle and counterattack, but realized his arm joints, torso... were already locked down by Zhao Hu. Sharp pain radiated from his joints; if Zhao Hu hardened his heart, he could easily snap his joints.

'Such immense strength! It's probably not much different from mine.'

The thrashing raised dust from the ground, obscuring Zhao Hu and Wang Ting's bodies.

Zhao Hu felt a powerful surge of strength from Wang Ting. Zhao Hu had almost let Wang Ting break free from his grip.

Thus, he felt even more certain in his mind: 'This guy has definitely broken through his physical limits. His combat instinct just hasn't caught up, so he hasn't fully mastered Wild Instinct.'

He released Wang Ting's joints and stood up. "You only have brute force; your skills are terrible, and your awareness is lacking. Keep practicing with me. This set of combat techniques was brought out from Jumu City by Boss Zhao and the others."

"Alright."

Covered in dust, Wang Ting stood up, brushed off his clothes, and spat out a single word in a deep voice.

A stubborn streak gleamed in his eyes, accompanied by a rising surge of fighting intent.

He was never someone to admit defeat easily.

The Scarecrow's physique, while enhancing his strength, was also bringing subtle shifts to his temperament. A beast-like body and power served as his foundation of confidence.

So what if he couldn't break through human physical limits? As long as his attributes kept stacking and his combat instincts accumulated, he could still grow into a monster regardless.

Zhao Hu really liked that look in Wang Ting's eyes.

Only an unyielding person like this could survive properly in the wasteland. Those who yielded to their environment would sooner or later be eliminated by this cruel world.

After a few rounds of sparring, Zhao Hu gained a general grasp of Wang Ting's physical capabilities.

Wang Ting's physical condition was a massive step above the four including Fu Xing. Even current Guard Team members like Li Jinming and Qu Ling couldn't compare to him.

Just as Zhao Hu said, those who could break through their limits were the cream of the crop. Even though Extraordinary factors were constantly influencing people in the post-apocalyptic era, and there were special Extraordinary materials that could directly boost physical strength and unleash genetic potential, those who could truly master Wild Instinct were ultimately a minority.

"Giant Wood Fighting Technique, a combat skill brought out of Jumu City. Simple and crude, but very effective on the wasteland."

The fighting style was clean and decisive with minimal flourishes; its core movements focused on footwork and lethal moves targeted at joints and vital spots.

'This was probably born from war and bloodshed.'

There were monsters in the wasteland, but also humans who would do whatever it took to survive.

Wang Ting never wanted to believe that the wasteland apocalypse was caused solely by the Infinite Building. The root cause likely lay with humanity as well.

He began learning the fighting style from Zhao Hu, movement by movement, mobilizing his muscles to unleash the full force this body possessed.

"The Scarecrow Physique hides ferocity. The way I unleashed power before was too refined, completely lacking technique..."

As he continuously practiced the Giant Wood Fighting Technique, Wang Ting's clothes were quickly coated in a thick layer of dust from the training field.

Sweat soaked his clothes, but excitement flared brighter in his eyes. It was as though the blood inside him had been set ablaze, turning his entire body into an operating steam engine from the inside out.

"Monster."

Watching Wang Ting continuously practice the movements, Li Jinming couldn't hide the shock in his eyes.

From the start of practice until now, the four including Fu Xing were already collapsed from exhaustion, wheezing like punctured bellows.

Even he and his partner Qu Ling felt a wave of fatigue.

Only Wang Ting kept practicing, like a perpetual motion machine.

"No wonder Captain Zhao had us take over."

Qu Ling felt a bit pained, but checking the time, he said, "Let's go to the cafeteria to grab energy blocks first. That's all for this morning."

Wang Ting gradually came to a stop, his muscles bulging as fatigue emanated from him.

The Scarecrow Physique was continuously being unlocked, warmth flowing slowly throughout his entire body.

Wang Ting walked toward the cafeteria together with Qu Ling, Li Jinming, and the others.

He couldn't help thinking: 'With training at this intensity, the unlocking progress of the Scarecrow Physique really increased a lot. In another half month, it should reach its limit.'

The formidable physique of a Scarecrow, while perhaps not matching large beasts like lions and tigers, was more than tough enough to go toe-to-toe with wild boars and gray wolves.

[Sand Scorpion indexing progress: 5%]

Just as they arrived at the entrance of the cafeteria, a voice sounded out.

Wang Ting's eyes lit up. A new entry?