Waking up voluntarily and being woken up were absolutely two different things. A person's mental state upon waking voluntarily was a hundred times better than when startled awake. For the sake of good spirits today, she was going all out.

An Junlie laughed happily and pulled her along. "No worries, then let's start with a three-lap warm-up."

She guessed he was the type who wouldn't give up until he achieved his goal, so she steeled herself. Run, then run, she thought. After finishing the laps, and practicing her forms, Ziye returned to her room to find clothes for a shower. Suddenly, a flash of light lit up her vision. She focused, and saw that Little Sprout had somehow flown in front of her, hovering at eye level. Its glass-bead eyes spun around and around.

Although Little Sprout could control when it was in standby mode and when it was active, it had never risen so early. Had it been infected by aliens too?

Ziye yawned sleepily.

Little Sprout immediately released a tiny electric pulse that jolted her instantly awake. "Master, follow me."

Seeing its serious expression, Ziye set down her clothes and followed it out the door. They arrived at the gym, and Ziye looked up doubtfully, just in time to see Little Sprout’s glass eyes glowing brightly. Then, she knew nothing more.

Little Sprout extended the leaf on top of its head, connecting it to its body—

"Self-diagnosis: Energy reserves at 77%, physical functions optimal... Activating perception application system."

"Master diagnosis: Energy reserves at 97%, physical functions inadequate, optimal configuration required... Configuration successful, entering virtual training state. System loading. Countdown: Three, two, one, initiate!"

Watching Ziye enveloped in the light of the three-dimensional simulation system, Little Sprout secretly smirked. That idiot An Junlie didn't know Ziye was a girl, so he had set up so many programs meant for male training. Now, it had rewritten them all.

Besides, this was just the most basic training routine. It had several more fierce sets prepared. Fight hard, Ziye!

Hahaha, I am the smartest one!

When Ziye woke up, she found herself standing in a vast training field—a real training field. She stomped her foot, leaving an imprint in the sand. Various training apparatuses were clearly visible, far more professional than the gym at the middle school she once attended.

"Ziye, Ziye! All the training equipment in this field is custom-made according to your current physical condition. Let's start basic training now, go for it! I'm rooting for you!" Little Sprout flew onto a piece of equipment in front of Ziye. The small sprout on its head shaped itself into a fist, cheering Ziye on.

"Training?" Ziye frowned.

"That's right!" Little Sprout nodded, grinning slyly. "To ensure you reach your goal as quickly as possible, you can't slack off during training, or you’ll get a dose of the Sprout-brand Strong Wave attack!"

Ziye had experienced its electrical attack before. Usually, it only used the weakest pulse—a faint tingling sensation. But she had personally witnessed it electrocute a living jungle python until it was charred black.

This little rascal is threatening me?

Ziye eyed it sideways. "Did an alien teach you that?"

Little Sprout suddenly clapped a hand over its mouth, looking caught, but it absolutely wouldn't speak, just stared at her with wide eyes. This solidified her suspicion. She decided that once they got out, she would beat him up soundly!

"How do we get out?"

Little Sprout grinned cheekily. "Sorry, no leaving until you meet the test standard, Classmate Ziye. Keep pushing, or the electric wave will serve you."

Ziye shot it a glare and walked over to the first piece of gym equipment to start exercising.

Little Sprout chuckled wickedly above her head. Since An Junlie was involved in this setup anyway, let him take the blame. Hmph. Seeing Ziye place her hands on the machine but apply no real force, the little sprout on its head immediately stretched out, shooting an almost invisible ray of light.

Zzt!

Ziye involuntarily shuddered, nearly collapsing onto the apparatus. Her whole body ached with debilitating soreness from the shock. She absolutely believed the current exceeded 60 volts.

She turned around and tried to grab Little Sprout, but it hopped behind her with even greater speed, its voice suddenly becoming extremely gentle. "Ziye, you have to try harder! Otherwise, the electricity will increase with each failure; otherwise, you won't pass through the wormhole above Silver Talisman Star. You must push yourself to your limit!"

Its voice was crisp and tender, but to Ziye’s ears now, it sounded like a siren driving nails into her brain. It was serious. Little Sprout was an intelligent core, and the more serious it became, the more excited it grew—she could tell just by the tone of its voice.

Ziye, usually lazy about exercise, had no choice now. She rearranged herself into the standard stance and began training earnestly.

The timing and repetitions for the equipment were already set.

Fearing Little Sprout’s 'abuse,' Ziye started by sprinting at full power. The requirement was fifty reps within twenty seconds. It felt easy at first, but by the fortieth rep, she had lost all strength. She mustered the last bit of energy to reach forty-three, but the time had already exceeded twenty seconds. Tensely, she closed her eyes, bracing for the expected electric shock. But the shock didn't come. Instead, she heard Little Sprout shout loudly, "Ziye, you idiot! Time is secondary! You must complete the required number of reps first, then shorten the time for each subsequent attempt."

Ziye quickly took a deep breath and continued—

Forty-four, forty-five, forty-six. Even pushing with all her might, she could only manage forty-six. She couldn't lift her arms anymore; she felt her entire limbs trembling.

Even arm strength, that detestable thing!

Another electric shock struck her right arm, instantly spreading throughout her body. She experienced a moment of feeling as if she had died and immediately come back to life, lacking even the strength to glare at it. How had she never noticed it was a thorough little devil before?

"The system is designed based on your maximum mental burst. Under physical limitations, you can achieve forty-five reps; with a mental burst, fifty is achievable."

Ziye understood its rationale perfectly. Humans could unleash incredible strength in moments of extreme danger. This training would give her greater capacity for self-preservation when threatened.

"Ziye, listen to me!" Little Sprout's voice was both wronged and distressed. "I'm only doing this for your own good! If you don't try harder, I'll delete the loyalty program and stop recognizing you as my master!"

Ziye's heart seized violently. She spoke, "I won't disappoint you." She resumed manipulating the equipment and training. Little Sprout's words brought back memories of her history before arriving on Silver Talisman Star.

The law of the jungle was a timeless principle. If she had been stronger back then, perhaps she wouldn't be the person she was today.

This time, Little Sprout was giving her a superb training opportunity. If she wasted it again, she would be utterly hopeless.

This time, no matter what, she had to work hard!