Chapter 16 | Hidden Dangers Left by the Body

That night, Li Xing slept soundly.He almost collapsed onto the kang (heated brick bed) and lost consciousness.He didn't even dream.But when he woke up the next day, something felt wrong.It wasn't exhaustion, but a slight disconnect between his body and his consciousness.He opened his eyes, staring at the yellowed wooden beams of the roof for several seconds before slowly realizing where he was.He tried to prop himself up, but was a fraction of a second too late.The strength was there, but the command seemed to have taken a roundabout route before reaching his hands."...Tsk."Li Xing frowned.He sat up and tried to move his fingers.The movement was smooth, but at certain angles, a subtle yet distinct stabbing pain shot through his wrists, like being gently pulled by an invisible thread.It wasn't intense pain, but it was extremely uncomfortable.His mother, who was starting a fire in the outer room, heard the noise and peeked in."Awake? You must have been exhausted yesterday."Li Xing nodded subconsciously, but suddenly realized—his nod was a beat slower than usual.His mother didn't notice and continued working.But Li Xing's heart sank little by little.At breakfast, his concentration was noticeably lacking.Once, he even missed a bite with his chopsticks.It was slight, but it shouldn't have happened.He looked down at his hands; his knuckles were distinct, the muscles were still there, but there was an inexplicable stiffness.Like a machine without enough lubrication.In the morning, he didn't take on any work.Instead, he followed his plan and slowly tidied up his tools in the yard.But after tightening just a few screws, his temples began to throb.It wasn't a headache, but a feeling of pressure.He stopped, leaned against the wall, and closed his eyes.As soon as his consciousness sank, the space appeared.Faster than usual. It was colder, though.[Abnormal user status detected][Decreased mental energy recovery efficiency][Neural coordination: Slightly disordered]Li Xing's heart tightened."What does this mean?"The space showed no emotion, only continuing to provide prompts:[Aftereffects of continuous high-intensity copying have appeared][Currently, it is not recommended to copy any skills][Forced use, probability of side effects escalating: High]This time, there was no selection button.Only a warning.Li Xing opened his eyes, a layer of cold sweat on his back.He realized for the first time—Not every price will appear immediately.Some things will slowly find you when you think you've overcome them.At noon, he lay down to rest, but couldn't fall asleep.His mind was clear, but his body wouldn't obey him.That feeling of being "awake but not functioning" was irritating.He suddenly remembered the sense of control he had felt a few days ago.Compared to now, it felt like a part of him had been quietly taken away.In the afternoon, someone knocked on the door.It was a familiar face from the street corner, pushing a bicycle with minor problems.“Xingzi, could you take a look at this? It’s not urgent.”Li Xing stood at the door, looking at the bicycle.It was a very simple job.Normally, he wouldn’t even need to use his spatial dimension.But today, he hesitated.The stinging pain in his wrist became more pronounced at that moment.He shook his head: “Not today.”The man was taken aback: “Not feeling well?”“Yeah.”The man didn’t say much more and pushed the bicycle away.The gate closed, and Li Xing stood there, but his heart was far from at ease.It wasn’t that he was reluctant to spend the money.It was the first time he truly felt—his body was demanding a clear answer from him.In the evening, he tried to recall the repair process.The image appeared in his mind, but it wasn’t as smooth as before.Some steps required conscious effort to “find.”He knew all too well what this meant. The proficiency gained from the space wasn't just about disappearing.While leaving traces, it also consumed things he hadn't fully grasped.At night, Li Xing sat on the edge of the kang (heated brick bed) and pulled out his planning notebook again.Under the "Usage Principles," he added a line:—After high-intensity use, a mandatory rest of at least three days is required.After writing it, he paused for a long time.Then, he drew a small mark next to it.Not a solution, but a reminder.This path isn't a straight line.If he didn't treat his body as an equally important resource,the space would eventually pay the price.The night wind rustled the leaves outside the window.Li Xing leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.This time, he didn't try to enter the space again.Because he had understood—true upgrading wasn't just about becoming stronger,but about knowing when to stop.And this hidden danger was only the beginning.