The third loop bled into the fourth, and the fourth into the fifth, each seven-day cycle marked by relentless, optimized study. Chen Mu's routine within the loop became ruthlessly efficient. Foreknowledge turned classes into reinforcement sessions, homework into rapid-fire exercises. His Mentality stat crept up fraction by fraction – 1.41, 1.42, 1.44. His academic skills under the system reflected near-mastery of the high school curriculum: [Mathematics (Expert - High School)], [Physics (Expert - High School)]. The small [Learning Efficiency (Minor)] buff seemed to accelerate things subtly, making connections quicker, retention firmer. He accumulated a modest pool of System Points – 25 in total after Loop 5, rewards trickling in for consistent academic achievement within each cycle.
He was making undeniable progress towards his initial goal. The Gaokao, whenever the 'real' timeline allowed him to reach it, felt less like an insurmountable peak and more like a hill he had already surveyed from every angle.
Yet, beneath the satisfaction of progress, a different kind of challenge began to emerge: the crushing weight of perfect repetition.
It started subtly. The familiar chime of the school bell marking the end of a period. The exact phrasing of a teacher's habitual joke, landing with the same polite chuckle from the class each time. The predictable questions from classmates during study sessions. His parents asking the same things about his day each evening. Even the taste of his meticulously planned oatmeal felt... stagnant.
By Loop 5, the déjà vu had morphed from a novelty into a low-grade psychological friction. Every interaction felt scripted, every day a precise echo of the last iteration, save for his internal advancements. The world outside his focused efforts seemed frozen in a seven-day amber.
His ultra-disciplined mind, usually finding comfort in order and predictability, began to fray at the edges from the sheer sameness. He needed a variable, something to break the oppressive monotony, even if only slightly.
During Loop 6, he began experimenting cautiously. It wasn't about drastically changing outcomes yet, merely about altering the input to observe the reaction and, frankly, to alleviate his own boredom. When a classmate asked the same question about a Physics problem for the sixth time (in Chen Mu's perception), instead of his usual concise explanation, he tried rephrasing it slightly, using a different analogy. The classmate's reaction was minimally different – a slightly longer pause before nodding – but it was different.
He tried small talk with Li Wei, the quiet student who sat behind him, asking a neutral question about the previous day's Physical Education class instead of remaining silent. Li Wei responded with predictable shyness, but the content of the brief exchange was new data. He learned people were, in their daily patterns, remarkably predictable. Minor deviations in his input rarely caused significant changes in their output within the span of a brief interaction. It was like tweaking a single parameter in a complex but stable simulation. These small experiments provided minor relief but didn't fundamentally alter the loop's trajectory or yield any system rewards.
More importantly, the monotony highlighted a potential imbalance in his approach. He was honing his mind, but his physical development, while decent due to his established routine, wasn't being actively pushed. His Physique stat remained stagnant at 1.1. The system rewarded achievement. Perhaps there was more to achieve physically within the loop's confines?
A new idea sparked. The loop reset physical states. Minor injuries, muscle fatigue, exhaustion – all would vanish at midnight on April 19th. This was a safety net he could exploit.
Starting in Loop 7, Chen Mu adjusted his focus. While maintaining a baseline level of study to retain his academic gains, he shifted significant time and effort towards physical conditioning. His morning run wasn't just about maintaining fitness; it became about pushing boundaries. He sprinted the last kilometer until his lungs burned and legs screamed, ignoring the minor muscle strains he knew would be gone in a few days. He added an intense evening workout session, pushing his bodyweight exercises to failure – collapsing onto his floor mat, muscles trembling, sweat pooling beneath him.
Normally, such intense training without proper rest and recovery would lead to injury or burnout. But Chen Mu knew he had the ultimate recovery tool: the reset. He could push his body to its absolute limit for six days straight, endure the aches and exhaustion, knowing Day 7 was effectively a full recovery day before starting fresh on the 'next' April 13th.
The results were almost immediate. The system, apparently tracking exertion and physical stress alongside outcomes, began to respond. After a particularly grueling Day 4 in Loop 7, where he added weighted items from around the house to his push-ups and squats, his Physique stat ticked up to 1.15. Encouraged, he intensified his efforts in Loop 8. He ran further, faster. His workouts became brutal tests of endurance. He felt stronger, his movements more controlled despite the fatigue.
By the end of Loop 8, his Physique had climbed to 1.3. He felt a tangible difference – less winded on runs, everyday movements felt easier, a deeper sense of physical capability settling into his frame.
As Loop 8 concluded, the familiar system notification chimed, bringing not just the standard academic consolidation points, but something new.
[Loop Cycle 8 Completed.]
> Evaluation: Diversified Effort (Physical Conditioning Focus). Significant Physical Output Detected.
> Host Memory Retention: Confirmed.
> System Data Retention: Confirmed.
> Reward Calculation: Positive (Dual Focus).
[Reward Issued: +3 System Points]
[Reward Issued: Temporary Buff Acquired - [Accelerated Recovery (Minor / Loop Only)] - Effect active during current loop cycle, enhances recovery from physical exertion.]
A loop-specific buff! It wouldn't carry over permanently, but it meant that within subsequent loops, he could potentially push even harder, recover slightly faster before the final reset, maximizing his physical gains during the seven-day window.
The monotony hadn't vanished, but diversifying his goals had lessened its sting. He now had two clear avenues for progress within the repeating week: sharpening his mind and forging his body. The seven-day cage felt slightly larger, the possibilities within it expanding. As Loop 9 began, Chen Mu rose with renewed vigour, his enhanced physique already making the familiar act of getting out of bed feel subtly, satisfyingly different.