Martin nodded, feeling a wave of gratification at the respect and courtesy they showed him. The way the guards addressed him, the deference in their tone—it was a stark reminder of how far he had come in such a short time.
Driving past the checkpoint, Martin felt an unfamiliar lightness in his chest. He was entering a world of privilege and privacy, a place where he no longer had to worry about drawing attention.
Ten minutes after passing the security gate, his car rolled up to the entrance of his villa.
The house stood tall and imposing, with its open plaza in front and the lakeside glittering in the distance.
Martin parked the car by the front gate, stepping out into the cool evening air. For a moment, he simply stood there, taking it all in. The sprawling villa, the pristine grounds, the quiet of the countryside—this was his. And for the first time in days, he felt truly liberated.
Here, in the privacy of his estate, there was no need to hide, no fear of scrutiny or prying eyes. He was free to live as he pleased.
Martin stepped into the grand foyer of his lakeside villa, greeted immediately by the sight of his staff standing in neat rows, their heads bowed respectfully. At the forefront stood the head butler, the head chef, and the head maid, each of them awaiting his command. The atmosphere was dignified, almost reverent, as if they knew their new employer wasn't just another wealthy client, but a man of importance.
"Welcome home, Mr. Fox," the butler said with a slight bow, his tone warm but formal.
Behind him, the staff echoed the sentiment, their voices in unison, "Welcome, Mr. Fox."
Martin took a moment to survey them. He had seen their profiles before and knew they had all been carefully selected, so he didn't feel the need for formalities. Instead, he gave them a light pep talk. "I appreciate the warm welcome, but I won't keep you all too long. Just do your jobs well, and we'll get along fine. No need to feel any pressure from me." He smiled slightly, trying to ease the formal tension. "Dinner tonight, though, let's push it forward. I have some things to take care of in the gym, so I'd like it to be ready by 7."
The head chef nodded briskly and immediately began making arrangements.
As Martin turned to leave, the head butler approached him. "Mr. Fox, a delivery package arrived earlier today from Morgan Private Bank. It's been placed in your study as requested."
The reminder brought to mind his laptop—the old one he'd left behind in his studio apartment. He made a mental note to either retrieve it or simply replace it with something more fitting of his new status. After all, why not? With his newfound wealth, a high-spec laptop was more appropriate than clinging to something that represented his old life.
"Take the package to my study room on the top floor," Martin instructed. "I'll be in the gym for a while."
The butler nodded and gave a slight bow before heading off to carry out the task.
Martin walked down the hall toward the gym, which was equipped with everything one could dream of—advanced machinery, weights, and performance monitors. His physical experiment was the first step in understanding what the silver token would offer once he made his wish.
After two hours of preparation, he was ready. Dinner had been served, and Martin ate lightly, knowing that a heavy meal would only hinder his workout. At 7:40 PM, he stepped into the villa's back garden for some light stretching exercises, feeling the evening air cool his skin. The soft breeze felt good, and he allowed himself a moment of peace before heading back inside to face the challenge that awaited him in the gym.
By 8 PM, Martin was dressed in a light shirt and shorts, standing in front of the gym's vast array of equipment. He took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for the experiment. He began with physical tests at minimum force exertion—low weight lifting, light running, basic resistance exercises. He kept track of every statistic meticulously, recording his heart rate, muscle strain, and breathing efficiency.
Once the minimum tests were done, Martin upped the intensity, moving into medium force exertion. He increased the weights, sprinted on the treadmill, and did resistance training with added tension. His muscles were starting to burn, but nothing beyond what he could handle. Again, he recorded all the stats—force exerted, muscle fatigue, and time spent recovering between exercises. The notes were growing detailed, each line representing a step closer to understanding his true physical limits.
Finally, he went for maximum force exertion. This was where he pushed his body to the brink—lifting near-maximal weights, sprinting at full speed, and using every machine in the gym to its highest setting. His body strained, every muscle fiber working to its limit, his breath coming in heavy gasps. He had to take frequent breaks, regulating his breathing and letting his muscles cool down between each test.
By the time he finished the final round of tests, Martin was shirtless and drenched in sweat, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he leaned against the nearest weight bench for support. His enthusiasm hadn't wavered, though. If anything, the strain of pushing his body to the edge only fueled his excitement. The numbers he'd recorded weren't far off from the performance stats of professional bodybuilders. In fact, in some areas—like raw strength and endurance—he was approaching their level.
He glanced down at the notebook where he had jotted everything down. The numbers were impressive, but this was just the baseline. Once the silver token activated and he made his wish, he would run these tests again to compare his progress. The thought made his pulse quicken.
For now, though, he took a moment to bask in the satisfaction of his effort. He was no longer the man who had drifted aimlessly through life. He had power now—power to shape his future, power to push beyond his human limitations.
And tonight, he would push those limits even further. Midnight couldn't come soon enough.
Sure enough, the midnight bell chime announced the wishing period, and Martin was more than ready.
The world around Martin faded into shades of gray, the sudden shift in color accompanied by the familiar bell chime echoing in his mind.
It was always the same—an otherworldly sensation that signaled the arrival of the system's mysterious power. But this time, something was different.
As the golden lines began twisting and forming, two tokens appeared in front of him instead of one. One silver, and one bronze.
Martin's eyes widened. He hadn't expected to see both tokens at once, but it only took him a moment to understand. To get another silver token, he would need to accumulate six more bronze tokens.
It was a simple exchange—seven bronze tokens for one silver. But that realization led him to wonder... If seven bronze tokens became silver, then could seven silver tokens turn into gold? The thought made his heart race.
A golden token—what kind of wish could that grant? The possibilities were staggering.
But he shook off the idea quickly. That would take time—a lot of time. Right now, his focus was on the present and what he could achieve tonight.
Pushing the wild thoughts aside, Martin focused on the silver token hovering before him. His pulse quickened as he prepared to make his wish. The anticipation hung in the air, his mind swirling with the gravity of what he was about to do. He inhaled deeply, then spoke with absolute clarity.
"I wish to enhance my body to the limits of optimal evolution."
The moment the words left his lips, the silver token began to vibrate. It glowed with an intense light before shattering into motes of silver that swirled around him.
The tiny specks of light drifted down, seeping into his skin, his muscles, his bones. At first, it felt like a gentle warmth, but that quickly escalated.
A sudden heat surged through his body, his muscles seeming to writhe beneath his skin as if they were being restructured, reshaped. His bones creaked, and he clenched his fists as a wave of intense pressure gripped him.
His entire body felt as if it were being broken down and rebuilt from the inside, every cell pulsing with an unfamiliar energy.
He gritted his teeth as the sensation grew more intense. His muscles flexed involuntarily, and the heat within him began to burn even hotter.
He felt his blood flow quicken, almost as though it were infused with something other than just oxygen—some kind of mysterious energy coursing through his veins, merging with his flesh and blood.
Just as he thought he was starting to acclimate to the physical changes, something even stranger happened.
The energy seemed to reach into his mind. His brain buzzed, a sharp, electric sensation spreading through his skull. Thoughts became fragmented, blurred, and Martin felt his consciousness slipping.
"Here it comes," he thought. He had been smart enough to prepare for this. He was already reclining on a comfortable sofa, anticipating the potential dangers of such a drastic wish.
His last coherent thought before blackness overtook him was how powerful and overwhelming the silver token's wish had been.
He was not merely upgrading his body—he was evolving it to its peak, beyond anything he could have ever imagined.
And then, everything went dark.