Fisk, punching force: 520 kilograms.
Physique Index: 0.52.
Beep~ Beep~ Beep~
Accompanied by the cold mechanical voice, a blue-haired boy with messy hair stood with a look of reluctance on his face.
"After two months of training, my Physique only improved by 0.08?"
"Could the machine be broken?"
He stared at the wooden post connected to the testing device, his expression sinking in disappointment.
Fortunately for Fisk, his frustration didn't last long.
Soon, one by one, other teenagers stepped forward. They each approached the identical punching force testers lined up neatly in a row, inserting their identity cards into the machine.
Then came the sound of fists striking metal with all their might.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The crisp metallic sounds echoed in succession.
"Maryray, punching force: 483 kilograms."
"Physique Index: 0.48."
"Fisk, punching force: 549 kilograms."
"Physique Index: 0.55."
...
As the results of the tests continued to roll out, the teens soon realized they were all performing at roughly the same level. This realization brought a sense of relief to many.
"I knew it. Becoming a Reserve Player isn't something you can achieve that easily."
"Even reaching a Physique Index of one point is beyond human capability."
"No matter how much we eat and train every day, once our punching force hits 500 kilograms, improving even a tiny bit feels impossible."
"Yeah, there's no hope left for us."
"Forget it. Honestly, my family sent me here just to pad my resume. Later on, when I'm job hunting, I can say I trained under the Blood Pact Guild, and people will think highly of me."
"I'm giving up. There are less than two months left until the official Player Assessment, and I don't stand a chance!"
...
Amid the chatter, the initially discouraged teens found solace in each other's resignation.
After all, as the saying goes: The sight of friends giving up makes me feel at ease, while their endless efforts only cause me pain.
As long as no one else is striving, being a failure doesn't feel so bad.
While the group's lively discussion filled the empty training hall, a lone boy sitting by the window stared blankly ahead, his expression devoid of emotion. He sat there by himself, silent and detached from the energetic conversations around him.
[Synthesis Bar Loaded?]
[Activate? Yes/No]
"Yes! Activate!"
In Sumir's "empty" gaze, a flash of joy briefly flickered.
In the next moment, the text before his eyes shifted.
[Synthesis Ability Activated. Please drag any two identical objects into the slots below to complete synthesis.]
As the words appeared, a brilliant golden frame materialized in his vision, resembling a mysterious treasure chest.
Inside the chest was a grid of nine slots, though only two of them were currently active. Above the chest, a golden Exit.
It seemed that the two slots inside the golden chest were meant to hold items, which would then be fused together, and the synthesized product would be delivered through the exit.
"Finally! Finally, I've been waiting for this."
"Eighteen years!"
"Do you even know what I've been through during these 18 years?"
Sumir swallowed hard.
He had been living in this future world for 18 long years, and at last, his cheat ability had been unlocked!
Sumir still vividly remembered his 18th birthday in his previous life. He had been struck by a golden meteor, and when he woke up, he had become an infant in a world 100 years after Earth underwent its dramatic transformation.
A century ago, Earth had been invaded by a fantastical game-like dimension.
Apart from cities that housed large populations, the entire planet was reshaped and expanded by tenfold. The wilderness grew vast and uncharted.
In these wildlands, countless creatures roamed—goblins, slimes, demons, kobolds, dragons. These beings, acting as monsters, wreaked havoc across the land.
The weaker ones could still be killed with bullets, but terrifying creatures like dragons and demons were impervious even to nuclear strikes!
At the start of this catastrophic transformation, millions perished.
Fortunately, it wasn't merely an invasion—it was a game invasion.
People soon discovered that besides monsters and dungeons, the wildlands were also home to intelligent beings from various races. These entities, much like NPCs in video games, could issue quests, teach skills, and bestow professions.
Thus, humanity entered a new era.
Millions became "Players," unlocking character panels, slaying monsters, leveling up, training, and growing stronger.
Eventually, some even managed to transcend their mortal limitations, climbing the ladder to divinity and becoming gods themselves!
In Sumir's present day, the system for training Players had matured. Most mid-to-large-sized guilds operated training institutes to help ordinary people develop their potential, aiming for at least one point in Physique, the prerequisite for becoming a Reserve Player with the chance to awaken as a true Player.
However, gaining a single attribute point wasn't easy at all.
One point in Physique equated to a punching force of 1,000 kilograms!
For those without natural talent, training to death wouldn't even get them close.
On average, a guild would celebrate wildly if a single true Player emerged from an entire cohort of trainees. Producing even two or three Reserve Players was considered a sign of a highly effective training program.
Yet, as Sumir stared at the synthesis bar before him, his breathing quickened.
His punching force was 390 kilograms—a below-average score in the training camp. By all logic, he should have abandoned his dream of becoming a Player. However, the faintly glowing screen that had lingered before his eyes, showing the words "Loading," had kept him holding on.
And now, he could feel it—his moment had finally arrived!
...
"Stop chattering! I could hear you from outside. You're the noisiest group by far."
"Can't you show some ambition? The Player Assessment is just around the corner."
"If you can manage a Physique score of 0.9 or higher and pop a temporary booster, there's still a slim chance you might make it as Players!"
The training hall instantly fell silent. A burly middle-aged man in a black robe entered, his presence alone enough to intimidate the entire room into submission.
The man, despite being only a Reserve Player himself and unable to access a personal character panel, had long since surpassed the 1.2 mark in Physique through years of rigorous training.
With a punching force of over one ton, he was nothing short of a walking beast!
While the trainees held their breath in fear, their gazes wandered to the adjacent training hall visible through a glass wall.
Inside, only four individuals were training.
These four, however, were being carefully attended to by five instructors—each of whom had already surpassed one point in Physique—offering gentle guidance and personal assistance to ensure their progress.
Meanwhile, in the Room
The middle-aged man let out a cold chuckle. "Stop staring. Do you even know? Over in Class Four, Vivian has already reached a Physique score of 0.8."
"And in Class Five, Phoenix is sitting at 0.76."
"And in Class Seven..."
He rattled off four names like a waiter listing specials, the exact same four individuals training in the adjacent room.
"They have the talent, and they have a real shot at becoming Players."
"So, of course, they get whatever treatment they want."
At this point, the man sneered, his disdain written all over his face.
Anyone who could become a Player—or even a Reserve Player—was already a world apart from ordinary people.
Those four trainees had earned the respect and favor of the instructors. As for everyone else? To put it bluntly, they were nothing more than ants.
The sneer deepened on the instructor's face as the young men and women in the room stiffened with discomfort. Yet, faced with the intimidating presence of a Reserve Player, none of them dared to voice their frustration.
After all, under the Earth Federation's laws, a Player killing a civilian who offended them was entirely legal and without consequence.
It wasn't until the instructor left with a frosty expression that the room sank into a gloomy silence.
...
Whoopee!! Take off!!
Footsteps echoed in the quiet.
"Sumir? Why are you leaving so quickly?" The blue-haired boy with the messy hair from earlier turned around in surprise.
"You're skipping training?"
"Giving up already?"
He took a couple of steps forward, throwing an arm around Sumir's shoulders.
Sumir gently brushed his friend's hand off.
"Skipping a few hours of training won't make a difference."
"Don't forget, I've still got my work-study job to get to."
With that, he strode quickly out of the room.
The others, preoccupied with their own frustrations, barely noticed Sumir slipping away early.
The blue-haired boy, however, frowned in confusion. "Why did Sumir sound so... confident when he said 'work-study job' today?"
"It's like he's brimming with self-assurance or something..."
He glanced toward the door.
Sumir had stepped out of the training hall, the setting sun casting a warm golden glow around him. For a moment, it looked as though his entire body was lined with a divine radiance.
Almost holy.
...
"Woohoo! Let's go!!"
Hiding in the restroom of a subway station on his way home, Sumir was practically bouncing with excitement, his joyful cries echoing in the tiny space. He hopped around like a hyperactive baboon, his glee barely contained.
From the neighboring stall, a head suddenly popped up. It belonged to a tall, slender elf with pointed ears, who stared at Sumir in annoyance.
"Hey, man, could you chill? Some of us are just trying to use the bathroom."
"Sorry! Sorry!" Sumir apologized profusely, his face flushed with embarrassment.
As soon as the elf left, Sumir darted into an empty stall, ensuring he was alone. With a sly grin, he pulled out a handful of tiny packets of hand sanitizer.
"Heh heh heh…"
Placing two packets into the glowing synthesis bar that hovered in his vision, Sumir's grin widened as glowing text materialized before his eyes.
Immediately, the attribute text appears.
[Inferior Hand Sanitizer: A dirt-cheap hand sanitizer made from wood ash. A word of advice—don't use it to wash your hands.] x2
[Synthesis? Yes/No?]
"Yes!"
Swish!
A golden light flashed.
[Ordinary Hand Sanitizer: A hand sanitizer that can be used normally.]
Next, it was time for repetitive operations.
Another bottle of ordinary hand sanitizer was synthesized.
Then, two ordinary hand sanitizers were combined.
Swish!
A light flashed.
[High-Quality Hand Sanitizer.]
Swish!
[Jade Herb Hand Sanitizer.]
Swish!
...
Sumir ultimately synthesized six times in total, using up all the free hand sanitizers he had scavenged from restrooms across four train stations.
He obtained a pouch of crystal-clear liquid.
[Tree Spirit Essence: An extract from a rare tree sprite's sap. Can be applied topically to wounds, healing minor injuries in mere seconds!]
"I've synthesized it again!" Sumir exclaimed in delight.
Tree Spirit Essence—each portion could sell for thousands of dollars! It was a popular restorative item frequently used by early-level players for training!
And before that, the total cost of all those hand sanitizers didn't even exceed five dollars!
Not to mention, Sumir had gotten them all for free—zero cost!
In other words...
Regardless of whether the synthesis system had other abilities, he could easily make a fortune just by combining items!
Becoming a reserve player and gaining a point of physical attribute seemed challenging?
Well, excuse me!
As long as you were willing to spend money on items, it was no challenge at all!