Frank stood alone in the training yard, sweating profusely as he moved through a series of calisthenics. He had been at it for days now, doing little else. After all, it's not like he could leave the compound.
Now that regeneration had reached its max level, he found his training speed increased by an insane margin. His torn muscles would regenerate larger than before within minutes, allowing him to reach his current physical stat caps at breakneck speeds.
"One more," he grunted, forcing himself to complete another set of push-ups, finishing his last set of his routine.
Panting heavily, he opened his notification screen, seeing the fruits of his labor.
[Host: Frank Gunn
Level: 10
XP to Next Level: *
HP: 150/150
Mana: 130/130
Strength (STR): 50
Constitution (CON): 50
Agility (AGI): 50
Intelligence (INT): 26+
Charisma (CHA): 25+
Luck (LUC): 0
Stat Points Available: 20]
[Skills:
Oathkeeper (SPEX)
Limit Breaker (SPEX)
Sixth Sense (Innate)
Diligent Student (Innate)
In Perfect Health (Innate)
Regeneration (MAX)
Persisting Strength (Lvl 4) -> (MAX): As long as user remains conscious, strength will not fatigue.
Featherfoot (Lvl 3) -> (MAX): Movement speed increase 10% -> 50%
Hand-to-Hand Combat (Lvl 2) -> (MAX): 20% -> 100%.
Makeshift Weapon Proficiency (Lvl 4) -> (MAX): 40% -> 100%
Fireball (Lvl 4)
Mana Efficiency (Lvl 2)
Alluring Gaze (Lvl 1) -> (Lvl 2): User will be seen as more attractive to those viewing them.]
[NOTICE:
Upon reaching level 10, user will continue to gain experience, but will not increase in level until class quest is completed.
Unlock condition of class quest: ???]
Despite the progress he had made, he couldn't help but be frustrated. Yes, reaching the limit of 50 for his Strength, Constitution, and Agility filled him with a great deal of power, but where was the edge he was looking for? He wanted more than a small boost—he wanted to feel as though he was truly prepared for anything.
'I need to switch gears,' he decided, his mind racing. Physical training had made a difference, but if all he could do was punch something, he could be in real trouble.
'Maybe I should try training my mind?' he thought. After all, he had seen the destruction his fireball skill could cause.
Sitting on a mat, he closed his eyes and tried to empty his mind. Meditation was one of the techniques in Arlo's training material he had been given a while back. At the time, he thought it was pretty useless, but now he was glad he learned the skill anyway.
'I am strong, I am capable, I can surpass any challenge.' He filled his mind with these mantras, remembering the instructions the book gave him.
As the minutes ticked by, he began to feel silly, like he was wasting his time, until eventually he felt something break, and a notification appeared in front of him.
[Intelligence (INT): 27]
'Holy crap, that worked!' Frank thought, stunned, before returning to a lotus position. He wasn't going to stop here; he was going to take his time and take every advantage he possibly could.
He spent the next few days meditating, only stopping to eat. Eventually, he heard yet another ding, prompting him to open his stat screen.
[Host: Frank Gunn
Level: 10
XP to Next Level: *
HP: 150/150
Mana: 300/300
Strength (STR): 50
Constitution (CON): 50
Agility (AGI): 50
Intelligence (INT): 50
Charisma (CHA): 20+
Luck (LUC): 0
Stat Points Available: 20]
[Effective reader (Innate) *New*: Allows the user to read at superhuman speeds. Increases reading speed and comprehension by 1000%]
[Mana Efficiency (Lvl 2) -> (MAX): Reduces mana costs by 50%.]
'Fantastic!' he thought, seeing his intelligence stat had now reached its current limit. This increase felt different than the others. While the others affected the way he moved his body, his INT boosted the efficacy of his mind.
Exploring his newfound intellect, a lot of things that were cloudy before became clear. One key realization was about his stat points. Looking at them now, he actually was relieved he hadn't spent them.
'Thinking about it rationally, there surely will be a time that training is no longer effective, or at least the effects greatly diminished. If I had used them in these lower levels, I would have missed a golden opportunity in the future.' He calculated quickly, feeling relieved his "mistake" turned out to be to his benefit.
The boost to his rationale was a welcome one, and he was glad for the boost to his "Mana efficiency", as well as the damage increase "Fireball" would surely experience. Still, his newfound intelligence told him it wasn't enough.
"Okay, let's think," he murmured. Ideas bounced chaotically in his mind. "Maybe more training. Perhaps I need to engage in specific disciplines? Focus on tactics or strategy? What if..."
He quickly shook his head and crossed his arms. "No, I need something actionable—something I know will yield results!"
He continued his contemplation for what seemed like an eternity. His increased brainpower was working in overdrive, coming up with ideas left and right.
Then, his mind landed on an idea. It was a simple one, and he couldn't believe he hadn't tried it up until now. It couldn't work, could it?
Deciding to test it for himself, he spoke out, "System, can you hear me?"
Silence hung in the air for a moment, threatening to dissuade his theory, until eventually he heard a ding.
[System response: Hello user, how may I help you today?]
Frank's heart raced. This was really working? How had he not thought to try this up until now? How hadn't anyone else?!
"System, how can I get stronger than I am now?" he asked hopefully.
The system once again was silent for a moment before replying.
[System response: Understood! User wishes to know avenues to increase strength!
MEASURING USER'S CURRENT STRENGTH
DOCUMENTING USER'S CURRENT SKILLS
DOCUMENTING LEVEL: LEVEL 10 REACHED, CLASS QUEST REQUIRED.
CALCULATING]
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[CALCULATION COMPLETE, PLEASE REVIEW THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS FOR PERSONAL GROWTH:
A: Completion of class quest (Recommended)
B: Training of Charisma stat.
C: Leveling of current active skills.
D: Learning of new skills.
E: Skill combination.
F: Skill evolution.]
[If you would like to hear more, please specify selection.]