A Novel Concept

An hour later, despite his impressive reserves of endurance, Priam stopped. Short of breath, exhausted from his run, he plunged into the stream bordering Log-a-rhythm. Running at such a pace burned calories, his body temperature had gradually risen to over 37°C. Still, Priam felt good. His heat resistance allowed him to raise his body temperature without risking cell death. The aether, his constitution, and his skill changed his biological functioning to such an extent that his metabolism was becoming more and more unlike a human's. The icy shock of the water was pure bliss for Priam.

Priam evaluated his training as the water flowed down his body, regulating his temperature. He could thank his constitution because he had been close to getting injured several times while training. He would have torn several muscles if he had still been merely human. Maybe he would have even broken a few bones from a particularly nasty fall. Moving that fast was not without risk, and he realized that his shock resistance was exceptional. Without his large constitution, he could have killed himself just by training.

Tired but happy, he pulled up his Status to follow his meteoric progress.

You have gained the skill: [Focus - Rare].

[Focus] lvl 1 - You are focused on your goal. All of your consciousness is focused on accomplishing your purpose; your focus highlights the path you must follow. Your productivity and the quality of your work increases, but this may be at the expense of your creativity...
Don't forget to eat and rest.
PERC +1
VIVA +1
DEXT +1

Lvl Up: [Focus] lvl 2,3,4
PERC +3
VIVA +3
DEXT +3
Lvl Up: [Heat Resistance] lvl 11,12,13
VIT +3
Lvl Up: [Athletics] lvl 6,7,8,9,10
AGI + 5
Lvl Up: [Art of Movement] lvl 6,7,8
AGI +3
PERC +3
DEXT +3
Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 4
VIVA + 2
DEXT + 3
META (FOCUS) +4

Title won!

[Hermes' Apprentice - Bronze] - There's no point in starting on time when you can run faster than the wind. Today the light foot, tomorrow the winged foot. You've broken all the running records, but you're still accelerating. Keep going and find your way.
No more need to take the bus: you run faster!
AGI +20

So many more levels! Priam was even able to increase [Heat Resistance], which showed that he could improve holistically with optimized training. I'm only missing a perception skill...

Priam had realized during the end of his run that his movements needed to be more optimal. Whether it was controlling his body and making the most of its characteristics or finely adapting to the environment, he was not making the most of his abilities. But without being able to perceive his body and its surroundings more accurately, he was stuck for the time being. He needed a skill that allowed him to gather information. This kind of skill gave points in perception by increasing level. Or else I need an adequate title...

Feeling his limits approaching in the skills he had just worked on, Priam changed his schedule. Until midnight, he would try to improve as many of his physical skills as possible.

High in the sky of Elysium, the suns looked down on the world. On an island lost in the middle of this unforgiving world, a young man was sweating all over his body.

With tanned skin and focused eyes, he worked his body with an intensity he had never felt before. The notifications informing him of his constant and rapid progress motivated him every moment. But more than anything, the knowledge that he was now alone sparked a fire inside him. No one would protect him anymore. Society would not hold his hand to help him, and no civilizational cogs would slow him down. He was alone in deciding his destiny; this new world offered him everything he needed.

Priam was determined not to regret anything. He would face the dangers and take the power that the System offered him.

If the suns had looked seriously, they would have seen a fire burning in Priam's eyes. A fledgling blaze but worthy of a star. The announcement of a conflagration.

Suns had set again, giving way to the shy stars. Gradually disappearing into the sky, they reminded Priam that he was indeed not even on a planet anymore. As he watched the sky, counting the seconds to midnight, Priam noticed the moons getting closer. A few more days and they would line up. Instinctively, this thought and the shortening days gave him goosebumps. I have a terrible feeling...

Sitting on the bank, under the branches of Log-a-rhythm, Priam rested his feet in the water. He had swum a little at the end of his training, and the cool water had done him a world of good. He invoked his Status one last time to review his progress. The Reunion was in twelve hours, and he wanted to rest before then.

Lvl Up: [Focus] lvl 5,6,7
PERC +3
VIVA +3
DEXT +3
Lvl Up: [Heat Resistance] lvl 14
VIT +1
Lvl Up: [Athletics] lvl 11,12

AGI + 2
Lvl Up: [Fitness] lvl 5,6,7,8
STR +4
Lvl Up: [Stealth] lvl 5,6
AGI +2
Lvl Up: [Climbing] lvl 2,3
AGI +2
Lvl Up: [Swimming] lvl 2,3
STR + 2
Lvl Up: [Gymnastics] lvl 2,3,4,5
AGI + 4

You have gained the skill: [Shadow Boxing].

[Shadow Boxing] lvl 1: An imaginary opponent is your training partner. Arnold? The hoplite champion? Yourself? You may look silly throwing punches in the air, but you're confident. You are self-correcting. You feel yourself getting stronger. But remember, some shadows return the blows...
STR +1
AGI +1
DEXT +1
Lvl Up: [Shadow Boxing] lvl 2,3
STR +2
AGI +2
DEXT +2

Your Talent [He Who Eludes Death] is recharged!

Priam felt amazing. Despite the unprecedented increase in his characteristics, he felt more in control of his body than ever. A Title or consuming scarce resources could enhance his body beyond his control. But today, he had earned his skills by the sweat of his brow. These would increase his characteristic points, and only when he was ready. He knew his body better than he did that morning.

A simple example was gymnastics. He had unlocked the skill, like others in the Tutorial, simply by consciously stretching before an event. Today he continued to work on his flexibility by doing exercises he had learned during his studies. His skill had increased when he better understood his body, its possibilities, and limits and when he had became more flexible through his efforts.

The Concept System allowed him to continue improving without encountering an impossible wall. He had progressed so quickly because of the new laws of this world and the vast amount of aether that helped and catalyzed his efforts.

The only downside was that Priam had only one afternoon and preferred to prioritize his characteristics. For this reason, he hadn't trained with the hoplite spear. The weapon was incredible, but a basic level was required to use it. That kind of level took at least several months to achieve. Who knows, maybe he wouldn't even be able to take the weapon to the Reunion.

"I'm more ready than ever for the Reunion. So much the better if it is only a formality where violence is unnecessary, but I might as well be as prepared as possible. Now all that's left is to test this experimental Fluid..."

Priam had long hesitated whether or not to use the fluid. It was experimental, intended for an alien species, and threatened to alter his DNA. Consuming the fluid was foolish, but did he have a choice? He would blame himself for eternity if he failed to save his family at the Reunion because of a lack of power. The fluid was dangerous, but it would give him that power.

Besides, he was unquestionably the best person to use this fluid. The hoplite had to wait because of the hazardous side effects. These effects were unlikely to worry Priam. His resurrection power would recreate his body optimally, and his [Humans adapt] trait would guide the fluid's modifications to best suit his body. What he wanted to keep was his physical appearance. He was no longer totally human but wanted his family to recognize him. For the rest... He was ready to make sacrifices.

"I am not foolish enough to think I can gain immense power without giving up some things. My mind is made up."

Back at his base, Priam immersed himself directly in a sap bath. Perhaps the Test Fluid required energy to change his body. In truth, Priam had no idea how the fluid worked.

"At best, I become the perfect version of myself. At worst, my [Poison Resistance] will increase a little..."

Not wanting to waste any more time than he had to, Priam tried to open the vial. There appeared to be no seal or button. After ten minutes of fiddling around with the vial, he decided to bite it to absorb the fluid.

"What a barbaric solution... But when all you have is a hammer, all your problems start looking like nails. With my current constitution, swallowing glass shouldn't have any consequences other than irritating my windpipe. And my rectum…"

Priam put the vial in his mouth and released the contents with a press of his molars. The fluid was warm, and he swallowed it. Before entering his stomach, the fluid seemed to turn into a cloud and penetrated the walls of his digestive system.

I hope it will be less painful than the cultivation die...

It was no less painful than the die. Thousands of little crabs were trying to cut his nerve endings. At least, that was the impression Priam had. His muscles were contracting very quickly, breaking and being rebuilt. His tendons were also under extreme stress, and his bones felt like they were overheating to be refined. Each of his cells was in hyperactivity and demanding energy. The sap bath was continually being absorbed through his pores. His body heat was heating the bath, and steam was rising.

The fluid flowed through his veins like incandescent magma. The burning current crossed his whole body, and Priam could have sworn that his body was liquefying. His cells were changing, and the pain was terrible.

As soon as his clenched jaw allowed him to, Priam swallowed Log-a-rhythm's nourishing sap and fruits like nectar and ambrosia. The transformation required a tremendous effort from his body. Without his extreme Vitality, he would already be dead. But Priam was also aware that his body was evolving positively. The longer he endured the transformation, the greater the benefits.

So Priam gritted his teeth - he couldn't do otherwise anyway - and tried to find some good in this torture. The longer this goes on, the stronger I'll be. But the pain… It's a pity I don't have a safeword, although I don't think the fluid cares.

Between two screams, he chanted. Pain is information Priam, just information... But I feel a lot of information at the same time!

After an uncertain time, as the pain fogged his brain and the fever made him delirious, Priam realized that the wave of suffering was receding. Slowly but surely, the molten steel that had been flowing through his veins was coming out of his body. His orifices seemed to be weeping a dark red substance, and the young man began to clean himself painfully. The smell was stenchy; for once, he was glad to be alone. While absorbing the residue of his transformation, Log-a-rhythm decided to create a passage to the outside to renew the air.

As a warm breeze began to dry Priam, he realized he had grown. It was a side effect of his increased physical stature. Before the Tutorial, Priam was 183cm - 6'. Now he thought he had grown about ten more centimeters.

Exhausted, Priam decided to look at his notifications.

"Notifications"

You have tempered your body with an experimental hoplite fluid. Traces of heavy metals and other substances harmful to your development have been purged. Your physical potential has been raised. Your biological predispositions are now superhuman.

Beware: your DNA has been modified. Errors have been inserted and could cause tumors.

STR +20
CONST + 10
AGI +10
VIT +15
PERC + 20

"... Shit. I'm still feeling a little diffuse pain, but mostly my DNA is worrying me. I need to resolve this as soon as possible."

Priam suspected his next survival reward might solve his problem, but he wouldn't wait until then. He had identified mushrooms during breaks in his training and walks in the forest. Some were edible, even beneficial, and some were poisonous. Priam had picked some of the more dangerous ones and brought them back to his base for analysis. He also relied on his magic tree to provide him with poisonous fruit.

Log-a-rhythm was not yet improved to specifically create toxic fruits, but as the description of his resistance had reminded him, everything is potentially harmful. Only the dosage mattered. Even water, a vital liquid for humans, could lead to death if consumed in excess. Drinking three to four liters in less than an hour was already dangerous.

Priam hoped that if he consumed enough toxins, he would be able to resurrect without pain and increase his [Poison Resistance] at the same time.

As the pain became more acute, the young man began to swallow the mushrooms he had harvested, as well as fruits with toxic properties created by Log-a-rhythm after examining the samples.

Soon, his vision became blurred, and he lost consciousness.

Congratulations, you are dead!

Your perk [He Who Eludes Death] brings you back to life once a day.

Number of deaths: 7

Synergy detected with your perk [Humans adapt]. Your body is rebuilt and will be more resistant to what killed it:
CONST +4
VIT +7
DNA errors solved.

Your Vitality exceeds 100 at Tier 0. Congratulations! The evolution to Tier 1 is available.
If your Vitality exceeds 200 at Tier 0, a tribulation shall descend upon you.

[Touched by aether] - Adaptation time: 3 days (previously 6 days)
Lvl Up: [Poison Resistance] lvl 4,5,6
VIT +3
Priam woke up shortly before noon. He thought about how he hadn't slept in since the Tutorial. He felt great and noticed that he enjoyed sleeping naked. He had never understood people who slept naked when there were pajamas, but he recognized that perhaps he had been too quick to judge.

"Besides, when you have a beautiful butt like mine, you must show it off."

As he ate a breakfast of red, yellow, and multi-colored fruits, Priam thought he should vary his diet. The rabhorn had been delicious, and he was planning to eat some meat. His latest physical improvements were giving him confidence. He was no longer the weak human who had left the Tutorial, lost and terrified.

Today, Priam was what novels, comic books, and pop culture called a superman. A superhero, even. He couldn't wait to measure his progress against the rest of humanity. Confident, he stretched and began to exercise while waiting for the meeting to open.

Five minutes before noon, he received a notification:

The Reunion will begin.

This first meeting is focused on reunion and information sharing.
Some remarkable feats will allow the whole of humanity to prosper.
Awards will be distributed at the end of the meeting.

Discuss, share, explore.
Transcend your limits.

Outside Log-a-rhythm, a portal opened in the style of the first portal that brought him here. Priam went to get the hoplite spear. He thought it gave him a certain style and could always trade it in if needed. He also retrieved fruits and covered himself with a quickly woven leaf loincloth. One of his goals was to get new clothes. After all, the loincloth would not stand up to fast travel.

But his main goal was to find his family and get them to safety. With eyes full of hope and determination, Priam walked towards the portal. Here I come!

Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0)

PHYSICAL:
Strength 58
Constitution 77
Agility 90
Vitality 112
Perception 66

MENTAL:
Vivacity 75
Dexterity 46
Memory 29
Willpower 44
Charisma 36

META:
Meta-affinity 8
Meta-focus 16
Potential: 140

Tier 0