The early morning sun, a crisp, pale gold, streamed through Lucian's window, painting sharp, bright stripes across the polished wooden floor. Dust motes danced in the invigorating light, oblivious to the quiet hum of his internal dialogue. He sat on the edge of his bed, the embroidered comforter soft beneath his fingertips, a thoughtful crease between his brows.
"What do you think of this body?" Lucian murmured, his voice a low rumble in the otherwise still room, directed at the unseen presence he knew as System. "Can I win the coming tournament? Is there a way to strengthen my body?"
A cool, synthesized voice, devoid of inflection, responded directly in his mind. "In your memories, there is a special body strengthening exercise and diet from your noble family. However, with modern diet and food science achieved back on Earth, I can significantly improve both the diet and the exercise routine and make it more efficient."
Lucian tilted his head slightly, considering. "The body strengthening technique we get—is it very secretive, or was it given to our guards?"
"It was not particularly secretive," System replied. "I believe even adventurers in the warrior quarters utilize it."
"How does it work, the technique you mentioned?" Lucian pressed, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes.
System's response maintained its mechanical tone. "It begins with strengthening the bones, then the muscles, then the tendons, and finally, the skin."
"How strong can I get from it?" Lucian asked, a hint of ambition entering his voice. "What's its peak potential?"
"It has seven grades," System explained. "Starting from Bronze, then Iron, Steel, Platinum, Titanium, Tungsten, and Diamond."
A self-mocking chuckle escaped Lucian. "These names seem so cool. Will I even be able to defeat people in the tournament if they're made of Steel and Platinum?"
"No need to be nervous, Host," System's tone shifted, an almost imperceptible assurance woven into the synthesized words. "People participating in the tournament should be unable to use magic and will, at most, be at the peak of Rank-1 Wizard. The upper limit of Rank-1 Wizard body strengthening is Steel."
Lucian's gaze drifted to the intricate patterns on his bedspread. "I don't expect much of what level this body is. Tell me, what about Leora and Eira's levels?"
"You and Eira are at the same level: Iron," System stated. "As for Leora, she is at Steel. To go beyond that, she would need to be at the peak of a Rank-2 Wizard. Eira, being a normal human or you can say a Non-wizard, has a limit of Iron level. You, Lucian, consumed various potions to reach Iron level in the past, your mother pampered you the most."
A moment of silence stretched between them, punctuated only by the distant chirping of birds outside the window. Lucian shook his head slowly. "What is the upper limit of a Rank-1 Wizard's level?"
"It is Steel level," System reiterated. "However, with my modern and enhanced technique, you will achieve Half-Platinum level strength. If you practice it to its absolute peak, your body will be four times stronger than Diamond grade."
Lucian's eyes widened, a genuine spark of amazement igniting within them. "Okay then, let's start! What are we waiting for?"
"These are the magic materials and herbs you require and need to include in your diet," System began, a list instantly appearing in Lucian's mind's eye. "There are also some supplements you will have to create yourself, as they will not be available here." The mental display flickered, showcasing a vibrant array of names: Elixir of Endurance, Vitality Draught, Titan's Elixir, Stormblood Serum, Warfury Brew, and many more, each accompanied by a brief description of its properties.
"Why do you know about these materials?" Lucian inquired, a slight frown creasing his brow.
"The original Lucian was a noble and was taught many things," System responded. "I can even provide you with their modern chemical names from Earth, if you wish."
"No, that's fine," Lucian dismissed with a wave of his hand. "I'll send someone to buy these things." His gaze swept around the room, landing on a small, ornate desk in the corner.
"If you can also ask her to buy test tubes, conical flasks, and all sorts of chemistry equipment." said system in his mind.
Lucian nodded to himself, then rose and walked to the door. He opened it, revealing a young house worker bustling down the hallway. "Excuse me, could you come here for a moment?" he called out.
The worker, a girl with neatly braided hair and a simple linen dress, approached, curtsying respectfully. "Yes, Young Lord?"
Lucian handed her a small pouch of coins and the mental list he had transcribed onto a piece of parchment. "I need you to buy these materials for me. It's quite a long list, so please take your time and be precis"
The girl's eyes widened slightly at the length of the list, but she nodded dutifully. "Of course, Young Lord. I will return as soon as I can." With another respectful curtsy, she departed.
As the worker's footsteps faded, Lucian returned to his room. "System," he said, settling back onto his bed, "tell me about the exercises and stances I need to perform. I'll perform a short warm-up for that."
"No need for that, Host," System interjected, its synthesized voice holding a hint of what might be an excitement. "Exercising is too inefficient. I have a better method."
Lucian blinked, a surprised frown replacing his earlier thoughtful expression. "What? I can strengthen my body even without exercising? What kind of logic is that?"
"Host, do you know what happens when you exercise and perform calisthenics?" System inquired.
"Our muscles and bones get stronger?" Lucian offered, uncertainty in his tone.
"Yes, you are correct," System confirmed. "But do you know the biological process behind it?"
Lucian scratched his head, a faint memory stirring. "I studied about different animal anatomies and their weak points in that place, but as for how muscles and bones strengthen… I don't know or can't seem to remember."
"Host, when you exercise, small micro-tears and cracks appear in your muscles and bones," System explained. "The next day, when those cracks and tears heal, they become even stronger. This cycle continues, but of course, humans have limits; they cannot go beyond their individual limits."
Lucian fell silent, his eyes fixed on some distant point in the room. His brows furrowed in concentration for a second, then another, as the implications of System's words began to coalesce. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, a flicker of horror mixed with dawning understanding.
"You can cause micro-cracks and tears in my bones and muscles?" he breathed, his voice barely above a whisper. "And since you know which part to tear and crack, it will be way more efficient than exercising, right? So I only need to take the supplements and tonic?"
"Yes, Host, your guess is correct," System confirmed, its tone now undeniably cheerful. "You will grow exponentially, and with my calculations and simulations, I am sure you can make your body as strong as Half-Platinum grade in a week."
"Are there any negative effects?" Lucian asked, a note of caution entering his voice. "And isn't this similar to doping?"
"No, you are wrong," System countered. "Doping is different. Remember, this is a different world where magic exists, and so there are no negative effects."
"Okay, what should I do then?" Lucian asked, a strange mix of apprehension and excitement bubbling within him. "Just eat?"
"Yes, pretty much that is what you have to do," System confirmed. "You can also tell me about the technique you created back on Earth using Nexus energy."
Lucian placed a hand on his chin, his gaze unfocused as he delved into his memories. "I had created many techniques… uhmmm, let's start with this: The technique I will tell you about is called Bloodlust. It's a mind-based technique which makes one feel strong fear, activating their fight-or-flight response and decreasing their thinking capacity.
A brief pause stretched as System processed the data. "I could create those radio wave-based spells because of the vast information about light and wireless communication media we had back on Earth," System finally said. "However, as I have never recorded anything about Nexus energy, I need at least one type of mind-based spell so I could use it as a reference. But I suggest now focusing on strengthening your body instead of focusing on magic."
Lucian nodded slowly. "Can you set the breaking of bones and muscles to just below the critical value so I could get stronger faster?"
"But that will be very painful," System warned.
A short, dry laugh escaped Lucian. "More painful than a full-body scan?"
"No," System admitted.
"Will you require a password for that?" Lucian asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yes," System replied. "You have to provide a password to Firewall, as she is the one controlling the security systems."
Minutes later, the house worker returned, her arms laden with various packages and a large, wide-mouthed basket overflowing with vials, flasks, and what appeared to be tiny glass funnels. The morning light caught the glint of glass as she carefully set everything down on the small table near the window.
"Here are the materials, Young Lord," she said, her voice a little breathless from the exertion.
"Thank you," Lucian said, giving her a nod of dismissal.
The girl blushed when she Lucian smile because so causal with her, off course it was because Lucian was from earth so he knew little about the way of speaking of nobles.
As she quietly exited, he turned back to the newly acquired treasures.
"Host, the process of body strengthening starts with bones, then muscles, tendons, and skin," System reminded him.
"I'm already at Iron level," Lucian mused, picking up a small, clear vial filled with a shimmering, blue liquid. "So, let's start with Steel bones." He paused, looking intently at the vial. "Add my body strengthening status to the status window and show it to me."
A familiar voice resonated in his mind, and an ethereal screen shimmered into existence before his mental eye.
[
Name: Lucian Frostbane.
Age: 17
Magic: 30 Mp (Click here for more info.)
Body: Iron Bones, Muscles, Tendons, and Skin.
]