Chapter 7: Experimentation
The scene before me was unbelievably strange. Colorful threads floated in the air, scattered everywhere—on the ground, in the sky, even around the debris strewn across the area. It was a breathtakingly enchanting sight. I stood there, staring for several minutes, immersed in its mesmerizing details... and then a thought struck me:
"Could this be a form of energy?"
I wondered, pondering whether these threads were some kind of energy—like mana or chi, the kinds I had read about in fantasy novels. But what truly puzzled me was: why could I see them now, and not before? Was it because of the Awakening Elixir I had taken? Or was it related to the black mist that had once spoken to me?
Countless questions swirled in my mind, none of them offering clear answers. So, I decided to set them aside for now and focus on what was in front of me.
I looked around again but noticed no drastic change in the scenery compared to before I had entered the gate—except for the presence of ethereal shapes in the air, as if they were manifestations of that strange energy.
The place was still in ruins, and the glowing gates remained scattered across the horizon, opening into unknown worlds.
I pushed aside my chaotic thoughts and returned to what I had been longing for: the experiment.
I was excited to test the new abilities I had gained. I started with the [Strength] skill, which was supposed to triple the power of my physical attacks.
But before activating it, I approached one of the ruined buildings—only a medium-sized stone wall remained. I stood before it without hesitation and then...
Boom!
Crash!
"..."
"Okay... so the information wasn't just nonsense."
The details I'd read about the skill were accurate. I shattered the wall with a single blow. And now, it was time to activate the skill and see the real difference.
> [Strength] — Purple Skill
When activated, the user's physical damage is tripled.
I moved to another nearby building that was still relatively intact and repeated the same action, this time with the skill active.
Boom!
Boom!
Crash!
"..."
"Half of it's gone..."
Yes, half of the building was obliterated in a single strike! The thrill was indescribable. Just the thought of being able to destroy a structure of that size with one skill made my heart race.
But I wasn't satisfied yet. I kept experimenting, moving to another area with several standing buildings. I felt no hesitation or mercy. I began demolishing them—sometimes with my normal strength, other times using [Strength].
Boom! Boom! Boom!
I was like a raging storm, leaving no wall or structure untouched. Everything in my path... crumbled.
I indulged fully in the feeling. An intoxicating euphoria… as if I was drunk on power.
I continued like this without realizing what might happen after a few hours…
Eventually, I snapped out of my frenzy and returned to a calmer state. Now, I was excited to try out my other abilities.
The next skill I chose was: [Faster Than Light].
> [Faster Than Light] — Red Skill
When activated, the user's speed increases to 200% of their base speed.
I didn't yet know what the skill colors meant, but I assumed they were classifications—either by type or rarity. Either way, that wasn't important right now. What mattered was that I had a speed-boosting skill, and I wanted to test it.
The description was simple: speed doubles. So if I ran 10 meters per second, it would become 20 with the skill active. Amazing! But… what was my base speed? I had no idea.
After a moment of thought, I decided to find a way to measure it. I headed toward a nearby house and began clearing debris, searching for something useful.
After a few minutes of digging, I found it:
A phone.
I'm sure you can guess what I intended to do.
I picked it up from the ground and turned it on. Luckily, it wasn't locked. I opened the clock app and activated the stopwatch.
I looked for an open space and began pacing out a decent stretch for running. It was just right—around 300 meters of solid ground.
I took my position, finger ready over the stopwatch, and counted down:
One... two... three!
Go!
I tapped the timer and launched myself forward with everything I had. I didn't even feel the moment of takeoff—it was as if I had jumped out of time itself. The force generated by my burst was immense, like being fired from a cannon. The ground beneath where I started was now just a wide crater.
I felt like a Ferrari at full throttle... no, faster.
I kept running at insane speed, the wind whipping against my face, the air ripping apart as if I was tearing through the fabric of the world. The scenery in front of me distorted, vanished, and reappeared, as if my eyes couldn't keep up with this overwhelming velocity.
In less than ten seconds, I had reached the end of the path.
I tried to stop suddenly... or at least I attempted to. My body didn't obey right away. I needed several extra steps to slow down, leaving deep furrows in the ground behind me—trenches that stretched far from my stopping point.
Breathing heavily, heart pounding, I looked at the phone.
"Four seconds?"
I stared at the stopwatch, eyes wide in disbelief.
"This... is impossible."
I had run 300 meters in four seconds?! That meant my speed exceeded 70 meters per second—around 250 kilometers per hour! And that was without activating the skill!
I laughed, a laugh filled with astonishment and awe.
"I'm no longer human... this isn't normal."
"And that means... with the skill active, I'll reach twice that speed?! This is insane..."
I kept catching my breath, my mind recalculating everything. What could I achieve with these powers? Power? Heroism? Or tyranny?
But in the end, I realized that none of that mattered right now. Maybe it would, to someone else... For with power, the truth of human nature is revealed.
I stopped thinking and took a deep breath as I prepared to test the rest of my skills… which still awaited me, ready to be unleashed.