Vorn's Apartment - Early Morning
The rune stone sat on the desk like an expensive paperweight. Vorn stared at it for the third time this week, feeling the familiar weight of disappointment settle in his chest.
He pressed his palm against its surface and concentrated, the stone remained cold, inert, no skill download, no magical awakening, no sudden rush of new abilities.
'Nothing.'
He'd spent a fortune on this thing - a low-grade skill stone that should have been compatible with anyone showing transcendent potential. But his body rejected it the same way it rejected awakened enhancement potions.
'Either I'm not ready, or I'm not compatible at all.'
He logged the failure in his notebook, closed the research materials, and pulled out a different set of maps. Remote locations, far from surveillance networks. Places where he could push his adaptation without observers.
The systematic approach was working. Each controlled exposure to extreme conditions yielded measurable improvements. But the progress was incremental, and patience had never been his strength.
---
Living Room - Same Morning
Seren was watching some drama about motivational speech, a bowl of cereal balanced on her lap. On screen, motivational speech with the touch of deep background music.
Vorn walked carrying his travel bag, the same waterproof pack he'd used for the volcano and hurricane tests.
"Heading out again?" she asked without looking away from the TV.
"Research project, might be gone longer this time."
"Same kind of thing?", her eyes narrowed slightly as she asked, still a little skeptical.
"Same kind. Just... more thorough."
She nodded and turned up the volume slightly. They'd had this conversation before. She'd learned not to ask too many questions about his "research," and he'd learned not to volunteer details that would worry her.
"Emergency card's on the counter if you need anything," he said.
"Okay."
The door closed behind him. On the television, the motivational speech was nearing its climax as the music aided the strange feeling...then, Seren reached for the remote and switched to a cooking show.
---
Coastal Training Zone - Remote Location
The ocean here was deep and cold, far from shipping lanes or tourist areas. Vorn had chosen the location for its isolation and the underwater terrain - a natural depression that dropped to huge depths close to shore.
He changed out of his artifact clothing into basic workout gear. The adaptive fabric was useful for protection, but he needed his body to experience real environmental stress during training.
Using his card artifact, he created a stable platform twenty meters below the surface. The water pressure here was manageable but noticeable - enough to make every movement require additional effort.
He began with basic exercises. Push-ups against the resistance of water pressure. Squats where each rep fought against the ocean trying to compress his body. Breathing exercises that forced his lungs to work more efficiently.
'Controlled stress, measured adaptation.'
After two hours, his muscles burned with fatigue, but his body was responding. Oxygen efficiency increasing, pressure tolerance improving, muscle density adapting to work under load.
He surfaced, changed back into his artifact gear, and began the journey home. Not because he enjoyed the discomfort, but because the data showed it was working.
---
Hidden Dungeon Entrance - Discovery
On the way back to the city, Vorn's enhanced senses picked up something unusual. A mana signature that didn't match the surrounding environment - structured, artificial, permanent.
He followed the trace to what looked like a natural cave entrance hidden by overgrown vegetation. But the stone around the opening was too regular, too purposeful.
'Dungeon, permanent dungeon type.'
He entered carefully, finding the familiar crystalline formations that marked stable dungeon architecture. The monsters here were low-level - goblins, cave rats, nothing that challenged his current abilities.
But deeper in, he found a massive gate sealed with warnings in multiple languages. The mana emanating from beyond it was dense, oppressive, dangerous.
'Not ready for whatever's behind that door.'
He marked the location mentally and retreated. After the transcendent awakening, this place might be useful for testing new capabilities.
---
Academy Training Facility - Next Day
"Reevaluation already?" Hajime looked up from calibrating equipment. "It's only been two weeks since the last one."
"I've been pushing harder. Think I might be ready."
"What kind of pushing?"
"Enhancement supplements, strengthening physique and it cost me a fortune." The lies came easily now. "Want to see if it's made a difference."
Hajime shrugged and activated the testing apparatus. "Okay then, let's see what you've got."
The initial tests showed improvement - grip strength approaching five thousand kilograms, speed in the high subsonic range, endurance significantly enhanced. But still short of the transcendent threshold.
"Close, but not quite there," Hajime said, checking his readings. "Maybe another month of—"
"Test me outside," Vorn interrupted.
"What?"
"Um I was holding back there. Test me outside I feel better outside."
Hajime studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, let's go."
In the academy's outdoor training area, Hajime set up maximum-load resistance equipment. Industrial-grade materials designed for testing transcendent candidates.
Vorn gripped the testing apparatus and pulled with everything he had. Metal groaned. The digital readout climbed past ten thousand kilograms, past eleven thousand...
'CRACK.'
Twelve thousand, two hundred kilograms. The threshold.
Hajime stared at the readout in disbelief. "Do it again."
Vorn repeated the test. Twelve thousand, four hundred this time.
"Once more."
Twelve thousand, six hundred.
Hajime's excitement was visible, but Vorn showed no emotion. Just nodded when the older man congratulated him.
"We need to move fast," Hajime said, pulling out a secure communicator. "The injection works best within seventy-two hours of crossing the threshold."
---
Desert Facility - Journey
Hajime drove them through increasingly advanced districts of the city, past corporate towers and government complexes, until the urban landscape gave way to empty desert.
"Where exactly are we going?" Vorn asked.
"Specialized facility. Off the books, technically." Hajime made a call on an encrypted device. "We're here."
At first, Vorn saw nothing but empty sand and rock. Then the air shimmered, and a massive complex materialized as some kind of concealment barrier deactivated.
The architecture was aggressively modern - all clean lines and reinforced materials. Everything about it screamed military precision and unlimited funding.
Inside, the pace was clinical and efficient. Medical personnel moved with practiced urgency, handling multiple procedures simultaneously. Vorn was led to a preparation room and handed a stack of forms.
Most were standard liability waivers. But one caught his attention - a clause about "enhanced safety protocols for candidates with ancient family bloodlines or significant political connections."
His form didn't have that clause.
'Someone removed it, deliberately.'
He signed anyway. Whatever additional risks he faced, turning back now would be worse than moving forward.
---
Preparation Chamber - Final Stage
As Vorn finished the paperwork, the room's atmosphere shifted. Conversations quieted, movement became more purposeful. Someone important had arrived.
A man entered the chamber - unremarkable appearance, simple clothing, but his presence changed the energy of everyone around him. Medical staff glanced in his direction before quickly returning to their work.
He wasn't introduced. Didn't speak to anyone. Just observed the preparations with the detached interest of someone accustomed to watching significant events unfold.
Vorn studied him carefully, noting the way security personnel deferred to him without obvious hierarchy, the way medical staff adjusted their procedures subtly when he was watching.
'He should be one of the high ranking people here or perhaps the head, but what is he doing here.'
The preparation continued around them - IV lines established, monitoring equipment attached, final medical checks completed. Everything moved with the efficiency of a process that had been refined through repetition.
'It seems things aren't going to be all holy sunshine though they never had been since I got into this world.'
A medical technician approached with a final consent form. "Sign here to confirm you understand the risks: death, permanent mutation, loss of cognitive function."
Vorn signed without reading it. He'd already committed to this path.
In the observation area, the unnamed man watched with eyes that suggested he'd seen this process many times before - and knew exactly what the real risks were.
---