[Assimilation beginning...]
The void shifted.
Darius felt it before he saw it. The darkness around his consciousness started to solidify, taking on texture and weight. Not physical yet, but getting there.
The progress bars continued their march toward completion.
[Calculating optimal ability distribution.....100%]
[Synchronizing user consciousness with system framework.....100%]
[Establishing neural pathways for ability integration.....100%]
[Calibrating performance parameters.....100%]
[Finalizing user profile.....100%]
Each completion sent a pulse through Darius's consciousness. Like ripples in water, except he was the water and the ripples were changing his fundamental structure.
[System integration complete.]
[All preliminary processes finished.]
[Initiating ability transfer protocol...]
The completed system interface condensed. All those progress bars, all that scattered data, compressed into a single point of brilliant blue light. It hung in the void in front of him. Or what passed for "in front" when you had no eyes, no body, no sense of direction.
The light shot forward.
Directly into his consciousness.
Darius would have gasped if he had lungs. Would have jerked back if he had a body.
The data flood hit him like a wave. Not painful, but overwhelming. Information poured into him. Thousands of data points. Millions. More than he could consciously process. Technical specifications. Performance metrics. Biomechanical principles. Training methodologies. Race strategies.
Knowledge he'd never learned suddenly existed in his mind, just out of reach. Like trying to remember a dream after waking. He knew it was there, could almost touch it, but couldn't quite grasp it fully.
Too much. This is too much.
But even as the thought formed, the flood began to settle. The information stopped feeling like an assault and started feeling like... potential. Like muscle memory for a body he didn't have yet. Like instincts waiting to be activated.
[Assimilation successful. Data integration complete.]
The sensation faded. Darius's consciousness stabilized. He could still feel the information there, woven into him somehow, but it wasn't overwhelming anymore. It was just... part of him now.
Okay. That was intense.
[User initialization successful.]
[Welcome to the Track and Field GOAT System.]
The blue screen cleared, became cleaner. More organized. Professional looking, if a screen floating in an endless void could look professional.
[To assist in your development, you have been granted starting resources.]
New text appeared, larger than the rest.
[15,000 Ascension Points (AP) Granted]
Darius stared at the number. Fifteen thousand. Was that a lot? He had no frame of reference. No way to know if that was generous or barely anything.
[Ascension Points (AP) are the currency for advancement.]
[AP can be used to purchase abilities and enhancements.]
[AP can be spent immediately or saved for strategic use.]
[Additional AP can be earned through training milestones, competitions, and achievements.]
[Choose your investments wisely.]
So I can earn more, Darius thought. This isn't all I get. It's just the starting amount.
That changed things. If he could earn more through accomplishments, then he didn't need to spend everything right now. He could be strategic. Save some for later when he understood what he actually needed.
[Abilities are available at six tiers of mastery.]
[Higher tiers provide exponentially greater capability.]
[Pricing reflects both tier and ability impact.]
Six tiers. Like levels in a video game. Made sense. You started at the bottom and worked your way up.
So what are the tiers?
As if responding to his thought, new text appeared.
[Opening System Shop...]
The screen expanded. Grew larger, more detailed. No longer just a simple display but a full interface. Clean lines. Clear organization. Easy to navigate even though Darius had no hands to navigate with.
The interface settled into a stable form. Four main sections appeared at the top, like tabs waiting to be selected.
[PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES] - The body's raw capabilities
[TECHNICAL SKILLS] - Mechanical proficiency and technique
[MENTAL ATTRIBUTES] - Psychological and cognitive abilities
[X-FACTOR ABILITIES] - Exceptional traits that define legends
Above those tabs, a tier system displayed in clear text.
[TIER SYSTEM]
[Ordinary → Good → Excellent → Genius → Ultimate → Limit Break]
Darius studied the progression. Six tiers. From bottom to top. From basic competency to whatever "Limit Break" meant.
Descriptions appeared beneath each tier name.
Ordinary - Youth/high school level competency. Functional baseline.
Good - Collegiate/competitive level. Consistent capability.
Excellent - National level, professional capability. Clear advantages.
Genius - World-class. Olympic finals. Legendary performances.
Ultimate - All-time great territory. Defines eras.
Limit Break - Transcendent. Beyond normal human limits. GOAT-defining.
Okay. That's... actually really clear.
The progression made sense. You started at ordinary, worked through good and excellent to reach professional level, then pushed beyond into world-class territory. Genius meant Olympic finals. Ultimate meant you were one of the all-time greats. And Limit Break...
That was GOAT territory. The level that separated good from legendary.
So where do I start?
A new system message appeared.
[Track and Field encompasses multiple disciplines.]
[Select your specialization for optimized ability recommendations:]
A list materialized below the message.
- Sprints (55m-400m events)
- Middle Distance (800m-1500m events)
- Long Distance (3000m-Marathon events)
- Hurdles (100mH-400mH events)
- Jumps (Long Jump, Triple Jump, High Jump, Pole Vault)
- Throws (Shot Put, Discus, Javelin, Hammer)
- Combined Events (Decathlon, Heptathlon)
Darius didn't hesitate.
Sprints.
He'd never even considered the other options. Not really. He'd watched every track event over the years, appreciated the tactical chess game of the 800m, the pure endurance of the 5000m, the technical precision of the high jump.
But sprints were what he loved.
The purest expression of speed. From the explosive 55m and 60m indoor races to the marquee 100m, the world's fastest human. The 200m blend of speed and speed endurance. The high school 300m. And the brutal, beautiful 400m.
All of it.
His consciousness reached for the selection.
[Sprint Specialization Selected]
[Sprint events encompass 55m through 400m distances]
[System Shop optimized for sprint performance across all distances]
[Loading ability database...]
[Opening System Shop...]
The interface shifted. The four main categories remained at the top, but now they pulsed with light, ready to be explored. Darius reached for the first one.
[PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES]
The tab expanded. A new list appeared, organized into subcategories.
Speed-Based Abilities:
Top Speed - Maximum velocity capability
[O:300 | G:750 | E:1,800 | GN:4,500 | U:10,000 | LB:20,000]
Explosive Power - Block start and initial acceleration
[O:300 | G:750 | E:1,800 | GN:4,500 | U:10,000 | LB:20,000]
Acceleration - Rate of velocity increase
[O:200 | G:500 | E:1,200 | GN:3,000 | U:7,000 | LB:15,000]
Darius stared at the numbers.
Top Speed at Ordinary tier cost 300 AP. At Good, 750. At Excellent, 1,800.
At Limit Break, 20,000.
He had 15,000 total.
I can't even afford ONE Limit Break ability in a core category.
The realization hit him hard. He'd seen 15,000 AP and thought it sounded like a lot. But looking at these prices, especially at the higher tiers...
Ultimate tier cost 10,000 AP. Two-thirds of his entire budget for a single ability.
Genius tier was 4,500. Almost a third.
Even Excellent was 1,800. More than ten percent of what he had.
He kept reading.
Endurance-Based Abilities:
Speed Endurance - Maintaining velocity over distance
[O:300 | G:750 | E:1,800 | GN:4,500 | U:10,000 | LB:20,000]
Lactate Tolerance - Resistance to lactic acid buildup
[O:250 | G:600 | E:1,500 | GN:3,500 | U:8,000 | LB:18,000]
Recovery Rate - Between-effort recuperation speed
[O:200 | G:500 | E:1,200 | GN:3,000 | U:7,000 | LB:15,000]
Power-Based Abilities:
Lower Body Power - Leg strength and force production
[O:250 | G:600 | E:1,500 | GN:3,500 | U:8,000 | LB:18,000]
Core Strength - Torso stability and power transfer
[O:150 | G:400 | E:1,000 | GN:2,500 | U:6,000 | LB:12,000]
Darius did the math. Quick calculations running through his consciousness.
If he bought Top Speed at Excellent tier, that was 1,800 AP. He could afford maybe eight abilities at Excellent if he spent everything. Or twenty abilities at Good tier. Or fifty at Ordinary.
Fifteen thousand AP suddenly felt much smaller.
These core abilities are expensive for a reason.
Top Speed, Explosive Power, Speed Endurance. These weren't just nice to have. These WERE sprinting. You couldn't be elite without them.
But he couldn't afford to max them all either.
I need to be strategic. Very strategic.
He moved to the next category.
[TECHNICAL SKILLS]
New abilities appeared.
Starting Mechanics:
Block Start Technique - Explosive launch from starting blocks
[O:200 | G:500 | E:1,200 | GN:3,000 | U:7,000 | LB:15,000]
Reaction Time - Response speed to starter's gun
[O:150 | G:400 | E:1,000 | GN:2,500 | U:6,000 | LB:12,000]
Drive Phase Mechanics - First 30-40m technique
[O:200 | G:500 | E:1,200 | GN:3,000 | U:7,000 | LB:15,000]
Running Mechanics:
Maximum Velocity Mechanics - Technique at top speed
[O:250 | G:600 | E:1,500 | GN:3,500 | U:8,000 | LB:18,000]
Stride Efficiency - Optimal biomechanics for energy conservation
[O:200 | G:500 | E:1,200 | GN:3,000 | U:7,000 | LB:15,000]
Curve Running - Technique for curved track sections
[O:150 | G:400 | E:1,000 | GN:2,500 | U:6,000 | LB:12,000]
Race Strategy:
Race Distribution - Pacing and energy management strategy
[O:200 | G:500 | E:1,200 | GN:3,000 | U:7,000 | LB:15,000]
Energy Management - Efficient use of energy systems
[O:200 | G:500 | E:1,200 | GN:3,000 | U:7,000 | LB:15,000]
The technical skills were slightly cheaper than the core physical attributes. That made sense. Technique could be coached, learned, refined over time.
But perfect technique? That was what separated good from great.
Maximum Velocity Mechanics at Limit Break cost 18,000 AP. More than his entire budget. Because running with perfect form at top speed, when your body wanted to break down, when fatigue was setting in, that was what made the difference between 9.8 and 9.6 in the 100m.
Still can't afford to max everything.
He moved to the third category.
[MENTAL ATTRIBUTES]
More abilities.
Competition-Focused:
Race Focus - Concentration during competition
[O:200 | G:500 | E:1,200 | GN:3,000 | U:7,000 | LB:15,000]
Pressure Resistance - Performance under high-stakes conditions
[O:250 | G:600 | E:1,500 | GN:3,500 | U:8,000 | LB:18,000]
Competitive Drive - Desire to win and push limits
[O:200 | G:500 | E:1,200 | GN:3,000 | U:7,000 | LB:15,000]
Clutch Performance - Elevated ability in crucial moments
[O:300 | G:750 | E:1,800 | GN:4,500 | U:10,000 | LB:20,000]
Training-Focused:
Pain Threshold - Tolerance for physical suffering
[O:250 | G:600 | E:1,500 | GN:4,000 | U:9,000 | LB:20,000]
Mental Resilience - Recovery from setbacks
[O:200 | G:500 | E:1,200 | GN:3,000 | U:7,000 | LB:15,000]
Visualization - Mental rehearsal capability
[O:150 | G:400 | E:1,000 | GN:2,500 | U:6,000 | LB:12,000]
Darius stopped.
Pain Threshold.
He read the description again. Tolerance for physical suffering.
The Limit Break price: 20,000 AP.
The same as Top Speed and Explosive Power. The system considered it that important.
Twenty-two years of constant, meaningless pain.
Every moment had hurt in his old life. Every single moment. Muscle cramps. Pressure sores. The ache in his neck from sleeping in the same position because he couldn't move. Pain had been his constant companion.
But sprinting pain was different.
It was chosen.
Purposeful.
The 300m and 400m were won in the final stretch when your legs were screaming. When lactic acid made every step agony. When your body begged you to slow down, to ease up, to stop.
That was where champions were made. In the pain. In the choice to keep pushing when stopping would make it all go away.
He'd lived through pain his entire life. But he'd never chosen it. Never had the option to push through it toward something meaningful.
This ability wasn't just about having experienced pain. It was about choosing to run toward it when you didn't have to. When slowing down would stop the hurt.
That was different.
That was what made the 400m beautiful and brutal.
This could be my signature. My defining trait.
Pain Threshold at Limit Break: 20,000 AP. More than his entire budget.
Ultimate: 9,000 AP. More than half.
Genius: 4,000 AP. More than a quarter.
Even at those prices, the temptation was there. This could be what made him different. What separated him from every other sprinter.
He moved to the last category.
[X-FACTOR ABILITIES]
A system note appeared first.
[X-Factor abilities represent exceptional traits that define legendary athletes. These abilities have minimum tier requirements and premium pricing.]
The Zone - Access to flow state during competition
[GN:6,000 | U:14,000 | LB:30,000]
(No Ordinary, Good, or Excellent tiers available)
Perfect Race Sense - Instinctive awareness of race dynamics
[GN:6,000 | U:14,000 | LB:30,000]
Pain Conversion - Transform physical suffering into performance enhancement
[GN:6,000 | U:14,000 | LB:30,000]
Supernatural Finish - Enhanced capability in final meters of race
[GN:5,000 | U:12,000 | LB:25,000]
Rival Analysis - Read and predict competitor behavior
[E:2,000 | GN:5,000 | U:12,000 | LB:25,000]
Darius stared at the prices.
The Zone at Limit Break: 30,000 AP.
Twice his entire starting budget.
Pain Conversion: same price.
Even at Genius tier, the minimum available, these cost 5,000 to 6,000 AP. A third to almost half of what he had.
These aren't meant to be bought at the start.
The realization settled into him. These were goals. Long-term aspirations. The abilities that defined GOATs. You didn't start with them. You earned the AP to buy them through training, through competition, through achievements.
His eyes went back to Pain Conversion.
Transform physical suffering into performance enhancement.
It was like Pain Threshold taken to the extreme. Not just enduring pain, but using it as fuel. Every bit of suffering making you faster, stronger, more determined.
Perfect for the 400m.
At Limit Break, it would be transcendent.
But completely out of reach right now.
The system is showing me the path, not giving me the destination.
These X-Factor abilities were what he'd work toward. What he'd earn through years of competition. The abilities that would define him as GOAT.
But first, he needed a foundation.
Darius pulled back mentally. Looked at all four categories together. Dozens of abilities. Six tiers each. Prices ranging from 150 AP to 30,000 AP.
Fifteen thousand AP to work with.
Time to think strategically.
What does sprinting actually require?
For all sprint distances, 55m through 400m, you needed Top Speed. How fast you could actually move. You needed Explosive Power to get out of the blocks. And you needed technique to use that power and speed efficiently.
For shorter sprints, the 55m, 60m, 100m, Explosive Power was critical. The race was decided in the first thirty meters. Top Speed dominated. You needed perfect mechanics at maximum velocity. Reaction Time mattered. Hundredths of seconds.
For mid sprints, the 200m, Top Speed was still crucial. But you needed Speed Endurance to maintain it through the curve and down the straight. Curve Running technique. Energy Management.
For longer sprints, the 300m and especially the 400m, Speed Endurance was paramount. Lactate Tolerance for managing the burn. Pain Threshold for pushing when it hurt. Race Distribution for pacing strategy. Mental strength in the final hundred meters.
I can't afford to be elite at everything immediately.
That was the reality. He needed foundations in multiple areas. He wanted at least one defining strength. And he had to save AP for future growth.
He ran through the options in his mind.
Option one: Broad foundation. Buy Good or Excellent tier across many abilities. Be competent in everything, great at nothing yet. Safe. Balanced. But no immediate edge.
He could get maybe ten to fifteen abilities at Good or Excellent with 15,000 AP.
Option two: Specialized excellence. Invest heavily in three or four core abilities. Go for Genius or even Ultimate in signature skills. Leave gaps to fill later. Riskier. But it created real strengths.
Three or four abilities at Genius or Ultimate tier would eat most of his budget.
Option three: Conservative approach. Buy only essentials at Good tier. Save the majority of AP. Wait until training began to see what he actually needed. Earn more AP through achievements. Make informed purchases later.
Smart. Flexible. But he'd start weaker.
Option four: The signature build. One ability at very high tier. His calling card. Solid foundation in essentials at Good or Excellent. Save the remainder for future. Balanced between immediate capability and long-term growth.
GOATs aren't just physically gifted. They have something that defines them.
A signature trait people remembered. Usain Bolt's top speed. Michael Johnson's 400m dominance and perfect form. FloJo's combination of speed and style.
But they weren't one-dimensional either. They were complete athletes with one transcendent quality.
I understand pain in a way others don't.
Twenty-two years of it. Every moment. But the 400m was about embracing pain. About running toward it instead of away from it. That could be his edge. His defining characteristic.
Invest significantly in Pain Threshold. Build solid foundation in key physical and technical skills. Leave room for growth.
The decision crystallized in his mind.
Pain Threshold at Ultimate tier: 9,000 AP. Not Limit Break, which he couldn't afford anyway. But close enough to be elite. High enough to be his signature. With room to upgrade to Limit Break later if needed.
Top Speed at Excellent: 1,800 AP. He couldn't be slow. That was non-negotiable.
Explosive Power at Good: 750 AP. He needed to get out of the blocks fast. Good tier was enough to start.
Speed Endurance at Excellent: 1,800 AP. Critical for the 200m and especially the 400m.
Stride Efficiency at Good: 500 AP. Maximize what he had. Can't waste energy.
Block Start Technique at Good: 500 AP. Fundamentals mattered. Had to nail the start.
Race Focus at Good: 500 AP. Stay present in competition. Don't get distracted.
He did the math.
9,000 + 1,800 + 750 + 1,800 + 500 + 500 + 500 = 14,850 AP.
Remaining: 150 AP.
This gives me a real edge in Pain Threshold. Solid foundation across core abilities. Room to grow in every category.
But even as the thought formed, doubt crept in.
Was Ultimate Pain Threshold too much up front? He could drop it to Genius for 4,000 AP. Save 5,000 AP. Use those points elsewhere. More balanced. Less risky.
Or he could keep Ultimate Pain Threshold but reduce other abilities. Go all-in on the signature. More specialized. More risky.
Which version of myself do I want to be?
The balanced athlete with a strong edge? Or the specialized athlete with one transcendent quality?
Both paths could lead to GOAT status. Different journeys. Same destination.
His consciousness hovered over the purchase interface. He could see both builds clearly. Each one a different version of his future. Each one a different path to greatness.
In my old life, I had no choices.
Everything had been decided for him. His body. His limitations. His pain. He couldn't move, couldn't run, couldn't choose anything about how he lived.
But now?
Now he got to choose who he became.
He took a breath he didn't have.
Made his decision.
Reached for the purchase button.