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 agony. In the choice to agonise when stopping would make it go away.
He'd lived through pain his life long. But he'd never chosen it. Never had the option to persevere through to something greater.
This wasn't just about having gone through the pain. It was about running towards it when he didn't have to. When just easing off would lessen the hurt.
That was different.
That was what made the 400m beautiful and brutal.
This could be my trademark. My identifying trait, genetically coded into my DNA.
Pain Threshold at threshold break: 20,000 AP. More than my entire budget.
Ultimate: 9,000 AP. More than half.
Genius: 4,000 AP. More than a quarter.
Even at those numbers, the temptation was there. This could be what made the difference. What separated me from all the other sprinters.
He clicked into the last category.
[X-FACTOR ABILITIES]
There was a system note before the menu gave details.
[X-Factor abilities are unique traits that it is believed were possessed by legendary athletes, which make them exceptional among their peers. [These all 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]
He 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.
They're not for me to buy now. They're for me to dream of.
The idea slid into his head. These were goals. Longterm aspirations. The abilities of the GOATs. You don't start with them. You start with AP, you train, you win, you earn the right to buy them.
His eyes went back to Pain Conversion.
Transform physical suffering into performance enhancement.
Not endurance. Excess pain fueling his body.
Every bit of his suffering made him faster, stronger, more determined.
Perfect for the 400m.
At Limit Break it would be transcendent.
But completely out of reach right now.
You are showing me the way, not the destination. These were the X-Factor abilities he'd be striving for. The abilities he'd earn competing year after year. The abilities that defined him as GOAT.
But first he needed a foundation.
Darius pulled back mentally. Looked at the four categories all together. Dozens of abilities, six tiers each and prices starting at 150 AP and going upwards of 30,000 AP. Fifteen thousand to work with. Time to think strategically.
What does sprinting actually require?
You need Top Speed for all the sprint distances, 55m through 400m. How fast you can actually move. You need Explosive Power to get out of the blocks. And you need technique to apply the power and speed efficiently.
For short sprints 55m, 60m, 100m, Explosive Power is critical. The race is decided in the first thirty meters. Top Speed dominates. Perfect mechanics at maximum velocity. Reaction Time matters. Hundredths of seconds.
For mid sprints the 200m, Top Speed is important. But you need Speed Endurance to maintain it through the curve and down the straight. Curve Running. Energy Management.
For the longer sprints the 300m and especially the 400, Speed Endurance is absolutely critical. Lactate Tolerance for managing the burn. Pain Threshold for pushing through when it hurts. Race Distribution for pacing strategy. Mental toughness for the last hundred meters.
I can't afford to be elite at everything immediately. He needed foundations. He needed at least one signature strength. He needed to save AP for future investments.
He started to run 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 he wouldn't have an immediate edge.
He could probably afford maybe ten to fifteen abilities at Good or Excellent with 15,000 AP.
Option two: Specialized excellence. Invest heavily into three or four core abilities and go for Genius or even Ultimate in signature skills. Leave gaps to fill in later. Riskier, but build real strengths.
Three or four abilities at Genius or Ultimate tier would take a huge bite out of his budget.
Option three: Conservative approach. Only buy Good tier in the most essential skills. Save the majority of his AP. Wait for training to begin to see what she actually needed. Earn more AP through achievements and then make informed purchases later.
Smart and flexible. But weaker to start.
Option four: Signature build. One ability at very high tier. His calling card. Strong foundation in essentials at Good or Excellent tier. Save the remainder for the future. Balanced between immediate capability and longer-term growth.
GOATs, right? Aren't just genetically gifted. They have something that defines them.
A signature trait people remember. Usain Bolt's incredible top speed. Michael Johnson's insane dominance of the 400m and astonishing, perfect running form. FloJo's incredible combination of speed and style.
But they're not just one-dimensional. They're complete athletes with one dominating transcendent quality.
"I understand pain in a way other people don't. And it doesn't scare me. I don't shrink away from it. I run toward it."
Twenty-two years of pain. Every moment feeling. But the way to compete in the 400m was to embrace pain. That could be his edge. His defining characteristic.
Invest heavily in Pain Threshold, build solid foundations in key physical and technical skills, and leave room for growth.
The idea 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. And leave 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's got. Can't waste energy.
Block Start Technique at Good: 500 AP. The fundamentals mattered. He had to nail the start, right?
Race Focus at Good: 500 AP. Stay present in the competition and not 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, but I also have a solid foundation across the board and leave room for growth in every category.
But even as the thought formed, doubt started to creep in.