Mike stood in the stillness of the training chamber, the hush broken only by the steady hum of energy emitters in the walls. His heart was calm, but his mind was set on a single purpose: to fully grasp the limits of his body and core.
"My power's no good if I don't even know what this body can take."
He had spent the past days testing the destructive aura that had awakened within him. Now, it was time to evaluate the foundation: his physical stats, his energy center, and how far he could push himself before risking permanent damage,
now he wants to test his full physical capabilities
Physical Assessments: Speed, Reflexes, and Stamina
Speed Test
at First Mike wants to test his speed because he has already tested his strength and it was revealed to be 15
Mike approached the speed-testing capsule in the corner of the chamber—a sleek, enclosed treadmill surrounded by advanced sensors. A faint hiss accompanied the door sliding open.
Stepping inside, he strapped himself into the harness. The treadmill beneath his feet powered on with a gentle hum, initially set to a light jog. As he settled into a rhythm, digital displays around him flickered, charting his pace, breathing rate, and muscle exertion in real time.
Minute 1-2: A gentle warm-up, footsteps light on the belt.
Minute 3-4: The machine accelerated. Mike's breathing quickened, but he maintained form.
Minute 5-6: Sweat beaded along his forehead as his calves began to burn.
By Minute 8: The treadmill reached near-top speed. Muscles ached, lungs worked overtime.
When the treadmill finally wound down, Mike exhaled and stepped out, drenched in sweat.
System Voice:
"Speed Output: 17.3."
Mike nodded, relieved.
"Not bad its nearly equal other cultivators. I'll take it."
Reflex Test
"REFLEX TEST - Level 1"
The turret beeped once, then fired.
A red light shot straight at Mike's shoulder—but he twisted out of the way. Then another, aimed for his leg—he pulled his thigh upward, letting it pass underneath. The lasers weren't dangerous. They shattered on contact like a burst of colored powder, leaving no harm. But that didn't make dodging them any easier.
After dodging a series of ten bullets, Mike had only been hit twice. He stepped back, pleased with the result.
But Level 2 didn't go as well.
This time, two lasers were fired simultaneously from different directions. Mike dodged one, but the second struck him on the ribs. Then again. He tried twisting, ducking, reacting faster, but the double-pattern attack overwhelmed him. His body wasn't fast enough to track both directions.
He exhaled, sweat beading down his neck. "Looks like that's my cap for now."
Reflexes: 16. A decent result. Not elite, but impressive for someone still in early-stage cultivation.
Now it was time for the real test of endurance.
System Voice:
"Reflex Output: 16."
His Strength was about 15, Speed 17, Reflexes 16, and Stamina 18—numbers translating into tangible feats:
Lifting or manipulating roughly 225 kg.
Sprinting at nearly triple normal human speed.
Maintaining a fight for around twenty minutes without collapse.
He wasn't an ordinary human anymore, but by veteran cultivator standards, he was just a beginner.
Across the room, a new test platform had been activated. It resembled a raised mat, connected to biometric systems that monitored stamina under sustained physical stress. Once started, it would subject the participant to a mix of movements—sprints, jump repetitions, light impact shocks, and controlled resistance.
Mike began.
First, he had to do a sequence of back-and-forth short runs. Then the program initiated mid-air dodge rolls, side lunges, and sustained tension holds. Within minutes, his breathing quickened. The machine wasn't attacking him—it was calculating how long his body could maintain control without breaking form.
It felt like an eternity, but he finally stepped down after what seemed like a long fifteen minutes.
"Stamina Output: 18.0"
Mike collapsed onto the nearby bench with a smirk. "Maxed out... I'm not going to complain."
He had reached the maximum limit of physical stats for a beginner in the human grade—just barely, but enough.
Strength: 15. Speed: 17. Reflexes: 16. Stamina: 18.
His body was operating near its peak potential after six months of foundational training, discipline, and internal energy conditioning. Any further growth would have to come from raising his grade.
But now came the most important test of all.
"How far has my energy center evolved?
As he toweled off, Mike reflected on his journey. Six months had passed since he awakened at Pearl University, forging his path from Human Grade Level 1 to Level 2. Daily hours of hand-to-hand combat drills, weapons handling, and physical conditioning shaped him.
He also learned to absorb beast crystal energy—an art that demanded willpower. Each time, the wild beast energy clashed with his own, risking a crippling backlash if he lost focus. Yet through stubborn determination, he had climbed steadily.
"And now… time to look inward."
The Inner Journey: Examining the Energy Center
Mike moved to the meditation platform, where a basic-tier beast crystal pulsed with faint residual power. Sitting cross-legged, he placed his hands upon the crystal and closed his eyes.
Darkness enveloped his senses, until he visualized his energy center near his chest—a translucent sphere filled with swirling white mist, denser than before, its walls slightly thicker.
"Before I awakened… the mist was barely there. Now it's grown. And the walls… they're stronger."
He turned toward the meditation platform, where a faintly glowing crystal rested. It was a basic-tier beast crystal, commonly used by early cultivators to refine their internal energy.
Mike sat cross-legged on the platform, straightened his spine, and placed both hands over the crystal.
Closing his eyes, he sank inward.
In the darkness behind his eyelids, an image began to form.
A ball.
Spherical, floating at the center of his chest. His energy center.
It looked translucent at first—like glass—but as his awareness deepened, he saw more. Inside the sphere, a ring of white smoke drifted lazily. The smoke was thicker than before, swirling slowly. The walls of the energy center, once as thin as paper, now felt more stable. Stronger.
He opened his eyes slowly, then placed his hand firmly against the beast crystal.
A soft pulse ran up his arm as the crystal activated. A faint blue glow shone within it. White mist-like energy surged into his body through his palm.
He focused, drawing it in carefully.
As the energy entered, he felt it being pulled toward his center. But the moment the foreign energy entered his core, the clash began.
The wild beast energy thrashed violently, trying to destroy his own internal flow. But his internal energy was more stable now. It wrapped around the foreign energy, trapping it, swallowing it whole.
Mike winced slightly, sweat forming at his brow. His chest burned. For several minutes, the battle continued within—until, finally, the external energy was fully consumed.
He exhaled.
"It worked."
He could feel the difference—his internal energy had grown slightly, and the swirling white mist inside his core now felt more concentrated.
But curiosity got the better of him.
"What if I absorb more?"
He reached for the crystal again and began absorbing a second surge of energy.
But this time—something went wrong.
A sharp pain stabbed through his torso. His eyes shot open, his breath caught in his throat. Every nerve in his body screamed.
He yanked his hand away from the crystal and fell to one knee, coughing violently.
The pain lingered. He felt like something had almost burst inside him.
His vision blurred for a moment, then cleared.
And then it hit him.
"I was about to force a breakthrough."
It was a rookie mistake. Cultivators could only absorb so much energy at once. Forcing external power into an unstable energy center could rupture the core entirely—crippling the cultivator, sometimes permanently.
Mike sat still, trembling.
He had almost made a mistake that would've ended his path before it even began.
"No wonder they say cultivation isn't about how fast you rise—it's about knowing your limits."
He laid back, staring at the ceiling, heart pounding in his chest.
His body was almost maxed out at human grade Level 2.
His energy center was stronger, but not yet ready for the next breakthrough.
A weary smile tugged at his lips as he pictured tomorrow's training, and the next day's. More beast crystals to refine—carefully—more physical drills, and more attempts to master that destructive aura.
Eventually, he would surpass this stage. But for now, he needed to build a stable foundation, just like any cultivator who aspired to stand at the summit.because