Bruce's muscles seized. Every fiber in his body contracted at once, tension building to impossible levels.
His back arched against the chair, straining against the restraints. The pain was unlike anything he'd experienced in nine years of brutal training.
It felt like his cells were being individually torn apart and rebuilt. Which was exactly what was happening.
A sound escaped his throat, something between a gasp and a growl. He clenched his teeth, fighting to stay in control.
"Heart rate 180. Blood pressure 185 over 110. Core temperature 103.8 degrees. You are entering critical ranges, Bruce. Do you wish me to administer counteragents?"
"No," Bruce forced out through gritted teeth. "No... counter... agents. Let it... work."
His vision blurred. The world became nothing but sensation. Heat radiating from every cell. Pressure building in his muscles as they broke down and rebuilt stronger. Bones increasing in density, the calcium matrix restructuring at the molecular level. Neurons firing faster, creating new pathways, optimizing existing connections.
The Proficiency Panel was working in overdrive, channeling the formula's effects into perfect optimization patterns. But that didn't make the pain any less intense.
Minutes stretched into eternities. Bruce's consciousness narrowed to a single point: endurance. He couldn't pass out. Couldn't give in. His Spirit stat of 78 was the only thing keeping him aware, his willpower forcing him to stay present through agony that would break most people instantly.
"Heart rate 195. Blood pressure 200 over 115. Core temperature 104.9 degrees. Bruce, these readings are approaching lethal thresholds. I strongly recommend intervention."
"No," Bruce gasped. "Trust... the formula... trust... the process..."
His Status Panel flickered into existence unbidden, the system responding to the extreme circumstances.
**[PHYSIQUE: 92... 93... 94...]**
The number climbed steadily. The formula was working. His body was transforming, breaking through barriers that natural training would have taken a year to overcome.
**[PHYSIQUE: 95... 96...]**
The pain somehow intensified further. Bruce felt like he was being cooked from the inside out, every muscle fiber screaming, every nerve ending on fire. Blood vessels strained under increased pressure. His heart pounded so hard he could feel it against his ribs.
Sweat poured off him. His breathing came in ragged gasps. The restraints cut into his wrists and ankles as his body thrashed involuntarily.
**[PHYSIQUE: 97... 98...]**
'Two more,' Bruce thought through the white-hot agony. 'Just two more points. Then it stops. Endure. You can endure anything. You've trained for this. Two more points.'
**[PHYSIQUE: 99...]**
The world went white. Every nerve in his body fired at once. Bruce's back arched so hard the chair creaked under the strain. A sound that was barely human tore from his throat.
Then, suddenly, the fire began to fade.
The burning sensation receded like a tide going out. The pressure in his muscles eased. His heart rate started to slow. The pain transformed from unbearable to merely excruciating to intense to manageable.
**[PHYSIQUE: 100/100]**
**[PEAK HUMAN CAPABILITY ACHIEVED]**
**[ALL PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES MAXIMIZED]**
**[NATURAL HUMAN LIMIT REACHED]**
'I did it... peak human...'
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