Timeskip
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The remainder of the summer was spent exactly how Lance planned, once that popup quest appeared, inside the gym and running around the neighborhood. Honestly, if not for his high endurance stat, [Iron Man] skill and weird level of adaptability, Lance would have never been able to fulfill this quest.
From working out twice a day to getting in long runs during the morning to simply stretching for an hour before bed, Lance dedicated nearly every waking moment towards accomplishing the quest goal.
At first, Annie tried to keep up with him, but after an especially brutal leg day, she kicked the back of his knee out from under him and slapped him on the back of the head before storming off.
Even just thinking about it makes Lance rub the back of his head in phantom pain from how hard she hit him.
But now, two days out from the first day of classes, it all seems worth it. His mother badgering him about taking a break and his sister calling him a meat headed oaf, all of it feels worth it now, looking at his popup quest completion.
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>Popup Quest: Summer Gains!<
By the end of summer achieve the following physical attributes:
Speed: D- [Accomplished]
Acceleration: D- [Accomplished]
Strength: A+ [Accomplished]
Endurance: A [Accomplished
Vertical: B [Accomplished]
Reward: Level One Detailed Upgrade Ticket x2
- Bonuses will be given if completed preemptively! -
Quest Complete: [Claim Rewards]
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Looking at the [Claim Rewards] button, Lance couldn't help but scoff at the ridiculousness of the past two months. The quest that the system gave to Lance was intended to push him to the limits of his body and in the end, it did. The road to reach these requirements had been borderline inhuman, but he had made it.
Over the course of the summer, Lance had finally begun to settle into his new physique. His coordination sharpened, his balance stabilized, and his awareness of his body control grew. The more in-tune he became with his body, the more he began to understand the effects that his training had on his body, and just how far he could push it.
Lance, realizing that his body was unlike any other, began pushing harder trying to draw out the latent potential and possibilities of this body. Of which he discovered, were closer to animalistic than human.
In humans, muscle growth comes from microscopic tears in muscle fibers that heal back stronger. The entire process is limited by bone structure, natural recovery, and innate biology.
It is well documented, that when pushed to far, the human body will break down, muscle tears will occur, bone sprains/break will happen and more.
But, there exists certain animal studies, where researchers had driven animal muscles beyond the limit, tearing the fibers outright. Then, when given sufficient recovery, those animals exhibited physical benchmarks far beyond the traditionally trained control groups.
However, humans were never meant replicate that kind of training. Inefficient muscle fiber orientation, skeletal constraints, and the simple fact that the nervous systems simply wasn't built for it.
But Lance wasn't built normally.
As he trained, he became acutely aware of how far he could go and how easily his body bounced back from exercise that should have injured, if not outright, crippled him. He wasn't certain, but everything seemed to point towards him possessing a different skeletal muscle composition altogether. One that is denser, more elastic, and much more tolerant to stress.
So, as any sane man would, he tested it. He pushed his workouts far beyond the brink, until the muscles tore.
The pain was immediate, burning and gruesome. Enough to bring any man, Lance included, to his knees. But, in the end, Lance endured. Not because he had that much more grit, but because he was obsessed with making it work. And work, it did.
Lance accomplished something that all research deemed impractical and impossible for humans. One person on a planet of billions. Not under supervision lab supervision. But in by himself, driven by sheer maddening obsession with being the best.
Now, at the end of this road, Lance can't help but chuckle as he feels the phantom pains of soreness the still plague his body.
'I'm never doing that ever again. I don't care if I can handle it, that was miserable. Ha, but I did it!'
Suddenly overcome by elation, Lance threw his head back and gave a hearty laugh.
'The more I come to know this body, the more I begin to wonder if the original Lance didn't just tank those bullets. Ha.'
Shaking off the unnecessary thoughts, Lance steps out of the shower, throws on some shorts and steps in front of the full length mirror to see the results of his training.
What was previously an athletic body that would be likely classified as burly, now has transformed into an athlete.
Lance always had a great frame despite his height, such as his long arms that still look ideal due to his large, broad shoulders. This ideal symmetry carries throughout his whole body making him look like he was grown in a lab.
Now, his previous burly physique has evolved to something beyond. Broad, squared shoulders that frame his physique and are the crux to his overwhelming appearance. Bulky and muscular without being sloped. His torso, while compact for his height, allows for his shorter, powerful core to better support his tall body and provide a strong center of gravity.
His wide, barrel chest tapers down to his obliques giving him the look of a violent predator, coiled. Biceps that stretch shirts, triceps that look carved from marble and thick forearms with cable like veins visible just beneath the skin.
However, despite how impressive his upper body is, Lance's main focus was always his lower body and it shows. Massive quads that look like armor plating supported by defined hamstrings, creating a sense of powerful, stored energy. His calves, typically the weakest part of a tall athlete, are well developed and dense. Built for explosive takeoffs, a firm stance and sharp stops.
Looking at himself in the mirror, Lance feels a deep, welling of pride innate to any man looking at the physique he chiseled himself.
'If I wasn't intimidating before, I certainly am now. I think I am finally ready to pick up a ball. Ha, all that hell just to get here.'
Despite the melancholy of his thoughts, Lance is ecstatic to finally pick up a basketball again and get back to playing the game he loves.
'Alright, let's check my stats and claim my reward.'
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Physical: B
Speed: D-
Acceleration: D-
Strength: S-
Endurance: A
Vertical: B+
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'Looks like I overshot on strength and vertical, but that's not surprising considering how much effort I put into them. Speed and Acceleration hurt though, I feel like I am on the cusp of a big break through with them but alas they continue to weight me down.'
Sighing at the stubbornness of his speed and agility stat despite putting so much effort into them, Lance gives a firm nod and looks away back to the system. Upon doing so, he see's that he has some unattended messages from the system from during his training.
Checking the messages, it seems like Lance has evolved some old skills.
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>Skills upgraded!<
[Skywalker: Novice --> Proficent]<
[Bull: Novice --> Expert]
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'Hmm, good to see. Bull probably went up so much with me becoming more effective at using my strength. Skywalker going up is nice too. Alright, reward time.'
Clicking on the [Claim Reward] the system pops up with a screen.
>Congratulations Host, for completing the assigned quest. This quest was assigned with your advantages in mind to push you to the brink. Calculating Reward...<
'Advantages?'
>Reward Calculated! Bonus reward will be given for early completion!<
>Received: Level One Specialized Ticket x2<
>Received Bonus Reward: Level One Skill Selection Coin (Bound - Annie Moss)<
'Annie? I can get one of her skills? She's never even played basketball though?!'
Usually used to the systems antics, this development threw Lance for quite a loop, but ultimately, he knows that it won't answer any of his questions so he moves on.
'Let's apply these tickets. As much as I want to upgrade Strength to S+, I think its due time I focus on actual basketball skills. Let's get Interior Defense to D- and get Standing Dunk to E.'
Having made up his mind, Lance assigns the tickets and clicks confirm. Thankfully, these upgrades come with no pain, but after last time, Lance is more than dreading every ticket usage.
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Standing Dunk: E- --> E
Interior Defense: E+ --> D-
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'Okay, that looks good. Now then, coin time.'
Navigating over to the coin and clicking on it, the same machine as last time appears and upon coin insertion, only two skills appear this time, with the same instructions as last time.
'It seems that the coin selection level determines the number of skills that appears. Probably affects the probability of getting something good too.'
Returning his attention back to the skills, one seems obviously helpful while the other seems a little odd.
>Choose one skill to keep!<
1. >Lightning Step (Physical)<
2. >Killer (Defense)<
'What in the blue hell is killer?'