LOCATION: LI WEI’S HOME
CITY: BEIJING, CHINA
DATE: FEBRUARY 14, 2032 | TIME: 11:00 PM
With the first phase complete, Li Wei took a week to catch up on his Peacekeeper Force duties and spend quality time with his family.
On Valentine’s Day, he and Mei Lin had a nice dinner and shared a bottle of wine. They talked quietly about the future. And of the deep love they shared.
Li planned to kick off the second phase of his Level 100 Trials at midnight.
Around 11:00 PM, Mei and the kids went to bed. Li meditated for an hour, clearing his mind of everything and centering himself for what was to come.
The System was going to remake his body as a conduit for vital energy and mana, but what did that even mean? Would he grow new organs? Would new physical pathways be laid down, or would it somehow make use of others already there?
He acknowledged and methodically released each thought as it came. At midnight, the System pinged him, and he stood.
This time, he had decided to lie on a mat in his exercise room. If he might be out for weeks, he figured it would be best to make his body comfortable.
Li closed his eyes and focused on the System message that was still waiting for his attention.
---
System Message
Name: Li Wei
Race: Human – Augmented
Augments: Enhanced Exoskeleton
Class: Jade Sentinel
Level: 100 [Pending Trial]
You have completed the first stage of your Level 100 Trial.
Congratulations.
Your body has been reforged to handle stats from 500 through 1,000. Further stat progression is blocked until all have passed 500.
Stage II awaits you when you are ready. Return to this screen to continue.
---
He brought it up and read it once more, recalling the stories he shared with Khargai and Naran in the mystical setting of the Mongolian Steppe. He smiled and willed the quest to continue.
---
System Message
Stage II of your Trial will convert your body into a conduit for vital energy and mana.
With Vitalyx, the lymphatic system, which had essentially functioned as an emergency response vehicle for your body, is now underutilized.
During this process, the nanites in and around your body will partially repurpose your lymphatic system to begin generating its own vital energy and mana.
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Each 100 Levels, its capacity will increase until you are completely autonomous. For now, the goal is to build the function.
You will remain aware but unable to move during this process. Ensure you are in a safe environment. Do not panic.
Are you ready to commence Stage II of Level 100 Trial [A New Kind of Power]?
[Y / N]
---
Li relaxed his body and selected Yes.
He continued breathing rhythmically but his body froze in place. He almost thought he could hear swarms of nanites in the air around him, but couldn’t open his eyes.
His breathing continued unchanged. It almost felt as if he was on a respirator.
So far, so good…
That was when the pain began.
It was absolutely agonizing.
It started near his heart, which was beating at what would have been a dangerous rate before the System, and emanated out in all directions through his body in waves.
Wave after wave, white-hot pain alternated with a sensation of cooling that was almost soothing. Then the next hot wave would come, and Li wanted to scream out.
But his body wouldn’t allow it.
Li prided himself on his incredible self-control. He could grunt through any amount of pain, knowing his incredible Vitality would heal it.
But this… this was different.
Lying there, convulsing with each wave, his iron will and advanced mind were utterly useless.
All he could do was endure it.
Another wave. Hot pain.
Inhale.
Then another. Cooling.
Exhale.
It continued. Li had no idea how long he was there in that state. Nanites continuously infused his body, filling it with power.
Mei opened the door once just to check on him. She gasped at what she saw. The nanites, usually invisible, surrounded Li’s body in such high concentrations that they were glowing faintly in the darkness.
She was scared, but knew her husband would survive this.
If it was possible to survive, he would.
She told the girls to stay away from the exercise room and let the process play out.
The waves of pain and cooling paused for a time and Li felt his heart rate return to normal. He focused on his breathing.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Center.
Focus.
Then, without warning, it started again. Only this time, instead of emanating from a single point in his chest, the pain and cooling came from each of his major lymph nodes, spreading locally.
The left side of his neck exploded in pain, shooting upward into his head. Again, Li wanted to shout out but his body wouldn’t cooperate with him.
Then the right side of his neck. His armpits followed one by one, then his groin, and his knees.
One pulse of incredibly intense pain followed by blissfully soothing coolness. Then it would move to the next area.
It repeated the cycle around his body so many times, Li had lost count.
Then, it was over.
Li’s eyes opened and the automated, rhythmic breathing gave way to his own control.
He sat up and winced.
Everything hurt.
“Ahh, that was not fun,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his head with one hand while propping himself up with the other.
A System notification appeared.
---
System Message
Congratulations. The first part of Stage II is complete.
You have done well.
The process must be repeated twice more to finish this stage and continue with your Trial.
You may rest and come back to this screen to continue.
---
“Two more times?” Li shouted.
Mei Lin and the girls burst through the door.
“Are you okay?” Mei asked.
The girls sat on the floor next to him, hesitating to hug him in case he was still in pain.
He reached out and pulled them in, and the girls giggled.
Li exhaled again.
“I have to go through that agony twice more.”
He kissed his daughters on their heads one after the other.
“But with you three waiting for me on the other end, I’m sure I can endure this.”
“How bad was it?” Mei Lin asked.
“The pain was intense, but after each wave, a moment of soothing coolness came. It was like the System was modulating the process.”
He released the girls from his embrace and stood up.
“It probably took twice as long that way, but I don’t think it’s bearable without the cooling in between.”
He looked at Mei, then down at the girls.
“You don’t have to go through this, you know. You could remain at Level 99 and be powerful enough.”
The kids scoffed at that.
“As if.”
“Good one, Dad.”
Mei laughed.
“They definitely take after you in that aspect. The Li family never settles for just good enough.”