The week slipped by in silence.
To the world, nothing seemed to have changed.But inside Aiden Cross, everything had.
Each morning, when the faint chime echoed in his mind, the numbers on his System panel grew — quiet, steady, unstoppable.
[Host: Aiden Cross]Physique: 6.4Spirit: 6.4
In just a handful of days, his strength had grown sixty-fourfold.
He had long passed the threshold of an ordinary human. He could shatter steel bars with a single punch now, and the System had never once faltered.
But what fascinated him most wasn't the raw power — it was how naturally he was adapting to it. His balance, his coordination, his perception — all of it grew sharper in perfect harmony.
It was as if his body wasn't merely getting stronger — it was learning.
And deep down, some instinct told him this wasn't just the System's doing.
Aiden stood before the reinforced training dummy once more, breathing evenly. The room was quiet except for the faint hum of the city beyond his window.
He focused, his vision narrowing, his heartbeat slowing.
Then, he struck.
The air cracked — a short, controlled explosion of force. The dummy trembled violently as the number flashed on the scanner.
[Force Output: 6,512 kilograms]
Aiden's eyes widened slightly.
He hadn't even gone all out.
I'm well past the human limit already.
He exhaled, the sound trembling faintly in the quiet.
In this world, anyone who could exert over a thousand kilograms of force without awakening was considered at the peak of mortal ability — the border between the mundane and the extraordinary.
He was already beyond that border, yet no one knew.
And he wasn't planning to tell anyone.
At school, things carried on as usual. Darius still dozed through morning classes, Selene still drew admiring stares from half the boys in the building, and Ronan Drake still strutted through the halls with his entitled sneer.
But Aiden was no longer the same boy who sat quietly in the back.
He watched the world with new eyes — sharper, calmer, detached. Every movement around him was clearer, every word easier to follow. He didn't know it yet, but the roots of his Infinite Comprehension were already awakening.
During martial theory lessons, he found himself understanding the instructor's explanations with absurd ease.
Concepts that other students struggled with for weeks — the circulation of cosmic energy, the balance between spirit and body, the formula for channeling intent — all unfolded naturally in his mind, as if he had known them all along.
It's not memory, he realized one afternoon, as equations and diagrams lit up on the holographic board. It's understanding.
His mind felt like an ever-expanding horizon — no effort, no resistance. Just clarity.
And that clarity frightened him almost as much as it thrilled him.
When Friday came, the announcement dropped.
Instructor Kellan entered the classroom, expression as stoic as ever, and said simply,"The date for your Quasi-Warrior Certification has been moved forward. The test will now be held in five days."
Gasps rippled through the students.
"What? Already?""I'm not ready!""My strength isn't even half of the requirement yet!"
Even Darius groaned, burying his head in his arms. "Five days?! I just signed up for the gym yesterday!"
Aiden sat quietly, absorbing the words.
The others were panicking — but for him, it changed nothing.Five days was plenty.
At his current rate, he'd break ten tons before the exam.
After class, Aiden and Darius grabbed lunch in the canteen, as usual. The air was filled with the familiar clatter of trays and chatter of students.
"You think you'll pass?" Darius asked, halfway through a sandwich.
Aiden nodded. "Yeah. I'll manage."
"Man, you're way too calm about this." Darius sighed. "I can barely punch 300 kilos. If I don't at least get my certificate, my dad's gonna throw me into the military."
"You'll be fine," Aiden said with a small smile. "You're better than you think."
Darius raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that's encouragement and not pity?"
"Bit of both," Aiden said, deadpan.
They both laughed.
For a moment, Aiden forgot about Systems and stats and destiny. He was just a student again — laughing with a friend in a cafeteria that smelled like cheap soup and warm bread.
It was almost normal.
Until the voice came.
"Enjoying yourself, Cross?"
The tone was sharp, mocking. Aiden looked up to see Ronan Drake standing beside their table, a smirk twisting his lips. Two of his friends stood behind him, arms crossed.
Darius muttered under his breath. "Great. The royal brat returns."
Ronan's eyes gleamed with hostility. "You've got guts, humiliating me in front of everyone the other day. But I'll let you off easy. Kneel, apologize, and maybe I'll forget it ever happened."
Aiden stared at him calmly. "You're not worth kneeling to."
The words hit like a slap. Ronan's expression twisted, his pride burning hotter than his reason. "You little—"
Before he could finish, Aiden's hand shot up, catching his wrist mid-swing.
The motion was effortless. Unforced.Ronan froze, his breath catching — the strength in that grip was unreal. It felt like his bones might shatter.
Aiden's eyes were calm, but there was a chill in them now.
"Don't make me repeat myself," he said quietly.
For a heartbeat, no one moved. Then Aiden released him, just as quickly as he had grabbed him.
Ronan stumbled back, clutching his arm, fury and confusion flashing in his eyes.He opened his mouth as if to speak, but nothing came out.
Darius snorted. "Still want him to kneel?"
Ronan's face flushed crimson. "You'll regret this," he hissed. "Both of you."
Then he turned sharply and stormed off, his entourage following.
Aiden watched him go, the faint echo of adrenaline still humming in his chest.
He hadn't even used a fraction of his strength. Yet the entire cafeteria had gone silent, the tension thick enough to cut through.
When Darius finally exhaled, he let out a shaky laugh. "Dude… what are you?"
Aiden smiled faintly. "Just lucky, I guess."
But inside, his thoughts were far from casual.
That moment — the speed of his reflexes, the precision of his control — it had been more than just strength. His body had known exactly how much force to apply. No hesitation, no miscalculation.
Infinite Comprehension…
He didn't fully understand what it was yet, but he could feel it now — a faint hum in his mind, like a second consciousness guiding him through every motion, every decision.
He wasn't just stronger.He was smarter.Sharper.More complete.
The change wasn't loud or flashy. It was silent — like a flame that burned inward.
That evening, Aiden stood once more in his training room, the lights dimmed low. His hands rested on his knees as he breathed slowly, eyes closed.
He could feel the rhythm of his heart, the circulation of energy through his veins, the subtle tension of muscle and bone.
He was beginning to understand it — the way power flowed, the way energy resonated.
He raised his hand, gathering focus, and threw a single punch into the air.
There was no dummy this time — yet the air itself seemed to bend around his strike, a faint pressure rippling outward.
Aiden stared at his fist, eyes wide.
That hadn't been physical force. It had been… something else.
A whisper of intent.
He didn't know it, but he had just brushed against the threshold of Martial Intent — a power that most took years to glimpse.
He lowered his hand slowly, a strange mix of awe and disbelief flickering through his gaze.
Outside, the night wind stirred again, carrying the city's neon lights across his windowpane.
Somewhere far away, destiny was moving.
And within the quiet of his room, Aiden Cross smiled faintly to himself.
"Five days left."
He didn't say it as a worry — but as a promise.
[System Notification]
Doubling Cycle Complete. New Cycle Initiated.Current Attributes: Physique 12.8 | Spirit 12.8