Peter stood in the middle of his dimensional bedroom. Empty space surrounded him.
Perfect for what he wanted to try.
'Time to work on the body,' he thought.
His Mind stat was growing nicely. Reading and math both contributed to that.
But Physique sat at 0.12. Barely above newborn level. His three-year-old body was weak. Frustratingly weak.
'Let's fix that.'
Peter dropped to the floor. Tried to do a push-up. His arms shook. His back sagged. He managed maybe three inches before collapsing.
"Damn it," he muttered.
He tried sit-ups instead. Those went better. His core was stronger than his arms. He managed ten before his stomach muscles started burning.
Jumping jacks next. He got through twenty before getting dizzy.
Peter sat on the floor. Breathing hard. Sweat on his forehead despite the dimension's promise of no fatigue.
'Wait. Why am I tired? The system said no fatigue in here.'
[Note: Physical exercise produces real muscle strain. Dimension prevents mental fatigue and hunger, not physical limits. User's body remains three years old with appropriate limitations.]
'Of course,' Peter thought. 'I can't cheat biology. My body is what it is.'
He felt frustrated. Angry even. His mind could learn anything. Process information at increasing speeds.
But his body? Stuck at three-year-old strength. Tiny muscles and soft bones and joints that couldn't handle stress.
'This is going to take forever.'
But quitting wasn't an option. Peter stood up. Wiped the sweat from his face. Started again.
This time he focused on basics. Really basic. Stretching his arms and legs. Working on flexibility.
Balance exercises like standing on one foot. Simple coordination drills.
He spent hours on it. Not pushing for strength he didn't have. Just working on control. Teaching his young body to move properly. To understand its own limits and work within them.
Stretching became easier. His muscles loosened. His range of motion improved slightly.
Balance got better too. He could stand on one foot for a full minute without wobbling. Could walk in a straight line heel-to-toe without falling over.
Coordination took longest. Making his hands and feet do different things at the same time.
Patting his head while rubbing his stomach. Simple kids' games that actually taught motor control.
[Skill Gained: Body Control - Level 1]
[Progress: 1/10 to Next Level]
[Physique: 0.12 → 0.15]
Peter collapsed on the dimensional bed. His body ached. Real aches from real exercise. But the notifications made it worth it.
'Progress,' he thought. 'Slow but real.'
His Physique had barely moved. Three hundredths of a point. Almost nothing. But it was something. Proof that physical training worked even at his age.
'I just need patience. Keep working. Keep pushing within safe limits. My body will grow naturally as I age. The training will accelerate that growth.'
When he returned to reality, morning light filled his room. Peter got out of bed. His body felt fine. No soreness. No fatigue. The dimensional training didn't carry over physically but the gains did.
Only the skill gains and stat improvements remained.
'That's actually perfect,' Peter realized. 'I can train hard in there without worrying about injuries or overwork. The system tracks progress but my real body stays safe.'
He walked to his mirror. Looked at his three-year-old reflection. Small and weak and young.
But not for long. Every day made him stronger. Smarter. More capable.
'Just keep going,' Peter told himself. 'One day at a time. One skill at a time.'
He had years before the spider bite. Years to prepare. To build a foundation that would make him more than just Spider-Man.
'I'll be ready,' he promised his reflection.
'When the time comes, I'll be ready for everything.'
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