Asher came to an abrupt halt as the system interface materialized once again before him. His eyes scanned the notification, and for a moment, he stood motionless, caught off guard by its contents. He hadn't anticipated this development.
But, in hindsight, it wasn't entirely surprising. After all, the system had offered little in the way of tangible benefits, serving primarily as a display for his stats and granting access to an unlimited inventory.
A smile tugged at his lips as a surge of excitement rushed through his veins. Who didn't know about newbie gifts? In countless novels, they were essentially overpowered starter packs, tools that gave protagonists an early edge.
'System, do you even need to ask? Open it, immediately.'
Asher's thoughts brimmed with anticipation, his expectations soaring to unimaginable heights.
[Affirmative, Host.]
[Opening Newbie Package...]
[Congratulations, Host. You have received: Absolute Physique]
Asher read each notification carefully, eyes scanning every word with sharp focus. He had no intention of skipping anything, this was his cheat, his golden ticket.
'System, display the details of the Absolute Physique. I might not know what it is exactly, but anything with "Absolute" in the name has to be broken-tier, right?' he thought, a grin spreading across his face, anticipation gleaming in his eyes.
[Ding]
[The details of the Absolute Physique cannot be displayed until the Host completes assimilation]
The system's chime echoed in his mind.
Asher's expression shifted into a frown as he read the message. His mind immediately leapt to the countless tropes he'd seen before, assimilation usually meant agony.
It was almost a given: searing pain, bones reshaping, muscles tearing and reforming… and, of course, the inevitable black goo oozing from his body as impurities were purged. The mental image alone made him frown more.
With that thought lingering in his mind, Asher made his way to the bathroom. He stripped off his clothes, leaving only his boxers, and lowered himself into a lotus position on the cool tiled floor. The atmosphere was still, heavy with anticipation.
Grabbing a piece of cloth, he bit down hard, steeling himself for the torment he was certain would follow. His eyes, however, burned with unshakable resolve, no amount of pain would deter him.
'System, begin assimilation of the physique, now.'
[Affirmative, Host]
The moment the system responded, a surge of energy exploded within Asher's body.
It was unlike anything he had ever felt, pure, unfiltered power rushing through every fiber of his being. His veins bulged, muscles tensed, bones groaned under unseen pressure. Ligaments stretched and tightened, his brain pulsed like a beating drum, and even his eyes burned as if being reforged from the inside out.
It was as though his entire existence was being rewritten, every cell, every thread of his being restructured with brutal precision. Deep within him, his Astra veins suddenly expanded, then contracted violently, condensing and refining themselves.
Even the small trace of Astra he possessed from awakening began to swell, becoming denser, more potent.
To Asher's surprise, a sense of serenity washed over him.
The world around him seemed to shift, brighter, clearer, almost surreal. The dull whites of the bathroom tiles now shimmered with an almost ethereal clarity, and the air itself felt lighter. His mind sharpened, every thought crisp and focused. Even his heartbeat pulsed with a quiet joy, as though his very soul was celebrating the transformation.
And yet, the agony he had steeled himself for… never came.
Instead, he felt an overwhelming comfort, as if wrapped in the embrace of something ancient and powerful. His body continued to rebuild itself from the inside out, each adjustment smooth, seamless, perfect.
Then, just as swiftly as it began, the energy faded.
The brilliance receded, and Asher found himself once again grounded in the present. The bathroom was just a bathroom. But he… he was no longer the same.
Asher sat in a quiet daze, savoring the lingering echoes of the transcendent state, as if clinging to the final notes of a melody before they faded into silence.
"Is this what enlightenment feels like in those cultivation novels?" he murmured, voice barely above a whisper, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Slowly, he rose to his feet. If he had felt energized after his awakening, now he was overflowing with energy, every fiber of his being humming with quiet power. He could feel it in his breath, in his heartbeat, in the very way he moved.
A quick glance in the mirror confirmed what he already sensed. His height had increased, rising from 6'1" to a towering 6'3". His skin, already flawless, now radiated an unnatural perfection, smooth, radiant, and unmarred, as though sculpted by divinity itself.
"I feel like I could destroy a mountain with a single punch," Asher muttered, eyes locked onto his reflection in the mirror.
His body remained lean, no exaggerated bulk, but beneath that streamlined frame, he could sense the sheer, compressed strength coiled within his muscles like a drawn bowstring. Every movement felt lighter, more precise, yet brimming with latent power.
Of course, he wasn't naive. He knew it was just the illusion that came with a sudden surge in strength. No, he couldn't shatter mountains… not yet.
Still, the temptation to test himself gnawed at him.
He cleared his throat, and even his voice carried a subtle change, deeper, more resonant, like tempered steel.
"Status," he commanded, his tone thick and steady.
The system's interface flickered to life before Asher's eyes, displaying his updated profile in glowing texts:
[Name: Asher Wargrave
Age: Seventeen
Bloodline: The Wargrave Lineage
Physique: Absolute Physique
Titles: [Youngest Heir] [Tenth Sun] [Disgrace of the Wargrave] [Unique Body Holder] (New!)
Life Rank: Faintstar
Sub Life Rank: Spark
Affinity: Lightning
Strength: 26 → 52
Agility: 26 → 52
Vitality: 28 → 56
Perception: 18 → 50]
Asher carefully scanned every detail once more. The system had updated his profile, adding the Absolute Physique and a brand-new title to his list.
His gaze lingered on the Sub Life Rank Spark. A slow, triumphant smile blossomed across his lips. He had only awakened some minutes ago, yet now, he had already broken through a minor realm.
He could feel the increased flow of Astra pulsing vividly through his veins, surging with newfound intensity. 'Too bad Astra can't be measured numerically like the other stats,' Asher thought silently.
But, this limitation did little to dampen his enthusiasm. His eyes eagerly scanned each attribute once again, a growing smile spreading across his face as he confirmed what he already suspected, every stat had instantly doubled once more, just as they had during his awakening.
"At this rate, won't I be a god by tomorrow morning?" Asher said with a grin, his confidence soaring.
Then his eyes landed on his Perception stat, an astounding leap from eighteen to fifty. The jump was far greater than he had initially realized.
Suddenly, a new awareness dawned on him: he could perceive everything happening within a five-meter radius around him with crystal clarity. In his earlier excitement, he hadn't even noticed this remarkable change.
He could now see with perfect clarity behind him, beside him, his vision encompassing everything within a five-meter radius as if no blind spots existed. The world around him appeared sharper, purer, as though an entirely new dimension had unfolded before his eyes.
Then, an idea struck him.
Slowly, he closed his eyes to test it, and to his astonishment, his heightened perception remained unbroken, his awareness persisting with flawless clarity despite the darkness.
"System, if you keep spoiling me like this, I might just marry you tomorrow," Asher joked, laughter bubbling from his lips. Who didn't love being spoiled?
"Now, show me the details of the Absolute Physique," he added with a wide grin, anticipation shining in his eyes.
[Affirmative, Host]