Hunter of Marvel - Chapter 3
Chapter 3: Training (2)
The concrete beneath him was cold, rough, and unforgiving. Just a fraction of a second ago, his entire body had been submerged in the absolute, suffocating depths of complete muscular failure. His lungs had been burning, his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped animal, and his limbs had felt like they were filled with wet cement.
Then, the blue holographic text flared in his vision.
[Level Up!]
The transition was not gradual. It was instant, profound, and utterly magical.
One moment, Veer was paralyzed by fatigue, his face pressed against the dusty pavement of the abandoned handball court. The next, a cool, refreshing wave washed over him, starting from the crown of his head and cascading down to the tips of his toes. The agonizing buildup of lactic acid in his muscles simply ceased to exist. The heavy, desperate heaving of his chest smoothed out into a calm, steady rhythm. Even the stinging sweat that had been dripping into his eyes seemed to evaporate.
Veer blinked, pushing himself up off the ground. He didn’t groan. He didn’t struggle. His arms, which had failed him completely just seconds prior, easily supported his weight. He rolled into a sitting position and looked at his hands, flexing his fingers.
He felt completely fine. More than fine, actually. He felt rested, as if he had just woken up from a full eight hours of deep, uninterrupted sleep. The sheer impossibility of it made a short, breathy laugh escape his lips. He had literally worked himself to the point of collapse, and now, it was as if he hadn’t done a single minute of training.
The blue interface hovered patiently in the air before him, displaying a new set of notifications.
[HP +10]
[AP +1000]
[Free Stat Points: 5]
Veer studied the floating text, his analytical mind kicking into gear. Ten extra hit points and a massive boost to his Aura pool. But the real prize was the five free stat points. This was where he actually gained control over his development.
He pulled up his main status window, his eyes scanning the current layout.
STR: 0
DEX: 0
VIT: 1
INT: 1
PER: 0
The zeroes stared back at him, glaring and inadequate. From his previous life’s experience playing games, he possessed a deep-seated aversion to a baseline of zero.
A zero implied a total lack of foundation, a glaring weakness waiting to be exploited. He didn’t know exactly how the system quantified these attributes, but leaving any of his physical or sensory capabilities at absolute zero felt dangerous.
“Let’s balance the board first,” Veer murmured to himself, the sound of his own voice steady and calm in the quiet park.
He reached out, interacting with the ethereal interface. He allocated one point to Strength, one point to Dexterity, and one point to Perception.
That left him with two remaining points.
Considering the brutal reality of how he earned experience—pushing his body to the point of total collapse—investing in his physical endurance seemed like the most logical choice. He dropped the final two points into Vitality.
A new prompt flickered onto the screen.
[Confirm stat allocation? YES / NO]
Veer pressed YES.
The change was immediate, and this time, it was far from subtle.
A sudden, intense rush of heat exploded in the center of his chest. It wasn’t the painful burn of exhaustion; it felt like swallowing a mouthful of warm, spiced tea on a freezing winter morning, but magnified a hundredfold. The warmth rapidly spider-webbed outward, racing through his veins, flooding his arteries, and soaking into his very marrow.
Veer gasped, his hands instinctively gripping his knees as his body began to aggressively rewrite itself.
He could physically feel his muscles contracting and tightening beneath his skin, the fibers weaving themselves denser and more resilient. The bones in his arms and legs felt heavier, more solid, as if iron was being poured directly into his skeleton. Deep within his torso, his organs pulsed with a new, vibrant rhythm, his lungs expanding to take in more oxygen with every breath.
But the most shocking transformation was happening to his senses.
The single point invested in Perception shattered the lens through which he had been viewing the world. The dull, muted reality of the dusty park suddenly sharpened into hyper-focus.
He could hear the wind rustling through the dead leaves of the oak tree ten yards away, distinguishing the dry scrape of the foliage from the distant, rhythmic hum of tires on the city asphalt. The faint, sweet smell of the bread someone eating in part, no longer masked by the general odor of exhaust and dust. When he looked across the park, the edges of the chain-link fence were no longer slightly blurred; he could see the individual, rust-pitted links with crystal clarity.
“Incredible,” he whispered.
The heat slowly subsided, leaving behind a profound sense of grounded strength. Veer stood up, testing his balance. He felt lighter on his feet, his movements possessing a new, snappy fluidity that hadn’t been there before—the direct result of the Dexterity point.
He reached across his chest with his left hand, gripping his right shoulder. The muscle there was no longer the soft, untrained flesh of a teenager who only played video games. It felt dense, coiled, and firm to the touch. It wasn’t the bulky, exaggerated musculature of a bodybuilder, but rather the compact, functional strength of a gymnast.
He had only added a single point of Strength, but the difference was night and day. If this was the result of a baseline adjustment, the upper limits of the system were truly terrifying to contemplate.
He opened his status panel to review his new baseline.
—
Name: Veer Pratap Singh
Level: 1 (0/3)
Affinity: Specialisation
…
HP: 20/20
AP: 2000/2000
Fatigue: 0%
…
STR: 1
DEX: 1
VIT: 3
INT: 1
PER: 1
…
Skill: None
…
[Quest]
[Inventory]
—
His eyes immediately locked onto the level indicator.
Level: 1 (0/3)
He needed 3 Experience Points to reach level two. The exponential curve of the system was already making itself known. Level zero to one had required a single point of EXP—one hundred maximum-effort actions. Now, the requirement had tripled. He would need to earn three points, which mathematically translated to three hundred actions.
However, looking at the Fatigue: 0% indicator, a slow, determined smile spread across Veer’s face.
His fatigue had been completely wiped clean. He was standing in an empty park, fully rested, completely revitalized, and stronger than he had ever been in his entire existence.
“Well,” Veer said, rolling his neck until a satisfying pop echoed in the quiet air. “No point in wasting daylight.”
He dropped back down to the concrete, returning to the exact spot where he had previously collapsed. He planted his palms against the ground, kicked his legs back into a plank, and braced his newly reinforced core.
He lowered himself into a pushup.
The difference was immediately apparent. The weakness that had plagued his triceps during his first attempt was entirely gone. His body moved with a smooth, piston-like efficiency. He pushed back up, locking his elbows.
[Action Registered. +0.01 EXP]
He immediately dropped down for a second rep, then pushed up.
[Action Registered. +0.01 EXP]
He did a third rep, moving faster now, testing the limits of his new Dexterity and Strength.
[Action Registered. +0.01 EXP]
While the EXP gain remained completely static at 0.01 per rep, Veer noticed something fundamentally different about the interface hovering in the corner of his vision. He paused in the upward plank position, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the fatigue meter.
It read 1%.
Veer held his position, his mind rapidly calculating the variable change. Previously, a single pushup, performed at maximum effort, had cost him one percent of his total fatigue. Now, he had completed three perfect, full-depth pushups, and the meter had only just ticked over to one percent.
The variable wasn’t the system getting lenient; it was his stats. Specifically, his Vitality.
His Vitality had increased from one to three. Concurrently, the number of repetitions required to drain one percent of his fatigue had also increased from one to three.
The implications of this discovery were massive.
Vitality was not just a measure of health points or arbitrary stamina; it was a direct, mathematical multiplier for his endurance. It dictated exactly how much physical output he could sustain before his body broke down. By raising his Vitality to three, he had effectively tripled his stamina pool.
This meant he could now perform three times the amount of exercise before hitting the wall.
“Alright,” Veer breathed out, a surge of adrenaline cutting through him. “Let’s test the theory.”
He adjusted his grip on the concrete and began to pump out the pushups.
Four. Five. Six.
He found a steady, unyielding rhythm. The burning sensation in his muscles, which had arrived almost immediately during his first session, was nowhere to be found. His body handled the strain with a newfound grace.
Twenty. Twenty-one. Twenty-two.
His breathing remained entirely under control, his lungs expanding and contracting in perfect synchronization with his movements. The single point of Strength ensured his form remained flawless, preventing his lower back from sagging or his elbows from flaring out.
Fifty. Fifty-one.
By the time he crossed the halfway mark, a light sheen of sweat finally broke across his forehead. The familiar, dull ache of lactic acid began to slowly seep into his chest and triceps, but it was manageable. It wasn’t the agonizing, crippling pain from before; it was merely the expected resistance of a body doing work.
Eighty. Eighty-one.
He pushed the pace, gritting his teeth as the burn intensified. His newly heightened Perception made him acutely aware of every single muscle fiber firing in his arms, the slight friction of his palms against the dust, the steady drumming of his own heart.
Ninety-eight. Ninety-nine. One hundred.
He locked his arms on the final repetition and held the plank for a brief moment, letting out a long, controlled exhale.
He checked the system interface.
[Total EXP Earned: 1.00]
Fatigue: 33%
The math checked out perfectly. One hundred pushups had netted him one full point of EXP, and thanks to his Vitality of three, it had only cost him a third of his total stamina reserves.
He didn’t stay on the ground to rest. The system rewarded continuous, unyielding effort. Veer immediately hopped to his feet, shaking out his arms to keep the blood flowing. He walked to the edge of the handball court, squared his stance, and began his squats.
One. Two. Three.
His legs, usually the first to give out under the sheer weight of repetitive motion, felt like coiled springs. He dropped deep, his hamstrings brushing his calves, before exploding back up to a standing position.
The rhythmic nature of the exercise became almost meditative. With his senses dialed up, he focused entirely on the mechanics of his own body. He felt the engagement of his glutes, the stabilizing force of his core, the perfect alignment of his knees over his toes. It was a stark contrast to the sloppy, desperate flailing of his previous attempt.
Fifty.
The burn settled deep into his quadriceps, a heavy, radiating heat that forced him to start breathing through his mouth.
Seventy-five.
His legs began to tremble slightly at the bottom of the movement. The effort was genuine now. The Vitality stat merely delayed the fatigue; it didn’t eliminate the required exertion. He was still breaking his body down, just at a higher threshold.
Ninety-nine. One hundred.
Veer stood up, his thighs screaming in protest. He placed his hands on his hips, pacing in a small circle to keep his legs from locking up completely. Sweat was now pouring down his face, soaking into the collar of his t-shirt.
He glanced at the floating panel.
[Total EXP Earned: 2.00]
Fatigue: 66%
Two points down. One to go.
He needed one more point of EXP to level up, which meant he had exactly thirty-three percent of his fatigue meter left to drain. The system demanded he empty the tank entirely.
Veer stopped pacing. He turned back to face the empty expanse of the handball court, a wide, genuine smile breaking across his flushed face. He raised his fists, settling into a loose, comfortable boxing stance.
He didn’t need to count anymore. He just needed to fight the air until he couldn’t lift his arms.
He threw a sharp, snapping left jab, followed immediately by a heavy right cross.
[Action Registered. +0.01 EXP]
[Action Registered. +0.01 EXP]
The interface chimed in rhythm with his strikes. Veer moved around the concrete, pivoting on his back foot, slipping imaginary punches, and throwing combinations with everything he had.
The newly acquired Strength and Dexterity made his punches dangerous. They cut through the air with a distinct, aggressive whoosh, his knuckles displacing the wind with real kinetic force. He visualized a target, driving his fists through it, twisting his hips to generate maximum power.
His fatigue meter steadily ticked upward.
75%…
His shoulders began to feel like they were submerged in thick mud. The snappy speed of his jabs degraded into heavy, labored swings.
85%…
His breathing was harsh and ragged, echoing loudly against the brick wall of the court. His vision began to narrow, the vibrant colors of the park muting back into gray.
95%…
Veer was running purely on willpower. Every single strike sent a jolt of agonizing pain through his shoulder joints. His legs, already battered from the squats, struggled to keep him anchored to the ground.
98%… 99%…
He threw a final, desperate right hook, putting the absolute last ounce of his physical and mental energy into the swing.
The moment his fist reached full extension, the invisible tether snapped for the second time that morning.
Total system failure.
Veer pitched forward, unable to brace his fall, and crashed heavily onto the concrete. The impact knocked the remaining wind out of his lungs. He lay motionless, staring at the blurred pavement, absolutely hollowed out.
But this time, he didn’t feel any panic. He knew exactly what was coming.
Seconds later, the brilliant blue light flooded his vision.
[Total EXP: 3.00]
[EXP Requirement Met.]
[Level Up!]
Once again, the magical reset washed over him. The crushing weight of exhaustion vanished in an instant, replaced by a cool, surging vitality. His lungs expanded, drinking in the crisp morning air with ease. His muscles, which had been screaming in agony just a moment before, relaxed completely.
Veer pushed himself up off the ground, a low chuckle escaping his throat. It was an incredibly addictive sensation, this cycle of absolute destruction followed by instantaneous, perfect rebirth.
The system notifications populated his vision.
[HP +10]
[AP +1000]
[Free Stat Points: 5]
He opened his status panel immediately. He didn’t hesitate or agonize over the decision this time. His previous experiment had provided him with all the data he needed.
If he wanted to exploit this system to its maximum potential, he needed to be able to endure the grind. Strength would make him hit harder. Dexterity would make him faster. Perception would keep him aware. But Vitality? Vitality was the engine that drove everything else. Vitality allowed him to train longer, to push harder, to accumulate EXP at a rate that would eventually break the game.
Without a second thought, Veer dumped all five newly acquired stat points directly into Vitality.
[Confirm stat allocation? YES / NO]
He pressed YES.
This time, there was no dramatic rush of heat. There was no sudden tightening of his muscles or sharpening of his vision. Because Vitality governed internal endurance and life force, the physical manifestation of the upgrade was entirely subtle.
Veer closed his eyes, analyzing his body. He didn’t look any different. His arms weren’t any thicker. But deep inside his chest, the rhythmic beating of his heart felt undeniably stronger, more resilient. It felt as though his internal battery, previously a standard AAA, had been silently swapped out for an industrial-grade generator. The sheer volume of latent energy thrumming beneath his skin was staggering.
He opened his eyes and looked at his updated status.
—
Name: Veer Pratap Singh
Level: 2 (0/6)
Affinity: Specialisation
…
HP: 30/30
AP: 3000/3000
Fatigue: 0%
…
STR: 1
DEX: 1
VIT: 8
INT: 1
PER: 1
…
Skill: None
…
[Quest]
[Inventory]
—
His Vitality was now sitting at a massive eight points. The EXP requirement for the next level had doubled, requiring six points—or six hundred actions—to progress.
Veer couldn’t resist testing his new limit.
He dropped into a pushup position and began to pump them out. He moved quickly, counting internally.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
He paused at the top of the eighth pushup, his eyes flicking to the corner of his vision.
Fatigue: 1%
A massive grin split his face. The math was flawless. With a Vitality of eight, it now took exactly eight maximum-effort repetitions to drain a single percent of his stamina.
He pushed himself up to his feet, dusting off his jeans. The sheer logic of the system appealed to him on a fundamental level. It was an RPG build brought to life. If he wanted to become a training madman, someone capable of grinding out levels with relentless efficiency, he needed to invest heavily in VIT.
If he ever needed raw, explosive power, or wanted to pack on serious muscle mass to intimidate, he would invest in STR. If he needed agility, speed, and a lean, shredded physique, DEX was the answer. PER had already proven its worth by massively upgrading his sensory input, effectively giving him a built-in radar for his environment.
The only wildcard left was INT. He hadn’t touched Intelligence yet. In most systems, it governed mana pools or magic damage, but with his AP rising naturally with his levels, he wasn’t entirely sure what a point in INT would do to his physical brain. It was a mystery for another time.
Right now, a far more pressing issue was making itself known.
A loud, aggressive rumble echoed from his midsection.
Veer pressed a hand against his stomach, wincing slightly as a hollow, gnawing ache of intense hunger struck him. The system might have magically wiped away his muscular fatigue and repaired his torn fibers, but it apparently couldn’t generate calories out of thin air. He had just burned through a massive amount of energy across two brutal workout sessions, and his newly enhanced metabolism was violently demanding fuel.
“Alright,” Veer muttered, pulling the hood of his sweatshirt up over his head. “Time to go home.”
He gave the abandoned handball court one last look, a quiet sense of accomplishment settling over him, before turning his back on the park and beginning the walk back to his apartment.