Chapter 4: The Path to Growth
Two Days Later
The sun was just starting to rise when I reached the construction site, with the typical morning mist hanging over the incomplete structures' skeletal outlines. Two days had gone by since I uncovered my ability to copy skills, and although my improvement was clear, it was still insufficient.
I rotated my shoulders, sensing the well-known heaviness of power embedding itself in my body. The alterations weren't significant, but they were genuine. In the past 48 hours, I acquired two additional skills:
Heavy Lifting (Lv. 2) – Boosts physical strength, making it easier to carry heavy objects.
Material Efficiency (Lv. 1) – Optimizes use of resources, reducing waste and improving precision.
My muscles no longer burned with every load I carried. My movements were more efficient, my stamina stretched farther. I could now haul bags of cement and steel beams with a fraction of the effort it once took. But even with these improvements, something gnawed at me.
I wasn't progressing fast enough.
The first level-ups had come easily. Endurance Boost, Strategist and Heavy Lifting had both hit Level 2 in a matter of hours. But now? Nothing had budged. It was as if I had hit a wall.
I had analyzed the system for hours, trying to understand why. And eventually, I realized the bitter truth—leveling skills was exponentially harder the higher they got.
Going from Level 1 to 2? A few hours.
Level 2 to 3? At least a week.