Chapter 23 – Experimentation (Part 1)
Chapter 23 – Experimentation (Part 1)
After finally closing the system menu, Zane let out a long breath and shifted his gaze toward the small, unsuspecting potato sitting on the table beside him. He was eager to finally start his experimentations with his new powers, so he couldn't wait any longer.
He had now explored every tab and option the system had presented to him. There were no more tutorials to hold his hand, no convenient prompts waiting in the wings. What lay ahead was the grind—the long hours of training, of trial and error, of pushing his limits to understand what this new power inside him could really do.
This was the most time-consuming part of all: experimentation.
He knew full well that raw power wouldn't be enough. Not for the upcoming Dimensional Knight License exam, and definitely not for surviving whatever lay beyond it. That test wasn't going to be a formality—it was the barrier between pretenders and the real thing. A true Dimensional Knight had to wield their energy with purpose and finesse, not just brute force.
"I can't go there as the current Zane... not even a slightly stronger version of myself," he muttered aloud, lowering himself onto the floor and sitting cross-legged. "I need to level up—properly. Strategically."
His plan was simple: start slow, build a strong foundation, and gradually push forward in his understanding of this new world he had entered. It wouldn't do him any good to rush in and accidentally blow up half his apartment trying to genetically modify a potato. Baby steps.
'I can still feel it,' he thought, closing his eyes. 'The Core Energy... It's there, just beneath the surface. Moving very slowly, but present. It's not flooding my body like before... probably because I suppressed it. But if I summon it again... will it respond?'
He focused inward. The moment the thought of activation crossed his mind, he felt a familiar tingling surge in his veins. Purple energy sparked beneath his skin, racing through his muscles and bones like a living river of power. With barely any resistance, it surged forth, obeying his will.
A quiet hum vibrated through his body as the energy wrapped around him like a cloak. Zane opened his eyes and moved his limbs, testing their strength.
"Yeah... I can feel it. It wasn't just my imagination, it does boost my physical strength. I feel so much lighter and energetic. If I had to estimate, I'd say a good thirty to forty percent boost to physical strength," he murmured, swinging his arm experimentally. "It's not a small increase, not at all. Still... I wish the system gave me exact numbers. It'd be nice to quantify this stuff."