Chapter 6 50 Percent
After I drank the whole solution a cold feeling spread out from my throat,then it started extending from my gut. At first it was cool and relaxing, my whole body generally felt good, I started to wonder if I bought the wrong solution when the cool feeling started to get colder once it got to my skin. Once the cold feeling spread to every inch of my skin it started to affect my hair and nails until my body completely stiffened up.
I started to panic because I couldn't move my body at all, then the freezing feeling started to change and I slowly started to warm up. I was excited until I realized I still couldn't move and the heat started to rise rapidly once my temperature became normal. It finally became an inferno, every inch of my skin, every single hair and nail felt like they were being cooked from the inside out. I wanted to scream but my body wouldn't listen to my commands staying completely stiff through the whole process.
Seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to hours until finally two hours passed. I slowly became tolerant to the pain, only to have it intensify over and over again. It felt like I was being cooked alive in a pressure cooker. The heat slowly started to die down but that just made the pain more noticeable as my nerves started to come out of shock. Once I could finally move cracking noises rang from my body as the stiffness slowly left me. I was still in pain and once I moved it came rushing back two fold.
I had to slowly get rid of the stiffness with simple stretches. I looked at my hands and realized they were covered in a crispy layer of skin that looks like beef jerky. I was terrified until it started to peel off with some rubbing. I slowly walked towards my mirror and was startled by what I saw. In it a man that looked like he was made of jerky that was left out in the sun to long stared back at me.
I made my way to my bathroom and checked to see if we had water, thank god our internal system seemed to be running. I took a shower scrubbing off the top layer of skin I noticed that smooth healthy looking skin was underneath with a healthy jade like glow with a tanish color. I noticed my hair was coming off but new ones quickly replaced them growing down to my neck and the same happened with my nails. Once I was finished I had to grab a garbage pail for the muck at the bottom of the tub.
Finally I finished cleaning and went back into my room to check myself out again in the mirror only to be stunned. I was always decent looking but my skin was too pale and my face was only average. Who I now seen in the mirror had a handsome face with no pores visible and straight eyebrows that were just thick enough to loom manly without being bushy. My skin had a health shine that almost glowed. And finally my hair turned from the plain black before to a deep almost pitch black color that caused my face to seem more handsome. Overall I was completely happy for these changes even if I had to go through hell for them.
After a few minutes of staring I finally called up my character page and sure enough I broke through the 50% mark with the help of the solution plus two hours of my tier 1 nanobots working on my system. When I looked at my energy per hour I was so excited.
Name: Hunter Nespolon
Age: 17
Species: Human
Current nanobots:
Tier 0: 1600
Tier 1: 100
Companion nanobots: 100
Current energy: 270
Current energy absorption: 500/hour
Circulatory system: tier 0 15.03%
Digestive system: tier 0 20.21%
Endocrine system: tier 0 10.04%
Integumentary system: tier 0 50.00% (+27%)
Immune system: tier 0 17.35%
Muscular system: tier 0 22.33%
Nervous system: tier 0 21.08%
Renal system: tier 0 16.76%
Reproductive system: tier 0 15.03%
Respiratory system: tier 0 17.57%
Skeletal system: tier 0 19.64%
Note: average human is tier 0 15%
Current time 8:00 am
Now that I had 500 energy per hour my improvement speed absorption speed has doubled and I can use my energy pack. With this i can improve another 20% without any problems, using my tier 1 nanites for 20 hours then after that I'll have to see how my progress is.
My next move is to focus on the third world task. Killing 100 creatures to get a general improvement, this kills two birds with one stone because the reward will help me get my Integumentary system to tier 1 faster. Before that I have to figure out what I'm killing first.
While I'm thinking Frost slides along my neck and uses her head to point toward the window, puzzled I walked over and looked out. The sky was still purple and the clouds were still blue, I'm not sure if that's permanent or not but for now it just proves all this is real. Frost points towards my backyard and I ask if we should head down, and in return I got a nod. Nothing else to do for now I follow her suggestion and start to head out. Passing the game room I decide to grab one of the swords on the wall we keep as decorations. The one I grabbed was a machete with a apocalypse style customization figuring it fitted the time ironically. Me and my brothers usually buy these things at comic con or pawn stores, it makes the game room unique.
Once I get down stairs I see Brandon in the kitchen making a sandwich for himself, just a simple peanut butter sandwich and it almost seems like everything is normal.
"Where you going Hunter?"
"Just the backyard Brandon. Erik got the generator working huh?"
"Ya, but we have a limited supply of water so try to take shorter showers."
A little embarrassed i agree and close the door behind me as Frost slides down my arm. I let her off on the ground. She moves forward a few yards before she stops and uses her head to signal me over. Once by her side i see a anthill and smile thinking things couldn't be that easy right? Thanks to Erik getting the generator working I can grab the hose beside the house and turn it on, aiming it at the anthill the water flows through the entrance as the ants start pouring out. I stand there for a few minutes killing ants before a flash of light appeared in front of me, inside the light was a flask with the same appearance as the one I took earlier. I turn the systems screen on and sure enough the third task is completed after killing 100 ants.
I sigh to myself thinking it would be nice if everything was that easy to do. After pondering on how sad that task was for a few minutes I go and turn off the hose, turning around I notice Frost was killing ants to wondering if she had tasks as well I got my answer a few moments later when another flash of light appeared. As I was dazed Frost already went over and drank the solution that was in front of her. Laughing at her because she hiccup I got a cute pouting face in return that seemed more human like then usual.
Grabbing her I walked back to my room after telling Brandon about the task, and made sure he would tell the others when he saw them. Sitting back down on the floor I looked at Frost who seemed to be fine on my neck, hoping that this solution wasn't as bad as the last one I drank it up. As the solution poured down my throat the same cooling feeling didn't appear again only a warm comfortable sensation that quickly spread across my body. Sitting there I enjoyed that feeling to the extreme until it finally finished. Looking over at my clock in my character page and found it was already noon, after not finding any disgusting layers of filth on my body this time I head downstairs to eat something.
I reach the kitchen as my stomach starts rumbling and I realize I haven't eaten anything for two days between everything that's happened. I open the fridge and grab the eggs, as I get started Frost finds her way to the table and just curls up and watches me with interest. I remember that she needs food as well so I look in the mini freezer in the pantry and grab a frozen rat. I throw the rat in the microwave after putting a few holes it the bad it was in accordingly to the instructions I got from Erik. By the time I was done making scrambled eggs the rat was done, me and Frost dug into our meals. While eating I opened my character page back up to recheck my stats after using the reward and was excited by what I saw.
Name: Hunter Nespolon
Age: 17
Species: Human
Current nanobots:
Tier 0: 1600
Tier 1: 100
Companion nanobots: 100
Current energy: 8330
Current energy absorption: 640/hour
Circulatory system: tier 0 25.03% (+10%)
Digestive system: tier 0 30.21% (+10%)
Endocrine system: tier 0 20.04% (+10%)
Integumentary system: tier 0 64.00% (+14%)
Immune system: tier 0 27.35% (+10%)
Muscular system: tier 0 33.33% (+10%)
Nervous system: tier 0 21.08% (+10%)
Renal system: tier 0 26.76% (+10%)
Reproductive system: tier 0 25.03% (+10%)
Respiratory system: tier 0 27.57% (+10%)
Skeletal system: tier 0 29.64% (+10%)
Note: average human is tier 0 15%
Current time 12:00 PM
System Warning: 1600 idle tier 0 nanites
Looking at my improved stats I just stare wondering how much stronger I have actually gotten. I decide to head to the gym after lunch.
Looking at the system warning I realise it is a waste to just leave the tier 0 nanites alone but I don't have enough energy to do a lot. Thinking over my problem I check out the tips and hints page again and start browsing for suggestions. After looking it over for a while I finally find what I was looking for, a tip that says excess nanites can be used to gather more energy from the air if used in the pores of the skin. After seeing that I go back to the info I bought about early energy absorption and sure enough right at the bottom it tells me this, promising myself to read the whole thing next time I buy information I start planning my next moves. The ratio isn't very effective which is why it was at the bottom, pretty much you need 20 nanobots to gather 10 energy. Thinking that I could use 30 nanobots to create a new one with no energy cost I put 1500 tier 0 nanobots to use right away, I put the rest into patrol mode which helps me make sure no harmful bacteria or even enemy nanites are in my body. With this I can improve my system with tier 1 nanites, create 50 new tier 0 nanites per hour, with the new ones and the 100 remaining tier 0 can patrol and make my body safer.
Nodding to myself I'm happy with the progress I'm making. I finish up my lunch, clean up all the dishes, and make my way to the basement which has our home gym. We have weights, treadmills, and some floor mats for practicing MMA. After doing my regular sets on the weights I find that the 10 percent increase in strength I got from the solution is amazing, I'm usually dead tired after three sets but right now I'm still energetic for at least one more maybe even two.
Now that I satisfied my curiosity I go back upstairs and find Erik at the door, curious I walk over as he opens the door and see a group of people walking in either hugging Erik as they pass or just fist bumping. After eight people walk in I see Erik smiling and he goes in front of the TV while everyone settles down either on a couch, chair, or just standing. When everyone was quite he motioned me to come over.
"Hunter meet my squad."