Chapter 14: Beyond Limits: The Upcoming of Dawn

"Status of the jet, Jarvis?" I asked as I stood by the window, gazing at the skyline beyond my company's headquarters. The night was quiet, but my mind was anything but.

"It is fully prepped and awaiting your departure, sir," Jarvis responded promptly.

"Good. Inform Alejandro and the others that I'll be away for a while. They should continue their training—soon, they'll need every bit of it. As for Elijah and Natalia, have them keep exploring and refining our technology. If they create anything groundbreaking or require my approval for new projects, relay it to me immediately."

"Understood, sir. I will ensure they remain focused on their tasks."

With my final instructions given, I made my way to the hangar, where my sleek, state-of-the-art jet stood waiting. The metallic sheen of its surface reflected the hangar lights, a symbol of the power and progress we were building. Stepping inside, I settled into my seat, the hum of the engines beneath me growing into a steady roar.

"Take off," I commanded.

The jet lifted off smoothly, cutting through the night sky like a silent predator. The journey back home felt different this time. I wasn't returning as the person who had left—I was coming back as someone with the means to reshape the world.

By the time I landed in Manila, the city was bathed in the soft glow of evening lights. The familiar scent of the sea breeze mixed with the distant aroma of street food, a stark contrast to the high-tech environment I had grown accustomed to. But this place, despite its imperfections, was still home.

Arriving at my house, I wasted no time. After a quick shower and a warm meal, I sat down in my study, my mind already planning the next step.

I began listing names—old classmates, close friends, and even players I had met online in space-themed strategy games. Many of them had shown intelligence, creativity, and the ability to think beyond conventional limits. These were the kind of people I needed.

Beside me, a separate pile of Holobands sat ready—one batch for those I had personally selected, another to be distributed randomly to individuals with potential, and the rest reserved for negotiations with key officials.

The night passed in quiet contemplation, but as always, morning came swiftly. The sharp chime of my alarm jolted me awake at precisely 4:00 AM. Without hesitation, I swung my legs out of bed, my body already accustomed to the discipline of my routine.

After a quick shower and a nutritious breakfast, I proceeded to my usual exercise regimen—push-ups, sit-ups, weight training, and agility drills. Completing my daily mission was second nature now, but today felt different. Something in the air told me change was imminent.

Once I finished my workout, I opened my system interface to check my progress.

Profile:

Name: Zero Celestia

Age: 24

Strength: 9 (10)

Wisdom: 10 (10)

Agility: 9 (10)

Vitality: 9 (10)

Charm: 9 (10)

Luck: 5

Extraction Points: 2

I stared at the numbers for a moment, a small smirk forming on my lips.

"So… I'm about to hit the human limit soon."

By tomorrow, at this rate, I would reach the pinnacle of human potential. But what would happen after that? Would the system allow me to surpass it? A lingering curiosity burned in my mind, but I shook the thought away. There were more pressing matters to attend to.

I quickly booted up my PC and launched No Man's Sky, my fingers swiftly navigating through the interface.

"System, extract the teleporter."

- Extraction Initiated -

- Extraction Complete -

I leaned back, watching as the teleporter's schematics materialized into my database. No longer just a fictional construct in a game—this was real now.

"Jarvis, scan and analyze the teleporter," I commanded.

"Understood, sir. Beginning full structural breakdown and optimization," Jarvis confirmed.

"Good. Once the analysis is complete, I want you to immediately construct prototypes at three key locations—our company headquarters, Starfall Island, and the Aurora Prime."

"Acknowledged, sir. Construction will commence upon successful blueprint integration."

With that taken care of, I checked the time. It was almost morning, and reality came crashing back to me—I still had college to attend.

I grabbed my school uniform, straightened my collar, and took one last glance at the rising sun outside my window.

As I stepped into the student lounge, the familiar sight of my buddies and classmates greeted me. The usual mix of banter, groggy faces, and half-eaten snacks filled the room. I made my way toward them, hands casually tucked into my pockets.

"Guys, how are you?" I asked, flashing a smirk.

Renz stretched his arms lazily, yawning. "Well, still breathing, still broke… so I guess we're fine?"

"Dude, what about that job you mentioned last time?" Cris cut in, leaning forward with a serious expression. "I've been waiting, man. You ghosted us!"

I scratched the back of my head, chuckling sheepishly. "Ah… yeah, about that. I kinda forgot to message you guys."

"Bruh—seriously?" Renz groaned.

"Okay, okay—forget that for now. Instead, I have something for you all," I said, slinging my bag forward and rummaging inside.

As I pulled out the Holobands, I quickly noticed something.

"Wait… where's Ced?" I asked, looking around.

"Bathroom," Renz replied, then pointed behind me. "Oh, never mind—he's back."

Ced strolled in, shaking his hands dry. "Did I miss something?"

"Perfect timing," I said, greeting him with a fist bump. "I was about to hand these out."

Ced raised an eyebrow. "Hand what out?"

"These." I held up the sleek black Holobands, their polished surfaces glinting under the fluorescent lights.

The guys all leaned in, eyes wide with curiosity.

"What the hell are those?" Ced asked.

"This," I smirked, "is a Holoband—VR and AR technology combined. It's one of my company's newest products."

The room fell silent for a second.

Then—

"Wait, wait, wait—are you screwing with us?" Renz asked, eyes narrowed.

"Dude, VR is those big-ass goggles you wear," Cris chimed in. "How the hell is this tiny watch supposed to be that?"

"Yeah! And more importantly, how do you already have something this advanced?!" Ced added.

I chuckled at their disbelief. "Relax. You'll understand soon enough. Just keep your eyes and ears open—you'll be hearing a lot more about this soon."

"That sounds cryptic as hell," Renz muttered.

"Look, it's real," I assured them. "Try it out. Oh, but fair warning—it requires a blood sample to bond with you. Once you put it on, it'll prick your skin to sync with your neural system. And it's a one-time use, so don't even think about taking it off or swapping it."

Renz, being Renz, slapped his Holoband onto his wrist before I even finished speaking.

"Ouch! Bro, you could've warned me faster!" he winced.

I burst out laughing. "Dumbass, I literally just did."

"Oh crap, I'm seeing something in my vision—wait, what the hell?!" Ced suddenly exclaimed, his eyes darting around. "Zero?! What the hell is this?!"

"Guys, chill," I said, raising a hand. "What you're seeing is the Holoband's interface—that's the AR (Augmented Reality) system in action. It's basically like having a phone display, but it's integrated directly into your vision through your neural link."

Renz blinked a few times, waving his hand in front of his face. "Holy crap… this is some sci-fi level shit. Bro, what the hell happened to you in the past few days?"

Cris suddenly grinned. "Wait a sec… does this mean… learning is gonna be a breeze now?*"

Renz caught on immediately. "Oh shii—exams are gonna be easy mode now."

Ced smirked. "So only we can see our interface, right?"

"Exactly," I confirmed. "Unless you manually set it to 'public,' no one else can see what you're looking at."

They exchanged glances, their grins widening.

"This… this is gonna be a game-changer."

"Anyway," I continued, "since it seems your bodies are adapting to the system well, you can now sync your phone with the Holoband. Once you do, you won't even need your phone anymore."

"Got it!" Renz said, quickly accessing his settings.

Before we could go further—

// RIIINGGGGGG //

The loud chime of the school bell rang, signaling the start of classes.

"Alright, guys, time to head to class," I said, grabbing my things.

As we headed to class, I casually brought up the topic of about VR.

"Guys, about the VR—it's pretty much like what you already know. Ever heard of or watched the anime Sword Art Online?" I asked, throwing them a teasing smirk.

Ced's eyes lit up. "Wait, SAO? You mean Sword Art Online?"

"Yep, that one," I confirmed. "The Holoband works the same way. So, you might want to be careful using it… after all, there's no log out."

Silence.

I watched as Ced, Renz, and Cris all stopped in their tracks, their eyes wide with shock and a hint of panic.

"Wait, WHAT?!" Renz blurted out.

"Bro, you CANNOT be serious right now," Cris added, his face pale.

"No way, right? RIGHT?!" Ced demanded.

Unable to hold it in anymore, I burst out laughing. "HAHAHAHA! Chill, guys! I'm just messing with you—there's nothing like that here!"

Ced let out a long breath. "Man, you scared the hell out of us."

"Yeah, that's NOT a funny joke, bro," Cris muttered, shaking his head.

"Freakin' asshole," Renz grumbled.

Still grinning, I continued, "Alright, alright, but seriously—check your interface and look at the VR section."

The three of them quickly followed my instructions, their curiosity piqued.

"In that section, you'll see a variety of games available. Of course, there are security measures in place when using VR, so you don't have to worry about getting trapped or anything," I added, smirking slightly. "But here's the catch… there's one game in particular I want you guys to pay attention to—Celestial Forge."

"Celestial Forge?" Ced echoed.

I nodded. "It's one of the biggest prospects for making a ridiculous amount of money. The game revolves around building, exploring, and fighting in space. Now, here's the real reason it's special—the VR is 99% realistic, with the same physics as our universe. Whatever you learn and do in the game… can be applied in reality."

The three of them stared at me, completely dumbfounded.

"Wait, you're saying—"

"Yep," I cut in. "If you master something in Celestial Forge, you can actually use that knowledge in the real world. Engineering, piloting, combat tactics—it all carries over."

They were still processing my words when I added, "Oh, and one more thing—I left a little present for you guys when you enter the game. Consider it a head start."

They were still processing my words when I added, "Oh, wait—one more thing. Once you're inside the VR, make sure to head to OASIS first. That's the central hub where you'll find all major announcements, news updates, and even a system to convert in-game currency into real money. So check it out first."

I smirked and continued, "Oh, and about that little present I mentioned? You can ask for it once you're there."

With that, I turned and walked into the classroom, leaving my friends standing there, completely stunned.