It was already night when Mathew and Bear came back from work. Both of them were exhausted and tired. Lisa had just finished cooking the food, so the group ate together before going to sleep. Mattresses were laid on the floor side by side as everyone drifted off to sleep.
Leon, meanwhile, couldn't sleep. The way he had acted today kept repeating in his mind. Leon was not a great actor, nor was he a confident person, but today… he had done great acting.
"[Strong Body] is more amazing than I thought."
Today, his body had moved just as he wanted—the change in tone of his voice, the moisture in his eyes—it was as if everything was fully under his control.
Of course, Leon knew talented actors could do that fairly easily, but that was either due to hard work or natural talent. Leon had neither. He wasn't born with a talent for acting, nor had he put in any effort to improve it. So it was obvious—the system had a part in it.
Leon was curious about what other things [Strong Body] might be good at.
It was early in the morning. The sun had just risen. Mathew woke up as usual, and so did Leon. Ever since getting [Strong Body], no matter how late he slept, he would always wake up at the first ray of sun, fully fresh and energetic.
Leon did his daily routine—brushing his teeth with the toothpaste Mathew had brought. Their room had no bathrooms, so he had to go downstairs to the communal one. He took his bath, donned his clothes, and came back up.
Although he was acting as usual, underneath he was quite eager to test [Strong Body]. He should have done these things earlier—the signs were right in front of him: the lightness of his body, the increased stamina—but he had ignored all that, just focusing on acquiring magic.
But today, he was going to test the limits of his body.
For that, he needed to be alone. He waited patiently as everyone finished their morning routine. Mira and Bear prepared some breakfast.
It was still early in the morning. Mathew and Bear had already left. Lisa and Mira were getting ready. Leon sat in the corner patiently, his index finger tapping against the floor faster and faster.
At last, when he was alone, he ran downstairs.
Outside, the alley between the dorm and the neighboring building was just wide enough for a few practice steps. The ground was damp, uneven, and littered with broken bricks and trash—hardly ideal, but it would do.
Leon took a few steps back, then ran forward and jumped.
He landed soundlessly on his feet. Looking back, a smile formed on his face. He had leapt over a pile of trash that was taller than him. The distance he covered mid-air was more than five to six meters.
Most of all, he knew that jump wasn't his limit—he could do better.
And so he did. He jumped again from the same starting point. This time he jumped higher and farther than before. His excitement only grew.
With his heart pounding, Leon looked at his surroundings. The next thing he wanted to try was his balance and agility.
He found an old rope in the trash. Nearby, he spotted two trees not far from each other. He tied one end of the rope to each tree trunk. Now he stood in front of a thin rope hanging just a meter above the ground, supported by two trees. Leon took a deep breath and jumped.
He landed cleanly on the rope. It shook like crazy from the impact, but to Leon's shock, he found himself steady as a rock. His body naturally adjusted itself on the thin rope. Even with the violent shaking, he didn't fall over.
Leon walked forward on the rope—slowly at first, then faster and faster—finally running. He was still perfectly balanced. He grew bold and tried a somersault.
Leon had never once done a somersault. He wasn't athletic back on Earth, nor had he tried it again after transmigrating. So if he succeeded on his first try—and that too on a rope?
Leon felt adrenaline rush through his body. He pushed down on the rope under his feet and jumped higher, folding his body mid-air to complete a revolution, then straightened to land back on his feet.
It happened in a second or two.
Leon couldn't believe his eyes—he was back on the rope, standing still.
Clap clap.
He heard clapping nearby. He turned to see a passerby clapping.
"Good job, little man," the passerby shouted and walked off.
Leon jumped down, untied the rope from the trees, and walked back into the alley with a hint of red on his face.
He grabbed a wooden stick and placed it horizontally on the ground at the end of the alley. Then he picked up a few stones from nearby and walked to the other end.
From this distance, the stick looked as thin as a hair.
With a deep breath, he locked his eyes on a specific spot on the stick and threw a rock with his full strength.
WhooshCrack
The rock traveled through the air in a straight line—not only did it hit the stick, but it hit the exact spot he was aiming for. The stick broke upon impact, its fragments scattering.
Leon once again picked up a stone and aimed at one of the fragments. This time too, he hit his target exactly where he wanted. He repeated the process a few more times just to be sure.
And sure he was—not once had he missed his mark. Not even by a centimeter.
Now only one thing remained: testing his strength.
Leon got to work. He found a bunch of bricks piled in a corner and started lifting them.
First one.Then two.Three.He finally capped at four.
It was much more than any kid of his age could do, but for an adult, it was an easy job.
Leon now had a clear idea of how strong he was. His strength was only above average, but his agility, balance, and precision were on an insane level.
Leon got back into the room, cleaned himself up, and dusted off his clothes. After a quick wipe of his face and a splash of water, he felt refreshed. His body, still humming with energy from the morning's testing, felt light—too light to sit still.
He couldn't waste the day.
The streets were alive by now. Vendors shouting over each other, children running barefoot, smoke rising from food stalls. Lisa and Mira had already gone off to work, and the others were probably busy with their shifts too.
Leon walked through the familiar streets, then slowly drifted into unfamiliar ones. Thanks to his improved hearing, he could pick up distant arguments mostly workers complaining about life's hardships, low wages, and unfair treatment.
Just then, he heard a loud shout coming from farther down the street.
"I ain't coming back! You think I'm a dog? You want us to work twelve hours with no breaks, no food, and if someone faints, you toss them out like trash!"