Chapter Seventeen

The morning after his lavish evening out, Alex was eager to begin leveling up his abilities in earnest. 

"Alright Nexus, what do I need to focus on first to start manifestations higher tier items?" Alex asked while eating breakfast. 

Suddenly a heads-up display interface activated before his eyes like an augmented reality game overlay. His current attributes were listed at zero except for 75% health. Quest markers popped up guiding him around his apartment. 

"Whoa, weird," Alex muttered, inspecting his new UI. 

"Morning Alex!" the Nexus AI responded enthusiastically. "Let us commence training by improving your physical capabilities." 

Quest markers directed Alex to perform various exercises - pushups, crunches, and squats. A progress bar filled as he completed reps. To his surprise, his overall Strength attribute level ticked up. 

"Excellent, you have gained +1 Strength," the Nexus reported. "Now proceed to the next marker to continue your physical optimization regimen." 

The next goal pointed Alex to a gym downtown. Following Nexus's instructions, he signed up for a membership and was soon lifting weights under the guidance of Nexus' digitized personal trainer. It was like having a spotter robot in his augmented reality. 

After the lengthy workout, Alex was exhausted but had earned several more points in Strength, Agility, and Endurance. His health meter had also reached 100%. He couldn't believe progressing real-life skills felt so much like a video game. 

"The symbiotic code grafted to your nervous system interprets neurological signals similarly to digital actions," Nexus explained. "This allows measurable in real life almost gameplay-like advancement." 

Back home, Alex checked his character profile, pleased to no longer see all zeroes. According to Nexus, he had begun his journey - but becoming a high-level reality bender would require tremendous time and effort. 

The grind would be long, but Alex was motivated knowing each improvement brought him one step closer to manifesting the items needed to protect those he cared about. With new clarity of purpose, he eagerly awaited his next quest. 

After a good night's rest following his intense gym session, Alex checked his UI expecting the Nexus to provide another quest. As predicted, new goals popped up guiding him around his small apartment. 

"Greetings Alex! Your next mission - optimize your living space for ongoing physical training," the Nexus announced. 

Alex looked around his cramped studio apartment doubtfully. "Not sure how much I can really change in here to make space." 

"Every modification helps maximize potential!" the Nexus said cheerily. "Let us clear areas for basic calisthenics and reflex drills." 

Following Nexus's instructions, Alex rearranged his limited furnishings to open up a small section of floor space. He rolled up his rug and shifted his bed and desk against the walls. The Nexus then had him mark off a basic workout zone with tape. 

"Target practice will require some creativity," Nexus added. It guided Alex to stack books at varying heights on his kitchen counter to serve as targets. He even hung an old sheet on the wall to serve as a backstop. 

When finished, he had managed to convert his compact apartment into a makeshift indoor training course. It wasn't much, but Nexus assured him it would help him grind his Dexterity, Reaction Speed, and Critical Hit attributes. 

"Remember, you must train both your physical body and virtual skills in tandem to maximize experience gain," the AI advised. 

Alex smiled, feeling motivated by the productivity. With his space prepared, he eagerly awaited his next training drills, which would combine real-world exercises with practicing abilities in Elysium Quest. It would be a challenge balancing both realms, but his Stats continued slowly increasing, encouraging him forward. 

Nexus Index System 

Player: Alex 

Level: 3 

Experience: 550/1000 

Health: 92% 

Strength: 10 

Agility: 8 

Endurance: 7 

Intelligence: 5 

Wisdom: 4 

Dexterity: 4 

Defense: 3 

Reflexes: 6 

Critical Hit Chance: 15% 

Virtual Inventory Slots: 8 

Melee Weapons Skill: 4 

Ranged Weapons Skill: 2 

Magic Skill: 1 

Manifestation Skill: 2 

Status Effects: Sore Muscles (Minor) 

Known Abilities: 

Basic object manifestation (tier 1 items only) 

Augmented reality HUD interface 

Nexus Index knowledge database access (partial) 

Beginner combat training 

Alex has gained well-rounded initial experience through the Nexus' training regimen. While still low-level, his core stats have improved across the board. Continuous grinding will allow him to unlock more advanced manifestation abilities and expand his virtual inventory. The road ahead is long, but he has made an encouraging start on the path to becoming a formidable reality bender. 

That night, Alex received a new objective from the Nexus to log into Elysium Quest directly using his augmented reality interface rather than his VR headset. 

As instructed, Alex initialized the immersive login protocol and found his consciousness instantly transported into the vibrant fantasy world. The clarity and realism were breathtaking without the constraint of virtual reality goggles. 

"Excellent, you have achieved direct access," the Nexus confirmed. "Now we may train your abilities here simultaneously with physical skills." 

Alex was amazed at how tangible everything felt. Nexus then explained an important revelation about this method: 

"When accessing EQ through our interface, time dilation protocols activate. This allows more subjective time to pass in-game versus your natural reality." 

"So you're saying time moves slower here than in the real world?" Alex asked. 

"Correct. After analyzing optimal training ratios, we have set the time variance to: 1 minute real world = 5 minutes game world. This provides a 5x time multiplication factor." 

Alex's eyes went wide as he processed the implications. "So if I spend 3 hours here training, only roughly 40 minutes will have passed back home?" 

"Precisely," the Nexus responded. "This enables you to gain experience and abilities far more rapidly relative to real-world time. However, your physical body will still feel subjective fatigue from prolonged sessions." 

Alex grinned excitedly. "This is insane! It's like having a hyperbolic time chamber from Dragon Ball Z. I can get years of training done in just weeks or months relative to real life." 

"An apt analogy. Use this advantage wisely," the Nexus advised. "Skills obtained here can translate directly to your real capabilities when properly honed." 

Eager to maximize this bonus XP boost, Alex immediately got to work on the training exercises the Nexus prepared. He alternates between physical combat practice and casting magic spells,

rapidly increasing related stats and skills. It would still require dedication, but accelerated growth like this brought objectives once thought impossible now potentially within reach.