**Ch. 10: Power**

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

After what felt like an eternity of trial, error, and more concentration than I'd ever given anything in my life, I finally stood over my workbench—three vials of power pills sitting there like little prizes waiting to be popped.

"Level one of 'Survival 101' complete," I muttered to myself, twirling the vials like magic potions from an RPG. The most time-consuming part? Crafting these little guys with precision. The second most time-consuming part? The fact that my stomach was now as empty as a loot chest after a boss fight.

Of course, things weren't as smooth as I'd hoped. Experimenting with Compound V had felt like attempting to play *Dark Souls* with no armor, so I pushed that idea off for now. Instead, I settled on the power pill formula, each version more potent than the last. Think of it as *Buffs 101*—three different durations depending on how much damage I was willing to take.

But before all this? I'd taken NZT-48—a neat little power-up in pill form. That thing was like a cheat code for my brain—memory and intellect on overdrive. I wasn't just making pills; I was calculating them down to the molecule. My brain was like a supercharged computer now—everything felt sharper, faster, clearer.

- The 3-hour version was the light, beginner's tier, like the first health potion in a dungeon. Safe. Mild. A walk in the park. Only side effect? Mild food cravings. It's basically a power-up with a snack bonus.

- The 5-hour version? Getting a little trickier, like hitting the mid-game boss. There's risk here, especially with compulsive cravings I might have to resist—if only my body didn't demand pizza with every thought.

- The 10-hour version? Oh boy. We're talking hard mode now. High risk, like rushing into an endgame raid without checking the stats. The good news? I could smash anything in my path. The bad news? My body might try to implode, and the side effect of near-manic cravings meant I'd be chasing down junk food like a famished gremlin.

No, none of these were permanent buffs. They were temporary, like power-ups that needed a cooldown of 7 days—probably to stop me from going full-on Super Saiyan and burning out. But when you're playing in a dimension where "survival of the fittest" is literally a game mechanic, you use whatever's in your inventory to get ahead.

I'd already tested a quicker, 10-minute version earlier. The results? Well, let's just say I felt like I could bench-press an entire stadium… if only my powers didn't require so much control. Still, I'd learned to wrap this "invisible shield" around myself, making me stronger, faster, and, well, invisible. It was like having a Spawn-style cape that didn't slow me down or a telekinetic push that didn't come with a cooldown. Actually, it's a bit like Nen from *Hunter x Hunter*.

This gave me a new idea.

I know my teammates and I are eventually going to clash for leader privileges, and Jie's not exactly the most stable guide with his existential crises and tendency to turn on people. So, for now, it's best to keep a low profile. I've already earned a bunch of points in the last mission, but I can't let anyone catch onto that.

I'll need to keep things on the down low. It's not just about surviving—it's about having an edge, and I'm thinking ahead here. I can't rely on my pills forever. There's always a limit to how much you can pop before the system catches on.

That's where training comes in. Not the kind of training where I just work out like some scrub, but *real* training. The kind that strengthens me without drawing too much attention. The kind that's more... subtle.

Enter my plan: I needed to craft a solid cover for my real power. Sure, the pills are a shortcut, but they're temporary. What I need is something that looks normal to the others. Something that gives me a long-term advantage but doesn't scream "I'm cheating the system!"

So, the plan was simple enough. Use Nen as my main ability. I could buy a beginner's Nen ability, set it up to look legit, and then "train" with it. Maybe even get someone to help me unlock it, make it seem like I'm working for it—while I was actually just using the pills to stay ahead.

And that's where Biscuit Krueger came in. The idea of training with her sounded great in theory—she's strong, she knows Nen, and she seemed like the perfect mentor. But when I summoned her? Well, let's just say things didn't quite go as planned.

I was expecting Biscuit in her true form—the muscular, buff powerhouse that could push me through the basics without making me sweat too much. You know, the type of mentor who'd give me the hard training without breaking me—kind of like Guy and Rock Lee in *Naruto*. Tough love, sure, but nothing too extreme. I'd be the eager student, and she'd be the tough but understanding teacher.

Boy, was I wrong.

What I got wasn't the powerhouse I was expecting, but more like… an amazoness with a sadistic streak.

Imagine someone with the strength to throw a truck at you, wearing a dress like it's no big deal, and using that strength to break you down at every turn. I thought I'd just go through the motions, maybe do some basic exercises, and ease my way into Nen training. But no, Biscuit wasn't having any of that. She didn't just want to train me—she wanted to *destroy me*.

At first when I told her about my plans, she wasn't interested. But then, her attitude did a 180 when I mentioned treasured gems, unique stones, and how we could bring them back from movies.

She looked me over, her eyes narrowing as a sly grin tugged at her lips. "Hm, you've got a good head on your shoulders. Strong bones, too. What do you think about coming with me? I'll teach you martial arts," she said, her voice unexpectedly smooth.

I blinked, a little thrown off. "Wait, what?"

She straightened up, a proud glint in her eye. "You're a rare one. Not everyone gets the chance to train under me."

I could tell she was serious, but the way she said it—*that* was what threw me off. She even blushed a little as if she'd just said something profound.

---

"What are you staring at?" Biscuit snapped, slapping my back so hard I almost toppled over.

"Huh? Oh—uh, nothing!" I stammered, still reeling from that strange offer. "Just trying to figure out if you're for real or not."

She chuckled darkly, leaning over to give me a look that said she wasn't kidding. "You're not getting off that easy, kid. Come on, start the push-ups. I'll make sure you can handle it."

I grunted under her weight, my arms trembling. "You're a little heavier than I expected, Master. I think I'm about to—"

"What?! Did you just say something, you little shrimp?!" Biscuit barked. "Do it right! Get back to work! You're nowhere near done."

"Ah! I said you're so LIGHT, I COULD DO THIS ALL DAY!" I gasped, squeezing out the words as I struggled to keep my arms straight.

She just stared at me, unamused. "You're either a glutton for punishment or an idiot," she muttered, but I could see a glint in her eye. The compliment, even if half-baked, seemed to have worked. "Maybe you're not as weak as you look. Keep going."

---

She paused, her gaze scrutinizing me. "That's better. But I think we need to take a break. Time for food." She patted my back as I collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air.

"Food? You—" I started to protest, but she waved me off, already turning to the stove.

"You'll need your strength. Don't want you passing out in the middle of my next lesson," she said with a smirk. "Come on, cook up something. After that, I'll let Cookie-chan help you recover, but you're not getting off easy."

I groaned but obeyed. "And when's this supposed to end, huh? You really think this is all gonna work out?"

She shot me a sideways grin as she prepared the meal. "Of course. You'll get stronger, and I'll get what I want. It's win-win for me."

I narrowed my eyes. "What exactly is it that you want, huh?"

She glanced over her shoulder at me with a playful glint in her eye. "You've got your reasons for being here, I've got mine. Now cook up something and let's keep going. I didn't bring you here to slack off." She turned back to the stove, clearly enjoying her position of power.

I sighed. Biscuit wasn't just here for some wholesome training. No, she had an agenda of her own. And it all seemed to revolve around those rare stones I mentioned earlier. It had started as a passing comment, but now I could see

she was dead serious.