It'll be different [Bonus]

Arriving at a large door in the library, Scarlett opened it and said to Alex, "We're going to conduct the test in this room."

"I don't remember this room. How long has it been here?" Alex asked.

"It's been here for a little while. I wanted to test something but didn't want to do it in my room, so I had it constructed. It's mainly used for experiments that might be destructive," Scarlett explained.

"I see," Alex began to respond but then remembered the purpose of his visit.

"Um... I don't think it's possible to test the artifact today," he said.

"Come again?" Scarlett inquired.

Alex sighed and then replied, "The reason I came to see you is to ask you to join the family dinner today."

"No, thank you," Scarlett responded without much consideration.

Knowing Scarlett's stubborn nature and that she would likely continue to refuse if the conversation continued this way, he decided it was time to use his secret weapon to persuade her.

"I promise to buy you anything you want for your experiments if you participate," Alex said, rubbing his hands together like a sleazy merchant.

While Lilia thought Alex was succeeding in convincing Scarlett by using some sort of authority, the truth was that Alex spent his time buying her things to convince her!

"Hmm... I don't need anything right now, so no thanks," Scarlett replied, before adding, "The only thing I want to see is the impact of the artifact on your strength. So, the only thing that could convince me to participate is if you agree."

"Nothing else?" Alex asked.

"Nothing else," Scarlett confirmed.

Alex took a moment to think about the situation. The guests would start arriving in a few hours, so he didn't have much time for the test. He proposed a counteroffer.

"Okay, for the test, but we'll only test my physical strength. The rest of the tests can be done after dinner," he suggested.

Scarlett pondered his proposal for a moment before replying, "Deal."

With an agreement in place, Alex and Scarlett entered the room Scarlett had designated for testing.

Inside the room, there was nothing present—just a vast, white space.

"How am I supposed to test my strength?" Alex asked.

"One moment," Scarlett replied.

She walked toward a sort of switch and pressed it. Immediately after she pressed it, compartments in the floor opened, and various devices emerged. Alex had no idea what most of these devices were for.

He was like a child in a zoo, looking from one device to another, trying to figure out their purposes.

"Come here," Scarlett said, gesturing for Alex to approach one of the devices.

Alex walked up to the device, and Scarlett explained, "We'll measure your strength first before you increase it, so we can evaluate how much it has improved."

"Okay," Alex replied, examining the device that would be used to measure his strength. The device wasn't very sophisticated; it consisted of a punching bag connected to a screen that was likely there to measure the force of the punches.

Without Scarlett having to tell him what to do, Alex got into position and delivered the most powerful punch he could muster.

BAM!

The punching bag shook for a moment before coming to a stop. Together, Alex and Scarlett looked at the number displayed on the screen.

100.

That's what the screen connected to the punching bag showed.

"Not bad for someone..." Scarlett started to say, then stopped abruptly and looked at Alex.

He reassured her, saying, "Don't worry."

What she was going to say was, "Not bad for someone normal," but she held back, recalling Alex's circumstances.

In this world, there were various power levels that differentiated people. Depending on one's talent, they could be among the strongest or the weakest.

Like all others, as a child, Alex was excited when they evaluated his talent level. Since his father was one of the most powerful people in the entire empire, he expected to have an extraordinary talent as well.

Unfortunately, his talent was not high; in fact, it was literally trash, to the point where he likely would never have surpassed level 1 even with a lifetime of training.

However, being a duke, his father sought ways to ensure his son could gain power as well.

After extensive research, the only thing his father found was a kind of elixir that could increase his power level. But, as previously mentioned, there was no elixir or method capable of increasing one strength without a corresponding cost.

The cost, in Alex's case, was sacrificing the little talent he had in exchange for physical abilities comparable to those of a level 2.

That's why Scarlett stopped herself, remembering that he was not someone normal but rather someone who had sacrificed his talent for a chance at the strength he now possessed.

'But this time, it'll be different,' he thought while summoning the system.