[Tr][P]aining

"Fucking finally," I said. "I have enough."

It had been about 6 months since I started my investment journey. It was full of ups and downs, including that one time when I almost lost all of my money, but I made it.

2 million UC! Originally, my goal was 1.5 million, but then I remembered that I'd be broke after, and that's not ideal. So, I worked my way up from there. The last half a million was the most tedious, even more so than the beginning.

'Honestly, this was so easy. Why don't more people do this?' I thought. 'Then again, it is pretty much just luck-based.'

'Wait... Alexander doesn't exist, and I've taken his place, so do I have plot armor now?'

'Nah, this is the real world. Who am I kidding?'

'Anyway, my next stop is the closest shop. I've got to get an Element Crystal and an Unlock Crystal.'

If my goal was the strongest, that was step 1. Only once I had the power of an element under my control could I say that I was at the starting line.

I got out of my bed, fixed myself up, and left the hotel. The streets were silent and the sky was filled with the hues of morning twilight; the vibrant dark blues and purples of the night mixed with the soft oranges, pinks, and light blues of dawn.

The walk was long, and the serenity of the city full of skyscrapers was well-needed. Even though it had all gone well, and I could see that, there was always that little bit of doubt at the back of my mind, gnawing away at the peace I felt.

'Thank god it worked.'

I arrived a couple of hours later at my destination. The only Element shop in Neon. It just happened to be located on the other side of the city, which was a hassle, but I was thankful for it.

Tring!

I opened the door and a bell rang, signaling to the store owner my arrival. I looked around the room, taking note of its design.

It was wooden, in a similar manner to 'The Supria's Light', that it was metal, and on my left and right were large cases that held many shining crystals. They were placed inside individual glass cases that made up a wall, held together by a metal frame.

In front of me was a wooden receptionist's desk, and a few seconds later, the man appeared from behind a curtain.

He was old, with white hair framing the back and sides of his head, but not the top. He wore glasses on his face, ones with thin metal frames, and they held fake lenses. In this day and age, everyone either was born with perfect eyesight or had their eyesight fixed at birth, on a genetic level. Alexander also dealt with this man, so I knew that he was born here, hence I knew the glasses were cosmetic.

This man was going to be very important to me.

"Hello. How can I help you, fine young gentleman?" He asked.

"Hello, I'm here to buy crystals."

"Oh, how many would you like?"

"I'd like 1 Element and 1 Unlock crystal, please. It's my first unlock." I informed him with a smile on my face.

"Oh? Well then," The man grabbed something from under the desk, "I'll have to test that."

What he pulled out was an orb. Rather cliché, I agree, but it was whatever. 

"Please, place your hand on it." He requested.

I obliged, following his instruction.

FWOOM!

The orb reacted to my touch, but nothing happened. We waited 5 seconds, and still, nothing happened.

"Well then, that confirms it. 1 Element Crystal and 1 Unlock Crystal will cost you 1.5 million UC." The man walked from around the counter, heading first to the left wall where he unlocked one of the cages and picked up a crystal.

'The Element Crystal.' The crystal shone different colors, red at one point, blue or green at another. It was fascinating, actually, for it could glow any color in existence, even ones you couldn't see.

He then went to the other wall, collecting a smaller crystal that shone a dull grey.

'The Unlock Crystal.'

He went back to the counter, facing me, and spoke.

"Now, let me give you some advice. When handling these, do not drop them. Do not let anyone see them. Is that understood?"

"Of course, sir." I replied.

"Good. What's your name, boy?" He asked as he rang up the bill.

"It's Arthur. You?" 

"Call me Liam, son." He said as he stuck his hand out.

I swiftly sent him the money, and he then smiled, handing me a bag with the crystals inside.

"Thank you, Liam. I'll come back in a year or two." 

"Of course you will." 

I chuckled at his answer and left.

Tring!

The bell rang again, signaling the end of my visit.

I walked through the streets a second time, making one quick stop, before arriving at the hotel.

---

"Whoooh." I breathed out deeply, preparing to injure myself.

Other than the first day on Averia, where I integrated the bracelet with myself, I had not done the pain training I promised myself that I would. 

So, I bought a dagger and some healing potions. What could go wrong when self-mutilating, right?

I was sat on the floor of my hotel room, staring daggers at the dagger.

'You got this.'

I picked up the dagger, my hands quivering and drew it close to my abdomen. I wasn't sure where would be a good location to train myself, but the abdomen seemed a good place to start.

I looked at my trembling hands, shaking enough to mix water and oil, and then took many deep breaths to calm them.

After a few dozen, I deemed my hands steady enough to begin. I plunged the dagger into my abdomen and then pulled it across it.

"AAARGH!" 

'Fuck that hurts! Fuck, fuck, fuck!' I cried inside my mind and felt tears flow from my eyes. I reached for the potion and threw off the lid, gulping it down. It was a thick, blood-red liquid that tasted sickly sweet, and I almost choked on it, but I kept it down.

I reached for my stomach, feeling the blood and guts that had leaked from the cut. I knew the potion would take a few minutes for the potion to take effect, as it was only a low-level one, so I had time.

I grabbed the knife, pulled it out, and then scooped my leaking guts back into my stomach, holding it in place. I ignored the blood that dripped from the wound, knowing that the potion would help create new blood, and took a look around the room as I waited for the potion to kick in.

There was blood everywhere. In a 3-meter radius, the floor was dyed dark red. My arm looked invisible covered by all the blood that it was.

'Fuck.' Due to the mix of the potion and adrenaline that had come into effect a few seconds after the wound, I could no longer feel the pain. However, seeing the injury created phantom pain, so I had to look away.

I lay on the floor for a few seconds more, and then the potion kicked in.

"ARGHHH!" I cried.

The pain came back, and I felt my body thread itself back together. It started from the inside, the flesh growing, so I readjusted myself, pushing my intestines deeper. The flesh grew around the flesh and after, the skin grew. No scar or anything.

The final step was the bracelet's activation. There was no guarantee that the flesh grew properly, or if the intestines had been placed back in their original position, and there was a lump in my stomach as if to prove that. What the bracelet would do was fix that, by putting everything back in place. I felt my stomach wriggle around, and I could see it too. It looked like worms in the ground.

"Ahh, it's done." I breathed a sigh of relief as I looked at my fixed stomach. 'Now to do this several more times all over my body.'

---

"Kill me now." I said shakily. I had injured myself in more than 14 other places, and healed all of the injuries.

'Urgh, it's done.' Throughout the process, I had to take several breaks. Injuring yourself is not as easy as it seems, as it takes a massive amount of mental power. Not only that, but the physical strain of doing that was burdenful.

During the process, I doubted myself several times. Thoughts asking myself why I was doing this pervaded my mind, thoughts of asking if it was worth it. I had only recently decided that I would fully commit to the journey to the top.

However, none of that mattered anymore. I was done mutilating myself and my pain tolerance was much higher. It's rather shocking how much it improved just by severely injuring yourself 15 times.

'I've got a screw loose, I think.'

'Now, just a short break.' I thought as I fell into a deep slumber.