Breakfast was calm, despite the awkward moment earlier.
I sat across from Alexis, Camille, and Sienna, eating in relative peace. The quiet hum of the kitchen, the clinking of utensils—it was all so normal.
Until Camille spoke.
"So, Alexis," she said casually, resting her chin on her hand. "How far did you go with Reynard?"
Sienna choked on her food.
I sighed.
Alexis, completely unfazed, wiped her mouth with a napkin and nodded. "Oh, I got pretty far."
Sienna coughed violently, trying to clear her throat as I reached over and patted her back. "Don't die," I muttered.
Alexis, meanwhile, kept talking like nothing was wrong. "His muscle density is different from what I'd expect. It's as if his body has adapted beyond standard human limits. His skeletal structure is also a bit—"
"Not now," I interrupted, exasperated. "At least wait until after breakfast to turn me into a research subject."
Alexis gave an innocent shrug, while Camille smirked behind her cup of coffee.
Sienna, finally regaining composure, shot Camille a glare. "You're terrible."
"I know." Camille grinned.
I sighed again and focused on finishing my food before this conversation got worse.
After breakfast, I excused myself and headed to my office.
As soon as I closed the door behind me, I knew.
They definitely resumed that conversation the second I left.
I could already hear Camille's teasing voice through the walls. Alexis was probably going into full scientist mode, and Sienna—well, she was likely trying to hold back her embarrassment.
I shook my head and leaned back against the door, exhaling slowly.
My office was… empty.
Not literally, but compared to Camille's or Alexis', it felt bare.
A simple desk. A bookshelf. A couple of chairs. A table.
Functional. Nothing unnecessary.
I sat down, letting myself sink into the chair. My body relaxed almost immediately, practically melting into the seat.
But my mind was still running.
I never got to see the test results. Alexis would tell me soon, but for now, I had nothing to do but think.
And my thoughts kept circling back to one thing.
Skills.
The system.
And the fact that it didn't work the way it was supposed to.
By all logic, you couldn't just punch and kick your way into becoming superhuman. You needed a job. A specialization. Training under the system's framework.
But Mark and I were different.
So… what's stopping me from doing exactly that?
The answer came instantly.
Nothing.
I sat up straight, my exhaustion vanishing in an instant.
If I could brute-force a skill into existence… then I needed to try.
I had never fully explored the house.
It had multiple floors, more space than me and the girls had ever really needed. But now, I had a goal.
It didn't take long to find what I was looking for.
A gym.
Of course, there was one.
Treadmills, weights, resistance machines, and—most importantly—a punching bag.
I walked up to it and opened my system's database searching for a video on boxing technique. A short clip played, demonstrating the proper mechanics of a jab.
I studied it carefully.
Then, I raised my fist and threw my first punch.
The impact echoed through the gym.
I didn't feel anything change.
Of course not.
Skills didn't appear from one punch.
So I kept going.
Jab.
Jab.
Jab.
Over and over, I repeated the motion.
It didn't matter if it felt unnatural. It didn't matter if I wasn't getting results yet.
I just had to keep going.
Minutes passed. Maybe an hour.
My skills—Endurance Boost, Muscle Optimization, Muscle Reinforcement—kept me moving.
I didn't get tired.
But each punch had flaws.
Too slow. Wrong angle. Not enough power.
I adjusted.
Jab.
Jab.
Jab.
The bag shuddered with each strike. My knuckles ached from the repeated impact, but I ignored it.
Then, finally—
One punch landed perfectly.
My whole body aligned in that instant. The movement was right. Efficient. Explosive.
It wasn't on the same level as something like a hook. I would've likely punch a hole through the bag, but it was around the same level as when I landed the liver shot on the shadow when my skills weren't there.
The vibrations traveled through my arm, down to my core.
And then—
A chime.
A notification appeared in my system interface.
—SYSTEM INTERFACE—
New Skill Acquired: [Jab] (Lv. 1)
I exhaled sharply, staring at the message.
It worked.
I had just created a skill.
I just broke the system.