Chapter 98: Power Ranking (Part 1)"Mr. Adyr, is there a problem?" Dr. Eliot asked tensely as Adyr stepped out of the capsule. It had barely been ten minutes since he’d logged into the game, and now he was already back.

    Adyr’s routine was well-known by now. He usually arrived early in the morning, stayed in the other world until evening, then left without overextending his playtime. Today’s disruption clearly unsettled the doctor.

    "No, don’t worry. Everything’s fine. I just have some other things to take care of," Adyr replied, offering no further explanation as he left the playroom and walked straight to the elevator.

    The doors opened into a wide room. The carpet beneath his feet near the entrance was a soft, matte black, but further in, the flooring gave way to rough, grain-textured surfaces.

    The entire space was filled with training equipment, some familiar, others new, but easily understood with a quick glance. Every device had a purpose.

    This was one of the three designated training floors: the physical training section.

    But Adyr hadn’t come here to train. Without breaking stride, he moved past the equipment, only glancing at a few players busy with the machines.

    From what he observed, this area was mostly used by those without the [Physique] stat—players who still needed to build their strength through conventional means. Someone like Adyr had no such need. His physical power could be enhanced directly through energy, rendering all this equipment meaningless to him.

    At the center of the room hung a massive screen suspended from the ceiling. He gave it a glance. At the top, in bold lettering, it read: Power Ranking. Beneath it, a list of names was displayed alongside numbers.

    At the very top—Rank 1—was Victor’s alias: MasterBates, with a score of 135.

    Below him, at Rank 2, was Selina White, listed under her real name with 119 points.

    Rank 3 caught his attention: VelvetFox, 108 points.

    Adyr spent a moment considering the nickname, mentally reviewing the players he’d encountered who were capable of reaching the top three, matching their personalities, behavior, and profiles against it.

    Velvet... it stands for something. Not just flair—elegance. Controlled. Intentional.

    Fox... not just clever. Calculated. Arrogance masked as charm.

    VelvetFox. The name reeks of status. A curated identity. Someone who wants to be seen on their terms, above others.

    He didn’t need long. Only one person fit the profile. Someone he’d met not long ago.

    Dalin Ravencourt.

    As expected, she is strong and capable. Adyr watched the ranking, the thought passing through his mind without surprise.

    The next name, however, would come as a surprise to many, though it only drew a knowing smile from him.

    Rank 4: Eren, listed under his real name, with 98 points.

    After reviewing the rest of the names and mentally recording each one in his mental palace, Adyr continued onward.

    Near the end of the floor, the training equipment gave way to large enclosed rooms—these were the real reason he’d come here. Unlike the rest of the facility, these chambers weren’t for training. They were built to measure physical capability, assigning official Power Rankings based on performance.

    Adyr’s goal was simple: to make a statement. It was time to step onto the stage.

    As he approached the testing area, a young but solidly built man stepped forward. He looked like a bodybuilder at first glance, but there was something off—he wore the white coat of the research department, which hung awkwardly over his broad frame.

    "Mr. Adyr, right?" The man asked, his dark brown eyes blinking in surprise.

    Recognizing Adyr was no shock. By now, his name had already spread through every research branch.

    "Yeah. I’d like to take a power test. Is it available?" Adyr asked calmly.

    "So now it’s our turn to benefit, huh?" The man said, holding back a laugh, clearly trying not to reveal how excited he was. "You can call me Corven. We’ve been expecting you. Please, follow me."

    He spoke humbly, but his eagerness showed. He clearly wanted to get started as soon as possible.

    As they walked, Adyr noticed Corven’s barely contained energy and decided to probe with a few questions. Though he already guessed most of the answers, it helped him refine his mental profile of the players.

    According to Corven, Adyr was the first to evolve, and as someone who owns all four stats, his daily biometric scans showed progress far ahead of the rest.

    Corven also mentioned three others who had evolved. He didn’t name them, but Adyr had a good idea who they were and didn’t push further.

    Given that context, Corven’s excitement made sense. The researchers had been waiting ever since they learned of Adyr’s evolution, hoping to witness firsthand how his body had changed.

    After a short walk, they arrived at a large doorway. Corven scanned his face at the panel, and the doors opened into a vast, empty room.

    The floor was covered in a gleaming white material—dense, seamless, and unidentifiable by touch alone. The walls, in contrast, had a slightly softer, more elastic texture. One side of the chamber was a full observation window, and behind it was a lab filled with monitoring equipment.

    "This room is designed to measure your body’s overall resilience. We’ll expose you to various stress factors—cold, heat, gravity shifts, and controlled toxins," Corven said.

    He quickly added, "And by toxins, I mean harmless agents—like sleep gas. Nothing that will cause permanent damage. We’ll gradually increase intensity to gauge your resistance."

    "Okay," Adyr replied casually.

    In truth, the room and its tech had piqued his interest. The gravity simulation, especially, was something he wanted to experience.

    "Perfect. Please wait here for a moment. I’ll be on the other side of the glass with a few colleagues. We’ll monitor the procedure from there," Corven said, then quickly stepped out, sealing the door behind him.

    Adyr turned his gaze toward the glass wall. Within seconds, Corven rushed into the observation room with several others. Their expressions were lit with anticipation, like nerds racing home to read the newest Chapter of their favorite novel.

    Corven paced the room for a moment before leaning into the microphone. "Mr. Adyr, if you are ready, we will start the procedure."

    "Yeah, I’m ready," Adyr replied.

    "Perfect. We will begin with the heat test," Corven said, pressing a series of buttons. "You should start feeling the temperature rise."

    Right on cue, Adyr felt the heat building around him, rising quickly but still within tolerable levels.

    "Temperature is at 40 degrees. Are you experiencing any discomfort?" Corven’s voice returned through the speakers.

    "No," Adyr answered casually.

    "Good. I’ll keep increasing the levels. Just let us know if anything feels off—we’re monitoring your vitals from here," Corven said briskly. "Now raising it to 60 degrees."

    The change was noticeable, but for Adyr, it was no different from walking under a harsh summer sun.

    "70 degrees."

    "80."

    "100."

    ...

    "130," Corven announced. His voice had shifted slightly, his eyes fixed on both Adyr and the monitor in front of him. He was clearly expecting a reaction. But everything remained perfectly stable. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    At this level, a human’s body fluids would have already begun to evaporate. Even most saunas didn’t exceed 100 degrees.

    "I’m increasing it to 140 now," Corven added, swallowing hard.

    This was the temperature at which an ordinary person would begin to cook. Even second-generation mutants usually showed signs of severe discomfort by now. Yet Adyr only appeared lightly sweat-dampened. No visible signs of strain. No abnormal fluctuations in his vitals.

    "Now raising it to 160," Corven said, his eyes narrowing on the readings. "Mr. Adyr, this is the temperature we use to sauté vegetables."

    He chuckled.

    "Well, looks like I’m a little tougher than a vegetable," Adyr replied with a dry smile. The heat pressed against his skin like an open furnace, but aside from a dry throat and increased perspiration, there was no real danger. Not yet.

    "Okay then, we’re going to 180. For the record, this is what I use to cook a well-done steak," Corven said, trying to lift the mood. But neither he nor the other researchers seemed able to hide their disbelief.

    By this point, Adyr had already surpassed all known tolerance records. Even players who began the game as mutants with [Resilience] as their main stat had only endured up to 150 degrees—and even then, only for a few minutes before shutting down.

    "Well, I like my meat rare. But go on," Adyr said with a quiet chuckle.

    He was beginning to feel it now. Discomfort had started to settle in, not sharp, but persistent, creeping. Still, he was curious about his limit.

    At 180 degrees, his skin began to flush red. Sweat no longer formed. It evaporated the moment it emerged, vanishing before it could drip.

    But it was still bearable.

    "Mr. Adyr..." Corven hesitated. "Now raising to 220."

    This was different.

    Adyr could feel the burn setting in now. His breathing remained steady, but the dryness in his throat had become painful. His eyes stung. The air felt thin. Oxygen was present, but his body didn’t seem to absorb it as easily.

    I can endure this for a few minutes, but beyond that... it’ll get difficult. He ran a quick internal check. His muscles were losing energy. The drain was subtle but real.

    "Mr. Adyr, I’m lowering the temperature gradually now," Corven said, finally noting the shift.

    That alone was enough to leave the observers in stunned silence.

    "We will begin the cold test in five minutes, once the temperature returns to normal," he added.

    Stacking cold stress over extreme heat would trigger shock reactions in most subjects—another layer of strain. But that was the point.