Year 0 Month 2 Week 3

  -Click-thwish-clunk-

  A courier stepped out of a silver car wearing a pair of gray stretchy running pants, which he had grown increasingly fond of since taking up running. All other pants had started to feel constricting. He just liked how the hoodie he wore felt and that it covered the fully healed dog bite from the previous week. Something they all had been shocked by because, supposedly, only leveling the body was supposed to heal. He knew Tim would be bombarding him with questions. Once he noticed.

  Today was more of a favor. After receiving a phone call from Tim, he found himself walking up to two scientists in an empty field, standing by their cars, waving Zephyr over.

  Smiling, Zephyr called out, “You know when a scientist asks you to meet them in the middle of nowhere? You have to wonder if you're going to become part of a gruesome experiment.”

  Jake laughed as Tim shook Zephyr’s hand, “Then what does it say about you that you came?”

  “The hope is for some super secret project that I get to be on the cutting edge of.” A bit of desperation in his voice.

  “What did you think the chances of that was?

  With a shrug, he answered, “Seventy-Thirty”

  Tim gestured to the large empty field, “How about now?”

  Zephyr took the field and the two scientists in. “Now I'm looking for the shovel you're going to hit me over the head with.”

  -Snort- “Told you it was sketchy.” Jake joined in.

  Tim rolled his eyes, “Well, if you both are done. First. I want to thank you, Zephyr, for agreeing to continue helping despite the college shutting down my research.”

  Zephyr winced; when he received the email that his participation was no longer required, he felt like he had gotten fired all over again. Or more like how a dream he didn’t realize he had was simply taken from him. It hurt, “I’m just glad you called. Ever since I got that email, I’ve been obsessively looking for some way to get back in. Not to mention, I’ve learned a lot. If my new job keeps getting customers, I’m going to need every edge I can get.” Dial it back, Zeph. You sound desperate.

  “Great!” Tim clapped his hands, getting their attention before pointing towards a large copse of trees, where the dirt road circled around. “I have a warehouse over there behind those trees.”

  Zephyr raised an eyebrow, “This is where you hit me with the shovel, isn’t it? I look and—BAM— knocked out.”

  Tim laughed, “No, seriously. I bought up the land around here.”

  Zephyr looked around at the large amount of land in surprise. “That had to have been expensive, and you already have a warehouse? How did you close so fast?”

  “I’ve had it in the works for a while and just recently closed. The warehouse was already there. Jake and I already cleared it out and set up some basic equipment to get us started.”

  “Real basic,” Jake chimed.

  “It all works, though; We got electricity and everything. It just won’t be as state of the art, and you’ll be our main subject since—” -Ehem- “—you're the only one who took my call.”

  “Oh…I am going to say that makes me feel special.” And he meant it.

  “You should be!” Tim excitedly said, pulling out a clipboard, “We can run more tests!”

  “Now? Is that why we're here? You said you needed help?”

  Tim tossed his clipboard back in his car, laughing, “Not today. We’re actually waiting.”

  “For what? You still haven’t told me.” A frustrated Jake commented.

  “Since we’re all here. I might as well explain. See, I was researching some things and learned I could get some pallets for real cheap.”

  “Pallets? Like those wooden ones that are used to carry things on trucks?”

  “Yes. And I thought I could use them to possibly build an obstacle course for testing or prototyping them at least.” Tim became a bit cagey as he rushed the final part. “And I’m going to need some help unloading and building.”

  “Weird way to ask for help moving.” Zephyr didn’t see the issue. He’d help him move some wooden pallets, then probably set up some experiments that he’d end up being the subject of.

  Tim shook his head, “It’s a lot of pallets.”

  “Ok?” Zephyr raised an eyebrow.

  “Hey, Tim.” Jake’s voice sounded concerned, “I know how much you make, and this is a lot of land.”

  “About a hundred acres.”

  Jake looked confused, “Yeah, see, that’s just it. This isn’t too far from the city and is a lot of land. How can you afford this?”

  Tim looked a little sheepish. “Well…I looked up the land around us right about a week or two after the awakening. I found this place. I even got a small cottage near the warehouse, by the way— and a warehouse where they used to store equipment. Then I called to make an offer. They were.” He looked a little ashamed. “They were ready to sell.”

  “What do you mean?” Zephyr asked, a creeping suspicion percolating in his mind.

  “The last owner was lost. After awakening, the family was ready to just get rid of it. There are a lot of places like that.” He let out a long, tired sigh, “It's a bit morbid, honestly. And I feel like I’m taking advantage.”

  There was a long silence after his frank admission. “I don’t know how to feel about that,” Zephyr said, looking to see the same expression on Jake.

  “Neither do I. But I lucked out. We closed right before I got let go.”

  “Soo—” Zephyr broke the growing silence. “When are—” His voice trailed off as he caught sight of a semi-truck filled with pallets. “That’s...a lot.”

  Jake’s jaw dropped, “Holy shit Tim!”

  A train of trucks filled to the brim with wooden pallets began driving up the property.

  Zephyr was gobsmacked. “How did you even get so many?!?”

  Tim responded with a bit of smugness, “Were you aware that some businesses will pay you to dispose of used or unneeded pallets?”

  #

  -thunk-clack-

  “Phew.” Zephyr wiped the sweat from his face, opening and closing his fingers, trying to get feeling back in them. Those sharp pallet edges were starting to get to him. If they had told me ahead of time, I could have brought some damn gloves.

  For maybe five minutes after the trucks started appearing, they tried to be organized and keep the pallets in nice little stacks. That lasted three, maybe four short stacks in; there were way too many on the trucks, and they needed everything done today.

  “Timber!” Zephyr yelled as another stack fell, joining the now numerous little hills of wood. Shaking his sweaty shirt to cool off, he took a look at the two scientists on the other truck across from him. There were pallet hills even higher than his own, and they looked barely winded, if at all. Are they even sweating?

  “How the hell aren't you two exhausted? I run all day for my job, so I'm in shape, but you guys—aren’t you scientists?” He shouted at them.

  “Doesn’t mean we don’t work out.” Jake commented, “Well, I do anyway.” As he looked over at Tim.

  “I work out.” Jake stood and gave Tim a look. “Fine, but I do go on walks.” He admitted grudgingly.

  Zephyr looked them over, “I still don't see how you guys aren’t even slowing down.”

  Jake returned to unloading when he saw Tim’s dawning realization: “I forgot for a moment that you’ve only been leveling your skill. Right?” Zephyr nodded, “And what are you at now?”

  “Eight, but what does that have to do with this?”

  “Us.” Tim pointed back and forth between himself and Jake, “We’ve leveled our bodies and are both level three.”

  Zephyr searched them to see for something different when a few things caught his eye. “Are you guys taller?” That wasn’t all; their clothes looked a little tight, like a size too small, and they were wearing stretchy workout pants.

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  “Two inches. Apparently, hitting level three, you start to gain some height.” Jake casually answered.

  “Neat, but what does that have to do with you guys being in great shape? Does it come with muscle?”

  -Snort- “Whoa!” Jake nearly laughed himself off the truck.

  Tim shook his head, “Not really—well, maybe. We aren’t sure what level three does other than height, so… maybe? But it’s level two that is probably got us in such great shape.”

  “I just thought that just filtered out foreign entities?” He had even seen some of the black gunk.

  “Expel impurities,” Jake corrected.

  Throwing up his hands in frustration, Tim answered, “Its not a Xianxia Jake!” This was an argument Zephyr had heard between the two. And He thought both sides had a point. Tim continued, “But yes, anything harmful or foreign to the body. So far, they’ve found tar, plaque —that tends to build up in people's veins, lead, plastic, kidney stones, gallstones, hell, even cancer.”

  “And metal hips, pacemakers, various medical implants.” Jake continued.

  “What?!”

  “Yes, and for some reason, I’m getting blamed.” Tim tossed a pallet hard frustrated, “People keep sending me death threats! It’s going to happen. For those who won’t be affected, it’s a boon. Do you know how much more energy, not to mention how healthier you are when all that junk is just gone? It’s insane. I have the energy of a hyperactive toddler and recover just as fast. I can even think faster!” Tim grew more excited with every word.

  Unsure what to say, Zephyr awkwardly asked, “So you really don’t know what level three is?”

  Tim seemed to deflate. “That…we aren’t sure. Whatever it is, it doesn't leave a puddle of impurities for us to collect. However, it does seem to provide promising results for people with genetic disorders and diabetes, both types. Though the research is still out. We were just touching on the level three subjects when— ” He gestured at the area around him. “The leading theory—that I have been able to scrounge, not to mention my postulation— Is it’s like a second puberty. I have noticed I get more emotional, but that could be from feeling twenty years younger.”

  Zephyr listened with horror on his face, “Please, not again.”

  “Ha!” Jake laughed, pushing another column off the truck.

  —Thunk—

  “Don’t worry you’re in our skill group. So no body leveling for you.” Tim tried to sound reassuring.

  He had never felt more relief in his life. Zephyr thought of something as they were getting close to the last truck. “Why didn’t you rent a forklift?”

  “You can rent those?”

  #

  —Bam—

  A gun fires as two men race across a field. Jake had seen all the data they’d collected; this was his first chance to do a live field test. He couldn’t keep the grin from his face as he was proven right. “I knew I was faster!” he shouted as he stood at the finish line, watching Zephyr slowly crossing after him, looking flummoxed.

  “HOW! MY SKILL IS RUNNING!” he shouted, only making Jake laugh harder.

  “It looks like my body cultivation is greater than your Chi cultivation!” He stood imperiously, “Now kowtow to my greatness!”

  “Seriously, man, It’s leveling, not cultivation,” Tim replied, shaking his head. Zephyr had heard different versions of this argument from the two over the months, and he wasn’t sure which side he was on.

  “I still think it’s closer to cultivation.” Jake stood his ground. “Think about it: first levels are a body cleansing realm.”

  “What do you think follows their rule of threes? Will a lightning bolt hit me when I get to the next realm?”

  Jake smiled, “Who knows? I was kinda hoping yes, though.”

  Zephyr had thought about it for a while and commented, “I don’t think Chi cultivation is the right analog. Maybe closer to soul cultivation if I’m remembering my Wuxia…actually, it might be closer to a cultivation technique?”

  Jake shook and looked thoughtful, “Huh. That sounds right, actually. With it being all about breathing and whatnot.”

  “But seriously thought. Your form was absolutely terrible—like a flailing child— how did you beat me?”

  “Removing all those toxins and stuff really helps with everything. Including oxygen absorption, muscle recovery, flexibility, and explosive power. And I work out, so the results are insane.”

  That gave Zephyr pause; he had definitely gotten faster but was more focused on efficiency. Annoyed at the facts, he searched for something when he caught sight of the piles of wood. A smug smile on his lips “I bet you still couldn’t catch me.”

  “Bet.”

  Zephyr was off like a shot right toward the massive pile of pallets at that one word.

  —Thunk-Thunk-Thunk—

  Zephyr could hear Jake’s heavy footfalls right behind him. Taking a risk, he looked back at Jake’s hand right about to grab him; Zephyr ducked, shifted his weight and foot placement to be just right, and did a ninety-degree turn without slowing a single step.

  Taking a quick look back, Jake was a good twenty feet behind, unable to turn as fast..

  “Careful Zephyr! Those are still really loose.” Tim warned as Zephyr reached the first hill of pallets.

  “I know!”Zephyr’s feet left the ground.

  “ZEPH!” He heard Jake’s panicked yell right behind him. Man, he is fast.

  Zephyr’s foot hit the wood. Instead of shifting or moving in any way, his foot barely seemed to touch down as he glided across the loose hill.

  —Crash—

  “Fuck!”

  Zephyr spun at the top of the pile and looked down at Jake, still extricating himself from the pallets. And Tim writing on a clipboard right next to the pile. Zephyr could only smile as he bowed, and the entire pile shifted, collapsing around him. “AHHH!!”

  It was a while later and a lot of yelling back and forth before they found themselves covered in splinters and bruises. Surrounding a small fire made of broken pallets.

  “How did you do that?” Jake pestered Zephyr for what felt like a thousandth time.

  “You both move like your feet are stupid. Mine are smart,” Zephyr taunted.

  —Snort—

  “Maybe they were too smart for me. Watching you run up that hill made my head hurt. By all rights, I should be faster, and that turn…it was like you were always going in that direction.”

  Zephyr held a drink up, “Skills the great equalizer.”

  “I guess there are more benefits to them than we thought.” Tim said thoughtfully as he was tapping on his clipboard, “Going to have to adjust our current tests to account for this.”

  “Tim. Do you just bring that with you everywhere?” It had been something Zephyr’d wondered for a while.

  “Of course.” He replied without shame.

  Jake said, “He even had a little holster he keeps it in.”

  Smiling, Tim opened his coat to show his holster. It was like a gun holster adjusted for a clipboard, “This is all so fascinating; your movement is so much more than we thought. Think about how much you’ve grown just from that. Will you be even faster once your skill levels increase? Or will there be a plateau, and we'll continue to out-pace you? Or will you move in even crazier ways?”

  “He’s off again,” Jake commented as Zephyr laughed.

  #

  The screen displayed white text on a black background:

  #

  This video includes information that has been disproven or has been found to have been harmful. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it, and help people to understand what occurred while humanity was still learning, lest we forget.

  Please note the corrections in red so that misinformation from this time is not spread.

  #

  The video cuts to Tim sitting in a tall back chair wearing a tight tweed jacket, reading glasses, and a pipe in his mouth, with a fireplace lit behind him. Calmly, he pulls out the pipe, placing it on a small table beside the chair. He turns to his audience and speaks.

  “Life. Energy. Experience. A completely new way of life yet one and the same. Thank you for joining me on this journey as we guide you through leveling. Leveling safely, that is—you heard that correctly—leveling safely. Something we have learned recently is that it can be dangerous.”

  The scene cuts to him walking through a hospital wearing a white lab coat, “Now you might be wondering what I thought made you healthier.” He stopped in front of a hospital room. “It does, but that has its own dangers. If you are squeamish, this might not be suitable for you.”

  Opening the door, an older man lay in bed; on a table next to him was some kind of wire mesh, bolts with some pink flesh, and some kind of ball-jointed metal contraption. “This is Jacob.” Jacob waved at the camera, “Thanks for doing this.”

  Smiling, “Happy to help.”

  “Now, why don’t you tell us what we’re looking at here.”

  Going from left to right, “This is like a pacemaker. It was helping regulate my heartbeat; these are from when I broke my leg, and this here is my metal hip.” He moved the blanket to the side, showing a leg locked into place and a dent in where his hip used to be. “I can’t even walk now.”

  “Wow. It’s one thing to hear about it but another seeing it.”

  “And another to feel it. It is beyond weird feeling.”

  “Can you tell us when this happened?”

  “Well, I think people are calling it leveling, and I happened to feel a build-up of pressure and let it happen. Then, before I knew it, I was lying in my living room without a hip. I was lying on the ground for about an hour before the ambulance got there. Scared the dickens out of me, I tell you.”

  “Got to know. Did it hurt?”

  Jacob looked unsure, “More weird. My hip was gone, and I couldn’t even try to stand, but it was just odd.”

  “Fascinating. And as you all can see. These are just some of the dangers. Thanks again, Jacob.”

  “Happy to help.”

  The scene cuts back to Tim back in the tall chair and in his tweed jacket, “That was just a bit of what could happen. For those who were either infirmed or older or possibly had a sort of genetic disorder that kept them bedbound, in a wheelchair, or required some type of assistance. They face different challenges. After they awaken or level—depending on the type of disability—some of you are going to feel amazing and filled with energy. Many will want to start running, jumping things you’ve never done before or haven’t done in years. This can cause muscle tearing, splintered bones, fractures, and any number of things.

  “If this is the case, you’ll need to start slowly. The body still needs time to grow and heal. You aren’t automatically healed after awakening or leveling. It helps a lot, but you must still learn how to use it without hurting yourself.

  “This is the only real issue with awakening or level one. As for level two, this is what this video was made for. Suppose you have any lifesaving internal implants or even screws from broken bones, a fake hip, or any other medical implants like our friend Jacob. It is very, very—and trust me on this— very important that you consult with your doctor because they will be pushed out of your body, leaving semi-healed areas behind. Yes, it can heal certain conditions, but others will be left with holes in bones, heart issues, and possibly no bone entirely—though this is an extremely rare case.

  “After discussing with your doctor if they recommend it's too dangerous,” Flashing red text appeared on the screen as he talked. DO NOT DO THIS. SKILLS ARE MORE DANGEROUS USE THE QUEST METHOD! “One option is to use the Skill method. Focus on your skills instead of your body. This might be a temporary measure for now, but it might save your life. There may be some additional healing as you level your skill, though this is unconfirmed.” Again, the text DO NOT DO THIS flashed. “Now, this other method will involve having a doctor on hand.” The flashing red text changed. This is the current method. Used in such situations, and has been approved and tested to be lifesaving and reliable. AGAIN DO NOT USE THE SKILL METHOD IT IS DANGEROUS!

  “Gather as many quests as you can. Wait as long as you can. We currently theorize that you can jump multiple stages with enough energy. It is unknown how many this can take, but we theorize by having a lot of crystals. You may be able to jump to level four, which would regrow anything missing and fully heal the individual.” The camera shifted to focus on an image of a Vitruvian man and a large crystal.

  “Thankfully, the body only needs energy to grow. As for skills,” The image changed to an image of a crystal plus exp equals skill leveling, “it's a bit more complicated, needing energy and experience, but this video is about keeping you safe.”

  Scene cut to Tim in his labcoat sitting on his desk, “So remember, ask your doctor about leveling up.” He laughed, “I feel like a pharmaceutical add.”

  His voice turned serious. “Side effects might include. Liking subscribing and hitting that notification bell. And don’t forget to join us for all our future content.”

  * * *