Later that evening, Ethan was taking his sweet time, lying on his soon-to-be-missed bed. He was staring blankly at the ceiling.

His mind was buzzing with thoughts about the tasks he had tackled and the ones still ahead of him.

He had updated David about hiring Jordan and asked him to draft a proper offer letter and contract. On top of that, he had enrolled Jordan in a quick course on how to become a manager.

Now, with those tasks delegated, Ethan's focus shifted back to the system—what could he buy with his newly acquired Ascension Points?

Ethan sat up and opened the Shop Panel on his phone.

=====

[Shop Panel]

Available Items:

* Lower Grade Strength Potion (1 Ascension Point) (5/5)

* Lower Grade Speed Potion (1 Ascension Point) (5/5)

* Lower Grade Endurance Potion (1 Ascension Point) (3/5)

* Lower Grade Charisma Potion (1 Ascension Point) (5/5)

* Lower Grade Intelligence Potion (1 Ascension Point) (5/5)

[Locked Items – Level Up Required]

=====

'Becoming smarter sounds good, too,' he thought. 'It'll help me develop the app more efficiently.'

Ethan also believed that Charisma seemed like a good option—it might aid him in convincing people and navigating social interactions more effectively, even if he wasn't entirely sure how it worked.

Ethan moved to his desk, grabbed a notebook, and jotted down his current attributes for reference.

=====

Attributes:

Strength: 16

Speed: 16

Endurance: 16

Intelligence: 20

Charisma: 14

=====

He aimed for balanced stats, initially hoping to bring everything up to 20 points. But after calculating the limitations, he devised a more practical plan.

=====

* Lower Grade Strength Potion (1 Ascension Point) x5

* Lower Grade Speed Potion (1 Ascension Point) x5

* Lower Grade Endurance Potion (1 Ascension Point) x3

* Lower Grade Charisma Potion (1 Ascension Point) x5

* Lower Grade Intelligence Potion (1 Ascension Point) x2

=====

Satisfied with his strategy, he made the purchases through the system, and they appeared in his inventory.

The same-sized potions of 5 mL vials, each containing liquids of different colors; red, green, gray, yellow, and blue.

Initially planning to drink them one at a time, his impatience got the better of him. In one impulsive move, he uncorked each vial and gulped them down in quick succession.

The effect was immediate—and overwhelming.

A sharp, almost searing pain erupted in his muscles, quickly intensifying into excruciating waves. Ethan bit down on his blanket to stifle his groans as his body convulsed slightly, the transformation taking hold.

He could feel his muscles twitching and tightening, his body reshaping itself from the inside out.

Heat surged through his face, leaving him burning with discomfort. His clothes were already drenched in sweat. Another major thing that he noticed was the physical changes. His shirt tightened.

In reality, all of that happened in a matter of a few minutes. The pain slowly dissipated. Ethan collapsed back onto his chair, breathing heavily as his body adjusted to the changes.

Slowly, he stood up and walked to the mirror. The reflection staring back at him was unfamiliar yet undeniably his own.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

His body had become leaner, with subtle but noticeable muscle definition. His posture and face seemed naturally more confident.

Ethan leaned closer, stunned. His features appeared sharper and more defined, with an undeniable charm that hadn't been there before. His messy hair framed a face that could now easily turn heads.

"Damn it... Not to brag," he muttered, a wry grin spreading across his lips, "but I look… good."

Still, the transformation was more than just skin-deep. Ethan flexed his fingers, testing his strength and agility. His entire body felt like a finely tuned machine—powerful, responsive, and ready for action.

As he stepped back, he couldn't help but feel a mix of awe and excitement. The potions had done their job, and now he was ready to face whatever came next.

He made his way to the dining table. His parents were there, already back from work.

Ethan was grateful because after he said that he would be able to help them financially, his parents chose not to come back late anymore and spent more time with the family.

Ethan looked around, taking in every corner and detail that would soon become memories. They were going to leave this apartment soon. Elise was busy preparing dinner while Aaron was reading the evening paper.

They could just get all of the information online, but his father preferred the old way. Elise, who was busy, noticed Ethan. "Ethan, how's your day?" she asked casually.

Ethan pulled a chair and sat down at the table. His hand reached for the box of juice and poured himself a glass of orange juice. While doing so, he replied, "Good. Nothing special."

Elise smiled warmly. She then asked, "And how's the project your university gave you coming along?"

Actually, Ethan had already forgotten about that excuse. While trying his best to stay calm, Ethan replied, "So far so good. I'm actually almost done with it."

Both Aaron and Elise turned their gaze quickly to Ethan. They were surprised to hear that since they believed Ethan just started with the project.

However, their attention was caught by something. They had forgotten to continue with their questions regarding the project. Elise blinked a few times while Aaron rubbed his eyes.

Both of them leaned closer. They were just inches away from Ethan's face.

"Mom? Dad? Err... Why?"

"You look…" she started. Elise moved her hands to touch Ethan's face. Her movement was so gentle. "Ethan, have you… changed? Your face looks different somehow."

Aaron put down his newspaper and joined her. "When you put it that way... he does look… uh… different?"

He could not help but tilt his head left and right. He did that a few times.

Even though he had just seen Ethan every day for the past few days, he could not figure out what exactly had changed. "I guess all those problems distracted me. I didn't even realize that you've changed this much."

He grabbed Ethan on both shoulders. Then, with an apologetic tone, Aaron said, "Sorry about everything, son. Maybe we should spend more time as how we used to."

Elise nodded in agreement. "Me too, Ethan. We've been too wrapped up in our own routines and... problems."

Before Ethan could respond, Jacob and Lily stumbled into the kitchen, already hungry. The sight of their parents peering closely at Ethan immediately grabbed their attention.

"What's going on?" Jacob asked, rubbing his eyes. He walked over to Ethan and, after a moment, gasped. "Whoa, what happened to you, bro?"

Lily opened her eyes widely. Her gaze lingered on Ethan. "You look... different?" She did not know whether it was a statement of awe or a question directed at her older brother. "You look more... muscular?"

Jacob reached out and poked Ethan's arm experimentally, his brows shooting up. "She's right. Did you start taking supplements? Or… Wait a minute... Don't tell me you're taking steroids?" he asked.

Ethan was unsure if his little brother was serious or joking. However, he understood what this would mean for him. His parents would begin to suspect him.

Ethan waved his hands quickly to dismiss Jacob's accusation. "Please. Don't say anything stupid, Jacob," he said. Despite his best to appear calm, he could not help but laugh nervously.

He met the intense gaze of his parents, who were now looking at him with great focus.

"Don't worry. No supplements... No steroids," Ethan said firmly. "I've just been taking better care of myself." He turned to Elise. "Mom, you can check if you don't believe me."

Elise gave him a long, appraising look but eventually smiled. "Alright, alright," she said. "I believe you."

Aaron, however, narrowed his eyes. "You're sure about this, son? If you're hiding something…"

Ethan felt his chest tighten momentarily. For a fleeting moment, a thought crossed his mind. What if those potions were actually drugs? Some strange kind of illegal enhancement?

He quickly shook his head to dismiss the idea. No, the system wouldn't do that… right?

Thankfully, Lily broke the tension with her next comment. She looked at Ethan with wide, affectionate eyes and said, "I think you look more charming now. Really handsome."

Ethan felt his cheeks flush. "Well… thanks," he muttered, using the moment to shift away from the awkward conversation sparked by Jacob's comments.

Standing up, he smirked and added with a hint of teasing, "This is what happens when you have money, you know."

His family exchanged glances, their curiosity far from satisfied, but they decided to let the matter drop. Ethan relieved, grabbed his glass of water, and took a long sip, thankful to have diffused the situation.

Aaron cleared his throat, setting down his coffee cup. "Speaking of money…" he began, his tone a little hesitant. "The amount you lent us the other day, Ethan—I'll pay it back once I get my paycheck. They're giving out a bonus this month, a full month's salary."

Ethan's heart sank a little at the topic. He wished his parents wouldn't bring up financial issues in front of Jacob and Lily. They were still too young to carry such worries, and he didn't want them to feel burdened.

He quickly responded, his tone light but firm. "No need to worry about that, Dad." Then, turning to Jacob and Lily, who were now watching the conversation with wide eyes, he added reassuringly, "You two don't need to think about this stuff. I've got everything under control."

Aaron and Elise exchanged a glance, catching the subtle hint in Ethan's words. They nodded, silently agreeing to be more careful about discussing such matters in the future.

Ethan didn't elaborate further, steering the conversation back to lighter topics. They chatted a bit more about everyday things, sharing a few laughs as they were ready to have dinner together.