Cade woke early in his newly rented apartment.

The space wasn’t much, but it served his needs. Buying it was out of the question—his funds weren’t nearly sufficient—but the rent was manageable. After a quick shower and a simple breakfast, he stood before the full-length mirror in his room. His lean, chiseled physique reflected him. Not overly muscular, but defined. He tied his hair back, catching the glint of his emerald eyes in the mirror.

“This world may be dangerous,” he muttered, flexing his arms, “but this young body is brimming with energy.”

Shaking off his musings, he turned from the mirror. “Enough of that. Time to get to work.” His voice carried a quiet excitement. He descended the stairs to the basement, carefully closing the hatch behind him. The cellar was why he had chosen this apartment. Privacy was a luxury he couldn’t forgo.

The room was sparsely furnished. Its only notable features were a collection of old furniture pushed into a corner and a worktable near the center. On the table lay a variety of medical supplies—an EpiPen, scissors, scalpels, bandages—all meticulously arranged for his planned experiment. Cade seated himself, reaching for the object central to his ability: the Rubik's Cube.

He turned the cube in his hands. “Genetic Codex Extraction,” he whispered, his eyes narrowing. The cube was unpredictable, its configuration resetting after every use, requiring him to solve it anew. With practiced ease, Cade solved the puzzle, activating the ability. A faint shimmer appeared, and a one-foot-long snake materialized, coiling tightly around his arm.

“Miss me, buddy?” Cade smiled faintly. “Cute. But let’s get to business.”

He held his arm steady as he commanded, “Inject me with the cheetah muscle trait.”

The snake struck swiftly, its fangs piercing his forearm. A hot, red liquid coursed through his veins. Cade felt the sting but remained motionless. The snake retracted its fangs, and the puncture wounds sealed instantly. He caressed the creature’s smooth scales. “We’ll call it Bio Serum. Do you like that? Good. Now, let’s wait.”

Minutes ticked by. At the five-minute mark, Cade grunted as a sharp pain rippled through his body. His forearm muscles swelled visibly, and his biceps and triceps grew. His shirt strained against his expanding frame until he finally removed it. Standing up suddenly he kicked the chair away. Bare-chested, he examined his body, now rippling with muscle larger and denser than before. Power coursed through him, surging in waves.

“Testing time.” His voice was tinged with a mix of excitement and control.

He moved to one end of the basement. Cade took a deep breath and sprinted to the opposite wall without using Nen. Touching the far wall, he pivoted and ran back. His breathing remained steady.

“I could do this all day,” he said, grinning. The stamina boost was undeniable, and his speed rivaled his Nen-enhanced capabilities. Testing further, he activated Ryo, focusing 30% of his aura on each leg while distributing the remainder across his body. This time, as he ran, the sheer force of his movements cracked the concrete floor beneath him. He completed a lap and stopped, laughing uncontrollably as adrenaline overtook him.

Looking at the snake coiled on his arm, he exclaimed, “Incredible, buddy. This ability might as well make me an Enhancer. A powerful one at that.”

After catching his breath, Cade spoke again. “How long will this last?” The snake responded telepathically, a feature unlocked under the condition that it maintained physical contact with him.

“Six hours, huh? Not bad. I can work with that.” Most fights wouldn’t stretch that long. “Let’s move on to the tiger serum. You’ve prepared it, right?”

The snake nodded before biting into his arm once more.

Ten minutes later, Cade noticed no immediate changes. He concentrated briefly, and his nails extended into sharp bone-like claws. A sharp pain accompanied the transformation, but it was tolerable. Examining the claws, he tested their sharpness on the wooden table, dragging them across its surface. The deep gouges they left confirmed their lethality.

“Wolverine? No. Sabretooth suits me better,” he mused aloud, his claws gleaming under the dim light.

He turned to the concrete wall for a real test. Coating his right hand with 100% aura using Ko, he swiped at the wall. The claws tore through the solid concrete effortlessly, sending chunks scattering across the cellar floor. Cade stepped back, impressed. Retracting the claws, he returned back, picked up his chair, and sat down.

“Next, inject me with the Xilara serum,” he ordered.

The snake complied, and Cade waited. Minutes passed without any noticeable changes. He picked up a sterile scalpel from the table and made a shallow cut on his palm. Blood welled up briefly before the wound closed, sealing flawlessly within seconds.

Cade picked up a scalpel and carefully pressed it against his forearm, slicing just above a prominent vein. The blade bit into his skin, leaving a clean, deliberate cut. Blood welled up, trickling out in a thin stream. After a moment, the flow slowed and stopped entirely as the wound knitted itself back together. He examined his arm, noting the way the skin seamlessly reconnected.

"These mutations are performing exactly as I imagined," He said to himself., his voice steady but edged with intrigue.

"No... better than I imagined. This regeneration is leagues above the rest. But....there must be a cost." He tapped his fingers against the counter thoughtfully. "Perhaps I should hold off on testing other abilities until these effects wear off." His cautious nature wouldn’t allow recklessness, even with his growing excitement.

Hours passed, the silence grating on his nerves. Cade couldn't wait any longer. Restlessness compelled him to move, and soon he found himself training in the middle of the cellar.

"Swish!" His leg cut through the air as he executed a powerful roundhouse kick. He followed with rapid punches, each strike feeling unnaturally precise and forceful. Every motion seemed amplified, his body responding with power he hadn't experienced before.

His enhanced strength exhilarated him— this went on for hours —until he felt it.

A dull ache radiated through his muscles, spreading like wildfire. His bulkier frame slimmed down, his enhanced features retreating as quickly as they had come. The claws that had emerged during the mutation retracted completely.

Then it hit him—a ravenous, all-consuming hunger. Cade doubled over, clutching his stomach. The sensation grew unbearable, driving him into a frenzy. He bolted upstairs, moving faster than he'd thought possible, and reached the kitchen in seconds.

Ripping the fridge door open, he grabbed a gallon of milk and downed it in a single breathless motion. It wasn't enough. He emptied another, then another, until three gallons were gone. Finally, the hunger subsided, leaving him standing there, panting and drained.

"Huuh," Cade exhaled, his chest heaving as he regained his composure. "So that's it... intense hunger. It was driving me mad." He leaned against the counter, wiping the sweat from his brow.

His mind raced as he pieced it together. "It must be the energy expenditure. The more mutations I introduce, the greater the energy demand. And with that demand comes... this insatiable hunger."

He straightened up, his expression thoughtful but resolute. It was a reasonable conclusion, but after today, Cade knew one thing for certain—next time he would need to proceed carefully