Surveying his house, Sinclair allowed himself a moment of satisfaction. The house would serve as a solid base for preparing his friends for what lay ahead and as a sanctuary for protecting his family. In essence, they were establishing a stronghold, a beachhead to brace themselves for the future challenges.

His gaze shifted to Chewy and Leia, and he asked them if they were up for a run to explore the property. The prospect of an outing immediately piqued their interest, a welcome break from the relative monotony of sitting around in the house.

Changing into his backup training clothes, Sinclair quickly gathered his laundry and started the washing machine. Once that task was out of the way, he led Chewy and Leia out the back door for a tour of the property. He opted not to equip any armor or weapons, conscious of the odd spectacle it would present to any onlookers.

As they roamed the expanse of his family's farm, Sinclair reflected on its history. The farm had once been bustling with activity when his entire family lived there. However, his parents had moved back to the city for work, and his sister relocated for medical school, leaving him as the sole occupant. Despite the changes, the farm remained a significant part of his life, now taking on a new role in this unexpected chapter.

The family land, spanning generations, was still in their possession, though they had taken a mortgage for necessary repairs, the sole reason for the financial encumbrance on the property. Over time, the farm had seen a gradual decline in activity. The livestock and most farming equipment had been sold off; farming was no longer viable financially, especially without the subsidies that larger agricultural enterprises received. Now, the nearly 100 acres of hilly terrain offered a different kind of value, providing a vast and private space for training and preparation. Sinclair chuckled to himself, anticipating the rigorous workouts he planned to put his friends through. The hills will be perfect for sprinting exercises with added weights.

As they ran, Sinclair pointed out the property's boundary markers to Chewy and Leia, indicating areas they should avoid. After about an hour of peaceful running, covering various parts of the land, he explained that they were free to explore the area they had just traversed or stay close to the house if they preferred.

Once the run was complete, Sinclair turned his attention to preparing for the arrival of his friends. There was much to do to transform the property into an effective training ground and safe haven for the challenges that lay ahead.

Sinclair busied himself in the garage, methodically moving equipment to the largest barn on the property: the only place that realistically had sufficient space for the training setup he had in mind. He effortlessly carried stacks of weights, their heft feeling insignificant in his hands. He was eager to further test his enhanced strength and had planned a series of exercises to walk his friends through, despite knowing it would be a gradual process given their lack of experience with intense physical training.

Midway through his task, his stomach interrupted with a growl, prompting him to head back, yet again, to the kitchen. The thought crossed his mind that he could hunt on his land using javelins to bring down a deer or two, especially since they were likely still in season. He had a deep freezer that could store the meat.

After making a sandwich, he heard a vehicle pulling up. Chewy and Leia, stationed on the porch, informed him it was Alice, and that she had her hands full. Quickly, Sinclair went outside to assist her, carrying some of her belongings into his office for temporary storage.

Soon after, Rose arrived, bringing not only her personal items but also a substantial amount of food from her home. The house was becoming quite packed, but Sinclair didn't mind. He had always liked the idea of a communal living space where close friends and family could reside together. He chuckled to himself, musing that it was like forming a compound, albeit without any bizarre cultish undertones. No drinking of the kool-aid here, he joked to himself, welcoming the bustling activity and company.

As Sinclair and the others busied themselves with preparations, they noted the absence of Ed, who was unexpectedly delayed. Sinclair sent a text to check on him, but there was no immediate response. The likelihood was that Ed had been caught in traffic, or perhaps behind a tractor on one of the rural roads common in the area. Just as Sinclair was about to call him, Ed's vehicle appeared in the distance, making its way down the road.

Upon arrival, Ed, noticing the concerned looks from the group, quickly sought to alleviate any worry. He gestured with his hands in a calming motion and began to explain, "Sorry, everyone. My phone must have gotten damaged when we were teleported. I didn't realize until I tried to disable my home security system and set it off instead. But, I did stop at the market and picked up a bunch of bulk items. I figured we'd be needing the extra calories pretty soon."

Sinclair greeted Ed with a grin and a friendly pat on the back, expressing gratitude for his foresight. "Thanks, everyone, for thinking ahead," he said appreciatively. "Let's get all this unloaded, and then we can really start getting into it."

"Getting into the food, or the training?" Ed responded, with a slight smile on his face.

"Yup", replied Sinclair, grinning.

Alice and Rose rolled their eyes.

The group set to work, unloading Ed's purchases and organizing their collective supplies. With everyone now present, they were ready to commence their new routine and face the challenges that awaited them.

After the grocery bags were inside, the group quickly changed into workout gear, engaging in casual conversation about their brief visits home. Sinclair then gathered everyone in the barn to begin what he termed as the 'basics' of their new training regimen.

Sinclair launched into a brief overview, tailoring his advice to the individual strengths of each friend. "Based on your stats, Alice, you're starting off with a fighter's profile. You have the potential to excel in various combat styles, particularly those requiring agility. There's also the possibility of branching into magic," he explained. "Rose, your stats lean towards intelligence, suggesting a natural inclination for magic. You could become a mage, or maybe even a hybrid class. As for you, Ed, your stats are quite balanced, leaving your path open to a variety of possibilities."

He then outlined the plan for their first training session. "We're going to start with some physical exercises to train our stats. I'll demonstrate, and we can go through a workout together. We'll take a break afterwards, then move on to another set of exercises. You'll probably be hungry by then, so we'll take a break to eat before we focus on mental and agility exercises. How does that sound to everyone?"

At Sinclair's proposal for the training regimen, his friends gave him slightly wary looks, perhaps overwhelmed by the intensity and scope of the workout plan. Sinclair couldn't help but think that they were fortunate not to have stumbled through the initial stages of adaptation as he had.

Alice, in particular, highlighted a key difference in their starting conditions. "You do realize we didn't get the same stat boosts you had initially, right? We're starting from scratch. Not everyone got a leg up with extra stats like you did, mister cheater!"

Sinclair feigned a look of mock offense. "Cheating?! I would never... okay, maybe I would if I could," he conceded with a grin. "But you really need to push yourselves. This is going to be tough. I tore my ACL the night I tried to get to you guys, and it healed in just three hours. So, injuries aren't as permanent as they used to be."

Rose suddenly burst into laughter, struck by a realization. "Medical insurance companies would have a meltdown with this system live for everyone. Hopefully that is something that goes by the wayside. It's going to be quite the spectacle otherwise. Alright, lead the way, oh mighty trainer," she said with a playful tone.

With a light-hearted atmosphere setting in, they prepared to dive into their first group training session, ready to explore and push the limits of their newfound capabilities under Sinclair's guidance.

Sinclair shared his insights on effective training methods. "I've found that full-body exercises yield better results. Think of it like CrossFit, but with heavier weights. It seems the greater the danger or effort involved, the more significant the gains."

For the next hour, Sinclair demonstrated various exercises, ensuring his friends understood the movements and techniques before letting them start the workouts he had been doing. Meanwhile, he turned his attention to a set of more challenging exercises he had planned for himself.

He began with an old grindstone that had been on the farm for ages. Surprisingly, the stone, despite being heavier than the one from his tutorial, now felt like it weighed no more than 60 or 70 pounds. He curled the stone and performed shoulder raises, but soon realized it wasn't heavy enough to challenge him.

Next, he prepared to try a more daunting task. He had fashioned a makeshift yoke using rain barrels attached to straps and chains, resembling the traditional yokes used for carrying water. Calculating the weight, he estimated that the two 55-gallon barrels filled with water would weigh around 450 pounds each. Sinclair was gearing up to attempt squats with a combined weight of roughly 945 pounds, a feat that would truly test the limits of his enhanced strength.

Sinclair had meticulously set up platforms to give himself the necessary height to squat with the barrels. Using an old trailer axle as a barbell, which was heavier than the standard but inconsequential in comparison with the enormous weight he was planning to lift, he prepared for the exercise. Unbeknownst to him, his friends had paused their workouts to observe him.

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Positioning the makeshift barbell loaded with the water-filled barrels over his shoulders, Sinclair braced himself for the immense weight. To his surprise, he managed to stand up with relative ease, although the shifting water in the barrels added an unexpected challenge to maintaining balance. He aimed for ten repetitions, and by the end of the set, he felt a tinge of disappointment. The weight was substantial, but it lacked the level of difficulty he was seeking.

Turning around, he noticed his friends' eyes fixed on him. Embarrassed by the unintended display of his strength, he rubbed the back of his head. "So, yeah, I wasn't exaggerating about the impact of stat gains," he said with a nervous chuckle, realizing the demonstration had been a bit of a revelation for them. His friends, now seemingly more motivated, began to intensify their workouts, incorporating additional exercises into their routines.

Feeling somewhat redundant due to the limitations of the available weights, Sinclair contemplated his next move. The idea of a gravity chamber, like the ones in Dragon Ball Z, floated through his mind as a potential solution to his training needs. For the time being, he decided to prepare some food, acknowledging that his current training options were insufficient for his advanced capabilities.

Sinclair walked to the house and began to prepare food and drinks for himself and his friends. Idly rummaging through his pantry, he decided to quickly check to see if the Market had become available.

Welcome to the Universal Market

Access to the Market is still being generated. Access will be completed in 2 hours and 34 minutes. Return at that time to browse wares.

Sinclair was momentarily taken aback by the notice on his menu screen, almost bumping his head in surprise. The Market was finally almost open, and he could hardly wait to start purchasing items. The gold coins he had amassed were ready to be spent. Quickly, he pulled out his phone and set an alarm for just under a minute before the Market would open. His mind buzzed with anticipation, imagining all the potential items he could acquire – formidable weapons, potent elixirs, magical suits of armor, and more, akin to the wares of a video game shop brought to life. I need a horse, so I can buy horse armor!

Balancing a tray of food and drinks, Sinclair headed out to his friends, who were just wrapping up their first round of training. They lay sprawled around, visibly exhausted, their faces flushed with exertion. Sinclair couldn't help but feel a tinge of concern; he had encouraged them to push themselves, but it seemed they had taken his advice to heart a bit too enthusiastically.

He unfolded a table he had stored in his inventory earlier and set out the food and drinks. His friends' reaction was immediate and fervent, reminiscent of piranhas in a feeding frenzy. Sinclair quickly stepped back to avoid any accidental nips in their eagerness to refuel. The group set upon the refreshments with gusto, replenishing their energy after the intense workout session.

Sinclair watched his friends' fervent eating with a hint of nervousness. "Hey, guys, the food's not going anywhere, and choking is still a possibility at this stage. Slow down a bit," he cautioned them gently. "Also, I'm curious about your stat increases. You've been training for almost two hours now."

One by one, they shared their progress, each reporting an impressive gain of over 20 points in various stats. Sinclair acknowledged their achievements with a congratulatory tone, genuinely pleased to see them adapting so well to the training.

"Great job on those stat increases," he remarked. "Once you're done eating, who's up for some mental training? I promise it's much easier on the body," His comment was a segue into the next phase of their training regimen, shifting focus from the physical to the mental, offering a different kind of challenge to the group.

The group, though visibly fatigued, showed a spark of enthusiasm for the next phase of training. Sinclair was pleased to see their eagerness, knowing all too well the addictive nature of stat training. Once the initial rush for food subsided, he directed them to their phones and introduced them to the apps he had been using for mental training. He recommended upgrading to ad-free versions to maintain focus.

Sinclair decided to experiment with combining mental and physical training for potentially greater stat gains. He set up a low balance beam using old 2x4 timbers found in the barn and asked his friends to balance on it while holding a heavy weight and engaging with the brain-training apps on their phones.

This first trial was challenging, to say the least. There was plenty of wobbling and grunting as they struggled to maintain their balance, hold the weight, and concentrate on the games. The hour passed with frequent breaks for refueling and discussing which methods seemed most effective.

Twenty minutes into the balance exercise, Alice exclaimed with a hint of surprise, "Hey, I got a balance skill!" This development seemed logical to Sinclair, given Alice's agility-focused stats, which would naturally lend themselves to such a skill.

Puzzled, Alice then raised a question about the skill descriptions. "Why do these descriptions seem so bland?"

Sinclair, who had pondered this himself, shared his observation. "From what I can tell, only the rare and higher skills have interesting descriptions. The common and uncommon ones tend to have very basic, unexciting descriptions. I guess it makes sense – it would be kind of wasteful to make a common skill sound epic."

At one point, Sinclair asked Chewy and Leia if they could assist Alice in developing stealth-based skills in the woods. He explained that successful attempts at a new skill often resulted in the system granting that skill for focused training. This approach offered a practical way to acquire new abilities and enhance their overall proficiency.

Rose was deeply engrossed in her studies, a method that seemed to be working well for her. Sinclair couldn't help but notice that she had already surpassed the level he had reached earlier. Meanwhile, he engaged in conversation with Ed, curious about his aspirations within the system.

Ed, a seasoned RPG gamer, shared his preferences. "I've always gravitated towards support roles in every RPG I've played. Druid-like characters with pets and group healing abilities were my favorite. Those builds tend to be balanced because you need to handle both combat and magic."

Sinclair, listening intently, offered his thoughts in response. "That does make sense. So, what do you think you should focus on training next? Your willpower is your lowest stat, but in my experience, that tends to increase under extreme stress and pushing past limits. Maybe you could work on agility? I've set up a sort of parkour course in the backyard. It's a makeshift setup with various obstacles to navigate. The more you practice, the better you'll get. You could even add weights to ramp up the difficulty."

His suggestion aimed to provide a practical approach for Ed to enhance his agility, a crucial attribute for someone considering a balanced role that included both combat and magic. The training course Sinclair had set up, while rudimentary, would serve as an effective tool for Ed's development.

Ed nodded in agreement with Sinclair's suggestions and then turned the focus back to him. "Yeah, I think I can handle that. But what about you? You can't let us be the only ones getting stronger out here," he queried.

Sinclair responded with a light chuckle, "I've got a plan. I'm going to try out a new skill and gather some information from it. Plus, I'm almost ready to access that Universal Market I mentioned earlier."

"Alright then, good luck. And hey, pick up something nice for me from the market, will you?"

Sinclair shot Ed a flat look and then moved to take a seat by himself. He brought up his menu once again and navigated to the skill he was interested in, reading over the description carefully as he planned his next move. His friends continued their training around him, each focused on their own goals and exercises.

New Skill: Huginn and Muninn (Legendary)

Description: Using your connection with Odin you may form queries and search through his repository for the information. Hugninn and Muninn were Odin's connection to his thoughts and memories. Through this connection you will be allowed insight into requested subjects.

Effects:

Information provided through text or visions

Cost 25% of current resources

As Sinclair mentally activated the skill, a floating box materialized in his vision. Discovering he could interact with it simply by willing his question, he eagerly prepared to seek some much-needed answers. He mentally directed his first query at the box.

Question: What do the main stats represent?

Almost instantly, Sinclair felt a significant drain as a quarter of his mana, health, and stamina were sapped away. The abrupt loss caused him to sway slightly, unprepared for the intensity of the skill's cost. He realized that while the skill was ranked legendary, and potentially very powerful, its use came with a price he had underestimated the effect of. Even with his high regenerative abilities, the depletion was a shock. Odin's warning about the skill's cost echoed in his mind, hinting at the potential danger of overuse.

After a few seconds, the response appeared as an extensive wall of text. Each stat was meticulously listed, followed by a detailed description of its definition and the various effects it could influence. The comprehensive information provided insights into the underlying mechanics of their new reality, offering Sinclair a clearer understanding of how each stat played a role in his overall abilities and potential.

Strength: The strength stat is a measure of one's physical stature. This covers things like bodily toughness, weight capacity, and damage one can do with melee attacks.

Agility: Agility is the measure of one's ability to move quickly, easily, and can be involved in mental agility as well. Some ways this will be shown is in sneaking, accuracy of attacks, or eye hand coordination.

Constitution: This can be described as vitality or how healthy one is. Constitution will affect things like hit points, resistance to diseases and/or poisons, as well as health point regeneration.

Intelligence: Intelligence represents one's ability to learn or understand new and difficult concepts or situations. This can be expressed in Magic attack skills dealing more damage, solving puzzles or riddles more easily, and the amount of mana capacity one has.

Willpower: Willpower is a measure of tenacity and personal drive. It is best measured by one's mana regeneration rate, ability to resist intimidation , or how easily one can push past one's limits to achieve difficult goals.

Endurance: Endurance represents one's ability to withstand hardships. Endurance can be seen in one's amount of stamina, stamina regeneration, and as general resistance to the natural elements.

Luck: This stat shows how fate will play into one's life. It can be seen in higher quality rewards, more frequent rare spawns, and the chance to mysteriously find hidden items.

Sinclair processed the extensive information provided by his first query and noted that the response had an option to collapse the wall of text for later review. Intrigued, and deciding to pose one more question, he navigated back to the question field, glancing at the clock before proceeding.

Question: What are the Myrkr?

Braced for another mana drain, Sinclair was taken aback by the nature of the response. Instead of text, his vision was enveloped in a black shroud, plunging him into darkness. Gradually, two pinpoints of light appeared, rushing towards him before snapping into place over his eyes. It dawned on him that he was experiencing a vision through the eyes of another entity.

As he tried to look around, he realized he was soaring high above, flying. The sight of long, black wings extending from either side revealed he was in the body of a bird. He circled above a battlefield, repeatedly gliding over a specific figure amidst the chaos below.

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