CHAPTER 37: MOLECULAR ENHANCEMENT NANNITES

[Congratulations, Host. You received 0.02% shares of JP Morgan.]

[You received 5 stat points]

***

Liam’s eyes flickered open at the sound of the system’s familiar chime, and the text appeared before him in neat, glowing blue. He stared for a moment, letting the words sink in before a slow smile spread across his face.

"More of JP Morgan shares?" he muttered under his breath, voice still hoarse from sleep. "What are you trying to do, System... slowly buy me a seat on the board?"

It was almost suspicious now. This was the third time in a row he had received the same percentage of JP Morgan’s shares. Once might have been a coincidence, twice could have been luck — but three times? That was a pattern. And the implications...

His mind raced. At the bank’s current market cap, this new 0.02% meant another $320 million to his name. That brought his total stake to 0.06% — worth nearly $1 billion just in JP Morgan equity alone. Add in his other assets — Bellemere Mansion, the fleet of luxury cars, the yacht Mia, the Sikorsky helicopter — and his total net worth had officially crossed the billionaire threshold.

He was eighteen.

The number made him pause. For years, the idea of having a thousand dollars in savings had felt like a fantasy. Now, he could casually drop millions and still be richer than almost anyone he’d ever met.

Then his attention shifted to the second reward: 5 Attribute Points.

That, to him, was just as valuable. Attribute points meant direct, tangible improvement to his body and mind — and with his upcoming Molecular Enhancement Nanites purchase, those points could push him far beyond the human limit.

Yes, he’d made up his mind last night. He was going through with it. He’d use the nanites, then immediately follow up with the Omni-Science Foundation Package.

He got out of bed, took a hot shower, and dressed in comfortable clothes. When he came downstairs, the scent of sizzling eggs and freshly baked bread drifted in from the kitchen. The maids were already at work.

"Good morning, Mr. Liam," Evelyn greeted with a polite bow.

"Morning," he replied with a faint smile.

Breakfast would take a few more minutes, so while he waited, Liam pulled out his phone and quickly handled something he’d promised yesterday — the payments to his yacht’s chief sailor and his helicopter’s flight captain. $500,000 each, wired instantly. A gesture of goodwill, but also a message: Work for me, and you’ll be taken care of.

He considered taking the helicopter out today, maybe even flying to Mia and taking her out for a cruise. But after a moment, he shook his head. No. That could wait until tomorrow — after the enhancement.

He wanted to go through the process today, give himself a full day to adapt to the changes, then enjoy the yacht trip as a new man.

***

Breakfast was light but satisfying — scrambled eggs with chives, smoked salmon on rye toast, fresh orange juice.

When he finished, Liam pushed his plate aside, thanked Evelyn, and went upstairs. His expression had shifted into one of quiet focus.

He locked the bedroom door.

"System," he said calmly. "Exchange $10 million for 1,000 SP."

[Transaction complete.]

[-$10,000,000 USD]

A faint ache hit his chest as he saw his bank balance drop, but the feeling passed quickly. Money was a tool. This purchase wasn’t an expense — it was an investment.

The System Store interface appeared with a thought. He navigated to the Enhancements category, his finger hovering over the item he’d been eyeing since yesterday.

[Molecular Enhancement Nanites – Cost: 1,000 SP]

Before he bought it, he asked, System, anything I need to know before I take this?

[Host will need a bathtub of cold water. Expect extreme pain — bone shearing, nerve burning. The process will take 24 hours to complete.]

Liam’s eyes narrowed slightly. That bad?

[Pain will be beyond anything the Host has experienced. Prepare accordingly.]

"Noted," he muttered.

He went to the en suite bathroom and turned on the cold tap, letting water thunder into the massive marble tub. While it filled, he stepped back into the bedroom and pressed the intercom button.

"Evelyn," he said, voice steady. "I’ll be in my room all day. I don’t want to be disturbed by anyone until I come out. Understood?"

"Yes, Mr. Liam," her voice came through immediately.

When he returned, the tub was almost full, icy tendrils of steam curling from its surface. He shut off the tap.

The water looked calm now. In less than a minute, it wouldn’t be.

He undressed, folded his clothes neatly on the counter, and stepped into the tub. The shock of the cold made his breath hitch for a moment, but he adjusted quickly, leaning back until the water reached his shoulders.

"System," he said. "Purchase Molecular Enhancement Nanites."

[Purchase complete. Item sent to Inventory.]

He retrieved it instantly.

A small vial appeared in his hand, filled with a faintly luminous, transparent fluid. It looked harmless — almost like purified water.

"So... this little thing will change my life forever?" he murmured.

Before he took it, he decided to distribute his attribute points, allocating 2 to Strength and Stamina, and 1 to Agility.

After that, he pulled out the stopper of the vial. A faint, sweet scent rose from the liquid. He hesitated only a second before tipping it back.

Warmth slid down his throat, smooth and almost pleasant. For a moment, he thought, This isn’t so bad.

Then the pain began.

It started in his teeth — a deep, throbbing ache that shot down his jaw and into his neck.

Then it spread.

The warmth turned molten, searing through his veins like liquid fire. Every nerve in his body lit up at once, as though a thousand red-hot wires had been pressed into his skin. His breath caught, then tore free in a ragged gasp.

"Ahhh—!"

His hands clenched the sides of the tub hard enough that his knuckles went white. His back arched involuntarily. It felt like invisible hands were breaking him apart and rebuilding him simultaneously — every bone grinding, every muscle tearing and reforming.

He bit down so hard his jaw ached, but it didn’t stop the guttural sound that tore from his throat.

Minutes passed — or maybe hours — in a haze of agony. Time lost all meaning. His vision flickered between sharp, painful clarity and a fog of white static.

Through it all, he could feel the nanites working — crawling through his bloodstream, burrowing into bone marrow, fusing with muscle fibers, latching onto neurons.

His heart pounded like a war drum. Sweat and cold water mixed on his skin, but the cold no longer registered. The heat inside him was too intense.

Somewhere in the chaos, the system’s calm voice cut through:

[Molecular restructuring at 14%... 29%... 47%...]

Every percentage felt like a victory — and a sentence.

By the time it hit 60%, Liam’s breathing had turned ragged. Every exhale was a hiss of effort.

He could feel everything — the microscopic strengthening of ligaments, the densification of bone, the expansion of lung capacity. His body was being rebuilt cell by cell, and he was awake for all of it.

[72%... 85%...]

His vision sharpened. The faint imperfections in the marble around the tub looked like craters on the moon. He could hear the ticking of the bathroom clock as though it were right beside his ear.

[94%... 99%...]

The final surge hit like an explosion. A deep, bone-vibrating hum roared through his body, then cut off so suddenly it left him gasping.

[Enhancement complete. Full adaptation in 24 hours.]

Liam slumped back against the tub, losing consciousness immediately.