Ryo couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in his chest. Something was off. The missing lake, his exhaustion—he needed answers. Determined to confirm his suspicions, he made his way back to the training field.

As he arrived, one of the instructors spotted him. "Takashi, do you need to go to the infirmary?" the instructor asked, noticing his worn-out state.

Ryo shook his head. He wasn't injured, just tired.

The instructor sighed. "You might have high regeneration abilities, but healing consumes stamina. If you don't manage your energy properly, your body will break down. Keep that in mind."

Ryo nodded but was left with more questions than answers. 'I have Paradox Physique… so why am I getting tired?' he thought. He decided to test something and asked, "Is there a lake nearby?"

The instructor looked thoughtful for a moment before replying, "There is one, but it's at the south wing of the academy. Why do you ask?"

Ryo simply nodded and left. South wing? That was nowhere near where he had first died. Something had changed.

After returning to his dorm, he opened his Status Window. His eyes scanned through his abilities until he noticed something that made him pause.

Paradox Physique – Inactive

'Inactive? Why?' he pondered. Was that why he was exhausted after using regeneration? He needed to test something.

Without hesitation, he picked up a knife and made a small cut on his arm. Blood trickled for a second before the wound closed instantly. It worked, but as the instructor mentioned, it drained his stamina.

'If I'm tired, my regeneration slows down,' he realized.

Before heading to dinner, he tried touching his Status Window. That's when he noticed something shocking—his level had increased.

Level: 23

'Wait… how does this work?' he pondered. He had never consciously leveled up before.

Curious, he touched Paradox Physique. Suddenly, a detailed description of the ability appeared.

Paradox Physique:

Inhuman Strength

Infinite Stamina

Complete Poison Resistance

Adaptive Evolution

Ryo's eyes widened. 'This ability is completely broken.' He suddenly remembered something—running 80 km in minutes when he first regressed. 'Maybe that was because of this?'

But then, why was it inactive?

Before he could think further, a voice echoed in his mind.

"Because the user was uncomfortable with it, the ability was set to inactive."

Ryo's breath hitched. He recognized this voice.

The same voice he had heard when he first gained his abilities.

"Would you like to activate Paradox Physique?"

Ryo took a deep breath. He had hesitated before, but not this time.

"Yes," he answered.