Forced Evolution: A LitRPGGamelit Adventure by Lazybaker & F.C. Traling

Author:Lazybaker & F.C. Traling [Lazybaker & Traling, F.C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2025-01-14T00:00:00+00:00

Sixteen: Whatever

Darkness. Then came the smell of sweat and rubber before he saw the stained ceiling with its peeling paint patches that were concealing old water damage and the cobwebs in the corners.

He felt fresh. He felt new. He felt…

Fantastic.

Fantastic despite the cluttered space filled with boxes of protein powder and spare equipment.

Lance rolled off the dirty cot, caught his balance, and rose. He stood naked. He saw tattered clothes lying in a heap on the floor, but reached for a fresh tank top and sweatpants neatly folded on a wooden bar-style stool.

He made his way out of the back room. The gym bustled with early morning regulars. More people had been getting their gene therapy treatments lately, and though full recovery was still a long way off, life was starting to feel almost normal again. Almost.

The clanking of weights and whir of treadmills provided a comforting white noise. He crossed the short hallway and found himself in the free weights area face to face with two colorful meatheads.

One of them, mid-bicep curl, caught sight of Lance and whistled. “Damn, bro! Did you put your face inside a BBQ?”

“Come on, Brad, don’t be mean,” said the nerdy hipster spotting him on the bench press.

“Ethan, chill. We’re just messing around,” said Brad.

The nerd tilted his head back, his gaze drifting to the ceiling for a moment before returning to Brad. “Fine,” he said, then eyed Lance critically. “Seriously though, you okay? Those burns look nasty.”

Lance forced a casual shrug, head searching for plausible explanations. “It’s not as bad as it looks. Just a... cooking accident.”

Brad snorted. “What were you cooking, napalm?”

“Something like that,” Lance muttered, regretting having engaged these eccentric gym-goers.

He took a step towards the exit, but Ethan’s hand on his arm stopped him. The touch sent a jolt through Lance’s system, his body instinctively tensing for a fight.

“Hey,” Ethan said, voice low and serious. “You sure you’re alright? I’ve got some burn cream in my locker if you need it.”

The genuine concern in Ethan’s eyes caught Lance off guard. For a moment, he was tempted to take up his offer, but his obvious injuries didn’t hurt at all, so instead he glanced at the exit and pointed his toes towards it.

Why don’t they hurt? he asked himself before responding, “thanks, but I’m good. Just need to work up a sweat, you know? Burn off some... energy.”

Brad’s eyebrows shot up. “With those burns? You’re crazier than I thought, bro.”

Lance shrugged again, the motion pulling at his healing skin. “What can I say? No pain, no gain, right?”

The words felt off. Pain was becoming an increasingly abstract concept, a distant memory overshadowed by the constant hum of his abilities. This new body’s crazy. But something feels off…

Ethan opened his mouth, likely to protest, but Lance was already moving past them. “Gotta scram. Try not to miss me too much.”

He could sense their eyes on his back as he walked away, concern and curiosity radiating off them in waves. Lance quickened his pace, eager to put distance between himself and their questions.

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