C3 Chapter 3: Testing the Limits

I. Pushing Boundaries

The first rays of dawn filtered into Jason's bedroom, rousing him from a deep sleep. As consciousness stirred, the impossible events of the past few weeks flooded back in a rush. The high-tech Supreme System watch grafted to his wrist. The incredible reality-bending abilities it unlocked within him. After a month of cautiously exploring only basic enhancements, Jason was eager to test the System's full limits.

Sitting up, Jason took a few deep breaths to focus his mind. He visualized the holographic abilities tree only he could see and reached for the strength branch. Gripping firmly, he felt power surge through his muscles exponentially. Jason grinned as he lifted his bed overhead easily with one hand. He felt he could rip a tree from the ground if he wished. But he released his hold on the branch gradually, letting the intensity dissipate.

Turning his thoughts to the sight branch, Jason increased his visual acuity by 50%. His bedroom came into crisp hyperfocus, edges sharp as cut glass. Outside he could clearly spot a mother robin feeding worms to her chicks in a nest across the yard. Dialing his vision back to normal, Jason then jumped out of bed, blood pumping with anticipation. Today his real trials would start.

II. Trial and Error

Throughout the morning, Jason experimented with manipulating his strength, speed, senses and reflexes in increasingly extreme ways through the Supreme System. In the backyard, he lifted massive rocks and badly rooted trees with ease. Racing from one end of the yard to the other in mere seconds made him gleeful. Jason then hurled a baseball into the woods and watched in awe as his enhanced vision tracked it for almost a mile before it dropped out of sight.

Eager for a greater challenge, Jason tapped the advanced cognitive branch of the abilities tree, opting to absorb a university level physics module. The complex concepts integrated instantly, filling in gaps in his high school knowledge. By subtly magnifying his mental processing speed, Jason was then able to solve equations in seconds that should have taken hours.

Confidence swelling, Jason decided to try telekinesis, which Iris had warned required intense focus and energy control. Starting small, he visualized a pebble floating off the ground before him. It wobbled in the air a few moments before falling. After several attempts, Jason managed to make the pebble orbit him in a slow, steady ring. His mind felt like a wrung sponge after, but with practice he knew his limits would expand.

That evening, Jason stood before his bedroom mirror and activated the appearance modification branch. He watched in awe as his face smoothly morphed at his direction - sharper jawline, lighter hair, leaner muscle contours. The power made him uneasy, knowing how easily it could be abused. He quickly reset his image to normal before collapsing into bed, completely spent but deeply satisfied by the progress mastering the System.

III. First Upgrades Installed

The next morning, Iris notified Jason that his prolonged intense usage had overloaded minor System capability buffers. Optimal stability would require installing new integration drivers and ability capacitors. This first major upgrade would allow Jason's mind and body to adapt to the new extremes.

After school, Jason closed his eyes and initiated the complex installation process using visualized gestural controls to carefully align and connect the nexus points. Vast amounts of new quantum data poured into him, temporarily overwhelming his senses before the buffered streams normalized. Jason spent the rest of the night processing and realigning.

With his upgraded operating parameters now online, Jason felt his mastery of the System's energy channels improve dramatically. He kept Cognitive overstimulation at bay as he Instantly absorbed a law textbook into memory. In the garage, Jason seamlessly swung a sledgehammer through concrete targets with Strength and precision increased tenfold. His reflexes had accelerated exponentially as well, able to Intercept and snatch flies from the air with ease.

But Jason also noticed the upgrade Firmly reinforced safeguards to prevent future overload catastrophes. His temporary telekinetic feats still Eluded him without mighty Exertion of will - a natural check against reckless ambition. For all its wonders, at Its core the Supreme System demanded wisdom and restraint. Power for service, not Self-glory.

This first taste of the System's true evolving potential left Jason awed But also cautious. He would continue progressing steadily, Never losing sight that these gifts Were meant to help people, not dominate. With diligence and care, a whole new world of possibility awaited. For Now, rest. Tomorrow the journey continued.