The week that followed was nothing short of hectic.

A national-level competition was coming up in just two weeks, and Coach Richard wanted Dayo to participate. After all, Dayo had never competed in any real tournament, and Richard believed this would test his limits.

Dayo, meanwhile, was double-tasking. Between his swimming training and planning new content ideas for his upcoming project, his schedule was packed. He spent hours every night sitting at his desk, writing down concepts, sketching outlines, and noting ideas for future videos or music campaigns. It felt like his brain was constantly moving.

Richard couldn't hide his surprise at how adaptable Dayo was. For someone who hadn't been professionally trained, Dayo never complained once. He simply did the work — and did it well. By the end of the first week, Richard was stunned to discover that Dayo's swim times already placed him among the Top 20 athletes in the United States for the 50-meter freestyle.

That was after just one week of training.

Richard had been coaching for more than twenty years, and he had never seen such raw potential. Dayo's focus, his learning speed, his endurance — all of it was unnatural, almost frightening. It made Richard watch him more closely, curious to see how far he could go.

As the competition drew closer, Dayo found himself growing excited. His body was stronger than ever, and his technique was improving fast. Then, one morning after practice, he heard a familiar sound.

DING!

[STATS UPDATED]

Name: Jason Dayo

Age: 22

Status: Regional Artist (Level 6 → Level 4)

Singing: A+

Writing: S−

Acting: A+

Visual: A+

Instruments:

• Guitar – SS+

• Flute – A+

• Piano – S−

• Violin – A−

Movie Production: A+

Scriptwriting: A+

Swimming: A+

Cooking: SS+

Computer: SS−

Music Production: SSS+

Video Editing: A−

Potential: SSS+

Skills:

• Prodigy's Instinct

• Status Viewer

• Perfect Match

• Market Resonance

• Archive Vault

• Skill Integration Protocol

• Emotional Transduction

• Hypersonic Synthesis

System Level: 3

Active Effects (Mission 3):

Skill Upgrade – applied to stats above

Special Endorsement Buff – active (+5% reputation gain; +5% brand interest)

---

[Mission Reminder]

You have been inactive for 1,600 days.

A Global Superstar cannot remain silent.

Engagement Level: Critically Low.

If the user doesn't make waves soon, the System will automatically terminate.

Reward: None

Punishment: Termination of System

---

Dayo stared at the glowing interface. His status had dropped from Level 6 to Level 4, and the system made it clear that inactivity was the reason. The low engagement level had cost him progress.

Still, some things had changed in interesting ways. His acting skill had improved from B− to A+ after the four years he'd spent learning film and production. His visuals — something he assumed referred to his charisma and on-camera appeal — had also increased from A− to A+.

The rest of his stats stayed mostly the same, but his list of core skills told the real story. His movie production and scriptwriting abilities were both at A+, which was incredible progress in such a short time. Normally, it would take a professional writer or producer seven to ten years to reach that level. Dayo had done it in four.

That progress came from one ability — the Prodigy's Instinct.

It doubled his learning rate, no matter the skill. Combined with his already high IQ of 217, it made him unstoppable. Whether it was producing, directing, or studying new concepts, he learned faster than most people could dream of.

Then there was cooking, which had climbed from S+ to SS+. That one was both a blessing and a curse. His sense of taste had become incredibly sharp, meaning he could no longer tolerate low-quality food. Still, it was a skill he was proud of — and it helped his restaurant empire stay unmatched.

His computer skill, now at SS−, remained his edge in the tech world. Every time he touched a computer, new ideas flooded his head — new tools, apps, or systems that could change industries. But he'd purposely slowed down, focusing instead on diversification, which kept his skill from going even higher.

Everything he'd achieved — his restaurants, record label, tech company, and even his production studio — all connected back to one foundational ability:

Skill Integration Protocol.

This ability was the true core of the system.

> Skill Integration Protocol:

Everyday life skills can now be recorded, tracked, and enhanced.

Cooking, combat, photography, and other practical talents can now develop into formal skill trees.

Without this ability, none of his other powers would matter. The Prodigy's Instinct only worked on system-recognized skills, but Skill Integration allowed him to turn real-world abilities into measurable stats. It was the bridge between talent and mastery.

That was why he could master so many fields so quickly. It was why he could build companies, make music, and still learn to swim like a professional in record time.

And now, swimming had officially joined the list.

He smiled to himself as he studied the glowing blue panel. "If the world only knew what kind of monster I've become…"

He let out a small laugh. "Hehe."

Before he could finish, a firm hand landed on his shoulder.

"Stop daydreaming," Richard's voice called out. "You still have more laps to go!"

Dayo froze for a moment, glancing at his coach. It was strange — being ordered around by someone when he was technically a billionaire. But here, in the pool, he wasn't a businessman. He was just an athlete.

"Come on, Dayo!" Richard shouted. "We have less than a week before your first competition. Push harder!"

Dayo dove back into the water, arms slicing through the surface in smooth rhythm. His mind cleared, his focus sharp. The only sound he heard was the echo of water and Richard's voice yelling from the side of the pool.

Stroke. Breathe. Kick. Stroke.

He reached the wall, touched, and pulled himself up, panting. "Ah… woo."

He turned toward Richard. "So? How did I do, Coach?"

Richard looked at his stopwatch and grinned. "You're ready."

Dayo blinked, unsure. "For what?"

"For the world to finally see what you're made of."

The words hung in the air, and Dayo felt something stir inside him — excitement, anticipation, and maybe a little fear. Whatever it was, it told him one thing clearly:

His comeback wasn't going to be simple aftwr all he is not simple Dayo anymore.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.