The little Spider-Man next to Alex witnessed the scene with bulging eyes, completely stunned. Its eight legs scrambled backward in shock.
Fifteen tons—this was essentially Alex's current limit.
Even though he could lift it, it was clearly challenging.
His hands, however, remained rock-steady—no trembling at all—like robotic arms forged from steel.
His posture was textbook perfect.
Only with such stability and precision could his muscles experience maximum contraction and receive the full benefit of the workout.
As Alex pushed the magnetic barbell to its highest point, veins bulged on his forehead.
He exhaled slowly and brought the barbell back down.
Boom!
The massive 15-ton weight, like a falling mountain, pressed down on his arms and stretched his chest muscles.
Over and over, Alex lifted and lowered the barbell.
That crushing weight continuously stimulated every fiber of muscle in his body.
Before long, sweat drenched him. His muscles swelled with soreness and strain.
Still, he persisted.
His arms moved with mechanical precision, unwavering.
When his body finally reached the brink of collapse, the machine detected his condition and deactivated the electromagnetic load.
The overwhelming force vanished, and his arms suddenly felt light.
The barbell hovered in the air, magnetically suspended.
Alex slowly sat up from the bench. His entire body was soaked, his hands trembling with fatigue, and his chest muscles burned with soreness.
He understood what was happening—muscle fibers were beginning to tear and heal, triggering growth.
Gasping, Alex muttered, "That was just the first chest set... I'll rest a bit and continue."
He glanced around. "I still need to train my back, shoulders, core, arms, and legs…"
"It's going to be a long day," he said with a tired chuckle.
After a short rest, Alex threw himself back into training.
Like a man possessed, he pushed his body to the brink.
Sweat poured off him like rain.
Once he finished with the magnetic dumbbells, he moved on to heavy squats.
The squat rack groaned under the weight—dozens of steel plates stacked like a mountain.
With a deep breath, he lifted the mass and began to squat.
Each rep echoed like muffled thunder.
The ground trembled slightly beneath him.
From afar, he looked like a tiny human bearing the weight of a mountain—an awe-inspiring sight.
An ordinary person would've collapsed instantly under such strain. But Alex had a body far beyond human limits.
As he pushed on, his muscle fibers tore, rebuilt, and strengthened.
He could feel it—his muscles growing denser, more powerful.
By the end, he was nearly paralyzed. His body trembled with exhaustion.
With sheer willpower, he completed the final sets and collapsed to the floor, every muscle screaming in agony.
His skin glowed red, veins pulsing, body radiating heat.
He was like a furnace, pushed beyond limits.
Overdrive training had activated every cell in his body, but it left him drained.
Gasping, he lay still, waiting to recover.
Little Spider-Man crept over, eyes full of concern.
It gently rubbed its head against Alex's sweat-soaked forehead.
Alex smiled weakly. "I'm fine... just pushed too hard... Just need some rest."
The little creature nodded.
Alex looked over at it. "Don't worry, I won't leave you behind. I'll design special training gear for you too."
"Soon, you'll train with me... and get stronger."
He added, "We'll unlock your full Spider potential. You'll be the strongest spider alive."
Little Spider-Man looked at Alex, then at the intimidating training machines nearby. Its small eyes went blank with horror.
Alex nodded seriously. "That's right. One day, you'll train just like me."
"Daily overload training. Pushing past your limits."
"I'll build the best equipment for you. Spare no expense. Everything tailored for you."
"Constant training, constant growth. You'll love it," he grinned.
"I mean, you get custom equipment for free, and you get to grow stronger."
Upon hearing that, Little Spider-Man frantically shook its head in fear, backing away several steps.
Alex frowned slightly. "What? You're not happy? Don't you want to become stronger with me?"
Hearing the words "not together," Little Spider-Man panicked and shook its head even more vigorously, trying to deny it.
It took a deep breath and stepped forward resolutely.
In its tiny eyes, it had made up its mind—it would stay with Alex. Always.
It pointed at the machines, then to itself, and nodded.
Alex's expression softened. "That's more like it. Strength is our destiny, you understand?"
Little Spider-Man's eyes sparkled with pride.
Hearing Alex say "we," it straightened its tiny body with determination.
Then, it raised its two front legs and flexed them like little biceps.
It was telling Alex: I want to be strong too!
Alex grinned. He was genuinely pleased.
To be honest, he was very satisfied with this little creature he had accidentally created.
It was loyal. It had potential.
He rose slowly, his muscles burning with fatigue.
"This round definitely hit the mark."
"I think I've recovered enough... I can walk now."
He took a few steps—then his legs gave out and he dropped to his knees.
Little Spider-Man jumped in shock.
Alex winced. "Okay, maybe I need a bit more rest."
He sat down again. "I wonder how much my strength improved."
"After all that tearing and healing, there should be a noticeable gain."
"I'll test it soon."
His stomach growled loudly.
He touched it. "Yeah... definitely time to eat. That workout drained me."
"Without proper nutrients, all that training would actually backfire."
"Let's eat first—then test."
After resting a bit, Alex stood and had Kurt prepare a massive post-workout meal.
He devoured it.
When he was done, he looked at the mountain of empty plates.
"My appetite's increasing."
He felt strength returning—though fatigue lingered.
Then, he went to the testing room.
Facing an alloy sandbag, he let out a punch.
Boom!
The force meter screen surged.
15.5 tons.
Alex narrowed his eyes. "Half a ton gain... That's it?"
"With this kind of extreme training, I'm limited to once per day."
"So that's half a ton of strength gain per day."
An incredible feat to anyone else—but Alex wasn't impressed.
"Too slow," he muttered.
He frowned. "Overload training alone isn't cutting it."
"I need something that stimulates muscle growth more efficiently."
His thoughts raced.
Then it hit him.
"Electric stimulation... That could work."
"Muscle-electrical stimulation can make muscles exert superhuman force for short periods, speed up recovery, and push the training limit."
"But I need to design the current precisely to avoid damage."
"This kind of system is called Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES)."
"Electrodes placed on the skin... controlled currents... forcing contractions to enhance muscle growth."
He paused, then continued aloud.
"If done right, FES improves endurance, maintains strength when injured, and boosts recovery."
His mind locked into problem-solving mode.
He dove into the lab and began work—fast, focused, and meticulous.
He ran rapid calculations, recalling all of his body data.
In no time, he had a working prototype:
A full-body training suit embedded with precision electrodes.
Each one perfectly aligned to stimulate muscle groups with specific currents.
The suit adjusted current in real time based on movement, maximizing efficiency and safety.
It far surpassed anything on the market.
Looking at his creation, Alex smiled.
"Perfect. With this... my training will be on a whole new level."
He slipped into the suit and ran a test on his arm muscles.
A tingling current surged.
He could feel it—his muscles temporarily surging in strength.
Despite the soreness, he felt like he could train again.
He glanced at the display beside him.
The muscle activity metrics showed a spike in strength.
Alex nodded, satisfied. "Excellent. Tomorrow, I'll test it properly."
"Post-training enhancement should be vastly improved."
Just as he looked away...
His eyes froze on the screen.
Something caught his attention.
His breath hitched.
"Wait... What is this?!"