After carefully memorizing the place where my chip was located, I turned off the scanner and carefully hid it in the cache under the floor, where Anakin had previously hidden his treasures.
I could not afford to lose the only device capable of confirming the location of the charge.
Now I needed something much harder to obtain.
A proper medical droid.
Removing a slave chip was not something that could be done with a screwdriver, a soldering iron, and hope that everything would somehow work out.
Even with my knowledge and mechanical talent, the risk was too great.
I needed specialized equipment.
And that meant funds.
Fortunately, I already had a plan to get them.
Slowly, I raised my gaze toward the small podracer model standing on the shelf.
There were two weeks left until the Boonta Eve race.
Two weeks to turn the advantage the System gave me into something material.
A slow smile appeared on my face.
“Watto,” I muttered quietly.
“You probably have no idea how much it will benefit you to keep me alive for the next few days.”
Another two normal days of work in the workshop passed.
As I had expected, I managed to improve both of my skills to the next level.
Both
General Mechanics – Level 16 (1800/2400 XP)
→ Level 17 (5/4800 XP)
And
Vehicle Repair – Level 15 (2000/2250 XP)
→ Level 16 (345/4500 XP)
The amount of knowledge that flooded me after leveling up was downright terrifying.
It felt as if all my previous learning had been filled with millions of invisible gaps, and the new information filled each of them with absolute precision.
It was not simple memorization of facts.
I did not feel like reading a textbook or listening to a lecture.
I felt as if I was learning mechanics all over again, this time understanding not only how something worked, but also why it worked exactly that way.
If before I had been a child prodigy of mechanics, now I was almost certain that no one on all of Tatooine possessed technical knowledge as comprehensive as mine at this level of technology.
Over the last two days, aside from constantly farming the levels of my mechanical skills, I used every opportunity that came up to pocket individual parts from Watto’s shop.
My increased efficiency put the Toydarian in an exceptionally good mood.
The number of completed repairs kept growing, customers were satisfied, and his profits gradually increased.
As a result, he did not pay much attention to my actions.
To him, I was simply an unusually hardworking nine-year-old who had suddenly decided to stop causing problems.
To me, however, every extra screw, every wire, and every damaged component brought me closer to freedom.
Besides developing mechanics, I also started working on two other areas of my System.
Body
Reflexes – Level 16 (1000/2400 XP) → Level 16 (1030/2400 XP)
Endurance – Level 7 (250/700 XP) → Level 7 (500/700 XP)
Strength – Level 4 (100/400 XP) → Level 4 (300/400 XP)
Dexterity – Level 11 (100/1650 XP) → Level 11 (300/1650 XP)
Force
Force Control – Level 5 (0/3200 XP) → Level 5 (24/3200 XP)
Telekinesis – Level 1 (0/100 XP) → Level 2 (35/200 XP)
My daily schedule certainly did not look perfect, but to the extent I could plan it, I prepared something that allowed me to develop on all fronts.
First came the night.
I slept for eight hours, but replaced it with meditation, which was why my Force Control grew every day, even though progress moved at a snail’s pace.
Additionally, every morning I pushed myself to exhaustion by trying to lift light objects.
As I had tested earlier, it was the most effective method for training telekinesis.
The next element was my body.
I was only nine years old, so I could not train with weights.
Every morning, I went out for a run before Shmi managed to wake up.
Thanks to that, both my endurance and dexterity grew at a surprisingly fast pace.
It was probably due to the fact that the previous Anakin had practically never trained his body, so my initial progress was very quick.
I also prepared a makeshift training course to develop reflexes.
During training, however, I had to constantly watch myself, because the Force often warned me of danger before my body had time to react.
Because of that, it was extremely difficult to determine where my natural abilities ended and where Force Instinct began to act.
As for strength, I chose calisthenics.
Exercises using my own body weight were something I had done regularly back in my previous world, so I knew the basics and understood how to adjust them to the limitations of a nine-year-old body.
Wall push-ups.
Squats.
Pull-ups.
Simple exercises strengthening abdominal muscles.
Nothing spectacular.
Each day, however, meant a few more experience points.
After two days, according to my new schedule, I woke from meditation as usual and slowly exhaled through my nose.
The familiar notification sound echoed in my head.
Force Control – Level 5 (24/3200 XP) → Level 5 (48/3200 XP)
I looked at the numbers with a slight grimace.
Eight hours of meditation.
Twelve experience points.
At this pace, reaching the next level would take me months.
I slowly rose from my meditative position and approached the desk, from which I took out the now very familiar glass marbles.
This time, however, there were twice as many of them as at the beginning.
I sat on the floor and closed my eyes.
Stretched my hands out in front of me.
Slowly, I began directing the Force toward the objects around me.
The first marble trembled.
Then the second and third.
One after another, they rose a few centimeters above the floor, moving chaotically as I desperately tried to maintain control over them.
Even so, I could see progress.
Just a few days ago, lifting a single marble had felt like trying to move a boulder.
Now I could keep several objects in the air at the same time.
That did not mean it was easy.
Sweat ran down my forehead.
My arms began to tremble.
Growing exhaustion spread through my entire body.
Controlling the Force required focus, and focus cost energy.
Only after about thirty minutes did further training become impossible.
The last marble dropped to the floor with a quiet tap.
I, meanwhile, fell onto my back, breathing heavily.
At that same moment, another notification appeared before my eyes.
Telekinesis – Level 2 (35/200 XP) → Level 2 (105/200 XP)
For several seconds, I simply stared at the displayed numbers.
Seventy experience points.
Not bad.
Although the next level was still beyond my reach, at least I could see the effects of my work.
“A few more days…” I mumbled in a tired voice.
After all, even the Force could not resist endless grinding.
I picked myself up from the floor and changed into the clothes I had prepared the previous evening for my daily run before sunrise.
Force-related exercises exhausted mainly the mind, so they did not interfere with my regular physical training.
I put on the only shoes I owned, then quietly slipped out through the front door, carefully closing it behind me so I would not wake Shmi.
Mos Espa was not particularly busy at this hour.
However, this city never truly slept.
Merchants were preparing their stalls for another day of work.
Mechanics were finishing night shifts.
Gamblers were leaving cantinas, counting their last winnings or mourning yet another loss.
Or mercenaries were arriving on their starships.
So I did not worry about the strange looks thrown at a nine-year-old boy running alone through city streets.
After a few minutes, my breathing stabilized, and my legs began moving in a familiar rhythm.
Tatooine dust rose from beneath the soles of my shoes as I passed through another alley of Mos Espa.
After around thirty minutes, I reached my destination.
The place where, with a little help from a few friends of the former Anakin, I had created a makeshift obstacle course.
It did not look impressive.
A few metal pipes driven into the ground.
Stretched wires marking running paths.
Old crates to jump over.
Several unstable platforms built from parts found in junkyards.
To most residents of Tatooine, it would be nothing more than a playground built by a group of children.
To me, it was a gym.
A place where, day after day, I could develop my body.
I looked at the makeshift course and slowly let air out of my lungs.
“Alright…” I muttered to myself.
“Time for the second part of today’s grind.”
Then I moved forward.
After another thirty-minute training session, I was lying in a puddle of sweat, listening for all the notifications that marked the end of today’s exercises.
I did not want to overtrain or injure my body.
I had no idea whether the System helped with physical regeneration the way it did with my mind after reaching the next level, and I had no intention of risking a permanent injury.
For now, all I could do was enjoy today’s reward for my effort.
Reflexes – Level 16 (1030/2400 XP) → Level 16 (1045/2400 XP)
Endurance – Level 7 (500/700 XP) → Level 7 (625/700 XP)
Strength – Level 4 (300/400 XP) → Level 5 (0/800 XP)
Dexterity – Level 11 (300/1650 XP) → Level 11 (400/1650 XP)
Suddenly, I felt a strange energy flowing through my entire body.
It was a warm and pleasant sensation.
Tense muscles relaxed.
Pain in my legs disappeared.
The burning in my lungs faded as quickly as it had appeared.
After a few seconds, it was over.
I slowly sat up, frowning in surprise.
I felt no exhaustion.
As if someone had literally washed it away with a magic wand.
For a moment, I sat in complete silence, trying to understand what had just happened.
Then I looked at the notifications again.
My eyes widened with understanding.
“Yes!” I shouted with indescribable happiness.
It meant that after reaching the next level in a physical skill, the state of my body returned to perfect condition.
It was not a simple stat improvement.
But a full regeneration.
Fatigue.
Muscle soreness.
Minor strains caused by training.
Everything disappeared.
I swallowed.
If that rule also worked at higher levels…
Then I could train much more intensely than a normal human.
Much more often.
And develop at a pace others would not even be able to endure.
I slowly looked at my hands.
Then raised my gaze toward the brightening sky above Mos Espa.
A wide smile appeared on my face.
“This is probably the most broken ability I’ve discovered so far,” I muttered in awe.
Then I stood up on steady feet.
Just a few seconds earlier, I had barely been able to move.
Now I felt as if I had only just started the day.
“One more set,” I muttered to myself.
An hour later, I was lying in exactly the same position as before, completely exhausted.
Reflexes – Level 16 (1045/2400 XP) → Level 16 (1060/2400 XP)
Endurance – Level 7 (625/700 XP) → Level 8 (25/1400 XP)
Strength – Level 5 (0/800 XP) → Level 5 (100/800 XP)
Dexterity – Level 11 (400/1650 XP) → Level 11 (450/1650 XP)
The familiar flow of refreshment appeared again.
Pleasant warmth spread through my entire body, and fatigue began to fade just as quickly as it had appeared earlier.
Within seconds, I recovered my strength.
I slowly sat up and looked at my own hands.
It truly worked.
Every level reached in physical skills restored my body to perfect condition.
That did not mean I could ignore common sense without consequences.
But the limits of what I could endure during training had just been pushed several levels higher.
I wanted to immediately throw myself into another set of exercises.
However, when I looked at the position of the sun above city, I quickly realized that I no longer had time for that.
Today had one more important point.
A trade meeting.
I had prepared an upgraded generator for one of my acquaintances’ podracers.
In exchange, I wanted to receive a large amount of equipment used for obtaining water.
To most residents of Tatooine, it would simply be another set of used parts.
To me, it was a key element of a much larger plan.
A plan that was meant to lead to freedom.
And ensure my mother’s financial independence, even when I would no longer be here.
I slowly rose from the ground and dusted desert sand off my clothes.
A faint smile appeared on my face.
Perhaps I did not yet possess the strength of a Jedi.
But every day, I became a little stronger.
I looked one last time at the makeshift obstacle course.
Then I set off back toward Mos Espa.
I slipped into the house only for a few moments.
Shmi was busy with her morning duties, so she did not even notice as I slipped through the small shack.
I quickly entered my room and reached for the generator resting on the makeshift workbench.
Over the last few days, I had devoted every free moment to it.
To most mechanics, it would have simply been a slightly upgraded component for a podracer.
To me, it was a pass to obtaining resources I desperately needed.
I carefully wrapped the device in a piece of cloth and placed it inside the bag slung over my shoulder.
One last time, I made sure I had not forgotten anything.
Then I slipped out of the house again.
I moved quickly through the streets.
The city had already fully awakened.
Residents hurried toward their duties, trying to make use of a few hours of relatively bearable temperature before the midday heat arrived.
Eventually, I reached a small house located on the outskirts of one of the poorer districts.
Redd lived there with his family.
His father was a moisture farmer who owned a small farm located a few kilometers from the city.
They were not wealthy.
Most of the credits they earned went toward maintaining equipment, spare parts, and fees related to transporting water to Mos Espa.
Redd was a few years older than me, and like many residents of Tatooine, he had helped his family with work since childhood.
I knew him thanks to the previous Anakin.
They shared a common passion for mechanics and podracers.
From time to time, they exchanged parts, helped each other with minor repairs, or simply talked about podracers, dreaming of great races.
Of course, Redd had never fully treated me as his equal.
I was Watto’s slave.
But he had never looked at me with contempt either.
And on Tatooine, that alone was worth more than it might seem.
I glanced at the generator tucked under my arm and headed toward the door.
I pushed it open and stepped inside.
Redd was already waiting for me.
“I thought you changed your mind,” he said with a smile.
“I had to refuse helping my father with the moisture condensers today.
I’d be really angry if you forgot about me,” he added teasingly.
He raised an eyebrow and looked at the package tucked under my arm.
“So?
Do you have it?”
A faint smile appeared on my face.
“Of course.
I wouldn’t make you skip work just to waste your time.”
I carefully placed the generator on the table.
Redd’s eyes immediately lit up with interest.
He might have been the son of a moisture farmer, but like many boys growing up on Tatooine, he was fascinated by podracers and anything with a repulsor engine.
“I can’t believe Watto let you work on something like this,” he muttered, circling the table.
I stopped myself from commenting that Watto had absolutely no idea about it.
“Let’s just say I had some free time,” I answered innocently.
Redd snorted.
“If this works as well as you said, Father will probably never let me buy parts from other traders again.”
I looked at him expectantly.
“And the equipment?”
The smile disappeared from his face, replaced by a more serious expression.
“I have everything you asked for.
Filters, pressure lines, two small moisture condensers, and a damaged vaporator that can be repaired.
Father decided that if you really can upgrade this generator, the trade will be fair.”
I felt my heart begin to beat a little faster.
Finally, I had those parts.
Out of curiosity, how often do you want notifications from the system for 3-5 chapters, or only when a skill exceeds a level?