The next morning, John felt lighter on his feet — literally.
Not in a superhero way.
Not yet.
But the world felt just a few milliseconds slower, and his movements a few milliseconds faster.
He didn't realize how big a difference that made until he almost dropped his toothbrush and caught it without even looking.
He froze, staring at his hand.
"…Okay. That's new."
The system chimed softly:
[Minor Reflex Enhancement Active]
[Further growth possible through popularity.]
He rinsed his mouth, grabbed his backpack, and headed out.
Another day in the city.
Another day pretending he was just a normal high school kid.
Morning System Update
Halfway to school, the system pushed a new notification:
[Song Status: Trending in Local NYC Regions]
Streams: 52,004
Shares: 8,392
Playlist Adds: 1,301
[Public Reaction: Mystery Artist "EchoBlue" continues gaining traction.]
John blinked.
EchoBlue.
So the system did assign him a random artist name.
It sounded cool.
Not too flashy.
Not too suspicious.
Perfect.
Then the system issued its next instruction:
[New Mission: Produce a second song within 72 hours.]
[Reward: Talent Upgrade or Combat Upgrade — user's choice.]
John exhaled slowly.
This one mattered.
He had to pick a song that would start a genuine wave.
Something emotional, catchy, or explosive — something his old universe loved.
But first… he had school.
At School — Minor Problem
The halls buzzed louder than usual.
Not about the song — about the mystery artist.
"Yo, have you heard the new track?"
"That anonymous dude dropped again last night?"
"No name, no photo. Nothing."
"He's gonna blow up if he keeps this up."
John slipped by quietly.
But trouble found him anyway.
He opened his locker, and without warning, someone bumped into him hard.
His hand shot out instantly — catching the person before they fell.
Sabrina.
She blinked up at him, stunned.
"What—how did you catch me that fast?"
John froze.
Too fast.
Too smooth.
Too inhuman.
He cleared his throat.
"Uh… reflexes, I guess."
Sabrina stared at him suspiciously for a few seconds.
Then she laughed.
"Okay, ninja."
She walked ahead, ponytail bouncing.
John let out the breath he'd been holding.
That was close.
Lunch — Signs of Popularity
At lunch, half the cafeteria was talking about EchoBlue.
Not him.
Not John.
EchoBlue.
The anonymous name felt like a shield around him, protecting him from attention.
Then Sabrina slid into her usual seat across from him.
"Hey, mystery boy."
John stiffened.
"Why'd you call me that?"
"Relax," she said, rolling her eyes. "I saw you catch me this morning. Nobody moves that fast unless they're hiding something."
John nearly dropped his fork.
"Relax," she added again. "I'm joking."
He forced a laugh.
But her eyes said she wasn't entirely joking.
Sabrina watched people at nearby tables.
"It's wild how one song from some ghost musician can spread so fast. What if he's, like, a kid at some random school?"
John coughed.
"Doubt it."
"Yeah," she smirked. "Probably not."
She looked away… but the suspicion lingered.
John ate quietly, heart pounding.
He needed to be more careful.
After School — Online Noise
At home, he pulled out his phone and checked social media.
EchoBlue was trending in small pockets:
Reaction videos
TikTok edits
People theorizing the artist was a "ghost producer"
Fans begging for a second song
One comment hit him hard:
"If this guy drops again, he might start a whole new wave of music."
John leaned back in his chair.
A wave.
A movement.
All with music he didn't even create originally — just imported from his old universe.
But here?
He was a pioneer.
System Push
The system chimed again:
[Reminder: 72 hours remain to produce second song.]
Then:
[Suggestion: Choose a song with emotional depth for maximum impact.]
He tapped his fingers on the desk.
He already knew the perfect one.
A song that shook the world in his old universe.
A song millions cried to.
A song that could explode here.
He whispered the name under his breath.
"…Yeah. That one."
Tomorrow, he would start.
And when it dropped?
The second wave would hit.
Hard.