That night, John lay on his bed staring at the glowing System Shop hovering above him like a floating screen.
His heart still hadn't fully calmed down from the subway incident.
That thing… whatever it was…
It wasn't human.
And it wasn't done.
The System chimed softly.
[Available Points: 70,447]
[New Category Unlocked: Multiversal Combat Abilities]
Dozens of abilities loaded in front of him.
Haki (One Piece) – 60,000 Points
Chakra Control (Naruto) – 75,000 Points
Ki Manipulation (Dragon Ball) – 120,000 Points
Superhuman Durability (Basic) – 40,000 Points
Hunter's Aura (HxH) – 90,000 Points
But one option glowed brighter than the rest:
[Observation Haki – 65,000 Points]
Description: Heightened senses, early detection of danger, reading enemy movements.
John's breath caught.
That was the one.
Not flashy.
Not destructive.
But perfect for surviving in a universe where death could come from anywhere.
He tapped it.
[Purchase complete.]
[Observation Haki acquired.]
A rush of energy surged through his body—
light, sharp, electric.
For a moment, he felt everything:
the neighbor upstairs pacing
a car honking four blocks away
a cat jumping off a trash can outside
someone downstairs opening their fridge
He gasped as the sensations crashed into him.
Then slowly… the noise settled.
He could control it.
He could feel danger now.
He wasn't powerless anymore.
Morning – Something Dark is Moving
He woke up feeling different.
Sharper.
More aware.
Walking to school, he felt cold prickles down his spine—
like something was moving underground again.
Far away but coming closer.
The System whispered in his mind:
[Warning: Entity relocating.]
[Estimated future contact: Within one week.]
John clenched his fist.
"At least this time, I'll see it coming."
At School – Sabrina Notices
Sabrina greeted him at his locker, notebook in hand, but froze when she saw his face.
"You look… tired," she said softly.
"And kind of stressed. Did something happen?"
He hesitated.
He wanted to tell her.
He wanted to say everything.
But how?
"Oh, you know, just… bad sleep," he said.
She squinted at him.
"You're lying."
His heartbeat spiked—not romantically, but in panic.
Sabrina tucked her hair behind her ear and looked down.
"You help me with my singing," she whispered.
"So if something's bothering you… I want to help too."
It hit him harder than he expected.
Someone cared.
He forced a smile.
"I'm okay. I promise. Just adjusting to the city."
She didn't fully believe him, but she let it slide.
For now.
Lunch – Explosion of Fame
At lunch, students were screaming again.
"Bro the anonymous artist dropped ANOTHER song!"
"This one is even better!"
"Who IS this guy?! How's he dropping hits back-to-back?!"
John felt his pulse jump.
Another song?
He hadn't released anything.
He opened the System.
[Passive Feature Activated: Artist Momentum]
[A remix version of Despacito has been auto-uploaded.]
+12,000 Points Earned
John stared.
The system automatically boosted his fame if the first song went viral.
He scratched the back of his head.
"That's kind of… broken."
But he wasn't complaining.
More points meant more abilities.
And he would need all of them.
After School – The Shaking Ground
On his way home, Observation Haki suddenly flared.
His senses sharpened like a blade.
The ground rumbled—
softly but unmistakably.
People didn't notice.
Cars drove normally.
No one panicked.
But John felt it.
The creature was moving again.
Closer.
Smarter.
Searching.
He swallowed hard.
"Is it looking for me…?"
The System chimed.
[Probability: 32% and rising.]
John stiffened.
The creature might be tracking him.
Maybe it sensed the System.
Maybe it sensed his power.
A cold chill ran through his bones.
This was no simple threat.
This was the first ripple in the Marvel universe.
And he was caught in the center of it.
But this time…
he wasn't helpless.
He had Observation Haki.
He had songs spreading across the world.
He had Sabrina, unknowingly cheering him on.
And…
He had a feeling things were only going to get more dangerous from here.