The next two days passed in a blur.
More streams.
More points.
More tiny earthquakes only he could sense.
And on the third day—
It finally happened.
John Feels It First
He was walking Sabrina home when Observation Haki hit him like a shockwave.
A spike of danger.
Not distant.
Not underground.
Directly beneath them.
"Sabrina—move!" he shouted, grabbing her wrist.
She barely had time to gasp before he pulled her into a sprint.
Two seconds later—
BOOM!
The sidewalk behind them exploded upward, chunks of concrete flying through the air as pedestrians screamed and ran.
Something crawled out.
Something huge.
A black, scaly arm with claws as long as kitchen knives slammed into the street.
Sabrina froze in fear.
"W–What is that?!"
John swallowed.
This wasn't from any Marvel movie he remembered.
Not Chitauri.
Not alien tech.
Not a mutant.
Something else.
Something new.
And it wasn't alone—
more rumbling echoed beneath other blocks.
System Warning
The System flashed red.
[Threat Level Upgraded: Level C]
[Combat Recommended.]
John felt his stomach twist.
He had Observation Haki, but no offensive powers yet.
He needed points—fast.
"System," he whispered, "how many points for a fighting ability?"
[Cheapest Option: Superhuman Strength (Basic) – 30,000 Points]
[Enough Points: Yes.]
He didn't hesitate.
"Buy it."
[Purchased.]
A rush of power shot through him—muscles tightening, bones reinforcing.
His whole body felt like it had been rewired.
The Creature Attacks
The monster finally pulled itself fully out of the ground—a twisted beast of black scales, glowing yellow veins, and a jaw that unhinged like a snake.
People screamed and ran.
Cars smashed into each other trying to escape.
The creature turned toward John and Sabrina, its neck snapping into place like it recognized them.
Or rather—recognized him.
Sabrina trembled.
"John… we have to run—!"
He shook his head.
Eyes hard.
"This thing isn't chasing the crowd."
He stepped forward.
"It's chasing me."
The creature let out a roar that shook the windows.
And then—
It charged.
John's First Real Fight
John didn't know how to fight.
He just trusted the power in his body and moved.
The monster swung a claw—
John ducked.
The second swipe came—
Observation Haki warned him a half second earlier.
He dodged again, grabbed a piece of broken concrete, and smashed it into the creature's face.
The rock shattered.
But the blow still staggered it.
Sabrina's jaw dropped.
"John—how did you—?!"
No time to answer.
The monster lunged.
John planted his feet, focused his strength—
—and punched it.
CRACK!
The shockwave shattered nearby car windows and launched the beast backward into a lamp post.
John stared at his fist in disbelief.
"…Damn."
The Creature Isn't Done
But it wasn't over.
The creature twitched, screeched—then burrowed back underground, disappearing in seconds.
The ground went still.
Police sirens blared in the distance.
Sabrina grabbed John's arm.
"John… what are you? How did you do that?!"
He exhaled shakily.
He couldn't lie anymore.
"I'll explain soon," he whispered. "But right now we need to move before more of those things show up."
The System chimed softly in his head:
[New Quest Unlocked: "Eliminate the Burrower."]
[Reward: Power of Your Choice (Up to 150k Points)]
John's eyes widened.
This wasn't over.
Not even close.