John barely slept.
Between Yelena's warning, the system update, and the knowledge that some unknown figure was watching him… his nerves were stretched thin.
But there was one thing he couldn't ignore:
He needed more power. Fast.
And there was only one reliable way to get it.
Music.
A New Plan
After school, he sat at his desk, staring at the blank project on his laptop. Sabrina texted him:
"Still working on that new song?"
"Want help with lyrics? 👀"
He smiled weakly.
She didn't know the pressure behind it.
She didn't know that every song he released wasn't just art — it was survival.
He typed back:
"Yeah, working on it. Might drop it anonymously again."
"Yelena gave me a warning. Things are getting dangerous."
Three dots.
Then:
"Just be careful, okay?"
"…You're important to me."
His chest tightened for a moment.
He took a breath.
Then he got to work.
Choosing the Song
If he needed fast points…
He needed a hit.
He scrolled through the catalog of songs from his old world.
Pop?
Reggaeton?
Something emotional?
Something viral?
One song stood out immediately — a song guaranteed to spread even in a different universe.
A global hit, universal, timeless.
He clicked it.
"Despacito."
Immediately, his system chimed:
[Song Selected: "Despacito"]
[Potential Global Reach: Extremely High]
[Projected Point Gain: 80,000–150,000]
Perfect.
Exactly what he needed.
Recording the Song
He closed the blinds.
Locked the door.
Made sure his parents were asleep.
Then he hit record.
His voice flowed like he'd sung it a hundred times — because he had, back in his old world.
He layered the harmonies.
Tuned the backing vocals.
Perfected the beat.
By the time he finished, sweat dripped from his forehead.
He clicked Publish in the system.
And instantly—
[Song Released Anonymously Worldwide]
[Distribution: Maximum Efficiency]
[Tracking Listener Response…]
John sat back.
Now came the waiting.
The Explosion Begins
The first notifications appeared within minutes.
People across New York started posting:
"What IS this song???"
"Who dropped this Latin hit??
"Why is this so catchy?? HELPPPP 💀"
Within half an hour:
#Despacito was trending on TikTok.
Within two hours:
Music bloggers were scrambling to identify the singer.
People compared pitches, accents, vocal tone.
Some claimed the mystery singer was Puerto Rican.
Others insisted he was Dominican.
Others thought he was a professional adult hiding his identity.
Nobody got close.
Good.
He needed the secrecy.
System Points Skyrocket
At midnight, just as John was about to sleep, the system burst open with notifications:
[10,000 Points Earned]
[25,000 Points Earned]
[50,000 Points Earned]
[70,000 Points Earned]
[Song Viral: Global Spread Increasing]
His heart pounded.
This was the biggest spike he'd ever had.
Then—
[Unlocked: Universe Ability Shop Tier 2]
His breath caught in his throat.
Tier 2.
This was new.
This meant real power.
But Someone Else Is Watching
Before he could check it, his window made a soft tapping sound.
He froze.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Almost… rhythmic.
His pulse raced.
He moved slowly to the window, lifted the blinds—
—and saw nothing.
Just darkness.
But as he stared into the night, a cold ripple ran down his spine.
Observation Haki whispered danger.
Not from the left.
Not from the right.
Above.
He tilted his head up—
—and his breath caught.
A figure crouched on the rooftop across the street.
Just a silhouette.
No face.
No features.
Just a humanoid shape watching him…
Unmoving.
Silent.
Like a shadow carved from the night itself.
Then—
It tilted its head.
Exactly the way he used to when analyzing something.
John stumbled backward.
His system flashed:
[Unknown Observer Detected]
[Identity: Unknown]
[Distance: 42.3 meters]
[Threat Level: ???]
"What… are you?" he whispered.
The figure didn't answer.
Didn't wave.
Didn't move.
Just watched.
And then — without sound, without jumping —
It vanished.
Disappeared like smoke.
A Terrifying Realization
John slammed the blinds shut and backed away, breathing hard.
Then the system chimed again:
[Quest Updated: Identify the Unknown Observer]
[Clue Gained: Observer Copies Movements]
[Warning: This entity is becoming more curious.]
He swallowed hard.
Something was after him.
Something new.
Something not from the MCU.
Something not human.
And it was learning.
Watching.
Studying him.
The system flashed one final message:
[Recommendation: Acquire a Tier 2 Power Immediately]
John nodded slowly.
He understood.
The world was starting to move faster than him.
Chapter 24 would be the moment he fought back.