Arin held the small silver vial carefully between his fingers.
It was Body Enhancement Serum inside the Silver vial .
Looking at serum he extremely feel the nervous because even for someone who stayed composed, injecting a mysterious serum wasn't exactly relaxing.
"…No point hesitating."
He uncapped the vial, pressed it to his skin, and injected.
WHUMP—
A warm current spread through his veins, like fire laced with lightning. His heartbeat sped up, muscles tightening and relaxing in rapid pulses. He clenched his fists as the sensation grew extremely hotter and painful.
His legs trembled for a second.
Then—
Snap.
Something inside him unlocked.
His breathing slow down .
Pain vanished.
A strange lightness washed over him — like the weight of his entire body had changed.
Arin exhaled slowly.
"…It worked."
He walked to the small pull-up bar screwed into the apartment doorway — a cheap one left by the previous tenant. He grabbed it and pulled himself up.
Once.
Twice.
Ten times.
Twenty.
He stopped at fifty, not because he was tired… but because he wasn't tired at all.
Strength, agility, reaction speed — everything felt stronger.
He relaxed his grip, landing softly on the floor.
"Not bad," he murmured.
But he wasn't done.
Now he had to test the power that could actually save his life.
Psychic Power.
He raised his hand toward a chair. He didn't shout, or gesture wildly — just focused.
The air trembled faintly.
The chair wobbled… then lifted an inch off the floor.
Arin's eyes narrowed in concentration.
"Up."
The chair rose slowly, wobbling like a drunk bird.
10 cm… 20 cm… 30 cm…
Sweat started to form on his brow.
"Stop."
The chair froze mid-air, shaking.
This was harder than he expected.
"Forward."
The chair slid forward… then almost fell. He gritted his teeth and forced it steady again.
It hovered for a few seconds—
Then dropped with a loud thud.
Arin sucked in a sharp breath, rubbing his forehead.
"…Not easy."
Now he could lift objects around 200 kg — but only for a short time. And it demanded far more mental focus than he imagined.
It felt like trying to hold a heavy suitcase above his head with just two fingers.
"Holding it too long… drains stamina fast."
He leaned against the wall for a moment, catching his breath. His mind pulsed slightly — not pain, but strain, like after solving a complex math problem for hours.
Ding.
A tiny notification blinked in the corner of his vision.
---
[ Psychic Power (Lv.1) → Mental Endurance Required ]
Training recommended for improvement.
---
Arin let out a breath.
"So I'm strong… but not strong enough."
He wasn't arrogant.
He wasn't stupid.
He knew that even with his new strength, he was nowhere near the level of heroes in this world.
A mistake in front of the wrong villain meant death.
But for the first time since arriving… he felt something warm inside him.
Hope.
At least now, he could defend himself.
At least now, he wasn't completely powerless.
He sat on his bed, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"I'll need to train. A lot."
His fingers tightened.
"And I need more Counter Points… fast."
....
After training the psychic power for a while , Arin wiped the sweat on his forehead and sat back on his bed. His pulse was steady again, but his mind still buzzed faintly from the strain.
He needed to know exactly where he stood.
"System," he said quietly. "Open my status."
A gentle chime answered him.
Ding.
A translucent panel unfolded in front of him, cleaner and more organized than before.
[ STATUS — ARIN AETHER ]
Race: Human
Age: 18
Power Rank:D (↑ from F)
Abilities:
• Psychic Power (Lv.1)
• Enhanced Physique (Serum)
Assets:
• $1,000,000 USD
• Apartment (Small, NY)
Counter Points: 0
Arin blinked slowly.
"…D rank."
He remembered clearly — when he first woke up, he was F-rank, barely a normal human. Now, after a single serum injection…
He had already climbed two ranks.
Most people in this world were probably still stuck at E or F rank — normal civilians, office workers, weak thieves…
D rank didn't sound impressive at first, but in a world of common people?
It was already superhuman.
Arin's fingers brushed his chin lightly, thinking.
"My physical strength become much stronger than before."
A faint warmth spread through his chest — relief mixed with satisfaction.
He hid it well, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Not bad… not bad at all."
He wasn't arrogant.
He knew Superman, Thor, Wonder Woman, and other monsters existed.
But the difference was simple:
Before he was helpless but now at least he can protect himself.
He let out a deep breath.
"Step by step… I'll climb higher."
The glowing status screen faded away as he stood up.
With these abilities now he is confident
With the help of system, he could grow stronger and could eventually reach heights no person in this universe had ever reach .
But for now…
He needed to Act like normal and start gathering counter points to become stronger.