After spending a long minute thinking about MJ… her kiss… her warmth… Arin finally pushed the thoughts aside and focused on something that mattered for his survival.
The system Shop.
He now had 20 Counter Points — enough to unlock it.
"System," he said quietly, lying back on his bed.
"Open the shop."
Ding.
A new interface appear in front of him.
[ SYSTEM SHOP — UNLOCKED ]
Welcome, Host Arin Aether.
Access to purchasable items granted.
The screen expanded like a digital galaxy.
Arin's eyes narrowed as the categories unfolded:
[Powers]
Mutant abilities, Ki techniques, magic spells, enhanced senses, flight, telekinesis upgrades…
[Skills]
Combat mastery, hacking, charm, stealth, medical knowledge, alchemy…
[Weapons]
Kryptonian blades, Stark-tech gauntlets, vibranium knives, energy pistols…
[Artifacts]
Asgardian relics, Nanda Parbat charms, mystical talismans, divine items from mythology…
[Enhancements]
Serums, genetic upgrades, spiritual cores, resistance boosters…
[Miscellaneous]
Money cards, vehicles, disguises, AI tools, base-building kits…
Everything he could imagine existed there.
Marvel.
DC.
Even items he didn't recognize — from worlds he never saw before.
It was like staring into an infinite treasure vault.
Arin whispered under his breath:
"…Incredible."
But then he looked at the prices.
His calm expression stiffened.
Basic fighting Mastery
: 30 CP
Telekinesis : 120 CP
Enhanced Reflex Serum: 80 CP
Vibranium Knife: 150 CP
Basic Magic Core: 200 CP
He scrolled more.
Spider-Sense Replica: 300 CP
Kryptonian Genetic Catalyst: 1000 CP
Chaos Magic Spark (Wanda Variant): 5000 CP
Soul Physique Upgrade: 10,000 CP
Multiverse Immunity Shield: 50,000 CP
Arin stared at the numbers.
Then at his balance:
Counter Points: 20
"…"
He felt his eye twitch.
All this power and abilities
And he couldn't afford anything except maybe a sandwich from the Miscellaneous section.
He opened a random cheap item.
[Stale Doughnut — 5 CP]
Arin closed the window.
Fast.
"Yeah… no."
He wasn't wasting points on food his million dollars could buy.
Still, seeing the shop showed him the truth:
He needed Counter Points.
A lot of them.
Saving MJ was only the beginning.
If he wanted real power in this dangerous world, he had to change major and minor storylines.
He sighed softly, lying back on his pillow.
"Tomorrow… I need more opportunities."
His eyes drifted to the window.
The sky was quiet.
The city buzzing faintly in the distance.
He closed the system screen, letting the interface fade away like dust in the dark.
His body slowly relaxed.
His breathing eased.
His mind finally settled.
"...Goodnight," he whispered to himself.
Within minutes, Arin drifted into sleep —