Two SUVs tore through the silent ruins, engines growling, headlights cutting a path back toward base.
Veyric claimed the passenger seat in Natasha's vehicle.
Once settled, he leaned his head against the window and let out a long sigh. "Bit tired. Gonna close my eyes for a while."
And he did.
"Are you hurt?"
Natasha's voice drifted over from the driver's seat, tinged with concern.
"I'm fine. Venom patched me up." He didn't open his eyes, kept his tone light. "Nothing to worry about. Focus on the road."
"Mm."
No follow-up questions. Her gaze returned to the broken asphalt ahead.
But Veyric noticed, in that quiet way of his, that the car had slowed.
He didn't mention it. He leaned a little more comfortably against the window.
Then, in the stillness, he pulled up the system interface inside his mind.
The panel unfurled across his inner consciousness.
Front and center, a notification sat waiting for him:
[Ding!]
[Notice: You have 1 reward box pending. Black Widow Bond Reward x1]
The corner of his mouth twitched upward in the dark.
Finally.
He willed it open.
[Ding!]
[Bond Level LV.1 Black Widow Reward Box opened!]
[Received: +1 Experience Point. Current EXP: 3]
[Received: Black Widow Half-Price Voucher x1]
[New Talent unlocked for purchase: Spy Intuition (LV.1). Price: 10 Points. Description: During conversation, instinctively detect deception cues and emotional fluctuations in a speaker's words. In close combat, gain predictive awareness of an opponent's micro-movements and weight shifts.]
Veyric read the description and felt his pulse quicken. That was a phenomenal ability.
Then he checked the price tag.
Ten points.
Then his current balance.
Three points.
The system was a walking contradiction. On one hand, it could cure a zombie plague and let him learn abilities from actual superheroes. On the other, the pricing was highway robbery. Three experience points didn't stretch far when everything cost a fortune.
He closed the Spy Intuition page, sighed internally, and was about to shut the whole interface down.
Then something clicked.
Wait.
From Beast and Colossus and Black Widow at the start, to Hawkeye and Falcon tonight, he'd personally cured five heroes. The system should have unlocked talent purchases for every single one of them.
But between one crisis and the next, fires to put out piling on top of each other, he'd never once sat down and browsed the full talent catalog.
He pulled up the Cured Hero Talents page immediately.
A clean list unfolded, organized by order of cure. Five entries. Five heroes.
He started from the top.
First: Beast. Hank McCoy.
[Scientific Mind. Price: 10 Points. Description: Dramatically enhances comprehension of science and technology. Complex experimental data and dense technical jargon become as clear as plain language. Significantly improves research efficiency and creative problem-solving.]
Veyric read with rising excitement, then checked the price.
Ten points.
He looked at his three-point balance again.
Moving on.
Second: Colossus. Piotr Rasputin.
[Iron Skin (LV.1). Price: 1 Point. Consumable item. Description: Upon use, temporarily converts the user's skin to metal, dramatically increasing durability without sacrificing mobility. Duration: one minute.]
The instant he saw "1 Point," something sparked behind his eyes.
So the system didn't only offer permanent superhero talents. It also stocked consumable items. For abilities you wouldn't need every day, a one-use item was far cheaper than a permanent unlock.
At one point per use, Colossus's contribution was by far the most budget-friendly option on the list.
He mentally bookmarked it and scrolled on.
Third: Black Widow. Natasha Romanoff.
[Silent Footwork (LV.1). Price: 5 Points. Description: When activated, significantly reduces sound from footsteps and body movement. In stealth mode, movement becomes near-silent. Ideal for infiltration and covert approach.]
The perfect ambush tool. Whether you're sneaking in or slipping out.
His inner smile widened, but five points was still out of reach. He'd have to wait.
Fourth: Hawkeye. Clint Barton.
[Shooter's Focus (LV.1). Price: 5 Points. Description: By expending concentration, the host enters a brief state of heightened focus. When using ranged or thrown weapons, target outlines sharpen and hand stability increases dramatically. Effectiveness scales with the host's attribute.]
An image flickered through his mind unbidden: himself behind a sniper rifle, breath held, gaze locked, one clean shot.
Another one for the wish list.
He scrolled to the final entry.
Fifth: Falcon. Sam Wilson.
[Wing Repair Kit x1. Price: 1 Point. Consumable item. Use requirement: Intelligence LV.2. Description: Fully restores all mechanical damage to a wing suit.]
Veyric's gaze snagged on "Use requirement: Intelligence LV.2."
He opened his attribute panel.
Intelligence: LV.1.
It had been LV.1 since the day he'd arrived in this universe. Never touched, never upgraded, sitting quietly at the bottom of the list because early on, he'd decided that raw intellect wasn't a survival priority.
He scanned the full panel:
[Intelligence: LV.1 (Unremarkable)]
[Strength: LV.2 (Vigorous)]
[Speed: LV.2 (Fleet-Footed)]
[Durability: LV.2 (Built to Last)]
[Energy: LV.1 (Flatlined)]
[Fighting: LV.2 (Novice)]
Two weak links. Intelligence and Energy, both stuck at baseline.
He stared at the numbers for a few seconds.
Time to patch the gaps.
Three points in hand. Two upgrades at one point each would leave him with one to spare. No reason to hesitate.
He selected both attributes and tapped "Upgrade."
[Ding! Allocation successful.]
[Intelligence: LV.1 (Unremarkable) → LV.2 (Quick-Witted)]
A tingling warmth spread from the base of his skull to his temples, rolling forward across his brow. Like a thin gauze had been peeled away from some shuttered corner of his mind, letting in a sliver of fresh light.
Nothing violent. But something had shifted. He could feel it.
Almost on reflex, his attention drifted back to the Falcon talent entry.
The line of greyed-out restriction text had quietly turned white:
[Wing Repair Kit. Use restriction lifted. Available for normal use.]
He stared at it for three seconds, then allowed himself a small nod of satisfaction.
He tapped the second upgrade.
[Ding! Allocation successful.]
[Energy: LV.1 (Flatlined) → LV.2 (Undercurrent)]
This one was subtler than the Intelligence boost. No warmth, no obvious rush.
Something quiet and sourceless began spreading through his core, radiating outward from somewhere deep in his gut. Like a fresh coal dropped into a furnace, no flame visible yet, but the heat seeping steadily into the surrounding air.
In Marvel's power framework, the Energy attribute measured a hero's capacity to project force outward. Cyclops of the X-Men, Thor of the Avengers, both were textbook examples of high-Energy fighters.
Veyric could feel it now, a slow churn of heat coiling inside him. But without a skill to channel it, that energy had nowhere to go.
He was about to close the panel when a flash of gold burst across his vision.
[Ding!]
[Achievement Unlocked: Superhero Sequence]
[All six of the host's attributes have surpassed LV.1. You have crossed the threshold from ordinary human to the starting line of a superhero.]
[You are no longer the helpless civilian hiding behind the strong, relying on the system's protection alone.]
[Your path to saving heroes has only begun.]
[Reward: +5 Experience Points, Talent Trial Coupon x1, Cure and Bond rewards permanently upgraded!]