The System Gave Everyone Superpowers

The blood manipulator realized his attack had failed and panicked.

He pulled out his knife and sliced his own palm. Fresh blood poured out, and he used his Blessing to pull the blood into the air, forming three new red spikes.

"Stay back!" he screamed, his face pale.

He threw all three spikes at me at once.

I checked my BP. 40/45.

I had plenty of gas. I needed to end the fight quickly before he hurt the woman behind him.

I dropped the temperature of the air between us to absolute zero in a split second.

Cost: 5 BP.

The three blood spikes froze solid in mid-air and turned into dark red icicles. They lost their momentum and shattered.

I closed the distance between us and swung my baton as hard as I could right in the stomach.

"Oof!"

He doubled over, dropping his knife. Before he could recover, I brought the baton down hard on the back of his neck.

He collapsed onto the ground, completely unconscious.

The alley went quiet.

I stood over him.

A gold notification popped up in my vision.

[Quest Complete: Apprehend the Criminal.]

[Reward: +200 XP]

[City Bounty Payout: $1,500 transferred to account.]

I smiled. Fifteen hundred dollars, straight into my bank account. No union dues.

Another gold notification flashed.

[Experience Points (XP) threshold reached.]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

I felt that same rush of euphoric heat wash over my body. My muscles relaxed and my mind felt incredibly sharp.

I was now Level 4.

I opened my Status Screen to ten unallocated Attribute Points.

I dumped all ten points into Wisdom.

Wisdom: 9 -> 19

Max BP: 45 -> 95

Ninety-five Blessing Points. I could feel the energy under my skin. I felt powerful. Like I could freeze a whole city block if I wanted to.

"E-excuse me?"

I turned around. The woman in the business suit was still sitting on the ground. She was staring at me with terrified eyes.

"Are you okay?" I asked, putting my baton back on my belt.

"I... yes," she stammered. She scrambled to her feet and picked up her spilled purse. "You saved me. That other Hero just left, but you stayed. Thank you."

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"Don't thank me," I said. "I just wanted the bounty."

She looked confused, but she reached into her purse and pulled out a hundred-dollar bill. She held it out to me.

"Please, take this," she said. "For your trouble."

I looked at the money. I had just made fifteen hundred dollars, I didn't need her hundred. But I like free money.

I took the bill and put it in my pocket. "Thanks."

I pulled out my phone and dialed the HRC police tip line. I reported the unconscious Villain and gave them the address.

"The cops are coming to pick him up," I told the woman. "You should probably stay and give a statement. I'm going home."

I turned around and walked out of the alley.

As I walked down the street, I checked my Status Screen one more time.

Name: Shay Fawn

Level: 4

I was making progress, money. I was getting stronger without having to train or break my back.

I was going to climb to the top of this stupid system and get richer and stronger than all of them. And I was going to do it my way.

Slowly. Efficiently. And with as little effort as possible.

I took the train back to my apartment. I felt great. Leveling up twice in one day was an incredible feeling. My body felt light, and my mind was buzzing with energy from my new Wisdom stat.

I stopped at a nice grocery store on the way home. I bought a thick steak, fresh vegetables, and a box of expensive cookies. I paid for it all with the hundred-dollar bill the woman in the alley had given me.

When I got to my apartment, I cooked the steak, sat at my kitchen table, eating good food and looking at my bank account on my phone.

I had over eleven thousand dollars.

For the first time in my life, I didn't feel stressed about money. I didn't have to worry about my landlord or my parents. I had done it myself.

I finished eating and sat on my mattress. I opened my Status Screen.

Name: Shay Fawn

Age: 19

Level: 4

Title: [Opportunist]

HP: 180/180

BP: 95/95

I looked closer at the screen.

There was a new word under my Level.

Title: [Opportunist]

I tapped on the word with my mind. A small text box popped up, explaining what it meant.

[Opportunist]: Awarded for defeating an enemy who was distracted or unaware. Grants a passive +5% XP bonus when attacking an enemy from behind or when they are engaged with someone else.

I laughed out loud.

The System actually gave me an award for not fighting fair. It rewarded me for waiting until the Villain was distracted by the Pro Hero flying away.

Most Heroes get Titles like [Brave] or [Protector] for saving people. I got [Opportunist] for being sneaky. It fit perfectly. I loved it. Five percent more XP meant I had to do five percent less work to level up.

I closed the screen and lay back on my bed.

I thought about the Pro Hero I saw in the alley.

That was the reality of the Hero industry. It wasn't about saving people. It was about money, sponsorships, and PR. My parents were exactly like that guy. They only cared about their brand.

I didn't care about saving people either, but at least I was honest about it. I just wanted the bounty.

My phone buzzed. It was a text from Miller.

HRC police picked up your Villain. Clean arrest. I saw the report. You're doing good, kid. Come into the office tomorrow at 10 AM. We need to talk about your contract.

I frowned. Talk about my contract?

Mr. Graves had forced me to sign that terrible contract because I was Level 1. He thought I was weak and thought he could trap me into clearing Public Zones for pennies while he took sixty percent of the cut.

But I wasn't Level 1 anymore. I was Level 4 now with almost a hundred BP. I had taken down a Level 8 Villain without breaking a sweat.

I wasn't going to let Aegis Defense rob me anymore.

I turned off my phone and closed my eyes. Tomorrow, I was going to have a very interesting conversation with Miller.

I fell asleep feeling powerful.

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