The System Gave Everyone Superpowers

At exactly nine in the morning, I walked into the main briefing room at Brand Tower. The room was sleek, high-tech, and quiet. Around the circular glass table sat the other eight rookies from our evaluation.

Mai Golan was sitting near the front. Koda was in the corner.

The door slid open, and Kevin walked in. He stopped at the head of the table and leaned against it.

"Welcome, everyone," Kevin said. "Today is the first day of Brand Boot Camp."

A few of the rookies shifted in their seats.

"Starting today, you are no longer rookies," Kevin explained. "Since everyone here has a year of active work experience under their belt, you are now full-fledged Heroes. And that means you have to engage in real work. The easy days of clearing Private Zones are officially over."

My chest tightened. Real work?

"When you aren't hunting down specific high-level villains, or engaging in your corporate sponsorships, you will be in boot camp," Kevin continued. "This ensures that our Heroes remain fresh, sharp, and most importantly, profitable. You will be known as Class Four. There are three other classes of nine students each, also from Brand. They will be your direct competitors."

Kevin tapped his tablet, and a ranking ladder popped up on the holographic screen.

"Your goal is to rank the highest and stay there," Kevin said. "Rankings are determined entirely by merit and performance. Your class points will dictate your monthly bonuses. Failure to maintain a passing rank will result in immediate termination of your contract."

Kevin reached into his pocket and threw nine dark blue passports onto the glass table.

"Pack your bags," Kevin said. "You’ll be living and working at the Brand Boot Facility located in California from now on."

The room erupted into quiet whispers.

"But what about Drofman?" Mai asked. "This is our territory."

"There are no real villains in this city, Portal," Kevin said, shaking his head. "Black Hole and the Jungle were anomalies that slipped through the cracks, but for the most part, a top-tier Hero will not find active work here. The vast majority of top-tier Heroes live and work in California, in a city called Janesten. The other Brand classes have already been living and working there."

Kevin pointed to the passports. "You’re required to use the Brand private jet to fly back to Drofman at a moment's notice if an emergency occurs, but it's only a two-hour flight. Now, before you head to the airport, you need to choose your class leader and co-leader. I’ll leave you to it."

Kevin turned and walked out of the room, the door sliding shut behind him.

Instantly, the room erupted into chaos. Some of the rookies were yelling in excitement, while others were arguing about leaving their homes.

I sat slumped in my chair, feeling completely exhausted. The thought of leaving my brand-new penthouse, my king-sized Cloud mattress, and my automated room service waffles to go live in some stupid boot camp in California was devastating. It was horrible.

But then, I remembered my thirty-million-dollar base salary, bonuses from Elevation and Mountain Yard. I could survive a little camp for millions a year.

I sighed, sat up, and scanned the room. Aside from Mai and Koda, three students stood out.

First was Brock Houston, the leader of Team Five. His A-Tier Titan Muscle Blessing made his body incredibly dense.

"This is bullshit!" Brock yelled, his face turning red. "We're already high-levels! Why the fuck do we need to go to a boot camp?"

Sitting next to him was his second-in-command, Nelvin Ruth. Nelvin’s A-Tier Blessing allowed him to transform his entire body into liquid water. He was currently staring at Mai’s legs with a creepy, half-open grin.

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

"Hey, if the California girls are hot, I'm down," Nelvin muttered, elbowing Brock. "Look at the legs on the Portal chick. I bet California has tons of those."

The third was Grace Love, the leader of Team One. Her A-Tier Blessing allowed her to create multiple physical clones of her body.

"Oh, Brock, don't be so negative!" Grace said. "I think California sounds like a wonderful adventure! We should all work together to make Class Four the best!"

"Shut the fuck up, Grace!" Brock snapped, waving his hand. "We need to choose a leader. And since I had the highest points behind the S-Tiers, I should be the one in charge!"

"I don't think so," a smooth voice said.

Everyone stopped talking and looked at the corner.

Koda stood up, his eyes gleaming. He walked slowly toward the table, his smile stretching across his face.

"I will be the leader of Class Four," Koda declared. "And I appoint Seasons as my second-in-command."

I froze, my jaw dropping in complete shock. "Wait, what? No. I decline."

"Protest denied, Seasons," Koda smiled, stepping up next to my chair. He bent down, whispering so only I could hear. "A good director always keeps his favorite actor close."

Before I could say another word, Koda turned to the rest of the class. "Pack your bags, classmates. Our private jet is fueled and ready. It’s time to show California what Class Four can do."

The other rookies slowly picked up their passports and began walking toward the exit.

Koda flashed a creepy smile at me before leading the way out. "The game has begun, Seasons."

I slumped back into my chair, letting out a heavy sigh.

The private terminal at Drofman Airport was absolute chaos. Paparazzi cameras were flashing constantly, and hundreds of screaming fans were pressed against the security barricades.

The city’s major defense contractors were all sending off their new talent.

Across the main concourse, I saw the Gadol team. Leo and Zachary were standing at the front of a nine-person squad.

Further down was the Aegis group. Their team consisted of Jerry, Trevor, Mia, Valerie, Rick, Liza, and a new rookie I didn't recognize. Standing in front was Genevieve. When she saw me, she flashed a big, brilliant smile for the cameras. Behind her, Captain May waved her hand politely. Standing right next to her was Mr. Graves. When our eyes met, Graves raised his middle finger and flipped me off in broad daylight.

I chuckled and kept walking.

I also saw the group from Dawn, Koda's old contractor, heading toward their own private lane.

Borab led Class Four into the VIP Lion’s Den terminal. It was an elite wing reserved strictly for the top five defense contractors in the country. There was only one other contractor in this section: Forbe.

The glass doors opened, and the Forbe team walked in confidently. Marlon Shaw and my sister, Chloe, led a nine-hero squad. Marlon caught my eye and gave me a respectful nod. Chloe kept her head high, staring straight ahead and ignoring me completely.

"Ignore them," Koda whispered next to me, his smile fixed on his face. "Focus on our flight."

We boarded the Brand private jet. The inside looked like a luxury hotel lobby. The seats were giant, leather, and leaned all the way back.

I walked straight to the very back of the plane, picked a window seat, pulled a soft blanket over my shoulders, and went right to sleep.

Two hours later, the plane touched down in California.

The moment we unbuckled, Brand security shuffled us off the runway and directly onto a large bus with dark, tinted windows.

Hours passed as the bus drove down the highway. I leaned against the window, watching the scenery. I quickly realized something was off. We weren't driving toward a city or a high-rise facility. We were heading deep into the wilderness, toward the ocean.

I looked across the aisle at Koda. His eyes were scanning the coastline through the glass.

The bus finally came to a stop near a rocky cliffside by the coast. The driver opened the doors.

"End of the line," the driver called out.

We stepped out into the salty ocean air. Standing near a wooden dock was Kevin. He was drinking an iced coffee, looking as relaxed as always.

"Welcome to California, Class Four," Kevin said. "Before you go to the actual boot camp, we have a surprise. A special placement test to determine your starting rank against the other three Brand classes."

Brock slammed his fist against his palm. "A test already?"

"The Survival Exam," Kevin explained. He gestured out toward the ocean, where a misty landmass was visible in the distance. "You will be dropped on the island of Santa Rosa. The rules are simple: survive with as many of your class members intact as possible. You can conquer the island, hide, or defend. The choice is yours."

Kevin held up a finger. "The island has various strategic spots—caves, rivers, and clearings. Capturing and holding these spots will grant your class bonus points. One point per spot held. But be careful: severe injuries, illness, or dropping out will result in massive point deductions. The class with the highest total points at the end wins."

Kevin looked at us, his smile fading slightly. "A word of warning. The other three classes are made up of highly ranked Heroes with years of real field experience. Don't bite off more than you can chew."

He pointed down at a military-style ferry boat idling by the dock.

"Get on the boat," Kevin said. "Good luck, Class Four."

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!