System X: The Villain Rise

Not long, Kaiza heard distinct chatter coming from the door. It was a conversation between Will and the military personnel.

Will had been unable to contact the doctor, who was on a week-long leave following the incident the previous night. Meanwhile, the nurses were preoccupied with attending to other patients. Unlike the doctors, nurses in this ward were assigned to multiple cases simultaneously.

Determined, Will was trying to convince the military guards to allow Kaiza to proceed with his morning run. Despite his persistent efforts, most of them seemed futile.

The military personnel remained adamant, adhering to strict protocols. Their primary concern was Kaiza's safety, as their jobs depended on it.

Their minds were still preoccupied with the unresolved security breach. How could an assassin have gained access to the ward without them noticing? If that could happen within the confines of the hospital, what could happen out in the open space?

The military men were torn, unsure whether to grant permission for Kaiza's release or not. That was until a man stepped forward and intervened.

"Let him out," the man commanded, his voice firm and unwavering. It wasn't a plea but an order, spoken with the authority of a superior issuing a directive to his subordinates. Despite the command's weight, the men remained unmoved, their stance unyielding as they refused to comply.

But that was until he revealed his ID. Instantly, the soldiers snapped to attention, issuing a crisp salute upon recognizing his rank. The man didn't fault them for their earlier resistance; after all, he wasn't in uniform, and his presence here was part of an informal mission. Without the uniform, it was understandable they hadn't discerned his identity.

Without further hesitation, the soldiers granted him access to the ward, allowing him to proceed as he pleased. Will stood there, dumbstruck, watching the scene unfold before his eyes. In that moment, he understood the allure of power and why so many craved it. A mere ID was enough to command respect and even an apology. Shaking off his surprise, he followed the man into the ward.

Inside, Kaiza's gaze fell on a tall, muscular figure dressed in black. The man's face was obscured by a face cap and a black nose mask, making it difficult to fully discern his features. At first, Kaiza wondered who this stranger was, but recognition gradually dawned. Though the mask concealed much of his face, his presence and aura were unmistakable.

Kaiza was certain he had crossed paths with this man before, but he couldn't pinpoint exactly where or when.

"Grab a bottle of water, and let's run," the man's voice cut through Kaiza's train of thought, pulling him back to reality.

The voice was eerily familiar—so much so that Kaiza felt he could almost identify the speaker. Yet, he still needed one more clue to make the connection.

Without hesitation, Kaiza grabbed a bottle of water. He knew he would need it after completing a ten-kilometer run. For someone like him, still bound by human limitations, rehydration was essential to stave off weakness. Although he possessed the mysterious system, Kaiza had yet to fully understand its mechanics. He was certain he didn't have any superhuman abilities—at least not yet. Or did he?

The thought lingered in his mind. Perhaps the system had already granted him a superpower. Could it be invincibility? It was one of the most highly rated abilities, capable of altering the course of any battle. However, Sulan had doubted whether Kaiza truly possessed such power. After all, it was considered nearly impossible to wield two powerful skills simultaneously, like power resistance and invincibility.

Kaiza couldn't help but wonder—was he an exception to the rules, or was there more to the system than he realized?

To learn multiple abilities, one must choose a focus ability—the central skill they wish to master and grow in—and then complement it with one or, at most, two side abilities. This strict limitation on the number of abilities one could truly master was one of the reasons Sulan doubted Kaiza was ordinary. Possessing two strong abilities, like power resistance and invincibility, was practically unheard of, even among the most gifted individuals.

Adding to this skepticism was the fact that most high schoolers didn't possess abilities until they entered military school. High school was considered the foundation stage, where students honed their physical and mental discipline through rigorous martial arts training and foundational skills. Often, the martial art they chose aligned with the type of ability they aspired to gain in military school. This alignment process began as early as middle school, preparing students for the demanding path ahead.

Those rare students who possessed abilities before military school typically fell into three categories;

One, The Mixed Blood Superpowers. These students inherited abilities due to their unique bloodlines, though such occurrences had become exceedingly rare after the first war against the Dowolfs.

Two, The Purchased Abilities: Wealthy parents sometimes secure abilities for their children. However, these abilities often came with questionable origins. Many were stolen from the military city by ability thieves or derived from unauthorized ability books.

While these books were written by ability users, they were far less comprehensive than those found in military schools. The knowledge they offered was limited, often leaving the user with an incomplete understanding of their powers. This made military school the only reliable source for unlocking and mastering true abilities.

Third, there were military kids and hero kids. These groups gained their abilities through direct training from their parents, who were either military personnel or world-renowned heroes. However, the two groups operated under vastly different rules and privileges.

Military kids faced strict restrictions. The military had clear limits on what parents could reveal or teach their children about abilities. Despite this, many military personnel discreetly went beyond these limits, secretly training their children to ensure they were prepared. However, these children were forbidden from using their abilities in combat or public demonstrations. If caught, the consequences were severe. Parents could face demotion to the lowest military rank or even outright dismissal, tarnishing their reputation and career.

Hero kids, on the other hand, lived without such constraints. Heroes were revered figures, admired and respected by society. Their children were treated like prodigies, free to learn and use abilities without fear of repercussions. Heroes operated outside the military's jurisdiction, and no one dared to challenge them. In fact, most people went out of their way to stay in a hero's good graces. This lack of restrictions and immense societal respect gave hero kids an undeniable advantage, further elevating their status as the elite among ability users.

Kaiza could technically be categorized as one of the hero kids, as his parents were world-renowned heroes in the tech world. However, his life was far from the privileged existence most hero kids enjoyed. Having spent most of his life with his uncle, Will, Kaiza had limited time with his parents.

His parents were adamantly against him owning an ability, and for good reason. Recent cases of kidnapped ability-wielding children were on the rise, making it a dangerous prospect. Enzox, his father, took extreme precautions to ensure Kaiza remained far from him, going so far as to keep Kaiza's existence a secret. Very few people even knew Enzox had a child, and there were virtually no pictures of the two together.

The reasoning was clear: kids possessing abilities outside of military school, with limited understanding of their powers, were at great risk. Many of the abducted children were either trained to become ability thieves or forced to work as tools of iniquity in criminal organizations.

Kaiza understood his parents' choices, as well as the risks associated with their work. He knew why they kept their distance and why his life had been shaped the way it was.

Grabbing two bottles of water, Kaiza prepared himself for the grueling ten-kilometer run ahead. He wasn't willing to take any chances. His recent experience with energy drain had left him cautious—he never wanted to endure that awful feeling again. Every step he took now was calculated, ensuring he wouldn't collapse from another bout of energy loss.

Outside the hospital, Kaiza stood on the walkway, dressed in comfortable athletic clothing that resembled standard sportswear. He went through a few more stretches, preparing his body for the run. After finishing his warm-up, he glanced over his shoulder, his eyes landing on the man standing a few meters away.

It was the same man from earlier. Kaiza couldn't shake the question lingering in his mind—who was this man, and why was he here?

Before Kaiza had been allowed outside, Will, as his guardian, had been pulled aside for a private conversation. The hospital staff explained the man's purpose. He had been sent by a secret governmental agency to protect Kaiza and ensure his safety following the incident yesterday. In essence, the man was now Kaiza's bodyguard.

The explanation made sense. Enzox, Kaiza's father, had been a renowned Tech-Pro whose contributions were invaluable to the government. The company Enzox worked for was considered a key asset, and his heroic actions—ensuring advanced weaponry didn't fall into enemy hands—had left a lasting impression. Now, with Enzox gone, the government felt it was their duty to protect Kaiza, the only remaining link to his legacy.

Kaiza took a deep breath, feeling the weight of these developments but choosing to focus on his run. Whatever this man's purpose was, Kaiza would find out soon enough. For now, he had to keep moving forward—literally and figuratively.

However, one of their primary motives for keeping Kaiza safe was their belief that, somehow, he had inherited the exceptional tech intelligence of his parents. Both his father and mother were pioneers in advanced technology, and the government was convinced that Kaiza had the potential to become the next big thing in the tech world.

They envisioned him as the key to developing groundbreaking tech weapons that could secure humanity's future, ensuring they stayed one step ahead of their enemies in the looming war. To them, Kaiza wasn't just a person to protect—he was a potential asset who could tip the scales in humanity's favor when the time came.