NOVEL WEB Chapter 3: Chapter 3: The Final Death & The First Upgrade –(REMAKE)
Chapter 3: The Final Death & The First Upgrade –(REMAKE)
Adam stared at the perfectly normal, utterly mundane staircase. It was five steps. Five innocent-looking steps leading down to a surprisingly clean subway platform. And it was going to be his ticket to System Level 2.
" This is it. My grand finale for Level 1. The most epic way to get a minor concussion, probably. I hope the System appreciates the subtle artistry of this. No explosions, no alien lasers, just… stairs. Truly the stuff of legends."
He'd spent the morning meticulously planning this. He needed a death that looked accidental, wasn't too dramatic, and wouldn't involve any actual paramedics or uncomfortable questions. A "trip" down five steps, landing awkwardly but safely, seemed ideal. He'd seen people do it for real, mostly after too many questionable burritos. He just had to make sure it looked convincing.
He waited for a lull in pedestrian traffic, then, with a dramatic stumble that would make an Oscar winner proud, he "lost his footing." He went down, a controlled fall that somehow still managed to feel embarrassing. He landed with a muffled thump, his head narrowly missing a discarded newspaper.
[SYSTEM ALERT: DEATH DETECTED. CAUSE: MINOR FALL (STAIRS).] [LIVES REMAINING: 0/1 (Current Life Activated)] [DEATHS ACHIEVED: 5/5 (LEVEL UP REQUIREMENTS MET!)]
[CONGRATULATIONS, HOST! YOU HAVE REACHED SYSTEM LEVEL 2!]
[LEVEL UP REWARDS:] [1. SYSTEM UPGRADE CHOICE (Choose one below)] [2. SYSTEM SHOP UNLOCKED!]
Adam groaned, pushing himself up. "Finally," he muttered, rubbing his elbow. "That was… surprisingly impactful. My ego is probably more bruised than my actual body."
The System interface flashed, presenting him with his upgrade options.
[SYSTEM UPGRADE OPTIONS:] [A. INCREASED LIVES PER KILLER: Increases the number of lives granted per designated killer by +1. (Current: 1 life per killer)] [B. PASSIVE LUCK BOOST: A minor, passive increase to general luck, subtly improving chances of beneficial outcomes.] [C. MINOR STAT AUGMENTATION: Choose one core physical stat (Strength, Agility, Stamina) to receive a minor, permanent boost.]
Adam pondered, stroking his chin. " Okay, this is actually kind of important. 'Increased Lives per Killer' sounds good for future proofing, especially since I'm pretty sure I'm going to annoy a lot of supervillains. 'Passive Luck Boost' sounds like something a scam artist would sell, but also incredibly useful in a world where random meteors decide to land on people. And 'Minor Stat Augmentation'? Useful, but boring. I'm already basically Captain America, if Captain America spent most of his time complaining about his aching back."
He considered the future. He knew the general threats. He knew he'd be running into people who could casually erase him from existence. More lives would be good. Definitely good.
"I choose A," he declared, feeling a faint sense of cosmic power at his decision. "Increased Lives per Killer. Because frankly, I'm going to need all the help I can get to not get pulverized."
[UPGRADE SELECTED: INCREASED LIVES PER KILLER! (Current: 2 lives per killer)]
[SYSTEM SHOP UNLOCKED! ACCESSING INTERFACE…]
A new window materialized in his vision, shimmering with a faint, almost tacky gold glow. This was it. The legendary System Shop. He leaned forward, eyes wide with anticipation. Would it have anti-gravity boots? A universal translator? A perpetually refilling coffee mug?
He scrolled through the categories: [SKILLS], [ITEMS], [BLUEPRINTS], [MISC.]. He clicked on [SKILLS] first.
" Alright, System, impress me. Show me the good stuff. Teleportation? Mind-reading? The ability to cook a perfect omelet every time?"
The list populated.
[SKILLS AVAILABLE:] [- 'BASIC HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT' - 1000 Funds] [- 'MINOR ACROBATICS' - 750 Funds] [- 'ENHANCED HEARING (RANGE 50m)' - 1200 Funds] [- 'LOCKPICKING (NOVICE)' - 500 Funds] [- 'BASIC FIRST AID' - 300 Funds] [- 'URBAN NAVIGATION' - 200 Funds]
Adam blinked. Then he blinked again. " Is this it? This is the shop? This is like a really disappointing dollar store for superpowers. Where's the 'Super Speed' for, like, five million dollars? Or the 'Flight' for a cool billion? This is… incredibly mundane."
He sighed, his initial excitement deflating faster than a punctured balloon. Still, some of these were actually useful. 'Urban Navigation' for 200 funds sounded good. Central City was a maze, and he was tired of getting lost. 'Basic First Aid' could save him some future hospital bills.
He checked his current funds: $1000. He'd been diligently accumulating them, mostly by finding "lost" valuables and successfully predicting a few minor stock fluctuations he remembered from the future. He was, to his surprise, pretty good at playing the "accidental millionaire" game.
"Okay, System," he said, tapping his chin. "Let's be practical. I need to be able to get around and not bleed out in a ditch. I'll take 'Urban Navigation' and 'Basic First Aid.'"
[PURCHASING 'URBAN NAVIGATION' (200 Funds)… COMPLETE. FUNDS: $800.] [SKILL ACQUIRED: 'URBAN NAVIGATION'!] [DESCRIPTION: Grants an intuitive understanding of urban layouts, improving navigation and pathfinding in cities.]
[PURCHASING 'BASIC FIRST AID' (300 Funds)… COMPLETE. FUNDS: $500.] [SKILL ACQUIRED: 'BASIC FIRST AID'!] [DESCRIPTION: Provides fundamental knowledge and practical application of basic medical care for minor injuries.]
A warm sensation spread through his mind as the skills integrated. He suddenly felt like he could draw a map of Central City from memory, and the thought of patching up a scraped knee didn't fill him with existential dread anymore. Small victories.
" Well, it's not super-speed, but at least I won't get lost trying to find the nearest coffee shop. And I can stitch up a paper cut like a pro. This is basically me becoming a slightly more competent Boy Scout, with the added bonus of being unkillable."
He still had $500. He considered what else he could buy. 'Lockpicking (Novice)' seemed… morally ambiguous. He'd save it for later. He scrolled through the other categories. [ITEMS] had things like "Basic Medkit" (50 Funds) and "Pre-Charged Power Bank" (25 Funds). Utterly unexciting. [BLUEPRINTS] was empty, labeled "Requires higher System Level." And [MISC.] was just… empty.
" Yep. Definitely a dollar store. But hey, it's my dollar store."
He now had two lives per killer, two new skills, and a grand total of $500. Not exactly the riches of Croesus, but it was a start. He was officially Level 2. The next challenge: accruing more deaths for Level 3 (now requiring 10 deaths) and, more importantly, accumulating serious funds for the next fund tier ($2000). The game was getting harder, but at least he wasn't going to die from a stubbed toe anymore. Probably.