Chapter 48 Heroes—Another Appears
Chapter 48 Heroes—Another Appears
As Parker stepped out of his room, he couldn't help but think about the money he'd dropped in the system shop. Eighty-one freaking million. Not a single rebate. Not even a "Hey, here's a coupon!" But it was what it was. It stung, sure, but it made sense.
"Whatever," he muttered to himself. He was building something bigger than a bank account.
And then, as if the universe—or the system—wanted to slap a band-aid over that wound, the familiar ding rang out.
[Ding! Host has received 100 Random Spins!]
Parker froze mid-step, his brain struggling to process what he'd just heard. "Wait... what? One hundred spins?!" He almost tripped over his own feet. That was huge.
"System," he said, half-laughing, half-glaring, "do I get random spins every time I drop cash in the shop? Or is this just a one-time thing?" His tone was playful, but anyone could tell the kid was pushing his luck.
[No, Host. You received the spins as a bonus for your first purchase. Since it was a significant one, the system granted 100 Random Spins. This is a one-time reward.]
Parker rolled his eyes. "Wow, so generous. No, actually, you're stingy as hell, system."
By the time he made it to the kitchen, his stomach was growling loud enough to echo. Tessa was already there, sitting at the counter with her phone, her face glowing in the screen's light. She glanced up and smiled.
"Morning, sleepyhead," she teased, setting her phone down.
"Should've eaten without me," Parker said, opening the fridge to grab some juice.
Tessa shrugged, still smiling. "Nah. I was waiting for my master," she said, throwing an exaggerated bow into the mix.@@@@
Parker scoffed, rolling his eyes but failing to hide the small smirk creeping onto his face. They sat down to eat, the air light and easy.
Halfway through breakfast, Tessa's tone shifted. "Oh, by the way, another hero showed up."
That got Parker's attention. He paused mid-bite, his fork hovering over his plate. "Another hero? Who? Show me!"
Tessa unlocked her phone, leaning across the table to show him. "This guy," she said, pulling up a video.
The clip started shaky, someone recording a news report off their TV. In the footage, a massive train was barreling toward disaster—a bridge collapsing ahead of it. Screams filled the air, the camera zooming in as a figure jumped onto the tracks.
Parker leaned closer, his brows furrowing. The guy was tall, ripped like he lived in the gym, and his messy hair blew wildly in the wind. The dude wore no mask, no flashy costume. Just raw strength and presence.
He didn't slow the train; he stopped it. Bare hands on steel, heels digging into the tracks, muscles rippling under the strain. Sparks flew everywhere as the train screeched to a halt, inches from the broken bridge.
The dude stoped a train?
"This world's about to get crowded," Parker thought, frowning. "Heroes showing up left and right, probably with their shiny ideals and capes. More trouble for us normal folk. Or...not-so-normal folk."
He had a gut feeling they weren't just here to save kittens from trees. No way. The gods had to be up to something, pulling strings in the background.
"Not my problem," he whispered to himself, picking up his fork again. "They can keep their divine drama. I've got my own plans."
And those plans didn't involve getting caught in some mythological turf war. He was going to stay rich, and live his best damn life. Trouble could knock all it wanted, but unless it broke his door down—
"Don't jinx it, Parker," he muttered, shaking his head.
Tessa looked up again, this time frowning. "You keep talking to yourself, you know that, right? Everything okay?"
"Yeah, yeah," he said, brushing it off with a wave.
****
After breakfast—which dragged out longer than expected—Parker made his way to the parking lot. The elevator ride down felt slower than usual, giving him too much time to think. His steps were smooth, deliberate, as if the universe itself danced to his rhythm.
"This energy I absorbed," he murmured. "The system said it wasn't much, barely 0.05%, of what my current "weak" body could take... but...damn, I feel it. The world feels alive."
Finally, he reached the far end of the parking lot, where his cars waited. Three McLaren Speedtails sat gleaming under the artificial lights, their sleek black, red, and green bodies shining like something out of a dream.
Parker stopped a few steps away, staring. His breath caught in his throat.
"This is my reality," he thought. "My life now."
But for some reason, he couldn't take another step. It felt too surreal, too much like stepping into a life that wasn't his.
"You getting sentimental again? What's wrong today?"
The voice behind him snapped him out of his thoughts, and he turned sharply.
*****
Check Characters and add popularity guys.
ocean-life