The apartment door creaked open, and I stepped inside, shutting it firmly behind me. The weight of the day pressed heavily on my shoulders, but it wasn't the fight that drained me—it was the surreal, exhausting conversation with an overly amorous yandere ghost. Who would've thought the afterlife could produce beings this... persistent?
I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I moved further into the apartment. It wasn't until I crossed the threshold of my room that an unsettling realization struck. Something was wrong—off in a way that crawled under my skin like an itch I couldn't scratch. My room wasn't as I'd left it.
I might not be perfect, but my memory borders on photographic, and my senses are sharper than most. Every item, every piece of furniture, every fold in a blanket is cataloged in my mind. This wasn't how I'd left things.
Anger bubbled in my chest, a slow burn that threatened to erupt. Privacy was sacred to me. If there's one thing I loathe more than anything, it's someone prying into my life. What gave anyone the right to come into my space and rummage through my things? Whoever did this had crossed a line, and the thought alone made my fists clench tightly at my sides.
I took a deep breath. Anger wouldn't solve this—at least, not yet. Observing the room, I saw signs of intrusion. They'd tried to be careful, to put things back just as they'd found them, but my eyes caught what theirs hadn't. Fingerprints. Shoe prints. Slight misalignments. There had been at least four of them, judging by the evidence. Each one had taken a section of my apartment: the bedroom, the living area, the kitchen, and the guest room.
And then I saw it. Cameras. Recorders. They were everywhere, planted with an infuriating precision. A calculated invasion.
I shut my eyes and exhaled deeply. When I opened them again, I let my awareness expand, stretching beyond the confines of the apartment. Like an invisible web, my senses reached out, capturing every detail within a 500-meter radius. I saw neighbors eating dinner, arguing, making love. The mundane chaos of life continued as always, oblivious to my turmoil.
Then I spotted it. At the far end of the street, a black SUV idled. Inside were five men, their faces lit by the glow of monitors. My apartment filled their screens—every room laid bare before their watchful eyes. My lips curled into a grim smile. Got you.
Moving deliberately, I dismantled every camera and recorder, crushing them one by one. Anger simmered beneath the surface, but I kept it in check. I couldn't act rashly, not without knowing who was behind this. Was it the government? A corporation? Someone else entirely? Jumping to conclusions would only lead to trouble, and trouble was something I couldn't afford—not yet.
Outside, the SUV's engine roared to life, and the vehicle sped off, tires screeching against the pavement. They must have realized I was onto them. I stared after the van, debating my next move. For now, it didn't matter. They were gone, and I had more important things to focus on.
I sank onto the couch, flipping on the TV as if I hadn't just uncovered a massive violation of my privacy. Some might call it apathy, but I called it strategy. Overreacting would only tip my hand. For now, I needed to lie low. Tomorrow would be for leveling up.
............................
Hours passed. The clock read 10:13 PM when I finally stretched, letting out a yawn. My newly made bed looked inviting, but sleep would have to wait. Tonight, I would focus on my growth. The events of the day had made one thing clear: I wasn't prepared. Not yet.
I'd had this power for three days now, and while it felt like a dream, the fear of losing it lingered. Power was intoxicating, yes, but it was also fragile. What if it disappeared tomorrow? What if it consumed me instead, twisting me into something unrecognizable? I didn't want to be its slave.
Other questions gnawed at the edges of my mind. How had I died? Why couldn't I remember? The system had told me I'd been dead, but the how and why remained elusive. Worse, there were memories locked away, sealed behind barriers I couldn't break. Whoever had locked them must have been powerful—far more powerful than I was now.
Shaking off the unease, I refocused. Answers would come in time. For now, I had work to do.
I initiated the process.
//CREATION of Mutant Ability Technopathy in Process...//
The system's hum resonated in my chest as energy gathered around me. A faint green light materialized at eye level, swirling and condensing before rushing into my body.
//Creation Success...//
The details appeared before me, crisp and clear.
Technopathy
A mutant ability capable of evolving from level 1 to level 5 by absorbing energy. This ability grants interaction, control, and communication with any form of technology. It also extends to metals and electromagnetic waves. At higher levels, the bearer gains cyborg-like transformations, enabling the creation of technology directly from their body.
As the energy settled, a transformation rippled through me. Every cell in my body seemed to realign, as if reconstructing itself from the ground up. It was exhilarating. I could feel the power coursing through me, ready to be unleashed.
This ability was perfect. Technology ruled this world—communications, surveillance, weapon systems, everything. With technopathy, I could control it all. People's secrets, their plans, their weaknesses—all of it would be mine to uncover.
But this was just the beginning.
//CREATION of Time Dilation Mindscape in Process...//
Another surge of energy hit me, pulling everything I had left. The system responded in kind.
//Creation Success...//
Time Dilation Mindscape
A mental space where time moves at a rate of 1,000 days for every real-world day.
The concept alone was exhilarating. In this space, I could train, plan, and strategize without wasting real-world time. Initially, I'd hoped for a 10,000-day dilation, but my energy reserves had their limits. Even so, this would suffice—for now.
Within my mindscape, a door appeared, glowing faintly. Behind it lay a room that would be the cornerstone of my transformation. I would use this space to sharpen my abilities, to become something greater than I was now.
Tomorrow, the real work would begin. By this time, I would no longer be the man they could invade and watch. I would be a force they couldn't comprehend.
The Underworld Lord was rising.