The wind howled around Knox as he soared through the clouds, the chaos of the city left far behind. Flying was exhilarating but still awkward, like trying to ride a bike for the first time without training wheels. He adjusted his altitude, focusing on keeping his body balanced while the cold air whipped against his skin.
As he flew, he decided to ask a question that had been bugging him. "Hey, system, how the hell do you know about stuff like YouTubers, Superman, Batman, And Ben 10? You're part of this world, right?"
The system responded with its usual casual tone. "Simple, bitch boy. When systems manifest in a world, we gain knowledge about its culture, technology, and general information. Think of it as downloading all the data we need to survive in your chaotic little society."
Knox raised an eyebrow. "So, what—you're some kind of all-knowing encyclopedia now?"
"Not exactly," the system replied. "I know enough to make fun of your dumb ass, and that's all that matters. Also, we should probably address something important: I need a name. Writing 'the system' every damn time is going to piss off the author sooner or later."
Knox froze mid-flight, hovering in the air. "The author? What the fuck are you talking about?"
"Never mind," the system said hastily. "Forget I said that. Let's move on. From now on you may address me as... hmm... let's go with Kaelina. Cool, unique and badass—like me."
Knox sighed. "Kaelina, huh? Fine, whatever. Can we focus on why I'm flying to the middle of nowhere?"
Kaelina chuckled. "Patience, little mortal. All will be revealed."
As they approached the Arctic, the temperature dropped drastically. Vast expanses of ice stretched out before Knox, glittering under the weak sunlight. Massive towers of ice jutted into the sky like a froze skyscrapers, casting long shadows across the desolate landscape.
"Alright, we're here," Knox said, his breath fogging in the frigid air. "Now what?"
"First, we need to fine-tune your flying," Kaelina said. "See those ice towers? Fly around them. Don't crash. If you crash, I'll laugh."
Knox rolled his eyes. "Of course you will."
"Oh, and let's make this fun," Kaelina added, "Quest time!"
A transparent screen appeared in Knox's vision.
Quest Assigned: Flight Mastery
Objective: Improve your flying skills by navigating the Arctic ice towers.
Reward: +1% Superman power (Current: 3%)
Failure: Embarrassment and mockery
Knox snorted. "Failure penalty is just you being an asshole? Seems light."
"Oh, I can get creative with the insults if you want," Kaelina replied, a smirk evident in her voice "Now get moving."
Knox took off, flying cautiously at first. The towering ice structures loomed around him like a maze, their sharp edges gleaming dangerously. He zigzagged through them, picking up speed as he gained confidence.
And then he crashed.
"Shit!" he shouted as he tumbled into a snowbank, ice shards raining down around him.
Kaelina burst into laughter. "Beautiful. Absolutely fucking beautiful. Try again."
Knox gritted his teeth, pulled himself out of the snow, and took off again. This time, he was more deliberate, weaving through the icy spires with increasing speed. After several crashes and some choice curse words, he started to get the hang of it.
An hour later, he was flying circle around the Arctic landscape, his movements smooth and precise.
"Not bad, bitch boy," Kaelina said. "Quest complete."
Quest Complete: Flight Mastery
Reward: +1% Superman power (Total: 4%)
Knox felt a surge of energy ripple through his body. "Alright, what's next?"
"Heat vision," Kaelina said. "It's time to melt some shit. Close your eyes and imagine your eyes heating up, like they're on fire. Focus and heat into a beam and aim."
Knox sighed but did as instructed. He closed his eyes and concentrated, picturing his eyes burning. Nothing happened.
"Great instructions," he muttered.
"Shut up and try again," Kaelina snapped.
On his third attempt, a thin red beam shot from his eyes, cutting through a nearby ice tower like a knife through butter. Knox's eyes widened.
"Holy shit!"
"Good start," Kaelina said. "But we're not done. You need to hold that beam for at least a minute without it fizzling out. Look up at the sky and let it rip."
Knox aimed at the sky and focused again. This time, a steady beam of heat vision erupted from his eyes. He clenched his jaw, sweat forming on his forehead as he struggled to maintain it.
"Come on... come on..."
"Almost there," Kaelina said. "Five more seconds."
With a final burst of effort, Knox held the beam steady until the minute mark. He released it and staggered back, panting.
"Well done," Kaelina said. "Now let's work on that super hearing. Try to tune into specific sounds, but be careful not to overdo it."
Knox closed his eyes again, concentrating. At first, he could hear the wind and the distant crack of ice shifting. Then, suddenly, it was too much. Every sound within miles crashed into his ears—voices from the city, animals moving beneath the ice, the distant hum of machinery.
"Ah, fuck!" Knox yelled, clutching his ears as they started bleeding.
"Calm down, dumbass," Kaelina said. "Turn it off!"
Knox gritted his teeth and forced himself to shut it off. The overwhelming noise stopped, leaving him gasping for air.
"That sucked," he muttered, wiping the blood from his ears.
"You'll get the hang of it." Kaelina said. "Now try again, but this time, focus on filtering out the noise. Only tune into what you want to hear."
It took several tries, but Knox eventually managed to isolate specific sounds. He tuned into faint whisper of wind and then a distant crash of ice.
"Not bad," Kaelina said. "Now for the last test: freeze breath. It's just like blowing air, but you're going to expand your lungs and condense the air into a freezing stream."
Knox frowned. "Sounds easy enough."
He inhaled deeply and exhaled, a blast of freezing air shooting from his mouth. It coated a nearby ice tower in a layer of frost.
"Perfect," Kaelina said. "You're getting there, kid. Keep this up, and you might actually survive what's coming."
Knox smirked, the cold Arctic air filling his lungs. For the first time, he felt time he might be able to handle whatever was coming his way.
Hey guys hope you like this chapter if you did please give me power stones. If you have any feedback please let me know. BYE :D