Still Standing on the rooftop, Kai processed the system's message with a mixture of surprise and excitement.
"Another mission coming up already? The system isn't wasting any time. Unlike the previous mission with its strict one-hour deadline, this one seemed more open-ended and it seems the mission would trigger as soon as i completed whatever preparation exercises required"
At that moment his muscles were still buzzing with energy from his mission, the memory of delivering justice still fresh in his mind.
without being told he knows each successful mission will bring him one step closer to his ultimate goal - hunting down Leo and the trafficking ring.
The thought of his former partner made his fists clench involuntarily.
"Soon,"
he said to himself, his eyes scanning the city skyline.
"Soon I'll have enough power to make you pay for what you did, partner."
"Now I'm the judge, I will deliver judgement to you soon, just wait for me."
Kai couldn't wait to kick off another mission, at the same time he was hungry to get Leo mission.
Kai got home and without wasting any more time he started his exercises immediately.
Kai's enhanced body responded better than he expected.
His muscles seemed to recover faster now, barely aching as he completed set after set.
By midnight, he had managed to complete half of the required training, but exhaustion finally began to creep in.
"Even with my newfound powers, I'm still human and I need to rest and eat."
He said to himself as he walked towards his room and collapsed onto his bed, still wearing his black uniform, too tired to even change. The events of the day played through his mind as he drifted off - the rescue, the kill, the girl's hug, the confused police. Sleep came quickly, his body demanding recovery time.
When morning light filtered through his window, Kai woke up to his stomach growling fiercely.
He made his way to the kitchen, remembering the milk from yesterday.
Opening his fridge, the stark reality hit him - the empty shelves stared back at him. In all the excitement of becoming Nemesis vessel, he'd forgotten one basic necessity.
"I have finally run out of food."
He shakes his head in disappointment.
Kai stood in his driveway, staring at his map display while his stomach growled loudly.
The supermarket marker pulsed tantalizingly in the distance. His fingers twitched, itching to summon the power bike from his system storage.
"It would be so easy, so quick to get there and get what I needed."
However he shook his head.
"No,"
he muttered to himself.
"The old Kai would take shortcuts. The old Kai was weak and couldn't stand up for the weak and needy, but I have to push myself now."
He stripped off his black uniform, his muscles still slightly sore from yesterday's mission.
Pulling on a grey hoodie and track pants, he caught his reflection in the window.
Dark circles ringed his eyes, but there was a new intensity in his gaze that hadn't been there before.
"Every second counts now,"
he said to himself, stretching his legs.
"Every step is either making me stronger or keeping me weak."
However his stomach protested again, louder this time. Kai grimaced, patting his abdomen.
"Yeah, yeah, I hear you. But we're doing this my way, I'm going to run."
The morning sun was just beginning to warm the air as he stepped outside.
He said with a calm voice.
"Systems check my running progress,"
He commanded quietly.
[Running Progress: 0/100km]
[Remaining: 100km]
[Status: Untouched]
The blue text made him wince.
He hadn't even started on the running requirement yet. The supermarket was 15 kilometers away - a good start, but barely scratching the surface of what he needed to accomplish.
"Time to change that,"
he said, rolling his shoulders back. His enhanced muscles coiled with potential energy, ready to prove themselves.
He decided to go to the shopping mall, which was far away from his area.
"That would be 25 kilometers, and coming back would also be 25 kilometers, it's something I must do, since running was part of the drills I haven't completed yet."
Without wasting any more time he kicked off his running.
The twenty-five-kilometer run had taken more out of Kai than he'd expected. His lungs burned as he leaned slightly on his shopping cart, trying to mask his heavy breathing from other shoppers.
"Pathetic,"
he thought, wiping sweat from under his hood.
"Just 25 kilometers and I'm breathing this heavily, when some people run marathons."
The jacket clung uncomfortably to his skin, but he kept it zipped high, the hood casting shadows over his face.
An elderly woman gave him a suspicious glance as he passed, clutching her purse tighter.
Kai almost smiled - if she only knew he was here to protect people like her, not harm them.
"Just a few more items,"
he muttered to himself, tossing protein bars and energy drinks into his cart. His stomach growled loudly enough to make a nearby child giggle.
The cashier, a young woman with tired eyes and a name tag reading "Sarah,"
started scanning other people's items. Her movements were mechanical.
"That'll be-"
She began, but her words cut off in a terrified gasp.
"EVERYBODY DOWN! NOW!"
A harsh voice bellowed through the store.
The rifle pressed against Sarah's temple, her face draining of color. immediately tears welled in her eyes as she raised her trembling hands.
"please,"
she whispered.
"I have kids..."
"SHUT UP!"
The gunman's voice cracked with nervous energy - dangerous, unpredictable.
At that moment Four more men burst through the entrance, their boots squeaking on the polished floor. Each carried assault rifles with practiced ease.
These weren't amateur thieves - their movements showed they had some kind of military training.
"All of you, on the ground!"
One shouted, firing a warning shot into the ceiling.
immediately Chaos erupted.
A woman screamed, clutching her child. An elderly man fell trying to kneel too quickly. Shopping baskets clattered to the floor as people dropped to their knees, hands raised.
Kai remained standing, his hood still low, his fingers still wrapped around his carton of egg. His enhanced senses took in every detail: five men, military-grade weapons, approximately twenty-seven civilians in the store. His system interface flickered in his peripheral vision, already calculating trajectories and threat levels.