Chapter 25: The System...What?!

Alex stumbled back into his apartment, exhaustion clinging to his bones like a heavy cloak. His limbs felt leaden, and every part of him ached from the chaos of the fight. Hulk and Abomination were titans, forces of nature that he had barely survived being caught between. It was a miracle that he hadn't been obliterated in the crossfire.

His body sagged against the worn-down couch, head resting against the backrest as he gazed up at the cracks in the ceiling. A slight chuckle escaped his lips, though it held no humor—just disbelief at how insane his life had become. Fights with giant, rage-fueled monsters, powers beyond comprehension, and somehow, he was still here. Still alive.

"System, show me the upgrade screen," Alex muttered, his voice thick with exhaustion. He needed a win tonight. Something to justify the insanity he had just gone through.

The blue panel flickered into existence before him, illuminating the dim room with its ethereal glow. His eyes scanned the screen, a momentary thrill running through him as he saw the silver wheel icon blinking with a soft light. His finger hovered over the upgrade button. This was the moment.

Upgrade Silver Wheel to Platinum Level – 1,000 points. Available Points: 1,000.

It had taken so long to accumulate these points, carefully nudging events, staying in the shadows, and manipulating situations from a distance. He had gone to great lengths not to interfere too much in the grand scheme of things, worried about drawing attention from the powerful entities that ruled this world. But now, after tonight's battle, he was ready. He deserved this.

"Upgrade," he said softly, confirming the choice.

The wheel on the screen began to glow brighter, spinning faster and faster until it blurred into a golden light. Alex's breath caught in his throat. This was it. Platinum Level.

Upgrade complete. Silver Wheel has been upgraded to Platinum Level. Congratulations! 15 new character slots unlocked.

Fifteen slots? That was far more than he had expected. A rush of excitement surged through him. With the Platinum Wheel, he'd be able to equip the powers of characters on a completely different level—Superman, Thor, Flash, maybe even someone as godlike as Darkseid if he was lucky. He could practically feel the raw power at his fingertips already.

But as he looked at the screen, something strange happened. His available points had dropped to zero.

"Wait... what?"

The Platinum Wheel, now unlocked, gleamed before him, but next to it was a glaring message that made his stomach churn.

Points required to spin: 100. Available Points: 0.

The system had drained all of his points just for the upgrade. He had spent everything—everything—on unlocking the Platinum Wheel. But now he didn't even have enough to spin it.

"Are you serious?" Alex said, his voice rising in disbelief. "I just spent a thousand points, and now I have nothing left to use the damn thing?"

He stared at the screen in shock, waiting for some kind of explanation, some sign that it was a mistake, but the system offered no apology, no reassurance. It was cold and indifferent, simply displaying the facts. He had used up all his points, and now, despite the upgrade, he had nothing.

The system glowed brightly as it displayed his character slots, as if mocking him further:

Character Slots:

1. Spiderman (Silver Tier)

2. Zatanna (Silver Tier)

3. Black Panther (Silver Tier)

4. Moonkight (Silver Tier)

5. Empty Slot

6. Empty Slot

Platinum Tier

(Empty Slots)

________________________________________

The silver-tier characters looked pitiful now in comparison to the empty Platinum slots sitting beneath them, waiting to be filled. Each of those slots represented power, potential, and the key to survival in a world as dangerous as this one. And yet, Alex had no means to spin the wheel and unlock those powers.

"Unbelievable," Alex groaned, running his hands through his hair. "I'm literally one of the most powerful beings on this planet, and I don't even have 100 points to spin the stupid wheel."

He slumped forward, burying his face in his hands. All the excitement, the anticipation of unlocking the Platinum Wheel, had evaporated into bitter frustration. It was as if the system had dangled power in front of him, only to yank it away at the last second. He felt scammed.

For a moment, Alex allowed himself to wallow in self-pity. He had been through hell tonight. He had helped save the city from being destroyed by two monstrous titans, risking his own neck in the process, and now he had nothing to show for it. No new powers. No points. Nothing.

But then, as the frustration ebbed away, Alex began to laugh. It started as a low chuckle, but soon grew into something more. It was absurd, really. He had spent all this time trying to manipulate the system, trying to play the game and outsmart it, only to be outplayed himself.

"Guess I should have read the fine print, huh?" he muttered to himself.

He let out a long breath and forced himself to sit up. The frustration was still there, gnawing at him, but he knew he couldn't stay angry forever. The system had its rules, and like it or not, he had to play by them. This was just another challenge—another obstacle to overcome.

Alex's gaze returned to the screen, where his empty Platinum slots mocked him. Fifteen slots meant fifteen opportunities to unlock god-tier powers. But to use them, he'd need to grind. He'd need points.

He stood up, stretching his tired limbs, and began pacing the small room. "Alright, Alex, you've been through worse. You can handle this. Just gotta figure out how to rack up more points."

It wasn't like he hadn't been in this position before. When he first got the system, he had started with nothing. No points, no powers, no idea how to navigate this dangerous world. But he had learned. He had adapted. He had played it smart, accumulating points little by little until he had finally unlocked the Platinum Wheel.

Now, he just had to do it again.

This time, though, he had the advantage. He was already stronger than most people in this world, thanks to the characters he had unlocked from the Silver Wheel. Peter Parker's agility, Zatanna's magic, Wolverine's healing factor—these weren't powers to scoff at. He could still use them to his advantage.

"Alright," he said, nodding to himself. "I'll grind it out. I've done it before, I'll do it again."

He would have to be smart about it. Jumping into every fight like tonight wouldn't work. He needed to carefully insert himself into events, subtly influencing the outcomes without drawing too much attention to himself. More chaos meant more points. But it also meant more risk.

Alex let out a slow breath, his resolve hardening. He wasn't out of the game yet. The system might have scammed him, but he wasn't giving up. He would grind for every point if he had to. And when he finally had enough, when he unlocked the powers he truly needed, then he'd be ready for whatever came next.

"Tomorrow," he muttered, glancing at the clock. "Tomorrow, I start again."

With a resigned sigh, Alex turned off the system display and sank back into the couch. He stared up at the ceiling, the weight of the world settling over him like a thick blanket. But this time, he was prepared.

No more shortcuts. No more rushing.

This time, he would grind his way to the top.