chapter 1

Have you ever had such an important decision to make that you had to sit down and think through everything?

One that many people have had or will have is when one is done or nearly done with high school. Do you continue on the path of education? The easy route is the safe one, although it most likely is worthless depending on where you live and what you study. Do you get a job and just start working while hustling on the side? Do you chase down your passion and succeed? Can you make a business by yourself and build it from the ground up?

There are many choices one could make, all with their advantages and disadvantages.

And I have that now with my first power that I want to make.

I have been thinking for a while about what I want to make, and I have narrowed it down to what it should do.

First and most importantly, it needs to increase my chances of survival. In this world, criminal activity is through thee roof. Unless you are somewhere remote and there isn't a single parahuman around, you will be fine. Until a parahuman shows up. Even remote locations devoid of parahumans are not necessarily desirable places to live or visit.So, survival is first.

But in complete contrast to that, I need something that could lead to me generating more energy for the next charge. It's quite clear that activity is needed to make another charge, and I can tell how slow it really is. The next charge is probably right now at a drop of water in a glass the size of the Mareana trench. Sure, eventually I will get one, but by then my limited canon knowledge is useless.

I only reached till Leviathan decided Brocton Bay was the next stomping ground. I started to focus more on my life and chasing my dreams and achieving my goals. I did come back later and googled how it all ended. I was just curious to know and had a little free time.

But that's it, which means after more or less the first few sections, I don't know much else.

I have already tried to make an ability that lets me know all of what Winslow wrote about worm, but it's more than a single charge. Why? because it's post and precognitive to high levels. And neither is cheap on its own. Even lowering to just knowing events, not details, but just events, is still too much.

But back to the point, I need a power that increases survival while letting me get a chance to generate more energy, however risky it is, and lastly, something that's profitable.

I looked around the apartment and sighed to myself.

"Man, this shit is fucked." I worked for 3 years focusing on my goals and dreams, and now it's like I'm back to square one in the success department. "

Whatever, I can make powers now, so is that really much of a focus now? Back to the point.

I have a power in mind that is good, so let's make it. I have spent enough hours busting my head on this, and I can always get more later.

I closed my eyes and started focusing on myself. I felt the charge, and began molding it to my desire.

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"fuuuuuu." I breathed out of my mouth as I felt my lungs suck in much needed air as I contemplated if this power was the best option, or if it was more of a cope so I could give motivation to continue my journey of self improvement back home to stay sane. A bit of both, if I'm honest.

The Challenge reward system was the first thing I decided to make. The principle is simple.

I can issue a challenge for a single attribute or skill I have. On completing whatever that challenge is, it will skyrocket it. This can go beyond human levels and what's possible. The point being, though, that each challenge is that. A challenge Something that's hard to do.

It could be considered stupid, but this body is far below my own home. Yet this is my third challenge of strength, and I'm probably already as strong as I was back home. Hell, it's probably even stronger. And I already have abs and have gained an insane amount of muscle that no ped back home could dream of doing in 3 days. If the pace continues by the end of the week, I can probably lift more than the record back home, and by a huge margin.

That isn't even considering speed, vitiality, intellect, and wisdom. While I know it will bottleneck at some point, by then I should be beyond human and far more capable than I have any right to be.

The muscle gain worries me slightly. Luckily I have quite a few baggy clothes due to when it gets cold as the heater here is..... not the best to put it lightly. So I'll be fine for a while.

I got up and went to take a shower. Which was more like 'fill a bucket that I have so that I can take a shower because the shower pipe sends dirt water. '

Once I fill the bucket, I grab a cup and then hop in the shower. A small thing it is I fit. I then use the cup to throw water on myself, and then wet a used boxer. Using the boxer, wet it and use the soap to rub on it. I then scrubbed my skin down while I felt nostalgic about the condition of my home now.

After I finished, I went to my desk and finally opened up the newspaper that I 'borrowed' from the stand early in the morning on my jog. I passed 2 challenges in stealing skill and now I can take things people don't notice or really care too much about. A hundred apples in a stand. You take one fast and it will still look like a hundred apples.

I rest for a bit while reading. I take note of the date. I try and remember exactly when canon starts.

I'm not seeing any mentions of lung capture, something I remember from the story. And if memory is right, it was in April when it started anyway. The challenge reward helping me remember and increase my intellect is helping with, well, knowing what little I know of this world.

February 17th, [Yes. I was reincarnated or iseaked on Valentine's Day.] 2011. So I have about 6 weeks roughly of time before canon starts. That was a big motivator to even make the challenge reward first. [Staying true to hard-formed habits I'd developed over the last few years probably influenced my decision.]While reading the news, I got a call on my flip phone. I got up from the ground and grabbed it off the desk to see who was calling. It had the name "boss" on it and my blood ran cold.

I answered the call. "Morning, boss." I greeted as casually as I could, knowing that acting differently wouldn't be best.

"Got a job here. I need you to do a run by. Buyers are in the docks, Larry Street 20. " He said it immediately without much hesitation and hung up. I sighed as I got up.

I go to a small cabinet in the corner of the room and kneel down. I grab a square tile at the end of the corner and lift it up, putting my hand inside. When I felt it, I took it out.

It's an old box with no locks. quite dusty due to the hole not being clean. I opened it and frowned at what's inside of it. I already knew what it was.

Inside was a pack of cigarettes, a lighter, a knife, and a few bags of cocaine, as well as two of weed.

I'm a drug dealer apart of the runner of the merchants. Because, after all,

This guy never finished school on this earth.