Chapter 3: The System's Whisper
[Morning – Midtown, New York – Day 2]
The System, having delivered its cryptic reply, remained silent, leaving Adam to ponder his next move. The world had shifted on its axis. He was no longer just a spectator; he was a participant, a player in a game with an unknown rulebook. He knew he needed to gain more power, more understanding, and he knew how to do it. The System had given him a hint, a new mechanic. A strange, non-combat-oriented path to power.
[SYSTEM: New Mechanic: Karma. Gain Karma by performing altruistic actions. Karma can be converted to Mana Points. Current Karma: 0.]
Adam scoffed. Karma? What is this, a morality play? A points system for good deeds?
He was standing at a crosswalk, watching the teeming crowds of New Yorkers ebb and flow like a human river. He saw a woman struggling with a stroller, a package of groceries teetering on top. The System gave him a notification.
[SYSTEM: Moral Dilemma: Assist civilian? Potential gain: +10 Karma.]
Adam sighed. It felt like a low-budget video game. He walked over, a polite smile on his face.
"Need a hand with that?" he asked.
The woman, a harried mother with tired eyes, looked at him suspiciously for a moment before nodding. He took the groceries and held them as she struggled with the stroller, his enhanced strength making the task trivial. He felt a small, almost imperceptible warmth spread through his chest. It was a good feeling, a human feeling he hadn't felt since he arrived in this world.
[SYSTEM: Karma Gained: +10. Total: 10.]
He spent the next few hours walking the streets, a silent Samaritan. He helped a tourist find their way, gave a homeless man a bottle of water, and held the door open for an elderly woman. Each action, no matter how small, gave him a little burst of warmth and a little more Karma. He wasn't doing it just for the points; he was doing it because it felt right. He was starting to feel human again.
Once he had a decent amount of Mana Points, he decided it was time to spend them. He had a choice: a combat card or a "Knowledge Card." The System recommended the combat card. But Adam was tired of fighting. He wanted answers. He wanted to know what was going on. He chose the Knowledge Card.
[SYSTEM: Purchase Confirmed. Activating: The Glimpse. Warning: Information may be incomplete or misleading.]
A new window appeared before him, but this one wasn't a card. It was a vision. An echo of a future that had not yet come to pass. The world around him faded, and he was standing in a sterile, white hallway. A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, a man he didn't recognize, was walking down the hall, a folder tucked under his arm. Adam couldn't see the man's face, but he could see the symbol on the folder—a stylized eagle. Then, the vision glitched. The eagle morphed into a Hydra symbol, a terrifying six-headed serpent. The agent's face, now visible, was one of quiet, terrifying fanaticism. The vision ended as suddenly as it began.
What was that? What did I just see? Adam's heart hammered in his chest. That wasn't a video game cutscene. That was a memory, a vision of the future. The System isn't just a game. It's a keyhole into the future.
He had a choice. He could ignore the vision. He could tell himself it was a hallucination, a bug in the System. Or he could act. He knew what he had to do. He had to send a message to Agent Coulson, but this time, he had to be more direct. He had to use the information the System had given him. He needed to be specific, to show Coulson he knew something real, something dangerous.
He found another unsecured Wi-Fi signal, and with a focused effort, he sent another message. This time, it wasn't a cryptic string of code. It was a simple, chilling warning. The bird has two heads. Look for the serpent.
[SYSTEM: Message Sent. Warning: The Glimpse is an interactive puzzle. The message contains a coded phrase that requires a new card to fully decipher. Unlocking 'Decipher' Card.]
Adam groaned. He had to spend more Mana Points. The System wasn't just a tool; it was a game master, forcing him to play by its rules. But the rules were a way to stay alive. He was a player in a high-stakes game. And the next level was just beginning.