Creak!
The door to the room opened slowly, hinges protesting softly as sunlight poured in, cutting through the dim interior like a blade. Zayne's exhausted face appeared in the doorway, his eyes half-lidded, his posture screaming fatigue. The moment he stepped inside, he didn't even bother turning on the lights.
The door closed behind him.
The next second, he somersaulted forward and crashed face-first onto his couch.
Thud!
"Ugh… what a rough day," he mumbled with a groan, his voice muffled by the cushion beneath his face.
His body stayed there for a few seconds, completely still, as if gravity itself had decided to pin him down. Every muscle ached—not from weakness, but from overuse. After talking to the Rangers, calming them down, revealing his identity, settling public fallout, and wrapping up the Grid-side consequences of the apocalypse-level event, he was beyond tired.
After everything was done, he hadn't even bothered to summon his Omni-Cycle.
He had simply stored it back into the Grid's storage space and used his Morpher to teleport home.
There was no fear of being tracked.
The Grid and the Universal Core had already accounted for that.
Zayne finally pushed himself upright, elbows resting on his knees, fingers interlocked beneath his chin. His brows furrowed deeply as his mind replayed the events of the day with surgical precision.
"Their reactions were within expectations," he muttered quietly. "Now that they know my identity, their trust level should increase significantly."
A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Then again… their reactions were pretty comical."
His thoughts lingered on one person in particular.
"Especially Kira."
--- ✦ ---
(Some minutes ago)
"ZAYNE!!!"
Kira's voice was the first to break the silence.
The rest weren't far behind.
"Zayne?!"
"No way—"
"Are you serious?!"
"You're the Omni-Ranger?!"
Zayne let out a small chuckle, lifting his hands in mock surrender.
"Yeah," he replied casually, amusement lacing his tone. "It's me. Surprise."
Shock didn't even begin to describe their expressions.
Gwen and Peter were frozen in place, minds completely short-circuiting.
What was happening?
Why were their classmates suddenly superheroes?
Why was every major figure in their lives either hiding a mask or wielding cosmic-level power?
Peter's brain was spiraling.
First Trent… now this?!
Gwen wasn't doing much better.
Is this some kind of New York requirement I missed?
Kira, on the other hand, felt like her brain had been thrown into a blender.
"Zayne… is the Omni-Ranger," she thought, her mind racing. "My crush… is also a Ranger."
Her heart skipped.
Then skipped again.
Beneath the shock, beneath the disbelief, joy bubbled up uncontrollably. Now that they shared the same world—no, the same responsibility—the invisible distance she always feared was gone.
If anything, it made things easier.
Way easier.
Ethan broke the tension first, clicking his tongue dramatically.
"Man… I couldn't beat you at the science fair," he said with exaggerated envy. "Now you're beating me at being a Ranger too? Bro, give me a chance to shine at least once."
Despite the words, his tone was playful. There was no bitterness—only amazement.
Connor stared at Zayne with narrowed eyes.
"My rival… is my classmate," he thought.
Trent's gaze was quieter, heavier.
"My savior… is my classmate."
Tommy watched it all unfold and sighed internally.
"This kid's situation is almost like mine," he thought. "Except he isn't evil."
Despite that thought, he was genuinely pleased. Someone this powerful, this composed, and this young—someone close to his students—was more than reliable.
The threats ahead would be far easier to handle with Zayne involved.
"I know you all have questions," Zayne said quickly, sensing the brewing storm of curiosity. "You'll get your answers later. When it's time to plan for what's coming, I'll notify you."
Tommy nodded, then raised an important concern.
"And how do you plan on contacting them without alerting Mesogog?" he asked. "You know his agents are planted in your school."
Zayne smiled faintly.
"I have my ways, Dr. O," he replied dismissively. "No need to worry."
Tommy studied him for a moment, then nodded. The Omni-Ranger had proven himself more than capable.
Zayne waved goodbye and activated his Morpher internally.
"Morpher, activate base teleportation."
A wormhole opened in front of him, swirling with controlled energy. Before stepping through, Zayne turned back toward Kira.
He winked.
"Well done, Kira," he said warmly. "I always knew you had it in you."
Then he was gone.
The rest of the team snapped out of their daze, clicking their tongues at the sheer absurdity of the Omni-Ranger's arsenal. Gwen, however, wasn't focused on the weapons or the lingering shock. She turned her attention back to Kira and immediately noticed her peculiar state.
"Kira, what's wrong with you? Why is your face so red?" Gwen asked, a confused expression forming on her face.
As far as she knew, Kira's condition had already stabilized. Her injuries were healing steadily, and nothing in the medical scans suggested complications. Was something wrong that they had missed? Or was the damage worse than they imagined?
Kira stiffened.
She was flustered by Gwen's sudden inquiry, her thoughts scrambling as she waved both hands weakly in front of her chest.
"N…No, don't worry, Gwen. I just need more rest," she replied, her voice a little too quick, a little too defensive.
Gwen didn't respond immediately.
She narrowed her eyes slightly and leaned closer, studying Kira's expression more carefully. It wasn't pain she saw. It wasn't fear or exhaustion either. What colored Kira's cheeks wasn't pale or sickly—it was a soft pink hue.
Recognition struck.
"Oh… she's blushing. I get it now," Gwen thought to herself, a knowing smile tugging at her lips as she straightened back up.
"Is that so?" Gwen said aloud, deliberately keeping her tone neutral. "Then you really should rest more."
She didn't push. She didn't tease. She didn't expose her.
Gwen knew about Kira's crush on Zayne—had known for a long time now. And after everything that had happened… after being saved, praised, and looked at the way Kira had been looked at—this reaction made perfect sense. Getting acknowledged by your knight in shining armor was more than enough to leave anyone flustered.
"Hmm," Kira nodded softly, turning slightly on the bed as she lay back down, her hands resting over the blanket.
Gwen turned and ushered the others toward the exit, quietly telling them that Kira needed some time alone. The boys, being boys, didn't notice anything strange and filed out without a second thought.
The door to the medical bay slid shut with a soft hiss.
The room fell silent.
Kira slowly opened her eyes, a small smile forming on her lips as a single thought echoed gently through her mind.
"He actually praised me."
--- ✦ ---
Back in the present, Zayne shook his head lightly, pushing the memories aside. His gaze locked onto the familiar translucent interface hovering before him.
"Alright," he said, rubbing his hands together, completely abandoning his composed image. "Time for rewards."
The Omni-Grid panel shimmered.
[Final Mission Complete]
[The rewards have been sent]
[OMNIVERSAL RANGER SYSTEM – BATTLE REPORT]
Mission: Dino Apocalypse (Completed)
Result: Grade S
Evaluation:
– 500 mobs neutralized
– 50 C-Level monsters destroyed
– 1 Evil Entity subdued
– Prior collateral damage resolved via skill application
– Civilian casualties minimized (higher than previous missions)
– Intricate strategic planning detected
– Heroic efficiency and character development: 95%
Reward Summary:
+200,000 Grid Points
+20,000 XP
10 New Equipment and 2 skills Unlocked (Randomized)
Bonus:
Title Effect "Grid's Chosen" Enhanced
→ +20% Sync Rate across all Ranger Forms
[Reward Integration Panel]
Ranger Equipment Obtained and Skills Have Been Stored in the Grid's Space
Grid Points: +200,000
XP: +20,000
[SYSTEM LEVEL UP!]
Level: 5 → 17
XP: 800 / 2700
[Rank Upgrade Confirmed]
Rank: C → C+
[OMNIVERSAL RANGER SYSTEM]
Name: Zayne Callahan
Designation: Omni-Ranger (C+ Rank)
Age: 18
Level: 17
XP: 800 / 2700
Titles: Grid's Chosen, Transmigrant
ATTRIBUTES (Newly added [+4] to each normal attribute [20%] to special attributes
Strength: 61
Agility: 66
Intelligence: 60
Combat Aptitude: 79
Spirit: 41
Morphin Sync: 150
Energy Core Output: 150
SKILLS
Primary Omni-Ranger Skills: Apocalypse Descent, Shark attack, Omni-beam...…
(Click for more information)
Secondary Skills:
• ["Innocence" – B-Tier (Growth)]: Prevents harm to innocents and the environment during combat. Reverses all prior damage within the active zone upon activation.
• [Megazord Integration – A-Tier]: Allows permanent fusion of incompatible Zords across origins into the user's Zord Core.
GRID FUNCTIONS
Inventory: 2 new skill packs
Heart Herb x5
Dragon Shield (Legendary – Power Rangers Series)
Arsenal:
• Omni-Saber
• Omni-Blasters
• Omni-Cycle
• V-Blade
• Quantum Defender
• SPD Delta Enforcer
• Astro Morpher Upgrade Chip
• Beast-X Saber
• Turbo Accelerator Boots
• Vibranium (10 tons)
• Ranger uniform blueprint (S level)
• Nova Breaker Gauntlets
• Uru Metal (10 tons)
• Zord upgrade pack
• Starfall Lance (Blueprint)
Special reward: Revival Altar
Ranger Forms:
Omni-Ranger Series (Primary) - New form unlocked
Jungle Fury Series (unlocked)
Megazord Bay:
Shark Zord
White Tiger Zord
Morph Lab: Unlocked (New!)
Multiversal Navigation & Travel: Locked
Shop: Ranger + Marvel Items
Grid Points: 276,000 GP]
Zayne's eyes lit up at his luxurious panel. He clicked his tongue in amazement
"Damn, that's a lot of equipment. I even have two new special skills now. Even more absurd, I upgraded to C+ directly and got a new Omni-ranger form. Wohoo, I'm taking off."
He almost jumped up in excitement. His body brimming with strength, the attributes alone were enough to make him a mini-superman, without morphing. Thankfully, he had more strength now to fight off those aliens. C+ level is more than enough to deal with it.
As he checked the blueprints, he was overly satisfied. Then his gaze shifted to the special reward.
"Revival Altar, huh? From the name alone, I know it's going to be very useful," Zayne muttered to himself. His heart expectant
He clicked on it.
--- ✦ ---
This chapter was hard to write, guys. I had to make sure there were no mistakes. I think I'll only show important rewards in chapters to come after this panel. I hope you guys enjoyed this side chapter. Thanks for your support, guys.
Power Stones please, guys!!!