Chapter 2 – The First Spark
Dawn in Gotham was nothing but a lie. A gray, polluted light barely managed to cut through skyscrapers corroded by rust and soot. The protagonist opened his eyes in the abandoned building where he had spent the night. His body ached, covered in wounds and dirt.
The metallic voice still echoed in his mind:
> [Mission Completed: Survive the Night]
He had made it. But at what cost? His arm burned, his side still bled, and every breath was a battle.
He put a trembling hand over his face. What the hell is this? What am I?
The words of the thugs slammed back into his mind: "We already took care of your family. You're the last one."
Family… whose family? His memory was a blank void.
---
🌑 Exploring the System
With desperation gnawing at him, he focused on the voice. He thought menu, status… and suddenly, an invisible screen appeared before his eyes.
Profile:
Physical State: Injured.
Age: 15.
Battle Power: 2 → 3 (Ki training detected).
Level: 1.
Inventory:
Basic Martial Arts Manual.
Basic Ki Training Manual.
Missions:
None active.
Locked Options:
Shop.
Special Skills.
The boy swallowed hard. It was real. Or at least real enough to decide his life or death.
---
📜 Training
He forced himself to use the manuals.
The Martial Arts Manual was simple, almost childish: plant your feet, turn with the strike, never lose your stance. Yet in his weakened state, every posture made him sweat blood.
The Ki Training Manual was worse. Breathing, focusing on the air, trying to feel an energy that didn't exist. For hours he failed, trembling, frustrated, pounding the ground with his fists.
But by late afternoon, something happened. A faint warmth stirred in his abdomen, a thread weaving through his body. Not an illusion. Real.
> System: "Ki detected. Battle Power +1. (Current BP: 3)."
He collapsed to his knees, laughing through tears. Minimal. Pathetic. But his.
---
⚔️ The Second Mission
Then came the footsteps. Heavy voices. The crunch of boots against the street below. He peeked through a cracked wall: the same Black Mask thugs, knives glinting in the dim light.
The system spoke with icy finality:
> [New Side Mission – "Defend Your Hideout"]
Objective: Survive the encounter with the thugs or escape undetected.
Condition: No outside help.
Reward:
Unlock Shop function.
1 Senzu Bean (single use).
Penalty: Lose all manuals and cut Ki progress by 50%.
The boy froze. A Senzu Bean. Even without his memories, something deep inside him knew: it was a miracle, a second life in the palm of his hand.
The temptation was as heavy as the fear.
---
🎭 The Choice
Boots thundered inside the building. Doors were kicked down, shadows spreading across the halls.
—"No more running, brat! Your family screamed enough, now it's your turn!"
The protagonist drew a shaky breath, his heart pounding like a war drum. He placed his feet just as the manual taught him. Arms raised, steady.
He could run. He could hide like an animal again.
But not tonight.
He clenched his fists, trembling, searching for the warmth in his abdomen. Weak, fragile… but there.
The thugs' shadows stretched along the wall as they entered, knives in hand, grins sharp.
The system declared, cold an
d absolute:
> "Mission begins now."
And the boy, for the first time since waking up in this hell, chose to fight.