"Interesting," Tony said, taking a sip of his drink. "Since when did a little monster like that pop up in New York? Did you find out who he is?"
["I am sorry, Sir. The target appeared and vanished too quickly. Surrounding surveillance failed to capture a clear facial image. However, based on his activity area and time, I have preliminarily identified 17 potential individuals, none of whom show clearly matching characteristics."]
"Keep looking." A spark of interest flashed in Tony's eyes. "New York is my turf. I don't like uncontrolled 'surprises' popping up. Especially the kind that... exceed human limits."
Jarvis added one final point.
["Sir, anomalous high-speed flight trajectories captured several hours ago by Doppler radar and some satellites show a degree of correlation with the target's profile. The flight altitude exceeded 10,000 meters, and the speed...approaching the speed of sound."]
Tony's glass paused mid-air, his expression turning serious. "And he can fly... close to the speed of sound? It seems our little problem is a bit more 'surprising' than I thought."
But he didn't know this 'surprise' was only just beginning to reveal itself to the world.
Soya was completely unaware that he had already entered the sights of certain important figures. He was currently enjoying the freedom his powers brought and was starting to plan how to live more comfortably, more 'invincibly', in this dangerous and exciting Marvel world.
"First, I need to get a comfortable apartment. Then, it's time to figure out how to 'reasonably' sunbathe." Soya stretched and vanished into the night.
The first ray of morning sunlight pierced through the gap in the cheap motel's curtains, landing precisely on Soya's eyelids. He woke almost instantly, feeling no drowsiness whatsoever, but instead, bursting with energy. The fatigue from racing through the sky at 10,000 meters last night felt like just a dream. But the surging power within his body and the clear memories of flight in his mind told him it was all real.
Soya let out a long breath, feeling the faint stream of warmth from the sunlight being greedily absorbed by his body. For him, sunlight wasn't just light and warmth; it was a source of power.
"First, I need to solve the livelihood problem." He felt his pocket, which contained only a few hundred dollars in cash and a nearly maxed-out credit card. Yesterday's car accident had also destroyed his rented car and some personal belongings. While he was unharmed, financial strain was a common issue for this struggling graduate. A Superman shouldn't have to worry about rent, right?
"System, are there any quick, 'reasonable' ways to make money?" Soya asked inwardly. He had no intention of robbing a bank; that was too low-class and likely to attract unnecessary trouble. Or he could find a job. Just like Clark, applying for a reporter position at the Daily Planet.
[Various currencies can be exchanged in the System Mall, but energy points are required. It is suggested that the host utilize their own abilities to acquire initial capital. A Kryptonian's super senses possess significant advantages in information acquisition.]
"Information acquisition?" Soya's eyes lit up. The system's prompt offered a great solution to his money problem.
He focused, extending his super hearing. Countless sounds flooded his ears: car horns, pedestrian conversations, the noise of construction from a distant site... It was chaotic at first, but he quickly learned to filter and focus.
A few minutes later, in an inconspicuous café across the street, a hushed conversation between two individuals caught his attention.
"... That batch of goods is hidden in Container B-3 at the abandoned warehouse in the Queens dockyard. Inspection tonight. The boss said the purity of this 'sugar' is high, we'll make a killing..."
"Be careful, things are tense lately. Don't mess up."
"Sugar? Containers?" Soya smirked coldly. It seemed some 'enthusiastic citizens' were about to do the NYPD a favor. Furthermore, he could 'levy' a little operating capital from these 'social parasites' himself, quite reasonably.
Soon, he flew to the Queens dockyard. Using his super vision and X-ray vision, he easily located the so-called Container 3. It was indeed stuffed with packaged drugs. And in a hidden compartment within the container, he 'saw' several bulging bags of cash.
"Perfect!" Without alerting anyone, Soya slipped in like a ghost and took the cash—amounting to several million dollars. It was a drop in the bucket for those drug dealers, but for him, it was the first bucket of gold.
Then, using a nearby payphone, he anonymously tipped off the NYPD about this drug stash, giving a detailed description of the location and the quantity.
After completing this, he left feeling refreshed, his deed unknown and his name unsung!
[Ding! The host has indirectly maintained social order. Gained 30 energy points. Current energy points: 180.]
"An unexpected bonus?" Soya raised an eyebrow, his mood even more cheerful.
With money secured, the next step was finding a comfortable 'lair'. He needed a place where he could sunbathe in peace and that offered sufficient privacy. A penthouse in New York was the best choice.
He walked directly into one of the most high-end real estate agencies in Manhattan. When a young man, dressed in a plain T-shirt and jeans, calmly stated that he wanted to outright purchase a penthouse with the best views and a large terrace, it drew quite a few sidelong glances.
Especially when he placed a sports bag containing two hundred thousand dollars in cash on the table as a viewing deposit, all skepticism vanished.
Aided by his super senses, he viewed properties almost like he was 'scanning' them. He finally settled on a top-floor duplex in a luxury apartment building on Central Park West. It had a huge terrace, open views, ample sunlight, and excellent privacy.
"This one," Soya decided on the spot, then paid for the property in cash. The sheer amount of cash, handled so straightforwardly, left even the top real estate agent momentarily stunned.
That very afternoon, Soya moved into his new home. Standing on the spacious terrace, overlooking all of Central Park and the bustling Manhattan skyline, he spread his arms and took a deep breath of the sun-kissed air.
"Now this is living!"
He couldn't wait to lie down on the lounge chair on the terrace, close his eyes, and feel the sunlight seeping into his skin, nourishing every cell. The power within his body, like an activated engine, began operating more efficiently.
"System, how many energy points do I have now?"
[Current energy points: 180.]
"I want to upgrade Super Senses." Soya didn't hesitate. Stronger perception meant better early warning and a wider source of information.
[Upgrading Super Senses (Basic) to Super Senses (Advanced). Perception range expanded to a 5-kilometer radius (dynamic). Precision increased to the level of distinguishing dust particles. Can selectively block/focus specific sensory inputs. Cost: 150 energy points.]
[Upgrade complete. Remaining energy points: 30.]