The Thing we call change

The world had finally settled.

For now.

No multiversal tears.No Kaiju attacks.No lunatic supes throwing tantrums.

For the first time in forever, Alex had a moment of peace.

And he was not going to waste it.

The sun was barely up when Alex woke up first.

The apartment? A disaster.

Butcher was sprawled on the couch, snoring like a chainsaw.

Frenchie and Kimiko were knocked out, an empty whiskey bottle between them.

Hughie was passed out on the floor, drooling onto a pillow.

Deadpool was somehow sleeping on the ceiling. (Don't ask how.)

Alex sighed.

"This is my life now."

He quietly grabbed a hoodie, threw it on, and slipped outside before anyone woke up.

The Morning Jog

The air was cool and crisp, the streets unusually quiet.

Alex pulled his hoodie over his head, keeping a low profile.

Jogging through New York felt… normal.

Like before the multiverse started losing its mind.

For once, he wasn't being chased by:☑ A psychotic supe.☑ A giant monster.

Just him and the road.

Eventually, he reached a quiet park.

He sat down on a bench, catching his breath.

And for the first time in what felt like an eternity…

He finally opened his status window.

Status Window – The Big Reveal

[STATUS WINDOW OPEN]

Alex's eyes widened.

"Oh. Oh sh."**

He had completely forgotten about his stats.

Free Stats Available: 40

"Wait… I never used my last stat points?"

After everything, he had 40 unspent points.

"Welp. Time to fix that."

☑ He dumped them all into Strength.☑ His muscles tensed, and he actually felt the change.

"Okay. That's… kinda terrifying."

Level Up Available!

Then, the next notification hit him.

☑ [Claim Level Up? Y/N]

"Oh right. That's a thing."

[YES.]

DING. DING. DING. DING.

[LEVEL UP: 30]

[NEW FREE STAT POINTS: 200]

Alex froze.

"Two… hundred?"

The Ultimate Power Boost

He carefully allocated his points:

Strength: +80 (Because being weak sucks.)

Agility: +50 (Dodging is important.)

Endurance: +50 (He does not want to die instantly.)

Intelligence: +20 (Because maybe using his brain once in a while would help.)

His body instantly reacted.

His muscles felt stronger.His breathing became easier.His entire body felt like a machine that had just been upgraded.

"…Holy sh**."

Next, the Skill Draw window appeared.

[NEW SKILL DRAW AVAILABLE]☑ Chance for a Legendary, Rare, or Common skill.

"Alright, RNG gods. Don't screw me over."

[DRAW!]

DING!

☑ [NEW SKILL UNLOCKED: ???]☑ [Rarity: ???]

Alex held his breath.

"Please be good… Please be good…"

The skill finally revealed itself.

[NEW SKILL: Adaptive Reflex]

[Rarity: Legendary]

[Description: Your body instinctively learns and adapts to any combat situation. Reaction time and efficiency increase the longer you fight an opponent.]

Alex's jaw dropped.

"Holy. F*.**"

The Lootboxes – Double Jackpot?

Finally, his inventory flashed.

☑ [TWO LOOTBOXES AVAILABLE]

"Oh, come on, let me ride this lucky streak!"

[OPEN FIRST LOOTBOX]

DING!

☑ [ITEM OBTAINED: ???]

[ITEM: Energy Cloak]

☑ A flexible, indestructible cloak that passively absorbs energy attacks.☑ Can briefly turn the wearer invisible.

Alex grinned.

"Okay, that's actually useful."

Now for the second box…

[OPEN SECOND LOOTBOX]

DING!

☑ [ITEM OBTAINED: ???]

[ITEM: Celestial Bracer]

☑ A mysterious armguard that enhances the Infinity Gauntlet's stability.☑ Reduces power drain when using the Gauntlet.

Alex froze.

"Wait. That means…"

He looked down at his Infinity Gauntlet.

If this bracer worked… he could use the Gauntlet more efficiently.

That was game-changing.

The Realization

Alex sat there in silence.

In the span of one morning, he had:☑ Doubled his strength.☑ Unlocked a Legendary Skill.☑ Got a cloak that makes him invisible.☑ Got an item that stabilizes the Gauntlet.

He had gone from struggling survivor……to someone actually capable of fighting back.

For the first time, he didn't feel like a random guy thrown into chaos.

For the first time—he actually felt powerful.

He clenched his fist.

"Alright."

"No more playing catch-up."

"I'm gonna get stronger."

Because deep down, he knew—

This peace? It wouldn't last.

Something was coming.

And this time?

He wouldn't be helpless.