CH 3

John and his sister, Lisa, finally arrived home. It was a decent house, indicating that their family in this world had a good income. It wasn't a villa, but it was a three-story house with a basement—a large enough home for four people. However, now there were only two.

The basement had a gym, which was a pleasant surprise. According to Lisa, their father had designed it himself. From what she had told him, their father worked as an agent in a government organization with a long name—most likely S.H.I.E.L.D. However, it seemed Lisa didn't know what S.H.I.E.L.D. really was and probably thought it was just another government agency.

Their mother, on the other hand, was a scientist who had worked for the organization for a long time. Apparently, their parents had met through work and eventually got married. The third floor had a small lab, which must have belonged to their mother. Meanwhile, the first and second floors were like any normal house, with bedrooms, bathrooms, and a spacious kitchen.

Now, let me set my goals. I need to learn more about this world and figure out which version of the Marvel universe I've ended up in. But before that, I must understand my abilities. "Know yourself before you know your enemy," as the saying goes. Of course, I also need money. Although my parents left behind a large inheritance, there's always a need for more. But before relying on my powers, I need to know what they are.

After finishing a workout in my father's gym, I sat in my room, thinking of ways to utilize my energy. I tried asking the system, but... well, it never spoke. I wondered if it had malfunctioned, but when I requested the status window, it still appeared. It seemed like the system was still functional, just not helpful when it came to information. Looks like I'll have to figure this out on my own.

I started by trying to sense the energy within me. I could feel something, but it was faint. I kept trying, and eventually, I began to grasp it. What I saw before me could be described as follows: My soul, containing a vast amount of mysterious energy, was connected to my body through a link. A small portion of this energy flowed into my body, stabilizing within it so I could wield it.

I attempted to expand that link, but a sharp pain shot through my body, unbearable and overwhelming. It seemed my body wasn't accustomed to this energy yet. I continued focusing on the energy within me. With more effort, I realized I could distinguish different types of energy inside my body.

Besides the mysterious energy (black) provided by my soul, I could sense life energy (green), which seemed to be trying to leave my body, but my soul kept it contained. There was another type of energy (blue) that maintained and strengthened my body, while the life energy seemed to resist it, though its resistance was futile.

I decided to leave this mystery for later. I also needed to find out who had been keeping me alive while I was in a coma. Suddenly, I received a notification from the system:

[You have learned Energy Sensory (Level 1).]

Oh? That's good.

I glanced out the window. It was still daytime. I had thought night had already fallen. My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on my door.

"Are you okay? You've been in your room since yesterday after dinner. You said you'd rest, and I didn't want to disturb you, but you've been inside for nearly twenty hours without coming out. If you don't get out and eat something, I'll break the door down or call an ambulance."

"Don't break the door, I'm still alive."

"Good. Come eat something. I made breakfast. Also, we're having a guest over today."

After finishing breakfast, Lisa turned to me. "We need to go shopping. The kitchen supplies are running low, and we need food."

I nodded. "Alright, let's go."

We headed out to buy groceries and other necessities. As we walked through the store, Lisa's eyes lit up when she spotted the clothing section.

"I just want to check something real quick," she said with a smile.

I sighed. No matter what world you're in, when a girl says she's 'just checking something,' you're in for a long wait.

Since I had time to kill, I decided to train my energy sensory ability. Closing my eyes for a moment, I focused on the energy around me. My sensing range was weak—only about a meter in radius—but I could still feel faint traces of energy outside my body. The sensation became clearer on contact, I tried it on a man standing nearby.

He was leaning against a pillar, checking his watch every few minutes. His sighs were practically audible from where I stood. Curious, I approached him.

"Waiting for someone?" I asked.

He groaned. "Yeah, my girlfriend. She's been shopping for two days."

We ended up chatting, and I learned that he had been waiting in that same spot for—wait, what?!

"Two days?!" I gasped.

He nodded solemnly. "Yeah, man. It's tough, but you get used to it."

I patted his shoulder. "I feel for you."

He chuckled. "Don't. Is this your first time waiting for a girl to shop?"

I hesitated. "I... don't know. I lost my memory, so I have no idea if this is my first or not."

He gave me a sympathetic look. "Let's just call it your first, then. Since you're stuck here, welcome to the club."

He then pointed to an old man sitting on a bench nearby. "See that guy? He's not a beggar. He's just been waiting for his wife to finish shopping. She told him she'd be done in a few minutes... that was three months ago."

I stared at the old man in shock. Was this my future? No. I wouldn't let it happen. I had to find a way out of this! But first, I needed to figure out how to drag Lisa out of this clothing section...

Eventually, I managed to pull Lisa away from her shopping spree. "Lisa, I think I'm sick. Maybe I need to go to the hospital. Let's go home first. Maybe I'll feel better."

Lisa looked at me with a smirk. "I know you're faking it, but don't worry, we were leaving anyway."

As we walked out of the store, a familiar voice called out, "Congratulations, man! You're really lucky to be leaving this soon."

Without turning back, I waved. "Thanks, man. I hope you get to go home soon too."

Lisa raised an eyebrow. "Who was that?"

"Just a good guy who's been waiting for his girlfriend for two days."

On our way home, I continued practicing my energy sensory ability. By the time we arrived, a notification popped up.

[Energy Sensory has leveled up to Level 2.]

Feeling more confident, I stepped inside the house with Lisa following behind. I decided to test my improved sensory range—

Wait. What's this?

I sensed multiple life forces. They weren't outside the house. They were inside. In the rooms. 

There were about twenty of them.

I had no chance of winning in a direct fight.

I felt their movements through their energy. They were heading toward the room I was in. Turning to Lisa, who stood at the door, I shouted:

"Lisa, run!"