Day 7

Ethan exhaled steadily, his muscles straining as he lowered himself down once more. His palms pressed against the cold, hard floor of his cramped cell, the concrete rough against his skin.

One hundred and ninety-eight... one hundred and ninety-nine... two hundred.

He pushed himself up one last time before rolling onto his back, his chest rising and falling in deep, steady breaths. The past seven days had been hell—torture, experiments, isolation—but despite everything, he felt stronger.

A week ago, his body had been weak, stiff from whatever had happened before his "death." Now, as he clenched his fists, he could feel the raw strength surging through his limbs. His muscles had thickened, his endurance had skyrocketed, and his reflexes were sharper than ever.

The "Perfect Body" reward was working.

At first, he didn't understand what it truly meant. He didn't suddenly gain super strength or an indestructible physique. But after pushing himself physically every day, he realized something terrifying—his growth rate was abnormal. His muscles developed far faster than they should, his stamina seemed endless, and his body's ability to recover from exhaustion was leagues beyond normal human limits.

And that was without accounting for what he had endured in this hellhole.

The Truth of His Reality

After the first day, Ethan had pieced together some important details. He wasn't just in some random facility—he was in a mutant research camp. The bastards running this place weren't just experimenting on him; there were dozens of other kids, ranging from as young as eight to as old as fifteen. Some had mutations. Others were like him—test subjects for whatever horrific things these scientists were trying to create.

He had also confirmed something else—something even more absurd.

This world was not just Marvel. Nor was it just DC. It was both.

He had heard the guards talking. Some mentioned names straight out of comic books: LexCorp, S.H.I.E.L.D., Wayne Enterprises, Stark Industries, Oscorp. He had even heard them discuss meta-humans and mutants in the same breath. That confirmed it.

Ethan was in a world where Marvel and DC coexisted.

At first, the realization had left him shaken. Those were two of the most dangerous universes to exist. The strongest beings in fiction lived here. Gods, titans, world-ending threats—if he didn't get stronger, he wouldn't survive long in a world like this.

And right now? He was nothing more than a prisoner.

The Daily Torture

His routine had been the same every day.

Wake up. Be dragged to another room. Endure the "experiments."

Some days it was injections—strange serums meant to push his body to its limits. Other days, it was electrocution, nerve stimulation, forced mutations. The scientists didn't speak much. To them, he was just another lab rat.

Then they would throw him back into his cell, barely able to move.

But unlike the others, he healed. Fast.

No matter what they did to him, the pain faded quicker than it should. His endurance was growing. His resistance to pain? Higher than ever.

And when he wasn't being tortured? He trained.

Push-ups, squats, sit-ups, shadow boxing—whatever he could do in the confines of his cell. His body adapted fast. Too fast. In just one week, he was already strong enough to break through the cell wall if he wanted to.

But he didn't. Not yet.

He had no weapons. He didn't know the full extent of the facility's security. If he escaped now, they would just hunt him down again. He needed to wait, bide his time.

But soon… soon he would be ready.

The System's Blessings

Ethan sat on the floor, rolling his shoulders. He had been given the Sign-In System, but so far, the rewards had been hit-or-miss.

Day 2: Nothing. (A complete waste.)Day 3: Weapon Mastery. (A good skill, but he didn't have a weapon yet.)Day 4: Nothing.Day 5: Nothing. (He was starting to hate the system's RNG.)Day 6: Devour Function.

That last one had caught his interest. The Devour ability allowed him to consume others to increase his raw power—but not their abilities. For now, it was at Level 1, but the system hinted that, in time, it could evolve into something greater.

The implications of that were terrifying. If he killed someone and consumed them, he would grow stronger. If he kept doing it? There was no telling how much he could develop.

For now, it was another tool. Another step toward freedom.

Day 7: The Awaited Reward

Ethan sat cross-legged on the floor, taking slow, controlled breaths. The familiar ding echoed in his mind.

[Sign-In System: Day 7 Reward Available.]

He tensed. This was it. Seven days in hell. What would he get?

[Signing In…]

[Congratulations! You have obtained: Light Fruit Powers.]

Ethan's eyes snapped open, his breath hitching.

Light… Fruit?

A surge of warm energy spread through his body. It felt weightless, like his very cells were shifting, becoming something beyond human. He clenched his fists, and suddenly—

Light.

His skin flickered, a faint golden glow running across his arms. He could feel it. The speed, the power, the untouchable nature of light itself.

Not just any light.

The Light Fruit.

Borsalino's abilities from One Piece.

Instant movement. Insane speed. Light-based attacks.

And the best part? No weakness to water or Seastone.

A slow smirk crept onto Ethan's face.

He could move at the speed of light.

He could fire beams that could level buildings.

And best of all? They had no idea what he was capable of.

His fingers curled.

Maybe I won't have to wait much longer after all.

With this power, escape was no longer a question of "if"—only "when."