Chapter 2: The First Enhancement
Alex sat motionless on the edge of his bed, fingers wrapped tightly around the watch. The weight of what had just happened pressed down on him. His sacrifice, the ritual, the rewind—it wasn't a dream. The cold sweat clinging to his skin proved that.
His mind raced. I have a week. Seven days before the cultists would come for him again. Seven days to change his fate.
His grip on the watch tightened. This was the one thing he had kept with him all his life, the only connection to his late father. But now… it was more than just a sentimental keepsake. It felt different.
A strange intuition tugged at his mind, a whisper of something new—something powerful.
[Enhancement Available.]
A line of text flashed across his vision, as if appearing in his very thoughts. Alex's breath hitched. He wasn't seeing things, was he? This was real.
A menu of sorts materialized in his mind. Enhance Item?
Below it, a counter: (10/10 Enhancements Remaining Today).
This was it. His first step forward.
He took a deep breath. His instinct screamed at him to be cautious, but he didn't have time to hesitate. If he was really able to enhance anything, then the watch—his only true heirloom—was the perfect place to start.
Enhance: [Family Heirloom Watch]?
[Yes]
The moment he willed it to happen, a pulse of energy surged from his palm. The watch trembled, glowing faintly, and then—
Click.
The once ordinary watch changed. The scratches were gone, replaced by a sleek, black metal surface with faint glowing lines running along its edges. The glass shimmered with an ethereal glow, and an intricate symbol had appeared on the dial—one that hadn't been there before.
[Family Heirloom Watch → Arcane Chrono Relic]
Timeflow Manipulation (Sealed) – Grants control over time-based abilities, but full power remains locked due to insufficient strength.
Minor Time Acceleration – Can temporarily increase reaction speed and movement for 10 seconds. (Cooldown: 5 minutes)
Recall Mark (1x use per day) – Sets a location point the user can instantly teleport back to.
Alex's heart pounded. Time manipulation? Even if it was limited right now, this was on an entirely different level.
His fingers trembled as he strapped the watch onto his wrist. It felt perfect—as if it had always been meant to be this way.
He focused on the acceleration ability. Would it actually work?
Taking a deep breath, Alex stood and activated the effect. A surge of energy rushed through his body. The world around him blurred slightly, his heartbeat quickened, and suddenly—he felt lighter, faster.
He snapped his fingers. Crack! The sound registered almost instantly. His senses were heightened, and his movements felt unnaturally smooth—as if his body was responding to his thoughts twice as fast.
But just as quickly as it came, the power faded.
His vision returned to normal, and the aftershock left his breathing uneven. The sensation was intoxicating but short-lived. Ten seconds. That was all he got. But in a fight, ten seconds could be the difference between life and death.
Alex clenched his fists. This was just the beginning.
There was no telling how strong the cultists truly were, but now, he had a weapon—a power that no one else knew about. He needed to move carefully, stay hidden, and gather more strength before his enemies realized he had returned.
First, he needed to make use of the remaining enhancements.
His eyes darted across the room. What else could he enhance?