Zain was about to leave before suddenly thinking of something.
He looked back at the corpses of both the villains and the hero.
He was curious about something.
"Wait a minute... If my system absorbs materials for hack points... can it also absorb corpses?"
He glanced at the corpses and smirked. "System. Absorb their corpses."
---
[Absorbed C-Rank Material: +130 Hack Points]
[Absorbed C-Rank Material: +140 Hack Points]
[Absorbed C-Rank Material: +120 Hack Points]
[Total Hack Points Gained: +390]
[Current Hack Points: 520]
---
The corpses vanished into nothing as they were absorbed by the system.
"So they were each considered C-Rank material... and each corpse was worth more than 100 Hack Points, huh?"
He chuckled, rubbing his chin.
"I see. That means... anything dead can be absorbed by the system."
Zain lifted his head, looking at the darkening sky. Night was approaching.
He turned back to his system, stretching his shoulders.
"I've somewhat figured out the effects of my Hero Hack System…"
His smirk faded slightly, his mind shifting to something more important.
"Now, it's time for me to go home... My dear sister, Zelia... she's still waiting for me."
With that thought in mind, Zain turned away and returned to his home.
---
Zain had arrived at his home and when he entered, he could smell some foods.
In the small kitchen, his sister, Zelia, was already cooking.
Her long hair was tied back as she stirred something in the pot.
The moment she saw him, she smiled warmly.
"You're already home?"
Zain nodded, setting his things down.
"Yeah. I'm back."
He walked toward the table, leaning slightly against the counter.
"How about you, Sis? How was your sleep?"
Zelia let out a small chuckle.
"It was quite nice. Thanks to it, I'm feeling a lot calmer now."
Zain gave her a slight nod.
"I see. Good for you, then."
Zelia continued stirring the pot and Zain casually looked at her before asking.
"By the way, do you know about the Hero Association? And where it is?"
Zelia paused for a moment, then turned toward him in surprise.
"The Hero Association, huh... Did you awaken a superpower?"
Zain nodded calmly.
"Yeah."
For a brief moment, Zelia just stared at him, then suddenly grinned.
"Heh. I see."
She turned back to the stove, as if it wasn't a big deal.
"Then you can go to the Hero Association in CD-1."
Zain blinked. "CD-1?"
Zelia nodded.
"Yeah. Our house is located in CC-1, so it's not really far from there."
Zain rubbed his chin, thinking.
"I see. Just draw me a map later."
Zelia giggled.
"You got it, Zain."
She placed the lid on the pot, then turned toward him with a gentle smile.
"But first, dinner's almost ready. Let's eat before you go off chasing whatever you're planning."
Zain chuckled, shaking his head.
"Fine, fine. I'll wait."
---
Lying on his bed, Zain stared at the ceiling, deep in thought.
He had awakened his system, gained Hack Points, and even killed his first enemies.
But—
"I don't actually know how powerful my body is now."
He frowned slightly, then remembered something.
"Wait… the system should have the ability to scan people, right?"
He then became curious.
"Let's test this."
He focused his mind.
"System. Show me my status."
---
[Name: Zain]
[Hack Points: 520]
[Rank: D]
[Stats:]
[Str: C]
[Vit: D]
[Agi: D]
[Int: D]
[Low-Tier Ability:]
[Hard Grip: enhances the strength of the user's hands, allowing them to grip objects with unnatural force.]
---
Zain stared at the screen, analyzing it carefully.
"I see… So this is my status, huh?"
He tapped his fingers against his chest, deep in thought.
"From what I know, superheroes are divided by rank—from C to A."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"And I'm... only Rank D."
He let out a small chuckle.
"So does that mean... I'm not even the lowest-tier superhero yet?"
That thought should have been discouraging.
But instead—
Zain smirked.
"And yet, I already killed them."
He clenched his right hand, feeling the power from his ability.
"My only stat at C-rank is my Strength…"
His mind quickly pieced things together.
"It must've been because of my Hard Grip ability that I managed to kill them in the first place."
He exhaled, his fingers flexing.
"Still, it's not enough. I need more power."
Then, a realization struck him.
The system never said a person could only have one ability.
He then smirked, thinking about the possibilities.
"If I gave myself an ability before… then I can give myself more."
He thought carefully, selecting his next set of upgrades.
"System, give me three low-tier abilities. One for speed, one for defense, and one for flame control."
---
[Hack Initiation: Ability Acquisition]
[Target: Zain]
[Ability Acquired: Quick Step (Low Tier)]
[Effect: Improves short-distance movement speed, allowing for faster bursts of motion.]
[Ability Acquired: Fire Hand (Low Tier)]
[Effect: Grants the ability to generate flames from the hands, enhancing close-combat attacks with fire.]
[Ability Acquired: Hard Skin (Low Tier)]
[Effect: Toughens the user's outer body, increasing resistance to cuts, blunt force, and minor damage.]
[Total Cost: 300 Hack Points]
[Status: Executing...]
---
Zain gritted his teeth for a brief moment as a strange sensation washed over him.
His skin hardened, becoming more resilient.
His legs twitched, feeling lighter and more responsive.
His hands tingled, and when he focused, flame appeared and danced on his fingertips.
His grin widened.
"System cheats are the best."
He clenched his fists, feeling the heat pulse through his palms.
Then, he took a step forward—
And his speed nearly made him stumble.
He chuckled. "Heh. This is going to be fun."
---
At the ruins where the hero and villains had died thanks to Zain, a group of people arrived.
A man in a dark trench coat scanned, frowning.
"Is this the place where he was last located?"
Another man, standing beside him, nodded. "Yeah. This is where the fight happened."
The trench-coated man clicked his tongue.
"Damn it… Just how can these new superheroes be so stupid?"
He looked down at the scorched ground, the faint traces of battle still lingered.
"All for a bit of quick fame... They charge in alone, thinking they're untouchable."
His voice was laced with disgust. "And what happens? They end up dead before they even get a proper ranking."
His companion crossed his arms. "Reckless idiots. They don't get it—this city isn't a place where heroes rise. It's a place where they die."
The trench-coated man sighed. "Let's go back."
Another figure hesitated a bit. "Aren't we going to investigate further?"
The trench-coated man shook his head. "No need. The result is the same. Just like the other three—he died because of his own arrogance."
He turned around and left.
"Let the public think it was just another foolish hero who underestimated the wrong people."