Chapter 3: New System Functions
Noah opened the window of his room and slipped in silently.
"Ah~, I'm exhausted," he muttered, stowing away his battle suit before taking a quick shower. Once done, he stretched out comfortably on the bed.
"Heh~," he chuckled softly to himself. "So this is what it feels like to be a hero."
Unexpectedly, in this second life, he had become a masked hero.
Lying on his back, Noah raised his hand, clenched his fist, and thought to himself, *Now that I have this power, I need to make good use of it.*
Suddenly, a voice rang in his mind.
[Congratulations to the host for earning 10 points.]
[As this is your first time gaining reputation points, you are rewarded with a novice gift pack and 100 additional points.]
[Points can be used to unlock the system store and other functions.]
Excited by the notification, Noah quickly sat up. "I knew there had to be a novice gift pack! Finally, it's here!"
His system included a personal space, though not infinite—roughly a cube about 100 meters in each direction. Although it wasn't boundless, it was more than enough.
Noah found the glowing gift package in his system space and chose to open it with his mind.
The package trembled slightly before vanishing, replaced by several gleaming items.
[A set of combat gear: Can combine with Venom. Immune to sonic and flame attacks. Protects identity when Venom is restrained.]
[Two pistols: System-made, top quality. Ordinary and special bullets available for purchase in the store.]
[A dagger: Made of special indestructible metal.]
[Meditation Technique for Power Control.]
(Okay guys, no it won't be a Cultivation novel. I wrote this skill just so he wouldn't be like the Hulk, anything he touches he destroys. I don't think I want to write training chapters to control power. Maybe he will train, but not to control his powers.)
[50 points.]
Noah's eyes lit up at the sight of the items. He eagerly pulled everything out from the system space.
Everything except for the meditation technique was tangible—the technique itself appeared as a glowing point of light and merged directly into his body.
He closed his eyes to feel the new knowledge, smiling after a moment. The meditation technique solved a pressing issue for him. Not only could it replenish his energy, but it also helped him improve control over his powers. With daily practice, it would gradually enhance his physical abilities.
After reviewing the meditation technique, Noah turned his attention to the equipment.
The combat gear provided by the system resembled a liquid-like sphere, much like Venom itself. As soon as he touched it, the suit merged into his body. A single thought allowed it to combine with Venom to form the battle suit.
"The system really thought of everything," Noah mused. "It even considered the risk of my identity being exposed when Venom is weakened by sound waves."
Next, he examined the pistols and dagger, placing them in their respective slots on the suit.
Standing in front of the mirror with his hands on his hips, Noah admired his reflection. The black combat suit was not only functional but incredibly stylish. With the hood up, only his narrow, pale eyes were visible, creating an intimidating look—perfect for striking fear into criminals.
"Now *this* is a real battle suit," Noah thought with satisfaction.
He recalled the woman he had rescued earlier, who had asked him his name. Caught off guard at the time, he hadn't settled on a name for himself.
After some thought, he decided to call himself "Venom," based on his appearance. Tradition or not, he wanted to be poison to criminals—a ghost from hell to claim their lives.
With that resolved, Noah checked his points. Between the 10 points he earned today, the 100-point reward, and the 50 points from the gift pack, he had a total of 160 points.
Curious about whether 160 points was a lot or a little, Noah opened the system store. It was divided into categories like skills, physical techniques, and items.
Before unlocking the system, Noah hadn't earned any points, so many features were hidden. Now, after browsing the store, he came to a sobering conclusion: just like with money, you could never have too many points.
He looked at the prices of items in the store, then at his point total.
"Great, I can look but not buy. So frustrating," Noah grumbled with a bitter smile.
Still, after a long search, he found a few essential items.
He bought three skills: Close Combat, Firearm Proficiency, and First Aid Proficiency. Each cost 20 points, all at the beginner level. To upgrade, he would need more points.
He also spend 100 points to upgrade Close Combat to Intermediate level.
But when he looked at his now empty points balance, his excitement waned.
Noah wasn't too discouraged, though. This was only his first battle, and accumulating 160 points, including various rewards, was a decent start.
Unfortunately, he hadn't saved enough to buy bullets.
The system store offered various types of bullets. Regular bullets cost 1 point for 10, while those with special functions were pricier, at 1 point for 5. It was still a fair exchange.
There were also grenades and smoke bombs available—high quality, versatile tools produced by the system itself.
The store offered many weapons too, but most were far beyond Noah's current point range.
For now, he could only afford a few basic items. After reluctantly closing the store, Noah sat cross-legged on the bed and began practicing his meditation technique.
"Mental Meditation" is enhance control over strength and mental power. While it didn't drastically boost power, it was the perfect technique for Noah.
Venom's possession temporarily boosted his strength, but rapid power gains could be a double-edged sword. Without proper control, his newfound strength could be dangerous.
Noah focused on the meditation, feeling a cool energy flowing from his heart, spreading throughout his body, and then returning to form a continuous cycle.
As he meditated, he felt his control over his strength improving, along with slight boosts to his mental and physical abilities.
"At this rate, I should be able to fully control my powers by tonight," Noah thought, as he continued his practice.
His earlier fatigue melted away through meditation.
After finishing his session, Noah, now fully refreshed, lay down on the bed out of habit. Meditation could replace sleep, but sometimes he just wanted to lie down, relax, and think things through.
As he lay there, reflecting on the day's battles and his future plans, he gradually drifted off to sleep.
That night, Noah slept soundly.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone