Capítulo 3: Chapter 3: Setting the Foundation
Alex walked quickly down the dark streets of New York, the distant wail of police sirens growing fainter behind him. His heart was still pounding from the diner incident, but he couldn't help the small grin creeping onto his face.
Ten points. He'd earned ten points for stepping in, and while that wasn't enough to spin the Silver Wheel just yet, it was a start. A small but critical step in his survival plan.
However, the weight of reality began to sink in as he crossed a busy intersection. One wrong move, and he could've been shot, stabbed, or worse. The only thing that had saved him was the element of surprise and dumb luck. If he was going to survive long-term in this universe, relying on luck wasn't going to cut it.
He needed powers. He needed that first spin of the Silver Wheel.
But now that the adrenaline was wearing off, the full implications of his situation hit him again. This wasn't some fanfiction or comic book that he could just read from a distance. He was here, inside the Marvel Universe. A place filled with gods, mutants, super soldiers, alien invasions, and enough world-ending crises to give anyone nightmares.
The more he thought about it, the more the scope of his problem seemed overwhelming. Alex groaned internally. How could he possibly navigate all of this without being noticed? He couldn't just sit back and watch events unfold if he wanted to earn points, but getting involved was a surefire way to attract attention—something he needed to avoid at all costs, at least for now.
As he continued walking through the city streets, Alex felt a vibration in his pocket. He stopped in his tracks, confused. What the…? He didn't remember having a phone when he transmigrated here. Slowly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek, unfamiliar smartphone. The screen flickered to life, showing a notification:
Lottery System Notification:
[New quest: Get settled in the Marvel Universe. Reward: 5 points.]
Alex blinked. He didn't expect the system could be a bit humane helping him avoid suspicions of always staring into the sky when he wants to check system panel. A quest system? He hadn't expected this. While the Lottery Wheel was his main cheat, it seemed there were side missions too, like in an RPG. This would be incredibly helpful if it meant earning more points. He tapped on the notification, and a new panel appeared:
Quest: Find a place to stay, gather essential supplies, and remain undetected by any significant forces. Deadline: 24 hours.
"Great," Alex muttered under his breath. "Now I'm on the clock."
His stomach growled loudly, reminding him that he hadn't eaten anything since arriving in this world. The coffee shop chaos had distracted him, but now he realized just how little he had on him—no money, no ID, nothing but this new phone and his wits.
He glanced around the street, trying to decide what to do next. The first priority was finding a place to stay. He couldn't risk sleeping out in the open, especially not in a city where any random supervillain or alien could drop by. New York had a habit of attracting that kind of attention. He needed somewhere low-profile, somewhere that wouldn't draw any attention.
As he walked through the streets, passing closed shops and dimly lit alleys, an idea struck him. In the Marvel Universe, there were often places that slipped through the cracks, forgotten by the major players. New York's many boroughs and corners offered plenty of hideouts. The key was to find a spot where he wouldn't run into the likes of Spider-Man, Daredevil, or the Avengers.
He pulled up the map on his new phone and scanned through different neighborhoods. A rough idea came to mind—Hell's Kitchen might be a good option. It wasn't too far away, and though it had its dangers, Daredevil was primarily focused on the criminal underworld. If Alex kept his head down and avoided any conflicts with local gangs, he could probably blend in there without too much trouble.
Decision made, Alex picked up his pace and headed toward Hell's Kitchen.
---
An hour later, Alex found himself in the heart of Hell's Kitchen. The streets were quieter here, the tall buildings casting long shadows over the sidewalks. He passed a few run-down apartments, their windows boarded up or covered in grime. It wasn't glamorous, but it would have to do for now.
He spotted a small, dingy-looking convenience store still open on the corner and decided to stop in. He needed food and supplies, and while he had no money, he could probably figure something out. Maybe there was something in the system that could help him out of this immediate problem.
The bell above the door jingled as he stepped inside. The place smelled of stale cigarettes and dust, with flickering fluorescent lights illuminating the narrow aisles. Alex scanned the shelves, looking for something cheap and filling. The last thing he wanted was to draw attention by lingering too long.
As he reached for a pack of instant noodles, a voice startled him.
"You lost, kid?"
Alex turned to see an older man behind the counter, watching him with narrowed eyes. He wore a grimy apron and had a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth. The look in his eyes said he had seen his fair share of trouble.
"Uh, no. Just grabbing something to eat," Alex replied, trying to keep his voice steady.
The man raised an eyebrow. "You planning to pay for that?"
Alex hesitated. He didn't have a cent to his name, and even though he could probably slip out unnoticed, the last thing he wanted was to start stealing. That was a slippery slope in a place like this. But just as he was about to stammer an excuse, his phone buzzed again.
Lottery System Notification:
[New ability unlocked: Minor Illusion. Create small, temporary illusions to influence others' perception. No cooldown.]
Alex's eyes widened. The system had come through again. Looks like the system is a great helper even though it never responded when he tried talking to it ever since arriving in this universe. But he thought he could only get abilities from spinning the wheel. Maybe it was a way of the system helping him navigate through since he had absolutely nothing on him, he thought.
He glanced at the man behind the counter, who was now tapping his fingers impatiently. Alex nodded quickly and reached into his pocket, focusing on the phone. He visualized a few crumpled dollar bills and felt a slight tingle in his hand. When he pulled his hand out, the illusion was there—three fake bills that looked just real enough to pass at a glance.
"Here," Alex said, handing them over.
The man took the money, gave it a quick once-over, and grunted. "Alright, you're good."
Alex grabbed his noodles and left the store, exhaling a sigh of relief as he stepped back onto the street. The illusion had worked, and more importantly, it hadn't drained him or given away his abilities. It was subtle—just what he needed in this early stage.
Now that he had food, the next step was finding somewhere to stay. He walked for another few blocks until he found an old, abandoned building on the outskirts of the neighborhood. The windows were boarded up, and the front door hung loosely on its hinges. It wasn't much, but it would serve as a temporary hideout.
Alex slipped inside, making sure no one had seen him. The interior was dusty and filled with debris, but at least it was dry and sheltered. He found a corner that looked relatively clean, sat down, and ripped open his noodles. As he ate, he opened the system panel again.
[Points: 15]
It wasn't much, but it was progress. He still had a long way to go before he could spin the Silver Wheel, but at least now he had a roof over his head, food in his stomach, and a basic ability to protect himself.
He leaned back against the wall, his mind racing with possibilities. The quest had given him five extra points for getting settled, and now that he had a place to lay low, he could start planning his next move.
Tomorrow, he thought. Tomorrow, I start earning points for real.
As he closed his eyes, Alex felt a strange mix of fear and excitement bubbling up inside him. The road ahead was dangerous, but for the first time since waking up in this world, he felt like he had a shot.
And that was enough for now.
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder