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Clack clack clack... Brrrrrrr...
Out on the wide-open farm, the only thing breaking the silence was the roar of a powerful engine.
An old-school lawn mower, burning diesel like crazy, bucked and rattled like a wild horse, almost impossible to keep under control.
And somehow, the smell of diesel mixed with the evaporating hydrocarbons wasn't all that bad—in fact, there was something oddly satisfying about it.
"Mmm... this feels great."
Right now, Peter was casually pushing the lawn mower across the empty fields.
He looked more like an old man with nothing to do, strolling lazily through the aisles of a supermarket with a cart.
Patches of overgrown grass were sliced cleanly by the sharp spinning blades of the mower.
From a bird's eye view, the whole thing probably looked even more satisfying than those carpet-cleaning videos on TikTok.
The sun was beating down from above, but Peter didn't feel even the slightest bit tired.
And as time went on and the sun grew hotter,
He could feel something deep inside him starting to stir.
Every cell in his body was coming to life under the sunlight.
Like a plant going through photosynthesis—soaking up the sun and unleashing massive amounts of energy.
The feeling was so incredible, Peter had completely forgotten what it meant to be tired.
He even half-closed his eyes, fully enjoying the intense pleasure coursing through his body.
That wild, hard-to-control lawnmower that had taken all his strength to handle at the start now felt completely tamed.
Little by little, he didn't even need both hands anymore—just resting one hand lightly on the handle was enough to keep it under control.
This satisfying feeling didn't end until the sun had completely set.
"Damn… so this is what power feels like?"
Peter clenched his fist, feeling a rush of strength surge through him.
That night, lying in bed, Peter found himself wide awake and a bit restless.
Despite a whole day of hard work, he didn't feel tired at all.
"Open my panel."
He had this strange feeling that his body had changed a lot just from being in the sun for one day.
[Name: Peter Parker]
Life Script: Superman (originally Lizard-Man)
Character Template: Normal State Superman
Powers:
Absorb Solar Energy (Awakened)
Man of Steel (Awakened)
Super Strength (Not Activated)
Super Speed (Not Activated)
Weaknesses: None
Points: 0 (Points can be used to redeem character templates, items, etc.)
Point Store: Not Yet Unlocked
Peter skimmed through the panel and instantly noticed the "Awakened" label next to Man of Steel.
"Yep, just as I thought. Man of Steel has already awakened."
Just one full day under the sun, and Man of Steel was active.
Sure, it wasn't as insane as General Zod awakening powers the very first day he arrived on Earth…
But it was still way better than Clark Kent, who needed years to fully awaken his abilities.
"Maybe it's because of my current age."
Peter figured that age might have a lot to do with how quickly powers awaken.
"Also, Man of Steel feels like a passive skill—it's probably the easiest one to unlock."
Anyone who's played games knows that passive skills are the easiest to get… but the hardest to level up.
Still, once they grow strong, they're also some of the most powerful.
"Alright. Tomorrow, we keep going. Gotta awaken the rest."
Right now, the passive Man of Steel ability, after just one day in the sun, only made Peter a bit stronger than the average person.
Forget stopping nukes like in the movies—
Even a strong bullet might still be enough to kill him.
"Play it safe. Power up slowly… no rushing."
Peter couldn't wait for the day his more powerful abilities would awaken.
[Congratulations! You've successfully awakened your first ability. A mission has now been issued.]
Just as Peter was planning to keep his head down and focus on soaking up more sun to awaken the rest of his powers, the system's voice suddenly rang out in his mind.
[If you gain power but never show it off, it's like wearing fancy clothes in the dark. Now that you've got Superman's powers, it's time to show the world what you can do.But hey—your life, your rules. Choose your path:]
Option 1: Show the world you're a kind and loving Superman. Stop a crime that's happening right now, and shout "I am Superman!" at the scene.Reward: 100 points and one randomly awakened power. (Bonus for first mission. Bonus void once all powers are awakened.)
Option 2: More power, more chaos! Cause large-scale trouble in the city. (Screw Superman—go full Homelander!)Reward: 100 points and one randomly awakened power.
Option 3: Stay low, keep growing. (I am the Saint of Cautious Progress!)Reward: Sun absorption efficiency x10 for one full day.
Option 4: Screw the missions. I do what I want!Reward: Write your own free, unrestrained life story. (Choose with caution.)
"…"
Staring at the mission screen, Peter went quiet for a moment.
"Options one and two both offer great rewards, but I'm out here on a farm in the middle of nowhere. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't do either of those."
"Besides, with Man of Steel just barely awakened, and maybe tough enough to stop a BB gun at best, it's way too risky. I'd probably just blow my cover."
"And as for Option Four… any smart person can tell that one's sus. You pick it today, and the system might vanish tomorrow, leaving you to live your 'free and unrestrained' life all on your own."
So Peter didn't hesitate at all.
"I choose Option Three."
[Congratulations! Mission completed. You've earned: "Solar Absorption Efficiency x10 for one day." (Note: This bonus activates at midnight. If you reveal your powers to anyone during this period, the reward will immediately be revoked!)]
"Ten times the sunlight absorption rate... looks like my powers are gonna level up big time tomorrow."
In just one day, Peter's body had become strong enough to almost withstand regular bullets.
And now, with ten times the efficiency coming tomorrow—like that battery commercial said, "One day equals ten"—Peter couldn't even imagine how powerful he'd become by then.
"It's just a bit of a shame the reward time can't be paused or stacked. I only get daylight hours, so it's basically cut in half."
"And if it ends up being cloudy or rainy tomorrow, that'd suck even more."
"Here's hoping for some good weather tomorrow."
With that thought in mind, Peter unknowingly drifted off to sleep.
And as he slept, his body began to change drastically—so fast it was almost visible to the naked eye.
That once scrawny frame of his was going through a full-blown transformation.
He wasn't exactly short to begin with, but overnight, he grew several centimeters taller.
And his body—well, the changes were even more dramatic. He used to be all skin and bones, but now he had a full-on eight-pack.
The muscles on his arms were solid, like steel.
His chest was massive, almost rivaling a certain someone in this world who can go toe-to-toe with anyone.
But waking up the next morning after such a drastic transformation... came with some complications.
"Man, this is gonna be hard to hide."
"....."