— Morning —
In the morning, Maximilian woke up at 5 AM. This was the time he normally woke up in his previous world to cook and prepare breakfast for his daughter and his ex-wife. It's his biological clock at work.
This habit had been ingrained in him over the years, as he was the only one in the house who could cook properly.
But this morning, Maximilian woke up with the same habit, though it didn't bring him any sense of energy. Instead, it made him feel annoyed and uncomfortable.
He gritted his teeth, knowing this habit came from love—he had loved his family. Since he knew that if his ex-wife were to cook, it would be bad for their health in the long run due to poor nutrition, as his wife couldn't cook a proper meal, anything harder than sausage grilling or fried egg would be wasted or burnt and end up in a trash bin. He had taken it upon himself to handle the cooking.
Now, this habit annoyed him because it reminded him of the woman who had betrayed him, who had lied to him all those years.
[What's the matter, Host? Did you have a nightmare?] The System's voice pulled him out of his dark thoughts. A feeling of appreciation rose within him for the caring inquiry.
"It's nothing. I just remembered something unpleasant," Maximilian replied, dismissing the notion.
He entered the restroom to freshen up and then went downstairs. At the motel counter, he found Buck, the owner, in his pajamas, cleaning an AK-47 this time.
{This guy really loves guns, huh?} Maximilian thought.
"Hey, is there a nice but cheap place where I can grab a bite?" he asked.
Buck paused what he was doing and looked at Maximilian. "You can find a lot of nice and cheap food in Chinatown nearby. Just use my bicycle outside. By the time you reach Chinatown, the places should already be open," the owner said, tossing the key to the bicycle lock to him.
"Thanks," Maximilian said. He took the key and grabbed the bicycle parked outside in the bicycle parking slot.
After about fifteen minutes of cycling through the clear roads, feeling the cool air in the early morning, Maximilian arrived at Chinatown. The place was vibrant and bustling with activity.
The working class was out and about their usual routine, buying and eating their meals, while others were preparing to open their eateries and businesses. A whisp of freshly cooked meals and the smell of soy milk as Maximilian cycles past the food cart, making his stomach growl.
Maximilian's getup drew the attention of passersby, who noticed him. Some giggled, some nudged their friends and partners to look at him, and others took out their phones to snap pictures. It wasn't every day that they saw a man dressed like an ancient Roman cycling through Chinatown.
Maximilian stopped in front of a simple food cart selling a soymilk breakfast set, which included youtiao, baozi, shaobing, jianbing, and tea eggs. The price of the set was only $8. He immediately ordered it to go so he could eat it back at the motel. He didn't want to be a clown for others' entertainment while eating.
As he waits for the owner to prepare his set, a few people come to him to take a selfie, but when they see his 'unwelcome' face, they all stop and only take his photo from afar.
"A supervillain! Take cover!" A panicked shout tore through the calm yet bustling morning in Chinatown, causing people to quickly duck and find the nearest cover or sturdy surface to shield themselves from potential crossfire. Some ran far away to escape the chaos.
[Detecting compatible energy source.] The System's notification rang in Maximilian's head as he waited for his soymilk breakfast set.
"Huh?" Maximilian was about to look for the source of the energy when—
Zaaaaaapp!
A red energy blast suddenly tore through the street, crushing everything in its path. The pavement melted and turned into red-hot molten rock, the degree of teh heat wave indicated the blast's extreme temperature.
"What the hell?" Maximilian was startled, his gaze snapping toward the direction of the energy blast.
Squinting, he saw the shooter: a figure clad in a tight black spandex suit with armored plates, resembling a comic book villain. The villain's mask featured red circular crystals that seemed to function as eyes, with tubes connecting them to a device on the villain's back. The helmet's red-hot crystals suggested that the energy blast had been fired from there.
A few seconds later, a man in a Chinese red kung fu shirt adorned with a dragon pattern leaped out from cover and immediately kicked the villain. His fists and feet were engulfed in flames with every punch and kick. His kung fu was advanced, but Maximilian, skilled in all forms of close-quarters combat (CQC), noticed several openings that could be exploited.
The red kung fu guy seemed skilled but not yet a master, as Maximilian judged him.
"What in the world…?" Maximilian muttered, his face a mix of confusion and disbelief. He had never expected to witness a hero and villain fighting in the middle of Chinatown. Had he just been dropped into a world of heroes and villains, like in the comics he used to read?
"Yes! It's Dragon Fist! Dragon Fist has come!" one of the bystanders shouted joyfully, seeing the kung fu hero step up to fight the villain.
The kung fu hero, known as Dragon Fist, engaged the villain in melee combat. The villain appeared to be in a cooldown period after unleashing his blast—or perhaps Dragon Fist was doing a good job of keeping the villain at bay.
The two fought for a moment before the spandex-clad villain retreated. His eye sockets flared red as he unleashed another energy blast.
Dragon Fist immediately leaped to the side to avoid the blast. This time, due to the angle, the blast struck a food truck near Maximilian.
Boom!
The truck exploded, and Maximilian immediately dropped into a prone to avoid the flying fragments and debris. He was safe, but the same couldn't be said for the soymilk food truck. Its front was crushed by debris from the explosion. Fortunately, the owner and the back side of the truck, where the kitchen and food were stored, remained unharmed.
[Host, I recommend draining the energy from that villain. This will help the System unlock new features faster.] the System reminded him.
{Yeah, draining it. All I need to do is touch that damn red energy that bastard releases—the kind that can melt pavement into molten rock! Easy!} Maximilian thought sarcastically.
[Yes! That's it! You only need to touch it. All compatible energy will be automatically absorbed into the System when you make contact. No matter what it is, as long as it's compatible, I can absorb it.] the System said, a hint of boasting in her voice.
{That sounds nice, but you seem to forget that my hands are made of flesh and blood, not titanium!} Maximilian retorted.
[Adjusting the understanding of Host's intelligence, lowering it by another 10%.]
[Host, this System... can protect you... from any energy... that is compatible with the System. You'll be... 100% safe!] the System said, enunciating each word as if afraid Maximilian's intelligence couldn't keep up.
Hearing this, Maximilian's face contorted in annoyance and frustration.
{Fine! I'll drain that damn bastard to the last drop! Happy now!?}
[Yes! Very much! (≧▽≦)]
Maximilian: ….
[Aim for the tube on his back. That tube connects the source of energy from his heart to his helmet. (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و] the System instructed.
Maximilian rolled his eyes at the System before standing up. In one fluid motion, he grabbed a knife from the food truck and rushed toward the villain.
The villain noticed Maximilian and swung his fist to counter Maximilian while his helmet flared up, preparing to release another blast. However, Maximilian punched the villain in the liver, causing him to flinch. With this opening, Maximilian swiftly cut the tube connecting the villain's body to his helmet with the knife.
Red energy burst out from the tube, and Maximilian quickly grabbed it. He felt a slight tingling sensation, which quickly subsided, replaced by the feeling of something inside his body absorbing the energy leaking from the tube.
[Absorbing energy, beginning!] the System declared as the energy within the tube was greedily devoured through Maximilian's hand.
"Arrrgh! AAAArrrgrghhhhh! AAAAAArrgggggggaaaaaahh!" The villain cried out in agony as his energy burst out uncontrollably, draining nonstop. Like a hole in a dam, his energy was continuously siphoned by Maximilian's System.
The villain's agony intensified as his energy drained to the last. His strength weakened and crumpled to the floor as his agonizing cry stopped.
With the last bit of energy drained from his body, the villain collapsed, lying unmoving on the ground. His breathing grew faint as if he were on the verge of death. His helmet slipped off, revealing a gaunt, malnourished face.
[Ding! You've gained two energy blocks!] the system announced.
{How much are two energy blocks?} Maximilian asked.