With his mind buzzing with newly unhooked magical theories, Ethan felt a rare surge of confidence. He had 560 System Points left. It was time to go shopping.
"System," Ethan said, leaning back against his pillows. "Open the shop. Let's see what kind of capitalist nightmare you're running here."
A massive, glowing storefront materialized in his vision, organized with the chaotic energy of a multiversal Amazon. Items, bloodlines, and skills were categorized by rarityâCommon, Rare, SR, SSR, and LSSRâwith price tags that made Ethan's newly enhanced brain hurt.
He immediately clicked on the 'Weapons' tab, sorting by SSR.
Right at the top, glowing with an ominous, legendary aura, was a familiar stick of wood.
[ The Elder Wand (Harry Potter Universe) ]
Rarity: SSR
Description: The most powerful wand in existence. Amplifies all magical output by 300%.
Price: 100,000 System Points.
"A hundred thousand?" Ethan choked, his eyes bugging out. He had done literal backbreaking labor for two months just to scrape together fifteen hundred points. At this rate, he would be a senior citizen before he could afford it.
He scrolled down, looking for something more reasonable.
[ Staff of Gandalf the White (Lord of the Rings Universe) ]
Price: 85,000 Points.
[ Book of Cagliostro - Uncensored Edition (Kamar-Taj) ]
Price: 50,000 Points.
"Okay, the top shelf is out of my tax bracket," Ethan grumbled. "Let's sort by 'Price: Low to High' and see what the bargain bin looks like."
The screen flashed, and the epic, glowing artifacts were replaced by the Multiverse's equivalent of a flea market. And apparently, the System had absolutely zero moral compass.
[ Natasha Romanoff's Used Mission Stockings ]
Rarity: Common
Description: Unwashed. Minor wear and tear from kicking HYDRA agents in the face. Price: 50 Points.
Ethan blinked. He stared at the screen, then looked around his empty room to make sure Wong hadn't magically materialized to judge him.
"System... are you a degenerate?" Ethan asked aloud.
[ System Note: I supply supply based on multiversal demand. Don't act like you aren't hovering over the 'Buy' button. ]
"I am not!" Ethan protested, quickly scrolling past it. But the 'Cultured' section just kept going.
[ 'Classified' Black Widow Morning Stretching Video ]
Price: 100 Points.
[ Maria Hill's Private S.H.I.E.L.D. Vacation Photo Album ]
Price: 120 Points.
Ethan swallowed hard. He was a man of culture, and spending two months surrounded by celibate monks on a freezing mountain was doing a number on his sanity. His finger legitimately twitched toward Maria Hill's album.
"Focus, Ethan," he slapped his own cheek. "Thanos is coming. Survive the purple alien first, buy the calendar later."
He forced himself to navigate to the 'Skills & Tech' tab. He only had 560 points, which wasn't enough for a game-changing superpower, but he could definitely grab a useful utility skill.
After a few minutes of browsing, he found exactly what he needed to survive Mordo's daily beatdowns.
[ Lesser Danger Intuition (Passive) ]
Rarity: Rare
Description: A severely watered-down version of Spider-Sense. Alerts the user to immediate, physical danger a split-second before it happens.
Price: 400 Points.
"Perfect," Ethan muttered. "Buy it."
[ 400 Points Deducted. Skill: Lesser Danger Intuition Acquired. ]
A brief, sharp tingle ran down the back of Ethan's neck. It was subtle, but he suddenly felt hyper-aware of the shadows in his room and the cold draft coming from the window. The next time Mordo tried to sweep his legs, Ethan would actually see it coming.
"Now, I have 160 points left," Ethan calculated. He was tired of reading ancient Sanskrit for entertainment. He wanted a connection to the modern world, or at least a decent screen to look at.
He filtered the shop for technology.
[ Ultra-Advanced Civilian Smartphone (Cyberpunk 2077 Universe) ]
Rarity: Rare
Description: Holographic display, unbreakable glass screen, infinite quantum battery life. Comes pre-installed with a Multiversal Wi-Fi chip that bypasses any local firewall, including S.H.I.E.L.D.'s network.
Price: 150 Points.
"Oh, hell yes. Add to cart."
[ 150 Points Deducted. Item deposited into inventory. ]
[ Current Balance: 10 Points. ]
With a flash of pixelated light, a sleek, impossibly thin piece of matte-black metal dropped directly onto his lap. It had no charging port and no visible buttons.
The glow of the holographic screen illuminated Ethan's face in the pitch-black room. He grinned, practically rubbing his hands together like a cartoon villain.
A civilian smartphone with an unbreakable screen, a multidimensional processor, and an infinite battery. It was the greatest 150 system points he had ever spent. He tapped the Wi-Fi icon, finding the Kamar-Taj network instantly, and typed in the password: shamballa.
The connection connected with zero lag.
"Finally," Ethan whispered reverently, his grin turning distinctively perverted.
He had been trapped on this freezing mountain for two months. Two entire months of strict diets, daily beatings from Mordo, celibate monks, and breathing in nothing but old parchment and incense. He had way too much heat pent up inside him, and now, he had the ultimate pressure-release valve.
His fingers flew across the holographic keyboard, bypassing news sites and social media, and heading straight for the cultured corners of the internet. The high-definition display was a marvel of modernâwell, futuristicâengineering.
That whole night was officially declared Action Night.
If someone had peered into Ethan's room from a third-person perspective, they wouldn't have seen a dedicated sorcerer meditating on the mysteries of the multiverse. They would have just seen a dark room, the faint glow of a screen, and the incredibly enthusiastic, rhythmic up-and-down motion of the blanket covering his lower half.
He didn't sleep a wink.
*****
The next afternoon, Ethan strutted into the library looking surprisingly refreshed, despite having zero hours of actual sleep. He had a literal spring in his step.
Wong was at his desk, carefully transcribing a rotting scroll with a quill. He looked up, his eyes narrowing at Ethan's unusually cheerful demeanor.
"Wong, my man," Ethan chirped, casually hopping onto a nearby reading table and pulling out the sleek, matte-black slab. He tapped it, and the holographic screen sprang to life in mid-air. "Look at this beauty."
Wong stared at the floating projection, unimpressed. "You spent your time off the mountain to purchase a television that fits in your pocket? How enlightening."
"It's not just a television, Wong. It has infinite battery. The screen is smudge-proof. The processor can calculate the trajectory of a bullet in real-time," Ethan boasted, launching a mobile game. "And most importantly, the physics engine on this is flawless."
He started aggressively swiping at the holographic screen, the loud shwing-shwing sounds of slicing virtual fruit echoing through the silent library.
Wong closed his eyes, his grip tightening on his quill until the feather snapped. "If that glowing slab of distractions makes one more slicing noise, I will open a portal beneath your chair and drop you into an active volcano."
"You're just mad because my high score is unbeatable," Ethan smirked, mercifully muting the phone and sliding it into his robes. "Don't worry, Wong. If you ask nicely, I might let you borrow it for a few minutes. Just... wash your hands first."
Wong simply pointed a finger toward the heavy wooden doors. "Out."