“What do you mean?” my voice echoed with a tinge of disbelief.
‘There is no way he could know it.’
"You're also dealing alone at night with all those people, making secret deals," the man said. His eyes searched mine intently, as if trying to unearth secrets buried deep within. "Don't you think I'm not aware of it? Or do you want to tell me how you acquired a lot of abilities symbols on your back?"
A chill ran down my spine. 'He knows everything.' In a fleeting moment, my gaze shifted to his right hand, where a distinct symbol lay – an emblem of far sight, a power to see anything, anywhere. Once locked onto someone, he could always find and observe them.
It was a terrifying ability.
I had made a grave mistake. My mind, too occupied with getting the pact maker ability, had betrayed me, exposing my weakness.
“Don’t you want to ask me inside? Or do you want everyone here to hear about you?” His tone was laced with a threat.
Nodding, I opened the door wider, allowing him to step into the room.
“And don’t try anything funny, kid,” he warned, his voice cold as steel. “I am ready to drag you to hell if you dare to cross me. I have a record of everything you've done. If I don’t return to my dormitory in 30 minutes, my friend will spread it everywhere.”
“Alright,” I replied, closing the door with a sense of foreboding. “What do you want?”
“I want everything you have,” he declared ominously.
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
“You've taken abilities from all those people, and I want them.”
“I don’t know how to do that,” I stammered, my heart racing.
In a swift motion, he stood and slapped me across the face. “Don’t pretend! I know you can do it. Just make a deal, give me everything you have.”
I remained silent, the sting of the slap lingering on my cheek. 'This is one.'
"Do you want everyone to know what you've done, kid?" the man threatened, his voice a menacing growl. With a forceful gesture, he extended his right hand toward mine. "You'll be killed, kid. The entire military will hunt you down and kill you! Now, shake my hand and give me everything you have."
His impatience was palpable.
As I hesitated, he raised his left hand and slapped me again, perceiving me as nothing more than a weak guy. The sting of the slap burned on my cheek. ‘Now, there are two.’
Gathering my courage, I spoke, “I’ll make a deal. I’ll transfer all my abilities to you, but if you can’t withstand them for more than five minutes, then everything you have becomes mine. Deal or not?”
“What do you mean by your clause?” he asked, his brow furrowing in suspicion.
“I’m afraid you might not be able to handle so many abilities,” I said, trying to mask my growing confidence.
"What the hell are you saying? If you can, why can't I? Stop wasting my time with your bullshit. Just give me all your abilities!" He slapped me again, his fury mounting. Inside, a fire was burning brightly within me, but I maintained a facade of fear.
'Now, there are three.'
“We’ll make a deal. You’ll receive all my abilities, and if you can sustain them for five minutes, they’re yours permanently. But if you can’t, all yours will be mine.”
"You damn child!" His patience was wearing thin. "Stop all that nonsense."
“I can’t. The ability is bound by a deal, and both sides must be on equal footing. If it’s one-sided, it’s not a deal. It’s my ability, and these are its rules. It won’t work any other way.”
He slapped me again, his frustration boiling over. 'Four then.'
“Alright, give me all your abilities. Don’t play games with me.” He shook my right hand.
[Pact is sealed]
As the pact was sealed, I could feel the weight of my abilities being lifted from my body and transferring to the man. The room seemed to pulsate with the energy of the exchange.
'Who was the man's name again? Forget it. He's going to die anyway.'
As the man's face turned blank, the overwhelming flood of abilities began to enter his body and mind. I quietly moved under the bed, grasping the 4 kg iron barbell hidden there. I swung it lightly to warm up and then, with a powerful swing, aimed it at the man's face. "One."
The barbell connected with his skull with a sickening thud. I feared I might have broken it.
"Two," I muttered, striking him again as he fell to the ground. He lay motionless.
"Three." With all the strength I could muster, I hit him one final time. At that moment, I felt the abilities beginning to return to me. The man had succumbed, and with his demise, his abilities flowed back into me. Exhausted, I collapsed onto the bed, surrendering to the black mode that rendered me vulnerable to any attack for the next 5 minutes.
When I awoke, I discovered a new ability had manifested within me. The man's body lay on the floor. I moved to his body and slapped his cheek. "This is four!"
Searching for his clothes, I found a military knife hidden within them. It was clear he had intended to kill me after seizing my abilities.
Utilizing the newly acquired ability of far sight, I closed my eyes and visualized myself entering that man's dormitory. My dorm was on the third floor, and this man had been on the second. His friend was supposed to be in his dormitory.
Even without knowing his name, I knew which his dormitory was, as we had encountered each other a few times this month. In my mind's eye, I slowly entered the room and saw its contents: a fat man laid down on the bed, idly watching something on a smartphone with another phone resting beside him.
Seeing the A-grade symbol on his hand, a realization dawned upon me.
‘I must obtain that ability,’ I thought to myself.
As they say, knowledge can be the root of greed.
I kept the knife and moved towards the dormitory downstairs and knocked on the door. The man who opened it had a pig-like face, overweight and with blonde hair. "What do you want?" he asked gruffly.
Putting on a facade of fear, I stammered, “That man in my room, he asked you to go there.”
He looked at me with a smirk. “Did he hit you?”
Nodding fearfully, I received another slap from him. “Next time don’t try to act important, kid.”
I nodded, bowing apologetically. “I’m sorry.”
“I’ll get the phone,” he said, turning his back to me. Seizing the opportunity, I followed him inside, quietly drawing my knife.
“What are you doing?” He spun around, facing me, and in that moment, I plunged the knife into his stomach with force, causing him to collapse onto the bed.
“Don’t move,” I commanded, as I removed the knife and pressed it against his mouth to prevent any outcry. “Put your hand on the wound. You can still be saved.”
“You...you...” Blood oozed from his wound, unable to be staunched by his hand.
“Make a deal with me,” I proposed urgently. “Give me your abilities, and I will give you the ability to heal yourself. Deal?”
Desperate, he nodded quickly.[Pact is sealed, choose one of the 6 types of your healing abilities to exchange with his ability.]As I stood before the man, I swiftly made my choice from the six abilities in my possession, deciding to give him a mere 10% of one of my healing abilities. Watching closely, I noticed the symbol on his hand begin to transform. “The deal is done. You can heal your wound now,” I informed him.He struggled to activate the healing power, but in his haste, he overlooked a crucial detail."We made a deal, but it seems you forgot one important thing," I said, my voice carrying a cold edge as I looked down at him.“What is that?” he asked, confusion and fear mingling in his eyes.“I never agreed not to kill you.”With a swift motion, I plunged my knife into his heart. He perished, the meager 10% healing ability going to waste. But I had acquired what I wanted.“Space storage,” I commanded, activating the new ability I had just obtained from him. It was a remarkabl
People's lives and deaths were a fate dictated by Creators. So, if they die, they just die, and I have no reason to save them. But if I can save them, I will do it. Furthermore, the abilities that die with them represent a total loss for humanity.In the past, it took 60 years to completely retake the Earth and conquer other planets, with 90% of heroes dying in the last battle. However, if we can save the abilities that were lost within the first 3-5 years, which accounts for almost half of the total loss, we may be able to retake the Earth in 30 years or even faster.‘If I save the lost abilities, they must be under my control. I won't easily believe anyone this time. My goal is to become the president of the world, and I will take what James has.’I swiftly packed my belongings into a backpack, threw most of the items I needed into my space storage, and made my way out of the dormitory, when passing the high school broadcasting room. A daring idea began to form in my mind.I had rec
As I ran toward the monster up ahead, my overthinking ability kicked in, enabling me to think as if I were two people. One perspective utilized a far-sight ability, providing me with a bird's-eye view and creating a mini-map-like image centered on me. My surroundings comprised a not-too-vast forest, featuring a small hill and woodland on the city's outskirts. This allowed me to track the nearest monster's movements if they pursued me.Concurrently, my other self focused on formulating a strategy to attract the beast's attention. With my keen, far-sighted vision, I could clearly make out the creature. They had four legs, or possibly more, and seemed to lack intelligence.In the record of the monster and beast information that attacked Earth, they were mostly divided into three broad categories: non-intelligent beasts, which typically had four legs or more and mostly moved by instinct like animals; intelligent monsters, mostly with two legs, possessing the ability to think and use weapo
When dealing with one thing, one could not afford to be rash, because when one was in a hurry, they tended to make mistakes. I was the kind of person who would think three times before doing anything. At my peak, I used to think 128 times before taking any action, and that saved me from any errors. Especially when humans lived in such a precarious state, a single error could result in death, posing the risk of irretrievable loss. As my future-self sent his memories back across six decades, I believed the world was becoming a new, parallel world, a part of a multiverse. This also meant that my future self, who sent this information, had truly perished in that parallel world, leaving only my current existence in this reality. Here, even the slightest error could prove fatal, and I was not invincible; I could die at any moment too. Surrounded by the transparent wind that concealed my odor and still in my transparent state, I gazed at the information boards in the plaza on each floor. F
There were many questions about whether a person with the ability to manipulate storage space can be used in a fight or for killing.The answer was yes; they could be deadly. Not in a massacre or when dealing with hordes of monsters, as they would die uselessly if you put them there. But in single combat, they were unbeatable. This was partly because their ability bordered on the realms of cheating.As I faced the hyena-like beast, it lunged at me with primal ferocity. Utilizing my unique overthinking ability, time seemed to warp, slowing the beast's movements to a mere half of its usual speed. I could even see its fangs, saliva, tongue, and the four eyes of the creature, two on each side.The moment my fingertips brushed against the hyena's nose, a connection was formed. In an instant, the creature was whisked away into my space storage, vanishing from the world only to reappear within the confines of my space storage.Another hyena, undeterred by the fate of its counterpart, made it
As I laid my body across the door, becoming the target, four hyenas swiftly bit me - my stomach, my legs, my arms, and my shoulder. However, within 0.2 seconds to 0.8 seconds of their contact, I managed to store each of them away into my storage space. The longer I hesitated, the more their fangs threatened to tear into my flesh. Regrettably, I still found holes in my bodies, which resulted in a wound and some bleeding. As they suddenly vanished into my space storage, there was an empty gap in the door that they had propped open earlier. I used that moment to push the rolling door down hastily before the dozen of outside hyenas could lunge at me. The new hyenas hit the door while I was rolling it down, yet they couldn't squeeze through the small gap and had to retreat. Finally the door sealed perfectly as I quickly locked it, but because of my blood on the floor, I could still hear the hyenas outside, clawing and biting at the door, trying to destroy it. Ignoring the pain in my arms
One of them extended her hand, her fingers slightly trembling with anticipation. "Deal!" she exclaimed, her voice echoing a mix of hope and resolve. I glanced at the symbol etched on her palm – a teleportation ability.[Pact is sealed]"What are you doing, Eva?" Ava's voice cut through the air, sharp and laden with concern."Making a deal for us to go home," Eva replied, her eyes gleaming with a newfound determination.Ava turned her gaze towards me. "Are you promising to take us home?" she inquired, her voice a delicate balance of hope and doubt."I can't promise you home, as Riverside is completely destroyed. If our parents are still alive, they would have moved to Virginia. What I can promise is to take you to Virginia in four months. I don't plan to stay here forever," I explained."They are still alive!" Ava's voice rose, a surge of raw emotion breaking through her usual composure."Ye, they are still alive," I responded, choosing not to argue."You'll take care of our food, too?
Upon awakening from a lengthy dream, I was enveloped in a profound sense of rejuvenation. My body, once weary, now felt warm and light, reminiscent of basking in the embrace of a tranquil, revitalizing river. The sensation was so vivid, I could almost hear the gentle rush of water in my ears.Upon awakening, a comforting warmth, accompanied by a feeling of human connection reminiscent of the first rays of dawn on a chilly winter morning, embraced both my right and left sides.‘Someone is at my side.’I opened my eyes and found Ava and Eva. They were using me as their bolster pillow, their peaceful faces inches from mine.My gaze drifted to the ceiling of the supermarket, high above and dappled with intermittent light. Some bulbs offed, while others shone steadily, casting a chessboard of shadows and light across the expanse. The air held a chill, a stark contrast to the warm cocoon we formed, shielded from the elusive sunlight that struggled to penetrate the large wall.The scent of A
I was a bit surprised. "Isn't down there a place where the dead rest, and there is nothing but cold and barren land?" "At first, it was a place full of beauty, but those who did not like it destroyed everything in it, making it cold and barren. I hope you can help those suffering down there find kindness and peace. In truth, you can build a place far more beautiful than the palace of the gods because hell was initially a very beautiful place for those in need." "I accept it wherever You send me." *** In a temple where knowledge was usually shared, several humans who were teachers of various schools gathered to discuss important matters about knowledge. "Hey," said one human to another, "Why did the gods stop sharing their knowledge with us?" "Haven't you heard that the King of the gods, or God Indra, has been replaced?" "Really?" "God Indra is now angry after finding out that knowledge was given to humans by the previous Indra," said another human. "He stopped all knowledge fro
After 1,000 years had passed, the three worlds experienced their golden age. There was no poverty or hunger throughout the three worlds. Everything was going very well. All dimensions entered a golden age because kindness became the most important thing in the three realms. Humans, gods, ashuras, and all beings were directed to continue giving kindness to all creatures. During my reign, everyone competed to do good so that there was no poverty, hunger, or lack. During that time, those who came to me, whether gods, ashuras, or humans, would get what they asked for. I did this as my way of doing good to all beings.One day, a dwarf-bodied brahmin came to my palace. The brahmin, called Vamana, had a body that was only waist-high to an ordinary human. He wore white clothes that wrapped loosely around his small body. However, considering that he was a human and came from the third dimension, being able to ascend to the twelfth dimension where the gods' palace was located was alr
"I don't remember that part," I said. "Because each life makes you forget. I just want to say, if you give the gods' knowledge to humans, won't the gods lose their power? Haven't you humiliated them all? Your strength has made you not understand the feelings of the weaker gods." "Guru, if what you say is true, is my current strength because I was a strong spirit in the past?" He looked at me and weakly shook his head. "No, all spirits start from the same place." "Then why did I become strong?" "You had no fear, and your enjoyment of playing made you keep striving for something greater without caring for your own life." Brihaspati continued, "However, what placed you as King Indra is something else." "What is that?" "A sense of responsibility to protect the weak and make life better for all beings." Brihaspati sighed. "Those who have that sincerity will always be carried by karma and the will of God to re
"Boss, you've become weak," said Raindo, one of the Ashura generals, approaching me. He looked enormous compared to my now smaller form. "You keep spending time in that school and library. You never fight anymore. You're going to become weak, and the previous Indra will soon return to reclaim his throne." "You just don't understand, my brother," I said, still reading a book. "Right now, I am ten times stronger than I was before." "I don't believe it," said Raindo, one of the strongest generals. "Let's test it." "Of course," I said, seemingly unconcerned. "Get ready." "I'm always ready," he replied. As soon as he said that, a bolt of lightning shot down from the sky, striking his body. He was thrown far, crashing into the palace walls and severely injured. "What happened?" he asked, looking confused and trying to stand up. He didn't know what had hit him. "I just attacked you. I gained the power
“Oh,” I shouted. “That's easy.” Suddenly, I felt very smart. “I have plenty of wealth in the treasury.” Quickly, I ordered several Ashura to bring as much treasure as possible from Indra's vault and distribute it to all the Ashura. All the Ashura were happy. “Look, Guru, haven't I done a good deed? I shared my wealth with them.” I felt pleased. “Fool!” he shouted. “You haven't done a good deed at all. You should have given the wealth to those in need.” I fell silent. Quickly, I ordered all the Ashura to return the treasures they had received. The Ashura didn't need wealth; if there was one thing they needed, it was weapons. They all grumbled, and I quickly asked, “Do you want food and drink or wealth?” “Food!!!!” “Drink!!” None wanted wealth. Suddenly, it dawned on me. Who needs wealth? The Ashura don't need wealth, the gods already have plenty of wealth. The only poor creatures needing wealth are humans
“Prepare all the food and drinks. All the gods must order their servants to bring all the food from their palaces. Call the apsaras, the heavenly maidens, and beautiful dancers. Call the singers and musicians. We will have a party.” So, a grand feast was held for days in the courtyard of Indra's palace. Music, dancing, and food never stopped. After that, the Ashura were left drunk in the palace courtyard. The gods had returned to their respective duties. I moved around to see the entire palace, and suddenly, an old man appeared before me. “What have you done to this place?” the old man asked, looking at the palace's new weapon-laden decor. “Who are you?” I asked, confused. This old man wore the simple clothes of a Brahmana, a single piece of cloth. The Brahmana do not fight, so we never touch them. If they get angry, we could get the worst curses of our lives. But if they are pleased, they could grant us many new and exciting powers. We prefer to appease them and wait for the
“Bargu,” I called one of my generals.He immediately looked at me with an extremely distressed face. “Don't choose me, king.”“Randu?”A small giant appeared and shook his head. “Don't torture me, king. We want to have fun. We won this battle.”None of them wanted to accept the position.“The position of God Vayu is an honorable one!” God Vayu shouted at them all. “Full of dedication, responsibility, serving many people, following the harmony of nature... blah... blah... blah...” He lectured for another half hour, ending again by saying to me, “Give this position to an honorable person! Not to someone who is half-hearted and does not understand the importance of this role.”I scratched my head. We Ashura only understood honor through battle. We also didn't want to be burdened by many rules and duties. We just wanted to have fun.I looked again at the ugly faces of the Ashura, fearing I might force them to take on the role.“Alright, God Vayu. No one wants your position. Stay in your p
I walked through the vast and majestic courtyard of God Indra's palace. Not a shadow in sight.Stepping onto the stone steps, I entered his palace and kept shouting his name.“INDRA! Show your cowardly face!”Inside his palace, I saw lotus ponds lining the path to the inner parts of the palace.“INDRA, THE COWARD! Are you hiding in your mother's embrace? Are you crying? Your subordinate gods are being tortured. They're screaming for their king, where are you hiding, coward?” I shouted as loudly as possible.Who doesn't know that Indra is famous for his cowardice and cunning? Every time he lost a battle against the Ashura, he would run into his mother's embrace. Aditi, the mother of the gods, and cry, persuading her to find a way to put him back on the throne. This has happened repeatedly.I smelled the scent of lotus and other fragrances in Indra's palace. “Ptooey... INDRA! Are you wearing women's clothes? Your palace smells like a woman! Show your face if you're a man.”I shouted for
We Ashura people generally only wear pants. Always bare-chested, and if we wear anything, it must be armor for war. Not clothes like those worn by women. Beautiful, neat, and shining.“Ptooey!” I spat.Both camps flew closer with terrifying speed. Weapons were directed at each other. Just seconds before both sides would collide, yet neither slowed down. Each kept increasing their flying speed and strengthening their weapons in hand.A war general from the gods' camp shot ahead of the other gods towards me. Perhaps the god of war, Ares.“Die!” he shouted.“Good!” I said, smiling broadly. I shot to the front, and we faced each other at high speed.As we met, he thrust a shining spear at me like lightning trying to pierce my chest. I dodged quickly, and my large fist struck the front of his body protected by a metal shield. My full strength flowed, and the blow landed with a horrifying sound. Combined with my initial flying speed, God Ares was instantly thrown to the edge of the earth li