Return of Overthinker

Chapter 4

Hellena hit my head, saying, "You brat, what are you talking about? Don't pick on a shy girl, pick me if you dare."

Poppy and Lisa also looked at me with awe.

"Don't look at me, look at Alice," I pointed to Alice. And all of them screamed in shock, the girls noticed Alice's sudden disappearance, leaving behind only her clothes. The room was filled with a stunned silence, broken only by their gasps.

"Her ability is the power of invisibility," I explained, observing their reactions. "She can make herself disappear at will, often driven by a range of emotions such as shame or for other valid reasons. At the peak of her powers, she can even pass through walls and everything."

Helena, regaining her composure, exclaimed, "Damn, I thought you were serious about that... proposition." She flashed a mischievous grin. "But if you ever change your mind, your big sister here might consider your offer," she teased, winking playfully. “I can give you the blow you want.”

I laughed, "It's already late. I should be heading back now..."

***

Jack, a middle-aged man, felt an increasing frustration. He had spent three months at the high school, the longest tenure among his peers, and the looming prospect of being sent to the front lines to battle monsters weighed on him. Despite this, he remained ignorant of his own abilities.

 He wondered why they believed that hidden powers would spontaneously emerge in times of crisis, similar to what happened in movies. While a significant number had perished on the front lines, only a few had unlocked their powers. He remained convinced that understanding his abilities before entering battle was the wiser choice. Nevertheless, he had yet to fathom the true nature of his power or how to access it.

His girlfriend, Helena, had offered a glimmer of hope. She instructed him to visit the gym at 21:00 from the north door, where he would meet someone who could assist him in uncovering his power.

At the appointed time, Jack entered the gym, enveloped in darkness. The gym, usually bustling with activity, was eerily quiet and accessible to all. He made his way towards a warehouse within the gym, where a faint light glimmered, suggesting the presence of someone inside. Jack's heart pounded with a mix of anticipation and anxiety as he approached, wondering if this mysterious meeting would finally unlock the secrets of his hidden power.

Jack approached the warehouse door cautiously, noticing its peculiar setup: the door was partially open, about 20 cm, with a board blocking the lower 100 cm and a cloth covering the top, leaving a square hole of about 20 cm by 20 cm in the middle.

"Hello," Jack called out tentatively as he neared the door.

"Have you read the rules?" a voice asked from behind the door.

"Yes," Jack responded, recalling the rules Helena had texted him: a 10% sacrifice of his ability, joining the secret guild named Eden, and maintaining utmost secrecy.

"Read them aloud now," instructed the voice.

Jack complied, reading the text from his smartphone. The rules were clear and irrevocable.

"If you agree to the pact, extend your right hand for me to make a deal and for me to check your symbol," the voice directed.

Jack extended his hand through the hole in the door. Another hand reached out, grasping his. "Are we in agreement?" the voice asked.

"Yes," Jack affirmed.

[Pact is Sealed]

"Now, record my voice. I will only say this once," the voice continued.

Jack quickly prepared his smartphone to record the instructions.

"You possess the ability to manipulate salt. In the first phase, you can alter the saltiness of salt. After practicing this 1,000 times, you'll progress to phase two, where you can create salt structures, like dolls or other shapes. Once you've created 1,000 shapes, you'll enter phase three, gaining the ability to harden the salt to the strength of iron. The final phase, the fourth, grants you control over the movement of salt, shaping and solidifying it at will. Now, please exit through the south gate."

With the recording secured, Jack felt a mix of awe and apprehension. He had finally discovered his power. He withdrew his hand and made his way toward the south gate. As Jack left the gym, his mind was a tumult of emotions and thoughts.

Salt manipulation? If I do end up on the front lines, how can I awaken my ability if there's no salt? Won’t it be a death sentence for me? Fuck, Fortunately, I discovered my ability before heading to the front lines.

Meanwhile, back at the gym, at 21:15, another woman entered the gym, heading straight to the warehouse, the only place with light. She too underwent the same ritual as Jack, agreeing to the pact and leaving through the south gate.

The cycle resumed at 21:30. Every 15 minutes, an individual would enter the gym and proceed to the warehouse. Each person would forge a pact with a stranger possessing only an aged, old voice, and afterward, they would exit through a different door to avoid encountering each other.

Back at Helena's dormitory, the atmosphere was bustling with activity. The girls were messaging their friends, eager to share the opportunity they had discovered with Alex's guidance. They organized a timetable for people they trusted and wanted to help, scheduling appointments in 15-minute intervals.

However, not all were pleased with their newfound powers.

At 04:15, a man grew furious upon realizing his newfound ability to "sweeten water." In phase 2, he could convert water into juice, and in phase 3, he could craft energy drinks. By phase 4, he possessed the capability to create any type of beverage.

His anger was intense, as he yearned for abilities such as flying, combat prowess, or the power to incinerate and annihilate.

"Get out, you liar! It's impossible for me to be just a juice maker! I'll expose your lies!" he shouted, his voice heavy with frustration and disbelief. In his rage, he forcefully swung open the warehouse door, only to be greeted by the hollow echo of an empty room.

"Huh? No one?" he muttered, his voice tinged with confusion. He scrutinized every corner of the cramped space, with the dim light casting elongated shadows that seemed to mock his growing unease.

Disappointment gnawed at him as he discovered nothing, and the scent of old mold and dust hung heavily in the air. Filled with a mix of fear and confusion, he stepped back, his footsteps echoing in the empty surroundings. "Then who was I just speaking to?" he wondered aloud, his words fading into the silence.

After the man hastily exited, a shadow stirred in the corner of the warehouse. A young man, known as Alex, emerged from his hiding place, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

‘Lucky I have 10% of Alice's power,’ he thought, his eyes glinting with cunning.

***

Alex

I set to work, meticulously rearranging the warehouse door. I left only a small, hand-sized gap, a secret entrance for my clandestine meetings. The new customer entered as per the usual procedure, making a deal with me in hushed tones.

"For every person who surrenders 10% of their power, a small symbol will appear on my back as I took them," I mused silently. Although this symbol has 10% limited access to their abilities - a diluted version of their original power. For instance, Alice's ability to hide could last for ten hours per day, but I could only muster it for one hour per day.

"I could teach each ability user for free, but why not take a 10 percentage when I can?" I thought, a sly smile creeping across my face. "People must make a profit for what they've done."

As 06:00 approached, marking the end of my last appointment, I felt a wave of exhaustion wash over me. Despite my tiredness, there was a sense of satisfaction in knowing my ‘harvest’. I planned to sleep and then reorganize my newfound powers later. I walked out through the gym from the north side.

“Alex!” boomed a voice. Howard, a burly man flanked by two of his friends, approached me as I was about to leave the gym. “Stay where you are!”

Faced with Howard the bully, I believed that evading them was the best decision. I swiftly maneuvered to the opposite side and ran to avoid Howard, attempting to ward off imminent danger.

“Don’t you dare run away from me, chase him!” Howard barked, his voice echoing with authority. His two followers sprinted to block my path, their movements swift and determined.

Howard advanced toward me. “Why are you running away so quickly? I just happen to need a sparring partner for my new moves,” he sneered, his voice dripping with mock concern.