Keeping one hand pressed against the side of his head, Oliver hurried away from Nevermore as fast as he could.
Staying anywhere near the school was unbearable — hundreds of conversations, footsteps echoing through the hallways, lockers slamming shut, heartbeats, laughter, even the faint rustling of clothes blended into an overwhelming torrent of noise.
Every sound fought for his attention at once.
By the time he crossed the academy gates and entered the woods, the constant chatter gradually began to fade.
Human voices became fewer and farther apart, replaced by the whisper of wind through the trees, birds calling from distant branches, leaves rustling overhead, and the rhythmic chirping of insects.
The sounds were still unnaturally clear.
He could hear a squirrel scampering across bark somewhere above him, the flutter of wings several dozen meters away, the creek quietly flowing through the forest.
Still far louder than any normal person should be able to hear — but compared to the deafening chaos of Nevermore, the forest felt almost peaceful.
Oliver finally slowed to a stop, taking a long breath as the pounding in his head eased slightly.
“…Okay,” he muttered, rubbing his temples.
“Nature is officially better than people.”
“Fuck… now I have to get used to this.” He leaned against a tree.
“If I had to unlock a Kryptonian ability, X-ray vision would’ve been a lot less annoying.”
A blue panel appeared in front of him.
[The main character is experiencing a headache because his new ability is awakening.]
[But you’re the one who asked for this power. Stop complaining and deal with it. Great power doesn’t come with an instruction manual.]
Oliver rolled his eyes.
“Yeah, as always, you’re completely useless.”
The narration ignored him.
[Congratulations. Thanks to your efforts, the plot is now thoroughly derailed.]
[The main character prevented Wednesday Addams from meeting Xavier at the intended point in the story.]
[The main character will also be attending the Harvest Festival with Wednesday.]
[Reward Granted: 1 Uncommon Modification.]
[Reward Granted: 1 Common Modification.]
Oliver’s eyes lit up.
“So that makes… two Uncommon Modifications and one Common Modification.” He genuinely needed them.
[Current Status: Super Hearing has fully awakened.]
[The main character lacks experience using this ability. As a result, he cannot consciously filter unnecessary sounds.]
“Then I’ll just fix the problem.”
He reached toward the floating screen.
[Modify: Super Hearing → Experienced user capable of filtering irrelevant sounds.]
The blue panel flickered.
[Modification Rarity Insufficient.]
Oliver clicked his tongue.
“So a Common Modification isn’t enough…”
Without hesitating, he selected one of his Uncommon Modifications instead.
The screen flashed once.
[Modification Accepted.]
[1 Uncommon Modification Consumed.]
Almost instantly, the overwhelming noise disappeared.
The countless voices and rustling leaves settled into the background, while anything he chose to focus on became crystal clear.
Oliver lowered his hand from his ear.
“…Much better.”
Now that he thought about it, there was something else he wanted to try.
The last time he’d attempted to make money using the System, it had immediately threatened him — but back then he hadn’t been involved with the plot at all.
Now things were different.
He had already interfered with multiple major events.
The story itself had changed because of his actions.
“…It shouldn’t threaten me this time… right?”
The blue screen remained completely still.
No warning.
No sarcastic remark.
Nothing.
Oliver waited a few more seconds before raising an eyebrow.
“…I’ll take your silence as permission.”
He reached toward the panel and selected his Common Modification.
[Modify: Bank Account Balance → $10,000,000.] Follow the newest chapters on novelping.com.
[Modification Failed.]
Oliver frowned.
“Too much?”
[Modify: Bank Account Balance → $5,000,000.]
[Modification Failed.]
“…Seriously?”
[Modify: Bank Account Balance → $900,000.]
[Modification Failed.]
Oliver scratched his head.
“So that’s still beyond a Common Modification…”
[Modify: Bank Account Balance → $500,000.]
The blue panel remained still for several seconds.
Then it flashed.
[Modification Accepted.]
[1 Common Modification Consumed.]
[Funds have been legally integrated into the main character’s financial records.]
[Tax records updated.]
[Bank account adjusted.]
Oliver pulled out his phone and logged into his banking app.
His balance had increased by exactly $500,000, every record showing the money as completely legitimate, as though it had always been his.
“…Now that’s useful.”
He slipped his phone back into his pocket.
No more worrying about part-time work just to get by — half a million dollars was more than enough to last him for years, provided he didn’t spend it recklessly.
“I wasn’t planning to anyway.”
The thought had barely crossed his mind before something else popped into it.
“…Now let me see how much that bike I saw costs.”
Oliver immediately pulled out his phone and began browsing motorcycle models.
The irony of abandoning the financial discipline he’d declared less than ten seconds earlier was completely lost on him.