Denying My Efforts

"Thanks, no. Please get the hell out of my body!"

Shock flickered in Alex's eyes for an instant, but without a moment's hesitation, he flat-out refused.

Hearing that he could obtain all kinds of abilities from movies, novels, anime, and more—Devil Fruit Abilities from One Piece, Zanpakuto Abilities from Bleach, and Super Saiyan Genes from Dragon Ball, all those flashy, earth-shattering powers—Alex felt a brief waver in his heart.

Imagine it: in the DC world, facing off against Superman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Batman, and the rest, standing atop a skyscraper, Zanpakuto in hand, coldly shouting "Bankai!" As his black trench coat billows in the sky, matched with his stern face, the Zanpakuto undergoes a heaven-shaking transformation, the sky behind him churning with wind and clouds, the pitch-black night itself trembling in fear of him. He lifts his cold, proud head slightly, his icy gaze looking down on all those superheroes. How cool and epic would that scene be?

Or on the ground, roaring and transforming into a Super Saiyan, a body of dense, bulging muscles bursting through his clothes, air currents erupting from his feet like golden flames soaring upward. His hair, a mane of golden fire, dances wildly in the night sky. Wherever he steps, rubble floats weightlessly upward. His cold pupils turn golden, shining with the most brilliant golden light in the darkness. With such a raging, blazing battle spirit, even if he stood against the whole world and fought to the death, what would there be to fear?

It's way too damn exciting for a man! Too cool!

If it were real, and he had freedom, Alex could seriously pursue that kind of invincible power.

But unfortunately, from the way the system had spoken, it was clearly trying to lure him with ill intent. So, he refused.

Rather than gain power and be controlled, becoming the system's puppet, Alex would rather freely chase the strength he wanted on his own terms.

Besides, Alex felt the system was just tempting him.

He refused decisively!

Alex's refusal was so firm that even the system couldn't snap out of it in time—it was too fast. The moment it finished speaking, it was rejected.

Compared to all those wild, flashy, over-the-top abilities, Alex chose freedom without a second thought.

"Enough, Alex. The fact that you've reached the peak of human physical limits today was only possible with the system's help!"

The system's harsh electronic voice rang in Alex's ears, full of strong displeasure.

But Alex picked up on a piece of information.

'The system has intelligence!'

A thought flashed through Alex's mind.

From the start, Alex had been constantly testing this system—from its awareness of his weakness in the DC world, to asking if he was sure about leaving, to using all those movie and anime powers to tempt him, and now to its almost human-like angry scolding. It was just like the mood of a dissatisfied person.

This system didn't seem like other so-called smart systems. Its intelligence seemed a bit lacking, and it was... desperate to control him.

"Oh? How was I unaware of your help?"

"I have this powerful body because, starting from age five, I persisted unwaveringly, following my own correct scientific methods, combined with consuming various proteins, vitamins, herbal baths, and all kinds of money-draining training. That's how I forged my body to human limits."

"And now you're telling me all of that was your doing?"

Alex's voice turned cold. Every day and night, he had trained relentlessly—standing in stances, stretching tendons, refining skin, training bones, deepening marrow to produce blood, resonating with blood cells, cultivating internal energy externally, and hardening bones and muscles internally. Training in the coldest days of winter and the hottest days of summer.

Since he was a child, he had earned money, using medicine, nutrition, and high-tech methods to train his body every moment. That was how he got this strong physique. And now you're saying it was all thanks to you?

Easily denying my hard work.

Was all my effort for nothing?

Was all the money I earned for nothing?

Alex sneered coldly in his heart, sentencing the system to death in his mind.

"Heh. From the moment you transmigrated into the DC universe, the system fused with you, merging with your genes and soul. Without the system's fusion and enhancement of your body's latent potential, could you have so easily trained to the peak of human physical limits?"

"Heh!"

Alex let out a cold, sarcastic "heh" inside his motorcycle helmet, meaning nothing else but an insult.

That sounds so nice!

In truth, as a child, Alex was the epitome of frail and sickly—weak resistance, prone to colds, struggling to survive.

His mother was a drug addict, partly because she felt hopeless about her son's weak constitution, and under the social pressures of the time, she turned to drugs to escape, eventually overdosing and dying.

Now that the system said this, Alex felt sure it had been messing around, weakening his body from birth.

If it weren't for the money Alex saved as a kid by transporting black-market goods, he would have died in the slums long ago.

And it talks about enhancing latent potential? He was practically dead back then, okay?

Sensing that Alex didn't believe him, the system grew angry, its heavy electronic voice echoing in Alex's ears.

"Without the system's help, you would have died at age nine!"

The system sneered and spat out the words. It could guess what Alex was thinking. After all the system had contributed, this host actually doubted it—what an ignorant and stupid Earthling!

Suddenly.

Screech—

Alex's pupils contracted. The motorcycle he was riding skidded, tires scraping against the ground, leaving a black streak as it slid a meter forward. The front end dipped, the rear lifted, then slammed down heavily with a thud.

Not far behind, a red Ferrari Portofino with a sleek, flowing body saw Alex suddenly stop ahead. The driver quickly turned the wheel and hit the brakes, executing a half-arc braking maneuver. The tires screeched, smoke rising in wisps from the friction, leaving a curved black tire mark on the road. The Ferrari Portofino swerved into the adjacent lane, completing a beautifully smooth turn. From behind Alex, it curved around to stop in front of him.

Around them, traffic streamed by. Some drivers poked their heads out to watch the commotion. On the roadside, people in the distance stretched their necks and stood on tiptoes, seeing what looked like an accident.

Then, the Ferrari Portofino's door opened, and a white man with blond hair stepped out. A diamond stud glinted in his right earlobe. He wore a white tank top, revealing strong arms with muscular, tattooed forearms—flowers and birds inked into the skin.

"Fuck! You son of a bitch, trying to wreck my car?"

"You know what road rage is?"

He slapped his Ferrari in anger, then cracked his neck with a series of angry cricks. He pounded his fists together, pressing his knuckles until they popped with a series of cracks.

"I'm going to teach you a fucking lesson today, let you know what road rage really means!"

The burly blond man was burning with fury, his gaze full of anger as he strode toward Alex.

A surge of rage rose from the depths of Alex's heart, making his blood feel like it was boiling and racing through his veins. He directly pulled out the Desert Eagle tucked behind his waist and aimed it at the approaching blond man.

The moment he saw the Desert Eagle pointed at him, the burly blond man froze mid-step, the anger draining from his face. His expression tightened, and without a second thought, he backed away like a rewound tape, his steps unsteady, his face pale. He retreated all the way to his Ferrari, slammed the door shut with a thud, and in sheer terror, floored the gas pedal. The tires spun wildly, screeching against the ground, kicking up clouds of white smoke. With a whoosh, he reversed the Ferrari away from Alex, then quickly spun the wheel, merged into the traffic, and vanished from Alex's sight.

The surrounding cars, already moving slowly, sped off even faster, not daring to look at Alex. The crowd farther away stirred in panic, scattering far from him, unwilling to come anywhere near.