Alex sat back, blinking slowly as the numbers settled into his mind like bricks building the foundation of a new life.
"…Well, there goes my money problem," he muttered, slipping the secure account card into his wallet.
He quickly logged into the net banking portal, punching in the details. Moments later, the confirmation popped up on the screen.
Balance: $45,000,000 USD.All real. All his.
He exhaled through his nose, a quiet smirk tugging at his lips.
"They think they've bought me off."
His gaze hardened as his fingers curled slightly, the air around him beginning to shift. Fine grains of golden sand lifted off the floor, swirling slowly around his body like a protective halo.
"If it wasn't Tony, I'd have shown them who's the real boss," he muttered coldly. "No one wins against Stark? Please. You're just humans…"
His tone dropped to a quiet growl, almost venomous.
"While I… am becoming something more."
The sand coiled tighter around his arm before he forced himself to calm down. With a thought, it dissolved and scattered like dust in the wind.
"But I'll let it go—for now. Only because it's Tony Stark. Had it been anyone else, I'd have broken every bone in their smug body for trying to handle me like a problem to pay off."
He snorted, lying back onto the hospital bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Still… it worked in my favor. The game's just begun."
He tapped his temple.
I have power. I have money. And I've got three years before the world wakes up to gods, monsters, and men in suits of iron.
It's time to plan.
"Well… what can I even plan aside from being the guy who beats up villains?" Alex muttered, his voice low and thoughtful as a small swirl of sand hovered above his palm.
The grains danced effortlessly under his control, responding to the slightest twitch of his fingers.
"I guess the only thing I can do is either hone these powers…" he paused, watching the sand form a miniature blade before dispersing, "…or head to Kamar-Taj and learn magic."
That last thought lingered.
Kamar-Taj.
The hidden realm of the mystics. A place where mortals learned to twist reality, bend time, and open doors across the multiverse.
But it came with structure, discipline—and possibly surveillance. Too much exposure, too early, could attract attention from people he wasn't ready to deal with.
Still, the idea wasn't off the table.
He clenched his fist, and the sand responded instantly—stretching out from beneath the hospital bed and floor, spreading like veins in all directions. As he focused, he could feel everything the sand touched. Every crack, every step… every movement within 100 meters.
"…My domain," he whispered.
The air around him seemed to still. Even though he wasn't at full power, the sheer scope of his sand sense was growing.
If this is what 52% feels like… then what's waiting for me at 100%?
He leaned forward, dark eyes gleaming with ambition.
"No hero. No villain. Just a man with power… and no leash."
****
[Three Days Later…]
The sun filtered through the cab's dusty window as Alex leaned back, one arm propped lazily against the door, the other resting on a duffel bag filled with the bare essentials: clothes, a phone, and the black card tied to his newfound fortune.
He glanced outside.
They were leaving the city behind now—the busy streets, the glass towers, the noise. All fading into the rearview mirror.
Ahead of him, a narrow road stretched through the outskirts, trees lining the cracked pavement like tired sentinels. The car rumbled past old fences and quiet farmland before finally pulling up to a modest, weather-worn house.
His house.
Or rather, Alex Rand's house.
It was a single-story place, tucked behind some overgrown hedges. The paint was chipped, and the gate creaked when the driver opened it.
"Here we are, mister," the driver said, glancing at him through the mirror.
Alex nodded. "Thanks."
He stepped out, tossing a few bills the man's way. The taxi vanished back down the road moments later, leaving Alex alone with the wind and silence.
He stared at the house.
Small. Isolated. Quiet.Perfect.
Inside, it smelled faintly of dust and old wood. The furniture was minimal, the walls bare, but there was something comforting about its emptiness.
"Guess the orogibal guy was an introvert nerd" he mumbled as this ost gy rendt ths hose on coutry side fara way from City.
He tossed his bag on the couch, walked to the kitchen, and ran the tap—water still worked. He pulled open a cupboard—canned goods, some cereal. Enough for a few days.
Then, he stood in the middle of the living room, took a deep breath, and raised his hand.
Whirr...
A low vibration spread beneath his feet. The sand he'd carried from the hospital, the particles that had clung to his shoes, scattered around the floor. He focused.
In seconds, sand snaked out across the room, forming a ring around him.
He could feel it again. His domain.
[System Notification]
Safehouse Registered: Rand Residence – Pine Bush, Ulster County, New York.
Training Efficiency: +30% (Isolated Area)
Synchronization Stability: Improved
Alex nodded to himself."Damn, I'm loving this System more and more," he muttered with a grin as he continued his quiet tour of the house.
It was modest but well-equipped—single bedroom, kitchen, a clean bathroom... and then there was that room. The tech room.
He stepped inside, eyes widening slightly as he scanned the space. Rows of gadgets lined the walls, blinking lights, mini drones hanging from charging docks, displays full of circuitry, cables, and various high-spec devices that looked way too advanced for your average home.
A low whistle escaped his lips."This... This is straight-up nerd heaven."
He shut the door behind him slowly, letting the sight sink in."I hope the System gives me a Smart Villain Template one day," he muttered under his breath.
Even though he retained the original Alex Rand's memories, it was like suddenly knowing what a cockpit was... but not being able to fly the damn plane. He knew what half the tech in here was, but not how to use it effectively. Not yet.
He picked up a palm-sized device that looked like a mini shock grenade—smooth metal, one glowing button on top, and inscriptions he didn't recognize.
"...Yeah. Let's not press anything till I figure it out."
He placed it back and looked around the room again.