Marvel: Emotion Farming System

John sat down on his bed, looking at the measly 105 EP; he didn’t even have the heart to look at the Ultra Rare section. It was like going to a yacht dealership with 10 dollars, a dream, and a pocket full of ignorance.

It seemed like even the system felt bad for him, sending another panel his way to distract him.

[You have received a rare skill coupon. It has been stored in the inventory.]

“No need to worry, there will come a day where I can buy UR ranked stuff like candy!” With a sharp punch in the air, John recentred himself.

He looked at the first tab where another section had appeared; it was an icon that looked like Apple’s calendar app, right below his EP counter.

This inventory could be used to store anything he purchased from the shop, regardless of the size. And inside that stretch of grids, he saw the coupon in the top-most corner, flashing with an enchanting purple.

He mentally focused on the grid and the coupon materialized before him. It was a thin metallic card that was shaped like an old train ticket.

After washing his hands and praying to every god in the observable universe, he used the ticket. It was just a mental command, though.

Then a transparent circle appeared on the system panel; he could see sensors behind the glass, like a metro ticket reader. The ticket pressed flat against the glass and a red light scanned its surface, before it burst into a wave of purple particles.

It was like someone had released a box full of purple fireflies in his room. The fireflies rushed into his body through his mouth, ears, and nose, leaving him coughing and horrified.

However, the system cared less for his horror and sent a new panel his way.

[Congratulations, Host, you have got Hanma Bloodline (Unawakened)]

“Huh?” John blinked at the reward with a creeping sense of fear.

There was only the Hanma bloodline he could think of, and it belonged to a monster that could stop an earthquake with a punch, swim with sharks like they were clownfish, and, at last, had the supreme power of schizophrenia.

Now, would his body, a skinny boy standing at a respectable 5 feet 9 inches, feel anything when the bloodline integrated into him? If the novels and fanfics were anything to go by, he was in for a world of pain.

“Fucking hell!” And right on time, the pain washed over him.

From the skin on his scalp to the toes, the searing pain burned through his entire being. It was like someone was pricking his skin with a hot needle.

John collapsed on the bed, frothing at the mouth as his body bent in ways he didn’t even know were possible. He could hear his bones creak and his muscles stretch, his ears ringing as voices from beyond the wall started to echo in his mind.

Was it an hour or ten? He had zero clue. The only thing he knew was the light in his room felt like a laser.

When the pain and the itchy calm returned, John could feel the difference in his breath. His eyes adjusted and took in the world in a new light; his ears were sharp enough for him to hear people talking next door; it sounded like a whisper, but still.

“This is insane.” His rising chest strained against the shirt so much that the button had come loose.

If he moved a bit too suddenly, his hands might rip through the linen sleeves. Standing up, the pants felt tight against his thighs as the ends went above his ankles.

There was only one mirror in the house, and he stood before it with genuine astonishment. 3 inches, that’s how much he grew in height.

In this world and even in the previous one, John wasn’t the type to have a great physique. He was the tall, lanky guy that could barely put on muscle. His current version was similar too, at least it used to be similar.

“You can wash clothes on these damned abs!” His excitement went up an octave as he unbuttoned his shirt. Even if he didn’t hit the gym for these muscles, he worked hard for them in his own way. He was allowed to gloat.

Still, even though the Hanma bloodline wasn’t awakened, it had given him a very athletic and ripped body.

The good thing was that he didn’t turn into a muscle monster. His body looked like it belonged to someone who had trained while keeping agility, practicality, and aesthetics in mind.

The bad thing was that none of his current clothes fit him, aside from that one oversized grey hoodie and the baggy acid-washed jeans. Even his shoes felt a bit tight. Anyway, at least he had one outfit.

‘I’ll have to go shopping tomorrow.’ John wiped the sweat off his brow, feeling every breath to the fullest. After the morning classes ended, he would head for the bank immediately.

But more than that, he was super interested in his current strength. He could feel the power building up in his forearms and biceps as he swung. The punch still felt like an amateur’s attack, but it had serious power the way it whizzed through the air.

If he tried it against the wall, he might have to wave at his neighbour while apologizing. Right as he was thinking of doing burpees to test his endurance, a new system panel appeared.

[Confirmed the completion of Tutorial Mission. Removing the Anonymity Filter. Please do not try to resist…]

‘What in the seven hells was the Anonymity Filter?’

As if listening to his question, a new tab opened like when one clicked on a suspicious page that offered free anything.

Anonymity Filter: It shrouds the Host in obscurity, making it harder for the world and its inhabitants to notice the Host’s presence and actions.

So basically, this filter kept him hidden in the background, turning him into an NPC. But now he was standing under the stage light too. Wouldn’t it have been better if he had the filter on him?

Did that mean he made a mistake by completing the Tutorial Mission? If the description was anything to go by, he could’ve just lived in silence and survived.

‘No, the filter is the system’s function. It would’ve gone the moment I failed the Tutorial.’ John felt like this was the system’s safety net till the host could figure out what they wanted to do before the big players noticed.

And to confirm his guess, the next panel shot up, covering his vision.

Mission: Gain 1,000 EP with a method you are comfortable with.

Reward: A special sub-system to help with your chosen path.

Failure: —

Time Limit: —

Note: This will be the last system-issued mission. We wish you the very best in your endeavours.

‘This is a very laid-back system; is it not getting paid enough?’ John chuckled, but it was good. At least there wasn’t anyone pulling his hair like some helicopter parent.

As for the sub system, he couldn’t wait to find out what it would be. If he had to make a conservative guess, it had something to do with the still locked third tab.

Sitting down on the cold floor, John focused on the EP points. He had around 127 at the moment. Meaning he could get something useful from the common section.

Most of the skills, like Jeet Kun Do, BJJ, Kyokushin Karate, lingered around 40 EP each. But he wasn’t keen on buying martial arts skills at the moment. He still needed to test the limits of his body before making a decision on which style would suit him.

What he wanted to buy was the drawing skill. He could barely draw a stick figure and always wanted to try drawing manga; now he had his chance.

And considering how many of the stories he had in his mind worked better in the manga medium, the purchase was a no-brainer.

‘I can use this for novel illustrations too.’ John beamed, pressing the buy button like an impulse buyer.

This time, a group of white fireflies swarmed his face.

...

Read 15 Chapters ahead on P@treon.