(General POV – Blue Bay Harbor)
The wind howled softly across the dense green forest that lined the coast of Blue Bay Harbor, carrying the scent of saltwater and cherry blossoms alike. Hidden deep within this coastal sanctuary stood the Wind Ninja Academy, masked from ordinary eyes by ancient techniques and powerful illusion barriers. Birds chirped, wooden chimes clinked gently, and in the open courtyard, the sound of clashing practice weapons echoed loudly.
Three teenage figures stood at the center of the dojo's outdoor training grounds—sweating, groaning, and failing miserably at their current lesson.
"Shane Clarke, Tori Hanson, Dustin Brooks," a firm yet disappointed voice cut through the air like a kunai.
Master Kanoi Watanabe, dressed in his traditional robes, stood tall with arms folded. His stoic face remained unreadable, but anyone could feel the disapproval radiating from him.
"You were late. Again," Master Watanabe continued
"Moreover, you three," he began, voice low and calm, "have once again failed to understand the importance of Discipline. You lack focus, coordination, and worst of all—intention."
Shane, the Red Wind Ranger, rubbed the back of his head with an awkward grin. "Come on, Master W. You've gotta admit, we just joined recently. So it's hard to balance our Ninja and personal life."
Tori, the cool and composed Blue Wind Ranger, added, "I mean, at least we're not lazy. Just maybe…not that great at this Ninja stuff yet?"
Dustin, the energetic and always-too-loud Yellow Wind Ranger, laughed. "Yeah! Plus, I think we are leaning pretty well, compared to the other recruits!"
"Pitiful"
Master Watanabe sighed and turned his back slowly.
"You think this is a joke?"
His voice was soft, almost whispery. But behind it was steel.
"You believe your power comes from flashy moves and casual energy?. Teach them a lesson."
In the blink of an eye, three masked ninja students from the academy dropped in from above—no sound, no warning.
The three future rangers instinctively retaliated, sensing the threat. Ultimately, it was futile. They were overwhelmed with speed and technique.
THWACK!
This left them with their elemental chakra drained.
The three Wind Rangers were promptly disarmed and sent tumbling to the ground in a blur of movement. Groans echoed as they rolled in the dirt, barely understanding what had just happened.
Shane grunted, holding his ribs. "Was that even legal?"
Tori spat dust. "I didn't even see them move!"
Dustin moaned. "Damn.....they are more vicious than Kelly."
Master Watanabe turned to them again, face as calm as ever.
"There are forces at work beyond your understanding. Shadows stirring in places you've yet to see. I train you not to win tournaments… but to survive. Because one day, responsibilities far greater than yourselves will seek you out."
The three rangers blinked, still dazed from the takedown, and now even more confused.
"Uh… are we being drafted into something?" Shane muttered.
Master Watanabe did not answer. Instead, his body shimmered—shapeshifting into a glowing form before vanishing into thin air, leaving behind a few stray cherry blossom petals swirling in the wind.
Tori stood up slowly. "...Was that supposed to be a metaphor?"
Dustin looked around, scratching his head. "I think Master W's on another level, dude…"
The three shared a glance. One of half-fear, half-curiosity.
Whatever was coming… they weren't ready for it.
--- ✦ ---
(Zayne's POV)
Ugh…
My eyes fluttered open slowly, only to be blinded by sunlight pouring through the window.
"Wait… morning?"
I sat up quickly, wincing slightly. My muscles still felt a little sore, and my energy felt like it was recovering from a nuclear detonation.
I checked my watch. Actually no—I checked my Omni-Grid interface on reflex.
"...I slept a whole damn day?"
I leaned back into the couch, one hand on my forehead.
"Haha… wow. The Overdrive really did a number on me."
No dreams. No nightmares. Just blackout. Honestly? Worth it. I'd trade a day of sleep for raw B+ tier power any time.
But still…
"Guess I gotta work on that stamina…"
I let out a deep breath, then muttered with a grin forming under my breath, "I'll get stronger. Strong enough that going B+ won't even tickle my energy reserves."
Ding!
A prompt appeared in front of me, finally processing the mission completion from the Hulk fiasco.
[Mission Complete: Subdue the Rampaging World breaker Hulk (Young)]
Experience Gained: 1000 EXP
Item Acquired: Base Building Materials (Advanced Tier) x 120
Blueprint Unlocked: Universal Habitat Core
Blueprint Unlocked: Omni-Tech Workshop
Blueprint Unlocked: Medical Bay Module
Blueprint Unlocked: AI Defense Subsystem: "Kara"
Special Reward: Terrain Customization Card
Special Reward: Absolute Shield Dome [EX]
My eyes slightly widened at the haul.
"…Damn."
That was a lot more than I expected.
I scrolled through the blueprints quickly—each one detailed, futuristic, filled with schematic layers and construction phases. The Universal Habitat Core alone was something out of a Star Wars base, and the AI subsystem came with emotional learning modules and tactical control overrides. This could work well with Alpha 5
"Looks like the Grid's really pushing me to build a proper home base," I mused.
But the real kicker?
[Absolute Shield Dome – EX]
A world-class cloaking and shielding module that prevents all forms of detection, including clairvoyance, prophetic foresight, time peeking, and fate-based tracing. Location becomes an undefined blind spot to even Tier S beings. Dome is invisible and undetectable to all except the master. Compatible with all base modules.
"…Holy…"
This was beyond game-breaking. This was plot armor disguised as a security system.
So even if some eldritch god decided to peek in on me through the threads of fate, they'd find nothing.
"That's… priceless."
I took another deep breath and leaned further into the couch. My hand lazily waved across the hologram interface as I saved all the new rewards into my digital inventory and closed the prompts.
"My own base, huh…" I muttered with a small smirk.
A safehouse, lab, training zone, rest hub, and central command all in one… I was finally starting to carve out my own corner in this crazy, chaotic world.
The Morphin Grid had given me purpose, strength, and now, it was giving me roots.
And I wasn't gonna let it go to waste.
--- ✦ ---
Hehehe, sorry for the late update, guys. I slept off and forgot to upload. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. We are going to explore Zayne's character more. I don't want my character to feel like an emotionless god, no matter how powerful he becomes. He is, after all, human, albeit stronger. I also want to create a likable character and not create a case like Tang San (I hate that dude).
Also, I would be making the Livestreaming Fanfic. This MC is also going to be overpowered, but I want you guys to pick a world he would start on.
American comics-based world.
Xanxia (Cultivation) based world
Cartoon-based world
Anime-based world.
Power stones, guys. Let's get to the top ranking