Ethan glanced at his system panel.
Aside from the title after his name changing from Ordinary Human to Surface-Level Being, nothing else had changed.
With eight hundred thousand dollars in hand, Ethan decided it was time to buy a house.
At the real estate agency, the same agent who had helped him before approached respectfully.
"Sir, are you here to change residences again?"
"I'm planning to buy this time. My budget is seven hundred thousand."
The man's eyes lit up, his smile suddenly becoming genuine as he eagerly unfolded a city map.
Ethan skimmed through the listings, a faint grin forming. Even though this world was full of chaotic events, with his current power, none of that worried him anymore. Watching it unfold up close was far more thrilling than sitting in a theater.
"Are there any houses near Stark Tower?" Ethan asked, eyes gleaming with excitement as he pointed to the map. Living near there would give him a front-row seat to the show.
The agent hesitated, wanting to tell him that buying a home near Stark Tower with seven hundred thousand was pure fantasy—but the thought of his commission made him swallow the words. Forcing a polite smile, he said softly,
"How about Sixth Avenue, uptown? It's just six blocks from Stark Tower."
"That'll do. Get the paperwork done today and I'll throw in an extra ten grand as a bonus."
"Understood, sir! I'll take care of everything right away!"
The promise of extra money lit a fire in the man's eyes.
Ten minutes later, Ethan walked into a police station. Using telekinesis, he subtly manipulated an officer into issuing him a social security card—because in this world, not having ID could be a real headache.
Four hours later, under a lawyer's supervision, Ethan signed his name and became the owner of a 300-square-meter standalone villa. The seller seemed a bit surprised at his cash payment, but as long as those Franklins were real, he didn't care where they came from.
After seeing everyone off, Ethan sat down on the sofa and opened his system panel. His gaze lingered on the "World Selection" option.
After a few seconds of hesitation, he tapped it—and among countless icons, his eyes stopped on Big Hero 6.
A wave of dizziness struck, and when it cleared, he found himself standing in the middle of a bustling street. He sidestepped just in time to avoid a delivery scooter whizzing by. The exaggerated, anime-like art style around him felt disorienting.
As night fell, Ethan flew up to the sky and took in the world's full view: one main continent surrounded by three small islands.
When he approached the edge of the continent, he noticed that everything beyond looked faint and unreal. Reaching out, his hand met an invisible wall.
Calming himself, he turned and flew toward the city where the story would begin. From a distance, flames lit up the skyline—it was the starting point of the plot.
Tadashi's death had left Hiro in deep grief. For weeks, the boy locked himself away. Staring at the screen as his friends' concerned faces flickered by, Hiro gave a bitter smile and shut his laptop.
He had wanted to make his brother proud… but now, none of it mattered.
He tossed his acceptance letter into the trash and grabbed his fighting robot, preparing for the upcoming robotics competition.
"Ow—ouch!"
Hiro yelped as he stubbed his toe. From a corner, a storage box blinked twice before expanding.
A soft, rounded robot emerged carefully and said in a gentle voice,
"Hello. I am Baymax, your personal healthcare companion."
Seeing the familiar figure stirred something in Hiro's chest—but Baymax's endless medical questions soon tested his patience. After a small scuffle, Hiro discovered a microbot under his bed.
"It must've been drawn here by other microbots… but those should've been destroyed in the fire," he murmured.
He sealed the microbot in a glass case and began adjusting his combat robot for the contest.
Baymax held up the case, his voice soft and curious.
"Your little robot seems to want to go somewhere."
"Then why don't you go find out?" Hiro muttered absently while tightening screws.
Moments later, he realized Baymax was gone. Spotting the white figure waddling down the street outside, Hiro panicked, grabbed his jacket, and dashed out.
Baymax was Tadashi's legacy—he couldn't lose him too. As Hiro chased him through the city, a news broadcast echoed from a nearby shop window:
"Attention, citizens. Multiple natural disasters have recently occurred, submerging nearby islands. Please stay away from coastal areas unless absolutely necessary."
Baymax's short legs moved surprisingly fast, forcing Hiro to keep running just to stay in sight.
Meanwhile, Ethan had landed on the beach. For the past few weeks, he had tested his power by leveling nearby islands. At full output, he could sink a five-kilometer-wide island in a week.
The title Surface-Level Being didn't seem so grand now—compared to the cosmic heavyweights who could destroy planets, he was still far from their league.
Eventually, Hiro and Baymax entered an abandoned factory. Inside, swarms of microbots filled the air, assembling into a massive black wave that surged toward them.
Five minutes later, Baymax shielded Hiro with his own body and leapt from the third floor, crashing through a window.
When they hit the ground, Ethan appeared before them, his voice calm and deep.
"I can help you find the man who started the fire—and get your revenge. The price… is him."
Hiro froze, staring blankly at the stranger.
"You… you mean the fire wasn't an accident?"
His eyes reddened with fury. "Tell me! Who did it!?"
Ethan's cold gaze made Hiro fall silent. After a moment, the boy whispered, "I agree…"
"Deal." Ethan snapped his fingers, telekinetically dragging a man from the third floor and crushing the mask off his face.
"Professor…" Hiro's voice trembled as he recognized the man. Confusion, disbelief, and hatred flickered across his eyes. Using his intellect, Hiro quickly pieced together the motive behind the crime.
Rage overtook him.
Screaming, he lunged at the professor, pummeling him with his fists until exhaustion dropped him to his knees.
"My brother died trying to save you! WHY!?"
The professor's eyes flickered with guilt, but Ethan showed no mercy.
He shattered the man's limbs and tossed him aside like garbage.
"Now," Ethan said quietly, "it's your choice."
Hiro hesitated, pain and pity warring in his eyes. Three minutes later, he led Ethan and Baymax home.
"I'm satisfied with your service," Hiro murmured softly to Baymax.
At his words, Baymax folded himself into his red storage case. Watching it vanish, Hiro's eyes widened—it was his first time witnessing true space-folding technology.
"…I'm sorry."
Twin heat rays flared from Ethan's eyes.
The world around them dissolved into nothingness as Hiro's body fell.
A minute later, Ethan stood in the void, staring at the Big Hero 6 icon now glowing on his system panel—his heart already burning with the desire to light up every last one.