Chapter 4 Unlock Pilot Skills
It wasn't that Kai Chen lacked courage.
Rather, the terror inspired by the Devouring Beast far exceeded what ordinary people could comprehend.
Most people were deceived by the creature's harmless, orange-cat appearance. They had no idea that it was a Flerken, a species cataloged only in the highest-level classified files of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Behind that soft fur lurked a biological anomaly capable of devouring objects dozens—no, hundreds—of times larger than its own body.
The reason lay in the Flerken's internal anatomy.
Within its seemingly fragile form existed pocket dimensions—spatial folds connected to unknown parallel planes. What it swallowed was not stored inside its physical body at all, but displaced elsewhere entirely. Size, mass, and volume were meaningless concepts to it.
And if that alone wasn't horrifying enough, its combat record was even more convincing.
The former director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury, was a man who had commanded gods, monsters, and living legends. Yet even someone of his authority had permanently lost an eye to a Flerken.
The key detail:
The damage inflicted by a Flerken was irreversible.
No regeneration chamber.
No advanced cybernetics.
No medical miracle within S.H.I.E.L.D.'s technological arsenal could restore what had been taken.
That was why Fury wore an eye patch—not as affectation, but as a reminder.
And if Fury wasn't proof enough?
Even Thanos, whose combat power dwarfed that of most cosmic entities, once bore unmistakable claw marks across his face.
Marks left by a Flerken.
Kai Chen had only unlocked a portion of Daredevil's super senses—heightened perception, sharper awareness—but even that would be useless if the creature chose to attack him.
Against a Flerken, there was no defense.
Only whether it felt like attacking.
"Hughie."
Carol Danvers called softly.
"Meow."
The Flerken lazily stretched, arched its back, and hopped down from Kai Chen's lap before padding toward her with an air of reluctant obedience.
"You little troublemaker," Carol said, lifting it up and flicking its forehead lightly. "Getting greedy again, huh?"
"Meow!"
The creature protested indignantly, then turned its head and shot Kai Chen a sidelong glance.
What? Looking down on me?
You think you'd dare flick my head?
…No.
He absolutely would not.
Now fully aware of the creature's true identity, Kai Chen had zero intention of treating it with the same casual ignorance Carol did. Angering a Flerken wasn't something you apologized your way out of.
Fortunately, the creature was accustomed to Carol's behavior. In front of her, it always maintained the illusion of being nothing more than an ordinary orange cat.
"I'm really sorry," Carol said apologetically. "I was shopping earlier and didn't even notice when it ran off. Thank you so much."
She bowed politely, still holding the Flerken.
"You're welcome," Kai Chen replied, already standing up. "Just… be more careful next time."
The sooner they left, the better.
Carol glanced at the menu hanging on the wall. Perhaps out of gratitude—or perhaps simply hunger—she added casually:
"Boss, I haven't eaten yet. I'll take a plate of golden fried rice."
Business was business.
And besides—
If he could unlock even a fragment of her potential in the future, this world would open up in ways he couldn't yet imagine.
"One serving is one hundred dollars," Kai Chen reminded calmly.
"Oh, that's fine," Carol said easily. "Card okay?"
She pulled a bank card from her wallet without hesitation.
Objectively speaking, a struggling blind lawyer like Matt Murdock couldn't compare financially to a decorated Air Force pilot. Carol had steady income, no dependents, and zero hesitation when it came to spending money.
She's rich, Kai Chen concluded silently.
After the payment went through, he returned to the kitchen. Moments later, a steaming plate of golden fried rice was placed in front of her.
"Mmm… that smells incredible."
Carol leaned in, visibly tempted.
"Meow."
The Flerken licked its lips, eyes locked onto the food.
"Didn't you already eat?" Carol frowned.
Then she noticed the plate Kai Chen hadn't cleared yet and bent down to pick it up, scooping some rice toward the Flerken.
"Wait."
Kai Chen stopped her reflexively.
"What's wrong?" Carol asked, blinking in confusion.
He glanced at the creature, cleared his throat, and said carefully:
"It's already eaten three times more than what you're holding."
"Ah?! Hughie!"
Carol froze. "You ate that much already?"
"…Alright. That's it for you."
Originally planning to give it half, she now handed over only a quarter.
Watching this, Kai Chen muttered inwardly:
I hope you don't regret that later.
"Wow—this is amazing!" Carol exclaimed after her first bite. "This is seriously the best fried rice I've ever had!"
"Meow."
The Flerken, head down and chewing happily, responded in agreement.
At that moment, translucent system notifications scrolled across Kai Chen's vision.
Congratulations, Host.
You have gained Carol Danvers's approval.
Top-Tier Pilot Skill unlocked: 10%.
A new entry appeared in his status panel.
Another message followed:
Recognition gained from a Mythical Beast.
Devouring Beast affinity increased by 1%.
A new category—Mythical Beast—materialized, displaying the Devouring Beast's name and an affinity value of 13%.
Kai Chen frowned.
Why pilot skills?
Why not her cosmic powers?
That didn't line up—after all, Daredevil's approval had unlocked super senses, not legal expertise.
Then realization struck.
The system hadn't recognized her as Captain Marvel.
It had repeatedly used the name Carol Danvers.
Which meant—
At this point in time, she was still just a U.S. Air Force pilot.
No cosmic explosion.
No Kree experimentation.
No Captain Marvel.
As Carol happily shoveled another bite of rice into her mouth, grinning in pure satisfaction, Kai Chen finally understood:
The system only unlocks what the person currently possesses.
And Captain Marvel…
hadn't been born yet.