The coffee was terrible, which somehow made it perfect. Burnt, bitter, probably sitting in that pot since yesterday—it was exactly what a 24-hour New York diner should serve at 2 AM. I nursed it slowly, making the cup last, while Doris occasionally passed by with a coffeepot and a look that said she'd seen weirder than me but was still keeping an eye out.
Around 3 AM, a drunk guy stumbled in and started arguing with the cook about whether hot dogs were sandwiches. Around 4 AM, a couple of cops came in for their break, and I made myself very small in my booth, suddenly paranoid that somehow they'd know I didn't belong here. That I was an illegal immigrant from another universe. Did interdimensional customs exist? Was there a form I was supposed to fill out?
The cops ignored me, too busy complaining about their shift supervisor to notice one more tired-looking guy in a corner booth.
Around 5 AM, Doris finally came over with the check.
"You gonna pay for that, hon, or are we gonna have a problem?"
I looked up at her, and something in my expression must have been honest enough because her stern look softened slightly.
"I, uh..." I started, then stopped. What was I going to say? I died and woke up here with no money? "I can wash dishes. Or clean. I just... I had a really bad night and I needed somewhere to sit."
She studied me for a long moment, and I could see her doing the mental calculation—was I worth the trouble? Then she sighed, the sound of someone who'd been working the night shift too long to care about one cup of coffee.
"You look like you've been through hell, kid. Coffee's on me. But next time, you better have cash, or you're scrubbing every dish in this place. Clear?"
"Crystal. Thank you."
She waved me off and went back to the counter. I sat there for another moment, feeling an unexpected surge of emotion. Kindness. In a universe full of gods and monsters, a tired waitress had just shown me kindness over a cup of terrible coffee.
I'd remember that.
The system timer in my vision read 1 hour 17 minutes until sunrise. Time to move.
I left the diner and stepped out into the pre-dawn darkness. The city was in that strange in-between state—not quite night anymore, but not yet day. The streetlights were still on, casting everything in that sickly orange glow, but the sky to the east was starting to lighten, just barely, from black to the deepest blue.
I needed to find a good spot. Somewhere I could see the horizon, or at least get a clear view of the sky. In Manhattan, that was easier said than done—buildings blocked everything. But I remembered reading once that the best sunrises in New York could be seen from the waterfront.
I started walking east, following the street signs and my vague sense of direction. The city was quieter now than it had been earlier, but it was never truly silent. There were always cars, always people, always the ambient hum of millions of lives happening simultaneously.
As I walked, I became more aware of the changes in my body. That enhanced physical condition the system had mentioned—it was subtle but definitely there. I'd been walking for hours now, and I should've been exhausted. Instead, I felt energized, alert, like I could keep going indefinitely. My stride was longer, more confident. My breathing was easy and steady.
1% integration, and I already felt better than I had in years. What would 10% feel like? 50%? 100%?
And what happened when I unlocked more templates?
The thought was intoxicating and terrifying in equal measure.
I found myself on the FDR Drive eventually, the East River stretching out before me. The waterfront parks weren't really a thing yet in 2003—or at least not the nice, developed ones I vaguely remembered from my time—but there were spots along the river where you could stand and see the water, see the sky.
I found a small pier, mostly empty except for a homeless guy sleeping on a bench and a jogger doing stretches. The jogger gave me a brief nod and continued with their routine. The homeless guy didn't stir.
I walked to the edge of the pier and looked east, across the river toward Brooklyn and Queens. The sky was definitely lighter now, that deep blue fading to something softer, tinged with the first hints of color. The water was dark and choppy, reflecting the city lights in fractured patterns.
[QUEST TIMER: 23 MINUTES REMAINING]
I could feel it now, that solar energy sensitivity the system had mentioned. There was a pull, a warmth that was growing stronger as the sun approached the horizon. It was like standing near a fire that you couldn't see yet but could feel the heat of. My body was responding to it, every cell seeming to orient toward that distant source of power.
It was the strangest sensation I'd ever experienced.
I sat down on the edge of the pier, legs dangling over the water, and waited.
The city behind me was starting to wake up. I could hear more traffic now, more voices. The jogger finished their stretches and ran off. A few more people appeared—early morning fishermen, other joggers, someone walking their dog. Normal people doing normal things, completely unaware that they were living in a universe where gods and monsters were real.
Completely unaware that one of those potential monsters was sitting right here, waiting to absorb the power of the sun.
The thought made me laugh, just a little. A week ago—or twenty-one years from now, depending on how you counted—I'd been worried about making rent and whether I should finally ask out the barista at the coffee shop near work. Now I was worried about how to become a sun god without attracting the attention of SHIELD or the X-Men or whatever other organizations were monitoring for exactly this kind of thing.
Life comes at you fast. Or in my case, death comes at you fast, and then life comes at you even faster.
[QUEST TIMER: 5 MINUTES REMAINING]
The sky was transforming now. The deep blue had given way to lighter shades—azure, periwinkle, the palest cyan. And at the horizon, where the sky met the water, there was color. Gold and orange and pink, bleeding into each other like watercolors on wet paper.
The pull I'd been feeling intensified. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it was insistent, like my body was a compass and the sun was magnetic north. I stood up, facing east fully, and just... opened myself to it. I didn't know what else to do. The system had said to "consciously absorb solar energy," but it hadn't come with an instruction manual.
So I just stood there, arms slightly out from my sides, face tilted toward the coming dawn, and tried to be conscious about it.
Come on, sun. Do your thing.
[QUEST TIMER: 1 MINUTE REMAINING]
The colors intensified. The gold became brighter, almost blinding even though the sun itself wasn't visible yet. The orange deepened to amber. The pink shifted toward red. The entire eastern sky was on fire with color, and the clouds—thin, wispy things—were lit from below, glowing like embers.
And then, like a curtain being pulled back, the sun appeared.
Just the top edge at first, a sliver of brilliant light that made me squint even as I forced myself to keep watching. It rose slowly, inexorably, more of that blazing disc emerging from the horizon with every second.
And I felt it.
Not just the warmth on my skin, though that was there—the morning sun touching my face, my hands, every exposed bit of skin. But something deeper. Something that resonated in my chest, in my bones, in whatever metaphysical space the system occupied.
Energy. Pure, raw, overwhelming energy, pouring into me like water into a cup. Except I wasn't a cup—I was more like a sponge, absorbing it, pulling it in, feeling it suffuse every part of me.
[QUEST COMPLETE: FIRST LIGHT]
[ABSORBING SOLAR ENERGY...]
[INTEGRATION INCREASING...]
The text appeared in my vision, but I barely registered it. I was too focused on what was happening to my body. The warmth had become heat, not painful but intense, like standing too close to a bonfire. My skin was tingling, almost buzzing with sensation. I could feel my heartbeat, strong and steady, and with each beat, more of that solar energy seemed to flow through me, integrating, becoming part of me.
It was the most alive I'd ever felt.
The sun continued to rise, more of it visible now, and the energy kept coming. I didn't know how long I stood there—minutes? Hours? Time felt weird, elastic, like it was moving at a different speed for me than for the rest of the world.
Finally, gradually, the intensity began to fade. Not the energy itself—I could still feel the sun, still feel that connection—but the overwhelming rush of it. It settled into something more manageable, a steady flow instead of a flood.
I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding and looked down at my hands. They looked normal. No glowing, no visible changes. But I could feel the difference. I felt stronger, more solid, more real somehow.
[INTEGRATION COMPLETE]
[OROCHI SUN GOD TEMPLATE: 2%]
[NEW ABILITIES UNLOCKED:]
[- ENHANCED PHYSICAL CONDITION (MODERATE)]
[- SOLAR ENERGY ABSORPTION (ACTIVE)]
[- HEAT GENERATION (MINOR)]
[- ENHANCED HEALING (MINOR)]
[SYSTEM INTERFACE TUTORIAL UNLOCKED]
[WOULD YOU LIKE TO BEGIN TUTORIAL? Y/N]
I mentally selected yes, because of course I did. I needed to understand this thing if I was going to survive.
New text appeared, more organized this time, like a proper interface.
[MULTIVERSAL CHARACTER TEMPLATE SYSTEM - USER GUIDE]
[TEMPLATES: Characters from across the multiverse whose abilities, skills, and characteristics can be integrated by the user. Current template: OROCHI SUN GOD (2%)]
[INTEGRATION: Measured as a percentage. Higher integration unlocks more abilities and increases the potency of existing ones. Integration increases through activities aligned with the template's nature.]
[TEMPLATE PROGRESSION: At certain milestones (25%, 50%, 75%, 100%), major abilities unlock. At 100% integration, a new template slot becomes available.]
[CURRENT TEMPLATE SLOTS: 1/1]
[ACTIVITIES FOR OROCHI SUN GOD INTEGRATION:]
[- Absorb solar energy (Daily activity, moderate gain)]
[- Physical training under sunlight (Moderate gain)]
[- Combat/Conflict resolution (High gain)]
[- Acts of dominance/leadership (Moderate gain)]
[- Meditation on heat/fire/sun concepts (Low gain)]
I read through it all carefully, my mind already working through the implications. So I could increase my integration through various activities, with combat giving the highest gains. That made sense for a "Monster King" type character—Orochi had been all about power and dominance in One Punch Man.
But I could also gain integration through training and meditation, which meant I didn't have to go looking for fights. I could grow stronger safely, slowly, without drawing attention.
The fact that I'd need to hit 100% before unlocking a second template was interesting. That would take time, probably a lot of time. But once I had multiple templates? The possibilities were endless.
I was so focused on the system interface that I almost didn't notice the guy approaching me.
"Hell of a sunrise, huh?"
I looked up, startled. It was an older man, maybe in his sixties, with weathered brown skin and gray hair. He was holding a fishing rod and a tackle box, and he had the look of someone who'd been coming to this spot for years.
"Yeah," I said, trying to sound normal and not like someone who'd just absorbed the power of the sun. "Hell of a sunrise."
"You okay, son? You were standing there like you were in a trance or something."
"Just... had a long night. Needed to clear my head."
He nodded, understanding in his eyes. "I get that. This is my spot for that too. Something about watching the sun come up, makes you feel like the world's starting fresh, you know? Like whatever happened yesterday doesn't have to define today."
I felt that unexpected surge of emotion again. This stranger, with his simple wisdom, had no idea how right he was. Yesterday I'd died. Today I was someone new.
"Yeah," I said quietly. "I know exactly what you mean."
He smiled, set down his tackle box, and started setting up his fishing rod. "You take care of yourself, son. And if you need to clear your head again, this spot's usually pretty quiet in the mornings."
"Thanks. I will."
I left him to his fishing and started walking back toward the city proper. The sun was fully up now, the sky a clear, bright blue. The city looked different in daylight—still crowded, still chaotic, but somehow more manageable. Less threatening.
Or maybe that was just me feeling different.
I pulled up the system interface again as I walked, exploring the new options that had appeared.
[STATUS]
[USER: FREDY CASTELLANOS]
[CURRENT TEMPLATE: OROCHI SUN GOD - 2%]
[ABILITIES:]
[- ENHANCED PHYSICAL CONDITION (MODERATE): Physical capabilities enhanced to approximately 2x baseline human]
[- SOLAR ENERGY ABSORPTION (ACTIVE): Can absorb and store solar energy. Current capacity: 2% of maximum]
[- HEAT GENERATION (MINOR): Can generate heat from body. Maximum temperature: 150°F]
[- ENHANCED HEALING (MINOR): Healing rate increased by 50%. Requires solar energy.]
[NEXT MILESTONE: 25% - MAJOR ABILITY UNLOCK]
[ESTIMATED TIME TO NEXT MILESTONE: VARIABLE, DEPENDENT ON USER ACTIVITY]
Two times baseline human physical capabilities. That was... significant. Not superhuman by Marvel standards—Captain America was supposed to be peak human, which was way beyond twice normal—but it was a hell of a lot better than the out-of-shape GameStop employee I'd been.
And I could generate heat now. 150 degrees Fahrenheit wasn't enough to set things on fire or anything dramatic, but it was hot enough to be useful. Hot enough to keep warm, to maybe defend myself if I needed to.
The enhanced healing was interesting too. 50% faster wasn't Wolverine-level regeneration, but it meant cuts and bruises would heal in days instead of weeks. And it required solar energy, which meant I had a reason to keep absorbing sunlight beyond just increasing my integration.
I was starting to understand how this worked. The system wasn't just giving me powers—it was giving me a framework, a path to follow. Every ability synergized with the others. Solar absorption fueled healing and probably powered the heat generation. Physical enhancement made training more effective, which would increase integration faster. It was elegant, in a way.
I found myself back in the area where I'd first woken up, though I wasn't entirely sure how I'd navigated there. Muscle memory from a life I hadn't lived? Or just dumb luck? Either way, I recognized the streets now in daylight.
I needed a plan. Short-term and long-term.
Short-term: I needed money, food, and shelter. In that order. I couldn't keep relying on the kindness of tired waitresses. I needed to figure out how to survive in this world with no ID, no job history that would check out, and no connections.
Long-term: I needed to increase my integration, unlock more templates, and become powerful enough that I didn't have to worry about the various apocalypses that were coming. Loki's invasion in 2012. Ultron in 2015. Thanos in 2018. And that was just the big, obvious stuff. There were probably dozens of smaller threats I was forgetting.
But I had time. Nine years until the Avengers formed. Fifteen years until Thanos. That was a lot of time to prepare, if I was smart about it.
And I was going to be smart about it. No heroics, no drawing attention. Just quiet, steady growth.
I passed by a newsstand and paused. The papers were full of the usual stuff—politics, crime, sports. But one headline caught my eye: "Stark Industries Announces New Military Contract."
Tony Stark. He was out there somewhere, probably in his Malibu mansion, still making weapons, still living the playboy lifestyle. Still five years away from becoming Iron Man.
Part of me wanted to find him, to warn him about what was coming. About the cave in Afghanistan, about Obadiah Stane's betrayal, about everything. But I pushed that impulse down. That wasn't my path. Tony Stark would become Iron Man with or without my help. The universe would unfold as it was meant to.
And I would be ready for it.
I bought a paper with some change I found in my pocket—apparently 2024 quarters worked fine in 2003—and sat down on a bench to read it. Not because I cared about the news, but because I needed to look normal, to blend in, to be just another person in the city.
As I sat there, feeling the sun on my face and that steady trickle of energy flowing into me, I thought about the old man at the pier. About what he'd said.
Whatever happened yesterday doesn't have to define today.
Fredy Castellanos had died yesterday. Today, someone new was being born. Someone with the potential to become a god.
But for now, I was just a guy on a bench, reading a newspaper, soaking up the sun.
And that was enough.
[DAILY QUEST AVAILABLE]
[QUEST: SOLAR SUSTENANCE]
[OBJECTIVE: ABSORB SOLAR ENERGY FOR A TOTAL OF 4 HOURS TODAY]
[PROGRESS: 1.2/4 HOURS]
[REWARD: +0.5% TEMPLATE INTEGRATION]
I smiled. The system was encouraging me to sunbathe. I could work with that.
I leaned back on the bench, closed my eyes, and let the sun do its work. Around me, the city continued its endless motion—people rushing to work, cars honking, the subway rumbling beneath the streets. The normal chaos of life.
And in the middle of it all, I sat perfectly still, perfectly calm, and felt the power of a sun god slowly, quietly, inevitably growing inside me.
This was going to be interesting.