“My Hero Academia: Temporal Gamer”

Osamu stepped outside, the cool night air brushing against his face as he closed the door behind him. He pulled his jacket tighter around himself, his thoughts lingering on the day's events. Before he could take a deep breath, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

He fished it out and glanced at the screen.

Cassidy.

He swiped to answer, lifting the phone to his ear. "Talk to me."

Cassidy's voice came through sharp, controlled, with an edge of tension he knew wasn't routine. "We might have another one."

Osamu tensed, already familiar with what she meant. "Another disappearance?"

"A teenage boy, just barely sixteen. Name's Hiroshi Matsuoka. Parents reported him missing two days ago, but…" She hesitated, and he could hear the faint clacking of her typing in the background. "It matches the others—vanished without a trace, no sign of a struggle, and no digital trail after he went off the grid."

Osamu exhaled, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Have we got any leads this time? Anything linking these disappearances?"

"That's the thing," Cassidy replied, her tone dropping. "I think we might be onto something. There's a pattern emerging, subtle but there if you look hard enough. Most of the missing kids have quirks with combat potential."

Osamu frowned, a sense of unease settling in. "You think this has something to do with those rumors about an underground operation?"

"It's a possibility," Cassidy said grimly. "I've been digging, and I found chatter about a place where people bet on fights—underground, unregulated. Quirk-enhanced brawls, basically. If that's where they're ending up, we could be dealing with a trafficking ring focused on recruiting fighters."

Osamu's jaw tightened. "And nobody's reported this?"

Cassidy's voice softened, tinged with frustration. "Not officially. Maybe a few missing persons reports that don't add up. And nobody's been willing to talk—whoever's behind this has enough leverage or fear instilled to keep everyone quiet."

"Alright," Osamu said, his voice cold and steady. "Do we have any idea who's running it or where?"

"Nothing concrete yet. But I did manage to track some suspicious transactions that link back to a few shell companies—enough to suggest someone's paying good money to keep this hidden. I'm sending over the details now. 

Osamu took a deep breath, already planning his next move. "Keep digging on your end. I'll put out feelers, see if anyone's heard of this. And Cassidy?"

"Yeah?"

"Be cautious. Whoever's behind this won't take kindly to us investigating."

"Understood," Cassidy replied, her tone softening just a bit. "And you watch yourself too. I'll let you know if I find anything else."

Without another word, Osamu hung up, slipping the phone back into his jacket. His mind was already working through the next steps, knowing full well how easily this situation could spiral out of control.

****

Meanwhile, Inside the Building…

Calvas lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Kenji's video game and distant city sounds muffled together. The dim light from the window cast soft shadows on the walls, but sleep refused to come. He turned over, trying to block out the game's sound, but his thoughts wouldn't settle.

'How am I supposed to rest with all this noise?' Calvas sighed, closing his eyes. But it wasn't just the sound. 

He rolled onto his back again and willed the system panel, its soft glow filling his vision in the dim room. His eyes immediately landed on the Quests tab. 

'I should at least see what else I need to do.'

Active Quests

[Quest: Vigilante Training - Part 1] (Repeatable)

Objective: Complete a basic workout routine to improve your physical abilities. Stay in top form, as a vigilante must be ready for anything at any time.

Requirements:

Run for 30 minutes: (0/30 mins)

Perform 50 push-ups: (0/50)

Perform 50 sit-ups: (0/50)

Perform 10 pull-ups: (0/10)

Stretch and cool down: (0/1)

Rewards: 1 Stat Point, 5 XP 

[Quest: Every Hero Starts Somewhere]

Objective: Help 10 people with small tasks around the city. A true vigilante is always ready to assist those in need, whether it's something small or large.

Requirements:

Assist an elderly person with carrying groceries (0/1) 

Help a lost child find their way (0/1) 

Hold the door open for someone (0/1) 

Provide directions or information (0/1) 

Give food to a homeless person (0/1) 

Other acts of kindness (0/5) 

Rewards: 3 Stat Points, 2 Skill Points, 30 XP

Calvas glanced at the quests, his gaze settling on the training one. 'Basic workout? Shouldn't be too tough.' He thought it was a solid place to begin. Staying in shape was important, and this seemed like a great way to see how his system handled physical activity.

With a quick nod, he decided to kick things off with push-ups. Dropping to the floor, he started.

'One… two… three…'

As he went through the push-ups, he realized the system only counted when his form was right. If his arms didn't dip low enough or his posture slipped, the counter wouldn't budge.

'Guess I can't cheat this,' adjusting his posture to make sure each push-up counted.

He could feel the difference compared to his workouts in the past. Normally, he would have to pause by the time he hit twenty or thirty push-ups. But now, even as he pushed past thirty-five, he felt strong, the strain in his arms there but not overwhelming. It felt lighter, like his body was handling the exertion better than before. 

'I guess those 10 extra points in strength actually did something.'

He pushed through the sit-ups, watching the count update in real time. When he was done, he wiped the sweat off his forehead and looked at the door frame. It looked strong enough for pull-ups.

He walked over to the door, gripping the top of the frame and starting his pull-ups. He tried to keep quiet, not wanting to catch Kenji's attention. After the eighth pull-up, his arms began to shake a bit, and he paused for a deep breath.

He checked his stamina bar in the system.

Stamina: 72 / 101

"I still feel pretty good, It's definitely easier now."

After finishing his last pull-up, he sat down to stretch and cool off. It hit him how much the stat points were helping his body. Sure, there was still some strain, but compared to before, it felt manageable. 

Feeling pumped, Calvas decided to tackle the run part of the quest. He couldn't run inside the apartment, so he thought he'd head outside. He grabbed the phone Cassidy had given him and moved toward the door. Just as he was about to step out, Kenji's voice caught him.

"Ay? Where you go?" Kenji asked, his tone flat and a bit confused.

Calvas turned, trying to think of a simple reply. "Just… going for a walk," he said, mimicking walking with his fingers on his palm, hoping Kenji would get it.

Kenji blinked at him, still looking puzzled. After a moment, he shrugged it off, clearly uninterested. "Meh," Kenji grumbled, going back to his game.

Once outside, Calvas pulled out his phone and opened the map. He set his location, making sure not to wander too far in this unfamiliar area. The streets were pretty quiet, and the city lights softly lit up the pavement as he started jogging down the sidewalk.

As he ran, the system tracked his progress in real time, counting the minutes. He kept a steady pace, not wanting to tire out too fast. It felt good to stretch his legs and feel the city air on his skin.

The idea of taking on quests and improving himself made him feel a little excited. There was something satisfying about knowing that every step would make him stronger.

His legs burned as he ran down the dimly lit streets. His breath was steady but controlled. The cool evening air rushed past him, carrying with it the faint sounds of the city.

His stamina bar on the system screen hovered in his peripheral vision. Each time it dropped too low, he slowed to a light jog. This let him catch his breath and recharge.

Stamina: 30/101

He paused for a moment, hands on his knees, taking a few deep breaths. His lungs felt fine.

'Man, this isn't as bad as I thought, but I could definitely use a break,' After a few more minutes, he felt his stamina begin to creep back up.

Stamina: 50/101

'Alright, that should be enough,' he mused, pushing himself to start running again. The pace was moderate, focusing on the rhythm of his breathing.

Finally, the system chimed in front of him, flashing a notification.

[System Notification]

Quest Completed: Vigilante Training - Part 1

[Quest Progress]

Run for 30 minutes: Complete

Perform 50 push-ups: Complete

Perform 50 sit-ups: Complete

Perform 10 pull-ups: Complete

Stretch and cool down: Complete

Rewards: 1 Stat Point, 5 XP 

Just as he was about to close the screen, another notification popped up, this one different from the others.

[System Notification]

New Skill Acquired: Running (Level 1, Rank E)

[Skill: Running]

Rank: E

Level: 1

Type: Auxiliary

Effect: Strengthens your legs, reducing energy expenditure during moderate running. Running speed and stamina efficiency increase as the skill levels up. The skill allows the user to run for longer periods with reduced Stamina consumption.

Range and Power: Not applicable (focused on self-enhancement). The amount of time the user can run increases based on skill level and the user's Endurance stat.

Current Running Speed Increase: 1%

Stamina Cost Reduction: 1% reduction in Stamina consumption during running

Duration: Continuous while running (based on stamina)

Cooldown: Not applicable (passive ability)

Calvas stared at the screen for a moment, blinking in surprise. 'I got a skill for… running?' He couldn't help but laugh.

He checked the skill's details. 'Strengthens your legs, huh? Reduces energy? This could actually come in handy.' The notifications vanished as he took a deep breath.

 For a moment, Calvas enjoyed the night air.

As Calvas stood there, letting the night air wash over him, he found himself finally slowing down—not just his body, but his thoughts too. The city was quiet. For the first time since everything had started, he let himself take a breath, a real breath, and just… be.

But as the cool air filled his lungs, something unexpected hit him. His breath came out shaky. 

He blinked, confused by the sudden tightness in his chest and the subtle tremor in his hands. He hadn't noticed it before—hadn't allowed himself to—but now, in the stillness of the moment, it was hard to ignore.

'Why am I… shaking?' He tried to brush it off, but the more he stood there, the more it settled in, pressing down on him. The truth, buried under layers of adrenaline and distractions, rose to the surface. Deep down, he was scared.

Maybe even more scared than he'd wanted to admit.

He'd been yanked out of his life and thrown into this world where people could kill with just a look, or destroy everything around them with a flick of their quirk. And what was he? A guy from another world, with nothing but a system to lean on?

But the system—It was the one thing that felt like a lifeline. Maybe it could make him strong enough. Maybe it could help him survive. Maybe, just maybe, it could give him a fighting chance in a world that didn't care if he lived or died.

He exhaled slowly, his breath steadying as the fear began to shift into something else. 

'I've made it this far…'

He stood up straight, wiping the sweat from his brow, feeling that flicker of resolve replace the gnawing fear. He wasn't out of the woods yet—there was still so much he didn't know, so much that could go wrong—but.

"Maybe… things are going to turn out alright."