Benjamin stood on a remote, deserted island in the New World, observing the global fallout through the information networks he was now capable of subtly manipulating. He didn't need a Den Den Mushi; he could read the electromagnetic pulses of every broadcast, every encrypted Marine communication, every frantic news report.
The success was absolute. Fisher Tiger was alive and defiant, the symbol of hope having survived his martyrdom. The World Government was paralyzed by a fear of the unknown.
[Result: Mandate 001 fulfilled.]
A surge of cold, refined energy coursed through Benjamin's consciousness. It wasn't a rush of adrenaline or pride; it was the satisfaction of a logical process achieving its inevitable conclusion. The System's next message was the reward and the warning:
[TASK COMPLETE. THE FUTURE TRAJECTORY HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY ALTERED. TEMPLATE PROGRESS: 3%.]
The Three Percent Toolkit
With the jump to 3%, Benjamin felt his constraints loosen significantly. His powers were no longer micro-scale; they were now sustained and macro-scale, allowing him to engage with the world more directly without fear of immediate dissolution.
Sustained Energy Projection: His Precise Energy Manipulation was no longer limited to particle disintegration. He could now generate and sustain complex energy constructs—force fields that could withstand mid-level artillery blasts, or beams of focused light capable of cutting through thick steel.
Stable Matter Construction: His Effortless Matter Transmutation now extended beyond simple elemental shifts. He could create complex, self-sustaining structures from raw elements—not just a gold sphere, but a functioning machine or a sealed habitation. This was the power of an engineer building at the molecular level.
Extended Chronal Field: The Limited Chronal Awareness was no longer restricted to short, three-second projections. He could now sustain a low-level temporal awareness across an entire immediate area, giving him enhanced perception of attacks and events in slow motion. He saw the threads of fate across hours, not seconds.
He experimented by reaching out to a nearby, jagged rock face. He didn't transmute it; he used his new-found ability to impose a perfect, crystalline order upon its structure. In seconds, the crude granite became a massive, flawless pillar of polished synthetic diamond, humming with captured energy. The effort was minimal.
The World Government searches for a bomb or a mole. They have not yet grasped that they are fighting an engineer of reality.
Benjamin, the Chronos-Child, knew his anonymity was his greatest weapon. He had provided the spark; now he had to fuel the conflagration.