Marvel: My Symbiote System

In the early morning in Queens, New York, sunlight filtered through the window and landed on Ethan's face.

Perhaps feeling the warmth of the sun, Ethan opened his eyes.

He lay in bed, stretched lazily, then sprawled out in a "大" shape, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Indeed, a new environment always feels unfamiliar," Ethan thought to himself, recalling his life over the past ten-plus years.

His name was Ethan Ross, but in his previous life, he was just an ordinary, struggling nobody.

Growing up in an orphanage, he worked hard for over twenty years and finally saved enough to enjoy life. However, life seemed to play a cruel joke on him. During an act of bravery, he was stabbed by a criminal, eventually dying from excessive blood loss.

The feeling of his blood draining, his body gradually turning cold, and his consciousness fading into darkness—Ethan would never forget it.

Most embarrassingly, his computer and phone hadn't been formatted before he died. Wish he had someone who would have put his CPU and phone toss in bathtub water, which might have granted him abilities like a certain slime.

So, even on the verge of death, he felt deeply humiliated.

The thought of his 'study materials' being seen by acquaintances made Ethan restless even in death. Unfortunately, no amount of regret mattered in the face of death. His consciousness sank into the void.

When he regained awareness, he had become a baby in a warm and harmonious family—quite unlike his previous life.

His father, Luke Ross, was a chef with his own chain of restaurants and considerable wealth. His mother, Hana Ross, was a corporate executive earning nearly eight figures annually—a highly successful career woman.

Before realizing he was in the Marvel Universe, Ethan lived quite comfortably, feeling that the heavens had finally shown mercy by giving him a happy family and life.

It wasn't until he learned a different version of World War II history and saw news about Tony Stark that he realized his initial thoughts were overly optimistic.

Still, he reasoned that he was in Singapore, far removed from the danger center of the United States—almost half a globe away.

BUT.

Let's consider this. He was a Transmigrator in a fanfic, and transmigrators are often protagonists. Protagonists are also trouble magnets. So, since Ethan fulfils the first condition, he naturally goes for the second face.

Therefore, his fate showed a middle finger. Due to Hana's job transfer, the family moved to Los Angeles. Although frustrated, Ethan comforted himself, noting that Los Angeles was in the West, still far from dangerous New York.

Haha. Away from trouble? Give him a break. He just couldn't stay away from trouble. So, just over a year later, they were set to move again—to New York.

By the third move, Ethan was numb. He could only accept the grim reality while brainstorming ways to convince his parents to move away before the big battle in New York.

Today was their second day in their new home in New York, and Ethan lay in bed, lost in thought. Staring at the ceiling, he couldn't help but worry about his and his family's future.

"Son, come down for breakfast."

His mother's voice pulled Ethan out of his chaotic thoughts. He got up to wash up while replying to her.

"I must protect my family, even if it costs me my life," Ethan silently resolved as he looked at himself in the mirror. After all, he'd already died once. At worst, he might die again before transmigrating/reincarnating as some kind of goblin or dragon.

After freshening up, Ethan went downstairs and sat at the dining table.

Luke, his father, was still busy in the kitchen. Seeing Ethan at the table, Hana placed a fried dough stick in his bowl.

"Eat it while it's hot. Your dad just fried it."

"Sure. I was starving after moving furniture all day yesterday." Ethan picked up his spoon, blew on the dough stick, and then said to Hana, "Mom, you should eat too."

Hana smiled at her son's contentment. "You eat first. I'll wait for your dad to join."

At this moment, Luke emerged from the kitchen, placing a small plate of side dishes on the table before sitting beside Hana.

"Now that I'm here, you can start eating. Here's your favorite shredded radish."

After Luke sat down, Hana began eating as well with rosy cheeks. Watching his parents display affection so early in the morning, Ethan suddenly found his dough stick less appetizing.

Glancing at the shredded radish on the table, Ethan said to Luke, "Dad, I want some side dishes too. Hamburger steak would be best."

Luke looked at his son and gestured toward the shredded radish with his chin. "We don't have here but here you go. Try a bite, but don't overeat. Leave some for your mom."

Hearing his dad's response, Ethan grumbled, "But I don't like radish. Dad, you're so biased."

Luke didn't say much. He sipped his soup and smacked his lips, remarking, "Little fellow, try marrying big woman, both with body and wealth. If you wouldn't start eating shredded radish the next day, I will lose my bet."

Hearing this Hana lightly smacked Luke's arm while Ethan could only raise a brow with a sigh.

"Maybe I really am adopted," Ethan muttered internally.

After a simple breakfast, Hana went to work, and Luke headed to his restaurant, ensuring everything was running smoothly at the new location.

Over the years, the family had moved wherever Hana's job took her, with Luke opening a restaurant wherever they settled. Sometimes, Ethan marveled at his dad's prowess. Not only did his mom's job dictate their location, but his dad could open thriving restaurants wherever they went.

He even joked that if his mom worked on the moon someday, his dad would probably open a restaurant there, too. Now that aliens would soon be invading the earth, it doesn't look like a far-fetched dream.

With his parents out, Ethan was left alone at home. The school wouldn't start for a few more days, giving him some time to enjoy his freedom. After zoning out for a bit out of boredom, Ethan decided to take another nap. When he woke up again, it was almost noon.

After splashing his face with some water, Ethan sat down in front of his computer, ready to start an intense game of Call of Duty. However, the phone suddenly rang just as he was about to dive into the action.

He quickly paused the game and answered the call.

As soon as the call connected, Luke's voice came through. "Ethan, I left a bag on the sofa when I left this morning. I'm tied up here right now. Can you bring it over to the restaurant?"

Ethan promptly responded, "Sure, I'll head out now but send me the address again—I'm afraid I might not remember the way. I don't want to become a certain green head and get lost."

"Got it, buddy. I'll send it right away but thanks, pal. I will make some hamburger steak tonight. However, drive carefully and watch out for traffic," he added before hanging up.

After ending the call, Ethan shut down his computer. He found the bag on the sofa, slung it over his shoulder, and headed to the garage.

He placed the bag in the passenger seat of his little black car and climbed into the driver's seat. Following the GPS directions, Ethan arrived at the new restaurant before long.

After dropping off the bag, it was already lunchtime. He happily joined his dad for a meal and even stayed to help out at the restaurant for the rest of the afternoon. As the customer flow thinned in the late afternoon, Luke told Ethan he could head home early.

Ethan drove his little black car leisurely back. As he rounded a corner, a black cat suddenly darted in front of his car. Startled, he slammed on the brakes and quickly got out to check.

He looked around the front of the car and along the roadside, but he didn't find anything. After circling the area a few times, he saw no sign of a collision or the black cat.

Scratching his head in confusion, he muttered to himself, "Weird. Am I imagining things? I am not even drunk."

Shaking off the thought, he got back into the car.

"Maybe I'm just seeing things. Whatever, I should get home," he decided, setting aside the strange incident as he drove off.

Unbeknownst to Ethan, a black, liquid-like substance slithered out from under the car's chassis and clung to the rear door.

Shortly after Ethan got home, Luke also returned from the restaurant.

Ethan went upstairs to resume his interrupted Call of Duty session, while Luke headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner, timing it perfectly for Hana's return from work.

As Ethan focused on his game, the black liquid quietly slipped in through the door gap. It moved swiftly along the wall, reaching the underside of Ethan's computer desk, and then crept toward his chair.

Just as it was about to touch his ankle, a knock at the door startled it, making it retreat under the desk.

Ethan, hearing the knock, stood up and opened the door. It was his mom, Hana, back from work. She had come upstairs to call him for dinner since he hadn't heard her earlier shouts due to wearing headphones. Dinner was a feast of four dishes and a soup.

As soon as Ethan came downstairs, the aroma made his mouth water. He sat down at the table, eager to dig in. Luke watched his wife and son enjoy the food, a contented smile lighting up his face.

After dinner, the family sat on the sofa, chatting idly.

Hana recounted her day at work while Ethan and Luke listened quietly. Somehow, the conversation shifted to Ethan's schooling.

"Son," Hana said, turning to him, "school starts in a few days. Are you ready?"

Ethan, spitting out an orange seed, replied nonchalantly, "There's nothing to prepare. High school material is pretty straightforward—I've already got it all down."

Hana wasn't worried about his academics. Ethan had always been bright, and his studies never needed their attention. What concerned her was his social life. Frequent relocations had meant he never stayed in one place long enough to form deep friendships.

Looking at him with a hint of sadness, Hana wiped her tears. "It's my fault. Because of my job, you haven't had the chance to build lasting connections with your classmates."

Ethan, seeing his mother's tearful expression, dropped his casual demeanor.

"Mom," he said sincerely, "it's not like that. I just haven't met anyone who shares my interests yet."

He was telling the truth. Despite dying young in his previous life, he'd still gone through college. Now, mingling with middle schoolers just wasn't his thing.

To Hana, however, his words sounded like a child selflessly comforting a parent, which only deepened her guilt.

Luke, noticing her reaction, wrapped an arm around her. "We've made our son suffer, haven't we?"

Hana wiped her tears and said, "Don't worry, Ethan. I won't have to transfer jobs again anytime soon. You'll have plenty of time to bond with your new classmates here."

Hearing this, Ethan could only scratch his cheek.

'No, please change your job. Anywhere but this New York. Heck, I wouldn't even mind living in Canada and gossiping with their cute Prime Minister.'

He wanted to persuade Hana otherwise but didn't know how to say it without making things worse. After some thought, he decided to drop it.

'The more I object, the guiltier they'll feel. Forget it. There's still time—maybe we'll leave before anything happens.'

The family chatted a while longer until Hana noticed the time and urged Ethan to head to bed.

"School's starting soon. You need to adjust your sleep schedule—early to bed, early to rise."

Ethan got up reluctantly, replying playfully, "Yes, ma'am. I'll follow your orders."

Just then, Luke emerged from the kitchen, holding a glass of milk.

"Come drink your milk. You're still growing, so drink more and aim to grow another 10 centimeters this year."

If not for his adult mind, he might have believed in that hoax. Sure, milk provides growth, but not this much. If so, he might have grown up to the point where he would start tingling Thanos's balls up in space. Bad joke.

After finishing his milk, Ethan returned to his room. He went to the bathroom to brush his teeth, then lay down on his bed, closing his eyes and preparing to drift into sleep.

Meanwhile, the black liquid hiding behind the computer host finally saw its chance. As soon as Ethan returned, it slithered out from behind the computer and crawled quickly toward the bed.

Reaching the bedside, it extended a tendril to grab Ethan's ankle.

It then began to wriggle and, in an instant, disappeared entirely into Ethan's body.

Lying on the bed, Ethan didn't feel anything out of the ordinary. He kept his eyes shut, trying to fall asleep when…

[Unknown consciousness intrusion detected.']

["Cosmic Flame" is resisting consciousness intrusion.]

[Launching counterattack.]

A crisp electronic voice suddenly rang out in Ethan's mind, accompanied by an intense headache. The pain jolted him awake instantly. Instinctively, he clutched his head, his body curling up like a shrimp, as if that could alleviate the pain.

It was unclear how much time passed before the electronic voice sounded in his mind again.

[Crisis resolved. Unknown intrusion eliminated.]

[Symbiotic entity detected: Symbiote.]

[Initiating Symbiote fusion.]

[Symbiote System generated.]

The voice continued to resonate in Ethan's mind as the searing pain slowly began to fade. Within moments, his clothes were drenched in cold sweat, his body trembling. He could swear that he had never experienced such agony in this life—or perhaps even the next. But as time passed, Ethan's brain slowly returned to its normal state. The pain had vanished completely, replaced by a faint coolness that left his mind clearer than ever before.

As his senses returned, Ethan recalled the strange voice that had echoed through his mind moments earlier.

"What was that? Symbiote? System? Could this be some kind of cheat ability from transmigrating?" Excitement suddenly surged within him.

"But where is it? How do I use it?" His excitement quickly gave way to confusion once more.

Ethan paused to think for a moment, then decided to try calling out to the system in his mind.

Sure enough, the same electronic voice responded.

[Super Symbiote System activated. Host, please carefully review the instructions.]

With the system's prompt, Ethan took a deep breath, calmed his thoughts, and focused. He carefully sifted through the information provided.

After some time, he began to understand the basics.

It turned out that the black cat he had encountered earlier on the road wasn't just a cat—it was Symbiote itself. The creature had followed him home and had finally seized the chance to merge with him.

However, attempting to invade Ethan's consciousness, it encountered the "Cosmic Flame" hidden within his body. This ancient artifact, which had been the key to Ethan's reincarnation, also acted as a barrier, preventing Symbiote from fully taking control of his mind.

Now that the "Cosmic Flame" had fused with Symbiote, the Super Symbiote System had been established.

The primary function of this system revolved around Symbiote's ability to possess others.

The host could command the Symbiote to take control of other people. After acquiring them, the Symbiote would absorb their physical attributes and abilities, returning them to the host.

Additionally, the system featured specific points that were based on the host's reputation value. These points were calculated using a special method, generating a numerical score.

At this stage, Ethan could not discern the exact use of these points, but the system had informed him that once the points reached a certain threshold, the system could be upgraded, unlocking more features.

After grasping the system's current capabilities, Ethan focused his mind, and a panel visible only to him appeared before his eyes.

---

[Host: Ethan

Age: 17

Height: 180 cm

Intelligence: 30 (Average: 20. A relatively wise young man)

Strength: 80-110 kg (A strong young man)

Speed: 10 (A fairly agile young man)

Current Abilities: None]

---

A few data points displayed Ethan's physical attributes. He looked at the numbers and nodded.

He knew his own capabilities well enough. Aside from being slightly smarter, stronger, and more handsome than most people, there wasn't anything particularly extraordinary about him.

"There's still a lot of room for growth," Ethan thought as he examined his data. "I wonder what changes will happen when Symbiote possesses me."

With that thought, Ethan concentrated, and instantly, black liquid spread across his body, completely enveloping him in the Symbiote suit!

Turning toward the mirror, a dark figure appeared in the reflection.

The black "bodysuit" tightly covered his frame, accentuating his already well-defined muscles and giving off an aura of power and strength.

His eyes, now white and narrow, gleamed with a cold light, adding an eerie vibe to the suit.

Staring at himself in the mirror, Ethan suddenly felt a surge of intense battle spirit and an overwhelming sense of invincibility. Recognizing the illusion brought by the surge in power, he quickly reined in his emotions.

The full Symbiote suit enhanced Ethan's physical attributes and data, doubling them.

Where the ordinary Ethan had been a strong but average person, now, with the suit on, he resembled a special forces soldier who had undergone intense training (in terms of physical fitness).

As Ethan stared at his reflection, a hint of excitement stirred within him.

"Perhaps I can grow stronger, face the dangers ahead instead of running away from them," Ethan muttered, clenching his fists. "After all, only my own strength is truly reliable. I need to protect father and mother. If I can, I'll crush those dangers at their roots."

With this resolve, Ethan turned his focus back to the Symbiote suit.

He noticed that while the suit looked amazing, the lack of hair made him appear almost bald, like a monk.

So, Ethan activated Symbiote again and created a hood on his head, adjusting the suit's design to resemble the combat outfits he had seen in his memories.

Once the adjustments were complete, Ethan looked at himself in the mirror again.

This time, the suit was even cooler than before. It now resembled a sleek black combat outfit, with the added hood casting a shadow over his face. Under the hood, only his narrow, pale eyes were visible, giving him an eerily menacing look.

Ethan smiled at his newly modified Symbiote suit and even struck a few "certain" poses he thought looked cool. He didn't forget to yell, 'wryyy!' while doing the poses.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

"Son, are you still awake? Why are you making weird sounds?" Hana's voice came from outside the door.

Hearing the voice, Ethan quickly retracted the Symbiote suit and responded, "No, I was a little thirsty, so I got up to drink some water. Also, those weren't weird voices."

Hana's voice replied from the other side, "Is that so? Okay, drink up and go to sleep soon. It's getting late. Also, don't do anything 'weird'. You know what I meant."

"I… got it," Ethan answered with a sigh. He couldn't retort as she once saw him watching certain cultured shows.

After hearing his mother's footsteps fade away, Ethan took one last look at his Symbiote suit before crawling back into bed and falling asleep. Actions can wait. Sleep first.