[ First Person POV ]
I made a few pit stops for some McDonald's before finally getting back home—well, technically my workplace, but let's not split hairs. The moment I walked through the door, I let out a long, dramatic sigh. Hands stuffed in my pockets, I stood there in silence, surveying the organized chaos before me.
Boxes everywhere. Some were packed with my inventions—super-advanced computers that make NASA tech look like Fisher-Price toys. Others were stuffed with books. And when I say books, I mean books. Enough to fill a damn library and still have leftovers for a second floor. A few boxes held laptops I'd messed with using my phone, turning regular junk into futuristic beasts. Then there were the mystery boxes—the "do not touch unless you're me" kind. One of them had a game console so far ahead of its time that if Sony caught wind of it in this era, I'd be slapped with a lawsuit so hard it'd echo across timelines.
I slid off my red long coat and hung it up, along with my dual pistols and a few posters. Now I was down to just my black leather pants and a crisp black dress shirt. If style had a face, it'd be mine. No doubt.
I started tidying up the place, unpacking, rearranging, pushing boxes around. My motorcycle? Still out front. I was too lazy to roll it into the garage—not a top priority right now.
But as I moved a few crates, I stopped and stood still, snapping my fingers as an idea struck me like a flashbang.
Why not use some of that asylum inspiration from earlier? The one I absolutely demolished. I could redesign this whole building—bigger on the inside, like one of those pocket-dimension tricks. I've got too much stuff for this tiny space anyway. A custom library, personal training room, a high-tech lounge, and of course... my bedroom. Something cool. Chill. A gamer's paradise but with class.
And maybe...I should ask Mark to move in. His place isn't bad, but it's way too far, and it'd make everything smoother if he was here. Work would get done faster. Plus, I could design a proper workroom for him. Make it sleek. Efficient. Just the way he likes it.
I looked around again, a bit tired but definitely hyped. The idea of reshaping this whole place into a dimension? Yeah... that hit just right.
Mark's gonna lose his mind when he sees it.
With a low chuckle, I rubbed my hands together, that signature cheeky grin spreading across my face.
[ A few hours later ]
I was finally done. I started with the front—my office. I wanted it to look insanely good. This whole pocket dimension idea? Yeah, I took a little inspiration from Newt Scamander. Back in my past life, when I watched Fantastic Beasts, I was genuinely impressed by the whole "magical zoo in a suitcase" thing. Blew my mind at the time.
So naturally, I pulled out my ridiculously overpowered phone and did some digging. I looked up the Undetectable Extension Charm—the same magic Newt used—and studied exactly how it worked. Learned it. Mastered it. Upgraded it.
And while I was at it, I helped myself to a few other handy spells from the Harry Potter universe. Transfiguration, for example? Game-changer. I took the basic concept and improved it, tweaking the mechanics so I could transmute random junk into pure gold. Not that I need the money—Mark already got the website up and running, business is solid—but hey, it's always nice to have options.
I'll probably trade some of that gold for cash anyway—just enough to grab some food, maybe stock up on parts for my next few inventions. Stuff for me, and stuff for Mark too. He deserves it. Loyal guy.
As for the office? Black and gold. Sleek. Elegant. The kind of room that says, "Yes, I'm that guy." Honestly, it turned out better than I expected. Regal, but not over the top.
[ Image ]
Anyway, the second thing I worked on was the bedrooms. I mean—of course I'd start next with the bedrooms. Why wouldn't I? That's where I'm gonna sleep, relax, and just vibe when I'm not out hunting nightmares or breaking reality.
My bedroom? It's spacious. Like, stupidly spacious. The kind of room that makes luxury hotels look like broom closets. I've got a top-tier bed—so comfortable it probably qualifies as a Class-S artifact. A few high-end computers are set up too, fully customized to help me with anything I need, from research to building new gear... or just kicking back to stream whatever I feel like.
Speaking of which, thanks to my absurdly advanced phone—yeah, the one I got forever ago—all the digital stuff is free. Movies, shows, games... everything. Netflix, Hulu, Prime, Max, you name it. I can stream literally anything I want, whenever I want, in crystal-clear quality. Kinda makes cable TV feel like ancient history.
Honestly? It's the ultimate setup for both work and play. And this is just the beginning.
[ image ]
Then there's Mark's room. It's not huge, but let's just say… it looks like it was ripped straight out of Cyberpunk 2077. Neon lights, holographic displays, sleek chrome finishes—it's a tech-lover's dream.
I outfitted it with all kinds of high-end gear. Gave him the best tools and systems so he can help me out with whatever crazy projects I cook up—and, of course, so he can chill and vibe with me when we're not knee-deep in monster guts or code.
Naturally, our bedrooms are separate. I mean, come on. Who knows when I'm gonna have a girl crash in my room? Could be soon… or not. Life's weird like that.
[ Image ]
Then there's the gaming room—the crown jewel of my little paradise. I poured my soul into that room. Every ounce of passion, every nerdy dream, every sleepless night spent grinding XP—it all went into building this masterpiece.
I hooked up my phone to the main system and dumped everything into it. Every single game you can think of—past, present, future, even the unreleased ones. Fully loaded, fully optimized. I didn't miss a thing.
Honestly, if I wasn't narrating this right now, I probably would've dropped to my knees and cried tears of pure joy the moment I saw it finished. It's that beautiful.
This isn't just a gaming room. It's a digital cathedral. A place of worship for true gamers.
[ image]
Anyway, the next thing I tackled was the living room. I wanted it to be comfortable—and I mean, dangerously comfortable. The kind of place where you sit down and suddenly forget all your responsibilities.
I brought in some ridiculously plush sofas, the kind that practically hug you the second you sit. Soft lighting, sleek furniture, and a faux window view that looks like a sunset over a quiet mountainside. Yeah, it's fake—but it feels real. The illusion magic I used? Flawless. You'd never know unless I told you… which I won't. Gotta keep some mystery, right?
The rest of the room? Oh, that's all real. Every inch of it screams vibe zone. This is the place to kick your boots off, throw on some music, maybe crack open a drink, and just… exist. No pressure. No monsters. No chaos
[ image ]
Next up—after finishing the living room—I built out the basement. Yeah, of course I added one. What kind of badass base doesn't have a basement? Or better yet, a dungeon? I mean, come on.
The basement serves as our armory and vault—a place to store weapons, gear, prototypes, and all the dangerous, over-the-top stuff I don't want lying around upstairs. Rows of weapon racks, wall-mounted displays, sealed cases—it's a glorious little war museum. Guns, blades, explosives, and even some cursed items I probably should've destroyed... but didn't. For reasons.
And yeah—we've got armor too. I designed a ton of specialized gauntlets and combat gear, mostly for Mark. Not because he can't hold his own, but because I want him to have that extra edge. I'm already cracked as it is, so a lot of the tech down here is tailored for him.
As for the weapons? Sure, some of them I made just to look cool—and yeah, maybe I'll strike a pose or two while dual-wielding something unnecessarily big—but hey, it's all part of the aesthetic.
Anyway, moving on.
[ image ]
I upgraded the garage. Built it underground, because why the hell not? Secret underground garages just hit different. It's got that sleek, "don't mess with me" vibe mixed with gritty, rocky walls that make it feel like a hidden base straight out of an action movie.
The place looks amazing—tough, industrial, but with a cool edge that screams style. It holds both my motorcycle and my car comfortably. My bike? Still the crown jewel. Fast, dangerous, and loud—just like me. That beast eats pavement for breakfast.
The car's no slouch either. Maybe not as fast as the bike, but still quick enough to make jaws drop when I drift around a corner. Sleek design, armored mods, and of course, I added a few… upgrades that aren't exactly street legal. But hey, who's checking?
All in all? The garage completes it. Everything I need, everything I want—this place is finally starting to feel like home.
[ image ]
I also built a training room. Nothing too wild—at least at first glance. It looks like your standard setup: wide open space, reinforced walls, the usual gear… but trust me, it's anything but basic.
For starters, I installed a gravity modification system. Why? Because if we're training, we're doing it right. Cranking up gravity pushes the body to its limits—strength, endurance, speed, all of it. Normal training won't cut it when you're living in a world full of monsters, curses, and psychopaths with chainsaws.
And the punching bags? They look ordinary, but those things are brutal. I might be exaggerating a bit, but if Garp from One Piece walked in and threw a punch, he might actually bruise his own damn knuckles. Yeah—that tough. Or close enough.
Naturally, I also added a combat ring right in the center. A solid space where Mark and I can go all out, test our limits, spar like maniacs, or just blow off steam without leveling the building.
All in all, the room's perfect for what we need: getting stronger, faster, deadlier—and maybe showing off a little while we're at it.
[ image ]
Oh, and I also built a library. Not just any library—this thing's massive and ridiculously fancy. Bigger than anything you'd expect for just a workspace, really. And yeah, there's no way all the books I owned could fit here, so I did what any genius with no patience would do—I copied a ton of volumes. Maybe "borrowed" a few from other libraries. Honestly, who's counting?
But don't get it twisted—I'm not just grabbing random dusty tomes off the shelves. Every book in here is useful. Stuff I've actually read and used. Some of them I wrote myself, filled with notes and crazy ideas I cooked up while traveling with Mark. Some concepts are nuts, some stupid, and some straight-up insane. Even now, flipping through those pages, I can't believe half the stuff I came up with.
Oh, and there's a decent chunk of manga in there too—one of my favorites. I'm not naming names though. Too lazy to explain, and honestly, it's my secret stash.
[ image ]
Some people might ask me, "How the actual living hell did you pull this off, Dante?"
Well, the answer's simple: Because I freaking wanted to.
Because I knew I could.
Because I felt like it.
And because, frankly, I want my place to look cool as hell.
This entire building? It's not just some ordinary structure. It's a massive, self-contained pocket dimension, stacked with more tech, magic, and style than most civilizations can dream of. I mean, come on—did you really expect me to live in a boring box?
And obviously, I added a few protective charms and wards. I'm not stupid. This is my home—we're talking about my sanctuary, my fortress, my kingdom. You better believe I locked it down tight.
Break in if you want. See what happens.
But enough about that.
Right now, I'm just casually doing some push-ups—maybe a few thousand. You know, just to kill time. While I was pumping out reps like a machine, a thought crossed my mind: What if I tried to unlock a Stand? Yeah, from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.
At first, I laughed it off. I mean, seriously? Sounds insane. Totally ridiculous. You're supposed to get struck by the Stand Arrow, right? That's how most people awaken theirs. But then I stopped for a second and thought, Wait a minute… Jotaro never got pierced by the Arrow. And yet he had one of the most powerful Stands in the series.
So, like any dangerously curious maniac with a super phone and way too much free time, I did some research. And what I found... actually surprised me.
I've always been a big JoJo fan—loved the aesthetic, the poses, the chaos—but I never really dug deep into how Stand powers awaken beyond the Arrow. Turns out, a Stand isn't just about the arrow. It's about the soul.
That tracks. It's anime. It always comes down to either your emotions, your will, or some deep, burning desire locked in your heart.
Classic. Cliché. But hey, cliché doesn't mean wrong.
Now, here's the thing: awakening a Stand is supposed to be hard, but for someone like me? I wouldn't say easy, but... I've faced death, rewritten reality, and turned monsters into paste. Emotion, will, desire—I've got all three in spades.
The real question is: do I even have a Stand?
Honestly? I think so. I've got a theory.
I believe everyone has a Stand buried deep within them. The problem is, most people just don't have what it takes to awaken it. Their souls aren't strong enough. Their will isn't sharp enough. They don't want it badly enough.
But hey—that's just a theory. My theory.
I did look it up on my phone, and yeah, it turns out it's technically possible. The idea of unlocking a Stand without the Arrow isn't entirely off the table. It's rare, sure, but not impossible. That was enough to keep me curious.
Anyway, after I wrapped up my push-ups—probably crushed a few thousand—I sat down, crossed my legs, and took a deep breath. I started clearing my thoughts, blocking out everything else. No distractions. Just me, my mind, and the idea of reaching something deeper.
I tried to picture my Stand. Or at least, something. A power. A feeling. A presence. I wasn't exactly sure how this worked—I mean, I'm not Jotaro or Giorno—but maybe, if I focused hard enough... I could trigger something. Unlock whatever's hiding inside me.
Or maybe I was just meditating in black leather pants, talking to my soul like an anime protagonist.
Suddenly, something emerged from behind me.
Its hands appeared first—long, sleek, and tipped with razor-sharp fingers. Jet-black, like shadow solidified. My eyes snapped open, and I instinctively turned my head.
What I saw made my heart skip a beat—and then a massive, wild grin stretched across my face.
Standing right there... wasn't just some random entity.
It was my Stand.
Its body was a beautiful, eerie blend of black and white—sleek, sharp, and powerful. The upper torso was entirely black, smooth like obsidian, while the pelvis and part of the legs were a clean, cold white. The lower legs faded back into black, like it was dipped in shadows.
But what really struck me was the face—or the lack of one.
It had no eyes, no mouth, no expression. Just a blank, featureless mask engulfed in a soft, flickering white flame that danced around its head. No skull like Ghost Rider, no demonic grin—just pure, expressionless fire.
To me? It looked absolutely amazing.
To anyone else? Probably terrifying.
[ image ]
Suddenly, my head felt like it had been hit with a surge of raw knowledge—a flood of information about my Stand, like it had just uploaded everything directly into my brain.
And what I learned?
It excited me even more.
My Stand doesn't just look intimidating—it's an absolute monster in combat. Its core ability? Copying. It can replicate anything it comes into contact with—attacks, powers, techniques. And it doesn't stop there.
Every time it fights, it evolves. It gets stronger, faster, sharper. Like it's learning in real time, adapting, pushing its limits with every blow it trades.
But the real kicker? It can absorb.
It devours anything that makes it stronger—energy, materials, weapons, even other abilities. Once it's consumed something, it can make it part of itself, permanently. Whether it's a supernatural flame, a cursed technique, or raw magical force—if it can break it down, it can use it.
I stood up slowly, eyes locked on the figure in front of me—my Stand.
A grin still stretched across my face as I muttered under my breath, my voice laced with awe and adrenaline.
"I've got your name..."
I exhaled, still buzzing with energy.
"You're The Ascendant."
I chuckled. Honestly, I could've gone with something edgy—Ghost, Absolute Darkness, maybe even Destroyer—something loud and dramatic. But The Ascendant? That had a certain weight to it. Power. Potential. Like a force that doesn't just fight—it rises, no matter what.
Fitting, really. Considering what you are... what you can become.
I paused, cleared my throat—then practically exploded with excitement, my voice echoing through the space.
"I JUST AWAKENED A FUCKING STAND—YEAH, BABY!!"
My laugh followed, loud and wild.
After my big outburst, I decided to test out my Stand a bit. I stepped back and let The Ascendant throw a punch at the punching bag—and damn, it hit hard. Really hard.
I'm guessing my Stand has strength equal to mine, if not more. The way it swung its fist? Raw power behind every strike.
The punching speed? Ridiculous. I can't say exactly how fast—maybe close to the speed of sound, or hell, maybe even approaching the speed of light. It's tough to tell right now, but I'm pretty sure it's faster than anything I can throw.
Hell, it might be capable of landing a thousand punches in a second—just spitballing here.
As for punching power, it's definitely strong. Maybe comparable to Star Platinum's strength. Maybe a bit below, maybe equal. I can't be certain yet. But when it comes to speed, The Ascendant totally shatters Star Platinum's limits.
Power-wise? Still up in the air. I'm not 100% sure yet.
Looks like I'm gonna have to run some more tests on The Ascendant
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I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you did, don't forget to throw me some Power Stones and drop a comment. Your feedback helps me improve and keeps the fire burning
[ Chapter End ]