After escaping from Lloyds Bank, Russell insistently used his grappling hook all around London, cosplaying as Spider-Man. After a while, he finally stopped running. At the same time, a system notification chimed in his mind:
[Promotion Quest (Now You See Me) Complete – Title Upgraded.]
[Current Reputation: Fame (Malice Gain Rate +30%)]
[Task Resolution: S]
[You gained 2 bonus attribute points]
[Malice Points +4000]
[Malice Points Shop items have been refreshed]
[You received 90 points of malice from Lestrade]
Leaning against a wall and listening to the system prompt, Russell's nerves quickly eased. He opened the character panel and glanced at it. With two attribute points, he could upgrade his current skills or unlock new ones without spending malice points—a resource precious enough to require careful planning.
Without much hesitation or overthinking, Russell made his decision.
[Skill: C++ Hand Combat – Upgraded; Now Level B; Malice Points -1200]
[Malice Points Balance: 3900]
[Skill: Stealth C++ – Upgraded; Now Level B; Malice Points -1200]
[Malice Points Balance: 2700]
First, he used malice points to upgrade [Hand Combat] and [Stealth], then consumed attribute points to further enhance them for maximum benefit.
[Skill: Hand Combat B – Enhanced; Now Level B+, Attribute Point -1]
[Skill: Stealth B – Enhanced; Now Level B+, Attribute Point -1]
[Current attribute points consumed]
The moment his skill levels increased, a warm wave surged up his spine, coursing through his limbs like electricity. He reached out his hand and, as if he could catch the wind's path, felt the breeze caressing his fingertips.
With the improvement in [Stealth], he gained a brand-new understanding of the word "presence." Even just standing in the shadows of an alleyway, his breathing naturally aligned with the rhythm of the night wind, as if he had merged completely with the darkness.
At this moment, Russell even felt a strange illusion: if he wished, he could turn himself into a falling leaf, a scrap of paper, or simply blend into the background—noticed by passersby but never remembered.
The change from this upgrade was subtle, almost unsatisfying. Glancing at his remaining balance and checking the system shop prices, he decided to upgrade two more attributes.
[Skill: Combat C – Enhanced; Now Level C++, Malice Points -600]
[Malice Points Balance: 2100]
[Skill: Listening C – Enhanced; Now Level C++, Malice Points -600]
[Malice Points Balance: 1500]
[Skill: Climbing C – Enhanced; Now Level C+, Malice Points -300]
[Malice Points Balance: 1200]
Every deduction brought subtle changes. His muscle memory was rebuilt in an instant, his strength and balance control rising to a new level. The noise of the world faded away; he could clearly hear the gentle splash as a carriage rolled through a puddle two blocks away, and distinguish the unique sounds of various construction materials carried by the wind.
Even buildings once thought impractical now seemed to offer footholds to Russell. He felt as if, if he wished, he could even climb Big Ben.
"Alright, alright, that's enough. Please, no more temptations to level up. If I keep going, I'll be broke again," Russell thought bitterly, watching his balance plummet from 10,000 to 1,200. It was the same feeling as ordering takeout online in his previous life without a care—the dangers of everything being digital.
Shaking his head, he forced his wandering thoughts back to the present and focused on the spoils of the night.
In the moonlight, he could clearly see what he had stolen: a stack of business contracts and bonds belonging to the Morstan family.
"Fate really is a mysterious thing," Russell sighed softly. "How did I get involved with Mary's insurance?"
Shaking his head, he carefully stuffed the documents into the inner pocket of his trench coat. In any case, he couldn't just throw these to The Times like Ethan Roy might have. He should return them to their rightful owners.
He whistled, shaking off the last fatigue from his upgrades. The night was far from over, but his work was already done. With one last glance at the blaring sirens echoing from Lloyds Bank, Russell pulled up his hood. With a few leaps, he disappeared into the London skyline.
Time to go home and sleep.
By dawn, the London rain had stopped, and the fog outside his window seemed even thicker than usual.
…
Russell slept until late in the morning, only waking slowly when Mrs. Hudson knocked on his door to remind him it was time for lunch. Sitting on his bed in a daze for a moment, he finally got up to shower from head to toe.
He hadn't even showered after coming home last night, dozing off the moment he hit the bed. Before going out, he had to wash off the smell of blood and gunpowder so Charlotte wouldn't suspect anything.
Ten minutes later, just as Mrs. Hudson was about to call for him again, Russell opened the door.
"Good morning, Mrs. Hudson," he greeted, towel-drying his hair.
"Russell, why are you showering at this hour?" Mrs. Hudson looked perplexed.
"I spilled my coffee," Russell shrugged.
"You careless boy… Hurry down for lunch, Sir Lestrade is here as well."
"Inspector Lestrade?" Russell raised an eyebrow, not surprised at all. After last night's events, of course Lestrade would come looking for backup.
Changing into clean clothes, he headed downstairs and took a seat at the dining table.
Charlotte sat across from him. When Russell arrived, she glanced at him unconsciously, but soon turned her attention back to the morning newspaper in her hands.
"Good morning, Mr. Watson," Lestrade greeted with a coffee cup in hand.
"Good morning, Inspector Lestrade, and Charlotte," Russell replied politely.
"Mm." Charlotte answered indifferently.
"So, what big event this time?" Russell took a sip of hot coffee and looked at Lestrade, already knowing the answer. "Has someone died again?"
"They have. Quite a few, in fact," Lestrade nodded.
"A serial murder?" Russell sounded interested.
"No, they were all shot. The focus isn't on the victims, actually."
"Then what's the important point?" Russell pressed.
"The focus is on Moriarty."
…
Bonus chapter at 100 PS