My body is screaming. My legs, especially, are a wreck.
Who knew that jumping off a second-story ledge with a 200-pound man and a child on your shoulders would be so punishing? It's a miracle I didn't snap my ankles like toothpicks.
But I can't stay in bed forever. I smell like a chimney and I need to change... again.
These "fusion dreams" are becoming a problem. It's normal for a teenager, sure, but having to do laundry every single morning is starting to look suspicious.
On the bright side, my skills are up, and I leveled up again. Apparently, the System rewards you for "vivid dreams."
[ Level Up! ]
I dragged myself to the shower, washed off the smell of smoke, and headed downstairs.
Michelle was in the kitchen, looking half-asleep. "Good morning," I said.
"Morning. You're up early," she replied, nursing her coffee.
Sheriff Collins Jr. dropped by for a quick check-in. Just the usual "stay out of trouble" talk.
After he left, we watched the news. Gotham was in the headlines again—some vigilante (Batman, obviously) took down a drug den.
"Gotham is the crime capital of the world for a reason," I remarked.
"I hope you don't have any ideas about putting on a suit and running through alleys," Michelle said.
"Too late! I'm already out there at night, dealing out 'aggressive justice'!" I flashed her a wide grin.
"Idiotic joke," she muttered, though she looked a lot more awake now.
Since my body needed a break from physical training, I spent the day diving into the Achievements list.
There are thousands of them. Some are contradictory—you can be a "Glass Cannon" or a "Knowledge Tank," but not both at once.
Then there's the Balance tree. Achievements like "Evenly Kept" (who names these?) require you to have exactly equal stats at certain milestones (50, 250, etc.).
The ultimate reward is "Phantasm of the Gods: Enkidu," which supposedly lets you reallocate stat points on the fly. That's broken.
Then there are the "God" titles. God of Arts (for skill mastery), God of War (100,000 kills), and... God of Love (100 partners and 10,000 orgasms).
"Well, at least I have a roadmap now," I thought. I need to stockpile about 274 stat points to trigger the Balance achievements all at once.
Monday passed in a blur of training. Tuesday morning, the doorbell rang.
Four girls stood there: a blonde Asian girl (Alex), a brunette (Nikki), and two others (Angel and Miranda).
"We're here for Michelle," Alex said.
"You're the 'grounded' one, right? Michael?"
I headed upstairs to shower, but my brain was itching. I knew Nikki's face from somewhere.
I checked my "perfect memory." May 26th. Metropolis. I saw her outside the "Garden of Eden" club in a cheerleader outfit, smoking.
[ Quest: Secrets Always Come Out ]
[ Objective: Reveal Michelle's secret or keep it? ]
Lunch arrived—pizza and beer. I sat down with the girls. They immediately started trolling me.
"Do you miss your mommy?" Alex teased.
"A little," I said. The "innocent kid" act is a great counter-troll.
They kept pushing, talking about "adult fruits" like booze and sex.
"I tried cigarettes at thirteen," I told them, taking a bite of pizza. "Didn't get the hype. Alcohol? I mostly remember the hangover. Sex? Haven't had it yet, but the bathrooms at those parties were always suspiciously busy."
The silence at the table was gold. Nikki choked on her beer.
[ Skill: Trolling increased. ]
"By the way," I said, looking at the group. "You guys aren't IT specialists."
The air in the room froze.
"You're strippers. May 26th, I saw you outside the 'Garden of Eden' club. Nikki was in a cheerleader costume. Michelle was there, too."
The silence was deafening. I have a photographic memory, and I just used it like a sledgehammer.
Later that night, I found Michelle alone on the couch with a beer, staring at the TV with red eyes.
"You okay?" I asked.
"Go away, Michael."
She started venting. The "American Dream" was a lie. She came here for a high-paying IT job and got chewed up and spat out by the industry. Now she shakes her ass for money just to survive.
"I'm a failure," she sobbed.
"You're not a failure. You're making three grand a week. That's more than most 'specialists' earn," I said, trying to comfort her.
"Do you really think I'm... attractive?" she asked, looking at me with a hazy, desperate gaze.
"Of course. It's weird you don't have a boyfriend."
"Would you date a dancer?"
"Why not? A beautiful, athletic girl with no hang-ups? Sounds like a win."
Michelle leaned in close. Her breath smelled of beer, her face was flushed, and before I could react, she pressed her lips against mine, pulling me down onto the couch.
What the...
<><><><><<><><><><<><><><><<><><><><
Read advaned Chapters on : patreon.com/Kaizo247
~ Evey 150 PS = Bonus Chapter!
~ ush the Story forward with your [Power Stones]