"Anyone else want some cake?" Mom asked, looking around at our group gathered at the table.
"Thanks, but no."
"Nah, I'm stuffed."
"No."
"Nope."
"What, no one's hungry anymore?"
"I'm afraid three cakes is overkill, Mom," I said. They were small, sure, but that much sugar for a small group—me, my friends, my sisters, and Michelle—was a bit much. Especially considering all the other food on the table.
"A pity. How about some ice cream?"
"Miss Trueno, tell us the truth: do you want us to turn into bowling balls?" Dean asked, sprawling "exhaustedly" on the sofa.
"Darn! My plan has been foiled!" Mom replied with mock surprise and a half-joke.
"I knew it! Our parents have conspired to turn us into cows!" Alex chimed in, keeping the joke alive.
"Well, some of you could actually stand to eat a bit more; you're as thin as toothpicks."
"Oh, come on. It's just our metabolism. You can't fight nature," said Karl, who stayed skinny no matter how much he ate.
"So jealous."
"Yeah..." The girls, as always, were immediately worried about their figures. Women!
"Anyway, anyone up for another round of Street Fighter?" I asked my friends.
"No way. We've had enough humiliation for one day, you freaking cheater!" CJ immediately refused.
"What do you mean? Why am I suddenly a 'cheater'?"
"Because you're almost impossible to beat! Since when did you get this good?"
"Oh, please, I only won a few times."
"A few times?" Fred exclaimed "righteously" indignant. "We only managed to beat you a few times. You swept almost every other match."
"Well, I know how to play Ryu, but that doesn't make me a cheater or some kind of 'god-tier' player." Interestingly, this "talent" had only awakened recently... Funny, that.
"You shouldn't even be allowed to pick him! Give the rest of us a fighting chance."
"Exactly."
"Seconded."
"You guys weren't even playing!" I protested at the girls.
"But we were watching."
"Yeah, Miguel, they're right—you've been playing way too much Street Fighter." Even Michelle? (Et tu, Brute?)
"Oh, whatever! I get it, you guys just suck. You could've just said so." I waved them off, mock-offended, and turned away.
"Besides, it's getting late. No more time for games," Fred said sadly, checking his phone. "I gotta head home."
"Yeah... Alright, it was a great hangout, and we'd stay longer, but it's late and we need to head out too," Dean added, starting to pack up.
"Wait, are you leaving already?" Mom's voice drifted in from the kitchen.
"Unfortunately, yes, Miss Trueno. Happy birthday again, old timer," Karl said, unable to resist a jab. "See ya tomorrow."
"Take it easy, 'Chocolate'," I said, firmly shaking the hand of this "Carbon-Fiber" dude. "And you too, 'Maximum Security'," I told Fred. Then I got hugs from Dean and Alex and walked them to the door.
"Goodbye!"
"See you tomorrow!"
"Bye!"
"See everyone tomorrow." Feeling a bit melancholy, I watched them go for a moment, closed the door, and returned to the table where my sisters were—despite everything—eating ice cream. How do they fit it all in?
"So, do you feel older yet?" Michelle asked, looking up from her smartphone.
"Or just old?" I muttered. Eat your ice cream in silence!
"Not really. Can't tell the difference."
"Sigh, I wish I could just ignore the passage of time like that..." the girl said sadly before burying her face in her phone again, typing away.
"Oh, be jealous in silence!" I shot back. Michelle actually jerked away from her screen and stared at my grinning face with wide eyes. Why wait for the "dish" to get cold when I can get my revenge right now?
"I'll remember that!"
"And what are you gonna do?" I asked with "childlike curiosity."
"Miguel, stop it! Quit teasing Michelle. You two lived together for a whole month," Mom said, coming into the living room to clear some dirty plates.
"Oh, we teased each other almost every day out of boredom."
"Don't mind him, Auntie. It's just a habit."
"A habit?" Mom's voice was full of doubt. "You two seem to have become quite good friends during that time."
"Well, I guess."
"Something like that," we replied almost simultaneously, talking over each other. Michelle coughed and hid her blushing cheeks by looking at her phone again.
"Anyway, I'll be in my room. Thanks for the feast, Mom, Michelle." I looked at my sisters. "And as for you, try not to get too fat, little cows." Irene and Veronica almost choked on their ice cream, and having done my "good deed" for the day, I scurried upstairs like the Grinch while Mom shook her head disapprovingly.
I flopped onto the bed face down, then slowly rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling.
"Yeah... Not a bad way to turn seventeen." I would have liked a louder party, but this was fine. It was nice to celebrate in a quiet, almost family-like atmosphere. Especially when you'd actually missed them over the month... Hmm. Is that Ryu speaking in me, or is it just me?
Ping!
I pulled out my phone and opened Telegram. Michelle had sent a message. I opened it and saw a selfie. A smiling, naked Michelle, winking with one eye and making a "finger heart," with the letters "HB" written in large letters across her lower abdomen. I think there was some congratulatory text too.
"Nice little gift... Ahem."
I saved the photo to my phone, and then to a "secret folder" on Google Drive (not that I needed to...), then tossed the phone aside and tried to think about something else. For example, "processing" the new knowledge from leveling up Creation Magic and how to use it. Also, which branch ability to pick last: Super-Durability, "Special Properties," or "Advanced Mobile Creation," which would let me create almost living statues indistinguishable from the real thing...
"The things she comes up with." My thoughts drifted back to Michelle and her gift. She knew exactly what she was doing. "Maybe I should send a 'photo' back? A parting gift, so to speak..." Dammit. She's leaving for Metropolis tomorrow morning. My festive mood and excitement evaporated. Man. It would've been better if she'd just given me nothing or sent money. It wouldn't hurt as much.
Speaking of money and gifts: it is my birthday, after all. I can afford a few more—let's say thirty—pulls. I have the right! And it'll cheer me up!
I fired up the "devil machine," hoping the Gacha luck would continue.
Empowerment Card
Can never have enough of these—only too few.
Roon — Azur Lane
The cute "insane" Kansen of the heavy German cruiser. Short blonde hair with red streaks, brown eyes, and a large chest that perfectly accented her "Hugo Boss"-esque uniform—unbuttoned tunic, mini-skirt showing off juicy thighs, and armored high boots. Very dangerous to summon; I don't need to be dealing with a Yangire right now.
Tatsuro Okiyama (Light Novel "Taimanin Yukikaze") — Black Lilith
Yukikaze's "childhood friend," a side character in the first game and lead in the second. That's literally his only claim to fame. You'd have to look hard to find someone with such an "average" appearance.
Emeralia — Funbag Fantasy (Kyonyuu Fantasy)
A stern-looking (bitchy?) pink-haired woman with silvery-blue eyes, glasses, and a large chest, wearing a "conservative" blue-purple dress with a corset and a deep neckline. Never heard of "Funbag Fantasy" (Who came up with that English title?).
7-Day Ticket to a "Food-centric" World
A ticket to a "Cooking Anime" world. Or just "about food"? The former definitely falls into the latter. What could be there? "Food Wars" (pff, some "warrior" Soma is), "Dagashi Kashi," "Restaurant to Another World"... There might be others, but the vibe is clear. A good place to relax. Or level up my cooking skill, depending on where I land.
Luck Card +2
"Oh! We definitely need that!"
7-Day Ticket to an Ecchi-Harem World.
"Hmm. Ecchi-harem... Interesting. Very interesting." Every teenager's dream come true. "But where?" The list of such works is too long. Though lately, "ecchi-harems" have fallen off the radar, a ton of them were released back in the day.
Neptune's Spatula — SpongeBob SquarePants
"Um... Is the system trying to tell me something?"
Large Dark Pal Egg — Palworld
Man.
Blu-ray edition of the "Bleach" anime in the style of "Rurouni Kenshin"
"Wait, what? 'Bleach' in the 'Samurai X' art style?" How many episodes were in "Bleach"? Like three hundred and fifty? In theory, I could finish it in a month. With those thoughts (aloud), I triggered the next ten-pull.
Spatial Orientation (Rev) — Loonatics Unleashed
Loonatics? The one thing I didn't expect was a "Looney Tunes" parody of the "Justice League." Though both franchises are WB, so... I guess you could call it part of the "multiverse." Or is "Meta-verse" the right term? (Note: No relation to the famous reptilian—it's an ACF-wiki term).
Stanislav Shishkin — Cyberpunk 2077
The legendary "one-handed weapon" I used to beat Adam Smasher to death with in my past life. Yeah, that was funny. Unlike getting it in a gacha. Why the hell do I need this 12-inch wand?! To hit "villains" with it?.. Fine, I can find a use.
"Still, it's kind of trash."
$99.90 Donation Coupon
Well, not the most useless gift. Though "inflation" ate most of its value.
Aura of Life
An ability with an interesting name. Better read the description just in case.
Trinity Chocolate
A perfectly ordinary chocolate bar, except it's tri-colored. Like different types of chocolate in one?
Debuff Card
"Wha—?! These exist too? Why the hell?!"
Noise — NIKKE
Another "chocolate" beauty, this time with blue eyes, long two-toned hair in a high ponytail, a large chest, and juicy thighs and booty (it is "Goddess of Victory," after all!), in a blue-and-black K-Pop singer outfit.
"I mean, I could 'eat' her too. Heh."
48-Hour Ticket to the World of Warcraft
"Whoa! I'm actually getting lucky today! Good thing I rolled."
Piano Rain
What do you mean "Piano Rain"? Like, how?
Empowerment Card
A plus and a minus equal zero. I still don't get why the "Debuff Card" exists!
Alright, the last ten... Eleven. Eleven cards dropped. And I am ninety-nine percent sure I know which one is the "extra."
"The tenth and twenty-fifth multi-roll. So the next one will probably be on the fifty-fifth—or rather, the five-hundredth pull? Hmm..."
Dr. Watson — Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson
The real deal, the "Soviet Briton" who helped the world-famous detective—another Soviet Briton—in his investigations.
Empowerment Card
Another one.
Genie (Free) — Aladdin
The blue-skinned, buff, bearded "Spirit of the Lamp" with an earring in his right ear and a topknot from the famous Disney movie. With only "semi-phenomenal cosmic power," which is a bit sad. Just a little.
Lucia — The Testament of Sister New Devil
A tall (?) stately platinum blonde with a bob, purple eyes, pointed ears, and a pair of upward-pointing horns on the sides of her head, in a maid outfit. A very strict and powerful older sister to one of the heroines—Maria. Also, a succubus.
Advanced Recon Helicopter (Rugger 4, blue-and-red) — Voltron
Another piece of "Voltron," and from the same "Air Team" as the last one.
"I really need to 'turn' into a 'Megazord' already."
Fusion Card
Not bad. I have a couple of ideas where to use this.
Blu-ray edition of the "One Piece" anime
Another hard drive full of anime. The longest anime in history, which has been airing for... over a quarter of a century? Wait. What's in this collection? What if! The Gacha might even see into the "future" (Note: Alas, even the Gacha is powerless here)!
Potion of Divinity — WarCraft
What did this potion do again? Was it... Invulnerability?! Okay, now that is insanely cool!
Ticket to the Fanfictasia Series — Fanfictasia
What the heck is Fanfictasia?
Arcanatrix — Ben 10
Ben 10. Arcana-TRIX. Never heard of it, but...
"Jackpot!" If the name doesn't lie and these "Magical" (Arcana is one of the names for magic, right?) bracers are indeed related to the famous watch... "Man, and I wanted to just relax and sleep while watching Ryu's memories—I just got to the events of the first game. Guess it wasn't meant to be!.."
System Update 1.6.1
"One-six-one?" These updates have weird logic: where did all the previous versions go? Have that many things accumulated that need "improvement"? I hope the cost of donations isn't among them... though who am I kidding?
"Well, let's start with the 'bad' stuff to cheer myself up later. Again..." With great reluctance, I activated the "update" card.
Just like last time, my vision went dark for a second, then everything returned to normal, accompanied by a flood of notifications.
I opened my mail, read the patch notes summary, and claimed a "Blank Card," then clicked on the scariest tab—the Shop. Which had been updated...
"S-son of a...! Fifty dollars!!!" A "minor update": the number of monthly available packs increased to fifty, and so did the price. More precisely to $49.90, but those ten cents don't make a difference. "At least now I can buy two more packs with the thousand I was gifted..." Looks like last time was indeed a response to my audacity.
However, I have to note there was a positive: an "Item Shop" appeared, which currently had only ten items: small, medium, and large health, mana, and "rejuvenation" potions (which restore both), and a "Resurrection Potion" that instantly (!) restores a portion of HP and Mana, plus repeats the effect of the previous one. Available for Phantasms. Or real money...
"I have big questions for the creators of this system. First one: Why do you need money?!" No, I'm not against the option to donate, but why would such a powerful system care about these scraps of paper?! Where's the logic?!
With those thoughts, I shoved two hundred bucks into the shop window (though it would've been cheaper with Phantasms, I'm not wasting those) and bought one medium potion of each type and a "Resurrection" one (expensive, but probably worth it). They now appeared on an additional side quick-access panel. Handy. Now that's a useful update.
I quickly went through the other tabs, which mostly contained "cosmetic" changes and minor additions, like an expanded list of achievements ("Bang a Star"... why did I have to say that?!), as well as changes to the "Inventory"—its volume was now equal to five times my body volume, plus 5% for each level. So yeah, it kind of shrank, but its potential became larger. Useful.
And finally, I opened the Collection, which also had minor changes like added filters and a search engine to browse my cards.
First up, Tatsuro Okiyama (since Roon is self-explanatory)—an unremarkable kid from Gosha Village, childhood friend and love interest of Yukikaze and her sister Rinko (no comment). During an operation to infiltrate two girls into Yomihara, he was caught (???) and used to break their will through sex...
"That was in the novel?!" I typed the title into the search engine. "An alternative version? Wait... Um... What?!" I went back to the card and re-read all that crap from the wiki, with some additions and a continuation of the story after the light novel ended, where the "Average High Schooler" (some AHS he is!) actually managed to regain his senses and they lived happily with Yukikaze, her mom Shiranui (I have questions for someone! And I don't care if you're from another universe!), and Rinko—all pregnant by him—as a happy family hiding from everyone*. Right until the moment Edwin Black rebooted the universe...
"Why am I surprised? It's 'Taimanin'! That kind of crap is normal there..." Though Kurenai, born from love between Black and Kaede rather than rape like in the original novel, kind of breaks the pattern of that multiverse**.
Emeralia—a hentai character...
"Dammit! Why did I get two hentai characters in a row?!" (Note: Random!)
Anyway, she's a character from a series of hentai visual novels—a silent, dutiful, strict, and talented teacher to Princess Luceria von Diamante and, first an assistant, then after Lyuta Hende's ascension, the Prime Minister of the country. Also, the lover of the "new king"—the only man she shows any feelings for and doesn't consider "beneath her dignity."
"Hmm. I'm actually curious to check out this 'Boob Fantasy'."
Neptune's Spatula, despite the grand name and memories of some special effects when SpongeBob pulled it out, is just a perfectly ordinary cooking spatula with "durability" and "cleanliness" enchantments, which is a bit disappointing. Unlike "Spatial Orientation," which gives an analog to bird abilities and GPS navigation. I applied it immediately, which initially made my head spin and caused light nausea, but then I... got a mini-map with a compass and altimeter (?) in the left corner of my "vision," starting to understand exactly where I was.
"Weird feeling. But useful." And I got a system feature without actually updating the system or rolling the specific ability. Or rather, it did roll, but it's like another character's ability rather than just a system function. Though the map is a bit blurry and imprecise.
Next, we have "Aura of Life," with a very vague description: "An aura that fills you and everyone around you with life." What does that even mean?
"Fine, let's see what this is." I clicked apply and got a new passive ability that puts a "Recovery and Regeneration Speed" buff on me and everyone within a ten-yard radius. "Not bad. What if I upgrade it?" I put in one Empowerment Card, and the aura actually doubled in size, and the effects—also increased—now included resistance to cold, heat, and disease. "Very nice." Yeah, the growth is small, but if I invest more, the changes will be significant. But I still have the "Arcanatrix" and a lot of other things waiting for those cards.
Speaking of cards: "Debuff" actually works on the opposite principle and weakens the object it's applied to. Hmm. I still don't get why I need this junk***.
Noise—a rising star and member of the music group "Prima Donna," famous for her song "Diva," as well as a member of an operative group fighting mechanical aliens (using firearms and shaking her booty across half the screen). Has feelings for the "main hero," who worked/works as her producer. (Expected).
The "Piano Rain" card will do exactly what the name says and cause a rain of a hundred pianos to fall "from the sky" randomly in a specified 200-meter radius area. Not bad if I want to stage the weirdest "bombardment" in history, causing mass destruction and creating a ton of wooden debris obstacles.
There wasn't much to say about Dr. Watson and the Genie—they were exactly as they appeared in the movies. So yeah, I now have an "almost omnipotent" spirit of the lamp. If only I knew what to do with him: he's no longer tied to any object besides using it as "housing," and he's unlikely to be happy if he suddenly ends up somewhere else. I'm a bit scared to use him for Fusion to get his magical power. For now.
As for Lucia, besides being a "classic loyal maid," there was nothing to add except that she knew that the man hiding under the guise of Ramusas was actually Wilbert—the father of Mio and her sister, Maria (so they are sisters?).
The "Potion of Divinity" is now my main treasure and trump card—it really makes the drinker invulnerable to almost everything except the abilities and attacks of more "high-level"**** beings. Which is still pretty powerful: having protection that only beings like Darkseid or the Anti-Monitor can break is worth a lot.
"Come to think of it, against those I'd actually need this potion for, it would be useless..."
The "Ticket to the Fanfictasia Series" lets you visit a random episode of a parody YouTube series where various characters from different franchises fight each other to the death in a Colosseum arena...
"I remember that. To hell with it!" I'm not ready for that! Ending up in a world of a multi—or rather meta-crossover where heroes and villains fight each other... Wait. Is that by any chance the "home universe" of my stupid "Gacha" system? Hmm... "Still, no. I am never going there!"
Finally, the last card I pulled and the crown jewel of today's rolls—the Arcanatrix! A magical artifact (I guessed right) that allows the user to change form, transforming into various "mythical" creatures. That is, creatures that exist in "myths," literature, or folklore, as well as real ones but with the title of "mythical" (fictional).
"Wait, what?" I re-read the description. "Darn! Looks like no Kryptonian transformation for me." Disappointment came from where I least expected it. Though it wasn't that bad—the main "Trix" function remained, but it still sucked.
I activated the card and summoned the unusual bracelet. A large, half-forearm-sized copper bracelet with a big crimson stone in the front and a small black plate with some magical symbol on it.
"I hope I'm not making a huge mistake and this can be taken off. At least through the system." After long observation of the "magic watch" and much thought, I touched it and, after turning it in my hand, pressed it to my left forearm.
Ching!
A clasp emerged from the bracelet, securely and tightly (a bit painfully) fixing the Arcanatrix to my arm, after which a golden glow flickered across the "watch" for a moment, and the stone and plate lit up red and silver. I looked at the watch and my arm again, but there were no other special changes or "mystical" vibes. I glanced at my Status—nothing there either. I opened my inventory to try and remove the Arcanatrix.
"It won't come off... Dammit!" Even the System is powerless?! Why? Is it more powerful than my system?! How? How is that even possible? Is there some "super-entity" inside it that exceeds the System's power*****? Or is it some conceptual curse of unremovability on Omni- and other "Trixes"?! How am I supposed to explain this "stylish" accessory (actually stylish. For a "mage") (stop teasing!)?
Two minutes of fruitless attempts to remove the artifact later
"Fine. Let's say explaining the 'bracelet' won't be hard: I'll just say I bought a trinket online for my birthday. But why I wear it all the time... I hope they don't ask." A double fail with this watch. "Let's at least see what 'Fantastic Beasts' live inside you (instead of trying to chop my arm off and regrow it just to take the watch off)."
I tapped the smooth surface of the red stone. In response, the curved plate-lever moved forward, and the "ruby" lit up red again, showing a dark silhouette of some mutant deer with huge branching antlers on its forehead and a small horn on its nose, a lush mane, spikes on its back, and a long "fluffy" tail. After a few seconds, the plate started glowing too. Which is probably what I should press to transform into this creature?
I looked around the room and simultaneously remembered what Ben did when he first found the watch and turned into "Heatblast."
"How do I turn you off?" Maybe move the lever back?
"What a pleasant, cool air in the night forest." I took a deep breath, shaking off the fatigue and sleepiness, and continued my "walk" in search of a suitable place for experiments. Which I found quite quickly: a large clearing with a small lake in the center, from which a small stream flowed. "Perfect!"
I looked around carefully, including using a top-down view—no one. In a few "steps," I moved to the water, created a small ice platform in the center, and hopped onto it. Looking around once more just in case—it's one thing to reveal "superpowers" and another a magical bracelet—I summoned my "superhero costume" (um... I really should have slept) and activated the Arcanatrix again, which still showed the "mutant deer."
"Hmm..." I pressed the red stone again, and the image changed to a Griffin (?). As far as I know, a cat body—specifically a lion's, based on the tail tuft—with bird wings and head is a griffin. "Who else is there?"
I pressed it again, and the silhouette changed to a two-tailed cat—obviously a "nekomata" (or Bakeneko?). Next, a humanoid wolf—no guessing needed. A bat... Oh! A vampire! A cloaked figure—a ghost? A person with a fish tail—no comment. A person with pointed ears—an elf? Some "runny silhouette"—looks like I have a Slime(?). Smoke coming out of a teapot...
"Wait! Smoke coming out of a 'lamp'?! Now that is interesting!" But despite the urge to activate the rune right now on that creature, I pressed the stone again, and the "deer" silhouette reappeared. "So ten in total and you're 'first'... Okay, let's start with you!"
I touched the rune, and my whole body was covered in a white glow, replaced by very strange sensations.
Everything went numb, and my arms and legs started stretching and bending strangely, with some fingers seemingly disappearing while the remaining ones grew "larger." My back, against my will, began to curve, my shoulder blades started itching as if something was vanishing******, and something was growing from my vertebrae and tailbone. My face also changed, stretching into an elongated muzzle with two very long whiskers on the sides, two huge branching antlers growing on my forehead, and my eyes "sliding" to the sides.
A moment later, the transformation stopped, the glow vanished, and I "found" myself on the platform—which had become much smaller—in the center of the lake.
"Whoa! What the heck?!" I said in a deep, almost growling "voice" when I could see the world again, but from a very unusual angle: I could now see quite well what was to the sides and even slightly behind me. For example, with a slight turn of my head, I saw my huge "horse" butt covered in green scales, from which a long "cow" tail grew, wreathed in blue flame. As were my entire back, "mane," the "brushes" at my hooves, and my whiskers. "I've turned into a giant 'flaming deer'?"
I opened the Menu and Status, touching it with a hoof (uncomfortable), where a "Species" line now appeared (update), saying "Qilin," with a "temporary" note and a timer already at nine and a half minutes. Also, my Strength, Stamina, Agility, and Magic parameters had jumped to five hundred, with a hundred each for Intelligence and Luck.
"I've turned into a three-meter, monochromatic mythical Chinese demi-dragon (?)" I looked myself over again, helped by my very long neck and 270-degree viewing angle. "Cool."
And what can these Qilins actually do? Let's see... They're supposed to breathe fire, walk on water, and even fly... I lowered my head, looking at the platform, which definitely shouldn't be able to support my current weight, but somehow it still hadn't sunk, which was a hint. Out of curiosity, I took a deep breath and exhaled a jet of bright yellow flame (Check!), which quickly melted the ice (heat-resistant...), making the lake water boil, and now I was actually standing on the water.
"And how do I fly? Am I supposed to jump and... gallop?" Well, let's try. I started walking slowly on the water, gradually accelerating, then, bending my legs slightly, I pushed off with all my strength and jumped, then pushed off again with my front legs. Fruitless, as a second later I easily landed on the green grass. "A bit disappointing."
What else should I try and check? Hmm... Right! How fast am I with such high stats?
A red convertible was speeding down an empty night road, its headlights cutting through the darkness and the surroundings echoing with the roar of a powerful engine, accompanied by loud music and the joyous laughter and shouts of passengers.
"So I says to him: you walked into the wrong door..." Suddenly, the driver stopped his story and looked in the rearview mirror. "What the...?" A pale bluish dot had appeared, rapidly approaching—or rather, catching up to—the sports car. Too fast, becoming brighter and brighter until it turned into a blurred, glowing, and then flaming silhouette of a giant "deer" that galloped forward in "small leaps." Drawing level with the driver, it looked at the shocked teenagers, then stretched its head slightly and, nearly brushing the passengers with its flaming antlers and whiskers, glanced at the speedometer.
"Fast!" it said in a deep, growling, but human voice, then looked ahead again and, accelerating, leaped away, leaving the car—which had started to slow down—far behind.
"That was just tea? Just TEA, RIGHT?!" When the convertible stopped on the shoulder, the driver dropped his head onto the steering wheel, turned his head slightly to the right, and asked his companion.
"Now I'm not so sure..." The guy's wide, shocked eyes, like those of the two girls in the back seat, spoke volumes. "Did you take the tents out of the trunk?"
"I don't think so."
"Then I suggest we pitch them now, sleep it off, and head out tomorrow."
"Agreed!" the ladies supported the proposal.
"Gotham... This city never changes!" I landed an upward strike to the jaw of a knife-wielding would-be mugger, knocking out several teeth and sending him on a short trip straight to the "Kingdom of Morpheus." "Miss, are you alright?"
"Aaaa! A monster!!!" With screams, the recently rescued woman turned and bolted.
"Save them, and that's what you get... And I am NOT A MONSTER! I was a GRIFFIN!" So a two-meter lion with wings and an eagle head landed in front of you and turned into a human a second later—big deal. "She should've looked in a mirror first."
I walked out of the alley where the robbery had taken place and headed down the street, waiting for this "devil bracelet" to recharge so I could transform again into... Who was next on the list? A Nekomata? Or should I try someone more fitting for the Gotham atmosphere, like a Vampire, Werewolf, or Ghost? Hmm...
I froze in place and turned my head to the right, where in an alley just as dark and creepy as the last one stood a seven-foot-tall, broad-shouldered man in a gray hoodie and pants, his face covered in scales...
I immediately threw an Analysis at the man, who was likely "Killer Croc," and fell into a bit of a daze: since when did Waylon Jones become "True Neutral"? He's not just a "killer," he's a literal cannibal! How can this "reptile" be...
"What are you staring at?!" growled the giant, flashing a "dentist's nightmare" (or rather, horror). "Never seen a disfigured face before?"
"Uh..."
Ring-ring-ring-ring
My train of thought and desire to jump forward and give Croc a good wallop to turn him over to the police were interrupted by the sound of a cell phone. HIS cell phone, which he pulled out of his pocket and pressed to his ear (?).
"What's up, Batman?" WHAT?! BATMAN?! KILLER CROC is talking on a cell phone with BATMAN?! What is going on here?! "An assassination attempt on Commissioner Gordon? I'm in the Bowery right now. I'll be at the tower in fifteen minutes."
Quest: Gotham's Hope
The only honest cop in Gotham.
An assassination attempt is planned on Commissioner James Gordon. Help Batman prevent it and protect one of the city's hopes.
Reward: 350 XP, +10 Relationship with Commissioner Gordon, +10 Relationship with ???, +5 Relationship with Batman, +5 Reputation with Gotham PD, +5 Reputation with Gotham citizens, +5 Reputation with civilians, -25 Relationship with ???, -10 Relationship with ???, variable.
In case of failure: Gotham's hope will be extinguished, -25 Relationship with Batman, -25 Relationship with ???, -10 Reputation with Gotham PD, -5 Relationship with civilians, -5 Reputation with Gotham criminals, variable, death?
Accept Quest?
Yes / No
"Um..." Assassination attempt on Commissioner Gordon?
"Don't 'um' me, moron!" Croc was rapidly approaching me. "Move away from the manhole!"
I followed his order (?) and took a step back, letting the famous supervillain (?) pass to the sewer manhole, which he easily lifted with one hand/paw.
"Sorry, but were you just discussing with Batman..."
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