[David POV]
I let the skyline hold my attention for a moment longer, letting it remind me that the world kept turning. Down there, people went to work, drank overpriced coffee, cursed at taxis, and tried not to think too hard about the things that moved in the dark.
My reflection on the windowpane didn't look like a man who'd killed last night. It looked calm.
The toolbox sat on the table.
I placed the ledgers on the table. There were three thick books from the warehouse. I had already skimmed through them the night before, just enough to confirm they were gold mines of money and information.
"Gideon, scan and digitize."
"Sure."
The scanner lens built into the toolbox lid hummed as it fed the data into Gideon, converting ink and paper into ones and zeroes.
I leaned back in the chair, sipping the last of my now-cold coffee as I listened to the mechanical rhythm of the scanner. My attention drifted to the black duffel near the couch. I stood and walked over, unzipping it.
[STATUS]
[Name: David Arthur Brown
Age: 25
Race: Human
Strength: 20
Agility: 20
Intelligence: 25
SP: 1425
Lottery Stack: 2/3 draws
Skills: Hand-to-Hand Combat Mastery, Parkour Mastery, Hacking Mastery, Perfect Recall, Cooking Mastery, Bullet Time, Eye Color Manipulation, High-Speed Calculation (Psycho-Pass – Shinya Kogami's Combat Analysis), House Cleaning Mastery
Inventory: Glock 17 (2 Mags, Leg Holster), $6.25 million Cash, Knuckle Dusters (Hidden Knives) – 2 nos, Luce & Ombra (Devil May Cry), Senbons (Naruto), Full Potion x 3 (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime), Elucidator & Dark Repulsor (Sword Art Online), Yubashiri (One Piece), C-147B Paladin (Splinter Cell), "Monster" Ford Mustang GT (Death Race), Agent 6 (Generator Rex), Marco Rossi (Metal Slug), C-1 (Robocop 2014), Background Customization Card +5, Grapnel Gun (Batman: Arkham Knight), Mystery Box
Character Assimilated:
-Deadshot (DCEU)
-Jason Bourne
-Chris Wolff
-Harold Finch
Character Assimilation:
1.Snake Eyes - 90%
2.Nil
3.Nil
Characters Summoned: Nil
Missions:
Primary Mission: Revenge
Objective: Make those responsible for your mother's murder pay.
Time Limit: 8 months
Rewards: 500 SP, A Skill, Mystery Box - 1
Side Missions:
Mission #1 – Destroy the Drugs
Objective: Infiltrate Warehouse destroy all illegal narcotics.
Progress: 0/1
Reward: +150 SP
Mission #3 – Rescue the hostages
Objective: Rescue hostages
Progress: 15 / X
Reward: +250 SP
Mission #5 – Eliminate the Iron Serpents' enforcer
Objective: Eliminate the Iron Serpents' enforcer assigned to Hell's Kitchen territory.
Target: Dante "Dagger" Vasquez.
Progress: 0/1
Reward: +300 SP
Bonus Reward – Operation Completion
Condition: Complete all 5 missions
Progress: 2/5
Reward: Mystery Box - 2 nos, +250 SP]
Those drugs need to be burned. That completes one mission.
The human trafficking operation is next. I'll need intel on locations, schedules, holding sites.
I wonder how they're reacting to last night's stunt. Shock, confusion, panic?
As I was monologuing, "Transfer complete," Gideon said.
I returned to the table. Holographic projections displayed cross-linked entries, account numbers, shell corporations, offshore wire transfers. All of it arranged in a clean, minimalist matrix.
"They've been hiding in Panama, Luxembourg, the Caymans... smart," I muttered.
"Flag every route with laundering markers. Put a trace on their shell accounts. I want to bleed them slowly, not all at once."
I pulled out the PC I'd stolen from the second warehouse's back office.
I powered it on and let Gideon begin the deep scan.
My mind wasn't in the penthouse anymore. It was back in the alley, in the blur of smoke and motion.
I closed my eyes and let the memory flood in.
That SHIELD agent had almost had me.
I'd left a trail. Not a long one, not one that would hold up to public scrutiny, but SHIELD didn't play by public rules.
I had to assume that Sitwell, Hill, or even Fury were now aware of me. Maybe not my name, but my signature.
I'd gotten lucky.
I wouldn't bank on luck again.
I wasn't squeamish. But I couldn't afford a pattern. Kill too many, and people notice. Bodies speak louder than missing drugs.
Gideon chimed. "David, I have completed the data integration. Shall I display the findings?"
"Let's see what the skeletons have to say."
The screen lit up with data: communications, schedules, client lists, and shipment manifests. What caught my attention most, however, was the photo log.
Dozens of images appeared, each stamped with a time and date.
"Shall I prepare a blackmail file?" Gideon asked.
"Yeah do that."
Then my eyes flicked toward something shimmering in the upper corner of the display.
[Inventory – Mystery Box x1]
A grin tugged at the corners of my mouth.
"Well, well… let's see what you've got for me."
I tapped the holographic box.
[Do you wish to open the Mystery Box?]
[Y/N]
"Yeah," I muttered, cracking my neck.
[Opening Mystery Box…]
The box exploded into a swirl of color, like some technicolor loot drop. Icons materialized one by one—bright, crisp, glowing like neon candy.
I leaned forward, eyes gleaming.
[CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE RECEIVED:
- Lottery Draw Card (General) x 2
- Weakness Removal Card x 2
- Neuralyzer Set (Men in Black)
- Hellsing ARMS Casull Auto .454 set (Hellsing)
- 250 SP
- Holy Water of Life x 6 (Solo Levelling)]
For a moment, I just stared.
And then I started laughing.
Soft at first, then louder. It spilled out of me uncontrollably, like pressure finally hissing out of a sealed chamber.
"Hehe… hehehe… hehehehehehee…"
I must have looked like a lunatic.
I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye, still chuckling under my breath. "Now that… that's a box worth opening."
[Lottery Draw Card (General) - Grants Ten random rewards. This card can only be obtained through mission rewards.]
[Weakness Removal Card - Can be used to remove an inherent weakness from a reward.]
[Neuralyzer Set (Men in Black) - Pen-like device used to erase or alter memories. When activated, it emits a bright flash of light that temporarily stuns and wipes the short-term memory of anyone looking at it. Can be used to then implant false memories or suggest alternative explanations to cover up the events erased. It comes with four settings, which can be changed using dials, which are hours, days, months, and years. These can be set accordingly to the amount of time needed to be forgotten. It includes two set of protective sunglasses to avoid being affected.]
[Hellsing ARMS Casull Auto .454 (Hellsing) - a large, custom semi-automatic handgun developed by the Hellsing Organization. It is based on the 1911 design but greatly scaled up in size to handle extremely powerful ammunition and withstand intense recoil. Chambered for .454 Casull rounds, the gun fires high-caliber, silver-jacketed bullets designed to destroy vampires, ghouls, and other supernatural threats. The ammunition is often enhanced with blessed silver and mercury for maximum effectiveness. Due to its weight, size, and recoil, it is impractical for ordinary users but ideal for ones with enhanced strength and durability to wield it effortlessly.]
[Holy Water of Life (Solo Leveling) - A mysterious potion infused with powerful magic that can cure any disease. Its effects only activate once the entire bottle is consumed.]
The Neuralyzer.
The Hellsing Casull.
And the Holy Water of Life.
I selected the Neuralyzer first.
In an instant the device materialized in my hand.
It looked exactly like I remembered from the films. Compact, pen-like, chrome surface that reflected the ambient lights of the penthouse. I picked it up. It was cool to the touch, dense but balanced.
Alongside it were two pairs of black sunglasses. They were thick-lensed, lined with what looked like polarized shielding and an interior mesh that shimmered slightly when I tilted it under the light.
I returned it to the System Inventory with a flick of thought. The glasses followed instantly.
Next, I pulled out the Hellsing ARMS Casull Auto .454.
This one appeared with a dull metallic thud, the table creaking beneath its weight.
"Damn," I muttered, reaching for it.
The gun was a monster.
Four kilograms of custom-machined steel, matte black with etched markings along the barrel that looked like Latin prayers. It was no exaggeration. This weapon had been designed to kill creatures that laughed at regular bullets.
I checked the slide. It racked back with a sharp, precise click.
The cartridge beside it held seven rounds—thick silver-jacketed bullets. Blessed silver and mercury, according to the system note. Designed to destroy things that should not exist. Vampires. Ghouls. Maybe even worse.
And I was holding it.
I turned it over in my hand, feeling the recoil potential just from the build. It would break the wrist of an average man.
As I stared at the engraved barrel, an uneasy thought wormed its way into my mind.
They would not give me this unless something was coming. Something that needed to be put down permanently.
A chill crawled up my spine imagining if I would run into vampires or Blade anytime soon. This is New York city afterall.
I stared at the gun a moment longer, then returned it to my inventory.
I did not want to admit it out loud, but I could not shake the feeling.
But I would run into them eventually. It was only a matter of time.
I blew out a slow breath, pushed the paranoia down, and moved on.
The last reward.
Holy Water of Life.
I selected it, and six identical glass vials appeared before me in a neat row. Each was filled with a silvery-blue liquid that pulsed faintly in the light, as if lit from within. Just that strange glow, subtle and beautiful.
According to the system, it cured anything. Disease. Toxins. Infections. Even curses, if such things existed here. The catch was simple: the entire vial had to be consumed for the effect to activate.
I could think of a dozen ways this could save a life. Maybe mine. Maybe someone else's.
I returned the bottles to the inventory one by one, careful not to spill or damage them. They were too valuable to leave out in the open.
Then I stood in silence.
All three rewards were gone, stored again in the secure system space I could access with a thought. But their presence lingered.
Now on to my lottery pull. This Lottery card has given me the chance to pull 10 rewards from each draw.
"Use the lottery card."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the card dissolved into golden particles, and the system screen flashed brightly.
To Be Continued...