Benjamin jumped back. SYSTEM USER!, his mind raced."Master Benjamin, that woman is not a System User." chimed in PAYTON. "Explain the bulletproof fucking skin then!" retorted Benjamin."I would advise you look at what she is holding, Sir". Benjamin squinted to see Linda holding a black card in her right hand.So she is with Star Alliance, after all, confirmed Benjamin.Without blinking, she flipped the card on its sides with her index finger and approached the downed Bradley."Once again, I'm sorry, Captain" she muttered, decisiveness in her words.Sensing imminent danger, Benjamin activated [Martial Arts] once more, and dashed towards them. But he was going too slow to do anything.Linda's arm was already raised, poised to inflict the maximum, final damage on Bradley's immovable neck."Master Benjamin, as I said, [Martial Arts] is useless when it comes to maximizing running speed. There is another ability--" said PAYTON."Just do it," replied Benjamin impatiently.[Notice: Purchase
"False? Is that so? As I have the facts, you were in charge of the assault, Mr. Benjamin." she answered after a few seconds. "And who gave you those facts, Ms Linda? Adin Moss?" asked Bejamin. Linda, as if realizing her folly in saying too much, went mute once again."You know, you can't take the both of us," warned Benjamin, activating [Martial Arts] and assuming a dragon fist pose. Bradley remained rooted to his spot, in tune with his weapon."In 3,2,1-"Benjamin lunged for her back pockets, but she sidestepped him quickly, her left knee waiting to collide with his strong jaw.Bradley shot twice, disrupting her movements to dodge, allowing Benjamin to recover with a handstand that launched him upwards, and coming back down, activating [Enhanced Body] with a bicycle kick.Linda wouldn't be able to react in time to completely dodge, and in a strange movement, she used her left her to reach for her back pocket, and utilized her right forearm in the position of a defense block.Benjami
[Notification: System User Nearby.]"Huh?!" turned Benjamin, swaying his head around the Pier. It was still the dead of night. Not a single soul, neither movement on the beach. Not even crickets. No, it was three of them alone in the night, waiting for one or the other to break the standstill.Benjamin only noticed it when there was a flicker in the white moonlight illuminating the wreckage of Linda's sedan, and half of the oval wooden platform. He looked up to see what resembled an insect, a gigantic insect, descending toward them."Chopper!" alerted Bradley.Benjamin looked at it but could scarcely believe it. How had they not heard anything up till now? It had to be some trick."Don't look too confused" started Linda."You were right about the abilities, anyway. But not exactly abo8t which one and how many I was using at a time. I don't suppose you've heard of the skill [Hear No Evil]. It strips my enemies in a certain range of some hearing faculties.I can even isolate the sounds
"Can he be saved?" he asked PAYTON. "If he must be, time is of the essence" advised PAYTON. As with Kirkland, Benjamin wondered about the risk of saving the man before him without knowing if the weapon had been effective in aborting the system. "Him? He's already dead" lied Benjamin. "No! You're wrong." Benjamin raised an eyebrow. "What makes you so sure?" he started, kicking the body around. "You asshole. Stop!" Benjamin stomped on the man's wrist before eyeing Linda. "You don't seem to understand, Ms Linda. You're not in any position to make demands" relayed Benjamin. "His life is in danger. Any second fro m now--" she murmured. "Before we take this any further" started Benjamin. "The card. Explain." "I will. After ---" "There is no after. There is only a yes, or a no." Linda took a heavy breath. "And what happens of you don't fulfill your end of the deal?" "I suppose that would be your luck, for being on the losing position. Now, are we doing this or not?" hurried Be
"And there is the second method. [Mimic]" said PAYTON."That allows me to copy any skill?" asked Benjamin."Precisely. In this case, the host, you, might search for a genuine tutorial on how to perform a perfect rescuttation and adapt immediately." Benjamin chuckled at the notion. "Master?" asked PAYTON. "It's nothing. Do it. Activate [Mimic]" [Notification: Mimic Activated] Benjamin pulled out his phone. "What are you doing?!" snapped Linda. Bradley looked over Benjamin too. "Who are you calling? We don't need any more witnesses!" he barked. "Why don't you both take a bite size chill pill?" Benjamin muttered as he scrolled over to Poutube. A search on emergency CPR brought thousands of results, and he clicked on the one with over 40 million views. Unfortunately, he had to wait for a minute long ad first. "We had a deal! He's dying" cried Linda again. "It'll just be a minute" said Benjamin without looking up. In a minute, Benjamin could see the instructor performing the bas
"I think we've wasted enough time. So, the rest of the answers, if you please." Linda bit her lips and made to help the pilot off the sands. She threw her arm under one of his as support. "The card was connected to his System" she started. "We knew that already" replied Benjamin impatiently. "The question is how?" "There's a skill called [Here's My Card]. It grants System Abilities to any designated Star Alliance card" explained Linda. That sounds awfully close to something PAYTON had said earlier, thought Benjamin. An Avatar skill for the Vice President of the Ivy Leagues, Michael. "PAYTON?" asked Benjamin. "[Here's My Card] is indeed one of the System's skills" answered PAYTON. "Not classified this time, I see" replied Benjamin. "The skill name has already been stated by another party. Therefore, I can confirm it to you, Master Benjamin. Otherwise, it would have remained classified." "A skill that I should have found out the name on my own, eh?" asked Benjamin, fascinated.
Benjamin tried to stay calm while looking for the supposed billion-dollar weapon.He activated [Practical Intelligence ] to calculate the possible trajectories and locations of where the ballpoint pen might be. They used Bradley's flashlight to check the water at the shallow shore; Benjamin combing through quietly and meticulously."There's nothing here" repeated Bradley over and over. They had combed and combed and gone so far off radius, that it was ridiculous for anything other than starfish to be present. It wasn't there.Does that pilot still have it in his person? thought Benjamin. No. Thomas wouldn't handle a body search so lightly, especially when it came to the System killer. It was still out there somehow."Now, can we go?" pleaded Bradley. \Benjamin pulled out his phone. "PAYTON. Activate [Mimic]"[Mimic Active. Copy Skill: ]Benjamin navigated to a fitness YouTube page and clicked under the Swimming category. There were two basics he had begun watching.Bradley, curious,
"You too Bradley" Benjamin pointed to Captain Bradley, who walked over to find himself on the third seat. Benjamin poured himself a drink from the empty wine bottle.He took a sip, smacked his lips, and spoke after setting the glass down: "I suppose you want an explanation, for all this" he said to none of them in particular.None of them replied for a few seconds, and he added: "Or maybe it's just as well to let you Bradley. Dismiss your men, you all return to the precinct, and by tomorrow, this will all be the remnants of some nightmare hangover you haven't had in years."Bradley was the first to speak."It's already too late for that" he replied anxiously.""I don't think so. What makes you say that?""You can't just leave me hanging!" he cried. "I followed you, willingly, I might add, throughout a car chase, a shootout, and the rest of that mumbo jumbo that was going on.""So you deserve a reward, is what you're saying?" Benjamin studied him."Fuck yeah, I do. I risked my life.""