I thought about a lot of stuff as I sat there in the cab, the cab ride was a way to reminisce on the things I’d missed while I’d been playing hero for Ariel and camped out at the hotel.Gym and martial arts classes weren’t necessary anymore unfortunately, I knew every martial arts technique in the world and could effortlessly use them in fights.As for going to the gym, I asked the system and it told me that I could increase my physical prowess by just upgrading some attributes so it wasn’t necessary and I would have to find a better use for the new time on my hands.I finally got back to the hotel and checked back into my room, as I walked in I took a look around the room and came to a realization.“I can’t keep living here, '' I said to myself. My exams were over now, I had no reason to hide and camp out at the hotel, at the same time, returning back to my old apartment didn’t sit right with me.I don’t know how, but the location of my previous house had been compromised, too many p
I guessed that I would have had to stay in the hotel for maybe another few nights.I didn’t want to have to spend the night at my previous place and I would need more time to pick up my things and leave immediately.I also had to meet up with Logan that evening, it would be easier to get to Central Park from the hotel anyway.Plus there was the possibility of getting jumped by my stepmom's goons. ‘That reminds me, those guys haven’t contacted me since, something is definitely wrong somewhere, I’ll find out when I get back home,’ I thought.It was unusual for them to take this long, I was sure they would want to work for me, I wouldn’t apply any pressure yet, I’d just have to wait for the opportune moment.I took a nap to pass the time and set an alarm for exactly an hour before the meeting with Logan so I would have enough time to prepare and to avoid oversleeping.I lay on the bed and in a few moments, I was asleep. The alarm rang loudly a couple of hours later and I got up and took
‘This was probably about the email she’d sent to me huh, I’ll hear what she has to say’ i thought and I picked the call.“Hello?” I said.“Hey Malcolm” she said in response.“I got your email, you definitely don’t joke around.” I said.“Yeah about that, I’m always honest with however I feel, so I’ll say it straight. I’m into you Malcolm, as in I like you and I want us to go out on a date.” She said.“Sure.” I simply said.“Wait really? That’s it?” She shouted over the phone, I could tell she wasn’t expecting that type of response.“It’s not that deep, I’m in the road right now so I can’t talk well, just email me the address and the time and I’ll be there. I have to go now, bye.” I said and hung up the phone.‘I know where this is going, but rejecting her would put a huge wedge between us, the relationship we have right now is still too delicate, so I’ll just have to play along’ I thought.I walked for a short while longer and was finally able to get a cab back to the hotel.As the car
Me and Logan had walked to the bus stop in the scorching sun and had gotten separate cabs as I headed back to the hotel.“I definitely need to get him a car,” I uttered to myself during the cab ride.When I got to the hotel I got on the computer and searched for houses on sale on the internet.After surfing for a while, I came across one I really liked and it cost around $1.5 million. The number for the real estate agent was there and I copied it out and dialed it.Millionaires of my time didn’t really live in such mansions, with my knowledge I knew they owned real estate companies and would live in one of the houses owned by these companies and would still pay for rent.The idea of rent didn’t sit well with me, I wanted this place as an asset and I would get it.The phone rang for a while before it was picked and I could hear the voice of a lady on the other side.“Hello?” The voice said, it sounded like a middle aged woman, probably in her early thirties.“Good day, I saw this numbe
I woke up the next morning feeling a sense of peace. The bed was very comfortable and I lay there for a few more minutes before getting up.I checked the time, it was around ten in the morning. I must have been very tired from unpacking and the pent up fatigue from all this while must have hit me at once.I got up and threw my clothes off before heading into the jacuzzi and I sat it in, relaxing my limbs totally. The hot water served as a sort of medicine and I got out feeling very refreshed.I got out after about thirty minutes and went ahead to take a shower. When I was done I looked at myself in the mirror. I needed a haircut, and my spa day appointment was that Friday.So thinking about what I could do to pass the time, I decided to head to a hair salon to get a fresh new cut. My hair was silky and curly and it needed a trim.I also needed to revitalize my curls.As I dressed I heard a loud horn outside on the street. ‘Right on time’ I thought. I put on my clothes and headed down
A couple of more minutes and she was done and she then finally paid attention to me.“Yes? How can I help you?” She asked, a frustrated look on her face. It was clear that she wasn’t happy about something or she just didn’t like her job, either way I wouldn’t stand for being treated wrongly.“I’d like to get a haircut please.” I simply said.“Do you have an appointment?” She responded.“No I don’t,” I said back.“Then I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to get an appointment first sir.” She said still not looking at me.I felt the urge to flare up and give her a piece of my mind but I controlled my emotions, getting angry wouldn’t change anything, it would just worsen the situation, so I decided to manipulate my way around the situation.“So you’re telling me, that in a complex this large, where I can clearly see multiple barber shops open right now, I can’t get a haircut without having an appointment?” I asked.“I’m afraid that’s how things are done here sir” she said, finally lo
“So where to first? I’d expect you to treat me with the very best that you have to offer here Miss Brittany.” I said.“Of course Mr. Malcolm, trust me you’re going to have a wonderful time here and please, call me Britt, that’s what most people call me,” She said.“Well I’m sure my time here would be very wonderful as long as I can remain in your company,” I said and I could see her blush, our arms still tightly locked together.I could feel the warmness of her body on mine. It had been a while since I’d been this close to a woman, a really long time. ‘You know what, I think I just might start flirting more often’ I thought to myself and smirked.“I thought it was I who had a way with words Mr. Malcolm, I’m certainly being proven otherwise right now,” she said. This wasn’t her first rodeo.Even though she was flustered she didn’t lose her composure and I admired that about her. “I try my best, and it’s only fair that you call me Malcolm right from now on as well.” I said and we both l
And so we began our shopping spree fiasco.Britt and I picked up a bunch of clothes for me that we liked and when we were done we entered the changing room.She brought a chair and sat across the box. “Okay Malcolm, try on your outfits and I’ll rate how they look on you.” She said and crossed her legs on the seat.I stood in the changing box and said “how about you? Won’t you be trying out some outfits?” I asked.“Malcolm, this whole day is about you, just enjoy yourself,” she said.“And if I insist?” I replied.“Well then i wouldn’t have a choice anymore” she said and I grinned.“In that case, Britt, I want you to try on some dresses as well, specifically the ones I pick out for you, oh and I insist,” I said.“Fine then, you win, but I’ll only do that after you’re done trying on all of yours. I did see some gowns I wanted to try anyway,” she said.“Good, now if you’ll excuse me I’ll be trying out the first outfit now,” I said and closed the door.“Take your time,” she said.It was ve
“Genesis, I don’t intend to engage them in a prolonged battle. My plan is simple: I’ll transport them to a specific location in another world, use Starforge to unleash an all-out attack, and then transport myself back to my world before they can retaliate. I won’t give them a chance to regroup. It will be swift and decisive.”I stood firm in my conviction, determined to see this through, despite the risks.Genesis remained silent for a few moments, processing the information.Genesis let out a long sigh, almost as if the system itself was struggling to come to terms with my proposed plan.[Damon, with the potential for so many things to go wrong, I must give you a more honest assessment of the situation. Based on my calculations, I estimate your chances of success at only 10%. This is an extremely risky endeavor. If even one variable does not go as planned, you could be facing a formidable enemy without my support, and your odds of survival would diminish drastically.]I took a deep b
As the garments glowed, Genesis's voice rang out once again, its appraisal clear and concise.[Holy Garments of the High Pontiff (Legendary, Level 70)][Effect: +300 Intelligence, +5% Holy Damage, +15% Resistance to Dark Magic, Spell: Holy Shield, Blessing of the Pontiff]I considered the garments carefully, recognizing the potential they offered me. While I couldn't use the Grimoire, these robes could prove invaluable in my journey.It was from one high level equipment to another, but I couldn't keep this up for long.Considering the amount of damage they could potentially cause to my world, as well as the constant sneak attacks, I knew I had to get moving…quickly.However, there was still one more thing I needed to confirm."Genesis, the skills I obtain each time I'm attacked, are they permanent?” I conveyed my thoughts toward it expecting a response.[Damon, the skills you obtain through the Counter skill are indeed temporary. Cognos provided you with the ability to create these t
[Skill Created: Celestial Shield (Lv. 1)][Skill Activated: Celestial Shield (Lv. 1)]A shimmering, silver-white energy shield manifested around me, just in time to deflect the beam of light with a resounding CLANG!Though I still felt the intense heat, the shield held, protecting me from the destruction of the safe house. My whole line of sight was enveloped in smoke, and my vision was hazy.Suddenly, another panel manifested before my eyes.[Skill Created: Celestial Gust (Lv. 1)]I raised my hands, channeling the power of the wind to clear the smoke around me. With a simple gesture, I activated the new skill:[Skill Activated: Celestial Gust (Lv. 1)]A burst of air rushed through the safe house, scattering the smoke and revealing the aftermath of the destruction.The whole surrounding area was left in ashes, and right next to me was a horrible sight.Remains of Vlasdilav’s body lay there on the floor, a pile of bones nearly burnt to ashes.I felt the anger well up within me, whoeve
As Vladislav shared his experience with the Player Wars, I couldn't help but grin, a spark of recognition in my eyes. "I've been through it too," I admitted, nodding in solidarity."So you know what it's like then," he said, a sense of camaraderie growing between us."Yes. The Player Wars are no joke. They're brutal, but I survived. I'm still here." I said, a sense of pride and resilience in my voice."Looks like we have more in common than we thought," Vladislav replied.Curious about the skills that made him such a formidable assassin, I asked, "So, what are your skills? What's your main specialty?"Vladislav's eyes narrowed as he considered my question. "Assassination, obviously. My skill set includes Shadow Cloak, which lets me become invisible for a limited time. Silent Stalker, which muffles my footsteps and masks my presence. And, of course, Bloodlust. The more enemies I kill, the stronger I become.""Not to mention my enhanced senses. There's also Silent Strike, which allows
I still felt some sort of apprehension at the fact that the other person in pursuit had escaped, but that was beyond my power now.All I had to do now was focus on what came next, and honestly, I had no idea what to do.‘Genesis, if only you were here,’ I thought to myself. ‘You'd know what to do.’Just as I finished that thought, I was startled by a sudden notification in my mind.NOTICESystem upgrade completed. Rebooting.A progress bar appeared, counting from 0% to 100%.The progress bar steadily crept towards 100%, and I couldn't shake the thought that Genesis would once again be available to me. ‘It'll be back, I'm sure of it,’ I thought, and I felt a surge of optimism and relief washing over me. The assassin, sensing my distraction, cleared his throat. "Do you have a plan?" he asked, a hint of concern in his voice."For now, we return to the safe house. I'll need some time to think things through." My response seemed to placate the assassin, and he nodded in agreement.We mad
He then explained the quest log that they all received to me.The assassin, still trembling, began to reveal the contents of the quest log that had been shared among all players. His voice shook as he explained that I had been marked as a target, and every player had been transported to this world with the sole purpose of eliminating me. According to the quest, until my demise, none of the players would be able to leave my world. They were granted unrestricted access to their skills, allowing them to utilize their full potential in their pursuit to end my life. The rewards for succeeding in this quest were immensely valuable, with each contributing player being granted a single wish.This revelation shed light on the relentless pursuit I had been facing from them, as well as the desperate lengths that the players were willing to go to claim their rewards. It became clear that, to them, my life was nothing more than a means to an end, a stepping stone to fulfilling their deepest d
“Now it's my turn,” I said.The two men stared at me in horror, before making their moves.The assassin threw out some pouches to the floor which generated a dark mist, preventing me from seeing them.I brought out my wings and flapped them with so much might that it generated enough wind to disperse the mist.However, they were nowhere to be found.I closed my eyes and heightened my senses, searching intently for any hint that they might have decided to give away.By combining my Draconic senses with Thought Acceleration, I was able to comb the vast expanse of land in mere moments.Suddenly my ears picked something up to my left, it was the assassin, using yet another camouflage skill.I flew toward him at top speed and crashed into the ground right in front of him.I got up and paced angrily toward him. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now,” I said.The assassin, realizing he had been discovered, quickly activated a skill that shrouded him in an aura of dark e
A wave of confusion swept over me as I watched the two men recoil back in fear of me. "What's going on? Did you feel that too?" the assassin asked, a hint of uncertainty in his voice."Yes, I did," the other man replied, and he locked his eyes onto mine. "I don't know what he did, but he feels like an entirely different person from when I first faced him."I couldn't help but ponder their reactions. ‘Huh? Why did they suddenly back away from me? I don't feel any different from before, so what's wrong?’ I thought, perplexed by the situation.I decided to try contacting Genesis again, hoping to shed some light on the matter. ‘Genesis,’ I thought. However, once again, I received no response.The silence was as puzzling as the men's reactions, and I couldn't help but wonder what had changed. ‘This all began after my meeting with Cognos, what did he do?’ I thoughtDespite the lack of communication from Genesis, I knew I had to press on.“Tch, you snooze you lose, I'm about to steal my p
Cognos looked at me with a mix of understanding and concern. "You must understand, young one, with great power comes great responsibility. The pursuit of power alone often leads to a dark and destructive path."I felt impatient, my mind was simply fixated on the quest he'd entrusted me with. "How am I supposed to carry out the quest you gave me then?" I asked, and the frustration was clear in my voice.Cognos paused, then reluctantly nodded. "Very well. If power is what you seek, I shall grant it to you. I will give you the power to counter anything that stands in your way."I stepped closer, with a look of curiosity mixing with anticipation. "How?" I asked."Come closer," he said. I complied, and he placed a hand on my head. A comforting warmth spread through me, soothing and invigorating at the same time. It felt like pure energy was flowing into me. When he finally removed his hand, the sensation remained, leaving me feeling stronger and more capable than ever before. I didn't kn