Capítulo 16: 16. Promising Developments (+18)
I sat on my bed, legs crossed, the Tome open before me. The thick, ancient parchment exuded an otherworldly presence, its ink seeming to shimmer and shift under the dim light. It was well past midnight, but I was wide awake. My body buzzed with energy, a residual effect of the Sanguineista and the essence it had absorbed during the raid. For the first time in months, I felt full—satiated in a way that food or sleep could never provide.
My mind, however, refused to rest.
I leaned back against the wall, glancing at the duffel bag sitting by his desk. It was filled with the spoils of the Triad's warehouse—around $80,000 in small bills. The thought of it made my lips curl into a wry smile. For all the danger, the bloodshed, the fire, it had been a profitable night. But it wasn't enough. Not nearly enough.
I picked up the Tome and began flipping through the pages, my eyes scanning the esoteric symbols and diagrams. I doubted I'd be able to sleep even if I wanted to. My mind raced with possibilities, fueled by the power coursing through my veins and the money sitting just a few feet away.
I had been researching how to register a company—how to start something legitimate. But at sixteen going onto seventeen, I hit a wall. Legally, I'd need to be eighteen or have someone act on his behalf. Trust was a scarce commodity in my life, and there was no one I could rely on for something this significant.
"Emancipation," I muttered to myself.
It was an idea I'd toyed with before, but now it felt urgent, necessary. I needed independence to take control of my life. Turning the pages of the Tome absentmindedly, my mind wandered back to my parents. Their deaths our house had burnt down, left me stranded, vulnerable. No insurance money, no savings, nothing. It didn't make sense. Both of them had been auditors for the Department of the Treasury—stable, well-paying jobs. They should have been prepared for something like this.
But they weren't. Or someone had made sure it looked that way.
My grip tightened on the edge of the Tome. Bitterness welled up inside me. This world was cruel and unforgiving. It took from the weak constantly. But now, I had power. And I was done being taken from.
I flipped another page in the Tome, pausing as a complex diagram caught my eye. It depicted a transfiguration circle, intricately drawn with layers of symbols and annotations. At first, it seemed like another piece of occult nonsense, but something about it tugged at my mind. A spark of inspiration flared.
"What if...?" I muttered as I leaned closer.
The diagram was accompanied by a description that I could barely understand, of altering the fundamental structure of materials—turning base metals into gold, transforming air into water. It was alchemy, but not in the medieval sense. The language of the Tome hinted at concepts I recognized from modern chemistry and physics.
If the principles in the Tome could be adapted to modern technology, the possibilities are endless. Inspiration, like a light bulb turning on, my mind raced. Could magic create new materials? Enhance existing technologies? Improve chemical processes? The potential applications were staggering.
---
I grabbed a notebook from my desk and began scribbling down ideas. My pen flew across the page as I brainstormed:
Superconductors: Could the transfiguration circle be used to create materials with zero electrical resistance? The diagram hinted at manipulating atomic structures, something that modern science struggled with but magic might simplify.
Energy Storage: The Sanguineista absorbed and stored energy from the essence it drained. Could that principle be applied to create more efficient batteries or energy systems?
Medicine: The Tome mentioned rituals for healing and regeneration. What if he could synthesize those effects into pharmaceuticals? A potion of regeneration in pill form could revolutionize medicine.
Synthetic Elements: Modern technology was limited by the periodic table. But if the transfiguration circle could manipulate matter on a fundamental level, it might be possible to create entirely new elements with properties that defied conventional science.
---
I leaned back, my heart pounding. This wasn't just about money. This was about rewriting the rules of reality. The possibilities filled me with a mix of excitement and dread. For the first time, I understood the potential of magic and its dangers. 'If I can use it as a tool, a shortcut, to get the desired result. And then reverse engineer it. I'm going to be fucking rich. Kiss my ass Stark.'
I turned his attention back to the transfiguration circle. It would take time to decode, but I felt confident I could do it. As I checked the time on the clock, it was just after midnight into Saturday morning, I had all weekend to work on this.
My mind shifted to practicalities. If I wanted to pursue this, I needed resources—equipment, materials, and space to work. The money from the warehouse was a start, but I need more. And I need to keep everything under the radar. The last thing I wanted was the government or someone else sniffing around.
---
I paused for a moment giving my eyes time to rest, also to digest what I had understood from the diagram.
The page before me showed the transfiguration circle again, but this time, I noticed something I had missed earlier—a faint annotation in the margin. It was a single word in a language I didn't recognize, but as he stared at it, the meaning came to me: Catalyst.
The Tome seemed to suggest that a transfiguration required more than just the circle—it needed a specific catalyst to initiate the process. The text hinted that the catalyst varied depending on the desired outcome.
My mind shifted as if hinting at me, the Gauntlet. My hand faintly glowed, it seemed to intensify as if responding to my thoughts.
It was so fucking obvious. If I combine the power of the Gauntlet with the principles in the Tome, I might be able to bypass some of the limitations of conventional science. The Gauntlet could serve as the catalyst, providing the energy needed to activate the circle as well as impart my will into shaping whatever I was trying to create.
All these notes were for someone who didn't have the Gauntlet and using the circle from scratch.
"I need a test this. Something small, simple."
My eyes scanned the room, landing on a paperclip sitting on his desk. I picked it up, turning it over in my fingers. It was made of steel—a mundane, everyday object. But what if I could change it? Transform it into gold or a more advanced alloy?
I grabbed a piece of chalk and sketched the transfiguration circle to size, on a piece of cardboard, and placed it on my desk. It was rough, hastily drawn, but it would do for a first attempt. I placed the paperclip in the centre of the circle and placing my right hand over it, I focused on the Gauntlet and it appeared around it. The moment it formed, I felt the surge of power, electric and intoxicating.
I closed his eyes, focusing on the symbols in the circle and the word in the margin: Catalyst.
The Gauntlet's glow intensified, and the air in the room seemed to hum with energy. I opened my eyes as the symbols in the circle began to glow, their light growing, it was almost blinding light. I felt a tug as if the Gauntlet were drawing something from me—my focus, my willpower.
I was trying to turn the paperclip into gold, but I soon realized, I wouldn't have enough power to do it. The Gauntlet of Kor-Vath seemed to vibrate in protest. 'It's trying to warn me.' What I was trying to do was out of my reach. 'How much essence would I need?'
As I quickly pivoted, the next idea came to me. It resisted my will. It's almost like I was trying to force together two magnets that repelled each other. I could change the shape, but it felt like I was brute forcing it and then it hit me. I slowly visualized it, the paper clip flattened and elongated. As it did, the paperclip began to hum and vibrate, its metallic surface rippling as though it had become liquid. Sparks of light danced across its surface, tiny flashes of chaotic energy reshaping the molecular bonds within.
The transformation was not a simple rearrangement. I channelled the magic to reinforce the atomic lattice structure, creating an interlocked weave of carbon, iron, and nickel atoms. With each layer, I infused a thread of chaos energy, binding the elements together in a nearly unbreakable configuration.
After a final pulse of energy, the glowing ceased, and the air around the desk returned to stillness. The paperclip was gone. In its place lay a smooth, silvery wire, radiating a faint inner light as if it held energy trapped within its core.
I turned on the desk lamp and examined it, the wire was impossibly smooth, with no visible seams or imperfections. Its surface has a faint metallic sheen, shifting subtly between silver and a deep, ethereal blue under different lighting. The wire seems alive, with a barely perceptible vibration coursing through it.
"It worked." I realized that there was a visualization component to it. I had channelled the memory of a new cutting-edge metal that I had seen in a documentary about NASA's latest shuttle. I remembered the 3d video of the metal's atomic structure. Even if the process to create it was unknown, I just needed to know what the end product looked like.
Without hesitation, I began to try and twist and bend the wire but it resisted me. Even with my enhanced strength, I couldn't snap it.
What I had aimed for had worked. On a molecular level, the wire's atomic lattice had been reshaped into an interwoven matrix of strengthened carbon, iron, and nickel. This unique configuration made it virtually indestructible under normal physical stress. This was truly amazing. I sat marvelling at my first attempt at transfiguring a common item and it was a resounding success.
I held up the wire, marvelling at its strength and elegance. This wasn't just a wire; it was proof that I could reshape the world one experiment at a time. This was only the beginning.
I sat in silence and then it hit me. All of the light just now. "Shit!" I immediately hid what I had been working on and covered the bag of cash. If I had attracted any attention and anyone came into my room right now, It wouldn't have ended well.
I quickly took off my desk lamp. Making my way to the door, I slowly opened it, and looked out into the hall. I hadn't seen anyone or heard anything, with my heightened senses, it would be hard to miss, a sense of relief washed over me, but I still needed to make sure. No one on the floor above or below had noticed.
I quickly walked to the stairs but as I approached, I heard a soft muffled moaning that would probably be impossible to hear regularly. I focused on the sound.
A sinister grin made its way to my face as a wicked thought came to my mind. I knew what that sound was and where it was coming from. I hadn't attracted any attention as everyone else had been asleep except for one person. I knew exactly who it was and what they were up to.
I quickly slipped on my Void Walker Ring. My footstep vanished and I quickly made my way to the laundry room downstairs. As I approached the door, the soft muffled moans grew slightly louder with my hearing. It was Betty, and I knew what she was up to.
It had been months ago before I had found the tome and the gauntlet. One evening I had come home late from the library and as I passed by the laundry room I had heard it. The wild moaning and panting, the sounds of her calling Brad Morgan's name. Betty had been having phone sex with her boyfriend.
As I tried to walk up the steps quietly, I stumbled and my bag slammed into the wall. This immediately made her go quiet. I didn't stick around and ran up the steps and straight to my room. Later that night she came to my room and threatened me.
"I know it was you, pervert." She glared and accused me
"Be…Betty, I swear I wasn't spying. I." I tried to calm her but she only grew angrier.
"Shut the fuck up! One word from you, I'll make Brad and the whole fucking football team kick the shit out of you. Understand?"
At the time I could only nod. Flash had already been making my life hell. I didn't want the quarterback of the football team on my ass either, things would have gotten worse by far. I just meekly nodded and forgot about the whole incident.
Now was different, I wasn't timid and weak anymore. I quickly got an idea. I made my way to the laundry room and tried the handle. The laundry room didn't have a lock but I needed to make sure she hadn't blocked it. I felt the door slowly and soundlessly open unhindered.
All I needed was a few inches, I slipped out my new Stark Teck phone I had bought a week ago. As much as I hated to buy any of Stark's devices. It was one of the best on the market. As I watched the criminals, I would be using them to strengthen myself. More times than less they met with other criminals. I had gotten into the habit of photographing them for later research. It helped to have a phone with a higher-resolution camera.
As I slowly slid the phone camera into the space, the moaning continued so I knew she hadn't seen me. As I watched the screen, I felt my heart speed up with what I saw and a wicked grin crossed my face. Betty sat on a towel on the floor with the phone in one hand pressed close to her ear. she was naked from the waist down and her t-shirt pulled up.
Her other hand was vigorously between her legs, rubbing her slit with an urgency.
"OH GOD BRAD. FUCK ME. I WANT YOU. SHOVE YOUR HARD COCK IN ME. YES. YES. JUST LIKE THAT. SHOOT YOUR CUM IN ME." Betty lust filled voice sounded into the phone.
I could hear him on the other side of the conversation encouraging her as he must have been jerking off. Brad was another rich kid like Flash; however, he took school seriously. His father was a Major in the army and I had heard talk that Brad was headed for West Point when he graduated.
How many times had Betty boasted about him, how he was an athlete, how high his GPA was, how much he studied and best of all, not a loser like me? 'Fuck him.' Exams were just around the corner and my GPA would still be higher than his by the time I graduated. Why did he have to study so hard if he was so great?
With amusement, I surmised she must have been on a study break and called her for stress relief. As I speculated, Betty's pace that she was stroking herself had quickened and with shorter strokes. My eyes were glued to the screen. Even if she was a bitch to me and went out of her way to make my life miserable in this house. She was one of the hottest girls in our school.
With her fair, flawless skin, her pink perky nipples, and the light sheen of sweat on her flat stomach. I lightly gulped as I felt my hand tighten around my now erect cock. What would stop me from walking in and fucking her raw? What would stop me from just grabbing her phone and hanging up before she could even say a word?
I was faster and stronger than any regular human. If I locked the door, no one would hear her if I gagged her. The laundry was the most soundproof room in the house, that is why she was in there to start with. 'Fuck!' I reined back in my thoughts. The urge I felt coming from my erection.
I had felt my mind begin to sink into my more primal side. As I came back to my sense, I realized she was cumming. I slowly pulled back my phone and closed the door before she came to her senses. Even with the ring, if she saw the phone, she would realise she was being spied on.
I made sure to save the video as I went up the stairs. I made my way back into my room and shut my door slowly. My cock was still hard while I thought of Betty and how wet she was, the sounds that her fingers had made. 'Fuck!'
It had happened again. It was a side effect of the gauntlet, as I grew stronger, my sense of fear for repercussions grew dull. I was no longer fearful of the consequences. Also, after the day I drank the Elixir of Potential, I understood I was different from all the other versions of himself he had seen. He wasn't the one that followed rules. No, that had become his camouflage to fit into society, he was the predator.
When I had found the Gauntlet of Kor-Vath, the mysterious being had told him that this world was on a collision path with things that were powerful enough to wipe it out. Only power itself would save it. I had already killed so many criminals and I would probably need to kill countless more to grow strong enough. So, what if I was thinking with my dick, I was done taking shit from this world. It was time I took what I wanted.
'Betty, maybe you should have been a little bit nicer to me.' I thought as I looked at my phone. Unlike Gwen who I had a real connection with, Betty was just a bitch that I would enjoy tormenting, I would pay her back tenfold for her treatment.
I started to formulate a plan in my head. I understood what my first project would be, but I would need a lot more essence and research. 'I hope you can moan like that for me, Betty?'
Author Note- so I tried to go dark, with more descriptive and set a serious tone in previous chapters, it just didn't feel like me. I tried to stay away from the vulgarity and not do gratuitous. More adult Marvel and less ASOIAF. But that didn't last. I think I will just be going back to my regular writing style and let it evolve naturally. If you've liked it so far, leave powerstones, comment, reviews. Just don't be a fucking cunt and complain unnessearily about shit.
Also can anyone say how to remove the first cover I uploaded, I have a better cover but can't change the one people see the first time???
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