Bab 228: Meeting #228
I sighed in relaxation, draining a cold can of orange soda in one gulp as I plopped into my couch. I'd already melted and sorted the magical metals I'd gathered from Faust's hideouts.
Realizing I still had time to burn before the morning, thanks to the power ring's efficiency, I started arranging the magical artifacts all over the hideout because why not?
It looked somewhat weird with the strange combination of wacky posters, modern fancy furniture, and ancient-looking artifacts all over the place, but I still thought it was cool, so I'm happy with it.
It had me vibes, as members of the gen z would say, or was it millennials that spoke like that? I'm not even sure, but who cares? You get the idea.
In any case, I still had an hour or so before I'd have to find Nightshade to discuss our little field trip to the Land of Nightshades, and I found myself turning to my system's interface subconsciously.
"Might as well..." I muttered, shrugging as I brought up the accumulated notifications.
[+2 levels to the Brawling skill]
[Brawling (59)]
[+2 to the Crime skill]
[Crime (60)]
[+2 levels to the Acrobatics skill]
[Acrobatics (43)]
[+1 skill to the Computers skill]
[Computers (60)]
[+2 levels to the Mechanics skill]
[Mechanics (56)]
[+6 levels to the Medieval Weapons Mastery skill]
[Medieval Weapons Mastery (31)]
[+3 skills the knowledge skill]
[Knowledge (21)]
[+5 levels to the Chemistry skill]
[Chemistry (15)]
[+11 class levels]
[+33 stat points]
[+6 levels to the Surgeon class]
[Surgeon (level MAX)]
[+5 accumulated class levels]
[+1 level the Mad Scientist Archetype]
[You have gained the power: Stitching]
[Stitchting: the ability to stitch everything and anything together, with applications attaching things to one another, reattaching limbs, binding objects to any surface, closing wounds, etcetra]
'That would definitely come in handy... if my medicine skill wasn't so low...' I sighed, shaking my head in exasperation as I moved on to the next and last notification.
[You have reached the maximum capacity for your current rank. Would you like to choose the next one now?]
'Huh... it looks like I finally ran out of classes...' I mused, smiling as I inspected the available classes and only found one; the Biologist. 'Took long enough...' I chuckled, picking the only available option without hesitation.
[You have gained a new class: Biologist]
[You have gained the skill: Biology]
[Biology: as a skill, the Biology skill covers everything from the study of plants and animals all the way to what turns on microscopic organisms and their breeding patterns]
[+3 stat points]
[+5 accumulated class levels]
[Biologist (6)]
[+15 stat points]
[Stat points (51)]
[You have gained the power: Detect Weakness]
[Detect Weakness: The ability to sense the weaknesses of almost any living organism]
"Simple but effective..." I muttered, quickly dismissing the notification as I turned to my attributes and the 51 stat points I had. "Eh, why not?" I shrugged as I invested 17 stat points into each parameter.
Name: Grayson Whitlock
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Archetype: (The Mad Scientist level 8)
Class: [Thief (level MAX)] [Fighter (level MAX)] [Acrobat (Level MAX)] [Programmer (Level MAX) [Gunman (level MAX)] [Mechanic (level MAX)] [Duelist (level MAX)] [Artist (level MAX)] [Scholar (level MAX)] [Linguist (level MAX)] [Chemist (level MAX)] [Surgeon (level MAX)] [Biologist (1)]
...
Stats:
Body: 300
Mind: 300
Spirit: 300
Stat Points: 00
.....
Skills:
[Brawling (level 59)] [Crime (level 60)] [Acrobatics (level 43)] [Computers (level 60)] [Gun Mastery (level 35)] [Mechanics (Level 56)] [Medieval Weapons Mastery (Level 31)] [Art (Level 5)] [Knowledge (Level 21)] [Language (Level 12)] [Chemistry (Level 15)][Medicine (Level 1)] [Biology (Level 1)]
....
Perks:
[Dormant Metahuman] [Silent Step] [Energy Detector] [Augmented Reality Vision] [Energy Conductor] [Metallurgic Intuition] [Ricochet Intuition] [World Wide Access] [Energy Conversion] [Menacing Presence] [Emp Surge] [Supernatural Body] [Supernatural Mind] [Energy Adaptability] [Ergo-Pisonics]
...
Archetype powers:
[Network Crash] [Code Manipulation] [Personal Computer] [Machinery Scan] [Machine Control] [Machine Morphing] [Chemical Analysis] [Metabolism Manipulation] [Living Catalyst] [X-ray Vision] [Instant Surgery] [Stitchting] [Detect Weakness]
'I've never been more satisfied in all my life...' I nodded, smiling as I looked at my parameters' even numbers, appreciating the symmetry for a second before dismissing the system's interface.
With my OCD satiated, and no more time to waste, it was finally time to head out and get to work.
...
Nightshade couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as she raised her head from her watch and noticed Grayson walking through the abandoned warehouse's entrance.
She had met and spoken to him several times after he agreed to help her, and Grayson would always choose to meet in the morning. Whatsmore he would always show up on time, not one second later or sooner.
The heroine always found it weird and wondered how he did that, but she never voiced her thoughts as it didn't matter. After all, it was only one item on a long list of peculiar habits the young man displayed.
"Morning," Grayson greeted as he stopped in front of the heroine, to which she nodded and returned the greeting. "I don't have a lot of time, so I'll get straight to the point," He went on, keeping a calm expression.
"As I told you, I've been on vacation for the past week to clear my mind..." The young man stated, trailing at the end of his sentence. "But I still have some loose ends to tend to before we get to it," He blankly explained, to which the heroine could only sigh.
The young man's honesty was refreshing as it was annoying and weird, but Nightshade learned to take his words at face value. He took it upon himself to emphasize his ability to renege on their agreement any time he wanted, and there was nothing she could do about it.
Though Grayson was never direct or blunt, Nightshade could take the hint.
"We'll head out in two days. Same time, same place..." The young man concluded, speaking in a matter-of-fact tone as he trailed at the end of his sentence, waiting for the heroine to reply.
"You make it sound like it's up for discussion," Nightshade replied, rolling her eyes at Grayson as she gave him a bemused look and sighed, which didn't seem to faze him.
"It's not. I've got shit to do," Grayson blankly said as he turned around and walked away, leaving the heroine alone as she watched him depart, letting out another exasperated sigh.
Despite Grayson's lack of enthusiasm and his less-than-polite tone, the heroine knew he would keep his promise. He never attempted to humor her or even present himself as likable, which was perfectly fine with Nightshade.
It was just another business deal for him, one made because he had to, despite not getting proper compensation for his efforts, as he "politely" explained during their first encounter.
Still, it was Nightshade's only chance to save her brother, and she wouldn't turn it down for the world.
...
"Well, now that's out of the way..." I muttered, checking the time as I flew away from the abandoned warehouse. "I should be able to pick up my company's registration papers and meet with Katherine Spencer before lunch..." I nodded to myself, equipping the power ring and speeding away.
I still needed to fulfill my promises to Deadshot, Lady Vic, and Harley, which would require a competent lawyer willing to work on their cases and get them out of prison, or at least Arkham Asylum in Harley's case.
I found two such lawyers. Both were ironically superheroes, one of which was the previously mentioned Katherine Spencer (Manhunter) and Augustus Freeman (Icon).
The latter was too high profile since he was one of the more powerful members of the Justice League, and I didn't want that kind of attention from the earth's mighty protectors in gaudy capes.
Katherine Spencer, on the other hand, though equally heroic, was way less known and prone to get involved in doom-day world-ending shenanigans, so the choice was clear.
She was also more flexible than the alternative considering her grey moral code, and I'd likely have a better chance convincing her to take the three villains' case than Icon, but it still wasn't a sure bet.
Ultimately, I could always find some unscrupulous uptown lawyer to do the dirty work, but I wanted to entrust the task to someone, you know, trustworthy and not a blood-sucking leech in a fancy suit.
It would take more effort to convince Katherine Spencer, and it might not even work, but it's worth a shot, at least since I won't have to be breathing down her neck to ensure she doesn't get any ideas.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone