'.....'= Thoughts
"....."= Conversations
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The shimmering veil of the Mirror Dimension faded, revealing Harry and his group standing silently in the shadows, just behind Pierce's teleporter, Thatan. Harry's sharp eyes narrowed as he moved with deadly precision. Without hesitation, he struck. The blue glow of the Rasengan flared briefly as he unleashed its power. Thatan, unaware of the danger, collapsed lifelessly to the ground. With the teleporter gone, Pierce's escape route was cut off.
At the same time, Wei, Mark, Emma, and Emily emerged behind the remaining Inhumans. Their movements were perfectly coordinated, a testament to their countless battles together. Wei summoned a glowing chain with a flick of his wrist, binding his target in place. Mark cast a subtle sleep spell that rendered his opponent unconscious without a struggle. Emma and Emily took down their targets with cold efficiency, their skills honed through rigorous training.
Still cloaked in invisibility, they remained undetected until Mark finally dropped the spell.
Silence fell over the room, broken only by the soft thuds of the defeated Inhumans hitting the ground. Pierce, watching in disbelief, froze for a moment. His eyes darted to Thatan's body, and realization hit—there was no way out.
But Pierce wasn't one to give in easily. His mind raced through escape plans, desperate for a solution. Before he could act, Harry stepped forward, his cold gaze fixed on Pierce. The air felt heavy as they faced each other, their shared history weighing on them.
"Harry," Pierce started, his voice calm but tense. "Your parents—"
Harry wasn't interested in hearing him out. His chakra flared, and the familiar spiral of energy formed in his hand as he summoned the Rasengan. He had seen enough stories to know that letting Pierce talk was a mistake. Without a word, Harry drove the Rasengan into Pierce's chest, the energy tearing through him. Pierce's eyes widened in shock, breath catching as the attack landed. He might have wanted to plead or explain, but Harry didn't care. The swirling energy ripped through him, ending his life in an instant. Pierce, who had once been a friend to Harry's parents and had betrayed them, was gone.
As Pierce's body fell to the ground, Harry stood over him, expression cold and unfeeling. The room fell into an eerie silence, broken only by the soft hum of the Rasengan's energy fading. He felt no satisfaction—only a deep emptiness. Killing had become a grim necessity. Each life he took blurred the line between justice and mere survival.
This emotional detachment felt like a blessing; he was not just avenging himself but also the man who had once owned this body, haunted by Pierce's betrayal.
Killing Pierce was both vengeance and release, a shared triumph over their past.
Mark, Wei, Emma, and Emily stood nearby, watching Harry with a mix of concern and camaraderie. They believed they understood his feelings, thinking that finally avenging his parents must stir a storm of emotions within him. They exchanged glances, silently resolving to comfort him and affirm that his actions were justified. They too had become accustomed to bloodshed, knowing that leaving enemies alive was a risk they couldn't afford.
Wei and Mark shared a look, a mutual understanding passing between them. They had all killed to protect one another, ensuring their mission succeeded without retaliation. The harsh realities of their world demanded it; they had seen too much and suffered too deeply. Emma and Emily, having dispatched their opponents with cold efficiency, felt the weight of the moment. They stepped closer to Harry, sensing the turmoil they thought lay beneath his calm exterior.
"Hey, Harry," Mark said gently, trying to break the silence. "You did what you had to do. It's over now."
Harry didn't respond, his gaze fixed on the ground where Pierce lay. The weight of the moment settled on him, but it didn't stir the emotions his friends hoped to see. Instead, he felt a clear sense that this was just another step in an endless cycle of violence. He glanced at the others, their faces showing a mix of admiration and concern, realizing they could never fully grasp what he was feeling.
"Let's move," he finally said, his voice steady, betraying nothing of his internal struggle.
Wei stepped forward, channeling his energy to open a swirling portal that shimmered with ethereal light. The familiar luxury of Mark's home awaited them on the other side. As they stepped through, the tension of the recent confrontation seemed to dissipate, if only momentarily. Wei closed the portal behind them with a flick of his wrist, sealing off the chaos they had just escaped.
Harry took a deep breath, grateful for the sanctuary. "Thanks for having my back," he said, his voice steady. He glanced at his friends, the weight of their concern palpable. "I just need some alone time."
Mark, Wei, Emma, and Emily exchanged worried looks, thinking Harry needed a moment to process his emotions. They respected his request, believing giving him some space would help him regroup after such a significant loss.
"Don't worry about me, I am fine," Harry muttered as he thought that they might have misunderstood him. He didn't want time to refocus his emotions or something...he just wanted to deal with the points he had been awarded with.
Actually the moment he had killed Pierce a system notification had flashed in front of him.
________________________________________
Quest: Eliminate Alexander Pierce
Status: Completed
Reward: 50,000 points
________________________________________
Due to the situation he had closed the panel without a second thought, and now he needed to spend some time in allocating his points.
Mark and the others nodded in understanding, sensing Harry's need for space, even if they didn't fully grasp it. "Let me show you to your room," Mark offered, his voice calm but supportive. He gestured for Harry to follow, leading him away from the group. As they moved through the familiar corridors of Mark's home, the weight of their recent battle lingered in the air.
Turning back to the rest of the group, Mark raised his voice slightly. "We all need a good rest. Go back to your rooms and sleep. We'll talk tomorrow."
They all nodded their heads at Mark's suggestion as they too were tried by the events of the day amd went to their respective rooms without Mark's guidance, stating that this was not their first time here.
As Harry after giving a nod to the rest, followed Mark, he felt a flicker of gratitude for his friends. They had fought beside him, and their loyalty meant everything to him. If not for them, getting the Tesseract and eliminating Pierce would have not been so easy.
Mark led Harry to his room, the familiar space filled with soft light and calming decor. "Get some rest, Harry. You've earned it," he said, offering a reassuring smile before turning to leave.
As the door clicked shut, Harry slumped onto the king-sized bed, the weight of the day crashing down on him. He took a deep breath, shaking off the remnants of the confrontation, and opened his system panel.
As he browsed through the panel, he finally found the long-awaited option. Without hesitation, he clicked on it. Another notification panel appeared before his eyes.
________________________________________
• Initiate System Upgrade
• Requirements: 20,000 points
(Yes/No)
________________________________________
Harry swiftly clicked on the 'Yes' option, and the information on the panel changed.
________________________________________
Initiated System Upgrade
Time Required: 11 hours 59 minutes
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For 5+ advance chapters visit my patreon.
patreon.com/StoryTeller229
'.....'= Thoughts
"....."= Conversations
____________________________________________________________________________________
Harry woke up with a long yawn, his eyes watery as he blinked against the soft morning light filtering through the curtains. He sat up slowly, feeling the warmth of the bed beneath him, and glanced at the clock on the wall. Nearly twelve hours had passed since he had collapsed onto the bed.
'Not gonna lie, that was the best sleep I've had in years,' he thought, his gaze shifting back to the ultra-soft bed. Stretching his stiff body, he felt the fatigue from the battle drain away. For a brief moment, he savored the peacefulness of the room.
His hand hovered over the system panel, and with a flick of his wrist, it appeared before him. There were still ten minutes left for the system upgrade to complete.
'Woke up at the perfect time, didn't I?' Harry thought, yawning once more. The quietness of the room beckoned him back to sleep, but he resisted the urge, knowing he'd need to be alert once the upgrade finished.
Another yawn escaped him, and for a moment, he considered just lying back down. But the anticipation of the upgrade kept him sitting upright, waiting for the next step in his journey.
Harry finally shook off the sleepiness that clung to him. He blinked against the drowsiness that fogged his mind, feeling the softness of the bed almost pulling him back down. The excitement of the system upgrade hung in the air, pushing him to stay awake and focused. With a determined shake of his head, he sat up, his heart racing at the thought of what was about to happen. Each passing moment felt slow, but with every second, he grew more eager to tackle the challenges ahead.
As he settled into the quiet of the room, he took a moment to collect his thoughts. Then, his expression turned serious. With a quick motion, he pulled out a sealing paper from his system storage. The upgrade didn't affect the paper, which looked small and unassuming, but he knew how important it was. This sealing paper, from the famous Uzumaki bloodline, could tell him if someone was manipulating his mind.
Harry's breath caught as he activated the seal, watching in alarm as one-fourth of the paper turned black. He sighed in relief when he saw that the black area wasn't growing, and was the same as past few days.
..
....
A few days earlier as he was bathing, while enjoying a beautiful view thanks to Wei, Harry had decided to check out the system shop. He rarely took time for himself, so this was a nice break. While browsing through the various items, he found this sealing paper. The description caught his eye because he knew there were powerful people in the Marvel universe who could easily control minds. He wanted to be prepared, so he bought it for just 1,000 points—a small price for peace of mind.
When he activated the paper, he found out that one forth of the paper had turned black. The black mark had shocked him which actually depicted the influence of external energy on his brain.
The anger and confusion that followed felt overwhelming. He wasn't someone to let such an invasion go unchecked, and yet, here he was, facing the grim reality of being mentally manipulated. His thoughts immediately turned to the Ancient One, the only person who had the power to control him like this. How could she, the so-called protector of Earth, betray him? Maybe she had done so because she was the protector of the Earth. The thought made his skin crawl. He recalled how he had calmed down under her guidance, but he wondered whether he had truly changed or if she had molded him into someone more submissive.
As he reflected on his time at Kamar Taj, a surge of hatred washed over him. He despised being controlled, especially by someone like the Ancient One. Taking a deep breath, he tried to steady his racing heart. He couldn't just be angry; he needed to think clearly and regain his sense of self before it slipped away.
He replayed his memories, examining each interaction with the Ancient One for signs of influence. It felt like he was trapped in a maze, with each path leading back to her. This was driving him mad. He questioned whether he had genuinely matured or if her manipulation had hidden his rebellious spirit beneath a calm exterior. He had never been one to care about others' opinions, yet here he was, doubting every decision he made and wondering how she would view his choices.
'Son of a bitch,' he thought, frustration boiling inside him. He clenched his fists and focused on calming his breathing. Anger could lead to rash actions, and he couldn't afford to make mistakes. The Ancient One hadn't completely taken over his mind, which offered some relief. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling of unease about her motives. Why hadn't she fully controlled him? Did she think he wouldn't notice, or was it a slow, stealthy way of manipulating him or se was unable to control him quickly because of the system?
Even now a part of his mind was trying to comfort him that her manipulation might have been a strategic move to guide him toward what she thought was best. This also led a bubble of fear envelope his mind as his brain was trying to normalise mental manipulation.
In the back of his mind, he felt a glimmer of hope that the system and his abilities had thwarted her plans. He needed to act carefully, gathering information while pretending to be a loyal apprentice. Maybe after the system upgrade, he would find a way to free himself from this unwanted influence. He just needed to hang on long enough to regain his footing.
With renewed resolve, Harry promised himself to be cautious during his time in Kamar Taj. He wouldn't let his guard down. The mission to capture the Tesseract offered the perfect chance to escape.
'Maybe the past quests by the system were warning me to get out this damned place?' Harry couldn't help but thank the system otherwise he wouldn't have been able to know that he was being slowly controlled.
..
....
(Back to the present)
Entangled in all these thoughts, five minutes passed quickly and a series of notifications appeared in front of him.
[System Upgrade: Complete]
[System has been upgraded to Level 2]
________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
For 5+ advance chapters visit my patreon.
patreon.com/StoryTeller229
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