Chương 5: Weeks Later and Deal With The Stokes
"Boss, sorry for bothering ya...but the deals about to go off and we think you should be there," I heard the first person I'd recruited, a Mutant named Andre, speak from the doorway to my office.
Groaning, I looked up from the twins working their magic on my cock and scowled at Andre, "Andre, what did I say about coming into the room when I have the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the doorknob?" I asked, meeting eyes with the tall Caucasian man. Despite the fact he was a powered person, when he met my gaze, he flinched back and averted his eyes.
"S-sorry, boss, but the boys really think you should be there. Rumor has it that Cottonmouth is gonna be there," he said with a slight stutter before he coughed and composed himself. Hearing him, I sighed before standing up from the chair.
Patting the head of the twins, I smiled, "Alright girls, that's enough. We'll pick this up when I'm back, yeah?" I gently pushed them away from sucking the sides of my dick, the one on the left pouting while the one on the right nodding. This is something I'd found out pretty quickly in this world - my effect on women. Whether their reproductive instincts could sense my power or if I released pheromones, it didn't matter. If I really tried to seduce a woman, I could get her in my bed - it was like I brought out the animal instincts in any woman I came across. It was really something.
That aside, I pulled the blood from awfully erect penis with my exceptional body control and pulled up my underwear and my pants. Though I've gotta say...this body was quite well-endowed. Put with my height which was around 6'3" and none of the women I'd slept with in the past few weeks knew I was 17. Pretty decent, if you ask me. Maybe I could earn some more money through blackmailing rich women? Could work, funnily enough.
So. Three weeks, I'd been here and I'd spent my time pretty well.
First off, I went and stole a lot of fucking money from a lot of fucking people. Used a mask, of course, and took all the measures possible to not have my identity found out.
With this money, I began to hire people to peddle drugs and other such things for me. Took out dealers from other gangs, stole other gangs drug supply and also some of their dealers that actually accepted my offer. Once I'd done that, the money started rolling in, and with my powers helping carve out a corner of Harlem, no one could stop my group's growth.
Sure, I wasn't doing anything like Luke Cage - no bullets were allowed to hit me and I mainly used a gun when I took people out. But a little use of my strength or Qi every now and then didn't hurt. No one had found out or got in contact with me yet, so I wasn't exactly worrying about it.
But the main thing that helped my expansion? I'd found a few Mutants living on the streets or committing petty crime and I'd offered them a better life.
Some of them denied my offer, saying they'd rather not join a gang of criminals (despite me having caught them stealing from people) but that didn't matter. I got three Mutants to join me with the promise of money and just about whatever they wanted. Drugs, women--men, if they swung that way--, just generally whatever they wanted.
I did draw the line at anything to do with children though. Had to kill one of the Mutants because she was a bit obsessed with little boys and girls. I can't have that sort of reputation around me or my organization. First week having her as an enforcer and she'd already abducted a few kids...I may be a hedonistic beast now but even I have line I won't cross.
Speaking about that, I picked up a belt and put it around my waist before picking up a tie and beginning to button up my black dress shirt.
Looking to Andre who was ogling the pair of twins who were getting dressed behind my desk, I smirked, "What, you wanna have a go at 'em yourself?" I said with a chuckle, gaining a fearful look from Andre who rapidly shook his head causing me to burst out laughing. Slapping his shoulder as I got toward him, he stumbled to the side as I passed him, a savage-looking smile coming across my face, "Don't worry too much, man. Looking ain't worthy of punishment or anything...but you ever do anything other than looking and I'll cut your goddamn hands off, you hear?" I turned to give him a sidelong glance, my golden yellow eyes focusing in on his brown ones as he averted his eyes and bowed his body to make himself look smaller than he was.
There are a few things I'd learnt about myself during these three weeks.
1) I was incredibly hedonistic. Morals or inhibitions weren't exactly my strong points anymore. If I wanted to fuck some hot married chick, I'd do it. I wouldn't use force or anything but I'd turn the charm up and seduce her. Why should I stop myself from enjoying someone just because they have a partner? 'Only the strong should be able to breed' is what my instincts told me, and I agreed.
If I was stronger than the husband, you can bet your ass I'd fuck the wife. No need for a weakling to have such a good wife all to himself, is there?
2) I was becoming increasingly more and more territorial and possessive. At first, it was only around women and money but then it started spreading to other things. Specifically neighborhoods that I liked were considered mine and I'd have to take them. I couldn't outwardly show my powers but the Mutants I had could, so pushing the gangs out of there wasn't that hard. Whenever I needed an extra little push, I'd don a low-quality mask of a snake and go kill whatever needed killing. These acts of mine and the powers of the Mutants under me allowed my gang, despite being small at the start, to take over larger gangs and include them into us. Kinda like that game 'Slither.io' - kill your enemies and then take all their resources for your own growth. Simple, right?
3) This is more of a general one that's a mixture of the previous two but I'm becoming more and more bestial. My instincts are very...rowdy. Useful, don't get me wrong. But my instincts wake me up at the crack of dawn so I can soak up some sunlight despite not being cold-blooded. I also have to have my meat prepared as raw as possible. Steak, especially, is barely even cooked when I eat it.
This seems to be because of [Serpent Physiology] but I think it's made even worse by the fact I'm a Beast Cultivator or whatever. Brings me more and more in tune with my instincts as my strength grows. Again, that's useful as times, but it's inconvenient sometimes as well.
I'll probably have to get a skill for it when I next get to the White Room.
Feeding the yellow thin tie around my neck, I thought about how I hadn't been to the White Room once since that time three weeks ago. A part of me wondered if that's all I was getting but I knew that wouldn't be the case. They would give me access to these powers and just let me go - it just doesn't fit whatever agenda the higher being(s) that run that place to let me go. Whatever they want me for...I don't know or care what it's for. I'm not a puppet. I'll grow and grow until I can crush whoever runs that place. Well, that is if they have plans for me.
Maybe they're just a nice God or R.O.B who likes giving people superhuman powers and abilities, right? But the realist inside me tells me that's most likely not the case. Figures, right?
Well, even if I couldn't get into the White Room, it didn't really effect me too much in terms of power. I could still cultivate and all that. I only wanted to get into the White Room for a skill to do with telepathy resistance or something to help me better control my instincts.
Anyway, speaking about cultivation, I'd advanced quite a bit in terms of my level in the Body Tempering stage. I'd gone from the first level, Skin Strengthening, all the way to Blood and Marrow Tempering which was the fifth level. My strength had made a massive leap. I mean, I wasn't strong enough to lift thousands of tonnes, sure, but I could easily lift a bus or a garbage truck if I wanted to. And that was without trying my hardest or using Beast Qi to reinforce my body.
This was the start to cultivation and I was already quite strong. My talent was also something else - I was speeding through the levels. Even the mini-bottleneck between the Low levels and the Middle levels was easily overcome.
Plus, the Body Tempering had inspired growth in my body. Both in terms of height, width and overall muscle mass. When I first got to their world, I'd say I was about 6'1". But now, like I said before, I'm 6'3". I don't have a swimmer's physique anymore either. It's more of a martial artists build - lean and compact but with a certain amount of bulk that screams power and strength.
No doubt my perfect proportions is to do with the [Pink Muscle Enhancement] skill that I brought and soon merged with [Beast King Body Strengthening]. Perfect balance between strength and speed, after all.
Looking in a nearby mirror, I made sure my long-ish hair was fine and wasn't unkempt/dirty or anything before I straightened my tie somewhat and turned to a nearby coat hanger, reaching up and taking my long style coat off of it before I slipped it on. Kinda made me feel like Sherlock when I wore this and that never failed to make me smile, honestly.
Turning to Andre who was following close behind me, I spoke, "Phone one of the drivers to come round to the front of the building," I addressed him before beginning to walk down the stairs.
I had a deal to pull through.
. . .
Smiling, I got out of the car and into some scrapyard filled with a rusty and dirty smell. Ignoring the smell, I turned toward the large black dude dressed in a similarly well-made suit to the one I was currently wearing and standing in front of a bunch of other people. All of them holding their hands on pistols tucked into the front of their jeans.
"Cornell Stokes," I smiled, putting my arms out wide before I took a few steps forward and lowered them, "It's great to finally meet you. You're a real legend on these streets," I casually complimented him, looking behind him and at his subordinates who were holding their hands on their guns, "So, can you tell me, why such a big shot legend like you has subordinates who have such itchy trigger fingers? They've got no chill," I laughed and a few of the men behind Cornell scowled and went to pull out their guns but a raised hand from Cornell stopped them.
Cornell ''Cottonmouth'' Stokes. He was a big guy. Smaller and less muscled than me but still, a big guy in his own right. Plus, he had a ruthless brutality that I could respect. He beat a guy to death with his bare hands. No technique either. Just caved the poor fucker's head in with repeated heavy hits.
Lowering his hand, Cornell gave a laugh before sneering, "You really asking that question? You brought those freaks," he thrust his chin toward Andre and another Mutant behind me, a small Asian girl, "Of course they're gonna be on edge. Especially when they meeting the guy who can keep those freaks in order. How do you go about doing that anyway?" he asked, seeming genuinely curious but also because he was just trying to make small talk for some reason.
My sensitive hearing picked up Andre's hands clenching and his joints quietly popping and I could also hear the Asian girl's teeth grinding in her mouth. Her name was Jenny. Got kicked out of her house after she fried all the electrics in the house when she was 16. This was only a few months ago but she'd already discovered what he powers were - electrokinesis. The generation and control of electricity.
Andre, on the other hand, could enhance his muscle power and hardness by a certain amount making him superhumanly strong and durable. Though he was no where near my strength even when I was being casual.
Hearing these sounds, I looked to Cornell and gave a half smile, "Well, for starters I don't refer to them as freaks. It does wonders for their opinion of me. The rest of my method? Trade secret. I'm sure you understand," I gave a polite smile that barely hit the thinly veiled mocking in my tone.
Before he could even answer, I took a step forward, making the men behind him flinch. He, however, did not.
I can respect that.
But when I smiled, he flinched a little as my aura seeped out a little. The aura of a beast covered the abandoned scrapyard, terrifying everyone inside of it. Even my subordinates. Though some of them looked to me with awe instead of fear. Or more accurately, a mix of awe and fear.
"So, should we get on with business?" I continued my smiling and Cornell just stared at me with slowly widening eyes. He was beginning to understand:
The Mutants kept in line below me because of the aura I was releasing.
He couldn't understand it or how I was doing it but he knew what he was feeling. He knew what I was and what he and everyone else other than me was. He could feel it instinctively. That he and everyone else were the prey...and I was the predator. And now that I'd got my sights on Harlem, I'd be taking it. Instinctive dread and despair filled him, as I saw it in his eyes, before I suddenly retracted the aura like it was never there in the first place.
"So, should we?" I reiterated with an even wider smile, my eyes narrowing somewhat. Cottonmouth, huh? I know you're not called that because you're being compared to the snake...but even still, you're a disgrace to the name.
I'd gladly and easily take over New York if this is my level of competition.
...Ah, I can feel my territorial instincts growing again. Well, no need to subdue them just yet, right?
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