Three minutes later.
*Splash.*
The holess man climbed out of the sewer manhole and looked frantically up and down the street, as if searching for soone—or sothing.
He found nothing.
"Heh."
Locke removed the cigarette from the corner of his mouth, crushed it under his heel, and watched from a distance as the man, unsuccessful in his search, retreated back into the sewers. A small smile played on Locke's lips.
He had checked the man's background. Locke hadn't bothered to morize his na, but he knew that the $100,000 he'd left behind would allow the man to pay off his bank debts and still have over $10,000 left.
With that, he could rent a decent apartnt. Once he had a permanent address, he could find a job, pull himself out of the mire, and get his life back on track.
It was a good outco.
'I really am a kind person.'
Just then—
*BOOM!*
In the nearby slum, a dilapidated house suddenly erupted in a fireball. A gas leak, apparently.
Locke turned his head toward the sound, his smirk widening.
Kindness begets kindness. Evil begets evil. Locke didn't usually do good deeds. But tonight, having done a pure, altruistic favor for no reward, he felt like his soul had been slightly refined.
...
Back at the Star Tower.
A short while later, Locke stepped out of the bathroom, drying his damp hair with a towel. Whenever Gwen washed her hair, she needed a blow-dryer; Locke just gave his a few vigorous rubs with a towel, ran his fingers through it, and it was dry enough.
He stepped onto the balcony and lay down on his lounger, opening his system inventory.
The ten slots were nearly full.
[Small Health Potions x30]: Grouped in tens. Locke had bought four stacks during previous discount refreshes. He'd used a few here and there, leaving three full stacks.
[Silver Dancer (Red Quality) x1]: The signature weapon of the Legendary Assassin. Upgrading item quality was prohibitively expensive, and since Red Quality already provided infinite ammunition, Locke hadn't felt the urge to push it to Gold. He was waiting for a discount upgrade card to appear in the shop.
[Tracking Card x2] and [Positioning Card x2]: These were also for the Assassin's use. Locke's style ant that so targets, after receiving their "notice," loved to play hide-and-seek. However, these cards were pricey, and Locke was reluctant to waste them on average "custors."
Then there were the new arrivals:
[Treasure Refresh Card (Random Discount) x1]
[Mystery Item Box x1]
The refresh card was a reward for completing his "leisure" mission on the cruise, while the mystery box had dropped after he soloed the giant octopus.
"Use it!" Locke commanded, selecting the Mystery Item card.
*Ding!*
[Inventory Expansion Card x50 (Use this card to expand your inventory to 50 slots. Provides ample space for items, tools, or any non-living objects.)]
Locke raised an eyebrow. "Use."
Instantly, his grid expanded. Fifty slots. Not bad.
"Now, Treasure Refresh Card!"
*Ding!*
[Rare Item Discount Shop Opened.]
*Ding!*
[Random Contractor Arrived!]
[Sensing your Witch connection, the discounts this ti are provided by Lulu, the Fae Sorceress.]
[Health Potion x3 (50% Off)]: Price: 500 Achievent Points. A mysterious potion. Even if you've stepped into Hell, it can bring you back to the mortal realm. No side effects.
[Lulu's Whimsy Card x1 (70% Off)]: Price: 20,000 Achievent Points. The kind Fae Sorceress dislikes bloodshed. Her way of punishing enemies is turning them into harmless animals.
[Amplifying To x1 (90% Off)]: Price: 30,000 Achievent Points. A favorite of witches. It allows an ordinary person to learn supernatural magic, even if they have zero natural aptitude.
[...]
[Item Fusion Device (80% Off)]: *Price: 40,000 Achievent Points. Witches love tinkering. This device can rge two items with different effects. (View compatible items after purchase).*
[Quality Upgrade Card (Deep Discount!)]: Originally 1,000,000, now on clearance for 50,000 Achievent Points. Upgrade any item to Gold Quality. Don't hesitate!
[Sun God Bloodline (40% Off)]: Price: 60,000,000 Achievent Points. No introduction needed. You watch the preview video every night before bed anyway.
[...]
Locke chuckled. "You've got the nerve to offer the Sun God bloodline at forty percent off, but I... I still can't afford it."
He looked at his balance: [Achievent Points: 108,000]
Every ti the treasure shop refreshed, it was a reminder of how poor he truly was. He looked at the Health Potions, the Amplifying To, and the Upgrade Card. He wanted it all. He'd tried to ask for a "credit line" before, but the system remained a cold, unfeeling machine.
"Fine." Locke rubbed his chin. He bought the [Gold Quality Upgrade Card] and the [3 Health Potions].
*Ding!*
[Achievent Points: 43,000]
His savings had been cut in half. But so investnts were mandatory. You can't rush into a fight with "white-tier" gear; that's how people get killed.
He closed the shop. As long as he didn't refresh it again, the items—including that 60-million-point bloodline—would stay there.
'Sixty million. I'm never refreshing this shop again,' Locke thought fiercely. He pulled out the 'Silver Dancer and thought: *Use!*
*Ding!*
*[Silver Dancer (Red Quality) requires 50,000 Potential Points and one Gold Quality Upgrade Card to reach (Gold Quality). Confirm?]*
'I already bought the card. Might as well,' Locke thought. "Confirm!"
*Ding!*
[Unnad (Gold Supre Quality): A weapon imbued with supre-tier energy. It can shift into any weapon form you desire according to your thoughts. (Note: Do not transform it into anything 'weird.' It carries the scent of a Golden Legend; it is a top-tier weapon.)]
*Hum—*
Locke watched as a mass of golden energy coalesced in his hand, squirming like a living thing. With a thought, it solidified into a golden Colt M1911A1 with a matching golden suppressor.
Then, he willed it again. A flash of light, and an identical golden pistol appeared in his left hand.
The next second, the pistols vanished. In their place was a heavy, golden "Bolt Sniper Rifle," also suppressed.
It wasn't just firearms. Longswords. Broadaxes. Even ancient flintlocks.
"Nice!" Locke grinned. He pressed the golden mass against his forearm. *Clack-clack-clack!* A golden bracer instantly ford around his arm, sleek and perfectly fitted.
*Duang! Duang!*
Locke flicked the tal with his finger, his smile widening. This was worth every bit of the 50,000 Achievent Points and 50,000 Potential Points.
He spent the rest of the night playing with his new toy, which he decided to call the Peerless Divine Weapon. Like any boy with a new toy, he couldn't put it down until he had explored every function.
...
The next day.
Locke, Gwen, Cindy, and Kahn returned to Midtown High. Even though it was still break, many students were in the library for extra tutoring.
Unsurprisingly, the four of them were greeted with intense interest. They were the only survivors from the Poseidon in their social circle.
That afternoon, at Gwen's house.
Gwen rubbed her temples, looking at George with a bit of a pout. "Dad, why did you have to let the survivor list leak?"
George laughed. "The NYPD didn't leak it. This was a massive international incident. The FBI, DHS, and even the CIA are involved. You knew this was going to be huge."
Gwen rested her chin on her hand. "Locke and I can barely walk through the school. And it's only the holidays. When school actually starts, I won't be able to study at all if everyone is constantly asking questions."
George smiled. "It won't last. Every tragedy starts with fury and ends in being buried. 9/11 was the biggest news in history, and after three months, people stopped talking about it every day."
Gwen sighed and nodded. Then, she changed the subject. "By the way, Dad, you said last night that the Legendary Assassin killed soone again?"
Locke, sitting nearby, looked up.
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