First of all, I would like to see the results of my escape.
The main storyline is complete!
Your perseverance and success have impressed Chronos — +100 to your karma. Choose your reward.
There were three reward options in total.
1) "Rich Orphan" — 10,000,000 dollars, Ring of the Deceiver (Stats: +5 to Dexterity, +5 to Charisma. Passive Ability: Increases the chance that your conversation partner will believe your lies).
The icon depicted a pile of money and the silver ring with a small emerald.
2) "Weapon Fanatic" — Spectral Dagger Talos — this dagger was created by Hunter John Wood to kill ghosts. Effective against incorporeal creatures.
"...and even with such a legendary weapon, his strength was not enough to..." — from an excerpt from John Wood's adventure, Volume VI.
Rank: Legendary
Requirements for use: Profession: Assassin. Attribute requirements: None.
Damage: Spiritual
Non-level-based. Becomes stronger as the character's level increases.
It looked quite impressive and beautiful. The semi-transparent blue-blue curved dagger was impressive in size and looked more like a short sword than a dagger. There was a small ring at the end of the hilt, and its interesting pattern at the base of the blade assured me of its uniqueness and antiquity. I had never seen anything like it before.
3) "Black Mystical Box" — contains one of the random epic items.
The name spoke for itself. It was a suspicious-looking black box with question marks on each side.
Before making my choice, I decided to weigh everything up. The first item was quite tempting because money usually solves most problems in any world, but I decided not to choose it. Soon, I want to test my theory anyway, and if it turns out to be true, I will be able to forget about hunger and money forever, but more on that later. The Mystical Box is more for those who hunt for very rare items and don't have any problems with their needs. Rather, it is an item for "high-level" players. They open these boxes and hope for the blessing of the system, and then receive some useless junk or a very rare item. I was just stupidly afraid to open this box because of my terrible luck.
Your "Luck" parameter will not affect the probability of a particular item dropping from the Black Mystic Box!
To be fair, right? No, I don't want to take any chances, so I'll go with option two. Well, the first reason for my choice is that this weapon will be useful at all levels due to its excellent qualities, and the new type of damage raised a couple of new questions for me. If it's effective against ghosts and deals "Spiritual" damage, what about impenetrable strongmen? How will I damage them? Through their "soul"? Will it just ignore them and pass right through? Well, you won't know until you try. Well, the second reason was simple... its awesomeness! Despite everything they did to me and how they tried to turn me into a weapon, I was still a child inside. Let's just say... a slightly "grown-up child." Okay, let's put the dark thoughts aside and finally make a choice.
A moment after I clicked on the right option, the dagger formed in the air in front of me in the tiniest polygons. Since I had already reached level 15 thanks to my escape, I decided not to bother too much and chose the "Assassin" class. As soon as I did that and lightly touched the dagger levitating in the air, which exuded a mystical blue haze, I was surprised to find that it seemed to weigh nothing. A couple of seconds later, the dagger seemed to draw part of my life force out with its tentacles. I grimaced, slightly annoyed, but quickly accepted this fact, as new information appeared.
Spectral Dagger Talos Equipped!
Level: 15
Damage: Spiritual/Pure (124-???)
Abilities: "Target Armour Piercing and Ignore," "Stealth," "Mental Link with Owner."
Apparently, this pain was part of the contract, and now I can use it to its full extent. But now I have more questions. What does "Pure" damage mean? If my memory serves me correctly, Pure Damage is damage that cannot be reduced or mitigated by armour and, as you might guess, is the most dangerous type of damage. Can I find somewhere to explain what pure damage means and what the hell these mysterious questions in the damage bar mean? System?
The information is hidden for the sake of enjoying your first experience of playing the game. You'll soon figure out what these values mean for yourself.
Why is everything always so complicated with you?! Oh well, never mind. Then I have another question, since you've decided to answer. I've wanted to know this from the very beginning, but because of my situation, it didn't make sense. Can I look at the "Auction"? And are there others like me?
In online RPG games, the Auction was a kind of huge trading area where you could sell or exchange rare items with other players. There were even cases when an item could be sold at auction for several thousand real money.
Answer to the first question: The auction opens after reaching level 20 and obtaining 100 units of reputation in the World of Popadants. At the moment, you do not have a high enough level and reputation to enter the marketplace.
Answer to the second question: Is there any point in answering a question you already know the answer to? The Global Popadants Chat is blocked. The block will be lifted after the Auction is unlocked.
Well, that's what I expected. So, I'm just one of many, right? Now I can't feed my ego with beliefs about my chosen status and immortality, because I can always be replaced.
Right, next on the dagger list are "Stealth" and "Mental Connection." Well, it's simple. In the first case, the dagger could become completely invisible, as if dissolving into an invisible fog, and in the second case... to test my theory, I threw it slightly into the air and made a circular gesture with my index finger, and the dagger, obeying my will, repeated my action, spinning around.
"How cool!
When I looked at the number of free skill and ability points I had, I realised that, for some reason, there were fewer than there should have been, and the reason for this was that the Temporary Rewind ability had cost me three whole skill points! Apparently, this is due to its versatility. Well, I still have enough skill points, and my inner hamster isn't freaking out over this loss yet. Still, it was a necessary measure.
Catching the dagger in midair and grabbing the ring on the hilt, I began to twirl it playfully on my index finger, whistling cheerfully as I walked towards the nearest town.
"My next stop is to test my brilliant theory!
Well, the city of Oshava wasn't really that big, but the mere sight of an ordinary and completely harmless city touched me a little. I missed this kind of everyday life so much. Just over three months ago, I could have lived like this, carefree, but now my life would be like some kind of dangerous obstacle course. I'm not stupid, and I'm well aware that sooner or later someone will try to recruit me and use me for their own purposes. Like it was with the Nazis before.
"People are afraid of what they cannot control," I heard someone say once. And so I decided to help... "different" people for a certain reward, and not become part of something for longer than necessary. Any organisations dedicated to protecting the world, rainbows and ponies will be sent far away, and if they try to put a spoke in my wheel, I will simply find them, track them down, destroy them and leave no memory of their existence. My boss was enough for me. I don't want to be under the thumb of a "new" one. They may say different things, but the essence will remain the same. I will be nothing more than a tool to achieve their goals. Nothing more...
But enough of this gloom! It's time to prove my incredible theory. To stop time. I took a couple of hundred dollars from the nearest civilian's wallet (he won't be any poorer for it) and put the wallet back, returning time to its current course, and went to an inconspicuous empty alley where I could carry out my plan in peace.
I won't beat around the bush and explain what I wanted to do. Since the Nazis had no way of studying my phenomenon of stopping time without being within the radius of the stoppage themselves, they gave me a book that increased my general understanding of Time and the Universe as a whole.
Theorists claimed that there are a great many parallel worlds in the system (and since I am here, this theory is quite proven), but there are also... how best to describe it... "Time Layers". Yes, that's the best word for it. Let's assume that another variation of me also decided to enter this alley. Question: what does this give me? We'll see. I invest a point of my newly invented skill in development and begin to practise.
I place these two hundred dollars on the asphalt. After counting ten seconds in my head, I put them in my pocket. Now, placing my palm on the spot where the money was lying, I create a kind of black and white "pancake" in space and... voila! Exactly the same two hundred dollars appear in front of me!
"Success! Even the serial numbers on the bills are different!
What just happened? I'll try to explain it as simply as possible. I simply took this money from one of the millions of possible versions of myself. Let's say that "I" also stole it from some other guy and decided to conduct the same experiment, but in his case, he "failed" and was left without money.
You have successfully mastered: Temporary Cloning of Objects. Level: Max
You take an almost identical item from an infinite variation of yourself, which may have minor differences. The OD consumption will depend on the complexity of the cloning.
Judging by the fact that my OD points only decreased to ten, I can become rich beyond measure in just an hour. Each time doubling them, doubling them, doubling them! How many incredible possibilities this Power can offer!
"What about the Spectral Dagger?
Your level of mastery over Time is too low to clone an item of that rank.
Too complicated a design, eh? Oh well, that's enough. After all, I originally planned to get rid of my financial problems and...
"Urrrhhh!
It's time to grab a bite to eat, I've been travelling all day and it's almost sunset. I should pop into the nearest café. I think 409,600 dollars will be enough to get me started.
When I entered the café called "Strawberry," all the patrons literally couldn't take their eyes off me. Well, yes, I looked peculiar: a dirty black and grey ceremonial uniform, green hair sticking out in all directions, and a fox-like smile — all this completed my "abnormal" appearance. It was a good thing I had gotten rid of the swastika on my clothes, or they would have sent me to the police for extremism. Well, at least they would have tried...
"Um... how can I help you?" the cute waitress asked uncertainly, holding a metal tray in front of her, looking slightly nervous. Her question wasn't strange. It was more like what you'd expect from a local café employee. It's just that I didn't know what to choose in places like this. They served a whole bunch of different desserts.
"Can I have a little bit of everything?"
She looked at me as if I were crazy. Only now she was openly sceptical.
"Can you confirm that you can pay?" she asked me, still uncertain and suspicious. I just shrugged and took a whole wad of neatly folded banknotes out of my inside pocket. The waitress's face was so funny and amusing that I couldn't help but smile.
"Your order will be ready... in... um... can you wait, please? I need to check with my manager," I muttered with a mocking smile, putting my hand under my chin.
"The boss?! I need your help!
"Yes, Rose?" A slightly overweight pastry chef in a standard baker's uniform came out of the bakery.
"We need one of everything!
"What do you mean... 'Everything'?! Be more specific!"
"It means exactly what it says! Look at this!" And, under the confectioner's astonished gaze, I waved a wad of money in front of his nose.
For the next hour, I felt like a child who had fulfilled his dream. Unfortunately, I couldn't manage to eat even half of what they gave me, so I asked them to put all the sweets in plastic containers and then in bags. I gave the ice cream cups to a couple of kids who had come with their parents. I decided to do this because it wasn't possible to pack them (and it would have been silly to show off my skills for ice cream). It was funny to watch these same children later, when I left the café, begging to have "the same thing."
My next stop was the hairdresser. I wanted to tidy up my hair, as shock therapy, explosions and rolling around on the ground had turned it into a walking mess. I didn't order anything special from the hairdresser, just asked him to trim it here and there and comb it neatly.
My next stop was a clothing store. I wouldn't say that my uniform was bad. No, it looks pretty good, and I don't feel uncomfortable in it or have any vague desire to burn it because it was made by "Nazis." They did have pretty good uniforms, after all. It's just that I stand out too much in it, and it looks extremely untidy and dirty. Anyway, if I find the time, I'll definitely tidy it up, but for now I don't want to waste time on it.
A white shirt, black jacket, black tie, and matching trousers and shoes. All standard. The only thing that caught my eye was the hats. I don't know why, but for some strange reason, I had a strange fetish for this type of clothing. I just liked how they looked on me. I couldn't resist and bought five different hats. A cap, an octagonal hat, a peaked cap, a baseball cap and my favourite type... a black fedora. I decided to leave the shop wearing it. Well, now I look like a human being, and I can set off... on my journey? Where should I go, by the way? Towards adventure, of course! I am a "Gamer." I won't go looking for trouble, it will find me thanks to my "Luck," so I decided to choose the best city from the list of cities available to me — the famous Gotham. I wanted to see this Batman character. Maybe even play Justice with him and see the Joker. I'm sure both of these characters will impress me. Maybe I should even ask the Joker to be my friend?
"Luke... I am your father!
"No! That's not true! That's impossible!!! Nooooooooo!!! *
I reenacted the famous scene from Star Wars with a slightly altered voice.
Closer to midnight, I managed to flag down a truck on the motorway and ask the driver to give me a lift. He didn't turn down such a strange and young guy. Money also played a role here, so I allowed myself to relax a little and fall asleep in the passenger seat like a normal human being. That day, I felt simply wonderful. So this is how a free man feels?
"What a wonderful feeling," I whispered to myself, my empty words drowned out by the quiet music coming from the radio of the driver, who was heading towards New York. A couple of transfers and I would see with my own eyes the comic book come to life. But I mustn't forget to be careful. After all, I didn't have a second chance like I did then. Overconfidence and excessive trust lead to disaster. I had learned that lesson well.
24 hours later. Nazi laboratory. 4 June 2002.
Amanda Waller walked through the burnt-out level of the fanatics' laboratory and, together with the soldiers, searched for anything that could be useful to her organisation. The surviving mercenaries, nicknamed "Fang" and "Shooter," refused to meet with her in person and provided her with information via a hologram, deciding to stop working for her. She got all the info she needed from them, and even the fact that they couldn't tell her where Subject 88 had gone didn't really bother her. Her organisation would be able to find him in a matter of days once he reached the nearest town.
She fulfilled her part of the agreement and gave them the money. As agreed. Her organisation was powerful and huge, but despite this, "they" preferred to act secretly. From the shadows. If she had not fulfilled their agreement, few of the mercenaries would have continued to do business with her. Their attempt to subdue or destroy this rabble would have attracted too much attention to the organisation, which they could not afford.
She was not at all bothered by the charred corpses and the terrible smell they gave off. She was more concerned by the fact that all this had been done, albeit indirectly, by just one boy. He was extremely dangerous. And while Batman and Superman couldn't be touched because of their reputation and influence, this boy was a nobody. Just a dangerous and unknown variable that needed to be controlled. If she was right in her reasoning, she would surely be given the task of capturing him. The only question was how to catch someone who could control time?
"Mrs. Waller! We found this strange object among the debris," her gaze appraised the strange-looking rectangular box, which looked more like a gramophone.
"Put all the intact and suspicious items in the truck. When you're done loading, head to Base B-17. Any questions?"
"No, ma'am.
"Then get to work. I need to return to headquarters for further instructions.
"This is definitely going to be difficult..." she thought to herself, massaging her temples slightly.========== Chapter 4. Gotham - Part 1 ==========
I liked New York in the morning. The noise was everywhere, buzzing and constant, as if the city was moving somewhere. It reminded me of home. Ha... "home," what could I call home now? Even after escaping that vile snake pit, I couldn't relax for a second because of the mysterious organisation that Fang and Gunman had been working for. Was I right to let them go? Wouldn't it have been better to get rid of them to gain at least some time and reduce the likelihood of my discovery? No. Essentially, I haven't changed anything. People like that will stop at nothing. One day earlier? One day later? There's practically no difference, considering that I'm almost always on my guard.
The streets were crowded, but among the crowd I noticed one person who had been following me almost from the beginning of my journey. I even stopped several times. Just to buy a newspaper or give some change to a beggar in a dark alley. It was useless. I was definitely being followed.
Entering an alley, I activated Stealth and waited calmly. As soon as our ordinary citizen with dark glasses ran into the alley, he muttered angrily into the small earpiece on his ear:
"Beta Alpha, target disappeared. Last location — High Street alley." Waiting for him to finish his message, I grabbed him by the edge of his T-shirt and pulled him into the alley with all my strength. Slowly removing my camouflage, I twirled the dagger on my index finger with a slight smile on my lips.
"Hello, I'm Alex, nice to meet you," the tip of the dagger appeared right in front of his nose, and I took off my hat with my left hand and bowed slightly. "Why are you so surprised? Never met anyone with good manners before? Then I feel sorry for you.
"What do you want from me?
"Well, I wouldn't say I want anything from you. After all, you're the one who had me followed. Come on, admit it, who was it this time? Hmm?
"I can't...
"I understand," I interrupted him and put on a sympathetic face, "they tried to instil a sense of pride and loyalty to the organisation in me too, but they didn't succeed. I know how it feels to feel important and that your mission is significant. If it weren't for me, you'd probably be drinking beer with your friends or in bed with some nice lady right now. Let's make a deal: I promise I won't hurt you, and, as you told your boss, I'll just 'disappear'. And you tell me the name of your boss. How about it?" To prove my good intentions, I put my dagger away in Stealth and held out my left hand to shake his. He took my hand and got up from the asphalt. My smile grew even wider.
"Alright, it's Amanda Waller.
"Thank you, I knew we'd understand each other.
Removing the stealth from my dagger, I made a quick swing at his neck. At first, nothing happened, and I thought the dagger was defective because it just passed through his body. But after a couple of seconds, a red ring formed around his neck, and a second later, his head separated from his body. Wait, it's spiritual damage, so how...? After looking at the kill statistics, it finally dawned on me what the Pure Damage parameter of my dagger meant. When a critical hit landed, this pure damage was activated. Well, considering that the probability of a critical hit is currently 56.8 percent, doesn't that make every other strike I make fatal to a normal person?
"Amanda Waller, right? Damn, as far as I remember, she works for some influential organisation, and now that organisation is targeting me. Not good...
Hiding in stealth mode, I headed towards the local underground. Soon, the body would be discovered, and Waller's organisation would start operating openly. I couldn't ignore them, and I didn't want to run away forever. I had an idea. However, to carry it out, I would need to play my role perfectly.
"I'm not going to play cat and mouse with you for long, Waller."
Location: Gotham
Danger Level: ???
Reputation among Heroes — 0
Reputation among Villains — 0
Overall World Reputation — 5
I got to Gotham by lying on the roof of the last train car. Nothing special, really. The look on the boy's face when he accidentally noticed me quietly and unnoticedly jumping down was priceless. Blend in with the crowd, use stealth again, and exit the subway into the most criminal and dangerous city in the country. Gotham was a large city with high hopes for the future, but it was also a city of criminals. It was here that a record number of crimes were recorded in a single day. After adjusting my hat, I decided to take a short walk around the city and see the sights.
"Ha, there's the Bat Signal. Looks funny," I said aloud, calmly waiting for someone to come up behind me and put a gun to the back of my head.
"Hand over all your money.
I raised my hands demonstratively and, with a slight smile on my lips, slowly turned to the speaker. It turned out to be a middle-aged thug with a revolver. His face was unremarkable and ordinary. He was dressed in a dark jacket and old brown trousers. Judging by his level, he had no special skills, just a mediocre representative of the local rabble.
"I've only been in town for fifteen minutes, and already I'm being welcomed with open arms. I'm new here! Could you give me a tour?
"A tour? What are you talking about?
"You see, I'm a mage! And as it happens, without my consent, you won't get a penny out of me.
He cocked the trigger.
"Then you're going to...
"Wait, wait, wait! I'm not finished yet! I have a lot of money! Here! Look! — I literally created a wad of green bills out of thin air, and it made quite an impression on my foolish "friend."
"Give me more!
"No, no! I'm telling you, I need a guide, and you look like an experienced, skilled guy, and I'm sure you've cleaned out more suckers like me! — I allowed myself to approach him from the side and pat him on the shoulder like a true fan.
"Well... I'm not that skilled...
God, he even got embarrassed. The main thing is not to laugh, or my whole act will be ruined.
"Don't downplay your achievements. So, shall we help each other? I'll help you, and you help me. Seems like a good deal. What do you think?" And for even more motivation, I took another wad of green bills out of my pocket.
"It's a deal!" He put away the gun, and before I could react, another wad of cash was snatched from my hands and tucked into his hidden jacket pocket.
"You're strange... little man.
"I'm Alex T. Keeper. You can just call me Alex. What's your name?"
"I'm... Bill. Just Bill.
"That's probably not your real name. That would explain why he hesitated before introducing himself.
"Okay, 'Bill,'" I commented with a slight sneer. "Can you tell me what's going on here?
"Well, since you're a wizard and can create money out of thin air, listen...
As we strolled through the city at a leisurely pace, he told me about the local structure of the city. The thing is, the city police are just one of the city's spheres of influence, and, funnily enough, not the most influential one. Penguin, Two-Face, Bane, Riddler, Black Mask and, of course, the Joker are just the most famous representatives of the crime syndicates. There were also separate groups and little-known psychopaths in the city. In general, there were those who had their own gangs, as well as simple loners. I asked him a question that had been on my mind since the beginning of our conversation.
"Why don't the law enforcement agencies and the president send reinforcements to restore order in the city?" He laughed slightly, as if he had heard a joke, took a pack of cigarettes out of his jacket pocket and lit one with a lighter.
"Because it's not in their interest. There are corrupt politicians at the top who just want to sit on their golden toilets. Spend resources to deprive themselves of income? No, they won't do that, because this system is already quite firmly entrenched in the country. Now that the city's influence has become so great, even the US president can't do anything about it. And no one wants to go to full-scale war between factions because it would have far more terrible consequences...
"What about Batman?
"Ah, Bat-Face. He's certainly trying to help people and put a spoke in the wheels of all kinds of criminals, but he can't be in two places at once. It may happen that while he is dealing with one group, another is successfully smuggling goods elsewhere. So, he may rid the city of one gang, but strengthen the position of another. Here, people either work for money or for an idea. I don't understand the latter, and I don't want to. Apparently, those who have lost everything in life seek salvation in madness...
"Do you know the Joker?
"And you, I see, are doing your homework.
"Just heard a little. Where I come from, I heard a lot of scary stories. Come on, tell me! — he grinned and then frowned.
"No, I don't know him, and I haven't worked with... him. No one works with the Joker. People are just toys to him, and when he gets tired of a toy, he just throws it away. When I worked for the Penguin, I only caught a glimpse of his gang of crazy idiots.
"So you're one of Penguin's people?
"I said I 'worked' for him. I was his bodyguard for about a month. Then I quit because the last job was too risky. No offence, kid, but I can't tell you anything about him.
"I understand. Everyone has their secrets.
We stopped near a fountain with a monument to a woman and a man, dedicated to the late billionaires. The inscription read: "In memory of Thomas and Martha Wayne." Ha, so that alley must be somewhere around here. Yeah, there's a cinema nearby.
"That's the only landmark I know, but that's not what you're interested in, is it?" he muttered grimly, throwing away his cigarette butt. "You know, kid, I'm not stupid. I've always had a strange sixth sense. It always tells me what to do and how to do it. When it says run, I run, and when it says shoot, I shoot, and now, standing here in front of you, I realise that I've really screwed up by meeting you. Because if you're a magician, you wouldn't have let yourself get robbed. You're just enjoying the show, like that clown...
"Well, there is a little bit of that," I shrug, spreading my arms wide with a sly smile.
"And now I'm sure you're thinking about finishing me off after all this.
"Well, I won't deny it. That was my plan all along," I nod in agreement with his guess. I was curious to see how someone like him would get out of such a hopeless situation.
"I think returning your money would be a good start to negotiations," and, taking the money out of his inside pocket, he handed it to me. I didn't rush to put it back in my inventory.
"Tell me honestly, Alex, what do you want?"
"Hmm... I don't even know," I jumped to the edge of the fountain and slowly began to walk around it playfully. "I think I'm looking for... a challenge. I want to see, and maybe even talk to, the legends of this city. And test my strength. Yes, I think that's it."
"Another weirdo. Although, that's just a feature of this city. Gotham is like a magnet, attracting psychos and never letting them go. There's something... mystical about it all.
"I didn't think you had a philosopher inside you, Bill," I said with a slight smile. But he clearly wasn't in the mood for jokes, because we hadn't even started our invisible bidding war for his life yet.
"I know the location of the bar where several prominent figures in this city are planning to meet, but...
"But?
"You can't get in without a password.
"And you know it, I take it?
"Y-yes, and I'm willing to give it to you with my life.
"Hmm, you know, I'm taking a big risk here. What guarantees do I have that everything you're telling me is true?
"I'm not lying! I may be a pathetic gangster, but if my life is on the line, there's no point in lying!
The fire and determination in his eyes convinced me that he was telling the truth.
"You do understand that if anything happens, I will use my unique magical abilities to find you and ensure you die a most painful death?" I jumped down in front of him and moved in close, trying to find even the slightest hint of doubt, fear or uncertainty. No, only pure determination. Impressive for a worthless individual with no abilities.
"All right, I agree.
"The bar on the west side of the harbour. The password is Grey Fox.
"Well, I think that's all. Oh, yes!" I counted out exactly one thousand dollars from the pile of money and forced it into his pocket. "That's for the tour. After all, I learned almost everything I wanted to know, and even more. My advice to you: next time you want to rob someone, take a good look at them first, take off your hat and, smiling slightly like a fox, bow politely. People with green hair and smiles like that are the most dangerous.
No sooner had he finished speaking than, in a single instant, he... disappeared. There was no trace, no hint of his existence. Only the money in my pocket spoke of his reality.
"Phew... that was close. One clown wasn't enough, now we've got another one. I need to go to the nearest bar and drink myself into oblivion.
The main storyline has begun!!!
More than a hero, more than a villain, or above both...?
Defeat or kill one of the city's influential representatives. Each of your actions will increase or decrease the action points of one or the other. Once you leave the Gotham area, the quest will automatically be considered complete!
Reward: +1 Level, +20 World Reputation, Item: [???], Access to "Dungeons" unlocked.
Failure: You will become one of the many who tried to make a name for themselves but failed. Access to "Dungeons" is unlocked.
Interestingly, in both cases, access to Dungeons is unlocked. Dungeons, or "Undergrounds" as they are also called, are the main source of experience, money, and rare items in online RPGs. They are teeming with various types of enemies and several mini-bosses. The Dungeon can only be completed after defeating its final boss. The problem is that in order to pass such dungeons, you needed either one or several high-level players who would simply clear all the rooms and bosses for you, or, in most cases, simply assemble a team of the appropriate level and equipment to clear it. The most famous strategy consisted of an eternal triangle: Tank-DD-Healer. The fourth or fifth could be anyone and existed only to fill a spot in the squad. The tank absorbed damage and provoked enemies. The DD did most of the damage, and the healer, as you might guess, healed, buffed, and returned them to the battlefield. In my situation, it turns out that I, alone, will have to clear the Dungeon and kill the final boss. I have no idea who I will encounter, what abilities and equipment my enemies and the boss himself will have. It is very risky and dangerous to go there unprepared, so I will just leave a note.
I did find the bar in the port area, near the Atlantic Ocean that washes the city. It looked like something out of a Wild West movie. Only the door was completely metal, with a rectangular insert in the eye area. I knocked on the door several times, after which the insert shifted to the side and...
"Kid... What the hell are you doing here?! Get out of here!
Argh, I feel like they're going to be calling me kid for a long time. I think everything will change if I somehow grow up quickly. Maybe I'll use Time for that... No, I'm not very good at it yet and I can't predict the consequences. What if I age myself to fifty? No way!
Meanwhile, I returned to reality.
"Hey, hey! That's rude, by the way. I actually heard that you were having a little meeting here, so I decided to just take a look and maybe join in on all the fun. I even know the password — Grey Fox. Isn't that enough?
"I don't know how you found out about the password, but according to the rules, invited individuals are not allowed to have weapons, and if you have one, we will simply confiscate it. Do you understand?
"Of course.
The door opened abruptly, and when I went inside, another guy on the left quickly looked me over.
"He's clean...
"Are you sure you checked everything?
"I'm not going to check his ass. I'm not one of those guys, Carlos.
I smiled at the scene and wondered if he was joking or not. Fortunately, his partner decided not to respond and just rolled his eyes wearily. I think if he had insisted on a "full" check, I would have knocked both of their heads off for such a joke.
Inside, it was more spacious than I had expected. There was a bar counter, lots of wooden chairs and tables, and several celebrities from the city were sitting at them. And over there... Short Penguin, coolly observing etiquette, was neatly eating what looked like raw fish with a silver knife and fork. His long nose and monocle in his left eye gave him away immediately. Surrounding him was a group of mafia-like men dressed in brown jackets and hats similar to mine. On the other side of the wooden table sat Black Mask, and strangely enough, he was actually wearing a black skull mask that looked like his face. It looked very realistic. He was dressed in an expensive white tuxedo with trousers and a red rose on his chest. His security detail was much more impressive and consisted mainly of identical men in black suits. And in the middle sat the famous Two-Face, or Harvey Dent, who, in his favourite manner, was tossing a coin. He looked very distinctive, of course: a tuxedo and trousers divided into two halves, black and white. His face looked as if acid had been poured over one half, resembling flesh that had been boiled and roasted at the same time. Amazingly, his eyes had somehow remained intact.
"Mind if I sit down...?" He tossed the coin and, glancing at the result, replied calmly and hoarsely.
"You can sit down.
"Nice to meet you, Harvey, or are you not Harvey now? Oh, never mind. I just wanted to meet one of the most notorious criminals in the city.
"Harvey... Yes, I remember who Harvey Dent is. The fool who thought that everything could be fixed with words and dreams, when in the end it's stupid... honest... and fair chance that decides for us. To destroy evil, you need power, and to get power, you need weapons, and to get weapons, you need money. That's why I decided to become a criminal, so that I could become an instrument of justice.
"I'm curious, does your system work for absolutely all decisions or just for specific ones? It's so inconvenient to constantly flip a coin.
"Only in difficult ones, where Harvey and I find it hard to make a final decision.
"Was it really that difficult a decision for me to sit next to you?
"Yes, your smile reminded me of him. I wanted to wipe it off by shooting you in the face.
"What a sweet and honest guy you are," I smiled, "listen, what about your 'friend' Batman, what about him...?
"Batman...? Friend...? Yes, I remember. He doesn't understand, doesn't want to understand, didn't look as deeply as I did, and that's why he's always against me. I don't blame him. I never blamed him... Bruce, I'm sorry," he whispered his last words into the void, and a single tear fell from his only eye, which he immediately wiped away. I think it's better not to bring this up. For his sake and for the safety of Bruce Wayne himself. And why did I start feeling so sorry for him? Well, probably because Harvey Dent, in my vision, doesn't look like a terrible maniac. He looks like a broken man with a split personality.
"I want to kill him so badly. I remember how I wanted to strangle him with my own hands!" — and that's his alter ego speaking. Then he looked up at me, and his tone immediately changed to calm and cold. "Strange. I see understanding in your eyes. It's as if you know something I don't and have seen something others haven't. Enemy or friend...? Maybe both. I don't understand, I don't want to understand, I want money. Yes, only with money can you achieve everything.
I didn't think that the current version of Harvey Dent would have some kind of code for destroying "Evil." I thought his alter ego would always prevail and lead him to commit ordinary bank robberies for profit, but here he has created a grand goal for himself. Or maybe this is just a simple trick by Two-Face himself to manipulate Harvey? Okay, let's forget about it. I have no desire to delve further into his personalities.
"Listen, Harvey, let's test your chosen status. Have you ever played Russian roulette?
"I've heard of it. Well, let's try it. — From the inside pocket of his suit, he took out a revolver, removed all but one of the bullets, spun the cylinder, and without a moment's hesitation, put the barrel to his temple and...
*Click*
Our game attracted local criminals, and now a small circle had formed around us. Everyone, like animals, waited excitedly to see which one of us would be lying on the floor a cold corpse with a blown-out head from a .44 Magnum pistol.
I took the revolver in my hand and, with one tiny trick, said with a sly smile:
"You know, let me make it easier for you — I'm in front of everyone, with a slight smile, I put the gun to my temple and pulled the trigger three times.
Click, click, click!
The audience roared with admiration. "Here's your 50%," I said, handing him the revolver, and judging by his slightly sweaty and agitated face, he was clearly having difficulty deciding what to do. So he turned to the coin again for help.
"Harvey... there's no point in asking her this time. After all, it's a fair game. 50-50, or are you willing to break your word? Your code, or whatever you call it?
"No, I never break that rule," and with complete confidence, he put the coin in his inside pocket, put the gun to his temple and...
*Click*
The barrel was turned towards me at the last moment.
"I'm disappointed, Two-Face," I said sadly, looking at his stunned face and how he checked the bullet in the cylinder in shock. It was still there, and now it was the last one in the cylinder.
"You decided to make a move for me, and now you have to face the consequences," I said grimly, crossing my arms in front of me. "Or we can just forget about this game! Well, what do you say?!" I asked the audience sharply and cheerfully, and the others began to disperse in disappointment.
"Hey! Come on! It was fun!
"I... I'm sorry, Alex. I broke the promise I made to myself.
"Don't worry about such trifles, Harvey. People aren't machines, and not everything can be calculated by the toss of a coin. After all, frightened by your own death, you broke it in order to live on with your dream of a better world. So if you ever find yourself in a difficult situation, don't rush into a decision based on the flip of a coin. You're a human being, aren't you? Whether you're Two-Face, Harvey Dent, or the Vengeance of Justice. You're a human being. Remember that.
"Break your word to be human...? Yes, that sounds interesting. Thank you, Alex. We... are grateful.
Relationship with Harvey Dent/Two-Face
+100 (Someone I can trust)/+50 (Someone who would be perfect as my subordinate)
He even has his relationship rating split in two. And why am I not surprised?
Reputation among Villains +10
The secret of our game was that when the gun was handed to me, I simply stopped time and placed the bullet in the last chamber of the revolver. In the first scenario, I either confirmed his belief and thus became living proof that he really was an Agent of his Faith. In the second, I would have slightly altered his understanding of his beloved 50/50 rule and still become his friend or someone he could trust. Thus, there was no loser in this game from the start. True, his first move was a bit unexpected, and if it had been fatal, it would have been a fucking disaster. Well, that would have been entirely his fault.
The silence in the bar didn't last long because a new guest knocked insistently on the door.
"Who else is it?
"I heard a party! Come on, open up!
That voice was too recognisable, even though I had never seen this man before. I didn't think he would have Mark Hamill's voice here too. Judging by the expressions on everyone's faces, they recognised that voice too. As soon as they opened the door, he walked in... The Joker. A purple suit, white gloves, pale skin, an inimitable terrifying smile, and crazy green eyes. His favourite sidekick Harley wasn't there, either because she hadn't arrived yet or was absent for some other reason.
Out of curiosity, I decided to test his Observation skill.
Name: Joker
Real Name: John Doe
Age: 32
Titles: Maniac Killer, Cannibal, Man with Nothing to Lose, Piece of Chaos.
Race: Human
Class: Assassin.
Level: 56
Professions: Madman, Servant of Chaos.
Strength: 45
Dexterity: 58
Luck: ???" — cannot be calculated
Intuition: ???" — impossible to calculate
Willpower: 160
Wisdom: 120
Physical Constitution: 70
Endurance: 50
Charisma: 99
Intelligence: 200
Special Abilities: Unbreakable Will, Mad Genius, Master of Escape, Tactical Analysis, Master of Disguise, Black Luck, Immune to Poisons, Insensitive to Pain, Infected Blood, Uncontrollable or Unpredictable, Pawn of a Greater Plan.
Skills: Master of Hand-to-Hand Combat, Master of Cold Weapons, Master of Torture.
Is this even a human being?! Although, judging by some information, he's not exactly a normal person. Well, I'll go and introduce myself. It's not every day you meet people like this.
***
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