Late at night.
Hell's Kitchen.
A back alley reeking of sour, overnight stench.
Moon Knight leaned against the damp brick wall, breathing heavily.
His White hood and cape were stained with blood that wasn't his, along with some corrosive liquid and charred Marks.
The battle was over.
Marc Spector was in control of the body.
He felt the dull ache from his ribs and the burning sensation on his arm where an energy weapon had grazed him.
The last Carbonadium crescent dart was completely destroyed by the enemy's dying energy pulse the moment it pierced his brain.
What annoyed him even more was the convenience store nearby, with only half its sign left after being blown up, and the dirt-covered vegetables and fruits scattered on the ground.
He had inadvertently caused that damage while trying to evade the villain's explosive attack.
Every mission.
Besides the toll on his body and equipment, these innocent losses weighed him down, making it hard to breathe.
He leaned against the wall, exhausted.
Amidst his chaotic thoughts, a gentle face with gold-rimmed glasses and another confident face, as if he could sell a comb to a bald man, suddenly flashed through his mind.
That insurance salesman named William Rodriguez.
CEO?
Board of Directors?
Subsidiary?
Risk assessment?
Marc scoffed at the ridiculous contract Steven had signed.
Comparing their damned lives to a corporate group?
It was the coldest joke in the World.
But... he felt his pocket, touching the cold, specially made phone that William called the 'transfer scepter.'
Handling potential property loss... providing the most certain external environment for your uncertain life... those words echoed in his mind like a spell.
Marc looked at his empty gauntlet, then at the completely ruined dart remnants on the ground, finally settling his gaze on the messy convenience store ruins.
Anyway... what's the harm in trying?
He took out his phone and, following William's extremely simple instructions, found a basic app named 'Asset Loss Report.'
The interface was as ugly as something from the last century, with only a camera button and a 'Submit' button.
Marc bent down and took a 'snap' of the metal debris on the ground.
Then he took another picture of the destroyed convenience store.
He unhesitatingly clicked 'Submit' for both options... Meanwhile.
William was wearing a silk bathrobe, holding a glass of red wine, standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, admiring the sleepless night view of New York.
This was the life he wanted: safe, comfortable, with all the chaos and danger of the World shut out beyond the glass.
"Buzz—"
His private phone, which was also the system terminal, vibrated slightly on the coffee table.
William walked over and picked it up.
Two system notifications popped up.
[Detected client 'Moon Knight' (subsidiary: Marc Spector) submitted a claim for 'High-Risk Service Equipment Loss Insurance.']
[Claim item: Carbonadium Crescent Dart x 1 (completely destroyed)]
[Loss assessment: Complies with clause B.1.3 - 'One-time consumption or irreversible damage of standard equipment during service.']
[Evidence: Image file IMG_089a.jpg]
[Detected client 'Moon Knight' (subsidiary: Marc Spector) submitted a claim for 'Third-Party Property Damage Liability Insurance.']
[Claim item: Convenience store building structure and merchandise damage]
[Loss assessment: Complies with clause C.2.1 - 'Unintentional property damage caused to a third party during service.']
[Evidence: Image file IMG_089b.jpg]
William clicked on the images and saw a pile of metal fragments lying on the dirty ground, and another photo of the messy interior of the convenience store.
The background of both was a pair of blood-stained White combat boots.
The smile at the corner of his mouth instantly widened.
Here it comes!
He knew that a high-intensity, high-wear-and-tear 'salesman' like Moon Knight would definitely be the perfect client for the claims system!
Stephen's mild temperament might mean he'd never use insurance in his life.
But Marc Spector, this violent man, was practically a walking claims trigger!
"This efficiency is much better than those clients in my previous life who got into car accidents and tried to delay paying."
William was dramatic in his thoughts.
His finger, however, unhesitatingly swiped across the screen.
[Claim application under review... Review passed.]
[Execute claim immediately?]
"Yes!"
William shouted in his heart.
[Claim execution complete.]
[For 'convenience store damage' item: Claim funds have been directly transferred to the damaged merchant's account as per agreement.]
[For 'Carbonadium Crescent Dart' item: Replacement equipment has been shipped via encrypted channel, estimated to arrive at the client's designated secret location within one hour.]
[Claim successful! Randomly drawing abilities related to client Moon Knight for you...]
[Drawing successful! Congratulations on obtaining ability fragment: Pain Suppression (Elementary)]
[Ability description: Passive ability. Your perception of physical blunt pain will be initially suppressed, reducing some discomfort caused by injury, thereby effectively enhancing your focus and response capabilities while injured.]
A subtle warmth rose from his spine, quickly spreading throughout his limbs.
William felt like... nothing had changed.
He frowned in confusion, then tentatively lifted his foot and gently bumped it against the hard solid wood corner of the sofa table.
"Hiss..."
It still hurt.
But he immediately noticed the difference.
That piercing pain, the kind that made one want to hop around holding their foot, felt as if it was separated by a thin layer of cotton.
Though still present, it was no longer as sharp.
Completely bearable.
"Good stuff!"
William's eyes lit up.
This was simply a divine skill tailor-made for an ordinary man like him who cherished his life and feared death!
Although it was only elementary, it meant that even if he accidentally got punched, he would be able to react faster than others.
Instead of clutching his stomach and screaming in pain.
Just as William was delighted with his new ability.
In the back alley of Hell's Kitchen.
Marc Spector, who was about to leave, felt the 'transfer scepter' in his pocket suddenly vibrate.
He irritably pulled it out, thinking it was a spam message from that salesman.
However, the screen only displayed a concise, cold line of text:
[Claim #MK-001 processed. For 'convenience store damage' item: Claim funds have been directly transferred to the damaged merchant's account. Your replacement equipment has been shipped via encrypted channel, estimated to arrive at your secret stronghold within one hour. — Your exclusive Risk Consultant, W.R.]
Marc abruptly stopped, his pupils contracting.
He looked down at the message, then up at the alley entrance, as if trying to find a hidden camera.
How long had it been from when he submitted the application to receiving this processing result?
One minute?
Or thirty seconds?
No tedious procedures, no endless bickering, no 'please wait patiently' nonsense.
Only... results.
A cold, efficient, accurate result.
Marc Spector, a man who had been through years of gunfights, conspiracies, and schemes, felt for the first time an impact called 'professionalism.'
He suddenly felt that the contract Steven had signed might... not be a joke after all.
This guy, who called himself a 'Risk Consultant,' seemed to genuinely be able to bring a glimmer of certainty, something he had never dared to hope for, to his chaotic quagmire.
He gripped the phone tightly, his heart, which had been agitated by the battle and exhaustion, inexplicably calmed down a little.
"W.R..."
He murmured the initials.
Then turned and disappeared into the deeper darkness.
-----------------------------
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