After escaping from Lloyds Bank, Russell didn't stop for a moment, using the grappling hook gun to cosplay as Spider-Man across London.
It wasn't until he had run a fair distance that he finally stopped.
At the same time, the System's notification sound rang out in his mind.
[Promotion Mission (Now You See Me) Completed — Title Upgraded.]
[Current Fame: Household Name (Malice Points acquisition increased by 30%)]
[Mission Settlement: S]
[Extra Attribute Points x2, Distributed]
[Malice Points +4000]
[System Shop Items Updated]
[Received Malice Points from Lestrade and others +90]
Russell leaned against the wall, listening to the System notifications, and his originally tense mood instantly relaxed quite a bit.
He pulled up his System panel for a look. Those so-called two Attribute Points allowed him to directly upgrade a current skill or unlock a new one without spending any Malice Points.
Such good things, of course, had to be used where they mattered most.
With almost no hesitation or excessive thought, Russell moved his intent slightly.
[Skill: Sleight of Hand C++ — Upgraded. Current Level: B. Malice Points -1200]
[Malice Points Balance: 3900]
[Skill: Stealth C++ — Upgraded. Current Level: B. Malice Points -1200]
[Malice Points Balance: 2700]
First use Malice Points to upgrade [Sleight of Hand] and [Stealth], and then spend the Attribute Points to improve them further, pursuing the maximization of benefits.
[Skill: Sleight of Hand B — Upgraded. Current Level: B+. Attribute Points -1]
[Skill: Stealth B — Upgraded. Current Level: B+. Attribute Points -1]
[Current Attribute Points Depleted]
The instant the skills were improved, an indescribable warm current rose from his spine, darting through his limbs and bones like electricity.
He reached out his hand, experiencing the sensation of the breeze brushing past his fingertips, as if he could capture the trajectory of the wind.
And the improvement in [Stealth] gave him a brand new understanding of the word "Presence."
Even though he was just standing in the shadows of the alley, his breathing naturally synchronized with the rhythm of the night wind.
It was as if he had merged into one with this darkness.
At this moment, Russell even had an illusion.
He felt that as long as he was willing, he could turn himself into a fallen leaf, a scrap of paper—a background element that passersby would take for granted and absolutely never remember.
The feeling brought by this upgrade was subtle, even leaving him wanting more.
So, he glanced at his balance, and after confirming the prices in the System Shop, decided to upgrade two more attributes.
[Skill: Fighting C+ — Upgraded. Current Level: C++. Malice Points -600]
[Malice Points Balance: 2100]
[Skill: Listening C+ — Upgraded. Current Level: C++. Malice Points -600]
[Malice Points Balance: 1500]
[Skill: Climbing C — Upgraded. Current Level: C+. Malice Points -300]
[Malice Points Balance: 1200]
Every deduction was accompanied by a subtle transformation.
The muscle memory of his body was instantly reshaped; his application of strength and control over balance rose to a new level.
The noise of the world was filtered out. He could clearly hear the soft sound of a carriage rolling over accumulated water two blocks away, and distinguish the unique sounds emitted by different building materials in the wind.
Even those buildings that usually seemed completely impractical to climb now appeared to have several footholds in Russell's eyes.
He felt he could even climb Big Ben.
Alright, alright, that's about enough. Don't tempt me to upgrade anymore.
If I keep upgrading, I'm going to go bankrupt.
Watching his balance instantly plummet from halfway to ten thousand down to 1200, Russell felt a pinch of heartache, but also couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
No wonder in his previous life, online shopping and ordering takeout didn't feel like spending real money.
Digitization is truly terrifying.
He shook his head, retracting his wandering thoughts, and then focused his attention on his harvest for tonight.
Borrowing the moonlight, he saw clearly what exactly he had stolen.
It was some commercial contracts of the Morstan family, as well as bonds and other odds and ends.
"Fate is truly ineffable," Russell lamented.
"How did I end up swiping the safe of Mary's family?"
He shook his head and carefully stuffed the documents back into the inner pocket of his trench coat.
In any case, these things couldn't be like Ethan Roy's stuff, just casually thrown to The Times.
Better to return them to the original owner.
Russell whistled, dispelling the fatigue from the final upgrades from his body.
The night was still long, but his work was finished.
He took one last look in the direction of Lloyds Bank, where the police sirens were already blending into a continuous wail.
Russell put on his hood, his figure rising and falling a few times before completely disappearing among the layered rooftops of London.
Time to go home and sleep.
By daybreak, the rain in London had stopped, and the fog outside the window looked even heavier than usual.
Russell slept until the sun was high in the sky. It wasn't until Mrs. Hudson knocked on his door to remind him to eat lunch that he slowly woke up.
After waking, Russell sat on the bed in a daze for a while, then got up and went into the bathroom to rinse himself from head to toe.
He had fallen asleep immediately after coming back last night, not even taking a shower.
He had to wash off the smell of blood and gunpowder before going out, to avoid being discovered by Charlotte.
Ten minutes later, just as Mrs. Hudson was preparing to urge him a second time, Russell opened the door.
"Good morning, Mrs. Hudson," Russell greeted her while drying his hair with a towel.
"Russell, why are you taking a shower in the middle of the day?"
"I just knocked over my coffee," Russell shrugged.
"Careless fellow... come down quickly for lunch. Greg is here too."
"Inspector Lestrade?" Russell raised his eyebrows, not surprised.
Given what happened last night, it would be impossible for Lestrade not to come looking for help.
He changed into clean clothes, then walked downstairs and sat at the dining table.
Charlotte was sitting opposite him. Seeing Russell come down, she subconsciously raised her eyes to glance at him, then returned her attention to the morning paper in her hands.
"Good morning, Mr. Watson," Lestrade greeted Russell, holding a coffee in his hand.
"Good morning, Inspector Lestrade, and Charlotte."
"Mmh," Charlotte responded faintly.
"So, what big event happened this time?" Russell took a sip of hot coffee, then looked at Lestrade, asking despite knowing the answer.
"Did someone die again?"
"No deaths, but it's not much better. Most people were knocked out with gas," Lestrade nodded, speaking with some melancholy.
"Knocked out?" Russell revealed a look of interest. "Poisoning?"
"Not exactly, and the point isn't that."
"Then what is the point?"
"The point is on Moriarty."
____
________________________________________
If you want more chapters, please consider supporting my page on (P). with 50 advanced chapters available on (P)
👻 Join the crew by searching Leanzin on (P). You know the spot! 😉