"Aaahhhh, that was great. I feel refreshed," Maximilian said as he walked through the dark alley toward the slums. He had an appointment with Ricardo, so he needed to head back there.
Maximilian was still wearing his improvised armor—a modified black Kevlar vest over a black hoodie, a modified motorcycle helmet, and makeshift cut-resistant ties wrapped around his forelegs and forearms with metal plates attached, serving as crude gauntlets.
The armor wasn't exactly top-notch, and mobility was somewhat restricted. But thanks to knowledge inherited from Blood Mongoose, who accustomed to black ops missions where he often need to provide for himself. The armor turned out better than he'd expected. The final touch was a layer of sound-absorbing foam glued to the soles of his armored boots, making his footsteps nearly silent.
That was how he'd managed to ambush the people in the warehouse so easily.
Those people in the warehouse had been truly helpless. Then again, maybe he hadn't given them a chance to fight back—just to ensure he completed the bonus objective. That would explain why they'd seemed so defenseless when he beat them unconscious.
But enough about that.
Glancing at the System UI displaying the completed quest filled him with happiness.
— Main Quest: The Starting Journey of the Greatest Villain! [Full Completion!] —
Description: Every great villain has to start somewhere; every great journey begins with a single small step. Begin the path of villainy today! Become the Greatest Villain tomorrow!
Objective: Beat up a group of innocents. [Completed]
Bonus Objective: Preferably helpless innocents. If they can't fight back, even better. [Completed]
Reward: Unlocks Villain Score feature, Unlocks Storage feature
Bonus Reward: Glasses of Ordinarity
(Author's Note: I've changed the name from "Ordinary Guy Glasses" to "Glasses of Ordinarity.")
[System upgrade in progress... 67%]
The progress bar slowly inched forward—it had been 30 minutes since he completed the main quest. The more it filled, the happier he felt. It was as if the progress bar mirrored his own excitement, rising with his anticipation.
[You seem happy. (｡◕‿‿◕｡)]
{Of course I am! My first main quest is done, and I'm getting new features—one of them being the legendary space storage!} Maximilian replied.
[It's good that you're happy, but don't expect the storage to be the size of a football stadium. The system just awakened within you less than a week ago, and this is its first major functional upgrade. (=.=)] The system warned.
[System upgrade in progress... 78%]
{By the way, aren't you busy? You're upgrading yourself, right? Shouldn't you be in sleep mode or something?} Maximilian asked curiously.
[I can multitask. No problem.]
[System upgrade in progress... 81%]
{Okay...} Maximilian paused mid-step, then looked around for a safe place to wait—just in case.
He climbed up a ladder and took the stairs to the rooftop of a nearby apartment block. The rooftop was empty, so he decided to wait there until the system finished upgrading.
[System upgrade in progress... 100%]
[Congratulations, Host! The system level has increased! (ﾉ≧∀≦)ﾉ]
Greatest Super Villain System
Host Name: Maximilian Sterling Graham
Energy Needed Till Next Level: 2/10
Accumulated Energy: 0
- CQC Mastery: Jujutsu, Muay Thai, Krav Maga, Judo, Karate, Military Knife Fighting—all forms of martial arts and military close-quarters combat are ingrained in you, becoming second nature. Your mastery and experience in CQC are enough to go toe-to-toe with martial arts masters. Only a select few in the world surpass you in melee combat skill and experience.
- Harsh Environment Survival Mastery: Excel in surviving harsh environments, such as deserts, snow regions, and jungles. Able to discern edible plants and avoid dangerous elements, such as wildlife and hazardous plants.
- Black Ops Squad Leadership: Possesses the aura and charisma of someone who frequently performs black ops and the commanding presence of someone who has endured hellish battlefields and emerged bathed in blood. This will help you earn the respect of your subordinates. This also includes knowledge of conducting black ops.
- Modern Firearm Mastery: Complete proficiency with all firearms, Combat skills equivalent to elite special forces operatives
- Cold Weapon Mastery: Expertise with all melee weapons (blades, swords, katanas, polearms, etc.) Advanced combat techniques for close-quarters engagements with cold weapons other than knives.
- Guerilla Warfare Mastery: Mastery of guerrilla warfare tactics advanced knowing how to advance and retreat. Psychological warfare against pursued enemies, Asymmetric combat strategies
- Camouflage Mastery: Supreme concealment ability in nearly all environments. Effectiveness dramatically enhanced in optimal conditions: Low-light/night environments, Forested terrain, Snow-covered landscapes, and Other naturally concealable environments
(Author's Note: To reduce word counts and more story progress, fully assimilated Trial Masters will now be referenced by name only.)
A&*#@-Error__???Frenzy Trance: When injured, the body initiates enhanced regeneration to heal the injury. During this effect, the host experiences intense rage, which increases corresponding to the severity of the injury. While in a rage state, all physical capabilities—such as strength and reflexes—increase to three times their normal levels.
Cool Down Till Next Trial: 48:10:27
Storage [50x50 cubic meters]
Glasses of Ordinarity x 1
GPS Real-time Map [Detection Range 1000 meters]Shop3D Map (Locked)More to come...
Seeing the updated data, Maximilian broke into a wide smile. This was better than he'd expected - especially the storage space. Initially, he thought he'd only get a few cubic meters, about the size of a small rental unit... but this 50×50 cubic meter space far exceeded his expectations.
However, one thing still puzzled him.
{Hey System, what are the Glasses of Ordinarity?} Maximilian asked.
[Huh? Oh! Those? They're an artifact created by a mage who didn't want to be remembered when living an ordinary life. He made them for personal use, but after his death, I acquired them.]
{So... if I wear them, people won't remember me?} Maximilian asked, still confused.
[They function like those glasses worn by that powerful alien disguised as a reporter in that classic hero movie. (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ]
Maximilian finally understood. He remembered those glasses, they were practically a marvel of innovation that could fool Earth's entire population, even the story's main antagonist. These would be incredibly useful. After all, he didn't plan to live as a villain in hiding and on the run forever.
Maximilian noticed something on his GPS screen while chatting with the system in his head and preparing to check the shop items next. A green dot was fleeing from a group of red dots, moving directly toward his apartment building.
The green dot passed his apartment block and entered an alley, only for another group of red dots to appear from the opposite end, effectively cornering their target. The chase ended with the green dot trapped in a dead end.
An uncomfortable feeling settled over Maximilian as he watched this unfold. He decided to investigate.
Arriving at the scene, Maximilian positioned himself on the rooftop of the adjacent apartment building, giving him a clear view of the alley below. What he saw was a familiar man being beaten by a group of thugs while desperately clutching a bag to his chest as if his life depended on it.
He remembered the guy, it was Ricardo Navarro, the guy he had an appointment with.
For a moment, he'd afraid this might be a repeat of his past experience - helping someone only to get stabbed and end up transmigrated to this world without even a thanks. But since it was Ricardo and not "one of those" ungrateful types. He decided to intervene.
At this moment, Ricardo was surrounded and dragged up from the ground, forced to open his arms and reveal what he'd been protecting - a paper bag containing a thick stack of money, roughly $4,000 to $5,000.
"I told you to pay our cut!" the apparent leader snarled. "First it was 70%, but since you broke the rules and tried to run away, we're taking everything! And we're going to teach you a lesson!" One of his lackeys handed him an iron pipe.
Three distinct impacts of solid objects striking flesh echoed behind the leader. He turned slowly to find three of his men lying unconscious on the ground.
The leader's eyes locked onto Maximilian, clad in his makeshift black armor. With a sneer, he spat, "Who the hell are you, freak?!"
"I'm a freak... Yes... But you... you'll wish you were dead when I'm done with you." Maximilian growled, his voice distorted into a hoarse, emotionless tone like a vengeful demon from hell.
The leader sneered at the threat.
"Kill him!" he roared to his lackeys, face twisted with undisguised disdain.
The thugs charged at Maximilian, but he remained motionless, uttering just one phrase: "Wrong choice of words."
Then Maximilian moved like a phantom, far faster than the goons. His fist shot toward the first thug, who raised his arms in a boxer's guard. But... mid-strike, Maximilian's fist transformed into a claw, seizing the thug's arm at the joint and wrenching it with a vicious twist.
"ARRRRRRGHHHH!" The first thug screamed as his arm bone shattered under Maximilian's enhanced strength—power multiplied threefold from the injuries he'd deliberately injured himself before he came down on them.