Contemplation #80

'I'm probably going to feel like an asshole for a while if this works...' I mused as I lay on my bed, my hands cushioning my head as I stared at the bunker's ceiling in a daze.

I immediately went to work once I returned home from the cemetery. I already had the evidence to clear detective Deborah's name, convict her corrupt captain and his associates, and put them away for a long time.

However, now that I've had the time to think about my rash decision, I couldn't help but feel some guilt. I was basically trying to toy with people's lives, and for what? Sheer pettiness? Satiating my curiosity? To see if I could forcefully change the narrative?

The idea behind my so-called science experiment was simple. I had no doubt that detective Deborah Tiegel was Thomas The Hitman Monaghan's love interest.

They were two people on extreme opposites of the law, similar yet different. One was an honest detective in an otherwise corrupt city, the other a violent killer for hire who only kills bad people.

The only obstacle to their relationship disappeared when Deborah was fired, and now nothing should be able to hinder their developing romance. Or that's how the narrative was supposed to go down.

But what would happen if I gave Deborah her job back? Would it destroy her relationship with Monaghan? Would she quit being a cop to be with him? Would he do the same for her? How will the narrative change? Can I even change it?

I had so many questions that could only be answered if I went through with my plan, even if it would leave a bad taste in my mouth. I needed to be sure I could change the world, that my actions had consequences and meaning.

Otherwise, what was the point of living?

I needed to do this, and if the hitman and the detective needed to suffer for it... then so be it.

'On second thoughts... I'm already feeling like an asshole...' I sighed as I turned to my side and closed my eyes, trying to sleep to get my mind off my guilt, but there was no such luck.

'Might as well check the notifications if I can't get any sleep...' Letting out another sigh, I sat on the edge of my bed, brought up the system interface, and turned to the notifications tab.

[+1 level the Brawling skill]

[Brawling (level 45)]

[+3 levels to the Acrobatics skill]

[Acrobatics (level 27)]

[+1 level to the Mechanic class]

[+3 stat points]

[Due to reaching a milestone in your Acrobatics skill, you have unlocked the perk: Enhanced Agility]

[Enhanced Agility: with this ability, you can go from one motion to another effortlessly, effectively dodge attacks, swing from things easily, sprint, do back-flips, leap across rooftops, and numerous other gymnastic, athletic and martial implements with little to no effort]

'Hm... I wasn't really having trouble in the adjustment department when it came to my Acrobatics... but it would probably enhance it still...' I mused with a nod, intent on testing the perk's effect later.

[+3 levels to the computers skill]

[Computers (level 36)]

[+4 levels to the Gun Mastery skill]

[Gun Master (level 24)]

[+5 levels to the Mechanics skill]

[Mehcanics (level 15)]

[+6 levels to the Mechanic class]

[Mechanic (level MAX)]

[+15 stat points]

[Stat points: 44]

[You have reached the maximum level for your current clash. Would you like to choose the next one now?]

'Already...?' I mused, raising an eyebrow. I didn't expect to max out the Mechanic class so quickly as I was used to how things were before I unlocked so many skills and could ground more than one simultaneously.

I suppose it made sense, though. I was grinding my Acrobatics, Brawling, and Guns skills whenever I was fighting, only to come back and start working on my Mechanics skill in the hideout while working on my personal computer power to level up Computers.

'With this, my archetype should have leveled up again... I wonder what power I'll get this time...' I quickly moved on to the next set of notifications, hoping whatever power I got would be as convenient as the one I got last time.

Machine Control was an incredible power. It basically allowed me to mass produce whatever I wanted as long as I had the required materials in my inventory, so maybe my expectations are a bit high, but a man can hope, you know?

[+1 level to the archetype: Mad Scientist]

[The Mad Scientist (level 4)]

[You have gained the power: Machine Morphing]

[Machine Morphing: the user of this power can morph, change, and, or shape-shift any machinery or themselves (depending on if they are machines themselves). The change in mechanical structure can also give new enhancements or powers to the target]

'Holy shit... I had my hopes up, but this new perk might even be beyond that...' I mused, my eyes widening as I quickly read the new power's description.

The description was vague, without mentioning the power's limits. But if it's what I think it is, it will give me a considerable boost in strength, especially in a controlled environment.

I'll have to test it later, but first...

'Let's see what we have there...' I shrugged as I began browsing the list of available classes and was not surprised to see it didn't change with no new options.

[Available archetype specific classes: (Surgeon) (Chemist) (Biologist)]

[Available basic classes: (Duelist) (Artist) (Scholar) (Linguist)]

'What to choose...' I pondered my options as I carefully looked through my character screen for reference to see what I was missing and what class would help me the most right now.

'I barely have the time to work on my Mechanic class as it is...' I mused, already dismissing the idea of choosing another archetype class since my Mechanics and Computers skills were already lagging behind everything else.

The current mad scientist archetypes required laboratories with advanced equipment to use them to their full potential, which I didn't have the time or the funds to set up currently.

'I need to grind my Mechanics skill to a high level so I'd be able to build whatever I need myself...' I nodded, intent on devoting more time to work on my Mechanics skill as I turned to the available basic classes.

Duelist and Artist were the most appealing to me, the first because I got a sword in my inventory and recently discovered the fun of cutting shit and dicing it to many pieces, thanks to my brief encounter with the Mawzir.

The discovery that I could imbue energy into weapons only made the duelist class more appealing.

The Artist Class, on the other hand, I only wanted it because everything I created turned out ugly as shit, especially the sentry box and the motion sensors I've been working on recently.

Not only did my creations look ugly, but they also stood out like a sore thumb, rendering any possibility to merge with the environment and stay hidden void.

That meant not only will they attract attention, but anyone who lays eyes on them (and they will because of how ugly they are) will immediately be wary, denying any surprise element or planned ambushes.

'Guess I'll have to let my eyes suffer a bit more...' I sighed, intending to give my possibly non-existent talent in art another chance to emerge without the system's aid.

'I'll go with the Artist class next if my mechanics skill is still lagging behind by the time I max out Duelist...' With that, I made up my mind and picked the Duelist class.

[You have gained a new class: Duelist]

...

[Duelist (Max Level 10)]

[The class comes with three stat points, plus three stat points for every level and the Medieval Weapons Mastery skill]

...

[Medieval Weapons Mastery: When a fist is not enough, it's time to bring out some old-fashioned sharp metal whatsits and start a-hacking and a-slashing. This skill is used for all archaic weapons, from swords and quarterstaffs to crossbows and throwing axes]

...

[Due to your prior experience, you have gained ten levels in the Medieval Weapons Mastery]

[Medieval Weapons Mastery (level 11)]

[+5 levels to the Duelist class]

[Duelist (level 6)]

[+15 stat points]

'Huh... well, that's unexpected...' I tilted my, scratching my head in confusion at how many levels I got for the new class, but it didn't take me long to realize why that happened.

'Must be the steel wire...' I concluded, nodding my head. I've used the steel wire as a melee weapon in almost every fight I've had so far, so it makes sense.

'No use looking a gift horse in the mouth...' I shrugged as I turned to my available stat points and current attributes. 'Might as well...' I thought as I invested 40 points into my Spirit attribute, raising it to 140, and two points into my Body attribute to even it out.

My mind was lagging a bit behind, but I'll leave it there for now. My OCD demands it!

(Author's note: this is the end of the chapter (1450 words so far as usual) if anyone complains about the system taking most of the chapter, I will bring your mother into this. Be warned)

...

Name: Grayson Whitlock

Race: Human

Gender: Male

Age: 17

Archetype: (The Mad Scientist level 4)

Class: [Thief (level MAX)] [Fighter (level MAX)] [Acrobat (Level MAX)] [Programmer (Level MAX) [Gunman (level MAX)] [Mechanic (level MAX)] [Duelist (level 6)]

...

Stats:

Body: 140

Mind: 100

Spirit: 140

Stat Points: 17

.....

Skills:

[Brawling (level 45): call it fighting, martial arts, fisticuffs, or flailing your arms around wildly, this skill covers the art of using your hands and other assorted body parts to hurt your fellow man (or critter) and avoiding such punishment yourself]

[Crime (level 40): breaking and entering, pickpocket, lock-picking, skulking around, lifting evidence—if it's illegal, this skill covers it, with two exceptions, computer hacking uses the Computers skill, and conning people the Influence skill. You don't have to be a criminal to have this skill; cops, private investigators, and other honest but street-wise folks have it as well]

[Acrobatics (level 27): the favored skill of cheerleaders and circus performers, the ability to perform tumbles, somersaults, and other such maneuvers; You can use it to dodge attacks, climb obstacles, and achieve similar feats of agility. Acrobatics can replace Crime when trying to move silently (use the higher of the two skills when attempting to sneak around)]

[Computers (level 36): the nerdy art of keyboard slinging for fun and profit, and with this skill, you can make computers do what you want, including programming and hacking. People don't need this skill to use a computer. Anybody can find the on-switch and use a mouse. The Computers skill lets you do fun things like breaking into confidential databases, writing your own programs, programming your VCR, and other cool stuff]

[Gun Mastery (level 24): This skill covers your basic things that go "bang" — shotguns, pistols, and the like]

[Mechanics (15): if it's broken, this skill can fix it. If it's not broken, it can improve it (sometimes making it worse). If it just isn't, it can build it. Mechanics covers all technical and craft skills, from carpentry to mechanics to roadie work. It is what you need if you want to rebuild the engine of that mean machine you're tricking out or to make sure the rock concert comes through loud and clear]

[Medieval Weapons Mastery (11): When a fist is not enough, it's time to bring out some old-fashioned sharp metal whatsits and start a-hacking and a-slashing. This skill is used for all archaic weapons, from swords and quarterstaffs to crossbows and throwing axes]

....

Perks:

[Dormant Metahuman: you have the Metagene, the source for all Metahumans' powers. However, it lies dormant for now]

[Silent Step: as a seasoned, hardened criminal (your mother must be proud,) your footsteps are silent, and only those with supernatural hearing ability could detect you through the sound of your footsteps]

[Eidetic Kinesthesia: sometimes called Muscle Memory or Photographic Reflexes; it is the ability to instantly mimic any physical skill, including various fighting techniques, acrobatics, or weapon skills]

[Superhuman Stamina: sometimes called enhanced stamina, it is a term used to describe the ability of some characters to function without tiring or feeling undue strain. People who possess this perk can often go for long periods of time without rest or even sleep]

[Perfect Recall: sometimes confused with genius-level intellect and known as photographic memory, it is the ability to recall anything and everything you have ever been allowed to remember over the course of your life]

[Accelerated Healing: is the ability to recover from bodily injuries or disease at a superhuman rate. It differs from Regeneration because although you can recover from tissue damage and even regenerate entire cells, it cannot repair separated limbs or torn cells]

[Energy Detector: the ability to sense the presence of energy, whether they are electromagnetic (magnetic/infrared), psionic, magical, spiritual, etc and possibly gain a detailed understanding of the power you are sensing, including the amount/size of energy they are perceiving depending on the particulars of the target, and your energy]

[Energy Concentration: The power to focus one's energy into any point of the body to perform attacks, techniques, or spells (if they are trained in the arcane arts)]

[Augmented Reality Vision: the ability to see through the world as an augmented reality: a live, direct or indirect, view of the world that includes digital elements such as information boxes regarding places (this perk requires the Personal Computer power to fully function)]

[Energy Conductor: your body is perfectly compatible with all types of energies, enabling you to channel and convert energy with 100% efficiency and even absorb a portion of any foreign form of energy affecting your body]

[Enhanced Durability: your physical durability, the ability to withstand damage, is extremely high, allowing you to take numerous blows of internal or external assaults before succumbing to the effects. (The user can withstand bullets, grenades, and low to medium explosives)]

[Empathy: the power to fully interpret the emotions, moods, and temperament of other sentient beings, allowing you to understand their intentions within a specific range, depending on how high your Mind attribute is. (Empathy may not work on those with no emotions or exceptional self-control)]

[Energy Manifestation: the power to channel and manifest your energy through your body parts into the outside world in different forms as a means of attack. (the range, strength, precision, and everything in between rely on the user's energy reserve and proficiency)]

...

Archetype powers:

[Network Crash: the ability to negate or destroy protected networks by injecting energy into them through physical on wireless contact (the Network Crash power is dependent on your programming skill, and you will not be able to salvage any information from any network you may destroy]

[Code Manipulation: the ability to create and break any code, from simple firewalls all the way to the universal equation itself, depending on your combined Programming (Computers) skill and Mind attribute]

[Personal Computer: the ability to integrate a single computer into your brain, giving you full, telepathic access to all of its functions (you may choose to assimilate a different, more powerful computer at any time)]

[Machinery Scan: the ability to understand the inner and outer workings of any machine through scanning it with energy, enabling the user to find any malfunctions and generate a blueprint of it in his head, depending on how advanced the target and how high the Mechanics skill is]

[Machine Control: the power to assemble or disassemble any and all machines, as long as the user has a preliminary understanding of their function, design, and inner components with the use of energy]

[Machine Morphing: the user of this power can morph, change, and, or shape-shift any machinery or themselves (depending on if they are machines themselves). The change in mechanical structure can also give new enhancements or powers to the target]

...

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