12 A boss in a bar?

*Emma*

Kai squeezed through the crowd and huddled together with Emma.

"W-What do we do?"

The brawl was getting intense. Emma wrecked her brain to find something. Her powers could do nothing in a fight like this. She once sent an entire school into a coma, resulting from extreme stress, not by her own will.

'Call for help… maybe if I try to reach out with my mind.'

She sent her mind with a request to help. It was a local broadcast, traveling to anyone outside this apartment.

She glanced at Brennus calmly sipping on his glass as if he watched this fight as an event on TV. His calmness gave a weird assurance that everything will turn out fine.

'His background and his confident attitude don't match.'

She hid behind his back. Her heart raced faster than the fastest French train.

'Cool off, Emma. You've got to give yourself some time.'

It didn't take long for the police to break the door and subdue the brawlers.

Emma took a sigh in relief together with Kai.

Brennus tossed the glass in the yard and stretched. His sweatshirt rose, giving glimpses of his pectoral muscles.

'Oh boy.'

She never expected the orphan nerd to have her type of body.

"It was fun." He turned to her with eyes lacking any excitement. "I'm gonna eat and drink somewhere in peace. Wanna join?"

She also hated noisy places since there was always a chance of her power running berserk. She already suffered an intense nosebleed in the basketball match.

"Peaceful, is it? I'll ride along."

She was already feeling down for bringing him here. There was a chance Brennus would lower his mental defenses after some drink.

She was dead set on knowing more about him!

"Eh, you guys enjoy the date. I'll head back."

Kai ditched the two. Emma knew the reason, and she gave zero fucks about it.

They caught a taxi. Brennus asked the driver for a good restaurant.

"I know a lot… but the nearest one is expensive," the driver replied.

"Just drive," Brennus said and gazed out of the window.

***

*Brennus*

Brennus entered the nightclub oozing with a high-class aura. He picked a seat in the middle and pressed the bell on the table.

Emma rested her elbow on the table and toyed with a lock of her hair, her eyes darting up and down the menu card.

The blonde was worrying over money.

"Go on. It's on me."

He was feeling generous after finishing the Escort quest.

"Thank you."

She ordered some Italian food and fruit wine.

Brennus could see where she was coming from. Getting dead drunk with a new male 'friend' wasn't the safest choice for a woman, so she opted for fruit wine.

'I can be scum at times, but never a rapist.'

He got himself a few of those western-style chicken and tons of wine. Waiting for the order, his gaze wandered to the pianist playing some fine tunes. The man with thick brows and sideburns melding with his beard gave him an intimidating look.

[Sebastian Shaw (Level 114 Mutant)]

[Main Skill: Kinetic Energy Absorption]

The presence of a high-level boss here was out of Brennus's expectations.

"Don't try anything here."

He didn't want to provoke this boss in his territory.

Emma put down the water bottle and cocked a brow. "Huh? What's the matter?"

He let out a sigh and activated telepathy through a mental order.

[Telepathy link established with 'Emma Frost']

"I said do not try your telepathy on anyone here."

He was tired of this game, so he went ahead and revealed everything.

Emma's fingers trembled as she almost dropped the bottle. Then, she totally ignored his calls and smiled at the waiter serving the food.

"Thank you."

Brennus pinched her hand. "I mean no harm, Emma Frost. There is a strong mutant here working up the music. Do something and we're both fucked."

He didn't know the mutant's rules about their territory, but he wasn't about to risk it.

He still hadn't tasted his drink!

"You and I," Emma whispered and stirred the wine glass provocatively. "We so need to talk later."

"Shall we chat in bed after this?"

"Not so fast, man. I'm not that easy."

Brennus shrugged at her rejection. He could find some hooker to calm his urges later. He focused on the juicy chicken dripping with sauce, savoring every drop of it.

He downed two wine glasses, still feeling nothing of it.

[Skill acquired: Abnormal Resistance.]

[Abnormal Resistance: Increases your resistance to every negative status effect by 20%.]

'Fuck.'

He drank another glass, and his mind became a tiny bit dizzy.

"Brennus," Emma called quietly. "I think it's enough for the day. A fragile girl like me can't carry you to the taxi and dorms."

Brennus also felt uncomfortable letting someone handle his unconscious body. He drank another glass and paid the waiter with his credit card. They got out and roamed the streets in search of a taxi.

"I suppose you earned that money with your telepathy."

Brennus heard Emma's question in his head and shook his head.

"Sending and receiving thoughts is my limit."

"Isn't that kinda lam—"

Emma almost called his telepathy lame. She hurriedly turned away and whistled, feigning innocence. "The city is beautiful at night."

Brennus lifted his shoulder in a half shrug. "Yeah yeah. It's lame."

It was just level 1 right now.

"I didn't mean to… sorry."

The way she chuckled, she wasn't the least bit guilty.

"I never said that telepathy was my only ability."

"Two abilities, yeah. The next thing you're gonna say is you can turn into a blue ape or envelop your body in flames to become the human torch."

'Those two must be mutants.'

"It's up to you to believe."

Emma's pupils dilated in shock. "Shit. I can't tell if you're lying. Just let me in your head!"

"My head is off-limit."

"Tell her it's reserved for me," Lady Death said.

Brennus stopped a taxi, thinking about buying a car later.

"Fine," Emma grumbled. "We still have a lot to talk about."

['Telepathy' skill leveled up. The maximum range is increased by 10m.]

He got into the taxi, and Emma threw another question.

"What do you do to make a living? Em, don't take that as an offense. I mean, you're an orphan."

"I'm a gamer."

"That sounds a lotta' fun… do you know other mutants?"

"I do, some of them."

He wondered if Prof. could be counted as an acquaintance?

"Are they… scary like the people say? I've seen them pulling some serious shit like Hulk destroying Harlem in his fight with the Abomination."

Brennus didn't know Hulk, still, he kept a straight face. "Not really. Just like humans, there are good and bad… any more questions?"

"Sorry for being a chatterbox. Just one more. Are you a superhero? Like those X-Men fighting the evil."

This wasn't just being a chatterbox. She was flying over the moon in happiness that reflected in her bright smile.

"I'll use power for my own gains instead of the 'fucked up' greater good," Brennus said. "You think I'm a superhero?"

Emma stared straight into his eyes as though finding truth in his statement. Brennus simply smiled back at her.

"You aren't lying…" she sighed. "I know it sounds silly, but I kinda did the same. I cheated in exams, cheated in the casino, escaped death… Risking your skin for some stranger, yeah no thanks."

She seemed to be serious about this. Brennus began to see her in a new light.

"Then what about your friends?"

Brennus's question sent Emma into deep contemplation.

"I might try to risk my life for them…" she shook her head. "I don't know. It's just my thoughts. I can't guess what I'll do when push comes to shove."

"That's good enough for now," Brennus replied and stared out of the window. The familiar buildings of the university were illuminated with yellow lights. "We're here."

He paid the driver and moved out of the taxi. Emma hastily showed up at his side.

"That wasn't a bad date," she said and quickly pecked his cheeks. "Later."

Brennus rubbed his cheek marked with her lipstick, squinting at Emma scurrying to her dorms.

"That was unexpected."

"Someone here is having a good time," Lady Death teased.

"Let's see how long it lasts."

In a city full of mutants, the chance of having a peaceful day was close to zero.

"Isn't it better though? You love chaos as much as you love your drink."

"I sure do, woman. I sure do."

***

Name: Brennus

Level: 5 (50.00% to next level)

HP: 350/350

SP: 370/370

Current Race: Newborn Angel

Class: None

Title: Limb Butcher

Traits: Barbarian, Scholar, Cosmic Dweller, Aphrodite's Child, Super Sense, Master Swordsman, Master Smith.

Strength: 35 (+5 From Unholy Vengeance)

Vitality: 35

Dexterity: 40 (+10 From Reaper's Shroud)

Intelligence: 37 (+5 From Unholy Vengeance)

Wisdom: 37 (+5 From Reaper's Shroud)

Luck: 25

Stat Points: 0

Skills:

[Death's Blessing Lvl. Max (Passive)]

[Beyond Death Lvl. Max (Passive)]

[Mystic Wings (Active) Lvl. 1]

[Divine Essence Manipulation Lvl. 2 (Active)]

[Ignore Lvl. 2 (Passive)]

[Telepathy Lvl. 1 (Active)]

[Sword Mastery Lvl. 3 (Passive)]

[Levitation Lvl. 1 (Active)]

[Create Dungeon Lvl. 1 (Active)]

[Poker Face Lvl. 1 (Passive)]

[Abnormal Resistance Lvl. 1 (Passive)]

Current Quests:

[An Eye for an Eye, a Soul for a Soul]

[The Real Angel of Death]

[The Forgotten Past]

Current Equipment:

[Unholy Vengeance (E)]

[Ring of Trickster (B)]

[Reaper's Shroud (D)]

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