Chapter 3. A New Day

First of all, I would like to see the result of my escape.

The main storyline is complete!

Your determination and success have impressed Chronos — +100 karma. Choose your reward.

There were three reward options in total.

1) "Rich Orphan" — $10,000,000, Trickster's Ring (Stats: +5 Agility, +5 Charisma. Passive Ability: Increases the likelihood that your interlocutor will believe your lies).

The icon depicted a pile of money and that same silver ring with a small emerald.

2) "Weapon Fanatic" — Spectral Dagger of Talos — this dagger was created by Hunter John Wood to kill ghosts. Effective against incorporeal beings.

"... and even with such legendary weapons, his strength was not enough to..." — from an excerpt from John Wood's Adventure Tome VI.

Rank: Legendary

Requirements for use: Profession: Assassin. Parameter requirements: None.

Damage: Spiritual

Non-level based. Becomes stronger as the character levels up.

It looked quite impressive and beautiful. The semi-transparent blue curved dagger had an imposing size and looked more like a short sword than a dagger. There was a small ring at the end of the hilt, and its interesting design on the blade's base assured me of its uniqueness and antiquity. I had never seen anything like it before.

3) "Black Mystical Box" — contains one of the random epic items.

The name spoke for itself. Some suspicious-looking black box with question marks on each of its sides.

Before making my choice, I decided to weigh everything. The first option, tempting as it was because money usually solved most problems in any world, I wouldn't choose. Sooner or later, I wanted to test my theory, and if it proved correct, I could forever forget about hunger and money, but more on that later. The Mystical Box was more for those who hunted for very rare items and had no problems with their needs. It was more of an item for "High-Level" players. They open these boxes and hope for the system's blessing, and then they get some useless junk or a very rare item. I simply foolishly feared opening this box due to my terrible luck.

Your "Luck" parameter will not affect the percentage chance of getting a particular item from the Black Mystical Box!

To be fair, right? No, I don't want to take the risk, and I'll choose option two. Well, the first reason for choosing it was that this weapon would be relevant at all levels due to its outstanding qualities, and the new type of damage raised a couple of new questions for me. If it's effective against ghosts and deals "Spiritual" damage, what about invulnerable brutes? What kind of damage will I deal to them? To their "souls"? Will it just ignore them and pass through? Well, you won't know until you try. And the second reason was simply... its Coolness! Despite all the things they did to me and how they tried to turn me into a weapon, I was still a child inside. Well, maybe a slightly "grown-up child." Okay, let's push the gloomy thoughts aside and make a choice already.

A moment after I tapped on the relevant option, in the tiniest of polygons, the dagger formed in the air in front of me. Since thanks to my escape, I had already reached level 15, I decided not to dwell on it too much and chose the "Assassin" class. As soon as I did this and lightly touched the levitating dagger in the air, which emitted a mystical blue haze, I was surprised to note that it seemed to weigh nothing. A few seconds later, the dagger seemed to siphon off a portion of my life force as if with tendrils. I grimaced, slightly annoyed, but quickly accepted this fact, as new information had emerged.

Spectral Dagger of Talos Equipped!

Level: 15

Damage: Spiritual/Pure (124-???)

Abilities: "Armor Penetration and Target Armor Ignore," "Stealth," "Mental Connection with the Owner."

Apparently, this pain was part of the contract, and now I could use it freely. But again, more questions arose. What does "Pure" damage mean? If my memory serves me right, Pure Damage is damage that cannot be reduced or diminished by armor, and, as you can imagine, it's the most dangerous type of damage. Can I get some information on what Pure Damage means and what the heck those mystical questions in the damage line mean?! System?!

Information is hidden to enjoy the first experience of progression. Soon, you'll understand what these values mean on your own.

Why is it always so complicated with you?! Oh well. Then I have another question, since you've decided to answer. I wanted to know about this from the very beginning, but due to my situation, it didn't make sense. Can I see the "Auction"? And are there others like me?

In online RPGs, the Auction was a kind of massive trading platform where players could sell or trade rare items with others. There were even cases where something could be sold for several thousand real-world dollars.

Answer to the first question: The Auction opens after reaching level 20 and obtaining 100 units of the World of Transmigrants' reputation. Currently, you do not have a sufficient level and reputation to access the trading platform.

Answer to the second question: Is there any point in answering a question you already know the answer to? The Global Chat of Transmigrants is blocked. The block will be lifted after the Auction is unlocked.

Well, something like this is what I was expecting. So, I'm just one of many, right? Now you can't indulge your ego with the belief in your chosenness and immortality because I can always be replaced.

Now, moving on to the dagger's abilities "Stealth" and "Mental Connection." Well, it's quite straightforward. In the first case, the dagger could become completely invisible, as if it dissolved into an invisible mist, and in the second case... for the sake of testing my theory, I tossed it into the air and made a circular motion with my index finger, and the dagger, following my will, replicated the action, spinning.

"How cool is that!"

However, when I looked at the number of my available skill and ability points, I realized that for some reason, there were a few fewer than there should be, and the reason for that was that the skill "Temporal Rewind" cost me a whopping Three Skill Points!!! Apparently, this was due to its versatility. Okay, there were still enough skill points, and my inner hamster wasn't having a fit over this loss. Still, it was a necessary measure.

Catching the dagger in the air and grabbing the ring on the hilt, I began to playfully twirl it on my index finger, whistling merrily as I headed toward the nearest city.

"My next point is to test my brilliant theory!"

Well, the city of Oshava, in reality, wasn't very big, but the sight of a regular and entirely harmless city did touch me a little. I missed this kind of everyday life. Just a little over three months ago, I could have lived carefree like this, and now my life would resemble a dangerous obstacle course. I'm not a fool, and I fully realize that sooner or later, someone will try to recruit me and use me for their own purposes. Like it happened before with the Nazis.

"People fear what they cannot control," I once heard such a saying. And so, I decided to help... "various" people for a certain reward and not become a part of something longer than necessary. Any organizations dedicated to saving the world, rainbows, and ponies would be sent far away, and if they tried to forcibly interfere with my plans, I would simply find, track, destroy, and leave no memory of their existence. I had had enough of my boss. I didn't want to be on a leash for the "new" one. They may say different things, but the essence won't change. I will only be a tool to achieve their goals. Nothing more...

But enough of the gloom! It's time to confirm my incredible theory. Stop Time. I took a couple of hundred dollars from the wallet of the nearest civilian (he won't go broke) and put the wallet back, returning time to its current course, then headed into an inconspicuous empty alley where I could carry out my plan in peace.

I won't drag this out and will explain what I wanted to do. Since the Nazis didn't have the opportunity to study my time-stop phenomenon while not being within its range, they gave me a book that could expand my understanding of Time and the Universe as a whole.

Theorists claimed that there were many parallel worlds in the system (and since I'm here, this theory is quite proven), but there are also... how to describe it better... "Temporal Layers." Yes, that word fits best. Let's assume that another variation of me also decided to enter this alley. The question is, what does it do for me? We'll see right now. I invest a skill point I just came up with into development and get to practicing.

I place these two hundred dollars on the asphalt. Counting to myself exactly ten seconds, I pick them up and put them in my pocket. Now, by placing my palm on the same spot where the money lay, I create a kind of black-and-white "pancake" in space, and... voila! In front of me appear exactly the same two hundred dollars!

"Success! Even the serial numbers on the bills are different!"

So what just happened? I'll try to explain it as simply as possible. I simply took those dollars from one of the millions of versions of my "self." Let's assume that "I" also stole them from some other guy and decided to carry out the same experiment, but in his case, he "failed" and ended up without money.

You have successfully mastered: Temporal Item Cloning. Level: Max

You can retrieve an almost identical item from the infinite variation of yourself, which may have slight differences. The OD (Oblivion Drive) consumption will depend on the complexity of reproducing the clone.

Judging by the fact that my OD points have only decreased to ten, I can become ridiculously rich in just an hour. Doubling them each time, doubling, doubling! This Power can offer so many incredible opportunities!

"And what about the Spectral Dagger?"

Your level of Time mastery is too low for cloning an item of this rank.

Too complex a construction, huh? Well, that's okay. That should be enough. After all, my initial plan was to get rid of financial problems, and...

"Urrrkhhh!"

And it's time to eat, as I've been on the road for half a day, and the time is approaching sunset. I should visit the nearest cafe. I think $409,600 should be enough for a start.

When I entered the cafe called "Strawberry," all the patrons literally couldn't take their eyes off me. Well, I did look specific: dirty black and gray formal uniform, green hair sticking out in different directions, and a foxy smile—all of it completed my "eccentric" image. It's a good thing I got rid of the swastika on my clothes; otherwise, they might have sent me to the police for extremism. Well, at least they would have tried...

"Um... how can I... help?" the cute waitress hesitantly asked, holding a metal tray in front of her a little nervously. Her question wasn't strange. It was more of an expected question from an employee of a local cafe. It's just that I didn't know what to choose in places like this for the first time. They served a whole bunch of different desserts here.

"Can I have a little bit of everything, please?" I asked.

She looked at me as if I were crazy, but openly, not hiding the skepticism in her gaze. 

"Can you confirm your ability to pay?" she asked, still uncertain and suspicious. In response, I shrugged and pulled out a neatly stacked bundle of bills from my inner pocket. The waitress's face was so funny and amusing that I couldn't help but smirk.

"Your order will be ready... in... um... can you wait, please? I need to check with my boss," I said with a mocking smile, propping my chin up with my hand.

"Boss?! I need your help!"

"Yes, Rose?" a slightly overweight baker in the standard baker's uniform came out of the bakery.

"We need everything in one copy!"

"What does 'everything' mean... 'Everything'?! Speak more clearly!"

"That's exactly what it means! Take a look at this!" She waved a bundle of money in front of his face, leaving the baker stunned.

In the next hour, I felt like a child who had fulfilled his dream. Unfortunately, I couldn't eat even half of what they provided me, so I asked them to pack all the sweets in plastic containers and then into bags. I gave some ice creams in cups to a couple of children who had come with their parents. I decided to do this because it wasn't possible to package them (and it would be foolish to show off my abilities for ice cream). It was amusing to watch these children later, when I left the cafe, plaintively asking their parents to "do the same."

The next item on my list was a trip to the hairdresser's. I wanted to tidy up my head a bit because the shock therapy, explosions, and being tossed around had turned it into a mess. I didn't want anything special from the hairdresser, just asked to trim it in certain places and give it a neat style.

My next stop was a clothing store. I wouldn't say my uniform was bad. No, it looks pretty good, and I don't feel uncomfortable in it, nor do I have any phantom desire to burn it just because "Nazis" made it. Say what you will, but their uniforms were decent. It's just that I stand out too much in it, and it looks extremely untidy and dirty. If I find the time, I'll definitely clean it up properly, but for now, I don't want to waste my time on that.

A white shirt, a black jacket, a black tie, matching pants and shoes, all according to the standard. The only thing that caught my attention was hats. I don't know why, but for some strange reason, I had a strange fetish for this type of clothing. I just liked how they looked on me. I couldn't resist and bought five types of headgear: a cap, an octagonal hat, a kepi, a baseball cap, and my favorite type, a black fedora. I decided to leave the store wearing the fedora. Well then! Now at least I looked somewhat like a human, and I was ready to set off... but where to? By the way, where should I head to? Towards adventure, of course! I am a "Player" after all. I won't look for trouble; it will find me thanks to my "Luck." So, I decided to choose the best city from the list of available cities — the famous Gotham. I wanted to see Batman. Maybe even play a game of Justice with him and see the Joker. I'm sure both of these characters will impress me. Maybe it's even worth trying to befriend the Joker?

"Luke... I am your father!"

"No! That's not true! It's impossible!!! Nooooooooo!" I exclaimed, imitating the famous scene from Star Wars.

Closer to midnight, I managed to hitch a ride with a truck on the highway and asked the driver if I could join as a fellow traveler. He didn't refuse a strange and young guy like me, and money played a significant role in that. So, I allowed myself to relax a bit and sleep in the passenger seat like a regular person. On that day, I felt simply amazing. So, how does it feel to be a free person?

"A wonderful feeling," I whispered to myself, and my empty words were drowned out by the quiet music on the driver's radio, as he kept heading towards New York. A couple of transfers, and I would finally get to see the living... comic book. However, I shouldn't forget about caution. After all, I don't have a second chance like back then. Overconfidence and excessive trust lead to one's demise. I remembered that lesson quite well.

24 Hours Later. Nazi Laboratory. June 4, 2002.

Amanda Waller was walking through the burnt-out level of the fanatics' laboratory, searching for anything that could be useful to her organization along with her soldiers. The surviving mercenaries, codenamed "Fang" and "Sharpshooter," refused to meet her in person and provided her with information through a hologram. They had decided to stop offering their services to her. She received all the necessary information from them, and even the fact that they couldn't tell her where Subject #88 had gone didn't particularly bother her. Her organization would find him in a matter of days once he entered the nearest populated area.

She had fulfilled her part of the agreement and handed over the money to them, just as they had agreed. Her organization was powerful and vast, but despite this, "they" preferred to operate discreetly, from the shadows. If she failed to honor their agreement, very few of the mercenaries would deal with her in the future. Attempting to subdue or destroy this rabble would attract too much attention to the organization, something they couldn't afford.

She wasn't at all bothered by the charred bodies and the horrible smell they emitted. Rather, what concerned her was the fact that all of this had been accomplished, albeit indirectly, by just one kid. He was dangerously capable. And if she was correct in her reasoning, she would probably be tasked with capturing him. The question was how to catch someone who could manipulate time?

"Mrs. Waller! Among the wreckage, we found this strange object," a soldier reported, and her gaze scrutinized a rectangular box that looked more like a musical phonograph.

"Load all intact and suspicious items into the truck. When you're done with the loading, head to Base B-17. Any questions?"

"No, ma'am."

"Then get to work. I need to return to headquarters for further instructions."

"This is definitely not going to be easy," she thought to herself, massaging her temples slightly.