Chapter 40 : Shopping?

Carl's words took Kitty by surprise.

She hadn't expected that a mere fifteen-year-old like Carl would possess such profound insights into life, akin to someone who had weathered the storms of adulthood.

In an instant, Kitty's eyes shimmered with curiosity and determination. "Carl, let me try it too. Is it truly as magical as you say?"

"...That depends on the individual," Carl replied, his tone contemplative.

With those words, Kitty reclined, the contours of her figure now even more alluring in the undulating light. Proximity allowed Carl to discern a faint, pleasant fragrance emanating from her hair.

From a distance, the sight of the two lying side by side could easily be mistaken for that of a couple.

But just as Carl anticipated a moment of peace, Kitty turned her head towards him. Her eyes sparkled in the sunlight, her complexion almost translucent, radiating a healthy blush.

"Beautiful," Carl thought to himself.

Kitty blinked, "Carl, tomorrow's a day off. Would you like to go shopping in Westchester?"

"...Can we leave the school grounds?" Carl queried, somewhat perplexed.

"Ha! School isn't a prison, you know. Of course, we can," Kitty chuckled at his question, her demeanor bright and inviting.

She elaborated, "Every couple of months, the teachers organize trips to Westchester for relaxation. Typically, students aren't allowed to leave campus freely."

"After all, mutants are often wary of the outside world. They're vulnerable and accidents can happen."

"But for us X-Men, we have more freedom. We just need to inform Professor Xavier before heading out."

Carl was taken aback, "I had no idea about any of this, Kitty."

"In other words, I'm free to leave whenever and explore the city?"

"Absolutely," Kitty affirmed, "With your abilities, you could easily handle any threat, and it's just a nearby city, so safety isn't a major concern."

"Tomorrow's a day off, coinciding with the scheduled outing. Hence, I thought I'd ask if you'd like to join me for some shopping. I need to pick up a couple of new outfits."

"That sounds great. Count me in. I could use some new clothes too," Carl agreed.

Over the past two weeks, he had shot up from 1.75 meters to nearly 1.8 meters, his muscular physique becoming more pronounced, rendering his old clothes ill-fitting.

Coincidentally, Professor X had just loaded $100,000 onto his card, enough to splurge on a multitude of clothes.

Observing Clarice's wardrobe, which consisted of only three sets of slightly worn and ill-fitting attire, it became apparent that a shopping spree was in order for her the next day.

After all, girls still had to dress elegantly to radiate charm.

With this thought in mind, Carl suddenly realized that he hadn't seen Clarice in the afternoon. He subtly scanned the crowd in the distance.

Navigating past the irrelevant figures, Carl spotted Clarice beneath the grape trellis at the corner of the garden.

There she stood, a brunette amidst a flurry of activity at a kitchen counter, her concentration evident, a sprinkle of flour adorning her nose, lending her a comical appearance.

Witnessing this scene, Carl couldn't help but crack a smile.

Ah, the tranquility of such a leisurely day was truly delightful.

With a slight sigh, Carl redirected his gaze and closed his eyes, delving his consciousness into his body, relishing in the sensation of his strength evolving with every passing moment.

The skirmish from the previous night had reinforced the significance of power in his mind.

He had ascended effortlessly from the fifth underground floor, relying solely on his extraordinary power compared to ordinary individuals.

Had he still been the sociable creature or the average high school student, he wouldn't have stood a chance against even a single armed assailant.

Moreover, yesterday's gains were substantial, including the one origin point from the mission reward and the opening of the virtual battlefield.

Not to forget about the Adamantium.

Regarding the single origin point, Carl remained undecided on whether to utilize it now or to expedite his metamorphosis once he reached the pinnacle of Bronze Age power.

One option was to enhance the present, while the other aimed to fortify the future.

Ideally, Carl yearned to utilize his origin point to acquire additional abilities such as Psychokinesis, leveraging the advantages of his mental attributes.

However, the virtual battlefield awaited its nighttime entrance, leaving daylight hours for basking in the sun's warmth. After all, the repercussions of death within its realm were excruciating.

As the clock struck six in the evening and the sun descended, Carl, noticing the shift in sunlight, gradually opened his eyes.

Following a day of basking in the sun, his physical attributes had undergone a significant surge, with his grip strength escalating from 20 tons to an impressive 24 tons.

He's currently standing still, with an impending punch poised to unleash a formidable force of 50 tons, possibly even more if it expels additional kinetic energy at a subsonic speed.

A punch of at least one or two hundred tons.

This kind of characteristic, where strength seems to exponentially improve with each advancement, is utterly unreasonable, bordering on outright cheating.

Luckily, this person is me, so it's not an issue.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Carl turned his head to find Kitty had already left, while Clarice remained seated.

Presently, the black-haired girl sat on the lawn, legs curled up, engrossed in a sixty-page Dragon Ball comic book bound twice.

Noticing Carl's gaze, Clarice looked up.

Meeting Carl's awakened state, the black-haired girl chirped, "Carl, you're awake."

"Awake indeed."

"It's getting late, let's go grab dinner."

"Okay."

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