Chapter 97: Secretary

After upgrading Imaginary Technique "Purple" to lv3, its power not only increased significantly, but Alex found it much easier to manipulate the imaginary mass.

He could now use Technique "Purple" to perform more precise operations. At lv2, Alex could only perform rough transformations, such as changing a spherical shape into a strip, forming a crude sword-like shape. It was more like a long bar than a sword.

At lv3, however, Alex could now transform "Purple" completely into a sword, even carving intricate patterns on it to make it more refined. He could even turn it into thin wires at a millimeter scale, allowing him to cut targets with great subtlety.

Moreover, he could control the power of "Purple." Initially, it always operated at full power, but now Alex could make it touch other objects without causing any damage.

The improvement in "Purple" gave Alex a noticeable boost, and it could be said that each time a skill surpassed lv3, Alex would undergo a significant transformation.

Still, despite the strength that skills could bring him, Alex needed to increase the template fusion percentage as quickly as possible.

Compared to skills, the template was his foundation. From it, he could obtain more abilities, and once the fusion rate reached 100%, he would fully master the skills from the template, no longer limited by the system.

What's more, if the next template was something like a Saiyan, capable of blowing up stars, his power would undergo a qualitative leap.

That was much simpler than painstakingly leveling up skills!

While Alex was deep in thought, a figure draped in a bath towel walked into the room. She, as usual, intended to change into her pajamas in the bedroom, but today was different—she forgot there was now an extra guest in her small cat house.

The two locked eyes in the bedroom. Alex shamelessly took in the stunning view before him, openly staring at the alluring sight.

There was no denying it—Catwoman was indeed impressive!

Being stared at by a strange man she had just met, even Catwoman felt uncomfortable. If the man in front of her wasn't her benefactor, with a mysterious background, she might have knocked him out cold.

But cautious as ever, Catwoman refrained from acting rashly since she didn't know the full extent of the man's identity.

She looked uncannily like Anne Hathaway, and instead of screaming like an ordinary girl might, she just glared. After all, in Gotham, there were no "ordinary" girls, especially not Catwoman.

Selina shot Alex a sharp look and instinctively pulled her towel up higher, warning him:

"Mister, have you stared long enough?"

Any ordinary person would have averted their gaze and apologized for their rudeness, but Alex was different. He was a man who acted on his whims, in other words, shameless.

Instead of apologizing, Alex continued to stare at the beautiful sight before him, replying, "Of course not. Beautiful scenery is always hard to look away from." (A/N: Hol' up, Rizzilante)

Seeing that Catwoman didn't react violently, Alex knew the jewels he had brought from the Marvel Universe were working their magic. Greedy cats could never resist shiny things.

"You…"

Catwoman started to say something but was cut off by Alex, who said, "I just arrived in this universe and I'm in need of a capable subordinate. How about becoming my secretary?"

Catwoman rejected the offer without hesitation, "Impossible. I'm free, and I won't serve anyone!"

But her eyes were drawn to the precious jewels in Alex's hand. The words of rejection stuck in her throat, unable to come out.

Seeing the cat's sparkling eyes, Alex smiled devilishly, taking out even more jewels. In the light, the treasures shone brightly.

"Are you sure? These jewels are just one month's salary. Besides these material trinkets, I can offer you power. In Gotham, or anywhere in this world, you won't survive without power."

Symbiote tendrils writhed behind Alex, as if ready to entangle and devour Catwoman.

In the end, Catwoman accepted Alex's proposal and the symbiote's power, making a wise choice. After all, Alex wasn't one of those righteous men; he had no qualms about forcing her if necessary. After all, who wouldn't want a gorgeous, curvaceous secretary?

A secretary to handle business and pleasure—this was the life Alex had always dreamed of in his past life.

As for the saying "forced fruit is not sweet," well, it still quenches thirst!

In the following days, Alex didn't take immediate action. He needed to confirm the current timeline.

The newly hired secretary was highly capable—not only was she beautiful, but also quite competent. Whether it was helping Alex relax or gathering intel, Catwoman proved invaluable during this period. Among the useful information she gathered was the current timeline.

What Catwoman found differed slightly from the movie universe Alex was familiar with, but not by much. This universe appeared to be a parallel one, closely resembling the film universe.

At the moment, Batman was active in Gotham, fighting crime. The Bat-Signal struck fear into the hearts of criminals everywhere.

Villains like the Joker and Penguin were beginning to show themselves, becoming Batman's nemeses.

Superheroes from other cities were also starting to emerge: Aquaman, living in a coastal town, the Flash in Central City, and Wonder Woman, once active on battlefields.

However, what caught Alex's attention was the lack of information on Superman. There had been no "Black Zero" event, meaning Superman had yet to reveal himself. General Zod had not yet invaded Earth, making Alex excited. After all, Kryptonians could absorb immense power from a yellow sun. Capturing a few Kryptonians would provide a continuous energy source.

But that was Alex's backup plan. Kryptonians weren't easy to manage, and their resistance could be a problem. Although Alex's power now surpassed that of a Kryptonian, he didn't want to be constantly suppressing these superhumans.

So, for now, his main goal was the three Mother Boxes on Earth. These devices, made from Element X, possessed numerous abilities, including energy transfer, which could provide him with a continuous source of power.

Although not as limitless as the Infinity Stones, the energy they provided was still formidable and would be Alex's primary energy source in the DC universe.

Currently, the three Mother Boxes were separated, each guarded by a different race. One was with humans, another with Atlantis, and the third with the Amazons on Themyscira.

Because he had crossed different multiverses, Alex's portal ability was somewhat restricted. He needed to absorb and adapt to the energy of the DC multiverse, which meant he couldn't open portals to the Mother Boxes' locations directly.

It's worth noting that aside from the portal ability, many of Alex's other powers had changed slightly. However, with time, these powers were quickly adapting, and his combat prowess remained unaffected.

During this period, Catwoman, now enhanced by the symbiote, wandered through various cities. Her abilities had greatly improved, and while she couldn't match Superman head-on, she could now go toe-to-toe with Aquaman. As for Batman, unless it was a direct confrontation, even Catwoman could easily overpower him. But in a fair fight? Even Alex admitted he wouldn't stand a chance. (A/N: Lol)

Everyone knows Batman never loses a fair fight—it's practically a law of the universe!

As Catwoman continued gathering intel, Alex finally got some leads.

Snuggling up to Alex like a cat, her face flushed, Catwoman gave her report in a soft voice:

"I found Lois Lane. She'll be heading to the countryside near Metropolis in a few days to interview Clark... But I haven't found any trace of Cyborg, nor any clues about Themyscira. However, I did confirm that a man who lives in Erice, Sicily, can survive underwater. Locals call him Aquaman, and I believe he's the one you're looking for…"

"Well done…"

Alex pondered his next steps.

Lois Lane was about to interview Clark, meaning the Superman storyline was about to unfold. This was his only chance to capture Kryptonians.

As for not finding Cyborg, Alex wasn't surprised. He might not have become Cyborg yet, or he could be hiding from the world. In any case, finding him would be difficult.

If he wanted the Mother Boxes, Atlantis and Themyscira were the best places to start. Of these, Atlantis was Alex's first choice, as its location was easier to pinpoint.

As for resistance from the Atlanteans?

The white devil doesn't care about that.

°°°

Hungry for more chaps? Then check out our pătreon!

Link: Påtreon.com/BaphometFiction

I post 20 advanced chapters of this fanfic there.