Chapter 44: The Mature Real Estate Manager Comes To The Door, Preparing To Break The Limit Of Frozen Fruits

"Mr. George?" Ethan Hayes stood up, rubbing his sleepy eyes.

He was startled to see several police officers standing in the classroom.

"Ethan, have you been resting all this time?" George Stacy's eyebrows furrowed with obvious displeasure.

"Sorry, Mr. George. I couldn't sleep last night after finishing some work," Ethan replied with a sheepish smile.

His gaze flickered to the officers. "Mr. George, has something serious happened at school?"

George sighed, clearly frustrated. "The Lizard Monster has shown up at the school."

Ethan's surprise was genuine. "The Lizard Monster? Here?"

"Yes, now hurry up and leave the school. It's closed for the next few days." George waved him off before turning to leave.

"Take Gwen home with you," George added as an afterthought.

"Of course, sir," Ethan responded quickly, grabbing his backpack and heading out.

As Ethan rushed out, George shook his head. "That kid…," he muttered. His face darkened as a thought crossed his mind: Could it be? The feeling that his precious daughter had been courted by someone like Ethan was not something any father could easily accept.

Outside the school, Gwen Stacy stood waiting with a serious expression as Ethan approached.

"Did you make my father find you in class on purpose, sleeping like that?" she asked, half exasperated.

Ethan yawned again. "No, I'm genuinely tired." He gave her a knowing look.

Gwen smacked his arm, but her hit wasn't hard. "Well, at least school's out for a while."

Despite the strange situation with Dr. Connors, the thought of a break made her smile. Dr. Connors was a respected professor, and Peter Parker had been her close friend. Though things had changed since she started dating Ethan, it didn't erase the shared bond between them.

Ethan, Gwen, and Peter had consistently been the top three in their class, much to their teachers' pride. But Gwen's mood was low because of the Lizard situation, and she hadn't bothered questioning Ethan about his secrets. She had reluctantly accepted his explanation about his "Kung Fu theory."

After dropping Gwen off at her home, Ethan didn't return to his apartment but headed back to his Long Island villa. Waiting there was Julia, his mature and seductive real estate agent.

"Miss Julia, you look even more beautiful every time I see you," Ethan said with a grin, his hands wandering over her curves.

Julia smiled sweetly and planted a light kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for your continued patronage, Mr. Hayes."

"I'm dedicated. I'll always come to you when I'm buying houses," Ethan replied, giving her a playful squeeze.

Julia's eyes sparkled. "And I'm very dedicated too. I consider you my most important client, Mr. Hayes." She blinked flirtatiously.

"So, have you found any suitable properties based on my preferences?" Ethan inquired, leaning in closer.

"Yes," Julia purred. "I found several villas and estates outside Manhattan, just as you requested. Would you like me to explain them in detail, Mr. Hayes?"

"Absolutely. Make sure your explanation is… vivid," Ethan said with a smirk.

After an "exhilarating" discussion, Ethan decided on a property inspection. Julia left with a spring in her step, while Ethan made his way to the private beach at his villa.

As the sun set over the Atlantic, Ethan sat on a beach chair, deep in thought, gazing out at the ocean. The system's status panel flashed in his mind:

Name: Ethan Hayes

Wealth Value: 48,775W points (usable for ability improvement)

Desire Points: 1,036W points (usable for breakthroughs)

Abilities:

• Frozen Fruit (Control. Level 1+)

• Psychic Immunity (Passive +)

• Water Control Magic (Control +)

Skills:

• Phantom Fist (Transformation +)

Tasks:

1. Destined Encounter: Interact with a special heroine beyond the limits of friendship and gain significant rewards. Task reward: Blue Blind Box (stackable). Task attribute: Independent branch, unlimited tasks.

2. Establish Prestige I: Meet Magneto and demonstrate your strength. Task reward: Blue Level.

3. Establish Prestige II: Contact S.H.I.E.L.D., assert dominance over their agents, and gain 20W desire points. Task reward: Blue Level.

Despite the steady influx of desire points—thanks to news coverage of his battles and his "exercises" with Gwen and Jessica Jones—Ethan realized he needed more. The small spikes in desire points from public attention had been underwhelming compared to his expectations.

"I've been in the spotlight twice, but first Tony Stark stole my headlines, and then the Lizard fight didn't make much news," he mused. "I need something bigger."

Sure, the desire points gained from his intimate moments with Gwen and Jessica had been satisfying—tens of thousands at a time. But Ethan needed a game-changer, especially with the challenges ahead.

"It's time," Ethan said to himself. "Whether it's Magneto or S.H.I.E.L.D., I'll be using my frozen fruit abilities at full force. It's time to break past the first stage and reach Awakening."

He stood up, stepping barefoot into the sand as he walked towards the ocean. The Atlantic's cool waves washed over his feet, but Ethan didn't feel restricted. His control over water and ice was absolute.

Thanks to the Water Control Magic he had learned, the ocean didn't pose a threat to him, unlike the limitations placed on devil fruit users in One Piece. In fact, he felt more at home in the sea than most.

"I'll push the frozen fruit to its limit," Ethan muttered, staring at the vast expanse before him. The next stage of his powers was calling.

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