Chapter 15

[Christian's POV]

Despite the System and my "Regeneration," I sustained serious injuries after the recent events.

There have been a lot of changes because of what I did in just two days. 

It's precisely because of my actions and decisions...

I orchestrated the assassination attempt on myself to boost my rating and win the election by pressing on the fact that "all sorts of scum are targeting the normal man!"

It's unfair, and I wouldn't have acted this way in the past. 

However, the problem lies with the System and its assignments. 

I didn't want to suffer because of it, and in the end, I had a real chance at victory after everything. 

According to my predictions, my rating should soar after such an event.

And that's exactly what happened. 

After I planned, prepared, and set up my goblins in armor and under artifact illusions along the route I was supposed to take, I commanded everything to go ahead.

The truth is, I almost die because of that damn RPG...

I am now in second place after the deputy mayor. The deputy mayor likely set up the current mayor as the "organizer" of this "assassination." 

I would feel sorry for him if I didn't know the stats on that pedophile and embezzler.

Not only did they "bring up" my incident, but they also uncovered everything else they could find. 

The police, now led by George Stacy, are digging so deeply into our former mayor's past that they are nervous about watching from the sidelines.

In any case, I've caused quite a stir in the city. 

Judging by the ups and downs in my reputation with those I know and don't know, I realized I had touched on a lot of strings.

Additionally, the System granted me a "hidden optional quest" and rewarded me with a +1 Level in "Regeneration," "Persuasion," and "Gambler." 

I also gained experience, achievement, and the trait of "Rascal."

[Rascal: You are a person who, when cornered, will do anything to save your own skin. You gain the ability to unlock hidden quests and a storyline branch related to political moments in the canon.]

[You receive a +250 relationship with all dishonest government officials and a +1% chance that any lie you tell, no matter how terrible or stupid, will be believed by everyone.]

Well, that's both unfortunate and funny at the same time…

In addition, Emma was seriously worried about my safety and hired a group of highly qualified mercenaries to protect me. 

Besides them, I also had Shield agents watching over me. Apparently, Jessica Jones and her boyfriend, Luke Cage, were keeping an eye on me at night. 

It seems they care about me and are on my side. 

It's flattering… but considering all the facts, I feel ashamed of myself.

"Hello, Emma." 

I said as soon as the door to my room opened.

"Hi, public's hero." 

She said, sounding much more cheerful than when we last saw each other. 

That was six hours ago. 

"How are you feeling?"

"Same as before. My head is pounding, my butt hurts, and my hands are itching to hit someone."

"Ouch! Has our little warrior gotten angry?" 

Emma Frost smiled, sitting down on the lonely chair beside my bed.

"Call me that one more time, and I'll stop feeding you. Forever!"

"Hey, hey! Don't go overboard." 

She said... 

"It's inhumane to rob me of the delicious treats that don't ruin my figure, no matter how much of this stuff I eat. You're really a wonderful guy. I haven't met many like you, at least not among mutants and my friends. Anyway, if you could lose about sixty kilograms, you'd be the ideal man for any sensible woman."

"Well, let's start with the fact that I don't need any woman, and let's finish with the fact that I can't lose weight. I told you… it's a quirk of my body."

"Yeah, yeah. I remember and was just joking. But remember, if you find out that I can help you with that problem, you call me."

"I've already fed you out with my problems."

"No." 

She denied. 

"You're my friend. Besides, you've helped me too, even if you didn't realize it. You saved me from an enraged Jean Grey in her 'I'll kill all my rivals and remain the only one!' mode. You're a sweet, kind guy who's always ready to help and support and honest in many ways. In short, a real friend!"

"Oh, the friend zone." 

I complained jokingly.

"It seems like you were the one rejecting me for a while until I went to Scott! So stop playing the hurt boy here."

"How's it going with him, by the way?"

"Pretty well. He doesn't think about Jean, which is good. And everything else is great between us."

An awkward silence hung in the air.

"You didn't just come to visit me, did you?"

"Right. Did I ever tell you how sharp you are?"

"Get to the point."

"Ding!" 

[You have been affected by a device that manipulates sound and vibrations. You will be unable to hear what happens outside your room, and no one will hear what is happening here.]

"Looks like you figured out that you activated some device, and now we can't be overheard." 

She explained when she saw the surprise on my face. 

"Hmm, as I thought. Do you remember when I dragged you to that gathering of my colleagues and friends? You know, the one where Grey attacked us." 

I nodded. 

"A couple of my… colleagues noticed you when you were saving me. They also mentioned that you had… powers. Tell me the truth. Are you a magician? Or a mutant?"

"Neither." 

I replied calmly.

"Can you elaborate? You can trust me. This information won't go anywhere. I give you my word!"

I hesitated for a moment, but my instincts told me I could trust her.

"Yes." 

I nodded. 

"I have powers. But they're probably not mutant powers."

I extended my hand forward, and a pistol appeared in my grasp.

"This is real, and I bought it in New York. It's part of my powers."

"You have a space pocket? Is it big? Can you put anything in there, even living people? Did you save me the same way?"

"Yes and no. Yes, I put you in there, but I saved you a bit differently. It's not exactly a space pocket; well, it is, but only somewhat. Tell me, have you ever played video games?"

"Well, there were a couple of times with my older brother about ten years ago. The games back then weren't exactly top quality, but I definitely remember playing a bit of Mortal Kombat and a few shooters. But I wasn't particularly interested; I had other concerns. Why do you ask?"

"Well, the essence of my abilities is that I am sort of… a player. A video game player with skills, experience, characteristics, and all the attributes of a game character. For me, life is like a game. That space pocket is called "Inventory"; it's limitless, and I can store anything in it. I also have a Player's Mind, a Player's Body, a Shop, and the ability to open Dungeons of various levels of difficulty and danger. The first two allow me to protect my body and mind from external influences and damage."

"So that's why I can't read your thoughts?!"

It dawned on her. 

"And that's why you can't lose weight... Interesting. I'm encountering such mutant powers for the first time. It's hard to determine their level. And what about the Store?"

"To put it simply, the "Store" is a special aspect of my abilities that allows me to buy things for development points, souls, some currency through trade or exchange skills, items, artifacts, and various types of information. In other words, it enables you to buy and acquire anything, as long as you have something to pay with."

Emma's eyes widened in surprise.

"Interesting, and what about Dungeons? What are they?"

"These are alternate dimensions where you complete certain tasks or paths. For example, defeating a "final boss" or retrieving something. Sometimes, you can just wander around, kill the local monsters, and earn money and various trophies from it."

"Tell me, the money you invested in my company, is it..."

"Yes, I earned it there."

"And how much do you have..."

"A lot. I can't liquidate it. Besides the money, I also have precious stones, artifacts, rare ingredients, and so on. But you understand that the laws and regulations simply won't allow me to circulate these funds unnoticed in the world."

"I'd probably be a complete fool not to say that this is at least Alpha-level!"

She remarked.

"Emma, I'm not a mutant, just..."

"I already tested you for the X-gene, and the result was negative. But due to the circumstances... you are simply invulnerable to ordinary checking of the X-gene because of your powers! This is amazing." 

She suddenly realized. 

"I'm sorry. Just, what I've learned is incredible, and now I can understand why you hid these powers from me. Does anyone else know?"

"You're the only one."

"Hmm. Thank you for trusting me, after all."

"Emma. And your friends..."

"Don't worry." 

She interrupted me again.

"They aren't interested in your powers. As far as I know, they think of you as my bodyguard or something like a lackey. I have subordinates with mutant powers. Given my reputation and habits, you've become just a distraction for them and a 'lifeline.' They know that I took Scott Summers from Grey. So they won't suspect you of having such extraordinary powers and won't try to recruit you. If anyone does decide to, it would be at most Selina. However, she's already swamped with her own tasks."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Hmm. You know what... you mentioned things that you can't get rid of, right?"

"Well, yes. Do you want to help me?"

"Yes, I have the means to help you sell it, of course. I'll take my cut for my work and assistance in legalizing these funds, but I won't extort anything from you beyond what's reasonable. We are friends, after all."

A socialite and businesswoman wouldn't miss her chance to see a real goldmine right in front of her.

"Deal." 

I shook her hand.

"Hmm. We have guests coming." 

She wiped the smile off her face and turned off the "jammer."

Just about thirty seconds later, there was a knock at the door, and almost immediately, several people entered...

To be continued…