Alr this is the nineteenth, chapter.
got tired of that 40 min crap, mass upload lol.
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Charlie took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the moment settle on his shoulders. He could feel the tension building in the room, not from his surroundings, but from within himself. His mind was racing with possibilities and calculations, but he knew he needed to calm down. With practiced ease, he cleared his thoughts, adjusted his posture, and focused. His expression shifted to one of deep seriousness, as though he had made a crucial decision—one that could alter everything.
"I'm going, then, Friday," he said gravely, his voice low but firm.
Friday smiled in her usual professional, reassuring manner. "Anytime, sir."
Charlie hesitated for a brief second, then asked, "Are you sure you're ready?"
Friday's smile didn't falter. "No problem, sir."
Charlie let out a short exhale. "Alright—it's time!"
With a determined click of the mouse, Charlie confirmed the level upgrade prompt on his computer screen. He held his breath as the screen flickered, the cutscene playing out as his character progressed through the stages of advancement. He leaned forward slightly, fingers hovering over the keyboard, ready to extract the new skill rewards that would follow the upgrade.
The anticipation was real.
This wasn't just about getting through another battle or finishing a mission—this was about the next stage in Charlie's personal power. After the fierce battle the night before with the monstrous entity, Laitos, which had shaken the entire battlefield, Charlie knew the stakes were higher than ever. The creature had been powerful, ancient, and terrifying—yet, Charlie had managed to take it down. The aftermath left him with more than just victory; it had left him with the promise of growth.
The battle had been grueling. Laitos, with its twisted, tentacled form and immense size, had towered over everything, making Charlie feel insignificant in comparison. But as the fight unfolded, Charlie realized that while Laitos was strong, it wasn't invincible. In the beginning, its appearance had been overwhelming, its power almost suffocating. But as the battle raged on, Charlie found the creature's flaws, exploiting its weaknesses, turning what seemed like an impossible fight into a hard-earned victory. The once-dreaded presence of Laitos had crumbled beneath the precision of his attacks.
However, Laitos wasn't just any creature. It represented something much larger—a shift in the world. The awakening of these ancient beings signified that stronger, more dangerous enemies would soon rise. Laitos had been merely the first. The idea sent a shiver down Charlie's spine. He needed to prepare. He needed to grow stronger.
He could already see the experience bar at the top of his screen, hovering dangerously close to the critical level. He was so close to leveling up after all these hard-fought battles. Last night's fight with Laitos, combined with the countless challenges before it, had almost pushed him over the edge.
In a world where gods existed—where ancient creatures and powerful deities stirred—Charlie had no choice but to keep climbing. He couldn't afford to be complacent. Every upgrade, every new skill, brought him closer to being able to stand against these titanic forces.
But there was more at stake than just that. His last encounter with Commander Ross had left him unsettled. Ross had appeared in the middle of the chaos, seemingly taking advantage of the situation. Though injured—missing an arm—Ross had vanished into the confusion, slipping away like a shadow.
After Laitos fell, the Ninth Division had swept in to clean up the remaining ghouls and secure the area. But even after their thorough search, there was no sign of Ross.
This was troubling. Ross had lost his arm in a previous fight, and with Laitos gone, he had likely lost his greatest weapon, the Tis Shield. Without that, Ross was far less dangerous. But still, he was out there somewhere, and Charlie wasn't about to let that slide. Ross was a ghost now, someone who had slipped through the cracks, and Charlie had no intention of letting him escape justice. He needed to stay on Ross' trail.
Friday had already been tasked with monitoring the situation, keeping tabs on any developments regarding Ross. While Ross might be weakened, he was still valuable—taking him down would yield a lot of experience points. And Charlie had done most of the damage during their last encounter. The thought of someone else—especially a team like the Service Division—finishing Ross off before he could get there was unacceptable.
As the cutscene ended, the screen shifted into the new skill extraction link. The prompt flashed before his eyes, and Charlie's excitement began to build once again.
With the level-up, came new capabilities. The first significant change was to his team structure—Charlie could now bring five heroes into battle, instead of the usual three. This opened up a world of tactical possibilities. He could now switch between his five chosen heroes, using their unique abilities depending on the situation. The battlefield was about to get a lot more interesting.
Charlie sat back in his chair, stretching his arms for a moment, before leaning forward once again, cracking his knuckles. This was the part he had been waiting for—hero draws.
Excitement surged through him. Drawing five cards in a row always gave him a thrill, especially knowing that Spider-Man was still his guaranteed pick. Spider-Man's base abilities were reliable, strong, and offered some of the best enhancements available. Charlie knew that with Spider-Man's skills, his chances of drawing something high-quality were significantly higher.
And sure enough, the first draw didn't disappoint. Charlie had drawn Spider-Man's enhanced physique. The benefits were immediate—enhanced durability, strength, and agility. Spider-Man's body could withstand incredible forces, even surviving a full-speed impact with a train, based on what Charlie had seen in the films. His body was also incredibly flexible, able to perform feats that would be impossible for most humans. This was more than just brute strength—this was about grace, agility, and reflexes that allowed him to move like a dancer in the midst of battle.
And when combined with Spider-Sense? The possibilities were endless. In essence, Charlie could now dodge bullets effortlessly, his dodge stat maxed out to the point where he could weave through any attack with precision. With this ability, even the deadliest assaults would result in nothing more than a missed opportunity.
But that was just the start. There were four more random abilities to be drawn.
The first one was something Charlie hadn't expected: Wolverine's Adamantium skeleton. With this, Charlie would have an indestructible skeleton, just like Wolverine. The bone claws would be part of the deal too. With a single thought, Charlie could summon the claws, tearing through anything in his path.
But there was a downside. Unlike Wolverine, Charlie didn't have the regenerative healing powers necessary to handle the strain of having an Adamantium skeleton. The metal was surgically implanted in Wolverine's body, but without that monster-level healing ability, Charlie wasn't sure his body could handle it. Even if he could summon the claws at will, each time he did, it would tear through his own flesh before cutting his enemies.
Charlie's strongest self-healing skill came from Moon Knight, but he doubted it would be enough to handle the internal damage caused by the Adamantium skeleton. He filed the ability away in his mind as something to be cautious with—perhaps to experiment with later, but not yet.
The second random draw yielded something equally interesting: Daredevil's radar sense. With it, Charlie's senses would become hyper-acute, allowing him to perceive the world in ways far beyond normal human capabilities. He could hear heartbeats from miles away, smell faint traces of chemicals, and sense the smallest vibrations in the air. This ability would be enough to put every police dog out of work.
More than just enhanced senses, the radar sense came with Daredevil's years of experience in honing and mastering those abilities. Charlie wouldn't need years of practice—he could activate it immediately and function at the same level as Daredevil himself. But, as with everything, there was a catch. When using the radar sense, Charlie would be effectively blind. Daredevil's vision was never restored in his hero state, and the same would apply to Charlie when the radar sense was on.
Still, Charlie wasn't too concerned. Daredevil had lived his entire life functioning with the radar sense, and it often gave him better awareness than regular sight. Besides, Charlie could always deactivate the skill and regain his vision if needed.
The third random draw brought a stealth ability from Elektra, Daredevil's ninja ally. This skill allowed Charlie to move with near-invisibility, controlling his breath, heartbeat, and footsteps so that he became almost undetectable. It was a classic ninja technique, perfect for stealth missions.
The fourth and final random draw was a massive boon to his arsenal: master-level weapon proficiency from the Winter Soldier. This ability granted Charlie the skills to wield any weapon—whether a gun, sword, or even unconventional tools—with flawless expertise. Designed by Hydra as the ultimate combatant, the Winter Soldier had mastered every form of modern weaponry, and now Charlie had access to that same level of proficiency.
Charlie's power had increased exponentially with this new set of abilities, and the possibilities were endless. But he wasn't done yet. It was time to draw a hero.
[Tl Note - Fcking why, bro's not gonna even use them shits]
With a smile, Charlie initiated the draw.
As expected, the prize pool contained a variety of items—some useful, some less so. Spider-Man's student ID, Stark's dinner date plans… and then came something that made Charlie groan—the Hulk's pants. Again. This time, they were a different color, but he knew what they were.
Was this some kind of cosmic joke? Would collecting seven pairs of Hulk's pants unlock some kind of secret character? He could almost hear a sarcastic voice in the back of his mind telling him that.
But after what felt like an eternity of pulls, Charlie finally hit gold.
Colorful special effects flashed on the screen, and Charlie knew that this time, it was something big.
The hero he had drawn was none other than Kane Parker—one of the Scarlet Spiders. Kane was a clone of Spider-Man, with abilities that closely mirrored the original. Charlie could already tell that his roster was becoming a spider-nest of sorts, with multiple versions of Spider-Man filling his hero pool.
Just as he was about to give up hope with his points running low, the final draw came—and this time, it was something monumental.
As the special effects exploded in dazzling colors, Charlie's heart raced.
There, standing in the light, was Tony Stark—Iron Man himself. The scientist, billionaire, and technological genius. One of the greatest minds in the Marvel Universe and a symbol of power and innovation.
Charlie couldn't help but smile. His journey had just taken a massive leap forward.
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[TL Note - Let's Fucking GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Lowkey, though, this chap felt like filler]