Chapter 13: A Mark
Chapter 13: A Mark
Did I consider myself a villain? Of course not. I did help some criminals grow in power but it wasn't so much that would disrupt the balance of good vs. evil. The killings would happen, I just turned their normal executions into rituals. If I killed these heads of mafia, I was sure there would be more killings.
Was I happy with all the killings? Well, no. But I wasn't sad about it either. It was just a necessary evil. I had to do that to stop something bigger to happen. And of course my demonic lineage was slowly affecting me, making me ignorant to all the people and their death. You see, I was a human for a long time, that made my brain to be wired in a certain way to feel human emotions, and my memories about these emotions also mattered. You can't turn from a normal human into a serial killer in just one day. It took time.
And I also was careful not to screw things up by turning into a ruthless murderer. I didn't want to join the dark side, because of their objectives were stupid. Why would I want to rule? Or destroy everything? Humans were interesting and ruling was boring. I would have to spend all of my time looking after the place that I rule, I had more interesting things planned for myself.
And FYI, the obsession to rule is a psychological complex that needs to be treated. So I tried to keep my mind healthy.
And as long I had enough power none of these governments and kingdoms would matter. I could walk freely and no one would ever stop me.
I appeared in front of the lab that Dr. Erskine and Howard stark was working inside to set up the devices and check the functions. To find this place, I had to find Colonel Philips first and read his mind to get the address.
I was invisible, and walked slowly. With the help of my Stealth ability, combining with the invisibility, none of these normal humans could feel my presence.
Stealth was a skill that I trained while sneaking around the castle, looking for hidden doors and treasures.
Skill – Stealth /adept/ [3/10] (passive)
I used a silent imperius on one of undercover soldiers who were in front of the store to check inside. He didn't know why he did that, and told the old woman inside the store that he thought he heard something while being confused about it.
As he opened the door, I went inside the store with agility of a snake. The undercover guard went back outside.
I knew where the secret door was. With a move of my hand the mechanism behind it started working and it opened.
The soldiers were surprised. The old woman wasn't supposed to open it. I sneaked inside unnoticed.
Some soldiers opened the door to the lab to tell Howard stark about the malfunction of the door.
'Thank you for keeping the door open.'
And I was inside the lab. The place where the legendary Captain America is born. I was impressed by the technology. Howard stark was a genius that I admired. Well, he was also a womanizer which was not an admirable thing (Even demons have their standards) but I didn't care about people's personal matter, as long as they kept it in their pants in front of me.
The scientists were double-checking everything to be sure that they worked. I walked toward Dr. Erskine and with a little push from my imperius, he review the process that took him to create the serum and the formula, and all of the failures he had and ways to overcome them.
He didn't notice anything, it was normal for him to review his work just to make sure there is nothing wrong with it. And because he was thinking about the serum, I didn't need to perform a complete dive inside his memories, just his superficial thoughts was enough, and I could do that without a wand or even an eye contact. I got the memory as he reviewed everything.
The whole idea was that the serum was to recode the DNA and the Vita-Rays was used to provide the energy so the changes would happen faster, as the slow change meant death. Dr. Erskine was a brilliant man. I was thinking about saving his life, if the world was going to end by 2030, I didn't mind doing a little tweaks in the story here and there. Maybe by saving good people I could empower the good side?
I wasn't sure yet. I needed a bit of time to decide. I conjured a piece of paper on one of devices and enchanted it, so only Howard Stark could see that.
Then I went to a corner and put up a small temporary notice-me-not and silence ward around myself.
I gave Howard Stark a suggestion to see the note that I left him with my imperius. He looked at it and was surprised. At first when he saw it, he thought it was a part of the schematics of the devices for the project. But when he saw his name at the first line, I could see his eyebrows rise.
It said
(Dear Mr. Stark.
Sorry for the inconvenience. I wanted to talk to you but when I saw you and other scientists working, I thought it might be a bad idea. I was hoping if we could set up a meeting at 10:00pm tonight, at Café Blue at #######, hope to see you by then. If you do not want to come, just give me a notice by burning this letter.
Sincerely yours
M. Grin)
When he put the note inside his pocket and I apparated out of the lab.
I waited for him at the Café Blue, he was there 5 minutes early. I waved my hand for him.
I was wearing a normal coat and a hat and my white mask. And the Staff of Solomon was beside me, standing without the need of a support.
He looked around and saw that no one was looking at my weird outfit. He walked toward me and said "You signed your name as Grin, isn't that mask a giveaway?"
I chuckled and said: "It is refreshing to meet you Mr. Stark."
"I don't know if I can say the same."
"Oh don't be a bummer Mr. Stark. This might be a start of a wonderful co-operation. Who knows, we might become besties."
Howard called the waiter with his hand gesture and said "Well, I have three rules. Women I sleep with should be under 30, I don't sell lethal weapons, at least not the dangerous ones, and don't work with people who do not show their face."
He was a bit bothered about the waiter not showing up. "Did you pay money to these guys to ignore us?"
"No. They don't just notice us. I brought some drinks called Butterbeer."
He looked in front of him on the desk and saw a big glass, filled with a beer like drink with a lot of foam on it.
"My mom said I shouldn't drink what the strangers give me." Then he drank half of the Butterbeer without stop.
"This stuff is amazing!"
I chuckled again and said: "Glad you enjoyed it. I can send you some regularly. But let's talk about the work first."
He said "I might've joked with my mom quotation, but I was serious about the face."
"Hah, Mr. Stark, you are as stubborn as I thought you would be. Let me show you something first and then we talk about my identity."
I took a small box out of my coats inner pocket. I opened the box and inside it was a small wood branch that was on fire.
"I think you might've guessed that I might be a magician with my staff and the way people not noticing us. Well, I am. And this wood branch here is a normal branch with inscriptions that turns takes the ambient energy and make an eternal fire. Clean energy, without the need of any fuels."
He looked at the branch and said "How can I know it's not just a trick?"
"Well, I can give this to you." I put the small branch in the box and hand it over to him "You can test the flame in the vacuum or under water. It will not be extinguished. And of course I can show you more magic if you like." I got up and put my hands on his shoulder and we apparated to an island somewhere near japan.
"W … What? What did you give me? What was in that Butterbeer?"
"I don't know the recipe, I should find out about it now that you mentioned it. Maybe I could get my own line of Butterbeer."
I was enjoying the refreshing winds and the sound of water hitting the rocks.
He looked at me like I was crazy.
"Let's go back Mr. Stark."
I grabbed his shoulder and we apparated back to the Café. I was careful to apparated inside the notice me not charm so it wouldn't draw attention.
He was in a bit of a daze.
"You are a magician? A real Magician?"
"Yes. And now we can cooperate."
-----------------
The talk I had with Howard (yes, I call him Howard, we are friends now) was really fruitful. I conjured a piece of paper and with my instant inscribing, I wrote a long set of runes and fold it.
I told him "If you want to see what a set of runes can do, put it in the pocket of Dr. Erskine, before the super soldier procedure."
He was shocked that I knew about it and I assured him that I meant no harm. I went inside the lab and outside without them noticing. I could steal everything if I wanted to. But I didn't need them.
My body wasn't a human body. And without the essential changes in the serum, it could kill me, or worst, turn me into a human (as it changes the DNA into a peak human DNA), I didn't know if I even had a DNA, I was just guessing.
The first deal we made was for me to teach him runes and him getting me a giant Mansion, filled with all the books he could find. I wanted a Mansion that had bookcases on all of its walls. Like it was just a giant library. (Aside from the kitchen and bathroom of course (And no, not for me, for the guests))
He left and I went back to Hogwarts to deal with all the souls that was coming to me. I could barely sit down and focus while talking to Howard.
*Ding*
[Level up! Now you are level 3]
*Ding*
[Level up! Now you are level 4]
*Ding*
[Level up! Now you are level 5]
[You opened your inventory space]
*Ding*
[Level up! Now you are level 6]
*Ding*
[Level up! Now you are level 7]
*Ding*
[Level up! Now you are level 8]
I got 86 souls since I introduced Grin altars to those criminals. I was level 8 now, with 26/30 souls for a level up.
I checked my System perk.
System – Gamer [Level 8] [Level of this perk is same as your character level]
Are you playing this game or are you just a game character? Who knows?
Ability level 1: Gamers Body [Level Max]
Ability Level 5: Inventory (adds 1mx1mx1m to your inventory space per level.)
Ability Level 10: +1 perk
I checked my inventory. I thought about putting the pen in my hand inside the library and it disappeared from my hand. I could feel the space and what was in it. I could sense the pen. I summoned it in my hand. It was a useful tool.
The Demonic Heritage perk caught my eyes, it needed souls to level up, and I had some souls to spare. I used 10 souls on my Demonic Heritage perk.
And with a level up I got
Demonic Heritage – Demon Powers [Level 2/?] [needs 15 Human souls to level up 0/15]
Ability Level Zero: +100% light magic damage taken / Weak against Holy water and anti-demon weaponry / Cannot Change Vessels / Cannot be exorcised / Week against Anti-Demon magic
Ability level 1: Deal with the Devil [Level Max]
Ability level 2: Telekinesis (Low Quality) [Level Max]
Next Level: Telekinesis (Intermediate Quality) [Level Max] + 10 physical stats
I looked at my souls and I saw that I had enough souls for another level up.
Demonic Heritage – Demon Powers [Level 3/?] [needs 40 Human souls to level up 0/40]
Ability Level Zero: +100% light magic damage taken / Weak against Holy water and anti-demon weaponry / Cannot Change Vessels / Cannot be exorcised / Week against Anti-Demon magic
Ability level 1: Deal with the Devil [Level Max]
Ability level 2: Telekinesis (Low Quality) [Level Max]
Ability level 3: Telekinesis (Intermediate Quality) [Level Max] + 10 physical stats
Next Level: Telekinesis (High Quality) [Level Max] + 10 physical stats + Minor light magic resistance
'That's nice. I should use more souls on my demonic powers.'
I had around 2 hours until morning and I headed toward room of requirement for some exercise. After 3 years of regular training I became an endorphin junky. I had to train every night!
I went inside the room of requirement and trained for two hours, it was good, because it helped me to be comfortable with my newfound physical stats.
After morning I talked to Tom about the O.W.Ls, he was ready to take them, and we talked about Salazar's Chamber of Secrets. He went there couple of times, and talked to the snake, the basilisk, and found a small hidden library there, which was a small C level library, which contained the mastery of Salazar style of dark arts (which was a new skill), mastery of Evil Magick, mastery of Blood Magick and adept level soul magic, all the knowledge that was questionable or considered dark, even at that time where dark arts was used regularly.
He shared the knowledge with me, as I was the one who brought interesting books on taboo magic for him. I also connected my divinity to that library which gave me the ability to go there at any time that I wanted.
But I had to finish Hogwarts library which I was at 99.8%. I needed couple of days to finish everything.
After I finished my talk with Tom I went back to the library. I didn't tell Tom about the altar yet. I was waiting for him to finish his fifth year. Didn't want to interrupt his studies.
That day, I finished every book in the library. If I had an awesomeness stat it would rise to the roof with all the time I put into these.
*Ding*
[You conquered your first library. B level library containing Wizardry Knowledge.
Hidden requirement: Become a Grandmaster Wizard (complete)
Hidden requirement: finish the library under five years (complete)
Rewards: This library which only resonated with your divinity in now a part of your domain (Automatic spark generation 0.1 per year), +10WIS, +10INT, +10MGC, +1 spark to Knowledge Divinity.]
'My domain? What does it do? System?'
{Well, you can always feel what's happening inside your domain, you get a 90% immunity inside your domain and +100 stats bonus. You are nearly immortal in your domain, I mean no one can kill you. And of course domains generate sparks.}
'Cool'
I checked my stats.
Name: Michael Green
Alias: The Grin
Titles: Magician
Race: Demon God
Level 8: for next level need 30 souls (1/30)
(+10hp, +0.1 Resistance, +0.1 Damage output, + 5 stat point per level)
Lifespan: 250 (50 his vessels lifespan + 200 Tier Mortal (High))
Tier: Ascended(Low)
Stat Points: 40
Health: 1020/1020 – 7.8 regen per minute (+20hp per VIT and +10 per level) (+200 hp for ascended tier.)
Mana: 2520/2520 – 8.4 regen per minute (+10 mana per MGC) (+100% Magic Amplification) (+200 mp for ascended tier.)
Stamina: 385/385 – 4.0 regen per minute (+5 per VIT) (+200 sp for ascended tier.)
Str: 29 +10 (Strength gives 1. Physical damage, 2. Power to lift and throw 3. Each point 0.2hp per minute)
Vit: 27 +10 (Vitality gives 1. Each point +10hp 2. Physical Defense 3. Each point +5 Stamina)
Dex: 30 +10 (Dexterity gives 1. Speed 2. Each point 0.1 stamina per minute 3. Each point 0.1%critical strike chance)
Int: 74 +10 (Intelligence gives 1. processing speed 2. mental fortitude 3. Each point 0.1 Mana regen per minute)
Wis: 76 +10 (Wisdom gives 1. Creativity 2. Skill mastery speed 3. Magic Defense)
Mgc: 111 +10(Magic gives 1. Each point +5 mana 2. Magic damage 3. Magic Affinity)
LUC: 6 +10(Luck gives … well … luck?)
(+10 is for the Ascended tier)
I already surpassed heroes in magic (maybe not the ancient one) and soon I would surpass all of them in physical power.
I checked the signature that I left on Howard, I could see the place he was in. They just prepared the lab for the procedure.
I smiled. I didn't need to stay in the castle, if someone needed me and came in the library looking for me I would know and appear there. I put all my personal stuff in the inventory. And turned invisible and put silent charm and notice-me-not charm on myself and apparated inside the lab.
That was the birth of Captain America, who didn't want to see that? That was like one of the legendary scenes of this universe. I saw that, were Steve was in pain but he asked the doctor to proceed and when everything turned off, he came out of the container with a body that could kill women. I saw agent Carter trying her best not to blush, the Hydra agent pressing the button and the explosion, and he taking the serum and shooting at Dr. Erskine but it didn't go as it was planned.
Suddenly some blue runes appeared in front of Dr. Erskine and when the bullets hit them, they returned toward the Hydra agent and killed him.
It was my second big mark on this universe after changing Tom.