[8]
Feeling a bit weary and more than a little bewildered, Dante took a deep breath and just decided to sit down. Honestly, the boy needed it, because a lot had occurred within the past hour, and some of it had been absorbed but not properly digested. So, in an attempt to regain his lost sanity, he began to catch up on the system's notifications.
Quest Completed!
[First Wave]
Objective: Eliminate the first wave of humans.
Reward(s):
[Perk: Auto-Loot]
He focused on the only reward visible from the quest, as his eyes landed on it's description.
[Perk: Auto-Loot]
When there are valuables to be picked up, which are dropped from your kills, the system will automatically grab ahold of them and store everything within your inventory.
…That was sick!
Dante was super happy about that, as it would be a great help within the near-future, as well as beyond that. Taking a quick glance at the new stuff he saw in his inventory, it seemed to have taken effect as soon as he unlocked it, which was nice. However, aside from some useful handgun ammunition and a few bucks to add onto his balance, there wasn't much to gaze upon in wonder.
Gunslinger Leveled Up!
Gunslinger Leveled Up!
Gunslinger Leveled Up!
[Gunslinger] - Lvl. 4
That was pretty cool, though, especially since he noticed the duration of his deadeye had seemingly increased to twelve seconds rather than a measly three at this point, as it appeared to go up in increments of three for each level. For what reason, however, the boy wasn't really too sure on that.
Turning to the thing that had caught his attention the most, which was the mysterious and unnamed quest, he couldn't help but just stare at it for a while. It was mostly under a faint sense of suspicion and also gratitude, but nonetheless, he eventually focused on one of the stranger rewards he had seen as of yet.
[150 SC]
Also known as store credits, this is the currency of which you may use to access the shop function within the system. There is also an option to trade and sell things that you may have either created yourself or somehow obtained through unimportant means.
…Interesting.
He definitely hadn't expected this. Not only that, but it was quite clear with how that was worded that the system didn't appear to care what it was or how you ended up getting your hands on something. That was both comforting and a slight bit worrisome, but he eventually just shrugged it off before moving on.
Navigating through the interface, it took a while for Dante to find the actual shop he could supposedly access, as he hadn't seen it there last time. Either that, or it didn't actually exist until recently, but whatever.
After seeing it for himself, he was quite surprised to view the diverse selection of stuff that seemed feasibly purchasable. As he continued to scroll through, the list just felt like it would keep going for days on end, to the point that Dante was wondering if the thing was infinite or something.
Once he got tired of looking through whatever seemed available to him, he finally returned his attention to his current environment and surroundings, unable to stop the involuntary sigh that left his lips in the process as he rose from the ground.
It was about time he returned to the real world.
However, just then, the boy noticed a chest not too far away from where he stood.
Stepping closer to it, Dante slowly opened the wooden box, which inadvertently caused a bright light to emit from the inside before he was caught by surprise. Now, there were three new popups hovering in front of his face.
Item(s) Rewarded:
[Stone Hatchet]
The rustic variation of a regular stone hatchet, this one is capable of triggering a rampage mode that makes it's wielder almost immune to damage and can be further lengthened by killing more targets.
[Combat Sniper]
The Combat Sniper is a semi-automatic rifle that has a longer range and faster rate of fire than the standard sniper rifle.
Perk(s) Rewarded:
[Recoil Exempt]
From now on, you are essentially immune to any sort of recoil that others may still be subject to, allowing you a much easier handling experience when it comes to firearms.
While Dante absolutely loved what he saw, at this point he just wanted to fall asleep and recoup some of his energy.
----------
The myriad of colors that suddenly assaulted his senses was almost overwhelming.
Figuring that it was just something else he had to get used to over time, Dante blinked away the spots in his eyes before realizing that the sun was actually setting over the horizon, and that he had seemingly returned to the spot he was originally in before entering the dungeon.
What a strange feeling.
Trying his best to shake off everything that just happened, the boy eventually started walking back towards the direction of his home, with the desire to just fall into his bed coursing throughout his sore body like never before. However, once he remembered the discussion him and his dad had earlier that day, a bit of that weariness quickly wore off.
Although he knew his parents loved him more than anybody else in the world, he desperately wanted his own place, as well as felt the need to at least get them a spot to chill at that was away from all the gang violence and shit. He didn't want them getting caught up in his extra-curricular activities, because there was no doubt that something like that would weight heavily on his psyche.
…And while most of that desire boiled down to safety reasons, he also wanted some type of proof that whatever they thought he was doing behind their backs was at least somewhat paying off, you know. That would just make it feel all the more worth it.
Unfortunately, though, with how expensive everything was around Los Santos, even around the more low-quality areas, especially if you wanted an actually good-looking place that wasn't riddled with cockroaches and all types of other shit, Dante knew he would need a much more consistent income. He was hoping to god that Devin would help him out in that regard, but the more the boy continued to really think about it, the more he began to feel like that man was just setting him up to eventually end up looking like a damn fool.
All he needed was just an inkling of an idea that what he thought was actually true, and he would be out of there faster than that rich motherfucker could say tennis.
Tomorrow morning, he was at least planning on looking for a spot to crash for whenever he was in situations reminiscent of this, which could also provide a foolproof alibi in case his dad or someone else tried checking in on him and his whereabouts.
Also, there was one other thing, which he wanted to talk to his parents about...
----------
"...You want to do online school instead?" His mother questioned with a slight frown, sitting down with him at the dining table after he had just finished devouring a bowl of cereal. The boy nodded his head in response, as he began to sign his reply. "What about your friends, though?"
'I'll keep in touch with them, don't worry.' Dante expressed, more so as an offhanded comment since he wasn't actually sure about that. 'After what happened to me, I've begun to find myself desiring to be closer to you and dad. With my physical recovery and all that, it just seems to make more sense if I get a job or something and spend the rest of that time with you guys.'
Now, while he meant pretty much all of what he just said to her, most of his feelings on the matter were expressed with a hint of embellishment, as the whole reason he was even attempting to convince the woman to switch him into online classes in the first place was obviously so that he could have more time on his hands to grind levels and get some more money on the side. He just planned on disguising that last part as him somehow luckily acquiring a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with a rich dude that lived in Vinewood Hills or something.
Letting out a quiet sigh, his mother set a hand on his head as she ruffled his ash-colored hair in an affectionate manner. "Just give me some time to think about it, alright? Not to mention, I've also got to discuss the potential change in plans with your dad. I'll try my best to convince him though."
With that, she left the room, and Dante went back into the kitchen for some more cereal.
----------
About four hours later, the boy suddenly received a text.
It was Molly, informing him that she was on her way over to pick him up for his meeting with Devin, but strangely enough, also said that her car would be parked outside the Discount Store nearest to his house. That got him thinking.
Was it possible that the first time she met with him and practically parked right outside of his home, they purposefully did that as a subtle power move? To essentially let him know, that if he decided to try anything funny, they had already tracked down where the people he cared about lived.
He was almost certain that had been the case, and the thought of it was really beginning to grate heavily on his nerves.
----------
Once Dante spotted the familiar vehicle, cautiously approached it, and then stepped inside, he was surprisingly met with the sight of both Molly and Devin waiting for him in their seats. While the boy had been expecting someplace more professional than this, he wasn't all that bothered by it.
"What was the delay all about? You certainly took your time with your preparations." Molly questioned, her eyebrows furrowed. Dante simply gestured to what was with him.
With Devin sitting across from them, he sat next to Molly before placing the backpack he brought along with him down onto the floor. Aside from the stuff he had stolen for himself, it contained everything notable enough to be worth handing over to the man that was currently scrutinizing the bag. 'It's just school supplies, don't worry.' Dante signed to Molly, who eventually relayed the joke to her boss.
Cracking a smile, the man crossed his arms. "I like this kid." He muttered towards Molly, before gesturing to the backpack. "Alright, let's get this show on the road. Show me what you've got."
+2 Affection with Molly Schultz!
Affection: 4 | Obedience: 0
Nearly showing an outward reaction to the popup that just appeared, Dante unzipped the top of the backpack and reached inside, before pulling out what could be considered a collage of pictures taken from within Chad Mulligan's house. Once he passed it over to Devin, he watched as the man's eyes gradually widened over the span of a few seconds.
It was the pictures he took with his phone, which he ended up quickly printing at a nearby kiosk heading over to the meetup point. It was a good thing there was one close to his house, because if it wasn't for that, this wouldn't have been possible. The only downside was that he had to constantly update Molly on his whereabouts during that timeframe in order to prevent certain suspicions from rising.
"Holy shit..." Devin whispered, laughing under his breath as he cradled the images tightly gripped within his hands. It was a weird look for the guy, since it kind of made him look like a creepy pervert or something. "You've really outdone yourself, kid, that's for sure."
+2 Affection with Molly Schultz!
Affection: 6 | Obedience: 0
+2 Affection with Devin Weston!
Affection: 2 | Obedience: 0
Ignoring the popups that occasionally flickered into existence across his vision, Dante was really hoping the next thing he was about to pull out would get even more of a positive reaction, as his patience for that supposed paycheck was starting to grow thin.
Devin, still distracted by what was laid out before him, didn't notice what was pulled out next from the backpack until the sound of a gasp captured his attention, which came from Molly. When his eyes finally returned to Dante, or more specifically what he was now holding within what appeared to be a Ziploc bag of sorts, the man was left speechless at the sight of a used pregnancy test.
"...If that's what I actually think it is, I'll add an extra fifty-thousand dollars into your pay for what you've done for me, no questions asked."
Unable to stop a smile from crawling onto his face, Dante handed the Ziploc bag over to the man, who quickly took and withdrew the used pregnancy test in order to closely inspect it, a grin on his face. Even though the thing had most likely been washed afterwards, the boy still found it a bit nasty to just grab it in the way that Devin proceeded to.
"My god..." The man said in amazement. "This is perfect, and just what I needed. Now, that idiot will have no choice but to hand that Z-Type over to me, especially if he wants to keep that pathetic marriage of his stable and unbothered."
+2 Affection with Molly Schultz!
Affection: 8 | Obedience: 0
+2 Affection with Devin Weston!
Affection: 4 | Obedience: 0
Furrowing his brows, Dante tilted his head. Molly noticed, and seemed to understand his confusion, as she leaned towards his side a bit in order to quietly inform him of Devin's main throughout all this so as to not disturb him while he was stuck in his reverie. Dante wasn't used to seeing the man like this either, and to witness such an eccentric side of him come out was unexpected.
"The Z-Type comes from a specific production line of vintage luxury sports cars, and there's only ten of them in the world. At the bare minimum, just a single one of them will go for around ten million dollars." Molly said in a hushed tone, causing Dante's eyes to widen in shock.
…Damn.
Now, it was pretty understandable as to why Devin seemed so eager to blackmail that Chad Mulligan individual. Before the boy could think over the matter any longer, though, Molly suddenly began to crawl over his body in a manner that was unintentionally seductive, her lithe frame filling his vision for a couple of seconds as Dante's mind briefly went blank.
That's when the door on his side opened up and she returned to her original position, gesturing for him to exit the vehicle with a near-imperceptible smile seen on her face. This time around, it surprisingly didn't appear as fake as last time, which he made sure to remember. Not only that, but although this rather abrupt end to the meeting felt a bit too sudden, the boy couldn't help but feel slightly thankful for that as Devin's unusual behavior was honestly beginning to creep him out.
"You have done Mr. Weston a great favor. Thank you very much." Molly lowered the window and leaned out to speak up once more after she closed the door behind him. "The money will be routed to you very soon, we'll keep in touch."
+2 Affection with Molly Schultz!
Affection: 10 | Obedience: 0
With that, the car quickly pulled out of the parking lot, and even though Dante felt like he was being scammed with how much of a delay there was when it came to them giving him his well-deserved mission pay, the boy wisely kept quiet.
Gently tapping the earpiece hidden within his ear, he began to listen in on what they might say now that he's seemingly out of earshot, as unbeknownst to them, he had ended up secretly placing an audio-relaying tracker on their vehicle.
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You didn't think I would seriously have the MC just become a puppet for someone else's selfish schemes, did you? Well, spoilers or whatever I guess, but no. Things are going to start taking a bit of a turn rather quick now, I'd reckon.