Hold Down The Fort

Let's see if we can get 100 power stones by the end of this week

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When Charlie awoke from his slumber, his energy levels surged all at once; he felt invigorated, more so than when he usually woke up.

This wasn't the first time he noticed the peculiar effects of the game. It wasn't just about controlling the heroes of DC and Marvel; the game had also become a sort of fitness simulator, enhancing his body and physical strength in ways that defied normal expectations.

During his last visit to the Ninth division headquarters for a physical evaluation, Professor Miyazaki had been visibly disappointed. He hadn't found the extraordinary physical abilities he expected from Charlie, who, in turn, seemed unremarkable on the surface. But for Charlie, his displayed prowess was a significant breakthrough.

People have different physical conditions; some can stay awake and alert all night, while others struggle to keep their eyes open after a few hours. Charlie knew his limits well—he was the quintessential gamer, more at home in a virtual world than the real one. The only thing he excelled at, besides playing games, was consuming copious amounts of junk food. His lifestyle was more about sedentary habits than anything remotely active.

Given this, the results of the physical test were actually impressive. It was surprising that he had made such progress in such a short time, especially considering that he had only logged into the game a few times. The efficiency of this physical enhancement was nothing short of amazing.

Of course, Charlie knew that improvements would come quickly at first, given his low starting point. But he also understood that progress would eventually slow down. He wasn't sure if this game would allow him to surpass the limits of human endurance, potentially elevating him to the ranks of those rare individuals who could bend steel with their bare hands or crush boulders with their fists.

That, however, was a concern for another time.

In addition to the physical enhancements, Charlie had his eyes set on the new heroes and equipment available in the store. The new heroes he could unlock determined the strength of his roster. If he could draw someone like Superman or Hulk, it would be a game-changer.

He got up, headed to the bathroom to wash off the sweat from last night's exertions, and changed into fresh clothes. His stomach growled as he placed a quick takeout order. Despite being mentally recharged after a full night's sleep, he knew he couldn't push himself further on an empty stomach. Playing games was a high-intensity activity, and he wasn't about to risk his health by going out in his superhero persona without eating first.

Once his order was placed, Charlie sat back down in front of his computer and logged into the game.

After completing last night's mission, Batman had disappeared after exhausting his energy. Charlie had barely managed to keep his eyes open long enough to log out. He hadn't even checked his Hero Points before collapsing into bed.

Now, it was time to see what he had earned.

Last night had been intense. He had cleared out a villain's hideout, teamed up with Ivan to eliminate a dangerous infection source, and faced off against a giant tentacle monster in a battle that had him on the edge of his seat. In the end, with the memory of the Wayne couple driving him on, he managed to defeat the infection source, thus saving the world.

The rewards were far beyond what he usually got from taking down street-level criminals. When he logged back in, he saw that his Hero Points had accumulated to over 2,400 in one go, and he even received a C-level hero coupon, granting him eight single-draw opportunities in the store.

This was a significant haul, especially for someone who had been so poor during the novice period, barely scraping by with minimal rewards.

Without hesitation, Charlie headed to the bathroom to wash his hands, hoping to wash away any bad luck. Once back at his computer, he eagerly clicked on the store's C-level teleportation array and activated the first draw… only to be met with a message: "Thank you for participating."

But that was just the beginning. It took 50 points to draw from the teleportation array, and with over 2,400 points, Charlie could make forty-eight attempts. The first failed draw was just a warm-up, a small setback.

Charlie clicked again.

Draw card! "Thank you for participating."

After thirteen consecutive "Thank you for participating" messages, Charlie's face darkened. His hand trembled as he moved the cursor to the draw button for the fourteenth time. He needed a hero, or at the very least, some decent equipment. Anything to break the streak of bad luck.

Draw card!

Then, just as Charlie was beginning to lose hope, the screen burst into a flash of brilliance.

The new character that appeared had an impressive figure—one that might be considered exaggerated in the real world. She had a pair of long, well-toned legs and held twin sai, reminiscent of Raphael from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Her name was Elektra, an anti-hero from Marvel and a longtime ally of Daredevil. A top-tier assassin, skilled in combat and stealth, she was at least a second-tier character in Marvel's vast roster.

But despite her impressive resume, Charlie couldn't help but feel underwhelmed. Her skillset was too similar to Batman's, who was already part of his roster. Elektra's arrival was more of a redundancy than a boon.

[TL note - can you readers verify that statement]

Still, there were plenty of points left to spend.

Charlie decided to go for another ten draws.

The results were mixed—two pieces of hero equipment, six more "Thank you for participating" messages, and two new characters.

The first new character was another woman with an enviable figure. She wore a jet-black catsuit that clung to her body, highlighting her curves in a way that seemed almost impossible. With silver hair and a mysterious air, she stood out immediately. Her name was Felicia, code-named Black Cat. An anti-hero, skilled in thievery and a member of the Defenders, she was also one of Spider-Man's more complex relationships.

Black Cat was essentially Marvel's version of Catwoman, and much like her DC counterpart, she was known for her complicated relationship with the protagonist. While her skills didn't overlap with Batman's as much as Elektra's did, she still wasn't the powerhouse Charlie was hoping for.

However, the second new character left Charlie utterly bewildered.

The character's name was Crowbar.

Charlie stared at the screen in confusion. He couldn't recall any hero or notable villain from Marvel or DC with that name. The image showed a tall, muscular black man with a shaved head, wearing a vest and bearing a skull emblem on his chest, similar to the Punisher. The man held, unsurprisingly, a crowbar.

Charlie opened the character's profile, hoping for some clarification. According to the introduction, Crowbar was a minor villain from DC Comics. He had started as an ordinary gang leader, earning his nickname because he preferred to fight with a crowbar.

One day, Crowbar was recruited by a supervillain to join a larger criminal organization. When asked about his skills, he had nervously replied that he was good with a crowbar. The supervillain, perhaps unable to think of anything more fitting, had given him a high-tech weapon—a crowbar that emitted energy waves.

Charlie couldn't believe it. The story behind Crowbar's name was both absurd and pathetic. The guy seemed like nothing more than cannon fodder, the type of villain Batman would easily dispatch on a nightly patrol.

But as Charlie read further, he discovered that Crowbar had once been a member of the Suicide Squad, a group of anti-heroes who worked for the government. Despite his humble origins, Crowbar had earned a place among the other anti-heroes, albeit as a low-ranking member.

Charlie sighed. He was beginning to understand how the game's random draw system worked. Just like the cafeteria lady who heaps a bowl full of vegetables with only a few scraps of meat, the game developers had stuffed the character pool with countless third-rate, fifth-rate, and even eighteenth-rate heroes, making it nearly impossible to get the truly powerful ones.

But Charlie wasn't ready to give up. He still had plenty of points left, and he was determined to make the most of them.

With renewed focus, Charlie prepared for the next round of draws. He was ready to keep trying until he finally pulled a hero worthy of holding down the fort.

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If you're enjoying the story and want to see more chapters

- 50 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter

- 100 Power Stones = 2 Extra Chapters

- Anything above 100 = 3 Extra Chapters

If you'd like to support my work even further and get early access to chapters, please check out my Patron at Patr_eon.com/OneSword (remove the underscore). Currently, I am Eleven chapters ahead on Patron.

Thank you, and Sword out!

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