Chapter 32

[1st POV]

A month of working with Renee has passed, and a lot has happened on a city-wide scale.

First off, the gang war has ended.

It wasn't just because of my efforts but also because a gang called "Black Cross" managed to establish itself as the unofficial leader in Gotham.

They've taken control of nearly all the entertainment outlets except those owned by Penguin.

Additionally, the half remnants of other gangs joined them after the leader somehow managed to get them off the hook.

Now, they officially engage in "community work." In short, they're selling all kinds of cheap things to passersby.

It was pretty funny, but Arthur finally retired, and on his last day of work, he told me a bit about them at a celebration in his honor.

The gang appeared relatively recently, about five years ago.

They quickly gained some ground in Gotham and observed the situation initially, not getting involved in the chaos.

After a year, they suddenly advanced in terms of both power and territory, taking control of all the northeastern parts of Gotham and carrying out their own operations there.

Interestingly, the name "Black Cross" wasn't one they gave themselves but by the police.

The leaders of this group were said to have met in a biker bar called the "Black Cross."

However, there was never any proof of this. The bar was raided four times based on tips, but nothing was found there.

The bikers didn't even resist arrest and were soon released for lack of evidence.

This left Gordon looking like a fool in front of everyone, especially during his report to the mayor.

He was asked, "What are you doing, Commissioner? Harassing peaceful citizens who are just trying to spend their time where they want?"

In the end, he had to back off.

Moreover, the Black Cross didn't really cause much trouble for the police. They mostly dealt in contraband and held a few spots around the city.

Then, they became more powerful, and everything changed. They're now getting involved in everything they can.

Penguin remains inactive, the police can't effectively handle them, and we haven't heard anything from Batman.

It's as if he's ignoring them, or maybe he's already involved with them in some way and is playing his own game.

We'll have to wait and see how that unfolds.

Secondly, as for the so-called "freaks," Renee and I have been assigned to the Organized Crime Unit.

However, we also have an unofficial mission to assist the SWAT team in handling Gotham's more unusual criminals.

That's why I remembered the Black Cross.

Gordon specifically tasked Renee and me with closely monitoring them and gathering any information that might help us identify and bring their leader to justice.

I have a feeling this will be a long assignment.

This "Boss" of the Black Cross seems like a slippery character, known only to the "captains" of his gang, if even they know him well.

Thirdly, my progress in terms of strength has been remarkable. I've made massive progress in that area.

I won't even mention the usual stats that have gone up not only through training and completing tasks but also with supplements prescribed by Pamela.

My endurance, strength, and health have each increased by at least twenty points.

I also focus specifically on the line of chakra-related quests and the power I've gained through it:

Skills:

Chakra Manipulation - Level 19

Water Surface Walking - Level 10

Surface Walking - Level 12

Chakra Cloak - Level 9

Techniques:

Transformation no Jutsu - Level 2

Body Replacement no Jutsu - Level 1

Additionally, both my chakra control and reserves have increased:

Chakra Reserve: 880

Chakra Control: 99

There was an even more pleasant surprise about a week ago, during hand-to-hand training with Renee, the system unlocked the following new skill for me:

[Style of Dinklage - Level 1]

[The Dinklage Style is a unique skill that allows you to currently be the sole owner of your own custom combat techniques. +1 Charisma for each new level of this skill.]

Yes, I even managed to unlock a new stat—or rather, a part of one: "Charisma."

Charisma boosts the rate of experience gain and enhances luck. Once I reach twenty Charisma points, I'll also unlock "Leadership."

In addition, upon reaching Level twenty-five, I got the option to choose a Class.

I'm currently at Level Twenty Six but haven't picked one yet. I'm still undecided between Bard, Assassin, Healer, Politician, and Spy.

[Bard Class- is an artist whose music works wonders—a traveler, storyteller, and jack of all trades. Bards gain traits shared by multiple classes, but as a "jack of all trades," they lack a single, standout specialization. Bards have access to an additional skill, "Bardic Knowledge," along with a +5 Intelligence, +5 Intuition, and +5 Charisma. An indestructible bard's instrument is given to players who select this class.]

[Assassin Class - is a Silent Assassin and Soul of Assassin. Assassins are very good at sneaking around and operating silently, making them among the weakest in direct combat. They have low attributes due to their legends emphasizing stealth over heroism. Assassins specialize in assassination and have partial skills in thievery and information extraction. Assassins gain a unique skill, "Stealth," as well as +5 Agility, +5 Intelligence, and +10 Intuition. This class also includes special equipment and a set of poisons as a gift.]

[Healer Class - is for specializing in healing with a reputation boost among most individuals, except necromancers. Healers have a +50% chance of becoming friends with others except necromancers. They gain the special "Enhanced Regeneration" skill and receive +5 Endurance, +10 Intelligence, and +10 Intuition. Healers are also gifted a special healing kit, immunity to all toxins and poisons, and a +10% chance to survive radiation exposure.]

[Politician Class - represents in political activities, potentially holding positions in executive or legislative branches or as party officials. The Politician's main goal is world dominance for their state. Politicians excel in leadership and management with a unique "Diplomacy" skill and +5 Willpower, +15 Intelligence, and +15 Intuition. This class includes a special politician's kit as a gift.]

[Spy Class - involves gathering information about one party for the benefit of another. While similar to a "scout," it carries a more purpose and implies a higher degree of secrecy. The Spy has the unique "Surveillance" Skill, with +5 Agility, +5 Endurance, +5 Intelligence, and +15 Intuition. This class also received a unique set of lockpicking tools as a gift.]

Honestly, all these classes appeal to me, and I've been struggling to choose which one I want the most for several days now.

After saying goodbye to Renee, I headed to my new home.

It's a two-story house in a relatively quiet area near the precinct. It has eight rooms, a kitchen, a big garage, a basement, and several nearby buildings.

There's even a small garden, perfect for Pamela.

It feels like a dream, an ideal place—as long as no one disrupts this little paradise...

As I approached the door of the house, my senses and intuition heightened.

I felt an unfamiliar presence with aggressive intent about twenty meters away. I quickly jumped to the side, drew my weapon, and fired toward the threat.

However, he dodged the bullets and returned fire in a burst. In that brief moment, I caught a glimpse of him and... damn.

Slade Joseph Wilson, aka Deathstroke, the greatest mercenary in the DC Universe. He became the perfect soldier after his genetic modifications.

Deathstroke is considered to be the greatest strategist and killer in the world because of his cunning and ruthlessness.

I can't mistake that suit for anything else with his black armor with a mask, the left side orange, and the right side black.

I really wish I was wrong, but my intuition tells me he's after me, and this isn't a mistake.

I wanted to immediately activate the "danger" button on my belt that every member of our department carries.

Unfortunately, it wasn't there, and my belt had come off after a burst from the assault rifle.

Meanwhile, the fight continued.

Deathstroke vanished around the corner.

I could sense he was quickly climbing the wall to the roof. I ran to the other side of the house and hid behind a patio to avoid seeing me from the roof.

I reached the patio and pulled out my Beretta.

From the senses, I knew Deathstroke was already on the roof, looking for me.

I infused my bullets with chakra and fired.

"Bang!"

I managed to graze his left arm with a shot, but he was faster than I had expected.

He was also able to shoot me at the door. Fortunately, it wasn't fatal or serious—still, it was my left arm.

It was functional but painful. I had to roll out of the patio, and as soon as I leapt out, a storm of bullets caught up with me.

After reloading my gun, I started firing at Deathstroke again.

Unexpectedly, he jumped down.

With quick movements and zigzags, he closed the distance, disarmed me, and knocked my weapon from my grasp.

I blocked the incoming punch to my chest with crossed arms.

I had to pour even more chakra into my body to enhance my endurance, strength, and speed. Otherwise, I wouldn't last against this monster.

To my surprise, Deathstroke went hand-to-hand, even though he had a sword on his back.

The fight was happening at incredible speed, with movements blurring.

Despite the chakra, I was starting to take hits, but the chakra absorbed most of the damage and pain.

Messages from the system popped up, but I couldn't afford to focus on them.

Without warning, Deathstroke lunged, aiming a crushing blow to my chest. I twisted my body, narrowly avoiding the hit and responding with a quick jab to his side.

Deathstroke grunted but absorbed the impact, stepping back to reset his stance.

I didn't give him time to recover. I closed the distance with a series of sharp, rapid strikes—punching to the face, body, and legs, each hit calculated to weaken him.

Deathstroke avoided some, absorbing others with his hardened armor, but I was relentless.

He responded with a brutal counter, a spinning back kick aimed at my abdomen.

I saw it coming just in time and was able to get away from him and reach the spot where my pistol was, but then Deathstroke grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and threw me across the room into the wall.

Then, I saw him coming and was quick enough to dodge his kick aimed at me, and in the end, only the grounds were damaged.

I returned to close combat, managing to discreetly pull a knife from my inventory and stab him in the chest.

The knife snapped, but part of the blade remained embedded in him.

After that, I was slammed with even greater force into the wall and sent flying out into the street.

Before I could even get up, Deathstroke tackled me and flipped me onto my back.

However, I had an unpleasant surprise waiting for him.

I quickly pulled a weapon from my inventory, but this time, it was the sword Artemis and the girls had gifted me.

For the first time, I managed to land a serious blow on him.

I slashed, and a deep wound appeared, running from his right side to his left collarbone, and his armor didn't help at all.

"Rrrr!"

I kicked him in the chest with both feet, and he was thrown back into my house, crashing through the third hole in the wall.

I rushed inside, but he wasn't there. I could sense he was gone because I could see him going over the roofs of the nearby buildings.

That realization hit me like a punch to the gut.

This was completely unlike Deathstroke because abandoning a mission halfway through.

Honestly, I realized that I had no real chance of defeating him.

The only thing I could do was to hope for help from my colleagues or Bats when the neighbors reported the noises of a fight and gunshots.

By the way, I think I already hear the familiar sound of sirens.

Again, I doubt our police could scare him off. So what exactly made him leave me alone?

That's a mystery I need to solve...