Chapter 32. Peace & Justice Part 2.

[Grudge Pistol: Images & GIFs]

Ffffff...

Pistol Lvl 1: A bullet for every grudge.

Only 12 grudges. Each one different, but special.

---

My left hand grips tightly on the object enclosed in the palm of my hands. I can practically feel a lot of it's energy has faded away: the mystery coin that gave me a predator's ability in this cursed world.

The ground quakes once again, a large chunk of land breaking from what remains of the main island. The island is finally about to collapse.

The pistol still on my right hand, I raise my face to let my skin brush off with the blowing wind.

"I smell death." I tell myself as I let out a slight sigh.

"In my next adventure, I want to be the one in control of everything." With a faint smile on my face, I resolve. "Then I'll show everyone just who's boss."

The first operative emerges from the sinking ground, his rifle clutched to his chest. Quickly, he extends it to aim and shoot. But my mind is elsewhere at this fleeting moment. "Nue's probably all healed up by now."

"But riding it will only result me to being pulled down from the sky again." I predict.

"Mahoraga could probably adapt to those bullets, but summoning it again is a gamble I don't feel like taking." I remind myself. Then almost as if breaking down, I add, "I don't feel like fighting anymore."

"I have had enough of it." My eyes close.

"Really thought that Hunter mode would solve everything in a wink." I voice my disappointment. "But now, even switching to Primitive mode will only result to a quicker death."

Mmff...

"Totality wouldn't cut it either. Even if it was still-" I swallow hard.

"Piercing bull will just run straight to danger." I visualized. "I'm not really interested in a head-on confrontation."

"This is the part where I regret not taming enough Escape Rabbits. Maybe they could have been perfect for this situation if I had a whole bunch of them." I pity myself at the thought of how many I have. "But I only have two! All the others died pretty easily."

My head spins as I think about all the rest and how they are useless to this situation because they'll all lead to a direct confrontation. "I guess that's just what they were made for."

"If granted, I'll make sure to diversify." I hope.

Huhhh...

My head tilts to face the sky as I contemplate on my life. The dark skies reflect my life situation. "I could use a nice, long, uninterrupted slumber beneath some clean, warm sheets, right after the warmest bath."

My mind opens, activated by sorcerer instincts. At the back of my mind, I note the colour of the pistol. "My innate technique is in shades of blue?"

My mind reflects to all my past confrontations. "The colour of cursed energy has always been purple every time I fought."

"Huh. Two shades." The cursed coin pops into mind. "Makes me wonder more about this coin."

After flipping the coin and getting the Ten Shadows, I engaged the Amazons and ran out of Cursed Energy sooner than later, only to remain with super attributes. While my time in Themyscira made me a better sorcerer; capable of using cursed energy for longer, the cursed energy granted by the coin also seemed to grow, infinitely.

"Even after such a prolonged struggle this last few hours," I wondered, "It still has more energy than the first time I used it."

Purple.

Blue.

"What more?" My eyes open to the sight of the operative's finger squeezing the trigger.

"Curse you." My glock was ready first, and I make sure to shoot the third bullet. A perfect aim this time. Maybe it's because my head is finally calmer.

But that doesn't stop his bullet from leaving the nozzle, it's trajectory obvious.

I may not be twice as powerful, but I'm still a sorcerer who has been through a gruelling, accelerated training ground. I can withstand a shot from a bullet. Or even better, I can swerve to escape it.

The fight left in me pumps just a little rush of adrenaline through my system, and I move, even though slightly. The bullet streaks past my ear, leaving me to ponder on how easily I could have been paralyzed. But to survive this long, I must be one lucky bastard.

My bullet hits the operative's gear and a blue, residue spark splashes on his chest. It's probably armor, so I know that I haven't accomplished anything. Just another wasted bullet. Where's my luck now?

Why not shoot another and another... until I have no more bullets in this useless thing?

I'm about to squeeze the trigger again, when my grim situation gets a little bit exciting. I glimpse a small blue movement through the operative's armor and to the back of his neck, but I can't make out what it is.

Suddenly, his grip on the his gun tightens, and his body appears stiff, like a statue. Either I'm famous and he's star-struck, or, he's been paralyzed.

What just happened?

He doesn't fall to the ground. He just remains standing stiff as others brush through his still form, without a care whether he's okay or not.

"Did that bullet just...," a thought pops into mind, "Curse him?"

Excitement washes over me and my finger unintentionally squeezes the trigger, letting out another bullet that misses and hits the ground they're running on. Before its charms where out, an operative steps on it while running past. The fourth grudge activates as a blue, fading, light streaks through his sole.

The first is a grudge for the legs that dared to cross me. The second grudge is for the spine you thought you had. The third grudge: you've got some nerves! The fourth...

Short and abrupt, the operative's eyes scorched and the earth quaked to cover his agonizing pain as he lost sight. The eyes that failed to see an impending demise.

Only 8 grudges remain, but the tides have turned to my favour. I had been accustomed to possessing godlike power, such that losing all of it to trade for 50/50 had sucked my confidence

A sly grin on my face, I embrace the new dynamics, and my heart beat wildly again. "You guys shouldn't have missed me this early."

A small ripple erupts from below me as my foot leaves the ground to dash to the oncoming onslaught of really fast bullets and determined operatives. "I might be slower, but you guys always end up becoming the collateral damage."

Suddenly, the second-most powerful tremor that the island has experienced shakes the entire ground and the island takes a final toll. Everyone standing and fallen shoots to the air as the ground raises and collapses .

Mightier than the sound of everything falling apart, a godly voice speaks, shaking the ground even the more. "Time's up. Your work here is done. The island might've fallen, but Themyscira lives on. Time to pay our debt."

My body takes forever to hit the solid ground, but it was only after my motion starts to slow considerably that I realized I had sunk in the ocean. It's dark, but I can make out the shapes of rocks subsided and magma flowing beneath as if an eruption is about to occur.

"The future might have reset to a different path, but history rarely changes. Good luck, Cursed Millennial." The voice resonates in the ocean, taking my breath away - literally.

Gulp!

I clutch my throat as I gasp for air, and in a futile attempt to swim to the surface, my energy wears out as exhaustion fully sinks in.

Darkness.

---

C/N: Not a time-skip. Nor a direct continuation. Just a glimpse of the future.

---

(Preview: January 16th, roughly one year later after Themyscira's "Obsoletion".)

Message from The Cursed Millenial:

Gotham's a pit, and you crawled into it. Big mistake. I'm coming for you, in the shadows or wherever you run. You can't hide. The hunt is on. Hunter.

P.S. That car was my favorite.

---

(Preview: Gotham City. Date/Time: Unknown???)

A slick beast of a car tears through the night on a busy highway bridge, moving so fast it's practically a blur. The details, make, and model are deliberately shrouded in mystery, amping up the excitement for anyone watching.

In a ballsy move, the car expertly swerves to the right, slipping through slow traffic like it's second nature. The dance with danger continues as it drifts left, brushing past oncoming vehicles with only inches to spare. Heart pounding, adrenaline pumping – it's a razor-thin line between a thrill and a wreck.

With a quick, controlled maneuver, the car slips back into its lane, punching the accelerator like it's got something to prove. The engine roars, syncing with the night's heartbeat, a perfect blend of power and precision.

Whether it's a high-stakes street race or a desperate getaway, this slick machine races through the night, leaving behind a luminous trail against the dark highway canvas. The suspense thickens as the unknown driver deftly maneuvers, chasing victory or dodging some unseen adversary.

In a daring move, the high-performance car weaves through slower vehicles, a calculated ballet of speed and strategy. The pulse quickens, the tension spikes as it skims dangerously close to oncoming traffic, a risky game that only amplifies the driver's adrenaline rush.

The scene plays out like a movie, reaching a sudden climax as the supercar screeches to a stop, freezing against the night. A gust of wind carries its momentum away, and a triumphant voice echoes from the heavens, declaring, "Gotcha! Hunter's Nest: A game of predator vs. prey."

"Transform, Nue! It's payback time against that Broke Cynical Pessimist who thinks he's got some 'Sixth Sense.' I can practically taste the thrill of diving into his occult world. Get ready for an adrenaline-pumping adventure!"

Thanks for reading. This arc is complete. I wrote a comprehensive author's note in Patreon detailing my journey so far. Next two chapters may not be the best, but I'm finally on a roll again. Thanks for everything. Be sure to check my y C.N. #1. in patreon.com/CursedMillennial.

Early Access in patreon.com/CursedMillennial