[Side Story: Alexander]
"KILL HIM! KILL THAT GERBIL THIS INSTANT!" Whiskers roared, his scarred paw snapping toward Alexander, who was currently riding a cat like it was a raging bull.
SPLAT
"AHHHHHHH-"
SPLAT
"AHHHHHHHHH-"
SPLAT
Blood spattered across the grounds as Alexander drove the speartip into the cat's eye, streaking the neatly trimmed grass with a thin, glistening coat of red.
The cats encircling Alexander froze, eyes wide, tails stiff, unable to comprehend the horror as their kin shrieked and fell beneath his spear.
Even as the cat fell to the ground as a mere corpse, Alexander remained standing.
The gerbil surveyed the carnage around him with an unflinching detachment that made the encirclement around him grow wider.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Alexander suddenly roared, a guttural scream that ripped through the air as his golden fur hung heavy with blood.
Even just that scream made the already-wide circle explode back even farther as more cats stumbled away from him, panic shaking through their paws.
"KILL HIM-"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The scream twisted into laughter, interrupting Whiskers and rolling upward like a storm, rising with a greatness so immense that every cat had to tilt its head just to glimpse at it.
"YOU ALL ARE NOT ENOUGH!" Alexander yelled, swiping his hands across his surroundings, daring any of them to come closer.
"YOUR SURROUNDED-"
"AND YET, YOUR COMRADES' BODIES LITTER THE SPACE CLOSEST TO ME, RATHER THAN YOUR STILL-BEATING HEARTS!" Alexander's voice boomed over Whiskers, gesturing all around him.
"IT IS WHY I AM SURROUNDED, NOT BECAUSE I AM CAGED, BUT BECAUSE NONE OF YOU DARE CHALLENGE ME!" Alexander's voice thundered, sweeping across the cats but they all bowed beneath it, unwilling to meet his gaze.
"THAT IS NOT-"
"BLOOD STAINS THE GROUND YET IT REEKS OF YOUR FEAR!"
"SILENCE!" Whiskers screamed, taking a step forward, only to halt, frozen beneath the sheer force of Alexander's stare.
"Y-Y-YOU ARE IN VIOLATION TO THE NOBLE HOUSE CATS-"
"No."
Whiskers' stuttering conviction seemed to drown beneath Alexander's sheer clarity.
His light, measured breaths felt like storms pressing against the cats' chests, overwhelming their racing hearts.
"I do not recognize them, so they cannot validate me, let alone deny me my right," Alexander said, stating it as fact rather than proclamation.
"I will spare you-"
"YOU DARE-"
"I DO!" Alexander laughed, smearing the blood away from his face with a flick as it splashed onto the nearby grass.
"I will let you leave, all of you." Alexander said, his voice low but none of these cats dared shy away from what seemed to be their only escape.
"However." Alexander added, letting the pause stretch, drawing their attention like a predator circling.
"Only if you warn your so-called 'Noble' house cats, that you warn your allies-hell, warn them all," Alexander said, sweeping his gaze across the trembling circle, daring any of them to defy him.
"Yet, they already know." Alexander continued, a faint smile tugging at his lips, his tone calm but edged with deadly certainty.
"That I am coming." Alexander stated, letting the words hang in the air
"By now, I've sent word to every corner of this neighborhood, let alone the city." Alexander said, his eyes glinting with a chilling promise, scanning the terrified cats who dared not even breathe.
"The only way for peace, be it for your noble house cats to your lowly sewer rats, is to kill me." Alexander laughed manically, his voice cracking with a madness that made several cats' hair stand on end.
"You-"
"Go on!" Alexander cut in, stepping forward with a wild grin.
"Take it, take the right I have given myself, I IMPLORE YOU!" Alexander roared, his eyes crazed, bloodshot pupils matching the scarlet coat staining his fur.
"DEVOUR ME LIKE THE OTHER PESTS YOU PUT DOWN," Alexander screamed, his voice shaking the air as he jabbed a clawed finger toward them.
"TO STAND ON THE PEDESTAL YOU LOOK DOWN UPON ME FROM NOW!"
"You don't understand." Whiskers hissed, bending down as if ready to lunge.
"Your words mean nothing since we have you cornered." Whiskers scoffed, his tail flicking with false confidence.
"Is that your answer?" Alexander asked, flicking his tiny spear aside to rid it of the blood.
"Yes, you little pest."
"For all that I've done, do you still believe I do not have more cards up my sleeves?" Alexander asked, slowly spreading his arms as the moonlight overhead was suddenly interrupted.
The shadows danced across his form, turning Alexander's visage into a blur, a shifting nightmare that forced all the stray cats to lift their gaze.
To the horrors flying through the night sky.
"You've cornered the ground, but I control the skies!" Alexander yelled, a twisted smile cutting across his blood-soaked face, as the terror in the cats' faces deepened at what they were witnessing.
"YOUR MAJESTY, WE HAVE ARRIVED!"
Above Alexander's head, the sky was alive.
All his younglings circled, led by Philotas at the forefront, their cries cutting through the night air.
These were no ordinary birds.
Each bore the skull of a fallen parent, their fragile bones reforged into armor, their hunger sharpened by the failures of those who came before.
Through that grim inheritance, they had grown strong, transformed into Alexander's soldiers, to be perfect instruments of his will.
"I-I thought you were bluffing-" Whiskers whispered, stumbling back as he took in the vast sea of birds answering a mere gerbil's command.
"You thought wrong," Alexander interrupted, watching the cats who once circled him now retreating behind their trembling leader.
"Although it was only seconds before, I gave you all a chance for reprieve-"
"Wait-"
"YET NOW I STAND ON THE PEDESTAL OF POWER, AND ALL I WISH TO DO IS LOOK DOWN UPON YOUR CORPSES-" Alexander thundered, his voice shaking the ground beneath them.
"WAIT-"
"KILL THEM ALL!" Alexander roared, thrusting his arm forward as the skull armor of his flock rattled, the entire swarm diving down in a single, devastating wave.
SPLAT
SPLAT
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Towering screams tore through the field as the stray cats were overwhelmed, Whiskers whipping his head in every direction in disbelief.
The younglings, each species different, each talon sharpened to a perfect killing edge, shredded his kin like they were mere pieces of paper.
They ripped out their eyes.
They shredded throats.
They carved through fur and flesh with a precision only brutality could teach.
Alexander had honed these younglings himself, because this violence wasn't chaos, it was refinement.
They weren't younglings anymore.
They weren't even birds.
They were swords.
"Run away, Whiskers," Alexander called from across the field, his voice cutting through the massacre towards the stray cat, the only one untouched by the brutality of war.
"One must live, to warn your noble house cats of my conditions." Alexander stated, eyes narrowing as if even the cat needed to understand the gravity of his decree.
"You are to surrender, bow before my feet, and only then will I spare you." Alexander continued, still regal even when addressing a shivering alleyway stray.
"You have until the end of the week, choose wisely-"
"B-But my kin-"
"Choose wisely." Alexander finished, the words leaving his mouth like a verdict rather than a warning.
It was brutal, all of it, so brutal that Whiskers couldn't put his gaze anywhere but the bloodied ground beneath his paws.
"BOSS, DON'T LEAVE US-"
"HELP, HELP-"
"AHHHHHHHHHHH-"
SPLAT
SPLAT
SPLAT
It was grotesque, shameful even, but Whiskers began to run, paws skidding across the blood stained grass, abandoning everything he had once led with no confidence remaining in his fearing eyes.
"Yes, run away-"
"OH GOD F*CKING DAMMIT, ALEXANDER!"
[Side Story: Alexander End]
Meanwhile at the Citadel,
DING
[Mission Received: Lady Roma]
Difficulty: Hard
Character Sheet: S+
Description: The former Vice-Head of the Starlight Citadel and the only daughter of Merlyn, Lady Roma is widely regarded as one of the most formidable sorceresses and brilliant scientists in this multiversal cluster. Yet, her greatest strength isn't her magic or intellect, it's her innate gift for leadership. But with her world crumbling around her, there is finally an opening.
Objective: Help medicate Merlyn's daughter, someone suffering from a severe case of daddy issues, with your cock.
Reward: 750,000 IP
Main Mission:
Impregnante Once(Incomplete):
Rewards: 10 Legendary Gacha, 20 Epic Gacha, and 50 regular Gacha Or Lady Roma's Powers
Impregnate Twice:
Rewards: ?????????
Additional Missions:
Take the place within her heart that Merlyn used to reside in(Incomplete):
Rewards: Mythic Coupon
Take Lady Roma's virginity in the vicinity of Merlyn(Complete):
Reward: +10 Intelligence
Impregnate Lady Roma in the Starlight Citadel(Complete):
Reward: 5 Legendary item coupons
Bonus Missions:
Uncover Roma's Kink (Complete):
Reward: 5 Epic Coupons
Have Roma Initiate Sex First (Complete):
Reward: +2 Charm
???????????????????
???????????????????
???????????????????]
'Damn, this is a hard one.' Ricky thought internally, still sort of drunk and staring at system window above Roma's trembling, arched back.
Clap
"Ha~" Roma huffed, her ragged, hazy eyes drooping as Ricky dumped the last of his cum into her cream-filled pussy.
"Hmmmmmm~" Ricky hummed, jerking his hips again, just to make sure as Roma shivered beneath him.
"Hmmmmmmmmmmm~" Ricky continued, hands massaging her punished ass, feeling the way her body responded under his touch.
Honestly, Ricky didn't desire Roma's powers as much as he wanted her skills.
Although he'd clawed his way here mostly through picking women for their powers, mixed with the gacha rewards, he'd started to crave the skills itself.
Knocking up Raven and taking her skills changed everything.
Before her, everything had been black and white.
Now, her skills colored the world, added depth and texture he hadn't realized he'd been blind to.
He didn't just see the world anymore, he saw its beauty.
And, of course, he wanted more.
The gacha tempted him, sure.
Especially now, thinking about arming his men with eldritch devices just to see what would happen.
But as he hovered over the option, his green eyes glowed against the system window.
The jungle wasn't just a metaphor anymore; it was slowly becoming his life.
Not just the concept of survival, hierarchy, and unseen powers lurking within the darkness, but a living, breathing ecosystem of strength, skill, and consequence.
Every choice he made, every conquest he pursued, was a footprint in that vast, endless expanse and slowly, more eyes were gathering around him.
Predators, prey, gods, and devils alike, all being drawn to the scent of power radiating from him.
But weirdly enough, Ricky didn't feel hunted.
He felt seen.
'Choose power.'
The words echoed in his skull like a command from his own future self.
Ricky's eyes sparked, a heat blooming behind them as his mana core throbbed violently in his chest.
He tilted his head back and grinned, the veins in his neck straining, yet he was thrilled for it all.
CLAP
"HAAAAA~" Roma choked out, her head dropping as Ricky opened the floodgate that would be the catalyst to subvert himself into the world of magic.
Her powers surged into him, a tidal wave of raw magic, and he felt every thread of it manifest in his mana core.
THUMP
CLAP
Every time his heart hammered, Ricky slammed his cock into Roma harder, burying himself into the very being he was currently copying.
Instead of pain, instead of collapsing to the ground, Ricky couldn't help but react to the absurdity.
"AHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Ricky laugh tore out of him as he drove into Roma again and again, feeling the power fuse into him, burn into him, and settle into him as much as her folds were adjusting around his length.
Ricky didn't hold back as he laughed louder, his terrifying tone ripping through the night, echoing off the walls, shaking the air, and searing into the ears of anyone within reach.
Including Merlyn, who was still present through it all.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Next Morning,
"Wake up."
SNORT
"No biscuits on my gravy?" Ricky snorted awake, sitting up to find a naked Roma peacefully drooling on his bare chest.
"Huh?" Ricky muttered, rubbing his eyes, only to notice the outline of a beautiful woman standing before him, arms crossed, staring him down.
"Oh, heyyyyyyyy-"
"Saturnye-"
"I knew that. I was just testing you," Ricky chuckled, waving a hand as if they had a long and shared history together.
"Testing me?" Saturnye reiterated, her deadpan gaze shifting slightly to stare him down.
"Yep."
"On my own name?" Saturnye clarified, raising an eyebrow at Ricky who forced a cheeky grin.
"Yeah?" Ricky chuckled, shameless to the very end as Saturnye shook her head.
"Uh huh-"
SNORT
"Not there, Ricky~" Roma whimpered, blinking awake and turning her head to catch his smile.
"Good morning-" Ricky smiled, caressing her face as she leaned into his touch, only for her gaze to catch something at the side.
"SATURNYE!" Roma screamed, spotting her instantly and recognizing her in a heartbeat.
"Lady Roma." Saturnye said cordially, nodding toward the butt-naked woman.
"It's actually Roma now." Ricky chuckled, pulling her closer the moment she tried to pull away.
"Do you need anything from me, Boss?" Saturnye asked bluntly, her gaze locking on Ricky, who smacked his lips in an amused way.
"S-S-Saturnye, this isn't-"
"Yeah, do you guys have any coffee?" Ricky asked, holding Roma tightly as she tried to squirm away.
"We grind our own beans, yes." Saturnye replied, not even sparing a glance for the girl in his arms.
"Great. Could you put a bunch of cream and a sugar cube in mine? Thanks." Ricky said, nodding as Saturnye immediately turned to fetch what he desired.
"W-Wait!" Roma screamed, slipping through Ricky's arms and yanking his collared shirt from the side, quickly putting it on and pulling it down.
"I-I wanted to talk to you, to apologize-"
"Ricky is the head of the Citadel now, he is allowed to be anywhere, including the control room-"
"No, Satunrye, I wanted to talk as friends-"
"We were never friends." Saturnye replied, just as harshly as her movements, spinning around and colliding with Roma's thick frame.
"W-What?" Roma stammered, taking two steps back as Saturnye fixed her with a look of disgust the girl had never seen before.
"Your father murdered my entire family, destroyed my homeworld into an apocalyptic ruin, and forced me to advise you," Saturnye spat, a dry chuckle escaping her perfectly smooth lips.
"I-I DIDN'T KNOW-"
"YOU SHOULD'VE!" Saturnye screamed, stepping forward, towering over Roma, who flinched instinctively at the intensity of her gaze.
Ricky, meanwhile, stood off to the side, pulling on his pants, waiting for the right moment to intervene in the brewing catfight.
"You were the head of the Starlight Citadel, it was your job to know." Saturnye continued, her voice icy as Roma shivered beneath it.
"And now, even after you've ruined not only the sanctity of this place, you cling to another influential man." Saturnye hissed, leaning down so Roma couldn't mistake the disgust in her eyes.
"Alright, c'mon." Ricky sighed, finally stepping forward as he fumbled with his belt.
"It shouldn't surprise me, it always someone else coming to your defense-"
"Aye, I said enough-"
SNIFF
"N-No, she's right." Roma admitted, her voice trembling as she sniffled, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and shame.
"I should've known." Roma continued solemnly, eyes downcast and watering at the weight of her failures.
"And I now realize that nothing I say will forgive the suffering you have endured through my ignorance." Roma sniffled, feeling so cold in this moment as she rubbed her shoulder.
"Roma-"
SNIFF
"Can you just take me home-.....to any home?" Roma whispered, turning back to Ricky as tears streamed down her delicate face.
"Of course. C'mon," Ricky said with a warm smile, spreading his arms as Roma hesitated for a moment.
Before she left, Roma memorized the scowl on Saturnye's face until she finally waddled over, and Ricky scooped her up into a princess carry.
As Roma buried her head into his chest, he casually gave Saturnye a thumbs-up.
Almost immediately, Saturnye froze, confused at being acknowledged rather than scolded.
A green portal shimmered open, and Ricky stepped through with Roma in his arms, emerging inside an empty house he had recently acquired in his Harem Neighborhood.
"Don't listen to her, I gotcha~" Ricky whispered, lowering his smug face and gently kissing the side of Roma's sniffling cheek.
Sniff
"I'm gonna treat you right, I'll never put you in a bird cage." Ricky assured softly, watching Roma's teary eyes slowly lift toward him.
"Roma, I wanna see you fly." Ricky smiled and in that moment, the lightbulb above him hit just right.
It cast him in a soft, warm glow, just perfect enough that Roma felt her breath hitch as she stared up at him.
"O-Okay~" Roma whispered, letting him carry her all the way upstairs before lowering her gently onto the bed.
"I'm gonna send some people over to you." Ricky said, brushing a thumb along her cheek.
"Guys you could tell to jump off a bridge and they'd do it." Ricky chuckled, watching Roma immediately frown.
"Ricky-
"I'm serious. You tell them to hit themselves in the face? They'll do it." Ricky laughed again, brushing it off like it was nothing.
"W-What if-...what if I want to leave." Roma asked quietly, her voice dipping as she turned her face toward him.
But instead of a disappointed frown, Ricky was already walking toward the terrace, the curtains swaying around him as he pushed them aside.
"Let me open a window before you start flying around and hitting sh*t-"
"I'm serious, Ricky." Roma frowned, watching how he was taking the whole bird thing a little too literally.
"Me too, 'cause like I said three seconds ago, go nuts." Ricky said lazily, spinning around with a light shrug.
"From now on, no one in this city can touch you. Not after you've got Ricky's rubber stamp of approval." Ricky winked, speaking in the third person before gesturing behind him.
"And if you wanna go spread your wings, just tell me where you wanna go and I'll try my best to get you there." Ricky said, his voice soft but confident, fully aware to himself that he would never let her go.
"Why?" Roma asked, tilting her head, curiosity and suspicion mingling in her gaze.
"Why else?" Ricky replied, a sleazy smile slowly surfacing on his face as he opened a green portal before them.
"Cause your hot~"
The words were all Roma had left, and she clung to them, shaking her head with a small smile as she slowly sank into the soft, inviting bedsheets and drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep.
Meanwhile at Italiano's,
"No f*cking taste, I swear." Marino scoffed, smacking the newspaper with Ricky's smug face staring back at him, the caption reading: 'Mutant Shows No Remorse.'
"What f*cking remorse should the boss feel, huh?" Marino snapped, moving his glare from the paper up at Alfio, who was lazily rubbing the counter.
"Don't look at me like that." Alfio replied with a shrug, eyes on his work.
"I don't read trash that isn't from Little Italy." Alfio chuckled, watching Marino get worked up over the smallest things as a faint smirk tugged at his lips.
"That's more like it."
"AHHH!" Marino flinched, stumbling out of his seat as Ricky suddenly appeared, completely shirtless.
Ignoring him entirely, Ricky perched on the counter and casually picked up the newspaper he'd just set down.
"What do you think, Alfio? Do I give the photographer his flowers?" Ricky asked, holding up the picture of himself and perfectly mimicking that same smug smile.
"It's too close." Alfio honestly said, shaking his head as he studied Ricky's face filling the frame.
"You think?" Ricky recoiled slightly, squinting at the close-up as if he couldn't see a single flaw.
"I don't know, I kinda like the one from the mutant times better." Alfio muttered, picking up a paper from under the counter and sliding it across to him.
"Oh, that's good."
Ricky's words echoed as the picture had him standing in front of the mic, fist raised, an empowering expression lighting up his face.
All while Hands rose to join him, a silent chorus of agreement that perfectly captured him leading the crowd.
"The kid's good. The paper's been making its way through Little Italy, it's the only one that isn't trying to tear you down," Alfio explained, shaking his head slightly as he watched Marino fumble off the ground.
"Wait, what's it called?" Marino asked, carefully stumbling toward the seat next to Ricky.
"Mutant Times. I think it's pretty catchy," Alfio said with a smirk, tossing a rag over his shoulder and rubbing his hands together.
"Anyways, the usual, Slick?" Alfio asked, glancing at Ricky, who was engrossed in the paper before him.
"Yeah, but make it a whole pizza instead of a slice, I'm hungry today." Ricky said, chuckling as he continued reading.
"You got it." Alfio nodded, turning back toward the kitchen while Ricky flipped the page.
"Look at what he said 'Although Ricky Luciano can be described as a fever dream, unlike the others, I don't want to wake up-" Ricky gestured towards Marino, pulling the guy closer so that he couldn't miss the words.
Until, suddenly, he stopped reading as the printed column filled the room like a monologue rather than a narration.
[Mutant Times: Editorial Excerpt]
When I was a boy, I dreamed of a better tomorrow.
As a mutant myself, I think a part of me forgot what it felt like to believe, not just in a person, but in a cause.
I forgot what hope sounded like.
I forgot what it looked like.
And then I heard Ricky Luciano speak in person.
And suddenly, I remembered every piece of myself the world tried to shame out of me.
I want to believe in his fever dream.
I want to believe in Ricky Luciano.
And if that makes me crazy, if that makes me dangerous, if that makes me delusional-
Then so be it.
So, instead of judging the process, I want to wait and see if he's really all talk or all action.
[Author: Frank Bohannan]
"You said you wanted more responsibilities, right?" Ricky asked, turning toward Marino, who straightened up immediately.
"Yes boss-"
"Find the guy who wrote this and get me a stake in the paper," Ricky said with a chuckle, his nose twitching as he caught the sweetest scent of opportunity.
For the first time, as he stared at the article, his money-sniff skill actually worked.
Not detecting the fresh ink of the paper, but the unmistakable, sweet scent of money.
"R-Right away-"
"Not now, idiot." Ricky sighed, grabbing Marino by the collar and yanking him back before he could make a run for it.
"Go get the car, I need a little intermission to eat my pizza." Ricky said, nodding toward Alfio, who was busy getting his meal ready.
"O-Oh! Yes, boss!" Marino nodded eagerly, watching Ricky release him before bolting out of the joint to fetch the car.
"I should probably get a shirt too-eh, I'll do it later" Ricky muttered, returning his gaze to the paper with a lazy smile.
"Mutant times, huh?" Ricky said, his thumb brushing against the title of a paper he'd never seen before.
"Kinda tacky, but in a good way."
15 minutes later,
Ricky, still shirtless, walked out of Italiano's holding a pizza box, munching on a slice as he approached the sleek black car.
Using his telekinesis, he opened the door and slid into the backseat, setting the box neatly at his side.
"Where to boss-"
"The factory, then I'll cut you loose to go find that guy." Ricky interrupted, flicking his hand as his eyes caught Marino fiddling with the clutch.
"Hey, you wanna slice?" Ricky asked suddenly, watching Marino turn back with a hesitant grin.
"Oh boy, I shouldn't-"
"C'mon, don't be such a f*cking pansy-"
"Alright, you convinced me!" Marino exclaimed, reaching back and grabbing the outstretched slice with almost no hesitation.
"Hahaha!" Ricky laughed, watching Marino devour the slice while expertly steering the car forward.
However, while munching on his own pizza, Ricky finally pulled up the system window he had utterly ignored until this morning.
[Received:
Strength: 66→66 (Middle realm of Superhuman)
Stamina: 53→61 (Middle realm of Superhuman)
Vitality: 76→84 (High realm of Superhuman)
Agility: 89→95 (High realm of Superhuman)
Dexterity: 82→91 (High realm of Superhuman))
Intelligence: 75→92 (Middle realm of Superhuman)
Mana: 150→249 (High realm of Superhuman.)
Charm: 79→81 (At the highest form of superhuman level charm.)
Appearance: 60→75 (At the brink of the highest form of superhuman level of appearance.)
(Innate) Arcane Genius: The user possesses an innate connection to magic itself, allowing him to draw upon raw arcane forces without needing external rituals or links.
(Innate) Necrotic Essence: The user gains an intrinsic understanding of death, able to sense corpses, the dead, and residual death energy in any area.
(Innate) Rift Awareness: The user becomes naturally attuned to extradimensional energy signatures, enabling him to detect portals, tears, and transitions between realms even when hidden or cloaked.
(Innate) Mindshield Core: An inherent mental fortification that protects the user from telepathic intrusion, illusionary tampering, and psychic influence.
(Innate) Eternal Constitution: A metaphysical reinforcement of the user's biology that makes fatal damage significantly harder to inflict, making the body cling to life with unnatural resilience and refuses to expire unless completely annihilated.
(Innate) Arcane Perception:A heightened sensitivity to magical currents, allowing the user to feel the flow of the arcane forces through the environment.
(Innate) Arcane Radiance: The user's body passively emits trace magical energy, making the user a beacon.
(Innate) Spell Resonance: The user's presence causes nearby magic to slightly vibrate, exposing their structure.
(Legendary Armor) Crown of the Immortal Architect: Greatly amplifies innate magical abilities and enhances immortality traits.
(Legendary Weapon) Stormforged Warhammer: A colossal hammer infused with elemental storms.
Powers & Abilities:
Thunder Clap: Each strike can summon thunderclaps or bursts of wind.
Sizzle: Creates minor tremors and can stun groups of enemies.
(Legendary Armor) Ring of the Mind's Eye: Enhances perception, awareness, and reaction speed.
(Legendary Skill) Contingency Barrier: Forms a powerful, indestructible barrier when health drops below 5%. Duration: 2 minutes. Cooldown: 240 hours.
(Legendary Item) Snake Oil: A mystical vial of liquid that becomes whatever the user claims it to be. It has no real power, but anyone the user gives it to will believe in its effect.
(Epic Armor) Arcforge Spineplate: Living arcane plating that fuses along the user's back, increasing magical durability and reducing damage from mystical attacks by 35%.
(Epic Armor) Spellbinder Gauntlets: Enhances raw magic output by 40% and stabilizes volatile spellcasting.
(Epic Armor) Rift Boots x 2: Grants short-range dimensional blink up to 5 meters. Destination is random; cooldown: 3 minutes.
(Epic Item) Dimensional Choker: Prevents forced displacement or banishment across dimensions and stabilizes the user's presence in unstable planes.]
'Oooooooo, what's a spinplate?' Ricky wondered, holding it in his hands after pulling it from his inventory since he had never seen anything even remotely like it.
Marveling at its structure, he watched it hum as if alive, eyes tracing the sharp needles meant to connect to his back.
'I dig it, I dig it.' Ricky muttered to himself, already knowing who he would give this to and with a flick, he tossed it back into his system, letting it be devoured for later use.
Now, as he rubbed his hands over the stack of unopened coupons and Gacha from Cindy, Ricky was just about to dive in when Marino suddenly switched the radio channel.
"Ricky Luciano is an insult to all sports!" The radio blared, startling Marino. Ricky immediately raised an eyebrow at the proclamation, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
"Oh, Boss, I-I'm sorry-"
"Don't be," Ricky said, turning his eyes away from the system screen and flashing a casual smile at him.
"Turn it up." Ricky added, leaning forward with a slice of pizza in hand as Marino didn't hesitate, cranking the dial without missing a beat.
"Well, tell us how you really feel, Charles!" The radio host laughed as Ricky chuckled along, hearing the man grunted in response.
"If you're just joining us, this is the famous Charles Paddock, a man who won gold in the 1920 and 1924 Olympics, famously dubbed 'the human bullet.'" The radio host explained, giving a brief introduction before continuing onward.
"Now, Charles, how do you feel about the recent headlines of Ricky Luciano wanting to compete-"
"It's insulting." Charles reiterated, almost spitting into the microphone, his frustration practically radiating through the airwaves.
"I spent my life training to shave off a mere second, and now this mutant comes along claiming he'll take gold?" Charles' voice trembled with indignation, each word punctuated by the weight of decades of discipline.
"Do you think he could-"
"No, Ricky Luciano won't win a single gold medal." Charles proclaimed, spearheading his outrage as if daring anyone to challenge him.
"Not even one?" The radio host genuinely asked, shocked almost as he pulled up a piece of paper next to him.
"But you saw the picture of him taking that truck head on-"
"Fake." Charles interrupted immediately, his voice sharp and dismissive.
"Ha!" Ricky laughed from the backseat, munching on another slice of pizza.
"Charles-"
"The President should never give into this fiends demands, let alone indulge them-"
"Wait, wait!" The radio host suddenly interjected, cutting off Charles's hateful rant.
"Our program has just received news, the President is about to address this topic, live!" The host announced, leaning closer to the microphone as the broadcast took an unexpected turn.
"Oh, you old boys are in for a show, patch it through-"
"Greetings, my fellow Americans." Roosevelt's voice cut sharply through the airwaves, towering over the chatter in the studio and commanding the attention of everyone listening.
"Boss-"
"Shut up." Ricky muttered, leaning forward, his green eyes fixed on the radio broadcast that had the entire country tuning in, abandoning their regular programs.
"C'mon, Roosevelt, show me what you got," Ricky chuckled, a lazy grin tugging at his lips as he waited for the speech to unfold.
AHEM
Roosevelt cleared his throat, the sound echoing across every radio, commanding the attention of all who listened as he gazed out at the mass congregation of reporters.
Their expectant eyes bore into him, every question and story reduced to a single point of interest, to the man who had forced Roosevelt into this poisoned spotlight in the first place.
"But before I begin, before I address the crisis that has seized the news cycle," Roosevelt began, his voice calm but carrying the weight of the moment that would undoubtedly be talked about for generations.
"I wish to speak directly to you, the American people." Roosevelt said, his gaze sweeping over the silent reporters, the very same ones hanging on his every word.
"Deep down, I wish to be the man you all voted for." Roosevelt continued, his tone softening for a moment, revealing the sincerity behind the podium.
"I wish to do everything I can to serve all of you, as my job is intended for." Roosevelt added, letting the words hang in the heavy air.
"But-" Roosevelt purposely paused, pretending to measure the gravity of what he was about to admit.
"But, I'm afraid, I haven't been the president I set out to be." The confession cut through the room like a knife, reporters leaning forward, hanging on each syllable.
"The crisis we face, not only through our economy, but through our people, has caused more sharks to swim around our waters, waters that are meant to be filled with Liberty and freedom," Roosevelt continued, his voice echoing with both warning and resolve.
"I believe, even now, that our country cannot only overcome these tragedies, but soar above them." Roosvelt stopped, briefly measuring these reporters anticipation.
"However."
Then, as Roosevelt's eyes flicked to the reporters and the nation he had always carefully tiptoed around, he would finally acknowledge the man at the center of this storm: Ricky Luciano.
In a twist that would literally change history as we know it.
"However, these shackles that bind us into this drowning state, that have resulted in these sharks circling for our rights." Roosevelt's voice carried over the silent room as if to cherish the calm.
"Today, I hope to loosen them, if only a little."
Before the storm slowly started to brew within his every single word.
"Wait-" A reporter muttered, a chill of sudden dread creeping over them.
"These Olympic games not only represent us as a country, but as a unified front." Roosevelt continued, purposely imbuing passion into his every syllable.
"And though these powers seek to sway more favor, we must stand tall." Roosevelt once again paused, swallowing the hatred coiling in his chest so he could speak clearly.
"So, as I stand before you with my chest out and my head held high."
"I say it's time to loosen these shackles."
"To the birds we once caged, let them fly freely as the Americans they are."
"And for all those who do not understand my words, let me be clear."
"You motherf*cker." Ricky muttered under his breath, his green eyes glowing fiercely at what he was doing as his mind spun.
"I, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, officially endorse Ricky Luciano in his participation in these games." The President concluded, his voice resonating through the room, leaving reporters frozen in stunned silence, pens and cameras suspended in midair.
Even through the radio waves, the crowd of reporters erupted in roaring disbelief, shouting and banging on desks, their astonishment spilling across the airwaves and into the air of all those listening.
"I know you have your doubts, so did I." Roosevelt began, his voice steady despite the weight of history pressing down on him.
"But I assure you, Ricky Luciano is a patriot this great country not only needs, but deserves in this time." Roosevelt let the words settle, watching as the reporters wanted to hurl their pens and paper at him.
"And regarding the matters concerning this merger he has announced." Roosevelt said, his gaze flicked to the papers scattered across the podium.
"I'm afraid I must withdraw my opinion on the matter."
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Ricky cackled, leaning back as the realization hit him, only fueling his amusement.
"Regardless of my favoritism, it is the duty of our system to vote and pass through our different levels of government." Roosevelt continued, cutting through the laughter with an unwavering sense of control and solemnity.
"It is why I trust the house and senate to make-"
"MR. PRESIDENT, YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS-"
"To make the right choice on this matter-"
But the President's words were drowned out by the mass outcry of reporters, all scrambling to process the surreal announcement, except for one man.
"Pull over." Ricky chuckled dryly, grinding his teeth as Roosevelt's words echoed in his head.
"Wha-" Marino started, but Ricky didn't give him a chance.
CRACK
"Pull over!" Ricky roared, his green aura flaring violently, cracking the window with sheer, hateful force.
Immediately, the car skirted to a stop, tires screaming as rubber smudged across the asphalt as Ricky kicked the door open, the sound echoing like a gunshot in the empty street.
"This motherf*cker really thinks I can't get what I want, that I won't make Capitol Hill my b*tch, huh" Ricky muttered, eyes blazing with controlled fury.
"I-I don't know-" Marino stammered, frozen under the intensity radiating from his boss.
"I can and I f*cking will!"