When Leon left the restaurant and walked home, he had completely lost the motivation to buy a cooking pot.
The reason was what Aiza had told him.
…
"Agree? Agree to what? World peace?" Leon responded to the nonsensical question with something even more absurd.
"The past of the M78 Nebula is behind me, goddess, please spare this humble being!"
Aiza: …
That jumble of three English sentences mixed with a Chinese one could confuse anyone and require several interpreters to make sense of it.
However, that didn't hinder Aiza's understanding. Based on her experience, whenever Leon was smiling, what he said was often useless nonsense. But when he got serious, it wasn't nonsense.
It was toxic nonsense.
…
Even the prettiest middle finger is still a middle finger.
Not minding her reaction, Leon dropped his carefree attitude and sat back down across from Aiza.
Now this looks like a real conversation!
Aiza nodded slightly, and Leon finally heard what she meant by "agree or not agree."
…
Fisk Real Estate Company.
That was the problem.
Rumor had it that this company had taken over several neighborhood development projects, negotiating demolition deals with local residents. However, the conditions they offered weren't great, and their methods and attitudes didn't seem very legitimate.
"No surprise there…"
When Leon heard the name Fisk, it felt oddly familiar. But he couldn't quite place it. Then Aiza mentioned real estate and shady dealings… plus the fact that he was living in Brooklyn…
Isn't that Kingpin?!
Speaking of which, Leon actually had some history with this guy.
As the second-generation leader of a "vibrant" social group, Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin, was ten times more dangerous than his father.
Despite his father's tragic death on the streets as a gang leader, young Fisk didn't take the typical route.
Most would've been mentally scarred and vowed to study hard, escape the filth, and live a bright, sunny life.
Not Fisk. He believed his father's death was completely scientific and logical.
Because he wasn't strong enough! Not ruthless enough!
Thus, young Fisk threw himself into the relentless "vibrant" social group activities. He dealt in laundry powder, guns, people—basically anything illegal!
Meanwhile, Fisk expanded his knowledge and realized that individual strength was limited (though not really). So while training to become one of the most powerful humans, capable of punching through walls, he also built up forces, money, and allies.
That's how Fisk began his long journey of consolidating the New York underworld, aligning with groups like the Hand. He earned the title "Kingpin" and made enemies with the Punisher, Spider-Man, Daredevil, and even the X-Men.
And yet, he's still alive and kicking. That says something.
Leon's history with Kingpin wasn't about being old friends or sworn enemies, but friction was inevitable.
In a city like New York, trying to fight crime without crossing paths with Kingpin is nearly impossible. Leon wasn't picky—he'd use his flying ability to patrol the skies and redeem random souls. In doing so, he inevitably angered the most "vibrant" social group in New York.
In fan fiction, Kingpin is often depicted as a pushover, being an early villain the protagonist easily defeats.
But Leon doesn't think that way.
He knows his own limits all too well.
Despite Marvel insisting that Kingpin is a "normal person," you can't take Marvel physics too seriously.
If you went by RPG stats, Leon estimated that Kingpin's strength must be at least 22 or higher. His agility would be mismatched for his size, but his endurance would be high—big guys have more health, after all. Intelligence? Well, Kingpin's a smart guy who speaks several languages and is known for his sharp mind.
"With all that going for him, why isn't he contributing to society? Instead, he's out there selling laundry powder and pew-pew guns. What's up with that?!"
Ah, the evils of capitalism!
There's no way Leon could fight him head-on right now. He'd probably end up as cannon fodder. And don't forget, Fisk doesn't operate alone. His minions would swarm him.
Think about Bullseye, Elektra, the Hand…
Yeah, we're not the same.
Even though Leon's house is rented and demolition wouldn't affect him, he realized something crucial.
"Actually, this guy might be the perfect target to exploit right now!"
If he couldn't handle Kingpin, who's classified as an ordinary human, how would he deal with flying, burrowing, tech-enhanced, or mutated foes later on?
From a crime-fighting perspective, no common crook even comes close to touching Kingpin.
Sitting cross-legged midair, Leon thought hard.
It's time to take him down, brothers! Let's… cough!
Kingpin had to be dealt with. But at his current strength, Leon couldn't just go for a decapitation strike. He might not even be able to beat Bullseye.
Thankfully…
"Ha, I have cheats!"
Over the past few days, Leon had leveled up to rank two, accumulating a bunch of purification points for the lottery. But the system's low level meant the prize pool was mostly trash, with little that could bring a significant power boost.
Look at Iron Man's armor. Without it, Stark's just a regular dude who could be taken out with one bullet.
But with it? Even Thanos would struggle!
"If I could draw something like that, I'd be set!"
Wishful thinking. Iron Man's suit was clearly not a common item.
Time to upgrade the system!
With the current prize pool being 90% white and 10% green, it was basically an insult!
Upgrade!
It had to be done.
Only by drawing blue or even purple items could Leon truly rise!
Glancing at the sky, Leon knew flying out now would make him highly visible. While his flight technique allowed him to soar high, there was an awkward issue: his body couldn't handle it.
Flying too high or too fast made it hard for him to adjust to the temperature drop and lack of oxygen.
Don't ask how he knew. Let's just say he's thorough… and cautious… and self-destructive!
As night fell, a neighborhood man swore to his wife that he'd seen an alien flying through the sky. But when she smelled alcohol on his breath, she beat him senseless.
Later, she felt a bit guilty and asked what the alien looked like. He said, "The alien wore a black coat, a magician's top hat, and a mask. He was sitting on an invisible chair, flying while eating noodles."
"Really! The noodles even dropped on my face!"
(Chapter end)