As a movie buff, Hunter recognized the white girl immediately.
Her face, though still young and immature, already held the shadows of her future self—the future Lady Thor.
Through the gaps in the stair railing, he saw her short legs swinging back and forth in boredom. The cartoon socks on her feet were eye-catching.
Hunter wasn't a lolicon. While he was very interested in the adult version of Mathilda (Natalie Portman), right now, she was just a "cute kid."
"Hello!"
Hunter wasn't socially awkward. He smiled and nodded at Mathilda as he climbed the stairs.
Despite looking like a typical rebellious American teen due to her dysfunctional family, Mathilda was polite to strangers.
"Hello, sir," she replied.
Her eyes carried a deep, unshakeable sadness. Her gaze lingered on Hunter's handsome face for a moment before she hurriedly crushed her cigarette and tossed the butt aside.
"Are you the new tenant?"
She had noticed someone moving into Apartment 6A next door.
"That's me," Hunter confirmed with a smile.
The building only had six floors, with four units per floor (A, B, C, D).
Hunter lived in 6A. Mathilda's family was likely in 6C.
He wasn't sure if 6D was already rented by Léon, the hitman.
Unlike the little girl, Hunter was very interested in Léon.
Not romantically—Hunter was straight, and his recent interactions with enthusiastic Western women confirmed his healthy appetite.
He was interested in Léon's profession.
Léon had a broker ("Tony") who handed out assassination contracts for hefty payouts.
Hunter's skills required a lot of money to level up. He wouldn't mind opening another revenue stream.
But getting into the hitman world wouldn't be easy. Léon was socially stunted and extremely cautious. Using him as an entry point would be tricky.
Hunter wasn't in a rush. He wasn't ready for that life yet anyway.
After a brief chat with the kid, Hunter walked past her and entered his apartment.
Once inside, he grabbed a towel from his Personal Inventory and wiped the sweat from his forehead. May in Los Angeles was starting to heat up.
He began prepping dinner.
The appearance of a new plot character didn't shock him. After meeting Charlie Croker, he already knew this world was a fusion of multiple movies. Mathilda just confirmed the scale.
He cooked a hearty meal with ingredients from Chinatown. His cooking skills had improved noticeably.
While eating, he opened his laptop and searched for Stella Bridger's locksmith company.
Since he was currently unemployed and had a Lockpicking skill, finding a job at her company seemed like a smart move.
He knew he could level up Lockpicking by himself through trial and error. But just like with boxing and shooting, having a professional mentor would skyrocket his EXP gain.
Working for Stella would give him money, skill EXP, and a chance to get close to the blonde beauty.
However, his search came up empty. Stella kept a low profile.
Hunter waited until bedtime, but Charlie Croker still hadn't called.
Old Parker, however, did reach out.
He offered Hunter a small side job—modifying a car for an underground street race.
The pay was low, only $2,000.
Early the next morning, Hunter left the apartment.
He finished Parker's job in a few hours. After checking for surveillance, he used the client's garage to finish painting and upgrading his own motorcycle with the parts he bought from Brian's shop.
A high-performance street bike, custom-built by his own hands, was born.
He called Parker to confirm the job was done, then slipped away quietly.
That afternoon, he went for a swim at the beach and a run along the coast, grinding his physical stats.
For the next few days, Hunter lived a simple, disciplined life.
Parker didn't have more work. Charlie remained silent.
He had lived in the new apartment for a week but hadn't seen Léon once. He couldn't be sure if the hitman was actually his neighbor yet.
He did run into Mathilda often. They chatted, and he even invited her over for a Chinese meal, which she loved.
Mathilda's stepmother, Maggie, also visited one night for another "deep conversation" that lasted several hours.
Mia still hadn't contacted him. Dom's grounding order must be strict.
And Stella Bridger remained elusive. Her company wasn't listed publicly in a way he could easily find.
Days passed.
Life was monotonous, but Hunter was in a good mood.
He had unlocked several new skills and boosted his stats further. He was getting stronger every day.
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