"Of course it is," Julian replied. "The base commission increases with the Villain’s Classification, and the Superhuman Rank multiplier makes it even higher. White-Class starts at ten thousand, Green-Class at fifty thousand, Yellow-Class at two hundred and fifty thousand, Red-Class at a million, and Black-Class at five million. Then the rank multiplier gets applied."
Vincent glanced toward the listings on his laptop. "Which means a really powerful Black-Class Villain could have an absolutely insane bounty."
"Exactly," Julian confirmed. "But remember, those are the kinds of criminals that even experienced Heroes might refuse to confront. Nobody’s going to risk fighting a Rank 8 or Rank 9 monster just because the commission looks attractive."
Vincent chuckled. "You make it sound like I’m going to spend my entire career chasing White-Class criminals."
"Considering you nearly got yourself hospitalized fighting your first one, I’d say sticking to White-Class for a while isn’t the worst idea," Julian replied dryly.
Vincent rolled his eyes. "You really know how to encourage someone."
"That’s why you love me," Julian answered shamelessly.
Their laughter continued for a moment before Vincent returned to his financial concerns.
"There’s something else I’ve been wondering about," Vincent remarked. "What happens if a Hero dies during an assignment? Does the Association just cancel the commission?"
Julian’s tone became more serious. "No. If the Hero successfully completed the capture but died from injuries sustained during the mission, the earned commission goes to their registered beneficiaries. Usually their family."
Vincent fell silent.
He remembered completing the beneficiary information during his Hero License registration, although he’d been too preoccupied with everything else to think much about its significance.
Julian continued, "And if a Hero dies before completing the assignment, their family can qualify for separate line-of-duty compensation. The Association investigates the circumstances, of course. Otherwise, there’d be people trying to exploit the system."
"That’s good," Vincent replied quietly. "At least their families aren’t completely abandoned."
"Yeah," Julian agreed. "Hero work pays well because it’s dangerous. Those commissions aren’t just rewards for punching criminals. They’re supposed to reflect the risks involved."
Vincent looked at his banking application again.
The ten thousand dollars suddenly felt a little different. He had earned it by defeating Felix, but he’d also come frighteningly close to losing the fight. If his final attack had failed, the outcome might have been considerably worse.
After a brief silence, Julian changed the subject. "Anyway, are you planning to spend your newfound fortune on something ridiculous?"
Vincent smiled. "Actually, I was thinking about buying some proper equipment and looking into ways to improve my Flux Energy."
"What’s that supposed to mean?" Vincent asked indignantly.
"It means ten thousand dollars sounds like a fortune until you start shopping for professional Superhuman equipment," Julian replied. "Have you actually checked the Association Store yet?"
Vincent glanced toward his laptop. "Not properly."
"Then prepare yourself," Julian warned, sounding thoroughly entertained. "And don’tblame me when you discover that being a Hero is an expensive hobby."
They continued talking for several minutes, discussing the differences between independent Heroes and those employed by Hero Agencies.
Julian explained that agencies generally provided equipment, training facilities, administrative support, and regular salaries, but they also received a contractual share of their Heroes’ commissions.
Independent Heroes, meanwhile, retained their commissions subject to applicable Association deductions, but had to cover their own operating expenses.
"Basically, you’ve got freedom, but you’ve also got bills," Julian summarized. "If your equipment breaks, that’s your problem. If you need specialized training, that’s your problem. And if you spend three days investigating a Villain only for someone else to capture him, well, congratulations on your unpaid vacation."
Vincent laughed. "You’re making independence sound terrible."
"Not terrible," Julian corrected. "Just expensive. But at least you don’t have Marcus Halden breathing down your neck anymore."
Vincent smiled at that.
"Definitely worth it," he agreed.
Eventually, Julian excused himself, explaining that he had an interview scheduled for an upcoming newspaper article.
After ending the call, Vincent opened the Hero Association Store.
The marketplace displayed an impressive catalogue of products specifically designed for professional Heroes and Superhumans.
Reinforced combat uniforms, protective armor, specialized weapons, medical supplies, training equipment, and various Flux-related productsfilled the screen.
Vincent selected a reinforced combat jacket.
His smile immediately weakened. "Eight thousand dollars?"
He checked a pair of specialized combat boots.
"Three thousand five hundred?"
Next came a protective vest manufactured using materials designed to withstand supernatural impacts.
Vincent stared at the price. "Twelve thousand dollars?!" The source of this chapter is g.com.
He slowly leaned back in his chair. His entire ten-thousand-dollar commission couldn’t even purchase a complete set of decent professional equipment.
And that was before considering the costs of training, medical treatment, or improving his supernatural capabilities.
"Julian, you bastard," Vincent muttered, remembering his friend’s laughter. "You could’ve warned me a little more seriously."
Nevertheless, he continued browsing.
Eventually, his attention settled on a category labeled Flux Energy Products.
Vincent clicked it. Several listings appeared, including specialized monitoring equipment, recovery supplies, and consumable Flux Serums.
He was particularly interested in the latter.
Every Superhuman knew that raw Flux Crystals contained tremendous energy but were highly toxic and couldn’t be safely absorbed directly.
Only after undergoing specialized industrial purification could their energy be processed into consumable Flux Serums.
The finished products were manufactured in nine grades corresponding to the nine Superhuman Ranks.
Vincent selected the Grade 1 category.
A photograph appeared showing a transparent, water-bottle-sized container filled with faintly luminous liquid. Beneath the image were several product specifications, certification details, and purchasing requirements.
Vincent scrolled down.
Then he reached the price. His expression froze.He checked another supplier.
Then a third. Unfortunately, the numbers remained painfully similar.
Vincent slowly looked toward his phone, where the notification confirming his ten-thousand-dollar commission was still visible.
A few hours earlier, he’d thought himself considerably wealthier.
Now, after examining the cost of improving his supernatural capabilities, he was beginning to understand just how expensive the road to becoming a powerful Hero could be.
"Ten thousand dollars," Vincent muttered, releasing a helpless laugh. "And apparently, I’m still broke."