The night was deep, and the streets of Brooklyn looked mottled and quiet under the sparse glow of the streetlamps.
Mike took one last look in his apartment’s full-length mirror to check his gear.
He wore a plain, dark gray tracksuit with no identifying marks, soft-soled sneakers, and a baseball cap pulled low over his eyes.
Finally, he pulled on a face mask.
Tonight’s operation could have absolutely no connection to his identity as a police officer.
The countdown in his mind continued to tick: [00:29:32].
At 11:20 PM, Mike stepped silently out of his apartment and blended into the darkness of the alleyway.
By this time, there were fewer punks on the streets, though staggered or rigid silhouettes could still be seen lurking in the shadows of certain corners.
On his way to the repair shop, he called up the system interface in his mind.
A translucent panel expanded before his eyes.
It was only then that he noticed a “Personal Status” option.
As his focus centered on it, the option opened:
[Personal Status] [Name: Mike Lee] [Identity: NYPD Patrol Officer] [Strength: 15 (Baseline for an average adult male: 10)] [Agility: 11 (Slightly above standard)] [Spirit: 12 (Enhanced by soul fusion)] [Skills: None] [Props: None] [Points: 0]
“My strength is actually at 15?” Mike clenched his fists, feeling the power surging through his body.
This was a massive advantage gained from his athletic training during his student days, and it gave him a significant boost of confidence for completing this novice mission.
At 11:45 PM, he had already circled the backyard of the “repair shop” and hidden himself behind a pile of scrap tires near the entrance.
Less than five minutes later, he heard a sparse set of footsteps, followed closely by another hurried set entering the area.
Both parties were in position; the deal was proceeding right on time.
Mike crept out stealthily, moving toward them with light steps.
“Don’t move!” a loud roar erupted, shattering the silence of the night.
The two figures mid-transaction shuddered simultaneously, nearly jumping out of their skins at the sudden shout.
Mike lunged at the two men.
In the darkness, the panicked pair practically stumbled right into him.
Taking advantage of their confusion, Mike lunged forward and delivered a swift knife-hand chop to the side of one man’s neck.
The man collapsed instantly, unconscious.
The other man reached for a gun, but Mike was faster, delivering a powerful kick.
The man let out a cry of agony and collapsed, rolling on the ground while clutching his crotch.
His gun skittered away across the pavement.
In less than ten seconds, both were down.
Mike delivered an extra kick to the head of the groaning man to ensure he stayed quiet.
Once satisfied the man was neutralized, Mike stepped forward to search them.
He took five bundles of cash and a large bag of powdered contraband, then tossed their handguns into the distance.
After confirming he had left no other traces, he quietly slipped away.
Back at his apartment, Mike double-locked the door.
He placed the five bundles of crumpled US dollars on the table.
Checking the denominations, most were twenties—roughly six thousand dollars in total.
He then picked up the bag of contraband, leaned back on the sofa, and thought: *System!
Turn it in.*
The contraband in his hand vanished miraculously, as if it had never existed.
*Whoa!*
Mike felt a surge of excitement at the sight.
[Ding!
Novice Story Mission: “Deal Under the Cover of Night” completed.] [Mission Evaluation: A-.
Efficient action, but average trace cleanup.] [Reward Issued: 100 Points.] [Detected: Host has completed a mission for the first time with an A-rank evaluation.
Mall tab and Novice Bonus Reward activated.
Please choose one of the following three options:]
The notification sounded in his head, and three virtual cards emitting a soft glow hovered in his mind:
[Skill Card: Basic Stealth (Duration: 30 minutes)] The graphic on the card was a silhouette of a human figure blending into the shadows.
Text was inscribed below: Effect: Master basic stealth and concealment techniques, reducing the probability of being detected.
Note: A walker in the shadows.
[Prop Card: Desert Eagle] The graphic on the card was a Desert Eagle handgun with a black metallic sheen.
Text was inscribed below: Effect: Summon a handgun with no record that cannot be traced.
Infinite ammunition supply.
Note: A novice essential.
Upgradable.
Exchange Cost: 100 Points.
[Attribute Point: Strength +1] The graphic on the card was a fist bursting with a sense of power.
Text was inscribed below: Effect: Permanently increases the Strength attribute by 1 point.
Note: More than just power is being strengthened.
Exchange Cost: 100 Points.
Mike’s gaze quickly swept over the three cards.
All of them were marked with an exchange cost of 100 points, and based on their names, they were all very attractive to him.
However, after thinking it over, while attribute points could directly enhance his strength and overall power, it wasn’t an urgent need.
The skill card was magical, but it had a time-limit note, making it look like a one-time use item—the cost-performance ratio was too low!
His gaze finally locked onto the second card.
“No record, infinite ammo…
and the possibility of upgrades later…”
This seemed like an excellent “black gun,” solving his problem of having no weapon to use during system missions.
Even though the Desert Eagle was a cliché in games and movies, he couldn’t help but feel a thrill seeing it manifest before him.
“I choose the Prop Card!”
[Prop Card selected.
Card has been issued to the System Space.] [Ding!
Detected: Host has obtained a system prop for the first time and possesses Novice Bonus Reward privileges.
Storage Space function automatically activated!] [Current Storage Space: 1 cubic meter.
Note: The system’s built-in space can only store system props.
Universal space expansion cards can be exchanged later.]
He sensed an independent, one-cubic-meter space in the depths of his consciousness.
The “Desert Eagle” gun card was already hovering inside.
Then, a change occurred on the card: the image of the handgun zoomed in until it became a physical object, and the card disappeared.
The 100 points he had just earned were spent.
“Handgun!”
Mike thought the word impatiently, and sure enough, a familiar, oversized handgun appeared in his hand.
The heavy, metallic texture made it hard for him to put down.
He had seen this model countless times in movies and games in his previous life, and now he finally had the real thing!
However…
the weight seemed only slightly heavier than his service Glock.
That wasn’t right.
It had to be said—if the system-produced Desert Eagle reduced the weight to about one kilogram while maintaining its performance, its handling and accuracy would be significantly better than the original.
He dropped the magazine, toyed with the safety, and repeatedly checked the bullets, thinking about the incredible “infinite ammo” effect…
Mike played with the gun, unable to put it down, until he noticed a faint light appearing in the night sky outside the window.
He realized he had to get some sleep.
Tomorrow—no, in three hours—he had to go to work!
He quickly put the cash away, withdrew the Desert Eagle with a thought, and hurriedly washed up to go to bed.
But after such a miraculous experience, how could he fall asleep immediately?
Images of the system interface, story missions, and the Marvel world flashed through his mind.
Finally, he forced himself to count sheep.
After counting several thousand, his consciousness finally began to blur.
In a state between sleep and wakefulness, his morning alarm rang.
Mike got out of bed, numb and sporting dark circles under his eyes, praying silently: *Please don’t let the next mission be in the middle of the night!*