“Alright, let’s sum it up,” I stood with my arms crossed, feeling like a director at a meeting with a key investor.
“Five injectors of the improved combat stimulant, which I’ve named ‘Absolute Predator Serum.'” Not me—the System, I mentally corrected myself, but Blade didn’t need to know that.
“Plus two muscle stimulants.
And I’ve reserved one Elixir of Intelligence for you under a future barter deal.
Is that correct?”
“Yeah,” Blade nodded, leaning against his Charger.
“If you weren’t such a miser, you’d have sold more stimulants.”
“Don’t have many myself yet; this isn’t mass production,” I spread my hands.
“And as long as you can only offer money, this is my max.”
Seven stimulants.
Ten thousand dollars each.
Seventy grand.
Blade agreed without even blinking.
Though with his sunglasses on, you couldn’t see anyway; maybe he did blink…
“I’ll bring you an interesting piece on the week.
It’s definitely worth the exchange for your miracle brew,” he promised.
“You’d better stock up on more consumables so I don’t have to waste money on the small stuff.”
At those words, I choked on air.
“Small change?!
That’s seventy thousand dollars!
Is vampire extermination really that profitable?”
“Heh,” he smirked and gently patted the hilt of his katana.
“If you knew how much it costs and its maintenance…
But yes, I get some from ghouls, I inherited some from the father I put to rest, and I earn some on emergency missions ‘from above’.” Here Blade meaningfully raised a finger upward, making it clear I shouldn’t poke into those ‘higher-ups’.
“Phew, alright,” I exhaled.
“Honestly, I jacked up the price on stimulants to discourage buying them with money.
I planned to get into metal smelting…
But who knew it would work the opposite way in your case.”
“Kid, I just understand that you could shut down this operation at any moment,” his tone grew more serious.
“Your potions are a tactical advantage that can’t be measured in money.
As long as the opportunity exists, I’ll use it.”
“How will you pay?
Cash?
I’m not sure you carry a suitcase of money with you.”
“Nah, that’s inconvenient,” he snorted.
“It’s the digital age.
Why carry kilograms of paper when there are secured accounts and other perks of civilization?”
“So they can’t track you and catch you by the tail…”
“If you have connections ‘from above’,” Blade smirked, again pointing a finger at the sky, “then you become practically a ghost in the system.
Untouchable.
So here, take this.”
He reached into the inner pocket of his coat and pulled out a plastic card.
Matte black, no name, no number, just a gold chip and a tiny, barely noticeable engraving of a crown.
“It’s linked to an account protected by the British Crown.
Spending up to a million bucks a month won’t attract unnecessary attention.
Even if you spend more — you’re fine, ‘from above’ will handle it.
I’ll re-link it to you now through online banking and send the data.
Seventy grand will be in the account today.”
“Convenient…” I had to admit, taking the card.
It was heavier than regular plastic.
I put it in my pocket, feeling how my financial reality had just made a quantum leap, as the blogger girls from my past world would have called it.
“By the way, you don’t happen to buy gold or platinum, do you?”
I needed to sell the ore, because expenses would only grow and grow, and going to pawn shops was becoming increasingly risky.
“Do you see a long nose and a yarmulke on me?” he chuckled.
“Nah, kid, I don’t deal in that.
But now I think I understand why money doesn’t interest you much.
Anyway, I have a trusted buyer.
Takes only 20% below market price, works with any volume, pays in any form.
Doesn’t ask unnecessary questions.”
“Excellent!
I’m waiting for his contact, Frankie’s contact, and the bank account details.”
“No problem,” Blade took out his smartphone, and a moment later two messages arrived on my phone.
“I’ll send the account details a bit later.”
“And is this…
normal?
Sending such important information by SMS?”
“People ‘from above’,” Blade smiled meaningfully.
“Fuck, now I’m worried about attracting the attention of these powerful people…” I muttered.
“Don’t worry about it,” he clapped me on the shoulder.
“I work with dozens of people like you.
But someone like me — there’s only one.
I am the sword.
And you are the blacksmith.
They’re interested in the sword, not the blacksmith who sharpens it.
As long as you work in your garage and keep a low profile, everything will be fine.”
The problem is that sooner or later I’ll have to come out of the shadows.
But oh well, I’ll figure it out as I go.
Blade got into his Charger, the engine roared, and the car screeched away, leaving me in the silence of a Sunday afternoon.
I looked at my CP balance.
At the card in my pocket.
At the new contacts in my phone.
And then I mentally clicked on an icon in the system interface.
And no, I’m not a gambling addict!
“Forge the Universe!
450 CP.”
I stared at the result.
[Information Package (Uncommon) received – Temporal Antimatter Manipulation Principle — TAMP (Final Fantasy XIII-3).
Unlock cost: 900 CP]
You can master the forbidden technology of the Academy of Gran Pulse, combining antimatter and Chaos to control time.
Without equipment, you can locally (in a small area of space) stop time for 3 seconds, but you will be severely exhausted and your movements will be slowed, and repeated use will completely exhaust your body.
With the right tools and materials, you can create devices that slow, accelerate, or stop time.
Fal’Cie Pandemonium forbade this power, fearing its potential to destroy reality, but perhaps you can unlock its secrets.
What?
No, that’s not right.
Is this even legal?!
One thing is stimulants, another is violating the fundamental laws of the universe!
Even three measly seconds of time stoppage is too much…
TOO MUCH!
What is this, a budget Dio?
Although, judging by the description, a very, very budget version, with a bunch of crutches and side effects.
But even so…
And this is just an “Uncommon” item.
I got something above “Common” rarity for the first time!
So I’m not cursed after all!
The euphoria of realizing I had been given god-level power quickly gave way to cold pragmatism.
What do I do with this?
No, it’s clear that one day I’ll unlock it.
But do I need it here and now?
I have 620 CP left, I need to save another 280 to unlock it.
At the same time, I could do another roll for 500 and get something more practical.
A bird in the hand with time manipulation or a vague crane in the sky?
I spent ten minutes thinking.
The temptation was great.
But the true potential of TAMP was realized precisely in technology.
And for that, I’d need resources, laboratories, and knowledge that I didn’t have anywhere near.
Three seconds of time stop could save my life, but Peter’s “Proteus” fabric, stimulants, and a gun from Frank would provide me with safety on a more permanent basis.
And for monsters like the Hulk, those three seconds wouldn’t solve anything.
No.
This is an endgame skill.
And I’m not even in the midgame yet.
“Forge the Universe!
500 CP.”
[Attention!
Due to the user reaching the 500 CP price threshold, the chance of dropping rarer items has increased!
The description of items created by the user has been improved.
The description of dropped system items has been improved.]
Now this is interesting!
The system rewards large bets.
That couldn’t fail to please.
I wonder if there’s also an upgrade after 1000 CP?
We’ll see.
Right now, what matters is what I got.
[Information Package (Uncommon) received – Technological Modernization (Terra Formars).
Unlock cost: 700 CP]
You are a master of rethinking technology, capable of disassembling any laboratory equipment down to the last screw and turning it into something completely new.
A centrifuge becomes a launcher of deadly projectiles, a spectrometer becomes a titanium-cutting laser, and an industrial 3D printer becomes an antimatter generator.
Your deep understanding of mechanisms allows you to create innovative tools and weapons from the most mundane devices, limited only by available materials and your ingenuity.
With this information package, you turn a laboratory into an arsenal, and every tool into a masterpiece.
You can now transform a jewelry furnace into a mini-forge for smelting unique ores, turn a laboratory mixer into a pulse generator for stunning enemies, and modify an oscilloscope into a detector of foreign energy.
And this is just a small part of your true potential!
Before learning the information package, keep in mind that you require physical equipment (laboratory or industrial).
Results are limited by materials and the complexity of the source device.
You cannot create magical effects, only technological — only science.
God save the System!
A second “Uncommon” skill in a row!
And this one…
it was a thousand times better than TAMP, specifically for me right now.
Just reading the description, I already felt my world expanding.
With this skill, I would stop being just a craftsman blindly following others’ recipes.
I had finally gained the potential to become an Inventor.
Damn…
Ideas were already swarming in my head, each crazier than the last!
I look at my welding machine and already mentally see myself attaching conditional magnetic coils to it, turning it into a plasma cutter.
I see my Marx generator and capacitor bank becoming the basis for vibro-gloves.
But to hell with just weapons!
I could build miniature recon drones!
Improve the Proteus fabric suit by adding…
I don’t know, an active thermal control system or, even better, adaptive camouflage!
And even…
even that damn protective field generator with this skill wouldn’t seem impossible anymore!
This skill…
I absolutely have to get it.
As soon as possible.
And then I remembered.
The healing potion for Uncle Peter.
I had planned to unlock it in the coming days from the Arcanum set for 200 CP.
My balance is now at 120…
And I need to save another 580 to unlock this Miracle Skill.
Sorry, Peter.
Your uncle is in a relatively stable condition, he has months, if not years.
And I need this power now so that we even have those months and years.
With a skill like this, I’ll earn that 200 CP in a snap.
Ugh.
That’s it.
Calm down, John.
Just calm down.
Yes, the System handed me a jackpot.
But that’s no reason to rejoice like a child.
It’s a reason to become even more careful.
Because the more power you have, the greater the temptation to use it.
And the higher the cost of a mistake.
And the infamous responsibility, where would we be without it…
At that moment, a message arrived on my smartphone, interrupting my thoughts.
Blade.
“Your login and password for UK-International Bank.
It’s already linked to your number.
70k green in the account.”
The number lit up on the screen: $70,000.00.
Not just a number.
It was freedom.
Freedom to act, build, defend.
Freedom from the tax office, finally!
Excellent.
Time to go shopping.
“Yo, Peter, hi, am I interrupting?” I dialed his number.
Fuck…
how embarrassing.
Why did I start with “yo”?
A couple of days of talking to Blade and I’m already picking up his mannerisms…
“Hi, John!
No, not at all!
What is it?” His voice on the other end sounded cheerful and full of enthusiasm.
“I figured, since we decided to make ‘Proteus’ soon, why wait?
Need to buy everything necessary.
Can you put together a precise list?
I’ll try to get everything today.”
“Yes, of course!
But, John, I’m serious, most of this can’t be bought in regular stores.
You need to contact industrial and laboratory suppliers directly, that’ll take time…”
“I have my own suppliers,” I answered confidently, remembering Lucas.
I hope Blade wasn’t lying and he really can get anything.
“So give me the full list, no compromises.
And estimate approximate prices so I don’t get ripped off.
Since we’re starting work tomorrow, that’s how it’ll be.”
An admiring silence reigned on the other end of the line, and then Peter, rustling papers, began to dictate with the professionalism of a real project manager.
“Alright, if that’s the case, then great!
So, components for the fabric itself.
The base is a 3D mesh of aramid fibers.
A square meter costs about 70-100 dollars, depending on the weave density.”
“Got it, accepted.
I’ll take extra, about 50 meters,” I estimated, thinking I’d need several suits.
One for tests, one work suit, one spare, one possibly for Peter…
“Fifty?!” Peter exclaimed.
“John, that’s enough to outfit a small tactical team!
Okay…
for that volume of fabric, you’ll need 10-12 kilograms of hydrophilic amorphous silicon dioxide.
Nanopowder, particle size 7-15 nanometers, but the smaller the better…
and more expensive.
For the liquid base — polyethylene glycol, about 30 liters.
All together will run about 2500-3000 dollars.”
“Tolerable,” I nodded to myself, recording the information.
“Next.
Membrane fabric for the outer layer.
Another 800-1000 bucks for your volume.”
“We’re going all out, so yes, noted.”
“Then you’ll need polyurethane thermal glue, it’s inexpensive.
That’s basically it for consumables.”
“Great.
Now the equipment.
Go ahead, scare me.”
“A high-speed homogenizer, not just a mixer, so the suspension is perfect — about 2000 dollars.
A vacuum chamber, big enough to hold a roll of fabric — get ready, about 4000.
An industrial oven for heat treatment with precise control — another 2500-3000.
A thermal press can be found for 1500.
But an industrial sewing machine with a walking foot, capable of piercing aramid…
that’s another 3000.
And the little things: special scissors, needles, Kevlar thread, seam sealer…
another thousand.”
“Holy shit…” I exhaled.
“By rough estimates, I’ve already counted twenty grand.”
“Yeah…” Peter confirmed sadly, for whom this sum was obviously astronomical.
“Well, okay.
Thanks, Peter, I remembered everything.
I won’t distract you anymore.
I think by evening, or at worst tomorrow, everything will be with me.”
“You…
you’re really going to buy all of this?!” Shock and admiration mixed in his voice.
“I’ll do my best,” I chuckled.
“Alright, bye.”
Hanging up, I immediately dialed Lucas.
Listing the entire list, from aramid mesh to homogenizer, I waited.
Lucas calculated for a long time, only the quiet clicking of a keyboard on the other end.
I didn’t rush him.
“Twenty-five thousand seven hundred dollars,” he finally said in an emotionless voice.
“With truck delivery straight to your house — exactly twenty-six thousand.
All anonymous, at any time convenient for you today after six.
Payment — either cash to the courier, or full prepayment to my account.”
“Let’s do delivery and full prepayment,” I easily agreed, exhaling internally.
The markup for such service was surprisingly reasonable.
Having transferred the money from my new card to Lucas and arranged delivery for 6:30 PM, I hung up.
The first major investment in my safety and future had essentially been made.
There was still the second one.
The attack.
I got into my Honda and drove to get weapons.
To Frank, who might be the Fellblade.
Thoughts were already swirling in my head.
I didn’t just need weapons.
I needed a reliable platform that I could theoretically modify once I unlocked “Technological Modernization.” I hope I can find common ground with him.
Otherwise, Blade’s phrase “he’s a guy with his principles” sounded rather ominous.