Hearing the explanation, Maximilian smiled.
"Since you've chosen to trust me, of course I'll teach you all. But first..." He stood and approached the injured men.
Examining the cast on one man's leg, he placed his hand on it.
{System, share the regeneration effect.}
[Understood.] The System deducted 25 Villain Points.
Villain Points: -25
The man immediately felt improvement. With each passing second, his leg felt light and the pain subsided, since doctors had said it would take 4-5 weeks to heal. Could this be our new boss's EF ability?
"Try moving your leg," Maximilian instructed.
The man complied, astonished to find no pain whatsoever.
"It... doesn't hurt at all! Thank you, Boss!"
Maximilian simply nodded and repeated the process for the three others whose bones he'd fractured. All experienced the same miraculous recovery, as if their two days of agony had never happened.
"Tomorrow, get a diagnosis from the doctors and have your casts removed. We'll begin training once you're all ready," Maximilian declared then walk to the exist.
"Er... boss, where are you going?" Ricardo asked.
"Back to sleep. It's late," Maximilian replied.
Ricardo nodded and let Maximilian leave before checking on his newly healed brothers.
"It really doesn't hurt anymore?" Ricardo questioned.
"No pain at all! It's like a miracle," the healed brother answered, tapping his now-useless cast. "Do you think boss has an EF that can heal others?"
"Maybe... I'm not sure," Ricardo answered uncertainly.
Another brother chimed in. "I think boss has an EF with multiple effects. From what I heard. There's a hero who can control his metabolism to gain super strength and speed simultaneously. Since Boss broke my bones, and my bones aren't that fragile. I'm sure strength enhancement is one of boss powers."
"Or maybe your bones are so f*cked up they look like honeycomb right now," another brother teased.
"F*ck you!" the first retorted as the others laughed.
Amid the laughter, Ricardo remained thoughtful. As their leader, he knew more about EF classifications than his brothers. While multi-ability EFs weren't uncommon, cross-type abilities were extremely rare.
The Metabolism Manipulation his brother mentioned was a 'Self-Enhancement' type EF - powers that only affect the user, like super speed or strength. The opposite were 'Projection' types that emit energy outward, like Mr. Blaster, the villain Dragon Fist captured or Photon Fury.
Generally, these types couldn't overlap. A 'Self-Enhancement' EF like Metabolism Manipulation shouldn't be able to transfer healing to others. That's why Ricardo doubted his brothers' theory about their boss possessing both types.
But ultimately, the exact nature of their boss's EF didn't matter. What mattered was his undeniable power, and having such a strong ally gave them unprecedented security. This was exactly the backing they'd been hoping for.
— Meanwhile —
Maximilian walked out of the apartment block where Ricardo's group was staying. He made his way toward the junkyard where Blood Mongoose had hidden his cache.
[Are you going to collect Blood Mongoose's cache? (˙︶˙✿)]
{Yeah, why? You seem excited. Are you hoping to find some energy there?} Maximilian asked. In his mind, the only thing that could excite his system was energy.
[If we find energy, that would be great, but no... I don't think we'll find anything strong enough to feed me in that cache.] The system denied his assumption.
{Then what do you hope we'll find?} Maximilian asked.
[It's not about what I hope we'll find. It's about the exploration! The mystery! (๑>ᴗ<๑)]
{Huh?} Maximilian was confused.
[You see, Max… er, Host…] The system quickly corrected itself.
Maximilian let out a sigh. {You can call me Max. Since you're going to be stuck in my head for the rest of my life, we might as well get comfortable with each other.}
[Huh? Are you sure? If you let me get comfortable with you, you won't be able to get rid of me for the rest of your life, you know? (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ] The system teased.
Hearing the system's reply, Maximilian froze. He frowned as if something had struck deep within his mind... a surge of nostalgia and longing rose up… but he quickly suppressed it, keeping his expression neutral. Still, an involuntary smile tugged at his lips.
{Are you planning to go somewhere?} Maximilian asked.
[How could I go somewhere!? (⊙_◎)] The system replied, a clear note of panic in her voice. [I'm just kidding with you! I'm a system! I'm stuck in your head as long as you're alive! (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و]
Maximilian's eyes flashed as if considering something before he responded. {That's good. Let's stick together.}
While Maximilian continued chatting and bantering with the system, he finally arrived at the junkyard where Blood Mongoose had hidden his cache.
Instead of finding a group of lax guards, Maximilian encountered a small squad of heavily armed, grumpy-looking guards patrolling the perimeter.
Maximilian quickly hid and eavesdropped. It turned out the guards had been reinforced because one of their members had been beaten up in an alley, making the gang fear they might be targeted. As a result, they had increased their vigilance.
After understanding the situation, Maximilian wasn't overly concerned—he just needed to infiltrate more carefully. His goal was to retrieve the cache, not start a war with the gang.
Fifteen minutes later, after successfully avoiding detection (and resisting the urge to knock anyone out, which might trigger an alarm), he finally reached the bus wreckage where Blood Mongoose had hidden the cache.
Maximilian tapped the bus floor in a specific spot and patterns, following the Morse code pattern from Blood Mongoose's memory fragments.
After inputting, a secret compartment opened, revealing a coded manhole. After entering the code, the cover slid aside, exposing a ladder leading underground.
Maximilian quickly descended, sealing the compartment behind him in case anyone checked.
Emergency red lights illuminated the path downward until his boots touched a metallic floor. Ahead stood another door with a code interface—but instead of inputting numbers, Maximilian tapped a concrete block near the ladder in a precise rhythm. The door immediately opened.
[Oooooh! That Blood Mongoose guy is smart! He laid a trap in the second key. If someone tried to crack the code or used a fake one, they'd never get in. ╰(°▽°)╯] The System commented excitedly.
Maximilian smirked. "Worse—they wouldn't even get a second chance. The floor here emits a lethal electric discharge, killing everyone in the area. And if anyone still tried forcing their way in afterward, the cache would self-destruct, obliterating everything within a 100-meter radius."
With that, he stepped into Blood Mongoose's secret vault.
Before him lay an entire armory—hundreds of guns and stacks of ammunition. At the far end, a transparent case displayed a sleek black power suit. Unlike bulky heavy power armor, it was moderately armored yet streamlined, it come with the black cape and hood.
As Maximilian approached, the case opened, granting him access.
The moment he touched the suit, Blood Mongoose's hologram flickered to life with a recorded message:
"If this vault is open, it means one of two things. Either I've succesfully cheated death… or you're the one I asked to look after my daughter. If it's the latter... congratulations On passing the first trial."
The hologram continued, "All I ask is that you check on my daughter. If she's living a good life, so be it. If not… please help her. Consider everything in this vault a down payment for your help."
With that, the hologram vanished. No demands, no elaborate schemes, just a father's plea for his daughter's safety.
Scanning the vault, Maximilian found additional compartments now open, revealing gold bullion, jewelry, and cash reserves. He inspected the bills, it was issued ten years ago, yet still valid today.
Maximilian examined the armor first. He checked its features and noticed the cape was part of a special contraption on the back, with openings that suggested some kind of jet propulsion system. The cape itself felt like silicone—harder than plastic, rubber, or cloth, yet surprisingly lightweight.
"So this is what you meant about this world's technology being significantly more advanced than my previous one," Maximilian remarked to the System.
[Yes! As you can see, technology like this isn't meant for public use. Blood Mongoose only had access because he was part of black ops.] the System explained.
"You have information about these Trial Masters and this world, but you're keeping it from me?"
[Like I said before, I don't want to spoil your fun! Spoiling a game of a movie plot is an A-hole, and I'm not an A-hole. (￣^￣)]
"Yeah, you're not an A-hole. Just a pain in the ass."
[Hey! (╬ᇂ_ᇂ)]
Maximilian chuckled at teasing the System before continuing, "I don't mind you having fun sometimes, just... make sure to give me a hint when it really matters, okay?"
[Okay, but remember—I can only hint, not tell you everything directly. There are protocols. This world is meant to be discovered! I can guide you, but the path is yours to choose. (￣～￣;)]
"You're saying I could ignore the main quest if I wanted to?" Maximilian asked.
[Technically, yes. But I know you won't. The main quest guides you toward becoming the Greatest Villain. It only appears at critical crossroads in your destiny.]
"It doesn't come from you?"
[The main quest? No. But side quests? Those are all me!]
"Then give me a good side quest."
[Absolutely! (≧▽≦)/]
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! (ﾉ≧∀≦)ﾉ・ﾟ✧ Side quest activated!]
— Side Quest: Spoonful Dominance —
Description: True villains can dominate lesser men with any weapon! Spooning someone today! Become the Greatest Villain tomorrow!
Time Limit: 30 days
Objective: Beat someone up using only a spoon
Bonus Objective: Give the victim permanent spoon-related PTSD
Reward: Unlocks 3D Map feature
Bonus Reward: ??? (Mystery feature)
—
"Are you serious?" Maximilian asked, his voice thick with skepticism.
[Of course. (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ]
"...."