Before announcing yourself to the world, you need to have a good idea of what reaction you can expect. First and foremost, those who possess great power will always be judged by society based on how and for what purpose they use that power. They will also be judged based on which group they belong to and what role they have chosen for themselves. Hero, villain, antihero. These are the main figures occupying positions in this world. There is also a fourth role, namely people who have the influence and resources to try to control certain villains or even heroes. For example, Amanda Waller, who will eventually assemble her famous "Suicide Squad" to do dirty work in exchange for their lives and a dubious promise of early release from this work after each completed task. Why is it dubious? Well, let's start with the fact that any villain they recruit has probably killed someone, probably has special abilities (otherwise they would be useless as a valuable resource and would be nothing more than cannon fodder), and therefore I have a perfectly reasonable question. Why on earth would anyone release particularly dangerous criminals? Any freedom for such people means either a bullet in the forehead or a tragic end on a suicidal mission. Although there is a third option. Where the organisation gives the heroes a tip-off about the villain, and then the cycle simply repeats itself. Why make things so complicated? I have no idea. Maybe it's because they're trying to keep the heroes busy and distract them from something? Argh! I'm no expert at uncovering the dark and terrible secrets of this world with my brilliant theories.
What am I getting at...? I don't want to be another villain or hero for society. I want to create something like "My Antihero." What does that mean? It would mean that people would know about my existence. My identity will be open to the public, as I am not afraid for my safety. It would be different if I had loved ones. Friends, family or a lover who could be manipulated through me. This world, when viewed through the eyes of an ordinary person, is simply a completely insane place, and it is impossible to live a peaceful life by definition. Perhaps I am exaggerating. As far as I am concerned, the only way to protect myself and my loved ones is to know in advance that someone will be able to help you and your family and allow you to continue living your normal life. Take the so-called "Heroes" for example. Yes, they can help, but where is the guarantee that they will be in the right place at the right time? That's right. There is no guarantee. And that is why I will act as a kind of living guarantee that people can not worry about their safety. And no, I will not use the standard methods of heroes to solve problems. I will give my opponent two options. Either we solve his problem together (if I find him interesting), or I simply kill him, as he poses a threat to the local residents, and I will set an example for the local villains of what awaits them.
Will this really work? Is it really necessary to go so far as to kill someone? Yes, I think it is. In comics, heroes can endlessly catch and put them behind bars, and then repeat this cycle over and over again until they escape from this particularly secure prison. Some people will speak with fear about what a monster and a beast I am, but there will always be those who will proudly say that I am our monster.
There are exceptions to my rule, and the name of this exception is a creature or monster of the "God" rank. After all, it is not always possible to find a common language with a creature that does not want to listen, because such creatures only understand the language of force. I always find it more interesting to study my enemies than to kill them. That is why, when I had the opportunity to make my enemies my... "best friends," I immediately decided to take advantage of it.
When did I want to do what I want to do? Well, first of all, I want to rid myself of the possibility of an unpleasant outcome at the very beginning of my great achievements, and therefore I want to thoroughly understand my army, heroes, and my own leveling of characteristics and skills. Now that my mana is unlocked, I can learn many more useful things that were previously unavailable to me. I think I should disappear for a while and focus on myself.
The First Month
First of all, I decided to distribute my attribute points so that I could at least summon most of my immortal legion.
56 Level
HP: 700/700
OD: 2200/2200
Mana: 2650
Strength: 64
Agility: 232
Luck: 1 — ???
Intuition: 81
Willpower: 45
Wisdom: 50
Build: 70
Endurance: 100 + 120
Charisma: 62
Intelligence: 65 + 200
Resilience: 80
Why did I decide to spend so much on endurance and intelligence? Well, I realised a simple truth after completing my last dungeon. No matter how strong I am, the monsters in the dungeon will be stronger and more numerous, so my priority was to have as many options as possible in terms of abilities, as well as to rely on my loyal and fearless army. My speed already exceeds that of humans several times over, and my ability to manipulate time renders my enemies helpless. Initially, I planned to rely only on myself, using my speed and ability to control time, but Asta opened my eyes to my main weakness. I was frankly weak against enemies who were resistant to my attacks. I am weak against immortal beings who are strong and dangerous if you don't know their characteristics. This is where my "Loyal Friends" will come to the rescue. They will learn their weaknesses, strengths, and quirks. Based on the results of my analysis, I will strike at the right moment and use my power to restore the armour of the defeated soldiers to its original state. Why should I strain myself when, in the worst case, I can summon my main character, Astu? She is like a queen on my chessboard, moving as she pleases and serving as my main firepower.
Let's get back to my abilities. How did I decide to get rid of the immortal beings of the "God" rank? I had an idea about that. The second profession, called "Tempest," opened up the possibility of being a Universal Trickster. To put it as simply as possible, thanks to some knowledge in the field of "Alchemy," it was possible to create solutions that would enhance weapons/characters with certain special properties. The profession "Poison Master" is too narrow in its application, in my opinion, and it may happen that some enemies may have simple immunity to even the most dangerous and powerful poisons. The profession itself was divided into three branches. The first branch included the simplest enhancements in the form of potions to increase Strength/Agility/Stamina/Endurance. After moving on to the second branch, it became possible to enhance weapons with elemental properties. The third branch opened up the possibility of enhancement, but on a completely different level. Want to be Superman for five minutes? Sign here. However, such power always comes at a price in the form of unpleasant side effects, which can be minimised if you know what to add to this "miracle potion".
There was one very noticeable and unpleasant flaw in this profession, namely the ingredients from the fantasy world that were included in the creation of various potions. "Root of the Ancient Thousand-Year-Old Oak"? "Blood of a half-demon"? Where can you get that in this... world? Although, I think even in this world I can get some of the ingredients. True, I'd better get access to the auction as soon as possible so that I don't limit myself in anything.
That's all about Characteristics and Professions. Now the most difficult part was my future skills. I had a total of 32 free skills. Before mindlessly spending them on combat skills, I decided to think very carefully about the value of each skill that had become available to me thanks to unlocking Mana.
Some skills had an interesting feature. If you levelled up one seemingly simple ability, it would become extremely powerful in the future. I wanted to solve my problem with stamina and mana regeneration and came to the conclusion that the starting ability "Meditation" was perfect for me. At first, the effect of using it was imperceptible. It was necessary to sit still in the lotus position, and after a while, a fraction of a percent of mana and stamina would be restored. I decided to go further and simply level it up to the maximum.
Advanced Black Lotus Meditation Level 10 (Max)
While in the meditation stance, you gain:
"50% less damage from all types of attacks.
"Endurance regenerates 10 times faster.
"Mana regenerates 5 times faster.
Lasts for three minutes. Cannot be interrupted.
The most obvious downside is that I will be cut off from the outside world for a whole three minutes, but the nice upside is that during meditation, my stamina and mana are almost completely restored. Now even long battles are no longer a threat to me. Although it cost me a whole ten points.
The next skill I decided to acquire was "Leader". Unlike abilities, skills couldn't just be "maxed out." They required accumulating a certain amount of experience. I chose this skill solely to manage my army more successfully. After I took up the Necromancer profession and signed a contract with them, I began to... how can I put it... feel "them." I felt a connection between us, and the more warriors I summoned, the harder it became. It was as if I were a communications operator explaining to everyone what they needed to do through a headset with a microphone. With a single thought, I could summon a warrior, and he would respond to my command and materialise in the real world. Each time, this was accompanied by a blue haze with a rim of the same colour as the flame. Also, to reduce this load, I decided to start my "experiment," but more on that later. I also decided to come up with something like... "rough diplomacy."
Last Warning Level (Max)
Cost: 100 HP. Can only be used on weak opponents. Before using, you will see the skill's probability of success.
You show your opponent the most likely outcome of the battle. You and your intended victim will enter an alternate version of the future. Upon completion, all events that occurred during this time will be erased, but the memory of what happened will remain. Can be used on one or multiple targets simultaneously. The probability of diplomacy/persuasion/alliance/frightening the target is increased several times.
This "miracle" costs only two points and is useful because sometimes I don't want to have long, tedious conversations about who is right and who is wrong. It will be enough for me to give the hero or villain a strong enough warning that will prevent them from making hasty decisions and, most importantly, think about the consequences! Think about how much better it is to talk than to try to stop me or set me on the "true" path in the most effective way, namely through violence.
As it happened, I didn't take into account that my increased mana reserves would periodically get out of control due to my lack of experience in using magic. This usually happened because of small emotional outbursts. I feel like Naruto, who also had an ocean of chakra, but couldn't really use it because of his terrible control over it. The example is unfortunate, of course, but the situation was somewhat similar. I had to spend ten points on such a simple skill as Mana Control, which later evolved into...
Advanced Mana Control Level 10 (Max) Can be improved!
Your mana control is comparable to that of a talented and promising mage. Your mana source is difficult to sense, and your flow will always be in a "calm" state.
The maximum skill level has unlocked an additional property for you!
The cost of skills that require mana is reduced by 50%!
I spent quite a long time figuring out all these characteristics, abilities, skills and so on. It took me a whole month of brainwork. Fortunately, I decided to settle for a while on the personal island of the League of Shadows. It was almost uninhabited and existed solely for the purpose of "testing" new recruits. I liked it because, despite being inhabited by all kinds of exotic creatures, none of the local fauna tried to attack me. Apparently, their instinct for self-preservation and survival is much more developed than that of humans. It was a little strange... Yes, I controlled my mana, but for some reason, the creatures could still sense me even when I was invisible. And then I realised that animals have a special ability to sense danger. How can a living creature sense danger from another creature? The correct answer: aura. Every living and non-living creature has it, so I decided to correct my... flaw and simply get rid of it.
The Talon dagger glowed blue, and throwing it into the air and catching it with a reverse grip, I stabbed myself in the chest with it. My dark green aura gathered around me in chaotic smoke, and then disappeared with a sharp vacuum explosion.
Aura Slaying Level [???] Passive.
You have destroyed your own aura. Now almost no one can sense you in advance. Only beings of the rank of Gods/Higher Beings/Ancients and above will be able to sense your faint presence.
"...This feature can be both a curse and a blessing, but for Assassins, it is a real gift. Who would suspect of murder someone who doesn't even exist in this world...?"
This was another skill from the last branch of Assassins that cost me five skill points.
And I only had six points left...! I was just too stingy to spend them on something useless. And then I decided to remember my loyal heroes, who also had some very interesting abilities. First of all, I was interested in Asta, who, among other things, had the ability to move objects with her mind. I summoned her. The warrior silently knelt on one knee, waiting for instructions.
"Asta, there's no need to kneel all the time. I'd like to conduct a little experiment so that both you and I can become better!
"*A piercing gaze from her glowing blue eyes betrayed a hint of curiosity* .
"As you may have noticed, I possess a certain unique power, and no, I'm not talking about time manipulation. I'm talking about 'The System'. I called you here to propose an 'exchange'. I want to learn your Darth Vader's Invisible Grip, Telekinesis, or whatever you call it... It doesn't matter. In return, you will receive this useful book from me. - I materialised the red book of the Berserker profession from my inventory. - It will be fair. I mean, if we both become strong, our chances of achieving our goals will increase significantly. Well, what do you say?
I was a little sceptical that the System was capable of such a thing, but in every "Game" there could be a possibility of exchange. Items, weapons, and even skills. The main problem was that I was offering her ready-made material, and she had to come up with an "alternative" to the deal. A way that would help me learn this.
And she found it...
A window familiar to me appeared in front of her face with an offer to learn a profession, and her clawed finger pointed to the "Yes" answer. After that, her aura suddenly began to emit a threatening red hue, her head dropped to the ground, and her body slumped slightly. Is that what... absorbing knowledge looks like?! Damn! I didn't think about such dangerous consequences...! I was about to call her back, but I noticed her raise her palm, and her threatening, terrifying aura suddenly faded. Apparently, it was a simple gesture to show that everything was under control. Asta clenched his fist in front of him, and a small edge of red energy crackled around the tips of his iron clawed gloves like small red lightning bolts. She tapped herself once on the chest, where a black hole had recently been left by a sword, as if to express... gratitude? How amazing she is at conveying feelings without words. It's simply astonishing. As for the wound on her armour... When I had the opportunity to summon her, I offered to "patch her up" a second time. To restore her armour to its original condition. She fell out of reality for a moment, but still agreed. I thought I felt something on the edge of my consciousness. Some kind of doubt. As if the wound meant something to her and it was something extremely important. After all, it's hard to imagine such a strong hero guarding the throne with a broken sword stuck in your chest. The sword was impossible to repair, even with my abilities.
Name: Equaliser
Rank: Legendary
Status: Destroyed/Cursed
Description: Once upon a time, this sword was the most formidable weapon in the Empire, but now it is only a weak and pitiful semblance of its former self. Despite the fact that the sword has long since lost its previous properties, thanks to the soul of its owner, it has acquired new properties: it can join together from its own fragments and take the form of a blade from the soul of its owner. Extremely dangerous against incorporeal beings. Grants its owner high resistance to spiritual attacks.
I quickly understood why my attacks were so ineffective against her.
How did Asta decide to repay me for my help? Well, at first I didn't understand why her massive clawed hand was slowly approaching my face, but I trusted her completely and felt that no matter what, she would not betray me. I just believed in her. Her cold steel glove barely touched my face, and memories flooded into my head like a torrent. These memories were terrifyingly simple, but they all repeated the same action. After a while, I felt a small amount of moisture begin to seep from my eyes...
Was I... crying?
The sword rises and falls a thousand, maybe even a million times. Practising the memorised swing until it becomes automatic. She has long forgotten what flesh and breath are, but her spirit still hones every movement of her style. Because she believes that one day, all this will end and he will come...!
Memories fade like a black fog and are replaced by new ones.
Deaf footsteps echo through the empty hall. One step into the void and in an instant she finds herself on the ceiling. One step onto the floor and her hand pulls an invisible opponent towards her, pulling him towards her to cut him in two. The invisible shadow of her enemy falls lifelessly and she is overcome by a faint sense of pride. Still as fast and strong as... before?
What was it like before...?!
Clawed hands clutch at her head, her legs buckle at the knees. She tries to remember something important and valuable, but it slips away and disappears into the void. It teases her. It torments her. It tortures her soul from within.
The memory is abruptly interrupted, and the calm gaze of glowing blue eyes awaits my reaction.
"You've decided to devote all your time to training, right?
"Ghost Step" - Learned!
Cost: 5 OD/sec.
Allows you to literally walk/levitate in the air. Even in zero gravity, you don't lose your sense of orientation.
"Ghost Grip" - Learned!
Allows you to grab an object and grab/pull/push/squeeze it, etc. The strength and speed of the grab will depend on the AP invested.
The skills were surprisingly... free! This was a rather pleasant discovery. As for the remaining six skills, I decided to spend them on skills that would be quite useful in combat tactics against future enemies.
"Life Search," "Terrain Capture," "Mana Singularity," and "Subjugation."
While Life Search was straightforward and allowed me to sense life itself within a certain radius, the other three skills were from the Necromancer branch.
Terrain Capture is a kind of mark for defending territory. It looked as if I was placing my palm print on the ground, and at any moment, one of my warriors could emerge from this mark. The mark was invisible to ordinary people and could only reveal itself when activated. I had special plans for this skill.
Mana Singularity is an ability that allowed me to transform my body into a kind of singularity that, when an enemy was killed, converted their life force into my own mana reserve.
And finally, Subjugation is a crude form of soul capture, and if successful, I can use it as a particularly valuable resource. It has a rather... wide range of applications. After all, the soul is the most precious thing a person has. I think that soon the demons of hell will see me as their colleague. The main thing is not to show off this ability too much, or all my future efforts will be ruined. I decided to keep two skill points in reserve.
Second Month
In the second month of my seclusion, I decided to begin my experiment. I summoned all four heroes and a dozen or so ordinary knights with a couple of mages into the real world.
"I summoned you here to clear up some misunderstandings between us and increase trust. After all, I don't want to have weak-willed and stupid puppets around me. I want to see the real and formidable army of the once Great Empire! Yes, you are all practically identical, but your souls are not. I pointed to my chest. Your souls are what make you unique and interesting! Even after all this time, you still remember how to fight," I said, glancing briefly at Astu. "How to hunt and kill," I said, looking at Robin. "How to protect those who need it," I said, looking at Maria, who was holding her hands in a prayer gesture, and Trask.
"To be honest, I can't help you. Not now. You are immortal undead, and one lifetime is nothing to you compared to ordinary people, so I want to live this lifetime as a human who wants to enjoy life to the fullest. But I promise that when the time comes, I will help you. All of you.
Everyone else in my special space also heard my every word telepathically.
Another hidden reason why I didn't say anything was that I was simply afraid and not ready to face something truly terrifying and dangerous. I couldn't compete with someone who could so easily destroy an entire kingdom, and I couldn't imagine anyone being able to kill Asta. I simply couldn't wrap my head around it because, when alive, Asta could be several times stronger! Who, or rather, what could kill her?
After a while, Asta knelt down on one knee and placed her fist on her chest, which was her way of showing her devotion. After a while, the others followed her example, which even made me feel a little embarrassed. I chuckled, scratched the back of my head, and asked everyone to stand up.
"So...! I didn't call you here just for this! I want to give you back your identities, and the fact that you remember how to fight means that you can also remember who and what you were. So from now on, we will train in tactics and refine our movements. I will give you short instructions, which you will carry out as you see fit. Self-development and homework. I feel like a real primary school teacher...!
I didn't want them to fight each other. I already knew what they were capable of. I wanted to develop their freedom of action, analysis, and tactics. With each day of training, I began to notice that their stiffness and sluggishness were gradually disappearing. Their movements became smooth and confident. It was as if, step by step, they were remembering who they really were. Their souls were filled with hope and meaning. It was as if I was watching the Empire rise from the ashes.
Thus, from a lone assassin, I became a "king" whose only role was to watch the successes of his army. All that's missing is a throne, heh.
By the end of the second month, almost all the warriors had changed their status from "No Determination" to "Full of Determination." Robin, Trusk, and Maria unlocked some special abilities that they had not used against me when they received these statuses, because they wanted me to defeat them and end their suffering. They fought without fire or determination. They fought out of necessity. Bound by their eternal curse. Unlike Asta, who fought to the limit of her abilities and held herself back only because of her honour.
Well, I've spent quite a decent amount of time here. It's time to go back to civilisation...
I was ready for almost anything, but I did not expect to hear important news about a global alien invasion upon my arrival. Outwardly, they resembled lizard-like humanoids encased in green armour, and one of the brave souls managed to capture on their mobile phone camera a rather well-known "god" of their planet named Darkseid flying through the air in Metropolis and shooting gamma rays from his eyes. What can I say about him? He chose a bad place for an invasion...
That's what happens when you decide to get to know the world better, it throws you a chance to prove yourself.
Darkseid's army against my army? We'll see who wins. I think Asta and I will take care of Darkseid, and everyone else will defend the city. If possible, they'll all join us at the end. And we won't be dancing with him alone for long. After all, important and powerful heroes like "Soup," "Bats," and "Superbaba" will definitely be there. We have to get there before them...! I haven't felt this excited and nervous in a long time. The most important thing is not to lose your head in battle and to analyse the situation.
***
patreon.com/posts/chronos-in-dc-in-134034864