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Chapter 23: Shocking! Is Kid Actually Made of Pigeons?
"...Just as I thought. Kid made sure he wouldn't be caught on camera."
Ten minutes later, Robin sat alone on a rooftop, the cold wind whipping his cape. Oracle had just informed him that she had scrubbed every surveillance feed within a kilometer of the Vanaver estate. Kid was nowhere to be found.
Robin wasn't surprised. After witnessing that display, his assessment of the thief had radically changed. Kid was not an opponent to be underestimated. Expecting to catch him with basic surveillance was wishful thinking.
"Kid... you played me perfectly this time. But next time, I'll expose your true face!" Robin clenched his fist, the thief's arrogant speech still ringing in his ears.
Meanwhile, several kilometers away by a river, Darren landed on a quiet patch of grass in his Kid attire.
He held the necklace up to the moon. It was a meaningless gesture—he didn't actually need moonlight to check for gems—but he enjoyed the ritual.
The System notification chimed in his ear.
[Congratulations Host on completing the objective: 'Steal the Vanaver Necklace'.]
[Difficulty: Medium]
[Item Quality: Common]
[Style Index: SHOWY!!]
[Overall Rating: D+]
As usual, the System calculated the rating before rolling for the reward. Darren was eager. The "Golden Finger" skill he got last time was useful for dexterity, but he needed combat power or survival skills. In a world full of superheroes and monsters, parlor tricks wouldn't keep him alive forever.
However, the reward prompt didn't appear immediately.
"What's wrong? System lag?"
Suddenly, a new alert triggered.
[Detected trace amounts of Electrum radiation on the Vanaver Necklace. Long-term exposure induces insanity in humans.]
[Option to absorb Electrum radiation to enhance the quality of the Random Reward. Absorb?]
Darren's eyes narrowed.
Electrum.
A mysterious metal possessing supernatural power. It could grant immortality, but it also drove its users into absolute madness. It was the signature metal of the Court of Owls, used to create their undead assassins, the Talons.
And behind the Court lay a terrifying, multiverse-level dark god.
"So, the necklace is radioactive with Electrum... It wouldn't be like this unless it was stored near a large quantity of the metal for years." Darren scrutinized the jewelry. "That means the Vanaver family is part of the Court. Makes sense. There aren't many old Gotham families that aren't connected to them."
The curse Samantha spoke of was real—it was just radiation poisoning and heavy metal madness.
"This is troublesome. I seem to have inadvertently offended Gotham's secret final boss..."
Darren sighed. He had hoped to avoid the heavy hitters, but conflict seemed inevitable in this city.
"System, absorb the radiation and draw the reward!"
[Absorbing... Complete.]
[Rolling Random Reward...]
[Congratulations Host! Acquired: Silver Cat Ring!]
[Silver Cat Ring: Negates non-fatal fall damage.]
[Comment: As long as it doesn't kill you, fall as much as you like.]
A silver ring materialized on his right index finger.
"Negates non-fatal damage... so if the fall is high enough to kill me, I still die?" Darren twisted the ring, amused. "Well, it's situational, but valuable. It saves my knees during hang-glider landings."
"Now, what to do with this?"
He looked at the necklace, now cleansed of radiation and reduced to a mundane piece of jewelry.
Keeping it was out of the question. It had ties to the Court of Owls.
"Returning it to the manor? Bad idea; there might be Talons waiting. Giving it to the GCPD? I did that last time; it lacks creativity."
"Tsk, whatever. I'll just toss it."
Darren wound up and threw the necklace into the shallow river nearby. The water wasn't deep, and people often fished here. Someone would find it eventually. If not, he could always leak a treasure map later.
Darren tidied his appearance and vanished into the night.
Late Night, Vanaver Manor.
Power had been restored. The three-day banquet was canceled, and the guests had dispersed. Gordon had apologized and left with his officers.
In a dimly lit room, Samantha sat on a sofa while William stood respectfully before her. Despite failing his duty, William showed no guilt, and Samantha showed no anger.
"What is your assessment of Kid?" she asked.
"Great potential. His physical conditioning is excellent, though he lacks formal combat training," William replied calmly. "And his disguise skills are formidable. I truly did not realize he had taken your place."
"Oh? I thought you let him knock you out on purpose."
"No. He utilized the environment and body language perfectly."
Samantha nodded. "So, you think he is a suitable candidate?"
"I do," William confirmed. " ever since the accident at Haly's Circus, we lost the perfect candidate. We have been searching for a replacement for years. Kid might be the one."
"Investigate his real identity," Samantha ordered coldly. "I want to see him at the ceremony within the month."
"At once."
The Next Day.
Gotham's newspapers were dominated by one name: Phantom Thief Kid.
[God-Like Skills! Kid Breaks the Boundary Between Magic and Sorcery!]
[Shocking! Dove Feathers Found at Scene—Is Kid Non-Human?!]
[Watch Now! First Clash Between Robin and Kid!]
The media frenzy was intense.
At the Green residence, Darren woke up, dressed, and headed to school.
Walking down the street with a handsome face and a perfect physique, he drew attention. Female students giggled and approached him. Having been a transmigrator for over a decade, Darren was used to this. He chatted with the girls, performed sleight of hand, and harvested their admiration.
He wasn't too worried about the Court of Owls. They were powerful, but unless they had precognition, they couldn't link Kid to Darren Green easily. The Court was merely the outer shell of Barbatos's influence; they relied on worldly power and Talons, not omniscience.
As Darren entered the school grounds, male students watched with jealousy.
"Who is that guy? Why is he always surrounded by girls?"
"That's Darren Green. He's a school celebrity. You don't know him?"
"Green? The genius teenage magician? That's him? Rich, talented, and handsome... life is unfair."
"Don't be too sad. Imagine attending twenty years ago. You would have had to compete with Bruce Wayne." 27
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