The evening breeze stirred gently.
Homelander flew leisurely across the night sky, the vibrant city lights sprawling beneath him, while the stars above glittered like a river of diamonds.
He glanced at the lively streets below and the masses bustling about, his thoughts drifting to a line from a book he vaguely remembered: "Power rests solely in the hands of the strong."
He chuckled, adding his own commentary. "And the strong need a fulcrum—absolute power."
With that, he opened his inventory to review the rewards from the recent mission.
---
[Proficiency Essence: Increases any ability's proficiency by 20. Can be broken down into equivalent Dim Essence.]
[Black Bat Circus Coin: Each use randomly summons two to three circus members—such as the Ringmaster, Big Belly, Stone Man, Beastmaster, Copycat, or Rubber Man—for a limited time. Summoned members will enter a cooldown period, with a minimum of 24 hours before reuse.]
[Multiverse Crate (Random): Contains a random item, power, gem, or material from any multiverse. Luck will determine your reward.]
---
Not bad.
This was the kind of haul that only came from big missions.
The Proficiency Essence alone, without the 'Dim' prefix, provided 20 points of proficiency at once.
The Black Bat Circus Coin could summon circus members, though it was a bit of a gamble. Some members were practically useless, but the Ringmaster and Big Belly could be useful—if luck was on his side.
And the Multiverse Crate?
Homelander smirked. That thing was entirely luck-based. Given his infamous history with draws and loot boxes, it was best not to expect much.
Still, curiosity got the better of him, and he pulled out one of the crates.
The crate resembled a gacha machine. As Homelander reached inside, the space seemed boundless, his hand grasping at nothing until—there it was! He seized something and pulled it out.
A soft glow emanated from his hand as the crate dissipated into thin air.
In his grasp was a red mask—simple, with two eyeholes and nothing else distinctive about it.
---
[Spider-Man's Mask: A relic from the Spider-Man universe. The original Spider-Man's first homemade costume piece. Wearing it will enhance the user's sense of responsibility and justice.]
---
Homelander blinked.
Unexpected.
This Multiverse Crate can actually pull items from other universes?
He grinned. If this crate could produce items from the Spider-Verse, then maybe it could also yield treasures from other places—like the Marvel Universe… or DC.
Now that was exciting.
He examined the mask thoughtfully, then slid it on.
The moment he did, he straightened his posture and declared with conviction:
"With great power comes great responsibility!"
The words barely left his mouth before he ripped the mask off in a panic.
"Yikes! This thing's dangerous. Whoever wears it turns into a complete idiot!"
Shaking his head, Homelander stashed the second crate away for later. With a burst of speed, he shot off toward Annika's apartment.
---
At Annika's Apartment
On the top floor of a downtown apartment complex, Annika, the crime analyst, was blasting music through her speakers.
"Come on, come on... No! Impossible. Not a chance," she muttered to herself, fresh out of the shower and wrapped in a towel.
She danced to the beat with her eyes closed, beer in hand. Opening the fridge, she grabbed another can, shutting the door with a casual kick.
She spun around, took a swig, and—facing the open window—let her towel fall dramatically to the floor.
A quiet cough echoed through the room.
Annika's eyes shot open.
Sitting casually on the windowsill was Homelander, his fist pressed against his lips to suppress a chuckle.
"Nice figure," he remarked with a mischievous grin.
Annika gasped, quickly looking down, then let out a scream as she bolted into the bedroom.
Moments later, she peeked out, dressed in casual clothes but still wary.
Homelander hopped off the windowsill with a shrug. "Relax. No need to hide. I meant what I said—your figure's impressive."
He gave her a playful thumbs-up.
Annika tugged on a jacket, shaking off the embarrassment as she grabbed another beer from the fridge. "What brings you here, boss?"
"Boss?" Homelander tilted his head, amused.
"You are my personal investigator, aren't you?" she said, tossing him a beer. "That makes you my boss."
Homelander popped the tab, taking a sip. "Fair point."
Setting the beer down, he got straight to business. "You've got news for me, right? About those two cases."
Annika nodded quickly. "Yeah, let's start with the two suspects. They're from the same place—Oster, an ancient town nestled in the Balkah Highlands, western Jordan."
Homelander raised a brow. "Got coordinates?"
Annika winked. "Of course."
"Good. Send them over."
Taking another sip from his beer, he asked, "And the other case?"
"After A-Train's death, his older brother, Nathan, has been meeting frequently with a guy named Jeff—a white dude connected to some shady weapons development group."
"The company's called Olga Weapon Development."
Annika pulled out her phone, showing him a photo of a bespectacled man who looked like an engineer, complete with a small earring in his left ear.
Homelander studied the photo. "Good work."
He handed the phone back and said, "I feel like giving you a reward."
Annika gave a playful salute. "Always happy to help."
"Do me another favor. Track down someone for me—goes by the name Butcher, aka 'The Butcher.'"
He described the man's distinctive beard. "I want to know what he's been up to."
"And keep digging into Olga Weapon Development and this Jeff guy. Try to find out where he lives."
Annika grinned. "Got it, boss. Leave it to me."
With that, Homelander left.
Once alone, Annika let out a long breath.
Picking up her phone, she quickly posted a cheeky status update:
"Just got a surprise visit from my boss. Scared the life out of me, but he seemed happy with my work. Any guesses who my boss is?"
She attached a selfie and a shot of the beer can Homelander had drunk from.
Satisfied, she set her phone aside and prepared to unwind with some yoga.
Just then, the TV blared with a talk show host's excited voice.
"Guess what, folks! Big news about Homelander! This time, he's in serious trouble!"
---
New Power Unlocked
[You've used the 'Targeted Talent Capsule: Self-Replication.' A new ability has been unlocked.]
[Note: This ability is exempt from the proficiency system.]
Homelander frowned slightly.
So, abilities gained through capsules couldn't be upgraded? That was a bit disappointing.
With a shrug, he dumped several Proficiency Essence into his Steel Body ability.
---
[Steel Body Proficiency +20]
[Steel Body Proficiency +2]
[Steel Body Proficiency +2]
[Steel Body proficiency maxed. Upgrading to 'Bio-Field.']
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